.

.

About Me

My photo
Western North Dakota , United States
My husband, Allen, and I are high school sweet hearts. We started dating Sep.99'- I kind of followed Allen home one day, and never did leave, is Allen's story. November 02' we were engaged, and on November 22,2003 - we were married. Having been married for 6 years in 2009, marked the 5th year we had been trying to start our family. With the referral of a Fertility Specialist from a friend, our IUI attempts ended up being a complete success despite my doubts. We welcomed our sweet little girl, Hayleigh into the world on June 30,2010 at 6:28am after 37wks and 1 day of gestation. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 20 in long. We found out that we were Baby #2 on April Fool's Day- a complete surprise! Reid Allen was born 11/13/12 3:24am 9lbs 8.2oz 21", after 38wks 5 days. Our 3rd baby, Eva Jane, was born on April 19, 2015 after suffering a pregnancy loss June of 2014. We are currently anxiously awaiting baby #4 due 2 days before Eva's birthday, so we are having Irish Twins! Our family is so blessed and happy to be growing!

Blog Archive

Monday, May 31, 2010

33 wks and the uncomfortable train has rolled in

 Today is 33 wks for Hayls and me. I wish I could say that everything has been great, but the uncomfortable part has officially settled in now. I just wonder how much longer until I have sleep insomnia once again. Sleep has been the problem for me now. I just cannot get comfortable at all. My back hurts sooo bad with my pelvis shifting once again. My belly propped up on pillows now, makes my head feel like it is at the bottom of a mountain.I slept in the recliner on Saturday night- I couldn't get comfy at all. My dreams are not soo happy ones anymore- last night I dreamed that I lost Hayleigh.. she quit moving, and I did not know what to even do. .I dreamed that my Grandma died the other night. I just do not know why I keep dreaming of people I love being ripped away from me I realize now that I am still afraid that this can all just be ripped away from us still. I cannot wait to sleep on my back once again! The only other thing bothering me now, is that people are back to annoying me, I become snippy- I think this is due to me being uncomfortable and hot, and people just being stupid.

My doctors appt last Tuesday went well. I only gained 1 lb in the last 2 wks once again, making my total gain 15lbs. I am very proud of this, especially since I have not even tried at all to watch what I eat. Hayleigh is a VERY active little girl.. Sandy points this out every time I have an appointment and she kicks the fetal monitor off my belly, no matter where Sandy puts it. This last week, all of the kicks and squirms have went from wow watch this, to ouch that HURTS! I went to work 2 nights last week with my ribs hurting on my left side, and my left side has become a lot more tender lately from all of the punches. I wish she would quit beating me up, but, with the dream I had last night, I think I am still grateful for the beatings. Sandy is ordering another ultrasound to check Hayleigh's position and her weight, since we are sure she is around 5lbs or more right now. I am hoping that she comes 1-2 wks early, and I get to be induced. The only reason I would like to be induced besides Hayleigh being soo big, is that I would not have to worry about Allen missing her coming into the world. Other than that, everything has been just fine.

I have been working on getting baby clothes washed and sorted, and put up, along with everything else in the house organized while I still can. My to-do list has grown way out of control, but, I am taking it all day by day.

I guess now I should finish with Hayleigh's developments for this week- just keep in mind we have a little ham that is bigger than what the books say she should be!

Week 33 of Pregnancy

Your baby's immune system gets a boost, while her sleepless mommy could use a boost of energy.
Your Baby in Week 33 of Pregnancy
Your baby is still gaining weight (about half a pound a week), and she could grow up to another full inch this week. With that much baby inside your uterus, your amniotic-fluid level has maxed out, which explains why some of her pokes and kicks feel pretty sharp these days. (There's less fluid to cushion the blows.) Antibodies are being passed from you to your little one as she continues to develop her own fetal immune system, which will come in handy once she's outside the womb and fending off all sorts of germs.
Learn more about your baby in week 33 and the fetal immune system.
Your Body in Week 33 of Pregnancy
With midnight bathroom runs, leg cramps, heartburn, and your basketball-sized belly, it's no wonder sleep is elusive. Third-trimester insomnia strikes about three-quarters of pregnant women (who may also be coping with a mind that races all night long thinking about your to-do-before-the-baby-comes list). But your body needs rest, so do your best to get comfy — before bed and when you get in it. Grab a pile of pillows, wedge them where you need to, and look on the bright side: Pregnancy insomnia is great training for those sleepless nights to come!

Monday, May 24, 2010

32 weeks and the heat wave

Today Hayleigh and I have made it 32 wks. I have finally had to start propping my belly up with a pillow when I sleep now, and take off my wedding rings due to the nice 91 degree weather. UGGHHH! I have both of our air conditioners running full tilt, so the house high temperature reaching maybe 67 through the day. Even though it is only 67 high through the day in the house, it now has been feeling like it is 75-80 degrees to me. I had a great weekend this last weekend. Allen and I got to spend soo much time together. A friend of mine and I got to get one of the baby shower favors completed. The nursery is set up for now, but, still not finished completely. And I am relaxed and mellow. I cannot believe how relaxed I have been. I really think that getting the nursery together has helped with this tremendously. I really cannot wait until we get the final touches in that room, and it is of course, by far, my FAVORITE room in the house! It is soo peaceful in there, which is exactly what I wanted instead of using bold colors.

I just cannot believe how fast this is all going! I'm afraid if I blink, she will already be here!
Now, enough of all of this, Hayleigh's developments for the week:

Week 32 of Pregnancy

Your baby is practicing survival skills like sucking and breathing, while your uterus is practicing some Braxton Hicks contractions.
Your Baby in Week 32 of Pregnancy
What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Setting up the Nursery- a day I will never forget

 Allen's grandparents helping him load the furniture onto the trailer at Babies'R'Us
 Almost ready to go!
Yesterday, we made the trip with Allen's grandparents to pick up our crib and dresser/changing table set from Babies'R'Us in Terre Haute. Let me just say, this was a little sobering in some ways. I guess finally getting the nursery furniture picked up, kind of just finally made things really set in for us. The crib came un assembled, and the dresser/changing table came assembled. We made it home after battling the rain all day, and Allen had our neighbor help him carry in the furniture. I feel soo helpless sometimes, not being able to help out in hardly anyway- without someone getting after me about doing too much. The furniture went into the house without a hitch, and after we got it in, Allen and I just decided to rest and wait until the morning to set it all up. This morning, was kind of like Christmas morning for a little kid for us. Allen and I were both up early, ready to set up the baby room. Allen got the crib assembled, while I handed him what ever he needed. It only took about an hour to get the furniture set up, but the one thing I thought would go up easy, proved to test my patience. I had ordered a decal from thoughtsthatcount.com a month or two ago. Allen ended up having to put it up for me, and had to modify how it was to be put up. It took him over an hour to get it up right. Putting it up on the wall turned out to be more work than what the company had promised. But, the decal looks great, now that it is on the wall. I do have to say that Allen has great taste! I am glad he picked out the set- I don't think I could ever love another set of baby furniture more!
Inside the crib- the few stuffed animals that will reside there until Hayleigh comes home! I also have the baby quilt and pillow that I had quilted and pieced  by hand over 6 years ago in there, along with the womb sounds bear. 

 A view of the whole crib
Inside of Hayleigh's closet- just some of her clothes- good thing the dresser is huge!

The changing table/dresser combo without changing pad for now, with decal above it

This evening, I had one of my dear friends that is currently battling infertility, just like I had, over to help out with baby shower favors. I'll have to wait to post what we made until after the baby shower, since another person in my family is having their shower the same day as mine, and took the idea of please bring your favorite childhood classic book instead of a card line from me. We had a great time, despite my house looking like it had been hit by a tornado. I just wish that our other friend that is in the same boat as we are, could have made it, but, things pop up, and there are just no ways around some things.

Overall, today, was a day I will never forget.... Allen and I standing there together in the baby room, looking at the furniture and everything coming together before our eyes. I know I about cried, I don't know if he did, but, we both just gazed in astonishment of how far we have come over the years to this moment.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

31wks

Monday, Hayleigh and I reached 31 wks. Things have been pretty busy around here, but quite at the same time. Hayleigh stomps her feet all over my belly and flops around nonstop, even as I write this. The weeks seem to be flying right along.. soon I will be taking my leave from my work, and trying to keep up around the house as we wait for the big arrival of our little ham. So far this pregnancy has been by the book- with the exception of a few of the side effects- I am really grateful for not having to experience. I am really happy how helpful a lot of people have been lately, but, I am still disappointed by a few. I guess that you always wish that the friends that you have lost from dealing with infertility would just deal with their problems with others having to experience infertility and be there for me for just one day. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part. But, things are just fine with or without them. We are picking up the crib and dresser for Hayleigh's nursery this weekend. I think that both Allen and I are really excited about this, kind of making this more real for us. Other than that news, there is not much of anything else really going on.

Hayliegh's developments for the week:
As your baby's senses increase, his mommy's breathing room decreases.
Your Baby in Week 31 of Pregnancy
Weighing in at three-plus pounds and measuring 18 inches long, your baby is quickly approaching her birth length — though she's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day. Also developing at an impressive clip: your baby's brain connections (she's got to make trillions of them!). She's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. She's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of wakefulness (and movement) and rest (when she’s pretty still).

Saturday, May 15, 2010

30wks with 3D and 4D pics!

Allen's favorite pic of Hayleigh- she has her hand on her chin

sucking her thumb

has her arm up next to her face

sticking her tongue out

She had had enough put her hand up in front of her face- look at that chubby little arm with that little hand!

Her girl parts- her legs and butt are the white U and the girl parts are inside of the U
So this last week was quite a week.. glucose screening was a day from hell. I did not get to leave the clinic until after 1:30pm, and after being up since 1am, and not eating since 10:30pm the night before, I was wiped out. The week went on pretty fast. We had our 4D ultrasound on Friday morning first thing. My dad, and his wife came with us. We had to register in the maternity wing before the ultrasound, and had to walk past the nursery on the way to radiology. That was a real ohhh my gosh moment. There were a couple of babies in the nursery, as I pointed it out to Allen. I think that the look on his face mirrored mine as well. The ultrasound was great! We have quite an active little girl... well, little may be understated. The tech guessed her at 4lbs. I thought she would only be a little over 3lbs right now. He also said I looked closer to 31wks going on 32wks, instead of 30wks going on 31wks. But, we know that it cannot be any closer than being conceived from October 26th.. that is the day we went in for IUI.

We got to catch Hayleigh sucking her thumb, yawning, and wailing her limbs around. We did have the tech confirm that Hayleigh is indeed a girl, and got some 3D pics to go with the 4D as well. I just couldn't believe how we could see what she looks like, or get over how not soo skinny she was... our little HAM... at least her initials will match her quite well. Anyway, I have had a blog post in the works all week, and I am just going to keep it short today.

Hayleigh's Developments for the week:
Week 30 of Pregnancy


Your baby's brain is getting smarter by the minute, but for Mom, the only thing that smarts right now may be heartburn pain.

Your Baby in Week 30 of Pregnancy

Your belly’s increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (he’ll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks). Also growing daily is his brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that your little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat, he'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Blahh Day

I had a whole post ready for today... today just has not went well at all, so, I'll let this song say it for me.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Happy Mother's Day and Weekend Recap.. growing up for the 20th time yet again

Me, Allen, & my Grandma Travous at my dad's house yesterday
me 7 months pregnant.. swelled up!
First off I just want to say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, moms to be, and also to the women who only have their dogs or cats as children- hey, I am still kind of one of those people with just dogs as children for still a short time! Also, the people undergoing fertility treatment right now are in my prayers! Last year I was among the many in that boat.. look at how much of a difference a year can make!

Anyway, I wanted to do a weekend recap, since the blog for tomorrow would have been long enough without all of this added into it. I had a great weekend! I think it is soo funny how things in life that used to be important, are no longer important anymore. I came to this realization this weekend, in the middle of our trip to Terre Haute on Saturday. Some of the things that I was soo sure of, now, I am not sure of anymore, and the things that I was not sure of, or bothered me, don't bother me at all now, and I have finally gotten to where I can really see what is going on. Things have definitely come around in the last week and a half, and some things have definitely fell apart at the same time.

Tomorrow, I have to turn in my birth plan already. I was soo sure on who was to be in the room with me a few weeks ago, and what would go on.. now, I have completely changed to where I just want it to be Allen and I in the room when Hayleigh is born. I was wanting my mom to be there, but, from the way she has been acting since the past few weeks, I have definitely changed my mind on that. I came to this conclusion Saturday with Allen on our way back from Terre Haute. The delivery room should be quite and calm, my mother is neither one of these right now, and I am sure that it would stress me out to no end if she went in that room with us. Things seem like the people I struggled with to have patience for, I suddenly have all of the patience in the world for now, and the few people that I was not having problems with- or rather, I did not see the problems at the time, have grown like someone poured miracle grow on them. I do not know if I have just reached the point that I do not care about certain things anymore, or what has happened... hormones I am sure! The funny thing is I feel like I have grown up over 20 times over the course of this pregnancy now, and it seems like I just take another big step every now and then out of the blue. Was blind, and now I see... describes it completely. I guess I had just been seeing what I wanted to see, and ignored a lot of problems, and then made up for it with the things that were not soo much of a nuisance. One thing is for sure... I have definitely mellowed out, and done a complete 360 from what I started out with the beginning of this pregnancy, to say the least, I really like not being all wired and worked up all of the time too. I just hope that Hayleigh does not inherit the wire gene from me... we do not need a trade off.

Anyway, back to weekend recap... Friday. Friday was the second day my ankles have swelled up.. my fingers have not swelled up. What I think caused my feet to swell was I did not get to rest after I got home and put my feet up. We ran most of the day. I did get a nap for a few hours with my feet propped up on a pillow, but, that did not help that much. The rest of the weekend, they have swelled mildly, so I am guessing that they will be worse for the rest of this pregnancy. My memory is going to crap too. We were at a cook out on Friday night, my dad sat on one side of me, and Allen sat on the other. I got up to refill Allen's glass and get mine refilled as well. When I left the table, I had a piece of ham left on it, I came back, it was gone. So, I naturally asked Allen if he took it. He replied no, I looked at my plate, and thought I was losing my mind.. then, Dad started laughing, and admitted to taking my ham.

Saturday, Allen and I packed up and went to Terre Haute, for Allen to get a practice round of sporting clays in and then go past Babies'R'Us to check on the crib. The weather was horrible, windy and cold. We finally made it to Babies'R'Us, and found out we would have to special order both the crib, and the dresser/changing table combo. So, we got that squared away, and got 20% off with the sale they were running on furniture for the month. We also got an extra 10% off due to me opening my mouth and asking about a coupon I had for completion of our baby registry. I was soo happy I asked. So, with all of the discounts, we ended up saving just shy of $300.00 and Hayleigh will have somewhere to sleep in 2 weeks when we get to go and pick up the furniture when it comes in. Talk about a large amount of worry off of me now! We had to hurry home then that afternoon, to help Allen's grandma and grandpa go and pickup a lawn mower at Vincennes Lowes. So, we got them picked up and headed to Lowes, got the lawn mower in the trailer loaded up, went out and ate, and then hurried home. We ended up leaving the trailer hooked up with the lawn mower on it, and was bringing Allen's grandpa's mower back the next morning, since Allen had used it, while his grandpa worked on our lawn mower. We thought we kind of knew what was going on, but, wasn't quite sure.We ended up making it home, and watching the end of the Nascar Sprint Cup race, then going to bed. Poor Allen spent most of the nights here in his recliner. He had chest congestion from his allergies, and just couldn't sleep that well all night.

Sunday... we... well, Allen, got all of our yard mowed, striped, weed wacked... just everything done! We took his grandpa's mower to town and washed it at the car was, brought it home, and waxed it up. I finally got all of our bushes around the yard trimmed. The weather was nice and it felt sooo good to be contributing to the yard work, but, my ankles paid for it. They stayed swelled for the rest of the day, no matter how much I propped them up. We took Allen's grandpa's mower back over to their house, remind you that the new one was still at our house. Both of the grandparents asked why we brought the new one back... it was then we told them it was the other mower, and they told Allen Happy Early Father's Day! I just want to say THANK YOU BOTH SOO MUCH! Now, Allen really enjoys helping with the yard, he loves that new mower! Hopefully it stays this way on him loving to mow now, so, after Hayleigh gets here, I will not have to do all of it by myself. I really do not think that either Allen or I really knew just how much I did around the house pre pregnancy. I know what all I used to do, but, Allen and I can barely keep up with what I did last year. I guess you don't fully appreciate what has been done, until you try to repeat it. Allen bragged on getting the whole yard done in one day... I looked at him and told him Thank You, but, you know I used to do this 3 times a week, not just the once a week like we had been trying to do. Makes me tired just thinking about it! Anyway, we ended up going out with his grandparents for Mother's Day lunch, then, home for yard work, and off to my Dad's house for a fish fry for my uncle's 50th birthday and to celebrate Mother's Day. We had a great time, despite being worn out. After we got back from the party, Allen had to leave, so I got him loaded up with all of his usual stuff he takes with him, he left, and I went home. I always hate going home by myself, but, I guess the by myself part will be no more in 10 wks or less hopefully!

I guess this Mother's Day, I have found what I am the most grateful for in life. People who care for you, no matter what is in it for them. That is something in life that is very hard to come by. I am just glad that I am surrounded by people like that!

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to Everyone who is or is not a mommy! I just hope that the ones still trying to get there, do soon! It can happen when you least expect it to!

This is for the Mothers or Moms to be out there.. I heard this yesterday, and about lost it- at least I had on waterproof mascara!

Mother's Day.. what it used to be for me, and Still is for many others...

I got a link from a post one of my fellow infertility sisters had posted yesterday. I just now got to where I could finally read it all. This all hits home to me really well. I may not have ever made it to 17 wks like the author did with the 2 babies I had lost, but, I could not imagine losing Hayleigh at 17 wks after all we had been through just to get her. I think there is something for everyone in this article. I am just happy for once not to be bitter about Mother's Day, but, at least I have found that I was not alone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/serene-jones/worst-expectations-mother_b_568033.html

Worst Expectations: Motherhood Lost
Serene Jones
This Sunday morning, my daughter will make her annual bedside delivery of a "For Mom" greeting card. What fun to guess what sort of handwritten promises she might include: an always-clean bedroom, perhaps, or 365 kisses? Whatever she says or does, I know I'll give her a big hug, and get misty-eyed.
Fifteen years ago, however, my tears were bitter. In fact, I woke up on Mother's Day of 1995 and couldn't get out of bed. I hated the thought of motherhood. In fact, I probably hated all mothers.
My wretched state back then had nothing to do with my own mother. Rather, it was caused by a feeling of personal failure, and a sense that my own body had betrayed me. Only four days earlier I had miscarried a much-wanted, seventeen-week pregnancy. Just as I'd begun to grasp and even revel in the reality of new life, this thrilling possibility ended. Suddenly, I wasn't "expecting" anymore. The grief felt unbearable.
What I didn't know then was how vast a sisterhood I was joining. According to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 25 percent of U.S. women will experience a miscarriage during their childbearing years, and one in 80 pregnancies ends in a stillbirth. (These statistics do not include abortions.) In addition, an estimated 6.1 million American women are presently experiencing some form of infertility. It's my guess, however, that very few churches, synagogues, mosques or other places of worship will mention these sobering facts as they celebrate Mother's Day. And, due to this silence, many women will grieve alone, feeling uninvited to the party.
Don't get me wrong. It's good that our society takes a day to honor mothers. I truly believe there's no more difficult or demanding a job than the work of day-to-day parenting, yet no form of employment is so taken for granted. Go ahead and cheer dear old Mom, loud and long! But, in the midst of the ballyhoo, take some time, too, to remember your cousin in Houston whose fertility treatments are failing, your next-door neighbor who had a stillbirth three years ago, or your grandmother who lost a child but could never bring herself to tell anyone about it. For all these women, their hoped-for child comes regularly to mind, and each one will cry on May 9th in a way that surprises her.
Because loss-of-motherhood is a suffering like no other. By the time I miscarried, I'd had my fair share of disappointment. There were failed relationships, the death of one dear friend to AIDS, another to a car accident, and a few of my cherished life goals had already slipped from my grasp. But none of this pain prepared me for the feeling of utter helplessness that came about when my pregnancy ended.
In those seventeen weeks, I envisioned my baby's hair color, her first day at school, his college graduation, her middle-aged years, and even his presence at my funeral. Being pregnant overwhelmed my imagination with a wide, mysterious future stretching out ahead. Then, without warning, that future disappeared. I was a puddle of lost hopes.
Imagine Mother's Day for someone in this state. Every beatifically smiling mother's face made me feel sour. And jealous. Why should she get a child and not me? All those cheery reminders ("Don't Forget Mom!") In the newspaper, or on posters in the supermarket and drugstore, made me want to grow claws and draw blood. I was ashamed of these feelings, but I couldn't help myself.
In the end, the only thing that gradually eased my pain was hearing the stories of other women who were bereaved. In that first month after my miscarriage, a trickle of information gradually turned into a stream. Soon enough, almost every woman I talked to whispered to me her own version of my story.
As I returned to my theological studies, I also began to see how the pain of lost motherhood is experienced by various faith traditions. In Judaism, Rachel weeps for the lost children; they are no more. In Christianity, depictions of Mary cradling the body of her dead son are more prevalent than those of her peering into the manger. Buddhists speak of the pained empty vessel of maternal loss; Native American religions have a barren mother at the center of their most precious rituals. The list goes on. By these sacred images, we're reminded that the strength of a community rests as much in its capacity to grieve as it does in its capacity to celebrate.

So, this Mother's Day, I am sure I'll weep a little bit as my daughter hands me her card. In the midst of this joy, though, there will be tears of compassion, too, for women all across America who are mourning. To them, let's remember to say, "You are not alone." We honor you, too.

Serene Jones is the author of Trauma and Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World, which explores the relationship between grace, redemption, and the trauma of reproductive loss.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Mother's Day for Mom to Be... is this really happening to me now?

Today has made me kind of numb in a way. I have just been sitting back and enjoying the last leg of this trip, mainly enjoying going to the mailbox anymore really. Everyday, there is a new dress, or shoes for Hayleigh in the mail. I really do love waddling down to the mailbox each day to see what else has finally come. The numb feeling came to me today, I got another dress in the mail, red trimmed with sail boats all over it.. gymboree of course. I sat there looking at the dress, just thinking how soon it will be and Hayleigh will be wearing this. Then, Mother's Day is Saturday. I can celebrate this year without just having dogs as my children. Everything is just surreal lately. We stopped past my dad's house this evening to pick up a package for me to take in to work with me. Dad's wife, Mary, had a card waiting for me. It was a Happy Mother's Day card for Mom-to-Be. It was sooo sweet! We also sat and talked about how soon it will be and Hayleigh will be here, going on about how small the dress was, and what we were anxious about. I am still trying to get used to the idea of having something besides my purse to pack around from here on out in a short amount of time. I just really am still in denial about being where we are right now. I was talking about this to Heather, a lady I work with, this morning. She just went on about how much I had popped out in the last week, since Hayleigh has switched to being more vertical, instead of horizontal in my belly. She then went on about how fast this has all went. I only have 6 more weeks at work, and 8 more weeks until my due date. I was going on about how bittersweet this all was. I had been looking forward to being pregnant soo much, it is really going by faster than I would like for it to. It is not that I am not wanting to have a newborn yet, I really cannot wait until she gets here, but, I had spent soo much time wanting just to be pregnant, and it is almost over already. I was just getting used to being in the first trimester, and now, I am already in the third. I am going to the doctor every two weeks, which really makes me anxious, and I am already having to plan around the big "D" day.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Wordless Wednesday... And they're off!

The baby shower invites that is! I got the rest of them picked up today, stamped, and sent out! I am soo happy with how the new ones turned out that Printforce did for me. I paid $24.00 for 55 invites from them, and paid $50.00 for 20 from Storkie.com... you tell me which one you would rather deal with. Anyway, the invites are officially out, we have everything ready, been ready for the last 2 months on booking the parish center, the invites, cake, and decorations... now just to wait and finish favors with two of my friends in 2 weeks, and then waddle waddle waddle around for the last 6 weeks, until Hayles gets here.

Monday, May 3, 2010

29wks, 11 wks, 77 days...Ummm where did the time go?

29wks is how far along I am with Ms. Hayleigh today, 9wks or 77 days is the time we have left until my due date. Can I just say that I am officially freaked out now? Things are coming right along, Hayleigh has been moving non-stop for the last week or so now, and I do mean NON-STOP. Allen finally understands why I whimper and whine in my sleep now. Allen got in on Thursday evening, and was home for the whole weekend. Friday evening, we got ready for bed, and Allen did his usual feeling around my belly to feel Hayleigh move. Every time he does this, she moves a little for him, not near as much as she usually does for me everyday. But, for once, she decided to show off for him. She was practically doing somersaults, and kicks all over. You could literally see her moving across my belly like the shark from Jaws, complete with the theme music.

I cannot believe how fast this has all gone! We are already in the home stretch, I am going to see Sandy every 2 wks now, and this little girl has definitely been growing. I think that when Hayleigh finally does get here, I am really going to miss feeling all of these kicks and moves. Funny how I have waited soo long to be where I am now, I am kind of sad to be moving past it, but, excited at the same time.

Glucose Screening Update:
I got the call on Friday that I failed my glucose screening by 4 points. GRRHHHH! I knew this was a real possibility, with PCOS, so, on my next appointment, I will have to redo the whole test again. Sandy was not too concerned, she thinks I will pass the next, since I hit 144, and they want 140, with it being soo close to the cut off. Sandy said she did not believe that I have gestational diabetes, since I have not been gaining a bunch of weight, so, that made me feel a whole lot better.

My next appointment is next Tuesday, May 11th, so, I will be going in as soon as the lab opens to get this all done as soon as possible, since I have to stay at the clinic for 3 hours. I might as well kill two birds with one stone, and get my prenatal checkup done along with the screening once again. Next week is just going to be filled with Doctor appointments.. we also get to go into the hospital on Friday morning at 8am for our 4-D ultrasound too. I have a few demands on my list, like a side profile pic and a gender pic in 3-D while we are there, since the lady at the clinic did not give us one. We are planning on just taking my dad, and his wife along for this ultrasound, since my mom, and Allen's grandparents got to go to the last, and this room will be crowded too. We should be getting a cd to play back for everyone, so, it would be much easier in the long run. Allen is also competing in a shoot at Sparta later on that day, so, we will have to leave for Nashville- that is where we are staying, as soon as we are done at the hospital.

I am soo happy that my dad has really been getting excited about this pregnancy and becoming a grandpa too. I always thought he would just kind of be there. The only things he gets really excited about are guns and hunting, which, I feel the same about on a certain level too.. apple didn't fall far from the tree. Anyway, I am just surprised by the support we have received from some people, and the lack of support from the ones who we thought would be along every step of this ride. I just hope that everything goes smooth when Hayleigh does get here, and everyone can keep in mind this all about her, and not about them, and their past relationships. After all, we have only waited for Hayleigh for the last 6 years now, and really, truthfully, our whole lives. I guess the choice is up to them on how much they really want to be there for Hayleigh, and forget about the past. We will be quite busy I am sure after Hayleigh gets here, we have family driving in from California, that will be staying with us for a few weeks, and I am sure there will be people visiting the first few weeks too, so, I just hope that this goes as smooth as possible for not only our sake, but, Hayleighs too. If you cannot tell, I am not at all worried about labor pains, or anything like that... it is people that I worry about. Only time will tell how this will all go... the time will be here shortly too!

Hayleigh's developments for the week: 
Your baby is almost 17 inches tall now, nearly as tall as he or she will be at birth. But that three-pound weight will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time.
At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost 17 inches tall now (nearly as tall as he or she will be at birth), and close to three pounds (a weight that will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling —  by delivery time). His or her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat you have, Mom) actually serves as an energy source.
 
Which explains why your energizer baby feels so…well…energized!  Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago.
 
Luckily, your baby doesn't have teeth yet that would need a brushing after that sugary treat, but it won't be long before you'll need to buy that first baby toothbrush! You'll recall that your baby's baby-teeth buds formed weeks ago, but now the buds for permanent teeth are forming in his or her gums as well.
 
And back to those kicks, who's counting?  Actually, you should be.  Now's a good time to start doing a kick count twice a day to make sure baby's doing just fine (plus, it's a good excuse for a rest). Lie down (preferably after a snack) and keep track of your baby's movements. You're looking for at least ten movements in an hour's time (don't forget to count movements of any kind — kicks, flutters, swishes, rolls, and so on).

Sunday, May 2, 2010

What IF? National Infertility Awarness Week April 24- May 1st


Okay, I got inspired from a fellow blogger to keep the chain of project What IF going, to promote awareness of infertility and show my support at the same time. I just cannot say just how much I am grateful to have had to battle infertility in my life, along with my husband's support. Some of the worst things in life, can bring out the best things in life at the same time. So, now for my what ifs..


What if we had not had to go through infertility?

We would have never have known who our real friends in this crazy world are, and we wouldn't have gained so many more better friends.

We wouldn't be as close of a couple, or have as strong as a marriage as we presently do.

We would have a 6 year old running around the house now, with who knows how many other kids.

I wouldn't be as grateful for my family- I am soo happy to be a mom to be, and just imagining our family in the coming few months makes me cry. I don't think I would have enjoyed being pregnant quite as much as I have now.

We probably wouldn't both be where we wanted to be in life. I love my job, and Allen does his as well.

We wouldn't have gotten the chance to see the country like we did. Allen and I have traveled through sooo many more places than we would have if we had a family back in 05'.

We would not know of the support we would get from our family and friends for our upcoming family.

MOST OF ALL, WE WOULD NEVER GET THE JOY OF ANTICIPATING THE ARRIVAL OF HAYLEIGH. WE NEVER WOULD GET TO EXPERIENCE HAYLEIGH BLESSING OUR LIVES, AND EVENTUALLY BRINGING HER INTO THIS WORLD. IF EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE WORKED OUT, THERE WOULD BE NO HAYLEIGH....

There are probably is a list of other things I have forgotten, but, I am grateful to have shared this journey with soo many people out there. This is a bond, that will never be broken. Infertility no matter how bad it has been, has made me feel more special, or rather that our baby to be will be even more special.