Stir crazy!

Why is it when I have tons to do, I don't feel like leaving the house? Yet when I am told I have to stay put and rest, I can find a million reasons to leave the house! I was a good girl today and followed Dr orders. I stayed home all day and rested...as much as Rylee would allow. I was MISERABLE! Usually I would look forward to a day of nothing to do, but not so much today. I'm sure it is because my mind has been plagued with to-do lists for the upcoming shower on Saturday. I have only felt crampy twice today and it didn't even last long enough for me to be sure that is what it was. I've been drinking lots of fluids. I tried water, but I felt nauseated again, so I switched to lemonade and decaffeinated tea. I know water is better, but I just can't seem to manage it yet. I've always thought that I don't have to live in the bathroom like most pregnant women, but now I realize it must be because I just don't drink enough. I feel like I lived in the bathroom today.

I've got a lot to do over the next few days, so I hope that I'll be able to manage. I've got my annual review for work at 9am tomorrow. Fun...but hopefully I'll get a raise!! Please, please, please. Damon is keeping Rylee for the morning so that I can pick up the groceries for the shower. I've got a list, so hopefully I can do it quickly and won't overdo it. I work a 10 hour day on Friday and then have to come home and start to work on shower preparations. Then Saturday I know I'll be up and running early, too. I usually don't work on Sundays, but I will be this week since I took Saturday off for the shower. Work Monday, Wednesday, Thursday next week and then leave for Destin for a week on Friday. Did I mention I'll be busy. I pray that the cramping doesn't come back, because as you can see I don't know what I'll do if I have to spend any more time 'resting'! Keep up the prayers, I may need them over the course of the next 10 days!!

Sent home to rest

The last 2 days have been a little worrisome. I began spotting slightly on Saturday and Sunday. Monday morning I woke up to a little more and I was actually cramping mildly. That kind of worried me, so I called the doctor just to check in. They said it is normal, especially if I am dehydrated...which I know that I am. So I was instructed to take it easy for the day and to lay down as much as I can. So...what do I do? I lay down for about an hour and then I go to town for 3 hours to run errands. Not my smartest move! I started cramping again and back home I went to follow doctor's orders. Then later I realized I needed groceries, so what do I do? You guessed it, I went to get 'a few things' and then home to cook dinner. Before you know it I was cramping again. If you haven't figured it out, I'm not a very good patient! Unfortunately today was my 14 hour shift and within a few hours at work the cramping started up again. I called the doctor to check in and sure enough, they sent me home. Now I'm not complaining about not having to pull a 14 hour shift, but I'm only 11 weeks pregnant, and it is way too early to be starting with problems. I'm not extremely worried. I can definitely tell I'm dehydrated which I was very sensitive to when I was pregnant with Rylee. I unfortunately have had a hard time drinking water because it makes the nausea worse. I think I've been avoiding 'unhealthy' drinks, too and along the way, I'm basically not drinking enough. I read in my pregnancy books that now is the time in the pregnancy when my body is starting to increase my blood volume, so most likely I'm just needing more water than I was 2 weeks ago.

To complicate things, my in-laws are on vacation and I've got a baby shower that I'm hosting on Saturday. Of course, the shower has to be the shower to end all showers (per Heather fashion) and it is going to be difficult to continue to rest. I may have to send Damon to the grocery store with a list...SCAREY!! So...I need prayers, prayers, prayers. For me and the baby, for the baby shower and for Damon to help me through it all!

I haven't seen the construction crew yet this week. Damon discovered an error in the house plans, so we had to go back to the architect for a correction. Of course that means that the wind load calculations have to be redone. So basically we are 'back to the drawing board'. The contractor's swing arm on his front end loader also broke last week, so he's having to order a part so that he can finish blading up all the grass where the new slab will be poured. All in all, this process has been fun, fun, fun. One step forward, 2 steps back. I'll be glad when I can actually see some progress, but I know then there will be other things to complain about! LOL! My biggest hope is for there to be some serious hammering going on the week of Aug. 7-14. I'm going on vacay in Destin to see my sister and her family and really want to be missing some of the hammering! We'll see what happens...

A boy would be easier

So for the most part it was a pretty uneventful day today. I did begin wishing for a boy for the first time, though. I've been fairly neutral, but today I was leaning toward a boy. As we were getting ready for church this morning, Damon was on the useless side. I don't mean that in an ugly way...just in a male way. He told me that he would help, but I needed to pick out her outfit, socks, shoes and bow and he would dress her. For Pete's sake, I might as well do it myself. Oh yeah...and I would have to fix her hair. I can't imagine having two little girls and him not being able to do anything. He's lazily eating a bowl of cereal, watching TV and I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off and had to eat breakfast in the car. Last I checked I am pregnant and I might not fight all day nausea if I could EAT! Then at lunch, we were at the table for no more than 10 minutes and I heard, "Mommy, I need to go potty!!" Why don't I just take her before we even sit down? THEN...5 minutes after we get back to the table, I hear it again! I think the 2nd time was just a way to not have to finish eating because she didn't 'go', but you never can tell and it isn't exactly the type of thing you want to take a chance with! At least if we have a boy, Damon could split the potty breaks with me. I was telling my sister about this and she totally burst my bubble by saying that most likely the baby will want Mommy to do it, so it won't matter anyway. Figures!

Really, though...I would be totally happy with a boy or a girl. Part of me wants another girl, because Rylee was sooooo much fun! Plus it would be cheaper because I have all the girly stuff and my sister has a lot of hand-me-downs. I would also LOVE for Rylee to have a sister as wonderful as mine! We have a name picked out for a girl, too... No clue for a boy. On the flip side, a boy would probably be easier and it would be different and fun in an all new way. A healthy baby is ALL we ask for. I know that is a tall order, but MY GOD is able!! Whatever He decides to give us will be perfect and just what our family needs!!

Gotta love those Florida Summer Storms

So today has been so, so. I have felt very full all day today, yet hungry at the same time. How can this be?!? I had been feeling so much better...it is soooo frustrating. Damon took Rylee to Lowe's to build a helicopter and then took her to the flea market and to lunch. That was a BIG help. I was able to sleep in and just rest for most of the day. When they got home it was nap time, so I figured I would get a little more down time. Unfortunately a HUGE Florida summer storm hit...lightning and thunder and all. There was no chance of her taking a nap. Needless to say, she has been a bit cranky this evening.

I thought I would add the pictures of week 2 of construction. You can see the stakes that I was talking about surrounding the house and it will give you a bit of a feel for where the new part of the house will go. You can also see the huge square of dirt at the front and back doors. They quickly turned into mud with the heavy rain this afternoon. I really hope the permits come through quickly so that we can get some concrete poured! I'm glad we are removing the carpets because I don't think they would survive anyway.

Rough day... :o(

Today started out pretty good, but took a downward turn by afternoon. Luckily I am drawing ever closer to the end of the 1st trimester and hoping I will be moving on to greener pastures. I worked my 14 hour shift yesterday, so that very well could be the reason for my sluggish day today. (I didn't post a blog...this could be serious! LOL!) I woke up running this morning, too, so I'm sure that didn't help. I do feel like I was pretty productive, so all was not lost. My sister-in-laws baby shower is next Saturday (a week from tomorrow) and I'm hosting. I've planned out most of the details, but as the shower is approaching I'm worried about pulling it off. My in-laws are out of town this week, so that makes the tasks much harder to accomplish with a 2 & 1/2 year old!! She's really great, but a 20 minute job can easily take 45 minutes due to all of the 'Mommy' interruptions! I did get to Target and the mall for some errands today and got 5 things checked off my To Do List. I think that leaves 3, but considering how the evening turned south I'm glad to have accomplished anything. I'm not feeling as nauseated as I was previously, so I feel bad even complaining since I know it can be soooo much worse. Luckily Damon had taken the day off and worked in the yard, so Rylee 'worked' with him a lot. That gave me a much needed break...a very dirty daughter...but a much needed break! He's such a good husband! I don't give him enough credit at times, but he his my ROCK! I'm already feeling a bit better, so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I'm now worried about sleeping tonight because I took a 2 & 1/2 hour nap today. I can't remember when I did that last! I sure hope I don't pay for it tonight!

We had some progress with the house over the last 2 days!! VERY EXCITING!! The builder said the permits should be finished by the middle to end of next week. Last night when I pulled into the yard after my 14 hour shift, the house was surrounded by wooden stakes. They are there to show where the edges of the house are going to be and to help lay out where the concrete will be poured. How cool is that! It appears that we are going to have a VERY big house after the construction is finished. Goodbye clutter, hello space!! It is kind of neat to walk through what will be our house in less than 6 months! Today the builders were out bright and early removing the concrete slabs from the old front and back porch. Now we have dirt at our front and back door. I've already swept like 5 times since I got home at 2pm this afternoon. This is going to get old quickly, so hopefully the permits will come through as planned and we can get the new slabs poured as a buffer to the dirt! I plan to take some pictures tomorrow and post them as well.

I thought I would end on a funny note and tell you a story from a 2 year old. Our builder's name is Toney and we have Rylee refer to him as Mr. Toney. Unfortunately Toney's girlfriend was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, so when we say prayers with Rylee at bedtime we always pray for Mr. Toney and his girlfriend. Over the last week when Toney has come to work on the house he has brought 2 men to help. The other night at dinner we were talking about the construction and Rylee commented that Mr. Toney and his 'girlfriends' were working on building her a new house. Too funny! We never thought that Rylee didn't understand the term 'girlfriend'. To her it was just someone that came with Mr. Toney. Needless to say, Toney and the men find it pretty humorous as well. It is amazing to step into the mind of a child...such innocence!

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Today is my 32nd birthday. I can't possibly be this old! Now I'm not saying 32 is old, but it is just too hard to believe that I am 32. I must say, though, that I am blessed beyond measure. In my short 32 years I can truely say there is nothing on earth that I desire outside of what God has already provided...and He has provided abundantly! Thank you, Lord, for another year and though I may not deserve it, I hope to have MANY, MANY more!

It hasn't been an extremely eventful day in spite of the fact that it is my birthday. I had to work 10 hours at CVS, but I will say that it was a very good day at the pharmacy. Believe you me, I can't always say that. I'm sure you'll hear some stories along this blogging adventure. My coworkers did remember my birthday and even brought me a scrumpdidliumptious blueberry dump cake. YUM!! I usually bring my lunch, but decided to treat myself to eating out! Damon even brought me a bag of Cappuccino flavored Jelly Belly Jelly Beans...MY FAVORITE!! So probably not a good day for pregnancy weight gain, but it was a tasty day! LOL!
As a follow-up to last night's birthday dinner, I did manage to eat only one plate of food. Unfortunately I also had 1 bowl of salad and 1 plate of dessert...so does that count as 3 plates?!? I didn't think so, either! Ha!

I thought I would go ahead and post the pictures of the remodel progress. Nothing has happened this week, so it is basically the same. Once everything gets up and running again I'll update the pictures. The first 2 pictures are 'before' and the last 3 are where we stand currently. Not a lot of progress, but considering it took us 120 days to get through the bank process we are thankful for ANY progress!

Food, food, food

It seems that my life revolves around eating these days. I took Rylee to a play date today and packed a lunch for both of us. I filled up a lunch sack! In my mind I like to pretend that I did it so that Rylee would have variety. Ha! I'm sure it was about my appetite more than hers. Then later in the day when my sister called she asked what I was up to. I paused for a minute to think of something creative and had to reluctantly admit that I was eating. The other day at work my techs were complaining that there was no room in the fridge for their lunch... I wonder why? I had it filled to the brim with stuff for me! Don't get me wrong, I love food, but it seems to be the enemy lately. At first it was a matter of eating something without feeling nauseated and now it has moved to eating constantly and thinking of the repercussions to my figure. I don't remember being so hungry with Rylee. She was only 6lbs. 8oz. At the rate I'm going this baby will not be so small. Speaking of food...my mother-in-law is cooking me a birthday dinner tonight. I got to make the menu, so it is sure to be my favorites. I am consciously telling myself that I can only eat one plate of food. I have to keep you posted on how my will power holds out.

On a happy note...my sister is going to start blogging, too!! I am too excited to see what is up in her life. She has 3 beautiful kids, but lives over 1000 miles away, so I don't get to see them often. We talk constantly on the phone, but it will be super neat to see more of them in pictures and to read about what is happening in their lives. I must admit blogging is addictive! Her husband my kill me for adding one more thing to her plate, but maybe we can keep it on the down low as to her gave her the idea...

Hard lesson learned

So it seems that the days of staying up until midnight are over again for a while. I was feeling pretty good yesterday, so I wound up staying up too late. It was only 12:30ish, but WOW am I paying for it today. I was doing fine all day, but when I got home and sat on the couch before dinner this overwhelming urge came over me... MUST SLEEP NOW!! I tried to 'rest' as Rylee called it but with her asking me every 2 minutes if I was 'resting' I must admit I was not! I plugged through and now I'm better. I even mopped the floors! That is my accomplishment for the day...maybe the week! So...the lesson here is that I must be in bed earlier each night if I am to survive, I think.

The builder's didn't show today. We are waiting on some wind load calculations from the truss company so the permits can be finalized. (Sounds like I know what I'm talking about doesn't it? LOL!!) If they were to go ahead and move the concrete it would leave us with a pile of dirt at the front and back door. With all of this rain we've been having it would quickly be mud! We decided to wait until the numbers come in to proceed. So...we are at another stand still...

10 week photo

I finally stopped long enough to get Damon to take a photo. I'm 10 weeks tomorrow.

Today has been a good day again! Thank you, Jesus!! I am starting to get hip pains from the ligaments in my hips relaxing. Joy!! It is crazy everything the body has to go through to bring a baby into the world. It really is quite amazing how everything starts gearing up even though I'm far from the finish line. I wish it wasn't so painful along the way! THANKS EVE!!

The builders are supposed to be out tomorrow to move the concrete where the porches used to be. We took pictures of the current progress on the house, but we're trying to find some 'before' pictures. Unfortunately we didn't think about recording the progress until the porches were already down. Hopefully we can post them soon. We've got months of work ahead of us, so there is plenty of time.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......

Man could I use some sleep!! I have been exhausted ALL day today!! Thankfully, I have had another pretty good day. I guess the meds are working! YES!!

On to my next hypochodriac moment... The med the doctor put me on for nausea (Reglan/Metoclopramide) is ALL over the news for having a bad side effect called Tardive Dyskinesia...basically a fancy word for uncontrolled body movements. It isn't a laughing matter and apparently is significant enough that some law folks are trying to make some money off of it. I have a friend who experienced this side effect while taking the med for morning sickness. So it is a REAL side effect. ANYWAY...my eye has been twitching ALL day. I asked my partner at work if he thought I was having the side effect or if I'm losing my mind. He laughed at me and said it is probably stress...or fatigue...which I have both! So, now that I can think past the nausea I can stress about uncontrollable, random arm flailings. Let me know if you see me doing that...I'll need to stop the medicine!! LOL!

1st good day in 6

Today has been the first semi-good day in almost a week. Yeah!! I'm hoping the medicine is helping... As an added bonus I treated myself to a pedicure tonight and a wonderful visit with my friend Michelle! I definitely needed an hour for myself! Then I came home and Damon had cooked dinner... It just keeps getting better. I hope the evening continues to be positive, because I usually start to decline as bedtime approaches.

Some progress was made with the house today. All the plants and porches have been removed and the concrete has been prepped to be removed. On Monday the concrete will be moved and the ground prepped for pouring the footers and foundation (whatever that means)! LOL! I had the camera out to take pictures tonight, but then I got the call for the pedicure and well...the pictures will have to wait another day.

Appointment Day!

I had my first official appointment with Dr. Werner today since finding out I am pregnant. I have been anxiously awaiting this appointment because I wanted some DRUGS to help with this never ending nausea!! Luckily she agreed and I'm hoping for some relief. She gave me a rx for Reglan which will help promote stomach empyting. Apparently it is normal in the first trimester for there to be delayed stomach empyting so that the body has more time to absorb nutrients for the baby. I'm thinking I may be having trouble with this because I constantly feel full and in the evenings my stomach is twice as big as in the mornings. Unfortunately I have to take the med 30 minutes before each meal and at bedtime. FOUR times a day...yeah right!! I can hardly remember my vitamins!! I'm hoping for the best, but I'm worried I won't be compliant. Not good for a pharmacist, huh? I took one at lunch and have felt ok since, but I slept for like 3 hours this afternoon. About an hour of that was while Rylee played on the floor next to me...that isn't good! I'm hoping I was just needing a nap vs. the medicine knocking me out. We'll see when I take my next dose at dinner.

I also found out that my B12 dropped liked 300 points since March. I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency about a year and a half ago. Nothing major, but EXTREME fatigue and other potential problems if not corrected. I took shots for 6 months and then have just been taking a daily vitamin for the last 6 months and everything has remained normal. My GP said that the problem probably developed when I was pregnant with Rylee and I should keep an eye on it if/when I get pregnant again. Interestingly enough, my blood levels have remained unchanged until getting pregnant... So, I guess I'm in for more blood work along the way. A shot a month is absolutely worth not having to feel that exhausted ever again!!

On a very happy note...I got to hear the baby's heartbeat today. It was about 170 bpm...according to the old wives tale...we are having another girl, we'll see... It will be a long 10 weeks before we know for sure! It is definitely an amazing thing to hear!!

Nothing new happened with the house today...the workers were a no show... We don't have permits yet, so everything is just prep work. I hope they are more diligent when we officially start! It rained several times today, though, so they probably wouldn't have gotten much done anyway.

I was going to take a 'skinny' picture tonight while I still have the chance, but Damon is off for a 'Boys Night Out'! Maybe tomorrow.

A new look for my blog

Nothing much to report on the baby front today. I have felt pretty good for the most part. I've been able to control my nausea. Thank you LORD!!

My biggest accomplishment today was fancying up my blog!! Who knew this could be so much fun!?! LOL! It is like a mini decorating project! Since I don't know what we are having yet, I figured I would decorate to my tastes! What do you think?

Constuction-wise...well lets see... Today was the first day that I was off that there were workers here. That was weird!! I woke up at about 8:15 to men talking outside. Rylee woke up within minutes. I'm not sure if she woke up because of them or because it was time. At any rate, I'm thinking that waking up to men wandering around my yard may get old quickly. At least for the time being they aren't in the house. By 9:30am, the next adventure struck. They cut the water main!! Can you believe it...only day 2!! Luckily, I'm sooooo thrilled we are getting started that I didn't even blink. No big deal! We luckily have my in-laws next door so all potty breaks could be a mini visit to Nanny and Papa's! They got it repaired within a few hours and were back to work on the back porch. Apparently it is a major problem. They worked on it for 8 hours and only about 1/4 of it is removed. I think I will enjoy days I work better, because it may seem like work is progressing more quickly.

Totally rethinking the miracle of B-6!

Ok...so I must recant, I guess. B-6 has not been so magical for me the last 3 days! I have been sick, sick, sick!! This is getting sooooo old and I'm only 9 weeks. I've got at least 3 more weeks ahead of me. To top it off I had to work a 14 hour shift today! Let me just say that it was a challenge...to say the least. How can I eat to keep the nausea at bay when the thought of food is nauseating?!? I know babies are worth it but geez!! I am anxiously awaiting my doctor's appointment on Thursday. I think I'm going to give in and ask for some help in the form of medication. I really try not to take anything when pregnant, but my willpower is fading. This too shall pass, I know....

On the house front, the contractor showed up this morning to get started! Yipee!! I was so excited when I drove home (at 10:30pm) tonight to see what had been accomplished. Surely I wasn't expecting a lot, but there wasn't even a stake in the ground... Damon just laughed...I'm oh so impatient! Damon has convinced the contractor to leave his backhoe (sp?), so that Damon can do some work on his time off... That should be interesting! They are supposed to be back in the morning to do some 'actual' work...hopefully not too early. I need some rest after a 14 hour shift!

Feeling so, so

Feeling much better today. I did have to fight the nausea more today than I have over the past week and a half or so. I hope this B6 effect doesn't wear off with time. I'm about 9 weeks preggo, so at least I'm getting closer to the light at the end of the tunnel!! (Please Lord, don't let me be a 9 monther!)

I was at the Post Office today and watched a man struggling with 2 little ones to get them both inside without them letting go of his hands and carrying a package. Hmmmm... Defintely something to think about! I may have to keep up this blogging thing after the pregnancy, because my dear friends may never see the whites of my eyes again when I have 2!! I've heard it said that going from 1 kid to 2 is easier than adjusting to having the first...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I have of course heard the reverse as well, but I'm forcing those thoughts out of my mind for now. Thankfully I have 9 months to truely prepare myself for this transition. If I follow in the steps as last time, though, I will be pushing and saying, "I'm not ready!!"

The contractor was supposed to be out today to start on some preliminary stuff with the addition/remodel. He either came while I was out, or didn't come. Nothing appears to have changed. Damon removed all the plants on one side of the house and replanted them this weekend. He also removed the front porch and is half way through removing the back porch. Strange to see the changes, but exciting imagining what we'll have when we're done!!

I'll try to post pix soon...of the belly and the house! Gotta take some first. That is always my biggest problem.

B6 is a magic pill!!

Well I followed my doctor's advice and started on B6 (25 mg, three times a day) and I started feeling better within 24 hours. I've had 2 bad days out of about 10!! That is GREAT! Unfortunately today has been a bad day... I started running a fever midday, so I'm not convinced that it is all morning sickness that is making me feel so cruddy. Rylee has been sickly the last few days, so I'm sure I've got what she had. Gotta love germs. With another little one there will be even more...GREAT!

I've got my first official appointment with my doctor on Thursday. I don't think I got to hear the heartbeat at this point in the pregnancy with Rylee, but I'm hoping!

We finally told everyone the good news! I had been so sick that it was getting very hard to continue to hide it. Rylee told me that she had asked Papa to pray for me because my 'tummy had been sick'. Too cute, I must say! We figured that probably gave us away anyway, so we decided to go ahead and tell. It has been nice not trying to hide it! Go figure, though, I haven't been nearly as sick!

Other than the nausea, I don't really feel pregnant yet. I am starting to get a baby bump which is surprising since it took so long for me to show last time. I hope I'm not going to get as big as a house!! We'll see!

Morning sickness...Yeah right!! All day sickness!

Well, well, well....we are gonna have another baby. How exciting!! Our bundle of joy is due February 15, 2010. Wow, that is a long way away, but I know it will pass quickly. We are super excited, but wondering what in the world we have gotten ourselves into! Rylee will be 3 in November and she is a HANDFUL! We love her more each day, though, and know that the same fun is ahead of us with another baby!
I have been so sick I can't even begin to explain. I was barely nauseated with Rylee so I was totally expecting a easy ride this time. WRONG! I am eating every 2 hours and still feel sick. I can't tolerate liquids of any kind. It is bad! I am waking up at 3am having to eat Cheerios because I'm feeling nauseated. What is that all about?!? The worst part is that we are trying not to tell anyone yet. Damon's brother and wife are expecting their 1st baby in October and we wanted them to enjoy their moment in the sun as long as possible! I'm afraid that won't last much longer. Sorry guys...this little one is already running the show! My doctor told me to try B6 and so far I've felt a hundred times better!! Keep your fingers crossed that I'm over the worst of it!
We haven't let the news out to many people yet. My family pretty much knows, but none of them live near by. I had to let the people I work with know because I can no longer work standing up since I've been so sick...kind of difficult for a pharmacist! So be patient folks when you go into a pharmacy and have to wait...there may be a preggo pharmacist trying not to lose her lunch behind the counter!!
A lot is going on in our lives right now. We are starting a home addition in the next few weeks. We will be adding a master bedroom suite, family room, dining room, bathroom, garage and remodeling our kitchen! Did I mention we will be busy? We tried to have this remodel done before the baby, but God had other plans and the remodel took 4 months to get up and running. Oh well...He has a plan!
I had my 1st appointment last week and they did an ultrasound. Only one baby and a strong heartbeat!! I was starting to worry about twins since I am feeling so sick and my tummy is already pouching. Thankfully...only one...but then what is up with the pouch!! I barely showed until like 6 months with Rylee. I know all pregnancies are different, but why couldn't I be a cute pregnant woman this time?!? LOL!! Oh well...let the fun begin!