I love Restaurant.com. It's a great site where you can buy gift certificates to restaurants in your area for a discount. When they have 70% off sales, it's great because you can get a $25 gift certificate for 3 bucks...it's awesome! It's a great way to budget for a nice meal out.
So I got this email where they're allowing registered users of the site to send free gift certificates to recipients for 30 days...you can send 3 per day. You can't duplicate your recipients, but you can send 3 per day for the 30 days...that's pretty good!
So I have started sending out my free certificates. I think if we all include each other as one of our recipients, we'll eat good for most of 2009. So I hope that if you get a free certificate from me that you will send me one too. Thanks!! Here's the site:
http://www-ws20.restaurant.com/FeedItForward/
Happy emailing and eating!!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
TAG, I'm it...
Thanks Cassie! This is my first too. I feel so behind the times...here goes.
*Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog
*Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself
*tag 7 other people and link to them at the end of your blog
*let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment
Seven random/weird facts about me:
1) I share my birthday with Helen Keller
2) I have a dimple in my right ear - it looks like it's pierced
3) My birthday falls almost right smack in the middle of my sisters who are 13 years apart.
4) Since my dad and his brother only had girls, I dropped my middle name and moved my maiden name to my middle name to keep it without hyphenating my new last name.
5) When I was a little girl, my dad asked me where I got my blonde hair and I told him from my older sister Molly; he asked me where I got my blue eyes and I told him from him; he asked me where I got my nose and I told him from my grandfather (his dad); he asked me where I got my armpits and I told him from my uncle Rook (his brother). I couldn't think of anyone else I guess...
6) I have hints of auburn in my hair. When I'm photographed, the red really shows up. My college roommate didn't recognize me when I showed up to move in because the picture I sent her made me look like a red head/auburn head. I get it from my dad who has auburn facial hair.
7) Doug and I originally planned to get married on the beach in the Keys. We changed the wedding to Orlando to accommodate my dad's chemo schedule. The wedding was postponed because Hurricane Francis hit Florida that weekend. Doug and I got married at the local church in Pearland TX, went on our honeymoon and did our Florida wedding in February. My mom called Part Deux. They both were great!
I tag: Jennifer W., Cristina F., Jennifer E., Kelly W., Jenifer H., Cynthia C., Marti S.
*Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog
*Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself
*tag 7 other people and link to them at the end of your blog
*let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment
Seven random/weird facts about me:
1) I share my birthday with Helen Keller
2) I have a dimple in my right ear - it looks like it's pierced
3) My birthday falls almost right smack in the middle of my sisters who are 13 years apart.
4) Since my dad and his brother only had girls, I dropped my middle name and moved my maiden name to my middle name to keep it without hyphenating my new last name.
5) When I was a little girl, my dad asked me where I got my blonde hair and I told him from my older sister Molly; he asked me where I got my blue eyes and I told him from him; he asked me where I got my nose and I told him from my grandfather (his dad); he asked me where I got my armpits and I told him from my uncle Rook (his brother). I couldn't think of anyone else I guess...
6) I have hints of auburn in my hair. When I'm photographed, the red really shows up. My college roommate didn't recognize me when I showed up to move in because the picture I sent her made me look like a red head/auburn head. I get it from my dad who has auburn facial hair.
7) Doug and I originally planned to get married on the beach in the Keys. We changed the wedding to Orlando to accommodate my dad's chemo schedule. The wedding was postponed because Hurricane Francis hit Florida that weekend. Doug and I got married at the local church in Pearland TX, went on our honeymoon and did our Florida wedding in February. My mom called Part Deux. They both were great!
I tag: Jennifer W., Cristina F., Jennifer E., Kelly W., Jenifer H., Cynthia C., Marti S.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A blessing I don't deserve...
Most of you know that I took 10 weeks of leave to stay home with Colton. Well, three weeks ago I went back to work. A few months ago, Doug and I visited 3 daycares in a search to find the right fit for us. Well, we settled on one location which we were both excited about sending our son. The Friday before I went back to work, we were finalizing all of the details for Colton's attendance starting Monday the 27th of October. I confirmed that he would be starting Monday and that we were looking forward to his going there. I was confident that he would have a great time at this daycare and they would take good care of him.
Well, the Lord had a different plan for us. For those of you who don't live in Austin, there is a close friend of mine that lives here in Austin that I went to college with. He and his wife have ever so generously reached out to Doug and me in so many ways. We've spent many a night at their house for dinner and games or a movie. One such movie - Knocked Up - we like to say is the reason we have Colton.
Well, I have had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Noel's wife Jennifer very well over the past year and a half. She is one of the most amazing, Godly women I know. Her cup overflows, and she is a great sharer. When Doug and I found out we were pregnant, she was there to help me through the aches/pains, planning and declining confidence. When Colton was born, she came to visit me at the hospital the day he was born. Noel delivered her home-cooked meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole - along with two desserts - to our home the evening we brought Colton home from the hospital (along with frozen meals and a bassinet). During the 10 weeks I was at home, they let us take Colton over to their house to avoid a major window replacement to our house, the cleaning lady and just to hang out. We even set up the bili-suitcase on their dining room table when Colton was severely jaundice. Needless to say, they have been a blessing in our lives for quite some time.
Well, the Lord didn't stop there. The Friday evening before I went back to work (as I sit on the couch a nervous wreck about going back) I get a text from Jennifer. Her and Noel offered to take Colton full time. It was a win for me since she's the best mom I think I know, and and a win for them since they were looking for some supplemental income. I talked it over with Doug...I say that, I actually said "Jennifer offered to take Colton.". Doug says "For the night?" I say "No. Full time." Doug says "SOLD!" We are both very impressed with Noel and Jennifer - as husband and wife, parents to 5 young children and followers of Christ. Needless to say, we were thrilled with the change in plans.
So, now Colton's been going to the Wilcoxson's house during the day for three weeks. Jennifer's got him on the Boppy pillow, in the Bumbo chair, in the sit-in-spin, on the floor working on rolling over among other places...she works him so hard that he sleeps the entire next day to recouperate...she loves on my son as if he were her own. I couldn't ask for anyone to take better care of my pride and joy!
Heavenly Father-
Thank you for Your blessings. Thank you for Noel and Jennifer who are a blessing in our lives. Thank you for their generosity and their love. Thank you for bringing us to Austin and surrounding us with such Godly people during such a major event in our lives. Thank you for placing my son in the best and healthiest environment possible. Thank you for allowing us to help the Wilcoxson's meet their needs. And thank you for great friends. I am humbled by their capability to love You, their children and their families yet still find enough to love mine. I have You and You alone to thank for placing them in my life. You truly have a plan for each of us. Amen.
Noel and Jennifer-
Thank you. I love you and your family very much.
Well, the Lord had a different plan for us. For those of you who don't live in Austin, there is a close friend of mine that lives here in Austin that I went to college with. He and his wife have ever so generously reached out to Doug and me in so many ways. We've spent many a night at their house for dinner and games or a movie. One such movie - Knocked Up - we like to say is the reason we have Colton.
Well, I have had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Noel's wife Jennifer very well over the past year and a half. She is one of the most amazing, Godly women I know. Her cup overflows, and she is a great sharer. When Doug and I found out we were pregnant, she was there to help me through the aches/pains, planning and declining confidence. When Colton was born, she came to visit me at the hospital the day he was born. Noel delivered her home-cooked meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole - along with two desserts - to our home the evening we brought Colton home from the hospital (along with frozen meals and a bassinet). During the 10 weeks I was at home, they let us take Colton over to their house to avoid a major window replacement to our house, the cleaning lady and just to hang out. We even set up the bili-suitcase on their dining room table when Colton was severely jaundice. Needless to say, they have been a blessing in our lives for quite some time.
Well, the Lord didn't stop there. The Friday evening before I went back to work (as I sit on the couch a nervous wreck about going back) I get a text from Jennifer. Her and Noel offered to take Colton full time. It was a win for me since she's the best mom I think I know, and and a win for them since they were looking for some supplemental income. I talked it over with Doug...I say that, I actually said "Jennifer offered to take Colton.". Doug says "For the night?" I say "No. Full time." Doug says "SOLD!" We are both very impressed with Noel and Jennifer - as husband and wife, parents to 5 young children and followers of Christ. Needless to say, we were thrilled with the change in plans.
So, now Colton's been going to the Wilcoxson's house during the day for three weeks. Jennifer's got him on the Boppy pillow, in the Bumbo chair, in the sit-in-spin, on the floor working on rolling over among other places...she works him so hard that he sleeps the entire next day to recouperate...she loves on my son as if he were her own. I couldn't ask for anyone to take better care of my pride and joy!
Heavenly Father-
Thank you for Your blessings. Thank you for Noel and Jennifer who are a blessing in our lives. Thank you for their generosity and their love. Thank you for bringing us to Austin and surrounding us with such Godly people during such a major event in our lives. Thank you for placing my son in the best and healthiest environment possible. Thank you for allowing us to help the Wilcoxson's meet their needs. And thank you for great friends. I am humbled by their capability to love You, their children and their families yet still find enough to love mine. I have You and You alone to thank for placing them in my life. You truly have a plan for each of us. Amen.
Noel and Jennifer-
Thank you. I love you and your family very much.
Friday, October 31, 2008
A month in the life of Colton Cash Ranney...
I know I haven't posted pictures in a while so here are some great pictures from the past month...at the Ranney house...
Here's a great shot of Colton sleeping with his buddy Ike.
A little more...
Look at those cute little feetsies!!!!
My little FBI agent - Fat, Bald and Innocent...thanks Auntie Lori!!!!!!
What a good dog Frisco is...watching over his new friend...
In his daddy's arms... 
We're working on sitting up...we'll see how it goes because we've got a big brain to hold up!
Do you think he's tired of being the center of attention??
He sure loves his daddy!!!
What a big boy in his new pack n play!! Thanks Irene!!!!
God has blessed me with a beautiful son! I am the luckiest mom in the world!! Praise the Lord!!!!
Here's a great shot of Colton sleeping with his buddy Ike.A little tummy time...
A little more...Look at those cute little feetsies!!!! I love this picture!!!! What a pair...
My son the little LSU fan...tee hee!
What an adorable shot - don't you think!?!
A day in the life of...
They are very close...I tell ya...
Colton has found the sweet spot...
My little FBI agent - Fat, Bald and Innocent...thanks Auntie Lori!!!!!! What a good dog Frisco is...watching over his new friend... In his daddy's arms... We're working on sitting up...we'll see how it goes because we've got a big brain to hold up!
I love the mouth!!!!
I love the bottoms of his onesie!!! ROAR!!!
Do you think he's tired of being the center of attention?? He sure loves his daddy!!! What a big boy in his new pack n play!! Thanks Irene!!!!What a great shot!!
So sweet...
Look at that face...Jennifer - doesn't he look a little like Elijah in this picture...too funny!
God has blessed me with a beautiful son! I am the luckiest mom in the world!! Praise the Lord!!!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Shots, shots, shots!!!
Well, Colton went in for his 2 month well check up today. I have been dreading this doctor visit since he was born! But first things first, here's his stats:
Weight - 13 lbs. 11 oz.
Height - 24 1/4 in.
Hat size - 40.5 cm
Everything else checked out, and the doctor gave him an A+!! Woohoo!!!!!
Well, that part was great. Dr. Prochnow answered all of my questions and assured me that everything that I inquired about was normal...whew! So on to he immunizations...
Doug held his hands, and I sat on the other side of the room. He was a trooper with the oral dose. When the nurse gave him the first shot, he started to cry right away. He went right into the cry where he stops breathing for as long as he can make it...Doug blew in his face to get him to take a breath and that did absolutely nothing...so actually, he didn't realize he got the second shot because he was still holding his breath from the first one...then the nurse told us that the last one would hurt worse than the other two...argh! She gave it to him and he immediately started crying and went right into screaming. He screamed twice, but quickly after that I was cleared to snuggle/console him. As for me, I started crying while she was swabbing his leg - sheesh - cried during the first shot, was relieved a little when he finally took a breath but was quickly losing it again when he started screaming...that absolutely broke my heart! I know what we're doing is good for him by preventing life threatening illnesses, but the pain just eats me up! But I told Doug that his pain is part of his growing up, and my hurting heart is part of growing into my role as mother (of a son - tee hee). I feel that I need to prepare myself for the future broken bones, sprains and other injuries that come with growing boys...
So I'm glad that my son is healthy and that his first round of shots are over! Now I'm nursing his little legs back to health after their pricks this afternoon...I'm sure he'll be back up and about tomorrow...tee hee
Praise God for a great check up!!
Weight - 13 lbs. 11 oz.
Height - 24 1/4 in.
Hat size - 40.5 cm
Everything else checked out, and the doctor gave him an A+!! Woohoo!!!!!
Well, that part was great. Dr. Prochnow answered all of my questions and assured me that everything that I inquired about was normal...whew! So on to he immunizations...
Doug held his hands, and I sat on the other side of the room. He was a trooper with the oral dose. When the nurse gave him the first shot, he started to cry right away. He went right into the cry where he stops breathing for as long as he can make it...Doug blew in his face to get him to take a breath and that did absolutely nothing...so actually, he didn't realize he got the second shot because he was still holding his breath from the first one...then the nurse told us that the last one would hurt worse than the other two...argh! She gave it to him and he immediately started crying and went right into screaming. He screamed twice, but quickly after that I was cleared to snuggle/console him. As for me, I started crying while she was swabbing his leg - sheesh - cried during the first shot, was relieved a little when he finally took a breath but was quickly losing it again when he started screaming...that absolutely broke my heart! I know what we're doing is good for him by preventing life threatening illnesses, but the pain just eats me up! But I told Doug that his pain is part of his growing up, and my hurting heart is part of growing into my role as mother (of a son - tee hee). I feel that I need to prepare myself for the future broken bones, sprains and other injuries that come with growing boys...
So I'm glad that my son is healthy and that his first round of shots are over! Now I'm nursing his little legs back to health after their pricks this afternoon...I'm sure he'll be back up and about tomorrow...tee hee
Praise God for a great check up!!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A few more milestones...
Well, today Colton is 2 months old. I can't even believe it! However, I was looking back at my pregnancy photos, and I have to say the last month of my pregnancy was a complete blur...my memories of the end are so vague I think because my delivery came so suddenly, that I didn't have any sort of transition from pregnancy to motherhood...but I'm so thankful that we got pictures done of us when I was 32 weeks. Those help me to remember that time...
Anywho, back to Colton's milestones. Last night, Colton slept in his crib in his big boy room for the first time. He did really well. We'll pray continuously that it stays that way. He went to sleep at midnight - we're night owls - and he slept until 5:30. He was up off and on until 6 when he slept until 6:30. He was up briefly and slept until 7. I fed him and let him sleep with me until 9:30. It was nice that he slept for so long in his crib and that I got to snuggle with my little man for a few hours...it was very sweet!!!
I have to say that I am madly in love with the two men in my life. I have been blessed more than I deserve!! Praise God!!!
Anywho, back to Colton's milestones. Last night, Colton slept in his crib in his big boy room for the first time. He did really well. We'll pray continuously that it stays that way. He went to sleep at midnight - we're night owls - and he slept until 5:30. He was up off and on until 6 when he slept until 6:30. He was up briefly and slept until 7. I fed him and let him sleep with me until 9:30. It was nice that he slept for so long in his crib and that I got to snuggle with my little man for a few hours...it was very sweet!!!
I have to say that I am madly in love with the two men in my life. I have been blessed more than I deserve!! Praise God!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
A new milestone...
Well, today Colton and I went over to Jennifer's house to hang out for a little while, and Colton had a very productive afternoon. We are officially cooing! They're pretty few and far between but extremely cute! He has discovered his voice, and I'm loving hearing it when he's not fussing, whining or crying...it's so adorable!!!!
We're starting to have really productive tummy times and are staying up more throughout the day. This has created a very sporadic napping and eating schedule...sheesh! But I'm taking each day as it comes...they're each fun and their own adventure.
Just a side note - I want to thank everyone who was able to join us this weekend at the shower, and thank you very much for the precious gifts and wonderful books! And I want to thank my mom with all my heart. She allowed me to have a very sweet shower with most of my closest friends. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you so very much and appreciate everything you have done and shared with me since becoming a new mom!
It was really nice having my sisters and mom together again - that doesn't happen very often! It was extremely unfortunate that my mother-in-law couldn't join us. Please keep her in your prayers as she is recovering from a very serious run-in with an allergic reaction to antibiotics. She is doing much better but is still recovering from the original illness and its cousin bronchitis.
All in all, this past weekend was great, and my son is growing up! That's so scary to me since I'm already bummed that he's 8 weeks old...I can't imagine how "bummed" I'll be when we hit later milestones and birthdays...now I understand when moms say they wish they could stop time in order to cherish their children just a little bit longer...I can now relate. I am working to enjoy and cherish every minute I have with my son. He is the other (little) man in my life, and I love them both more than either will ever know. What gifts I have been blessed with...thanks be to God!
We're starting to have really productive tummy times and are staying up more throughout the day. This has created a very sporadic napping and eating schedule...sheesh! But I'm taking each day as it comes...they're each fun and their own adventure.
Just a side note - I want to thank everyone who was able to join us this weekend at the shower, and thank you very much for the precious gifts and wonderful books! And I want to thank my mom with all my heart. She allowed me to have a very sweet shower with most of my closest friends. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you so very much and appreciate everything you have done and shared with me since becoming a new mom!
It was really nice having my sisters and mom together again - that doesn't happen very often! It was extremely unfortunate that my mother-in-law couldn't join us. Please keep her in your prayers as she is recovering from a very serious run-in with an allergic reaction to antibiotics. She is doing much better but is still recovering from the original illness and its cousin bronchitis.
All in all, this past weekend was great, and my son is growing up! That's so scary to me since I'm already bummed that he's 8 weeks old...I can't imagine how "bummed" I'll be when we hit later milestones and birthdays...now I understand when moms say they wish they could stop time in order to cherish their children just a little bit longer...I can now relate. I am working to enjoy and cherish every minute I have with my son. He is the other (little) man in my life, and I love them both more than either will ever know. What gifts I have been blessed with...thanks be to God!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
A cure??
Well, yesterday was a bunch of the same...trying my darned-est to keep Colton awake as much as I could without being cruel to him...and he was out cold around 6:30 last night. Doug and I tried just about everything and it all failed. So we kindly let him sleep, but Doug kept tickling his feet/hands to make sure it wasn't a good heavy sleep. After all, we're trying really hard to exhaust him throughou the day so he'll sleep like a bear at night. Well, he got his bath and last meal of the day (until about midnight) and he sat very contently in my arms as he faded.
Well, he fell asleep around 10 (so did I) and he woke up at 1 am. Well, I was able to get him back down by 2 after a diaper change and a meal. Then he woke up again at 4:30 for more of the same...this time it took a little work...I got him back down at 6:30...then we both got up for the day at 9:30...that's progress!!!!! I'm actually more tired today than yesterday...I think I officially got too much sleep. Ha ha ha!!
Well, I'm back at it again today...Colton is on his tummy working on those neck muscles. We're making progress there too...he put his arms up above his head and rolled over twice (in a row). Right now he's on his right shoulder with his arm already tucked under his body...pause...I just watched him roll all the way over...wow!!! Well, I must admit he's had a little bit of help...he's on the couch and he rolled over into the back cushion...which means he's rolling a tad bit downhill...
Doug and I were joking yesterday that we're already turning into "those parents"...the ones that only brag that their child(ren) is/are so far ahead of the curve, they must be baby geniuses...well, here I am bragging (not really) that my son is already well on his way to a full rollover at 5 weeks...I know he's got a ways to go before his muscles will get him all the way over on a flat surface, but he's got the moves down...go Colton!!!
Anywho, back to hanging out with my son! Have a great day!!
Well, he fell asleep around 10 (so did I) and he woke up at 1 am. Well, I was able to get him back down by 2 after a diaper change and a meal. Then he woke up again at 4:30 for more of the same...this time it took a little work...I got him back down at 6:30...then we both got up for the day at 9:30...that's progress!!!!! I'm actually more tired today than yesterday...I think I officially got too much sleep. Ha ha ha!!
Well, I'm back at it again today...Colton is on his tummy working on those neck muscles. We're making progress there too...he put his arms up above his head and rolled over twice (in a row). Right now he's on his right shoulder with his arm already tucked under his body...pause...I just watched him roll all the way over...wow!!! Well, I must admit he's had a little bit of help...he's on the couch and he rolled over into the back cushion...which means he's rolling a tad bit downhill...
Doug and I were joking yesterday that we're already turning into "those parents"...the ones that only brag that their child(ren) is/are so far ahead of the curve, they must be baby geniuses...well, here I am bragging (not really) that my son is already well on his way to a full rollover at 5 weeks...I know he's got a ways to go before his muscles will get him all the way over on a flat surface, but he's got the moves down...go Colton!!!
Anywho, back to hanging out with my son! Have a great day!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The evil sleep sack
Well, for those that I talked to at length about Colton's sleeping habits early on know that he was a dream sleeper - even through the night. I would inevitably wake up once to fill his tummy and change his diaper, but I could easily get 6-8 hours with just the one interruption. Well, that has now changed thanks to the evil sleep sack. First, I must admit that the SS was a gift from a dear family member. We very much appreciate their generosity and are extremely thankful. The SS came as a part of a layette set which included a small onesie pajama and a larger full leg pajama for when Colton gets bigger. Oh! And it comes with the cutest little sleep cap! It's a great set!
Well, I didn't realize that the SS is really for advanced sleepers. Little did I know, my son is a beginner sleeper. Regardless of how well he was sleeping from the beginning, he was merely holding on by a thread. He wasn't a master of his trade...he was an apprentice who had beginner's luck. So I thought the SS would be a great alternative to the typical swaddling that my son seemed to enjoy at night. Well, it failed miserably! I now have a son who thinks that noon-6pm is his night time and that from 2-6am is his recess.
In order to attempt to set my poor little man straight, yesterday I significantly interrupted his routine of hanging out (needy) in the wee hours of the morning and recovering from his romping throughout the entire day. Well, that wasn't working for me since I'm not much of an afternoon napper - even with an infant at home. So when he woke up to eat at noon, I fed his little tummy and got him all cleaned up but did not let him go back to sleep. I was determined to keep him awake and tire him out by the evening. Well, I was successful in keeping him awake from noon-2pm and from 4-5:45pm at which point he would have collapsed in exhaustion had he been able to get himself off of his back to begin with. He was exhausted!
So I was feeling pretty confident that I might get a little more sleep than usual tonight, and yet, here I sit waiting patiently for him to realize that he's tired and settle in for a few more hours of Z's. I even went to Babies R Us and got him one of those swaddlers which I sweetly have nicknamed the Infant Straight Jacket. Since he loves to get his arms free, I figured this might help him to stay relaxed (and warm) at night. Well, we've been up since 2, and I've been feeding him his pacifier after each time he spits it out and then opens his little mouth like a bird to get it back for over an hour now...ooh, he's finally settling in a little bit so I'm not going to miss my window of opportunity...I'm off to get as many minutes of sleep as I can until he gets hungry again...Good night!
Well, I didn't realize that the SS is really for advanced sleepers. Little did I know, my son is a beginner sleeper. Regardless of how well he was sleeping from the beginning, he was merely holding on by a thread. He wasn't a master of his trade...he was an apprentice who had beginner's luck. So I thought the SS would be a great alternative to the typical swaddling that my son seemed to enjoy at night. Well, it failed miserably! I now have a son who thinks that noon-6pm is his night time and that from 2-6am is his recess.
In order to attempt to set my poor little man straight, yesterday I significantly interrupted his routine of hanging out (needy) in the wee hours of the morning and recovering from his romping throughout the entire day. Well, that wasn't working for me since I'm not much of an afternoon napper - even with an infant at home. So when he woke up to eat at noon, I fed his little tummy and got him all cleaned up but did not let him go back to sleep. I was determined to keep him awake and tire him out by the evening. Well, I was successful in keeping him awake from noon-2pm and from 4-5:45pm at which point he would have collapsed in exhaustion had he been able to get himself off of his back to begin with. He was exhausted!
So I was feeling pretty confident that I might get a little more sleep than usual tonight, and yet, here I sit waiting patiently for him to realize that he's tired and settle in for a few more hours of Z's. I even went to Babies R Us and got him one of those swaddlers which I sweetly have nicknamed the Infant Straight Jacket. Since he loves to get his arms free, I figured this might help him to stay relaxed (and warm) at night. Well, we've been up since 2, and I've been feeding him his pacifier after each time he spits it out and then opens his little mouth like a bird to get it back for over an hour now...ooh, he's finally settling in a little bit so I'm not going to miss my window of opportunity...I'm off to get as many minutes of sleep as I can until he gets hungry again...Good night!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A health update...
Well, the past few weeks have been so rewarding yet challenging - I won't deny that! When Colton was released from the hospital, his bilirubin count was at 10.2 - babies are supposed to be below 10 to get released, but since he was so close, and everything else looked good, he was discharged. Well, we had to go see his pediatrician the next day (Thursday) to check on his bili levels. He was up at 16.5 - sheesh! So we had to come back on Friday. He was up at 17.9 - this is not good! A bilirubin count of 20 sends him back to the hospital - 25 is when brain damage starts and increases the possibility of a stroke. Argh!!! So the doctor wanted us to try phototheraphy at home in order to prevent him from going back into the hospital. I was willing to try anything to avoid that! So I ordered the "suitcase" and they delivered it to us. He had to lie under the lights in just a diaper with little cloth-lined "sunglasses" to protect his eyes from the UV rays. Since our windows were being replaced at the house, I was at a friend's house that day. Colton spent a few hours in the suitcase at the Wilcoxson's house and then the rest of the night at home. We went to the after hours clinic on Saturday morning to check his bili levels and he was at 14.3 - woohoo!!!! We were officially moving in the right direction! Then we went back to the doctor on Monday and he was down to 12.3 -this was such a relief! Each and every time we went to check his levels they had to prick his heel and draw blood. It was heart-wrenching for me! I cried through almost every one of them. It hurt me that he was being hurt. I know it was for his health, but it killed me every time. He would sleep through the whole episode, and I would be crying crocodile tears...it was to be expected, but embarrassing nonetheless...
Well, we went back in last week for Colton's 2 week check up and he's growing like a weed! He was born at 7-9 and 20 inches. He lost a bunch of weight and was down at 6-12 when we left the hospital. He was up to 6-15 on Saturday when we went to the after hours clinic and up to 7-12 at his 2 week check up. And he's already grown a half inch! We are very excited about his improved health and growth spurt...tee hee!
Things are going really well - except for the occasional sleepless night, but I'll take it each and every time because I have been blessed with the most beautiful gift I could ever receive! Doug and I have brought home and are now responsible for the most miraculous human life! He is absolutely gorgeous!
Well, we went back in last week for Colton's 2 week check up and he's growing like a weed! He was born at 7-9 and 20 inches. He lost a bunch of weight and was down at 6-12 when we left the hospital. He was up to 6-15 on Saturday when we went to the after hours clinic and up to 7-12 at his 2 week check up. And he's already grown a half inch! We are very excited about his improved health and growth spurt...tee hee!
Things are going really well - except for the occasional sleepless night, but I'll take it each and every time because I have been blessed with the most beautiful gift I could ever receive! Doug and I have brought home and are now responsible for the most miraculous human life! He is absolutely gorgeous!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Colton Cash Ranney
What a face!!!
A cutie pie in his bassinet...
This is the "closed for business" face. I get it when he's done nursing and/or doesn't want to take a bottle or pacifier...I love this face!!!!!!
The craziest weekend...
Saturday morning started out with a trip over to Noel and Jennifer's to celebrate Elijah's 2nd birthday. His party was actually at 2pm, but I had plans so I couldn't attend the actual party. I visited with Jennifer and her mom and chatted about my pregnancy and need to get to the end of it. I told them both that I was “done” with the heat, the swelling and the non-fitting clothes. I joked that I was counting down to either 37 weeks or 75 degree days...for those not in Texas, it's been about 100 degrees for the past two months or so. That wreaks havoc on a pregnant woman.
I had somewhere to be at 12:30 so I raced out of the Wilcoxson household to the other side of town to attend our birthing class. I met Doug at the hospital where the class was held and prepared for a significant learning experience. The class was interesting, and I actually did learn quite a few things. At this point, I was determined to practice the breathing exercises in order to have a completely natural delivery. Well, leaving the hospital, I got a really severe pain in my lower abdomen which caught me off-guard but quickly subsided...whew!
Well, dinner Saturday night was great, and I got the usual few hours of sleep in between tossing and turning to find a comfortable position for my large belly.
Sunday morning I woke up with Ike bright and early – as usual – and just felt exhausted...I was tired. Doug and I hung around the house all day in the hopes of rejuvenating ourselves for our upcoming week. The hospital where we were scheduled to deliver conducts tours of the Labor and Delivery floor on Sundays at 5:30. So Doug and I mustered the energy to head over to the hospital and check it all out. The tour was quick and the nursing staff was very polite. Jennifer delivered Hannah at this hospital so we knew the facilities were nice and the food was good. But it sure helped us to see it for ourselves. We headed from the hospital over to Dillard's to purchase a couple suits for Doug. I walked over to Motherhood to get a new pair of black pants for my business meeting the next morning, but they were closed. I would have to figure something out for the next day since my other black pants were a bit too snug. After Dillard's, Doug and I went to Marie Calendar's for dinner and then on to he grocery store.
At the grocery store, I started to get strong contractions. This didn't really catch me off guard since I typically get contractions at the grocery store because of all of the standing/walking. Except this time, they were a tad bit painful, but I still wanted to get home and sit down to see if they persisted. So we checked out and headed home. Well, since I wanted to get to the couch as quickly as possible, I unloaded just a bag or two and sat down to relax. Doug continued to unload the gazillions of bags of groceries which I thoroughly appreciated! In an effort to get the front door open with both hands full of bags, Doug kicked the door open with his foot and somehow managed to get it just right so that the door hit the wall (actually a broken door stopper) and the locking mechanism of the door knob crushed into the knob itself...so it rendered our door knob useless...forget being able to get in or out of the front door for the night...man oh man!
So as I'm sitting on the couch, I feel just a few contractions, but then they seemed to stop...which was fine since I was only 35 weeks and 2 days along. Well, I just felt the need to call my mom and inquire about how she went into labor with my sisters and me. She told me that her water broke with Lindsay, she got contractions with me and that my older sister, Molly, was so long ago – tee hee – that she couldn't remember. So that didn't really help me since it was pretty much 50/50 whether I'd get contractions first or have my water break first, but the information was helpful nonetheless. So that phone call was at 10:30 pm CDT which was 11:30 for my parents. So with that information, I headed to bed since I had to be up at 5 am in order to be ready for my 9:30 meeting in Waco the next morning. Well, I got ready for bed and was able to finally get comfortable in bed with my Ike-a-Rama-Jama puppy. Well, it only took about 2 minutes and POP!!!! My water broke!!!!! Holy wow...this is not happening! So now I'm yelling Doug's name because I figured he was hanging out in the backyard with Frisco. So I yell for him once...nothing...twice – a little louder...nothing...a third time – even louder and I finally heard him respond. He came running in from the restroom and I told him what was going on. He was more shocked than me!
So he asks me,”What can I do for you? What do I need to do?” I tell him that I guess I need some towels since with every breath, I'm losing more and more fluid...sheesh! So he heads out to get me towels and then I hear him yelling and cursing at the front door since he can't get the door knob to cooperate...oh no...this is not happening! I guess he finally got it to work since he quickly returned with towels. So he's running around the house trying to figure out what to pack – since we were completely unprepared figuring we had at least a few more weeks if not the 4 ½ weeks until our due date of September 19th. Then Doug asks me what else I need...I look down and around and realize I don't have any bottoms on...I need to somehow “get dressed” while not having a barrier between my fluid and me...sheesh! So I tell him to grab the sarong I have in the bottom drawer in the closet. That's going to have to do. So we head out the broken door – Doug with a bag of random things and me in a sarong with a beach towel between my legs like a diaper...I'm sure glad it was 11:15 pm and not broad daylight. And before I even realize it, Doug is barreling down the freeway at 85 mph. I tell him that we really don't need to drive that fast as my contractions haven't started yet. He slows down temporarily but creeps back up to about 85 just a few minutes later.
We arrived at the hospital with no issues. The hospital is so new (opened in February) that you have to check in at the ER because they lock down the lobby of the hospital. I got checked in without too much of a hitch, and Doug wheeled me up to Labor and Delivery. They checked me into the L&D room that we saw on our tour just 6 hours earlier! How funny...
The delivery went well, and Colton Cash Ranney was born at 11:51 am on Monday, August 18th. He was born 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 20 inches long.
I'll try and get caught up on his progress since it has taken me almost 2 weeks to write this...sheesh!!
I had somewhere to be at 12:30 so I raced out of the Wilcoxson household to the other side of town to attend our birthing class. I met Doug at the hospital where the class was held and prepared for a significant learning experience. The class was interesting, and I actually did learn quite a few things. At this point, I was determined to practice the breathing exercises in order to have a completely natural delivery. Well, leaving the hospital, I got a really severe pain in my lower abdomen which caught me off-guard but quickly subsided...whew!
Well, dinner Saturday night was great, and I got the usual few hours of sleep in between tossing and turning to find a comfortable position for my large belly.
Sunday morning I woke up with Ike bright and early – as usual – and just felt exhausted...I was tired. Doug and I hung around the house all day in the hopes of rejuvenating ourselves for our upcoming week. The hospital where we were scheduled to deliver conducts tours of the Labor and Delivery floor on Sundays at 5:30. So Doug and I mustered the energy to head over to the hospital and check it all out. The tour was quick and the nursing staff was very polite. Jennifer delivered Hannah at this hospital so we knew the facilities were nice and the food was good. But it sure helped us to see it for ourselves. We headed from the hospital over to Dillard's to purchase a couple suits for Doug. I walked over to Motherhood to get a new pair of black pants for my business meeting the next morning, but they were closed. I would have to figure something out for the next day since my other black pants were a bit too snug. After Dillard's, Doug and I went to Marie Calendar's for dinner and then on to he grocery store.
At the grocery store, I started to get strong contractions. This didn't really catch me off guard since I typically get contractions at the grocery store because of all of the standing/walking. Except this time, they were a tad bit painful, but I still wanted to get home and sit down to see if they persisted. So we checked out and headed home. Well, since I wanted to get to the couch as quickly as possible, I unloaded just a bag or two and sat down to relax. Doug continued to unload the gazillions of bags of groceries which I thoroughly appreciated! In an effort to get the front door open with both hands full of bags, Doug kicked the door open with his foot and somehow managed to get it just right so that the door hit the wall (actually a broken door stopper) and the locking mechanism of the door knob crushed into the knob itself...so it rendered our door knob useless...forget being able to get in or out of the front door for the night...man oh man!
So as I'm sitting on the couch, I feel just a few contractions, but then they seemed to stop...which was fine since I was only 35 weeks and 2 days along. Well, I just felt the need to call my mom and inquire about how she went into labor with my sisters and me. She told me that her water broke with Lindsay, she got contractions with me and that my older sister, Molly, was so long ago – tee hee – that she couldn't remember. So that didn't really help me since it was pretty much 50/50 whether I'd get contractions first or have my water break first, but the information was helpful nonetheless. So that phone call was at 10:30 pm CDT which was 11:30 for my parents. So with that information, I headed to bed since I had to be up at 5 am in order to be ready for my 9:30 meeting in Waco the next morning. Well, I got ready for bed and was able to finally get comfortable in bed with my Ike-a-Rama-Jama puppy. Well, it only took about 2 minutes and POP!!!! My water broke!!!!! Holy wow...this is not happening! So now I'm yelling Doug's name because I figured he was hanging out in the backyard with Frisco. So I yell for him once...nothing...twice – a little louder...nothing...a third time – even louder and I finally heard him respond. He came running in from the restroom and I told him what was going on. He was more shocked than me!
So he asks me,”What can I do for you? What do I need to do?” I tell him that I guess I need some towels since with every breath, I'm losing more and more fluid...sheesh! So he heads out to get me towels and then I hear him yelling and cursing at the front door since he can't get the door knob to cooperate...oh no...this is not happening! I guess he finally got it to work since he quickly returned with towels. So he's running around the house trying to figure out what to pack – since we were completely unprepared figuring we had at least a few more weeks if not the 4 ½ weeks until our due date of September 19th. Then Doug asks me what else I need...I look down and around and realize I don't have any bottoms on...I need to somehow “get dressed” while not having a barrier between my fluid and me...sheesh! So I tell him to grab the sarong I have in the bottom drawer in the closet. That's going to have to do. So we head out the broken door – Doug with a bag of random things and me in a sarong with a beach towel between my legs like a diaper...I'm sure glad it was 11:15 pm and not broad daylight. And before I even realize it, Doug is barreling down the freeway at 85 mph. I tell him that we really don't need to drive that fast as my contractions haven't started yet. He slows down temporarily but creeps back up to about 85 just a few minutes later.
We arrived at the hospital with no issues. The hospital is so new (opened in February) that you have to check in at the ER because they lock down the lobby of the hospital. I got checked in without too much of a hitch, and Doug wheeled me up to Labor and Delivery. They checked me into the L&D room that we saw on our tour just 6 hours earlier! How funny...
The delivery went well, and Colton Cash Ranney was born at 11:51 am on Monday, August 18th. He was born 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 20 inches long.
I'll try and get caught up on his progress since it has taken me almost 2 weeks to write this...sheesh!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
An update...maybe?
Well, folks, I think the baby may have dropped Wednesday morning. I definitely felt him move lower, and friend of mine said that night that he looked lower than last week. I definitely have more back and pelvic pain and my clothes fit differently, but I'm still not sure if that's what happened. Either way, I'm 34 weeks today which means we're getting down to the wire now...he's coming and he's coming soon...
Doug and I are going to put together the baby's room this weekend and get everything set up...that'll make it feel even more like he's right around the corner.
And nope, no name reveal yet...We've been holding out for months now, and it's getting harder and harder with each passing day and week to not tell anyone, but we're really excited about the big reveal when he's born...especially since we already know his gender...so this will be the big surprise on the big day...
We hope everyone is doing well. My girlfriend from high school, Andrea, and her husband, Brian, had their first baby, Little Miss Audrey Jean Lawless, last Wednesday which has been exciting for me. Andrea was 8 weeks ahead of me so I got to hear all of the wonderful things that were headed my way, and now that Miss Audrey has arrived, I'm even more excited to have this baby because I know what we're gearing up for...it's going to be such a blessing when he comes and changes our lives forever! We're really excited!!!!
Well, Dr. appt next week so maybe an update then...two more appointments including this one next week before we go to weekly appointments...uh oh! Tee hee Until the next update...
Doug and I are going to put together the baby's room this weekend and get everything set up...that'll make it feel even more like he's right around the corner.
And nope, no name reveal yet...We've been holding out for months now, and it's getting harder and harder with each passing day and week to not tell anyone, but we're really excited about the big reveal when he's born...especially since we already know his gender...so this will be the big surprise on the big day...
We hope everyone is doing well. My girlfriend from high school, Andrea, and her husband, Brian, had their first baby, Little Miss Audrey Jean Lawless, last Wednesday which has been exciting for me. Andrea was 8 weeks ahead of me so I got to hear all of the wonderful things that were headed my way, and now that Miss Audrey has arrived, I'm even more excited to have this baby because I know what we're gearing up for...it's going to be such a blessing when he comes and changes our lives forever! We're really excited!!!!
Well, Dr. appt next week so maybe an update then...two more appointments including this one next week before we go to weekly appointments...uh oh! Tee hee Until the next update...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Pictoral update...
Hello again everyone...well, I got a wild hair and in the blink of an eye decided I wanted to get professional photos done before this sweet little miracle arrives. One of my coworker's girlfriend, JoVann, is a photographer...a very talented photographer. I had seen her personal work and wanted her to do our photographs...I knew I would be happy with her work. So we worked out the details of when/where and we got our photos taken. Doug was such a trooper - this type of thing is not his cup of tea - and the photos came out so beautiful! Here are a few to wet your whistle...
I'll post a few more tomorrow...Enjoy!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I can't believe it's been so long...
Well, my dad mentioned the other day that I hadn't updated my blog recently, and he sure was right. It's been over two months! Sheesh! I am not a very good blogger...I think posting every two months defeats the purpose. Oh well...so here we go...to catch up:
To start with, my mom came into town from Florida for Memorial Day weekend. She is a project-oriented person and really lit a fire under my rearend to get my house baby-ready. She helped me tackle some much needed projects - albeit tiny projects - which have started the ball rolling. I'm sure you know the type of projects I'm talking about...the ones that take about 5 minutes and about 10 dollars but don't seem to be important enough to tackle without the motivation of someone who doesn't live with you every day. So we tackled a few organization projects which have successfully lit the fire...it's a roarin'...
Let's just say - this past weekend excluded - Doug and I spent two weekends in a row unpacking each and every box in our garage and going through each content item to determine whether it should be in a box for keeper items, a box for garage sale items or the trash can outside. It was a long, daunting and HOT endeavor, but we finished it!!! Our garage is amazing now! I haven't had a garage look this good since Pearland...and that was a long time ago! We found that 2/3rds of our belongings are now sitting in boxes for a garage sale this weekend and just a few boxes of keeper stuff. The rest of our packed garage was thrown away or shredded.
So needless to say, after our garage sale this weekend, we might actually be able to park one car in our garage and be able to find what we’re looking for…now that we’ve discovered we have 3 full size hammers, about 6 glass pyrex measuring cups and probably 25 screwdrivers…and Doug would say that they’re all necessary items…which is fine now that we have room for them and know where to find them…tee hee
We also cleaned out our utility room which was full of junk, unopened boxes and everything else that didn’t have a permanent home. Now we can maneuver in there to fee the puppies without tripping over or knocking down a bunch of things that shouldn’t have been in there to begin with.
We also moved more furniture around amongst the bedrooms. That was an adventure because we moved the leather sofa that used to be in our living room into the office from the garage. We managed to scrape up the door frames of the office and master bedroom before we decided to invest the 30 minutes and $25 to get the right tool to take the feet off of the sofa. So we took the feet off and got it in the office (after about 2 hours of trying) which helped to organize the office and clean out the garage. Now the office is a sort of office/den/hang out/boys room of sorts. It’s pretty cool now because Doug can jam out on his guitar and have a comfy and organized place to do it.
Speaking of Doug, I just want everyone who reads this to know that Doug has been such a fantastic trooper throughout this insanity I’ve experienced regarding cleaning up/out the house to get ready for the baby. Since I can’t lift everything I think I can, he has been such a huge help in moving things around and helping me go through every box in the garage and seriously purge our belongings. It has been such a therapeutic experience for me, and he really contributed to its success. So to him I am forever grateful!!!!
Now onto the baby…I went to the doctor last week and we’re pluggin’ along normally – which is a blessing alone!
I did have a slight scare over the weekend when I didn’t feel the baby for almost 6 hours. That may not seem like a big deal – which ordinarily it wouldn’t be – but usually when I poke/prod him, he’ll wake up and reassure me that he’s still there and growing. But this time, I couldn’t get him to move. So after a few hours of contemplating, I called the after hours number and spoke with the on-call nurse. He told me to drink a ton of water/juice (approx. 25 oz.) and lie on my left side. He told me to feel for 6 fetal movements in one hour and call him back regardless of what happened within that hour. So I hung up the phone and proceeded to throw back the rest of the apple juice in the fridge – about 14 ounces. I had about 8 oz. of water right before I lied down for bed (about 20 minutes before my apple juice gulping) so I figured that would be enough to get the baby going. Well, 15 minutes into my counting, I had only one fetal movement to remember. So I jumped (or rather rolled slowly) out of bed and gulped another 10 oz. of water. I lied back down and waited and waited. It took almost 45 minutes total, but I finally counted the 6th and 7th fetal movements. I called the nurse back and told him that the baby was fine. He reassured me that he had no doubts, but that he was glad I was satisfied. With that, I was able to get a fairly decent night’s sleep…whew!
Back to the doctor…the baby’s heart rate sounded good and my weight gain is right in line with where it should be…so all’s well there. I did ask the doctor about the baby’s position because I was very curious. He told me that the baby was still small enough to flip around so the position wouldn’t be consistent even if he could determine his orientation. I then told him that the baby was continually kicking me in the upper right and upper left of my abdomen. With that information, he told me that the baby was probably head down and flipping from front to back. To be honest, that freaked me out…with the baby head down, that means that he’s getting ready…I’m not even CLOSE to ready!!! Yikes!!!! But now he’s moving all over again and sliding from side to side and making it very uncomfortable for me to sit down because he’s jammed up into my ribs…what fun! But it is still so exciting every time he moves and I can feel the little life inside my body just waiting to get out – or at least that’s what I’m telling myself…tee hee
Anywho, I’m off to take care of some business around the house…hopefully there’ll be more before next month…tee hee
To start with, my mom came into town from Florida for Memorial Day weekend. She is a project-oriented person and really lit a fire under my rearend to get my house baby-ready. She helped me tackle some much needed projects - albeit tiny projects - which have started the ball rolling. I'm sure you know the type of projects I'm talking about...the ones that take about 5 minutes and about 10 dollars but don't seem to be important enough to tackle without the motivation of someone who doesn't live with you every day. So we tackled a few organization projects which have successfully lit the fire...it's a roarin'...
Let's just say - this past weekend excluded - Doug and I spent two weekends in a row unpacking each and every box in our garage and going through each content item to determine whether it should be in a box for keeper items, a box for garage sale items or the trash can outside. It was a long, daunting and HOT endeavor, but we finished it!!! Our garage is amazing now! I haven't had a garage look this good since Pearland...and that was a long time ago! We found that 2/3rds of our belongings are now sitting in boxes for a garage sale this weekend and just a few boxes of keeper stuff. The rest of our packed garage was thrown away or shredded.
So needless to say, after our garage sale this weekend, we might actually be able to park one car in our garage and be able to find what we’re looking for…now that we’ve discovered we have 3 full size hammers, about 6 glass pyrex measuring cups and probably 25 screwdrivers…and Doug would say that they’re all necessary items…which is fine now that we have room for them and know where to find them…tee hee
We also cleaned out our utility room which was full of junk, unopened boxes and everything else that didn’t have a permanent home. Now we can maneuver in there to fee the puppies without tripping over or knocking down a bunch of things that shouldn’t have been in there to begin with.
We also moved more furniture around amongst the bedrooms. That was an adventure because we moved the leather sofa that used to be in our living room into the office from the garage. We managed to scrape up the door frames of the office and master bedroom before we decided to invest the 30 minutes and $25 to get the right tool to take the feet off of the sofa. So we took the feet off and got it in the office (after about 2 hours of trying) which helped to organize the office and clean out the garage. Now the office is a sort of office/den/hang out/boys room of sorts. It’s pretty cool now because Doug can jam out on his guitar and have a comfy and organized place to do it.
Speaking of Doug, I just want everyone who reads this to know that Doug has been such a fantastic trooper throughout this insanity I’ve experienced regarding cleaning up/out the house to get ready for the baby. Since I can’t lift everything I think I can, he has been such a huge help in moving things around and helping me go through every box in the garage and seriously purge our belongings. It has been such a therapeutic experience for me, and he really contributed to its success. So to him I am forever grateful!!!!
Now onto the baby…I went to the doctor last week and we’re pluggin’ along normally – which is a blessing alone!
I did have a slight scare over the weekend when I didn’t feel the baby for almost 6 hours. That may not seem like a big deal – which ordinarily it wouldn’t be – but usually when I poke/prod him, he’ll wake up and reassure me that he’s still there and growing. But this time, I couldn’t get him to move. So after a few hours of contemplating, I called the after hours number and spoke with the on-call nurse. He told me to drink a ton of water/juice (approx. 25 oz.) and lie on my left side. He told me to feel for 6 fetal movements in one hour and call him back regardless of what happened within that hour. So I hung up the phone and proceeded to throw back the rest of the apple juice in the fridge – about 14 ounces. I had about 8 oz. of water right before I lied down for bed (about 20 minutes before my apple juice gulping) so I figured that would be enough to get the baby going. Well, 15 minutes into my counting, I had only one fetal movement to remember. So I jumped (or rather rolled slowly) out of bed and gulped another 10 oz. of water. I lied back down and waited and waited. It took almost 45 minutes total, but I finally counted the 6th and 7th fetal movements. I called the nurse back and told him that the baby was fine. He reassured me that he had no doubts, but that he was glad I was satisfied. With that, I was able to get a fairly decent night’s sleep…whew!
Back to the doctor…the baby’s heart rate sounded good and my weight gain is right in line with where it should be…so all’s well there. I did ask the doctor about the baby’s position because I was very curious. He told me that the baby was still small enough to flip around so the position wouldn’t be consistent even if he could determine his orientation. I then told him that the baby was continually kicking me in the upper right and upper left of my abdomen. With that information, he told me that the baby was probably head down and flipping from front to back. To be honest, that freaked me out…with the baby head down, that means that he’s getting ready…I’m not even CLOSE to ready!!! Yikes!!!! But now he’s moving all over again and sliding from side to side and making it very uncomfortable for me to sit down because he’s jammed up into my ribs…what fun! But it is still so exciting every time he moves and I can feel the little life inside my body just waiting to get out – or at least that’s what I’m telling myself…tee hee
Anywho, I’m off to take care of some business around the house…hopefully there’ll be more before next month…tee hee
Monday, May 19, 2008
Another milestone...
Well, today did not start out very well. I am under the weather today so in trying to listen to my body's needs, I stayed home from work...I'm starting to get used to these days sprinkled between great days. Oh well...
But just a few hours ago, I was sitting on the couch relaxing with the puppies when the baby started kicking. After a few of them, I felt one in a very specific spot on the right side of my tummy. I thought maybe he's stay in the same spot, so I put my hand in what I thought was the right spot and pushed into my tummy a bit to get closer to him...and sure enough, he kicked me right in the palm of my hand! It was so awesome! I've never been able to feel the baby on the outside before so this is HUGE for me! I can't for another series of pointed kicks so maybe Doug can feel him for the first time! That would be awesome!! What a blessing on a mediocre day...
But just a few hours ago, I was sitting on the couch relaxing with the puppies when the baby started kicking. After a few of them, I felt one in a very specific spot on the right side of my tummy. I thought maybe he's stay in the same spot, so I put my hand in what I thought was the right spot and pushed into my tummy a bit to get closer to him...and sure enough, he kicked me right in the palm of my hand! It was so awesome! I've never been able to feel the baby on the outside before so this is HUGE for me! I can't for another series of pointed kicks so maybe Doug can feel him for the first time! That would be awesome!! What a blessing on a mediocre day...
Monday, May 12, 2008
2o weeks...and the gender...
Well, here we go again...this is the repost of the most recent post that I lost in cyberspace:
So when I scheduled our 20 week appointment, I specifically told the parents that it was for two days later than it really was. I was hoping to be able to pull something off to surprise them with the gender of the baby besides a simple phone call. For those who don't know or remember, my parents live in Orlando and Doug's mom lives in Jackson, MS. So a simple phone call is the default method of notification...how boring. So the grandparents were expecting news two days after we hopefully found out.
So the day of our appointment, I placed a special order. Doug and I thought we would send them little Chinese style take-out pails with custom decorated fortune cookies. The pails I ordered were yellow, with fortune cookies dipped in chocolate and covered in yellow sprinkles. The card said “Pssst: Our appointment has changed. Call us for details.” I ordered them in the neutral color because we were racing against the clock. Our appointment was at 1:30 CDT. The cutoff time for orders from this company – Lady Fortunes – was 2:00 CDT (noon PDT). So I did that just in case we weren't finished with our appointment or we couldn't determine the gender with certainty. I explained the situation to my confectionary consultant and she told me that she would try and delay the order by about 30 minutes to give me time to call back after our ultrasound to let her know if it was a girl or a boy. That way we could change everything from yellow to pink or blue. And we got lucky...
Doug and I met at the doctor's office and immediately were taken in for our ultrasound. We were so anxious to find out what we were having but more importantly that the baby was healthy. The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know the gender and we both practically screamed...YES! I told her the earlier the better because we had fortune cookies to modify if we could. So when you watch the ultrasound DVD, the picture goes from the baby's face right to the “goods”. But at first, the baby wasn't cooperative. The legs were crossed and blocking our perfect view for determination...so the tech jostled the baby around a bit to see if we could get the legs to spread...and we did! The tech almost gave up in her quest for gender identification when all of a sudden there it was. She said to us “You're having a” - this is when I completely thought she was going to say girl - “boy!” Doug and I immediately met eyes and our jaws dropped. This is not what we were expecting...
We looked at every possible inch of the baby and determined that everything looks good thus far. The baby is healthy and looks great! Thanks to the Lord! He is about 6 days ahead of schedule which makes sense given his parents, and we are thankful that everything looks great at the halfway point.
So when the ultrasound was over, Doug went to the waiting room to wait for the nurse to call us back to meet with our doctor. I ran into the hallway and called Lady Fortunes. I told Alex it was a boy, and she was ecstatic. We changed everything from yellow to blue and changed the cards to read “Roses are red, violets are blue, we know what we're having, now so do you.” Each grandparent was to receive one pail of cookies – with the big reveal.
Now let's move to Tuesday...Doug and I go to work, and I am immediately preoccupied with the delivery status of the packages! At 10:15 EDT my dad's package is signed for in the mail room of his company. I am getting butterflies in my stomach waiting for the phone call with his excited voice on the other end...nothing. So back to work...but occasionally I'm checking the status of the moms' packages...nothing. So I go to lunch and soon after I return to the office, my mom's package is delivered. Then the butterflies really start up. I immediately start an email to Doug to let him know that my mom's has been delivered when my cell phone rings...it's her! I answer it as nonchalantly as possible, and the first words out of her mouth are “You are a stinker!” Gee thanks mom...tee hee Then she proceeded to tell me that she thought it was an early Mother's Day gift. It took over 5 minutes and the assistance of her coworker, Judy, to help her realize that it was the big reveal and not a Mother's Day gift...sheesh! So I let her go and try to get back to work...but inevitably I'm checking the tracking of the last package...nothing.
Then I check one more time and it's been delivered! I grab my cell phone and place it closer to me so I don't have to search for it when it's ringing loudly...nothing. So I email Doug to let him know it's landed. He's not received a call either. So I check the tracking status again and sure enough someone named Taylor signed for it...neither one of us knew who that was but that probably meant that the office was closed. So I called my mother-in-law to see if was in the office. It turns out she had called in sick that day because she was really under the weather. Huge bummer for many reasons. So I told her that Doug and I were trying to be sneaky and send her a package. She joked that she'd need to get dressed and go to work just for that. I told her we'd figure out a way to get the package to her. We did. Her boss picked it up from the business next door and drove it to her house. Becky immediately opened it and was ecstatic! At first, she was so excited that it was fortune cookies that she didn't even care when we had sent them – although she thought at first it was for Mother's Day. Then she quickly realized and called me to share her wonderful, loving words of excitement! We chatted for a little while; then she called Doug to visit with him about the news. Two down, one to go...
So getting a tad bit frustrated I called my dad and asked him is there was a box on his desk. He told me now so I asked when the mail was delivered at his office. He told me that the mail room had called him to let him know there was a package for him. I told him that it was from me. That seemed to peak his interest so I told him to call me after he opened it. An hour and a half later...nothing. So I sent him a text message to see if he had opened it...nothing. So about a half hour later, I called and asked if he was still swamped with work...that would be the primary reason he would delay retrieving the package. He asked if it was an emergency. I told him “kind of”. So he told me he would open it and call me. And that's what he did. He was very excited, and we ended up chatting about the baby for about 3o minutes. It was very nice. We talked about his grandfatherly instinct into gender determination and all that jazz...it was great!
So that's the story about our big reveal to the grandparents regarding the gender of our baby...it was an adventure pulling it off and interesting the day of the reveal. But it was memorable for everyone which was the point of the efforts. Thank God for fantastic grandparents and a healthy baby boy!
So when I scheduled our 20 week appointment, I specifically told the parents that it was for two days later than it really was. I was hoping to be able to pull something off to surprise them with the gender of the baby besides a simple phone call. For those who don't know or remember, my parents live in Orlando and Doug's mom lives in Jackson, MS. So a simple phone call is the default method of notification...how boring. So the grandparents were expecting news two days after we hopefully found out.
So the day of our appointment, I placed a special order. Doug and I thought we would send them little Chinese style take-out pails with custom decorated fortune cookies. The pails I ordered were yellow, with fortune cookies dipped in chocolate and covered in yellow sprinkles. The card said “Pssst: Our appointment has changed. Call us for details.” I ordered them in the neutral color because we were racing against the clock. Our appointment was at 1:30 CDT. The cutoff time for orders from this company – Lady Fortunes – was 2:00 CDT (noon PDT). So I did that just in case we weren't finished with our appointment or we couldn't determine the gender with certainty. I explained the situation to my confectionary consultant and she told me that she would try and delay the order by about 30 minutes to give me time to call back after our ultrasound to let her know if it was a girl or a boy. That way we could change everything from yellow to pink or blue. And we got lucky...
Doug and I met at the doctor's office and immediately were taken in for our ultrasound. We were so anxious to find out what we were having but more importantly that the baby was healthy. The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know the gender and we both practically screamed...YES! I told her the earlier the better because we had fortune cookies to modify if we could. So when you watch the ultrasound DVD, the picture goes from the baby's face right to the “goods”. But at first, the baby wasn't cooperative. The legs were crossed and blocking our perfect view for determination...so the tech jostled the baby around a bit to see if we could get the legs to spread...and we did! The tech almost gave up in her quest for gender identification when all of a sudden there it was. She said to us “You're having a” - this is when I completely thought she was going to say girl - “boy!” Doug and I immediately met eyes and our jaws dropped. This is not what we were expecting...
We looked at every possible inch of the baby and determined that everything looks good thus far. The baby is healthy and looks great! Thanks to the Lord! He is about 6 days ahead of schedule which makes sense given his parents, and we are thankful that everything looks great at the halfway point.
So when the ultrasound was over, Doug went to the waiting room to wait for the nurse to call us back to meet with our doctor. I ran into the hallway and called Lady Fortunes. I told Alex it was a boy, and she was ecstatic. We changed everything from yellow to blue and changed the cards to read “Roses are red, violets are blue, we know what we're having, now so do you.” Each grandparent was to receive one pail of cookies – with the big reveal.
Now let's move to Tuesday...Doug and I go to work, and I am immediately preoccupied with the delivery status of the packages! At 10:15 EDT my dad's package is signed for in the mail room of his company. I am getting butterflies in my stomach waiting for the phone call with his excited voice on the other end...nothing. So back to work...but occasionally I'm checking the status of the moms' packages...nothing. So I go to lunch and soon after I return to the office, my mom's package is delivered. Then the butterflies really start up. I immediately start an email to Doug to let him know that my mom's has been delivered when my cell phone rings...it's her! I answer it as nonchalantly as possible, and the first words out of her mouth are “You are a stinker!” Gee thanks mom...tee hee Then she proceeded to tell me that she thought it was an early Mother's Day gift. It took over 5 minutes and the assistance of her coworker, Judy, to help her realize that it was the big reveal and not a Mother's Day gift...sheesh! So I let her go and try to get back to work...but inevitably I'm checking the tracking of the last package...nothing.
Then I check one more time and it's been delivered! I grab my cell phone and place it closer to me so I don't have to search for it when it's ringing loudly...nothing. So I email Doug to let him know it's landed. He's not received a call either. So I check the tracking status again and sure enough someone named Taylor signed for it...neither one of us knew who that was but that probably meant that the office was closed. So I called my mother-in-law to see if was in the office. It turns out she had called in sick that day because she was really under the weather. Huge bummer for many reasons. So I told her that Doug and I were trying to be sneaky and send her a package. She joked that she'd need to get dressed and go to work just for that. I told her we'd figure out a way to get the package to her. We did. Her boss picked it up from the business next door and drove it to her house. Becky immediately opened it and was ecstatic! At first, she was so excited that it was fortune cookies that she didn't even care when we had sent them – although she thought at first it was for Mother's Day. Then she quickly realized and called me to share her wonderful, loving words of excitement! We chatted for a little while; then she called Doug to visit with him about the news. Two down, one to go...
So getting a tad bit frustrated I called my dad and asked him is there was a box on his desk. He told me now so I asked when the mail was delivered at his office. He told me that the mail room had called him to let him know there was a package for him. I told him that it was from me. That seemed to peak his interest so I told him to call me after he opened it. An hour and a half later...nothing. So I sent him a text message to see if he had opened it...nothing. So about a half hour later, I called and asked if he was still swamped with work...that would be the primary reason he would delay retrieving the package. He asked if it was an emergency. I told him “kind of”. So he told me he would open it and call me. And that's what he did. He was very excited, and we ended up chatting about the baby for about 3o minutes. It was very nice. We talked about his grandfatherly instinct into gender determination and all that jazz...it was great!
So that's the story about our big reveal to the grandparents regarding the gender of our baby...it was an adventure pulling it off and interesting the day of the reveal. But it was memorable for everyone which was the point of the efforts. Thank God for fantastic grandparents and a healthy baby boy!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Back at it...
Well, let's try this again. Two things I forgot to mention in my previously drafted yet vanished post was that I started feeling the baby just after 18 weeks and last Friday the baby got the hiccups.
First things first...it was a Monday afternoon and I was home because we were getting our carpets cleaned. Doug was under the weather so he had left work early that day and was sitting next to me on the couch. All of a sudden, I lurch...Oh my gosh...the baby! I turned to Doug and told him I felt the baby move. We were both very excited about the milestone and the progress of the pregnancy. This was a big deal! Ever since then, he's been non-stop. The baby has extremely busy days and some slower days but typically a maniac! This baby ready to get out!!!
And about the sweet little hiccups...I was sitting at my desk at work and pluggin' away on something important when I felt the baby move...then again...then again...now at this point, it was getting a little too regular. I realized after a few more rhythmic lurches that the baby had the hiccups...I immediately emailed Doug and told him the baby had hiccups. Then, just like that, they were gone...so I emailed him back and told him they were over. He was very excited!! Since then, the baby got the hiccups one more time and that's been it. We'll see if this is a consistent thing throughout the pregnancy or if it's just a blip the pregnancy radar...only time will tell...
First things first...it was a Monday afternoon and I was home because we were getting our carpets cleaned. Doug was under the weather so he had left work early that day and was sitting next to me on the couch. All of a sudden, I lurch...Oh my gosh...the baby! I turned to Doug and told him I felt the baby move. We were both very excited about the milestone and the progress of the pregnancy. This was a big deal! Ever since then, he's been non-stop. The baby has extremely busy days and some slower days but typically a maniac! This baby ready to get out!!!
And about the sweet little hiccups...I was sitting at my desk at work and pluggin' away on something important when I felt the baby move...then again...then again...now at this point, it was getting a little too regular. I realized after a few more rhythmic lurches that the baby had the hiccups...I immediately emailed Doug and told him the baby had hiccups. Then, just like that, they were gone...so I emailed him back and told him they were over. He was very excited!! Since then, the baby got the hiccups one more time and that's been it. We'll see if this is a consistent thing throughout the pregnancy or if it's just a blip the pregnancy radar...only time will tell...
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I hate the Internet...
I wrote a dissertation regarding our 20 week appointment and festivities and the Internet erased my entire entry...so hold tight for a little while longer while I re-write it...I sure hope it's as good the second time as it was the first...sheesh!
A picture of my growing tummy...
Here's a picture of my tummy. I'm starting to show, and it's a ton of fun! I wish I could still wear my suits and traditional work attire (and comfy jeans), but I'm having a great time with the alternative. This picture was taken mid April...around 18 weeks.
16 weeks...
Well, I went in for the 16 week appointment and got a chance to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It was very strong and loud - which I am very happy about. We didn't get any kicking this time, but a healthy check-up is always a great thing. We're looking forward to the check-ups to come...especially the next ultrasound...now only 4 weeks away...
Monday, March 24, 2008
12 weeks...
Well, we went to the doctor for our 12 week check up and did the doppler for the first time. To be honest, I was very nervous going in to the appointment as it was a very important benchmark to make sure everything was progressing with the baby. Well, the doctor gooped up my belly and starting searching...and searching...and searching...it was so nerve-wracking!! I finally closed my eyes and just prayed...please find the heartbeat! The doctor saw my reaction and reassured me that the baby was so small and a search was necessary. Eventually, on the left side of my belly, we found the baby and its ever-so-sweet heart beating...woosh...woosh...woosh...woosh...BAM...woosh...woosh...woosh...woosh...
The doctor explained that we had just heard the baby kick. While I'm not far enough along and the baby not big enough for me to have felt it, it was so neat to know that we had at least a heart and one leg growing inside my belly!
So the doctor said everything looks and sounds great and that we'll see him again in four weeks to repeat the doppler. Let me tell you...it was such a relief to hear the baby's heartbeat after so long (we heard and saw the heart fluttering at 6 1/2 weeks). Thank God for a great check up!!
The doctor explained that we had just heard the baby kick. While I'm not far enough along and the baby not big enough for me to have felt it, it was so neat to know that we had at least a heart and one leg growing inside my belly!
So the doctor said everything looks and sounds great and that we'll see him again in four weeks to repeat the doppler. Let me tell you...it was such a relief to hear the baby's heartbeat after so long (we heard and saw the heart fluttering at 6 1/2 weeks). Thank God for a great check up!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Well, it's official...
For those of you who haven't heard through the grapevine yet, we are pregnant! We found out in late January and went to the doctor to confirm. The day of our appointment I was 6 weeks and 5 days along. With the ultrasound we got to see the fluttering of the baby's heart and hear it beating...although it was challenging to find the right spot. There was a collective sigh of relief from Doug and me after that!
The pregnancy has gone smoothly so far. I've had a little bit of morning sickness - what I call yuckiness - but nothing unbearable. I have a follow-up appointment this coming Monday - the 10th - to listen for the baby's heartbeat using the handheld deviced rather than the mega-ultrasound machine. Honestly, I'm nervous about this appointment but am also very excited as well. This friday is 12 weeks so I'll officially be out of my first trimester and onto bigger and better days...
Frisco has already clued in to the changes in my body and is very needy. He's guarding me quite a bit closer than he used to and follows me everywhere! He's been a great protector for me.
Well, that's the skinny Minnie...we just wanted to share this information with everyone...we'll keep you posted.
KR
Oh, I almost forgot...I'm sitting for the MPRE this Saturday which is the ethics portion of the Texas Bar Exam so please wish me luck and say a little prayer for me!
The pregnancy has gone smoothly so far. I've had a little bit of morning sickness - what I call yuckiness - but nothing unbearable. I have a follow-up appointment this coming Monday - the 10th - to listen for the baby's heartbeat using the handheld deviced rather than the mega-ultrasound machine. Honestly, I'm nervous about this appointment but am also very excited as well. This friday is 12 weeks so I'll officially be out of my first trimester and onto bigger and better days...
Frisco has already clued in to the changes in my body and is very needy. He's guarding me quite a bit closer than he used to and follows me everywhere! He's been a great protector for me.
Well, that's the skinny Minnie...we just wanted to share this information with everyone...we'll keep you posted.
KR
Oh, I almost forgot...I'm sitting for the MPRE this Saturday which is the ethics portion of the Texas Bar Exam so please wish me luck and say a little prayer for me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
