Labor & Delivery

I have been dying to write this blog since I left the hospital but as you can imagine I have been pretty busy…so…with Dane in his swing sleeping, Greg working on some sort of project, and my mother-in-law in the kitchen cooking us meals to freeze…I finally have some time to myself to reflect on the AWFUL day that is called labor…lol.  Before I begin on the events leading up to labor I would like to share with you a text message that Greg sent to a friend after delivery when she asked how I was doing.  This pretty much sums it up!

“Janelle is doing wonderful now and so is Dane.  She had a tremendously difficult time during labor. The epidural started to wear off just before she was told to start pushing. However, after an hour of pushing, the nurses switched duty and the next nurse said we shouldn't be pushing yet, the baby is turn the wrong way.  So we spent another hour turning Janelle so the baby would turn as well.  Didn't work, we thought we were going to have to do an emergency c-sec. The doc showed up and said that we would just need to push a couple more times. So here we are... Janelle writhing in pain, Greg is completely helpless, blood flying across the room from bursting capillaries, three strong pushes later and we had a son. Sort of surreal. This was all at 9:23pm, 24 hours after Janelle started labor.  Family was here till 12:30am or so.  Nurses were here till 1:30am. Janelle fed till 2am. We were back up @ 2:30am to feed. And then something remarkable happened, we slept till 7. And now Janelle and Dane are getting some much needed rest.”

So, there you have it in a nutshell from Greg’s perspective.  What I am confused about though is why the heck don’t people tell you how truly PAINFUL, INTENSE, and MISERABLE labor is?!?!  My gosh, maybe because it is still so fresh in my mind but labor truly lends up to its name-at least for my experience anyhow.  So, here are the events leading up to the worst/best moment of my life J

I had started contracting on Thursday, December 29^th, two days before Dane’s due date.  I was excited and scared at the same time because I remember thinking are these contractions or not?  They felt like period cramps and were really faint.  After talking to some friends we decided that they were contractions and my body was probably just preparing to have this baby.  So Friday and Saturday I still paid attention to my contractions and they progressively got a little stronger.  They would be worse at night for some reason and subside some during the day but they were definitely contractions.  I counted the length but it wasn’t anything long enough to go to the hospital.  Saturday was his due date and we were really hoping Dane was going to make his arrival into the world but God had other plans.

Well, Sunday rolls around and I still had the contractions but I decided that I needed to get out of the house because I was starting to go stir crazy just waiting in anticipation for this baby.  That morning Greg and I went to church, went to lunch afterwards, and when we got home we walked the curbs for 2.5 miles, I gave the dogs a bath, and cleaned the floors.  I guess this is what people mean when they say you will get a burst of energy right before.  After dinner that day we decided to rent a movie and watch it in bed.  Well, while we were watching the movie my contractions all of a sudden got a lot stronger-Im talking cant really sit still stronger.  I just ignored it because I wanted to labor at home as much as possible but when the movie ended and it was time to go to bed, I couldn’t lay down.  My “cramps” were too painful to lie down so I went downstairs at about 9:30pm Sunday night.  I started timing my contractions and they were pretty consistent about being 30-45 seconds long and 3 ½ minutes apart.  Now I know the doctor said you can come in when they are 5 minutes apart but I just left like I would rather do this at home than in the hospital.  So, from 9:30-3:00am I sat downstairs timing my contractions until I couldn’t take it anymore.  I went upstairs and told Greg that the hospital might be in the near future.  Trying really hard to suck up the pain I made a bath and sat in it while Greg counted and timed my contractions for the next hour.  We decided it was time.  And, it was then that I decided I was for sure getting an epidural…lol.

We got to the hospital around 5:30am Monday morning, January 2^nd.  With all the pain I have been through in my life I thought that the pain I was having was pretty significant.  I know that you have to be dialated to at least a 4 to get an epidural and so I was just praying that I was at least that.  The nurse told me-well you know with your first labor it usually takes 18-24 hours and you probably aren’t dialated much.  I wanted to tell her to keep her mouth shut and just check me.  Haha, but I didn’t.  Well wouldn’t you know that when they checked me, I was a 4!  I was so excited because she said usually you dialate a centimeter every hour and so here I was thinking that I would have this baby by 2-3 in the afternoon…boy was I WRONG!

6:00am- over the next 5 ½ hours Greg and I just waited, talked, breathed through my contractions, and sat very still waiting for the anesthesiologist to hurry up and come give me my epidural.  During this time the doctor came in and broke my water.  I was so scared because I didn’t want the contractions to get stronger without the epidural but I didn’t really have a choice.  Well I knew I had good fluid because they told me but HOLY COW!!  I thought the Nile River came flowing out of me!!  It spilled over the bed onto the floor and I was just amazed!  All in all though it wasn’t as scary as I had anticipated and I felt like I just had a warm bath J  Haha.  SOOO….the epidural guy FINALLY gets to my room at 11:30am.  I was dialated to a 6 now and so thankful he was there to relieve my pain!  The epidural went smoothly and within 5 minutes its like the heavens opened up and smiled at me!  The pain was gone and I was feeling SO good!  I thought to myself, why would anyone choose not to get one of these?  They’re amazing!

This is me after my epidural.  What happened to that smile??

So, over the next 5 hours I slept, talked with my family and Greg’s family, watched TV with Greg and hung out.  I was feeling pretty good, but also getting impatient because it was now 4:30pm and there still was no baby.  As I started to feel some lower back pain and my contractions coming back I asked the nurse if she could check me.  She said she would come back at 6:00pm.  WHAT?!  Are you serious?  That’s almost 2 hours from now, Im starting to feel pain again and freaking out, and Im exhausted.  I soon realized that the nurses concept of time and my concept of time were completely different.  With that being said Greg and I sat there for the next 2 hours praying and breathing as my contractions slowly came back and my epidural wore off…

Waiting for the fun to begin! lol

Now for the fun stuff.  6:30pm- contractions in full force, no epidural, and frustrated.  I asked the nurse if it was time to start pushing yet and she said no.  This is where I start to lose my mind from lack of sleep, lack of food, and extreme pain.  Over the next 3 hours I really cant remember all the details because I was seriously a crazy person, but I do know that it was awful.  I don’t think anyone can prepare you for the pain that you are going to be in labor because there are no words.  A friend said its like a bowling ball with spikes coming out and I like that description.  I probably starting pushing around 7:30pm and for an hour there was no progress.  Thank goodness the nurses switched because this next one had a little more smarts than the previous.  She told me that I shouldn’t be pushing because the baby was turned and he was stuck so we weren’t doing any good.  So for the next hour they turned me to try and get the baby to turn.  It didn’t help and at the end of this hour I was begging for a c-section.  When the nurse left I asked Greg, “If I demand one they have to give it to me, right?!”  The nurse was so good and told me that this baby was coming out on his own.  Although I hated her at the time I appreciate her now J

8:30pm- I start really pushing and making some progress.  Worst…pain…of…my…life… I thought my eyeballs were going to explode and I was going to pass out.  It was at this time too that I started to get sick.  Every contraction I would throw-up, cry, say I cant do this, and then push.  And that’s the way it went for the next hour.  Oh and my temperature went up to 100.3. During this hour I was in so much pain and delirious from the lack of sleep, food, and water that some things are a blur.  I will say though it was at this time that I started begging for a c-section.  I started telling the nurse to just cut him out of me because I was done…the pain had gone on long enough!  The Lord really provided me with a great nurse though because she told me that it was not going to happen.  She said, “You do not want a c-section.”  When she left the room I told Greg, “If I demand a c-section they have to give it to me right?!”  He simply said, “I don’t know” and gave me a kiss. J  I am so glad that they did not give me that option now because my recovery has been great but at the time it seemed like a great option.  So, once I came to terms that this baby was going to have to come out of my vagina, I still cried, but the time came where I knew I needed to push.  It’s a weird feeling but I knew that the end was near. 

So the nurse told me that I was going to have to wait 10 minutes until the doctor got there.  I told her that I didn’t care if she was there or not, I just wanted to get this baby out of me.  She told me that she couldn’t deliver without the doctor and so while I waited I’m pretty sure I said a few profanities :-/  The doctor comes in, I tell her to hurry up, and she immediately starts yanking on my perennials.  I mean full on YANKING (which I now appreciate because I didn’t tear).  And, about 5 minutes later baby Dane was born. J Immediately the pain was gone and there was this human being that had been inside me just moments earlier.  I cant say that I felt an overwhelming love for him instantly because it all felt so surreal and he seemed like an alien to me.  It was like I couldn’t believe that this little person was actually my son.  The moments of overwhelming love came later that night, but in the moment it felt like an out of body experience.  I do know that he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I was praising God for getting me through such a difficult labor with a healthy baby boy.

Sleeping baby...one tired and SWOLLEN mommy :)

And, the rest is history….the doctor’s came in, cleaned him up, and gave him to me for bonding J.  Just an hour with Greg and I told hold our precious baby boy and nurse him.  Wow, what a gift!  Thus began my journey into motherhood. 

Third Trimester Wrap-Up

Today is my little guy’s due date…9 months of preparing all for this long awaited day.  It feels a little surreal that at any moment Baby Hoov could make his arrival into the world!  As I am sitting here writing this I am having contractions lasting about 30-45 seconds every 7-10 minutes apart.  They feel mostly like period cramps and it’s hard to tell if I am really starting labor or if it is false labor.  I lost my mucus plug over the last 2 days as well so that’s a good sign too!  At first I was like, “What the heck is this stuff?”  It looked like jelly and kept coming when I wiped.  Looked up mucus plug and sure enough…that’s what it was!  Then, last night when I went to the bathroom I felt something “fall out.”  Haha, looked in the porcelain bowl and there was the rest of it!  It made me happy because that meant I was progressing.  (I should mention that at my last doctor’s appointment 4 days ago I was only dilated ½ centimeter and my cervix wasn’t effaced much, so I thought that I had awhile and was going to have to be induced.)  So, with probably having already said too much I am excited about today!  Wouldn’t that be something if he actually came on his due date?!  So fun.  Ok, so here are the highlights and lowlights of the third trimester!

Highlights:

1.       Preparing Baby Hoov’s room: It was a lot of fun planning and preparing his room with Greg.  I love all the little owls and special touches that went into making his room special.  I painted the tree, Greg put up the wood wall, my mom pained the frames and wall art, my grandma Lee made the curtains, and Greg’s mom got us the bedding!  So much love went into this room! 

2.      Baby Showers! I was able to have three showers with lots of friends and family.  I felt so blessed to be able to receive such wonderful gifts for our little boy to prepare us for his arrival.  Organizing it in our house and his room was fun too!

3.      Watching Baby Hoov grow in my tummy: I love that this trimester my belly has grown immensely.  Although it does make sleeping and moving more uncomfortable I love being able to feel my stomach for “body parts” and knowing where he is in my tummy.  It makes being pregnant more “real.”

4.      Maternity Leave!  I decided to go on maternity leave at 36 ½ weeks because working all day was getting very tiring with kids, and with the holidays the weeks were busy busy busy!!  So, over the past month I have been able to rest and get so much done at the same time it’s fantastic!  I also have been able to focus more on Baby Hoov which is wonderful as well.  Thank goodness for maternity leave!

5.      TODAY!  Today is one of my highlights as well because it is his due date!  For 9 months I have been looking forward to today. J  Whatever happens I am so glad that I have made it to today!

Lowlights:

1.       Continued Restless Leg: So I didn’t think it was possible to get this any worse but I was wrong!  Anytime I wanted to lay down to rest my leg wouldn’t let me.  I had to either stand, walk, bounce on my exercise ball, or stretch.  SO ANNOYING!

2.      Breathing, or lack there of!  As the Baby Hoov grew he began to be pushed into my ribs.  This not only was uncomfortable but made it hard for me to breath at times. I would be talking to someone and just start running out of breath.  Can you say awkward?!

3.      Insomnia: Well, I guess it is a good thing that God starts to prepare you early for having a baby because at around 32 weeks I stopped sleeping through the night.  I would wake up to go to the bathroom in the beginning but as time went on I would just wake up!  Every 2 hours like clockwork my little peepers would open.  Sometimes I would just lay there and stare at the ceiling and other times I would watch a movie or eat a snack.  Either way waking up several times during the night is not fun.

4.      Getting dressed/finding something to wear.  So as my stomach grew bigger it became not as fun anymore to wear clothes.  When you start to outgrow your maternity clothes you know you are getting huge!  Putting on shoes, finding clothes that are comfortable to wear- all struggles of having a huge baby hanging off your front side.

5.      Contractions..although they just started about 2 days ago they are pretty consistent now and I must say that having cramps every 5 minutes is not the most fun thing in the world.  Although I am putting this as a lowlight it will soon be a highlight because I get a prize at the end…my baby boy!

Well, we have our bags all packed and in the car waiting to be taken to the hospital.  We had them packed a week ago just in case Baby Hoov decided to make an early appearance.  I hope I have everything I need and if not, then we will find out soon enough!  (Oh man it is hard to focus and write when I am having contractions!...so if this blog is random that is why…)

            Can’t wait to share my labor story with you all and hold my little boy in my arms. J  Good times are coming…yahoo!!  Here is a picture of me on New Years Eve-his due date!

Full Term - 37 Weeks!

Well, it has been 2 months since I have posted anything and this blog is WAY over due, but with working, showers, and trying to get everything ready for Baby Hoov to arrive it has been busy!  I guess this is a little taste of what it will be like to be a working mommy! :-/  Lord help me!

So, I am offically full term!!  Baby Hoov could come anytime from here on out and be fine-Lord willing!  When I look back over the last 9 months they seem to have gone by so slow and taken FOREVER!  I remember wishing so many times that I was to this point in my pregnancy.  But, now that it is here I am starting to get sad that it is all going to be over in just a few short weeks.  That could just be the hormones talking but I have come to realize that I dont want to wish away having Baby Hoov in my tummy because he will never be in there again!  Once he is out, he is out for good!  I want to spend these last few weeks enjoying the movement I feel and dreaming about what he is going to look like :-)

Over the last couple of months I have had the privilege of having 3 showers to help get me started on items for Baby Hoov.  I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such great family and friends who support Greg and I and want to help our transition into parenthood that much easier.  Thank you for all of your prayers and support, it means more than you know!  With getting little clothes and items for our boy it stirred up so many emotions.  I was excited, overwhelmed, anxious, in awe, and sometimes sad.  Again, I blame it all on those stinkin hormones!  When you're pregnant you really are a rollercoaster ride...lol.  I was excited because I can't wait to meet my son (that still seems so weird to say!)  I was overwhelmed because I kept thinking what if I do not know what to do?  I was anxious because I felt like time was running out and I still had so much to do to get ready.  I was in awe because I still cannot believe that God has given us such a precious little gift and what an amazing process growing a baby is!  And I was sometimes sad because of the fear of the unknown.  It will never be just Greg and I again, and I know this is ok and it will be good, but just not knowing how different life will be makes me nervous and sad to miss our alone time together :-)  But through all the emotions God has placed a wonderful husband in my life who reassures me that things are going to be wonderful, and family and friends to give me encouragement and advice.  I can say that as each day passes I am feeling more and more at ease about the arrival of Baby Hoov and calm about being a mother.

Some other things that have helped me prepare for this little guy is taking a birth class at the hospital.  Now, in the beginning I didnt know if this was more helpful or hurtful because after the first one I was freaking out!  Watching those videos are terrifying and nobody should have to see so many nasty vaginas in one sitting!  lol.  I got nauseous after the first video and almost had to walk out of the room, lol...but I told myself to hold it together and I did!  And although at times I felt the instructor gave us way too much information and was a little strange, looking back on the class it was very educational and at least now I will know a little more about what is happening to my body.  And Greg knows what to expect from me as well.  It was a great experience for the both of us, but I must say I am glad it is over!  And now I have a little certificate of completion to add to Baby Hoov's scrapbook..lol.

The last thing that has been awesome this past week is I am finally off on maternity leave!  I cannot tell you how wonderful this has been!  Since I wake up every 2 hours to go to the bathroom, move my legs, or stare at the ceiling, I never really feel fully rested.  However, now if I need to, I get the option of sleeping in a little more!  I can totally tell a difference in the way my body is responding to this rest.  My legs dont look like I have elephantitis as  much at the end of the day, and my vagina doesnt feel like somebody punched me there all day long.  It's glorious!  I have also had a chance to get caught up on things around the house, finish Baby Hoov's room, and wash all his clothes/organize them.  I thinking this is what they call nesting :-)  Thank goodness for maternity leave!

Well, I only have 17 days to go as of this point, and Im telling you I plan on enjoying every minute of it no matter how miserable my back may feel or huge I get!  (I say this now cause I am feeling in a good mood...dont ask me when I am not!)  I am looking forward to the coming holidays to spend it with family and as I celebrate the birth of Jesus, I am looking forward to celebrating the birth of Baby Hoov!! 

Here is a picture of me and Baby Hoov at 37 weeks :-)



Im starting to get the pregnancy dark spots on my cheeks and nose. 
They look like little freckles and you can kind of see them in this picture. 
I kinda like them because its a sign of motherhood!



3D/4D Pictures!

Today was a special day because we got a sneak peak at what our little guy is going to look like!  It was 30 minutes of pure bliss :)  Unfortunately the umbilical cord was in the way most of the time so he looked like he was being strangled in some of the pictures, but it was still fun to watch.  I think he felt the cord around his face because he kept bringing his hands up to his face either to swat it away or to tell us to leave him alone.  lol..If he is my son he cannot be camera shy!  I wont allow it!  ;-) 

Its pretty amazing that one minute a baby can be growing inside of you and the next they can survive outside in the world.  I love hearing his little heart beat too :)  So Greg and I decided that Baby Hoov just looks like a baby and it is still strange that what was on the screen was OUR baby.  Its hard to determine his features right now and I guess that will just have to be part of the surprise come December!  I think he will have Greg's strong brow line though and my nose.  tehe...  Here's for you to decide for yourself...  Verhoeven or Carney???

God's gift to Greg and I :)

Baby Hoov crossing his feet.

Sweet boy

I love this picture although it looks like someone took a bite out of his head. lol.

Squishy face!

All tangled up in the cord.  Dont worry he's not choking! :)

I cant wait to hold this precious hand :)

Sleepy boy...

So, what do you think?  I think its a pretty good mix :)  Stay comfy Baby Hoov!  Until next time...;-)

Second Trimester Wrap-Up

Hello! It has been awhile since my last post but with school and work starting back up I have been a little busy/emotional and have not had the time to sit down and write.  But...here I am now!  So, I cannot believe that I have started my LAST trimester!  I would like to say that the time has gone by fast, but that would be entirely untrue.  Haha...it has gone by SO SLOW!  I think its because I am so excited to meet Baby Hoov that each day I am constantly thinking about what is he doing? is he moving? is he getting bigger? am i gaining too much weight?  So many questions that my time literally crawls by....lol.  But with all that to say I am finally enjoying being pregnant!  My belly is getting bigger, my sickness is completely gone, and I can feel him move a lot more now which is so much fun.  I actually FEEL and LOOK pregnant and I love it!  I have always though pregnant women were beautiful and I am attracted to their bellies...haha.  Yup!  I am one of those girls who would just start touching baby bellies because I thought they were so cute and intruiging!  And now, I am one of them.  Kinda sureal, but now I can touch my belly all I want!  It's fun :) Below is a picture of me at the end of my second trimester!  28 weeks...

   Now, for the highlights of the second trimester!
1. Feeling my baby kick for the first time!  I was 18 weeks and camping with my family near Sequoia.  Greg and I got into our tent and layed down on our airmatress.  After about 5 minutes I felt something on my stomach.  I thought Greg had tapped my stomach ever so slightly and I looked up.  But Greg was just laying there probably already half asleep.  I asked him if he touched my stomach and he said no.  I then decided that it must have been the baby kick!  I was so excited that I layed back down and waited for another one.  And sure enough, a few minutes later...tap!  The littlest foot kicked me in my tummy.  The feeling was so slight but yet so comforting because it was reassurance that there indeed was a baby growing inside of me and he was doing good :)  I will never forget his first little movement!
2. Getting over the nausia!  So I was throwing up until about 20 weeks which is awful!!  I cannot tell you how much that sucked!  I am very much affected by how I feel and so with not being able to control my nausia those first 5 months were not fun.  But...I know that the end result will all be worth it!  I have my appetite back and most of my energy back!  So wonderful!
3. Finding out we were having a baby boy :)  You know the story...we, or should I say, I, was nervous at first but now I cannot wait until I get to hold him in my arms.  I know that God has given me this boy for such a time as this! 
4. Watching my belly grow.  Like I said I LOVE pregnant bellies and from the beginning I have wanted mine to get big!  (I think I have been eating more too so that it will get bigger faster and I will look pregnant faster.  However, I have learned the hard way that this is not how it works...haha.  My butt, arms, legs, and face have all gotten bigger and my tummy has been right on track taking its sweet time!  lol.  Note to self for next time around!)  Anyhow, my belly is nice and round like a basketball carry my precious child in it and I love it!
5. Getting hit on at the Walmart...HAHA.  So...I was walking up to Walmart after work when this truck was driving by.  The dude in the passenger seat who was all tatted up, hat on backwards, and lookin awfully Walmarty (if you know what I mean) was practically breaking his neck following me as I was walking up to the front.  He finally shouts out, "Hey, hey, hey!"  I was so dumbfounded that a dude would yell that out at a pregnant woman that I started to laugh and yelled back, "I'm pregnant!"  He then proceeds to tell me, "I can see why!"  Haha, I couldnt stop laughing.  Only at a Walmart would a pregnant lady get hit on.  I would have been more flattered except, well, it was at a Walmart, and the dude was dirty. lol.  But, still a funny story that made one of my highlights for the second trimester!

Here are some of my lowlights for the second trimester...
1. Starting back work.  It was so nice to have the summer off and to get to spend each day resting and dreaming about my baby boy that it was almost fantasy land.  As soon as work started, BAM! back to reality.  I am actually having a harder time than I thought being motivated to go to work.  Something that I would definately appreciate your prayers on!  I love my students (well, most of them), and I have a great staff, however, my attitude hasnt been the best and it has been hard getting up in the morning to go to work.  It just seems so meaningless compared to what God is creating inside of me.  However, I need to remember that in everything I do I need to do it for the Lord.  My baby will be fine and I will get to spend lots of time with him soon enough.  When I pray and ask for God's strength to go each day, He gets me through it.  Praise God!
2. The Hormones!  Oh my goodness, one minute I am laughing, the next minute I am crying!  I am like a three-ringed circus over here!  I get on my own nerves!  It is the weirdest thing suddenly being overcome with emotions that seem uncontrollable.  Just the smallest thing can make me sad!  For example, low tire pressure combined with low gas turned me into a freakin crazy person!  You seriously would have thought the world was going to end!  Thank goodness for my super wonderful and gracious husband for hugging me and talking me off the ledge.  I am already a sensitive and emotional person so adding some additonal hormones in the mix is just wack!  But, Lord willing this too shall pass :)
3. Increasing Restless Leg Syndrome.  Oh man is this ever a lowlight!  Before I was pregnant I used to get what I call the "jimmy legs" every once in awhile.  But now, it is every single day and night at least 4 times a day.  I seriously cant get away from that creepy crawly feeling and it drives me insane.  I will lay in bed for at least an hour each night just moving my legs.  I swear if I didnt need them I would chop them off.  Seriously.
4. The increased weight gain.  Soooo.....I was hoping that I would be one of those girls who just gained the weight in their tummies and would look all cute and pregnant.  But, again this is not the case for me.  I am currently 28 weeks and up 40 pounds.  My entire body has blown up and I honestly dont know why!  I have been trying to watch what I eat for awhile now because the doctor wanted to make sure that I do not get too big, but I just keep getting bigger!  I look like a cow in pictures!  haha...that has been hard to cope with but I just have to remind myself that everyone's body is different and each pregnancy is different.  Once I get over the fear of being "fat" then I am ok :)
5. Not having my family here to encourage me, rub my belly, and take me to dinner when I get sad.  I have really been missing my family recently and maybe this is because of my crazy hormones and work being difficult but I just wish they were here to watch me grow :)  I cant wait for them to meet their grandson and I just want them to be apart of his life so bad.  I need to start praying that they will come out and visit more often!  I need me some grandparents!

Well there you have it!  The good, the bad, and the ugly!  But, mostly good :)  I still feel so blessed to have a healthly baby thus far.  God is great and I feel so honored to be a woman :)  Baby Hoov makes me smile each day and I am so thankful for that.  Here is a picture that made me smile the last time we saw him:


So adorable, Baby Hoov was sucking his thumb!  I love it!  He is just precious :)

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and go on this journey with me!  Only one more trimester left until Baby Hoov makes his arrival!  Let the countdown begin!

Halfway There!

Well, I am officially halfway through my pregnancy!  Thank goodness!  Up until now the pregnancy has gone by SOOOOO slow!  I think that’s because I am counting every single day and every single hour that passes by waiting for this little guy to get here!  I am just so excited for all the firsts that have occurred and will keep on occurring that I am thinking about it way too much!  Thus, the time goes by very slow.  However, since I have started school back again I think the time will go by faster and as I start to “show” more I will find more enjoyment in being pregnant.  So, here are the highlights and lowlights of the first half of my pregnancy!

Highlights

1.     Seeing the two little lines on the pregnancy test and seeing Greg’s face when I told him.  Priceless.

2.     Being able to tell me parents they are going to be grandparents for the first time!

3.     Seeing my baby for the first time at 12 weeks.

4.     Finding out we were having a boy!

5.     The first time I felt him move.

6.     The little kicks that get stronger and stronger as each week passes.

7.     Registering for all the fun baby stuff!

8.     Getting my stroller and car seat from Momma Verhoeven in the mail.  I had so much fun putting it together, figuring it out, and pretending to push my baby around the house!  It got me excited to be a mom J

9.     Finding out that our little boy is a “textbook” baby…healthy!

10.  People telling me that I have a glow and touching my little baby bump.  So fun that I am getting to experience the miracle of life growing inside me!

Lowlights

1.     Being sick for a LONG time…last time I upchucked was week 20 L

2.     Heartburn/Acid Reflux

3.     The feeling of being tired ALL the time.

4.     NONE of my clothes fitting anymore because every part of my body has become larger.  It makes it hard to want to get dressed in the morning.

5.     The mood swings…sorry Greg.

6.     Not knowing what I want to eat and nothing sounding good.

7.     Not being able to sleep on my stomach, so sad!

8.     Having to get up in the middle of every night to pee.

9.     Having to ask people for help all time with lifting, I don’t like to do it!

10.  My body just doing wierd things!  I dont think Ill ever get used to that!

Here are some pictures from my 21 week ultrasound.  Praise God everything looks normal and we are going to have a healthy baby boy!

I love this picture because he looks exactly like he did in his 12 week picture only bigger!

Here he is getting a good stretch in!

A picture of the little foot that has started to kick me :)

God is so good and I praise Him for what He is creating inside of me!!

Boy or Girl? The Reveal Dinner...

The moment I have been waiting for since I first found out I was pregnant....boy or girl?!?!  We had all of our ultrasounds planned out and the dinner party with our families prepared.  Now all we needed to do was wait till the day we could finally find out what we were having.  And the wait seemed like FOREVER!  People always told me that your first pregnancy seems slower because you are counting each day and boy are they right!  I feel like this pregnancy is taking forever!  Everyday I am counting down and the days seem endless...however, I know that our little bean will be worth the wait!

So, here is how it went....

Greg and I had an ultrasound planned with Baby Sightings, a place in Bakersfield that does an ultrasound, gives you pictures and a DVD of your baby, and just treats you very well.  We had heard good things about this place and so we decided to check it out!  About 3 weeks before our appointment a friend recommended that we get an ultrasound through our doctor as well so they can take the measurements, etc.  Although I didnt want to go back to the mean lady I decided that it might not be a bad idea to get two opinions.  So, we scheduled both ultrasounds. 

Greg and I were on vacation a lot in July, which you would think would pass the time by faster, but NOPE!  Still went as slow as can be!  lol.  But at last the time finally came for us to have our ultrasounds.  I was so nervous!  Which some of you are thinking, what is new?!  I think I was nervous because I knida thought it was going to be a boy, but secretly thinking I would be a good mom to a girl and you know when your pregnant you're just not in your right mind anyway so I just had all these emotions running through me.  As always it was so great to see our little baby on the screen kicking and moving and growing.  We had our results placed into an envelope and it was off to the bakery for me!

How we decided to reveal the gender was through a cake. We found a bakery that would make a cake for us and put either blue or pink frosting in the middle of the cake so that way when we cut it open, we would see what we were having.  The cake was white with white frosting on the outside and pink and blue polka dots on it.  Here is a picture of it below:

When we reached Greg's parents house I was all smiles!  I couldnt help but be excited to be with everyone and share in this joyous occasion! We had a yummy dinner with all my favorite things and it was good to be surrounded by family.  The second dinner was over I announced..."Who wants dessert?!"  We had waited long enough and Greg and I wanted to know what little alien was inside my stomach already!  So...we gathered around the table and took some pictures as I prepared to cut into the cake.  For some reason I felt sick to my stomach because there was no turning back now!  It was do or die!  haha...ok maybe not that but I did feel kinda sick.  And, the result was....

IT'S A BOY!!!!  It may look like Greg is mad in this picture but he's actually holding back tears :)  I love my sensitive husband!  So, now that we know it is a baby boy that I growing in my stomach, let me tell you all the myths that pointed toward me having a girl...
Myth 1: Chineese Baby Calendar said I was having a girl.
Myth 2: I peed on baking soda and that said I was having a girl.
Myth 3: I was sick up until week 16, also signs that you may be having a girl.
Myth 4: I am carrying my weight all over!  In my arms, legs, face, everywhere!  This is said to be common with girls.
So...if you are pregnant NONE of these things may be true for you!  Although for some people it may be true, for me it was most definately not :) 

Now the truth is, since all of these things pointed toward me having a girl, and thinking that I would be a much better mom to a girl because I understand them, I think I was secretely hoping for a girl (maybe 51% more).  So when we found out it was a boy I was in shock (because it was set in stone, lol) and most of all nervous!  All these thoughts were running through my head about being able to raise a boy and my capabilities as a mother.  I so badly want to be a good mom and doubts were swarming my head!  However, over the next few days God reassured me that His plans are good and He knows me better than I know myself.  I have a peace about raising a little boy now and could not be more excited!!! 

I cant wait to start the process of registering and preparing for our little guy's arrival :) May God continue to give Greg and I peace and assurance as He prepares us for parenthood!  Here are some more pictures from our special evening...


It's a BOY!



Opening my Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag from Nani!  (Greg's mom)



Pure happiness :)



The grandma's and grandpa's! 
From left to right: Poppy and Grammy,  Nani and Grandpa