Aubrey at 5 (and a 1/2-oops!) Months

Yeah, I'm waay behind! There are many reasons, mostly just that it's a busy time and Aubrey keeps me on my toes these days. Also, there are a lot of new things happening with our little family. I should start there, I guess . . .

Chad has been really progressing at work. I mentioned previously that he's been getting some side jobs to make extra money and that allows me to stay home with Aubrey. Well, it's going so well that he and his business partner have decided to start their own business together. It's complicated, but basically, they are a one-stop shop for apartment complexes when "turning" their units. Maintenance, cleaning, painting, new fencing, sand volleyball courts, etc. They can do it all and we think that even with the economy struggling, we'll have steady business since the apartments are always hopping around here. We have truly been blessed this year and I thank God every day for that! Also, I've been doing some simple accounting work from home. I was doing this before at the law firm because the lawyers own this other business too, but, since I wanted to stay home with Aubrey, I offered to continue just the bookkeeping from home. It doesn't pay much, but it helps. Well, a few weeks ago, I was contacted by the attorney's daughter who asked if I would also keep the books for her husbands construction company. It's nothing too difficult, so I agreed. Plus, I'll be keeping the books for our new business as well. So, I now have 3 jobs and a baby! Now you can see why I'm so busy!

Back to Aubrey! She is blossoming and growing so much! A few days before her 5-month-birthday, she started laughing at us on her own (as in without being tickled or anything). She is smiling much more at everybody, not just me and Chad. And she is talking more. She makes the funniest noises!! You just never know what she'll do next. Today, she was playing in her walker and yelling/squealing with delight. She is a loud child! But so adorable. A couple of days ago, she started laughing at the dogs! We were just sitting on the couch and she looked at the dogs and started giggling at them. Chad and I were so surprised.

We've had both grandmas visit this past month. She had a blast playing with them and getting all that attention. And it really helped me get more stuff done. She went through a brief phase where she screamed when she saw a stranger, but seems to have overcome that for now. She has a few bumps on her gums where teeth are trying to come in, but nothing yet. We think she will be crawling any day now. She gets up on her arms and even on her knees, but then just ends up rolling over to her back. She hasn't quite figured out yet that she can crawl from that position too. She scoots sometimes, but mostly just rolls wherever she wants to go. She has rolled all over the living room floor exploring all the furniture. She really enjoyed it when I put up the Christmas tree and we took her outside in her walker to watch us put up the lights. She has really done well eating her baby foods. She loves eating everything I've given her, both fruits and veggies! I am very grateful that she can sit up well enough now to sit in the grocery cart or in a high-chair at a restaurant because a) she is too heavy to carry around in her carseat and b)when I do take her in her carseat it takes up too much room.

We have been really blessed with a happy baby. She sleeps well, at least 2 naps a day and all night, she's usually smiling and happy to play and only cries when she really needs something. I am so thankful!

I know this may not make a lot of sense, but it's late and I'm writing as I remember things. I was trying to wait to write this until I'd uploaded her 5 month pictures I took, but I just haven't found the time for that either. Soon, I promise!

Happy Holidays!
--Amy

Aubrey's New "Tricks"

Aubrey has really been learning new things lately! I mentioned before that she has learned to reach for a toy that is near her and even roll over to get to it. Well, her favorite thing to do recently is reach out with both hands and grab my face, then pull it to her with her mouth open wide. It's like she's trying to eat my face and it's hilarious! She just smiles and laughs. She's also becoming very good at grabbing my hair, even when it's pulled up, and the girl has a good grip. Anyway, tonight Chad was holding her on the couch and Maggie jumped up and sat beside them. All of a sudden, Aubrey reaches out both her arms and tries to grab Maggie by the face! She's really started to notice the pugs over the last couple of weeks and she'll watch them a lot. Sometimes they'll be close enough that she can touch them with a hand or foot and feel the different texture. I guess tonight she decided she would like to get to know Maggie a little better. To Maggie's credit, she was very good and didn't react negatively. She tried to lick Aubrey, which I stopped, and then she just tried to stay out of her grasp. Surprising since Maggie is not the best behaved dog. Both dogs have been very good around her since she was born, thank goodness.

Another milestone we reached tonight was real food! I decided that since she has done so well with her cereal we could try some other things. I started with applesauce because she's had apple juice before and I figured the taste wouldn't be so foreign to her. She loved it! I gave her a little cereal after her bottle to follow the routine we've established and then switched to applesauce. She made a little face, but I think just because it was a little surprising. She kept opening her mouth and wanting more. I gave her almost half the jar. I'll try a vegetable in a couple of days and see what her reaction is. I can't believe she's growing up so fast!

Here's some pictures from tonight . . .

Halloween 2008

Aubrey was a Pumpkin for Halloween this year. Mostly because there wasn't a lot to choose from at the store. October 18th we took her to the "Pumpkin Patch", which is really just a place that sells pumpkins and the proceeds go to charity. We picked out a big pumpkin to carve and we got a little pumpkin for her. I know she really has no clue what's going on, but I wanted to make sure we still did something for her first Halloween. And, I want to start traditions for us to continue through her childhood. We also took her to Target to pick out her costume. I must say, those costumes are very hot for such little ones in Texas. And we even had a cold front this year! Normally, it's nearly 90 on Halloween.

Anyway, the next weekend I took her outside in her high chair so she could watch me carve the pumpkin. I'm not particulary good at carving pumpkins, but it's the thought that counts. When Halloween arrived, she wasn't having a very good day. She was pretty fussy, so we decided just to take her to some relatives houses for trick or treating. We took a few pics and came home. It'll be better next year!

--Amy

Aubrey at 4 Months

I am sooooo behind! Aubrey turned 4 months on Oct. 24th! She is growing so fast and learning so much. She's really keeping us on our toes and keeping me really busy.

I guess I should just start at the beginning of October. We took her on her first trip to Arkansas so she could meet the rest of my family and friends. It is a long car ride (8 hours!) for such a little one, but she really did pretty well. We figured out that she does not like to be in the back seat by herself for long periods or in the back seat in the dark AT ALL. We had a really good visit with everyone and I'm so glad we were finally able to make it up there. Luckily, she slept most of the ride back.

Aubrey has learned so many things! On our trip to Arkansas, she discovered her feet and has barely left them alone since. Most mornings I find her with one foot in each hand, trying to get them (and her hands) in her mouth all at the same time. She's usually cooing as well. It's really a sight, but such a great way to wake up each day. She is not a quiet child (I can't imagine where she got that from!). She will coo at you and then yell at you and then back to cooing. We try to play on the floor with her at least once a day. She learned to roll over from front to back pretty early in the month. Last week (I think), she started rolling from back to front. Now, she is rolling back to front and front to back, but only in one direction. She is pushing herself up on her forearms and has recently been trying to scoot over to get a toy. She will roll over to reach a toy that is behind her but just out of reach.

We went to her 4 month well-baby check-up. She is 25 1/2 inches and 14 lbs., 15 oz. He said her spitting up is fine as long as it doesn't bother her and that she's healthy and developing well. She also got 4 shots. She did really well. She cried initally, but stopped before the nurse left the room. He also said we could start her on solids as soon as we felt she was ready. Since I've been feeding her cereal in her bottle almost since she was born, I decided to start her on some cereal mixed with formula using a spoon. It is a work in progress, but she seems to enjoy it and is doing pretty well. I have a hard time trying to keep her hands out of her mouth and she loves to smile at me with a mouthful of cereal.

We have been very blessed to have such a good baby. Until recently, she was sleeping in until about 10 am. Now, she gets up about 8 or 9, but takes a nap about 11 am. She is generally pretty happy. She does have her bad days, which can be very trying. The time change really threw her off, but she slept a lot on Monday and has been pretty well adjusted since. Usually, I can figure out her issue and take care of it without many tears. Thankfully, she loves her high chair (I think that was the best purchase ever!), so that helps me get more done. I can just wheel her in the kitchen to watch me or to the living room to watch tv.

Here are some recent pictures of her . . .

Aubrey's 3 Month Pictures

3 Months Old!

Well, I should start with an Ike update. We did get some high winds and rain, but nothing like everyone around us got. While most counties around us lost power and/or flooded, we did not. It was all over by 12 or 1 pm that Saturday and we went on to have a normal day. We were very blessed because it could have been MUCH worse!

Now, on to my growing girl! She was 3 months old Wednesday! She is growing and changing so much. She eats 8 oz. about 4 times a day. She still sleeps really well at night! And she's learning more about herself each day. A few weeks ago, she started smiling when you smiled at her. Now she grins and even laughs a little anytime you look at her. The other day, she even smiled at Laila. I guess she thought Laila was smiling at her! When she's in her swing, she waves her arms around. I think she's trying to grab the bird's spinning around above her. She smiles at them too. She's discovered her mouth, tongue and hands. She sucks on her bottom lip, or sticks her tongue in and out. And she is constantly fidgeting with her hands in front of her face. It was a real issue when we took pictures yesterday, but otherwise, it's really cute. And she's really "talking" now. Sometimes she'll wake up happy and I'll just leave her in the bed. She scoots around, eventually flips herself over onto her back, and she's just cooing and gurgling the whole time. So adorable! She has learned to turn over from front to back. I don't have it on camera yet, but it's so funny to watch! She sticks her butt waaaay up in the air and moves her feet until she finally ends up on her back.

We went to take her 3 month old pictures Wednesday. Of course, I don't know how many good ones he got since her hands were constantly in front of her face. And I planned around her schedule. The one she's been on for about a month. But yesterday, it changed! Just my luck! I'm still looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I'll post them as soon as I can.

More later . . .
--Amy

Here comes Hurricane Ike!

Well, it's about 4:30 am and Hurricane Ike is moving into College Station. We have taken all the precautions we feel are necessary for our area and have plenty of supplies on hand for ourselves and especially for Aubrey. The videos I'm seeing on the news out of Houston are amazing! They are showing windows blowing out of the downtown high rises as the eyewall moves over downtown Houston. The wind between the buildings created a tornado like vortex with glass and other debris whipping around in the street. They said if you look in the blown away windows (from a building across the street of course) you can see the office furniture blowing around in the offices!

Currently, we have about 25-30 mph winds here with some rain, but nothing heavy yet. It is moving our way, so the worst is yet to come. They are predicting 75+ mph winds and about 10 inches of rain.

Boy, I am so glad we don't live in Houston any more and we are praying that all those people who live there took the warnings seriously and got prepared.

I'll update as I can . . .

--Amy

Aubrey's One Month Photos

Pictures by InPhocus Photography, Bryan, Texas

Two Months?

Really? My baby girl is two months old already? I just can't believe it. Time is flying by. It seems like she grows and changes overnight. We went to the dr. today for her well-baby check-up and shots. She weighs 10 lbs., 15 oz., is 23 3/4 inches and her head circumference is 39.6. She is getting so big! She reaches out to grab your shirt or touch your face. She has really starting cooing in the last few days and smiling a lot more. She loves to "dance" to music and wave her arms around. She is a GREAT sleeper! She doesn't feel so good today, since we had shots this morning, but she didn't scream very long at all. I thought it would be much worse, especially since I had to wake her up to go to the dr.

I'm not doing a good job posting updates on this blog. This is our busiest time of year. Every year we get super-busy in August and it really doesn't let up until after Christmas. These past 2 weeks have been Chad's busiest time at work. Everyone moves out, they have to clean and paint apartments, then everyone moves back in all in the same 2 week span. Plus, they had to let someone go, so Chad gained more responsibility right at the busiest time. However, this does mean he got a promotion! He is now the Maintenance Director over about 6 properties in this area. We are VERY proud of him! Anyway, Uncle Shane came in from Austin last week to help me with Aubrey since Chad really was only home to sleep last week. I find it difficult to take care of Aubrey and 2 dogs and still get things done (like Work!). Also, I had a meeting on Thursday night and needed a sitter since Chad was working (very) late. Shane did a great job taking care of her and even had to change a poopie diaper. I'll never hear the end of it!

I did get Aubrey's one month pictures back and they are wonderful! I'll post them above this post.

It just seems like time is flying by and before I know it, it's been nearly a month and I haven't posted an update on here. School is starting here already and that means that you can hardly get around town. It also means it's FOOTBALL season! Yay! My favorite time of year. Aubrey already has A & M t-shirts and a Texas Longhorn outfit. I'm sure my mom will have a Hog outfit for her soon. I don't know where the summer went, but I am sure excited for Fall!

--Amy

The First 6 Weeks . . .

6 Weeks already!

Well, time is just flying by and I am barely keeping up! I've been working from home since Aubrey was born and there is just not enough time to get everything done. Therefore, my blogging and fun projects get put to the side. I wish I had more time! I have a To Do list that keeps growing by the day.

Anyway, she is doing well. We went to the dr. yesterday because she's been fussier than usual and is spitting/throwing up a lot more. Dr. says she has reflux and gave us some Zantac. I hope it helps because I was up at 2 am on Monday night. Just so happened, I had a meeting at 8:30 am on Tuesday at the office that I HAD to attend. And, there was a tropical storm headed for us! Luckily, it wasn't nearly as powerful as they once thought and we ended up just getting some MUCH needed rain out of it. We finally got a good nap in about 4 pm. She is feeling much better and slept pretty normally last night.

I'm still waiting (and not patiently anymore) for the photographer to post our pictures on his website. I haven't taken a lot of pictures or bothered posting any because I was waiting for those. He says they'll be ready at the end of the week. But, I'm posting some that I've taken over the last few weeks anyway.

She is growing! She weighs 9 lbs, 14 oz. And she loves to eat! She stays awake more and more each day. She is very good (most of the time) about holding her head up. She loves to look around any time we take her places. In fact, we took her to Shane's Arena football game a couple of weeks ago. These games are really loud and, more so than NFL games, they play loud music and it's a very hyped-up atmosphere. Chad was nervous that it would be so loud and she'd cry the whole time. Boy, was he wrong! She LOVED it! She was looking around the whole time with her eyes wide open. We would "dance" to the music and she would just be so excited. She had a blast! And she got to meet Uncle Shane!

Chad is learning to change diapers and help with her more. He was apprehensive at first, but he's doing better now. He kept her on Saturday night while I went out with my friend Tayler. It was some much needed time with adults who were not family. I felt much more relaxed when I got home. I should clarify. . . Chad didn't keep her by himself. He cheated and took her to Lance & Crystal's to play Madden. Lance and Crystal love her and that way Crystal would care for her. But I'm not complaining. So long as I got out of the house!

I'm posting pictures in a separate post. Things are good here, just really hot! We are anxiously awaiting football season! My favorite time of year!

--Amy

Aubrey is One Month old!

I cannot believe that Aubrey is one month old today (well, yesterday since it's after midnight when I finally get this done)! It seems like we just brought her home from the hospital. She is
growing so much!

She's eating 6 oz. and a tsp. of rice cereal every 5-6 hours. She usually sleeps most of the time in between feedings, but she does stay awake for an hour or two. She loves to look at everything around her, no matter where she is. She loves to sit in her swing and listen to the music and watch the birds go around above her (she has the nature swing from Fisher Price). She loves to look at me with her beautiful big blue eyes while I'm feeding her. And she's recently started to grab and hold on to my shirt or hair while she's going to sleep. I'm still trying to get her used to sleeping in her own bed, but she usually sleeps in bed next to me or on my chest (her preferred spot). I secretly enjoy that, but it doesn't make for very restful nights! She smiles a little and is starting to make cute little faces by moving her mouth around while she's awake. We just love to watch her! She is starting to enjoy her baths more, although she doesn't like being naked afterwards. Chad is starting to take a more active role with her. He hasn't changed diapers, but he will feed her sometimes. He'll hold her, but gets frustrated if he can't get her to stop crying. I'm trying to get him to understand the more time he spends with her, the better it will be. She just has to get used to him too. He's so busy with work right now that he doesn't get much time at home with her. It will slow down soon and they'll really have time to bond. He does his best to love on her when he's home and I can tell he loves her more and more each day.

We went to take some family pictures and her one month pictures yesterday. I'm really excited to see how they turn out. She slept almost the whole time, but I think we did get a few with her gorgeous eyes open. I'll post them when I get them. It's amazing to see how big she has gotten in just a month.

I'm enjoying this time with her, but I'm so anxious to see how she grows and develops in the coming months!

--Amy

Update and Dr. visit

It's been busy around here and I don't get to the computer near as often as I'd like to. Aubrey is growing and growing! She stays awake a little more each day and she's wanting to eat more. I've started giving her a little cereal with her bottle at night and it helps. She's been sleeping about 6-8 hours a night.

Her 2-week check-up was last week. She weighed 8 lbs., 10 oz and measured 21 inches. The dr. said she is doing great and progressing just right for her age. My check-up was this week and he says my stitches are healing well. Also, my bloodpressure is back to normal (which is amazing considering I'm trying to work from home too!). So, we shouldn't have to go for any visits for about a month, which will be nice!

We've had family in every weekend since she was born, so this will be our first weekend alone. We are looking forward to getting in a good routine and doing "normal" stuff. We decided to postpone our Arkansas visit until September because Chad is so busy at work right now. I don't think he could get away for 4 or 5 days and I really want him to be able to enjoy his time off.

I hope everyone is doing well!

--Amy

Update

Things are going well here. We've been very busy and are ready to get back to some sort of normalcy. My mom and sister stayed with us about a week to help with Aubrey. It was so nice to have them here and they really helped out! Chad's mom and grandparents have been here the last 2 weekends and I think they are coming back this weekend. Then, maybe we can get back to normal life.

Aubrey is great! She eats every 4 hours and mostly sleeps in between. In fact, we've been sleeping so much that I haven't taken many pictures. I'll have to fix that soon . . . She is starting to wake up more in between feedings, so I'm trying to work and blog and email and post pictures while she's sleeping. It's a little difficult, but I'm trying to keep up.

I took Aubrey to the George Bush Library for her first 4th of July Fireworks. She slept through the whole thing! They were beautiful and it was fun anyway.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

--Amy

Aubrey Lynn

Aubrey Arrives!

First, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this posted. My plan to do it in the hospital was ruined when I couldn't access the internet. And it's been so busy since we got home that I haven't found the time. Anyway, here's the story . . . .

We went for my check-up on Monday morning. Ironically, on the way to the dr. office my husband said he was ready for this to be over 'cause he's tired of going to the dr. twice a week. ME TOO! So they check my blood pressure and after five days of bedrest, it's not any better. Dr. says to go home and get my stuff because he's checking me into the hospital today and inducing that afternoon. We were both surprised! And a little unprepared. I hadn't had many contractions recently, so we thought he would wait until Wednesday. We had planned work and chores for Monday and Tuesday in order to be prepared for Wednesday.

We checked into the hospital around 11 am, they poke me with all kinds of needles, and finally start the induction about 4:30 pm. But it didn't really start working until about 9 pm. We were sure it would be sometime late Tuesday morning before she would be here. Wrong again! My water broke on its own at 12:30 am, I had an epidural at around 1:30 am and at 3:40 the nurse said I was 5 cm and I'd probably deliver around 6 am. However, I was on my 3rd dose of epidural and it wasn't working as well as it was in the beginning. As soon as she left the room, my contractions changed and I felt a lot of pressure. I waited 20 min. to call her again. She said I was 9 cm! Call the dr. cause this baby was coming now and I was feeling everything. She called him at 4 am. He arrived at 4:15 am (I think that was the longest 15 min of my life!) and Aubrey arrived at 4:30 am.

We came home on Thursday afternoon and she's been great! We are really enjoying spending time with her and with family and friends who visit. We did have a very restful day today and are all feeling much better. I think I cry every time I see Chad holding Aubrey. They are so cute together and she is already Daddy's girl. I'll post pictures next. Thanks to all for the emails and messages. We really appreciate everyone's love and support!

--Amy

Baby Update

Well, it's been an interesting week or so. Last Wednesday, I was about a cm dilated and the doctor thought I'd have her within a week. All day Friday I had contractions in 2-3 hour blocks. Some of them more painful than others, but nothing steady. In fact, they would come all at once and I was having trouble timing them because it felt like one looooong contraction. I was sure that I'd be 3 cm at my Monday check-up. Nope! Just over 1 cm, but thinning more. So I'm progressing, but not as fast as we originally thought. And the contractions slowed down over the last few days.

On Monday, he said that he couldn't do anything "electively" until 38 weeks (next week), but if I had contractions, went to the hospital and they documented them then they wouldn't send me home. He said to walk to try to get the contractions going again. Well, we tried that and it seemed they were slowing down instead of speeding up! I swear, my child is hard-headed even from the womb!

So, we go back today for an ultrasound to check her size, because I am HUGE. Her movements are not as frequent as usual, so this morning I'm really scared. But, everything was fine. She's dropping more each check-up and they measured her at 7 1/2 to 8 lbs. Her heartbeat is strong, she's just running out of room to move. However, my blood pressure is up and I am as swollen as humanly possible. They had me lay on my left side and took my blood pressure 3 times. This also brought the contractions back. He said I'm almost 2 cm and still progressing. Then, he put me on bedrest with limited activity, but it's ok to work from home. It's more because of my swelling and the heat than it is from stress. I'm finding this difficult, but expect it to be better after tomorrow when my wireless network is hooked up and they give me access to my work files from home. He also said that my progression is good and I should have her naturally in the next week, but if not, he would induce me on Wednesday or Thursday.

YAY!! Hopefully by this time next week my little baby girl will be here and I'll be posting pictures of her. I'm so excited and nervous! And ready for this to be over. I'll update more after my appointment on Monday.

--Amy

Our Pregnancy Story

Since I'm coming to the end of my pregnancy, I wanted to put our journey in writing. We started trying to get pregnant about five months after we got married. We'd been together for a little over four years and, since I wasn't getting any younger, I wanted to start a family. Chad was a little skeptical, but when I explained to him that it would take a few months and then we'd have 9 more months, he agreed. Well, it took longer than we thought. We tried to concieve for a year. A very frustrating year. The doctor kept saying there's nothing wrong with me and we shouldn't have any problems, but still nothing. I was very frustrated and upset because I didn't know what was wrong. I didn't understand why! Well, hindsight is 20/20 because looking back on it now, God had a plan. We weren't ready! Especially financially. We were buying whatever we wanted and almost all our paychecks went to bills and groceries. How would we have ever afforded a child?! Since I've been pregnant, my husband has gotten a raise and will get a promotion and another raise in August! Plus, he's working an extra weekend job to help put some money back (and because the cost of gas and groceries is outrageous these days!). In fact, it may now be possible for me to work part-time and stay home with Aubrey. That is something I always wished for, but never dreamed would come to fruition!

Anyway, exactly a year after we started trying, I noticed that my boobs hurt. I mean HURT! I would scream when the dogs climbed on me or if I laid on my tummy. Then, one day I left my wallet outside in the shopping cart at the grocery store. Just pushed the cart to the proper area, got in my car and drove away. I was all the way across town when I started looking for my wallet to get something to eat. It was nowhere in my car. I panicked, drove all the way back to the store, and, luckily, someone had turned it in to the office. Everything was still in it! I was so embarrassed and confused. I have never done anything like that before. Later that day, I opened a bag of treats for the dogs. I almost threw up from the smell. One of our friends was at the house and he was like the smell is not that bad. What's with you? Well, I had my suspicions, but I was too afraid to tell even Chad. I didn't want to jinx it. Plus, I'd taken tests before and they were always negative. It's just too disappointing after awhile. I waited another week or so, and finally admitted to my friend Ashleigh that I thought maybe I was pregnant. She was thrilled! She called me the next morning and insisted I buy a pregnancy test and come to her office. So I did. I go in the stall while she waits outside. I hand her the test without even looking at it. She immediately freaks out! She said that is the most positive test she's ever seen (she has 2 kids). I am thrilled, nervous, and trying to figure out how to tell Chad. Finally, I go to his office that afternoon and tell him. He thinks I'm lying, but eventually believes me. We are finally going to be a family!

Now, as far as my actual pregnancy goes, well that is another story. I guess you can never be prepared for the toll it takes on your body. Two of my best friends had babies last year and, as I watched them go through it, I thought I was ready. Boy, was I WRONG! This has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I think I've had every symptom possible. Just when I thought I was going to get through it without morning sickness, here it comes. I was nauseous morning, noon and night. And TIRED! I came home every day and went straight to bed. Then the heartburn kicked in. I'd never had heartburn before. It was awful (and still is!). I have sciatica (which I discovered runs in my family), so I've had horrible, persistent lower back pain since about month 2. There have been times when it hurt so bad I couldn't lift my leg. I also have some skin discoloration on my face. It's known as the mask of pregnancy, but I only have it on either side of my nose. And it covers pretty good with make-up, so that's not bad. My skin has been broken out since day one and I can't find a thing to clear it up. I get hungry about 2 am each night. Hungry enough to wake me from sleep and force me to go eat something, or I'll never be able to get back to sleep. I think I can now pee on command. I have developed carpal tunnel in my hands and arms. My fingers are constantly tingling and numb and pain shoots up my arms. My hands are swollen and I've lost the ability to open things. Sometimes the smallest tasks are difficult. Also, since we are having one of the hottest summers on record, I am swollen. I am retaining water like you wouldn't believe. My feet pretty much stay as swollen as my skin will allow. I have to sleep sitting up because of the heartburn and my feet must be propped up due to the swelling. It's not the easiest position to sleep in. Now that I'm in my final month, I'm so big I can't really bend over. I can't touch my feet, shave my legs or do much of anything. I can barely dress myself! The good news is that I have made it with only a few small stretch marks on my sides. And, it's almost over.

Please don't misunderstand me. This was difficult, but I wanted this pregnancy and I am so thrilled to be bringing a little girl into the world. I can hardly wait to meet her! I've been planning and buying stuff for her from the moment we found out it was girl. I can't wait until we can go get pedicures together or go to Disney World or take her to Texans and Astros games. I think I am most excited to see how Chad reacts to her and how much he loves her. I'm pretty sure he has no idea what's in store for him. She is destined to be daddy's spoiled little girl. And both grandma's have offered to do their share of spoiling as well! The happiest day of our lives is right around the corner and I am so very excited!

--Amy

Wednesday Dr. Visit

So, I have been looking forward to this day for a week! I have been having quite a few contractions each day; some that hurt and others that are just tightening of my tummy. I've also had a lot of contractions in my back. So I knew I was progressing and I was very much looking forward to what the dr. had to say. Luckily, I was not disappointed. He checked me and said I was about one centimeter dilated and thinning. This means my labor has started and he doesn't think I will go past next week. YAAAAYYYYY! I am so big and miserable. I am ready to get this show on the road! I know there's a long way to go from one to ten, but just knowing that I'm on my way makes me feel better. I feel like I can finally see the end in sight. He wants to see me on Monday morning, so that's my next goal. Just have to make it to Monday! I can do that!

--Amy

Dr. Appointment

I had another appointment today. We have to go for check-ups every 2 weeks right now. He said everything is good. Her heartbeat is 155, her head is down and she's still gonna be big. He said he will probably take her a "little early" because of her size. I didn't get a feel for how early a "little early" is. Obviously, not as early as I would like or we'd be doing this next week! I can tell she is running out of room because her movements have changed a little. She is stretching more and I get a lot of thumping movements, whereas she used to "flip flop" around and make my whole belly shake. When she wakes up, I can feel her stretching and her feet are under my ribs. Not comfortable, but I still love to feel all the movements. So far, I haven't had any days where she hasn't moved or I've had to do kick counts. *KNOCK ON WOOD* She has been moving a lot since very early on.

We are so excited to meet her! I have everything almost completely ready. Her furniture should be here next week. I just have to get my husband to put it together, then we'll be ready!

--Amy

My little Laila . . .

I cannot believe it! My little Laila is FOUR today (although, she's not little anymore)! Seems like just yesterday we were picking her up from our friends in the Academy parking lot. We knew NOTHING about dogs, which is strange since Chad always had a dog growing up. We took this little furball with a smushed in face home and the poor thing had no toys, no place to sleep, nothing! We only had food and water bowls because they gave them to us when we picked her up. She must have thought we were nuts. But we figured it out! She came to work with me sometimes and Chad still comes home every day at noon to let her out. Then they take a nap together. Those two are really something together. In fact, when I reminded him it was her birthday today, he wanted to take off work to celebrate! Forget our anniversary, Laila's birthday is a National Holiday! Her world changed, and I'm not sure she feels it's for the better, when we brought Maggie home a year ago this month. I decided she needed a "pug sister". I think she's still mad at me for that. ; ) But they are learning to get along better. They love to go outside and play. Maggie will get behind Laila and push her out the door if she's not getting there fast enough. They don't realize that a new, bigger change is in store for them soon, but I'm sure they'll adapt. Actually, I think Laila thinks Chad painted the nursery so she could have her own room. She sure does like to go in there and check it out.

Laila is the best, most well-behaved dog we could have ever asked for. I just pray that Maggie learns the same when she gets through her puppy phase. I almost never have to yell at Laila. She has learned to crawl up under my hand when she wants to be petted. And she makes sure to get a belly rub at every chance! She is so sweet and we love her very much.

Happy Birthday, Laila!

Our Second Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, Chad! I cannot believe it has been 2 years already. I also can't believe you have stuck with me through this pregnancy. I know I haven't been easy to deal with (that's the understatement of the year!). You are my best friend and the only person in the whole world I could dream of growing old with. I'm excited as we start on a new chapter in our lives. I can't wait to see you with our baby girl!

I LOVE YOU!

--Amy

New Blogger . . . Watch out!

I am very new to this blogging thing, so please forgive me. I have been "lurking" on friend's blogs as I've found them. It's been nice to be able to keep up with people who are so far away. I sometimes feel a little isolated from everyone way down here in College Station. I think even more so since I've been pregnant. My friend says it's part of my "nesting". Maybe so, but I love to read about everyone I grew up with, their kids and lives. It helps me feel more connected to my "old" life. Which sounds funny, but since moving here I've really had to start over making new friends and "family". So, I guess Searcy is my "old" life and Texas is my "new" life. I have many great memories in both places and hope to stay connected not only for myself, but my soon-to-be-born daughter.

I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while, but had reservations. I don't always like to be so open. But I love how everyone puts up pics of their kids and tells family and friends how they are growing. So, I decided today would be a good day. Plus, it gives me one more way to waste time at work! ; )

There's a lot going on, so I'll probably break it up into several posts today. I hope family and old school friends find my blog and leave comments. I love getting updates on your families and hope you will enjoy updates from me as I FINALLY give birth to my daughter and post updates on her growth.

--Amy