Pre-Thanksgiving

Well, for the first time, I will be the hostess for Thanksgiving!!! Kinda nervous but really excited! I love to entertain, but cooking a turkey seems like a big deal...and with a little one in tow makes it even more of a challenge!
Baron has just been growing and growing! Still eating every two hours....so we might do the cereal thing in a week or so....still debating on it!
He has his first "play date" in December!!!! With a girl (awww)! She is around the same age.... Maybe she can teach him a thing or two!

Will post pics around Thanksgiving even if it's a disaster!

Our Halloween

This year our Halloween was not so traditional.
You can thank mommy's paranoia of the flu season!!! Baron did get to play outside for a little while so that was nice to see him get out of the house and get some sun!!

This Week's Goal

So other than trying to find the time to clean the second bedroom for another round of guests, I have to find the time to clean the oven of all the burnt juices from my apple pie......ugh! It was my first time to make one; which by the way was the bomb, i must say! But, I didn't put a cookie sheet/pan underneath the dang thing so all the yummy juices fell to the bottom. "No big deal"..i thought..."I'll just put it on SELF-CLEAN mode"!!!! Yeah....bad idea. It caught on fire!!! I freaked out and grabbed the baby. My husband, who's not afraid of anything, told me to calm down; that nothing was going to happen. I thought it was going to explode! Lesson Learned.
My little sweet potato is down for a nap now..... one for feeding and then bedtime!

A couple of my favorite pics

The Grind

Hello!

Now that Baron has arrived...for the past 3 months....I thought i would come back to the blog and do some redecorating! It's so hard to find the time since he demands SO much of me!! Little stinker!

40 weeks pregnant

today i am 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant!!!!
Dee's dad seeems to think that Baron will be born on Tuesday....which is the 4th? Too lazy to go check.... anyway that is weird b/c when i click thru my baby widget it says i have 2 days left?!?! Hmmmm.....
Last night Dee was talking to Baron telling him that he better come out soon cause everyone wants to see him and his mommy can't stretch out anymore and he just kicked him! He got a little excited and continued to move like that for an hour straight! Dee was proud that Baron was so strong and watching my belly stretch out like that! So, in the meantime, I am still "nesting"...or just being anal about cleanliness....possibly just being bored...idk.

The End

well as you can see on my baby widget I have "0" days left! Today is Baron's due date and nothing is happening!!!! I have only had Braxton-Hicks today. Dee and I walked twice yesterday and I took a nice warm bath.....nothing!
This boy is so stubborn! I am still trying to keep active and positive as much as possible in hopes that he comes before my appointment. Dee is very anxious too. He asked me if I wanted to get into his truck and go for a ride down some bumpy roads.....I said no. That actually hurts! Well, it looks like we will have an August baby unless some miracle happens tonight.
I feel like he has dropped a little more though....but it might be my imagination.

3 days left

Ok......so i only have 3 days left until Baron's due date.
I have had nausea for the past two days off and on and some cramping.....more ligament pain. The PUPPPs or whatever it is, is slowly going away and I finally got some good rest. Dee went back to work today which stinks....
I can feel more appendages of Baron....he is soooo cramped, I have no idea how he even moves the way he does.
will keep this updated as much !

Waiting........

Just sitting here on the couch with Sabrina wondering when i will spontaneously give birth....
Dee went to the store to get a few things for dinner tonight.....
Still haven't had any signs of labor and I have 7 DAYS LEFT!!!! If he comes later that is fine with me.....just no induction, please!
All this added weight is killing my back and hips; I just want some relief....
I sound so selfish, right??!!!

Sabrina

I was laying on Dee's lap on the couch and Sabrina comes up and paws at my arm to see if she could join us....
well, i just got finished cleaning off the couch since her hair tends to plague the house...
After telling her "no" several times, I gave into her and she knows I have trouble picking her up so she stood up on her hind legs and even pushed them up giving me some help. Usually, she goes straight to Dee to give him kisses, but she went straight for my belly and perched. Dee said that she loved me too much....
Anyway, she started rubbing her head all over the belly and then started licking my shirt!!! This is the first time she has done this! Baron reacted big time!!! It was the weirdest feeling; I can't explain it! Dee got out his phone and got a small video of her doing it....
Surely she knows something is going on.... I mean, she loves to cuddle with my belly and doesn't seem to mind Baron kicking her all the time, but the licking throws me off!!! What does that mean??!!! I was telling Grandma that she feels like she NEEDS to be around me constantly. Is this another sign that I am getting close?

Raspberry Tea

Just finished drinking two cups of raspberry tea!
Kitchen is pretty clean and we plugged in the video camera......
I made sure everything is in my bag; Baron's bag is in the car......

I guess we will see what happens!

Forgot to mention...

Baron has the hiccups!!! Errr.....they have been lasting a little while now. Probably the taquitos i ate at the Tulia Rodeo....

i forgot to mention to yall that i told the nurse that it felt like Baron was hanging out in the birth canal....
She said that it was his head causing pressure and it means i am getting closer.....
i bet they think I'm pretty weird asking all these questions and how i explain things!!

Also, Dee SAW Baron's foot....but we didnt have a camera. Plus, he doesnt sit still long enough. Dee says, "That looks uncomfortable"! He has no idea...... :)

Sunday

Hey Ya'll!

I just got finished looking at Andrea's preggie pics and I just can't believe that we are about to have two little ones soon!
I was telling grandma that it feels like Baron is in the birth canal already...OUCH! Ligament strain is killing me....
I have noticed a pattern that i can't do anything all morning b/c of pain and literally can't walk....it's more like a shuffle. So, i put myself on bedrest in the mornings and after 7pm. The gap in between seems to be the only time i can actually be normal. So, today I made up a Healthy Waffle Mix and a Healthy Pancake Mix! Storing them in the freezer makes it last for 6 months! I am going to be craving waffles with fruit topping after my sweet baby is born. I LOVE WAFFLES! Yummmmm!
Today is Dee's Friday and then he has 4 days off (yay!) We have a lot of stuff to get done cause I have a feeling that Baron will be arriving this week.....
Oh....and everyone clap their hands....finally got a few stretch marks. :( Can't you tell how happy i am?!

Weekly Appointment

Had my first weekly appt. today and as I was driving there I had a contraction...only lasted one minute though :)
The doc didn't check my cervix today; giving me a break since i was having contractions. He said that Baron is about 5lbs now and still very healthy and strong. He gave me my medical records just in case I were to go into labor from now until my next appt. which is next wednesday.
I asked him about taking the placenta home and that caught him off guard a little :)
He said not very many patients ask to take it home.......so then, i felt weird. Oh well!

That is it so far.......
I guess more next week unless something happens..... :)
nik

Happy Feet!

I can feel Baron's feet!! They are about 3.5-4in in length!!! I mostly feel his heel.....so little! He is going to have his daddy's feet FOR SURE!
I have only 27 days to go!

Maternity Ward and our Pedi!

Today was soooo LONG!!! OMG! My little piggies are swollen!
We had an appointment with a nurse at the maternity ward to take a tour. I'm glad that i made that appointment cause like with any hospital, it's a maze. The hospital is REALLY nice and spacious. I saw a delivery room and i just kinda pictured myself on the bed doing a "spread-eagle" and that just put things in perspective; sinking in how close we are getting to labor. ugh...scary! After delivery, they take that bed away and a murphy bed comes down for Dee and I to sleep in! Awww! The nurse said that I can only have one other person in there with me..so of course i told them Dee. Then she gave me this packet on breastfeeding and stuff!
We then had an appt. with our Pedi and Dee and I both really like her! I loved that she said for emergency situations, she makes appt.s for that same day and she doesn't charge for any calls. She was just very informative and answered all of our questions. They also have 2 seperate waiting rooms: sick kids and well kids! Loved that!
We also went grocery shopping, went to target to get Baron's curtains, got ice cream, and went to hobby lobby....phew!
so, today was good and I can say that I am truly ready now and not as scared.

Happy!

So many things to be happy about today...
Got my nails done...hot pick tips!! It's Dee's Friday!
I have energy....when yesterday, i didn't at all. I finally took a pic of me at 35 weeks along!

tomorrow i will write more cause we go visit the hospital and the pediatrician....
Pray that i don't look like an idiot asking questions (which i still need to write down..eek!)

toodles!
nik

Update

Had a doctor's appointment today!
I weigh 132 lbs and my bp was 108/62....i guess i was really relaxed or tired :)
Dr. Meeks said I am right where i needed to be and Baron's head is pointed down! I told him that i kinda figured cause i can feel his little fingers on my hips! I also had my Group B Strep Test done. He also said that i was still "closed" but reassured me to watch out for any blood, cramping, or water. Even if it is a small trickle, I need to call him. He said Baron's heart beat was really strong and healthy! My next appointment will be on July 8th and after that, he will start to see my every week!!
I also made an appointment on July 1st to take a tour of the maternity ward and delivery room so that we will be know what to expect and not be surprised about anything! And since Dee and I are way late on doing lamaze, we are renting a video next week. It is hard doing that around his schedule. I already have Baron and myself packed, just in case. And I will probably pack a few things for Dee cause he wont do it till last minute! We also interview the pediatrician on the 1st! I am making a list of questions to ask her cause i will forget everything.

Another Appt.

Today i had another Dr.'s appt...
Me and the baby are doing just fine and i asked the doc if he could guess how much Baron weighed....he said about 4 - 4.5lbs! I didn't cramp this time when he checked the cervix which was a wonderful change!
Dee and I are going on a hospital tour the first week in July so that we will be prepared of what is going to happen and to know where we are going!!
My contractions are still infrequent and don't last long at all....so, so far so good!
Dee is off on wed. and thurs. so we are going to hopefully put up some curtains and shelves in Baron's room. We are also picking up the stroller and the bedding is being shipped as we speak!!!

WOW!

Dee was off today so I thought i would take advantage of that.....
we went to Amarillo to exchange some baby stuff and got just a few little extra things...
then we went to the mall to get me a nursing bra and guess what?!!!....I am a 32D! And I'm still not done growing!! Lordy, i didn't think i was that big! I guess my enormous belly makes everything else look small. Sooo...we got a regular nursing bra and a nursing bra that you sleep in...which is ugly, but VERY comfortable.
An update on Baron: his kicks aren't so cute anymore....they HURT! Holey Moley this kid is strong! I have been keeping a log of my contractions cause i don't trust my preggie brain and Dee and I are doing some laundry so that we can pack my hospital bag just in case!!!
We spent pretty much the entire day in Amarillo so i am exhausted!! And Dee left to go work a few STEP hours......
well that is about it...not much else going on.

Doctor's Appt.

Had an appt. today at 1:30 and Dee had to drive me and go in late to work cause i was soooo tired. He is so good to me! Anyway, Tammy asked all her normal questions and I told her that i had some swelling in my hands, mostly, and some in my feet. She asked if i had any more contractions and i said yes. They started right when i got in the truck to come back to Tulia and have been having a couple everyday since then. That's normal. Then i asked about my little numb spot that feels like a sunburn on my belly and she said that is the skin stretching and getting thin. Dr. Meeks said that my cervix looks great and if Baron showed signs of wanting to come at 36 weeks then we wouldn't stop him! I told him that i was grateful not to make me wait the full 40/42 weeks! And he said that the way I am going, if the baby was born today then he would have a 99% chance of survival. They also said that the reason Baron wasn't moving alot in Abilene is because i was in a "new" place and he was hearing voices he hasn't heard. It was a stressful time for me too and he just kept still until I was better.....
As soon as we got into the truck to come back home, Baron was kicking and moving all over the place!!! :) I said "you little stinker"! Needless to say, we are all back to normal and everything is going great!

New Old Stuff

I think Dee is going thru the "nesting stage"! He won't admit to it but he really did alot with the house! He put up our new closet system, hung the clothes, did laundry, dusted and swept the floor, fixed and aligned the washer and dryer, killed a huge spider with babies on her belly, put new sheets on our bed and washed the old ones, put up our other shower curtain.......the list can go on!
I made dinner and painted a set of stripes!! yay! Go me!
Tomorrow I have a doctor's appt. to check the cervix.....I really dislike that!
Yesterday, I had a couple of small contractions and my colostrum production is in full swing....I am coming to the end of this thing and it is starting to become a little more real! Just 9 weeks to go!

Tuesday

It's gettin' pretty late and Dee just left for the second time tonight....
He is on call today; already worked 7am-4pm and got called out right when we both set down for dinner. He came back home at 8:30pm to eat his dinner and we relaxed for a little bit. Then his phone rings......some man hit a cow....ugh! The man is fine, but i know that this kind of wreck takes 2 hours.....anyway, it has been eventful! The first wreck was a 3 car accident... People were driving like idiots in the 60mph wind; we had a thunderstorm.

Soooo...I'm here at home watching Baron make room in my belly and Sabrina already put herself to bed. Just 80 days left until his birth!! Ahh! It's getting close FAST! I guess i need to take pictures like once every week or two weeks. My belly button looks so weird!

Lip Service

I am beginning to learn that the Third Trimester has several interesting things that one can experience....
I started to notice that my lips are getting bigger...plumpier!! I don't even want to put lip gloss on b/c when I do, I look like a guppie......or Lisa Renna! Ok...so they are not THAT big, but they feel that big. So....sticking to chapstick until I can find a way to cope with my bubba lips.

28 week Update!

I just got back from the doctor today and he checked my cervix...manually this time and it was soooo uncomfortable!! I grabbed the sides of the table! I know I looked like a cat being put in a bathtub :) He said, "Yep, your closed"...and I said "NOT ANYMORE....DANG"!!
I also had a sonogram today to see where my placenta was and it's far away from the cervix which means I don't have to have a C-section! She said that since i was there she was gonna check on the baby too....so we got several pics and a couple of 3D shots and one 4D shot!!! Baron didn't want his winky to be photographed so he kept putting his little hand over it to hide it.
He weighs 2.7lbs! His head is already down towards the cervix and is still very active!
The doctor gave me a free coupon for a 30min massage at the new spa in the hospital since I have been having back pain everyday! Can't wait to do that!!
Sooo...on Monday, I have to go do my diabetes test and then I have another appt. on the 25th to check my cervix again....ugh.

Double-Digits!!

Oh my goodness!!

I just saw on my baby widget how much longer I have until Baron is born!
97 days! It's gettin' closer!

one other thing

I forgot to tell you that my next appointment is on May 7 for another sonogram (for placental location) and I do the diabetes test....not looking forward to that. Dr. Meeks wants to start checking me every two weeks now instead of every four......

While I have time....

I had my doctor's appt. today and the baby is fine! I didn't gain any more weight these last 4 weeks....I believe I lost one pound.
I can tell you that I am having mild contractions, but it's nothing to worry about at this time. The doctor says I have to start documenting when these occur and how long they last. So far, they last less than 10 seconds. If they last 30-45 seconds then I need to call the doctor. They will then give me a baby monitor to take home to check on me. The doctor says it is ok for me to travel for the baby shower, but if these contractions start happening more than twice a day then I might not go and I will go into preterm labor instead!! I don't feel that this would happen but you never know!
Baron kept me awake from 1am to 6am today....ugh...
You could see his little head or butt poking out above my belly. Nothing seemed to work to make him quit so I sang him some songs and he finally settled down.
I just got back from the bomb shelter at the courthouse cause we have tornados at the moment. I spent about an hour to two hours there. Now it's just raining and we just had quarter-sized hail.
I think it is going to last till midnight. I am staying up until Dee gets home cause he is chasing them right now and trying to help people take cover (in Kress). The t.v won't work...so I just have my computer and my phone.
Such a long and interesting day....I will keep you all updated on the contractions.
love yall

Plumpiness and Bad Dreams

Well, today i officially could not wear my wedding ring. It was really snug yesterday and the day before and today, I almost couldn't get it off!!! We have had some good rain which means there is some humidity in the air...maybe that is contributing, but still....I didn't think I would swell! I wore it on my pinkie today instead and felt awkward. Oh...and last night, i dreamed that I was getting another sonogram and the lady told me that the baby had Down Syndrome.... I woke up so sad because it felt so real and I just remember asking her "why"! I mean one day he is coordinated and healthy and the next...something is terribly wrong :( It was horrible.

Some cool news: Baron tends to gravitate to wherever my hand is resting. He responds when I "touch" him! But when Dee puts his hands on my belly, Baron becomes very still. Yup...he's a momma's boy! I think he's just a little shy. His sleeping habits are becoming more compatible with mine...which is great! I have also learned that he doesn't like TOMATOES!! I get horrible acid reflux with any tomato product! I had lemon water the other day and thought maybe it was all acidics... ate the lemon and no reflux. Just with tomatoes!! Darn...tomatoes are, like, my candy :(

Fun day!

Dee and I went to Amarillo to Cavenders to get sized for some Cowgirly boots!!! He ended up buying me some for my birthday!

And I just realized that I am 6 months and one week along! Yay! Just two more weeks and I will begin my third trimester.....getting closer!

IT'S A BOY!!

Everyone now knows that Dee and I are having a beautiful boy!!! I think we have both decided to name the baby: Charles Baron Hoover and "Bear" as his nickname! Baron is really growing and my belly sure shows it! I can't wait to go to my next appointment to see how much WE have grown! I posted a new pic to show how we are doing....
I was telling Andrea how excited I was about the upcoming shower !!! Can't wait!!
We also have just 11 days until we close on the house!

Sweets!

Ok...so everyone that really knows me knows that I really don't like alot of sweets. Well, I started craving oreos BIG TIME!!! I finally broke down and bought some and guess who put a big dent in the bag.....DEE!!! When I first bought them, I had like 4 with a glass of milk and that satisfied me for the time being. Then, my husband comes along and eats 2 rows!!!!!! I gave him such an evil look like "those are mine and how dare you"!! Then i thought, well i don't really keep any sweets in the house and I know he likes them. So, I kinda set back and apologized (using my inside voice). But geez, he was throwin' em back like it was the last package made! I think he is going thru some preggie sympathy stuff. He is starting to snack late at night and the other day he made a midnight run to Allsups for 2 burritos. Hahaha! Luckily, I have not hit that stage of needing to eat at 1:00am!
My other craving has been ice cream on those little cones!! YUM!!

Long Day...

I had my monthly doctor appt. today:
I weigh: 112lbs (so i have gained 7 lbs since my last appt. 4 weeks ago!!)
The baby is finding new positions and stretching out. I was concerned a little cause sometimes when I am sitting down or laying down, my upper abdominals "sink in" and my lower abdominals "raise up and out" and it feels like something is going to break thru my skin...like an alien or something. It doesn't hurt...just feels weird. I thought they were contractions; plus I have to wear nursing pads like everyday now....I'm a leaky faucet. So...no contractions.
Heart beat is still great! He wanted to do the BIG sonogram in 2 weeks, but I begged to have it done next week since we are leaving town. I also have to find a pediatrician since I will be on a waiting list...(Andrea, you might wanna look into this now).
Also, Dee and I met with our realtor today and looked at the one house out in the country. We walked the property and she wrote down what repairs we wanted done and what other questions we had about the property in general. We meet with her again tomorrow in Plainview to actually come up with a contract and make our first negotiation!! So....the "fun" begins!!! We took Sabrina with us to the property so that she could smell the yards and stuff and she was soo cute! She was running and peeing everywhere!!! She got to the front door and raised her little paws cause she wanted to go inside.......(we didn't let her). She waited out in the car...
So far, when we looked at the house the first time with the local realtors, they gave us false information or just didn't give us much info at all. So I am really glad we have our own realtor!
keep ya'll updated!

nik

5 months!!

Today marks me being 5 months along!! I feel huge already!

Dee and I went out on a date to eat some prime rib and celebrate at Roadhouse! Then, we came back and made some hot cocoa and watched the snow come down.....
It was a very nice day and felt really good to get outta the house!

Kicking and Screaming....

Nothing much going on here except for the baby really kicked me last night!! I even made a "ughh" sound!!
Also, today Dee and I paid off one of our school loans!!!!! YAY!!!! Feels so great to do that!!!
Just had to share cause we are so excited!

House

Hey all!


So, as some of you may know, Dee and I got pre-approved for the house that we were looking at!!!!!! yay!!!! We are both very excited! We also found a realtor that is willing to work with us. We gave some information over the phone and she is going to meet us in Tulia on Monday to go look at the house..
So far, everything is going well! The house still needs just a few things done to it....hopefully they have already been done or the seller is willing to pay for the updates.....keeping our fingers crossed!
Will let ya'll know anything that comes up!

Nichole

Forgot to say...

I gained 2 pounds!!! I also had to start doing the rubber-band thingy on my jeans! By the end of the month, I am going to get some preggie jeans!

Dr.'s Appt and House News

Dee got to go with me to the doctor and everything is still very good! He got to hear the heart beat and he cracked a little smile :) Dr. Meeks says that all the "new stuff" happening to me was normal and that the baby was healthy. He wants to see me back on March 19 for another check-up. The appt. after that will be the gender sonogram!!! This will probably take place in April! More waiting......
As far as the house; we had an appt. at the bank to see what we could qualify for. I don't think we really knew how extensive the questions were going to be, so needless to say we didn't go prepared. I thought they just needed a basic "budget" to go buy. Well, we had to guess on most of it, so as of now we don't qualify for the house (even using FHA). Next time, we will get all our ducks in a row. I was so upset because when it comes to tax time and stuff like that...I am SO organized that I can answer all the questions. Anyway, now that we know what questions are on there, we will be better prepared!
Keep ya'll posted!

Every Week Is Something New!

I haven't wrote in a while.....
Not much has changed except that at week 15, I started to get more mucousy and having to blow my nose alot. It is the "pregnancy cold"...yay!
On week 16, my body is now preparing for breastfeeding......
This usually doesn't happen until after you have given birth or during your 3rd Trimester. Us early birds just get to experience it much longer! While I was in Mexia, I was talking to Dee and noticed that I felt a little wet on my chest. I thought after washing my hands I had got some droplets on my shirt...so I just rubbed it off and went on about my day. Well, come bedtime, I noticed that my bra had 2 little spots in the cups!! What the heck is this??!!! I ran to Lauren and asked her. She said it is called Colostrum and it is normal. Colostrum actually has more nutrition in it than breast milk...
Interesting.
I go to the doctor tomorrow, so we will see what he says! The baby should be almost 5 inches long now!

Abilene

Dee and I are making our way to Abilene tomorrow. We are staying a day or two...not really sure how long and then we are heading up to Mexia to see Glen and Dixie!
I am trying to do some laundry and pack a little tonight that way I don't have to do everything tomorrow...
See yall soon!

House Hunting

As you may know, Dee and I are moving out of our current home in March and moving into a , hopefully better, new one! Today we went to look at one house that is right outside city limits on some land. It looks really nice from the outside and everything is brand new on the inside. We are meeting with the realtors tomorrow to walk around and ask some questions. We wouldn't be renting...we would be BUYING!! Will let you know how that goes....
Here is the link to the house: You can click on "All photos" in the middle of the page..whatcha think?
http://www.1stchoicerealtors.biz/listings/res/142375/index.html?sort=&group_id=28416

look at the baby!!

Our baby is sucking it's thumb.....looks a little scrawny too! Cool!

A Bump In The Road

Yeah, so my "bump" has gone down.....
I don't know what that means. I feel like I have lost a little more weight ( I know i can't afford it), but what can I do? My boobies are still growing!!!! And I still puke!!! So, I guess that's good....
My next appointment is Feb. 19.

Dee and I have noticed something new...
Sabrina's eyes are looking a little cloudy :( It makes me sad....
I don't know how much more sad news I can take! Everyone just needs to get better!

Week 14

For the past two days I have been feeling....not pregnant. Dee says that it is all in my mind. I just feel different. I went online to see if this was normal. I found that some women tend to feel this way around 10 -14 weeks....phew! This means my hormones are leveling out. And it says that back pain is VERY apparent.....no kidding! I think i have lost even more weight, but i will have to see until I go to the doctor. Jerri and Grams are talking about eating wings and pizza while watching the Superbowl.....not I am totally craving a slice of real pizza!!!
Dee comes home at 10pm so I am trying to stay up. I keep thinking of Grandma's surgery tomorrow! I hope everything goes well! I told her that she better be better than ever cause she has two more kiddos she has to meet!

What?!

Dee just informed me that he wants to be surprised on the baby's sex!!!! So, that is two people that do not want to know! Dad is the other.
I'm sorry but I have to know!! And Dee is going to (hopefully) go with me to my next sonogram to find out!!!

An Old Friend

It's been nice having Dee home! However, my dear old friend, Nausea, wanted to stop in for a visit...companied by Mr. Headache! Yay! Pregnancy ROCKS!
I didn't follow thru, but I have just been feeling horrible the past 2 days. I thought I was over this!!! So far, being pregnant hasn't been a pleasurable experience. I wish I could be some of those women you hear about that say they LOVE being pregnant. That's not me. I know it will be well worth it when the baby arrives and I would do it again.

I was cuddling on the couch with Dee, laying down, and Sabrina decided she wanted to sleep behind me....fine, whatever. Well, she kept moving around trying to get comfortable. I told her to settle down and she started kicking me in the head with her little toothpick legs!! The Lord is testing my patience......

Good News!

I had my first appointment with Dr. Meeks today and he said that my bloodwork came out wonderful and he gave me the option of have a blood screening done to test for Down Syndrome, spina bifida and various other things. He said that because of my age and health, I have a 98-99% chance of not having anything. I told him that I didn't want the test anyway and that I would love the baby no matter what happens. He checked the heartbeat again today and my dad was able to hear it! I think he was a little teary...:) Dr. Meeks said the baby sounded very strong and healthy. Then, I had to have my pap smear....ugh. Ever since my surgery, paps are uncomfortable. Anyway, he also checked my cervix and said that I DID NOT have to get a cerclage (stitch)!!!!!!!!!!!! I was soooo happy! I get to have a somewhat normal pregnancy! I still have to be monitored often, but other than that....everything is gravy!! He also gave the "go ahead" for me to have relations with Dee! I wanted to cry! Even if i had to have the stitch, which would help hold the baby full term, it would limit me to so many things and I just thanked GOD that I was still able to have intimacy, travel, go on the bike....just be normal....it was a blessing! Sooo, i have another appt. in 4 weeks to do the same thing.
By this point i was hungry....I started to get a little pale and jittery. None of us know our way around Amarillo. Dad and Grams kept asking me what I wanted and I just closed my eyes and kept saying "WHATEVER...JUST GET ME THERE"! After driving around and getting lost, Dad and I saw a billboard for Cracker Barrel. He said, "I hear they have great mashed potatoes". I yelled, "GREAT!!!!! MASHED POTATOES!!! GOOOO!!!!!" I think i scared him a little bit and he sped over. He told me i was cranky..... (wrong thing to say).... I told him that if I don't eat soon, I'm going to throw up everywhere...
He said "ok...honey...stand in line and I will park the car"
As soon as we got our food, I tried to control myself. I never asked Dad or Grams if I ate like a pig. Guess I didn't really care. I had grilled trout, mashed potatoes, okra, and corn. YUMMMMM...
It was so satisfying i wanted to take a nap right there. After I ate, I was normal and nice to be around again.
I can honestly say that I don't like the "Hungry Nichole".....it's not pretty.

"Joe The Plumber"

Bear with me.......

Today was interesting...that is quite an understatment. As I write this, I am really trying to smile and remain calm and collected.
It all started when I was taking a shower. I have OLD...CRUSTY knobs to turn on the water, ok? You have to turn the hot water knob all the way on and turn the cold water knob just a little bit to get the right temprature. Well.....the cold water knob came off! I picked it up off the shower floor and observed it. The back of the knob was covered in glue... I thought to myself, 'this isn't the first time that this has happened...who the *heck* would do something like this'? Then my eyes began to roll...why am I even asking....Of course i know who did this.....JOE CHITTY (the person my husband and I are renting from).
You kinda would have to know why I was rolling my eyes at this man and it started from day 1 when we moved into this house. The renters are not smart people. They literally have no common sense.
Anyway, I had to turn off the water because now i couldn't have any cold water and the water was now scalding. I go into the second bathroom and bathe myself "the old fashioned" way in a tub...ugh. When I was decent, I called the Chitty's about the dilemma. His wife called me back and told me Joe would be their shortly. He came and went straight into our bathroom to see what was the problem. He said, "I think I can fix this"! I thought, 'Sure you do. Just slap some glue on there"!! He asked if I had a flat head screwdriver. At this time, I was on the phone with Dee asking him where his tools were, the dog is going ballistic looking for blood, and I am in the garage going thru Dee crud. He had heavy objects on top of his toolbox, which I needed help moving and nobody would help. I was yelling from the garage at Sabrina to quit barking and Dee is talking in my ear to walk me thru the "Where's Waldo screwdriver scavenger hunt"!!! By this point I am getting pretty irritated. I walked down the hall and gave JOE the screwdriver, yanked Sabrina out of the taxi and put her outside.....
Dee asks if I'm ok. Joe comes out and says he is going to soak the knob in CLR (actually he said CRL) and that he would be back later. He came back less than 5 minutes later with some tools and got back to work. He said he couldn't fix it (shock, shock) and that he would get a plumber. He left the house and I thought, 'yay! A professional'. Seconds after his departure, Grandma and I smelled something. It smelled like gasoline and the fumes got stronger towards my room! Grandma said he sprayed something. "He sprayed something and didn't tell us about it"! Dee called back and I told him that we were smelling fumes. He was upset and said he was calling JOE. He told him that I was pregnant and wanted to know if he sprayed anything. He also told him that if he ever sprayed he needed to tell us whether we were pregnant or not. Joe said the cleaning solution was not toxic and we needed to open a window.
Dee called Gabe, our friend and fellow Trooper, to come and open the window in the bathroom and get a fan to blow out the fumes.
Everything always happens when Dee is gone! I was livid. I just can't believe, pregnant or not, he didn't say, "hey, I sprayed some solution....you might wanna open a window". OMG.....
Sorry this rant was so long....it feels cathardic right now to me. I can't wait to move in March.

Small Town Gossip

My other "grandma" down the street, Mrs. Harris, came to visit me a couple of days ago and wanted to know if I was still alive. I told her that I hadn't been out much because I was very sick due to pregnancy. She was so shocked and happy! She had noticed that Dee's Trooper car had been gone and thought that something was wrong. I told her that I was finally getting on my feet again. Well, today another neighbor came by and asked if i was ok.... I told her I was doing great! She said she heard that I was pregnant and she knew my due date and how far along I was!!! She did all the talking for me, basically!! Anyway, it was just funny that she already knew all the stats.
Some other news.....
One of Dee's fellow Trooper friends in Dalhart, TX got shot today during a car stop. He is fine, but the driver didn't make it. I shouldn't have watched that.....I knew Dee would find out way before I would tell him. Please pray that my husband will always be safe. I can't fathom the thought of becoming a single parent.

Pink and Green

Just like to say that I am really diggin' this layout with the greens and pinks....if we have a girl, i want these combo colors...

what do you all think?

Making Room

Today, I was really wanting to take Sabrina for a walk and clean up my media/scrapbook room, but OMG the baby was "making room" in my tummy and it hurt! I felt the stretching from my lower abdomen all the way around to my lower back. I did a few stretches and it helped some. The nurse said that it was ok for me to take Extra Strength Tylenol, but I want to omit any drugs as much as I can. Well, I am about to make a late snack...yum, yum.....and try and tackle that room for just 15 minutes. Grandma has claimed the T.V. for the rest of the evening; watching NFL...boring! Sorry, I just can't get in to it. I try to every year and just can't do it.