The Waiting Game

The end of 2009 is here and yes, we are still waiting on our baby girl's arrival. It's true we aren't due until Jan. 22nd, but have been told it could be any time everytime we go to the doctor, because of the preeclampsia and all. So, I am still on bedrest and we are still waiting. I can't believe I could still have 22 or more days of waiting! I go back to the doctor on Monday and will hopefully find out more then. Who knows! For now I have just been laying around enjoying the rest that I have been getting and enjoying feeling her move around like crazy! I think she is kicking to get out. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings!!!

Baby Update...

So, I went back to the doctor yesterday, Dec. 18th, for my weekly appointment. We got to see the baby via ultrasound! Yay! That was the highlight of our day! She appeared to be head down and ready for delivery whenever the time comes! After the ultrasound we had a regular appointment to go over the ultrasound info and find out how my preeclampsia tests and labs are doing. Well, some good news, some not so good... I dunno. Megan is measuring very small for her age. She is in the 10th percentile right now, at 4 pounds and 12 ounces. I thought her weight sounded pretty good, but I guess not.. ha, they are concerned that she is not growing to the best of her ability in there. I think they are concerned about my placenta not giving her the nutrients that she needs. Her movements on the monitor were fantastic and her heart rate looked great. They just want to make sure she doesn't drop down near the 5th percentile of growth. They are going to be keeping a close watch and if her growth rate drops close to being in the 5th percentile, they are going to go ahead and introduce her to the world because at that point she will grow better out here than in there! While I was at the doctor and hooked up to the machines Matt mentioned to the doctor that my stomach had been hurting the day before... so she wanted to look further into it a little and left me on the machine longer and tightened the straps... after she did that, my minor contractions showed up about every 2 minutes! Well, she immediately sent us over to Labor & Delivery to stop the contractions and put me on an IV to hydrate me and get my blood pressure down before we left. Well, nurses flew in from everywhere, hooked me up to all the machines and check my blood pressure... well, wouldn't you know - NO CONTRACTIONS and BLOOD PRESSURE LOOKED GREAT! WHO KNOWS! I stayed and finished the IV and had to stay until my Doctor came in to check my cervix. Cervix was 0 cm dialated but, 50% effaced... so she said we would get through to week 36! She said, "We will make it to 36 weeks, I know we will get you there!" So... I guess we are good for another week! I am supposed to make an appointment with the high risk doctor for early next week, and I guess he will know more with his fancier machines and dopplers...so until then, that is the news, staying in and on bedrest and out of the SNOW!

Bedrest...

So, I have been put on bedrest... until the baby comes! I went to the doctor on Dec.1st complaining of nightly headaches and my blood pressure ended up being kinda high. They said I might have the early stages of preeclampsia and they would see me again 2 days later to take my blood pressure again... well, that time it was 150/100. That was not good, so they sent me immediately over to the triage part of the Labor & Delivery unit of St. Joe to be monitored for a while. My blood pressure went down with bedrest and the baby's heartbeat and movements looked great, so bedrest is what they prescribed. So that is it for now, bedrest, no shopping for baby stuff, no going to church, no going to work, no cooking, no cleaning, no grocery shopping... pure bedrest! It really is kind of weird, I feel helpless, like everyone has to do everything for me... Matt has been taking good care of me, and Mom has been cooking for us, and cleaning up the house everyday on her lunch hour, and I, well, I have been resting. Not really in the bed, mostly on the couch. I am working from home too... and it takes up a LOT of my time, which I guess is okay, since it passes the time quickly. It really hasn't been too bad yet. It is just slowing me down a lot, I can tell I get out of breath more quickly from just resting all the time.

NAME!

We Have a NAME!!!

And the moment you have all been waiting for... WE HAVE A NAME! Yes, we have gone back and forth about what to name our baby girl! We've been given many suggestions, opinions and whatnot, but all in all, we have decided to go with the name that we had actually decided on before we even got pregnant! Like a year or two ago we had the baby name talk and both decided that if we ever had a baby girl, we would name her.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... MEGAN! So, after much deliberation, we are back to the beginning, Megan Elyse Moore it is! We have made it official today and even put it up on her wall!!! (See pictures below) We weren't actually going to decide yet, but yesterday we ended up going to Babies R' Us just to see all the cute little baby things again, and Matt decided we should go look at something on the opposite end of the store... I followed him over there and he had led me to the letters that you put on the wall to spell out baby's name or initials. By the time we had gotten over there (close to the bathrooms) I decided my bladder couldn't wait anymore, so I had to pee, I told him to pick out the letters to our name by the time I came back, just kinda jokingly, and that we would get them.... Well, I came out and he hadn't picked out the letters yet, but was still looking at them intently. So, I said, well, lets spell out our names and make a decision. So one by one he used the letters and spelled out all the names we had discussed right there on the floor at Babies R' Us... yup, and Megan won! I told him to make the decision and he decided! We both really love the name we have chosen - Megan means "Little Pearl" awww... how cute is that! And Elyse means "God's Promise or Vow To God". I can't wait for our little Megan Elyse Moore to get here! :)

20 Things I am Thankful To God For...

Wow... so much to be thankful for... where do I even start.

1) I am thankful to God for my salvation! Without him I could do nothing and would have no hope in this world, but with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved! (...but God who is rich in mercy...)

2) I am thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful husband! I realize more and more everyday just how blessed I am to have a saved husband. I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful man to stand beside me throughout this life, but I am glad he is mine! He treats me better than anyone I have ever known and I know he is going to be such a good daddy to our little girl!

3) I am thankful to God for blessing us with this baby girl! We prayed for her for a long time and want to give praise and thanks to the Lord for his wonderful blessings! So far she has been such a blessing to us and we haven't even met her yet! I can't wait until January!!!

4) I am thankful to God for giving me a wonderful father. He has been such a great Dad to me, and I know he is gonna be such a good grandpa!

5) I am thankful to God for giving me a wonderful mother. Mom is my best friend and although we still are mother/daughter when it comes to opinions, clothes, and anything else mothers and daughters disagree about, she is still my number 1 fan, and I am hers! I also know she will be such a great grandma!

6) I am thankful to God for a great brother too! My brother is crazy, funny, and just all around a great guy to be around. He makes me laugh, sometimes too hard at the dinner table when I get all choked up, and will make a great CRAZY UNCLE CLINT!

7) I am thankful to God for giving me great in-laws! They say you can tell how a man will treat you by the way he treats his mother, and let me tell you, Matt loves his mother, and his father too for that matter! For that I am thankful! I am thankful that we get along so well and they have accepted me as one of their own! I am also thankful that they live close by and will be such great grandparents to our baby!

8) I am thankful to God that our family is the closest family I know! Some think it is too close, but personally I love it. I love that my aunt and uncle's door is always open and it is just like we are walking in to my parents house. I love it that I have cousins and cousin-in-laws that are close enough to be considered sisters and brothers! Also, for the kiddos running around that are growing up before my very eyes that will be my baby's best buddies!

9)I am thankful to God for giving me a wonderful church family. Sometimes I take this for granted because I have always gone there, and everything has always been the same, but I can't imagine going anywhere else to serve the Lord. You will never have friends like the ones that believe in the same truths that you do.

10) I am thankful to God for grandparents, and am thankful that one of them is my pastor!

11) I am thankful to God for raising me in a Baptist home with Christian examples to follow. I just hope Matt and I can do the same.

12) I am thankful to God for my parents putting me through a Baptist school. I know I would have learned a lot at public school too, but the constant Christian examples and Bible truths that were taught really do stick with you. And I also enjoyed the small atmosphere of "close friends" and having the opportunity to participate in just about anything extra that I wanted to!

13) I am thankful to God for a warm and cozy home! God has blessed us with enough wealth to own our own house and enough love to make it a warm and cozy home!

14) I am thankful to God for mine and Matt's jobs. With the economy the way it is it could easily be different, and I am sure it is for a lot of people, but we are both blessed to have good jobs.

15) I am thankful to God for the abilities he has given me. I wouldn't call them "talents" necessarily, but he has given me the ability to do a job I enjoy!

16) I am thankful to God for all the extra blessings he gives us. The things we don't really need, a new mattress, a new computer desk, tons of stuff for the baby... he knows we don't NEED all of this stuff, mostly it is WANTS... but he blesses us more abundantly than we ever know!

17) I am thankful to God for my health. I am in good health and with all the crazy flu going around and all the cancers and heart problems people have, I am thankful that I am healthy! As I am in my third trimester I am even more thankful for this, it seems like no big deal until there is another life involved!

18) I am thankful to God for the new pastor that we are going to be getting. It will definitely be different that is for sure, but I am thankful that God has given us someone that can fill papaw's shoes and be an example to us and lead the church in the right path.

19) I am thankful to God for my dog. Yes, I am thankful for her! She is good for a nice cuddle every now and again, and I am thankful for that. Sometimes you need a companion that doesn't have an opinion of you, and will just listen to you as long as you scratch her!

20) I am thankful to God for all the little things! Like Lisa's song, I am blessed with all the little things that we take for granted. The ability to walk, talk and lead a normal life. These are actually not "little" things, but we do take them for granted, we should be thankful for these things daily!

Well, there are my 20 Things I am Thankful for this year!
There are plenty more where that came from, and too many to count!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

31 Weeks and Birthing Classes

I've just entered the single-digit countdown (only nine more weeks to go!).

Here is what one website says about our baby at week 31!
"From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth! Other highlights this week:
Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses! By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world. Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches!"

Wow she is getting big in there! Still not settled on a name for her, but... we have 9 more weeks to decide unless she decides to make an early appearance for some reason! She seems pretty comfy in there though, so it may be a while before we get to see her. I can feel her moving around constantly now, and now it is not just kicks and jabs here and there, she actually rolls and tumbles and let me tell you it feels like she is turning my insides inside out sometimes! I am enjoying it though for the most part, except for that small issue of sleep apnea that seems to be haunting my third trimester!

Oh, I almost forgot, we went to Birthing Class for the first time this week, we were supposed to go last week but had to miss the first class because I was sick and running a fever, but we went this week and actually had fun and learned a lot! We practiced breathing and relaxation techniques to get me through some of the deepest labor pains that I may have... and Matt learned how to coach me through the pain. I don't know how well all this stuff works, but our instructor says distraction is the name of the game and the more you can distract yourself the better off you will be! I don't know that I believe all this stuff will actually work in distracting me throughout that kind of pain, but I guess at that point I will be willing to try anything!

That is my news for now... catch u later!

$20 Weekend Update!

Well, here it is Monday, and I can proudly say, we only went over our budget of $20 for the weekend, by $.50 cents!!! We ate out twice (Fazoli's and Burger Shake) and spent a total of $20.50!!! Yay! It CAN be done! :)

$20 Weekend!

So, Matt and I are trying something new... a $20 weekend! We tend to spend all our money on the weekends, eating out, shopping, and basically doing whatever we feel like doing until Monday comes around and all of a sudden we have no money left! Where did it all go? Oh yeah, we went out to eat and spent $20, then to Walmart and spent $1oo on... hmm... can't remember what we actually bought, but I know it was something imporant... I am sure it was... it will come to me... So, yeah, that is basically what we do on the weekends is go out to eat and shopping and buy things we don't actually need. So, instead this weekend, I told him to pull $20 bucks out of the ATM on his way home from work, and that is our money for the weekend! We have plans on eating out tonight at Fazoli's... they have their baked spaghetti for just $2.99 for a limited time, and we both like that alot! And we already have groceries for other meals at home! We are having both of our parents over for dinner on Saturday night and of course First Family Feast on Sunday! So, this weekend should be a breeze with $20 bucks to spend! Hopefully we will stay busy at home! I think we are going to clean the house tonight, and maybe some more cleaning tomorrow, plus a big day of cooking and getting ready for trick or treaters! Oh and yeah, UK football too! :) Of course, there is only one problem to all of this... the weekend doesn't officially start until Friday at 5 PM right??? So, does that mean I can go to the mall when I get off work at 2 today? Hmm... Oh yeah, and I think I might need some Tilex too... maybe I will hit Walmart on my way home! Great... here we go... is this really gonna work? I'll let you know!

Baby Update!

So as you can see above I am now 27 weeks pregnant! Yay, I went and registered at Babies R Us finally, and I have officially entered my third trimester. We have only 88 more days to go! I can't wait to see her little face and hold her for the first time! Sooo exciting! Our doctor's visit last week went very well and he said everything looks perfect! They got a close look at her heart and we got to see her moving around in there again, oh yeah, and even got another "It's a Girl" confirmation! I am sure the next 88 days will just fly by. With Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and New Year's ahead, I won't even have time to think about being miserable, except of course after eating 3 plates full of Thanksgiving Dinner, or a whole tray of homemade candies! Oh well, this year I have an EXCUSE! Haha! :) Anyways, the next few months will fly by like I said, we have already scheduled Birthing Classes and it looks like they are going to be every Tuesday night for a whole month. Fun times! I thought this might be something fun for Matt and I to do together and will help relax us both when we know what to expect at the hospital since neither of us have ever had a major hospital visit, or who knows they could be a complete waste of time. We'll see. In the meantime we have her room all ready to go and Matt even added another rod and shelf in her itty bitty closet so we can continue to buy her clothes. :) We are getting ready for this girl (as much as possible anyways). But still no decision on a name. Any suggestions?

Gettin' Registered!!!

Well, it is about that time - I told myself I could wait at least until October to start thinking about putting together a baby registry! And guess what... it's October!!! We are a little over 3 and half months away from her arrival so, I am now starting to try to figure out what all we are going to need as new parents. So far our experiences at Babies R Us have been good, but overwhelming! There is sooo much stuff and it is all for babies!!!! Do we actually need all this stuff? What are the necessities and what are the best brands? I am sure the must-have items differ from mom to mom and baby to baby... but overall, what are the must-haves??? I have thought about starting to buy diapers early so we could have a small stock pile before she even gets here, but I have no idea what kind, how many, or what sizes! There is way too much to think about! So leave me comments about what all you experienced mothers think we will need! Keep in mind, it is our first so we don't have much! Although, I do have a swing, a jumperoo, a high chair, and of course her crib & furniture! Also, what kind of diapers/wipes worked best for you and why? Car seats & stroller vs. travel system? Diaper genie vs. diaper champ... and the list goes on...Help please!

Baby's Room!!!

The baby's room is finished! After searching through all the baby girl bedding that Lexington has to offer, we came back to the original bedding set that we liked before we even knew she was a she!!! We painted the walls blue... yes, blue, and the rest just kinda came together (thanks mom for helping)! We tried a sample of pink paint... but wow, it was a little too PINK!!! The blue walls compliment the brown in the bedding and curtains well, and there is still enough girlyness to go around with all the flowers! There is also a ton of red and pink throughout the bedding as you can see below! We are still planning to do some sort of custom art on the wall above her baby bed, but it will include her name and well, we haven't gotten that far yet! Here are some pics - enjoy!!! Oh... I almost forgot! I have just recently started feeling her move around in there! It is such a cool feeling! I have felt her the last three days right after lunch and last night after dinner! Good stuff!

Tickled PINK!

BIG NEWS! It's a girl! She is 14 oz. (almost a whole pound) and her heart was pumping at 162 beats per minute! She tried to keep it hidden from us, but our ultrasound technician was very patient and kept checking to see if she had uncrossed her legs yet! Well, finally she did and there were those three little lines that tell all! So, yup we are tickled pink, you might say! Anyways, now comes the fun stuff! Decorating the nursery, registering, and picking out all the cute little girl things! Clothes, shoes, accessories! Yay! Now if I just had an endless supply of cash... hmm, that is what I will have to work on next.

2 more days...

Well, just 2 more days until the Big Day! It seems like I have been waiting forever for this day to get here and it is finally almost here! Yep, Friday is my birthday - I'll be 28! Just kidding, I really was talking about our Ultrasound!!! Yes, it is here - this Friday we get to find out whether we will be oohing and aahing over our bundle of joy wrapped up in pink or in blue. I have been pretty sure it is a boy all along, but last night I had a dream we had the ultrasound and it was a girl! Of course, they did the ultrasound in the middle of the street by looking into my eyes with one of those tools doctors use to look in your ears or eyes. So, who knows if my dream means anything. I guess we will see on Friday, if the baby cooperates. Either one is fine with both of us, we just want to know so we can start getting ready for it. I have found that looking at baby stuff is so fun! All the clothes are so cute and tiny! So far I haven't bought much in the way of clothes, because we got some neutral gender stuff from Sarah and Lisa, so I have had to refrain from buying anything else yellow and green! I will be so glad when I can finally go shopping for our baby!!! Friday at 3:00 can't come fast enough!

In a rush...

So like I said, my BIG ultrasound is in less than 2 weeks! Yay!!! I can't wait, but I really don't want to rush things. I love being pregnant - it has been a great pregnancy so far with minimal sickness, slight tiredness, and only a few "I feel like I am going to pop" moments. I am sure many more are coming as my belly gets bigger and bigger though. I had to clean out my closet this weekend and make room for things that actually fit! Maternity shirts are the new me... woohoo! Oh well! It will be worth it in the end. I can't wait to see my little one, but I want to cherish the moment we are in, for I know that there will be plenty of time to hold it, love it, and cuddle it, but only for these few months will I get to have this particularly special bond with my baby!

"A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone." Author: Unknown

So, who thinks it's a boy? What about a girl? Come on people, COMMENT ALREADY... I know you all have an opinion!!!

WEEK 18: Sweet Potato

So I am in week 18 of my pregnancy today! Woohoo! Almost half way there!!! "The Bump's" weekly update says the baby is the size of a sweet potato. Awww... my little sweet potato! It also says, the baby has become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, the baby's finally big enough that I'll be able to feel those movements soon. I still haven't felt the baby move yet, well, I am sure I have and just haven't realized it - I have felt some things, but nothing that I am certain is our little one moving around in there! Everyone says I should start feeling it regularly soon. I can't wait! When I went to the doctor last week, she was trying to hear the heartbeat and it was moving so much that she kept losing it, then it would move to the other side of my stomach and she would have to go find it again and again! She said it was VERY active at this stage. Only 2 more weeks until my BIG ultrasound! I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl! What do you think? Boy or Girl? Come on - you have a 50/50 shot at getting it right!

Also, in honor of the Sweet Potato....

Here is Mamaw Wardlow's Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe!!! I might have to fix this soon - it sounds delicious, but doesn't everything at this point!

1 can sweet potatoes

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

pecans or mar shmallows (optional)

Boil sweet potatoes with juice in pan for a few minutes. Combine sugar and butter in skillet til dissolved (over medium heat). If dry, add a little of the sweet potato juice. Put potatoes in skillet, if too dry add some more of the juice. Cook for 5-1o minutes. Put in casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Top with marshmallows or pecans! Bake until brown.

(Can add chunk pineapple (drained) during skillet stage).

Jumping in to the Blog World...

My first post....

I don't have much to say yet, but I thought it was about time to get with the times and get a blog! The purpose of this blog is yet to be determined although, I know it will be about my life and it will be more than just words! I hope to post pictures, tips, recipes, baby updates or whatever else my heart desires!!! One thing I do know is that it will be about my family, me, my husband, and I guess by now everyone knows "I AM EXPECTING"! (well anyone who will actually read this anyways) so yeah it will be about the baby too and how we are so excited to introduce our little bundle of joy into this crazy world!!! Well, I can't wait to get started posting about daily events, doctors visits, and posts about well, nothing!!! I bet you can't wait to read them either! Must go for now - be back in a bit, with something insightful, I am sure.