Coming to Grips!

So I realize that my last pregnancy update sounded pretty hysterical. And in reality I was pretty hysterical. I'm realizing that I feel like I needed to have everything figured out. I need to know exactly how I'm going to cope with the birth, what kind of mom I'm going to be, how am I going to pay all the bills while I'm on maternity leave, who's going to be with our baby when I go back to work, etc. And the list could go on and on. So Yes I was freaking out. But I'm coming to realize that I really don't have to figure everything out before it all happens.

So from Stake Conference adult session didn't really explain what I learned. But it made me realize that with the economical uncertainty, (I'm sure everyone is feeling at least a little), that things are going to get better with the economy, but that we have the knowledge that will get us through the tough times. With this statement I realized that I don't need to know all of these fine details about what's in our future, cause I have faith that the Lord will take care of us as long as we are doing what we should.

After I let this sink in a little while, as I thought about some of those things that were bothering me, logically things have kind of just been eased in my mind and I realize some possible solutions to some of my worries. I realize that as I just continue to live doing the basic (prayer, scripture study, attending my church meetings and fulfilling callings to the best of my ability) then the answers will be apparent when the time comes with the decisions we'll be making.

I also decided that I must thing I'm never going to see Chad, and in reality I realize that the month of November might be a little hard for me cause Chad will be in Caldwell for that month, but I know that we'll figure that out too. I'm sure I'll be busy just trying to take care of our little one and working and keeping the house up too. Who has time to miss Chad when you have all that going on right?!! Well I can keep talking myself into it!! Wish me luck with that one.

30 weeks update & Stake Conference

So I'm not sure how many really wanted to see that, but for Chad's and my family that won't really see me showing before she's born, Here they are. Pictures at 30 weeks!!

So now that the craft fair is done with. I've decided that it's time to read and get prepared for the baby. I haven't read anything really, besides the developement of the baby as she's been growing. So with all the craft fair stuff I had to work the one weekend that Chad could go to a birthing class with me. So after talking with Dr. Minudri about what type of education prior to the birth, that we should have, he said that we could read a book and ask any questions that we had.
So I've been reading the book Your Pregnancy & Birth, which the Dr. gave to us on the first visit to comfirm our pregnancy. Well it's been a good book. It's reminded me of all those things that I learned while I was in nursing school and so it's all coming back to me. But I was surprised at the feelings that came with it. I started to just think about how everything that has been for the last few years is going to change. Not only are we going to have a baby, but Chad is going to be in his Fourth year of Vet school. What was I thinking!! All of a sudden I'm not sure I am ready for that. AHHH! Has anyone else done that? I remember talking with my friend Brenda from work(HI!), she and her husband just had an adorable little boy this last year, and she told me how it does totally change your life to have a new baby, not only your entire body, but it changes your relationship with your spouse as well. But she also said she would have it any other way either. So it changes things in such a dramatic way, but for the better.

So I just have to keep that in mind. But after a very emotional Friday,(Poor Chad. Where do these hormones come from???!!!)I was able to get off work just a little early(Thanks Jan!!) so I could make it to the adult session of Stake Conference. As sad as the night was for me, cause our Stake Relief Society Presidency that I was serving in for the last 8 months was released from our service, the meeting was just what I needed!! I was still emotional, but I was so sad to be released, I have really enjoyed being in on the meetings with the Stake Presidency and see the love they have for those they have stewardship over. They spend a lot of time away from their families, for us, those they serve. What neat men and obviously amazing wives too, cause they are supportive even though I'm sure they have to be more diligent in their own homes.

But the best part was listening to these wonderful men, and Gail our former RS President and then hear the testimony of Melissa Eichner, our new RS Pres. They just were inspired to talk about the hard times that we all are facing, but gave a perspective on what we can do to make it better and realize that time will make things better, but just to continue to live the way we know we should be living as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the music was wonderful!! I had tears just streaming down my face on the last number and couldn't even hold up my part of singing in the congregation! I almost made the chorister loose it too. Oh WOW!!

So these talks made me realize that I am freaking out about the baby coming...I just wasn't helping that she was pushing on my ribs on my right side for a week straight!!! I think I now know what it feels like to have chest tubes rubbing on the nerves along your ribs. It causes a burning pain I've never felt before that is constant!!! I know now why we give narcotics to people who do have chest tubes, cause Tylenol doesn't touch it at all. But all is well....for the first time that I've noticed, she moved and her feet are now pointing downward, which causes different sensations, but nothing near as intense as the rib pain. Oh it also helps that I realized, that pioneer women did all of this in pregnancy and still had to walk miles in a day. What a whiner I am!! I realized women were made to have kids and I can cope too. So I'll be fine!! But I would love to hear about anyone else that had odd or simliar feelings with their pregnancies, it would make me feel so much better!!!

Labor predictions

So I've had this in my edit file since the day I did it and am finally posting it.  I thought it was cute.  I got it from a friends blog.   Thanks Ash!  I'm just hoping that it's not accurate on the late part.

If you want to play along go to .http://www.justmommies.com/quizzes/labor_prediction_quiz.php

for your own labor prediction.

 I had to call my mom for some of this information too.  Not things that I knew about my own birth, so it was kind of cool to get some of those details. Here's my labor prediction. 

I know you were hoping we weren't going to say this, but don't expect this baby to come early. Your baby is nice and comfy tucked away in your womb and has no interest in joining the rest of the world. We predict your baby will be born after its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 7.3 pounds and that your labor will be about 13 hours long.

The Results are......

Well today marks the 21 week mark, but not only that we were able to go for the ultrasound to find out the sex of our baby!! It was such a wonderful experience. We were amazed at the things we were able to see in action with our little one. It was amazing how much bigger everything seemed this time around. So the poll came out to be close with 57% as a girl and 43% as a boy. So to draw out the suspense, I'll tell you some of the details of our appointment.

We first saw all the basics of the baby. Then we saw my favorite part, the heart. For most of you, you already know that I worked on a cardiac unit the first 5 years of my nursing career. It's something I loved to do and miss being at Pullman, where it's all shipped to other hospitals. I've seen many ultrasounds of hearts looking for different heart problems. So it was crazy that even through my layers and then through the baby's that you can see the details that you can. We saw all 4 chambers of the heart and could see the mitral and tricuspid valves opening and closing as they should. That to me is a miracle in itself!! And Chad was able to hear the heart beat for the first time too. Then we started going through and see all the bones in the upper extremities and even saw the ribs as we moved from object to object. Here's the first part on video if you're as fascinated with the heart and what ultrasounds look like.

Were able to see the nasal bone when we got a great profile picture and then inside the head we saw the lateral ventricles. I'm not sure how much that means to most of you but we all 4 ventricles (or spaces) in our brains, so we saw 2 out of the 4. Then they measured the circumference and the width of the head. We then got to see the spine from top to bottom and were informed that it all looked good.

The ultrasoundographer, Sheryl, then asked us if we wanted to find out what we were having and we told we did!! She asked us if we had any guesses and I told we thought it was a boy, but that I had dreamed that it was a little girl. I even told her my dream. How embarrasing. If you want here's a video of the conversation and how we found out!!! Hope you enjoy!!! Sorry it's at the very end .

The umbilical cord and all 3 vessels are in place working as they should and the lower extremities also look good. We were informed that the baby was about 10 ounces at this time. So it doesn't explain the 4 pound weight gain I've had over the last month. So here are some more pictures from today, showing you the little Budha Belly I'm getting.Through this entire experience, it never ceases to amaze me how God has arranged the birthing process that allows His children to gain bodies. What miracle and blessing it is for us to have an opportunity to have one his children in our own home. We just hope and pray that we'll be able to be the parents that He would have us be.

Dr. Visit #2

So when I got home from our great time with our families, I had another Dr. visit to see Dr. Minudri. Which turned out to be really fun because it was the first time that I've had the chance to hear the heart beat. Chad didn't end up coming cause I didn't think anything that exciting would be happening. But the heart rate was about 160, which by wise tale says that it could be a girl. So within a few days I had a crazy dream....

Now just because I'm a nurse and know better than this is what makes this so funny. I had a dream that I came into the hospital to do the ultrasound and my friend Deb Cooper, (who actually does tons of different things at the hospital like Pulmonary and Cardiac rehab, pulmonary function test and so on, but she is NOT a ultrasoundographer) did our ultrasound. And when she got to where the private areas were on the baby it would turn into a cute little pink heart. She went on to tell me that if it was a boy that the heart would be blue. Funny huh!! So I think that heart rate thing really swayed me, but I've had lots of people tell me that I really know what sex the baby is? But I want to get everyone else's thought before our real ultrasound which in next week!!! on the 10th. So in the right had column is the poll!! Wish us luck!!!

I realize that I haven't posted any pictures of me being pregnant. So I finally had Chad take one. I haven't cause I'm not really that big. I was surprised that I wasn't bigger than I was when we went home. I really could have kept the secret a lot longer and not told anyone. So hope you enjoy the picts!! These were taken at 19 weeks.

The Big News!

So it's been crazy the last few weeks like I had said before...We've been blessed with so many visitors. Cause not only did we get the ones I blogged about before, but Julie Hunt came and stayed with us the weekedn following Thanksgiving, and then my brother Brek was planning on coming last weekend, but travel plans didn't quite turn out.

But it's been even more fun than usual because we got to share without our families and friends that we're expecting a little one in June!! So now that this last Wednesday we were able to go into the doctor's office and get ultrasounds pictures, we thought it was time to share with everyone!!


The other part was Chad's birthday present that I couldn't tell anyone about before was finding out that I was pregnant. To understand the picture of Chad below, you have to know the background....So last year for Chad's birthday 2007, I decided that I was going to get him a pastel pink polo. Now I know that some of your are thinking, Chad? In pink? Well he happens to look great in it. But when he opened that gift last year, he thought that I was telling him that I was pregnant and we were having a little girl. I was totally surprised and thought "How did he get the idea that I was pregnant out of a pink polo shirt that was his size?". So this year when I found out a few days before his birthday I went shopping and bought 2 little baby outfits, one for a baby boy and one for a girl and wrapped them as a present for him to open.

I don't know how many of you have kept a secret like that from your husbands...it was difficult. The night before his birthday, I slept horribly. I kept waking up, (not quite sure if that was hormones or nerves), but when I woke up about 0600 am having to use the bathroom I thought. "I'll just go use the other bathroom and grab the gift and have it waiting for Chad when he wakes up." So that's exactly what I did and as soon as Chad woke up I was shoving a gift in his face and was telling him to open it. It was killing me!!! I just couldn't wait any longer. So in his half awake and half asleep mode he opened the gift and then had to ask me a few times if I was serious. Last year he pulls that idea out of a pink polo and then has to ask me if I mean we're expecting when I give him baby clothes. It was pretty fun and neat all at the same time. What a neat time when it something you've both wanted for a long time. We're just so excited to be parents.

So here's a few pictures of our little one. at 12 weeks. You can see the head and body pretty well in these two. He measure the head to rump lenth at 49mm. So it's about 2.5 inches long so far and so we're right on target for the due date of June 23rd!!

And if you look close at these you can see it's arms, hands and fingers. We wish we had taken a video of the ultrasound, because when it first started it was just kicking it's legs so fast. Dr. Minudri told us we had a fiesty one on our hands!!!