I'm back

So it's been well... A long time since I've updated this blog. And the truth of the matter was out of fear. After losing Alan early in 2010 and blogging about all of the excitement of the pregnancy and all of the heart break of the miscarriage, I found it scary to blog again on our second pregnancy. I was terrified that we would miscarry again. Looking back, I probably should have expressed my thoughts and fears through the blog but there was something about writing things down that make it too real. I suppose I didn't want to admit the fear I had during my pregnancy because I wanted to embrace the blessing of the pregnancy. So I guess where do we go from here? Well we quickly discuss the pregnancy..

First trimester: SCARY but amazing. I embraced every day that I vomited (through the first 16 weeks straight) I have a few great vomit stories that stick out in my head. The first one starts at the drs office. We had a great visit with Dr Kaufmann and were released to go to my regular OB because the pregnancy was doing great and I was 11 weeks along. So Josh and I decided to celebrate this huge milestone by going to eat at chilis. I found the corn chowder soup to be very appealing to my pregnancy cravings so I ordered that with chips and salsa. When my soup came out it was garnished with some fresh chives. It looked yummy and tasted yummy too. After we left chilis, I remembered we were out of dog food so I asked Josh to stop at Walmart on the way home. Walmart was about a 10 min drive from where we were. As Josh was safely waiting to turn against traffic into the parking lot of walmart I quickly piped up with GAS it NOW. He knew better than to waste time asking questions so he did as he was told! I yelled at him to stop the truck and when he was trying to safely pull into a spot I already had the door to the truck opened, me hanging on to not fall out and corn chowder spuing all over the asphalt. Since it was a cool 100 degree day in Texas the vomit quickly heated up and began to smell. Josh is completely grossed out at this point and yelling at me to close the door because he could smell it. This scene was very reminiscent of Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon in the movie Four Christmases when the baby spits up. So I turn to give Josh the evil eye long enough before round two of my upchucking begins. Josh is slowly creeping the truck toward in the parking lot to keep from smelling it. As I carry on my barf festival I hear Josh in the background yapping about people watching, the smells, etc. When I finally finish my puking I look up to see only two cars in the back lot of walmart... Ironically both being occupied by watchful eyes. One was at AT&T work truck with a guy clearly stopped and eating his lunch... Well he WAS eating his lunch until my free show came along and the other was some dude in a car starring at me. Josh pointed out he was watching me the whole time and as I gracefully wiped my chowdered up nose and mouth I said maybe he didn't see... At that point I looked at the guy who was looking at me and then he just cracked up laughing.. Yup, he saw and you know he wasn't thinking oh I bet she's pregnant.... Oh no, he was clearly thinking I was intoxicated puking my guts out in the walmart parking lot at 2pm on a sunny Thursday afternoon. Classy! Anyway, I have no shame so I told Josh to pull up a spot so I didn't have to step in my vomit and I got out of the truck with confidence and marched right in to get the dog food I came for... Well actually I stopped off at the restroom first to pull the chive that was wedged in my right nostril out while Josh got the dog food. The other two times that come to mind were at Target and Italian Inn. I actually made it through my shopping extravaganza before the urge to blow chunks came over me. I was actually walking to my car with my shopping cart when all of the sudden my walking turned into speed walking which then became jogging that turned into pushing the cart at full speed... That ended with me abandoning the cart and finding refuge in a grassy median with a lovely tree I fertilized for free. That was a comical showing for the many spectators none of which offered to retrieve my buggy or give me a napkin to wipe my face. Some people are just so inconsiderate... They could have at least tipped for the show. Geesh! Finally, the Italian Inn. It wasn't in front of anyone thank goodness I made it to the restroom in time but I will say half chewed spaghetti noodles exiting your body via your nostrils is an unpleasant feeling...

The second trimester was also SCARY because I was having random bleeding. The dr described it as "a nose bleed of the vagina." nice... Only me... Anyway, the 2nd trimester was pretty cool. I finally stopped puking and clearly looked pregnant instead of just hitting the local all you can eat joint. I felt pretty amazing and loved sporting my bump around town. I loved having a "bump" because prior to being pregnant I had a kangaroo pouch and a biscuit. But my biscuit turned into more of a dumpling when I lost some weight. People don't smile and comment on your "dumpling" or "marsupial pouch" like they do a "bump." for the first time ever it was cool to have random fat sticking off your body in weird places. I loved it!!! But the second trimester was short lived because eventually My bump got so big I couldn't reach around it!

That brings us to the third trimester. It was SCARY too. I started off big and ended enormous. I loved and embraced my waddle. I loved the fact that I could save time in the shower not shaving because I couldn't see my legs anyway. Between the "bump" in the front and the "blob" in the back I didn't realize I had legs or feet anymore. You can't possibly shave what you can't see... Hahah anyway, all was going well so I thought until around 28 weeks when I was diagnosed preterm and put on bed rest. Honestly, bed rest wasn't so bad but maybe it had to do more with my positive attitude about it. I was willing to do whatever it took to keep my baby safe. Even if that meant being on my sides at all times for weeks on end and through thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, and new years. I had many admissions and discharges from the hospital a long the way but we safely made it to 37 weeks... And that is where I will begin my story.

Summer

Good thing it's summer!!! I need to update my blog! That will be this week's goal!

Victory Over Violence 5K

Josh and I decided to participate in the VOV 5K today.
It was pretty fun. I say participate because I walked/jogged and Josh ran. My finish time was 50 minutes and Josh's was 24 minutes. I was doing pretty well and jogging/walking when all of the sudden this old man comes up on my left side. Let me take this moment to describe this old man to you since I was unable to get a picture of him while I was jogging. He was probably around 5'7" and hunchbacked. He was probably 90 years old or older and looked very much like the Six Flags old man. He had on a Texas A&M football jersey tucked into his elastic cargo shorts that were pulled all the way up to his man boobs. He wore a pair of prescription sport goggles that he anchored around his head with a 3 inch wide strap that hung down off the back of his head about a foot. And when he came up on my left side I noticed a different movement that I had never seen before. It was the movement of "the old man shuffle." You know the kind, where their feet never come up off of the ground and just slide in front like a skier. So he comes up on my left side and I can't help but stare at what I'm seeing because really his feet never came off the pavement. Before I realized it he had passed me!!! Now, I wasn't about to let a 90 year old shuffler get past me so I started to jog a little faster. I kept up that pace about a meter behind him the whole time and I just couldn't seem to get in front of him. Every time I got close, he shuffled faster. I can't believe it, but I have to admit I got beat out by a 90 year old man who literally shuffled past me!!! Boy, do I have some cardio work to do in the gym this week!!!! Anyway, Josh did awesome! Not surprisingly of course because I knew he would do great. It was his first 5K to run in and he was pretty excited. His boss, Kirk, ran with him and they competed on the Charter Team. After Josh was finished with his run he turned around and walked back up the course to meet up with me and finish with me. He's such a sweetie!! We had a good time an we look forward to next weekend when we do the Zoo Run 5K~

New couch!

Okay, so we still don't have our money refunded from Ashley Furniture, but we do have a new couch picked out from Havertys! We are just waiting on our money to be refunded so we can purchase it! It's almost a $1000 more than the one from the other store...but at least we won't have to wait over a month for it and we know it will actually be delivered!!! As long as it is at my house BEFORE May 1 I'm good! Here's a picture of it:



but in this color:

Ashley Furniture UGH!!!

I have a few words of advice: NEVER buy furniture from Ashley Furniture Store. UGH!!! After a month of waiting we still do not have our couch and now it's going to be another 21 days before they give me my money back!!! HORRIBLE customer service and they don't return phone calls. We only got our money back because we were forced to go in the store today after sitting on hold for 38 minutes and then being hung up on. I called back and was told the Assistant Manager I as holding 38 minutes for had gone home and wouldn't be back until Wednesday!!! So, face to face contact gets the job done! I'm sticking with Haverty's in the future because I've NEVER had a problem with them!!!

Golfing

Josh and I decided to go golfing at the end of our street where there is a little park. Golfing is surprisingly fun! I don't like chasing the golf balls all over the field but it is reminiscent of an Easter egg hunt...only of balls...and there's no candy involved. Anyway, we were just hitting the balls around minding our own business when this random man (Exhibit A):

Came out of the woods from the tree at the corner of the fence in this picture:

And was complete with a golf club as he came wandering up from no where and began to hit all of stray golf balls back to us. I stopped for a minute and asked Josh if I was really seeing a random forest man hitting balls at us and he said, "Yes" but that was all he could get out over the shock and weirdness of the situation as well. So, only in my HOOD would this happen... But you know what? It's where I live so I deal with it! Anyway, here's some random golfing pictures. It was fun!

Dr. Appointment

I went to see Dr. Kaufmann today and basically I didn't learn anything new but I did get reassured that it would be okay and I could have a perfectly healthy pregnancy if I maintain my treatment regimen. I was told to begin a daily baby asprin today and to take one every day for the rest of my life. I was also instructed that at the first sign of pregnancy I am to begin Lovenox (blood thinner) injections which will continue through the pregnancy. At the end of the pregnancy they will switch meds with a smaller half life to make it safe for me after delievery. I will be monitored pretty closely to make sure I don't form clots and everything is developing correctly. This condition does affect other aspects of my life and I was advised to meet with a hemotologist/oncologist for more specifics; however, since it has not caused me problems until I was pregnant I should be fine. Though, knowing is half the battle because it is treatable! I feel relieved and happy that we have the answers and we have a plan. It is not going to be an easy road but then again the last 5.5 years of trying to concieve hasn't been easy so it's not surprising. I am optimistic about the future and I feel confident that one day Josh and I will hold the baby of our dreams in our arms and we will one day meet our little Alan angel in heaven. God provides when you give it up to him!!!