4 and a half months

My goodness. Where did the time go? Alexander is almost 4 and a half months old and I haven't updated this blog in 2 months. Sorry for all keeping up with us through this blog. I will try my best to update, but can't guarantee anything.

So, let's see what is there to share? There is so much, but I will choose a select few to share with everyone:

• At his 4 month check-up, Alexander weighed in at 13 pounds, 10 ounces, and 23.5 inches. He is still considered to be in the 25th percentile for his age (unadjusted age)
• He started eating solid baby food this past Monday (the 19th). His first food was pears. He loved them and hardly made a mess during his feeding
• On Wednesday (the 21st), he rolled over from his belly to his back 4 times with a little assitance from his stuffed toy elephant under his arms
• He is "talking" more and more with us. His smiles are truly genuine and I love listening to his laugh
• He attended his first wedding and was a great baby during the entire event. He also did great during his first night in a hotel room because of the wedding.
• We got his first professional portraits taken. They must have seen "sucker" written across my forehead because I ordered way more pictures than what was really needed.
• He is now sleeping in his own crib and has been for the last month. For the most part he is sleeping "through the night", but we still have a few select nights when he needs company during the night.
  

There are so many other things, but I would be here forever listing every little accomplishment this kiddo has done. His doctor told Robert at his last appointment that rolling over is a 5 month milestone and not to worry if Alexander does not do that by 5 months because he is 2 months premature and he might take longer than "normal" babies. I guess Alexander wanted to prove her wrong because within a week, he was rolling over. Alexander seems to prove doctors wrong. Its like when he was in the NICU, his doctor would say that he needed to reach a certain milestone before moving on to the next step in his treatment and that it might take a few days. Well Alexander did not like that and proceeded to reach each milestone that his doctor wanted him to reach within a day or two. He just had to prove them wrong.

Overall, he is a great baby and does not cry very much. Most of the time he is just a happy go lucky kind of kid. Next month we will be traveling to California for Thanksgiving and I just hope and pray that he will be a great baby on the plane ride. Wish us luck. I will update with more pictures when I get a chance.

August 25 - Going back to work

Yesterday, I went back to work for the first time since May 20th. It felt weird to be back in my classroom and a definite change from being at home with Alexander all day. I don't officially go back until September 8th. Robert and I decided that he would stay home with Alexander during the day while I was at work and then he would go do his jobs in the afternoon after I got home. If he gets any new landscaping jobs, he said he would only accept jobs that he could do in one weekend. I think it is for the best for a few reasons - we would be saving money on daycare and he will be at home with one of us instead of a stranger.

I know that there are millions of kids who go to daycare every single day and they are fine, but I just feel more comfortable knowing that he is being taken care of by one of his parents. Plus, since he was premature, I think I am a little more protective of him than I would have been if he was born at term (maybe). Also, if he goes to daycare and gets sick, I would have to take off work and take him to the doctor and take care of him. With Robert being available during the day, I don't have to worry about using a day of sick leave. Maybe next year, I might reconsider sending him to daycare. We shall see.

August 22 - Where did the time go?

Where did the time go? I was vacuuming this morning and thought to myself - "Alexander is almost 10 weeks old." The next thought was "What? Wait. I have a 10 week old already?" Where did the time go.

I took him to his two month check up on the 14th and all looks well with him. He weighed in at 10lbs, 6oz and 22in. The doctor said he was in the 25th percentile for all his measurements and there was no need to worry about how he was growing. She also said he had very strong legs. I could have told her that. He used those strong legs to kick me while I was still pregnant! He also received his first round of vaccinations. I personally thought that I would cry when he got his shots because how much he would cry. Incredibly, I did not cry. Alexander was a trooper. He got a total of three shots. Once the first needle went in, he started crying. He stopped crying when the last needle came out. What a good boy!

My friend Kerri and her mom Dee came out to visit us this past week. While they were here, Alexander was nice and spoiled. Gotta love it! They got him some great toys and were here to witness a first for Alexander. While on tummy time on his activity mat, Alexander was laying with his face turned towards his left side. He then picked up his head and turned it towards the right side. It was great! I can't believe how much he is able to hold his head up now. He is also a scooter. While on his tummy, he loves to push his feet off of our hands and scoot across the mat. Pretty soon he will be able to push off on his own.

Our newest task is to now have Alexander sleep in his own crib in his own room. Since he has been home, he has slept in our room at night and in the pack and play in the living room during the day. I have put him in his crib a few times, but he only stays asleep for about 30-45 minutes. My goal is to have him "sleeping through the night" in his own room by the time I go back to work on September 8th. Wish us luck!

Staying in the NICU

Back in November when I first found out I was pregnant, I fast forwarded in my mind to the day I got to meet my precious baby. Boy or girl - it did not make a difference. I imagined delivering my baby and the doctor putting my baby on my chest to clean him/her off and we would be able to bond right away. Then I would be able to nurse my baby and we would go home as soon as possible and start our life.

However, as you all know, that did not happen. I was hospitalized - I didn't get the chance to anticipate the last month wondering when my water would break. I was induced - I didn't get a chance to time my contractions to determine what time to leave for the hospital. Robert wasn't given the option to cut the umbilical cord - he was taken straight to the NICU nurses. Even though things did not go as planned, I still have my precious angel and that is all that matters.

I would give the NICU a grade of an "A". The nurses were great. There really was only one nurse that was questionable, but all of them were so good with him. It definitely takes a special person to work in the NICU with those babies. You really have to love your line of work in order to be a good nurse. Whenever we were there, they were always attentive to us and Alexander. They answered all the questions we had and if they did not know the answer to the questions, they would find out. Another plus was that we could call them at anytime of day or night and talk to his nurse. They actually encourage us to call and check on him anytime we wanted.

Being a parent of a child in the NICU, you find yourself talking to other parents. There is a special bond between parents of kids who have been in the NICU. Its like we are members of a special club that only certain people are allowed. Nobody knows how it is unless they have to go through it themself. Don't get me wrong. I appreciated all the prayers and special thoughts that were sent our way, but its not the same as someone who prays for us that has experienced it themself.

Also, I learned all kinds of different vocabulary. I can't seem to think of anything off the top of my head, but the doctors and nurses speak their own language there and you have to learn this language in order to understand what is going on with your child.

Ok, I am just rambling on here, but I just basically wanted to say that even though Alexander had to stay in the NICU for 19 days, it was all worth it to have my baby healthy and safe. It was just a small period of time in his life and now I am lucky enough to have him home with us.

August 4 - So much has happened.

Wow, I can't believe is been over a month since I last updated. So much has happened since. Most of you already know this, but Alexander is home! He was able to come home on July 3rd - 35 weeks gestational age. While in the NICU, he progressed so well. He reached all the goals the doctor set for him at a faster rate than the doctor expected. I think he surprised everyone at how well he did. Let's see if I can summarize his stay in the NICU without going overboard - some of this is repeat information.:

• After week 1, he was extubated - yay! No more breathing tube. It was amazing to see him without a tube running down his throat. He let out a little cry and it was the most amazing sound I had heard.
• Afterwards, he was given a nasal canula to help him breath. He started out at 5L of oxygen flow, but as the week progressed, he was able to breath room air on his own.
• When his tube was removed, he was able to start feeding. He started out at 15 ml and by the time he left, he was taking around 60 ml. I couldn't believe it. We tried breastfeeding, but I just wasn't comfortable while in the NICU and he just wasn't having it.
• The second to last day he was there, they ran a battery of tests and everything looked great. The doctor thought he heard a heart murmur and had an echocardiograph (sp?) to check. Everything looked fine. He said there was a branch that was a little small, but would most likely get bigger as he got bigger. They also moved him from the NICU to the CCU (Continuing Care Unit). It is basically a "feed and grow" room.
• The doctor discharged him on Friday, July 3rd and it was one of the happiest days in my life. I was nervous at the same time as well. He had been under the care of the nurses and doctors for so long, I was afraid of what would happen to him once he got out of their care, but was so happy to have him at home with us.

The first night was very trying for us. We set him down in the bassinet in our room when we went to bed. Robert (and I) would wake at every little sound Alexander would make. For those of you who know him, know that he is a very heavy sleeper and know it takes a lot to wake him. Now, however, Alexander could be screaming in his ear and Robert would still not wake up. Alexander's first 4th of July was spent inside the comforts of our home, but it was the best 4th of July I have ever had. Robert and I spent all day just staring at our wonderful son. The following Monday, the 6th, Alexander went back to the hospital for his newborn checkup. Most newborns get this done at two days, but of course, Alexander is one of the exceptions since he was in the NICU. Everything looked great with him. He had even gained a few ounces over the weekend.

That same day, Robert's mom, Teresa (Mimi), came to visit from Alabama. I was at the appointment with Alexander, so we met at a restaurant for lunch. The first time she set eyes on Alexander, I thought she was going to cry. I almost cried. You could see the love in her eyes. We did some shopping, but mainly just hung out at home during the visit. Teresa stayed until the 16th and I wish she didn't have to go back. She was so helpful when it came to feedings and diaper changes. She even took Alexander a few nights in her room so that Robert and I wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him. I still had to get up and pump, but was able to go right back to sleep. I truly believed Alexander enjoyed the time with Mimi!

After she left, Robert and I had a week to ourselves before his dad and sister came out to visit. During that week, I spent my days just tending to Alexander. I would find myself just sitting there and staring at him. Next thing I know, I have been sitting there for over an hour. He is just the most perfect baby and I couldn't help myself.

Robert's dad, Robert, and sister, Becka came in on the Friday the 24th and left on Wednesday the 29th. Grandpa fell in love with him at first sight as well. At least that was the impression I got. During his visit, Robert was a great help. He helped clean out the garage so that I could park my car in there and helped with the backyard. Kind of felt bad that he spent his visit working, but he said that he enjoyed it. Overall the visit was great.

I am sure that both grandparents will be visiting us more often now.

Let's fast forward to the present. Alexander is pretty much an easy baby for now. I don't want to jinx anything. He does have his days and nights mixed up sometimes. For example, yesterday, he slept for most of the day. Didn't stay awake for too long. At his 2am feeding, he stayed awake and has just fallen asleep 20 minutes ago at 5am. I thought he had fallen asleep at 4am. I put him down and within 5 minutes he was wide awake. But all in all, he is doing just fine. He is eating around 3.5 oz now. I can't believe how quickly he progressed with his feedings. I did try breastfeeding, but it wasn't for me. I do pump and he does get breast milk and that is the important thing.

Ok, I have updated a little bit. I will try my best to do a better job, but Alexander does keep me busy as well as keeping up with household chores.

Pics to come soon. Until next time...

Happy One Week Birthday Alexander!

Dear Alexander,

Happy one week birthday darling! I can't believe that you were born a week ago. Last week, I was laying in my postpartum room recovering from your birth. Even though I was in pain, it was worth every single moment of it. It is still hard to believe that I am your mom and you are my son.

You have had a pretty rough week, but this weekend you made some amazing improvements. Let's see what all has happened.

Sunday night - you were given a shot to help your lungs developed and were given a breathing tube.

Monday and Tuesday - still on breathing tube and oxygen levels were not where the doctor wanted it to be.

Wednesday - put on nitrous oxide to help the blood vessels in your lungs open up. I didn't know that was how nitrous oxide affected your blood vessels.

Thursday - placed under bililights to treat jaundice

Friday - taken off nitrous oxide and bililights

Saturday - breathing tube removed (woohoo!), moved to a crib, and first feeding of breastmilk. Mommy and daddy both got to hold you and try to feed you. This was daddy's first time to hold you. He looked so proud.

Sunday - placed back on bililights. Feeding just fine - up to 23ml as of 11pm.

Even though your breathing tube was removed, you still have a supply of oxygen running through your nose. The nurse said that once that tube is able to be removed, it will be shortly after that you will be able to come home as long as everything else is still looking good. I am hoping that your heart rate does not drop anytime soon. If it does drop, then you have a guaranteed stay of at least another 7-10 days. Pretty much things are riding on you to determine when you will leave the hospital.

I just want you to know that you are the love of my life right now. It kills me inside to know that there really isn't too much I can do to help you progress any faster, but I know that you are where you need to be to get healthy. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

June 17 - Alexander's Birth Story and short update

Hello Everyone,

I am sure by now, most of you know that Alexander has been brought into this wonderful world of ours. Through the technology of cell phones, text messaging and internet on cell phones, I have been able to let most everyone know of Alexander's arrival. However, there have been many people who have wanted to know about his birth story. Well, now that I am somewhat recovered and can't sleep, I figured now would be a great time to share with everyone his birth story and give updates on how he is doing.

I do want to warn everyone that this may be long and there may be points where you might think I have provided a little too much information, so for those who are sensitive, I suggest you might want to rethink reading this.

Based off my last post, I told you all that I was concerned because the doctors were starting to see a downside to my progress. Well, during the night, Friday night, I kept on having elevated blood pressures. My headaches also did not want to go away. After my evaluation from the resident doctor early Saturday morning, he said there was a strong possibility that I would be induced that day. He was going to call the high risk doctor and talk to him about what was going on with me and make a decision from there.

Robert was asleep and I hate telling him things while he is half asleep so I tried to get him to wake up, go to the bathroom and splash some water on his face. After he did that I was going to tell him that we were going to be parents sooner than we wanted. Well, as lovely as my husband is, he still did not get up. My nurse for the day came in and said to me "Are you ready to have a baby today?" Well, Robert heard that and jumped up so quickly. I told him that I was waiting for him to wake up fully, but he just didn't do it. I guess if I just said that I was being induced, it would have woken him up from his coma-like sleep, but I was just trying to understand it all myself first.

Well, after I was told that I was going to be induced, things started happening so quickly. Robert and I started packing up all the stuff in my room - there was a lot of stuff in there also because after all I was in there for 17 days. I was hungry, but I was told that at that point, it was clear liquids only for me. Yuck! I should have just eaten from my breakfast tray that morning. I asked for a quick shower because I hadn't showered since Thursday. Friday had been a bad day and I stayed in bed for most of it and never got up and took a shower. The doctor said no because he didn't want to risk me getting any seizures while in the shower. I at least was able to brush my teeth though. The doctor checked my cervix after I changed into the ever so flattering hospital gown. He told me that it wasn't open at all, but it was a little soft which was good for us. I didn't figure that it would be dilated at all since I was only 32 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

We were moved into a labor and delivery room where I was started on an IV drip of magnesium sulfate. Just a reminder, the magnesium sulfate is used to help prevent seizures. I was also given my first dosage of cytotec. It is a pill that is inserted vaginally to start softening my cervix. The resident doctor who administered the cytotec told me that she would check on me in 4 hours to see how it was working. Well after four hours, they decided to change the cytotec to an oral administration instead. They said it was because the oral form of it was easier to control and is absorbed into my system a lot faster.

Fast forward through Saturday. I felt a little pain, but was given some good medicine to help the pain go away. Robert and my friend Pam stuck with me through the whole process. All day long, I had nurses and doctors come in to check on my and see how I was doing, however, not once did anyone check my cervix to see how I was progressing. During the night, I had a nurse who seemed to never let me sleep. They were having a hard time keeping him on the external monitor, so the nurse spent the majority of the night trying to keep him on the monitor which meant I was being forced to lay down in the most uncomfortable positions.

Sunday morning around 9am, one of the doctors checked my cervix to see my progress. I heard the words "nothing new to report" and was a little upset because I was hoping that there would have been some progression. They told me that they would up my dosage of the cytotec and just keep on truckin' along. The nurse I had was great and you could tell that she knew what she was doing. She allowed me to rest and was not too concerned about keeping Alexander on the monitor all the time.

Around 2:30pm, another doctor came in to check my cervix and said I was 1cm dilated. I was so happy to hear that there was some progression. Also, while she was doing that, she did something that made my water break. I told me nurse that there was leakage down there and she verified that it was definitely my water that broke. By the way, I was never told that checking your cervix was going to hurt so much. The nurse explained that it hurt in the beginning because your cervix is further back and of course not open. She also told me that their policy was to not check your cervix a lot because it was prone to cause infections especially now that my water had broke. I was given pitocin to help contractions along. My nurse told me to let her know if I needed any medicine for pain.

We also discussed an epidural. I already knew that I wasn't going to brave enough to have a natural birth because I have a low tolerance for pain. We asked if there was a certain point of dilation when an epidural would not be given. I have always heard that there was a certain point when it was too late to have an epidural, but we were told that I could get an epidural at any point I wanted. They want to make sure their patients are happy so they will do what is needed. Afterwards, I was given some medicine for my headache and I eventually fell asleep. Robert and Pam said that while I was asleep, they could see my stomach jump consistently. It looked like Alexander was trying to escape through my stomach.

It was shortly before 5 (I think) and I woke up and decided that I wanted something for the pain. I called my nurse and told her. She asked if I wanted to go ahead and get the epidural or get some medicine through my IV. I told her that something through the IV was fine. She disappeared and then a doctor came in and said that if I was going to eventually get an epidural, then it might be in my best interest to get it done now since the epidural would just affect me and not have to go through my IV and affect Alexander. I decided to go ahead and get the epidural. The anesthesiologist was with another patient and would come see me when he was done. It seemed like forever and I wanted pain relief so they ended up giving me something in my IV anyways until the anesthesiologist was ready. The pain medicine made me loopy but helped me when I got my epidural because it made me more relaxed.

I fell asleep (again) after my epidural and woke up with pain on the left side of my lower back and stomach. I think this was after 7 because I had a new nurse on duty. She was actually one of my nurses that I had while I was on hospital bed rest. That made me feel better too that I did not have the same annoying nurse from the night before. I explained to her my pain and she called the anesthesiologist to come talk to me. He explained to me that epidurals only take away 80% of the pain, not all of it and there was a possibility that it did not hit all the nerve spots and that was why I was feeling the pain I was feeling. He said he could try to up the dosage and see if it would help and I told him to try it because I was not going to have this pain.

He left the room and during that time, I broke down and just knew that I wasn't going to be able to go through this birthing process. I had it. If he wasn't going to be able to take the pain away, I just wanted them to go in and take the baby through a c-section because I just knew I couldn't labor through the pain. Robert and Pam were able to calm me down, but it was just very emotional for me.

This whole time, my nurse was having a hard time getting Alexander on the external monitor. After the anesthesiologist changed up whatever he had to change, I felt the changes. I was not feeling anything anymore. Did not feel like I could move my legs where before I felt like I could get up and run laps around my room. The nurse called the doctor in to check on me because of the monitor. I guess the decided that they would put in an internal monitor instead to keep an eye on the baby. Please remember that this whole time, I was told that they would not check my cervix to see how far along I had progressed because of chance of infection. The doctor said that since I was only 1cm dilated at 2:30, there wasn't going to be much progress.

He went to go put the monitor and had to check my cervix (how else was he going to get the monitor in). I remember him saying "you are complete plus 3" Can you imagine how I felt? Robert's reaction was priceless. I just wished I could have seen his face. He asked the doctor what it meant for me to be complete and he said that it was time to have a baby. From that moment on, it was a complete whirlwind. The doctor gave orders and next thing I know they were telling me to roll over on my back and they were lowering the bottom part of the bed. Remember, I had just had my epidural "fixed" and could not move my legs at all. I had to get help to roll over and move upward on my bed.

I remember looking at the clock and seeing that it was 8:15. Next thing I know, the nurse and Robert have my hand and tell me to tuck my chin in and push. I had never gone through childbirth class, but had seen enough shows and read up enough to know that was what I was supposed to do, but I was still in shock that I was about to deliver my baby. I remember Robert telling the doctor that we had not gone through any childbirth classes, and that was when my nurse took over and guided me through it all. They eventually let go of my hands and had me grip onto something on the bed while pushed. I believe I had a series of 4 pushes (a series being pushing for a count of 10, quick pause for a deep breath, pushing again for 10 count, quick pause, and another 10 count) and the nurse telling me I was almost there and his head was out. On the 5th set of pushes, he was out. I was now a Mom!

From first push to delivery was around 15 minutes. Alexander was born at 8:27pm. He was taken straight to the NICU nurses that were in the room to check on him. He cried for just a little bit, but nobody seemed concerned. After they cleaned him up, one of the nurses brought him over to me so that I could see him and give him a quick kiss before they took him off to the NICU. Robert was able to go with him. All the while, the doctor was fixing me up. I had a second degree tear and he was stitching me up. Pam had stayed with me during this time. Nobody told me that after you deliver, you start shaking uncontrollably. I guess that was normal because nobody was concerned. Robert texted Pam his measurements. Imagine my surprise when I was told he was 6 pounds and 17 inches! Remember, I delivered him at 32 weeks, 2days. Imagine what would have happened if I went full term. He definitely would have been a big boy!

I was able to go see him after a few hours because they wanted to make sure I was stable. He was the most beautiful thing I had seen. They had to place a breathing tube in him because his lungs were still a little underdeveloped and was also given a dosage of cerfactin (sp?). It is supposed to help with lung development. I had to be on the magnesium drip for 24 hours after delivery and was dismissed from the hospital Tuesday morning. It was so hard to leave the hospital without him, but it had to be done.

Alexander is doing ok. He is still in the NICU. They are still working on his breathing. The only thing they are concerned with now are his oxygen levels, but they gave him nitrous oxide today to help open up his blood vessels and it seems to be working. The difference from what he looked like this morning compared to tonight was great. He looked much better.

I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers. This is definitely going to be hard with him in the NICU, but it will be worth it because he is in good hands. I will try to keep you all posted, but no guarantees. I plan on spending as much time I can up at the hospital. Our first concern is getting his breathing tube removed. I am hoping it will be by Friday. That would make the best birthday present for me!

48 hours old!

24 hours old!

a couple of hours old!

Taken within 30 minutes of birth!

June 12 - 32 weeks pregnant!

Dear Baby,

Well, we have reached another milestone. We have made it to 32 weeks which means at most we have 2 more weeks to go before you are going to join us in the real world. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you will be here in two weeks and possibly in less than two weeks. As far as baby stuff, I think we are pretty much ready for your arrival. There are still a few things that we still need to get, but I think there is still time since most likely you will spend a little time in the NICU.

The doctor told me this morning that based on gut instinct, he sees that delivery may be closer than two weeks. He based this off a few things: swelling is getting worse in my hands, feet and face, I have gained a pound a day for the last 4 days which means there is more water retention, I have had a few spikes in elevated blood pressure, and my headaches are more consistent. With all the little stuff combined, he just had a feeling that things are starting to get worse for me. It was a little hard to take in at first, but then I realized that I have made it farther than what the doctors originally thought I would. I have been in the hospital for 17 days and they were expecting 10-14 days so I am doing better than they thought.

My next goal is to make it to 33 weeks, but with what the doctor had to say, I think I need to be more realistic and take it one day at a time. Everything else is still looking good. All my lab work is still coming out ok and you are still looking good on the monitor and on your ultrasounds. All we can do is sit around and wait. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy.

June 7 - Another weekend down

Dear Baby,

It has been 12 days since the first night we have been in the hospital. Like I have said before, I never imagined that I would have been admitted to the hospital. However, we have survived and keep buying ourselves one more day in paradise. When the doctor first said that on average, delivery happens 10 days from admission for most women who are diagnosed for severe pre-eclampsia, I said that I would be above average. Well, obviously I have accomplished that goal. My ultimate goal is to make it to 34 weeks, but my next milestone will be 32 weeks which is next Friday. One of my nurses says take it one day at a time, but I am definitely an overachiever and have decided that I want to take it one week at a time. Stubborn me!

As for updates on me physically, I am doing fine. My blood pressure has come down tremendously. There are still those occasional spikes in my blood pressure, but nobody is concerned about it. The nurses are really surprised that my blood pressure has come down so much even though I am not on any type of blood pressure medication. I have had readings here lower than I ever had. My lab work comes back good everyday so far and Alexander is looking good on his monitoring and his ultrasounds. The resident doctor actually told me that they considered thinking about letting me go home, but they checked my protein level again and it was still elevated, so no such luck. Oh well. I think I might have preferred that he would have not have said anything at all.

I also want to clarify a few things. I have come to realize that some of my friends and family have a misconception of my stay here and I want to straighten things out. Some think that I am stuck to my bed and can not do anything on my own. I am allowed to get out of my bed and go to the bathroom and shower on my own. I also have a chair and couch in my room that I go and sit in every now and then. In fact, when I am on the computer, I am sitting on the couch because it is just more comfortable. I am also allowed to walk out of my room and down the hall to the snack room they have here for us. In the snack room, there are all kinds of things, but I mainly go there for juice and to refill my water. It is not much, but it is a break from staying in my room.

So, here is a random story to share with you all. All but one room on my side of the labor and delivery floor is for antepartum patients (patients like me who are on bedrest). The one room is used as both an anterpartum room or as a labor room. That room just happens to be right next to my room. Earlier this afternoon, Robert and I heard the baby monitor from that room and I thought it was quite odd that she was being monitored in the afternoon because most of the monitoring happens in the morning. Next thing we know, we hear her moaning and she just sounded like she was not a happy camper. We concluded that she was in labor. Well after Robert left to go home and my nurse came in to check on me, I asked about my neighbor and the nurse said that she was doing fine and was given some pain meds. Well not a minute after that, my nurse had to leave and go tend to this woman. She was moaning so loudly, I felt so bad for her. She sounded so miserable. After about 10 minutes of this, I believe she was taken away so that she can deliver her baby. I hope she is doing fine now. I knew that coming to the hospital, there was a possibility that I would hear that, but I didn't think it would be in the room next to me. Oh well, it happens.

I appreciate everyone who has sent me emails and comments. It definitely does make time go by faster. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

June 2 - one week down

Dear Baby,

One week ago today, I was sent to the hospital for some monitoring because of high blood pressure. Little did I know that the one night stay was going to turn out into something a little bit longer. I have to admit that this week has not been as bad as I thought it would be. Given, it would have been harder if I had no internet access and did not have a laptop though. I am glad that I am able to communicate with the outside world.

Everything is still looking good for us. Nothing new to report. I guess being on hospital bed rest is doing its job. I am still shooting for 34 weeks, so that means 3 and half more weeks to go.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

May 31 - first weekend down

Dear Baby,

We have survived our first weekend of being in the hospital. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We had a lot of visitors this weekend so that really helped time go by much faster. Also, your daddy was able to spend the night from Friday night til today. Unfortunately, your daddy had to go back home because he has some things he has to do to get prepared for this week at work. I was really sad to see him go, but understand that he had to get home for a little while. Hopefully he will be able to come back this week as often as I would like. I would also like to thank all my friends who have stopped by to see us this weekend. It is out of the way to get here and every visit was truly appreciated.

Everything is still looking good for us. Our stay in paradise just needs to continue on. All lab work and monitoring shows that we are still in good condition. Last night, the charge nurse from the NICU came by and took us on a tour of the NICU since most likely, you will be spending some time in there. I know that since I will be giving birth prematurely, a stay in the NICU is unavoidable. The nurse showed us one of the suites where babies are brought to. She showed us the different types of beds and we were able to see some of the current residents of the NICU. The babies there seem to be very well taken care of. It was shocking to see how tiny these babies were. There was one baby that was 2.5 pounds and was 35 days old. The nurse was optimistic when we told her that the doctor estimated your weight to already be at 3 pounds 12 ounces. I am hoping that you have grown some more over this past week. The bigger you are when you are born, the better your chances.

Today marks day 5 and a half and so far so good. There are moments when I start to lose it and get emotional. Ok, there are lots of moments when that happens. Its so saddening to know that I am sitting here waiting for things to get worse. I just have to keep telling myself that this is where I need to be for my health and for my baby's health and hope that I do not get any worse and I make it to the 34 week mark.

Another happy note. We have decided on a full name for you. Your daddy and I wanted you to have a lao middle name so that part of your heritage was included in your name. After much thinking, we have decided on Alexander Khamdy Garner. Khamdy is my grandpa's name on my mom's side of the family. He was a strong leader that was liked by many people and I hope that continues on with you. Well, I suppose this is all for now. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

May 29 - no news is good news

Dear Baby,

Well, we survived one more day in the hospital. As far as everyone is concerned, you are looking great on the monitors and on the ultrasound, you were doing great as well. My lab work came back looking good which is a good thing. I asked the doctor today what the lab worked checked for and he told me they checked for liver and kidney function and they checked my platelets. No new changes for us, so we just keep camping out here in lovely room 338 of labor and delivery.

We had three visitors today. My friend Amanda, Pam and her son Michael (who swears he is your big brother). Pam and Michael were here when the nurse checked your heart rate Michael was able to hear your heart beating and I think he really enjoyed it. How many 9 year olds get to hear the heartbeat of a baby while mommy is still pregnant.

This is going to be short, but that is only because there is no news to report. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

May 28 - An average of 10 days?

Dear Baby,

Well, we have taken residence in our new home for a while. At least I am hoping it will be for a while. The high risk doctor came in today and he told me that he would love to see me make it all the way to 34 weeks, but with what he has seen, on average, once a woman has been admitted for severe preeclampsia, she usually delivers within 10 days. "on average" are the key words. I am planning on being above average for this case. As bored as I am going to be and as crazy as I might get, I want to stay here as long as I can. Each day I stay pregnant means one less day that you might have to stay in the NICU. As is, they predict you to go to the NICU anyways since you will be considered premature. Hopefully you will progress well enough to not have to stay as long as others. One day this weekend, they will take me and your daddy on a tour of the NICU and show us around and what we will be expecting. Its a good idea so that we will not be so shocked once you actually go over there.

Today was pretty calm. I got another steroid shot to help develop your lungs. My magnesium sulfate IV was taken out. I was actually able to shower today and wash my hair. It was great. I felt like a new woman after my shower. The swelling of my feet has gone down tremendously. I guess this whole bed rest thing is a good thing after all. The highlight of my day involved your daddy taking me outside by wheelchair to the healing garden. It was only for half an hour, but it was one of the best half hours I have had here. It was so nice to get out of the room and get some sunlight. I am hoping this will be able to happen everyday when your daddy is here.

Well, I am off to try to get some sleep. The nurse will only be coming in to check on me every 4 hours tonight so I can get longer stretches of sleep. Woohoo. Until next time.

I will always love,
Your Mommy

May 27 - hospital bed rest

Friends and Family -

This is just an update on me and the baby. Hope everyone is doing well. Some of you may know that I was diagnosed with mild preeclampsia. I went to my OB appt. on Tuesday and my blood pressure was really high (160/100). My doctor sent me straight to Labor and Delivery for overnight monitoring. He wanted to see if my blood pressure would go down and watch out for any other possible signs of severe preeclampsia.

When we first got to the hospital, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor for 30 minutes to make sure the baby was doing well and then hooked up to a blood pressure cuff that checked my blood pressure every 10 minutes or so for the first hour. Next was a round of blood work that needed to be done. That was a pain since it was so hard for my veins to cooperate. Then an ultrasound was done to measure the baby's movements and growth. According to the ultrasound, my baby is weighing in at 3 pounds 12 ounces right now. Pretty big baby I think because at 29 weeks, I should have about a 2.5 pound baby in there. Oh well. Everyone seemed to be pleased with what they saw so far. I was also started on what was supposed to be a 24 hour urine collection to check protein levels, but due to miscommunication, turned into a 12 hour urine collection.

I was monitored off and on through the night. Robert was a trooper and slept on the little pull out sleeper in the room. Did not look comfortable at all. The high risk OB came in the morning to talk to me and it looked like everything was set for me to go home today. All that we were waiting on was the result from the urine collection. Well right around 11am or so, the resident doctor on duty came in and broke the bad news. For a 12 hr collection, I had about 3-3.5 grams of protein in my urine which would mean a 24 hour collection would have produced about 7 grams or so. Anything above 5 jumps me into the severe category which warrants hospital bed rest.

Next steps: I was given a steroid shot that will help mature my baby's lungs. I will get another one 24 hours after the first and the effects will be seen 24 hours after the second shot. I am currently on a 24 hour IV drip of magnesium sulfate that will help prevent seizures. My blood pressure has been taken every hour, but now since it is night, it will be taken every 2 hours. I am supposed to be watching for signs of my pre-e progressing any more - vision changes (blurriness), severe stomach pains up high near my ribs, constant headache that won't go away and of course they will watch my blood pressure. I will have blood work done every morning and the baby will be placed on a monitor for at least half an hour in the morning. An ultrasound will be performed everyday as well. Can anyone say high hospital bill? It doesn't matter anyways. If this means a healthy baby, then I will do and pay whatever it takes.

They won't let me go pass 34 weeks, but realistically know that I will probably deliver before then. That's the reason for the steroid shot. 34 weeks is June 26th, so my August baby has now turned into a June baby.

I am going to be fine and will try to give everyone updates as much as I can. I know there are a lot of you out there who are concerned. You can always email me as well at msnoonoo@embarqmail.com if you want. Take care everyone!

May 23 - possible hospital bed rest?

Dear Baby,

I might be seeing you a lot sooner than I thought I would. I am still hanging on for July 17th, but also know there is a possibility that you will be coming sooner than that. The doc called us last night to give us the results of my 24 urine collection. My first time around, there was 1-1.5 grams of protein in my urine. This time around, there was 2.5 grams of protein in my urine. Once you reach 5 grams, mild pre-eclampsia is considered severe. He told me that he sees me reaching the severe pre-eclampsia stage and that possibly by next week, I might be hospitalized.

Boy was that depressing to hear. I really don't want to be hospitalized. Nobody really wants to. I want to stay at home on bedrest, but know that if I need to go to the hospital, then I will. All that matters is that you are safe. I go back to see the doctor on Tuesday and he will monitor me through the week. I am not sure what other tests he will perform, but he will decide if I need to be hospitalized or not.

I don't know what is going to happen, but I will do what the doctor tells me I need to do. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

May 22 - Day 3 of Bedrest

Dear Baby,

I went in to see the doctor on Tuesday and he placed me on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. He diagnosed me with mild pre-eclampsia which means I have an elevated blood pressure and high levels of protein in my urine. I also have some excess swelling, which could also explain the carpal tunnel that I was talking about in my last post. My doctor wants to be on the safe side so that is why he put me on bed rest. He doesn't want this to turn into anything severe. If it does become severe then I will have to be on hospital bed rest and that is not something I want to do, but if it comes down to it, then that is just something we will have to deal with.

My doctor said that if my condition doesn't change, then he will not let you get pass 37 weeks. If we make it that far, then he will induce me and you will be born shortly after that. Our new target date is now July 17th. It seems like its so much earlier than before, but its only 3 weeks. Its going to take a lot of getting used to, but I think I will be fine. I am not on strict bed rest where I have to stay in bed the whole time. I can still get up and move around, but he just doesn't want me to do anything to place any strain/stress on my body. That means no housework! yay! Your daddy wasn't too thrilled to hear it was all going to be on him now to keep the house clean, but he is a good sport and I know he will do whatever it takes to make sure you and I are healthy.

Even though I am supposed to be on bedrest, I have had to go somewhere each day so far. Day 1 involved getting things settled at work and filling out paperwork for my leave time. Day 2 involved getting another 1 hour glucose test done and today I had to drive nearly an hour to the hospital to turn in my 24 hour urine collection to the lab so the results would come back sooner. I haven't really felt like I have been on bedrest yet. Tomorrow will be my first day where I won't have anywhere to go, so maybe it will hit me then. We shall see.

Ok, I am getting sleepy now and I think its time for a nap. I guess with all my free time, I will have more time to post on the blog, so get ready for more updates. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

May 10, 2009 - Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Baby,

Your daddy and I just finished the mural that is going to be in your room. It took a long time, but I think you are really going to like it. It is super cute. At least I think so anyways. Now that the mural is done, we can start putting the finishing touches on the rest of the nursery. I am so excited!
Besides finishing the mural, today is another important day. Today is Mother's day! This time last year, I was feeling so sorry for myself because I never thought that I would be a mom. Now, this year, I am just three months shy of becoming a mom. This is such a miracle that I will always be greatful for. I am so thankful for every moment of this pregnancy and I can't wait until you join us in the world.

Another important tidbit - I am officially in my third trimester. Yep, that's right. You are more than 2/3 of the way done baking. I still am shocked sometimes that I am still pregnant. It just seems like yesterday that I was taking pregnancy test after pregnancy test just to convince myself that I was really pregnant. Things are progressing well. You are moving around a lot and your daddy says that he can see you move on the outside of my belly, but I unfortunately I can't because I just can't bend my body in that direction because you seem to move at the very bottom of my belly.

The only thing I am concerned about is the possibility that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Last week I started having numbing feelings in my arm and hand (mostly the left side). Its that feeling you get when you have slept on your arm all night and you wake up to the feelings of pins and needles. Well for me, the feeling does not go away during the day. I called the doctor's office and it was suggested to me that I wear a brace to bed that is designed for carpal tunnel. It hasn't seemed to help yet, but I am hoping that after a few more days I can see some type of improvement. Let's hope anyways.

Just a few more months and you will be here. I can't wait. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

April 13 - nursery update

Dear Baby,

I just wanted to share with you what we have been doing with your room. I have this idea in my head what I want it to look like, but how it actually turns out will hopefully be what I had in mind. So here is the description of your room. 3 of the 4 walls are painted yellow and the 4th wall was reserved for the mural I am painting. We are going for a Winnie the Pooh theme and I wanted to find the perfect scene to paint. That was the hard part. It took what seemed like forever to find what we wanted on the wall. This weekend, your daddy and I started on the mural. I have done most of the work, but he played a huge roll in getting it started. Here are a couple of pictures of what we have so far:

Here is your daddy just chilling after a hard day painting.

Your grandpa and Daddy having way too much fun.

After Day 1 of the mural

After Day 2 of the mural

April 8 - Its been a long road

Dear Baby,

The other night your daddy brought up a very good point to me. He pointed out that two years ago, this month, we started our very first round of fertility treatments. We had been trying for longer than two years, but it was two years ago that we started to figure out what was wrong. We didn't actually use any procedures, but I started my very first round of clomid. We went into it knowing that the chances of getting pregnant on the first try was very slim, but we couldn't help but be hopeful. Month after month of not getting pregnant would eat away at me, but I just had to keep going. I knew that it would eventually pay off and the reward at the end would be worth it.

Here we are, two years later and nearly 23 weeks pregnant. I still have times when I can't believe this is all real. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

April 5 - Kicking

Dear Baby,

I just had to share this. Last night after I ate a late dinner, I was lying down on the couch and noticed you were moving around a lot. Well, I called your daddy in to feel my tummy in hopes that you could feel you as well. He had his hand on my tummy for about 15 seconds and was able to feel what I think was my pulse and then all of a sudden you kicked. He quickly pulled his hand away and had the most freaked out look on his face. I couldn't help but laugh. For some reason he didn't think it was going to feel that strong. I am about 22 weeks along right now and have been feeling you for the last 3 weeks or so, but this was the first time anyone else could feel you. I can't wait until we can actually see you move around.

Today we also went and bought your mattress for your crib. Boy does it make a huge difference on what the room looks like. I can't wait until we get all the bedding in the room. We still have plenty of time though. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy.

April 2 - Boy, its been a long time

Dear Baby,

It has been nearly a month since I have written anything to you. So much has happened since then. Your daddy and I went to California for a week to spend time with our family and friends in California. We also had our very first baby shower where we got all kinds of amazing gifts. I can't even begin t list all the cool baby gifts that we got. There are so many cute little outfits that you will definitely get a chance to spit up on. I love them all. We are definitely going to have to thank Dee for all that she did for us. Everything was so nicely decorated and the food was yummy and delicous. I wish I didn't get full so fast because I just wanted to keep eating. We also got to meet a lot of Dee's friends who keep hearing about you.

You did a great job on your first long road trip. I thought that driving out to California was going to be painful, but it wasn't so bad. We took Tessa with us and she was a great doggy on the drive out there. She is definitely going to be a great doggy around you. Even though I loved the time out in California, I am not planning on making th drive out there again for a while. The next time we go out to California will be in November when we fly out there for Thanksgiving. That's when you will get to meet all your mommy's mom's side of the family in person. They are going to go crazy over you.

On another note, we went and saw the OB last week to make sure that everything is going right on track for your growth. He measured the size of my uterus and said that it was growing at the right speed. Also, we were able to hear your heartbeat which is awesome. I fall in love each and every time I get to hear or see you. I can't imagine how it is going to feel the first time I get to hold you in my arms.

The OB also recommended that I go ahead and get my glucose screening done. That's where I have to drink this lovely sugary drink and then they take my blood an hour later to check to see how my blood sugar levels are. I haven't heard anything back from the doctor's office and they said no news is good news so I guess we are just going to have to assume that everything looks good so far. The test usually isn't done until week 25-28 of a woman's pregnancy, but since my blood pressure was a little elevated and I am overweight, he wanted to check it earlier than usual.

I am still enjoying every moment of this pregnancy. The best part of my day is when I can feel you kicking me. Nobody else can feel this or see it, so I feel like its our own little secret. Hopefully soon we can share this experience with your daddy, but no hurries. I also enjoy every time your daddy reads to you at night before I go to bed. I hope that you can hear him. Everything I read says that you can hear his voice.

Let's see what else is there to tell you? Oh yea, you now have a name. Your name will be Alexander. We don't have a middle name picked out yet, but you will have one before you are born. I still call you Squirt though. Ok, that is definitely it for now. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

March 10 - Is it a boy or is it a girl? The answer is..

Dear Baby,

Today we went for our level II ultrasound. At this visit, the ultrasound tech measured all kinds of things. She measured body parts, amniotic fluid levels, and we even got to see if you were a boy or a girl. The ultrasound required that I have a full bladder. That is probably one of the meanest thing they could do to a pregnant woman. Tell her to have a full bladder and then push on her belly. Luckily after a few pictures, she let me go to the bathroom.

So after a while, she told us that she was 80% sure that you were a boy because they never can give you a 100% guarantee either way. There was no denying it in my eyes because we were able to see the family jewels between your legs. The rest of the ultrasound went ok. She put a lot of pressure on my belly in order to get what she needed. However, towards the end of the ultrasound, you turned your face away from her and put your head downwards. She pushed and pushed but could not get you to turn so she could get a good picture.

She had me walk around the room for about 10 minutes while she went to talk to the radiology doctor to see what he wanted to do. The room was maybe 6 feet wide and it got boring real quickly walking back and forth. Eventually the tech and the doctor came in the room. The doctor looked for himself and couldn't get a good picture of your heart, so he is going to suggest to my OB to have me come back for a follow up visit in about 4-6 weeks in order to look at your heart. He said not to worry because everything looked fine. They just want to make sure.

Overall, it was a great visit. Your dad got to see the entire show, but I was only able to see you for about a minute because of the way the screen was turned. However, the little bit I saw was absolutely amazing. I am so in love with you and can't wait to see you in real life.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy


Here are a few pics that they gave us today:

This is a profile picture and it looks to me like you are trying to play peek-a-boo because you brought your hands up to your face.

Here you are showing us your tickets to the gun show.

The next two pictures are of your legs.

Last but not least, the family jewels shot!

March 9th - Baby furniture

Dear Baby,

Less than 24 hours to go until I get to see you again. I am so excited. I am just hoping that time flies and 10am will be here before I know it. We have tried to think of names, but nothing has been decided yet. There are so many options and its harder when we don't know if you are a boy or a girl. I guess tomorrow will help in that decision.

Last night, your daddy and I went to Target and bought your crib and changing table and we also bought a glider and ottoman so that it will be comfy feeding you or rocking you to sleep. All the furniture is cherry stained and matches oh so perfectly. I can't wait until we can start setting up the nursery. Your daddy and I also discussed how we wanted things set up in the nursery, but it will definitely have to wait until all the "adult" furniture is moved out and the walls get painted.

Your Grandpa Garner is coming to visit us for a few days starting tomorrow. He played a big roll in getting your furniture and hopefully I can convince him to start putting together the furniture.

Ok, until tomorrow.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

February 25 - Let's talk about registries

Dear Baby,

I am going out to California in a couple of weeks and on March 15th, your lovely Auntie Kerri and her mommy Dee will be throwing me a baby shower. It is a little earlier in the pregnancy than when most people have baby showers, but it will be my only chance I will be able to make it out to California for a while. I will only be 19 weeks preggers at the time of my baby shower. I am hoping that you are cooperative on March 10th so that we can make sure that was really a little boy part that we saw in the last ultrasound.

Ok, let's talk about baby registries. I knew that you would need a lot of things when you are just a wee one, but I never expected to see how much you really needed. About a month ago, your daddy and I went to Babies R Us and spent about two hours in there just looking around. We didn't buy a single thing. Just wanted to see what was there. Then we went to Target and looked there and were just as overwhelmed.

So what did I do? I consulted with all my lovely friends who have recenltly given birth within the last two years and asked them what I needed. Boy was that helpful. Hopefully you will be able to meet all these wonderful kiddos and be good friends with them like your mommy and daddy are with their parents. We were able to pick out some things that we wanted. This past weekend, I took one of my friends with me to Target and she helped me finish up the rest of the registry. Thank goodness thats pretty much done with for now. We are registered at Target and Babies R Us for those who are curious. I am sure there are things that we still are missing, but its a start for now.

I just never realized that planning for you was going to be such a huge chore. Oh well. It will all be worth it when I get to hold you in my arms.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

February 10, 2009 - Second OB appointment

Dear Baby,

First let's start off by saying that I am officially in my second trimester. I am 14 weeks and 4 days pregnant. The morning sickness has pretty much subsided, but there are times when nausea kicks in.

Today your daddy and I went to see our lovely doctor to make sure things are going well with you. He told us that all my blood work came back great. Everything is normal. What a relief! Next thing he wanted to do was check out your heartbeat. He first used a doppler but couldn't find anything, so he decided to do an ultrasound. I was so happy to hear that I was going to get to see you again. Unfortunately, he was unable to get a picture of you with an external ultrasound so he had to do an internal ultrasound. Fine by me because I knew we would be able to see you clearly then.

Once he started doing the ultrasound, we were able to see you right away. You were very active and moving around so much. Your little heart was just flickering away. Your arms and legs were moving so much. Then you decided to lift your leg and we were all able to catch a glimpse of what we think might be a little winkie. Even the doctor said he thinks that we might be having a boy, but we can't be sure yet because it is still pretty early. So, if you really aren't a boy, sorry. We will love you no matter what.

I fall in love with you over and over each time I see you. Its so amazing to know that you are in there. I get to see you again in about 4 weeks when we will go for a more in depth ultrasound and really see if we are going to be team blue or team pink.

Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your mommy


Here is the most recent picture of you.

February 4th - Almost done with the first trimester

Dear Baby,

Its been almost a month since I have written to you. You must think that I am such an awful mommy. Honestly, there really hasn't been anything new to report. I am considered 13 weeks and 5 days pregnant which means I am getting closer to the end of the first trimester. A third of the way there! Yay! I am glad to report that the morning sickness has been minimal over the past couple of weeks and the nausea and vomiting has died down tremedously. However, I find that I have been peeing a whole lot more than I did before. I didn't have a strong bladder before, but now, its gotten worse. I can't even make it through the night without having to get up at least once to go pee. The bad thing about that is that when I do wake up in the middle of the night like that, I am always hungry. I have had a middle of the night snack every night for the past week. If I keep that I up, the 5 pounds I have gained so far from being pregnant is going to quickly turn into 50 pounds. Yikes!

Even though my belly is nowhere close to what resembles a baby belly, I can certainly tell that you are in there because the part of my stomach a couple of inches below what was my belly button is getting just a tad bit firmer than the rest of my belly. The rest of my belly on the other hand is all fat. Yuck. I know.

Next week on Tuesday I will be visiting my doctor again so that he can check on me and you to see how things are progressing. I am hoping that he or the nurse will check for your heartbeat using a doppler so that I can hear your heartbeat. It would be so great if they do that. I am also hoping they will go ahead and schedule my appointment for the ultrasound that will tell me if you are a girl or a boy. You already know if you are a girl or a boy, but I will have to wait until the ultrasound to find out. I sure hope you are cooperating that day.

Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

January 16, 2009 - First OB appointment

Dear Baby,

It has been a while since I have written to you. Things have been going just fine. On Monday your dad and I went and met with our OB (the man that is going to help bring you into this world). Everything went well on this visit. I had some blood drawn. I was very glad that my vein was cooperative and stayed cooperative throughout the 4 vials of blood drawn. I had a complete exam done and the doc said that everything looked good. However, the most important part of the appointment was the ultrasound. I wanted so badly to be able to get a glimpse of you again. Unfortunately, the ultrasound machine was not as powerful as the one in the infertility clinic, but we were still able to see you. I said it looked like you were dancing around for us because your arms and legs were just moving around all over the place. Your daddy seems to think that it looked like you were swimming. Either way, you were moving around and that was just amazing. We were not able to get able to hear your heartbeat or get a measure on your heartbeat, but it was ok because you were moving around and that was good enough for us. I won't be able to see you again for another 10 or so weeks, but hopefully when we go back to the doc in 4 weeks, we will at least be able to hear your heartbeat on the doppler. At least I hope so anyways.

As for how I am feeling, I am loving every moment of this. I am still having to run to the bathroom every now and then. Lately the past two weeks I have been getting sick whenever I smell cigarette smoke. Unfortunately, a lot of students at my job smoke and they have been making me terribly sick. I have told them they have to stand at least 5-10 feet away from me, but we will see how long that lasts. Its hard to help them out when you can't get too close.

Today I am 10 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I am almost done with the first trimester. We will see what the next few weeks bring. Until next time.

I will always love you,
Your Mommy

Here is the most recent picture of you. The quality is not all that great, but I am still able to see you.

switching sites

I have decided that I did not like my previous blog site as much and would give this site a try. Hopefully this will work out better for me. I will do my best to keep this updated, but can't make any guarantees. If you would like to read my previous blogs up to this date, please click on the following link: http://garnerfamily.blog.com