Wow, what a year! This has been a really big year for the McEntire household. These are some of the big things that happened to me and my family in 2010, in no particular order.
Blogging
I have wanted to start a blog for a while now, but I finally did it this year. Twice! I first created my fitness blog, and then this one, my personal one. I really enjoy blogging, it is a great creative outlet, and it allows me to share my life and my thoughts with lots of people. I wanted to do the fitness blog because as I did research and worked on getting myself healthy, I felt like I was learning valuable information that other people could use. So I wanted to share! Then, I had so much going on in my personal life that I wanted to create a personal blog to chronicle the craziness that is my life :-) I also find myself researching different topics, including all things pregnancy, and I wanted a place where I could share my knowledge and other adventures.
Being healthy/losing weight
I began the year with the goal to lose weight and be a more healthy person in general. That was part of the reason I created my fitness blog. I wanted a way to keep myself accountable and continue with my goals. I was doing really well in my quest to be healthy...until I got pregnant, haha! Then I was just struggling to eat at all, not worrying about what I was eating. And I had gotten my running to a really great time, but then it got to where I was lucky just to make it through the day! Oh well, I'll get back to that after March-ish of the upcoming year!
Preggers!
I will never forget July 13, 2010. That is the day that I found out we are having a BABY! I have since been documenting that adventure right here on this blog! It has been an unforgettable adventure so far, and will continue for the rest of our lives. I wouldn't trade any moment of it for the world. We love this little one so much already, it's almost unbelievable!
Senior year of school
I finally started my senior year of school! I can't wait to be done!
Grandma passing
On August 14th, my grandma went to be with Jesus. She has been and will continue to be missed. I wrote a tribute to her as one of my first posts on this blog. Love you, Grandma!
Jackson's arrival
My sweet and super adorable nephew, Jackson, joined us on May 17th! The first couple of weeks were rough, with him having to stay in the NICU, but God allowed him to be brought home finally. Jack has brought tons of joy and laughter into our lives, and we just love that he joined our family this year!
Remodeling, remodeling, and more remodeling
We have been doing SO much work to our house! Ok, well maybe it was mostly my awesome hubby doing the work, but you know what I mean, lol. :-) Hopefully it will all be done soon, and what has been done already is looking great!! It should be done in time for Andrew's arrival!
That's what happened in our lives last year. I may have forgotten some things, I dunno. Those are just what stuck out in my mind while making a quick list. So I guess they were some of the most important. 2010 was a fantastic year! Here's to an even better year in 2011!!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Glucose Test Results
Poop. :-( I failed my glucose test. Now I have to go back next Tuesday at 8:30 and do the 3 hour test. That means I have to fast starting at midnight, and then go in and have blood drawn. Then I have to drink an even sweeter drink than last time, and have blood taken every hour on the hour for 3 hours. So blood will be drawn FOUR times. :-( I'm super depressed now.
Oh, and I also have low iron so I have to take an iron supplement.
Grr.
Oh, and I also have low iron so I have to take an iron supplement.
Grr.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Our Christmas
Our Christmas was just great this year! I hope everyone else's was too!
We spent a lot of time with our families, which was the best part. I just love my family, and I am so lucky that I love my in-laws too!
On Christmas Eve, we went and made Christmas cookies for Santa with our neice who is 5. It was great fun, and she really enjoyed sharing with us the ones that weren't going on Santa's plate. She had the NORAD Santa tracker pulled up on the computer and kept leaving to check it ecstatically every 5 or 10 minutes. So funny! My nephew is only 7 months old so he wasn't quite ready this year to help with the cookies. Next year I'm sure he will though!
Christmas Day was even better! Santa brought me a beautiful necklace (a tennis necklace? I think that's what they're called)!! I love it!! Santa brought hubby a new alarm clock and a 3-set of bright green measuring tapes. So funny! He needed the alarm clock because his old one didn't work very well anymore, and the snooze button didn't work at all. He would end up beating on it while half-alseep to get it to shut up in the mornings. I was really afraid he was going to chuck it across the room one day. Hahaha! Now he has one that works and doesn't have to beat anymore! He also needed the measuring tapes because he has this funny habit of not being able to find one when he needs it, which isn't so good when he's trying to work on the house. Now he has one for every room that is being worked on! :-P
After seeing what Santa brought to the McEntire house, we headed over to his parents house for presents with my neice and nephew, and Christmas lunch. My neice of course enjoyed seeing all the new toys and stuff, and my nephew was too funny trying to figure out what to do. He enjoyed tearing the wrapping paper anyway! We got him a dump truck that moves and talks, but it kind of scared him, which was slightly funny. After the kids opening presents and everyone eating lunch, we headed to his grandparents house to see the rest of his family and hung out there for a little while. It was a crazy, driving-filled day--as you can tell! At least everyone is within a 45-minute drive of our house.
Then it was off to my parents for Christmas dinner and more gift exchanging! I got some really cute stuff, but I was most excited about the new Dyson vacuum I got!! Yay!! Haha....It might be sad that I'm excited about a vacuum cleaner, but I don't care! I've got it all put together now (okay okay, my wonderful hubby put it together), and it's ready to use as soon as I feel like getting up and using it :-P Hubby got some good stuff too, but we got a big laugh out of the big orange traffic cones he got.....(long story short- Ikind of definitely hit his truck while backing out of the driveway last week....umm oops?) Lol! So now, he can protect his truck from me. :-) Baby Andrew got some really cute stuff too! I have a small feeling that this little one might be just a bit spoiled! (Just a little bit! Hehehe) He got an A for his room that my sister hand painted, and a super adorable airplane decoration with his name on it! (Nursery theme=airplanes, fyi) He also got one of those blanket things that babies wear, that zip up and all. This one was actually cute! I hated most of the ones that I saw in the stores and stuff, they were just really ugly and not cute at all, but this one is super adorable!
I took some more belly pictures at my parents house, but I don't really like them. Regardless, here's some:
Oh, and did I mention that we got SNOW (!!) on Christmas?!?! It was beautiful! We haven't had a white Christmas in Charlotte in over 60 years! It started snowing mid- to late afternoon and snowed well into the day after Christmas. The dogs LOVED it! They are so weird....they hate rain but love snow....weirdos. Haha. Anyway, back to the snow....we got somewhere between 4-5 inches. It was great! The hubby really enjoyed taking out big green (our huge 4 wheel drive truck) and playing in the snow. (Don't worry- I was extra careful not to fall and get hurt, considering my newly increased clumsiness. Lol!) I would post some pictures of it, but I haven't loaded those onto my computer yet. I'll put some up once I do that though. It was such fun :-) The snow was a great ending to a great Christmas!
So, that was our Christmas! We are SO blessed :-) I can't wait until next Christmas when we get to have Andrew's first Christmas!!
We spent a lot of time with our families, which was the best part. I just love my family, and I am so lucky that I love my in-laws too!
On Christmas Eve, we went and made Christmas cookies for Santa with our neice who is 5. It was great fun, and she really enjoyed sharing with us the ones that weren't going on Santa's plate. She had the NORAD Santa tracker pulled up on the computer and kept leaving to check it ecstatically every 5 or 10 minutes. So funny! My nephew is only 7 months old so he wasn't quite ready this year to help with the cookies. Next year I'm sure he will though!
Christmas Day was even better! Santa brought me a beautiful necklace (a tennis necklace? I think that's what they're called)!! I love it!! Santa brought hubby a new alarm clock and a 3-set of bright green measuring tapes. So funny! He needed the alarm clock because his old one didn't work very well anymore, and the snooze button didn't work at all. He would end up beating on it while half-alseep to get it to shut up in the mornings. I was really afraid he was going to chuck it across the room one day. Hahaha! Now he has one that works and doesn't have to beat anymore! He also needed the measuring tapes because he has this funny habit of not being able to find one when he needs it, which isn't so good when he's trying to work on the house. Now he has one for every room that is being worked on! :-P
After seeing what Santa brought to the McEntire house, we headed over to his parents house for presents with my neice and nephew, and Christmas lunch. My neice of course enjoyed seeing all the new toys and stuff, and my nephew was too funny trying to figure out what to do. He enjoyed tearing the wrapping paper anyway! We got him a dump truck that moves and talks, but it kind of scared him, which was slightly funny. After the kids opening presents and everyone eating lunch, we headed to his grandparents house to see the rest of his family and hung out there for a little while. It was a crazy, driving-filled day--as you can tell! At least everyone is within a 45-minute drive of our house.
Then it was off to my parents for Christmas dinner and more gift exchanging! I got some really cute stuff, but I was most excited about the new Dyson vacuum I got!! Yay!! Haha....It might be sad that I'm excited about a vacuum cleaner, but I don't care! I've got it all put together now (okay okay, my wonderful hubby put it together), and it's ready to use as soon as I feel like getting up and using it :-P Hubby got some good stuff too, but we got a big laugh out of the big orange traffic cones he got.....(long story short- I
I took some more belly pictures at my parents house, but I don't really like them. Regardless, here's some:
Oh, and did I mention that we got SNOW (!!) on Christmas?!?! It was beautiful! We haven't had a white Christmas in Charlotte in over 60 years! It started snowing mid- to late afternoon and snowed well into the day after Christmas. The dogs LOVED it! They are so weird....they hate rain but love snow....weirdos. Haha. Anyway, back to the snow....we got somewhere between 4-5 inches. It was great! The hubby really enjoyed taking out big green (our huge 4 wheel drive truck) and playing in the snow. (Don't worry- I was extra careful not to fall and get hurt, considering my newly increased clumsiness. Lol!) I would post some pictures of it, but I haven't loaded those onto my computer yet. I'll put some up once I do that though. It was such fun :-) The snow was a great ending to a great Christmas!
So, that was our Christmas! We are SO blessed :-) I can't wait until next Christmas when we get to have Andrew's first Christmas!!
Week 29
We have a new fruit!
Okay so I don't know what kind of weird looking squash this is, but it's supposed to be a squash, lol.
My sweet Andrew is continuing to grow every day! He should be pushing 17 inches from head to foot, and between 2.5 and 3 lbs. Apparently, his height is now close to what it should be at birth. Not much new is going on with him, he's just going crazy in there most days. He has his lazy days, but mostly he moves a LOT. Space is getting scarce in there, so he may be slowing down in days to come. I'm supposed to be doing kick counts, but I feel so much movement that most days I forget about it because there's just no need. He's an energetic little booger :-) Pretty much the only things that he's doing are the same as last week: depositing fat, and finishing up his organs and systems.
I said last week that he should be changing positions from sideways to head down, but that I thought he hadn't started to shift. Well, I think he may have started his shift now! He seems to be halfway between sideways and head down now. It feels like his kicks are getting closer to the right side of my ribs, rather than the middle of my right side, and his punches and pokes are getting closer to my left hip rather than my left side or belly button. So hopefully, that means he has started positioning himself for arrival!!
Other than the kicks and punches, I can feel when he rolls over and moves his whole body around too. I know I keep saying this, but it is just the coolest thing! Also, at night when I'm laying down, I can press on this one spot just above my belly button, and I'm pretty sure I can feel his little knee! So freakin cute!!
Not many changes for me since last week, just counting down the days till he gets here! 78 days left!!! I'm mostly trying to get things ready for his grand entrance. He has a whole pile of stuff in my living room right now, since his room isn't ready to put stuff in. He got some really cute stuff for Christmas too! The kid isn't even here yet, and he gets presents! Lol! I need to start going through what I have and organizing it so it can be ready to put in his room. I know that when I have my baby showers, I will have tons more to organize! I'm also trying to get the rest of the house ready. I know that there will be plenty of people in and out of my house come March, so I want it to look nice--not like a tornado has come through. I'll let you know how that works out....lol!
Heartburn is still ridiculous, but I'm really trying to remember to take my medicine on time to keep it from getting too bad. I am really forgetful though! Even more so than normal, lol. If I don't write something down, I WILL forget, guaranteed. Also, my belly is SUPER ITCHY!! I have to keep oil and lotion on it as often as possible to avoid scratching it. I hear that scratching it makes the stretch marks worse, so I'm trying to stay away from it. But good heavens it just itches so bad sometimes!
I'm starting to have a little bit of trouble sleeping, and I definitely get up several times for potty breaks during the night. I HAVE to be in bed by 9 at the latest to not feel like I could fall asleep standing up the next day. Thank goodness for another long weekend coming up! I sleep as much as possible on those kinds of weekends!
Holy cow, am I clumsy or what?!?! Lol! I know that I was not exactly the most graceful person before, but I swear I am becoming more klutzy by the day! I keep running into door jambs and hitting myself with doors and dropping stuff all over the place. I find this pretty funny, though, thankfully. See this post where I talk about it a little bit and include a link to a funny article about it.
Okay, well that's all I've got for week 29! Yay me for getting it posted on the 1st day, not the last :-)
My sweet Andrew is continuing to grow every day! He should be pushing 17 inches from head to foot, and between 2.5 and 3 lbs. Apparently, his height is now close to what it should be at birth. Not much new is going on with him, he's just going crazy in there most days. He has his lazy days, but mostly he moves a LOT. Space is getting scarce in there, so he may be slowing down in days to come. I'm supposed to be doing kick counts, but I feel so much movement that most days I forget about it because there's just no need. He's an energetic little booger :-) Pretty much the only things that he's doing are the same as last week: depositing fat, and finishing up his organs and systems.
I said last week that he should be changing positions from sideways to head down, but that I thought he hadn't started to shift. Well, I think he may have started his shift now! He seems to be halfway between sideways and head down now. It feels like his kicks are getting closer to the right side of my ribs, rather than the middle of my right side, and his punches and pokes are getting closer to my left hip rather than my left side or belly button. So hopefully, that means he has started positioning himself for arrival!!
Other than the kicks and punches, I can feel when he rolls over and moves his whole body around too. I know I keep saying this, but it is just the coolest thing! Also, at night when I'm laying down, I can press on this one spot just above my belly button, and I'm pretty sure I can feel his little knee! So freakin cute!!
Not many changes for me since last week, just counting down the days till he gets here! 78 days left!!! I'm mostly trying to get things ready for his grand entrance. He has a whole pile of stuff in my living room right now, since his room isn't ready to put stuff in. He got some really cute stuff for Christmas too! The kid isn't even here yet, and he gets presents! Lol! I need to start going through what I have and organizing it so it can be ready to put in his room. I know that when I have my baby showers, I will have tons more to organize! I'm also trying to get the rest of the house ready. I know that there will be plenty of people in and out of my house come March, so I want it to look nice--not like a tornado has come through. I'll let you know how that works out....lol!
Heartburn is still ridiculous, but I'm really trying to remember to take my medicine on time to keep it from getting too bad. I am really forgetful though! Even more so than normal, lol. If I don't write something down, I WILL forget, guaranteed. Also, my belly is SUPER ITCHY!! I have to keep oil and lotion on it as often as possible to avoid scratching it. I hear that scratching it makes the stretch marks worse, so I'm trying to stay away from it. But good heavens it just itches so bad sometimes!
I'm starting to have a little bit of trouble sleeping, and I definitely get up several times for potty breaks during the night. I HAVE to be in bed by 9 at the latest to not feel like I could fall asleep standing up the next day. Thank goodness for another long weekend coming up! I sleep as much as possible on those kinds of weekends!
Holy cow, am I clumsy or what?!?! Lol! I know that I was not exactly the most graceful person before, but I swear I am becoming more klutzy by the day! I keep running into door jambs and hitting myself with doors and dropping stuff all over the place. I find this pretty funny, though, thankfully. See this post where I talk about it a little bit and include a link to a funny article about it.
Okay, well that's all I've got for week 29! Yay me for getting it posted on the 1st day, not the last :-)
Monday, December 27, 2010
28 weeks down, 12 to go!
Hello, 3rd trimester!!! It's nice to finally see you :-) Although, I'm not sure that I'm quite ready for you yet, as there is still SO much left to do!
I get so excited thinking about how soon little Mr. McEntire will be here! I so love to feel him moving around, and it is so cool to watch my stomach move. I like to feel my belly too while he's moving. I know I can feel parts of him, I just don't know what parts I'm feeling. When he's rolling around, I can touch my belly and feel him moving around under my hand. However, last night was different. I felt him moving around and I pushed back, and it was most definitely an arm or a leg!! So. freaking. cool!!! I can't hold my son in my arms yet, but I can touch him, and it's one of the most amazing things ever.
Since he's getting so big, here's what is happening with him this week:
He should be getting close to 16 in from head to foot, and weigh around 2.5 lbs. He now has over a 90% chance of survival if born early. His lungs are almost fully developed, which contributes to the survival chances. He is also able to dream when he sleeps. I wonder what he dreams about?! He is supposedly starting to turn into the upside down position to get ready for birth. I dunno about that, since it still seems that he is sideways, from the way he kicks me and rolls around. But maybe he is and I just can't feel it yet. He can also cough now, in addition to his blinking, sucking, hiccuping, and practice breathing. I assume that the coughing is a byproduct of his lungs developing more and more. His biggest job for now is to put the finishing touches on all of his main organs and systems, like his brain, lungs and liver. He is also gaining fat deposits, and should be around 2-3% body fat now. What a sweet, scrawny little thing :-) Lol!
His mommy, however, is not the least bit scrawny! I haven't been weighing myself as much, mostly because I don't even want to know, haha! I know that I'm still in the healthy range for sure, but I think I'd rather not know most days! I haven't gotten back the results of my glucose test, which is slightly surprising, but I guess it's just backed up because it's the holidays and such. I can definitely tell he's getting bigger. I can feel when he is sitting lower or higher. When he's lower, my hips and the bottom of my "bump" hurt. Well, the bottom of my bump doesn't really hurt so much as it feels really pressed and I can feel the increased pressure from him sitting there. When he's higher, my lungs and stomach feel more squished than normal. My heartburn is getting FIERCE if I am even 20-30 minutes late taking my medicine. So I have to really pay attention and make sure I take it on time (riiiiiight...good luck remembering), lol! Also, I have to pee....CONSTANTLY. Sometimes it feels like I go every 5 minutes! Of course, when he's sitting low or kicking my bladder, it makes it worse and I have to go more often. I have had a few Braxton Hicks things, but not many thank goodness. I noticed this weekend that my feet are starting to swell visibly. Before, it just felt like my shoes were a little tight, but on Saturday I could definitely see that they were swollen. They usually hurt by the end of the day too. I can't really stay off of them any more than I already am; I feel like I sit on my butt most of the day as it is. And in trying to stay off my feet, I sometimes just get tired of sitting and I just have to get up and move around! Not a huge deal really, just slightly annoying. Oh, I also signed us up for the childbirth classes (finally). I had been procrastinating on that, haha. But it's all set now! And I'm glad I finally did it, I feel better now that I have and I don't have to think about it any more. (I really should know better by now, to stop procrastinating!)
Surprisingly, I am getting this post up before the actual week is over! Haha! Yay me :-)
I get so excited thinking about how soon little Mr. McEntire will be here! I so love to feel him moving around, and it is so cool to watch my stomach move. I like to feel my belly too while he's moving. I know I can feel parts of him, I just don't know what parts I'm feeling. When he's rolling around, I can touch my belly and feel him moving around under my hand. However, last night was different. I felt him moving around and I pushed back, and it was most definitely an arm or a leg!! So. freaking. cool!!! I can't hold my son in my arms yet, but I can touch him, and it's one of the most amazing things ever.
Since he's getting so big, here's what is happening with him this week:
He should be getting close to 16 in from head to foot, and weigh around 2.5 lbs. He now has over a 90% chance of survival if born early. His lungs are almost fully developed, which contributes to the survival chances. He is also able to dream when he sleeps. I wonder what he dreams about?! He is supposedly starting to turn into the upside down position to get ready for birth. I dunno about that, since it still seems that he is sideways, from the way he kicks me and rolls around. But maybe he is and I just can't feel it yet. He can also cough now, in addition to his blinking, sucking, hiccuping, and practice breathing. I assume that the coughing is a byproduct of his lungs developing more and more. His biggest job for now is to put the finishing touches on all of his main organs and systems, like his brain, lungs and liver. He is also gaining fat deposits, and should be around 2-3% body fat now. What a sweet, scrawny little thing :-) Lol!
His mommy, however, is not the least bit scrawny! I haven't been weighing myself as much, mostly because I don't even want to know, haha! I know that I'm still in the healthy range for sure, but I think I'd rather not know most days! I haven't gotten back the results of my glucose test, which is slightly surprising, but I guess it's just backed up because it's the holidays and such. I can definitely tell he's getting bigger. I can feel when he is sitting lower or higher. When he's lower, my hips and the bottom of my "bump" hurt. Well, the bottom of my bump doesn't really hurt so much as it feels really pressed and I can feel the increased pressure from him sitting there. When he's higher, my lungs and stomach feel more squished than normal. My heartburn is getting FIERCE if I am even 20-30 minutes late taking my medicine. So I have to really pay attention and make sure I take it on time (riiiiiight...good luck remembering), lol! Also, I have to pee....CONSTANTLY. Sometimes it feels like I go every 5 minutes! Of course, when he's sitting low or kicking my bladder, it makes it worse and I have to go more often. I have had a few Braxton Hicks things, but not many thank goodness. I noticed this weekend that my feet are starting to swell visibly. Before, it just felt like my shoes were a little tight, but on Saturday I could definitely see that they were swollen. They usually hurt by the end of the day too. I can't really stay off of them any more than I already am; I feel like I sit on my butt most of the day as it is. And in trying to stay off my feet, I sometimes just get tired of sitting and I just have to get up and move around! Not a huge deal really, just slightly annoying. Oh, I also signed us up for the childbirth classes (finally). I had been procrastinating on that, haha. But it's all set now! And I'm glad I finally did it, I feel better now that I have and I don't have to think about it any more. (I really should know better by now, to stop procrastinating!)
Surprisingly, I am getting this post up before the actual week is over! Haha! Yay me :-)
Funny article
I read a pretty funny article a while back, but forgot to post it. I found it again this weekend and laughed just as hard, so I thought I'd let everyone else in on the amusement. I don't know if you'll find it as funny as I did, but I thought it was pretty darn funny. It's pregnancy related, by the way, and talks about how this woman becomes such a klutz when pregnant. I found it so funny because I do some of these things even when I'm not pregnant! In fact, I'm laughing right now just thinking about it! :-D Please enjoy this article and let me know if you find it as amusing as I did!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
My Grown-Up Christmas List
Isn't it strange how our Christmas Lists change as we become adults? In fact, my list has grown to include many intangibles as opposed to things and tangible goods. The things that make me happy in life are no longer toys or dolls or "presents", but family and friends and memories. But don't forget the things like vacuum cleaners and other "house-y" stuff that would have made me cringe as a child, lol! :-) Maybe it's not really strange. I understand that it is a reflection of where we are at in life. As children, the place we are at in life is consumed by figuring out how much time we can spend playing instead of doing homework, and having things to play with. As adult, we are concerned more with life and our house and our family, so those are the things we concentrate on. Of course, there are adult "toys" (don't take that the wrong way....wait for what I mean) as well, such as fast/ expensive cars or motorcycles that some people (not including myself) want. For me, here is a list of what I want for Christmas:
1. For my sweet little baby to be born healthy and happy. I would be happy with nothing else but this. I can't wait to meet my sweet one!
2. A new vacuum cleaner. Lol!
3. For my house remodeling to be finished! My awesome hubby is working so hard on our house, and is doing a wonderful job. I just can't wait for it to be done :-)
4. Graduation! I can't wait to graduate and be done with school! I want to graduate with good grades, and honors, I hope.
5. Cooking skills. I really wish I could cook. Obviously, cooking skills are not something someone can give as a gift, but I just need to practice. Maybe this should be a New Years Resolution instead? Haha
6. For the economy to recover. It makes my heart sad to know that the current situation is causing people and families to hurt, and I can't imagine having to worry about how to provide a Christmas for my children. So many people are in need of a job, and if the economy would spring back, that would help greatly.
7. For my car to work properly. Hopefully this will be solved this week!
8. For my hubby to have a job closer to home. I know this isn't going to change, but I can still wish for it.
That's all I've got for this Christmas!
1. For my sweet little baby to be born healthy and happy. I would be happy with nothing else but this. I can't wait to meet my sweet one!
2. A new vacuum cleaner. Lol!
3. For my house remodeling to be finished! My awesome hubby is working so hard on our house, and is doing a wonderful job. I just can't wait for it to be done :-)
4. Graduation! I can't wait to graduate and be done with school! I want to graduate with good grades, and honors, I hope.
5. Cooking skills. I really wish I could cook. Obviously, cooking skills are not something someone can give as a gift, but I just need to practice. Maybe this should be a New Years Resolution instead? Haha
6. For the economy to recover. It makes my heart sad to know that the current situation is causing people and families to hurt, and I can't imagine having to worry about how to provide a Christmas for my children. So many people are in need of a job, and if the economy would spring back, that would help greatly.
7. For my car to work properly. Hopefully this will be solved this week!
8. For my hubby to have a job closer to home. I know this isn't going to change, but I can still wish for it.
That's all I've got for this Christmas!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Body Image
You are not your bra-size, nor are you the width of your waist, nor are you the slenderness of your calves. You are not your hair color, your skin color, nor are you a shade of lipstick. Your shoe-size is of no consequence. You are not defined by the amount of attention you get from males, females, or any combination thereof. You are not the number of sit-ups you can do, nor are you the number of calories in a day. You are not your mustache. You are not the hair on your legs. You are not a little red dress.What a statement on body image. I love the last line the best: "You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries." Wow.
You are no amalgam of these things.You are the content of your character. You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful and desirable not for the clique you attend, but for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one. You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries.
Glucose Test & Week 27
89 days left ...wow! Time just keeps flying by! And my little Andrew just keeps getting bigger!
This week, he should weigh over 2 lbs, and measure almost 10 in from head to butt, and around 15 in from head to feet! He is working on developing muscle coordination and is super inquisitive. He is exploring everything in his environment and working on developing his lungs and lung functions. He should also be able to recognize my voice, and probably his daddy's :-) His tastebuds are almost fully developed, and he actually has more taste buds now than he will when he is born.
I had my monthly doctor's appointment this week. He said I am measuring right on schedule, and that everything looks good. I also had to do my glucose test, to see if I am developing Gestational Diabetes. I was less worried about the results than I was about the test itself! Lol! I have heard horrible things (as well as not so horrible things) about the test, and I was dreading having blood drawn. I drank the sweet stuff -- it wasn't all that bad really. It was orange-y tasting, and super duper sweet, but not disgusting like I was afraid it would be. It wouldn't be something I would choose to drink in the future, lol, but it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. I know that it makes some people sick, but it didn't make me sick, thankfully. And I did really good with the blood being taken. I didn't hardly feel light-headed even! I think it helped to know that the lab lady that takes the blood is really good, so I was less nervous about it. It barely hurt, and I only have the littlest bruise! I don't know how long it will take to get the results. But I will let everyone know how it turns out!
Also recently, I am starting to feel rather.....stretched........and cramped......at the same time. How is that even possible? Lol... I feel cramped because the little munchkin is growing so much, and he is starting to squish my stomach and lungs. I can't eat very much at one time because I'll feel miserable afterwards if I do. It feels like everything I eat is being squished back upwards....sorry if that's kind of gross, haha, but it's true. I can also tell when he is sitting up higher because it gets hard to breathe. I find myself short of breath a little bit when I'm doing nothing more than watching TV. At least it's making me sit up straighter! I also feel stretched...well my skin feels stretched more than anything. I have to put lotion or oil on my stomach at least twice a day, otherwise I will itch and my skin will feel terrible. The lower part of my abdomen is what feels stretched, more so than my upper abdomen (which feels cramped). I assume that's because that is where Andrew is, and he's pushing everything else into my upper abdomen. But that's just my non-medical, unscientific opinion. I could be wrong. (But as my husband would agree to, I'm usually not wrong...hehe)
I'm still tired, and I don't expect that that will go away any time soon. I hope to get caught up on my rest over winter break so that I can be ready for school to start again in January. I also have started to have a little bit of swelling. It is not bad yet, but I have noticed this week that my rings are leaving little indentions on my fingers, and certain shoes are a little tight. The doctor said that was perfectly normal, and he wouldn't be worried about it unless it was severe (which could signal preeclampsia). He also gave me some tips to help control it, such as laying down for a few minutes in mid morning and mid afternoon, and wearing a pregnancy belt to hold the weight of my belly off of the nerves and veins leading to my legs. I can't really lay down mid morning since I'll be at work, but I do have a stool under my desk so that I can put my feet up, so that helps. He also said that getting up and moving around often will help; it keeps the blood flowing and fluids moving, keeping them from settling.
Oh, and I now weigh more than I have in my entire life. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I've gained 14 lbs, which puts me at 141. Blech. Did I mention I feel like a cow? Or maybe a house? And I'm not even close to being as big as I'm going to be. And, yes, before you start lecturing, I do realize that I am supposed to and allowed to gain weight being pregnant. I am well within the healthy range and right on target for where I'm supposed to be. So there. I'm still allowed to feel huge. :-P
Another random observation: If I stand straight up and look down, I can't see my toes. I have to lean over about an inch or two and I can see them again. Just thought I'd share that little tidbit...
I promise that with all of this info I have shared, I am not trying to scare or discourage anyone from being pregnant. It is still by far the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I just want to honestly and openly share what is going on with me, as it is happening. I hope that you find all of this informative and helpful, and possibly uplifting and encouraging. I would do all of this over again in a heartbeat because the reward is so amazing. I would never take back any of the experiences I have had during the last 27 weeks! I already love this little booger too much :-D
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! It's been snowing some here today, yay! Have a great week!!
This week, he should weigh over 2 lbs, and measure almost 10 in from head to butt, and around 15 in from head to feet! He is working on developing muscle coordination and is super inquisitive. He is exploring everything in his environment and working on developing his lungs and lung functions. He should also be able to recognize my voice, and probably his daddy's :-) His tastebuds are almost fully developed, and he actually has more taste buds now than he will when he is born.
I had my monthly doctor's appointment this week. He said I am measuring right on schedule, and that everything looks good. I also had to do my glucose test, to see if I am developing Gestational Diabetes. I was less worried about the results than I was about the test itself! Lol! I have heard horrible things (as well as not so horrible things) about the test, and I was dreading having blood drawn. I drank the sweet stuff -- it wasn't all that bad really. It was orange-y tasting, and super duper sweet, but not disgusting like I was afraid it would be. It wouldn't be something I would choose to drink in the future, lol, but it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. I know that it makes some people sick, but it didn't make me sick, thankfully. And I did really good with the blood being taken. I didn't hardly feel light-headed even! I think it helped to know that the lab lady that takes the blood is really good, so I was less nervous about it. It barely hurt, and I only have the littlest bruise! I don't know how long it will take to get the results. But I will let everyone know how it turns out!
Also recently, I am starting to feel rather.....stretched........and cramped......at the same time. How is that even possible? Lol... I feel cramped because the little munchkin is growing so much, and he is starting to squish my stomach and lungs. I can't eat very much at one time because I'll feel miserable afterwards if I do. It feels like everything I eat is being squished back upwards....sorry if that's kind of gross, haha, but it's true. I can also tell when he is sitting up higher because it gets hard to breathe. I find myself short of breath a little bit when I'm doing nothing more than watching TV. At least it's making me sit up straighter! I also feel stretched...well my skin feels stretched more than anything. I have to put lotion or oil on my stomach at least twice a day, otherwise I will itch and my skin will feel terrible. The lower part of my abdomen is what feels stretched, more so than my upper abdomen (which feels cramped). I assume that's because that is where Andrew is, and he's pushing everything else into my upper abdomen. But that's just my non-medical, unscientific opinion. I could be wrong. (But as my husband would agree to, I'm usually not wrong...hehe)
I'm still tired, and I don't expect that that will go away any time soon. I hope to get caught up on my rest over winter break so that I can be ready for school to start again in January. I also have started to have a little bit of swelling. It is not bad yet, but I have noticed this week that my rings are leaving little indentions on my fingers, and certain shoes are a little tight. The doctor said that was perfectly normal, and he wouldn't be worried about it unless it was severe (which could signal preeclampsia). He also gave me some tips to help control it, such as laying down for a few minutes in mid morning and mid afternoon, and wearing a pregnancy belt to hold the weight of my belly off of the nerves and veins leading to my legs. I can't really lay down mid morning since I'll be at work, but I do have a stool under my desk so that I can put my feet up, so that helps. He also said that getting up and moving around often will help; it keeps the blood flowing and fluids moving, keeping them from settling.
Oh, and I now weigh more than I have in my entire life. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I've gained 14 lbs, which puts me at 141. Blech. Did I mention I feel like a cow? Or maybe a house? And I'm not even close to being as big as I'm going to be. And, yes, before you start lecturing, I do realize that I am supposed to and allowed to gain weight being pregnant. I am well within the healthy range and right on target for where I'm supposed to be. So there. I'm still allowed to feel huge. :-P
Another random observation: If I stand straight up and look down, I can't see my toes. I have to lean over about an inch or two and I can see them again. Just thought I'd share that little tidbit...
I promise that with all of this info I have shared, I am not trying to scare or discourage anyone from being pregnant. It is still by far the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I just want to honestly and openly share what is going on with me, as it is happening. I hope that you find all of this informative and helpful, and possibly uplifting and encouraging. I would do all of this over again in a heartbeat because the reward is so amazing. I would never take back any of the experiences I have had during the last 27 weeks! I already love this little booger too much :-D
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! It's been snowing some here today, yay! Have a great week!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Week 26
Week 26 = 96 days to go!!!! 26 weeks down, 14 left! Some of my friends who are also pregnant are due within the next couple of weeks, and I am so jealous! Although, maybe it's good, because the house is NOT ready for baby :-) I am now registered....kind of. Which is an improvement over week 25. Lol. I started the registry at Babies R Us, but some of it needs to be fixed. Apparently I scanned some girl stuff instead of the boy item. Oops! Oh well...and I still need to get registered at Target.
I know that this post is late this week, but you'll have to forgive me. It's finals week at school so I've beencramming studying for and taking final exams. Booooooo! But, now some of the hardest/most annoying ones are DONE! Yay for being done with Operations Management and Audit FOREVER and never having to think about them again! Hehehe :-)
Back to the subject at hand....Baby Andrew! He is between 1.5-2 lbs, measures about 9-10 in from head to butt, and would be a foot tall if fully stretched out!! His hearing is now fully developed and his sight is almost there. His eyes are beginning to open this week too! How adorable! If I could see his eyes, they would be blue. Apparently, all baby's eyes are blue in the womb, and don't develop their lifelong color until a few months after birth. And since his hearing is developed now, he can respond to any loud noises or bright lights with kicks or movement. Cute!
He definitely has patterns of sleeping and waking now. He moves A LOT in the morning and in the evening, and only moves a little in the afternoons. I started doing kick counts, even though I don't have to yet. You're supposed to count 10 movements in an hour, or two hours if you can't get 10 in an hour, but I can usually get 10 in about 10 seconds! Lol! This little munchkin is crazy!!
As far as mommy goes, boy have I been super moody this week! I guess it's a combo of finals stress/hormones/tiredness or something like that. And speaking of tiredness, sleep is becoming a precious commodity. Between the mulitple trips to pee in the middle of the night and the cramps in my legs, I can't seem to get a good nights sleep. I went to bed last night at 8:00 and I'm still tired! Craziness.... And those cramps are no joke! I have had the WORST Charlie Horse cramps in my legs the past 2 nights. They wake me up and I have to get up and walk around for my muscles to loosen up. Oh well....God's way of preparing me for a new born! :-)
Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good! I hope everyone is having a good week, but I know I can't wait for it to be over!
I know that this post is late this week, but you'll have to forgive me. It's finals week at school so I've been
Back to the subject at hand....Baby Andrew! He is between 1.5-2 lbs, measures about 9-10 in from head to butt, and would be a foot tall if fully stretched out!! His hearing is now fully developed and his sight is almost there. His eyes are beginning to open this week too! How adorable! If I could see his eyes, they would be blue. Apparently, all baby's eyes are blue in the womb, and don't develop their lifelong color until a few months after birth. And since his hearing is developed now, he can respond to any loud noises or bright lights with kicks or movement. Cute!
He definitely has patterns of sleeping and waking now. He moves A LOT in the morning and in the evening, and only moves a little in the afternoons. I started doing kick counts, even though I don't have to yet. You're supposed to count 10 movements in an hour, or two hours if you can't get 10 in an hour, but I can usually get 10 in about 10 seconds! Lol! This little munchkin is crazy!!
As far as mommy goes, boy have I been super moody this week! I guess it's a combo of finals stress/hormones/tiredness or something like that. And speaking of tiredness, sleep is becoming a precious commodity. Between the mulitple trips to pee in the middle of the night and the cramps in my legs, I can't seem to get a good nights sleep. I went to bed last night at 8:00 and I'm still tired! Craziness.... And those cramps are no joke! I have had the WORST Charlie Horse cramps in my legs the past 2 nights. They wake me up and I have to get up and walk around for my muscles to loosen up. Oh well....God's way of preparing me for a new born! :-)
Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good! I hope everyone is having a good week, but I know I can't wait for it to be over!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Hilarious!
Okay, I got this via email from a friend....it is quite possibly the most hilarious thing I have read in a long time. I had tears rolling down my face, and I couldn't breathe when I was reading it! Enjoy :-D
We have a fox terrier by the name of Jasper. He came to us in the summer of 2001 from the fox terrier rescue program . For those of you, who are unfamiliar with this type of adoption, imagine taking in a 10 year old child about whom you know nothing and committing to doing your best to be a good parent. Like a child, the dog came with his own idiosyncrasies. He will only sleep on the bed, on top of the covers, nuzzled as close to my face as he can get without actually performing a French kiss on me.
Lest you think this is a bad case of 'no discipline,' I should tell you that Perry and I tried every means to break him of this habit including locking him in a separate bedroom for several nights. The new door cost over $200. But I digress.
Five weeks ago we began remodeling our house. Although the cost of the project is downright obnoxious, it was 20 years overdue AND it got me out of cooking Thanksgiving for family, extended family, and a lot of friends that I like more than family most of the time. I was assigned the task of preparing 124 of my famous yeast dinner rolls for the two Thanksgiving feasts we did attend.
I am still cursing the electrician for getting the new oven hooked up so quickly. It was the only appliance in the whole darn house that worked, thus the assignment. I made the decision to cook the rolls on Wed evening to reheat Thurs am. Since the kitchen was freshly painted, you can imagine the odor. Not wanting the rolls to smell like Sherwin Williams #586, I put the rolls on baking sheets and set them in the living room to rise for a few hours. Perry and I decided to go out to eat, returning in about an hour. The rolls were ready to go in the oven.
It was 8:30 PM. When I went to the living room to retrieve the pans, much to my shock one whole pan of 12 rolls was empty. I called out to Jasper and my worst nightmare became a reality. He literally wobbled over to me. He looked like a combination of the Pillsbury dough boy and the Michelin Tire man wrapped up in fur. He groaned when he walked. I swear even his cheeks were bloated. I ran to the phone and called our vet. After a few seconds of uproarious laughter, he told me the dog would probably be OK, however, I needed to give him Pepto Bismol every 2 hours for the rest of the night.
God only knows why I thought a dog would like Pepto Bismol any more than my kids did when they were sick. Suffice it to say that by the time we went to bed the dog was black, white and pink. He was so bloated we had to lift him onto the bed for the night.
We arose at 7:30 and as we always do first thing; put the dog out to relieve himself. Well, the dog was as drunk as a sailor on his first leave. He was running into walls, falling flat on his butt and most of the time when he was walking his front half was going one direction and the other half was either dragging the grass or headed 90 degrees in another direction. He couldn't lift his leg to pee, so he would just walk and pee at the same time. When he ran down the small incline in our back yard he couldn't stop himself and nearly ended up running into the fence.
His pupils were dilated and he was as dizzy as a loon. I endured another few seconds of laughter from the vet (second call within 12 hours) before he explained that the yeast had fermented in his belly and that he was indeed drunk. He assured me that, not unlike most binges we humans go through, it would wear off after about 4 or 5 hours and to keep giving him Pepto Bismol.
Afraid to leave him by himself in the house, Perry and I loaded him up and took him with us to my sister's house for the first Thanksgiving meal of the day. My sister lives outside of Muskogee on a ranch, (10 to 15 minute drive). Rolls firmly secured in the trunk (124 less 12) and drunk dog leaning from the back seat onto the console of the car between Perry and I, we took off. Now I know you probably don't believe that dogs burp, but believe me when I say that after eating a tray of risen unbaked yeast rolls, DOGS WILL BURP. These burps were pure Old Charter. They would have matched or beat any smell in a drunk tank at the police station. But that's not the worst of it. Now he was beginning to fart and they smelled like baked rolls. God strike me dead if I am not telling the truth! We endured this for the entire trip to Karen's, thankful she didn't live any further away than she did.
Once Jasper was firmly placed in my sister's garage with the door locked, we finally sat down to enjoy our first Thanksgiving meal of the day. The dog was the topic of conversation all morning long and everyone made trips to the garage to witness my drunken dog, each returning with a tale of Jasper's latest endeavor to walk without running into something. Of course, as the old adage goes, 'what goes in must come out' and Jasper was no exception.
Granted if it had been me that had eaten 12 risen, unbaked yeast rolls, you might as well have put a concrete block up my behind, but alas a dog's digestive system is quite different from yours or mine. I discovered this was a mixed blessing when we prepared to leave Karen's house. Having discovered his 'packages' on the garage floor, we loaded him up in the car so we could hose down the floor.
This was another naive decision on our part. The blast of water from the hose hit the poop on the floor and the poop on the floor withstood the blast from the hose. It was like Portland cement beginning to set up and cure. We finally tried to remove it with a shovel. I (obviously no one else was going to offer their services) had to get on my hands and knees with a coarse brush to get the remnants off of the floor. And as if this wasn't degrading enough, the darn dog in his drunken state had walked through the poop and left paw prints all over the garage floor that had to be brushed too.
Well, by this time the dog was sobering up nicely so we took him home and dropped him off before we left for our second Thanksgiving dinner at Perry's sister's house.
I am happy to report that as of today (Monday) the dog is back to normal both in size and temperament. He has had a bath and is no longer tricolor. None the worse for wear I presume. I am also happy to report that just this evening I found 2 risen unbaked yeast rolls hidden inside my closet door.
It appears he must have come to his senses after eating 10 of them but decided hiding 2 of them for later would not be a bad idea. Now, I'm doing research on the computer as to: 'How to clean unbaked dough from the carpet.'
And how was your day?
We have a fox terrier by the name of Jasper. He came to us in the summer of 2001 from the fox terrier rescue program . For those of you, who are unfamiliar with this type of adoption, imagine taking in a 10 year old child about whom you know nothing and committing to doing your best to be a good parent. Like a child, the dog came with his own idiosyncrasies. He will only sleep on the bed, on top of the covers, nuzzled as close to my face as he can get without actually performing a French kiss on me.
Lest you think this is a bad case of 'no discipline,' I should tell you that Perry and I tried every means to break him of this habit including locking him in a separate bedroom for several nights. The new door cost over $200. But I digress.
Five weeks ago we began remodeling our house. Although the cost of the project is downright obnoxious, it was 20 years overdue AND it got me out of cooking Thanksgiving for family, extended family, and a lot of friends that I like more than family most of the time. I was assigned the task of preparing 124 of my famous yeast dinner rolls for the two Thanksgiving feasts we did attend.
I am still cursing the electrician for getting the new oven hooked up so quickly. It was the only appliance in the whole darn house that worked, thus the assignment. I made the decision to cook the rolls on Wed evening to reheat Thurs am. Since the kitchen was freshly painted, you can imagine the odor. Not wanting the rolls to smell like Sherwin Williams #586, I put the rolls on baking sheets and set them in the living room to rise for a few hours. Perry and I decided to go out to eat, returning in about an hour. The rolls were ready to go in the oven.
It was 8:30 PM. When I went to the living room to retrieve the pans, much to my shock one whole pan of 12 rolls was empty. I called out to Jasper and my worst nightmare became a reality. He literally wobbled over to me. He looked like a combination of the Pillsbury dough boy and the Michelin Tire man wrapped up in fur. He groaned when he walked. I swear even his cheeks were bloated. I ran to the phone and called our vet. After a few seconds of uproarious laughter, he told me the dog would probably be OK, however, I needed to give him Pepto Bismol every 2 hours for the rest of the night.
God only knows why I thought a dog would like Pepto Bismol any more than my kids did when they were sick. Suffice it to say that by the time we went to bed the dog was black, white and pink. He was so bloated we had to lift him onto the bed for the night.
We arose at 7:30 and as we always do first thing; put the dog out to relieve himself. Well, the dog was as drunk as a sailor on his first leave. He was running into walls, falling flat on his butt and most of the time when he was walking his front half was going one direction and the other half was either dragging the grass or headed 90 degrees in another direction. He couldn't lift his leg to pee, so he would just walk and pee at the same time. When he ran down the small incline in our back yard he couldn't stop himself and nearly ended up running into the fence.
His pupils were dilated and he was as dizzy as a loon. I endured another few seconds of laughter from the vet (second call within 12 hours) before he explained that the yeast had fermented in his belly and that he was indeed drunk. He assured me that, not unlike most binges we humans go through, it would wear off after about 4 or 5 hours and to keep giving him Pepto Bismol.
Afraid to leave him by himself in the house, Perry and I loaded him up and took him with us to my sister's house for the first Thanksgiving meal of the day. My sister lives outside of Muskogee on a ranch, (10 to 15 minute drive). Rolls firmly secured in the trunk (124 less 12) and drunk dog leaning from the back seat onto the console of the car between Perry and I, we took off. Now I know you probably don't believe that dogs burp, but believe me when I say that after eating a tray of risen unbaked yeast rolls, DOGS WILL BURP. These burps were pure Old Charter. They would have matched or beat any smell in a drunk tank at the police station. But that's not the worst of it. Now he was beginning to fart and they smelled like baked rolls. God strike me dead if I am not telling the truth! We endured this for the entire trip to Karen's, thankful she didn't live any further away than she did.
Once Jasper was firmly placed in my sister's garage with the door locked, we finally sat down to enjoy our first Thanksgiving meal of the day. The dog was the topic of conversation all morning long and everyone made trips to the garage to witness my drunken dog, each returning with a tale of Jasper's latest endeavor to walk without running into something. Of course, as the old adage goes, 'what goes in must come out' and Jasper was no exception.
Granted if it had been me that had eaten 12 risen, unbaked yeast rolls, you might as well have put a concrete block up my behind, but alas a dog's digestive system is quite different from yours or mine. I discovered this was a mixed blessing when we prepared to leave Karen's house. Having discovered his 'packages' on the garage floor, we loaded him up in the car so we could hose down the floor.
This was another naive decision on our part. The blast of water from the hose hit the poop on the floor and the poop on the floor withstood the blast from the hose. It was like Portland cement beginning to set up and cure. We finally tried to remove it with a shovel. I (obviously no one else was going to offer their services) had to get on my hands and knees with a coarse brush to get the remnants off of the floor. And as if this wasn't degrading enough, the darn dog in his drunken state had walked through the poop and left paw prints all over the garage floor that had to be brushed too.
Well, by this time the dog was sobering up nicely so we took him home and dropped him off before we left for our second Thanksgiving dinner at Perry's sister's house.
I am happy to report that as of today (Monday) the dog is back to normal both in size and temperament. He has had a bath and is no longer tricolor. None the worse for wear I presume. I am also happy to report that just this evening I found 2 risen unbaked yeast rolls hidden inside my closet door.
It appears he must have come to his senses after eating 10 of them but decided hiding 2 of them for later would not be a bad idea. Now, I'm doing research on the computer as to: 'How to clean unbaked dough from the carpet.'
And how was your day?
Friday, December 10, 2010
Cold
Winter has come early to the Queen City! It seems like the past few years it didn't get cold until after Christmas, but it has already snowed once (on Saturday) and it has been bone-chillingly cold this week! And it supposed to get worse next week! :-/
It was really cold in our house this past weekend and we couldn't figure out why. But thankfully, I have a wonderful hubby who figured it out! Apparently, with all the dust and etc from renovations in the McEntire house, our air filter had clogged to the point of being completely blocked! So, now that he has changed that out, my house is much warmer :-)
Speaking of the ongoing renovations, our bathroom has been partially torn apart, and was actually without drywall for a few days. Without the drywall, it was so cold in there! My sweet hubby who always takes such good care of me, always got up early in the morning to get a heater going in the bathroom so it would be nice and warm when I got up to go in there. I do love him!! And now he's gotten all the new drywall up so it's much more toasty!
Which reminds me also, it's been so cold outside in the mornings that our windshields have been all iced over. Once again, my honey is so thoughtful....he would go out every morning and get my car all cranked and warm and de-iced so that I wouldn't have to do it. He is the best!!!
Now if only he could make it less cold outside.......
:-)
It was really cold in our house this past weekend and we couldn't figure out why. But thankfully, I have a wonderful hubby who figured it out! Apparently, with all the dust and etc from renovations in the McEntire house, our air filter had clogged to the point of being completely blocked! So, now that he has changed that out, my house is much warmer :-)
Speaking of the ongoing renovations, our bathroom has been partially torn apart, and was actually without drywall for a few days. Without the drywall, it was so cold in there! My sweet hubby who always takes such good care of me, always got up early in the morning to get a heater going in the bathroom so it would be nice and warm when I got up to go in there. I do love him!! And now he's gotten all the new drywall up so it's much more toasty!
Which reminds me also, it's been so cold outside in the mornings that our windshields have been all iced over. Once again, my honey is so thoughtful....he would go out every morning and get my car all cranked and warm and de-iced so that I wouldn't have to do it. He is the best!!!
Now if only he could make it less cold outside.......
:-)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Week 25
Only 15 weeks to go!!!
I missed week 24 (surprise surprise), so a quick synopsis of what went on with Andrew:
He is measuring 8.5 inches from head to butt and weighs about 1.5 lbs. He should add about 6 oz per week in weight. White blood cells are being made now, and he can respond to sound and touch (which he does). It's funny when I lay my arm on my stomach, because he starts kicking it after a minute. He is becoming less translucent because fat is still depositing, and his skin is getting pink because his capillaries are developing too. He can now hear close by sounds such as people talking, or loud noises like dogs barking and such. This is a turning point week: if he is born prematurely he now has a 50% chance of survival, and that rate increases every week from now until he is born. Not that I want him to come yet, I want him to keep cooking in there, but if he were to come, the chances get better and better every week that he will be with us to stay :-)
Now on to week 25 (this week)! He should be amost 9 inches from head to butt, and should weigh over 1.5 lbs. This marks month 6, and the fruit for this month is an eggplant! He just keeps growing and growing. And making me grow and grow, lol! His skin is still loose, but is now almost opaque. As he moves, he can touch and hold his feet and make a fist now! He is developing a sense of equilibrium so he will know up from down, and if he's anything like me, it won't be very accurate, haha, (clumsy me) :-P Air sacs in his lungs are deveoping, but those little lungs are definitely not ready yet. His nostrils are starting to open up too, so he can practice breathing and get good at it. Lastly, his chances of survival are continuing to increase, thankfully.
With all this cold weather, I was wondering if he was able to feel the changes in temperature. It turns out that he can't! The amniotic fluid perfectly regulates his temperature, and unless my core temperature drops (or rises), he can't tell a thing. Which is great, because it's been REALLY cold! It even snowed yesterday! I think that's the earliest we've gotten snow in a long time.
As for me, I could reeeeeeeaaaaaallllllly do without this heartburn. Before you ask, yes it's better than nausea. So, I guess I'll take it...for now. Mostly I can control it with Zantac, but some days it just gets a bit too much. Blah. I am definitely getting more tired now too. According to some websites, this is the start of my 3rd trimester. Not all of them agree on that though, so I guess I'll hold off on that for a few weeks.
My "bump" is getting quite prominent now :-) I got some good maternity shots yesterday, so I'll share those as soon as I get them! According to one website, my belly is now the size of a soccer ball! Supposedly, my belly button should pop out soon, but it hasn't yet. It is getting flatter though, which is a little strange really. But it doesn't bother me.
I have been having a little bit of pain still in my hip. Andrew's favorite spot is still right on top of the nerve that sends pain through my right hip. He is definitely loving my right side in general too. I can feel him kicking more on my right side, and he's still sitting pretty low. Leg cramps have started too, but I have found that if i stretch my leg out really straight and point my toes towards my knee caps right when they start, I can keep them from getting bad.
Guess what I got this week?!?!?! A pregnancy pillow called the Snoogle!! It is AMAZING! It is in the shape of a really big C and goes all the way around my body. It is the most comfortable pillow ever, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is pregnant! It's a little expensive, but totally worth it. I got it from Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon, so that brought the price down. It really helps with the leg, hip and back aches. I'll repeat: AMAZING!
Hope everyone has a great week!
I missed week 24 (surprise surprise), so a quick synopsis of what went on with Andrew:
He is measuring 8.5 inches from head to butt and weighs about 1.5 lbs. He should add about 6 oz per week in weight. White blood cells are being made now, and he can respond to sound and touch (which he does). It's funny when I lay my arm on my stomach, because he starts kicking it after a minute. He is becoming less translucent because fat is still depositing, and his skin is getting pink because his capillaries are developing too. He can now hear close by sounds such as people talking, or loud noises like dogs barking and such. This is a turning point week: if he is born prematurely he now has a 50% chance of survival, and that rate increases every week from now until he is born. Not that I want him to come yet, I want him to keep cooking in there, but if he were to come, the chances get better and better every week that he will be with us to stay :-)
Now on to week 25 (this week)! He should be amost 9 inches from head to butt, and should weigh over 1.5 lbs. This marks month 6, and the fruit for this month is an eggplant! He just keeps growing and growing. And making me grow and grow, lol! His skin is still loose, but is now almost opaque. As he moves, he can touch and hold his feet and make a fist now! He is developing a sense of equilibrium so he will know up from down, and if he's anything like me, it won't be very accurate, haha, (clumsy me) :-P Air sacs in his lungs are deveoping, but those little lungs are definitely not ready yet. His nostrils are starting to open up too, so he can practice breathing and get good at it. Lastly, his chances of survival are continuing to increase, thankfully.
With all this cold weather, I was wondering if he was able to feel the changes in temperature. It turns out that he can't! The amniotic fluid perfectly regulates his temperature, and unless my core temperature drops (or rises), he can't tell a thing. Which is great, because it's been REALLY cold! It even snowed yesterday! I think that's the earliest we've gotten snow in a long time.
As for me, I could reeeeeeeaaaaaallllllly do without this heartburn. Before you ask, yes it's better than nausea. So, I guess I'll take it...for now. Mostly I can control it with Zantac, but some days it just gets a bit too much. Blah. I am definitely getting more tired now too. According to some websites, this is the start of my 3rd trimester. Not all of them agree on that though, so I guess I'll hold off on that for a few weeks.
My "bump" is getting quite prominent now :-) I got some good maternity shots yesterday, so I'll share those as soon as I get them! According to one website, my belly is now the size of a soccer ball! Supposedly, my belly button should pop out soon, but it hasn't yet. It is getting flatter though, which is a little strange really. But it doesn't bother me.
I have been having a little bit of pain still in my hip. Andrew's favorite spot is still right on top of the nerve that sends pain through my right hip. He is definitely loving my right side in general too. I can feel him kicking more on my right side, and he's still sitting pretty low. Leg cramps have started too, but I have found that if i stretch my leg out really straight and point my toes towards my knee caps right when they start, I can keep them from getting bad.
Guess what I got this week?!?!?! A pregnancy pillow called the Snoogle!! It is AMAZING! It is in the shape of a really big C and goes all the way around my body. It is the most comfortable pillow ever, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is pregnant! It's a little expensive, but totally worth it. I got it from Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon, so that brought the price down. It really helps with the leg, hip and back aches. I'll repeat: AMAZING!
Hope everyone has a great week!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Freakout Moment
So today I had a slight freakout moment......I was reading my pregnancy websites that I read every week to do my weekly-ish posts and saw that I only have........15 weeks left!!!!!
So my moment went like this.....I'm reading the page on 25 weeks...I see that it says some people consider this the start of the 3rd trimester....the voice in my head says wow! 3rd tri already?......then I see the part that says 15 weeks left.....and the voice in my head starts going crazy! It says "Okay Erin 15 weeks left? You are fixing to finalize your shower details, you haven't even registered yet, and the nursery is not done! What are you doing??!?!!?!?!" And then I start almost hyperventilating. (Lol) So I call hubby and tell him I'm going to register this weekend, even though he's working. Then I felt better.
Yes, I'm crazy, I know
:-D
So my moment went like this.....I'm reading the page on 25 weeks...I see that it says some people consider this the start of the 3rd trimester....the voice in my head says wow! 3rd tri already?......then I see the part that says 15 weeks left.....and the voice in my head starts going crazy! It says "Okay Erin 15 weeks left? You are fixing to finalize your shower details, you haven't even registered yet, and the nursery is not done! What are you doing??!?!!?!?!" And then I start almost hyperventilating. (Lol) So I call hubby and tell him I'm going to register this weekend, even though he's working. Then I felt better.
Yes, I'm crazy, I know
:-D
Monday, November 22, 2010
Highlight
This has so far been the highlight of my day. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. It was a forwarded email from a friend. Enjoy....
My Kind of Guy
After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target.
Dear Mrs. Samuel,
Over the past six months, your husband has
caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior
and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints
against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by
our video surveillance cameras.
caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior
and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints
against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by
our video surveillance cameras.
1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in house wares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in House wares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, ' Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.
9.. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose..
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'
And last, but not least
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did....have a great day!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
23 Down, 17 To Go!
Once again, I'm late on my weekly post :-) And once again, I will say that I just can't believe that I'm already at 23 weeks! It never ceases to amaze me how fast the time has passed.
There's not much new development going on with Andrew this week. He has reached the point where most systems and organs have begun development, so he is just continuing to develop those and is putting on weight. He is putting on fat and muscle. By the end of this month, he will actually double his weight! He's about 1 pound or just over right now, and about the length of a papaya. Papaya was his size last week also, but at 5 months, he has stopped growing so much each week in length, and has started expanding outward instead. So, now he gets a new fruit size each month instead of each week. All of that fat he is gaining is making his skin less see-through. Right now, all of his organs and bones and etc are visible through his skin. At my last ultrasound, I got a great picture of his leg where you can see the bone so clearly, and one of his profile that shows his spine with great definition. His skin is also red-tinted from the blood flow, but that's not visible from an ultrasound, and it also hangs loosely from his little body. Once all that fat develops he'll be pleasantly chubby though :-)
He is moving around a LOT! His little kicks are getting so strong too! We were laying in bed last night, and all of a sudden my belly jumped!! It was so cool! He gave several kicks that were visible from the outside. He doesn't like to cooperate when other people try to feel him, but soon he'll be big enough that it won't matter. Other people will be able to feel him whether he likes it or not! :-)
I haven't had any new developments this week either really. I had my monthly doctors appointment on Thursday. She said everything looked wonderful. She measured my belly and said it was right on target.
I have got preggo-brain to the max, lol! I forget anything if I don't write it down, and I am a total dimwit sometimes. For example: I couldn't figure out why my heartburn was so bad, because I was taking Zantac every night. I decided to take a look at the bottle, and lo and behold, I should have been taking it TWICE a day! Hahaha...I have gone crazy. So, now that I'm taking it morning AND night, my heartburn is under control, yay!
That's all I've got for tonight, so I hope y'all are having a great weekend!
There's not much new development going on with Andrew this week. He has reached the point where most systems and organs have begun development, so he is just continuing to develop those and is putting on weight. He is putting on fat and muscle. By the end of this month, he will actually double his weight! He's about 1 pound or just over right now, and about the length of a papaya. Papaya was his size last week also, but at 5 months, he has stopped growing so much each week in length, and has started expanding outward instead. So, now he gets a new fruit size each month instead of each week. All of that fat he is gaining is making his skin less see-through. Right now, all of his organs and bones and etc are visible through his skin. At my last ultrasound, I got a great picture of his leg where you can see the bone so clearly, and one of his profile that shows his spine with great definition. His skin is also red-tinted from the blood flow, but that's not visible from an ultrasound, and it also hangs loosely from his little body. Once all that fat develops he'll be pleasantly chubby though :-)
He is moving around a LOT! His little kicks are getting so strong too! We were laying in bed last night, and all of a sudden my belly jumped!! It was so cool! He gave several kicks that were visible from the outside. He doesn't like to cooperate when other people try to feel him, but soon he'll be big enough that it won't matter. Other people will be able to feel him whether he likes it or not! :-)
I haven't had any new developments this week either really. I had my monthly doctors appointment on Thursday. She said everything looked wonderful. She measured my belly and said it was right on target.
I have got preggo-brain to the max, lol! I forget anything if I don't write it down, and I am a total dimwit sometimes. For example: I couldn't figure out why my heartburn was so bad, because I was taking Zantac every night. I decided to take a look at the bottle, and lo and behold, I should have been taking it TWICE a day! Hahaha...I have gone crazy. So, now that I'm taking it morning AND night, my heartburn is under control, yay!
That's all I've got for tonight, so I hope y'all are having a great weekend!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Facing the Giants
One of my favorite songs is "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. I love almost all songs by Casting Crowns, but this one really stands out to me.
Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You you'll never win
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth
This song just speaks to me in so many ways.
I have always been the kind of person that cares too much about what others think and say. I have to keep in mind all the time that it doesn't matter what they think or say because what matters is keeping my focus where it belongs. Listening to God instead of others. Letting His voice tell me what He thinks of me, and not caring what "their" voices say. Who is "they" anyway, and what gives them any power over me? The truth is that they have no power over me, I give that power to Him.
Then there are the internal giants that I deal with. The lack of patience and tolerance for others is one. I get very impatient and frustrated with other people, when I know I shouldn't. I think to myself, "I can't deal with one more stupid person today." Or I let people get to me when they are just being rude, and I shouldn't let it bother me. Another giant is that I also have fear, of several things. There is the fear, that I mentioned above, of others thoughts. There is also the fear of doing things wrong and screwing up. The giant of condemnation & judgement (of myself & others) is another struggle. I think that much of my struggle with others (their thoughts of me, and my thoughts of them) stems from my internal struggles and thoughts toward myself. I have to establish a better relationship with myself in order to have more welcoming and less judgemental thoughts and feelings. I think I could make that a little easier on myself if I dealt with another giant, not reading Bible as much as I should. Most of these giants would be a bit easier to deal with if I was more consistent and really dived into His Word.
But thankfully, I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful, caring, exemplary people who enrich my life on a daily basis. My family, by both blood &marriage, and my friends are an endless source of encouragement and strength for me. I thank God every day for them. They help me face down my giants and are with me as I attempt to defeat them. God has really brought a peace into my life lately, and I hope that those around me can tell.
I have been feeling God's movement in my heart for a few weeks now. I think it is borne of a desire to raise my child to be a wonderful and God-fearing man. I don't, of course, plan on shoving things down his throat, but I want to be the example that he desires to be like, just like my parents have been to me. I have been leaning heavily on Proverbs 31 lately, because that is really the woman I want to be. I want to be a blessing to my family, for my home to be an uplifting place, and for me to bring joy and peace to my husband and child.
These are the things that have been on my heart, and I wanted to lay them out for others, so that you might be encouraged, and if you relate, so that you can also join me in the desire to have a closer walk with Him.
Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You you'll never win
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth
This song just speaks to me in so many ways.
I have always been the kind of person that cares too much about what others think and say. I have to keep in mind all the time that it doesn't matter what they think or say because what matters is keeping my focus where it belongs. Listening to God instead of others. Letting His voice tell me what He thinks of me, and not caring what "their" voices say. Who is "they" anyway, and what gives them any power over me? The truth is that they have no power over me, I give that power to Him.
Then there are the internal giants that I deal with. The lack of patience and tolerance for others is one. I get very impatient and frustrated with other people, when I know I shouldn't. I think to myself, "I can't deal with one more stupid person today." Or I let people get to me when they are just being rude, and I shouldn't let it bother me. Another giant is that I also have fear, of several things. There is the fear, that I mentioned above, of others thoughts. There is also the fear of doing things wrong and screwing up. The giant of condemnation & judgement (of myself & others) is another struggle. I think that much of my struggle with others (their thoughts of me, and my thoughts of them) stems from my internal struggles and thoughts toward myself. I have to establish a better relationship with myself in order to have more welcoming and less judgemental thoughts and feelings. I think I could make that a little easier on myself if I dealt with another giant, not reading Bible as much as I should. Most of these giants would be a bit easier to deal with if I was more consistent and really dived into His Word.
But thankfully, I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful, caring, exemplary people who enrich my life on a daily basis. My family, by both blood &marriage, and my friends are an endless source of encouragement and strength for me. I thank God every day for them. They help me face down my giants and are with me as I attempt to defeat them. God has really brought a peace into my life lately, and I hope that those around me can tell.
I have been feeling God's movement in my heart for a few weeks now. I think it is borne of a desire to raise my child to be a wonderful and God-fearing man. I don't, of course, plan on shoving things down his throat, but I want to be the example that he desires to be like, just like my parents have been to me. I have been leaning heavily on Proverbs 31 lately, because that is really the woman I want to be. I want to be a blessing to my family, for my home to be an uplifting place, and for me to bring joy and peace to my husband and child.
These are the things that have been on my heart, and I wanted to lay them out for others, so that you might be encouraged, and if you relate, so that you can also join me in the desire to have a closer walk with Him.
Website to Share
Good morning! I just wanted to share a quick article that I just found. It's about sleeping during pregnancy. You can read it here. I thought it helpful and interersting. :-)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Bananas! & Papayas!
Oops! I forgot to do any kind of update last week...I honestly haven't felt much like blogging, writers block or something maybe. But never fear -- I'm back! :-P Lol! I never posted for weeks 21 or 22, and now it's almost time for week 23! It's going by so fast! He will be here in such a short time!!! So without further ado, here's weeks 21 & 22!
Week 21:
Baby Andrew's growth rate is decreasing, but now he is mainly putting on weight and his organ systems are continuing to mature. Also, buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form. He should weigh somewhere in the range of 10.5 oz, and he should measure just over 7 inches from head to butt, around the size of a large banana. His eyebrows and eyelids are now fully formed, and even though his eyelids are still sealed, his eyes should be very active. His taste buds are formed this week also! So now, whatever I eat, he can taste too! So I better be careful what I eat, cause that might be all he wants when he arrives :-) Supposedly, he still has plenty of room in there, but I sure don't see how. I can't imagine how 7 inches worth of baby (and that's only head to butt, not including legs) fits inside there! I can tell he's getting bigger though, his kicks are getting really strong! Curt has already felt him move, but that was him touching my bare belly. With all my layers of clothes, no one else has been able to feel him yet. I think that should come soon though, it is getting more consistently strong. In the times he is not kicking and punching and dancing, he must be sleeping. He is most likely getting about 12-14 hours of sleep each day for now.
Random facts (from FitPregnancy): 7 in is about the size of a spoon; 10.5 oz is the size bear cubs are when they are born. Haha!! Too cute!
As for me, I feel great still! I do have heartburn, but the medication is still (mostly) taking care of that....if I remember to take it, haha! I am doing good with remembering my vitamins and such, but I forget about the heartburn meds sometimes. I am starting to ache a little when laying in the bed, but it's not too bad. I REALLY need to get one of those preggo pillows. Especially for the weekend, since I (try) to sleep in on those days. Otherwise, the only thing that is an annoyance is the itchiness of my belly! Holy cow, some days it itches so bad I can't stand it! I am using both lotion and Vitamin E oil, but I think that the cold air is making it worse. It's all good though....so worth it :-)
Week 22:
This week, Andrew should be around 8 in long and weigh anywhere between 12-16 oz. A whole pound?!?! Wow :-) He should be (and most certainly is) moving around a lot, and he moves more when I'm sitting or laying down, as opposed to not much when I'm up and moving. This is because when I'm moving, it is "rocking him to sleep". Aww! His sleep should be in cycles by now, which it kind of it, but it also depends on what I'm doing. He is also able to hear and respond to sound, rhythm and melody. It is suggested that I talk and sing to him, and that he'll be soothed by that after he's born. Little do they know, but I've been doing that for a long time! His fingernails are almost fully formed, his lips are distinct, and canines and molars are forming below his gums. His little face should now be fully developed, so no more alien-faced baby here! Although the alien face was adorable too! His brain and nerve endings are developing, so he may be start reaching for his face just to see what he can feel! His grip is getting stronger too, and he may be holding on to the umbilical cord sometimes. Lastly, he's getting hair on top of his head! However, there's no pigmentation to it yet, so it's bright white! :-)
Another fun fact from FitPregnancy: Blood travels through the umbilical cord at 4 mph!
Week 22 for me: The best thing right now is that my food aversions are FINALLY fading! I can now eat almost anything I can think of (although that could be a bad thing, lol) without being grossed out. Of course, that doesn't go for foods that grossed me out pre-preggo anyway. One of the sites I read every week says that the movement and kicking of the baby could start to bother me. Um NO. I think it's the most amazing thing in the whole world, and it doesn't bother me even one bit! Another says that my lungs are becoming squished, which I haven't really noticed too much yet. I do notice occasionally that I seem short of breath, even when I'm sitting down, so I'm wondering if that's when he's sitting higher up. I'm not sure of that though. Also, my belly button may pop out soon. I didn't think this happened until later, like close to the end. I was apparently wrong, lol! I don't want it to do that yet, I guess I'm a little vain...oh well!
The other problem that happened this week is.....I had a KIDNEY STONE! Ugh! That was sooooo awful! I don't know if it was pregnancy related or not, but I thought I was going to die! I've never had one in my life, so it was completely unexpected and I didn't know what was going on. I'm going to ask the doctor at my next visit if there's any particular reason I had one now. I will say though that the triage nurse at my doctors office is the BEST! She was so sweet and caring and helpful. Even though I still had the stone after I talked to her, she made me feel so much better. I have recommended my doctors office to everyone I know that's pregnant! For those who I haven't told: Greater Carolina's Women's Center is the best OB/GYN I know of!
I think that's about it for now, I'm off to the Christmas Show with my mom and sister and friends!! Have a great weekend!!
Week 21:
Baby Andrew's growth rate is decreasing, but now he is mainly putting on weight and his organ systems are continuing to mature. Also, buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form. He should weigh somewhere in the range of 10.5 oz, and he should measure just over 7 inches from head to butt, around the size of a large banana. His eyebrows and eyelids are now fully formed, and even though his eyelids are still sealed, his eyes should be very active. His taste buds are formed this week also! So now, whatever I eat, he can taste too! So I better be careful what I eat, cause that might be all he wants when he arrives :-) Supposedly, he still has plenty of room in there, but I sure don't see how. I can't imagine how 7 inches worth of baby (and that's only head to butt, not including legs) fits inside there! I can tell he's getting bigger though, his kicks are getting really strong! Curt has already felt him move, but that was him touching my bare belly. With all my layers of clothes, no one else has been able to feel him yet. I think that should come soon though, it is getting more consistently strong. In the times he is not kicking and punching and dancing, he must be sleeping. He is most likely getting about 12-14 hours of sleep each day for now.
Random facts (from FitPregnancy): 7 in is about the size of a spoon; 10.5 oz is the size bear cubs are when they are born. Haha!! Too cute!
As for me, I feel great still! I do have heartburn, but the medication is still (mostly) taking care of that....if I remember to take it, haha! I am doing good with remembering my vitamins and such, but I forget about the heartburn meds sometimes. I am starting to ache a little when laying in the bed, but it's not too bad. I REALLY need to get one of those preggo pillows. Especially for the weekend, since I (try) to sleep in on those days. Otherwise, the only thing that is an annoyance is the itchiness of my belly! Holy cow, some days it itches so bad I can't stand it! I am using both lotion and Vitamin E oil, but I think that the cold air is making it worse. It's all good though....so worth it :-)
Week 22:
This week, Andrew should be around 8 in long and weigh anywhere between 12-16 oz. A whole pound?!?! Wow :-) He should be (and most certainly is) moving around a lot, and he moves more when I'm sitting or laying down, as opposed to not much when I'm up and moving. This is because when I'm moving, it is "rocking him to sleep". Aww! His sleep should be in cycles by now, which it kind of it, but it also depends on what I'm doing. He is also able to hear and respond to sound, rhythm and melody. It is suggested that I talk and sing to him, and that he'll be soothed by that after he's born. Little do they know, but I've been doing that for a long time! His fingernails are almost fully formed, his lips are distinct, and canines and molars are forming below his gums. His little face should now be fully developed, so no more alien-faced baby here! Although the alien face was adorable too! His brain and nerve endings are developing, so he may be start reaching for his face just to see what he can feel! His grip is getting stronger too, and he may be holding on to the umbilical cord sometimes. Lastly, he's getting hair on top of his head! However, there's no pigmentation to it yet, so it's bright white! :-)
Another fun fact from FitPregnancy: Blood travels through the umbilical cord at 4 mph!
Week 22 for me: The best thing right now is that my food aversions are FINALLY fading! I can now eat almost anything I can think of (although that could be a bad thing, lol) without being grossed out. Of course, that doesn't go for foods that grossed me out pre-preggo anyway. One of the sites I read every week says that the movement and kicking of the baby could start to bother me. Um NO. I think it's the most amazing thing in the whole world, and it doesn't bother me even one bit! Another says that my lungs are becoming squished, which I haven't really noticed too much yet. I do notice occasionally that I seem short of breath, even when I'm sitting down, so I'm wondering if that's when he's sitting higher up. I'm not sure of that though. Also, my belly button may pop out soon. I didn't think this happened until later, like close to the end. I was apparently wrong, lol! I don't want it to do that yet, I guess I'm a little vain...oh well!
The other problem that happened this week is.....I had a KIDNEY STONE! Ugh! That was sooooo awful! I don't know if it was pregnancy related or not, but I thought I was going to die! I've never had one in my life, so it was completely unexpected and I didn't know what was going on. I'm going to ask the doctor at my next visit if there's any particular reason I had one now. I will say though that the triage nurse at my doctors office is the BEST! She was so sweet and caring and helpful. Even though I still had the stone after I talked to her, she made me feel so much better. I have recommended my doctors office to everyone I know that's pregnant! For those who I haven't told: Greater Carolina's Women's Center is the best OB/GYN I know of!
I think that's about it for now, I'm off to the Christmas Show with my mom and sister and friends!! Have a great weekend!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Things I Think About
I really don't have much to share today, nothing new has happened. I still feel like writing a blog post though so this is what I came up with. These are things that I think about, in no particular order, on any given day really but specifically today.
1. I am constantly thinking (and writing down....and then losing my notes) about what I have to accomplish for the rest of day/week/etc.
2. How in the world am I going to teach my son right and wrong and hoping he turns out okay considering all the mistakes I know I'm going to make.
3. I really hope my car works long enough to get me to my next destination. Hmm...I think about lots of stuff while I'm in the car. I have many deep revelations about myself while driving. I also sing in the car. A lot. Loudly. :-)
4. I need sleep.
5. Oh! Baby kick! :-)
6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. In fact, I spend January through July missing it, July through October anxiously awaiting the day I can play it, and starting November 1, I play it all day every day until the last day of December, and I love every minute of it.
7. I really love my husband. Yeah yeah I know, awwww. But it's true. I am finding myself more and more in love with him every day.
Just a small sampling of what goes through my head on a typical day. I thought I'd share for the amusement of all. :-)
1. I am constantly thinking (and writing down....and then losing my notes) about what I have to accomplish for the rest of day/week/etc.
2. How in the world am I going to teach my son right and wrong and hoping he turns out okay considering all the mistakes I know I'm going to make.
3. I really hope my car works long enough to get me to my next destination. Hmm...I think about lots of stuff while I'm in the car. I have many deep revelations about myself while driving. I also sing in the car. A lot. Loudly. :-)
4. I need sleep.
5. Oh! Baby kick! :-)
6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. In fact, I spend January through July missing it, July through October anxiously awaiting the day I can play it, and starting November 1, I play it all day every day until the last day of December, and I love every minute of it.
7. I really love my husband. Yeah yeah I know, awwww. But it's true. I am finding myself more and more in love with him every day.
Just a small sampling of what goes through my head on a typical day. I thought I'd share for the amusement of all. :-)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
It's been a great weekend for us!
First, hubby finally got to feel the baby move on Friday night!!! That was so awesome! I was happy to finally be able to share that wonderful feeling with him :-D He thought it was really cool too!
On Saturday, me and my mom and one of my sister-in-laws went to the mall to go SHOPPING! We went out to Concord Mills and went to several stores. We went to Bath & Body Works, because I had some good coupons for there. I got a new holiday-smelling candle and a free lotion and a free lip gloss. I ended up paying 5 bucks for about 20 bucks worth of stuff! Yay! We also went to a couple of other stores, but the best was Motherhood Maternity :-) I went in there originally just to look at their clearance rack, but my mom ended up getting me a TON of stuff! I have the best mom!! I got lots of really cute new winter preggo clothes, and I am super excited to wear them! I got some cute sweater dresses and some other long sleeves, and a super cute pair of jeans. Then we went to Khols (which I also had a coupon for, hehehe) and got a new purse. I had lots of fun!!! :-)
Today (Sunday), hubby was off (yay!) so we're having fun. We went out to Concord Mills (yes, again) and walked around for a bit, not really looking for anything in particular. We met my mom for lunch at Cracker Barrel, yum! My dad is in Mexico for a hunting trip (yes you read that right) so it's just my mom this weekend. Then we ran some more errands and finally came home. In a little bit, we will go to trick or treat with my neice and nephew! My nephew is going to be Shrek and my neice is going to be Fiona! They are gonna be so cute!!
So it has been (and will continue to be) a fun weekend for us! :-) Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Halfway?!!!!?!!!!
What's that? It's halfway? Halfway to March? Already?!?!?!!!!!!
YAYYYYYYYYYAAAYYYYYAYYYAYAYAY!! ICan'tBelieveI'mHalfWayToMeetingMySweetBabyAndrewICan'tEvenWait!!! :-D
Can I call a half-time though? It'd be great to get him off of this nerve he seems to be sitting on. No? Okay, then, onward we go!
Let's see what's happening with Baby Andrew this week:
He is somewhere around the size of a ... CANTALOUPE! Holy crap! Thank goodness he's not as round as one, just as long as one, from head to butt. He also should weigh around 10 & 1/2 oz, but I am going to guess that he's bigger than that. On all of my ultrasounds so far, he has weighed a bit more than average, so I think I'm safe to assume that he's a little bigger than average :-) However, I hope he doesn't get to be more than a little bigger than average...I may be miserable carrying a huge boy around! Lol!
What else? He is getting hair on his head starting this week. This is different than the hair -- "lanugo" -- that he has already developed on most of his body; this is real hair. I wonder what color it will be?! One really cute thing: "It will cover its ears with its hands if a loud sound is made near you, and it may even become startled and 'jump'." Haha! He can jump from loud noises! He is definitely moving a lot. I can feel him pretty often now, some days more than others though. He seems to move a lot when I sit or lay down and get settled in. I read that when you are moving around a lot, it lulls the baby to sleep, so that must be why he moves more when I'm still. He must be sleeping when I move, and wakes up when I get comfy. It doesn't really bother me though. He was moving a lot when I went to bed last night, but it didn't keep me awake.
***Disclaimer*** -- If you are too conservative/shy/sensitive/easily embarrassed, you may want to skip to the next paragraph -- Consider yourself warned. Also happening this week according to the What to Expect site: "Have you got male? If your fetus is a boy, his testicles have begun their descent this week, though they're still located in the abdomen, waiting for the scrotum to finish growing so they'll have a place to drop into in a few weeks." Pre-preggo, I may have been slightly embarrased to read this, but now I kind of think it's cute, haha!! My little Andrew is already getting ready to be a man! Aww!
Okay, back to more cute-baby topics. Actually, this may not be too cute, but the digestive system is making meconium now, and if you want to know what that is, go here. It's slightly gross, so I'll let you look for yourself if you want to know. What is more cute than that? Well, he should be developing his permanent teeth already, behind his baby teeth. We have already seen his baby teeth on the ultrasound pics, and I think it's pretty cool he's already getting his grownup teeth....wait, what? He's already growing up?! I haven't even gotten to hold him yet! Crazy....Anyway, one last thing: he should be starting to be able to differentiate between morning, afternoon and evening. I'm not really sure how that is, but I'm guessing it's because #1-he can see bright light so maybe that helps, or #2-he can tell my routines. I dunno for sure, that's just my guess.
Enough of that....on to ME! Lol. As I mentioned earlier, Andrew seems to be sitting/kicking/pressing on a nerve that is making my hip flexor area hurt. So, if I smell like IcyHot sometimes....sorry. Well, I'm not actually sorry, but I guess it just sounded good to say, haha.
Other than that little issue (which I really don't mind all that much, it's not too bad) I'm feeling great lately! I'm still tired of course, but no stomach issues, thank goodness!! I have had to take heartburn meds infrequently, but that hasn't gotten unbearable. I am still having food aversions, which is slightly annoying. I get really hungry, but I don't know what to eat because most things sound gross. It makes it a little difficult to get enough to eat, but I am doing okay. Speaking of things making it difficult to eat -- now that I'm at 20 weeks, my uterus is supposed to be right behind my belly button, and will grow toward my rib cage by about 1 cm per week....yikes! Talk about making it hard to eat...
Speaking of that, I did get a little heat from my (awesome) doc about not eating enough. I have only gained around 3 pounds so far, and she said I really need to eat more. (How fun is that -- the doc tells you to eat MORE, not less! Lol!) So I'm going to focus on high calorie (but still healthy...for the most part) foods, and try to get enough calories to gain at least 1 pound a week. That should put me back in the healthy range.
That's pretty much all I've got for this week :-) (Not that I need more, this post is long enough I think! Lol)
Happy 20-weeks-till-Baby Day!!
YAYYYYYYYYYAAAYYYYYAYYYAYAYAY!! ICan'tBelieveI'mHalfWayToMeetingMySweetBabyAndrewICan'tEvenWait!!! :-D
Can I call a half-time though? It'd be great to get him off of this nerve he seems to be sitting on. No? Okay, then, onward we go!
He is somewhere around the size of a ... CANTALOUPE! Holy crap! Thank goodness he's not as round as one, just as long as one, from head to butt. He also should weigh around 10 & 1/2 oz, but I am going to guess that he's bigger than that. On all of my ultrasounds so far, he has weighed a bit more than average, so I think I'm safe to assume that he's a little bigger than average :-) However, I hope he doesn't get to be more than a little bigger than average...I may be miserable carrying a huge boy around! Lol!
What else? He is getting hair on his head starting this week. This is different than the hair -- "lanugo" -- that he has already developed on most of his body; this is real hair. I wonder what color it will be?! One really cute thing: "It will cover its ears with its hands if a loud sound is made near you, and it may even become startled and 'jump'." Haha! He can jump from loud noises! He is definitely moving a lot. I can feel him pretty often now, some days more than others though. He seems to move a lot when I sit or lay down and get settled in. I read that when you are moving around a lot, it lulls the baby to sleep, so that must be why he moves more when I'm still. He must be sleeping when I move, and wakes up when I get comfy. It doesn't really bother me though. He was moving a lot when I went to bed last night, but it didn't keep me awake.
***Disclaimer*** -- If you are too conservative/shy/sensitive/easily embarrassed, you may want to skip to the next paragraph -- Consider yourself warned. Also happening this week according to the What to Expect site: "Have you got male? If your fetus is a boy, his testicles have begun their descent this week, though they're still located in the abdomen, waiting for the scrotum to finish growing so they'll have a place to drop into in a few weeks." Pre-preggo, I may have been slightly embarrased to read this, but now I kind of think it's cute, haha!! My little Andrew is already getting ready to be a man! Aww!
Okay, back to more cute-baby topics. Actually, this may not be too cute, but the digestive system is making meconium now, and if you want to know what that is, go here. It's slightly gross, so I'll let you look for yourself if you want to know. What is more cute than that? Well, he should be developing his permanent teeth already, behind his baby teeth. We have already seen his baby teeth on the ultrasound pics, and I think it's pretty cool he's already getting his grownup teeth....wait, what? He's already growing up?! I haven't even gotten to hold him yet! Crazy....Anyway, one last thing: he should be starting to be able to differentiate between morning, afternoon and evening. I'm not really sure how that is, but I'm guessing it's because #1-he can see bright light so maybe that helps, or #2-he can tell my routines. I dunno for sure, that's just my guess.
Enough of that....on to ME! Lol. As I mentioned earlier, Andrew seems to be sitting/kicking/pressing on a nerve that is making my hip flexor area hurt. So, if I smell like IcyHot sometimes....sorry. Well, I'm not actually sorry, but I guess it just sounded good to say, haha.
Other than that little issue (which I really don't mind all that much, it's not too bad) I'm feeling great lately! I'm still tired of course, but no stomach issues, thank goodness!! I have had to take heartburn meds infrequently, but that hasn't gotten unbearable. I am still having food aversions, which is slightly annoying. I get really hungry, but I don't know what to eat because most things sound gross. It makes it a little difficult to get enough to eat, but I am doing okay. Speaking of things making it difficult to eat -- now that I'm at 20 weeks, my uterus is supposed to be right behind my belly button, and will grow toward my rib cage by about 1 cm per week....yikes! Talk about making it hard to eat...
Speaking of that, I did get a little heat from my (awesome) doc about not eating enough. I have only gained around 3 pounds so far, and she said I really need to eat more. (How fun is that -- the doc tells you to eat MORE, not less! Lol!) So I'm going to focus on high calorie (but still healthy...for the most part) foods, and try to get enough calories to gain at least 1 pound a week. That should put me back in the healthy range.
That's pretty much all I've got for this week :-) (Not that I need more, this post is long enough I think! Lol)
Happy 20-weeks-till-Baby Day!!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Um, wow
I was reading this article today, and it really hit home. I agree with what this writer is saying, I have experienced it many times. It is also a huge reason why my walk as a believer is so difficult sometimes. Not that I would take that blame off of myself, because I'm not trying to do that. Not only that, but I can't say that I have not been guilty of this myself. Of course, my self-consiousness and heightened concern over what others think of me makes me overly sensitive to this kind of thing, I think.
Reading this article really made me think....I hope it does the same for you.
My favorite quote from the article (you'll have to read the rest of it to understand the room cleaning reference):
Thanks to this blog post for the original link!
Reading this article really made me think....I hope it does the same for you.
My favorite quote from the article (you'll have to read the rest of it to understand the room cleaning reference):
"Loving your neighbor might be simple, but it’s not easy. Maybe my neighbor is a jerk too. Maybe they hate God. Maybe they are actively and violently opposed to everything I believe. And showing them grace feels impossible. So instead of dealing with that, we get online and police people. We find small things to focus on that will distract us. I think God wants us to discuss the little stuff, but we make it an idol when we practice room cleaning Christianity at the exclusion of love. And we tend to become jerks."
Thanks to this blog post for the original link!
Being a Parent
I have 2 things on my mind today regarding "parenting". Feel free to share your thoughts.
1) Worry-wart/Freak-out parenting. This is on my mind after reading a Facebook post about "The Peanut Butter Controversy" by Planning Family. Okay, here is my thought on the matter: JUST BE REASONABLE!! Okay I feel better now.
It seems like a lot of parents just freak out about things that they have no control over. I can't know in advance if my baby is going to have an allergy to anything, or if something is going to hurt him, or if some random disaster is going to happen. To me, it just seems like I would be adding unnecessary stress that I don't need to be dealing with if I were to worry about it.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I won't be taking precautions against things happening. I will of course make sure that my home is baby-safe and that I don't put my baby in danger or anything. But what I am saying is that it's ridiculous when parents go overboard.
Keeping your child away from peanut butter (or whatever) entirely just because you think there's some remote chance that they'll have an allergy is crazy. I know they shouldn't have it before a certain age, but at some point they're going to, and there's no need to freak out.
There are other things in this category that seriously irk me, but I'm not going there. I'll sum it up by saying that staying sane and being reasonable is the way to go. Moderation is the key, people. Being healthy, or safe, or whatever, is awesome -- in moderation. Going to extremes is just not necessary.
2) Kids are gonna be kids. I was reading this article that's really about using technology as a soother for your kids, but it said more than that to me.
There are "guidelines" about kids and technology. I totally get that. But they are just that -- guidelines. (Yes, this kind of goes back to the reasonableness argument previously.) When deciding on technology's role in your family's life, you MUST take into account your individual family. What works for one family may not work for another. And that fact doesn't make one thing wrong and another right. I like this quote from the article:
The next thing I got out of this article is something that I think many people (and not just parents) need a lesson on: Kids are.........(wait for it)........KIDS! That was deep wasn't it...haha! Really, you would think that this would be common sense, but it apparently isn't. I think that this a problem not only with parents, but in society as a whole.
In society, it feels (to me) like people look down on kids acting like kids. They are shocked or annoyed when kids around them (restaurants, grocery stores, malls, etc) do what all kids do: talk, play, throw fits, cry, act cranky, laugh, be loud in general, and whatever else I've missed. They look down on parents for not "controlling" their kids. All kids are not going to be models of perfection at all times. That's just all there is to it. Yes, a 12 year old probably should not be having a temper tantrum in Harris Teeter, but it's not all that unusual for a 3 year old. And it's not bad either, it just happens. Parents don't need to feel intimidated by the weight of other peoples judgement.
As a parent, however, people still expect that their children act like adults and are upset when they act like children. I have seen parents who expect that their 2 year old will understand and behave like a 10 year old. Or an 8 year old to understand and behave like a 15 year old. They expect this and treat their kids in that manner. It frustrates me because I can see the frustration in the child and the stress it causes to the family unit. I also don't understand why parents do this. There's no need for all that stress! If parents just relax and let their kids act like kids, their home will be a happier, less stressful place.
Of course, in saying this I don't mean that kids should be able to do whatever they want, so don't send me any angry comments. I agree that there should be discipline for children, it helps them grow and mature into well balanced adults. I just think that it should be tailored to the individual child and that childs growth level.
One more thing that irks me is that when people become parents, they don't expect their life to change. They think that they will still be able to do the things that they could do before kids, and continue with their pre-kiddo lifestyles. This is not reality!!! If you go out to eat without kids, you can enjoy a nice, leisurely meal anywhere you want to. With kids, however, you may not be able to do that. If your child is tired, you may have to leave early. Or if your child starts to act up, you may have to take them outside for a few minutes. That's just the way life works with kids. Yes, this baby will be my first, but I have enough family and friends with kids that I feel like I can speak intelligently on this subject from my observations. This quote from the article is what spoke to me on this area:
I didn't realize at the outset how long this post was going to be. Sorry about the length, but this is just what has been weighing on my mind lately. Of course, preparing to be a parent makes me think about things like this more often. Hope everyone enjoys their day!
1) Worry-wart/Freak-out parenting. This is on my mind after reading a Facebook post about "The Peanut Butter Controversy" by Planning Family. Okay, here is my thought on the matter: JUST BE REASONABLE!! Okay I feel better now.
It seems like a lot of parents just freak out about things that they have no control over. I can't know in advance if my baby is going to have an allergy to anything, or if something is going to hurt him, or if some random disaster is going to happen. To me, it just seems like I would be adding unnecessary stress that I don't need to be dealing with if I were to worry about it.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I won't be taking precautions against things happening. I will of course make sure that my home is baby-safe and that I don't put my baby in danger or anything. But what I am saying is that it's ridiculous when parents go overboard.
Keeping your child away from peanut butter (or whatever) entirely just because you think there's some remote chance that they'll have an allergy is crazy. I know they shouldn't have it before a certain age, but at some point they're going to, and there's no need to freak out.
There are other things in this category that seriously irk me, but I'm not going there. I'll sum it up by saying that staying sane and being reasonable is the way to go. Moderation is the key, people. Being healthy, or safe, or whatever, is awesome -- in moderation. Going to extremes is just not necessary.
2) Kids are gonna be kids. I was reading this article that's really about using technology as a soother for your kids, but it said more than that to me.
There are "guidelines" about kids and technology. I totally get that. But they are just that -- guidelines. (Yes, this kind of goes back to the reasonableness argument previously.) When deciding on technology's role in your family's life, you MUST take into account your individual family. What works for one family may not work for another. And that fact doesn't make one thing wrong and another right. I like this quote from the article:
“I hate to see parents fall back on guidelines and then feel horribly guilty about everything they do. If you have to put your kid in front of a television set to run to the bathroom, that’s not going to harm them irreparably. It’s when you park them in front of the television for hours at a time, or don’t look at the cumulative role of technology in their lives, that’s problematic.”That is exactly how I feel. And I don't even have to explain further, because that just says everything I am thinking.
The next thing I got out of this article is something that I think many people (and not just parents) need a lesson on: Kids are.........(wait for it)........KIDS! That was deep wasn't it...haha! Really, you would think that this would be common sense, but it apparently isn't. I think that this a problem not only with parents, but in society as a whole.
In society, it feels (to me) like people look down on kids acting like kids. They are shocked or annoyed when kids around them (restaurants, grocery stores, malls, etc) do what all kids do: talk, play, throw fits, cry, act cranky, laugh, be loud in general, and whatever else I've missed. They look down on parents for not "controlling" their kids. All kids are not going to be models of perfection at all times. That's just all there is to it. Yes, a 12 year old probably should not be having a temper tantrum in Harris Teeter, but it's not all that unusual for a 3 year old. And it's not bad either, it just happens. Parents don't need to feel intimidated by the weight of other peoples judgement.
As a parent, however, people still expect that their children act like adults and are upset when they act like children. I have seen parents who expect that their 2 year old will understand and behave like a 10 year old. Or an 8 year old to understand and behave like a 15 year old. They expect this and treat their kids in that manner. It frustrates me because I can see the frustration in the child and the stress it causes to the family unit. I also don't understand why parents do this. There's no need for all that stress! If parents just relax and let their kids act like kids, their home will be a happier, less stressful place.
Of course, in saying this I don't mean that kids should be able to do whatever they want, so don't send me any angry comments. I agree that there should be discipline for children, it helps them grow and mature into well balanced adults. I just think that it should be tailored to the individual child and that childs growth level.
One more thing that irks me is that when people become parents, they don't expect their life to change. They think that they will still be able to do the things that they could do before kids, and continue with their pre-kiddo lifestyles. This is not reality!!! If you go out to eat without kids, you can enjoy a nice, leisurely meal anywhere you want to. With kids, however, you may not be able to do that. If your child is tired, you may have to leave early. Or if your child starts to act up, you may have to take them outside for a few minutes. That's just the way life works with kids. Yes, this baby will be my first, but I have enough family and friends with kids that I feel like I can speak intelligently on this subject from my observations. This quote from the article is what spoke to me on this area:
"But the second part of this is that parents need to know how to let their kids be kids. Kids throw fits. That’s just what happens. That means you have to change. Maybe you eat earlier, or you leave the restaurant in the middle of the meal, or one of you eats and the other one takes the kid out for a walk. Don’t apologize for your child being a child, just do what needs to happen."I LOVE that last sentence. It really sums up what I mean about the matter.
I didn't realize at the outset how long this post was going to be. Sorry about the length, but this is just what has been weighing on my mind lately. Of course, preparing to be a parent makes me think about things like this more often. Hope everyone enjoys their day!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Life changes
It seems like life is changing so fast! In just 5 short months, my sweet little Andrew will arrive, and in 9 months, I should be done with both of my undergrad degrees! Time is just flying by!!
It also seems to be sneaking up on me, lol. I can't seem to catch up on anything, but I'm okay with that for now. Admittedly it adds a little stress, but it's nothing I can't deal with :-)
For some reason it has just really hit me this week that it's coming so fast. Maybe it has to do with the fact that next week I'll be halfway to meeting my baby boy. AHHHH! :-D I have really got to start working more on his nursery. Seriously. Really soon. We've gotten almost everything taken out of the room that will be his, but nothing past that. At least we have a theme....that's a start right? Haha...
I'll leave you with a few photos to really show how fast time is flying...
It also seems to be sneaking up on me, lol. I can't seem to catch up on anything, but I'm okay with that for now. Admittedly it adds a little stress, but it's nothing I can't deal with :-)
For some reason it has just really hit me this week that it's coming so fast. Maybe it has to do with the fact that next week I'll be halfway to meeting my baby boy. AHHHH! :-D I have really got to start working more on his nursery. Seriously. Really soon. We've gotten almost everything taken out of the room that will be his, but nothing past that. At least we have a theme....that's a start right? Haha...
I'll leave you with a few photos to really show how fast time is flying...
This is from week 5...way back in July. About the size of a grain of rice.
And this is week 16 at the beginning of October!! Already 5 oz!
Now, 3 weeks later, he has grown to about NINE oz! Holy moley! He's just gonna be here before I know it!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mango Tango
Week 19 is the week of the mango!
Not a whole lot new happening this week, mostly just a continuation of things that began in earlier weeks. One new thing is that the baby is developing his vernix caseosa coating. It's actually kind of gross, so I'll spare you the details (lol), but basically it is a waxy coating over him that protects him from the amniotic fluid. So he won't come out too wrinkly :-) Hehehe! The What to Expect website said that it's baby's first anti-wrinkle cream. Which got me to thinking (yes, scary, I know): what if doctors/scientists decided to try this kind of thing as a wrinkle treatment? I mean, it's all natural, obviously. Maybe I'm crazy (a good possibility)...who knows!
Anyhoo, back to baby-related stuff :-) ...This week just continues the hardening of bones, neurons between brain and muscles are now connected, and kicking should be increasing (and boy is it!). I totally love feeling those little kicks and punches and movements! I really can't wait until they can be felt from the outside too, that will be so exciting to share!
I am so glad to be over all that sickness that comes in the first trimester. Mine stuck around a few extra weeks, but I think I've finally gotten rid of it now! I'm still pretty tired, but otherwise I feel really good.
I had another ultrasound today. I have no idea why I'm having so many, but hey, I'm not going to complain, because I love them. I totally love to see my Andrew on the screen moving around and seeing what he's up to in there! He is such an active baby! So sweet :-)
I'm enjoying week 19 so far, and I can't wait for week 20 so I can be halfway!!
Anyhoo, back to baby-related stuff :-) ...This week just continues the hardening of bones, neurons between brain and muscles are now connected, and kicking should be increasing (and boy is it!). I totally love feeling those little kicks and punches and movements! I really can't wait until they can be felt from the outside too, that will be so exciting to share!
I am so glad to be over all that sickness that comes in the first trimester. Mine stuck around a few extra weeks, but I think I've finally gotten rid of it now! I'm still pretty tired, but otherwise I feel really good.
I had another ultrasound today. I have no idea why I'm having so many, but hey, I'm not going to complain, because I love them. I totally love to see my Andrew on the screen moving around and seeing what he's up to in there! He is such an active baby! So sweet :-)
I'm enjoying week 19 so far, and I can't wait for week 20 so I can be halfway!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Great weekend
We had a really great weekend! How was everyone else's??
Saturday wasn't too eventful, but we did go to my brother-in-law's birthday party, which was fun. It's always nice to spend time with family :-)
Sunday, however, was full of stuff! We went to my nephew's rosebud dedication at church first. Then we went home and changed to head to the South Carolina State Fair! The North Carolina State Fair is also going on right now, but Columbia is about 1.5 hours away, and Raleigh is 3 hours away, so we figured it would be a shorter drive to Columbia. Also, the hubby got tickets from someone at work, and he works there (in Columbia) so he knows his way around Columbia. So that turned out to be the best choice for us. The drive down was uneventful, but holy cow the traffic SUCKED! Once we got into Columbia, we ended up spending another hour and a half in a line of traffic!! It was super annoying! Once we got through that and parked, we made our way into the fair itself. (Sidenote: we had to go through metal detectors and have bags searched to get in....seriously weird.) It was standard fair stuff: rides, exhibits, ridiculously expensive food, and etc. We met some friends there though, so it was fun to walk around with them. I will have to say that I was completely disappointed with the fried pickles that we got. Other than the fact that they were overpriced, they tasted nothing like fried pickles. Oh well....
I decided not to do any rides, since I'm not sure how safe that would be for me right now. But the animals were fun to watch. There was a horse show going on while we were there that was cute. The girls riding were pretty young too! And very adorable...all prim and proper. Some of the exibits were interesting also. One of them was a sand statue, and the folks were "carving" the back of it when we went in there, and it was amazing! Very detailed and intricate. Another exhibit had hand-carved mahogany stuff like airplanes, motorcycles, and etc. I really loved the airplanes, since that's the theme we're going with for the nursery. But we didn't get any, because they were pretty expensive, surprise surprise. Haha....
Once we left the fair, I got the grand tour of Columbia, courtesy of my driver, aka hubby. Hehe :-P I saw downtown, the governor's mansion, Five Points, and lots of other stuff. It's a pretty cute little town, I'll have to say.
Thankfully, we finally made it home in time for BED! I was super duper tired from walking so much, but we had so much fun! I am definitely sore today from walking so much, lol! Just goes to show how little exercise I've done the last 4-5 months :-) Gotta get back into that for real!
I do love weekends when I get to spend so much time with my man! :-D
Saturday wasn't too eventful, but we did go to my brother-in-law's birthday party, which was fun. It's always nice to spend time with family :-)
Sunday, however, was full of stuff! We went to my nephew's rosebud dedication at church first. Then we went home and changed to head to the South Carolina State Fair! The North Carolina State Fair is also going on right now, but Columbia is about 1.5 hours away, and Raleigh is 3 hours away, so we figured it would be a shorter drive to Columbia. Also, the hubby got tickets from someone at work, and he works there (in Columbia) so he knows his way around Columbia. So that turned out to be the best choice for us. The drive down was uneventful, but holy cow the traffic SUCKED! Once we got into Columbia, we ended up spending another hour and a half in a line of traffic!! It was super annoying! Once we got through that and parked, we made our way into the fair itself. (Sidenote: we had to go through metal detectors and have bags searched to get in....seriously weird.) It was standard fair stuff: rides, exhibits, ridiculously expensive food, and etc. We met some friends there though, so it was fun to walk around with them. I will have to say that I was completely disappointed with the fried pickles that we got. Other than the fact that they were overpriced, they tasted nothing like fried pickles. Oh well....
I decided not to do any rides, since I'm not sure how safe that would be for me right now. But the animals were fun to watch. There was a horse show going on while we were there that was cute. The girls riding were pretty young too! And very adorable...all prim and proper. Some of the exibits were interesting also. One of them was a sand statue, and the folks were "carving" the back of it when we went in there, and it was amazing! Very detailed and intricate. Another exhibit had hand-carved mahogany stuff like airplanes, motorcycles, and etc. I really loved the airplanes, since that's the theme we're going with for the nursery. But we didn't get any, because they were pretty expensive, surprise surprise. Haha....
Once we left the fair, I got the grand tour of Columbia, courtesy of my driver, aka hubby. Hehe :-P I saw downtown, the governor's mansion, Five Points, and lots of other stuff. It's a pretty cute little town, I'll have to say.
Thankfully, we finally made it home in time for BED! I was super duper tired from walking so much, but we had so much fun! I am definitely sore today from walking so much, lol! Just goes to show how little exercise I've done the last 4-5 months :-) Gotta get back into that for real!
I do love weekends when I get to spend so much time with my man! :-D
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