Thump, thump, thump...

My appointment yesterday was great! I didn't have an ultrasound, but the doctor used the doppler and I heard the baby's heartbeat! It was amazing. Its one thing to see that there is a beating heart, but to hear it...what a blessing! It brought a whole new meaning to everything!

I also got my prescription for Zofran. OMFG! I couldn't be happier!! I can not believe how well it works. After 5 minutes of taking the 1st pill, I ate 2 tacos, chicken tenders, crackers, and took all my pills. And I felt fine. Now I'm getting ready to have pancakes and sausage for breakfast...OMG, BREAKFAST!!

Anyway, next appointment is in 4 weeks. That is when we will try the gender scan. Sooooo...I'm off to eat all day. Bye!!

Home is where the calcium is.

I'm home. The trip was good...just seems like there is never enough time to see everyone. We only spent a few hours with my dad. We got to see the new puppies...soooo cute! It almost made me want another one. Then I remembered what a demon Bianca is. I no longer want another one! I also didn't get to spend any time with my BFF, who was my maid of honor. I miss her and wish I could've seen her, but what can ya do?

Anyway, we did get to spend lots of time with Steven's family. We stayed at his brother's new house for 2 nights, which was fun. Sunday, we went to church (where we were married) and got to see lots of old friends. Steven's mom had a huge cookout. The boys played football and realized how out of shape they all are.

I am glad to be home. My calcium pills were not packed with my regular stuff, so I was chugging chocolate milk all weekend. I am not gonna lie...I hate milk. Maybe that's why I have osteoporosis. Hmmm. Sometimes I feel like I'm 80. At least I am an 80 year old who can still pull off a 2-piece baithing suit! That's really all that matters in life. LOL, for now anyway.

I have an OB appointment tomorrow. I can't wait to see how the baby is growing! I am also dying to ask if massage is OK again. I haven't been to my masseuse since February...I'm dying!! So, I'm off to rest. Will post pictures of the baby tomorrow after my appointment!

A much needed Memorial Day mini-vacation!

Steven and I are heading to NY again this weekend. It seems like we were just there...we were. I know once the baby comes, we won't be able to just pack up and leave, so it doesn't bother me to do it now. Anyway, we are leaving tomorrow after Steven gets home from work and we'll be home Monday night. I'm sure Steven will enjoy his Corona at the picnic his mom is having, so I assume I will be driving home while he sleeps. Woo hoo for being the DD...only 7 more months of that crap! We are not bringing Bailey on this trip. Ever since we got Bianca in November, he really hasn't been able to run the house the way he used to. Every time he even tries, Bianca thinks he wants to play and jumps all over him. Plus, he will enjoy the quality time with his Grandma. They used to be inseparable until she moved to Texas. Now that she's back, he is just so used to being with me 24/7. Now, let's hope I make it to the freeway before turning back to get him!

Thank you all for your support and suggestions about Bianca. I will surely try them. Earlier today, I was in my recliner and she took a kamakazi leap and went paws-first into my abdomen. She caught me off to the side and luckily it didn't hurt. I literally went psycho on her. I am not usually for animal abuse...but my motherly instinct picked all 50 pounds of her up and threw her about 10 feet off of me. Then I proceeded to use a string of profanity that would've gotten me grounded for a month, had I been in high school. She just looked at me like she didn't know whether she should run or petrify right there. If I can't find a way to control her, Steven is going to have to Bianca-proof half of the basement and she will be spending her days down there...at least she is out of the "puppy" phase and calms down a bit. The only reason I'm not rallying to throw her out on her ass is because my dad raises boxers and I know what wonderful family dogs they are as adults. I also know that her actions are all typical of boxer puppies. I just thought I could handle her better.

So, I'm off to pack. I may not update until Tuesday. If I don't, everyone have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

aaaaaaand...EXHALE!

As much as I have been trying to avoid it, the stress seems to be getting worse every day. Some of it has to do with the people I am around during the day, but most of it is from the dogs and the way that they interact with people...Bianca in particular. I keep trying to remind myself that she is only 8 months old, but sometimes she just gets me going so bad. She is a jumper. She will run and jump up on people whenever she feels like it. She weighs 50 pounds, and whether you expect it or not, she can just about knock you over. Sometimes she will run and jump up at someone's hands and nip at them. She doesn't bite, but it still hurts. She also runs at full speed and jumps all over the furniture. We have leather furniture and it is now covered in claw marks from her. No matter what I do, she won't stop. When Steven is home, she doesn't do it...she knows she can't do it around him because he wouldn't have it. For some reason, she is just so bad when she is with me. I'm sure its because she knows I can't get up to discipline her. I don't know what to do with her. Will it ever end??

The stress level during the day is starting to concern me. Sometimes when I yell to stop the dogs from being bad, it literally hurts my stomach. I need to calm down, but I can't very well let my dogs jump on and/or bark at everybody that comes here...if I do, it looks like I don't care what they do.

I think I need to start getting massages again. I used to go once a week during IVF and it really did chill me out. It gets expensive, but it might make all the difference with this pregnancy. Let's hope so. Right now, I am going to close my eyes and try to remove myself from this stressful environment...pray for me.

Officially just another pregnant lady!

My 1st OB appointment went great! He was awesome and very modern (unlike Dr. A...bless his heart!)...I had a few things cleared up. I can paint my nails, I don't have to eat organic, Lovenox is not necessary...among other things. The most important question I had was about the c-section. He said he was 100% supportive, but completely confident that we could do a vaginal delivery without putting the baby in jeopardy. He said if it were his wife and kid, he would go vaginal with forceps. I have always been very, very wary about forceps, but he told me all about how he teaches medical students at Case Western how to use them safely and effectively and has never had any negative results with them. He kind of sold me on the "if it were my wife and kid...". I always feel better knowing what a doctor would do in my shoes...because sometimes it changes their answer. I cried like a baby, of course. Just knowing that my baby will come into this world and be laid on top of me...what a huge miracle and blessing. God has been so good to us. Sometimes I feel so unworthy.

The most exciting part...he is attempting to find out the baby's gender at 14 weeks!!!! He said he has "his ways" and that he is very accurate! So...hopefully, the baby isn't shy and let's us sneak a peek! Can you believe it? That is only 6 weeks away!

Anyway...I am off to play some X-Box with Steven then watch Grey's Anatomy. I will be eating whatever I want, while giving myself a manicure! So, there!!

Had a scare...

Yesterday, I woke up very crampy. I didn't think much of it because Dr. A told me that unless it is accompanied by bleeding, it is common. I figured I'd just take it easy and it would go away. Around 12pm, I was going to the bathroom and noticed blood on the toilet paper. I freaked out and called Dr. A. He told me to come in for an ultrasound. After I hung up, I lost it...sobbing. I got my bearings and called Steven at work. I told him what was going on and he left to come pick me up. My mom was worried, so she decided to come, too. We got in there and I refused to look at the screen until somebody said "there's the heartbeat." I couldn't bear seeing my baby if she wasn't alive. After a couple seconds, the tech said "There we go." As soon as she said it, I felt the world lift off my shoulders. I let out a huge sigh of relief and looked up at the screen. I couldn't help by laugh at my little peanut...the heart was fluttering away at 167bpm! Then we got to see the baby move! It was amazing. After a minute, the tech got up and dialed on the phone. She says "I need a doctor in here to look at something." My guarded mind started going 100 miles a minute. Everything that could be wrong was going on in my head. The doctor came in and they focused in on a red and blue blob on the screen. Apparently, the colors indicate blood flow. It turns out that the baby was in transition between using the yolk sac and the umbilical cord/placenta for nutrience. The tech said that it is usually one or the other and they never get to witness the transition period...so they saw something new! Everything else looked fine and there was absolutely no indication of where the cramping or spotting came from.

Today, I feel great. No cramps, no bleeding, not too much nausea. Praise God that our baby is doing well. From now on, I will not be so worried all the time. I will be cautious but relaxed. I still have my first OB appointment tomorrow and I am very excited. Dr. A wanted me on bedrest until the bleeding stopped, and it has so I think I will be fine. So, I will be sure to update tomorrow about that...now I'm going to relax!!

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones...

So, I've switched to Flintstone vitamins from the yucky prenatals. With the folic acid and calcium that I also take, I know that I'm getting more than what I need. I am feeling better already. I am not really dry heaving anymore...I just feel crappy all day, but that's nothing new!

My mom's boyfriend is up from Texas, so we should have an eventful week. Let's hope my morning sickness lets up on me so I can enjoy it! Thursday is my 1st OB appointment, then the Indians game!! Hopefully the appointment doesn't last long. I also have a baby shower on Sunday, which I am very excited for! My friend lost a baby a couple years ago and now she is pregnant again. It should be fun shopping for baby gifts...I love doing that now!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommys and mommys-to-be out there! I didn't even realize I was an official participant in today's festivities...until my wonderful husband handed me my card before breakfast. I cried, of course. I wasn't expecting it...we were just planning on cooking for my mom and doing her cards. It was very touching and I love my husband so much!

As for the rest of the day...yard work! Steven is mowing now, then we are going to cut down some more stray branches and bushes. Until he's done with the grass, I'm stuck inside with the dogs! I guess I should enjoy the relaxation. Lord knows it won't last!

My 1st OB appt...just another pregnant lady!

My 1st OB appointment is scheduled for Thursday, 5/15. I am excited to be treated like every other pregnant lady in the world! My cousin works in L&D at MetroHealth hospital, so she hooked me up with their best high-risk OB. Because of my paralysis, there is more to my case than just "get pregnant, wait 40 weeks, have a baby". I am hoping that he hears me out about opting for a c-section. I know I won't be able to push much, and I don't want the baby to have to do all the work during delivery. I have done a lot of research and I feel very strongly about it. We'll see what he says...not that it will change my mind.

Yesterday sucked!! I got sick in the car...while driving! Then I had to leave Babies R' Us because I felt queasy. I had a meeting to set up my WIC. So, I get there and start to get the lift out of my truck. I was halfway out, when the entire thing just died! So, here I am...hanging out of my car on the lift, with my chair completely locked in! I called Steven and he came with my other wheelchair and tools to fix the lift. So, I go into WIC and automatically get a headache from all the 16 year old moms screaming at their kids. I felt old and out of place. The appointment took about 2 hours. I got sick there, then hungry. I'm thinking "Take your time...I'm just dying of starvation"! Anyway, I finally got out of there, Steven had the truck all fixed. My mom had to bring fuses for him because apparently, mine were blown. I got home and found that my mom had made her famous mashed potatoes...my favorite! I hardly ate because I felt so crappy. After dinner, Steven and I watched Wife Swap and I fell asleep. Seriously, that had better have been the most dramatic and eventful day of my whoooooooole pregnancy! I can't do that again!!

I'm not feeling great today, but haven't dry heaved yet. Bailey is sick and threw up earlier...I almost tossed my cookies. Thankfully, my friend Katie took care of it for me! Now, I'm gonna go warm up some left over mashed potatoes and try again...wish me luck!

So we don't get pregnant??

Lots of people were curious about why we were told to use condoms. It was weird to me at first too, I should have clarified...sorry! So, semen contains prostoglandins, which can make the uterus contract. To avoid that, Dr. A told us to either use protection or have "non-vaginal" intercourse...EXCUSE ME! YOU GOTTA PAY FOR THAT, BUDDY! Anyway, as the wheels in Steven's head were turning and my BFF Katie was bright red and trying not to laugh, I said "OK...condoms sound good." So, that's how it went down! You learn something new every day!

I bled a little bit last night. I called Dr. A and his nurse said that as long as it doesn't continue, its probably just irritation from the ultrasound. I checked a thousand times last night and it seemed to be good every time. That was very, very scary to see.

We're having one spoiled baby!

We just got back from our first ultrasound! We saw one beautiful little heartbeat! I have never seen anything so breathtaking in my entire life. Praise God for this miracle!! The heart rate was 133 and they confirmed that my due date is Christmas Eve. At first, I was kind of surprised that there was only one baby, but also relieved. Now we don't have to split our love between two babies. This child is going to be sooooooooooo spoiled!!


I met with Dr. A after my ultrasound. He said that I can start seeing my OB now, because everything looks great. I am very excited, but sad too. I will miss everyone at my RE's office. He also said no more estrogen patches and that we can start baby-dancing again as long as we are protected...TMI, but its been awhile! Steven is very happy!

Steven and I were so excited, that we decided on names on the way home! If we have a boy, he will be Noah John. If we have a girl, she will be Hayden Rae. I can't wait to see which it is. I'm thinking pink!!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!

While we still can...

Steven and I are vegging today. We cleaned the house a bit then we had BK for lunch...for some reason I just can't give it up! Not to mention my craving for orange Hi-C. We also watched Alvin & The Chipmunks...soooooooo cute! Watch it as soon as possible!!! It was, by far, the cutest movie I've seen in a long time. Now we are visiting with friends...then its back to being lazy!!

Nothing comes between me and my cravings!

OMG! I am soooooo hormonal. I am really angry right now...over a chocolate milkshake! I went to the bank to use the ATM so I could go to McDonald's. I was having a major chocolate craving. Last month, my debit card was deactivated because I went more than 30 days without using it. So, I had them reactivate it, but it screwed up my PIN. Not knowing, I went to take MY money out of MY bank account and the ATM kept saying Invalid PIN. So, I called the bank. They said they can't figure out why it isn't working. They told me to go to the bank and re-PIN the card. OK...well, my bank closes at 4pm. I have to wait until tomorrow! I would just use my debit card at McDonald's, but I am terrible at balancing my checkbook, so I don't like to do that. Maybe its the hormones, but I am really pissed. This is the 2nd time in 2 months that my money hasn't been available to me. What a pain in the ass!! Thankfully, my mom gets out of work at 5...she will bring me my milkshake so nobody gets hurt!

I am so excited for my ultrasound on Monday! I am still crossing my fingers for twins, but one baby is certainly a miracle and a blessing from God. As long as there is a healthy heartbeat(s), I will be happy! I praise God every day for what He has given us. I know that whether it is a singleton or twins, it is what He thinks is best for our family.

**UPDATE**
Everything is going to be just fine...my mom is on her way with 1 medium chocolate milkshake! Thank God!!!