Adjusting to TWO, Ryan’s Job, Expenses

So no one told me it would be easy and I never thought it would be, but it seems like this summer hit me pretty hard.   First we had to fork over $6800 for a new AC/Heat Pump and that was before Charlee even got here.  Then Ryan went back to work and started working Saturdays and late almost every night if not every other at least not getting home til 7pm or even 8pm some nights.  Then he’s gone Sunday mornings for Worship team.  Needless to say I was feeling the burn of some “single parenthood” right after bringing home a new baby.  Adjusting to having 2 has been hard for me.  I think its mainly all timing of everything though.  If Lily wasn’t entering her “terrible 2’s” and if Ryan’s job wasn’t so crazy and if we didn’t have to fork out almost $7K while still trying to pay medical bills…it wouldn’t seem so overwhelming would it?  I guess I will never know. 

When did life get so overwhelming?  I have to at least say that the last 5 years we have had it pretty good.  God has blessed our marriage since the beginning.  We have never really had any issues financially or with anything else really.  So now is the time I guess for God to be testing me.  However, I already felt like He tested me with my pregnancy by putting me on bed rest for the last month.  Now its patience in dealing with my sweet 2 year old who definitely knows how to push mommy’s buttons and patience in being content with Ryan’s job.  I want to be able to say “oh I need to just be thankful he has a job and that he enjoys it”  sure easy enough.  I am THANKFUL.  But that doesn’t mean that it still isn’t hard on me.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t miss him when he’s gone or that I just long to be able to have a Saturday together as a family.  I do.  And I think I am entitled to feel this way after just having a baby.  My emotions have definitely gotten the better of me this summer.  Sometimes I don’t even know why I am crying.  Just being overwhelmed at times.  God tells me “HEY” you need to slow down and just breathe ME in!  And that has been my life line.  I had sorta set aside my personal quiet time right after Charlee was born and I don’t doubt that by not spending time in the word and not spending time in prayer it made my struggle even worse.  So the last 3 weeks I have been doing it every morning after feeding Charlee at 5 or 6am before I go back to sleep.  And let me tell you it has made a huge difference to my day!  Imagine that!  I knew it would.  I just needed to get in the habit of doing it again and making it a priority. 

Life seems to be settling down again.  Ryan had this past Saturday off and we enjoyed time together as a family then got to spend time just us.  I will never again think about Saturdays home with the family the same way again.  The time is precious.  I am sure that God longs to be with me the way that I long to have Ryan home and time together as a family.  Wow but what a way to give a girl a wake up call!  I hear ya!  Loud and clear.  Thank you Jesus! 

Now its just the waiting game again.  Waiting to hear either this week or next week where JE Dunn will be sending Ryan next.  I pray that its close to home.  Really anywhere would have to be closer than Warrensburg at this point.  But ultimately I pray that Ryan will enjoy his next project and that it won’t take away anymore of his time with his family.  Because I am sure he’s sick of hearing how tired I am of him coming home late.  I know its not his fault but sometimes a girl just has to VENT!  And that’s kinda what I am doing now too I guess.  So thanks for listening….er reading!

Charlee's Arrival- Summer- Trusting God

Well it has been awhile since I have written an update.  Obviously because Charlee was born and I haven't had much time to get on the computer.
I wanted to tell a brief story of how she got here.
Sunday May 23rd I started having mild contractions in the afternoon and they progressed to the point that I did end up calling my doctor.  They were 8-12 minutes apart and lasting about 20 sec.  I was told to call when I had more than 4 in an hour.  She advised that I take a warm bath which actually did help but as soon as I got out they came back.  Thankfully they didn't happen all night.  But they did start back up Monday (24th) morning so I called back and she had me go ahead and make an appointment to come see her.  They hooked me up to the non-stress test machine and tracked my contractions.  They were showing as mild and I was not dialated so she sent me home with "pre-labor" contractions that I would just have to deal with til my C-section the next morning.
As Monday went on into the evening the contractions got worse.  In fact from about 8pm on they were pretty intense and after midnight they became closer together and longer.  I wasn't able to sleep at all and about 2am I decided it was time to go to the hospital because they were every 3-5 minutes apart and lasting for over a minute each.  So I showered and we got everything in the van and Ryan's dad came to be with Lily so we could head to the hospital.  I had strong contractions the whole way to the hospital.  It was about 3:15am once we got there.  They hooked me up to the machines and started a fluid IV to see if they could slow them down.  I was fine waiting til 7:30am for the C-section as long as they could give me something for the pain until then.  After about an hour or so the fluids were not working so they called the on-call surgeon which happened to be the doctor that did my c-section with Lily.  I am certain this was God's doing.  At 5am they decided to go ahead and do the c-section at 5:30am.  They quickly got me prepped and gave me my spinal block which didn't hurt hardly at all.  This time around was strange to be so alert and not in pain while they got me ready for the surgery.  As soon as the meds kicked in I no longer felt my contractions.  My doctor arrived and they started the surgery on time.  However, there was something unusual about my surgery, according to the doctors and nurses.  Without going into too much detail about it.  My intestines were not where they were supposed to be and they had adhered to my uterus.  So to get Charlee out they had to detach them and rearrange them where they were supposed to go.  The doctors said they had never seen anything like this before.  And with that there would be a greater risk for an illeus like last time.  In order to prevent further issues down the road they had to do this and they put a cheese cloth between my uterus and my intestines to prevent them from adhering again.  Charlee was then born at 5:49am.   Weighing in at 7 lbs 11.8 oz and 19.5 inches long.  Perfectly healthy!  I am so thankful that we had the surgeon we did because the lady that we were supposed to have apparently was worried after hearing about my post-op 2 week illeus after my first c-section.  Not exactly what you want to hear from someone who would be doing major surgery on you.
After the surgery everything went well I was able to go home on time without any issues and I have not had any issues since then.   Praise the Lord!
Charlee has since passed her birth weight weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz on Tuesday.  I sure wish her belly button stump would fall off so I can do her newborn pics and Lily's 2 year portraits.  Hopefully this week.

As far as this summer goes.  I am trying to stay positive and not complain about the fact that Ryan is most likely going to be working every Saturday through the middle of August.  I know I should be thankful he has a job and that he will be getting overtime which will help pay for the new air conditioner/heat pump we just had to buy.  But when will we get to do stuff together as a family?  When will we get to go swimming?  Or to the Zoo?  I guess we will have to wait til August.  I just am sad because this means he will not get as much time with Charlee as I know he would like.  But God is good and I know that we are blessed by Him by Ryan getting this job.  And who knows maybe his reward for driving that far and working that much will be that his next job will be closer to home.  Like maybe a 30 minute or less drive!  That would be my prayer but I know we should just be thankful that he has work and that he will have a job to move to once this project is complete.  God give me patience and understanding!

Lady in Waiting

So as much as I don't want to admit it I am fairly certain that we will be going to 39 Weeks.  After this week's tests and blood pressure check I am fairly certain that I am not preeclamptic this time around.  Which is a good thing.  It actually gives us hope for the next pregnancy which we were unsure about.  I think a lot of what has happened with my blood pressure this pregnancy has been "worry" induced because of what happened with my first pregnancy (emergency c-section at 35 weeks due to severe preeclampsia).  That being said I am encouraged that with me not having it this pregnancy that our chances will be even less in the next pregnancy.  Because I wasn't ready to say this is it for us.  I'd like to at least try for a boy next.  Now we may wait longer than having them 2 years apart.  Like maybe waiting til Charlee is out of diapers before we have another one.  That would make things easier if I am to be put on bed rest again for any reason.
So I am operating on the assumption that I have 2 more weeks of bed rest until little Charlee's arrival.  Some things that make me sad about this are that now I won't be having another little baby like Lily was.  But at least she will be healthy and full term.  We won't be able to participate in Life Spring's child dedication service Sunday May 23rd with my friends who had babies this past year.  I've had to miss out on family gatherings and will be missing out on more in the next coming weeks.  My recovery is now going to get pushed back which might prevent me from doing some things that I could if we had her this week.  Like I won't be able to swim this summer until July now.  But those are all just reasons, not good excuses for wishing this pregnancy be over.  I want her to get as much time as she needs in there and now I know that's what God has planned for us at this point.  There's a reason my protein wasn't high enough.  There's a reason my blood pressure couldn't get high enough yesterday at the doctor.  God does not want Charlee to be born yet.  And now that I have accepted that I know that He's in control and whatever complications can still happen at this point I know that He is in charge and not me.  And now I actually have time to read the books for our Women's Ministry book club this summer.  I wasn't sure if I'd have time to read the first one with Charlee arriving this week but now with 2 more weeks of bed rest I should be able to.  Currently Reading:

37 Weeks & Counting...

Well the test results weren't as high as we were hoping.  So no scheduled c-section for Friday.  But my doctor did say that if my blood pressure is high enough at my appointment tomorrow then we can plan to have the c-section done tomorrow and not mess around.
I know a lot of people have been telling me that its better to wait for her to stay in there longer but I am sure that if my doctor felt that needed to happen she wouldn't be willing to do this for us.  She knows my history and knows that Charlee has been doing really well on all the Non Stress Tests and the sonogram 2 weeks ago showed a large healthy baby.  I am full-term now so she most likely feels it is in my best interest to go ahead and deliver before anything else happens with me.  Especially since last time we caught the preeclamsia too late.  Now I do want to do what's best for Charlee and myself obviously.  But I completely trust my doctor's opinion because she knows me and she knows what my body can handle at this point.  My first c-section wasn't normal as in they had to make an extra incision to get Lily out.  This is also a concern at this point because with Charlee being so big she doesn't want my extra incision to cause problems the bigger she gets and the more stretched I become in that area.  So while I do want to do what is best for Charlee and to wait til she's "ready" to come out I also want to trust my doctor knows what's best for me and for the baby and that she would never do anything that wasn't going to be good for both of us at this point.
I'm just ready to be done with bed rest.  Ready to spend some quality time with Lily outside on nice days.  Ready to help around the house again.  Ready to sleep at night.  Ready to be done with the day to day worry about when she's going to get here.  I trust God with this pregnancy and have since the beginning.  If she is to arrive tomorrow then it will happen.  And if not then I guess we wait one more week and hope things don't get worse.  God, I know you are in control.  But a little plan would be nice sometimes ;-)

36 Weeks, More Answers, A Plan Maybe???

I hate to even write this cause it seems like things keep changing each time I see my doctor.  As a quick background of what's going on, first I apologize if this is more info than you want but at this point its the only way to explain my situation.  I am now seeing the doctor twice a week.  Mondays for regular OB visit, Non Stress Test, and to start my 24 hour urine.  Thursdays I go in for blood work, NST, and blood pressure check.  The 24 Urine is to check for protein which is a sign of preeclampsia.  My count has to be 300+ for them to consider me "preeclamptic".  Last week's hospital visit and 24 Hr test only showed about 220 counts.  Today's test showed 275.  Which is a big jump.  So at this point my doctor is fairly confident that if we do the next 24 Hr test that it will be over 300 and then we can schedule the C-Section for next Friday (which is the 14th).  Now if my blood pressure reaches above 150/100 (last Monday it reached 158/98 which is what sent me to hospital overnight stay) while in the doctor's office they will forgo the 24 Hr test and just do the C-section that day.  This is what we are trying to avoid at this point.  So for my next 2 dr's visits we need to pray that my BP stays down so we can PLAN to have her instead of having an emergency.  Because we believe that is what caused all my issues last time was the fact that I hadn't fasted before the surgery and the urgency of it sent my body into shock (the ileus).

All that being said.  It is highly likely that we will be having Charlee next Friday unless my blood pressure is off the charts or my 24 Hr doesn't reach 300 count.  In which case it would be emergency (high BP) or we wait til 39 weeks.

I go to the doctor tomorrow for my blood work and NST.  We just need to keep my pressure down below 150/100 for this visit and the Monday visit.  A nice way to celebrate Mother's day weekend staying at home with my feet up praying that my blood pressure is good for Monday.

35 Weeks, Hospital, Bed Rest

Wow it seems like every time I write I have something major to write about.  My next pregnancy book is going to have some long journals in it this time!
Let me start with last weekend.  We had Lily's 2nd birthday at my parent's house because I didn't want to mess with the stress of having it at our house with my blood pressure.  Even with just inviting local family we still had about 30 people there.  It went very well.  We had sandwiches and cake which my sister-in-law Abbie made.  The theme of her party was Toy Story so she put a Buzz and Woody on the cake.  Very impressive!  It was delicious too!  Lily enjoyed opening her presents but became a little shy and tired towards the end.  Plus it was approaching nap time.  I pretty much just sat there the whole time with my feet up.  Which is what the doctor ordered.
Monday was my 35 week appointment and scheduled non-stress test.  I knew it was going to be interesting because my blood pressure was high that morning.  I was expecting to be sent home on bed rest but instead they sent me to be admitted to the hospital for monitoring ( de ja vu?).  My blood pressure was 158/98 by the time my mom got there and we left for the hospital.  No ambulance this time.  Thank God!  Once I got there and got settled in my pressure came down.  They did an ultrasound and Charlee looked great.  They even estimated that she was about 6 & 1/2 pounds.  They were calling her a big baby.  Which is good considering we were thinking we could be having her the next couple days.  After some blood work and monitoring as well as a 24 hour urine test they discovered that I am not preeclamptic.  At least not yet.  This could be the very early stages of it so we will continue to run tests each week to try and catch it.  That being said.  If its ONLY blood pressure that is the issue at this point then they have to make me wait til 39 weeks before they can deliver. This would mean bed rest or blood pressure medicine until then.  But if signs of preeclampsia show up then they will deliver at 37 weeks.  It may sound crazy but I was disappointed to hear this.  I was kinda looking forward to having her in the next 2 weeks just cause I want her to still be little and I don't know if I can take 4 weeks of bed rest!  Plus she has really been kicking me hard these days.  I know she's going to break a rib!
I go back to the doctor tomorrow as a follow-up so we should know more about whether I will be put on blood pressure medicine or if I am to be on bed rest for the next couple weeks.  We are so thankful and blessed to have family close by that can take care of Lily for me.  I don't know how we would do this without them.
So keep praying that these next few weeks go well and that I don't go crazy from having to sit in a recliner all day!  At least I have gotten some reading done.  I have read more in the last 5 days than I have in the last 4 months.  So that's been nice.

33 Weeks- Update on Previous Weeks

Well a lot has happened since I last gave an update.  I will try to recap all of it.
About 31 Weeks:
The weekend of my birthday, Saturday March 27th I stared having some mild abdominal pains that came and went.  I figured it was Braxton hicks contractions.  But since I had never experienced them I wasn't sure.  As the evening went on they started feeling sharper and more often.  By the time we got home they hurt pretty bad and I checked my blood pressure and it was pretty high.  I figured it was because of the pain and the fact that we had been out for the night.  From about 10:30pm until about 11am I started throwing up about every 30-45 minutes. It got so bad that I ran out of food to throw up and I started throwing up stomach bile.  So at about 11am I decided to call the doctor because the pain was unbearable and I had started throwing up more often.  The on-call doctor told me that I should go to the hospital and get on an IV and get some fluids back in me while they run tests to see what is wrong.  So we spent Sunday afternoon at the hospital and learned that dehydration can cause pre-term labor contractions.  I know that throwing up did not help the fact that I was dehydrated but they aren't sure if that's what caused me to throw up.  It was strange.  My white blood counts were high which indicated my body was trying to fight off an infection but they never figured out what exactly.  After being there for about 5 hours they had pumped 3 liters of fluid in me and even after that I was still really dehydrated.  Everything else was fine including my blood pressure and the baby's heart rate.  So none of this affected her, which is good.  I really didn't start feeling normal again until Friday or Saturday of that week.  Ryan decided to take a sick day that Monday because I wasn't sure how strong I would be and be able to take care of Lily.  Which proved to be a good idea because I decided to have a follow-up doctor's visit with my doctor.  I spent 3 hours in the doctor's office while they monitored Charlee's heart-rate and my contractions.  They were about every 5 minutes, but not as painful as they had been on Sunday morning.  Everything was fine other than that I needed to get hydrated to stop the contractions.  Wednesday they finally stopped.
About 32 Weeks (Easter weekend):
This was a busy weekend for us.  Saturday April 3rd we went van shopping.  We started the morning with the community Easter egg hunt with Lily then we left about 11am and went to a dealership off Shawnee mission parkway.  We test drove a couple vans then we went and got lunch. After that we headed to Frank Ancona Honda where right away we saw a van that we wanted to test drive.  From the time we test drove it til we finally had signed the loan and were able to drive the van home it had been about 6 hours.  Needless to say a long day.  We got home and my blood pressure was a little high 140/84 (normal is 120/80).  My doctor told me to call her when I hit 140/90 or higher consistently.  Sunday morning (Easter) we went to our Sunrise Somewhere service at 8:30am and it was still on the high side 135/89.  It continued to stay high most the day as we went on to my family Easter lunch then Ryan's family Easter egg hunt.  When we got home at 4pm it was pretty high 132/106 (bottom number not good) but after I rested for awhile it came back down to 122/75.  I probably would have called the doctor but I had a scheduled appointment for Monday so I figured I could just wait til then.  Needless to say it was an emotional day for me as I was preparing myself for the worst report from the doctor.  I really didn't want to hear that I'd need to go on bed rest.  Monday at my doctor's appointment my blood pressure was ok.  So she recommended that I do another 24 hour urine test and more blood tests at the hospital to check for pre-ecclampsia (like I did at 27 weeks).  So I did that and everything came back fine.  So other than periodic spiking of my blood pressure I have no other signs of pre-ecclampsia as of yet.  She does say that I am a "ticking time bomb" and that we just need to get me to 36-37 weeks at this point.  Meaning if I get that far and blood pressure is still a problem most likely we will just go ahead and schedule the C-Section that week.
33 Weeks (today):  So far no swelling.  I can still wear my wedding rings and I am not embarrassed to wear capris.  Unlike with Lily, at this point I was really swollen in the ankles and I couldn't wear my wedding rings anymore.  So that's a good sign.  I just need to be better about drinking water and taking it easy.  Easier said than done.  So that has been a big prayer request of mine is that I am able to know when to say no and when to rest.  Thankfully most days Lily is great at just watching a DVD or TV show and plays well by herself while I sit with my feet up.  4 More weeks is all I have to do.  This will be the longest month I am sure.  I am anxious to meet Charlee  so I am excited of the idea that she will be here early.  I just don't want her too early that I can't bring her home with me.
I think that's about it for now.

Dr's Appt.- Lily's Toddler Bed

Quick update about my 30 Week Doctor's visit (3/22/10).  Blood pressure good.  I think it was 129/74.  Belly measured 30 cm.  Gained 3 lbs.  Baby's heart rate was 150 BPM.
Everything looks good for now.  I asked if we could schedule the C-Section and she didn’t want to yet because she doesn’t think I will make it to 39 weeks.  Not in a bad way (she said it with a smile on her face).  I just think that if I make it to 36 weeks and my blood pressure is a little high we will just go ahead and to the C-section then.  But if I am doing fine then it will be May 24th and no later.  So that being said.  It could be anytime between May 3rd and May 24th.  I go back to see her in 2 weeks.  We will probably know more then too.
My blood pressure is still good, but it is creeping up slowly.  Which is why I think she knows I won’t make it another 9 weeks.  So be praying that I at least make it 6 more weeks preferably 7 more weeks. :-)

Last night we converted Lily's bed to a toddler bed.  She loved it!  It was so much fun watching her get in and the get out of it and then get in and out of it about 30 more times.  I think she will transition just fine.  She slept in it all night and woke up and was playing in her room quietly with her toys and books.  In a way its better cause now she has something to entertain herself with while she waits for Mommy to get ready for the day.  Its not as bad as I thought it would be.  We just have to make sure that she doesn't leave her room and everything will be fine.

About 30 Weeks, Ryan's Job, Lily's Climbing

Well where do I start!  I am about 30 weeks pregnant.  I go back to the doctor on Monday to give report of how well my blood pressure has been doing.  I'd say I have averaged around 119/69 most days.  Which is really good since normal is 120/80.  I am not sure if she is still going to have me do all the other tests like we did last time.  But being cautious is good.  I wouldn't want to miss something this time around.  I also hope that my weight gain has subsided.  I feel like I haven't eaten as much these past couple weeks.   My appetite doesn't seem to be what it was with Lily but I still seem to be gaining the weight. 
Charlee had the hiccups for the first time the other night (Thursday).  I was beginning to wonder if she was going to have them at all.  Lily had them constantly and still gets them occasionally.  Charlee has been a lot more active these days.  The other night Ryan and I were playing with her as she was poking us and we were poking back at her.  Can't wait to see what she's going to look like.  Charlee's room is basically done.  We need to do some minor cosmetic things but for the most part if she were to come early we would have everything we would need immediately.  There are a couple things that I'd still like to get before then like a hamper, another Diaper Champ, some more changing pad covers, extra bed sheets, and stuff like that.  We have plenty of Newborn diapers as I have been buying one pack a month since I found out I was pregnant.

Ryan has been on his new job site for a couple weeks now and is enjoying it.  The only down side is some days he has to work late.  I am going to do my hardest to not complain about this because I know this is what he wants and that he's happy.  Its just hard when earlier this week he didn't get home til 9:30pm.  He went 48 hours without seeing Lily.  I know that was hard on him.  We can take comfort in knowing that this project is only supposed to last til Mid-July and then maybe he will be moved to another project closer to home.  Which will be nice when Charlee gets here.  I am going to be positive about it because I am thankful he has a job and that now he is doing what he wants to do for a change.  It just would be nice to have him home before 6pm most nights.  At least he gets paid overtime.

Well Lily has officially become a "big girl".  Friday afternoon I came in her room after her nap and she had been playing in her room OUT of her crib.  Course I didn't know this because the batteries in the monitor I had were dead.  So who knows how long she had been out of her crib.  At least she didn't hurt herself.  It looked like she was enjoying herself as she had scattered all her diapers on the floor and pulled off come barrettes off of her bow/clip hanger.  No real damage was done.  I was most concerned for the space heater and humidifier in there.  She knows the heater is "hot" so she knows to leave it alone most days.  I was thankful this was one of them.  So last night we decided to still leave her in the crib to see if this climbing episode was a one time thing or if she was going to do this every time.  We woke to a thud and then her crying on the floor in her reading corner.  We aren't sure if she had just climbed out or if she woke up there confused and scared.  She didn't appear to have hurt herself.  The "thud" we heard could have been her bumping her head on her book shelf.  So we most likely will convert her crib into the toddler bed.  It has a 3/4 rail that attaches to it.  I just hope this means she will sleep in her bed and not get out and play.  Especially during nap time.  Nap time is the only time I have to get stuff done like anything I need to do on my computer like work on photos or reconcile business stuff.  So we'll see how it goes.  As long as she can't get out of her room I am ok with her staying in there to play if she doesn't sleep.

27 Weeks Dr's Visit, Van, & 22 Months

Had my 27 week doctors visit today.  I had to be there 30 min early to do my glucose test.  I had to drink this sugar drink then get my blood drawn an hour later.  I will await results.
Turns out that I have gained more weight that I was thinking I would at this point.  I am up to 23 pounds total.  Ouch!  Hopefully that will slow down.  I gained 38 with Lily and I still had 5 weeks left with her.
My blood pressure was a little higher than the last time so she told me that I need to start monitoring it from home.  Luckily my parents have a blood pressure monitor that I can borrow.  She is not concerned at this point but just wants to be cautious.  I also go in tomorrow for another lab to check for any other signs of pre-eclampsia.  Again just another precaution.  She just wants to catch it early if it is going to happen again this time.  I tried my best in the office not to worry about it but my pregnancy hormones got the best of me and I got a little emotional.  She reassured me that she's not worried so I shouldn't be.  Still....I can't help but think about it.  So the whole way back to Olathe I prayed about it.  Mainly for God to just take the situation and give me a peace about it.  Because I know that the added stress of me worrying is not going to help matters.  I was also told that I need to "take it easy" from here on out.  So whatever that means.  I will do my best.

We dropped off our taxes last week and we hope to get our refund soon.  Our plan is to pay off the truck with it then start shopping for a van.  We figure we can get a pretty good deal on a Toyota Sienna right now.  We'd like to get a used one like a 2009.  Right now they are pretty decently priced considering they just came out with the 2011 version.  All I really feel like I need on it is a remote that opens the doors and the option to add a 8th seat.  I never thought I'd be excited about getting a van.  I never saw myself driving one.  I always wanted to go with the SUV instead.  But the more I think about it a VAN is going to be more practical for us.  Each time I lift Lily into the truck I think about how nice it would be to just be able to set her in her carseat in a van or better yet let her climb in the van herself and climb in her seat.  Plus the thought of 2 carseats in the back of the truck worries me a little.  It doesn't leave much room for groceries or anything else that I would need to get while running errands.  Even though the idea of running errands with a toddler and a newborn seems like it would be impossible at this point.  But we'll see how it goes.

We got a mattress, changing pad, and double stroller last weekend.  So I feel a little more prepared now.  Ryan finished painting Charlee's room and all that's left is putting up the chair rail and then we are going to have his cousin Kendra paint care bears on the walls.  Our furniture will be delivered March 9th.  I will feel better about the whole idea of this baby wanting out early if the nursery was ready.  Once the furniture is here then I will start washing her clothes in the Dreft soap.  Right now they'd just be in the way if I started washing them.

Lily has been so much fun to watch these days.  Everyday there is something new that she says that we had no idea she even knew.  Objects she knows and animals she knows after just reading them aloud to her in a book once.  She remembers.  I don't want to sound biased but I am CONVINCED she is a genius.  She of course takes after Ryan.  She has also been playing "mommy" a lot more lately too.  I made some burp cloths for Charlee and Lily has been using them as blankets for her dolls.  She calls them her babies.  She carries them around wrapped in the blanket and she even tries to feed them and lay them down for a nigh night.  Its pretty darn precious.  I love it.  She will be a great big sister.  I can't want to see what she does with her REAL baby sister when she gets here.

Well its time to put Lily to bed so I better go for now.  I'll keep everyone posted on my status.  I return to the doctor in 3 weeks.

24 Weeks, Hawaii, Avon

Well here I am 24 weeks and a few days pregnant.  The last week she has really been kicking me.  Especially at night.  The other night I couldn't fall asleep so I stayed up reading until she calmed down.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE feeling her move its just ridiculous at night when I am trying to sleep and she feels like its the best time to make her presence VERY known.  I am trying to remember if Lily was like this.
As far as the nursery goes we haven't gotten very far.  We bought paint about a month ago and last weekend we got my old day bed out of there.  Now we or I need to get my stuff out of there so we can paint.  Our crib and changing table/dresser is going to be delivered the first weekend in March so I know we need to get a jump on things.  We have the bedding so we know the theme.  We are doing Care Bears.  Which are surprisingly hard to find these days.  I have one that I grew up with and we haven't been able to find them in stores or online anywhere except ebay and amazon.com.
*****
Hawaii.  Our trip was just what we needed.  Ryan was having some rough days at work and I was in need of seeing some sun and relaxation time.  We went to the island of Kauai which is probably the 3rd or 4th most touristy island.  Its more for those that want to find some neat beaches and just relax.  There were a few other things to do but nothing that was like "WE HAVE TO DO THIS WHILE WE'RE HERE".  Our honeymoon in Waikiki was like that.  I felt like everyday there was something that we had to do.  We only spend 1 day at the beach back then.  Whereas this trip I got to go to the beach almost everyday and if not then I sat by our amazing pool and read.  I almost finished the 3rd Twilight book, Eclipse which is a 620 page book so that tells you how much relaxing time I got.  It was great.  The part of the trip that made this possible was that we went with Ryan's parents and his sister and brother-in-law.  So there were 6 of us adults for our 1 toddler.  We took turns watching her during naps so we all could enjoy our time there.  We were very thankful for this.  I don't know that we would or could do another vacation like this without other people there to help us.  Especially on the flights.  We had so much stuff to carry on that we didn't have enough hands.  We had her carseat and stroller plus each of our carry on bags as well as my purse and a diaper bag.  The whole flight process was a lot better than I expected it to be.  Lily did AMAZINGLY well on the way there.  If it weren't for the portable DVD player though I don't know how well she would have done.  She only had the equivalent of about an hour nap the day we left and she stayed up to what would be 2am our time when we landed in Hawaii.  She was amazing.  But when we made it to the condo she didn't exactly sleep very well.  It was kind of an adjustment for her for the first 2 days but then she fell right into her old routine only in Hawaii time.  Hawaii is 4 hours behind us.  So 8am home time was 4am Hawaii time.  She adjusted better in Hawaii than when we got home.  It took her a week to break the Hawaii time once we were at home.
The beach initially was not Lily's favorite.  She didn't like the sand sticking to her.  This may have been remedied if we had introduced her to playing in the sand this past summer but her sand box wasn't done yet.  But she did play in the ocean and with the sand a little.  She really liked the pool at the hotel.  It had a kid area that was the Zero depth entry but the bottom of the pool was a sand gravel.  The kind that didn't stick to you.  She loved playing in this type of sand.  She wanted to go play in the water every day regardless of the weather.  There was one day we all sat around the pool while she played and it was sprinkling.  It didn't bother her at all.
We did go to a Luau one night and we did a tubing adventure as well.  So it wasn't ALL beach and pool but mostly.  Its amazing how easy it was to not get on the computer while we were there.  I wish I could do that when I am at home.  I just always felt like "I can do that at home so I'm not doing it here".  I did get on occasionally to check emails and our accounts.  But other than that I am amazed at how easy it was to ignore the internet and even the TV.
******
Not that I want to be one of those people that has their sales pitch in everything, but Avon is becoming a fun part of my life now so I thought I'd share.  I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I do.  Selling Partylite was so completely different.  I felt when I was selling it that I was asking people to spend so much money on stuff that they don't necessarily need.  Now don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with spending money on things you want...when the price is reasonable.  AVON doesn't make me feel like that.  Avon's products stand up to their reputation AND they are AFFORDABLE!!  I was a customer before I started selling so I feel I can say that without feeling biased.  I love the makeup....that's where I started as a customer and now I love the lotion (Skin So Soft) as well as the jewelery and fashion.  I most recently took a skincare clinic and learned a lot about AVON's skincare line.  These products are great.  I just started doing an anti-aging regimen.  I know what you are thinking...I'm only 27 but after doing this clinic and reading more about the products I have discovered that its never too early to start an anti-aging line. 97% of dermatologists agree: the best way to treat and protect your skin throughout your lifetime is to start a daily anti-aging skin care regimen as early as possible.  What is a regimen you say?  Basically a cleanser (Cleanse), day cream, night cream (Moisturize), and an eye cream (treat).  All of these products are available in AVON's Anew skin care lines.  They are each targeted towards a certain age group or skin type.  I started with the Rejuvenate line which is recommended for ages 30+.  Its mainly for those with no or very few lines and somewhat still young skin.  I love the cleanser and face creams.  I think that I will continue using it.  Now initially they are kind of expensive, but AVON has trial kits available for less than $20 and you can buy one product at a time too so you aren't spending it all at once.  I would start with the day cream because it has SPF in it and that's the first place you want to start when protecting your skin against aging.  Each of the 3 Anew lines have SPF 25 in their day creams.  These products while seem expensive up front are worth it because they work and they last.  The little jars really have a lot of product and it doesn't take much product to cover your face so you will get your moneys worth.  You will not be disappointed either.  I never thought I'd start an anti-aging process now especially since I still get told I look like I am in high-school.  I just know that down the road that will be a HUGE compliment to me.  I'd like to always look younger especially once I turn 30.
There's a reason AVON has been around so long and that's because they have a great reputation for putting out products that work and people keep coming back to products and a company they trust and love.
Alright I think that's it for now.  I'm off my sales pitch.  If you read this and you want to try some of AVON's Anew skincare products let me know.  I can get you some samples or you can order "try it" sizes for very little money!  You won't be disappointed.

2/1/10 Dr. Appt.

Monday Feb 1- 23 Weeks pregnant doctor's visit.
Heartrate- 148BPM
Belly Measurment- 22.6 cm
Weight Gain- 4 lbs.

Hawaii blog coming soon!

20 Weeks Pregnant and 11 Days til Hawaii

I am "officially" half-way done with the pregnancy when you count weeks.  If you count the fact that I will be having a c-section a week early then I have less than half left.  Its all give or take a week anyways.
Last Monday was my doctor appointment and I had a blood test to test for anemia and downs syndrome.  My results came back normal.  PTL!  So this time I am not anemic, which I was with Lily.  So I won't have to take an iron supplement this time.
Tomorrow I have my 2nd official ultrasound.  This is when I would have originally found out what we are having.  I am excited to get to see her again.  I am hoping the lady will show us some 3D too.
We hope to get a crib this weekend.  We are going with Ryan's parents who have offered to get us a new crib so that Lily doesn't have to give hers up.  We also need to go get paint so we can start that now that we have the bedding picked out.  I just want to have everything done and ready good and early this time around so there are no worries if we get to bring her home early.

11 Days til we leave for Hawaii.  Cannot get here any sooner!  However, it has creeped up on me and I feel like there is so much to do to get ready.  Mainly packing so we don't forget anything.  I am certain that I have over packed which is ok because when you are pregnant you never know what is going to be comfortable to wear so I want plenty of options.  The average temps this time of year are 75-78 F.  Which sounds amazing compared to the 10 degrees that it has been here.  Can't wait!  I am a little nervous for the plane ride and how Lily will do.  But I am not going to let my worries ruin the vacation!
I think that's it for now.