Thursday, May 28, 2009

99 Days!

So today I am 26 weeks. 6 Days away from being in my third trimester, and 99 days away from Mason's arrival. That's a big milestone! We're down in the double digits! Hoorah!
In pregnancy news, Mason's kicks and rolls are becoming more and more frequent, and definitely easier to feel. A lot of them are actually painful too, especially the ones right around my rib cage.
I won't even post what size and weight he should be, considering he's measuring ahead. So we'll say he's probably already 7 pounds and a foot and a half long.
Mr. H and I have decided to have a yard sale in a few weekends, so we're preparing for that. Any proceeds go to baby's nursery. Donations accepted. I kid. Maybe not.
My Mom and the Australian Man are having a Luau Party next weekend which will be a lot of fun. And the baby shower is set for June 20th!
Lots of things going on in the month of June. Father's Day is June 21st, so I'll have to surprise Mr. H with something. We'll see.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Reasons Why Mommy Loves You Already

1). Your rolling, kicking, and jabbing might be annoying at times, but overall is cute.
2). Just when I think "Mason, why haven't you been moving around a lot today?", you give me a nice huge kick in the ribs just to let Mommy know you are okay.
3). You're going to be half me and half Mr. H, which makes me think you might just be one amazing person.
4). You are growing nice and strong (obviously) and that makes me happy.
5). You are being patient and taking each week like a trooper.
6). You already know how to make me laugh - kicking me whenever I prop a book up on my tummy, or my hands, or have a seatbelt on too tight.
7). You are dealing so well with people's hands being all over Mommy's tummy and poking around to find you.
8.) You've put my life in perspective, and it makes me happy to know that you'll be in it so soon.
9). You've brought back memories of my childhood, how wonderful it was, and how it will play some part into raising you.
10). You have brought Mommy and Daddy a lot closer over the past 6+ months with the news that you were going to arrive, and we appreciate that.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Time To Dye

I'm going to dye my hair today, finally. I'm counting more and more grey hairs by the day. All thanks to my wonderful mother. Apparently she started getting grey hairs around 22 years old, so there is another way that I am taking after her.
Wonderful. Thanks a lot Mom.
Other than that, it's been a relatively quiet weekend. Which I have enjoyed. We watched the movie Taken, and I definitely recommend it. There is no other way to put it, Liam Neeson is just a bad-ass in the film. Want some action, you should watch it.
I'd love to go see Angels and Demons soon. I loved the book and Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors.
On another note, Mom and Steph are planning a baby shower for me in June. I am really excited about that. I love planning parties or at least helping in the planning process. It's fun to play hostess.
Hopefully the weather will continue to do us well and stay dry for the remainder of the holiday weekend. That would be nice!

Friday, May 22, 2009

You Got A Purdy Face

July 12th, 2009. Noon. We get to drive to Alpharetta and have a 3D/4D ultrasound to see the little man! How exciting!
We get a 30 minute ultrasound, with 18 pictures, DVD, and all kinds of goodies. I think it will be neat to see him before he actually gets to make his debut. I'm curious to see who he is favoring in there. I still can't picture him looking like me. I just can't, and I don't know why. When I picture what he's going to look like, I still think of a mini Mr. H. I just don't know what he would look like if he favored me. Weird.
I hope everyone is getting a good, long, Memorial Day weekend as well. We've got no plans so far, but hopefully we will at least get a nice relaxing weekend of out it.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The Path

Now that I am an unemployed person, I have done a lot of thinking about what I actually want to do for a career. Since my schooling is temporarily on hiatus due to Mason's arrival, it's given me a lot of time to consider new options for myself.
Sometimes I can be very critical of myself, as most people can be, but there are times that I do search for the good things to remind myself that I am a not as bad as I let myself think.
I've got a few talents, that I could potentially turn into careers. My college education was focused on Psychology, because it is something that interests me. I picked a major based solely on the fact that I took an intro to Psych class and loved it. It was easy, it was interesting, and I was good at it. It crossed my mind a few times that I would love to pursue a career within that field, and was really interested in Forensic Psychology for awhile.
Ever since I was young - I know the older (and by older I mean wiser) crowd is laughing at that statement - I was interested in a multitude of things. I wanted to be a pediatrician, I wanted to be a nurse, a dentist, a cosmetologist, a marine biologist. You name it, I wanted to be it. Of course this is the case for most adolescents, but I really considered each one of these with great thought. And now these thoughts are coming back to me.
I've considered getting my cosmetology liscensing to become a hair stylist/makeup artist. It's a far stretch from pediatrician, I know, but it's something that I love doing and I am good at it.
I've considered pursuing photography as more than just a hobby. I love to take pictures, capture moments that will last forever, and seeing people smile. I love meeting new people.
And overall, I've always wanted my own business. My own photography studio, my own hair salon/spa, and I've even thought about how fun it would be just to have my own shop of some sort.
I'm pretty confused, considering any of the paths I have been considering all sound good to me. I know that I will finish my bachelor's degree in Psychology, but I doubt I'll use it. I want to test the waters in something I know I will love doing. I want a career that I can wake up every day and look forward to my work, and go to bed loving what I've done. Of course supporting my family is my first concern, but second to that is making sure I am happy.

25 Weeks

So the baby is about 13 inches long this week and getting closer to 2 pounds.
Well...that is normal babies. With my child, apparently he'll be coming out the size of a toddler.
Here is another one of those quick survey's just to update everyone without me having to type a novel.
How far along?: 25 weeks
How big is baby?: Around 1.5-2 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Yep.
Stretch marks?: None! Keeping my fingers crossed.
Sleep?: Between the thermostate being set at 60 degrees and having a few pillows, it's been pretty darn good.
Best moment this week?: Finding out my baby is healthy, everything is normal, with the exception that he could potentially be a collosal child.
Movement?: Lots and lots of movement. He doesn't like it if I prop a book on my belly (he'll start kicking it), or if I'm sitting in a certain position. I've also been feeling hiccups, rolls, and jabs very regularly.
Food cravings?: Cereal.
Labor signs?: Well, I did have that glorious round of Braxton Hicks contractions, but not really a true "labor sign"
Belly button in or out?: It's getting flatter and flatter.
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, having a nice cold beer, not needing assistance to get out of a low-lying chair, having normal sized feet.
What I'm looking forward to: My next appointment, to see how big Mason really is!
Milestone: Taking my belly button ring out for the first time since I was 15. Yeah I know, sounds cheesy. It was one of those things that I forgot was there, until I was forced to take it out. I guess it was time to retire it!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I'm Sorry, What Did You Say?

"I'm getting a measurement of 28 weeks" is what my doctor told me after measuring my fundal height. Fundal height is the distance between the pubic bone and the top of the uterus. It's a good measurement of the baby without having to get a detailed ultrasound done.
Obviously this means that Mason is measuring a month ahead of schedule. My OB said that at my next appointment (which will be my 28 week appointment) we will do another fundal height measurement, and if he is still measuring large, she will go ahead and do an ultrasound to get a better estimation of how big he really is. She informed me that they will do everything they can to prevent me from having an 11 pound baby. Thanks Doc. Sure do appreciate that!
My blood pressure is great, Mason's heartbeat is normal, and everything looked good. At my next appointment I get to experience the wonderful blood glucose testing. So that will definitely be something I'll be ready to have over with.
It's always a relief to know that everything went well. I think it's pretty funny that Mason is measuring so big, considering I've said throughout this whole pregnancy that I think he's going to be a big baby. We shall see!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Toni Braxton

Braxton Hicks contractions are not fun.
I had my first experience with these last night while I was fishing with the boys. From what I have heard, they can either A) Be painful, like cramps or B) Not be painful at all and just a tightening feeling in your stomach.
Well, I got the painful ones. On a scale of 1-10, I would probably rate them around a 3. Nothing to major. Just unpleasant, uncomfortable, and pointless. After about fifteen minutes they were gone, but I could sum them up as overall-annoying.
Mason has also had the hiccups constantly for about a week and a half now. I've woken up the past two mornings to him hiccupping like a fool. I know it's a good sign. Means baby is learning to swallow and inhale. Great. But also, just as annoying.
So we're down to 107 days before his scheduled arrival. Although, I wouldn't mind it being a few less. No more.
That's it for today.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Belly Pic Time

For those of you who want to see how enormously large I have gotten since I've posted the last pic, here it is in all it's glory. The Mason Jack belly.

Sunshine

I woke up this morning to a beautiful day in Rome. Who would have thought? After a week of 80-90 degree weather and non-stop sunshine at the beach, we came home to rain and cold. But today it's actually sunny!
I also woke up this morning to Mason hiccuping. Very cute indeed, but what an annoyance.
Nothing beats waking up to the sound of the ocean, the warm sand, and the sunrise on the beach. Nada.
I dreaded coming home, since I have no job to return to. Sounds crazy right? Well, the one thing I was looking forward to about our vacation was a week of spending time with my friends, family, and husband, and not being bored out of my mind. Now I go back to sheer boredom. I've got to pick up a hobby. I think I may actually have some of our vacation pictures printed out, as well as some of our wedding pictures, so that I can scrapbook.
I'm a scrapbooking fanatic. I've always loved to do it, but with work/school/life in the past, I just haven't had the time to do it. So maybe today I'll pick that up again. I know for a fact that if I don't scrapbook the wedding at least before Mason arrives, I may be doing it for our 10 year anniversary.
And for all of those negative Nelly's who say that being pregnant is a horrific experience during the summer months, I say "Hardy har har". It's not. Summer in Rome is generaly a miserable experience once we get into the harsh and extremely hot months, like August. But isn't it for everyone? Yep. And it normally is for me, because I am a hot natured person.
So, just for those people's sake, I would like to inform you that 1). I am not miserable. 2). Yes, my feet are swollen up like two baby pigs, but I deal. And this would happen regardless of me being pregnant in the summer or winter. 3). I love summer time. It's my favorite time of year. I love being outdoors, and I hope Mason does too. His mommy and daddy are outdoor people. So he's going to have to get used to the heat along with everyone else. Pregnancy won't get in the way of me enjoying my favorite time of year. Barbeques, sunshine, pools, fishing, laying out in the sun, and all. Sorry to disappoint all you parents or nonparents who think it's going to be a miserable journey for me.
Pregnancy is wonderful. The sunshine will make it even better.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

My Photography Skills


Home Again

Just thought I'd post and let everyone know we are back from our wonderful beach vacation!
We had a blast, it was very relaxing, and I already miss the sand between my toes. Mason enjoyed himself...kicked around quite a lot when we were laying out, enough for everyone to have their round of feeling-the-baby-kick time. I'll update more later with pictures once I have my morning cup of joe.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Fun in the Sun

Last night the whole crew went out to the Hangout for some grub. It was pretty delicious and neat atmosphere.
The weather down here is gorgeous, but of course a red flag today. The boys are taking us to Fort Morgan to go fishing and check it out, so that should be fun. We're in the process of getting ready to do that, and I think we are going to eat at Lambert's this evening.
Other than that...heartburn is a pain. I've got my daily meds that I can take, and I take them like clockwork. If I didn't, I'd get heartburn from anything. That's my latest and greatest pregnancy symptom. My feet have been swollen like crazy this week. I'm sure it has something to do with the humidity and heat as well.
My next Dr's appointment is next Wednesday and I am looking forward to it! This pregnancy is definitely flying by faster than I expected, but I love it! I can't wait to meet little Mason Jack.
We head back on Saturday, so we're only halfway through our wonderful vacation. And tomorrow I will be 24 weeks! Viability day!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Beach Baby!

Phil brought his laptop and set up the wireless, so I thought I'd post a quick post so everyone could be jealous of the fact that I am 50 feet from the ocean! :)
We've been having a wonderful time relaxing on the beach, by the pool, and being with one another. Mr. H caught a hammerhead shark last night, about 3 feet long. It was pretty cool. Steph and I have been fishing with the boys as well, and caught a few sail cats as well. Mr. H caught a flounder this morning! Pretty cool. The guys have a daily bet on first catch, most catches, and biggest catch. So far I think he's in the lead. We'll see how long that lasts.
I took a nice nap this afternoon. I love naps. Wonderful.
Also, I got my first stranger comment! We went to Doc's Seafood Shack last night for dinner, and the waitress said "So, when are you due?". It took me completely by surprise. But at least now I know that I officially look pregnant! :)
And the little guy seems to love the cool ocean and warm sunshine. He's been kicking me like CRAZY!
Oh, and this is for my bud Ally (if she'll read it. I know she may not be expecting an update). I know you've called, but we have absolutely NO cell phone service in the condo. So maybe tomorrow if we get out for dinner or something I'll give you a quick call! Miss everyone!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

23 Weeks

Apparently nothing extremely exciting happens at 23 weeks, at least not enough for me to do an entire copy and paste here. So I'm putting it into my own words of what is going on, and how I am feeling. Finally right?

Baby is a little over a pound this week and measuring somewhere around 11 inches. He can hear sounds from the outside world a lot more clearly now, so the sound of a dog barking, car horn, or telephone ringing could prompt the little guy to go into a somersault kicking frenzy. If Aunt Crazy decides to start yelling at your stomach this week, either 1). Politely tell her that your child would like to come out with some form of hearing or 2). Punch her in the face. Let your pregnancy hormones decide.

This is the week that you will start getting comments on your growing size. I've noticed this, but haven't really experienced the second half of it. In response to the "When are you due?" question, you could receive an array of responses ranging from "Oh wow! Are you carrying twins in there?", to "I can't imagine how huge you are going to be when you are already gigantic now!", to "23 weeks? Seriously? I don't see anything. Are you sure you're pregnant?". If any of these responses are those that you receive, just go ahead and punch the person straight in the throat/face/stomach/arm/chest. You choose. If you don't want to resort to this form of physical violence, take whatever drink you are sipping on and give it a good toss right in their eyeballs. It's a sure fire way to make them shut it.

Sleep. Sleep is something I discuss a lot, considering the type of sleep changes on a nightly basis. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. But a warning to those around the pregnant lady. If the hormones start to flare up around the 23 week mark, it's mostly due to lack of sleep. Imagine if you will, man or woman, a belly that grows in gargantuan size in a course of months. Now of course this would cause back pain, rib pain, side pains, and last but not least, belly pain. But to add to that discomfort you have a crazy racing mind that won't allow you to sleep, leg pains, heartburn, acid reflux, anxiety, itching belly syndrome, and I am sure you get my point. Anyone who experiences one night of this madness would wake up in a cranky mood. So relate people. Get the pregnant lady her allotted cup of joe in morning, or a freaking antacid tablet for God's sake.

So there you have it. My take on pregnancy at 23 weeks.

Oh, and I got a kick out of this cartoon and thought it was appropriate after my last post of talking about how much I'm looking forward to tomorrow's shopping spree.

The Excitement Mounts

First off all, let me just say that I just crept out of bed a few minutes ago. And by crept, I do mean literally. Imagine Frankenstein in the first few momemnts of his creation. That is me. Every morning it's a little more of a struggle to roll my pregnant ass out of the bed. My night was filled with vivid, crazy, weird dreams. At one point I was at a high school wearing a vintage cheerleading uniform. Hmmm. Nothing substantial happened in the dream. That's really all there was to it.
Weird.

So day after tomorrow we head to Gulf Shores, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm not sure if I'm more excited this year, but I am definitely ready to cure my cabin fever. I know it'll be wonderful to get out of the house for a week, but even more wonderful to spend time with my family, friends, and the wonderful Mr. H.
That means that today, I get to spend the day cleaning, doing laundry, and go knows what else, to prepare myself for going on vacation. I'm going to be heading over to my Mom's house shortly to clean for her since she's a working woman.

And tomorrow is going to be a fun day! Me, Steph, and Mom are heading out for a shopping extravaganza. We aren't the Black Friday shoppers by any means. We are known for dodging malls and shopping centers of all kinds around any big holidays. But shopping for vacation? That's our shopping day of the year. We've sort of made a tradition out of it since we all started our annual Gulf Shores trip. Mom takes the Friday before vacay off work and we get up super early and make a day of summer clothes shopping, bathing suit shopping, and random whatever-the-hell-we-want shopping. It's almost looked forward to as the vacation itself. I'm definitely looking forward to getting a few new things, and spending time with the girlies as well.

So, I will probably squeeze in a short post tomorrow if possible. And then and entire week at the beach with my toes in the sand, listening to the waves, sun in my face, and a good book in hand. Speaking of books...anyone got any recommendations? I'm sure we'll be making a stop at Barnes and Noble to pick up a few reading materials tomorrow as well!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Good News!

So Mr. H just informed me that he spoke with his boss and the regional manager today at his work. Both told him that he would be getting a route within the next few months!! They have some things to work out before they can get him started on it, so it could possibly take up to two months, but it could also be sooner than that!
Of course I am thrilled, and he is too, because this could mean that I could stay at home with the baby a lot longer than we thought before going back out into the work force.
Also, I wanted to finish up my degree and finish up some other plans, so this will definitely open the door for us! There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that this process won't drag on for him. The increase in salary for him would mean a good 10 grand more than I was making at my old job! So he's going to be making more money than the two of us combined where making the entire time we've been living together! That is great great news!
Keep your fingers crossed for us that everything will work out smoothly, and Mr. H will finally get the route he deserves! It's like he said..."I can wait a few more months, because now I know I don't have to wait a few more years.".
WOOOOHOOOO!!!!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

We Have A Connection!

Internet connection, that is. After my rant on AT&T's crappy service, I must say, they surprised me today. Let's just see how long this lasts.
After speaking to, yet again, another technical representative, AT&T came to the conclusion that it would just be easier to send someone out to the house to help us out. So I set up an appointment for today between 1pm and 5pm. About five after one, he pulled up in the driveway, came inside, gave us a brand new modem, and established an internet connection within 2 minutes.
Pretty impressive. However, it still amazes me that AT&T did NOT come out to our house upon our initial service instillation and set up everything for us. They should have done this eons ago and save us both the trouble.
But things are up and running for the time being, so let's keep our fingers crossed (I suggest AT&T do the same) that things don't go falling apart again causing us to switch providers.

22 weeks and 5 days

Getting close to 23 weeks! And only 4 more days until vacation! Yahooo!
Here is a my usual quick pregnancy survey. Just to answer the general stuff.
How far along? 18 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I'm not really positive. A few weeks days ago it was up 11 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Of course. Nothing else fits.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Sleep: I am actually getting better sleep than ever! With the exception that little man wants to kick me extremely hard between 10pm-12am and keep me up, I've learned how to get comfortable with my growing belly.
Best moment this week: Feeling his kicks constantly. Hard ones.
Movement: All the time. I felt some hiccups yesterday!
Food cravings: No real cravings I guess. Still candy and sweets!
Labor Signs: Not yet!
Belly Button in or out? Still in.
What I miss: Laying on my stomach and wearing my engagement ring.
What I am looking forward to: Reaching my viability date! (May 14th). Basically what this means, is that doctors will do whatever they medical can to save the baby after this point. Before 24 weeks, not so much.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't go pushing and grabbing on a pregnant ladies stomach. Let her guide it for you. If I jab you in the stomach it isn't going to feel so good, so please don't do it to me. Thank you.
Milestones: Reaching 22 weeks is a milestone enough. I'm over halfway through, and with each day I'm one day closer to meeting my guy.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Computer Issues

So after months of no one at AT&T helping us fix our modem problems, we were finally able to speak to a representative who was helpful. She tells us she is going to overnight us a new modem for us to install and have the internet working as it should in no time.
Well the modem arrives, I go through the motions of the installation process, and run into a simple problem of needing a password. I call and speak to an AT&T rep, who after "helping" for one hour, actually made the situation worse than it was to begin with. We were disconnected when she tried to transfer me to a technical engineer, and I didn't receive a call from them. So now, we still have a modem that does not work, and no internet service which we are paying for each month.
So I've discovered that AT&T has horrible customer service, crappy technical support, and malfunctioning modems. Wonderful. I'm pretty positive that tomorrow I will be calling them to cancel our service and find a new internet provider.
Hopefully one day this week I will be blogging from my computer at home to let you know that we've either resolved this issue with AT&T, or we've moved elsewhere and have a working modem with no problems whatsoever.

Friday, May 1, 2009

22 Weeks!

So here I am at 22 weeks and 1 day. And feeling great so far! Finally have figured out the ways that I can get comfortable and actually sleep now. So that's definitely a plus. The baby has been kicking like crazy, which is amazing! Yesterday Steph was able to feel him so that was great!
And here is my update for the week!

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.