Just resting...

Well, I have been on bed rest for a week now. It really hasn't bothered me at all until today...I have been very bored today. Let's go back to August 26th. I had been feeling for a few days that my blood pressure was high. I have struggled with high BP my whole pregnancy. On the 25th, I had a bloody nose on the way to work. I NEVER have bloody noses. On that Wednesday the 26th, I sat at my desk at work and I knew that my BP was high. I had a cuff with me, so I took my BP and it was 150/100. I freaked out. I called my doctor...he told me to go to Labor and Delivery immediately to be monitored. I cried and cried. I have never been in the hospital for anything before, so it was very scary. I went to the campus clinic to have the nurse take my BP just to make sure my cuff was accurate. Her real cuff read me at 145/95 ish. My pulse was 114. So, she recommended that I go to the hospital as well. My mom drove me to the hospital and Jay met us there. The idiot that registered me at the ER looked at me and said "Oh I'm sure they'll just induce you." I looked at him and said "I did NOT need to hear that...I am only 32 weeks." Idiot. Needless to say, we told a nurse what he said and he ended up at the nurses station being lectured. HAHA. So I went to triage up in L&D. I had to do a urine test, which came back fine. They hooked me up to the monitors and I just laid there for a while. My BP gradually started going down, but the nurse came in and told me that I had been having contractions. What?! I have no idea what a contraction feels like...I had no clue I had been having them. So, they had to give me a shot to stop the contractions. That was fun. It made my pulse race like crazy and I was so jittery and sweaty. Finally all that stopped and they sent me home with directions to "take it easy." I was shocked that they didn't put me on bed rest. I went to work for the next week...trying to convince people that yes, I am struggling, but yes, I am still at work. I have learned that some people in this world are just so unsympathetic to pregnant women. I had my next doctor's appointment last Thursday (the 3rd). My BP was high again. The nurse would not tell me what it was the first time around. After the doctor saw me and measured everything, the nurse had me lay on my left side for a while. She took my BP again and it was 140/90. Wonderful. So, the doctor called me into his office at that point. He told me I was measuring about a week ahead (I was measuring at 35 weeks). I had also gained 5 pounds in 3 weeks. OOPS. He told me then that "we need to stop work at this point." I was kind of shocked...even though I knew this was coming. It was a weird feeling. He got real serious...basically told me we need to keep Jackson inside for a few more weeks. He told me that all I could do for the next week is lay on the couch...get up to eat and use the bathroom. Then he sent me back to L&D to be monitored to make sure that Jackson was doing ok. Jackson is doing just fine...having a party most days. He has been keeping me awake at night because he is so active. His heart rate is perfect...he's a cutie already. I was still having some contractions in L&D. The nurse checked me and I was not dilated, but my cervix is beginning to soften. She acted like that was a good thing...that my body is doing what it needs to do. It just looks like I won't make it to my due date at this point. They sent me home and I have been here ever since! My baby shower had to be moved to my house this past weekend....so that was fun. I stayed in the recliner with my feet up the whole time and everyone waited on me. That is all a blur now really. I have spent my days on facebook, youtube, and watching TLC stuff on the DVR. It is starting to get old as of today! I go to the doctor tomorrow. He will tell me then if I am still on bed rest or if I can resume normal activity. I have mixed feelings about it all. Yes, it would be nice to be making some money again, but going to work obviously stresses me out and gets my BP high! Tomorrow he will also do the strep B test. I will be 35 weeks tomorrow! Almost at full term....Jackson's gotta hang in there a little while longer!

A new post...finally!

This will be a pictureless post for now...I need to get some pictures up here soon! I am now 30 weeks! The main symptom i am noticing now is EXHAUSTION. That, and being hot all of the time in the 95 degree August weather here. I have never been a sweaty person, but I have turned into one this past week. NASTY! Jackson's nursery is getting close to being done! It is so cute...bright and inviting. He is getting bigger and bigger...his movements can really hurt me now days! Jayson can now talk to Jackson through my stomach...he will tell him to move and Jackson will kick! It is so cute! Yesterday Jay was asking him questions...if he wanted to be called Jack or Jackson...what kind of music he likes..etc. HA! Jackson would answer with a kick. We can also watch him move from the outside of my stomach now. It's like a little ripple on my stomach. I left work early Friday due to strong chemical fumes in my office (they were waxing and stripping the floors). Today, it is still not better so I am working from another office. We toured the Labor and Delivery Unit of the hospital yesterday. I am glad we went! It made everything seem so much more real though...my legs started shaking when we got up to the second floor! The L&D rooms are very nice...pretty luxurious. They have free Wi-Fi, extended cable, a DVD player, a couch that pulls out into a bed, and nice wood furnishings. The sad thing is, if the hospital is busy I will get kicked out of there a few hours after I have the baby and will be sent to a postpartum room. Our nurse said those beds are actually more comfortable than the L&D beds. If I could have the baby on a Sunday I probably wouldn't have to worry about it because they were DEAD yesterday. Everything will be done in my room. The baby won't be taken away for very much at all, which is nice. They have 2 lactation nurses on staff at all times to help with breastfeeding. We are actually going to a class tonight with the "guru", Joy. They said yesterday that she could get breast milk out of a turnip. HA! We had a MAJOR blessing last night at church. I started talking to the youth pastor's wife at a reception after church. She had a baby boy last November. She offered me all of his old clothes! They will be in season and everything since he was born in the fall just like Jackson will be! Then we started talking about breastfeeding and she offered me her PUMP! She is finishing up breastfeeding her son this week and she said I can have her pump to use. WOW. That is huge! Those things cost like $300. We could rent one from the hospital, but they are outdated and annoying. In other news, I am gaining SO much weight. I never thought I would see these numbers on the scale! I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I hope he doesn't say anything to me about it! After this appointment, I will start going every two weeks. INSANE...it is approaching so fast. I feel like we still have so much stuff to buy before he comes. We do have at least 2 more showers left...thank goodness! My work shower is August 19th and my family shower is September 5th. Well, that is all for now. I need to get back to work! I will update again after my doctor's appointment! :-)

I'm baack!

After a long hiatus, I am back! Lots has happened since I took a break from blogging. We took a 2 week vacation to Massachusetts/Maine. It was great! Very relaxing, and nice to see Jay's family. We also had our first shower while we were up there. It was nice! We got lots of good stuff, including some gift cards and money. We have already used the gift cards to buy: A crib mattress, a bassinet, and a changing table! Very exciting. Putting the bassinet together a couple of nights ago was an experience. We are going to try the changing table tonight, so hopefully all will go well with that. Jackson moved a lot on our trip, but his Nana still wasn't able to feel him kick! Granna (is she still called that?) hasn't felt him either. His movement is getting stronger and stronger as he grows bigger, so maybe he can be felt soon! Jayson has felt him quite a few times...he must know who his mommy and daddy are! I have been feeling pretty good at 26 weeks. I am back to being super tired again, but I do get these bursts of energy occasionally. I try to get as much housework done as possible during those times! I have had a little bit of back pain, but that hasn't been too bad. Every now and then (depending on what I' ve eaten during the day) I will swell to large proportions. haha. My ankles and fingers are the worst. I have sadly had to take my wedding rings off. :-( They are now on a chain around my neck...and I am sporting a lovely $8.88 Walmart set on my ring finger. Like my doctor said today "Well, it's good to make a statement now days that is OK and NORMAL to be married and pregnant!" I totally agree with that! Speaking of doctor, I had my appointment this morning with the dreaded glucose test. It really wasn't that bad. I finished the drink at 7:45 A.M. It has been in the fridge for about a month now. I chose the orange drink. It kind of tasted like Triaminic...my mom would give us that when we were little and were sick. I didn't mind it at all until the very end...then it was a chore to finish it all! They took two vials of blood today. Hopefully that will all come out ok! I had gained 7 pounds since my last visit a month ago....I am a prego fatty! My doctor didn't say anything to me about my weight though. My blood pressure was ok, thankfully. He said I am measuring right on track for 26 1/2 weeks. The baby's heartbeat was 147, which is good. My next appointment is August 12th. After that I start going every 2 weeks...I can't believe it is already time for that! Everything is looking good...I hope it stays that way! So Jackson is about 14 inches long or so and he weighs about 2 pounds. I can feel him getting bigger and bigger. This week, he has been practicing opening and closing his eyes. And, he can now hear us talking to him more clearly! I need to be reading to him more...goodness knows I sing to him all the time in the car! Next week I will be in the third trimester! WOOHOO! Our due date is 3 months from tomorrow. Will we make it till then? Past then? Who knows! The nursery is coming together, so I know that will be ready for him. He is also getting quite the collection of clothes and blankets. Well, that is all for now. I am going to do a better job of keeping this updated...I promise! I will update again for 27 weeks!

Our baby boy...

We got our second peek at Jackson yesterday morning! It was such a fun experience. He really put on a show for us...I think he has a cute personality already! Our appointment was at 8:00. I like being the first appointment of the day! We invited my mom to come along with us to see her grandson for the first time. We had to go back for a second ultrasound because the technician could not get all the pictures she needed of his heart the first time. He was laying perfectly for her as soon as she started the ultrasound, so she got the pictures of his heart immediately. Then we got to have some fun. Jayson was able to get a video of Jackson's most active time. His legs were behind his head. He was grabbing his feet several times. Once, he lost grip of his foot and kept grabbing for it. It was so cute! He yawned a few times, and moved his mouth like he was talking to us. Then, he gave us the peace sign! At first it looked like he was shooting us, then he moved his fingers into the peace sign. He was very active. He is in the breech position right now. His legs and feet are directly on my cervix and bladder...which explains the massive amount of pressure I have been feeling. I am ready for him to move up! But, he seems happy and healthy, so I guess I should be happy too. He is still a boy--Jayson asked a few times during the ultrasound. LOL. He weighs 1 pound, 4 ounces now. He is right in the 50th percentile. So, he is exactly where he should be! After that, we went next door to talk to Dr. Riley. Very short. Basically he just told us that everything looks great. Then he gave me my stuff to drink for the glucose test. I could choose between orange and fruit punch. I chose orange. I am scared to drink it! I go for that test on July 15th. Right after we get back from our vacation. We are leaving for Massachusetts/Maine on Monday, June 29th. I can't wait! I need a vacation so bad! I am 22 weeks now. The fruit pictures only happen once a month now, so I will save that for next week. I am feeling him move a lot more now. Jayson has been able to feel him move, too! Tuesday night we were watching TV and we could see my belly moving. It was the weirdest thing! My growing belly is making it hard for me to sit with my legs crossed or to get up off of the floor after sitting for a while. I have gained about 12 pounds so far, which isn't bad. I'm over halfway through! Less than 4 months now till my due date. Well, that is all for now. See you soon for a week 23 update!

Knock Knock...Who's There?

Well, Jackson is nearing a pound and I can definitely feel it! I am still carrying VERY low, so the bigger he gets, the more uncomfortable it is for me! He is honestly sitting right on my bladder. I can feel where he is now. I am still experiencing that pressure that started a couple of weeks ago. If I recline at all, it eases up...but as soon as I sit straight up or get on my feet I feel the pressure again. I look like a dork at work...I have my chair all leaned back with a second chair propping my feet up. :-) I feel like I pee all day long...LITERALLY. I told a co-worker today that I think they should just move my phone into the bathroom and let me answer calls from there. haha. I hate complaining though...I am blessed! Jackson has been making his presence known a lot lately. I feel him kick all throughout the day, especially after breakfast. My boss had her baby this past weekend, so I got to hold him Monday. He was TINY---5 pounds, 4 ounces and 18 inches long. When I was holding him I think Jackson got a bit jealous because he started kicking me. ha. He could have been hungry, too, though. My weight gain is holding steady right now, which is fine with me. I know the pounds are going to start packing on soon enough. At least I have a belly now! That is very exciting to me! We are almost 4 months away from our due date. I hope I don't go early! That is one of my biggest fears--that and being put on bedrest. Jayson started painting the nursery this weekend. It looks great! I love the blue color we picked out. I can't wait to get everything else put together. My next doctor's appointment is a week from today! We will get to see Jackson again on the ultrasound. I can't wait to see how big he has gotten since last month! This week Jackson's taste buds are working. So, he can taste what I am eating and he will tend to like those foods when he is born. HA. I'm in trouble. Although, I did eat a whole bowl of Strawberries the other night. I hated strawberries up until I got pregnant. Now, I can't get enough of them. I ate so many the other night that my tongue got bumps on it! NERD! I also eat a banana every single day, whether I like it or not! So, I am trying to set him off on the right foot. I also read that the baby is getting ready for another growth spurt...lucky me! As I type this, I think Jackson is performing his first somersault. Must be time for lunch! I will update later with some pictures!

I "cant" believe it!

Wow! Jackson is now the size of a canteloupe. He is getting bigger and bigger, which caused all sorts of drama for mommy this past weekend. Thursday morning as soon as I woke up I felt a ton of pressure and my back was hurting. It hurt to walk, sit, or anything. It was a very uncomfortable day. I thought for sure I had another infection of some sort. So I called my doctor. The nurse told me to come in for a urine test and they would see if I had an infection. My mom and I left work early to go to the doctor's office. When I got there I was feeling so much pressure. I told the receptionist (who, oh my word, looks so much like Shu Shu it's not funny. I want to take a picture of her every time I am in there! LOL.) that I was in pain and she let the nurse know. The nurse told me that the doctor wanted to check me while I was there. EEE. My first time being checked! My urine test came back fine--no infection. He checked me and I was fine there, too--no dilation or anything like that. Jackson's heartbeat was in the 150's and everything looked great. So, he told me he thinks my body is just going through a lot right now...muscles tearing, things stretching, etc. He said my body is having a hard time keeping up with the changes that are taking place, so he told me to cancel all of my plans for the weekend and rest. Well, I had class Friday night and all day Saturday. So, I took off of work Friday. Oh, and did I mention we had company come in on Thursday? Great timing! I felt like such a lazy bum the whole time Alex and Adam were here! Alex was great though...she did my laundry, dishes, and housework like a pro while I laid up in the recliner! :-) I felt rough all day Friday...very tired and still a lot of pressure. I started to feel better Saturday during the day. We can tell when we use our fetal doppler that he is still extremely low. Since he is getting bigger, he is putting more and more pressure on my bladder, therefore I am going to the bathroom constantly! One good thing---I started feeling him move this past weekend! I felt him on Friday. He was kicking on my left side. Well, as of today he is kicking on my right side, so I guess he has done a switcheroo. He is extremely active. This morning I felt him right after breakfast, and then I felt him again around 3 this afternoon. I always feel him at night when I lay down on my back. When we are using our fetal doppler, I can hear him kick and feel it at the same time. It's pretty cool. I think Jay is ready to feel him kick soon! Jackson has a ton of clothes already. He will be well dressed, that's for sure. My parents bought our diaper bag for us this weekend at Carter's Outlet. Exciting! Buying stuff for a baby is so addicting. I really have to control myself. Well, I gotta go for now. Just wanted to give the fruit of the week with a quick update!

Almost halfway there...

Wow! 19 Weeks! According to those numbers, Jackson is a little bit ahead of schedule in the weight department. We still don't know how long he is...they said they couldn't tell on the ultrasound. This week, the baby is developing vernix to shield his skin from the amniotic fluid. I can definitely feel him growing today! I have had round ligament pain like crazy. It's real sharp pain that only lasts for a few seconds then goes away. I can always tell when Jackson is growing because I feel those pains and I get SO hungry. I have been hungry all day. It's weird...this weekend I felt like my belly went away! I looked so much smaller than I did the week before. But, I think I am back to showing today. A couple of people have actually commented that I am showing--SHOCKER! My legs, ankles, and fingers are continuing to swell. I am trying to pump the water, but it doesn't seem to be helping much. The leg cramps have gotten MUCH better since I have been taking my tums and eating ice cream. :-) I have been eating a bagel for breakfast every day---those have 40% of the daily calcium requirement for me! And my hubby is still making me chocolate milk, too. Such a good hubby. We shopped TONS this weekend. Jackson is accumulating quite the wardrobe already. Stores at Opry Mills were having 60% off sales. My favorite thing we got him was a pair of green Crocs! They are so cute! And, they were only $4.99! He is going to be STYLIN'! We started moving stuff out of the office to get it ready for the nursery transformation. The room looks so bare now. But, I can't wait to see it become a nursery. We are doing Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" theme. It will be so cute...and different! Well, I have BAD heartburn right now so I think I will go take some Tums. 20 weeks is just around the corner!!!

Introducing....

Ladies and Gentlemen....

Jackson Wendell Eaton!!!

Due October 16, 2009

Well, there HE is! We are so excited. My ultrasound today went well. He was VERY active at first...waving at us, putting his hand behind his head, sticking his foot on my belly, and turning every which way. He even had the hiccups at one point! At first he was shy and did not want to show us his "man parts," but finally he gave in. He was probably tired of the technician poking all around on my stomach. Everything looks great...2 arms, 2 legs, 5 fingers and toes, brain looks good, and all 4 chambers of the heart are present and in working condition. Jackson got a little tired of everything towards the end and decided to plop on his stomach for the duration of the ultrasound. Therefore, the technician didn't get the final pictures of his heart that she needed. SO, we get to go back in 4 weeks for a re-scan ultrasound. I'm not sad about that! Another chance to see the baby in action! We wanted a boy SO bad, but we had been trying to prepare ourselves this past week that it could be a girl! We would have loved a girl no matter what. BUT, our wish came true and we got our boy. He weighs a whopping 10 ounces right now, and kind of looks like an alien. We do think he has my chin, though. :-) We went shopping immediately after the ultrasound and bought some clothes for him. Boy clothes---yay! More shopping will be done this weekend when we REGISTER for gifts. I can't wait to use that little scanner again! Well, gotta go for now. I will post another update on Friday...can't believe another week has passed already!

The big week...

WOW...week 18 already! The baby is continuing to grow more and more every day...and I can feel it! The baby is now the size of a sweet potato...about half a foot long and almost half a pound. This week the baby has learned how to yawn and is moving all around in my tummy. I'm still not feeling much of it, but we can sure hear it when we use our fetal doppler. The baby was going crazy the other night after I ate Mexican food for dinner! The baby's heartrate has been good-averaging in the high 140's now. Could it be a boy? We will find out on Wednesday! I am very excited about going to the big ultrasound. Hopefully the baby will be very active and we will get to see EVERYTHING. I am so ready to start shopping! I am also eager to see how big the baby is and how far along they say I am. We have finally decided on baby names. If it is a boy the name will be Jackson Wendell. Wendell is after Jayson's grandfather. If it is a girl it will either be Baylee Grace or Baylee Kendall. A lightbulb went off while we were eating at Panera for lunch after church yesterday. These names should stick! We have gone back and forth since we found out we were pregnant. I have been super emotional this week. I have cried twice---OVER FOOD. Once was because I didn't know what I was going to eat for lunch and the only thing that sounded good to me was fast food. I know that is so bad for me and the baby! The second time was Saturday night after my birthday meal with the family. We went to a Chinese restaurant and it was GROSS and OVERPRICED. So, I got in the car and bawled. I'm such a dork! I was laughing at myself for crying while I was crying. haha. I have had some round ligament pain this week--sharp, shooting pains that go away real fast. Since the baby is still sitting on my bladder, I have been going back and forth to the bathroom ALL THE TIME! We will register for baby gifts this weekend. I am so excited--but I have no clue about bottles and pacifiers and stuff like that. I am going to have to do some research this week to see what is best. This was my last birthday without a child---how weird is that!? The time is flying by. I can't believe I'm almost 5 months now. Well, that is all for now. Just wanted to give you a quick update. I will update after Wednesday with exciting news from the doctor!!!!

A note from Baby Eaton...

Well, I know this really "stinks," but I am now the size of an onion! I am growing like crazy lately, and I know my mom can really feel it. She has been off balance a lot this past week because her belly is growing so much. She has also felt some round ligament pain. I am now over 5 inches long and I weigh about 6 ounces. This week I have started to get fat around my bones. The umbilical cord is getting stronger..yay! More food for me! I have fingerprints now, so I am even more of a unique individual. I have been trying to move a lot so my mommy can feel me. I think she might have felt me this week when she was taking a bath! I tried to put on a good show for her since I know she has been worried about not feeling me move a lot. But, everything is just fine with me! I got to show her that on Friday. My dad bought this heart monitor off of ebay. It is really cool---like what Dr. Riley uses when he checks my mom out. My heartrate this weekend has averaged out at about 150...sometimes lower than that. Mommy and Daddy are obsessed with listening to me. I think they listen to my heart about 3 or 4 times a day! I really don't like it too much. Everytime Daddy finds me I try to run away from him. They can hear me kicking and swimming! I move every time I hear my mommy's voice. I just can't help it! When we were over at Granna and Paw Paw's house this weekend they tried to let them hear my heart rate. I was feeling very shy---and I was scared by the metal folding chair that fell to the ground right before they listened to my heart! So, I played a little hide and seek with them. At least they got to hear my heart for a little bit. My mom put a video up on youtube of one of my performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi85nHTz7gU&feature=channel_page
My mom has had bad leg cramps for about a week now. They wake her up in the middle of the night and she has to grab her leg. Sorry, mom. Maybe I am just taking all of your nutrients and you need to eat more of certain things! Mommy called the doctor this morning to see what they suggest. She is waiting on a call back from them. Oh, my mommy and my daddy each picked something out for me this weekend and ordered them online! Yay! I like presents. My mom got me a book called "Oh baby the places you'll go!" It is a book that is written for moms to read to their babies while they are pregnant. It is kind of like the Dr. Seuss book. My dad picked out a DVD. It is called "Red Sox Baby." It is like those Baby Einstein videos, only it has all kinds of Red Sox stuff. I will learn what the mascot is, what baseball is, and all that fun stuff. I guess he wants me to be a Red Sox fan whether I am a boy or a girl. Speaking of...I get to "show my stuff" next Wednesday! I hope mommy and daddy are getting excited...I know I am. Well, that's all for now. I am getting hungry again so maybe Mommy should eat!

Fruit of the week comes early....

This weekend will be a very busy one for us, so I thought I would do my end of the week update now so I don't forget it! The baby is now the size of an avocado! Yay! That seems like it's so big to me! The bones are now formed in the baby's ears, so the baby can now hear things in the womb. That is exciting! I need to start reading to the baby very soon! I want this child to be so smart! The baby is also getting more hair this week (eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.). An ultrasound can pick up the baby's gender this week...but, we still have a few more weeks to wait for that. I would rather wait to make sure everything is clearly visible for us! I have been VERY stuffy this week. The nasal congestion is a part of pregnancy I had NO idea I would experience. Every morning I have a headache because I am so congested! Other than that, I have continued to feel good. My legs and feet are still hurting at times. I need to find some comfortable flats that I can wear to work....I am wearing flip flops today. Very unprofessional, I know...but when you're pregnant you do what you gotta do. My legs and feet get bright red if I have been standing on them for a while. Salads still make me sick feeling...I can only take so much of them. We had chicken ceasar salad for dinner last night...and I could not finish it. :-( My natural tendency is to eat junk all the time while I am pregnant...I don't necessarily eat a lot, but what I want to eat is not good for me! So, every day is a constant struggle to keep myself in check and make sure I am eating healthy things that the baby needs. This weekend is the big college graduation....Jayson, my mom, and my sister will all graduate. We will have a big party Saturday night. Jayson's mom, dad, and sister will come in this afternoon from Massachusetts. I am sure we will have lots of fun while they are here...and eat too much, too! We are all going out to Maggiano's after graduation on Saturday. Maggiano's is a nice italian restaurant downtown. You can eat family style, and it is all you can eat! mmmm. I bought a new maternity outfit for graduation--it has LEGGINGS! LOL. I have never worn leggings in my life, but I thought this outfit was really cute. It's so out of my comfort zone--I'm not trendy or anything like that. I can't wait to wear it though. Well, that is all for now. 16 weeks here we come!

Everything is lookin' good!

I went to the doctor today, so I thought I'd share everything that went on at this visit. This was my first pregnancy visit without Jayson being there with me. I wanted to get in earlier during the week, and all they had available was morning appointments. The doctor's office was REALLY busy today. Two of the doctors were sick last week, so they have been trying to cram everyone in. After waiting a while I was finally called back. I have only gained a pound since my last visit, which is a great thing! Especially since I have been eating like a cow at some meals. Last night my food was so good that I was yelling out to everyone how good it is. HAHA. Anyway, my blood pressure was good, too. YAY! It was 120/75. I am pleased with that. So was my nurse and my doctor. I had to sit and wait on my doctor FOREVER. He had two patients there today that had just had their big ultrasound...so he was definitely busy. He finally came in and measured my stomach (I forgot to ask him what it was) and then let me hear the heartbeat. He talked to me the whole time and held the monitor so I could see the heart rate. It ranged from about 151 to 156. He said he would write down 155. That is slower than last time, which is normal from what I have read. It's more in boy range now...haha. It was weird, every time I would say something to my doctor the heart rate would speed up a bit. Exciting! He took me in his office for the usual "chat time" and told me everything looked good...that I look really good for 15 weeks. He entered all my stats into the computer and said "Hmm...what if we did your ultrasound in 3 weeks instead of 4?" I was so excited! He told me at that appointment you can also choose to have the optional AFP blood test done. It checks for birth defects. He told me that he and his wife did not have it done for any of their kids...and that most of the things it checks for would show up on the ultrasound. I asked him when I would start to feel the baby move--I am getting antsy! He said it could be another 4-6 weeks. He said it is completely normal to not feel anything yet. I went next door to schedule my ultrasound. The receptionist said they had seen a streak of boys this morning....I told her I hope that continues! My ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20th at 8:00 A.M. I can't wait! I am ready to shop and decorate a nursery! It's a relief to know that things are looking good. I can't believe I will be 16 weeks on Friday! Time flies by!

Orange you glad you read my blog?

Well, we made it to week 15! It's hard to believe--time is flying by. The baby is now the size of a navel orange. The baby is about 4 inches long and weighs over 2 ounces! Growing faster and faster every week! This week the baby's arms are getting longer and more evenly proportioned. All four limbs now have proportional joints--so the baby should start moving and grooving pretty soon. I am ready to feel the baby move! It still may be a little early for me to feel that, though. This is a big time for the baby's nails and bones to grow. Mama needs more calcium! I stopped and got a chocolate milk on the way to work...plus I have been trying to take Tums more regularly. I have white spots under my fingernails. I had always thought it was from a calcium deficiency, but according to stuff I've read online that may not be the case. I dunno. I always worry that I'm not getting enough of certain nutrients while I am pregnant. My nose is still really stuffy--it has been since I got pregnant. I also get short of breath really easy. I read that is because things are getting cramped already in my torso. My belly is definitely getting bigger. People at work actually commented on my belly today...that was very exciting to me! I am back to sleeping with the body pillow. I gave it up for a while because it ended up on the floor every morning. But, now it is a necessity for me. My legs and knees have started to hurt some--that's new for this week. Sometimes at night I have to put a pillow under my knees. Other than those few things, I am feeling really good. I like the second trimester so far! My favorite time of the day to eat is at lunch. I like having a big lunch. I'm never that hungry at breakfast, and I could care less about dinner. My craving for hot dogs is pretty much gone now. Wednesday my office went to a local community college to pass out hot dogs and tell them about our program. After serving over 500 hot dogs and eating two, I no longer crave them! I may be craving bacon now. Lots of it. It is starting to get HOT in Tennessee. Today the high is supposed to be 86. I am going to be pregnant and huge during the hottest, most humid months of the year. CAN'T WAIT! I will probably be wearing lots of flip flops this summer...at all times. I go the doctor on Tuesday morning for him to check my blood pressure and let me hear the heartbeat again. This will be the first time I go without Jayson. Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary will happen. I'm ready to hear the heartbeat again! My blood pressure has been great according to the cuff we have at home. With my appointment being in the morning, I should be nice and relaxed when the nurse takes my BP. After this appointment comes the big one.......when we find out the gender of the baby! I am so ready to find out so I can start shopping! Well, today is a busy day at work and I better get moving. My hubby is coming to help us with the heavy lifting for this weekend's events. Isn't he the greatest? Happy Spring/Summer!

When life hands you a lemon...

The fruit of the week is....a lemon! The baby finally weighs over an ounce and is growing more and more every day! This week the baby is busy practicing its sucking, wiggling, and breathing skills. A thick coating of hair has covered the baby's body to keep it warm. Good timing, now that it is FINALLY warming up in Tennessee. That was the longest winter ever. The baby should be moving around now...although I can't feel it yet. At least, I don't think I can. Sometimes I think I can feel it, but I could just be making it up...wishful thinking! I have been more aware this week of where the baby is, though. The first part of this week I could tell it was hanging out on my left side...that side just felt more heavy and I could tell when I stood up that something was there. As the week has gone on, I think the baby has moved more to the middle of my tummy. I am really rounding more in the middle of my stomach. The "pooch" that was there is now evening out into a nice round belly. I will take pics either tonight or tomorrow. I have felt pretty good overall this week. I have had a few headaches and I've noticed that my balance is off. The fatigue is still there, although it's not as bad as it was during the first trimester. Still, I find myself dozing off while we're watching TV at about 9 every night. One new thing I've noticed is the fact that I now have hair ALL over my stomach. GROSS! I have never been a very hairy person, but I feel like every day now I have more hair on my stomach. It is gross. And I have had to shave my legs so much that I have razor burn all over them....and under my arms as well. EW! I wonder if this means it is a boy. I have also been craving hot dogs. I have had 3 total hot dogs this week. It is the weirdest thing. I have never been a huge hot dog fan...but boy do I love them now. I like them almost burnt. My appetite has definitely improved even more. I love eating now! WOOHOO! According to my scale at home, I have gained about 2 more pounds. The doctor could say differently though. Yesterday afternoon I was able to practice my mama skills. A co-worker of mine brought in his 2 month old (Henley Jane) and I told him to just park her right at my desk while he was in meetings. So, we hung out for most of the afternoon. She slept most of the time. I couldn't take it any more so I got her out of her carrier and held her for a while. Man, babies are heavy. And this one wasn't even that big! My arms got a work out...and they are sore today! I need to get used to that, though. Hopefully we will have a nice, relaxing weekend ahead of us! Well, this has been a pretty uneventful week, so this post will be short and boring! Just wanted to let you all know what the fruit of the week was.

Everything is just peachy...or is it?!

Well, as of yesterday I am 13 weeks. Time is flying by! I am glad to be in the second trimester now, although I have noticed that I have thrown up more in the past few weeks than i ever did in the first trimester. I threw up again Thursday night....but we will get to that later. This week's fruit is the peach. We're getting bigger and bigger! The baby is about 3 inches long now and is getting close to weighing a whole ounce! The baby's teeth and vocal cords are forming this week, and its body is reaching "normal" proportions (the head is not so big!). The intestines are now moving from the umbilical cord to the tummy.

This past week has been pretty good. I have noticed that I get dizzy occasionally, and I have had a few headaches as well. Monday night when I got home from work I had a belly! That was pretty exciting. My appetite really hasn't been that huge. I pretty much just eat my meals and maybe a snack or two during the day at work. I don't snack much at all when I am home. I was really nervous all week about my doctor's appointment. We watched "Marley and Me" last weekend. Good movie, but not what a 12 weeks pregnant woman needed to see! The couple in the movie goes for an ultrasound and the baby has no heartbeat. GREAT. Plus, I saw all this stuff on TLC and Discovery Health this week about babies with no heartbeat. And, I have come to realize that sometimes people just don't say the right things they need to say to a pregnant woman. This week I was told "Well, if something happens it happens and you'll move on." YEAH RIGHT. When you want a baby so bad, you dont' just "Move on and forget about it." I was also told horror stories about "people I knew who lost their baby at 14 weeks." Not what I needed to hear. I now know what to say to pregnant women and what not to say.

Well, Thursday (the day of our appointment) came. I was a nervous wreck all morning long. Had the worst traffic on the way to work (sat on the interstate for an hour and a half) and I was stressed about leaving work early and who was going to cover the front desk. So, by the time I got to the doctor I was a bundle of nerves. We were taken back pretty fast this time. I was told that I have gained NO weight since my last appointment (go me!!!). The nurse also told me that my blood type is O+...which my doctor says is perfect for pregnant women. Jay is O-....so he says we are a good match. My blood pressure was really high when the nurse took it: 140/105. eek! The nurse said she would probably take it at the end, once my doctor saw me. My doctor came in and I expressed my frustrations regarding how long I had to wait to find out I had an infection. He still acted like this was completely normal, and that I would be fine. He also told me he could see how worked up I was, and that probably explained my high BP. He then allowed us to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. I freaked out when he couldn't find it at first. I thought my worst fears were coming true! But, after locating my blood flow on the right side, he moved to the left side and found the baby! I think that is where the baby is hanging out right now. I look bigger on my left side than I do on my right. Anyway, the baby's heart rate was a whopping 170. Very fast. Our kid will probably be as ADD as Jay and I both are. It was very clear and strong...so I went from fear to excitement all at once. Very relieved. He told me he'd like to see me in 4 weeks, and then 3 weeks after that we can find out the gender. BOO. 7 weeks is so far away! He sent the nurse back in to check on my BP. It was still high--135/100. She had me lay on my left side for a while and relax. The third time she took it it was 130/100. Still too high. The doctor came back in and said he wasn't too worried about it right now...he knew how worked up I had been all day. He recommended that I check it regularly and relax. He wants to see me back in 3 weeks instead of 4 to check on it. But, we will still need to wait 4 weeks after that for our ultrasound.

That evening, I had throw up #2. We bought one of those cheap heartbeat things at Target that "allows you to hear your baby's heartbeat at home." We know it's a piece of junk, but it is our first pregnancy, so we should be allowed to blow money on things like that! Anyway, Jay was getting me all hooked up to try it out and I had to throw the thing off and run to the bathroom. I think I grossed Jay out a little bit. HAHA. Nothing like hearing your sexy wife puke her guts out over and over again. I immediately felt better after that.

Friday was a dramatic day. Terrible tornados came through our town. We were very fortunate to not have any damage to our new home....and we are all safe and sound. Jay and I were in Lifeway when it happened. I had just picked out a devotional book for pregnant ladies. It is really cool. It goes week by week and lists what is going on with the baby's development. It lists things you can pray for for the baby and gives a Bible verse. It is made for worrying pregnant ladies, and that seems to be me lately! Anyway, they rushed us all back to the stock room, where they handed out free candy while we waited out the storm. We were there for about an hour. I stayed very calm...I am working on trying not to get so stressed out about things. It is not good for my BP or for the baby! When we finally left, we got to see some of the damage first hand. It is really scary. Some houses are just completely gone...others are missing roofs or large portions of their home. Our church is still without power.

We planted a maple tree in our backyard this morning. That will be cool to be able to tell our child...that we planted that tree a few months before they were born! I have started a video blog on youtube. I love watching other pregnancy vlogs on here, so I thought I would start one myself. Part one of my first video was too big and would not load onto the site. Hopefully I am on the right track now, though. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/Mamaeaton09

That's all for now! I will post more belly pics later. Happy Easter!!!!

I am starting to have a belly!!

Plum tuckered out!

I'm a bit confused about this week's fruit. Last week was a lime. When we went to the grocery store last week I compared a lime and a plum....and the lime is definitely bigger! Maybe the baby is just a really large plum right now! As you can see, the baby is over 2 inches now. Still doesn't weigh an ounce, but it's getting there! This week the baby has the reflex to lift its head a slight bit, and can also practice breathing. All of the organs are developed, so now the baby can really start growing! As I am beginning the second trimester, I realize that I have been feeling much better overall this week. Over the past few days my appetite has come back in full force, and I think I have had a little bit more energy, although Jay would probably disagree! The one "new" thing I have encountered is back pain and an overall sore feeling. I realized the cause of this around midnight last night. I am a stomach sleeper. I always have been. Well, sleeping on my stomach now causes me to arch my back and is very uncomfortable. Sleeping on my side is also very uncomfortable. So, that explains the soreness I am feeling today. I need to go look for a body pillow or something to help me out at night. Maybe this means I am getting ready to show! Some women are already showing at this point, but others aren't even close. I can feel a difference in my tummy. Especially when I try to sleep on my stomach. I am still not a fan of chocolate, and my need for salty things has increased even more! My next doctor's appointment is a week from yesterday--Thursday, April 9th. We will hear the heartbeat then. I am excited! I hope that it is nice and strong. I pray also that this infection is gone. I worry that it is still there! Hopefully at our May appointment we will find out the gender of the baby! Surely he won't make me wait till June! That would stink! We had some really bad storms here yesterday. A tornado touched down just right down the road from where I work! They evacuated everyone here to the "safe rooms." It poured all night long, too. I love the rain, but I do not like driving home in it at 7:30! I am ready for a nice weekend. Jay and I haven't seen each other much this week, with revival and me working late. Next weekend will be a long one, thanks to Good Friday! Hopefully I can catch up on some rest then. Well, I will close for now. Only 196 days to go!

Spoke too soon....

Well, throughout my 11 weeks of pregnancy, I have been pretty proud of the fact that I haven't thrown up at all. I've told people "This is easy! I can do this!" Well, Friday night I think the Lord decided to say "BOO YA, CYNDI!" I had been feeling weird all day long...had a headache and just wasn't hungry. Well, Jay is always ready to eat on Friday nights when I get off. We decided to go to Jason's Deli to eat dinner. Salads have not tasted "right" to me at all since I have been pregnant. I feel like I can taste the dirt on the lettuce. BUT, for some reason that night I decided to get the salad bar. I usually LOVE the salad bar there. I made a good looking salad with lots of veggies on it thinking "I am eating healthy! Go me!" I sat down to eat and made myself eat most of the salad. Did not enjoy it one bit. At the end of your meal you can get a free soft serve ice cream cone. I passed on that one, but Jay was all over it. He gets his ice cream and we head to the car to go shopping. We get in the car and Jay hands me his ice cream cone to hold while he starts the car up. I knew then things weren't going to be pretty. I started gagging. I threw the cone back at him and jumped out of the car. Luckily I made it to the grassy knoll before I puked my guts out several times. All the while, Jayson is merrily licking his ice cream cone in the car. Cars were trying to pull into parking spaces but couldn't because I was puking. haha. What a special night. I felt better after that and we continued our shopping. I got several cute maternity tops and some yoga pants at Ross. I have had the most luck there with buying maternity clothes. They are so cheap--$7.99 for shirts! My weight gain is holding steady right at 2 1/2-3 pounds. I'll take it! That's not bad for the whole first trimester! This weekend I felt kind of puny...I slept A LOT. My body must have needed it. This week has been good so far, except for the awful heartburn. Now that I have finished my antibiotic I can go back to taking Tums. mmmmm. Saturday we went to Babies R Us for the first time. Man, is that place overwhelming! SO much stuff to look at. We found a few bedding sets that we like and a few stroller/carrier combos that we like too. Now we just need to know if it is a boy or a girl so we can decide. Well, that is all for now. Hopefully I will have no more sick incidents to report!

Put the lime in the coconut...

Well, I am almost done with the first trimester! Yay! I am 11 weeks today. It amazes me that the baby still doesn't weigh an ounce yet! The baby is now as big as a lime. In a couple of weeks, there will be a major jump in fruits. Stay tuned! This week the baby is learning how to swallow and is controlling other reflexes. Right now, the head is as big as the body. Hopefully that will change soon...haha. The placenta is starting to take over some of the hormone production, so I should start feeling better and better every day. I can already tell a difference. I'm not near as nauseous any more, but still very tired. I think I am still trying to get over our trip. I only gained 2 pounds on the trip....one of which I have already lost! Yay! I have only noticed a major change in the "chest area." Oh the joys. As if I didn't have issues to begin with! I have had a major headache all day today, and no tylenol in sight to help things! My appetite is getting better, but I'm still not eager to eat. I can't finish a whole meal right now, and some things just don't taste as good to me as they used to. I'm not having any weird cravings or anything just yet, but I do like eating french fries. Terrible, I know. I tried to eat a salad the other day and I felt like I could taste the dirt on the lettuce leaves...GROSS! I don't think I'll be attempting that again any time soon. Now, for the journey to Massachusetts:

We arrived late Friday night. The flight there was decent, besides the fact that we played Phase 10 and Jay BARELY beat me at the last second. We didn't get to bed until after midnight that night. I was very excited to see a pile of maternity clothes there waiting on me! Thanks, MIL! I didn't sleep that well the first night due to having to go to the bathroom every few hours. The room we stay in is downstairs, so I had to make the trek upstairs every time I had to go.

Saturday was spent mainly visiting with family.

We went to see Jay's grandparents. Poor Papa has had a reaction to the chemo pill he is taking. His face is all broken out. I felt bad for him. That night, Jay's parents treated everyone to dinner. Here are some pics:

Me and Jay with Julia, the oldest niece

Me and Rylee, the second oldest niece

Sunday morning, Jay and I sang at his parents' church. We sang "Father Spirit Jesus" by Casting Crowns. We had to sing at both services. Between the first and second service, we went to Walgreens, where we got this:

This fine product is called Intelligender. The pregnancy magazines are advertising that this little test is 90% accurate in predicting the gender of your baby. It's all a bunch of hogwash, I'm sure, but it was just too tempting to not try it. I will talk more about that later! After church I went with the MIL and Alex to do some shopping. I bought Twilight! YAY! After our excursion we went on a walk around the neighborhood. I was so out of breath! I have got to do a better job of staying in shape while being pregnant! We stopped to pick up Natalie and she rode in her stroller the rest of the walk. Then she came back to the house and amazed us with her saxophone skills.

We ate some yummy mac and cheese for dinner (did you know that is a main course in New England? You can order it like any other meat. CRAZY. Down south it is strictly a side dish!) and then headed to Grams. Jayson sure was glad to see his Grandmother!

Monday morning dawned bright and early. I told LeighAnn (Jayson's sister) that I would do the Intelligender test at 8:00 A.M. Monday. Well, my bladder could not wait that long. I woke up a little after 7 and knew I wasn't going to make it till 8. So, I had to go on and take the test. The test comes in a little bottle. The bottle is filled with "magic crystals". You have to use your first morning urine in a cup. They give you a syringe to squirt the urine into the magic crystals. EW. Then you have to swirl it around for 10 seconds and let it sit for 10 minutes. The crystals change colors according to what you are having--green for a boy and orange for a girl. I called LeighAnn while I was waiting so she could at least feel like she was there with me. I checked after 2 minutes and it was GREEN! I waited for 8 more minutes and it was still GREEN! So, according to the ever so wise Intelligender, we are having a boy. Don't worry, I'm not going to paint the nursery or buy boy clothes just yet. Here I am delivering the news to LeighAnn:

We shopped on Monday. I did purchase some clothes for the baby. A cute little Red Sox gift set with onesies, a pacifier, a hat, and a wrist rattle. If it is a girl, we can just stick a bow in her hair and she will still be cute. lol!

Tuesday morning we went with LeighAnn and Natalie to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store. It is the real deal. That is where they make the candles and everything. I love going there. Rooms and rooms of candles, and it is always CHRISTMAS in the store. It snows every so often in the store. I always have to buy a candle when we go. I bought an apple scented one for my office. And we also got this cool fan thing that blows a different scent every 2 hours.

After that we went to a thrift store, where I got some really cute onesies and stuff in great shape....Baby Gap and Old Navy stuff for like 50 cents each! You can't beat that! We stopped at Wendy's for lunch so the prego ladies could get their fix. As soon as we got back to the house, I got a call from my doctor. My last appointment was March 9th. I get a call this past Tuesday telling me that I have a bladder infection. I have had it for over two weeks. So nice of them to decide to call and tell me that. Very frustrating. I questioned it and they said they just got the results back in, which is a big ol' lie. You can't let urine tests go that long. So they put me on an antibiotic, Nitrofur, which I had called in up in Massachusetts. I am taking it twice a day. I just wonder now if the pains I was feeling that I thought were just pregnancy related were really infection related. I have also been going to the bathroom as much as a 9 months pregnant woman would. During dinner one night in Mass I went 5 times. I am setting world records! HA. We are going to question this some more when I go for my next appointment April 9th. I really like my doctor, but I have not been impressed with the way some things have been going. Shannon brought her girls over that afternoon. We ate dinner with the Pastor and his family that night at Friendly's and headed home.

Wednesday was our last day there. We visited with Gram and Pappa some more and had lunch with LeighAnn and Natalie.

That's pretty much our trip in a nutshell. It was nice to get away for a while, but always hard to get back into the routine. We were very upset to discover that our DVR did not record our shows while we were gone. Whatever will we do?! These next few weeks of pregnancy should be interesting. I should start showing. I will take some belly pics and put them up. Go comment on my hubby's blog. He needs comments. haha.

From Baby Eaton...

Dear Mom,

I have been growing inside of you for 10 weeks now. I am the size of a prune. The good news is, I am now over an inch tall and weigh 1/4 of an ounce. The bad news is, I am now capable of pooping. You better get ready for all those diapers now! My vital organs are developing now, and I am starting to get little tooth buds. Who knows if I will have big teeth like your side of the family?! You better start saving up for braces NOW. I can move my arms...that is pretty neat. Over the next 3 weeks I will really be busy. My size will double! That is probably why you will start gaining more weight soon, so don't freak out. You've been pretty lucky so far--you've only gained 3 pounds in the first 10 weeks. That's pretty impressive. I'm sorry you haven't had too much of an appetite lately. I have tried to give you a few good days here and there. You are feeding me more calcium, thanks to those Tums you've been taking. That is good, because my bones are starting to form now. I'm glad you are not eating chocolate, because I do NOT like it. Keep eating the salty stuff...and the fruits and veggies of course! I heard daddy when he put his face to your belly and asked if I was in there this week. I giggled. Of course I am in here! Why else do you think my mom has felt so rough lately? I think you should maybe switch your prenatal vitamin. It is not making you feel good every morning. I hate it that your belly hurts because of your vitamin! But I need them, so you have to keep taking them. One morning this week, you woke up and said that you felt like you had been doing sit ups all night long. That's just me growing. Sorry! You better start putting lotion on your stomach, because pretty soon you will be having stretch marks and who wants those?! I am very excited about my first trip on a plane to go to Massachusetts. I am excited about meeting Nana, Grandpa, Auntie Alex, Auntie LeighAnn, Auntie Shannon, Uncle Justin, Uncle Todd, Julia, Rylee, Natalie, and Avery. And Grammie and Pappa, Auntie Laura, Uncle Mike, Matt, and Jake. Oh, and the puppies too. Oh, and my newest cousin still in Auntie LeighAnn's belly. I am sure we would have lots to talk to each other about---if we could! Hopefully I can be a good boy or girl and you will feel good on your vacation. You and daddy need a vacation! Having a baby growing inside of you is hard work! I still don't know what to call your mommy and daddy. Gi Gi? Be Be? Boo Boo? haha. They need to decide fast, because I will be here before they know it! Well, I need to go rest before our big plane trip tonight. Only 9 more weeks or so until you know if I am a boy or a girl!

Love,

Payton. Or Gavin. Or Addison.

The middle of week 9

Well, I am now about 9 1/2 weeks pregnant. I have had absolutely NO appetite for over a week. Nice timing, with Texas family being in town! I really haven't been too nauseous in the morning, just no appetite all day long and very sleepy. I hope the baby is getting enough nutrients. I have been faithfully taking my vitamins and trying to eat when I feel like it. I'm not showing yet, though I can definitely feel and tell a difference more and more with each day that passes.

Uncle Tom, Nonie, Shannon, Brandy, and Deon arrived Saturday night. We all ate together at Couser's....which is always a treat. lol. Didn't really feel like eating my food. Good thing my dad took care of my "leftovers." Sunday morning we slept in and skipped Sunday School because I needed the sleep! We went to church, went to my parents house for MORE food, and then everyone came to our house for dessert. There were 26 people crammed into my parents' house. It was absolutely crazy. Sunday night we all ate at Grandma's (are you seeing a trend here? Food, food, and more food!). Yesterday I was absolutely exhausted from the busy weekend. I left work a little early so we could meet the fam at The Catfish House for MORE food. I really did not eat much at all--though I did manage to eat some fried pickles (my absolute FAVORITE). Jay and I retired early after that. We came back home and watched this:

A co-worker let me borrow this. It is really cool. It shows the development of the baby from conception through birth. We watched all the way up to 11 weeks. It is crazy to think that the baby is already moving inside of me, even though it is just reflexes (the brain isn't telling it to move yet). How anyone could experience pregnancy and childbirth and not believe there is a God is beyond me. Anyway, I was asleep by about 9:15 last night...and didn't wake up till 7:15 this morning. I needed the sleep! Today I have felt much better...more energized and a little bit more of an appetite. My mom and I went to Grandma's for lunch to tell everyone bye. It's always sad to say goodbye to family! Deon was absolutely precious while they were here. He kept referring to Jay as "the teacher." He loved Grandma and laughed at everything she said. Tonight I work until 6:00 (I HATE late nights!) and then we will have our shows to watch when I get home. Just a few more days and we will be in Massachusetts. I think we are both ready for a getaway. Maybe some new scenery will give me some more energy and an appetite!

wee-wee?!

Well, we are officially in week 9 now! A little olive! Still seems SO small to me. The baby is just now at about an inch long. I get weekly emails from babygaga.com. Here is what my email said this morning:

You're getting close to the end of the first trimester and your little baby is really starting to take off, with eyes and ears, and even their kidney is getting ready to start making wee-wee! Your slightly bulging midline could still be mistaken for too many Mallomars, but you're on the path to steady weight gain, which we recommend you keep track of now (you'll thank us later).

Wee-wee?! Ew. My midline is slightly bulging, even though I keep gaining and losing the same pound every few days. My stomach is feeling harder...not jiggly with fat like it usually is. HAHA. I feel like I have hit a wall this week. So far, this week has been the roughest physically. I have had no appetite at all--I have had to make myself eat, and when I do, there are always leftovers. What happened to that little monster inside of me that was SO hungry the past few weeks?! I have been very tired too. Last night I was asleep well before 9:00. Woke up this morning and still had bags under my eyes. Last night after dinner I could physically feel the hormones raging through my body. I was up cleaning the kitchen and I had to sit down...my whole body was shaking...and I got SO tired! I have also been having some digestive issues. I hope all that goes away soon. I am ready to start showing...and to actually be able to enjoy being pregnant! I know the first trimester is almost over. I see the light at the end of the tunnel! This weekend will be a busy one. Uncle Tom, Nonie, Shannon, Brandy, and Deon from Texas will be in town. So, the little olive gets to meet some Texas family for the first time! There will be a lot of eating taking place this weekend. Hopefully I can hold up...and somehow come through on the desserts and stuff I have to make. I have a hard time cooking right now. Poor Jay has had to come to bat for me with household chores this week. He has been great--doing laundry, vacuuming, etc. MIL, you trained him well. Or did he ever do that kind of stuff at home?! :-) Well, that's all for now! My weeks change over on Fridays now. That's kind of a good thing. We have that to look forward to all week long!

****Here are my week nine progress pictures! Still not much visible to the public eye, but I can definitely see and feel the changes... Hopefully soon it will be visible!!!!

We have a baby!

Well, there you have it! Our first ultrasound! YAY! My appointment was at 2:45 yesterday afternoon. Jayson and I both left work a little early. We got there and had to wait for about 10 minutes before they called me back. That made me even more nervous! They finally called me back and got me set up for the ultrasound first. My doctor kept calling Jayson "Trey." So that is his new name now...ha! I finally had to correct him...I couldn't take it any more! It was an internal ultrasound (FUN!). When it first started, he freaked me out because he just stood there for a while and didn't say anything! Then he asked the nurse "Are you seeing what I'm seeing here?" OH MY WORD. I thought something was wrong. But then the nurse said "AW!" So I knew everything was okay. He pointed out the yolk sac, the gestational sac, and the umbilical cord. The cord was bigger than the baby! We also got to see the heartbeat fluttering away. He said at our next appointment we should be able to hear the heartbeat. I said "So there's only one in there, right?" And he said "Why? Were you expecting more than one?" And I told him about the history of twins in my family. He checked and double checked, and there is only one baby! Thank goodness! He measured the baby at 8 weeks, 3 days. I thought for sure I would be about 9 weeks. It is only a couple of days difference, though. And who knows...the baby could just be measuring small. After the ultrasound, he took us in his office for a "chat." He loves to do that. We sat in his office and he asked us about our family history and gave me a bag of goodies to take home. He also answered all of the questions that I had. He gave us a due date of Friday, October 16th. Yay for an October baby! After our chat, they took SIX vials of blood from me. I thought I was going to DIE. They took 3 huge vials and 3 small ones. Jayson asked what they were taking all the blood for and she said they were making sure I was healthy enough to carry a baby...checking for HIV, Hepatitis, etc. They are also determining my blood type since I have no clue. She also milked it for me and told Jayson "Now, since I've taken so much blood she probably can't cook or clean or anything like that for at least 3 days." I laughed. After the massive blood draw, our insurance info was explained to us...with a grand total of what the baby will cost us. Here comes another bill! They set us up on a payment plan starting next month. I will pay each month until I am about 7 months along. After that we should be set to go. My next appointment is April 9th at 3:45. That's when we will hear the heartbeat. He said we will know the gender of the baby at 18-19 weeks. So, that's only 10 weeks away! WOOHOO! Jayson dreamed that it was a girl. He said we both had to chew this gum...and if the gum turned blue it was a boy, and if it turned green it was a girl. Both of our pieces of gum turned GREEN. HA. Well, that is all for now. My weeks "switch over" on Fridays now, so the baby is still a raspberry for the time being. Tune in Friday to see what is next!

P.S. People can say the DUMBEST things while you are pregnant. Honestly. I was just told "Well, you don't look like you're pregnant." SERIOUSLY, people. I am 8 1/2 weeks along.

The berry of the week...

Well, the baby is now the size of a raspberry! This week the baby is straightening out, developing ear lobes, fingers, and toes. I think I am 8 weeks and 1 day. I will find out for sure on Monday when we go for our first ultrasound. yay! It's exciting and nervewracking all at the same time! I just want a happy, healthy baby! I have been absolutely STARVING for the past 2 days. I am really trying to eat more healthy, snacking on fruit and cheese and things like that. I just can't go for very long without eating--it's crazy how hungry I get. I get so hungry that it is painful at times! I have had a headache all day...I don't know if that is due to hunger, hormones, or what. I just got back from lunch with my mom. I am sure within the next hour I will have to eat something small. The morning sickness hasn't been bad so far this week. Let's hope it stays that way! Jayson woke up this morning running a little bit of a fever. I freaked out...hoping I don't catch whatever it is he is coming down with! The baby will be clothed for Christmas, at least. lol. My parents bought 2 unisex Christmas outfits for the baby this weekend on clearance at Dillards. They are very cute! Jayson and I have found a crib that we like, too. It is a 4-in-1, so it will go from a Crib to a toddler bed to a daybed, to a full size bed. It also has a matching changing table and glider. Here is a pic:

My mom has been wanting to buy me some maternity clothes for a while now. We do not have an Old Navy near us that sells maternity clothes, but I saw that they are having a big sale right now. So, she bought me some stuff online today! Here is what I got:

Well, I guess that's it for this baby update. Keep praying that I get my appetite under control!!!

My little blueberry!

Well, that's how big the baby is this week! A little blueberry! How can something so small cause you to be so nauseous!? I already feel like there is a watermelon in there! Wrong fruit, I guess. This week the baby's brain is really developing and arms and legs are starting to grow. Pretty cool, huh? The past two days have been kind of rough. Yesterday morning I was sick immediately when I woke up. I hadn't had much to eat the night before, so that could be why. I was sick feeling off and on all morning. Mary Kay (my cousin's wife in Texas) told me to try lemonade for morning sickness. I tried that late morning and it seemed to work for me. My weight has gone down a little. I've lost about 2 pounds, probably in water weight alone. I am chugging the water all day at work. It stormed really bad last night. I was awake at 5 because it was so bad. I didn't feel terrible when I got up, but as the morning has progressed it's gotten worse. I brought leftover chicken tenders for lunch. MISTAKE. I stood up to take them to the refrigerator in the back and got a whiff. UGH. I started gagging--I thought for sure this would be my first time to throw up. But, I didn't, thankfully. I just don't know if I will be eating those chicken tenders for lunch today! ew! My little blueberry will be taking his or her first plane ride next month to Massachusetts! I may be showing at that point. Exciting! Well, that's all for now. Just thought I'd post an update before I get busy at work.

BABY BLOG!

Well, I'm pregnant! Woohoo! I am going to try to do a better job of blogging throughout my pregnancy. Having family live far away is tough! I am going to try to keep everyone updated on everything. We are very excited. We had been trying for a while, so this is definitely an answer to prayer. I have always had a haunting feeling that I was never going to get pregnant. Our first Sunday visiting at our new church, I sat and bawled during "cardboard testimonies" because so many of the women were told they could never have kids and they did! Little did I know then that I was pregnant. We found out on Monday, February 2nd. I really hadn't been feeling any noticable symptoms...or so I thought. Later, I realized that the metallic taste in my mouth and the RARE nosebleed I had were both pregnancy symptoms. Anyway, Jay made me take a test that night just for the fun of it...and sure enough, there was a faint little line there. I freaked out...I knew it couldn't be right. After all, it was a Dollar Tree pregnancy test. So, we went and worked out and bought a "real" digital test on the way home. That one was positive too! I think I took about 8 tests over the course of the next few days. Seriously. We didn't know whether to tell people right away or what. The next evening we made a video to send to Jayson's parents. It wouldn't send through email, so we ended up sending them a picture of the test instead. I wish that I had known I was pregnant when they were here to visit! They went back home a week before I found out! BOO! Then we went to my parent's house. After Halloween, I had bought some baby stuff on clearance at Target just for the fun of it. Well, how lucky is it that I am due in October? I wrapped a bib up and we took it to my parents as a "Thanks for helping us move in" gift. I think they caught on as soon as we walked in the door. Here is their reaction:

The very next day I started feeling pregnancy symptoms. Very tired, nauseous, and hating anything sweet tasting. I called my doctor Tuesday morning and they couldn't get me in till the 11th. Waiting waiting waiting! My first appointment did not go as I thought it would. Basically I just went in, he took a blood and urine test, and that was it. I was expecting so much more! My hormone levels were REALLY high. At about 5 weeks I was reading at 4900. From what I can see online, that is high. What if this is twins?! Twins do run in our family. I have had a lot of symptoms of carrying multiples, too: early heartburn, EXTREME fatigue, extreme hunger, high hormone level, etc. My sister in law told me that she learned in nursing school that high hcg levels can sometimes mean you are having a girl. Jayson wants a boy so bad! Anyway, my doctor scheduled me for my first ultrasound on March 9th. I am pretty sure I will be about 9 weeks at that point. I guess we will find out an exact due date then...and if it is multiples or just one baby! I called this morning to see if I could get that moved up and they said no, that he is booked solid. I told them I hadn't had a real prenatal visit yet, and they told me he would do all of that on the 9th. I have been taking prenatal vitamins off and on for months now. It's frustrating, but what can you do? I like my doctor...he is a Christian and he was really good to my mom when she had her surgery. I just hope things kick into high gear soon! We told Jayson's extended family that we were pregnant that week that we found out. We waited until I went to the doctor to tell the Nashville family. I made a cake and took it to a family meal to tell everyone. Here it is:

Here is the video of everyone finding out:

As you can see, everyone was very excited. Let's see...what else is there to talk about? Oh, I have gained 6 pounds already. 6 freakin' pounds. What is up with that?! I think I am retaining fluid...at least I think this is what that feels like. I am already wearing some maternity clothes. My regular clothes are fine...just a little uncomfortable. And I don't want to buy the next size up. I am buying stuff as I find it on clearance . I also found this cute little consignment shop called "Mama's Closet." I went and tried stuff on there this weekend. They give you a pregnant belly to strap on before you try on clothes! It was so fun. I think I laughed the whole time. Here I am with the "nine month belly." I ended up getting this outfit for work.

So that brings me to today! I am very tired and starving this week. As soon as I eat a meal I am ready for another one! I am a fatty. Seriously. I need to control myself or I will end up gaining 100 pounds. I guess that is all for now! I will keep you updated as stuff happens!