Well helllllo fellow bloggers!...sorry it has been a while since I last posted! I just loved Joe's post and left it on there for a while! ;) Also, I have been a very bad girl regarding my "house arrest" and spent the weekend in Houston with friends! (for the last time, I promise!) All of my buddies from H-town wanted to give me a shower and love on my belly! But don't worry, I took it extremely easy and I feel fine now that I am back home!...my one last hurrah... :(
I will post pics as soon as I get them downloaded.
Onto what you have been waiting for...WE DECIDED ON THE NAMES OF THE BABIES! It was very difficult and I have a funny story for you..but here they are:
The identical twin boys:
Andrew & Ethan
The fraternal twins:
Ben & Savannah
Full names are as follows:
Andrew Paul
Ethan Joseph
Benjamin Stephen
Savannah Leigh
We wanted to honor our fathers /grandfather with the middle names of the boys.
So, here's the funny story:
We had FINALLY settled on the names and felt good about it...Joe is ridiculously indecisive when it comes to important decisions! ;) but I love him for it. Well, while we were watching TV, it just hit me...
"Joe, do you realize that Andrew's name will be Andrew Stephen S.???" (wait for it....wait for it...) Look at what his initials would be! We laughed and laughed...
Arghhh! Needless to say, we had to do some flip-flopping around! But this is the FINAL list! ;)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Long Time, No Talk...
This post is the highly anticipated debut of suzanne's significant other...it's time for Joe to post his side of the story. some of you will laugh, some of you will wonder "uhhh what?" and some of you will hope this is my last post.
Time to get serious...
well, not really but i liked this hardcore pic and wanted to use it.
Ok, so my wife has been filling all of you in on everything thats been going on and i figured it was about time i got in the mix. sue has likely made fun of me several times, you've seen my crazy pics and you're probably thinking "what is her husband doing posting on her blog?" well, im sorry to disappoint you, but this post is all joe today and its going to be AWESOME. my goal is to try and give you a 28yr old male-perspective on this whole thing...let me re-phrase that, a 28yr old who got depressed when he turned 25, wishes he was peter pan (never grow up) and loves spending one on one time with his wife. that is, until the BIG4 arrived!
So, lets go marty and DOC (back to the future) to when i found out:
"Doc, did you say 4 kids at the same time? Not possible!"
I heard and kind of saw the news. pretty much almost blacked out. to be honest, i had no idea what i was looking at...it was black, gray and kind of white. things moved around, but i had no idea what those "things" were. it was like a really bad nintendo game and the graphics were flat out horrible. so, i snapped back into reality and heard "there's 3 sacks and 4 babies." i watched my wife start to cry the second she heard the word "four" (she knew about all the complications and i didnt)...it was all i needed to send me into worry overload. i worried about everything from suz, to the kids, to my ability to provide for all 5 of them. the worst thing was watching suz lay in that bed crying and there was absolutely nothing i could do...nothing i could say...i was completely out of my zone. all that masculinity had disappeared, it wasnt something i could protect her from or guarantee her the outcome of.
WHOA, wait it a minute...take her easy!
it was too much, too soon and i think i lived in a haze for a few days (maybe weeks!). it wasnt a bad thing, it was just my mind trying to wrap itself around too many things at the same time. i've come around to cherish two sayings: Lord give me strength and one day at a time.
bottom line, we've come a long way and discovered a lot. my wife is the one supporting me, when it should be the other way around. she has given me strength, she has given me confidence and now its my turn.
33...thirty three...p-dubbs...triple 3...8 months and a 1 week
It all adds up to my favorite hoops player off all time. Patrick Ewing, #33, who played for the New York Knickerbockers. The longer suz can fight and hold on to the BIG4, the better. the goal is the middle of august and 33 or 34 weeks...
THAT IS GOOD NEWS!!!! -Ron Burgandy
"A Lahoya man clings to life and in other news, the Steece's are expecting 4."
3 and 1
So by now, you've all heard its 3 boys and 1 girl...and we're really excited. for the first time i've relaxed and just enjoyed the news. i've got 3/5 of a starting five and the princess i will spoil beyond belief...i know, its not a good thing but i know it'll happen. i'm also glad suz has a girl that will give her a break from all the testosterone that will soon consume this house. we may out number them but it wont really matter...their votes count more than ours will.
that's it, i've bored you long enough and you're sitting there thinking...PLEASE give us suz back!
i just wanted to thank all of you for reading and supporting my wife through all this...i really appreciate it.
finally, you all know im an aggie and ALL four of these kids WILL be aggies, so GIG'EM!!!! i'm hoping one of our sons will be named after this guy:
ok, not really...but i'll give it my best!
Time to get serious...
well, not really but i liked this hardcore pic and wanted to use it.Ok, so my wife has been filling all of you in on everything thats been going on and i figured it was about time i got in the mix. sue has likely made fun of me several times, you've seen my crazy pics and you're probably thinking "what is her husband doing posting on her blog?" well, im sorry to disappoint you, but this post is all joe today and its going to be AWESOME. my goal is to try and give you a 28yr old male-perspective on this whole thing...let me re-phrase that, a 28yr old who got depressed when he turned 25, wishes he was peter pan (never grow up) and loves spending one on one time with his wife. that is, until the BIG4 arrived!
So, lets go marty and DOC (back to the future) to when i found out:
"Doc, did you say 4 kids at the same time? Not possible!"I heard and kind of saw the news. pretty much almost blacked out. to be honest, i had no idea what i was looking at...it was black, gray and kind of white. things moved around, but i had no idea what those "things" were. it was like a really bad nintendo game and the graphics were flat out horrible. so, i snapped back into reality and heard "there's 3 sacks and 4 babies." i watched my wife start to cry the second she heard the word "four" (she knew about all the complications and i didnt)...it was all i needed to send me into worry overload. i worried about everything from suz, to the kids, to my ability to provide for all 5 of them. the worst thing was watching suz lay in that bed crying and there was absolutely nothing i could do...nothing i could say...i was completely out of my zone. all that masculinity had disappeared, it wasnt something i could protect her from or guarantee her the outcome of.
WHOA, wait it a minute...take her easy!
it was too much, too soon and i think i lived in a haze for a few days (maybe weeks!). it wasnt a bad thing, it was just my mind trying to wrap itself around too many things at the same time. i've come around to cherish two sayings: Lord give me strength and one day at a time.
bottom line, we've come a long way and discovered a lot. my wife is the one supporting me, when it should be the other way around. she has given me strength, she has given me confidence and now its my turn.
33...thirty three...p-dubbs...triple 3...8 months and a 1 week
It all adds up to my favorite hoops player off all time. Patrick Ewing, #33, who played for the New York Knickerbockers. The longer suz can fight and hold on to the BIG4, the better. the goal is the middle of august and 33 or 34 weeks...
THAT IS GOOD NEWS!!!! -Ron Burgandy
"A Lahoya man clings to life and in other news, the Steece's are expecting 4."
3 and 1
So by now, you've all heard its 3 boys and 1 girl...and we're really excited. for the first time i've relaxed and just enjoyed the news. i've got 3/5 of a starting five and the princess i will spoil beyond belief...i know, its not a good thing but i know it'll happen. i'm also glad suz has a girl that will give her a break from all the testosterone that will soon consume this house. we may out number them but it wont really matter...their votes count more than ours will.
that's it, i've bored you long enough and you're sitting there thinking...PLEASE give us suz back!
i just wanted to thank all of you for reading and supporting my wife through all this...i really appreciate it.
finally, you all know im an aggie and ALL four of these kids WILL be aggies, so GIG'EM!!!! i'm hoping one of our sons will be named after this guy:
ok, not really...but i'll give it my best!
Drum Roll Please....ddddddddddddddddd
GUESS WHAT GUYS!!! WE FOUND OUT WHAT WE ARE HAVING!!! SUUUUUPER EXCITED! ARE YOU READY?
We have:
ONE little princess and THREE little boys! ;)
Joe smiled and said, "ha! no one is going to want to date my daughter with three protective brothers and a protective father!" It was cute! I'm sure he was feeling a sigh of relief that the wedding count will only be ONE! ;)
(we have all but one name picked out and will reveal those names as soon as we decide on that last boy!) :)
I will just say this: nothing rhyming, nothing starting with the same letter/vowel, nothing weird...just classy, normal, names. ;)
Even more great news is that they were all perfectly healthy! The specialist I'm going to is amazing! He went to each baby and showed us: "Here's the brain with all hemispheres intact, no midline defect or fluid present, skull intact, perfect...here's the heart with four chambers, there's the aorta and pulmonary artery, perfect...there's the umbilical cord with the two arteries, perfect, etc..." He measured all the leg and arm bones...all perfect! It's like I would hold my breath until he would get through a certain organ and then exhale when he would say perfect...and so on and so on...Oh yeah, and none of the babies or placentas are over my cervix, which could cause spotting and bleeding, especially when I begin to have contractions. Tabor was actually pretty suprized that none of the babies were sitting over my cervix! So that's a really good thing!
(sorry I have no sonogram pics this time, he was focusing on various body parts and I never really got to see a good picture of the whole baby...next time!) He wants to start seeing me every week/sonograms every week.
It is just so fun now! We can start registering for things and start getting to work on the nursery. The babies seem so human and real to us, now that we know what we are having...they are not just little blobs of tissue and organs anymore. (obviously, they were always more than that...I'm just depicting how this news has completely made this all more real) Joe and I are ecstatic!
He also did an exam to check my cervix for any thinning, etc. (sometimes they have to suture the cervix shut, which is not a fun surgery and can be very dangerous for mom and the babies)...well, you know he wants me to carry these babies for 34 weeks and then he will take them no matter what...after looking at my cervix, he laughs and says, "well shoot, with THAT cervix, you could carry these babies to 36 weeks!" Everything looked great! ;)
Now...onto my MAIN problem area...my weight. (or lack there of)
I met with my nutritional specialist yesterday as well. She was WONDERFUL. However, she was very concerned that I have only gained 16 lbs while pregnant. She told me to throw everything I have ever thought about food out the window. GET READY FOR THIS....
I need to concentrate on eating fat, fat, fat. Everything I put into my mouth must count, calorically speaking. She said throw the veggies out, fruit out...I need to eat as much FRIED FOOD as possible! Let me list some of the things she wrote down for me to eat (EVERY TWO HOURS, EVERYDAY!)
greasy bacon, egg, lots of cheese (cheese, cheese, cheese)
pizza: deep dish, double meat, double cheese (keep it always stocked in your fridge)
fried meats: fried chicken, fried steak, fried french fries dipped in ranch or cheese sauce, fried everything
whole milk with powdered milk ADDED TO IT! (gag!)
lots of milkshakes, hot fudge brownie sundaes, banana splits
trail mix with lots of nuts, chocolate candies, some dried fruit
King sized Snickers bars and any other candy bar that has chocolate and nuts
if I'm CRAVING fresh fruit, I must drench it in Nutella or chocolate sauce or peanut butter
if I'm CRAVING veggies, I must drown them in lots of butter/oil/cheese
casseroles with lots and lots of cheese, butter, cream cheese
pasta with lots of Alfredo sauce
and she said fast food was my best friend: double bacon cheeseburgers, extra bacon/extra cheese, lots of mayo, extra fries dipped in ranch dressing or cheese sauce with a large chocolate milkshake
anytime I eat out, get a large decadent chocolate brownie hot fudge sundae with ice cream and sauce and nuts...if I'm too stuffed, take it home and eat it right before getting in bed!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME FOLKS? I felt bad because I kept laughing at her when she was saying all this...it just goes against everything I have EVER DONE or BELIEVED! I pride myself in being a typically healthy person who gets all my fresh veggies and fruits and protein a day...who exercises regularly, etc....God is really trying to teach me patience and COMPLETE TRUST AND FAITH in Him throughout this entire ordeal. I guess this is everyone's DREAM diet...and it normally would be for me too...I just am NEVER hungry and when she was listing all these foods, my stomach was actually cramping up and I felt as if I were about to vomit. And it's not about gaining the weight...I could care less about my figure or anything like that (in fact, I kinda just chuckled to myself as I typed that)...it is just so incredibly difficult for me to eat........anything.........let alone fried, greasy, fatty foods every two hours! It is SO weird! And absolutely NO exercising...doc doesn't even want me up walking around! But you know what...this isn't about ME. I need to look at this as my JOB, and it is the most important job I will EVER have in my life. What I do now, will affect my children for the rest of their lives. So, I will use my strong self determination (and lots of prayer) to force this JUNK down my body, every two hours, every day, until these little ones are born!
Okay, enough about food...and I apologize that this post is getting REEEEALLY long and verbose. One more subject: house arrest and bedrest...
Doc made sure that I wasn't working anymore and has put me under "house arrest" for the next few weeks before I begin my complete bedrest. I asked him what all that entails and he said, "no getting out and going shopping...stay home and take it easy...no housework...etc"
For my bedrest at 20 weeks, he said bathroom privileges only (including one shower a day, sitting down). Like I said earlier, I will start seeing him every week and he said if I continue to be as healthy as I am now, he might even let Joe and I have one night to go out and eat every week when I'm on strict bedrest!
God is just teaching us so many things, everyday..and it is so apparent that many people are praying for us and our babies! Keep sending those prayers and thoughts up for us! MUCH APPRECIATED! more than you will ever know...
Love,
Joe, Suz, baby boy 1, baby boy 2, baby boy 3, and baby girl ;)
We have:
ONE little princess and THREE little boys! ;)
Joe smiled and said, "ha! no one is going to want to date my daughter with three protective brothers and a protective father!" It was cute! I'm sure he was feeling a sigh of relief that the wedding count will only be ONE! ;)
(we have all but one name picked out and will reveal those names as soon as we decide on that last boy!) :)
I will just say this: nothing rhyming, nothing starting with the same letter/vowel, nothing weird...just classy, normal, names. ;)
Even more great news is that they were all perfectly healthy! The specialist I'm going to is amazing! He went to each baby and showed us: "Here's the brain with all hemispheres intact, no midline defect or fluid present, skull intact, perfect...here's the heart with four chambers, there's the aorta and pulmonary artery, perfect...there's the umbilical cord with the two arteries, perfect, etc..." He measured all the leg and arm bones...all perfect! It's like I would hold my breath until he would get through a certain organ and then exhale when he would say perfect...and so on and so on...Oh yeah, and none of the babies or placentas are over my cervix, which could cause spotting and bleeding, especially when I begin to have contractions. Tabor was actually pretty suprized that none of the babies were sitting over my cervix! So that's a really good thing!
(sorry I have no sonogram pics this time, he was focusing on various body parts and I never really got to see a good picture of the whole baby...next time!) He wants to start seeing me every week/sonograms every week.
It is just so fun now! We can start registering for things and start getting to work on the nursery. The babies seem so human and real to us, now that we know what we are having...they are not just little blobs of tissue and organs anymore. (obviously, they were always more than that...I'm just depicting how this news has completely made this all more real) Joe and I are ecstatic!
He also did an exam to check my cervix for any thinning, etc. (sometimes they have to suture the cervix shut, which is not a fun surgery and can be very dangerous for mom and the babies)...well, you know he wants me to carry these babies for 34 weeks and then he will take them no matter what...after looking at my cervix, he laughs and says, "well shoot, with THAT cervix, you could carry these babies to 36 weeks!" Everything looked great! ;)
Now...onto my MAIN problem area...my weight. (or lack there of)
I met with my nutritional specialist yesterday as well. She was WONDERFUL. However, she was very concerned that I have only gained 16 lbs while pregnant. She told me to throw everything I have ever thought about food out the window. GET READY FOR THIS....
I need to concentrate on eating fat, fat, fat. Everything I put into my mouth must count, calorically speaking. She said throw the veggies out, fruit out...I need to eat as much FRIED FOOD as possible! Let me list some of the things she wrote down for me to eat (EVERY TWO HOURS, EVERYDAY!)
greasy bacon, egg, lots of cheese (cheese, cheese, cheese)
pizza: deep dish, double meat, double cheese (keep it always stocked in your fridge)
fried meats: fried chicken, fried steak, fried french fries dipped in ranch or cheese sauce, fried everything
whole milk with powdered milk ADDED TO IT! (gag!)
lots of milkshakes, hot fudge brownie sundaes, banana splits
trail mix with lots of nuts, chocolate candies, some dried fruit
King sized Snickers bars and any other candy bar that has chocolate and nuts
if I'm CRAVING fresh fruit, I must drench it in Nutella or chocolate sauce or peanut butter
if I'm CRAVING veggies, I must drown them in lots of butter/oil/cheese
casseroles with lots and lots of cheese, butter, cream cheese
pasta with lots of Alfredo sauce
and she said fast food was my best friend: double bacon cheeseburgers, extra bacon/extra cheese, lots of mayo, extra fries dipped in ranch dressing or cheese sauce with a large chocolate milkshake
anytime I eat out, get a large decadent chocolate brownie hot fudge sundae with ice cream and sauce and nuts...if I'm too stuffed, take it home and eat it right before getting in bed!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME FOLKS? I felt bad because I kept laughing at her when she was saying all this...it just goes against everything I have EVER DONE or BELIEVED! I pride myself in being a typically healthy person who gets all my fresh veggies and fruits and protein a day...who exercises regularly, etc....God is really trying to teach me patience and COMPLETE TRUST AND FAITH in Him throughout this entire ordeal. I guess this is everyone's DREAM diet...and it normally would be for me too...I just am NEVER hungry and when she was listing all these foods, my stomach was actually cramping up and I felt as if I were about to vomit. And it's not about gaining the weight...I could care less about my figure or anything like that (in fact, I kinda just chuckled to myself as I typed that)...it is just so incredibly difficult for me to eat........anything.........let alone fried, greasy, fatty foods every two hours! It is SO weird! And absolutely NO exercising...doc doesn't even want me up walking around! But you know what...this isn't about ME. I need to look at this as my JOB, and it is the most important job I will EVER have in my life. What I do now, will affect my children for the rest of their lives. So, I will use my strong self determination (and lots of prayer) to force this JUNK down my body, every two hours, every day, until these little ones are born!
Okay, enough about food...and I apologize that this post is getting REEEEALLY long and verbose. One more subject: house arrest and bedrest...
Doc made sure that I wasn't working anymore and has put me under "house arrest" for the next few weeks before I begin my complete bedrest. I asked him what all that entails and he said, "no getting out and going shopping...stay home and take it easy...no housework...etc"
For my bedrest at 20 weeks, he said bathroom privileges only (including one shower a day, sitting down). Like I said earlier, I will start seeing him every week and he said if I continue to be as healthy as I am now, he might even let Joe and I have one night to go out and eat every week when I'm on strict bedrest!
God is just teaching us so many things, everyday..and it is so apparent that many people are praying for us and our babies! Keep sending those prayers and thoughts up for us! MUCH APPRECIATED! more than you will ever know...
Love,
Joe, Suz, baby boy 1, baby boy 2, baby boy 3, and baby girl ;)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
LAST DAY OF NURSING FOR SUZ (for a while)
Well, today was my last day as a "nurse" for who knows how long. :(
I just wanted to give a BIG THANKS to all the incredible staff at SCA! Look at this huge basket full of: gift cards, magazines, snacks, books, games, puzzles, etc, that they gave me as a "good luck, we are praying and thinking about you while you are on bedrest" gift! They have embraced me like family and I am going to miss them terribly while I am on bedrest! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! ;)
Joe and I took "church directory" pics last night, so while we looked nice (or, at least Suz isn't wearing scrub pants and has makeup on) we were playing around with the camera...
Isn't black supposed to be slimming??? haha! It's funny b/c you really can't tell how big my stomach is when I'm out and about.
Joe is such a goofball, I love this pic...
Oh the little pup...(okay, so I know I shouldn't be holding my 25 lb dog anymore) but look how cute she is?? Man, she is going to have a hard time adjusting to a decrease in attention once the babies are here. (ESPECIALLY with all the attention she is getting and will be getting 24/7 while I'm on bedrest! She is REALLY getting spoiled!) However, when the kiddos reach a "toddler" age after a couple of months, she will be GREAT with them! She loves playing with little children!
The last day in scrubs...thank goodness, b/c I can't fit into half of them!
It's so funny b/c I look at these belly pics and it's just ridiculous! It looks so weird/big! I still really don't "feel" pregnant! That's why I'm excited to start feeling moments and find out the sexes. (Sidenote: if you are ever wondering what that line is going down my belly button, it is a scar from where I had a diagnostic laparoscopy a year ago)
Tomorrow is my "big" appointment with my doctor (full comprehensive exam). I will also find out just what he has planned for this 5 week "house arrest" and bedrest at 20 wks. I am meeting with my dietician for the first time at 10am, then will go on over to see Tabor at noon. I can't wait to see how big my little ones have gotten! Hopefully we will be able to find out some of the sexes of the babies (if they cooperate)..but I'm not getting my hopes up. There are FOUR in there, so it will be more difficult to tell and it is still pretty early. I am in my 16th week (a full 15 weeks)...almost halfway to my delivery--amazing to think! (cross your fingers for 34 weeks!)
I just wanted to give a BIG THANKS to all the incredible staff at SCA! Look at this huge basket full of: gift cards, magazines, snacks, books, games, puzzles, etc, that they gave me as a "good luck, we are praying and thinking about you while you are on bedrest" gift! They have embraced me like family and I am going to miss them terribly while I am on bedrest! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! ;)
Joe and I took "church directory" pics last night, so while we looked nice (or, at least Suz isn't wearing scrub pants and has makeup on) we were playing around with the camera...
Isn't black supposed to be slimming??? haha! It's funny b/c you really can't tell how big my stomach is when I'm out and about.
Joe is such a goofball, I love this pic...
Oh the little pup...(okay, so I know I shouldn't be holding my 25 lb dog anymore) but look how cute she is?? Man, she is going to have a hard time adjusting to a decrease in attention once the babies are here. (ESPECIALLY with all the attention she is getting and will be getting 24/7 while I'm on bedrest! She is REALLY getting spoiled!) However, when the kiddos reach a "toddler" age after a couple of months, she will be GREAT with them! She loves playing with little children!
The last day in scrubs...thank goodness, b/c I can't fit into half of them!
It's so funny b/c I look at these belly pics and it's just ridiculous! It looks so weird/big! I still really don't "feel" pregnant! That's why I'm excited to start feeling moments and find out the sexes. (Sidenote: if you are ever wondering what that line is going down my belly button, it is a scar from where I had a diagnostic laparoscopy a year ago)
Tomorrow is my "big" appointment with my doctor (full comprehensive exam). I will also find out just what he has planned for this 5 week "house arrest" and bedrest at 20 wks. I am meeting with my dietician for the first time at 10am, then will go on over to see Tabor at noon. I can't wait to see how big my little ones have gotten! Hopefully we will be able to find out some of the sexes of the babies (if they cooperate)..but I'm not getting my hopes up. There are FOUR in there, so it will be more difficult to tell and it is still pretty early. I am in my 16th week (a full 15 weeks)...almost halfway to my delivery--amazing to think! (cross your fingers for 34 weeks!)
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Rewind with me to when we first found out we were pregnant
I was looking back through my pictures and realized that I never really got a chance to show yall the sheer joy we felt right after we found out that I was pregnant...(you know, before all the scary stuff happened)
When I look back at these pics, I smile and get all warm and fuzzy. It helps me put things in perspective and remember just how long we have wanted to get pregnant and how long we have wanted to start our family. (Warning: Many of these pictures are SUPER cheesy)
JANUARY 27, 2007
This pic was the Saturday before I took my pregnancy test..we were at my cousin's wedding. I was pregnant and didn't even know it!...but I had a hunch! I kept getting hot then cold, and my face was constantly rosy and flushed. I kept saying, "I need to take a test.." Many people told me how "radiant" I looked. (It was my first trial run on Clomid)
JANUARY 29, 2007
So Monday, I got home early from work (right before Joe would come home for lunch) and stopped at Walgreens to pick up a pregnancy test. I walked straight into the house, let Shiloh (my pup) out and took the test.
I began screaming and jumping up and down...Shiloh was running beside me and barking and jumping too! (she knew I was finally pregnant! haha) Sort-of a cheesy pic, but I wanted to capture exactly what I was feeling at that exact moment.
I waited for Joe to come home for lunch (which felt like eternity!) I didn't want to tell him over the phone...but I called him like 4 times in the period of 30 minutes trying to figure out when he was leaving! He was getting a little frustrated! ha! Shiloh and I waited eagerly for Joe to arrive.
As you can see, Shiloh just couldn't contain her excitement! ;)
Joe was finally here, I hid my camera behind my back and said, "FINALLY! I need to show you something..." This is the exact moment in time that Joe found out he would be a father...(please try not to focus on the dip stick ;)
awwww...look how cute he is!
...the happy couple ;)
And so, the journey began...
Little did we know: There were FOUR tiny pea pods in my belly!
When I look back at these pics, I smile and get all warm and fuzzy. It helps me put things in perspective and remember just how long we have wanted to get pregnant and how long we have wanted to start our family. (Warning: Many of these pictures are SUPER cheesy)
JANUARY 27, 2007
This pic was the Saturday before I took my pregnancy test..we were at my cousin's wedding. I was pregnant and didn't even know it!...but I had a hunch! I kept getting hot then cold, and my face was constantly rosy and flushed. I kept saying, "I need to take a test.." Many people told me how "radiant" I looked. (It was my first trial run on Clomid)
JANUARY 29, 2007
So Monday, I got home early from work (right before Joe would come home for lunch) and stopped at Walgreens to pick up a pregnancy test. I walked straight into the house, let Shiloh (my pup) out and took the test.
I began screaming and jumping up and down...Shiloh was running beside me and barking and jumping too! (she knew I was finally pregnant! haha) Sort-of a cheesy pic, but I wanted to capture exactly what I was feeling at that exact moment.
I waited for Joe to come home for lunch (which felt like eternity!) I didn't want to tell him over the phone...but I called him like 4 times in the period of 30 minutes trying to figure out when he was leaving! He was getting a little frustrated! ha! Shiloh and I waited eagerly for Joe to arrive.
As you can see, Shiloh just couldn't contain her excitement! ;)
Joe was finally here, I hid my camera behind my back and said, "FINALLY! I need to show you something..." This is the exact moment in time that Joe found out he would be a father...(please try not to focus on the dip stick ;)
awwww...look how cute he is!
...the happy couple ;)
And so, the journey began...
Little did we know: There were FOUR tiny pea pods in my belly!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Missin' that Belly?
I knew you were all missing the belly ;), so I'll update!
I am currently a complete 14 weeks (in my 15th week of pregnancy).
I received this information this week in my "what to expect" weekly email.
Wow! Four of these little fist-sized babies in my belly...still very hard to believe. I can't wait to start feeling the kicks and movements. (Sure, I say that now!) I'm already getting up 3-4 times at night to void, so I guess I'm in training for all of those sleepless nights I will be having soon!
Oh, and check out the tab on the right, underneath my profile...I figured out how to put a paypal donation button on my blog! (I was proud of myself for figuring it out) PLEASE KNOW THAT THE ONLY REASON I DID THIS WAS BECAUSE MANY OF YOU HAD ASKED ME TO. I've said it before and I will say it again, THE MAIN THING WE NEED ARE PRAYERS. I believe prayers will help more than any monetary donation!
Thank you so much for the continued support, love, and prayers that you guys give me everyday! I couldn't do this without you!
I am currently a complete 14 weeks (in my 15th week of pregnancy).
I received this information this week in my "what to expect" weekly email.
If you could catch a glimpse of your fetus now, you'd see a baby the size of your clenched fist (a skill, by the way, your little one now has). Your baby also has the coordination, strength, and smarts to wiggle his or her fingers and toes and even suck a thumb (how cute is that?).
Wow! Four of these little fist-sized babies in my belly...still very hard to believe. I can't wait to start feeling the kicks and movements. (Sure, I say that now!) I'm already getting up 3-4 times at night to void, so I guess I'm in training for all of those sleepless nights I will be having soon!
Oh, and check out the tab on the right, underneath my profile...I figured out how to put a paypal donation button on my blog! (I was proud of myself for figuring it out) PLEASE KNOW THAT THE ONLY REASON I DID THIS WAS BECAUSE MANY OF YOU HAD ASKED ME TO. I've said it before and I will say it again, THE MAIN THING WE NEED ARE PRAYERS. I believe prayers will help more than any monetary donation!
Thank you so much for the continued support, love, and prayers that you guys give me everyday! I couldn't do this without you!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Under the Weather
We had a great time in Austin with the Steeces for Easter...too bad the weather was ridiculous! I couldn't believe the snow...in TEXAS...in APRIL! CRAZY!
I am getting to where busy weekends "do me in". I got back Sunday and started coming down with a cold/allergies/sinuses...not to mention my crazy nosebleeds.
OH YES...without getting too detailed, I have been having intense daily nosebleeds that last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. And a good number of these bleeds are not your typical, "I blew my nose too hard and now I have a spot of blood on my kleenex" nosebleeds...oh no...without making some of you too sick, I will just say this one phrase: huge clots the size of the palms of your hands.
I called the doc yesterday about the cold and nosebleeds and he wanted me to come in right away to run a CBC (blood work). So...I don't know if they are looking at my iron levels or possible anemia due to blood loss, or what. They are supposed to call me today to go over the results and let me know if I need further testing (I think I just need to be drinking more water...I have been bad about that, and dehydration can cause these bleeds). I have been taking OTC meds for the cold, which seems to be helping.
Due to some of your THOUGHTFUL and MUCH appreciated comments recently, I will try to figure out how to go about setting up a paypal link or registry post on my blogsite. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind and I have no idea how to go about doing it, but I will try to figure it out! You guys are incredible. Thanks for the daily prayers and encouragement!
I'll keep you updated on my "health" and will post new belly pics soon!
***UPDATE: My hemoglobin was a little low due to the recent nosebleed, but all other lab values were normal and consistent with pregnancy!***
I am getting to where busy weekends "do me in". I got back Sunday and started coming down with a cold/allergies/sinuses...not to mention my crazy nosebleeds.
OH YES...without getting too detailed, I have been having intense daily nosebleeds that last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. And a good number of these bleeds are not your typical, "I blew my nose too hard and now I have a spot of blood on my kleenex" nosebleeds...oh no...without making some of you too sick, I will just say this one phrase: huge clots the size of the palms of your hands.
I called the doc yesterday about the cold and nosebleeds and he wanted me to come in right away to run a CBC (blood work). So...I don't know if they are looking at my iron levels or possible anemia due to blood loss, or what. They are supposed to call me today to go over the results and let me know if I need further testing (I think I just need to be drinking more water...I have been bad about that, and dehydration can cause these bleeds). I have been taking OTC meds for the cold, which seems to be helping.
Due to some of your THOUGHTFUL and MUCH appreciated comments recently, I will try to figure out how to go about setting up a paypal link or registry post on my blogsite. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind and I have no idea how to go about doing it, but I will try to figure it out! You guys are incredible. Thanks for the daily prayers and encouragement!
I'll keep you updated on my "health" and will post new belly pics soon!
***UPDATE: My hemoglobin was a little low due to the recent nosebleed, but all other lab values were normal and consistent with pregnancy!***
Friday, April 06, 2007
Happy Easter!!
We are leaving to go out of town for Easter this weekend, so I will post when I return! Hope you all have WONDERFUL Easter weekends! (if you're in Texas, bundle up!...what crazy cold weather, huh?)
I figure the "big day" will go something like this...
I figure the "big day" will go something like this...
Priceless...
Absolutely priceless.
This guy is the father of 4. I LOVE IT!!! ;)
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Book
Periodically, I will write down some sentences from my book that intrigue me for some reason or another...
Pretty interesting, huh? I guess I know why doc wants me to quit working in a couple of weeks. He must know what he's talking about. I'm not gonna lie, everyday I work it gets harder and harder...on my body, my mind, my energy...only a couple more weeks!!
Here's another interesting quote:
"...Those women who work in physically and/or emotionally stressful jobs, studies show, are two to three times as likely to deliver prematurely. They are also more prone to pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.
Most at risk are NURSES, doctors, saleswomen, cleaning staff, assembly-line workers, and military personnel..."
Pretty interesting, huh? I guess I know why doc wants me to quit working in a couple of weeks. He must know what he's talking about. I'm not gonna lie, everyday I work it gets harder and harder...on my body, my mind, my energy...only a couple more weeks!!
Here's another interesting quote:
"From my observations, I've concluded that this psychological journey typically consists of five fairly predictable stages: shock, denial, anxiety/anger/depression, bargaining, and acceptance/adaptation."Some of you might recognize these stages as Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's (herself a triplet) stages of grieving. It's so funny, because they are so real for us! Even before I read about this, I had been telling friends that it seems that Joe and I are working our way through the stages of grief! (nursing school paid off!) One can jump from one stage to another, skip stages, go back to previous stages, or any combination of the three. The light at the end of the tunnel is that, the final step is always acceptance/adaptation. (We will be adapting, alright!) Please know that we DO see this as a blessing, and a special calling that God thinks we can handle. What an honor and responsibility.
Monday, April 02, 2007
My GTTand Jason's wedding
(FYI: The first part of this blog is pretty long and boring, if you want to skip down to the wedding pics!)
So, I had my GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) last Friday...oh let me tell you...the THREE HOUR test, NOT the one hour. I was stuck 5 times and they drew blood every hour on the hour for a total of 4 hours! YIKES! I was prepared with my BOOK (see below--AWESOME and informative, if you are super curious about everything I will be going thru) and blanket...
How gorgeous is this pic?...so cool. Jason and Julie are such a cute, sweet couple! I love em! There is one other pic of the entire fam that I want to post, but I don't have it, so as soon as I get it, I'll put it on here!
So, I had my GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) last Friday...oh let me tell you...the THREE HOUR test, NOT the one hour. I was stuck 5 times and they drew blood every hour on the hour for a total of 4 hours! YIKES! I was prepared with my BOOK (see below--AWESOME and informative, if you are super curious about everything I will be going thru) and blanket...
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...Yet it was still terrible. During the first hour, after I drank the Orange Glucola, I felt as if I were going to vomit. The lab technician was pleasantly surprised that I was able to "keep it down" (apparently, some women can't keep it down and unfortunately have to come back and try again on another day!). 
I felt better as the hours went by, but my stomach was grumbling SO loud...keep in mind, I had NOTHING to eat or drink all morning, except for this sugar packed drink on an empty stomach...while carrying four babies and three placentas! By the time I finished, it was 12:30pm!
Finally, the last drawing of blood had just taken place and I was driving to meet my sis-in-law, Ashley and her sister and bro-in-law for lunch...all of a sudden, while driving in my jeep, talking to my dad on my cell, my face turns pale, I begin sweating, my vision becomes blurry, I am shaking...oh no..."dad, I think I'm about to pass out..." (this is the part where I SHOULD be telling you that I pulled over...nope) I knew my blood sugar was all out of whack, so I reached into my work bag and pulled out a box of yogurt raisins. I emptied the entire box in my mouth...still shaking, about to vomit. SO, I reach back into the work bag and pull out an old, smushed, protein bar and single packet of Jiff peanut butter. I crammed the bar into the PB and ate it in two bites...by this time, I was almost to my friend's house.
When I walked in the house, I barely said hello and grabbed the first sight of food off of their kitchen counter. I stumbled over to the living room couch, crashed, and began stuffing my face with handfuls of Cheeto puffs...getting cheese all over my hands and face! It was a beautiful site! ;) but honestly, in about 5 or 10 minutes...I felt 10 billion times better! All I needed was some sugar ASAP! My blood sugar must have been super low.
So, this morning I got back the results of the GTT...(drum role please...)
IT WAS ALL NORMAL! YAE! (well, 2 out of the 3 blood sugar readings). My last reading was abnormal/pretty low (go figure! considering, the "almost" diabetic shock that was about to take place during the drive home)...but you need 2 out of 3 abnormal readings to be diagnosed, SO I'M GOOD! ;) (Whew, what a RELIEF!..That's one more thing I can scratch off of my "worry-list" for the time being!)
Onto better and brighter things:
I had so much fun this weekend with my brother and sis-in-law (from Memphis) and my parents, as we were all together to celebrate my cousin's marriage to a beautiful, sweet woman! Always such a joy getting to be around family that I don't get to see very often.
from the left: Collin (bro), Ashley (sis-in-law), Dad, Mom, Aunt Susan, Uncle Ronnie, the preggo, and Joe
It was a beautiful wedding!
How gorgeous is this pic?...so cool. Jason and Julie are such a cute, sweet couple! I love em! There is one other pic of the entire fam that I want to post, but I don't have it, so as soon as I get it, I'll put it on here!
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