Sooooooooomewhhhheeeeeeeere

Over the rainbow!

Focusing in on my "Nature" assignment...check out this awesome shot I got after a little rain shower!

And yep, that's from my front yard. I live...in OZ!

Or maybe I don't but, hey, close enough.

So what's on the agenda for this week? Nothing, nothing at all. Still brainstorming on some awesome shadow shots....you know what you need to do those???? Sun.....

Know what it's been doing the past three days?????

Raining....

Mother Nature is cramping my style! She's cramping my style so much that I'm using out of date sayings like "cramping my style."

Here's a video dose of cuteness. Ignore my obnoxious kissy noises and focus on the fact that you've been hit smack in the face with a dose of just-so-cute-squishable-ness :)

Liiiiiiiiiiight Buuuuuuuuuuulb

I had an idea.

Damn, I love that movie! Three sleepy kittens ftw.

Anyway, staying on track for a moment or two. I've officially turned photography into a little more than a hobby. I finally launched the facebook page for ae photography that I created two whole years ago and I'm hosting a contest for my first official "shoot." Check it out here.

I tell you that to tell you this, I had become lazy in my photography, stagnant even. I had, what some might call, "photographers block." I used to be insanely creative but for months on end I had nothing. Ick. Then I had a BABAY! And I think that helped, because once again I see great opportunities for art all around me.

So I decided I would challenge myself. I want to master new shots, to think of something new that I personally had not done....and I thought of shadows and I thought of nature. Click the link for examples of shadow photography.

Shadow Shots


So, one thing I had never tried and another I had dabbled in but never really focused on. I'm still pondering on the perfect shadow shots..I have the one that inspired this whole "shadow train" but I'm saving it for later...I'm thinking montage babe.

So here are my "nature shots"

I had never really "tried" to take a nature pic. But it was actually pretty fun, I may have to do it more often!!!

And just so we're not losing track of my favorite subject....here's one for the road ;)

Weekly snuggle session with Nana.

Consider yourself adorabled.





30 day shred my stomach to pieces.

I started the 30 day shred.


OH MY GAWD.

That's all I'll say about it. I did take some bile inducing before pictures that, even if I ended up with the body of Jessica Alba via her "Honey" days, I would never post online....or show anybody, including my husband. Let's just say I'm currently wishing I knew how to encrypt files, or password protect a folder. Oh, and I refuse to work out in front of anybody. So this is going greeeeeeeat. I love not being able to bend down to sit without whincing in pain! [cue false enthusiasm]

Nobody tells you what a hot, flabby mess you become after baby! The jelly rolls are the only thing I can really blame on Little E, because....let's be honest, I wasn't exactly Victoria's Secret material before hand. But, hey, isn't that one of the perks of motherhood? Blaming that train wreck that resides between your neck and ankles on that adorable little monster you're carrying around?

Onto fun(ner) things. Cloth diapering is.....going. We're having trouble going to full time cloth due to me being put off work for so long, I never got a chance to complete my stash. However, I have some Sunbabies on the way and can't WAIT. The 12 I'm waiting on will  "complete" my stash, and we'll be able to go to 24/7 cloth! I say "complete" because I know I won't be able to resist some new fluff every now and then!

NOW! How's un bebe? He's hilarious. He's smiling like crazy, thinks the phrase "HEY BABAY!" from Dave Chapelle is the funniest thing ever....and well....tummy time is just a tragedy. Seriously, you would think somebody was prying his cute little nose off. But oh well, we try. He's blowing raspberries, and he's also gained some wicked head control so we've been making some great use of the Bumbo!!

I went back to work on the first and I managed to survive. Noah seems to think we have to be on the same scheduling and has since been keeping Daddio up all night. [evil laugh]

SO now you're updated! Here's some killer cuteness to reward you for reading this crap ;)

And what have you learned?? Babies smell. (In a cute way of course)

With almost 8 sweet sweet weeks gone by what's new? He's starting to smile. I don't mean those accidental, -maybe it's gas, happened to snap a picture and it looks like he's smiling-smiles; Im talking about a -real deal do something funny and he grins like a goofball- kind of smile! And, even though he's done it a billion times by now, Dustin and I still get all giggly when he does it. Yep....we're THOSE kind of parents.

So what have I learned from being a mom? The snotty teenager inside me wants to roll her eyes and say "Ummmm nothing...because I already knew eeeeverything, what-evs." Well I didn't of course so that would be  lame so here's my list:

-You don't bounce a baby within 30 minutes post meal.
-Blogging one handed is all the rage.
-Your next long relaxing shower will be at least 13 years from now.
-You now have the ability to carry on an entire one sided conversation with the only response being "ooooooh" from a very interested 7 week old.
-Babies stink. Seriously! Nobody ever told me that babies had the potential to be so smelly!
-Farts* are super funny again.**

Admit it, it's funny when babies are, shall we say, "flatulently talented." Not even the most sophisticated of souls doesn't find it hilarious when an 8 lb baby cracks one off that sounds like it came from the trunk of an elephant. My kid's got game.

Okay, I may have learned other stuff....but, let's be honest, if this was an entry about the value of burping would you actually read it? Nope.

Oh! The most important thing I've learned????

There is nothing more squishably cute than a baby in a tarzan diaper.

"Oh hai, I iz King of the Crib"

*-only baby farts
**-Okay all farts....let's be adults here.

Adventures in cloth diapering.

We had our first cloth experience yesterday! Granted it was only one cloth diaper and he only wore it on a car ride to Nana's but hey! Baby steps.

Can I just say if you had asked me 5 years ago about cloth diapers I would have said
#1-Ew.
#2 Who cares?

I guess the magical thing about motherhood is that the most idiotic thing you can imagine becomes the most adorable thing you've ever seen. He looked downright ADORABLE! Straight up cute enough to pinch. I'm mobile blogging or I would post his pic. I'll post one soon though, I'm currently waiting to have my arm stabbed AGAIN! To make sure my "gestational diabetes" has gone away. Lame.

The pics are on my camera but how about a picture of his mean face to tide you over until then?





My child has anger issues.

posted from Bloggeroid

Baby E graduates to Noah James

and Im sleeeepy! Well not THAT sleepy actually.

Be patient, and do not judge me for my type-o-ness because I blog at you one-handed...as I am currently holding the King of Cuteness on my chest.

But I figured I should post my "He's here" update before he gains the ability to roll his eyes, be embarrassed by my messy hair, or drive off to hang out with his new girlfriend.

I know, I suck. But as mentioned before bebe boy has an uncanny ability to monopolize at least one arm 24 hours of the day, and Ive been too lazy to type an entire update with one hand....until NOW!

He was born May 28th 2011 at 8:33am, I'll spare you the gory details. He weighed 8lbs 12.3 ozs and he was 19 whole inches long. Short and wide...he was like a little linebacker!

It took him FOREEEEEVVVVVER to freaking cry...they had to give him a little "help" and I seriously thought I was going to die waiting to hear it....then I did, and I completely melted. Oh, and tears??? There were major tears just rolling down my face. That's right...I cried like a baby and Im damn proud of it! :)

Mad at the world

"What's this?? Nobody is squirming in pain when I kick?"

So about 3 hours after he made his appearance my blood pressure resumed it's steady climb to 'OMG yur gunna have a stroke" ness, baffling everybody and royally pissing me off.  It's refusal to go below 170/98 earned me a bonus day in the hospital....topping me off at 3 days of cabin fever.

Finally we get to go home, only to have to return two days later when it shoots back to 180/108....no that's not a type-o.

So yea, Ive been busy...but now Im healthy and baby boy is groooooowing! Ive been taken off of my blood pressure meds and no longer feel like I have the med list of an 80 year old woman. ANYWAY! Picture time!

Practicing his "stink eye"

First time in the swing

His favorite past time

"Whatchu doin lady?"

"Aww, I iz keeding you want to cuddle now?"

Hating his first real bath

"OH hello there! Im just busy being too freaking cute"

"Ahhhh! The cuteness...I cant hold it back"

Okay, consider yourself updated. He's 7 weeks old now as of yesterday...I teared up a little typing that. Why is it that becoming a mom makes you a sobbing hot mess?

~♥ A

37 Weeks, Lets wrap this up shall we?

So! I realize I haven't updated since I was put on bedrest. I was making the assumption that nobody wants to read a daily update that goes somewhere along the lines of "Today I drank 4 liters of water and propped my feet up on the coffee table, took a blood pressure pill, then later...a nap, the end!"

I did graduate to a "modified bedrest" as in "Take it easy" meaning I'm allowed to leave the house if I have to. Once again, nobody wants to read "I went to the grocery store, it was sweeeeeeeet!" hahaa. And the only real "new" thing is that I've seriously considered becoming an extreme couponer.

So what HAVE I done? I had my baby shower! And it was awwweeeessooooooome! And even though I've been at home, I'm still working on thank you cards, I suppose I should get those done some time. But thanks to the intense swelling in my hands, I have the handwriting of a 1st grader. Which is adorable, right???!??

[Nope....actually it's only cute if 1st graders do it!]

Every week I go for an ultrasound and a check up, usually I wouldn't start weekly appointments until 36 weeks, but with the BP issues I've been gettin to see my little tubbers every week since 32 weeks! And he's a fatty, he measured a whopping 8.5 pounds on the 13th.

[Just haaaaangin' out!]

People have literally told me I'm going to die giving birth, which is....sweet of them???? No, they weren't being sarcastic....please shut up! We won't go into other rude things because I'm sure they're no different than anything that any other pregnant woman hears, and I'm not interested!

Good news???? My doctor says I will NOT go past 39 weeks due to the increased risk of pre-eclampsia. So this will probably be my last blog entry before he shows up! WOOOOO! :D

So we're "ready" for him, except I still haven't packed my hospital bag or washed clothes, although they're nice and organized into sizes and ready to be washed! I'm afraid if he knows he has clothes to wear he'll take that as an acceptable reason to make an appearance, oh  yea THAT'S RIGHT, I don't want to go into labor yet! First pregnant woman in history that's just fiiiiiiiine where I'm at thanks hahaha. Except when he's ripping my stomach open from the inside...then I get a little anxious to have him out! And looking at my puffed up Shrek face in the mirror is somewhat motivational to end this pregnancy...but EH! Oh well. Although apparently I'm so excited about the prospect of not being swollen anymore that I had a dream last night about being able to wear my wedding band again! WOOOO PARTY OVER HERE! I'm really living on the edge, right?

And I know that I need to do those things so that we're really ready, BUT, HIIIIII have we met??? I'm a procrastinator....This wouldn't be the child of Dustin and Amanda Edwards is SOMETHING wasn't left until the last minute. That would be weird, hellooooooo!

Sooooo I know this one wasn't very funny, but I don't have anything funny to write, sowwwy!

So I'm signing off for probably the last time as Amanda, next time I write I'll be "mommy"

=)

♥ A

What me, worry?

Apparently.......


I'm too stressed. As evidenced by my uterus of doom.

I went for my check up (going every two weeks now woot!) and even though my appointment was at 2:15 and I didn't get called in until 3:20 I was actually not even impatient or upset because I made friends with the other pregnant ladies in the waiting room.

How's this for an ice breaker "HOLY COW!!! YOUR BABY IS TRYING TO ESCAPE!"
Said by the 9 year old daughter of the woman across from me in the waiting room. Lesson number one on how to tell if you have a hyperactive baby apparently; if the people sitting 8 feet away from you can see your child beating you to death. Love it! So this comment lead into "How far along are you" etc and I actually had a really awesome time with waiting room lady; I never got her name. :(

So then I get called, and I get weighed and I get my first "You suck as a mother" moment of the evening...

Nurse- "You didn't gain any weight"
Me- "No way, I've been eating like a horse"
Nurse- "For real...I know math."

Then I sit down for vitals. HELLLOOOOO hypertension! My bp was 150/90

There's my second "YOU SUCK!" moment, as the nurse insinuates that I'm eating too much, therefore getting too much sodium.
For real??? How can I not be eating enough.....yet eating too much all at the same time. Suck it nurse.

So then the doctor comes in and says "You are a horrible human-pod!" Or something along those lines.....
Ketones...they were all up in muh peepee...not cool. Means I'm wicked dehydrated. Which made no sense since I'd been having horrible braxton hicks contractions and had intentionally UPPED my water intake, and had already chugged a crap ton before I even got there. AND the babies heartrate was high.


So to sum it up, no weight gain, dehydrated, high bp, high fetal heartrate=guess who has two thumbs and gets to go to the hospital for fluids and fetal monitoring??? This chick!!!!!

[Jack Black gets the joke]

The highest my blood pressure spiked was 190/79, which is....let's be honest, pretty crappy. So they gave me a liter of fluid for the dehydration, Baby E is great, very active and his heartrate was back to normal once I finished the fluids. They put me on light bedrest for the weekend (I'm allowed to get up and move around every few hours) and told me to sleeeeep. Even gave me some fancy sleeping pills to take (which I won't be taking because I'm paranoid,) and I'm told to check my blood pressure twice a day. I go back to the office on tuesday for a follow-up. Soooooo obviously I'm exhausted and I'm going to bed! (Doctors orders!) No picture for this one...I don't have any because I'm lame.

My kid's gonna have a fluffy butt!

So lets start this blog entry off by saying "I'm over the hump!!!! WOOOO! And it's all down hill from here!" Yep, I know...the third trimester feels like forEVER and I'm going to be uncomfortable and miserable and unable to sleep and the baby's going to break my ribs and it's going to feel like he's trying to escape.

Check, check....BIG OL' CHECK!


But I feel great! And here's the part where somebody pokes their head around the corner and says  "Oooooh just wait until -[insert bad thing here]- starts -[doing something terrible]- and then you'll be -[insert crappy emotion that I don't care about]-" and that's the part where I tell you to stick it up your butt. Oh that's RIGHT I said stick it up yo' BUTT!

Oh I'm mean. But seriously, how about you be happy about the fact that I'm not considering jumping off of a cliff because my nursery wasn't completely finished by my 28th week? Or maybe be happy for me when I say "Hey...if it weren't for the terrible nausea and vomiting and the fact that I share the mid part of my body with a tiny ninja...I'd never know I was pregnant!" Nope....gotta be lame and try to make me freak out.


ONTO FUN THINGS!!!!!

I'm going to tell you a secret :)

Something I've been set on since about the 10th week of my pregnancy but I don't really talk about it, because people seem to have an opinion on it alll...the...time.

I'm using cloth diapers.


I'll give you a second to let that sink in. And then give it a few more minutes for someone to repeat the second paragraph of this post....and for me to give the same answer ;)

[giving you time to go back and read :)]

I'm a hippie at heart...and guess what, I'm also a cheap-o. I'm concerned about my "carbon footprint" as well as the fact that the average parent spends around $2000 using disposable diapers on their bebe. and I can spend about $300 ($500 if I want to splurge,) and just have to do an extra load of laundry once a week. OH! and I can also diaper two kids for that. BOOYAH!

Does this make me better than somebody that uses disposable?...nope. Does it make me a know-it-all or a goody goody....nope.

It's just what I wanna do! And I view it as sort of an adventure! If you're curious....these are NOT the same cloth diapers that they used "back in the day" It's actually just as simple as a disposable. There's just two extra steps in the process...promise! Plus there's less incidence of diaper rash and blahblahblah. Just google it if you don't believe me. :)

I will be using "All-in-ones" and "Pockets" No pins, no folding, just a cute little fuzzy fluffy butt!

and you've GOT TO ADMIT IT!!!! They're freaking cute. 

At this point I've only got 10, I'd like to be at around 25-30 before Baby E makes his arrival. Most cloth diapers don't fit babies under 8 pounds, although some I've found will fit a 6 pounder. But unless I cave and buy the newborn sized cloth (which fit 6-12 pounds) we will be using disposables until he grows into his cloth diapers :) I'm excited! Be excited too dangit! Im particularly fond of the diaper in the front of the photo...as I think it's hilarious that my son will look like he's wearing a diaper made of newspaper!

Curious as to how they work?? Notice the snaps on the front of the diaper, that's what makes these "one-sizes" or "OS" in cloth diaper speak. The snaps allow me to custom fit each diaper to my baby and they grow as he grows!

These are "pocket diapers" meaning that there's a pocket inside where the microfiber insert is placed, which is what makes the diaper absobent. They have a TPU lining...which makes the "shell" waterproof....so don't worry...if you hold my bebe and he pees...he's not going to soak your arm. This eliminates the need for the "rubber covers" that they used back in the day.

And another perk..I'm told...is that the "blow-out" is a myth when using cloth. Any mommy reading this right now, knows exactly what I'm talking about, and I guess we'll put that to the test soon enough!

Here's a few pics for those who might still be confused, or just curious!

Up close of the snaps. All undone, this is the "biggest size" on the diaper.

 

 

All snaps closed, this is the smallest size :) CUUUTE

 

Inside, completely assembled.

Removing the microfiber liner from the "pocket"

Shot of the microfiber liner. One good thing about pocket diapers is they can be "stuffed"

to be adjusted to different levels of absorbency, good for "heavy wetters" etc.



There! Consider yourself educated on cloth diapering, I'm learning as I go...and I plan to share it on here...the joys [and woes] of CD. :) And in case you were wondering, the husband is 100% on board!

 

 

♥  Amanda

Busy Busy Little Bee

That's meeeee.

And for some reason I always feel the need to give myself more to do...I know I'm all crafty and whatnot; sometimes, however, my craftiness gets ahead of my common sense and I take on something I'm not able to handle.

I was going to make my shower invites.

They were SOOOO CUUUUUTE TOO!
Because they matched my nursery theme....and I was so thrilled. Until I started my guest list. I had thirty names...then my mother-in-law had about 20...and I'm pretty sure my mom will have about 20 to add onto that. Soooooo I'm a little too busy to hand make 70 invitations. Even with my fancy schmancy cricut.
I feel like a big "Lahoooo-sa-heer" for even wasting the paper on the 15 that I managed to take together before I had a panic attack on how it took me a day and a half to manage that and the invites need to be ready in two weeks and blahblahblahblah.

Okay! So THAT project has been cancelled!

But weren't they cuuuuuute?

Crappy cell phone pic. [craft fail]

SO! I decided to go with the invitation that I had originally picked out. Not elephant related....however, that's okay. Because the shower theme will still be the same as the nursery :)

[Had to black some things out,

don't think Mum wants her phone number out there

for the world to see haha!]

We're also putting an insert with each invitation asking the guests to bring a childrens book (one that costs no more than an average greeting card) instead of a card, that way Baby E will have a wicked library! And so everytime I read to him I can talk to him about the person that bought him the book. :)
Here's the insert

Oh well! Now that you know I'm a craft quiter we can all move on now can't we?

♥ A

Update-a-rooni

So, I haven't updated because I'm a bad blogger. This has been established already, no?

I guess I owe anyone who actually reads this a wee bit of an apology...I've been busy, and sick, and busy while sick, and sick of being busy, as well as being sick of being sick!

They started me on Reglan at my last appointment. Now's the time for everybody to freak out, right?
Wrong. Those commercials you see are warning against people who have used Reglan for an extended period of time (years) and it causes tardive dyskinesia. Google it.

There are absolutely no adverse effects on baby :) I made sure I asked when she prescribed it, then I did some research of my own!

But anywhooooo. The Reglan was amazing, for a few weeks. I finally was able to eat without feeling like a stuffed cow for 8 hours afterwards, and FINALLY had an appetite! AANNNNDDDD (drum roll) I didn't throw up for a whole week! Which was something non of my other anti-emetics had managed to boast.

aaaaaaa-mazing.
But in hyperemesis world all good things must come to an end and this applies more so than anything with medications. It stopped working.

Don't get me wrong. I'm doing better than I -would- be without any medication. But it wasn't the amazing magical cure I was hoping for.  WOOOOE is me. So I'm sickly this week. This week will go down on the books as a "bad" week. Not the worst by far...just....bad. I guess what made it so bad is I got my hopes up that I was finally going to be able to function like a normal human who doesn't carry a puke bag in the car "just in case" and doesn't always travel in the right lane so that pulling over quickly is always an option....

and who isn't required to carry a toothbrush, toothpaste and listerine in her purse....

At least I'm a hygenic super puker! Right?

Ugh.


Lets talk about something fun!! [and not disgusting]

We finally have bedding picked out! I ordered it from BabySuperMall.com Amazing awesome site.

It's Carters Green Elephant :)

And we also have a name picked out, FINALLY. But guess what? It's a secret! OHHHHH!  I'm so dirty.

The baby's name won't be told until delivery day :) "Sowwy!" It's just something that Dustin and I have "just for us"

Who knows, maybe we'll cave. My husband does have quite the gossip-mouth.


♥ ~A

Uterus of Steel.

I'm trying to be good and update at least once a week (and I missed last week)....which is hard to do when your life is about as exciting as....well it's just so boring I can't even think of an adequate analogy okay?


The Jets don't get to go to the Super Bowl which means there's a dark cloud hanging over the Edwards home at present. Baby E will not be wearing his official Jets onsie home from the hospital as planned....as he may shrivel from shame before we can get him home. ;)


I would looooove to not mention heaving in one blog post. But, SORRY! I got all cocky and thought I didn't need to take my meds anymore, so I didn't get my script refilled.....after two days of misery I decided that I'm a moron, and I now will be taking them religiously. I'm officially one of those pathetic weiners that will be sick the entire pregnancy and I've accepted it!! I only have a "few" more weeks of the second trimester left and supposedly morning sickness "can come back" in the third....so I will be vomiting until Baby E makes his grand appearance. Lets just say I've been blessed in other departments because as far as all other pregnancy stuff goes I'm a rockstar!!! If it weren't for endless vomity-ness I wouldn't even know I was pregnant. (so far)  -The end-


OH! But lets talk about something exciting shall we??? I FINALLY am feeling movement....I was depressed and thinking that perhaps my uterus was plated with steel and that I would never feel "flutters" "kicks" anything...then all the sudden I feel "things" and find myself having an internal dialogue of "was that a kick or gas?" Never in my life did I think that I would ever have to ask myself that question; "Foot or fart?"


oh that's right....I went there.


Needless to say! It was a foot....because at the 21 week mark Baby E decided to upgrade from granny-style Tai-Bo flutters to Jui-Jitsu style ninja flips and kicks. He's a kung-fu master.


I always get the "Isn't it soooo amaaaaazing????" Question. And to be honest...it's the most awesome, crazy and weirdest thing I ever felt in my life....I've yet to say "Awwwww" I kept saying "That's the strangest feeling EVER." That's not saying it's NOT amazing....it's just really weird too!


My only awww moment was when he decided he didn't like me poking around on my stomach and kicked my hand away. HELLO! 


Lets end this post with an obligatory belly shot and a pregnancy survey :) This shot is 21 weeks exacly...I think, and don't be judging....the "junk" room is the only room with a full length mirror.

Huge-Bell-EEE

Survey-


How far along?  22 weeks on Saturday (21 weeks 5days for those of you that don't like math)


Total weight gain/loss: as of January 6th I had gained one pound!! WOOT!


Maternity clothes? Yes, I caved at the 19 week mark and bought a Bella Band and a couple Maternity pants and two shirts. I refuse to buy any more!! That crap's waaaaaay too expensive!!!


Stretch marks? Not unless you count the ones from puberty!


Sleep: Is very stange right now! Sometimes I could sleep for two days straight, sometimes not at all.


Best moment this week: getting my hand nudged, and feeling like there's a squirrel in there.


Movement: See above!!! LOTS OF MOVEMENT!! :) Finally!


Food cravings: I hate food :( I wish I craved more stuff!


Gender: Boy!


Labour signs: ummm no


Belly button in or out? Innie, I was 100 % sure it would stay that way due to it's cave like nature, but I can actually push on it a little...and it inverts. CREEEEPY


What I am looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat again at the next appointment, and for this morning sickness to stop kicking my ass!!! Please?!?!?? No? Okay then....


Milestones: Finally feeling movement after being convinced that I had a uterus of steel and would never feel Baby E, finding out the gender, Feeling that one little itty bitty kick on my hand :)




♥ A

I've been feeling crafty.

Blame it on the hormones.
I've been feeling especially crafty. After I saw someone on my facebook page (Chelsea to be exact!!) made a sock monkey...I got an itchy sewing finger to try it on my own!


After a trial run with a pair of Dustin's old worn out socks, I traveled to the store and bought boo-koos of socks to make cute ones!!!


The first victim was Allison, my sister-in-law! She chose the pink and green socks and away we went. The end result although slightly creepy (but aren't all sock monkey just a little strange?), was very cute!

The blue and white striped socks are being saved for Baby E, I'll post pictures when I get those done, and I have plans to make little Elaina (a friends oober cute child) one as well....both of these will NOT have buttons for eyes, as they pose a choking hazzard, so I'm still in the process of trying to think of ways to do the eyes without them looking creepy as all get out!!!!! (Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!)


Amazingly enough there are hundreds of animals you can make with socks! Who knew. This kid is making me creative....




I also found a pattern for making baby leg warmers!!! Woot!  Good thing I'm having a boy or I'd be whipping out the bow patterns. The problem with my craftiness is that it's intermittent. I'll usually spend an entire day at the sewing machine or on a scrapbook, etc...and then never touch it for another month. Maybe I should ration the crafty? Who knows. All I know is I don't think I could ever get to the point where I could steadily sell things I make, as I don't do it often enough to make a profit!


What else did I do this week?!???

[epic duck face]

I hung out with my brother and we compared belly sizes.


I think I win :)

[and this is the part where you say "OMGEEE YUR HUUUUGE!!!!!" and I pinch your face off!]

oh and I also just realized I didn't have anonymous commenting in place on my bloggarrooooo. So now you DON'T have to have a gmail address to comment....I don't think. Or maybe you do....just try it!

 

♥ A

Congratulations!! It's an.....exhibitionist!!!

Okay,
Allow me to repent for my dirty evil ways....of building up excitement for my super gender scan and then never posting another update.


Let me explaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiin!!!!!!


On the day of the big scan-our interwebs died. This led to a large debate with Time Warner....mostly about how they are stupid. Long story short we ended up switching to Verizon, and it just got re-established.
ANYWAY!!!!!!




I was always terrified that I would be the poor woman with the child that kept their legs clinched tight in utero, never giving a glimpse of the goods, that my baby would be terrified of medical nudity in the way that I always was (the thought of disrobing monthly at a doctors appointment was enough for me to prevent pregnancy as a young adult.) I was convinced that I would drive myself crazy for 9 months wondering if there was a tiny doodle or a ding-dong (yes I'm four) growing in my uterus and I would be forced to buy all gender neutral clothing. (I sound so vain!)


But it's true.


So.....anybody ever seen Varsity Blues??? (This has a point I promise). If you have, and I'm not just sleep deprived, there's a point in the movie where the old men in the diner are discussing the shenanigans of the drunken football players the nights before. At some point in the conversation the phrase "Weiners?!?!? Pressed against the glass?!?!?" Gets uttered.


Just "marinate" on that.


Here I am, all excited, trying to not act like the ultrasound tech attempting to push the ultrasound wand through my stomach and into the table below isn't at all uncomfortable, she mutters "I think I see boy parts."


and that's it! No "It's a Boy!!!" nothing. I start to panic because I'm thinking "Lady, I can't go to Old Navy and annihilate the clearance rack on a "I think."


About that time Baby E decides he's tired of playing mind games.


Hence the phrase "Weiners....pressed against the glass?!?!?!?"
It looked like my son decided to moon us by pressing his butt against a flat pane of glass....nice. I'm having an exhibitionist! A BOY exhibitionist!!

Not a prude like mommy

Okay.

Is it weird to say that I feel awkward showing my sons 2-D goods on the internet??? Because I kinda do! Ah, let's compromise with a cute foot shot!!!!

And lets just add one more with a disclaimer....I love this baby more than anything!!! I sometimes get scolded for my laissez faire, sarcastic view on pregnancy. But why should me being pregnant be any different than anything else in life. I refuse to be one of those pregnant women that change everything about their personality simply because they're pregnant....it irritates me.

Now that that's out there.

Doesn't anybody else on the planet think that a front shot of the baby's face on ultrasound looks like Skelator from He-Man???

ADMIT IT!!!!!!

and then I'll admit to you that this is the only time I've ever looked at Skelator and said "AWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

♥ ~A



Two days and 3 1/2 hours...but who's counting right?

Things are looking up on the homefront. I'm finally managing to be excited about being pregnant!! I don't think I had "unrealistic expectations" but I wasn't expecting things to be quite the battle that they have been in the past 10 weeks. I was always aware that pregnancy was not all baby kicks and belly pics. But I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of headaches, back pain, heartburn, puking, and a lot of other things that I won't blog about because I'm a "laaayddeeee."


This isn't saying that I was expecting pregnancy to be a breeze, because I WASN'T. So don't you "I told you so-ers" even open your fat little mouths! Actually, never once did I expect it to be "easy," but I certainly don't think that anyone expects to be hospitalized and the other things that I've experienced, so I think my feelings are normal and perfectly understandable. Now that this Dr. Phil moment is over...


Onto the fun part of my post.


One thing I was NOT made aware of is that apparently people take pregnancy as an open invitation for insults. Old women think that "You're having a girl because your rear-end is soooo wide" and "Your nose is spreading out, must be a BOY!" are perfectly acceptable comments to make to a perfect stranger once they find out there's a tiny human nesting in your abdomen. If you didn't know that I was pregnant would you randomly walk up to me and say "WOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH huge butt! How's it going?" Or "Hey big nose, how's the weather?"


ummmmmm.....no.


I don't walk up to random people and tell them they're huge. You shouldn't either. The next time someone tells me I'm huge and must be carrying twins I'm just going to say "No....I'm just really fat and I had finally made a breakthrough in therapy about accepting my weight problem...thanks for setting me back 3 months." Then just watch them get uncomfortable and then try to stammer their way out of it.




That might seem mean....but if you don't want me to make you feel like jerk, then maybe you shouldn't make me feel like the Goodyear blimp. Deal??


In other news, my brother is coming in from Norfolk tonight! Even though I won't get to see him until Thursday probably. But thursday is also the BIG DAY!!!! It's ultrasound day!! WOOT! Time to see if I'm toting an xx or an xy, hamburger or a hotdog, sausage-fest or a taco party!!!




I have no new pics so I leave you one of Leia being confused by my old laptop.

"I confused!! Where is key for Beggin' Strips?!?!?"

 ♥ ~A

So now that we're up to date lets talk about crappy luck!

So if you read the last two updates you know that I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Google it). Which due to its long worded-ness and my laziness will hence forth be referred to as HG.

So, I was diagnosed with HG after my lovely ER trip and subsequent hospital stay and this caused the doctors to get a little more serious about medications and the meds were actually working. I was thrilled! I can handle puking once daily, I can even handle being in a constant state of nausea! YES!!!

So I was finally allowed to return to work after 12 days off where I did nothing but lay around and feel sorry for myself.

It was wonderful! Worked my first shift back, no problems. Feeling good, meds are doing their thing!!! This is wonderful! I AM able to function like a normal human being!!!!!


Then I go back on Sunday for my second shift as a normal human.
My belly starts to cramp on the way there....no biggy.
By the time I get to work, these "cramps" are taking my breath away...not good. They're also waxing and waning in intervals of 4-5 minutes and they are PAINFUL!!!!

SO, thinking I'm just having some GI issues I head to the bathroom....where I proceed to curl up in a ball, cry, and puke....wow.
And then the pain gets worse...
and I vomit again..
and I try to hide in a corner until it all goes away. But you can't do that when you're a nurse...people FIND YOU....

and they made me go to the ER where I'm told....

get this....


I have a stomach virus.

I'll just let the irony of that one sink in for a little while....
Yea....I know.

 Apparently there's a nasty GI bug floating around where the victims have horrible abdominal cramping, vomiting and *cough cough* "other things." So I get sent home...and told to stay home until the 4th....
and I cry, because I don't want to live under a bridge and hospitals don't pay you to be a patient.

So I go home, and I whine, and I freak out, and I call my boss. And I feel better, because she tells me I'm free to make up my two missed shifts so that I will NOT be living under said bridge any time soon.

Isn't that sweet? Yay!


So I'm 18 weeks and two days now, and if I can get over this GI bug I think I'll actually be able to return to work and NOT miss anymore days barring any more unforseen catastrophes.

Woe is me, do you feel sad for me yet??? *sad pouty face*
I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude because no matter how sick I get, or how poopy I feel at the end of it all, I get a really really great consolation prize *smiley face!!!*

This was taken a few days ago, but I'm pleased to annouce that even after losing 6 more pounds, I've developed a "bump!" WOOT!

Don't mind my convict shirt...It's one of the few that still fit over my expanding belly now.

♥ ~Amanda

And again!

I realize that I am, indeed a weiner. And I'm posting two updates in one day. I just thought reading two moderately sized posts would be easier than reading two ginormous, novel-ish posts.


So here's the rest of the baby updates!!


------
11/24/10


Morning sickness!!!! ARGGGHH!!!!
I have been informed that when you're an infertile and you magically get a miracle pregnancy out of nowhere that apparently you're not allowed to complain about being sick.
So, if that bugs you then kindly skip the next paragraph because I'm about to whine!! OH NOES!


SOOO SIIIIICK!!!! Does not even begin to cover it. I think my husband might be considering that I am possessed by zee devil. On this day I'm puking my guts up and can't even manage to take a shower without having to take a break to yak....I'm sick, okay! After I clog up the shower, hubby patiently waits for me to crawl in the back of the car with my pillow and blanket and we head to the doctor while I lay in the back seat and moan like a pitiful weiner....mind you this is WITH anti-sickness meds; Zofran to be exact with everyone claims is a "miracle drug." NOPE! No miracle drug for Manders!!! You used up all your miracles conceiving this little mystery...so no miracle cure for you! Sorry!!  So I get to the doctor and she says "Hey, you look like crap!" And I say "thanks" and she says "Here's some phenergan...stop puking in muh trashcans and go home"


Now for those of you who only want to read happy, non-whiney stuff. We got to actually HEAR the heartbeat for the first time! Dustin got teary eyed and I got a little weepy....but mostly just grinned from ear to ear. Being sick sucks but maybe if I walk about with a doppler stuck to my tummy so I can constantly hear the heartbeat I'd be in a better mood? That's not an option??? Okay then....




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12/4/2010


Officially in my second trimester!! WOOT! No real milestones for this date, still pukey still losing weight, still PREGNANT!!!!! Which is the most important :)


-----------
12/21/2010


Checkup!
I had been feeling good for the two days prior to my appointment (only threw up once each day!! WOO!) and got cocky and bragged! Heard the heartbeat again, 160 an it sounded like a little drummer in there! The doctor even agreed to let me get my anatomy scan a little early so I could find out boy/girl while my brother is in town!!! Yay for good news!


---------


12/25/2010


Merry Christmas! This morning started out like the last few others, after shooting my mouth off at the doctors office on the 21st about how "AWESOME!" I had been feeling I proceeded to start getting sick again that night (the 21st)...a lot, and it continued.


Then it just got worse, and worse, and worse! Ew!
I was originally scheduled to work Christmas night and the two nights afterward (The joys of being a nurse) Went to breakfast, and before I could even attempt to finish it, I had already thrown it back up. Have you ever drank water and then thrown it up while it was still cold???? New experience for me too....
So I shrug it off, take more meds, lay down to take a nap....then get up to get sick, take more meds, lay down for a nap.....finally sleep a little...and wake up feeling like I had been hit by a truck!!


Long story short I ended up calling in to work, which is a GINORMOUS no-no on a holiday, the supervisor advises me that I should probably go to the ER if I don't want to get in trouble....
Little does SHE know...my boots are already on, and hubby has the car running because we're already heading that way.


A little of fluid and some IV zofran later (About 5-6 hours) I'm heading back home with directions to call my OB on monday. I have been "officially" diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. No fun!
Did I mention we're in a the middle of a blizzard???!


------------------------


12/27/10


So I call my OB on monday, first thing (because I'm a good little patient)
Apparently an ER trip is not something they like to hear so they're all "Come in NOW!!!" and I'm saying "UMMMM there's 50000 feet of snow in my front yard" and they say "Who cares, get your butt in here!"


So I do. Dustin originally wasn't going to accompany me but when he saw the 10 inches of snow on my car (because I was nice enough to ask him to clean it off while I speed showered to get ready) he decided he didn't want me to drive...and I'm eternally grateful!


So we get there, finally!
And I pee in a cup (My new favorite hobby apparently)


and the doctor comes in and says 4+ Ketones!!! You are a horrible (and severely dehydrated) mother!
Not really on the horrible mother part....but that's what I felt like! :(
So we get sent to the hospital because apparently the baby doesn't like swimming around in ketone filled fluid...who knew right!


And I get admitted to labor and delivery, and poked with needles (Apparently this is also becoming a new hobby).
Fluids are started, and then more needles, and IV zofran is given, then phenergan, then finally the pukiness stops, for now.


Let me just add that it's really strange to be on labor and delivery and not actually "Labor" or "deliver"
The lab people, and dietary people that would come in the room always had that silly "AWWWW BEBE!!" grin on their face....and I felt too guilty to correct them.


Since this is a photo blog here's a photo of my IV so you'll feel sorry for me ;)

-------------------------


12/28/2010


Sent home from hospital! Souped up my meds, and so far they're really helping! I'm all sad and mopey because I feel like a loser, and I'm driving Dustin crazy. He swears I'm not but I feel like a pain in the butt.




--------------------------


And finally we're up to today!
I will post another post for "todays update"
This one is becoming novelish.






♥ ~Amanda

New Years Resolution-Do not suck at being bloggerish. Oh! AND I'm knocked up!

Sooooo.....
Exactly 13 days after I posted my last update (September 23rd to be exact) I felt like total horse poo.
Husband says "Hahaha!! You're pregnant!"
I say "Dirty Liar!! Doctors tell me that my rotten PCOS cysty-ovaries don't like making eggs...I'll show you by peeing on a stick!"

first one on bottom, second from the next morning because I'm in denial.

Me: Oh no, hubby was right....even bigger Oh boy!!! I'm pregnant! And apparently my husband is some kind of "I know when you're pregnant even though 3 seperate doctors have said you will have no baybeez without super-fertility drugs!!!" guru.



I'm considering renting out his phone number to TTC'ers who are tired of peeing on sticks.




---------
On to the doctor I go, I get to pee in a cup! WOOT! Even after peeing on 5gagillion tests that all tell me, yes...you are with child. I still get paranoid that the doctor's going to say "GET OUT OF HERE stoopid infertile!! Stop wasting our time!"
But nope, she says "You are indeed pregnant!" I say "WOO!!!" Then take my free magazines and run away!



---------
10/14/2010
Two weeks later, I started bleeding...one emotional breakdown, a freaked out husband, and a cry-bag phone call later, I get an ultrasound!!!

Would you look at that!!! Its a beautiful nugget! And it has a heartbeat, my near blind self didn't see it but the ultrasound tech swore it was there so who would I be to call her a liar...since I'm 99% sure I'm legally blind but too stubborn to go to the eye doctor! Doctor says "Everything's great and you're a paranoid weiner" I'm pretty sure that's what she said...or maybe I'm paraphrasing.
So this is baby E's first photo shoot, he/she measures in at a whopping 0.5cm in length with a heartbeat of 123.
Im in love!



--------
10/28/2010



Fast forward!!! Hello moooorning sickness!
Goodbye 4 pounds that I gained in my initial "OMGZ I'm pregnant so I can eat everything I see" phase.
Hello Toast...and crackers...and toilet bowl.



And another ultrasound!!!!

WOW! What a difference two weeks will make! Goodbye nugget-Hello Baby!! Get a script for Zofran for the crazy pukes. I find out that without insurance it can cost up to $2000 (No, that's not a typo) for a 30 pill supply....thank GOD for crappy Wellmont insurance, 12 bucks for no pukes???? Yes please!!!


Baby E is now measuring up at an amaaaaazing 2cm!! What a fatty ;)
And the heartbeat was a wonderful 178.
Fantasic!
--------------------



♥ ~A