59 more days....

It has been a while since I have posted so here are the newest updates. Let me start off with saying we had a wonderful Christmas. Max was here with us, so it was definitely more exciting this year. LOL!
I failed my second glucose test, slightly so I had to have a third test. I PASSED! Thank the Lord! At that appointment, my doctor went ahead and checked my cervix since AJ is sooooo low and everything was still closed up tight. I go every two weeks to the doctor now, so my next appointment is Monday.
Now for the complaining. I know that it could definitely be a lot worse, but OMG!!! I am in sooo much pain. My groin, hips, back, and legs are killing me and I am so very swollen that I think I may just POP. I don't see how in the world I will make it to Februray. All I want to do is lay in the bed and sleep. AJ seems to have stopped the kicking and now is just squirming and poking me with what I can only assume is an elbow or knee. Something kind of pointy feeling in my side. There is no getting comfortable in any position. Sitting, standing, laying down.... NOTHING. I am so ready to have this baby here... Healthy of course and not too early, but geez... this is the toughest thing that I have ever done up to this point, I think. I know that all the mommies are thinking.. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING... and I realize that, but I just want him to be here and for my body to go back to normal. Next time you see a cabbage patch, look at it's feet. That is what mine look like and walking on them is pure agony. I also have a sinus infection or something at the moment which makes it even harder than normal to breathe. Everyone keeps telling me that I will forget all this pain once AJ is here and I won't be able to wait to have another one.... I really think there is absolutely no way I could ever forget this. I can't even hardly walk!!!! Well, I guess thats enough complaints for now. This blog was not intended for a venting place, but may have turned in to it now. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

Test Day...

So, I had my glucose test last week to test for gestational diabetes. I apparently failed miserably. So today I had to have a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. For those who have been through this before, it is one more thing to add to the list for the new found respect I have for pregnant women. For those of you who haven't, let me tell you what I had to go through today. First, for the last 3 days I have been on a high protein, low sugar diet. I tried to follow it, but mostly just cut out the snickers and ice cream and brownies and cookies and the rest of the high sugar items I normally consume. I had to fast after midnight and be at the doctor at 8:15. Well at 8:45 I pee in a cup and have my blood drawn.. 2 tubes of blood. Then i had to drink a bottle of the sunkist flavored stuff with 100 grams of sugar in it, which taste like a 5 lbs bag of sugar diluted into a Sunkist. It doesn't really taste bad, just SUPER SWEET. OK, so then at 9:45 I have to pee in a cup and have 2 more tubes drawn. The same at 10:45 and then the same again at 11:45. Let me remind you I had not eaten since the night before, have just ingested 100 grams of sugar on an empty stomach and had 8 tubes of blood drawn. I was getting very woozy. The first 2 tubes tested were my fasting glucose levels which were normal. YAY. The second was high.. not yay. The third was normal and so it all came down to test number 4. AND they told me I would have to wait. The lab should call tomorrow to let me know if it was normal or high. If it's normal, I am just borderline diabetic and will need to be more careful about the sugar I eat. If it is high, then I will have to go see a nutritionist and be put on a strict diet until AJ gets here.

After we got done with the testing, Tony and I went down 3 floors to the birthing suits to see a friends new baby. Leigh Ledbetter Edwards had her second baby this morning. Anna Leigh Edwards was 7 lbs 10 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long and cute as a bug. Leigh had a C-section so she was pretty tired but looked great and was a real trooper. It made me want AJ here that much more. Anna and AJ will probably be boyfriend and girlfriend.. lol! The important thing is mommy and baby are both healthy and doing great.

When we left the hospital, the first thing was to get something to eat as quickly as possible. I thought I was in the process of starving to death. I was getting very nauseated feeling and then a headache kicked in and then I started sweating. I felt horrible. I'm sure it was a combination of the days events, but I was absolutely miserable. After eating I thought this would all pass. NOPE. I ended up having to take the rest of the day off of work, which seemed to have aggravated my boss, but OH WELL, and came home and took a well deserved 2 hour nap. Then I was much better. Still kind of yucky feeling, but MUCH better.

As for any other news on the pregnancy, not much really is going on. Since the start of the third trimester I have been so tired I can't keep my eyes open, but find it so hard to sleep. Poor Tony is having to deal with me snoring like "a water buffalo" (his words, not mine). I figure its only fair, since I will do this temporarily and I will have to deal with his snoring from now on. I still feel as though I was not prepared at all for the pains of pregnancy and I am completely over being pregnant and would be happy to hire one of those ladies who just absolutely LOVES being pregnant as a surrogate for the next one. Not much longer though. Only about 10 more weeks!!!

As for the previously mentioned career news. I am now an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. Please feel free to let me know of any skin care or cosmetic needs you have. Please support my effort at one day being a stay at home mommy!!

How much is too much??

I had my routine appointment with my OB/GYN on Monday. Everything was fine. AJ's heart was beating at a steady 160... about where it has been since day 1. She said everything seemed good, except..... that I needed to watch my weight gain. OUCH!!! With all the back and hip problems she said that of course the more weight I gain the worse it will be. My thoughts on this are, I can't do anything fun, I have pains where I never knew pains existed, I'm being told I am huge on a daily basis, my job is completely stressing me out, I have heartburn, indigestion, constipation and diarrhea usually somehow all at the same time or very close intervals and I am starving all the time.... If I want to eat that pan of brownies, well then, I am going to eat that pan of brownies.. YES, the entire pan if I feel like it!! Isn't this the only time in a woman's life where she doesn't have to worry about her weight?? I'm sure I will be so busy once AJ gets here, I won't have time to eat as much. I know it's going to be hard to get it all off, but right now, if it sounds good.. then I'll eat it. HAHA. But, I go back in two weeks for my glucose test. I can't wait for that. (YEAH RIGHT). Other than that, my blood pressure was good, I am still measuring a week ahead of my original due date of Feb 23, so maybe I don't have as long as I think. If I am, that's only 14 weeks 4 days left or 103 days..... After the glucose appointment, I believe I start going every two weeks since I will be 27 weeks along...YAY, third trimester! It seems to be flying by in a way and creeping along at the same time. I am sure that the holidays will make it fly by. I am so ready to hold little baby AJ!!! I can't wait to see what he will look like, and act like. Will he have my features or Tony's?? Tony was an unbelievably cute kid, so either way he will be adorable. LOL! I am done rambling. It is time for bed... Stay tuned for some career news coming soon......

Update: 24 weeks + 5 days.... and counting

It has been way too long since I have posted, so I need to update everything. First... It's a BOY!! We are so excited. His name is Alex James. My dad was Al and Tony's dad and my paw paw are James. We are going to call him AJ. He is going to be a big boy. He was almost a pound at my 20 weeks scan. Tony and were both big babies, so I can only imagine. He is very active and moving around like crazy. I love it when he makes big moves. I have felt his hiccups once and it made me laugh. I am getting ready to start on the nursery and it is so exciting. We got the crib last weekend, but that's it so far. We are going to do it in a sports theme.

As far as I go, I don't think pregnancy is my favorite thing. I am now in physical therapy twice a week for my back pain. It's nice to get in the warm pool, but I don't think it is really helping. I still have pain most every day. My feet are so swollen, I can't hardly put shoes on and they hurt so bad I have to stand on a towel to even dry my hair. Also, I have today found out that I have pregnancy gingivitis, which was no fun at the dentist when they had to do a deep cleaning. OUCH! I would seriously rather lose a pinky toe than to have to go to the dentist. HOWEVER, with all that being said, it's supposed to be worth every minute of it, right? I have gained tons of weight so far. I don't really have specific cravings, I just want to eat all the time.

An update on nana: She is doing very well. Completely cancer free and is doing great. Still sore, but much better. She is getting around better now than she was prior to the surgery it seems like. I've gone to see her twice this week and she looks great! She is such a strong woman. She said she has to make sure she's here to help with this great grand baby.

18 week update....

I am 18 weeks and 2 days and wonder how i'm going to be able to do this for 4 1/2 more months. I know it is all completely worth it, but the back, leg and hip pain is out of control. I have also started having stretching pains ( I guess that is what it is) pretty regularly. That doesnt feel good either. BUT, I have started feeling a little bit of movement so it makes it so worth it to feel it. It is the coolest thing.

We find out in 12 days if we are having a baby Kamdyn or baby Alex!! It seems like it is never going to get here..

We are leaving for Wisconsin that Wednesday with Max to see Tony's family. I am really excited about it. We havent seen them since the wedding and I am really looking foward to seeing them all. We will know if it's a boy or girl by then and have the DVD and pictures from the sonogram to show them when we get there.

Nana is doing pretty good. They did the masectomy and got all of the cancer! Thank God! They do not think she will need any radiation or chemo, but goes to see an oncologist this week. She also still has to have the staples removed and the drainage tube removed which is going to be extremely painful. She is terribly weak still and doesnt really want to eat much, but I think that is from all the medication she is on. Keep praying for a speedy recovery.

Your prayers please....

We found out today that my nana has cancer. This is my mom's mom and we have always been so close. Nana found a lump about a month ago. She had a mammogram, sonogram and then they removed the entire lump and tested it. So, today the results came back and it is cancer. The doctor said it isnt the type of cancer that is normally found in the breast so I could have possibly come from somewhere else. They think maybe the colon. Monday she has a PET Scan, Tuesday some bloodwork and if it is only in the breast, they will do the masectomy on Wednesday. Cancer is so scary and its so hard to go through it with someone you love. Please keep my family in your prayers.

15 weeks and counting.....

Well, as of yesterday I am 15 weeks. Only 25 more to go. I havent posted a blog in a while so here are the updates. About two weeks ago I got really sick and started throwing up really bad. It kind of worried me since I hadnt had the slightest bit of morning sickness until that week. Which by the way was week 13. The doctor didnt seem overly concerned, but scheduled me for an ultrasound and some blood work for my gall bladder. Good news was everything is OK! I also got to see little baby Mowery during that ultrasound. No more peanut. She/He actually looks like a little baby. She was moving around and rubbing her face with her little hand. There were all 5 fingers!!!! At least on one hand. I have gained a total of 6 pounds but feel like its been 60!! I have had some horrible migraines which the doctor prescribed me something for about 2 weeks ago. They are less frequent but when they come, it is like I can't think or focus. I just want to sleep. I have also had some pretty intense back pain which the doctor said is sciatic nerve pain and will only get worse. GREAT!!
My next appointment is on Monday, Sept 8 and don't really know what to expect at this appointment. I am going to see if we can do a 18 week ultrasound or if we are going to have to wait until 20 weeks. I am so excited to find out the sex of the baby. We have finalized the girls name as Kamdyn Alysse, but are still undecided on boy names. It will be something with Alexander in it. Tony is supposed to be coming up with this name. I have total VETO power though. HAHA.
We have also been spending time trying to name grandma. I think that baby will call her whatever he/she wants. I don't think mom is going to care regardless. I think we will call my nana, GG, for great grandmother. Again, I'm sure whatever baby says will stick.
This weekend I thought I started to feel the baby move. It was only slightly and just a couple of times. Who knows, it could have been gas bubbles, but I think it was baby. Everything I read says I should start feeling it probably around next week. I am really looking foward to it since I don't really feel pregnant right now. I mean, i just look fat, not really pregnant and don't really feel any different except for the frequent bathroom visits and the moodiness. Oh well... it will come in time.
I guess that is pretty much it for now. I will try to update more frequently.

11 weeks today!!

I am 11 weeks pregnant today and still feeling pretty good. Last week I was kind of nauseated, but that seems to have subsided. I still really don't want to eat much, but I guess that's good in a way. I feel like I am looking a little more pregnant, but I am definitely ready to stop looking like I am just gaining weight and actually look preggers. I am so excited to find out the baby's gender. We have definitely decided on Kamdyn Alysse Mowery if it is a girl and still undecided on boy names. Feel free to put up your opinions on names. I go for my next doctors appointment a week from today and I am a little unsure about what this one will be like. What do they do?? I guess I'll know soon enough. The weeks have been flying by!!! I hope the rest of it goes that way because I am sooo ready to meet this baby.

The Ultrasound

We had the ultrasound today and it was sooo exciting. The baby's heartbeat was 162. The doctor said that was great. It sounded so fast. Everything seems fine so far. My BP was great, my HcG levels were great, and the baby was itty bitty. It is absolutely amazing to see that in your belly. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as possible, because I though I was seriously going to pee on myself. They told me to come with a full bladder, and then Tony and I got lost, so we were 20 minutes late, and then we had to wait, so of course by the time it was my turn, I was about to POP! Luckily, I didn't.
So, take a look at the picture and inside the dotted lines is our little baby!! AWWWWW! :-)

Exciting Saturday

Today mom bought the first item for the baby. It was just 3 onsies, but they are super cute and nuetral so we can use them for a girl or boy. I had to buy some bigger pants today too. UGH! As far as how I feel, mom and I shopped pretty much all day for everything from furniture and bedding to high chairs, strollers and baby tubs so I am pretty exhausted. I had no idea how much stuff is out there for babies. I can't wait to find out if it is a boy or girl. Baby clothes are soooo cute. If I saw one more "daddy's little girl" bib or shirt I probably would have bought it just in case. They were adorable. My moms church put a congratulations to her in the bulletin, she was so proud! I guess that's all for today.

So tired....

I am so sleepy every day. I guess I should just try to get used to it. I was so exhausted last night, but couldnt go to sleep until after 10. That is late for me.

I also have started gagging everytime I brush my teeth... any ideas? It's horrible. It takes me forever to brush, b/c I have to stop and catch my breath after everytime that I gag.

I am so anxious about the doctors appointment on Monday. I can't wait to hear the heart beat. It's only been about 2 1/2 weeks since we found out, but I feel like I have changed so much emotionally. Not, like the crying over everything emotional stuff, but just the maternal-ness that I already feel. I can't wait to meet our baby. I wonder everyday what he/she will look like. I have a long road ahead of me wondering and waiting, but this is honestly one of the most fun times I have ever had. It's something new and even though Tony and I were not "trying" to get pregnant, I am so happy that we did.
We are currently taking suggestions on names for both girls and boys. We really like Alyssa for a girl and possibly Alex for a guy. (After my dad, AL) Any suggestions will be welcomed.

First Blog Entry.....hmmm??

I have my first ultra sound 1 week from today. I am a little nervous, but excited and can't wait to see the outcome..or hear it. :-) I just want to know that its little heart is beating and everything is ok. I am very excited about the upcoming week because all the books I have read say that the baby goes through a crazy growth spurt this week. I am still feeling good, just tired.
Max was here all weekend and we all had a good time. The long weekend was just way too short. Well, back to work...hehe!