Crystal

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

We are going to have a ………………………..

We are going to have a boy! Yep that’s right. Logan Alan is on his way and is expected to arrive a little earlier than Sept.8th. He is now measuring more to the date of September 1st. We are excited and glad to know that we can finally stop arguing about girls names.

We finally were able to get the Dr. to get us in for an ultrasound and we got to see our little boy on screen. Now I have to register for all the blue.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

8 months along So quite a bit has occurred since my last post. I am now 32 weeks along and so ready for the baby to get here. Last week we went on a vacation down to North Carolina, staying with Amy and had a chance to go to a beach in South Carolina for a day. Shelby wasn’t too thrilled about the water, but loved playing in the sand. I don’t think she appreciated the splashing of the water on her. She at least got plenty of sea shells to bring home with us all. Jason absolutely loved the water…and in fact a little too much. While he used sunscreen, he didn’t re-apply like he should have and got blistered on his shoulders. The weather was wonderful though and couldn’t have been a better experience for us all. We didn’t have to go rushing around like most vacations and just had a really good time. Of course I wish we had more money or more time to spend down there…but we will just have to count on doing it again maybe next year or something like that. As for me, I am growing bigger by the minute. My mom threw me a baby shower on Saturday when we returned from North Carolina. I did get lots of boy outfits so hopefully I will have enough to last me for a little bit. I also got a good starting supply of diapers and wipes…so I am excited about that too. I am starting to wind down on energy levels and quickly. Because I am so big, I get really tired easily and just feel like I have ran a marathon when all I did was walk cross the room. I am also starting to get out of breath since there is very little room in there. It will be nice when he finally arrives and I can finally rest and breathe right.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

9 months and aching We made our first trip to the hospital tonight with contractions and pains. I was contracting regularly and felt it in the back mainly. The Dr. decided to give me some meds to stop the labor in hopes of lasting a couple more weeks. It wouldn’t have been a huge deal if the baby was born, but they prefer them good and ready. I am so ready for the baby to get out of me, and to get my body back again. Right now I am so sore in my lower back and abdomen. I can’t lie on my back due to pain in my breathing, and flipping from side to side is a huge ordeal. I have to basically wake myself up and flip, not to mention the uncomfortable positioning. I can’t really find a comfortable place for long. Ugh. Babies are complicated. It will be nice once the baby is here and I can get a true night’s rest. For now I am miserable. Friday, August 10, 2007 More Updates My Dr. was kind enough to put me on maternity leave from work because I am dialating more and contracting quite a bit. He even said he is not sure if I will make it to September. I am at 2 cm and 60 to 70% effaced. Because my last labor was only 6 hours, there is a possibility that this could be quick too. Since I have been contracting even more, who knows how much more I could be dialated since last night. Nature has a cruel way of playing tricks on you when you are 9 months pregnant. I am so ready to go whirling around the house, cleaning everything, making sure that things are ready for the baby. They call it the “Nesting” period. I get these bursts of energy and interests to do something. Unfortunately the bursts don’t last long, or I start contracting and have to sit down. Jason keeps telling me I should be sitting, yet I feel like I should be doing something useful with my free time before the baby arrives. I would really like to just be as carefree as possible when the baby arrives, not worrying about the house…so that means doing things before hand. And the clutter is killing me too. I am trying to go through things and throwing extra crap away or giving it away. Making room for baby is on my mind. Getting rid of the extra stuff that we really don’t use or really don’t need is a must for me. Plus we really haven’t gone through the whole house since we moved in like this, so it is kind of freeing to get re-organized. At least while I have the energy to handle it.

I have been asked to update and I realize that I am really good about updating Myspace, but not here as much, so here are the last few posts put into one and I will make sure to keep this updated for everyone who reads this…………….

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

4 months along

I am now 16 1/2 weeks along now. I have been feeling better, and also have gained more of an appetite and am able to eat better. I can’t wait for summertime to get here when I can finally get to eat all that fresh tasting food. Good timing since I am going to be hungry anyways. I am also finding a bit more energy and feel pretty good at this point, so I can’t complain. This pregnancy has definately been easier compared to the last one.

I am showing and pretty much fully into the maternity clothes at this point. I feel like I went to sleep one day fine, and woke up with a big belly the next. I keep trying to get Jason to take pictures of me, and will eventually post a pic when I find one I like.

We still don’t know what the sex is yet, but we still have a few more weeks to wait to find out. We have settled on the name Logan Alan if it is a boy, but have no clue what to decide if it is a girl. I need some unique suggestions..but not too far out there. And I don’t want to pick a name that is easy to shorten. I also don’t want a name that everybody else is naming their kids. Jason doesn’t like my suggestions and I don’t like his…so we will have to duke it out when the time comes I suppose.

I will keep you all posted on any updates.

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Sunday, April 22, 2007

5 months and counting

I am now 20 weeks along and doing well. I have felt the baby move quite a bit and this one is very active. I know that I felt this one move a lot earlier than Shelby. Shelby has told me that I am fat and loves to point out my belly to people, pointing out how there is a “baby in there.”

I am trying to take it easy as much as possible. In fact, I took a three day weekend and just relaxed when I could. Of course with the beautiful weather, I made sure to get out and enjoy it all.
I am a little nervous right now…because this was around the time frame that I started to have contractions when i was pregnant with Shelby. I remember making several trips to the hospital to stop the early labor and then ended up on bed rest because of it all….so obviously I am trying to avoid that this time around.

We still have not found out the sex of the baby yet. I tried to get my Dr. to schedule an ultrasound…but we have to wait a little longer due to the fact that I have already have had two ultrasounds and the insurance won’t cover it just for to find out the sex. I am impatient and would like to know for preparation purposes. Plus it would make it easier to register for baby stuff too.

I also need some advice out there if possible for daycares around here. I started checking out prices and boy they want to rape you for an infant. $214 a week was one answer I got when I called for a quote. There is no way we can afford that. I know it is more expensive when they are younger…but it needs to be reasonable. Anyways..any names or daycares you can recommend would be appreciated.

That’s it for now. Will keep you updated as things come along.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

6 months along

I am now 24 weeks or 6 months pregnant. I have been blessed to say that I have not had a bad of a pregnancy as I did with Shelby, and I am feeling fairly good. The only mishaps to have happened lately, is having to pass a kidney stone, and even that wasn’t as painful as usual. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that this kind of good continues. I am exhausted as most pregnant women are and am just trying to take it easy.

We still have not discovered what the sex is and we still have not decided on a girl’s name if it turns out to be a girl. No matter what I suggest, Jason has not really liked and vice versa. I am running out of options at this point. We need to decide on something soon!

I have started to register online at Target and Babies R’Us. I need to make a trip to the stores and add items, but at least added some essentials and neutral items just in case. We already have a crib, pack n’play and bassinet…but we need more clothes, bottle supplies, diapers, wipes, formula, and the stuff that wears out easily. After all, it has been almost 5 years since our last baby in the house. Things get worn out, lost, etc. Plus if it is a boy….well then we need a lot of stuff that doesn’t reflect pink or girlie. lol.

I have told most of my family if not all, but now am at a stage that I can admit this exciting news. Jason and I are expecting a new addition to the family. I am around 10 weeks along. We are getting Shelby prepared for a sibling as much as we can. I am trying to take it easy as much as possible and just praying that the pregnancy goes easier than when I was pregnant with Shelby.

Today I was measured and weighed after 3 months, and I have lost 8 pounds and 8.5 Inches since I started Curves in May! I am now fitting into those impossible pants (size 8 I may add) that have had sitting in my closet, and just feel so good about it.

Speaking of how I feel, my headaches have lessoned as far as migraine status. I may still have headaches, but not as sever as it was. If it starts up again…I will be heading to the E.R. to get me some serious treatment options though. That was torture. I know I lost weight partly due to the way I felt when I was having those headaches.

In other news…I purchased my last re-fill of birth control today, so go send your condolences to Jason when you get the chance. He is nervous but we are in agreement that this is the right time.;)

Today I went back to the Dr. I needed to get something else, plus get the results back from the catscan. Unforunately and fortunately at the same time, they found nothing for causing the catscan. The problem is that my headache is still here, killing me of any energy I have.

We decided to try a new, stronger painkiller…plus he gave me a couple of sample packs of migraine meds.

He said that if things don’t get fixed…which they should…but just in case..he recommended going to the emergency room so they can provide more than regular Dr. can.

The painkiller is good…I just hope it gets rid of this nasty headache. So the nightmare isn’t over yet.

Since last friday the 17th, I have had this migraine that is on the right side. It has been there the whole week and it is so bad that I can barely keep my eyes open. It has also made me sick to my stomach…I have lost five pounds out of no where. I would take Tyelonol Extra Strength or Excedrin Migraine, which would work, but the Migraine would come back full strength after the medicine wore off.

Wednesday came around and I was still suffering so I went to the Dr. who then ordered a Catscan. He said there is no guarantees that they could even find what is causing it. Migraines are hard to diagnose and you can’t always find what is the cause. He gave me Tylenol 3 in the mean time, but that is starting to be less effective as time goes on. I have been waking up at 3 am having to take more medicine just so that I can sleep.

I went to the Catscan yesterday but won’t find out the results until I go back to my Dr. I told Jason that I certainly hope they find something…because at least you would know and can treat it. I hate the guessing game of not knowing and guesswork of medications to see if it would work or not. I have had migraines for a long time but have never had one last this long. Usually I get one that lasts a day or two at the latest…but never a week or more.  The Dr. seemed concerned because of where the migraine was located. It is coming from my right temporal area. He said there is an artery that is there that he is concerned with.  When migraines happen like this there are other rare situations to be concerned with, but it is unlikely.

I can’t take much more of this. I want to just lay down and cry everytime it flares back up. I can’t miss work right now because something big is going on, but I don’t know if my body can handle this all either.

Please pray for me that they find the answer quickly and take care of it. I need the extra prayers right now.

Besides me adding red-highlights to my hair and cutting it to a new style, I have also added contacts to my list. Since last Saturday, I have gotten contacts for myself. Right now I am in the trial period, increase the wear time by two hours each day. I am only allowed up to 13 hours right now until my next visit. They are working really well, and it is getting easier to put them in and take them out. When I first tried it, it took me a good 45 minutes to start getting them in without me blinking and all. They made sure that I could put them in and take them out before I left the office.

It feels good to not be so dependent on glasses, even though I still wear them at night when I am past my wear time. I think that I can handle it. They said they prescribed me the softest lenses possible, and are made for my active lifestyle. I am excited about it, but still have to adjust to time for putting them in, and for putting drops in my eyes when they start to feel dry. Other than that, things are going really well.

I also took a look at myself in the mirror this morning and noticed a change in my body since I have been working out. My tummy has gotten trimmer, which makes me ecstatic! I know my legs have been more toned and I feel an easier time with working out.

With the changes in working out, my eating habits have gotten easier. I find it easier to pass up pop and candy, and choose water and healthier choices instead. While I have not completely gotten past the sweets, I have definately limited what was once my normal intake of not so good choices. Subway has been a better choice for me instead of McDonald’s or Taco Bell.

I have also been looking at how many calories things contain, before I decide to buy things for dinner. I can’t do this all the time, but when I am grocery shopping, it helps me decide in what is a better choice.

Jason has taken a couple of pics of me, but I am hoping he can get some more good ones so I can post. I can’t wait to see what you all think.

Today is our 5 year Anniversary. It is hard to believe that we have been together this long, but I don’t regret any of it. We had made reservations at Carver’s Steakhouse and had a good, and yet expensive dinner. The mother in law took Shelby for the weekend, so it was just the two of us. I decided to to have an apple-tini, with my dinner and felt a little tipsy afterwards…oopsy.;)

I surprized Jason today, by going and getting a new hair do. I got it cut short with Red highlights. I will have to have him take a picture of me so that I can post. It was kind of pricey,but I never do anything like that normally, so I thought “Why not?” It’s fun to mix things up everyonce in a while. Jason liked it. He surprized me in turn, not knowing I did this, because he bought a nice outfit at Target and dressed a little for the occasion. I felt kind of special. He even opened the doors for me and that fun stuff that we never do anymore.

I also received an I-pod Nano from him, since my mini died on me. So I am set to listen to music again. Yeah! Then we were off to Holly wood video to rent “Walk the Line” and get a couple of games for his Nintendo DS.

So our bank account is now down to the normal level now that we splurged a bit, but you have to have fun once in a while.

On the way home he played one of our songs we listened to a lot when we first started dating. It reminded me of how long ago that really was.

Here is to more years of this celebrating!

Yesterday, I signed up for Curves for 12 months. Today, I accomplished my first workout. It was a little difficult since I have not been active like that in a long time. But, I made sure to get the most out of my workout by trying extra hard. This is the first step.

Next step is to make it a routine and to start changing other habits. By other habits, I mean the food I eat and the liquids I drink. I started tonight by eating grilled BBQ chicken, lightly steamed broccoli and carrots, fresh cucumber slices and fresh watemelon. I also have to make a good effort to stay away from pops.

I went ahead and packed my lunch for tomorrow. All health conscious choices, and froze some water. I just need to continue this behavior and things should start for the better.

I also got a book from Curves that really helped explaining on how to eat right and what to eat to keep good energy levels going. I hope to see how that influences me and how it affects me overall. We shall see as time goes on.

So the title of this post is nothing to dismiss as i experienced a nightmare yesterday with Shelby. She was sitting there last night playing on our couch with the new puppy we have, when all of a sudden, she lets out this scream. We look at her, and she starts crying and panics…telling us she just swallowed a penny.

No big deal right?! WRONG.

She starts drueling and then throws up. So I thought that maybe she just freaked out with the penny. Nope. I gave her kool-aid to see if it could be washed down. No luck. She still druels and then throws up the drink. She is crying and panicking. I start getting worried, so I tell Jason that I would feel better if we headed to Urgent care just in case.

We leave for Urgent care and she falls asleep on the way there. I was a little worried, so I kept my hand on her chest the whole way there, making sure she was breathething ok. When we get there, she gets sick again. I tell the staff what was going on and they immediately take her back.

They take an X-ray of her and find that the penny is lodged in her esophagus, which is just at the base of her neck. She is breathing fine, but the penny is there causing obvious issues of gagging. She quiets down and starts playing with a toy. They think this might be a sign that the penny moved, so they take another x-ray ten minutes later. No movement. They quickly decide that she needs to go to the hospital. They call an ambulance. I rode with Shelby in the Ambulance while Jason drove to the hospital. I am really starting to panic now. All these thoughts about what could happen to her and how serious of a situation it truly is was starting to set in.

We get to the hospital and she quiets down again. Again, they think that is a good sign so they do another x-ray. And of course again…no luck. They decide that they want her to stay the night to see if it will move. They had hoped that if she fall asleep and relax that it would pass through to her stomach and then she could pass it on her own. I stay with her and Jason goes home.

6:00AM-They wake us up and take us for another X-ray. This time, they let me see the X-rays myself, and the damn thing is still where it was the whole time. They decide to schedule her for surgery.

7:00AM-They give her an IV-which she did not appreciate and keep us waiting to hear from a surgean. I start making phone calls to let family know what is going on.

9:00AM-They take us for Surgery Prep, then about 10 to 20 minutes later…take her into surgery.

They said it really is only a minute long procedure. They put you under just enough to place a probe in the esophagus to remove the penny. Apparently it happens quite often in kids and the change can get lodged in 3 places on the way to the stomach, so they have had many kids go through this.

I don’t think I sat in the waiting room ten minutes before the Dr came out with the penny in a cup. He said she had done fine and was now in recovery.

It took her about 45 minutes to an hour to come out of her anestesia and wake up. She was fine after that. She had a popsicle and was in much better spirits. We waited around for vital checks and then they let her go home within that next hour. We got home just in time for me to get ready for work.

I am so beat with everything that happened from last night. We have been fortunate so far to not have to worry about dealing with anything major, but who would have thought a penny would have caused all this trouble? I don’t think she will be putting change in her mouth again. She did not appreciate being at the hospital and wanted to go home.

So be forwarned. Parents, hide your change. This can happen and does happen. I am just relieved she is okay now.

So the past week and a half has been interesting to say the least. I did have to go to the Dr. and get some prescriptions for my nasty cold, flu, what ever. I had to call off on Wednesday because the Dr. prescribed me a cold medicine with codein which makes me sleep all day long. I have been trying to take it easy.

I finally got my garage door opener replaced…thanks to the house warranty we have. Got that replaced on Wednesday while i was home. I am so glad that I have that back. It is nice to be lazy and not have to worry about getting out of your car to go shut the door. lol. Especially in winter time…cause it just sucks.

We also gave away our puppy. Yes. I know. I am awful…but she wasn’t the pet for us. We were never home…so she chewed everything to pieces…including our carpet and furniture. I had enough, Jason had enough…and we just decided it was best for the dog to go to someone who could pay enough attention to her.

That turned out to be a fiasco, because we had one lady pick her up for a friend, only to return her later that night, because they did not ask the dad first, and when he found out…he blew a gasket and basically disowned them. I then posted on a Freecycle site I am apart of in the area. A lady picked her up yesterday to give to her father. Then she called me back to say that she found out that her father is allergic and had to give her to someone else. Hopefully they can find a good home for her, but that has to be traumatizing to the dog who keeps going place to place.

Shelby won’t miss her too much. The dog practically attacked her to show her affection and she didn’t like that. She has asked where she is…but it is not like they knew each other for very long.

Jason suggested getting a fish next time. I just want to take a long break before we even steer near a pet. I am done for a while. My grandmother called me asking if I wanted a free cocker spaniel. I said “NO.” We really had our hearts set on a yorkie and well….those are just too expensive. Oh well.

I have gone back to work and have been trying to catch up.

So that is this week in a nutshell.

Ok, well this won’t let me put up the link, but the photo slideshow is located on the right side of my page. Enjoy!

I realize I haven’t posted in over a month so I figured I better update everyone. This Friday was the last day of my official training for work. Monday I start in my official position at my store. I am a little nervous, and of course excited to see what I can get in there and do.

I traded in my cavalier for a Blazer a couple of weeks ago. I needed something with 4 door and a little more room. I got a good deal on the trade in value of my 2 door cavalier, so I think I came out in the good. I am really enjoying it, but hate the gas mileage on it. I went from a 4-cylindar to a V6 engine, so it tends to suck gas a little faster than I am used to. Will have to watch myself on that one.

I am going to a store near where Jason works, so we are going to carpool together to save on gas when I work in the mornings. No sense of having two seperate cars since we are basically going to be in the same vacinity. It is a 40 minute drive and well…I have a v6 engine, so we will drive his car for the most part. He will just have to start getting up earlier for me, but that is not a bad thing;)

Life has been kind of nice around here. Since I was in training, I have had weekends off. Of course that is about to change, but it has been nice being able to spend that extra time with Jason and Shelby.

As much as I love the Christmas Season, I am glad it is over. The time gets a little stressful and in retail it doesn’t help. I have been training in my new job so it is not so bad for me at the moment. I am enjoying learning something a little different. Trying to take advantage of the opportunities I have.

I am trying my best to relax now that the holidays for the most part are over. I have cleaned the house top to bottom for the party, and now it is time to relax and enjoy the fresh clean smell.

I have decided to go through all of our clothes and donate alot to good will, so that we can have some sane room for the rest of our stuff. Our drawers and closets are over flowing with stuff we just don’t wear anymore, so I have decided to try to part with what will possibly never get worn again. Our house can’t afford much more room with all our clothes. I am also sick and tired of doing laundry, and trying to decide what needs washed and blah blah blah.

Toys are another topic to go through with Shelby. That kid has enough toys to last her a life time and more. SPOILED. The scary part is that we are not even all done with Christmas since we have a few family out of state just yet. And I am sure she will be getting more stuff from them too. Insane.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas, and good luck on the New Year. I am going to try to make this year a good one. 2005 was okay, but I want 2006 to ROCK! Now that I have a new job, and less debt, I want to be comfortable. I don’t mean over the top….just not having to worry about things so much. We shall see how that turns out. My New Year’s Resolution is to get out of debt if we can, and continue those good habits…not to mention enjoying my new job. Hopefully I can achieve those goals with out too much resistance.

I am also hoping to keep in touch with friends a little more and have more of a life outside of work. It may not be possible right away, but it is a goal. I love getting together with people and being sociable…it just doesn’t always happen that way often. The final piece that I have is that I want to try to get back into church more. I have strayed away for too long, and hope to get back into something. Shelby needs introduced to it also….but I think I need that fellowship I once had way back when.

My hopes for everyone is to have a safe and happy year.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate. Can’t get used to the taste of egg nog.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
I always do both.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colorfull lights everywhere.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. Don’t need one to get a kiss from Jason and Shelby, and that is who I would want one from.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Weekend after Thanksgiving

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Deviled Eggs or Honey Baked Ham. Yummy.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Not sure. So long ago.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What are you talking about? What truth? Santa is REAL!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Both christmas eve and Christmas day. Since Shelby’s birthday is christmas eve, we have to make it extra special.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him?
Cookies, holiday nuts. Undetermined as of yet.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Dread it. Hate cold weather. Would rather stay warm.

12. Can you ice skate?
a little. Tried once, not sure if I can do it without help.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
No. Well does Shelby count?

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Have to agree with LeeAnna on this one. Being with family is very important. Otherwise it wouldn’t make the holidays.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, buckeyes, lots of stuff.Yummmm

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
We go to my parents house Christmas morning and open gifts. We start the christmas music and usually someone puts on a Santa hat to hand out the gifts from under the tree. We have to wait till everyone gets there, so the suspense kills us.

17. What tops your tree?
A colorful star

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving?
Giving when I can afford it.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol?
Carol of the Bells

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yum

Happy Turkey Day everyone. Hope everyone has a good day and full bellies.

I am dreading Friday. I hate Black Friday. People act really stupid and retail does not encourage it any.

We will be handing out $10 gift cards to the first 200 customers at the doors first thing. People act really stupid and we had to call the police last year. We almost had a riot. Yes a riot for $10. This year, we are trying to be smart by giving out numbers ahead of time to reserve a spot. Atleast that should help. Of course, I am the one who will be carrying these cards and handing them out. Ugh.

After the morning sales, then we have full lines and crazy parking all day long. No fun. It is not worth the hassle people. Really.

Today I announce that I have found a new job. It took me a while and I was not sure whether I was heading in the right direction, but things pulled through. Of course the job involves a big boost in income, which is always nice. I start Dec.5th. I can’t wait to see how this goes.

Not sure what is wrong with me lately. I have a lot of friends who live out of state and have families of their own. I understand as an adult that some friends are just busy and all,and you can lose those relationships, but it still sucks to not have a close friend nearby to talk to. I am talking about someone that you can truly confide in, and laugh with without feeling weird for admitting something you wouldn’t normally do. Don’t get me wrong here…Jason is my bestfriend, but he is my husband, and you need a seperate person to talk to as well. While email and instant messaging works temporarily do the job, it doesn’t replace a true conversation on the phone or in person.

I think what aggravates me is that I have not much of a life because of work. My job at this moment is not really allowing me to have much of a social life. I stress about things at work when I am at home, and it really bugs me that it has to be this way. Obviously things are in the works to change that, but who knows.

I think that I just need that extra re-enforcement I suppose. I have always had more guy friends than girlfriends. The few girlfriends I would have, well I would be very close to them. Of course all of them exept one, has moved out of state. The one I still have left, is busy with her boyfriend and moving and etc., basically trying to build a family of her own.

I would blame hormones on this if it weren’t for the fact that it has bugged me for a while. I suppose that I am just missing my close friends that are too far away.