All Worth It...

Coop's a Big Boy...

2011-02-17T13:41:00.008-07:00

even though he's still our baby boy! Cooper stared pre-school this week. He is officially a "Busy Bee" at Cozy Pine Montessori school where my mom works. I LOVE it! I am sure Cooper will grow to LOVE it! He attends three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday and my mom is at the school those days at well - gotta love that!

His first day was a little sketchy. Jason and I took him to school Tuesday morning and he immediately started playing with the toys in his room and sitting at the table that was just his height. He could have cared less about us. We gave him a kiss goodbye and he continued to investigate his surroundings. It felt great - like we had successfully parented him to a well adjusted 18 month old who would have fun at school. Fast forward to me walking through the door to pick him up only to find him sobbing in the teachers arms.

He had a rough day. He would play a little and then start crying. I am sure he was wondering what in the hell his mommy and daddy did to him...Why did they leave me here? Are they ever coming back? Oh the guilt!

His second day was better...and today he had a fun day once I exited the building (to the sound of his screaming cries). When I arrived to pick him up he did not see me and I was able to watch him for about 10 minutes. Banging musical sticks together while singing If You're Happy and You Know It and then waving a ribbon ring all around. How fun it was to peek at him interacting and having a good time with Miss Shelly and all of his friends.

We will see how next week goes. Tuesday should be interesting after being home for four days!

Arriving at School!

Dad says we have to get rid of the Clifford backpack!

Always Behind the Lens...

2010-11-13T07:52:00.002-07:00

I love to take photos. I have thousands of photos organized on my computer. I want to learn how to take better photos. I would love to take a photography class. I consider this one of my hobbies. The problem (if it really is one) of loving to take photos is that I am always behind the lens. Now don't get me wrong - I am not looking to have photos of my self however I want Cooper to have photos of him and his momma. Memories of us for him...I digress. The reason for this post is to introduce Lindsey at L. Ann Photography. She just moved to the Denver area and is giving away a free FAMILY photo session. That's right - family! I'd be tucked in there right along with Coop and the hubs! How exciting. So keep your fingers crossed for me and I will let you know if I win.

Another fun event Lindsey is hosting is a photo shoot with Santa. For 35 bucks your little one gets their one photo shoot with the big man and mommas get 5 edited proofs delivered to you on a CD. WOW! Call Lindsey to reserve your spot on December 4th - I already did! Her number is 208-569-8740.

Halloween...

2010-11-05T07:04:00.007-06:00

We were lucky this year. We got to dress up for Halloween three times! Because Cooper started roaring like a lion we thought that would be the appropriate costume for him and I have to say...he made one stinkin' cute lion!

We headed own to Phoenix to surprise Jason's brother for his 40th. SO MUCH FUN! It was a costume party and it seemed as if everyone dressed up for the occasion - there we some great costumes!

My mom had a delicious Chili dinner the night before Halloween and we all dressed up for that. It turned out to be a really fun night complete with pumpkin carving!

And of course Halloween. What a great evening we had. Complete with friends and candy!

Is It Really November???

2010-11-05T06:44:00.005-06:00

Unbelievable! We all hear it and we all say it...time goes by SO fast. November 5th already. Wow! Our summer is over, however, you wouldn't know it here in Colorado - the weather has been AMAZING! Halloween is past and now we getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The leaves have fallen from the trees and Starbucks has now added Gingerbread Lattes to their menu (along with Pumpkin Spice - yum!). The sounds of football games on Sunday fill the house while a crock of Chili cooks throughout the day. Candles flicker and we cuddle up under warm blankets on the couch once we settle in for the evening to watch TV. Oh how I love this time of the year!

It's a little breezy in here...

2010-06-25T08:11:00.003-06:00

This is what happens when mommy's not quick enough during a diaper change!

Notice the freckle on his bum? I love it!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-24T21:52:00.008-06:00

Father's Day has a new meaning this year. Instead of it being a day I get through with a heavy heart I was able to look at it in a new light. How fun is it that Cooper and I get to celebrate Jason on this day! Super cool! We started out the day at the Chop House downtown for brunch.

Then we made our way over to Coors Field to enjoy a game.

It was so much fun and a great day spent together!

I love you babe!

The Two Teeth...

2010-06-24T08:30:00.005-06:00

Can you see them? Two pearly whites peeking through on the bottom!

He's a Morning Boy...

2010-06-11T15:43:00.005-06:00

I love walking into Cooper's room in the morning to get him. He is always SO happy!

and as you can see in this next photo, he LOVES his binks and wubanubs! I try to only give them to him when it is nap time or bed time. I have a feeling that I am setting myself up for a hard habit to break!

I hate this day...

2010-06-09T15:01:00.003-06:00

I dread this day every single year. This is the day that my dad died. This day is the first of 3 dreaded days that come right after another. His birthday is June 11th and then I am hit with Father's Day. Ugh. I can't believe that it has been 14 years since I lost him. Time does make the hurt better but life's milestones always sting. This year hurts a little more because of our beautiful Cooper. My dad would have loved him!

I love you Dad...and I miss you.

We have TEETH!!!

2010-06-08T08:31:00.003-06:00

That's right...teeth - plural. Saturday night when Coop was getting ready to take his bath he had major drool from his mouth to the floor. I thought to myself that I should feel his gums and there was a tooth. One beautiful pearly white sliver on his bottom front gum.

When my mom stopped by yesterday she was looking in his mouth (which is a terribly difficult task!) and said there were two.

Sure enough. Right next to the first there was a second.

Our little man is getting teeth! Who ever thought that a teeth would be so exciting!?!

Playing in the Court

2010-06-07T07:19:00.002-06:00

Here is a short video from last night. Cooper was cracking up. It is hard to hear him but towards the end you can hear him a little better.

Summertime...

2010-06-07T07:08:00.005-06:00

It finally feels as if summer is here. Our weather has been beautiful and on occasion...HOT! We made it to the pool on Sunday and had a great time. Cooper loves the water.

Once we got home Coop took a nap, a bath and then we headed outside to play. We live on the GREATEST cul-de-sac. 6 out of the 9 houses have kids and they range in ages from Cooper up to 11 and they all play together. Yesterday Bradley and Grace came to the door to ask if Cooper could come out for movie night and watch a movie in the yard with them. How cute!

The 3 Food Groups...

2010-06-05T07:41:00.003-06:00

Orange Creamsicles...

Toes...

and Fingers

Who needs fruits and veggies!?!?

How can 10 years go so fast?

2010-06-05T07:11:00.005-06:00

10 years ago we welcomed the first baby our family had seen in quite awhile. My nephew Shane came into this world and we all fell head over heels for him. Shane is so special to me because of who he is but also because he made me an aunt - and oh how I LOVE being as Aunt!

I usually make a cake, cupcakes or a cookie cake for my niece and nephew to take to school on their birthdays. I got no request this year. Hmmmm? I talked to my sister and she told me that she talked to Shane about it but he didn't want one. Could it be that he is getting to the "That's not Cool" stage of his life? Say it's not so!?!?!

So my mom and I made him cupcakes to surprise him with after his baseball game. My mom also made the boys homemade carmel corn and packaged it up in cute popcorn boxes. So fun!

If these first 10 years flew by...before I know it the next 10 will fly by and he will be 20 - OYE!

Happy Birthday Shane! I Love you! and thank you for being a wonderful cousin to Cooper!

Our Memorial Day Weekend...

2010-06-03T16:19:00.003-06:00

Was nothing too fancy. We enjoyed spending time with our friends and family. But mostly spending time as a family - just the three of us! Jason and I were able to make it up to the PGA at the Colorado Golf Club on Sunday. Cooper stayed with my mom and after 4 hours I was feeling guilty and left to get little man. Jason stayed behind and got to watch the shootout that took place. I would have loved to snap some photos but no cameras were allowed.

On Sunday we made it down to the Springs to see a Sky Sox game. I love that stadium as it is so intimate and reminds me of spring training. It is a great place to autographs and Jason was able to get Dexter Fowler's autograph on a foul ball that he caught for Cooper! Cooper also got to run the bases after the game with a little help from dad.
All in all a great weekend...just not long enough!

Meet Sam...

2010-05-29T14:29:00.007-06:00

I was introduced to Sam from Ariana (aka becoming-mom) and as soon as I saw him I was drawn in. I am not sure why...maybe because his infectious smile reminds me so much of Cooper or it could be his little bit of hair styled up into a little faux hawk like I do to Coopers. Whatever it is - I can't stop thinking about him and his family. You see...Sam was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. The cure rate for Sam's cancer 30%. Sam is in for 6 rounds of Chemo, surgeries, possible radiation and two stem cell transplants. He has had a central line placed which has been giving him nothing but trouble. Talk aout Just.Not.Fair.

Even though Sam and his family live 100's of miles away near Louisville, Ky and Even Though I have never met them my heart aches.

I have decided there is in fact a club we join once we become Mom's. No matter who, what or where we have a bond with other Mom's. We cry, cheer, laugh and celebrate with other Mom's. And thanks to the wonders of the Internet and social media we have never even met these Mom's.

So if you get a chance check out Sam's moms blog: The Sartins. It is in my blog list. You can also click on the button on the right side of my blog to donate to Sam. And please, please, please PRAY for Sam.

Single Mom...

2010-02-24T15:30:00.003-07:00

Jason is gone. Again. Blah! He left Sunday night and will come home on Monday - 8 nights with out him.
So far so good as far as my mental stability. The last time he left I sobbed every.single.night. I am sure that had a lot to do with my hormones leveling back out from delivery. But holy cow is this single mom gig HARD. And I have SO much help from my family. And it is still HARD! So God bless all you single moms and dads out there. Hats off to you.
On top of Jason being gone poor Coop-a-loop is sick. He has had a fever, cough, stuffy/runny nose. He has been on amoxicillin since Friday and seems to be getting better. Poor little dude - every time he sees me coming at him with a tissue he starts thrashing his head back and forth. I think I have scarred him for life in the nose wiping department.
I have misplaced my battery charger to my Nikon so I have not been taking many photos. I need to just order a new one as it has not showed itself like I had hoped. I NEED to get some new photos of Coop up - he is just the cutest!

We made it 6 months!

2010-02-19T13:39:00.004-07:00

Dear Cooper,

Today you are six months old and unfortunately we spent the morning at the Dr.'s office. You can't seems to get over this cold which has gotten worse and calls for a round of antibiotics. So far in your short life you have had the pleasure of Tamiflu, Tylenol and Amoxicillin...I am so sorry little man. You continue to amaze me everyday and your non-stop smile melts my heart. You are now rolling over from your back to your tummy. You LOVE to eat your toes. Bath time is so much fun and you can't help yourself from splashing as much as possible. You love your kitty - you smile and giggle at him, however, he doesn't really love you! You are starting to be more aware of other people and you make a heartbreaking frown which turns into tears when you are not sure of someone. This causes heartache to the "someones" as you have done this to you aunt, cousins, Grandma Cindy & Pop Pop! You took your first shower with Daddy and you loved the feel of the water spraying on your little arms and legs. You sit up all by yourself and love your new view of the world. I can't get enough of our mornings together. When you wake up at 7:00am after sleeping ALL NIGHT(!) I walk in to your room to get you and you always have a big smile for me. Once you have a clean diaper we head into my room and we cuddled back up into my bed and you eat your breakfast bottle. After eating we just play and chat for a little while. It is our special time together. You love , love, love your Daddy and during your day when you stop what you are doing and stare at him and a big smile makes its way across your face. You are just so incredibly delightful! I can't wait to see what the next six months has in store for us. You mean the world to me my baby boy!

Love-

Mommy

Wow - six months! I have to admit that there was a time that I wasn't sure if we would make it to six month. I never posted about our birth story or some of the events once we got home. It wasn't a walk in the park, however, I am sure it wasn't as bad as some. Here is a recap:

Contractions started at 5:00pm Tuesday August 18th. Of course I didn't know they were contractions so once I left work I enjoyed a manicure, a bowl of Mexican Gumbo from Qdoba and a quick stop by Office Depot before heading to the park to watch Jason play softball. After the softball game I was sitting in the parking lot with the team and decided I should go home. Contractions were continuing but still I was not convinced they were contractions because they didn't hurt. Once I got home I started timing these "feelings" and noticed a pattern. Que the phone call to Jason to come home. Once he was home he was timing the now said contractions on his i touch. We made the phone call to the Dr. around 10:00pm and we left for the hospital at 12:20am. During 10:00pm and 12:20am I was terrified and crying - to me this was a pretty scary thing that was about to take place! Once we arrived at the hospital they checked me out and confirmed that I was 4 cen dilated. We got settled into our room and if I heard that I had to relax once I heard it 5,000 times. I waited as long as I could before getting an epidural (wasn't that long!) however right before the epidural Dr. was ready to stick me in my spine she got paged away on an emergency. This left me sitting upright on the side of the bed, breathing through contractions until she got back 30 minuted later. Ugh! Epidural was fabulous (once I got it) and of course slowed down labor. Dr. ordered me Pitocin and broke my water. I started pushing around 9:30am or 10:00am. Pushed and Pushed and Pushed. Pushed for THREE hours. The nurse had me on my side pushing. Then my other side pushing. Then she decided I should get on my hands and knees and push. SERIOUSLY!?! My legs were completely numb. But I did as I was told and had to ask my sister to keep putting my leg back on the bed under me because it kept slipping off and I could not move it. While this was going on I was blessed with an upset tummy and began vomiting. Oh joy. Finally the Dr. came in and I continued to push for him. Then came the news I did not want to hear. We needed to use the vacuum. I remember looking at Jason and he just looked at me. Crap! So the Dr. tried the vacuum - not to pull Cooper out but to rotate him. Apparently he was facing my side and he needed to be facing my back. Vacuum didn't work. So then came more news we did not want to hear. C-Section. Once again I looked at Jason and he looked at me. Crap! However, I was so tired that I really didn't care what they did to me at that point. So I was wheeled away, shaking uncontrollably to the OR. Surgery went off without a hitch (except for my body shaking and me trying to vomit into a dish the size of a small sub sandwich). I remember Jason asking me if I heard him (Cooper crying) and I had to force myself to listen. I was so exhausted I could barely comprehend what was going on around me. But then I heard him and I looked at Jason and all was right with the world. Poor Cooper had a black eye because he had been stuck up against my pelvic bone. But he entered the world at 1:27pm and he was healthy. Thank GOD!

The next 12 hours were tough. I could not move without vomiting and I was scared to move due to my incision (the worst thing that has EVER happened to me was when I slammed my own finger in the car door and needed two stitches) - this was pretty new territory for me. Things started to get better until day two when I hit a wall and realized I had not been given my pain medicine (Motrin and a vicoden). I ended up in a pile of tears thanks to the nurse who did not tell me that I had to request my medicine. SERIOUSLY!?!

We left the hospital on Saturday and had a great week. Spent the first part of it with neighbors and family and then Jason's dad and step mom flew in from Phoenix on Thursday. We had a lactation consultant come to the house to help us and breastfeeding was going okay. I seemed to be healing good but was just taking my time and trying not to do too much. Then on Sunday I was hit with the stomach flu. Fever, chills, aches...ugh! I was out for a couple days with that and Jason was feeling like a single dad I am sure.

Fast forward a week and Jason had to leave for work for TWO WEEKS. He got to come home on the weekend but that was the worst two weeks for me and for Jason. Here I was by myself with this tiny baby, not too sure what to do but thinking I had it down. Jason was hundreds of miles away and felt awful for having to go. My mom came over and helped me everyday but I wanted Jason. I sobbed every night for those two weeks. It was the worst feeling.

Then poor Coop got sick with the H1N1 flu. We managed to make it through that, the first day at daycare and a couple colds.

So, as you can see we kinda had a rocky start. Obviously I have no room to complain as at the end of the day Cooper is healthy and I healed up and am just fine. It was just a challenge for me. And like I said - there were times that I thought "I'll never make it six months". But here we are! We have been able to celebrate Cooper's first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day and Olympics. With everyday that passes I think I could not possibly love him any more and I do. My heart just melts for him. His smiles, his giggles, his coos and even his cries. He is the most amazing little boy I have ever met and I am so honored to be his mommy!

Can't Wait...

2010-02-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

Our fear was NOT having a baby...

2010-02-11T14:12:00.003-07:00

On Superbowl Sunday we packed Cooper up and headed to our friends house for food, beer and football. There were a lot of gals there that I had meet some time back at a stamping party but had not seen since and it was good to catch up with them. I have more in common with one in particular, Jill, because she is married, thirty something, works at a title company and I am in real estate and we know some of the same people. So Jill and I were talking about work, the market, - yadda-yadda. Then the subject turned to Cooper.

Jill- "How did you know you were ready to have a baby?" she asked. I must have had a perplexed look on my face because she continued. "I only ask because some of my friends just KNEW that they HAD to start trying and some are scared to death with the thought. Were you scared about it? It is such a life changing event."

Me - perplexed look... mind racing. Were we scared? How did we decide that we wanted to try for a baby? How did we know we were ready? It seemed SO long ago that I couldn't remember.

Me (finally an answer) - "You know, we tried for quite awhile for Cooper," I began, "2 1/2 years. He is such a blessing to us. I am sure we were nervous when we first started trying...he is the best thing that has happened to us." I made NO sense whatsoever.

And I couldn't stop thinking about her question.

The more I thought the more the same answer came into my head. We were scared to death that we could not have a baby. We were scared that our life changing event would be going through life without a baby. We were so scared about this that we forgot to be scared about having a baby.

It's funny how different situations effect your outlook. All that I know now is that we are SO over the moon with Cooper. Any sort of scared goes right out the window.

All Things Loved In January...

2010-02-04T13:49:00.006-07:00

I have seen on a few blogs where people post there favorite things from the past month and I really like that idea. So I am going to give it a shot. We will see if by April I am still keeping up with it! Hey...I am just creating realistic expectations! So here goes...

1. The book "If you don't have big breasts, put ribbons on your pigtails" by Barbara Corcoran. Love, love, love this easy read. If you are a business gal it is a must get. Besides the great info in the book I LOVE the title!

2. My sister's neighbors homemade ice skating rink (complete with an "Ice Bar"). This is what living in suburbia is ALL about. We rang in the new year at the rink and had a lot of fun. So Norman Rockwellish...How cool!

3. Sophie! Aunt RK & Uncle TRex got Cooper the infamous Sophie for Christmas. The gals on the boards can't stop talking about her and now I know why. Cooper can't get enough of this vintage looking Giraffe. He LOVES to gnaw on her and does so so much that his gums start to squeak against the rubber she is made out of!

4. Mocha Frappuccinos. Caffeine, Sugar, Whipped Cream - enough said!

A couple more "firsts"...

2010-02-04T11:55:00.006-07:00

We had a couple of firsts over the past week. On Saturday Cooper had his first trip to the Blue Bonnet. I love Mexican food which of course means I love the Blue Bonnet (one of the BEST Mexican restaurants in Denver)! Jason's office moved recently and he now works only minutes from the "Bonnet". Lucky us - we had to go with him on Saturday to drop off a truck at his office. He gave Cooper and I a tour of his new digs and then gave us a driving tour on the way home. And the last sight to see was how close he was to the Bonnet which, of course, turned into a late lunch/early dinner there.

On Sunday Cooper had his first trip to a bowling alley. We had SO much fun. It was a fund raiser for Shane's baseball team so we had pizza and beer along with friends, family and bowling. I love bowling because it is the only "sport" that I am better than Jason at. We are just slightly competitive! The evening ended up in in a tie - no bragging rights for either one of us. Before we left Abbey and I took some photos in a photo booth with Cooper! It was a great day.

Eating with Aunt RK

Hangin' with Abbey

Hangin' with Shane

First Bowling Trip

Eye Candy...

2010-02-02T16:49:00.002-07:00

Quote of the Day...

2010-02-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

"Nobody said life would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it".

It's the little things...

2010-01-28T16:46:00.003-07:00

This made my day...

Do you know what it is?

When I turned the shower on this morning and the steam made its way around the shower there was all of this "art" work on the glass doors. Abbey and Shane were at our house last night and Jason was keeping an eye on them. They showered at our house to get ready for bed. One of them "drew" all over the shower! I love it! I laughed out loud when I saw this.

And one more thing. This was left on my counter... It is a "pony" (as I call them). Abbey had given me a pink "pony" when I was in the hospital right after I had delivered Cooper. I have told her more than once that that pink "pony" is my favorite. Sitting on my counter, waiting just for me (thats what I like to think!) was a green "pony". I love that little girl!

To Gym or not to Gym...

2010-01-28T16:31:00.003-07:00

Ever heard of My Gym? It is a cute lil' gym for cute lil' ones with a big price tag! I thought Cooper would enjoy going to a class and doing activities with other kids. And I was right - he did! The problem is that 1 session = 4 weeks at $63.00. They make you sign up for at least 2 session which = $126.00. On top of that there is a one time enrollment fee of $25.00. Total =$151.00. Maybe if I was a SAH mom and could commit to one day during the week but the class we could make it to is on Saturdays at 9:15am in Castle Pines which = a 20 minute drive. I just don't want to commit to 8 weeks, however, if I pay $151.00 I WILL be committed! Hummm - what to do.

Yummm....

2010-01-21T15:36:00.006-07:00

We have been trying a variety of food lately. So far Cooper has had both rice cereal and oatmeal cereal. We had to stir applesauce in with the rice cereal as he was gagging from the pasty glue that it is! He has had applesauce, peaches, pears and bananas (in that order) and more recently we have tried a couple veggies - green beans and sweet potatoes. It is so much fun to watch his face each time we try something new.

Bananas!

Green Beans!

Peaches!

Rice Cereal!

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-08T11:41:00.007-07:00

The holidays this year were wonderful! What a different perpective you have of them once you have a little one. We had so much fun and Santa brought Cooper wonderful presents as did Grandmas and Grandpa and Aunts and Uncles. How lucky we are! I will leave this post with a few photos from Christmas...

Finding the perfect tree.

Making Gingerbread Houses with Shane & Abbey.

With Santa.

Walking Cooper

2009-10-29T17:28:00.002-06:00

What to do...

2009-10-29T17:16:00.004-06:00

When the weather looks like this...

and Cooper is doing this...

You make these...

and play Rock Band with yor friends!

Since I am Bragging on Jason...

2009-10-28T17:14:00.003-06:00

Check out these videos. These were taken right after Cooper was born. I am so thankful that my brother-in-law (aka TRex) picked up the camera and began video taping as I was not around for these first moments. He got some great clips.

Guess Who's Home...

2009-10-28T17:07:00.003-06:00

Yay! Cooper & I are SO happy to have Jason home. He's our favorite!!!

Saying Hi to Bear!

A Little Cooper Time

I Am So Ready to Have my Husband back...

2009-10-26T21:44:00.002-06:00

I can not wait until tomorrow night at 8:30 pm. That is when Jason will be home from Houston. He has been gone for 11 days and I am tired of being a single mom! I miss him SO much and so does Cooper. I know Jason misses being home as well.

I realize that we are lucky he has a job and without his paycheck we would be living in a cardboard box BUT a cardboard box is sounding pretty good if it means we could be together!!!

BC (Before Cooper!) I never felt as is I "needed" Jason. I have always been pretty independent and I always "wanted" him but didn't feel as if I "needed" him. Does that make any sense?!? But now, not only do I want him but I/we need him. He is an amazing man who offers so much support and love. I am SO proud of him as a husband and now as a Dad. Oh..and he is pretty cute too! I love you Jason!

The BEST diaper cream EVER...Magic Cream!

2009-10-23T20:47:00.006-06:00

Our neighbors - who are also terrific friends- whipped up a batch of their homemade diaper cream for Cooper. This stuff is AMAZING! Cooper has only had a diaper rash a couple of times - if you can even call it a rash, more just red. The first time I used Triple Paste and had to use it for a couple days to see results. The next time I used Donna's super, magic diaper cream and it was gone in one use. WOW! and the other day Cooper had what looked like a little red pimple on his bum and after one rub of the magic cream it was gone. I keep telling her she should market this stuff. It rocks. Check out the personalized packaging just for Cooper:

2 Month Check Up

2009-10-22T19:39:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Cooper is 2 months old - it is so crazy how fast time has gone. We had his 2 month check up today with Dr. Levine (who I really like) and everything went great. Cooper weighs 11.8 pounds and is 22 1/4 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for his weight and he is in the 35th percentile for his height. His head measures 39 1/2 cm which is also in the 35th percentile. He is doing all of the things he is supposed to be doing - smiling, cooing, watching objects, holding his head up for a little bit before it gets too wobbly and lifting up his head when he is on his tummy. He did not get his vaccinations since he has been sick. We will go back next Thursday for those. Which is a good thing since Jason will be home and can go with me!

Stuck at Home With The Flu

2009-10-20T10:54:00.005-06:00

Yep....H1N1. Ugh! My Mom, Cooper and I had planned on flying back to Ohio last Friday to visit family so they could meet Cooper. Jason had to go out of town for work for a week and a half and I did not want to stay at home again by myself and my mom's school was on fall break. So it seemed to be working out perfect! We bought our tickets, packed our bags and the day before we were supposed to leave Cooper came down with a fever. I had been taking his temperature all week since the flu has been so bad here in Colorado and since I am a neurotic mom! Sure enough he was fine at 10:00 in the morning and then at 1:00 in the afternoon he was 100.5 degrees. I called the Dr's right away and was able to get an appointment at 2:15. The next call was to my sister and I was in tears. I wanted to call Jason but didn't as he was driving to Houston (yuck!) and I didn't know yet what was wrong - I didn't want to worry him when he could do nothing to help. I thought about calling my mom but I didn't want to worry her either. So I called RK and worried her! She talked to me till it was time for me to leave and I promised her I would call her back as soon as I got out of the Dr's.

Cooper was still 100.5 at the Dr's office and was braking out in a rash literally in front of my eyes. He was so sleepy and I felt so bad for him. They did a rapid flu test and he tested positive for the type A which included H1n1.

When Dr. Kramer walked trough the door and told me it was positive I couldn't help myself, "Shit" was my reaction. Nice. "Yes, I was really hoping I wouldn't see a positive" She said. I am sure I am not the only new mom that has had a (few) choice word(s) with such news. She went on to explain to me that 90% of type A positives are H1N1 so that is what they diagnosed him with.

She sent me home with a prescription for Tamiflu and told me he could have Tylenol if needed for his fever.

Cooper got up to 101.4 and we had a rough first night as I had to learn how to give a two month old medicine, he had to learn how to take it, he obviously did not feel good, I didn't have Jason to lean on and we ended the evening with Cooper throwing up all over his glider and the floor in is bedroom. Thank God for my mom and thank God she was on fall break. She showed up everyday - with mask in hand - and helped Cooper and I SO much.

By Sunday I was sick and taking Tamiflu and we have just tried to get through each day waiting for Jason to get home (he comes home Tuesday) and thinking about what we would be doing if we were back in Ohio.

Not too sure about the Tamiflu!

Bath Time!

2009-10-20T03:37:00.003-06:00

I finally figured out how to get videos on here. Here is a little clip of Coopers bath time. Please excuse the annoying baby voice...it's just one of those uncontrollable things when you're talking to a baby (at least for me!)!

Introducing Cooper Easton!

2009-10-12T12:07:00.005-06:00

Once again...long time no blog! We have a beautiful new addition to our family to introduce. Cooper Easton arrived on August 19th at 1:27 pm. He weighed 7.2 oz and was 19 inches long. He is SO amazing and we are loving our family of three! I have been keeping a journal so I will share some entries on the blog with the dates they were entered.

I LOVE Starbucks!

2009-07-23T12:08:00.001-06:00

I really do...and not just for the decaf, no fat, iced mocha's with whip! This morning while ordering the nicest lady came up to me to tell me she thought I was the cutest pregnant lady she had ever seen. What a great way to start the day! Bless her!!!!

35 weeks and 3 days...

2009-07-21T12:15:00.005-06:00

and I am just now starting to feel like an awkward pregnant lady! It literally hit me a couple days ago and it is suddenly a challenge to get out of chairs, out of bed, etc. However, I still feel good! Jason & I started out childbirth classes last week. We have our next one on Thursday. The crib is painted (thanks to some great friends who gave us their beautiful crib and painted is black for us!) and we had our maternity photos on Saturday - I can't wait to see how they turned out! Things are coming together! Things are coming together thanks to out fantastic family (my mom, my sister and my sister's father-in-law) who keep helping us with EVERYTHING! So here is the 35 week update:

How far along? 35.3 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 15.5 pounds as of our last Dr.'s appt on the 14th

Stretch marks? Still one - although I think I might have one right under my bulging belly button!

Sleep: Up at least once every night. Last night was not a good night - I was up about 4 times. Still love my Boppy Pregnancy pillow!

Best moment this week: Maternity Photos - Jason & I had a lot of fun. We weren't sure what to expect but Mandie with Been Blessed Studios put us right at ease!

Movement: Still a lot. The books read that I will notice less movement as Baby K gets bigger but he is still jammin'

Food cravings: None - well I guess milk which is odd for me. Never drank the stuff before!

Labor signs: I don't think so. Contractions - but not the real kind. At our last Dr's appt everything was still sealed shut (ha,ha) so we should be okay!

Belly button in or out? Out! See above "Stretch Marks"!

What I miss: Still a cold beer or margarita! **Sigh**

What I am looking forward to: Still Our ultra sound at 36 weeks on July 31st. I am also looking forward to seeing our maternity photos and our class on Thursday.

No Name

2009-07-20T13:59:00.002-06:00

We still do not have a name for Baby K. I think people are beginning to think that we have one picked out and just aren't telling...I wish! I really like monograms and can do nothing because we don't have name. We do have a list. It just seems so hard to give a name to a little person you have never met.

So we are still working on it and don't worry...we are not keeping it from anyone!

Hello again!

2009-07-08T17:16:00.005-06:00

WOW! I can't even begin to tell you how busy June was for me. However, my lack of blog posts should give you a hint. Work was the craziest part of it all. We wrote 7 contracts and we had 10 closings. INSANITY! I had many nights where I was at the office until 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm. However - I don't want to complain too much - the extra money is REALLY nice to have right now!

We also had our shower on June 20th. It was AMAZING! Family flew in from out of town and Mandie from Been Blessed Photography took photos for us. Here is a sneak peek! We went with a Baseball theme and my mom, sister and aunt went ALL out. How lucky are we?

So where are we at with Baby K? Here's the scoop:

How far along? 33.5 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't weigh myself!

Maternity clothes? Yes - Love them! They are SO comfy. However - I am still fitting into my Juicy velour pants which have become my weekend uniform!

Stretch marks? Nope **crosses fingers**

Sleep: Some nights really good and some nights not so good. I bought a Boppy Pregnancy pillow and I love it. Even if you are not pregnant, I would highly recommend it!

Best moment this week: Ed, my mom and my sister agreeing to help us with the nursery. It is turning out BEAUTIFUL. I will post pics soon!

Movement: A lot! My stomach moves all over the place. It is fun trying to figure out if it is a foot, elbow or what!?!

Food cravings: None

Labor signs: Nope **crosses fingers once again**

Belly button in or out? Out - I hope it goes back in!

What I miss: A cold beer or margarita! **Sigh**

What I am looking forward to: Our ultra sound at 36 weeks - can't wait to see Baby K again! And spending Saturday at the pool with Abbey!

So there is a quick update..

Nursery

2009-05-05T12:28:00.004-06:00

SO the nursery still sits like this:

Seriously!?!

Jason & I can not agree and come to a compromise for this space. This 11 x 14 area has been discussed more often in our home than the Swine Flu (which I bring up A LOT!). That is the bad news. The good news: Jason & I can not agree on this space. I LOVE the fact that he is so into this and isn't just telling me to do whatever!

What to do? Turn to Layla at the Lettered Cottage of course! I emailed her our dilemma, photos of the space, Jason's likes, my likes and I can't wait to see what she comes up with. I will keep you posted!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-05-05T12:18:00.002-06:00

Story of my life - I ALWAYS have something to do but I don't ALWAYS do something. My list of To-Do's has exploded so I thought it time to get my butt into gear. First thing on my list - Spring Cleaning. I managed to get our half bath done this morning - scrubbed the sink and toilet with a little brush, washed all the baseboards, washed down the door and cleaned the hardwoods on my hands and knees (Method Hardwood Cleaner smells SO good!). Suddenly - I love that little bathroom! Every time I walked by it I stuck my head it to take a peek. The best part - that great feeling has given me motivation to get the rest of the house done.

How do you eat an elephant??? One bite at a time!!!

This Mornings Dr.'s Appt

2009-05-04T10:50:00.003-06:00

Had a routine Dr.'s appt this morning and all was good. Dr. Saunder's was not in so I saw another Dr. at his office - Dr. Wiebe. I don't mind seeing other Dr.s - it is good to meet them and she was really nice. I was really nervous because at our last appt Dr. Saunders wanted me gain more weight. Drum roll please....I am up a total of 6 pounds which according to the Dr. I saw today is just fine! Yay! Baby is measuring just right and his heartbeat is at 160. Our next appt will be June 1st and we (or should I say I) have to do the glucose screening test which checks for gestational diabetes. I don't think I am looking forward to drinking the orange tinted sugar bomb!

24 weeks

2009-05-04T10:45:00.002-06:00

We are 24 weeks along as of Saturday and the baby is still the size of a papaya. Here is what he is up to:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

He is an active little guy - I feel him tumbling around all of the time. Jason & I are going to register this coming weekend - yay! It will feel like an accomplishment to cross that off of our list.

Possible Pregnancy Brain

2009-05-03T16:40:00.002-06:00

I just realized that I haven't been posting comments - doah!!! Sorry everyone - I wasn't ignoring you! However - I did wonder, for the longest time, why absolutely no one was commenting - lol!

Pregnancy - It's not all it's cracked up to be

2009-05-03T12:14:00.003-06:00

3 years ago when I daydreamed about pregnancy I thought it would be the most wonderful, blissful 9 months. Full of wonderment and loving my belly. Fast forward 3 years later and...well...not so much. I feel horribly guilty typing this. I want to be the blissful gal LOVING pregnancy. For the past 4 months I have posted pretty blah posts with noting but updates...instead of really using this blog as my virtual journal I have typed what I think others would want to read and not necessarily what is really going on. I have decided to derail from that would of "Cotton Candy Clouds and Rainbow Rivers" and bring on a dash of reality - in a good, productive and honest way.
Anyhow - back to pregnancy. This is hard work. I really have started to feel like my body is not my own anymore and that is just so.darn.hard. to accept/grasp. I have fleeting moments where I am just so uncomfortable in my own skin - I can't really explain it. It is just a feeling of wanting to be anywhere else, doing anything else at that exact moment. I tell myself that this feeling will pass and it always does within minutes - it is just that those minutes can bring on such emotions. On the flip side - there are times that I am just so in love with the overall process and overcome with such love that tears well up in my eyes. Jason does not know what to do with me!
Physically - I am very uncomfortable. Already. It feels as if my stomach sits right between my boobs and has shrunk to the size of a quarter. I just get SO full SO fast which is SO frustrating. I am trying to eat smaller portions through out the day but that really is a hard habit to get into when for the past thirty some years you have eaten three times a day - as much as you want! My skin on my belly feels so incredibly tight and itchy and I just wonder where we are going to find room for this baby to grow for 4 more months. Hmmmm? I just thank God I am not an Elephant whose gestational period is 640 days - 91 weeks - could you even imagine!
Sleeping has become somewhat of a chore - which bums me out - because I usually have no problems with sleep. To get comfortable I put a pillow between my knees and one along my side. The hard part comes in when I want to roll over. It is a job of complete rearrangement.
These are all small things but I think what it is is that that add up to that feeling of your body not being your own.
HOWEVER, at the end of the day - I can NOT wait to meet this incredible baby boy. Sometimes the anticipation is so overwhelming. I am so excited for him to be here and I know as soon as I lay eyes on him all of these feelings will be a distant memory.
Now before you publish flaming comment and tell me how lucky I am to be pregnant after our 2 1/2 years of trying I want you to know that I realize that. I feel that we are truly blessed and I wouldn't change it for the world. However - the reality of it is that not every single women loves pregnancy. I don't hate it - it is just not what I expected.

Ummmm...Kona Grill

2009-04-21T14:20:00.003-06:00

I met one of my dearest friends, Jamie, last night for dinner at Kona Grill...Holy Yum! I had never been there but I WILL be going back soon. It is so good! I had the Macadamia Nut Chicken with White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and I had some Sushi - the FULLY cooked kind and it was Delish! The only thing better than the food was catching up with Ja - she is the best. One of those friends that you don't skip a beat with no longer how long it has been since you have seen each other. Thanks Ja for a great evening! On my way out of the mall I picked up a Cinnabon for breakfast this morning - another Holy Yum! I only managed to eat half of it but that means I still have half at home :)

Easter Catch up

2009-04-21T14:06:00.005-06:00

Happy Belated Easter! Once again Jason & I hosted Easter at our house and it was a rainy & drizzly day. But that did not stop us from having our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Jason did a great job of hiding the eggs and this year the bonus eggs were in a great spot - out front in the cul-de-sac! Church, Food, Family, & Friends always makes for a perfect Easter.

The Easter Bunny happened to leave some goodies for the Baby Boy! A cute little basket with a car and some M&M's (for Mommy!?!) made their way from my sisters house and the most ADORABLE stuffed Lamb made its way from my moms house.

THANK YOU EASTER BUNNY!!!

At the end of it all everyone was sleepy and as we watched some golf my precious niece, Abbey, cuddled up next to me and fell asleep. She's the BEST!

Our Spring Storm

2009-04-21T13:55:00.003-06:00

We had quite a snowstorm here in Colorado over the weekend and I thought I would share some photos...

Needless to say it made for a very lazy weekend. Jason and I watched movies, ate homemade vegetable soup (thanks Mom!) and just hung out. It was nice but looking back I feel like a total slacker! Now we are in for a week of 70 to 80 degree weather - you gotta love Colorado!

I feel HUGE!

2009-04-20T16:33:00.003-06:00

I am sure every single pregnant gal feels this way but HOLY COW! I am only 22 weeks and I literally feel as if there is absolutely no more room for this baby boy. My skin and uterus can't possibly stretch anymore and my organs have no where else to go. What freaks me out is that I am only 22 weeks. How in the hell am I going to feel when I am 32 weeks - ugh! So much for my Mary Poppinsish outlook!

Gratitude

2009-04-20T11:22:00.003-06:00

Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? I did for a long time because Oprah said so... :) It was actually a wonderful thing. Every night before I went to sleep I jotted down 5 things I was grateful for from the day. So simple. Yet such a big impact. I learned to notice the little things that happened throughout the day that I was grateful for. The front row parking space, the green light, the stranger that held the door. All of these small things made the few bad things that might happen, well, less important. It really puts a spin on how you think of things and I became much more appreciative.

I thought about this yesterday morning listening to the birds chirp - sounds so Mary Poppinsish but that made the list in my journal many times. It is one of my favorite things - a great way to start the day.

I need to start that journal again - I really enjoyed it.

22 Weeks and Counting...

2009-04-17T15:15:00.002-06:00

Baby is now the size of a...

Papaya! And here is what he is up to...

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Speaking of those kicks - when he is up I sure can feel him moving around! We had an unplanned trip to the Dr. today - I was having pain on my left side to the point of not being able to stand up. Jason met me at the Dr's office and it turns out it is what they call round ligament pain and there is not much you can do about it. Of course my mind was spinning at what in the world could be wrong. Baby's heartbeat was good and I have felt him moving around today so no worries - just pain that I have to put up with! Jason is going to put a play list together this weekend so we can play music for the little one. Oh - Jason felt him kick for the first time last week which was really exciting.

Been Blessed Studios

2009-04-08T21:54:00.003-06:00

How lucky are we !?! We received a FREE session for our maternity photos from Mandie with Been Blessed Studios. How did this happen...well let me fill you in. I saw an advertisement for Been Blessed Studios in a local neighborhood directory. Of course it caught my eye since I was expecting so I jumped on the Internet and checked out the website. I loved the gallery I saw on the website and made a mental note to consider Been Blessed for our photos. Fast forward weeks later... for some reason I jumped back onto the Been Blessed web site and clicked on the link to check out the Been Blessed blog. The latest post was advertising a free session for maternity photos or newborn photos. I replied and we are booked for July 18th - how exciting! After talking to Mandie on the phone it turns out that both Jason and I went to high school with her husband and they live right down the street. Such a small world! Check out Mandie's website: http://www.beenblessedstudio.com/main.html . The photos of the newborns are ADORABLE!

Playing Catch up...

2009-04-08T21:28:00.004-06:00

Once again it has been so long since I have posted and wonderful things have been happening every day. On April Fools Day we found out that we are having a BOY! Very exciting and unexpected. As I had posted previously Jason thought it was a girl and in the beginning so did I. To our surprise it's a boy! So the search for the perfect name begins. I am so glad that we found out what we are having - it makes it all so much more real.

I have just started to show. I will have to start posting belly pics - there just hasn't been anything to see up until now. Also - I can feel him moving all around. He seems to be more active at night which thrills Jason as he says the baby is already like him (a night owl!).

We still have done nothing with the nursery but we are now thinking of the blue/brown option since we now know which team we are on.

We are in our 20th week already and baby is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

The results from our ultra sound were great - everything looks just as it should and Baby is measuring right on track. His heartbeat was 164 and Jason got to hear him kicking. The Dr. is not thrilled with my weight gain. I have actualy lost a half of a pound which means I have only gained one and a half pounds. This suprised me as I feel as though I eat a lot and I am always full. So I will be working on my caloric intake. I need to gain 4 pounds by our next appt in May.

16 Weeks

2009-03-06T12:41:00.004-07:00

Once again - WOW! 16 weeks!?!? Where has the time gone. We have so much to do and we are already almost half way through the pregnancy. We had better get our butts in gear! The baby is now the size of:

an Avocado! I think we will have to have some guacamole (minus the margaritas) this weekend to celebrate this milestone!

Here is what Baby is up to:

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice and his/her ears are close to their final position. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, Baby is about 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Pretty amazing, huh? And guess what... I am feeling SO good. No more of that "all day" or "all evening" sickness for me :::knocks on wood::: The last time I felt crummy was on my birthday while we were eating (what was) a wonderful dinner at Maggianos. That is SUPER exciting for me because now I am loving being Pregnant!

Speaking of getting our butts in gear (beginning of post) Jason and I are going to work on the Nursery this weekend - How Fun! At the very least we need to get everything that is in there out and maybe get it all taped for painting. We have decided to paint the room green and then we can do pink or blue accents. See:

We will also be celebrating our Niece's 6th Birthday this weekend which means I will be baking a cake. Abbey's request this year: A horse cake. AND I get to go out for a girls night with my friend Trish for some PF Chang's and a movie. I LOVE weekends!

Dr's Appointment

2009-03-05T10:11:00.002-07:00

I had a Dr's appointment on Tuesday. It was a quick one: weight, blood pressure, pee in a cup. The best part was when Dr. Saunders used the Doppler to listen to Baby's heartbeat. It was at 160 and you could here the baby kicking!!! Little kicks here and there - I LOVED IT! Poor Jason is in Utah for work so he missed he. He sounded disappointed when I told him about it. Our next appointment is on April 1st (April fools day, hmm?!?) and it will be the anatomical ultra sound where they check out Baby's organs and systems to be sure everything looks good AND we can find out if Baby is a boy or a girl!! Yay!! I have added a poll on this subject - so be sure to vote! At first my gut feeling was that it is a girl, however, lately I think it might be a boy. Jason thinks it is a girl!

A sweet gift...

2009-03-02T15:29:00.005-07:00

I got my hair done Saturday and my hair stylist surprised me with the sweetest gift...

roses, body lotion, body butter and lip balm. The lotion and body butter smell SO good and the lip balm is amazing. I just love the roses - they are so dainty. Can you tell she hopes we have a girl!

I am so grateful with all the sweet things everyone has done - it makes Jason and I even more excited for Baby (if thats possible!).

15 Weeks...

2009-03-01T16:40:00.004-07:00

Wow - 15 weeks already. I can't believe how fast time goes - which leads to me getting nervous about getting "everything" done. Baby is now the size of...

an orange! Yummmm - I LOVE oranges and they have been one of the things that have sounded good since day one of being pregnant! So what's Baby up to you ask? We'll here's the scoop!

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Baby is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though I still can't feel his/her movements.

As you all know I have been complaining about how busy I/we have been. Work has been super, crazy busy as well - which is good (we need to save money for maternity leave!). As I type this I am at work on a Sunday and I worked yesterday morning as well. I did not have to be at work today until 11:00 am and guess what Jason did?!? He made the most DELICIOUS breakfast for us...eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Jason cooked the eggs over easy, which in my 33 years I have never had them that way. YUM! I cut up some cantaloupe and we actually sat at the table (we usually sit in front of the TV :) ) and had this amazing breakfast together. We even used these cute little juice glasses that we got for our wedding that I am not sure we have ever used!!! WOW - it was SO nice. I should have taken a picture of the table - it looked so nice. I told him that we might have to make this a Sunday tradition - he just laughed! Thanks Jason - I am one lucky girl!

How Big is Baby?

2009-03-01T16:29:00.003-07:00

Being as busy as we were for a couple of weeks I haven't been posting about Baby's milestones. So I will go back in time so we can get caught up...

Week 12: A Plum!

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Week 13: A Peach!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

Week 14: A Lemon

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-03-01T16:17:00.005-07:00

Yes - I am one of those people that actually like Valentine's day. We celebrated by going to Commanders Palace for a FANTASTIC dinner with RK and Todd.

And the baby got the cutest little Valentine from my Mom...

Isn't that adorable? The lion is SUPER soft and makes different noises when you pull his tail or squeeze his paw. Thanks Mom!!! The baby will LOVE it!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

Our first Trimester Screening Ultra Sound (February 11th)

2009-02-26T15:39:00.006-07:00

We had our first trimester screening appointment on Wednesday February 11th and it was fantastic! This prenatal test (also called the NT or nuchal fold scan) assess our baby's risk of having Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems. The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of the baby's neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average. Along with this they take a blood test. Needless to say the ultra sound was AWESOME! It was probably 15 or 20 minutes long and the baby was moving and it was so fun! My mom, aunt and uncle came to see the ultrasound as well. The test results all came back perfect and we got some great shots of the baby!

Surprise! (February 7th)

2009-02-20T13:59:00.010-07:00

My sister, Aunt & I planned a surprise birthday party for my mom and we hosted it at our house Saturday the 7th. It was a great time. My Aunt and Uncle, who live in Ohio/Florida, flew in for the occasion. The best part was how we surprised mom with them! We started the day with my sister, niece and I decorating and preparing food. We were planning on about 25 people and we made Chicken Romano and with the help of Cindy & Sandy (thanks ladies!) we had some pasta and salad as well. By the afternoon we had Jason helping as well as my brother-in-law (who I must say, did some impressive decorating!) I told mom that we were having dinner for her birthday at my house Saturday night and top come over around 5:30pm. Everyone else arrived at 5:00 pm and of course we surprised her when she walked through the door! She had a feeling something was up but was a good sport about it all! Well, my Aunt and Uncle did not land in Denver until later that night and got to my house around 7:30pm (i think!) At that point mom thought all of the surprises were over and in walked Aunt Jeanine & Uncle Dick - it was fantastic. The look on mom's face was priceless! Then cam time to open presents which was yet another surprise. My sister, Aunt, our friend Sandy and Jason & I all pitched in and bought my mom a ticket to Florida for Spring Break! So we will all be headed down to the Sunshine State March 24th and we will stay with my Aunt and Uncle. We had a great time the rest of the evening and my Aunt & Uncle stayed through Thursday which was awesome.

SURPRISE!

My Aunt & Uncle just walked through the door!

A long over due hug!

One of my favorite pics!

Me and three of the most amazing ladies I know!

We're going to Florida!

The Big Day (February 4th)

2009-02-20T13:52:00.002-07:00

So today was the day that I told my bosses I was pregnant! I was SO nervous. Being that they just took me on to their payroll mid-November I had no idea what they would think. Plus we have this big Parade of Homes being planned that is scheduled to take place in September. And guess what my day started out with!?! A speeding ticket! Dang it! I haven't had a ticket in 5 years and on my way to work I got pulled over. I had to call work to tell them I would be late due to the cop that had interrupted my A.M. schedule. Oh well. Once all of our meetings were over I asked if Karl & David (bosses) had a minute and I told them..."I have some news. I'm pregnant". And they were so excited for me and thought it was great news. "Really?" I asked them and they looked at me like I was crazy! I created a maternity leave plan which I gave them a copy of - it included 13 weeks of leave and once I am back, working 1 day from home and they were supportive of it all! WOW! How lucky am I!?! So once that was over with I told my co-workers who were also super excited for Jason & I. What a great day that was!

Home from Vegas

2009-02-20T13:10:00.005-07:00

We had a really good time in Vegas. The weather was nice, not hot like I wished, but at least it was warm. We ate dinner at the Ranch on Saturday night which I LOVE and I had a beautiful dinner of fillet and stuffed shrimp which I split with my Friend (Miranda) who ordered scallops but guess what?!? Right in the middle of dinner I started to feel Y.U.C.K.Y. So much so that I didn't even order dessert. Oh well - there is always next time! We watched the Super Bowl at a great bar in Cesar's (thanks to Larry & Miranda who got there at 12:00 and saved us all seats - thanks guys!) and we ended up the night watching the Belliago fountains and then treated to a great dinner at PF Chang's by our friends Bill & Cathy. All-in-all it was a fun trip and I was back to work Monday after our plane landed. I am trying hard to take as little time off a possible so I can put that toward my Maternity leave. I do have disability insurance, however, it does not kick in until I have been on "disability" for 2 weeks. Plus - I am going to try to take 13 weeks off after the baby is here...we'll see!

On the way...

Watching the Super Bowl

The fountains!

Catching Up

2009-02-20T12:59:00.004-07:00

Holy cow...it has been so long since my last post. We have been so.damn.busy! I feel like the past three weeks of my life were a dream! I hate it when I feel like my life has passed me by. Between work, Friends, family & traveling it has been a whirlwind - but a great whirlwind! I want to go back and try to fill in all of the blanks as this blog has become so much more than just a peek into our lives - it has become my own personal journal. I love going back and reading my old entries - it is a great way to capture it all.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-01-30T20:46:00.002-07:00

We are off to Vegas tomorrow for the Super Bowl thanks to Jason's boss! We are headed out there with 3 other couples all of which are friends (as well as Jason's co-workers) so it should be a good time. It will be a super short trip as we are coming back to Denver on Monday morning. Usually I am pretty excited to get off to Vegas (not quite as excited as Jason - he can't wait to get to the poker table!) but I am just not looking forward to this trip - not sure why. I am sure once I get there all will be good. I am, however, looking forward to the food. I think Las Vegas has the best food. We always seem to try out a new restaurant and have never had a bad meal - that I can remember! :) Of course I will remember everything from this trip! Boo-hoo...no daiquiris by the yard for me this time! I will be sure to post photos once I am back. Have a great weekend and Go Cardinals!!!

11 Weeks!

2009-01-30T15:51:00.003-07:00

We are 11 weeks along in this journey and the baby is the size of a Lime!

Can you believe that ?!?! That seems so big to me! Anyhow, the baby currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future!

So I am guessing that this means when we have our Dr.'s appt on Tuesday we will see what looks more like a baby than a bean!

An award? For me?!?

2009-01-24T11:49:00.003-07:00

My blogger buddy Kerry nominated me for an award! I am so excited! Here it is:

Thanks Kerry! Even though I have yet to meet Kerry IRL I have really taken to her journey and I look forward to her new posts. What amazes me about her is that she is now on strict bed rest at 26 weeks and is only allowed to be on her feet two hours a day. TWO HOURS!?! That is crazy - I couldn't imagine and for that she is, in my mind, Super Woman! And with this going on she continues to have a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. So thank you Kerry - I am honored that you thought of me for this award and I can't wait to meet you, Jeff and the BoGo!

Here are the rules I have to follow:

1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Link to the person who gave you the award
3. Nominate 10 other blogs and link to them4. Leave a message for the nominees on their blogs.

So here is the deal - I don't have 10 other Blogs to nominate. So I will nominate those that I read the most.

1. M. Joule - I know she likes her privacy because she is a teacher but her story is unbelievable. Not only is she struggling with IF but has also fought cancer. Both of which better watch out - she WILL kick their butts!
2. Tabitha - Ever heard the saying "Making Lemonade out of Lemons"? That's Tabitha. I love reading her ever positive posts and the quotes she leaves at the end of each quote. I have no doubt that she WILL make the best mom ever!
3. Marcu - What do I love about her blog? She has a great sense of humor and brutal honesty. I also enjoy reading her posts on The Bump.

and last but not least...

4. Melaine - Her blog has offered me a wonderful escape from IF. I LOVE all of her inspiring ideas and I am so jealous that she gets to live on a lake!!!

So there you have it. A glimpse of some of my favorite blogs. Of course if I could send this back to Kerry I would - but that just might start a never ending blog award exchange!

Week 10...

2009-01-24T07:46:00.003-07:00

Baby is 10 weeks already and the size of:

a prune - Eww! With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

Pretty amazing, huh!?! I have been feeling better for longer periods of time. I hope that means that soon I will feel good all the time. ::crossing fingers::

9 weeks today (well tomorrow)

2009-01-16T15:47:00.003-07:00

Baby is the size of:

a green olive!

Our little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

I have to start posting this 1 day early because my weekly milestones always fall on Saturday and I am not on the computer as much on the weekends. So really I won't be 9 weeks until tomorrow! Have a GREAT weekend!

Can you guess what all of this is?

2009-01-16T11:57:00.004-07:00

Containers, containers and even more containers of baby/kids clothes! As well as baby/kids toys. Can you believe it!?! All because my sister knew that one day we would have our own little bundle of joy! For YEARS (eight!) she has been putting aside clothes for Jason and I that once belonged to my nephew and then to my niece. How lucky are we? I drug(?) all the containers out of the crawl space in the basement and started peeking in all of them...it's like Christmas! Plus we have a closet full in our guest room that I forgot to take a photo of. I can't wait to sit and go through them all - I know my mom and sister (and probably my niece!) will help. Thanks RK - you rock!

Look what we got...

2009-01-16T11:02:00.002-07:00

in the mail yesterday from Jason's Dad and step mom:

The cutest Teddy Bear and he is SO soft! Another beautiful gift from AZ!

A shout out to my FIL...

2009-01-12T19:58:00.003-07:00

That's Father-In-Law for all of you none Nesters! Jason and I got the SWEETEST card from his dad and step mom who live in Arizona a couple of weeks ago. I just had to share. It reads:

Jason & Stacy - We are so happy for you. We can't wait for the big event. Please let us know if we can do anything for you and keep us informed. Are you going to find out if it is a boy or girl (or both)? We will be up for the event (or shortly after). We love you and miss you. Congratulations and God Bless you and the baby(s).

In the card there is a photo of them both and at the bottom of the photo they wrote:

Dear Baby K, Your Grandma and Grandpa can't wait to meet you. We love you very much. Love - Grandma T & Grandpa J.

I can't even begin to tell them how much this means to me after all of the family drama we went through over the holidays. I know Jason loved receiving it too. So I give a big Whoot-Whoot out to my in-laws in AZ!

B6, Sour Candy, Ginger, Crackers...anything else!?!

2009-01-12T19:40:00.002-07:00

These are all things that are supposed to help "morning sickness". Who in the hell came up with that term? Uh, hello - it should have been "you'll-feel-like-you-have-the-stomach-flu-every.single.day.-and-the-minutes-tick-by-so-slowly-and-as-soon-as-you-think-you're-feeling-better-WHAM" sickness. Seriously!?! I have tried it all (or, at least, a lot)

Vitamin B6 - CHECK
Lemon Heads, Jolly Ranchers or any sour candy - CHECK (to the point that my tongue just might fall out of my mouth)
Crystallized Ginger - GAG! (wow - do people really eat this because they like it!)
Crackers - CHECK

But somehow I make it through my nauseated days and/or evenings. I turn in early because sleep seems to take the nausea away. Needless to say, I am no longer a barrel of laughs. Poor Jason. The funny thing is that I know I don't have the 'ness nearly as bad as some gals get. Probably not even 1/4 as bad (maybe even 1/8) BUT I can not stand to feel sick to my stomach. Give my strep throat ANY day...but make me feel nauseous and I become a blubbering idiot that wants to do nothing more than curl up on the floor and complain.

So I shall take one last swig of my smoothie and make my way upstairs to turn in early. Only 4 more weeks of this...right!?!

Say a prayer...

2009-01-11T09:36:00.001-07:00

for by blogger buddy Kerry. You can check out her blog Our Stork Got Lost in my blog list. She had a real scare but seems to be doing well.

8 weeks...

2009-01-11T09:11:00.006-07:00

Can believe it ... 8 weeks already! Baby is the size of a raspberry...ummmm - raspberries. They have become a staple in my diet!

The Baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though I can't feel it, he/she is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

Wow!

I missed last weeks update - baby was a blueberry! I haven't been posting as much as work has been pretty busy. I even had a night that I worked till 8:30 pm! But on top of that I haven't been feeling that great. Remember my days of feeling good and just being queasy once in awhile? - Gone. I usually feel good in the mornings but the evenings seem to kick.my.butt. Ugh! Nothing really sounds good to eat and my diet has consisted of cereal, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and oranges. Last nights dinner - crackers and cheese. It took all I had in me to make Jason some spaghetti! And I ate none. I did buy some protein powder yesterday so I can make smoothies and add that to them. From everything I have read it is okay if you don't get all of your food groups in during your first trimester - they say to just eat whatever sounds good. So that is what I will do. Hopefully this will pass at the end of my first trimester because it STINKS!

Drumroll please.....

2009-01-02T16:23:00.002-07:00

A singleton! All of you who voted twins should have listed to my gut instinct! It was a wonderful Dr's appt. The baby's heartbeat was 141 and he/she was measuring right at 6 weeks 6 days. We have 2 photos of our little one and once I get them scanned I will post them. I have now "graduated" for Dr. Swanson and Conceptions and my next appt will be on February 3rd with Dr. Saunders (my ob). Happy New Year to everyone!

1st ultrasound scheduled on...

2008-12-31T10:25:00.002-07:00

Friday! Yes, this Friday at 1:00 pm. :::impatiently taps fingers on table:::

6 Weeks today

2008-12-27T13:51:00.003-07:00

We are 6 weeks along today! The baby is the size of a sweet pea

and growing like crazy, he/she is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating, and blood is starting to circulate.

Once again I am amazed that all of this is happening inside of me! I still feel good. A little more instances of queasiness but I am not tired. I received the nicest call from my SIL yesterday as well as from Jason's Dad and step Mom. They are SO excited and that makes us even that much more excited! I didn't hear back from the Dr.'s office yesterday so I will have to call on Monday. I am hoping we can get in on Friday. I will keep you updated!

Singleton or twins?

2008-12-26T08:47:00.002-07:00

What do you think? I have added a poll at the top of our blog. Remember...we had 2 follicles at our iui. My gut feeling (even after the stats, Tia!) is that we are having a singleton. I don't know why, I just feel that. So tell us what you think!

The Cat is Out of The Bag...

2008-12-26T08:25:00.004-07:00

our families all know the news! I made cards for our family that were with us Christmas morning. I found a stamp with two little feet that I stamped on the front of the cards and on the inside I printed:

Dear Grandma/Uncle/Cousin, Even though I am only 5 weeks and 5 days old I can't wait to meet you in August. I love you!

I found a little clip art picture of a baby in utero and I added that at the bottom. They turned out really cute! I will try to get one and take a photo of it. Needless to say there were LOTS of tears of joy and everyone was really excited. My 5 year old niece was so cute throughout the entire day. She was telling her dad that he can't say any bad words when the baby is here and he can't teach the baby to do bad things. Already the little mother! Then Jason & I called his dad, step mom, brother, SIL, and nephew in Phoenix. We had them put the phone on speaker and we had ours on speaker as well. When we told them they sounded so excited and at the same time speechless! As I anticipated Wendy couldn't believe I didn't tell her while she was here because we talked about it so much. So once again...Sorry Wendy! And then after dinner we called my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins in Ohio and did the speaker phone thing. They were, of course, super excited. I know they have all been following our journey and have said lots of prayers for us.

The stamp was supposed to be lavender...it turned out pretty pink!

So now it seems so real! I will call today and reschedule our ultra sound because Jason will be out of town on the 6th. I just hope we see a healthy heartbeat!

I am 5 weeks and 3 days pregnant!

2008-12-23T10:54:00.008-07:00

Isn't that odd? According to my Dr.'s office you start counting weeks from the first day of your last period. So here I am - 5 weeks and 3 days along. I still feel great. Every once in awhile I feel a little queasy but nothing that a Chipotle burrito can't fix! I really enjoy one of my fellow blogger posts that update the babies size and goings on week by week, so I am going to incorporate that (I hope you don't mind Kerry!) So here goes:

The baby is a size of an apple seed

and looking kind of like a tadpole (but i guarantee you it is THE cutest looking tadpole ever!) and is starting to form major organs (heart, kidney, liver, stomach) and systems (nervous, circulatory, digestive). Isn't that amazing? Something so small can be so busy!

Speaking of busy, Jason & I still have Christmas shopping to do tonight (gulp) and we still have to wrap all of the presents. One of these years I will have an organized Christmas!

Our Due Date is...

2008-12-23T10:52:00.004-07:00

August 22, 2009.

The baby will be a Leo!

Oh the Holidays...

2008-12-22T11:10:00.004-07:00

My bil and sil and adorable nephew flew in for the weekend to visit from Phoenix. It was so good to see them and at the same time SO hard because we want to tell them the news but we really want to tell everyone on Christmas. My sil always asks about where we are at with IF and how things are going and I felt so bad telling her that we are just going to "Keep trying" while at the same time I was busting with excitement to tell her. Sorry Wendy! However, that excitement came to a sudden hault when it was brought to my attention about some family "issues" going on. UGH! Without going into detail lets just say that I am over the obstacles that we have faced over the past month and a half and I really just want things to settle down so Jason and I and our families can be excited about the baby and all of the planning and anticipation that comes along with him or her. Can't I just have once full week with out any stress or tears or anxiety? That is all I really want for Christmas...

2nd Beta...

2008-12-16T10:45:00.005-07:00

Jason & I went to lunch yesterday and while we were enjoying our days worth of Chipotle the Dr.'s office called. Beta is now at 805 and progesterone is at 68. Suzie reassured us that the progesterone level fluctuates depending on the time of day and that anything over 20 is good. So we are officially pregnant! We have our first ultrasound scheduled for January 6th at 11:00am. WOW! It's almost unbelievable. I am 4 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I don't really have any symptoms - the only thing that I have noticed (even before the + test) is that I am very sensitive to smells. During the two week wait we were at Chipotle (big surprise!) and I was ordering my usual veggie burrito and while I was standing in line the smell of the barbacoa beef hit me and it smelled DELICIOUS! So I ordered up a side of it and added it to my burrito! So - little things like that I have noticed. Hopefully it continues to be this easy (yeah....right!)

We've been keeping a secret...

2008-12-15T11:48:00.014-07:00

guess what? We're pregnant!!!! I know, i know, you can't believe that we haven't passed on the good news but our wonderful news came during such a turbulent time that it was really hard. You see we found out about Logan's death Saturday night. And then I poas Wednesday night just for fun. I knew I wasn't supposed to test until Friday but i couldn't help myself. As i sat in the bathroom Jason napped peacefully in the bedroom after a long day. I watched the window in the test show me one pink line and I was devastated but I was also telling myself that I knew this would happen - that we were destined for yet another heart wrenching BFN. As I sat there trying to figure out where we could scrounge up $15,000 and convincing myself the the Cleveland Clinic would be the best place to move forward with IVF a second line began to appear. Of course I questioned my sanity and squinted at the test which I was no holding at every possible angle. Yep - a 2nd line! Kinda faint - but still there. I practically skipped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where my jumping on to the bed woke up Jason.

"I think we're pregnant"

He looked at me with groggy eyes and terribly confused. "You think?"

"Well there is a second line but it's kind of faint."

A smile spread across his face and I still to this day can't completely recall the entire conversation but it consisted of words like "excited" "nervous" "cautious" "scared" and "love"!

We decided not to tell anyone until the blood tests at the Dr. confirmed it - because you know- the 5 tests I took could have all been defective. My first draw was on Thursday the 11th We got the results back the same day and the results were great. My beta was at 105 and progesterone at 108. However, Logan's funeral was Thursday as well and we just did not really feel up to celebrating on such a sad day. Also -a second draw was needed which had to be postponed until Monday the 15th (today) where the Dr. makes sure that those numbers double. We had planned on having most of the family over on Sunday to bake Christmas cookies and watch football and Jason & I thought that would be a great day to tell everyone. However - that quickly came to a screeching halt when we had to put Sophia down on Saturday night and then my sister came down with the flu and didn't make it on Sunday. Unfortunately, it feels like we haven't been able to really celebrate the FANTASTIC news with all of the heartbreak going on. So here I sit, waiting for the phone call from Conceptions with my 2nd beta number, wondering how to tell everyone.

1st Test I took!

2nd Test

2 more...just in case!

An iui the day after Thanksgiving gives us so much to be thankful for and we have the opportunity to share the news Christmas morning. We are blessed!

Where are we at?

2008-12-15T10:52:00.002-07:00

Needless to say that with all of the heartbreaks of last week we have not been concentrating on IF. I need to call and schedule an appt with Dr. S as we had to cancel it last week. Maybe we will just wait until after the holidays...I am not sure we want yet another thing to worry about.

Sophia...

2008-12-15T10:24:00.008-07:00

Sophia lost her fight with kidney disease on Saturday night. Jason and I are SO sad.

She seemed a little odd Saturday morning as i was getting ready for work. Here breathing seemed labored. I told Jason to keep an I eye her when I kissed him goodbye and he promised to do so. When i got home that afternoon she seemed okay. She excitedly went outside with me while I decorated the porch with some garland and Christmas lights. but when Jason got home she stared acting very lethargic and would not lift her head up. I called the vet - they were closed so we took her over to the emergency vet where after a bunch of test it was determined that her kidneys were calcifying waste instead of filtering it and her one good kidney was full of stones. Once we knew we had to put her down the Dr. brought her into us and we spent a good hour and a half with her. It was easy to see she was not feeling well as she was not acting herself at all. Once we were ready the Dr. came in and let Sophia stay comfortable on Jason's lap while she administered the drug. After one last weak meow it was done. It all happened so quickly but at the same time seemed to take forever.

This is the first time either Jason or I have had to do something like this and it was heartbreaking. We then got to spend time with her after...

So now the last day and a half have been spent missing her terribly. I didn't realize not only the routine we are in but also our pets. We miss her running into the kitchen with her tail held high when the milk is opened, greeting me in the morning when the alarm goes off, racing me in to the bathroom and snuggling right on top of the heating vent to stay warm, fluffing up the pillows before she snuggle into them to take a nap...we miss everything. I had never had a cat before Sophia. I was always and still am a dog person. But while Jason and I were living in an apartment we did not think it would be fair to get a dog and I really wanted a pet so we found Sophia in the paper and once we saw her she stole our heats. She was the best cat - although the children that would visit us might not agree! She did not have much patience for little ones or even for particular people. But she loved Jason & I and we loved her.

We miss you Sophie.

What a long week...

2008-12-15T10:18:00.002-07:00

I am glad it is over. The funeral for our friends son was on Thursday. It was a beautiful "life celebration" and there were hundreds of people there. i just feel so bad for Andy and Karla, Logan's parents. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through and I want so badly to fix it for them but, of course, i am unable to. Then on Saturday night Jason and I had to put our cat down. It has just been a long week with entirely too many tears.

How could this happen?

2008-12-09T19:46:00.002-07:00

We found out some truly tragic news Saturday night. Our friends son was killed after he was struck by a car. He was 14. When Jason told me I felt physically ill. I felt like I was going to get sick. How could this happen? Why did this happen? It is just beyond comprehension. For all of you reading this - please keep this family in your prayers.

iui #3 complete

2008-12-01T12:26:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! As i wrote about in a previous post we spent the holiday in Breckenridge and had a great time! Jason and I made the 1 1/2 hour trip back down to Conceptions on Friday morning where we found out that I had two follicles (don't worry Aunt J - no Jason & Stacy + seven!) and we had 35 million swimmers! Yay! My lining looked good at 7mm so maybe...just maybe this will be our lucky cycle. If not, we have an appt scheduled with Dr. Swanson on December 11th for a follow up to figure out where to go from here. So the dreaded 2 week wait begins and will hopefully go by fast. So that is a super quick update - i have a pretty busy week at work ahead of me so hopefully that means that it will fly by!

Twilight Update

2008-11-30T15:07:00.005-07:00

I have finished Twilight and I LOVED every page of it. I loved it so much that I quickly finished New Moon. It was okay - a little out there but still good. I am now about 3/4 of the way through Eclipse and I am feeling a little anxious that there is only one more book after this. However - it could be a good thing that there is only one more as daily tasks have taken a backseat to Edward. Laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning house - not so important in my world at the moment! Jason took me to see the movie and I have to say I was a little disappointed. Books are always better than the movies but I was hoping it would be better than it was.

The Twilight Bandwagon...

2008-11-20T11:48:00.004-07:00

Yep, i'm on it. i have jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. This book (now a movie) is all that Nesties can talk about over on The Nest/The Bump boards. So while i was shopping at Wal-Mart i noticed the intriguing book and it was calling to me...so of course i bought it. Part of my budgeting includes that place called the library but i just couldn't help myself. And now i am sucked in. i spend every second of extra time with my nose in this book. i never really thought i was the vampire teenage romance novel type but i LOVE it!

Down the hatch...

2008-11-20T11:44:00.002-07:00

Last night was my first dose of 100mg of Clomid. I was really nervous about increasing my dose from 50mg to 100mg. I kept putting off taking those two little white tablets for fear of dizziness, hot flashes, killer headaches or a down pour of tears but so far so good. Only 4 days left.

Here we go again...

2008-11-18T16:21:00.002-07:00

we are onto round 3. My friend the cyst has gone away and we are set for iui #3. I will start 100mg of clomid (i have done 50mg in the past) on Wednesday. Jason and I go in on Thursday to do an SA with an embryologist. Hopefully that will give us a little more insight into his swimmers. I will go back on Monday for more blood work and then we will have our iui. As of right now it looks like that will take place Friday - the day after Thanksgiving. Our families are going up to Breckenridge for the holiday so Jason and I will be making trips back and forth - oh joy. However, we are not willing to skip another cycle due to an hours drive. As far as life outside of IF goes things have been crazy but a "good crazy". Some changes have taken place at work so I no longer am concerned about my job. At least I can look 12 months ahead instead of 30 days. That has been a HUGE weight off of my shoulders - more than I realized it would be. :)

Where have I gone?

2008-11-03T12:16:00.002-07:00

As I was perusing the blog world yesterday and seeing how creative and involved so many are i started asking myself this question. I used to be so creative and energetic. You would never find me napping on the couch over the weekend as that was my time to go and do. I always had something to do and a project I was working on. I would multitask - clean, cook, bake, create, decorate, re-decorate, plan...I never missed a birthday and I sent cards or emails or made phone calls for everyone on their special day. But suddenly (or not so suddenly) I am finding myself napping on the couch. Wishing, after the fact, that I had put a card in the mail or made some cupcakes for a co-worker. Wishing I had a bedroom that i actually loved and felt relaxed in. Wishing I had the time to make delicious meals especially at this time of year when comfort food is so wonderful. I have found that I have been convincing myself I don't have time to do these things but that's a bunch of whooy. All that I do is go to work, come home, watch TV and go to bed and then start the process all over again. So I ask myself - what has caused me to let go of my passions and of my hobbies? And i can not come up with an answer. Is it the world of IF - do I put so much into this emotionally that I have lost who I was because I am exhausted about thinking of it constantly? Is it work and the crazy market - I have been living my life in what feels like 30 day increments for over a year now. I am constantly worried that I will not have job as my boss reminds me frequently that that this market is awful and that he is "hemorrhaging" money and the largest expense he has at this office is me. . Or maybe I have just gotten lazy...i don't know. What I do know is that I want to turn it around. I want to see thru all of the visions I have for our home. I want to see thru all of the ideas I have swimming in my head that are screaming to get out. I want to get photos in my photo frames, I want to create a guest room that guests want to come back to, I want to make our bedroom a place of peacefulness and of restfulness, I want to try all of the new recipes I have piling up in my cookbook, I want to organize so we don't spend 20 minutes looking for a hammer, i want to start a cooking club, i want to actually finish a book, i want to go to Jason's softball games/football games/basketball games and cheer him on like i did once upon a time, i want to see thru some projects at work that no one has asked me to do but I think will help us out. Geez - I am tired just looking at this! ha, ha. But really - i need to motivate myself because those are the things I enjoy doing. Although I am generally a happy person - I am not happy with who i have become. So i need a plan of sorts - a 12 step program. I'll start out with baby steps (no pun intended) and go from there.
To be continued...

Give us some of those "Phelps Swimmers"

2008-10-30T16:05:00.004-06:00

This is in the siggy of a nestie on the TTTC Board. How funny is this...

My "new" Pretty Blog

2008-10-28T11:08:00.002-06:00

i just figured out how to change the background on my blog from the boring templates that are offered on blogspot. So beware - i might be changing them quite often because there are so many fun ones! i got my hair cut last night, well, trimmed. i found a lady in Parker that i was referred to and it would be great if she worked out because it is so damn convenient. I was going downtown, which was okay for awhile, but I could only make appts. on weekends and had to pay for parking. So this would just work out so much better! It was a well timed hair cut as I had a KILLER headache that came on about 4:00 pm. It got worse as the night progressed but the shampoo massage felt terrific. I ended up crawling into bed at about 9:00 pm because I just couldn't take it anymore. i am wondering if it is a side effect from my high estrogen thanks to my buddy the cyst? On top of that I had a crazy dream that my RE got beat up while visiting New York. I went in to see him and he had terrible injuries to his face. He was not acting like himself and was apparently not all there mentally. Then, as I was talking to him he began taking down notes with one of those gigantic pens you get from a carnival and was just writing down scribbles. I was petrified, so after the appt I spoke to the front desk and they said that they were aware he was "not all there". Then I woke up. I wonder what Freud would say about that!?! I will be preparing my sample ballot today as Jason and I are going to get out and vote early this week. I really wanted to go on Election Day because I love the atmosphere but I am worried with all the hype surrounding this election that the lines will take hours to get thru. Plus - it sounds like Jason will be heading back to Utah for work so he will be gone on the 4th.