What a bug!

Yuck! I have been violently ill for the past couple of days. One of those 24-hour viruses is going around. My aunt and my in-laws all had this terrible sickness and I caught it! Trust me, being 31 weeks pregnant and sick is not a fun weekend.

I called the doctor today because I am still fairly weak, plus sore and tired. I managed to eat a cup of soup yesterday but otherwise I haven't had any food since Saturday afternoon. My doctor and nurse are, of course, on vacation due to the holidays. The nurse on call said that it was always a good thing to call and if I felt I needed to, I could go to the labor hall and be checked out. She asked if I stayed hydrated, and boy, I sure did try! The consensus was that baby and I are okay, but can always go for a check up if needed. I think that I am still weak so it should be expected that Waverly's movements be weaker too. We'll see how today goes and maybe after some rest and food, we'll feel better. Lucky for me, my aunt is making homemade soup today!

To all who have had this virus, my deepest sympathies to you!

Christmas Day

On Christmas morning, Dean and I drove over to my dad's. Of course, Santa had been there and left some goodies for us by the tree (Thanks!). We kept our family tradition of watching A Christmas Story for a little bit. It just wouldn't be Christmas without hearing "You'll shoot your eye out!" Little Tanner woke up and we had a nice visit, too! He did really well eating his breakfast and then playing. He is growing so much! All of his little smiles and giggles just melt your heart.

Me and Dad

After a bit, we went on over to mamaw and papaw's house for another Christmas visit. It was nice to see everyone and spend a little time together.

Me and Mamaw

Me and Papaw - Being funny

Me and Matt

Dean & Sam

Check out all the icicles on the tree!

Then it was back to the in-laws for Christmas dinner. Yum! Ham, fried sweet potatoes, the works!

Well, it was a busy holiday for us but we enjoyed it!

Happy Holidays to all of our friends and family!

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas, all! Today has been so much fun but exhausting! First up, a trip to Frankfort for Christmas with my mom and the family. We had a great time visiting, and little Crissy came along for the holiday visit. After lots of gifts and yummy food, it was a full and tuckered out little momma who was ready to head home for a nap! I forgot my camera, so I unfortunately don't have any pictures for our Christmas this year.

After a little rest and some play time with Axel, it was time to load up and go to the in-laws. What a time! Round two for us of snack food and yummy desserts (not to worry, my sugar is testing fine despite all of the Holiday treats!). Then, Santa came! Everyone took turns sitting on Santa's lap and then he handed out the presents!

Oops, I saw Momma kissing Santa Clause!

Can't wait for next year for Waverly's first Christmas!

That's all for today, but we'll be out traveling again tomorrow on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Christmas

Gee, did I get a surprise this weekend! My wonderful husband gave me an early Christmas present - a puppy! She is a ten week old Papillon puppy, who is just as sweet and playful as she can be! We named her Christmas, Crissy for short.




Crissy is certainly not a timid pup! She made friends with Axel right away. We were a little worried that Axel might think she was a toy, but she let him know with a tiny growl to back off. They got over it real quick and began playing. Axel even shared his huge doggie bed with her, which she played on with no hesitation. When we introduced her to the cats, Axel was protective of her, letting the kitty know that was his puppy!

We hope to do some basic obedience with Crissy before Waverly comes. This way she will already know the commands for sit, stay and go to bed for when we are busy with the baby. Crissy is already giving us lots of practice for Waverly - she cried all night because she wanted to be with us instead of in the bathroom. But, we toughed it out as a safety precaution until our household settles back down and everyone knows everyone really well. Plus, a crash course in potty training. :)

She is a wonderful addition to our family. I'm sure she'll make the last 10 weeks before Waverly arrives just fly by.

Another Check-Up

This morning I had another doctor's appointment. Everything was great! My weight is fine (only 21 pounds gained while pregnant - not too shabby for 7 1/2 months along), blood pressure is fine, and my sugar levels are fine. In fact, my sugar tests have been so good that I only have to check it once a day now. This is great news! My little fingers were getting sore from being poked so much.

We listened to Waverly's heart beat again. It is such a strange sound, to hear that whoosh, whoosh. Her heart rate was 143. The nurse said everything was well and the doctor said that the measurements of my baby belly were good, too.

So, a great report from the doctor's office today. Yea! My next appointment is January 14th.

Remember When...

Yesterday I was thinking about how far along our little family has come. I'm so proud of us!

As some of you know, Dean and I tried for almost a year before we finally got pregnant. Each month, I would invest in ovulation kits and pregnancy tests. I kept a calendar for counting days. Each month I would take the test with high hopes, only to be let down again. I would call Dean and say, "I took a test this morning. We're still not pregnant."

Then, on 6/23/2009, I took a test just to empty the box and get it out of the way. I was a little late that month, but had taken a test just a few days earlier with negative results. So, I just did the test and then started getting ready for work like always. I came back to the test after a little while, not expecting anything, just going back to throw it away. I glanced down and IT WAS POSITIVE! I'm sure I just stood there stunned for several minutes! Then it hit me that I was home alone and there was no one there to hug!

When I finally gained rational thought again, I ran to get the phone and call Dean. I called and said, "I took a test this morning. I think we're pregnant." I waited for his response, only to get an "okay". Then, he said that he would call me back later. I wasn't sure he had heard me correctly. He told me later that it took a little while for the good news to settle in. :) I think he was momentarily shocked too!

Of course, I had a few other people to tell. I called my mom and my aunt Phyllis. They tell me that I was actually whispering on the phone! I guess I was still excited. Well, I didn't get very much work done that day. I was busy making a doctor's appointment and buying another pregnancy test, just to be sure. It was positive too! I went to the doctor the next day and it was confirmed - we are going to have a baby!

The best was telling my mother-in-law. We had already had plans to meet for lunch so I just made a quick stop for a tiny purchase before hand. I waited and waited for her to get to Quedoba and then we waited some more in line to get our food. Finally, we took our seats and I handed her a pacifier. I asked if she would put it up for us, because we were going to need it in about 9 months. Her face was priceless! Her mouth dropped and she was just stunned. After asking "What?" several times, it hit her and she just smiled and announced to the whole of Quedoba restaurant that she was going to have a grandbaby. It was a good moment.

And now here we are, only about 10 weeks away from meeting our little girl. Though I have enjoyed being pregnant, I just can't wait until she gets here!

11 weeks to go!

Hard to believe, huh? Yep, that's right though! Only 11 weeks left before our expected big day. As of today, I am 29 weeks and 3 days pregnant, which translates to about a week or so over 7 months.

So, how is little Waverly doing? According to the research, her brain is now developed enough to control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and her sucking ability has been perfected. Prepare the pacifier!

She is starting to look less skeletal as she packs on the pounds. She's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat that she'll be born with (too bad white fat isn't energizing for us adults!). This week, Waverly should be about 15 inches long, which is about the length of a loaf of bread. She should weigh in at about 3 pounds - as much as a Macbook Air laptop!

Waverly has a lot of energy. She practices her kicks, punches and elbows mostly at night, but anytime I lay down for rest, she gets going. Our little energizer bunny is making the most of her rest time by really moving around when she's awake.

Well, mom is doing well too! I am having some trouble keeping a good sleep schedule right now. Usually, the baby wakes me up in the middle of the night for a potty break and a snack. For the past week or so, she's been waking me up about 5:00 AM! That's all fine and dandy, but the 2:00 AM break allowed me to go back to sleep for awhile. Now I just have to lay there until time to actually wake up.

My blood sugar appears to be good. I test it every morning on an empty stomach and then again 2 hours after each meal. As far as the meal plan goes, I just try to eat some fruit and veggies every day. I try not to overeat and get in a couple of snacks in between meals. Over the past week, my sugar levels have been within the normal range.

Otherwise, all is well. We just keep growing bigger and bigger. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for this coming Friday, so we'll see how much weight gain since the last appointment. More then!

Almost Christmas!

With all the excitement of our ultrasound earlier this week, I forgot to post this picture of my nephew Tanner, all sleepy. He was just so tired because of all the excitement. Dean and I went to my dad's for the annual Christmas Tree party last weekend. Of course, I spent some time cuddling with the baby! We had a great time, and we even took Axel too! He really enjoyed getting to play with the kiddos and getting see everyone.

I can't believe it's this time of year already! Just a couple more weeks until Christmas!

Peek-A-Boo, I see you!

Yesterday, we went for the long awaited 3D ultrasound. It is truly amazing to look at your child this way, and this early!

Our First Family Photo

The umbilical cord is a little bit in the way, but aren't I a cutie already?

Waverly played with her foot for quite a few minutes. She was wiggling her toes and grabbing at them! We got the whole thing on DVD!

Yep, It's a girl! I just had to ask, "Is is still a girl?". The nurse smiled and then pointed out all the female parts. There's no doubt about it! :)

This is a good picture of her spine.

This is a picture of her legs. When we first started, the nurse said, "She's sitting like a lady, with her legs crossed".

Hmmm, Is my nose like Mommy's or Daddy's? The vote across the board was mom's nose!

By this time, she started acting camera shy. You can see her tiny arms in front of her face.

This last one is a picture of her heartbeat. Her heart rate was 144 yesterday, which is all normal and good.

This was a really great experience. I can't wait to buy a photo album and add all of our new pictures.

Sweet Stuff

Yesterday I attended the scheduled dietitian class about gestational diabetes. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Considering I have been quite upset about all this sugar stuff, I wasn't sure if I would cry through the whole thing or just sit there angrily. Turns out, neither! The people were really nice and though this is a big deal, they helped explain a lot of things and provided a plan of action.

Gestational diabetes is when your body does not use the food you have eaten correctly. This happens during pregnancy due to hormones. Gestational diabetes affects 4-7% of pregnant women, but 10-12% of pregnant women in Kentucky. Though it will go away after the pregnancy, it is not something to mess around with right now.

The dietitian gave me a sample meal plan that limits carbs and sugar. I am supposed to have 3 meals and three snacks a day. I have to test my sugar each morning before eating and then 2 hours after each meal. The idea range is 70 mg / dl to 120 mg/dl.

So far today, my sugar has been within these limits, so all is well. I'll just keep monitoring it and recording the levels and then show my doctor on the next appointment. If everything continues going well, I will not have to check my sugar levels as often. Keep your fingers crossed!

Schedules

Busy, busy! I've heard that as a pregnancy progresses, mom just gets more and more busy! It's proving true for me. I have a lot of baby things on my schedule now-a-days, like doctor appointments, maternity classes, planning for baby showers and remodeling the house.

The 3D ultrasound was scheduled for this coming Friday, but the ultrasound nurse, Paula, called this morning and needed to reschedule. So, we have rescheduled the appointment for Monday, Dec. 7th at 4:00 in the afternoon.

As it turns out, that works out really good for me. I have another appointment at the hospital that day at 1:00 to meet with the dietitian, Daniel. It's a class where he will teach us mom's-to-be how to check our blood sugar and about a healthy diet. This is because my doctor and nurse think I may have gestational diabetes, so I'll have to watch my sugar intake and check it out several times a day.

Hopefully, all this rescheduling isn't too much of an inconvenience for the people coming with me to the ultrasound. I am really excited to take a peek at Waverly and see how she is doing.

Comfort Measures

Last night, I attended a class offered at the hospital called Comfort Measures. Since Dean was busy working on the house, my aunt Phyllis went with me as my support person. We think its good to have her prepared too, just in case I need two support people during labor!

This class is all about methods of relaxation. It was taught by a nurse from the hospital, who is also expecting! The first thing we did were introductions. There were about 10-12 couples of parents-to-be there and most of them were having girls! Then we divided up into groups of moms and support people. We made lists of things that the support person should do and shouldn't do. This was really a lot of fun. We listed things like, Don't pass out, and Do be encouraging. My poor aunt was over in the support people group, with only one other girl! She said the guys came up with Don't check out the nurses! I think that's a good one!

After the groups all came back together, we learned some breathing techniques and about the stages of labor. It seemed to me that the breathing is there for two reasons, to remind you to breathe and to distract you from pain. We also went over several different positions that can help relieve pressure and decrease pain. The instructor even suggested mom and dad slow dancing! Though it seems odd, it would encourage gravity to help with contractions and relax pelvic and back pain.

The nurse also offered some information about medications. (Good news for Sam!) It was good to learn about the effects of the IV medication and also about epidurals. I didn't know that these medications can also help decrease blood pressure as well as provide pain relief.

All in all, it was a good class. My aunt and I had a lot of fun and it was nice to hang out for awhile. I plan to take all of the applicable classes the hospital offers, including Great Expectations (an overview of labor and delivery at Central Baptist), Little fingers, Little toes (the basics of infant care), and the Art of Breastfeeding (um, self-explanatory).

A Sweet Update

The nurse called back today with an update about my last glucose test and our plan from here on out. She said that after speaking with Dr. Bain, they have decided to refer me to some counseling for gestational diabetes. Someone from the hospital should be contacting me within the next couple days with more information about these classes, but for now all I know is that it is an educational program about gestational diabetes that includes information about testing the sugar levels in your blood and about a good diet plan.

In the meantime, I am kind of at a loss for what to do now. I have been eating better and watching my sugar intake. When my sugar gets low, I go ahead and eat candy and a soda to bring it back up so I don't pass out. The nurse didn't really have any advise for what to do should I feel week and shaky; she just said to go to these classes.

I asked why a spike in my sugar would happen, knowing that no one in my family has diabetes that I know of and that most of my family, including myself, have low blood sugar issues. Nurse Kim advised that sometimes this just happens about this time in a pregnancy.

I am hoping that these classes provide a lot more information for me. In the meantime, I guess we'll keep on truckin' and just keep an eye out of any sugar oddities.

Our Christmas Tree

I am so proud of our little Christmas Tree!

Last year, we had a big and little tree for home. I just love Christmas decorations, so we went all out! This year, I only planned to put up our little tree. We took our big tree to Good Will last year since we have a lack of storage area. Being pregnant and having a large puppy inside, we decided the little tree would suffice. We are also working on our addition and some other remodeling to the house, so a big tree would be in the way.

Well, I was unpacking decorations earlier this week and I could not find the little tree. I have the lights and the tree skirt, but no tree and no ornaments. :( So every time I was out shopping, I kept an eye out for tiny trees. On Saturday at Lowe's, Dean and I found this little tree. It is tiny, but it is actually a live tree! This is the first live Christmas tree I ever remember having. It fits perfectly on top of our entertainment center.

The New Mommy and New Daddy mugs were one of the first presents I received when I found out I was pregnant (Thanks!). I thought I'd leave them out until the little tree is surrounded by wrapped presents.

I am excited to continue shopping and decorating this year! I am trying not to buy too much for Waverly, since her first Christmas is quite a ways off. It's tempting, though!

Black Friday

My aunt and I go shopping on Black Friday every year, for the past 5-6 years at least! Usually, we have a couple of girls with us, but this year we were on our own (we missed you Rachel and Sheila!). We had a great time finding our bargains and chit-chatting away all day.

Well, we began our morning super early - at 4:00 AM! We made it to Wal-Mart by 5:00 and joined the pandemonium within. It was so busy, we had to park at the nail salon across the street to get a parking spot. I made a bee-line for the special items on my list - feather pillows! I did miss out on the Pyrex dish set, but I think besides that we got everything we wanted.

After the big Wal-Mart adventure, we went to Wallgreens, K-Mart and Starbucks. Then, off to Hamburg! We parked at 7:25 AM, both of us proud of our time. Get in, get in line and get out was our motto! We hit up Bath and Body Works, Target, Kohl's and Gordmans. After looking around Kohl's for a few minutes, I took a little break. Other than that, I held up reasonably well for being 27 weeks pregnant!

For lunch, we went to my mom's. For the first time in a few years, the family was getting together for Thanksgiving. Mom had cooked, and we just all love mom's food! She even made mini pecan pies! Unfortunately, everyone arrived at different times during the day. So we only got to see mom. We did visit with Gary and meet his kids as well. We missed seeing all the family.

After a few more shopping stops, we headed for home! I was fairly tired and my aunt had another Thanksgiving dinner to get to. After a nap for me, I put away my purchases, wrapped some presents and began Christmas decorating.

This is a teddy bear that we found for Waverly during our Black Friday outings. It's a time out bear! The timer isn't working properly, but Dean thinks he can fix it. I don't think we'll need it though, I don't expect her to be in Time-Out very often!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It's been a great holiday for us so far. This morning I went to my dad's house. It was great to see everyone. My Step-mom Betty had went all out with the Thanksgiving fixings, and my aunt and uncle supplied two turkeys to feed us all! Little Tanner has colic, so he was a bit fussy. Unfortunately, Dean didn't get time to visit this time. He was working with his dad on our addition to the house. The annual Burriss Christmas Tree decorating party is set for this Friday, so Dean will have to be there for that!

Thanksgiving night we spent with Dean's parents. I got there in time to help mom peel potatoes and butter the rolls! Thanksgiving supper was excellent, especially my favorite, fried sweet potatoes! Dean's brother and sister and her kids were there to visit. We missed my sister-in-law Marie; she had to work so we sent her a plate. We had a nice time though.

All in all, it's been really nice. All the food and visiting has rocked this baby to sleep today! She hasn't moved very much, but I don't blame her for resting today!

Tonight I'm staying over at my aunt's house. We have to be up early for Black Friday shopping!

We hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!

Bad news from the sugar fairy...

Nurse Kim called this morning to let me know that I failed the one-hour glucose test - again! I can't believe it! I did not have any breakfast this go-round, which probably caused the poor results. My sugar was 27 points too high. This is really amazing to me because my sugar is usually so low. What we think happened is that drinking the orange syrup on an empty stomach made the sugar levels shoot up, instead of giving an accurate description of how my body handles sugar.

So, Nurse Kim said that I will have to take another 3-hour glucose test, which I should have taken in the first place but the other nurse put the wrong order through. I was pretty upset, seeing as how the last test was so hard. I just can't look forward to 3-hours of needles and not feeling well. Kim said that she would confer with Dr. Bain about what other options there are and call me back next week.

In the meantime, it's watch out for sugar and carbs. Not good news, so close to the holiday. But, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone else!

An apple a day...

Another doctor's appointment down! I go to see the ob doctor once a month, at least until I get close to the due date and then they increase visits. Yesterday was my November appointment.

I also had to do another yucky sugar test. The first time I had a sugar test, I had breakfast, which the doctor had said was okay. Well, I had Chik-Fil-A which was loaded in sugar and failed the first time. As a result, I had to take a 3-hour sugar test. It's miserable! 3 hours of taking blood and no food! My sugar dropped really low and I thought I was going to pass out. The nurse even called as soon as she got results from the lab to see if I was okay! This time, I knew better than to have any breakfast. I chugged my orange syrup (very nasty stuff) and waited my hour, then had my blood drawn and was on my way. Waverly was just kicking up a storm - I think she got a sugar rush!

At the doctor's visit, my regular nurse was back! I was happy to see her. However, she looked at my chart and the nurse I had last time ordered the wrong sugar test! I was actually supposed to have the 3-hour test again. I almost cried! I just can't do that again! So, everyone cross your fingers and hope that the 1-hour test I did yesterday comes back okay and they just waive the 3-hour test!

Well, I may have lost weight last month, but I gained it all plus some this month. Little Waverly is growing - and mommy is growing with her! My blood pressure was little bit high, 155/74, so the doctor recommended that I begin taking a baby aspirin (81 mg) daily. This should help my blood pressure so that its not a problem later on.

We listened to the baby's heartbeat on the fetal monitor again. This time, we found her heartbeat right away! The doctor was very pleased. She said the baby's heart rate was in the 150's. I also asked the doctor about the pain I've been having near my pelvic bone. She said that this is normal, just soreness from the pressure. It's okay as long as there are no accompanying contractions. She suggested a baby belt, which would help relieve some of the pressure by holding the baby bump up more. This, however, isn't going to make a lot of difference, and she said just to rest more.

So, all is well in the baby world right now. I'll keep an eye on my blood pressure and get plenty of rest. In the meantime, I'm hoping that I don't have to go back for the 3-hour sugar test!

My next appointment is scheduled for Dec. 18th, at 9:30 AM. I also have an appointment for Dec. 4th, at 11:45 for a 3D ultrasound. I can't wait! Hopefully there will be really awesome pictures to share.

A Break Before Baby

This past weekend, Dean and I went to Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge, TN. for a vacation. We thought it would be good to get in one more small trip before Waverly is born.

Of course, we had to take our German Shepherd, Axel, with us. He is a great traveler! He slept most of the way there and back. He behaved very well in the hotel. We think he had a good time, too!

We had a great time in the Smokey Mountains. We drove up on Sunday and it was just beautiful.

Of course, we didn't forget about our little one while we were away. I took a couple naps and ate lots of good food, so Waverly might like to travel too! Here is a picture of a dress I bought for her; I just had to go shopping at Lid'l Dolly's.

We are already planning vacations for Waverly. We have planned a girl's trip to Gatlinburg when she gets a bit older. And, her granddad, Dean, has already stated that he's taking her to Disney when she turns three!

6 months along...

Can you believe its been 6 months? It seems to have gone so quickly! The reality is setting in, especially since I can't see my toes!

To update everyone on little Waverly, the research says that she should weigh over a pound now and is about 12 inches long! Her hearing is fully functional now and she has even developed her inner ear, which will help with balance for all those future ballet classes. She can hear noises now, including mommy and daddy's voices, cars and music. She can even hear our German Shepherd, Axel, whenever he barks.

I have been reading some to Waverly from the children books I had when I was little. I'm hoping that she will hear my voice and recognize it after she's born. It's been kinda fun, but I catch myself reading silently! Guess its good to break that habit now!