Doctor Visit and Kitchen Reveal!

This morning, I had a doctors appointment.  I'm not going to lie...the last few haven't gone that great, so I was dreading today!  Surprisingly, everything went extremely well!  I got to see my doctor and was able to get all my questions answered!  Even though my doctor will be leaving October 6th, I have decided to stay with her until she leaves, then just have the other doctor in the practice deliver Hudson.  I am very happy with this decision!  I am healthy and doing well!  I still don't know my weight....but my blood pressure is wonderful!  125/65.  Hudson is measuring right on track and was very active when the doctor was trying to get his heart rate!  He was moving and making tummy waves! haha  His heart rate was in the 160's and my doctor seemed to be very pleased with both of our progress!  She also recommended that I go ahead and get a flu shot, so I did.  Steve will be getting one here in the next few weeks too just to take some precautions against getting sick when our baby is so little (Hudson is due in flu season).  My next appointment is in two weeks!  It's crazy that we are already to the point that we visit biweekly! 

Today, our kitchen is finally finished!!!!  The whole project took a little over two weeks and was totally worth it!  We got new floors, new cabinets, new counter tops, and a new sink and fixtures! I couldn't be happier with how it turned out!  We now have so much work space and plenty of storage!  I'm a little disappointed with myself... I don't have any good before pictures!!!!  WHAT WAS I THINKING!  This is all I could find!

You can see that the back wall had no cabinets...and it was red but I had just painted it!

The fridge was next to the sink giving us NO work space!  Also we had a laminate counter top and linoleum flooring.

A work in progress...

TA DA!!!!  We now have storage and our fridge on that once empty wall.  Our wonderful contractor got rid of one of the lights and did the electrical work!

Look at all that room to work and cook!!!

You can see the floors and our sink and fixtures in this picture really well!

This is a close up of the counter tops!  So pretty!

THE END

 I'm going to go put my kitchen back together!!!   O the things that get me excited!  What a great day!

*If anyone is looking to get new cabinets, let me know!  Mark Trailor did ours.  He does a great job and is very detail oriented!  I couldn't be happier with the work he did, and would be happy to give out his information!  Also, if anyone is looking for a great contractor let me know.  JDW Home Work was wonderful to work with.  You can check him out on-line here.
 

Baby Shower #2

 
Once again, we had a crazy busy, but AMAZING weekend!  My beautiful sister Jessica and childhood friend Colleen hosted an amazing baby shower for baby Hudson in my hometown!  It was held at my parents house and ended up being a whole family affair!  Everyone was involved in brainstorming, preparing, and decorating for this shower!  Even my dad and Bob (Colleen's dad) contributed to this shower!  Have I mentioned how lucky we are to have such wonderful people in our lives?!?!  We had delicious food (cucumber sandwiches, pretzels, ham and turkey sandwiches, cupcakes, salad, potato salad, fresh fruit...) drinks (spiked baby blue punch and mint lemon tea) and adorable decorations!  Steve, Hudson, and I are so fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends! 

When you first walk in the front door this cute little guy is greeting you!  The party favors were "little boy blue blueberry muffins".  Colleen and her mom Carol are so crafty!  They made clothes pins that were covered in coordinating scrapbook paper for a fun baby game!  Everyone received 3 pins to put somewhere on their shirt. Then the rest of the afternoon you could not say BABY or someone could steel a pin!  The person with the most pins at the end of the shower wins!  It was so fun!  My super sweet and very quiet Great Aunt Ann ended up winning and shocking everyone!  She was a silent shark!  haha  We played two other games throughout the party!  One game was a nursery rhyme game where who ever was familiar with the most nursery rhymes won.  The other game Jessica and Colleen came up with was having all the guests guess how many inches around my baby belly is/was!  The person who guessed closest to the actual number won!  I thought it would be a little embarrassing, but surprisingly it wasn't bad at all!  It was all in good fun and everyone had some laughs!  Just in case you were wondering my belly circumference at the time of the party was 46 inches!!!  HAHA I'm not ashamed!  Someday that might be kinda fun to know!

My mom and sister found adorable hanging balls and lanterns to hang from door frames!  Again, everything was adorable!

The super cute pompom balls that were made out of love especially for Hudson's shower!  When I got a closer look, I realized they were made out of cupcake wrappers!!!!  What an adorable idea!

The gift table decorations!  Again there is a cute little duck stuffed animal and then garland made from the same cupcake wrappers that were used for the pompoms!

The O-So-Cute food table with adorable centerpiece!  This picture is before all the food was out and guests arrived!  The cupcakes were delicious and so cute!

The island decorations with the food, drinks, and diaper cake!

Jessica making the punch!

Mom and Carol finishing up the yummy food!

Colleen making the name tags!

 This was the adorable diaper cake that my mom made!!!  She is so creative!  Get a good look at the bib..."Grandma Said I Could".  haha

The finished food table!

All of the gifts for baby Hudson!  What a lucky little guy!

ABL!  Alana, Broke, and I chatting during the shower!

Being measured for one of the games!  Until I saw these pictures, I didn't realize just how BIG I had gotten.  I swear, in the mirror I didn't think I looked that big!

Opening gifts!

This was the book Jessica (your Aunt Jess) got Hudson! It was about the importance of wearing clean underwear!!!  haha Only Jessica would come up with something like that!  It is such a funny book!

Catching up with family!  They all live in Northern Indiana, so we don't get to see each other that often. It was so nice getting to spend time with them!  My cousin Brittany in the pink is also expecting and is due just a few weeks after Hudson!  She is having  a little boy too! 

I am still waiting to get more pictures, and will update this post ASAP!  Something I thought was really cute that Colleen and Jessica did, was on the invitation they asked guests to purchase a book for Hudson and write in that instead of getting a card.  In the end we ended up with about 30 books!!!!  Hudson received so many wonderful books that I just know he is going to LOVE!  Now he has a great start to his library!   When I got home and had time to read them all, there were tears!  I just can't wait to read them to my little love bug!  

Thank you again to Jessica, Colleen, Mom, Carol, Dad, and Bob for putting together this BEAUTIFUL baby shower for Hudson!  I am so appreciative to you for all the time and effort you put toward making this day perfect.   Also, a BIG thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to spend the afternoon celebrating with us!

Again, we are so excited about Hudson's upcoming arrival!  Steve and I are so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends who are not only supportive of Steve and I, and our growing family, but also very excited!  Having people around who love us and our baby so much has made this pregnancy so fun and enjoyable!  We  can't wait to see what the future holds and we can't wait to introduce Hudson to all our loved ones!  Not too much longer now!!!!! 

32 weeks!!!!

Today Hudson is 16.7 inches long and weighs 3.75 pounds!! He is the size of a jicama....whatever that is!!!!

Sleep is really hard to come by lately.... But I am exhausted!!!! So, that makes for an interesting situation. Emotionally, I have been up and down. One minute I'm over the top happy, and the next I'm crying for a reason I don't even know..... As far as weight gain... I'm just plain FAT! I have gained weight EVERYWHERE! I'm not just saying that either, it's the truth. I have a doctors appointment next week, but for now, I'm going home to spend time with friends and family! It is a much needed trip. I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate Hudson's upcoming arival!

Ps. I really do LOVE feeling Hudson kick and move!!! It makes me so happy!

*We found out last night that a sweet couple in our Sunday School class that was having triplets ended up having their three little girls yesterday.  They were due about a week before Hudson in October...  As far as I know they are doing well!  They all weighed in at 3+ pounds!!  All three are in the NICU as was anticipated.  If you are reading this, please pray for the babies and the parents!  It is truly AMAZING that babies born at 32/33 weeks can not only survive but be healthy little babies!!!!  Thank GOD! 

Doctor Drama and updates

Before Hudson, I had been seeing a doctor at a different practice affiliated with a different hospital.  She (the doctor) moved and referred me to another doctor.  So I went there once.  I liked her well enough, but there were a few things that I wasn't completely satisfied with (long waits and rude front office staff).  When we found out Hudson was in our future, I called and made an appointment.  The lady who answered the phone was so cold (you could tell she hated her job and probably pregnant women)!  You would think that when a woman calls and is obviously excited about having a baby the person on the other end of the phone would be understanding and offer up some type of congratulatory response....NOTHING.  Even worse, she was just mean!  Needless to say the search began for a new doctor!

Thankfully I found a doctor who was kind and understanding, not to mention her front office staff was WONDERFUL!  They were so kind on the phone and in person!  At my first appointment I knew that I had made the right decision.  My doctor listened to all my questions and concerns and went over my medical and family history with me in detail.  We came up with a plan, and I liked the pregnancy plan!

Well, yesterday I got a letter in the mail letting me know that my doctor would be moving and her last day would be October 6th!  WHAT!?!?!?  That is only about 2 weeks before Hudson's due date!  You have got to be kidding!!!!!!  After soaking in the information in this evil letter, I cried!  I had finally found a doctor I liked. I trusted her.  She has been there through the ups and downs of this pregnancy!  Now, who is going to deliver my baby?  I am going to have to make sure who ever my new doctor is knows my medical and family history!!!!  Will the new doctor honor the pregnancy and baby plan I had made with my previous doctor?  How inconvenient!!!  The melt down lasted until I was able to talk to some people about it... they calmed me down and made me feel better about the situation.  In the end, I came to the conclusion that whoever delivers Hudson will be competent and, when the time comes, I won't care as long as my baby is healthy. 

The doctor I am being referred to (and will end up seeing starting next month) is supposed to be really good.  A few of my friends go to her.  She is older and "tough" but knows what she is doing (or so I have herd).  I'm a little nervous about seeing yet another doctor so late in pregnancy, but I have been reassured that I will be very happy with this new doctor.  At least Hudson will still be able to be delivered at the same hospital. 

Flexibility... something I need to work on!  I need to learn to roll with the punches and not be such a hormonal mess!  Everything will be fine!

*Sleep Update*
Last night I tried sleeping in a recliner in our basement.... They are comfortable to sit in and watch TV in, but to sleep...not so much.  By 1:00am Steve had moved from the couch to the floor and I was uncomfortable too!  Shortly after that we decided to pack up our pillows and blankets and head back to our bed.  The rest of the night was restless, but definitely better than the past few nights!  Only 58 days to go.

On a happier note, this weekend my sister and a great childhood friend of mine are throwing Hudson a baby shower in my hometown!!!  My closest friends from home and my family will be in attendance!  I am so excited!  They have put so much time and work into putting this together!  I can't wait to see what all they have done!  We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!  I'll be sure to devote an entire post about all the details of the shower! 

Sleep Much?

Nope!  No matter how much I do during the day, I toss and turn ALL NIGHT LONG!  My hips are killing me and I wake up to pee every 30 minutes (not an exaggeration)!  Also, I just can't seem to get our house cool enough at night!!!!  I wake up every night tossing the sheets aside because I start burning up...  At night we turn the thermostat down to 67 degrees... Steve freezing all night, curled up under sheets, 2 blankets, and a comforter.  I on the other hand just can't seem to cool off!  Not to mention I have stolen every single pillow on our bed except one (Steve's).....  I'm so high maintenance! 

Another thing plaguing me at night....  scary thoughts and dreams!  Last weekend I got the low down about childbirth (before, during, and after) from one of my friends!  She is veteran mommy and is pregnant with baby number two (due within a week of Hudson).  She is so funny and didn't hold back anything, and I mean ANYTHING!!!!  It is crazy all the things THEY (being doctors and books) don't tell you!!!  I'm so glad I have someone I can ask all those super embarrassing questions to, and also glad I can get the truth about what to expect!  Anyway, with the birth of Hudson getting closer and closer, the realization of what is about to happen is getting more and more real... it's a little scary!  EXCITING, but still a little scary!  I keep telling myself that I am going to have a pain free, quick, uncomplicated birth....  but in the back of my head I know I need to be flexible because things rarely go as planned (at least with my luck).  Everyone says that all the pain and exhaustion is totally worth it the second your sweet little baby is born.... it would be so nice to be at that moment.  Ya know, skip the actual child birth and get to the part where you have already forgotten the pain.  Hummmmm  Epidural?  YES PLEASE!

In other news, my list of things I wanted to accomplish last week... I got nothing done!!!!  Steve and I have been a little preoccupied with all this kitchen stuff!  It is AMAZING how messy and disorganized your life can get when you have to move everything out of your kitchen and live out of grocery bags!  Thankfully, the kitchen remodel will be completely finished on Tuesday and things will be able to get back to normal!  Maybe this week (but probably next week) we will get some things off the list checked off.  FINALLY

Lastly, On Sunday Steve and I Joined the church we have been attending!!!!  We have been talking about it for such a long time and it just seemed like the right thing to do!  We have gotten to know a lot of people in our Sunday School Class!  Everyone is so nice!  I look forward to getting more involved and getting to know everyone even better!!!!!!

31 Weeks, 63 days to go!

Hudson,

You are roughly the size of four navel oranges (16.25 inches long and weighing in at a little over 3 pounds)!  WHAT!  Until you are abut full size you have about 4 inches an 3 pounds to gain!  Not too much farther to go!  It is just so hard to believe! According to all of the baby websites, your eyes can now adjust to light and dark!  It makes sense... when I lift my shirt over my belly you kick (which I can only imagine is you turning away from the light) and the you are still until I cover up again!  You must not like the light very much right now!  As far as movement goes, I feel you moving a lot, but it isn't as powerful.  I think it must be getting a little cramped in there!

This last trimester I have been having some anxiety abut becoming a mommy to Hudson.  Well, yesterday I had the pleasure of watching Steve's cousin's baby boy all day (your cousin Blanton)!  He was such a doll!  I carried, rocked, fed, played with, burped, and changed a baby!  The best part, I felt completely comfortable doing it!  It was such a nice confidence boost.  All in all, yesterday was a success! I think Blanton would agree!  He is just a few months older than you (Hudson) and I think you all will grow up to be good friends!

Food Cravings:  My one cup of coffee every morning, McDonald's bacon egg and cheese bagel breakfast sandwich, Broccoli Cheese Casserole (from Cheddar's), all veggie sandwich from Subway

Weight Gain:  I still don't have an exact number, but I will say that I can only imagine that it is a boat load!  I have been feeling like a truck lately!  My belly is HUGE!  My arms are FAT!  My butt is ENORMOUS!  My stomach is so big that some of my less stretchy maternity shirts and dresses are not fitting anymore!  Tell me that's not depressing!  It is only going to get worse, because I still have about 9 weeks left!  Ahhhhh Maybe right before Hudson's birth I will find out how much weight I gained over the pregnancy.... It's all down hill from there right....

Stretch Marks:  Unfortunately, YES.... These little purple spiderweb horrors showed up this past week.  Luckily, I don't have many but they are still there.... They are on my sides.... not my belly!  girrrrrrrr

Belly Button:  I don't think I have one anymore!  It is completely flush with the rest of my stomach.  Not in, but not out either!  Beautiful....

Emotions:  Can you say "TRAIN WRECK" ????  

I have had this song stuck in my head all week/ month and just thought I would share it!   

Train:  Save Me San Francisco 

Busy Busy Busy

Monday was day one of a planned 14 of our Kitchen Remodel.  I am so excited!  Steve and I spent our entire Sunday ripping up our old kitchen floor... as it turned out, there were three layers of linoleum and two sub floors....  SURPRISE!  O the fun!  Let's be honest though, I wasn't much help.  Steve did most (ALL) the work.  I watched HGTV and gave him pointers that I'm sure he appreciated (NOT)!  The DIY Network and HGTV have become my new FAVORITE television stations!  This whole designing rooms, picking out flooring, wall coverings, hardware.... I LOVE IT!  It would be awesome to do that for a living!  I would love it if someone would give me an old fixer-upper and a decent budget (key words being "give me money") and let me go to town!  I would love to choose everything from cabinet placement and finish to throw pillows and window coverings!  ....DREAMS

Anyway, so far, so good! Today our new tile floor goes in and all the electrical and plumbing will be finished!  YEA!!!  I can't get over how smooth this remodel/update is going so far!  You always hear horror stories about people not showing up or not getting the job done....  but that has not happened once!  In fact, our wonderful contractor got here 30 minutes EARLY on Monday!  My parents (they just went through a bed/bath remodel that took forever) were even impressed!  As of now, this project is going to be completely finished next week!  YEA!!!!  Then the cleaning begins again for me, putting everything back where it belongs, cleaning the dust and debris from the rest of our house....

This week has been full of random stuff so far!  Here is a quick recap!  Walking, shopping, visiting with friends, cleaning, kitchen demolition, hanging out with Jess (Aunt Jessica), Birthday Parties, cooking, FRIENDS watching, walking Sadie, reading....

Our empty kitchen, no floors, cabinets, appliances...

This is where some of our kitchen stuff ended up!  Sorry Hudson!  Your room has been turned into storage!  Everything else is stuffed in our guest room!  AHHHHHH

30 WEEKS

I can't believe it!  I just can't BELIEVE it!  Today we are 30 weeks pregnant!  That means that we have 10 weeks or less left until Hudson makes his grand entrance into this world!  Again, sometimes it seems like I have been pregnant for years, but other times I can't believe that we are already at the 30 week mark!

Hudson is almost 16 inches long right now and weighs in at about 3 pounds!!!!!  He is about the size of a head of cabbage!  He has been much more active in the past few days and is getting stronger and stronger every day!  In the past when Hudson kicked or moved, I would feel a pop and that was it!  NOW, when he moves and rolls over, I can feel his head (or is bottom) move and shift under my hands!!!!  It is the most unbelievable, amazing, hard to explain feeling!  When I feel that, it is impossible not to picture a tiny human baby in  my stomach!  It is getting so REAL!  Hudson is also responsive to noises and light!  When it is dark he will move and shake, but seems to hide from the light!  I think he also gets startled when I am around loud noises because he will kick in response.

Lately, I have found myself daydreaming about what Hudson will look like and be like when he is born!  Steve and I have had many conversations about what we think the baby will look like!  We hope the baby has Steve's skin, lips, and ears.  We hope the baby has my hair, eyes, and teeth!  We want the baby to have a nose and chin that is part Steve and part myself!  haha  Not that WE get to pick what our baby looks like!  It is just fun to guess and make predictions about what he will look like!  We will just have to wait and see!!!  There is all this technology out there that allows you to see a baby's facial features before they are even born!  It is really cool, but Steve and I made the decision that we would NOT be having this done.  For one thing, we want to be surprised on Hudson's birthday.  Also, it's pretty expensive!!!!  They say that best time to get the 3D/4D ultrasound done to see what the baby looks like is between 27 and 32 weeks!  Well, that is so close to the due date we couldn't justify spending the $250 just to get a sneak peak!  I LOVE seeing them though when friends get them done!  It really is AMAZING how far technology has come! 

This week a lot will be going on in the Farmer House!  We are in the market for a video camera...  any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Along with the camera, our Kitchen remodel starts this week!  Our floor will be getting ripped up this weekend and then Monday all of our cabinets will be taken out so the tile can get laid!  Electrical, Drywall, and plumbing will also be underway!  I am so excited!!!!!  This means that this weekend, this pregnant lady has a lot of packing/cleaning to do!  I have to remove EVERYTHING from our kitchen so it can be worked on!  It makes me tired just thinking about it!  hehe  Well, I better get started!

70 days to go, and LOVING every minute of it!

In preparation for Hudson...

Last night I was able to sleep from 10:30pm to 2:30am, then everything changed.  I woke up and could not for the life of me get back to sleep.  No matter how many times I changed positions it just wasn't going to happen.  I even laid in bed for an hour willing myself back to sleep... No such luck!  Finally, around 3:40am I got up, made some coffee, had breakfast, did some laundry, and watched the movie Definitely, Maybe.  I DVR'd it a while ago, but never had the chance to watch it.  It was a cute movie and was surprisingly not predictable!  After that I sewed a button on Steve's pants, folded some laundry and painted my nails!  What a morning!  I was told by a friend of mine that Hudson was preparing me for what was to come....  Ahhhhh  O the sleepless nights!  Around 9:00am I crashed and ended up sleeping until 11:00am!!!  FINALLY, some much needed rest! 

Last night's lack of sleep got me thinking about everything that was getting ready to change and the responsibility that will soon be all on Steve and myself!  Soon, the constant up every hour or so will be a nightly occurrence....  I wonder how we will manage this?  Steve and I have a lot to talk about before Hudson arrives.  I don't want him to get all bogged down and feel like he is taking on too much with work AND a baby, but at the same time I know I won't be able to do it all by myself.  Hopefully when we do have the discussion, we will come to some sort of agreement/plan about what to expect when Hudson is born, that we will both be comfortable with. 

I walked 30 minutes on our treadmill today and did some stretches!  This may not sound like much to the average person, but at 30 weeks pregnant, it was a challenge!  Not to mention, this is the first time in a couple months I have walked due to previous doctor's orders!  Hopefully tonight I will sleep much better!  Ahhh it feels so good to work out!  haha

Tonight is our first women's bible study over Parenting by the Book!  I am so excited to meet other women at our church and soak up as much advice as I can get!  It is going to be a good day! 

Things I want to get done in the near future (within the next week):

• make a list of things to bring to the hospital
• make a call list
• put together the pack n'play and baby swing
• wash baby clothes and bedding
• continue cleaning the house
• our closet
• the guestroom closet
• dust/clean baseboards
• clean lightfixtures
• pick out kitchen hardware for new cabinet doors
• rip up the floor in our kitchen in preparation for our kitchen update

I finally caught him!!!

This is not a good video by any means, but I finally got Hudson moving around!!!! Up until now, he has been very shy, but not today!  Please ignore the big fat belly!!!!!

29 weeks 6 days

Let the Nesting Begin

I am a cleaning freak right now!  I want everything spotless from our ceilings all the way down to our...air ducts???  YES that's right!  Every nook and cranny NEEDS to be cleaned, sanitized, then cleaned again just in case!  Do you think the nesting instinct has kicked in yet?

Today we had Kentucky Clean Air out to clean our air ducts.  The air ducts were disgusting to say the least!  Our house is over 20 years old and by the looks of it, the air ducts had never been cleaned out.  They found toys, puzzle pieces, and even a random baby bottle.... Please tell me how that got in there?!?!  I am not adding pictures (even though some were taken) because it is not only gross, but also embarrassing that we were living in such filth!   Along with getting our air ducts cleaned out, I vacuumed, dusted, cleaned windows, cabinets, floors, all our appliances, furniture and and threw a bunch of stuff away!  WHAT A DAY!  Many breaks were taken throughout the day, but I still got a lot done!  Tomorrow, I will tackle baseboards, more kitchen stuff, bathrooms, and maybe some laundry....

I had always herd pregnant women get this urge, no, URGENT EMERGENCY like NEED to clean EVERYTHING...  and I guess it is true.  I want everything completely clean and disinfected immediately!  Steve probably thinks I'm a little crazy, but I don't care!  If he were so concerned about me cleaning, painting, dusting, vacuuming.... everything, he could offer to help instead of sitting there playing with his new IPAD.  (That's my rant for the day)  He just doesn't understand the urgency and how important having a clean home for us and for our baby is (to me).  God love the man, I know I do.  It is just so frustrating when I work so hard all day making things SPOTLESS in our home and hubbs comes home and leaves a tornado like path of destruction everywhere he goes (chairs pushed out, plate on the table, crumbs on the newly cleaned carpet, random glasses of water everywhere, work clothes on the floor, shoes in the middle of the entryway....).  I just want to pull my hair out, and cry!  See, the nesting instinct has kicked in full gear here at the Farmer House....  Ahhh pregnancy hormones!  I can only imagine how messy things will get when a baby/child is added into the mix!  Hopefully the nesting instinct will be long gone by then so I can relax a little about this clean house stuff! 

Hudson, when you grow up, please remember to always thank other people and acknowledge them and appreciate them for whatever work they may do, whether they work 80 hours a week in a stuffy office or if they stay at home and take care of the kids!  Take time to notice the little things and make sure you let those around you know that their hard work doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated!  Just a little advice from mother to son.  DO NOT TAKE PEOPLE FOR GRANTED or EXPECT OTHERS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!  Always leave a place of situation better than when you found it!  When I was in high school one of our teachers had a saying "FLUSH YOUR OWN TOILET".  It's a little weird, but very important.  Take care of your messes, and don't expect other people to clean up after you!   I know that I sure won't (after you are about the age of 2)!  hehe  You will thank me for it later.  I will leave you with some wise words my wonderful grandma gave me:

RULES OF THE HOUSE

If you sleep in it...make it up.

If you wear it...hang it up. 

If you drop it...pick it up.

If you eat out of it...wash it.

If you spill it...wipe it up.

If you turn it on...turn it off.

If you open it...close it.

If you move it...put it back.

If you break it...repair it.

If you empty it...fill it up.

If it rings...answer it.

If it howls...feed it.

If it cries...love it.

  

This is not the best picture, but I thought you should be able to put a name with a face.

Your Aunt Jessica is on the left, next to your Great Grandpa Neuenschwander (Chuck) and your Great Grandma Neuenschwander (Dorothy), and myself (your mama)!  By the way, your Great Grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage together and truly loved each other until the day they died.  You would be wise to take to heart any advice they gave, it obviously worked. 

Monday Funday

Today is my first work free day, and I have been taking full advantage of all my extra time!  I hope not every day up until Hudson is born is like this, because I will be exhausted if it is!  This morning I got up early, as usual and had a yummy breakfast of Special K with Strawberries, a big glass of water, yogurt, and one cup of coffee (I can't help myself)!  After that I ran to the store and picked up all the grocery necessary for the dinner I was making for a family at our church tonight.  Four short hours later this is what I had accomplished!

A meal for two families (us included) of Baked Ziti, Garlic Bread, Salad, and Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I found a recipe on-line, but of course made a few adjustments...hope it turns out ok!

1 lb laura's lean ground beef (or whatever kind you like)
1 medium onion chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
oregano
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
1 lb ziti pasta
2 jars pasta sauce ( I LOVE Prego, but anything works)
1 pkg sliced provolone cheese
about 1 cup sour cream (can sub. for ricotta cheese)
shredded Italian 5 cheese blend (sargento or other brand)
fresh mozzarella

• Cook pasta in boiling water until done
• In large pan combine first seven ingredients until meat is completely cooked
• add two jars of pasta sauce to meat combination and let simmer
• On bottom of large baking dish put a thin layer of meat sauce then add 1/2 the drained pasta
• put 1/2 the meat sauce over pasta
• using entire pkg of provolone cheese cover pasta
• next, put a layer of sour cream (use all of it) sprinkling Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on top.
• add the rest of the pasta followed by meat sauce, shreaded cheese and mozerella cheese
• top with Italian seasoning
• Bake Covered in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes!

The finished product!  All I have to do now is bake it right before we eat!  YUMMMMM

These chocolate chip cookies turned out pretty good too!  I just use the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll house bag and use milk chocolate chips!

After all my cooking fun, I made appointments for people to come look at our AC unit and duct work in our house.  Our AC has been leaking water all over the unfinished part of our basement and our duct work is filled with dust....  It hasn't been cleaned out in years!!!!  UGH  with a baby on the way this mamma bear did not want dirt floating around!  YEA for getting everything cleaned out!  Speaking of cleaning, my project over the weekend was to clean out our linen closet! DONE!  

I can't figure out how to turn the picture....  but you get the idea! Not too shabby!

Well, the AC people are on their way right now (just got the phone call)!  After they leave I will be taking that yummy meal shown above over to the family from our church, then I will be calling it a day!  Hopefully tonight I will be able to relax and get some sleep! 

Happy Monday!

29 week pregnancy update

Only 77 Days until Hudson's due date!!!!!

 

Today, Hudson is 15.25 inches long and weighs in at 2.5 pounds!  He is about the size of a butternut squash!  Hudson is still kicking A LOT!  I love feeling him move!  His kicks are getting a lot stronger and are at times a little painful.  I don't mind though!  Exhaustion is officially back, along with some other pregnancy symptoms from the first trimester...  CRAZY!  I have been a having dreams about Hudson the past few nights.  One dream was just about his hands and how tiny they were, with tiny little fingernails on them....  that was my dream, baby hands.  Someone please tell me what that means?!?!  I would love to know!

Due to some recent health issues I have been having (information in previous posts), today is my last day at work.  I was supoossed to work for another two weeks, but after my doctor's appointment on Wednesday I made the decision that it wasn't fair to myself or the people I was working with to continue working.  I can't predict when the dizzyness, headaches and backaches will hit, and I can't seem to get a firm answer from my doctor as to what is causing these issues.  All the doctor's office tells me to do is when it does happen is to, stop what I am doing, sit with my feet up, and relax for a while...  while this is great advice, it doesn't really work when you are on a tight schedule throughout the day.  Thankfully, Steve is very supportive and only wants what is best for Hudson and myself.  He agrees that this is the best thing for us.  It is bitter sweet, because on one hand I am excited about getting to relax and get things done around the house in preparation for Hudson's arrival, but on the other hand I am sad that I am leaving such nice people at the office where I am working.  I was so fortunate to find such a great office to work at.  I also know that it is going to be a while before I get back to working as a dental hygienist because I am going to stay home with Hudson for a little while after he is born.  I look forward to getting to spend time with my son, it is just bittersweet.  My first Big Girl job is coming to an end!  sigh

Next week, women's bible study starts back up, and I am SO excited!  We are reading Parenting by the Book.  I started reading it tonight.  It is very good so far and very insightful.  I look forward to getting together with other women from our church to discuss it!  It will be nice to get insight, advice, and support from other more experienced mommies!  I am gong to take this time to soak up as much information and advise as I possibly can about being a good parent and wife. 

There is so much to be thankful for!  This past week I have been doing some soul searching and have come to the conclusion that my priorities are all messed up.  When did worldly possessions become more important than a human life or health?  I take so much for granted and still want for more.  Something is seriously wrong with that.  This week I plan on taking a good long hard look at what it is that is truly important in my life and taking the steps necessary to rid my life if the unnecessary and counter productive.  I also want to figure out what I can do to give back.  Goal of the week:  Do at least one nice/ helpful thing each day for someone else. 

I am so thankful for:

• My loving and supportive husband who works hard every day to provide and care for his family
• My family, they are our support system and the people who we look to for guidance and advice
• My health, the health of my family and friends, and of coarse the health of our baby Hudson 
• Having access to awesome medical resources
• Our friends who bring joy into our lives and also provide support
• Our pets, who no matter what are always happy to see me and unconditionally love me
• Our home, in a safe neighborhood,  where we have wonderful neighbors
• People at our church who, even though we haven't been able to attend lately, haven't given up on us and have continued to extend a welcoming hand and many invitations to participate in group activities (we are so blessed to have found such a wonderful group of people)
• The working car in our garage, the food in our fridge, the clean running water we have access to...

The list could go on and on.  I need to remember to do this more often.  It really helps put things in perspective.

A visit to the doctor and a CRAZY PREGNANT LADY!

Well, today started out good (...that's how a lot of my posts start), but once again took a strange turn!

I have been getting dizzy a lot lately and it is causing me some problems.  No one can seem to figure out exactly what the cause is.... it's driving me crazy!  I was hoping to find out some answers today when I went in to see my doctor!

I was to arrive at building 100 for my ultrasound, but when I got there I was told that my ultrasound was moved across the hospital's campus and that my doctor's office must have forgotten to call me... OK so I (at 7 months pregnant) jogged over to my doctor's office only to be told that their lab tech was out for the day and when it was time to get my blood drawn I would need to go back to the 100 building.... Girrr ok WHATEVER!  I got my ultrasound, baby looks good!  Then I received the dreaded glucose drink!  It honestly wasn't that bad.  Mine was lemon lime flavor and tasted like flat Sprite. 

 
One hour after drinking the glucose drink, you are suppose to get your blood taken.  It is time sensitive, so it is important not to get your blood drawn too early or too late. Well, I was sitting in the waiting room waiting for my appointment FOREVER and finally went up to the front desk to ask if I should just run across campus, get my blood drawn and then come back because I was approaching the 1 hour mark.... She said nooo and disappeared.  The nurse called me back and told me they had forgotten about me... (I had less than 20 minutes to get my blood drawn at this point) I was then told that to get me in I would just see the nurse practitioner....  WHAT?!?!  I made this appointment months ago, My doctor was there, they for got about me, and now I had to see the nurse practitioner instead of my doctor?!?!  I lost it!  Tears just started welling up in my eyes!  At first I could hide it by looking away, but soon it was obvious I was bawling uncontrollably....  The nurse and NP just looked at me like I was nuts!  BUT I'M NOT CRAZY!  I'M MAD!  I'M DIZZY!  I FEEL LIKE CRAP and I WANT ANSWERS AND TO SEE MY DOCTOR! I was told my dizziness could be due to vertigo, but they checked my ears and found no fluid and no infection, they then said it could be the way I had to sit for work that caused my blood pressure to fluctuate... THEY HAVE NO CLUE!  After a grand total of 7 minutes in the exam room I was rushed out and sent running to the other building to get my blood drawn for the glucose test, without any answers to any of my questions.  I arrived just in time and explained to the lady at check in that I was instructed to tell her that my test was time sensitive and that I needed to be seen right away.  Then I sat, and sat....and sat.  Two people went in to get their labs done before me!  WHAT?!?!  When I finally did get my blood taken almost 1 1/2 hours had passed since I finished the glucose drink.  So I cried more.  I am just waiting to hear that I have to take the test again..... 

I'm sure my outburst was due in part do me coming off my sugar high, but it was also due to pure frustration and discomfort!  After a few hours, I have calmed down but am still so irritated!  Tomorrow I might call and ask that MY doctor call me back to answer some of my questions. 

What a disaster!  Hopefully my next doctor's appointment in a month will be better....  PLEASE GOD! 

On the positive side, Hudson is doing absolutely WONDERFUL!  He is measuring right on track and had a heart rate of 147 bpm  today.  I'm so thankful that my little boy is healthy and doing well! 

Random

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I just thought that was kind of fun!

I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

PS. Tomorrow is another doctor's office visit along with an ultrasound, glucose test, and a few other tests....

I hope it goes well! 

It must be a guy thing

Ever since we found out we were expecting I have been gathering as much information about pregnancy, birth, and babies that I can!  I have watched hours of educational programming (how to take care of a baby dvd's, you tube videos on bathing an infant, and of coarse Deliver Me and  A Baby Story), talked with other mom's, searched the internet, and read as many books as I could get my hands on!  I just can't get enough!  Steve on the other hand hasn't been so "into" this pregnancy!  Don't get me wrong, he is excited about having a baby and being a daddy, but up until recently he hasn't been able to experience anything pregnancy related.  He has just had try to understand what I told him I was going through.  All the books I purchased for him early on about the what to expect as a dad, child development...  are still sitting untouched on his night stand!!!  Some have even managed to make it under our bed!   At first it bothered me that he didn't want to learn everything there was to know about having babies, but now I have realized that most men just can't get "into" being a daddy and pregnancy until they can be an active participant or it is almost D-Day!  I think it starts to change for most men when they can physically see and hear something that looks like a baby during an ultrasound, but still, I think it is hard to really grasp the reality that there is a baby in his wife's belly until she gets bigger and he can feel the baby move! 

Well, last night Steve did the sweetest thing that brought tears to my eyes!  Before falling asleep we were talking about how our days were and what was in store for us tomorrow...  when out of no where he leaned over put his hand and head on my belly.  He wanted to try to feel and hear Hudson.  I read somewhere that it is possible to hear the baby's heart beat if he is in the right position.  Anyway, Steve got all excited that he could feel the baby moving and started talking to the baby!  Thankfully It was dark because at the point tears were literally streaming down my face!  It was so touching to see him trying to bond with his baby!   Steve stayed like that with his ear pressed up to my belly, talking and laughing as Hudson would kick against his cheek, for about 10 minutes!  It didn't last long, but that was by far the best 10 minutes of my entire day!  I never want to forget it!  He is finally starting to get really excited and involved with this pregnancy! 

That started me thinking about what it is going to be like when Hudson is actually born!  Will I cry (who am I kidding), will Steve cry, will he be a giant ball of nerves, or will Steve be a strong rock...   I have no clue how he is going to react to delivery and to seeing his son for the first time.  I just know it is going to be a special moment for them and no matter how he reacts on the outside, I know that on the inside he will probably be more happy than he has ever been (aside from meeting and marrying me of course!!! haha).  Steve is going to be such a great dad, I just know it!