Notions from Natalie

From Plain Jane to Absolutely Fabulous

2011-09-16T17:53:00.000-05:00

So, last week, a friend of mine gave me this plain Jon Jon and asked me if I could make it "girly". I thought that I would put an applique on it and be done. Oh no no! I ended up converting the buttons to snaps, adding a framed applique that I customized for her, and adding ruffles to the legs. As if that weren't enough, I also made a matching bow! This outfit is so super cute now!

Two weeks ago, one of my best friends had her 32nd birthday. As her gift, I embroidered two linen hand towels with the first letter of her last name. I LOVE the way they turned out!

First Halloween/Thanksgiving design of the year

2011-08-21T14:08:00.000-05:00

Today, I spent the better part of the morning making an A-line reversible dress for a friend's little girl who just turned 1! I am excited to say that this dress turned out perfectly and that Little Miss Emmy is going to look great in it! I love reversible outfits because you get double the wear out of them. Since this dress ties at the shoulder, it can be worn as a dress now and a shirt next year. Cecilia has several dresses that I made her that she now wears as a shirt with shorts, stretch pants or leggings. What a great way to continue to use a special item!

Happy first birthday Emmy! I can't wait to see you in this precious dress!

Burp cloths for a bestie!

2011-08-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

This week, I had the pleasure of making a set of burp cloths for one of my oldest friends who is pregnant with her 2nd little boy! I am so proud of this super cute set of 3 burp cloths.

Congratulations Katie! I can't wait to meet your sweet little baby boy!

Busy little bee!

2011-08-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

I have sewn a great deal lately. Mostly for other people. I will include pictures below. Let me know if you are interested in anything and I will be happy to customize it for you!

My little fish!

2011-08-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

So, I know I said I would be posting more designs, but....I couldn't resist posting a quick video of my perfect little fishy wearing swimmies for the first time!

Busy day with lots of projects

2011-07-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today, we had a VERY busy day! I embroidered several more shirts for Cecilia, 2 backpacks for our friends, John Michael and Sam, and helped Jesse start to build our new composting bin. Whew, I'm tired! Here's a look at what I embroidered today. I am hopeful that I can finish Cecilia's fall wardrobe this week so that she can have a completed ensemble BEFORE her first day of school!

School Started ALREADY??!!

2011-07-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe that today was my first day back at work after a VERY short summer! Today, I started my 4th year as a high school guidance counselor. I love my job but I very much LOVE my sleep! The alarm went off at 5:35am and I confess that the snooze button was definitely my friend! After a few hours of visiting co-workers I haven't seen in two months, I got caught up on emails from parents and spoke to several students who were attending summer school (still in progress). Although there are still 3 weeks until school starts, we are back into the swing of things. I am looking forward to learning our brand new computer system and in turn, hoping to be able to plan more programming for my kids since the new system is "supposed to be" more efficient!

Hopefully, I will have a chance to sew again in the next few days. Keeping up the blog is motivation to sew more often!

Love and best stitches,

Natalie

Reversible Birthday Dress Complete!

2011-07-21T21:35:00.000-05:00

Today, I completed the birthday dress for a friend of a friend's little girl! I am super pleased with the way that it turned out. The dress is fully lined in between the layers and is completely reversible! One side is the birthday cupcake applique and the second side is her 3-letter monogram. See pictures below. Contact me if you have an interest in me creating an outfit for your little one's special day!

Ballerinas and birthdays

2011-07-20T22:34:00.001-05:00

Today, I was blessed with spending some time with a college sorority sister who recently moved back to Birmingham! Since my previous business sewing partner is moving to Memphis next month, I was excited to spend time with this old friend! I created a ballerina t-shirt for Cecilia, who will begin her first year of dance this fall! Together, my friend and I chose a patter, cut out and embroidered a birthday dress for one of her closest friends. I have to say, even though the dress is not completed yet, it is going to be SUPER cute! See pictures below:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Beach blankets and more!!!

2011-07-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

Today, insomnia struck me. Since I was up at 3:30am, I decided to sew! I was a busy bee and was able to complete 4 beach towels that had been purchased by my friend, Brooke. I also sewed on bows as embellishments to two of the shirts I embroidered yesterday. In addition to the 11 shirts I intended to embroider or applique for Cecilia, I found 2 more blank shirts and 1 dress while I was putting up laundry last night. Added to the stack, I am hoping I can get them all complete before going back to school!

I sewed on a cute orange and yellow bow and then made one to match for Cecilia!

I added purple and pink bows on the shoulder and then made a hair bow for Cecilia!

Cecilia's New Wardrobe for Summer/Fall

2011-07-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

So, today, I spent the better half of the day appliqueing my child's wardrobe for the rest of the summer and the upcoming school year. I went to Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago and bought one shirt or tank in every color they had available. Since I have an abundance of SUPER CUTE embroidery designs, I decided to try them all out on my daughter's clothing. Embroidery/Applique is an easy way for me to personalize and make her clothing unique so that she doesn't look like she walked out of Wal-Mart, Target or Children's Place with all of the clothing on their racks! Oh and I got these cute designs from Applique Alley and from Planet Applique. I LOVE these two sites and have to admit that I stalk them periodically and purchase almost every new design they post. Hopefully, I can post some pictures of Cecilia actually wearing the designs! I will update again tomorrow with the rest of the shirts-Just to keep you hanging!

Five Little Fishies

Five Little Flowers

Olivia the Octopus

Rainy Day Umbrella

3 Surfboards Beach Bum

Sweet Tweet Chick

Burp Cloths for baby gifts

2011-07-17T17:56:00.000-05:00

Below, I am attaching pictures of burp cloths I have made over the past year. These were all gifts for baby showers. I LOVE the way they turned out!

Baby gifts, burp cloths and onesies-Oh My!

2011-07-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the super cute baby gifts, burp cloths and onesies that I have embroidered recently! Enjoy!

Applique burp cloth (above)

Applique Burp cloth and onesie gift set (above)

Applique Onesie with matching applique burp cloth (above)

Bloomers with applique (above)

Applique onesie that matches bloomers (above)

Applique onesie (above)

3-Letter Monogram bloomers (above)

Linen hand towel with 3-letter monogram and customized wording (above)

Applique onesie (above)

Cecilia playing on the beach

2011-07-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

I am posting a link to the video of Cecilia playing on the beach during our most recent trip to Florida. She is in Heaven on the beach and LOVES the water! Enjoy!

Changes are coming!!!

2011-07-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

So, after a two year absence from blogging, I have decided to return to the blog scene. I am not even sure if anyone reads this anymore, but I am going to turn this site into my sewing and embroidery venue for sales! Yep, that's right! Since my sewing partner is moving to Memphis, we have to dissolve our business, 2 Manic Mommies Embroidery. As a result, I am back out on my own! I am still sewing and embroidering, just not on the commercial machine that we had to sell (Boooo!!!). Check back often, because I plan on improving this site a lot over the next two weeks before I return to school. There will be lots of pictures and lots of different notions for sale. As always, if you think of something you want that I don't have shown, just shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I will do my best to get it for you!

Love and stitches,
natalie

18 month update at 19 months and a big announcement!

2009-11-23T15:15:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I am a little late getting Ceci her 18 month old checkup but I had to wait until she was A: well and B: I had a day off. We went to see Dr. Latona today and here is the low-down:
She weighed in at 24 lbs 9 ounces
She was 31 3/4 inches tall
She had clear CBC and urinalysis
She got 6 shots (which updated her blue immunization form and gave her the flu shot and H1N1 shot)
She did not cry when she got her finger pricked (she doesn't usually cry with this since she gets it done so frequently)
She did scream when the series of 6 shots started (two in the left arm, two in the left leg and two in the right leg)

He was impressed that she can put 3 words together. She says, "Help me up" fairly frequently. He was impressed that she can sign 20 words and he said that physically, she is perfect. Our goals for the near future include cutting out all snacks (he's a big believer in the 3 meal a day theory) and continuing to improve her verbal skills. On the way home, she napped a little bit. I did give in and give her the paci to suck on during the shots. She promptly threw it in the bed when we got home. I have to say that getting rid of the paci has been pretty successful so far. She is down to only taking it at bedtime and some of the time, she is able to get to sleep without it at all! She took a 2 1/2 hour nap when we got home and now, she is coloring on her giant coloring pad that we got for her from Target.

We are planning on going to Mimi's for Thanksgiving and for once, I am not doing all of the cooking. Kind of nice, although I feel fairly guilty for not contributing. I am enjoying my time at home today, even though we ran into one of my students at the MD office (he was getting his blue form updated too!).

Next year, Ceci will have a new friend to play with-Brett is having a baby!! A cousin will arrive in mid-July!! I guess I need to get started making some new baby clothes!!!

Monogramming/Embroidery I have done

2009-10-18T20:25:00.001-05:00

New Video of Ceci

2009-10-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ceci is getting so big now! Here is a link to a video of her from Tuesday night, October 13, 2009.

This picture is from several weeks ago-right after I made that outfit! It is a reversible John-John that has appliques on both sides. I was trying out a new pattern and it turned out super cute!

Lessons Learned

2009-10-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

Lesson learned: DON'T buy balloons for an adult and present them in the presence of your 18 month old...She was totally obsessed and ran around the house yelling "BO BO" "my BO Bo". It was a disaster trying to take the away so that we could get in the car-needless to say, we made it home with all 12 balloons even though they weren't meant for her! Obsess much?! After making it home, she proceeded to take the bundle of balloons upstairs, crawl into the dog crate and attempt to pull the balloons into the crate with her. This was a site! She was screaming "BO BO", "my BO BO" and pulling the balloons with all of her might. This did not turn out well because the balloons ended up floating to the ceiling, thus increasing her screaming and yelling. Again, obsess much?! I finally distracted her after the balloons had floated to the ceiling and got her out of the room. The balloons are now in the top of my closet, until further notice (or until they are popped).

Lesson Learned: DON'T try to take away an 18 month old's toothbrush. Ceci is OBSESSED with her toothbrush. She loves to carry it around and "brush her teeth" which is code for suck on the toothbrush. So, yesterday, she was "brushing" and she got bored. She started to brush other things with her toothbrush. I took it away...BAD IDEA! What happened next was a scene out of poltergeist or something to that effect. She screamed and turned purple and threw a fit-laying down in the floor, screaming, snot dripping, etc. She then started to make a growling noise that came from within her toes, of this, I am sure! So, Lesson learned-don't take away the toothbrush unless you are prepared for a tantrum!

Baby Ethan

2009-09-23T21:06:00.001-05:00

(Bonnie with baby Ethan)

(Kerry with baby Ethan)

(baby Ethan today-9/23/2009)

Lately, I have had a little bit of a hard time, emotionally. Things that are not usually draining are now seeming very laborious to me. I have had a lot on my mind...

On Sunday, September 13, we marked the anniversary of Charlie's death. It has been 3 years now but doesn't seem to be any easier. On the Thursday prior to that anniversary, my cousin, Bonnie, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. She named him Ethan. Bonnie endured a long and difficult labor but afterwards, things seemed to be ok. About 4 hours after he was born, Ethan began to have problems breathing. It appeared that he needed some assistance with his breathing. Later that night, he was transferred from Dothan to UAB Respiratory NICU via medical jet. Ethan continued to worsen and eventually developed pneumonia. He has been in the NICU for the past 12 days. I am telling you this because I am hoping that you can send some prayers his way. He has made some serious improvements over the past couple of days and we are hoping that he continues to move in a positive direction at the rate that the doctors are wanting. If you want to follow Ethan's story, you can click on this link:

www.kerryandbonnie.blogspot.com

I am hoping and praying that Bonnie and Kerry don't have to deal with the loss of a child like Jesse and I did. Although we lost Charlie in utero, I can still relate to the highs and lows that they are experiencing in praying that they don't lose their precious baby boy. My hope is that they can have a peaceful resolve to the entire situation and that Ethan will be healed and discharged in a speedy fashion!

I am sure that things will get better for me. This is just a difficult time of year. Hopefully, these problems will pass, baby Ethan will get better and we will all go on with our lives. Please, please pray for Ethan-he can use all the prayers he can get.

Store brand versus brand name and other product reviews

2009-09-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

I strongly prefer the Target brand Chicken Vegetable and Rice bake to the Stouffer's brand. Target's brand is much creamier, not as dry, has more white meat chicken and more bread crumb topping. Not to mention that it is almost $2 cheaper! Ceci also prefers the Target brand. She won't even touch the Stouffer's brand, although I am not sure why. It actually has less sodium but you don't have to add salt after cooking-it is already seasoned to taste!

On another note, I was given "your baby can read" for my birthday (at my request) and Ceci recognizes almost 20 words off of the introductory video! She is a genius! We will watch it for 3 more weeks and then move on to the first level video. I have been showing her the Leap Frog Letter Factory videos as well. She will watch them for a few minutes but not like she will the "your baby can read" dvd's. I think the infomercial was right when it said the dvd's would captivate children's attention! I am very happy with this gift!! Totally worth it in my opinion!

two recipes-easy and cheap

2009-09-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

Fried Chicken Potato Soup recipe:

Add to large stock pot: 2 boxes of Chicken broth cut up 8 large red potatoes 1/2 white onion to mixture add 2 cups of milk add cut up 10 chicken fingers (from grocery store deli) dissolve 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1 cup of milk and add to mixture (it thickens the mixture) simmer mixture for about 25 minutes serve w/cheese sprinkled on top salt/pepper and italian seasoning to taste

Dinner tonight:

saute the following: 1/2 green bell pepper 1/2 red bell pepper 1/2 yellow bell pepper 1/2 white onion 2 tbsp olive oil 1 lb lean ground beef 2 cans of mexicorn add 3/4 cup water and 1 packet of taco seasoning boil water and cook 1 box of mini penne pasta Mix in the pasta with the meat mixture from above Cook down until the water is gone (about 10 minutes) serve with Mexican Mixed Cheese on top

Labor Day

2009-09-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

Today, we haven't really done anything special. In fact, we haven't really done much all weekend. It has been kind of nice to be able to sit around and not have to worry about being on a schedule or where I have to be and when. We have watched a lot of TV this weekend. I have been sewing up a storm. I even picked my smocking projects back up and finished a couple of unmade outfits that I hadn't put together yet. Relaxation has been they key to this weekend. I am now ready to go back to work tomorrow and finish getting my lists ready for the AHSGE (Alabama High School Graduation Exam) that will be administered in 2 weeks. This is a short week and Friday, I won't be in the office-Fall Counselor Workshop for all JEFCOED counselors! I can't wait to see my other counselor friends and catch up with them. It has been too long.

Hoping to post some pictures of my embroidery and sewing projects later. If you need any gifts or cute kids clothing, just let me know! I can also do other things like make headboards for your bed, make pillows, bedding or curtains.

Videos of my baby girl

2009-09-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to post some videos of Ceci that I took this summer.

Ceci playing in the condo at the beach

Ceci feeding herself with a fork

Ceci playing on the porch-PART 1

Ceci playing on the porch-PART 2

I guess it's time...

2009-09-06T11:08:00.004-05:00

This is a picture from the evening following her first birthday celebration. More photos later.

so, I guess it is time for me to update this blog since I haven't done so in almost a year. Things are good with us. Jesse and I are still working at our same jobs, stock broker with Ameriprise Financial and Guidance Counselor at Minor High School, respectively. Ceci is going to be 17 months old next week, just 2 days before my 31 year old birthday. We are still living in the same old house in Roebuck. We put contracts on 3 different houses this summer, only to lose them for various reasons. We took our house off the market a few weeks ago to kind of take a break from the whole thing. Having your house on the market is VERY stressful. School started back for me and things are going pretty well. Much better than they were last year. I did get to move my office to a different part of the building, so that has helped a great deal. No longer around such negative influences/attitudes. This move has made getting up and going to work much easier as well.

Ceci is growing and is such a big girl now. She had her most recent checkup about 2 weeks ago and she got 4 shots. If you know me at all, you know I am not a fan of mandatory immunizations. I only make her get the ones that are absolutely required and we have delayed them as long as possible to try to minimize the possible side effects of them. She was sick for about 2 weeks following the administration of these shots. Again, The only reason she got them was so that she could go to Mother's Day Out 2 days a week, giving my mother-in-law a bit of a break. She was weighed at this visit and she was somewhere in the 80th percentile for weight-25 lbs 12 ounces and was in the 50 something percentile for height-30 1/2 inches. She is wearing 2T clothing now and is running and playing and talking up a storm. She has about 20 words that she can say that we understand. She loves to watch The Wiggles, Blue's Clues and pretty much anything on Noggin. She has a great attention span and can watch an entire 30 minute show without flinching. She loves to dance and I can't wait until she is big enough to take a dance class. I think that it will definitely help to get out some of her energy. Personality is developing and she is a very happy little girl most of the time. She gets along with other kids and enjoys playing with anyone who will give her the time of day. She has white blonde hair that is starting to curl and now has 10 teeth (with 2 more about to emerge). She loves to cuddle and is a true momma's girl.

So, I guess that is the big update. I am hoping to start updating more regularly, especially since we are finally in a routine. I will also post some pictures so that you can all see what we have been doing over the past year.

Chaio

Finally-An update!

2008-11-03T20:20:00.003-06:00

Finally, I am updating the blog. I have lots of pictures but to upload them all would take FOREVER! Hopefully, I can get some links to the Kodak Gallery I have set up. Currently, Ceci is sick with her first virus. She is pitiful. She has slept a lot today but has also been pretty fussy. We started her on a round of antibiotics today, so we are hoping that this will all be cleared up within the next few days.

She is sitting up on her own now and today, she has started to stand up when she is supported. This is new considering she still won't lay on her tummy or roll over, unless she is forced to do so (literally left there screaming and then gets ticked and does it). She talks a lot now and is always making some kind of new noise. The most recent thing she can do is shake her head like she is saying "no". This is cute now, but I am sure it won't be after she gets older.

As of now, we are also planning her Christening, which is a big deal. We are keeping it VERY small so that immediate family and some VERY close friends will be in attendance. She will be wearing a Christening dress that has been in our family for over 100 years. Basically, all of us (in my family) wore it and now, she will wear it too. I am hoping that a friend of mine will be able to take some professional shots of her in the gown since it is such a momentus occasion.

Portrait Innovations!

2008-06-27T22:24:00.004-05:00

Today, we took Ceci to Portrait Innovations for the first time. She was great. She got a little fussy around the end but we were able to get 111 shots of her and I chose 7 poses to get copies printed of. I can't wait to get them all uploaded. I will put several here so that y'all can see just how big she is getting!

11 weeks old today!

2008-06-25T11:09:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that it has been 11 weeks since Ceci was born! The time seems to have flown by and she is getting bigger and bigger every day. I am amazed at how quickly she is developing and meeting her milestones. I think that we are about to have to move up to a larger size diaper too (finally out of the newborn size into the size 1). She is holding her head up like a champ and is sitting in her Bumbo chair to eat most meals. Yesterday, she had a meal of apricots with mixed fruit and rice cereal. She is eating 4-6 ounces of formula when she takes a bottle and is putting on weight like a normal baby now. At night, she is sleeping in her crib (most of the time) and is only waking 1 time (on most nights). She is playing independently and is loving her new floor mat that is "perfectly pink". I even caught her watching Sesame Street the other morning! Her smiles are more meaningful and she is much more interactive during play time. I can't believe that she will be 3 months old next week. We will be going to Ashford for the annual McArthur reunion and she will meet the rest of the extended family (many many cousins)for the first time. I know that they will all be glad to see how well she is doing now. We go back to the doctor on July 9 and she will likely be starting her shots at that time. We have delayed giving them for several reasons, but now, have few excuses left to keep us from doing it. I am not looking forward to that day because I know that she will be in pain and probably not feel good. I hate seeing her hurt. I guess that is what mom's do though. I have been bad about not uploading pictures but hopefully soon I will get a chance to do so. I know that there are a lot of people who want to see my little peanut grow up!

Lots of stuff is happening!

2008-06-18T16:04:00.002-05:00

She is getting big so fast! I can't believe how quickly Ceci is growing. Since we started to feed her solid foods, she has really started to pack on the pounds (well, not so much pounds but ounces!) Ceci is becoming an expert at eating from a spoon and she will pretty much put anything in her mouth that you give her. Today, she is 10 weeks old. She is holding her head up and is able to sit in her Bumbo chair on a regular basis. Her favorite thing to do is lay on her back on her play mat and make the noises/songs play by hitting the various buttons and hangy-down things. Ceci is smiling at people and even makes a sound that is almost like laughter when you tickle her. She is much better in the bath tub and no longer screams when you try to put lotion on her. Last night, she slept all night long in her own crib in her own room and only got up one time to take a bottle! I am so proud of her!!! It is amazing how quickly she is progressing now that she is getting the right nutrients into her system. I never imagined I would be so excited to see someone eat from a spoon or drink a whole bottle or hold their head up but right now-its the little things that matter the most. I am looking forward to her being able to sit up on her own. I feel like it will probably be a little early since she is doing so well in the Bumbo at such a young age. I have taken a ton of pictures, so hopefully, I can get a little while soon when I can sit down, upload them and add some pictures to the blog.

At this point, I think she has met most of the family too. She has made trips to Oneonta, Ashford and Marietta and many people have made trips to see her. Routine is finally becoming set for us and all three of us are getting into the groove. I went back to work when she was 5 1/2 weeks old and it has been really hard to be away from her for so many hours a day. I have decided that Jesse and I need to become independently wealthy so that I don't have to work anymore. Hopefully, while I am searching for a new job, I can find something that gives me a little more flexibility and time with her.

On a side note...I am having to search for a new job b/c my position is being eliminated by October. Apparently the brilliant Alabama legislature decided that funding for mental health treatment needed to be cut/decreased for the upcoming fiscal year. As a result, the state department of mental health has cut the funding to many of the local community mental health agencies. Being the last one hired, I am being given the opportunity to find a new job. I have had one interview that went really well; however, I have not heard from the company about a 2nd interview. Hopefully, something will come from that. I have decided that after all of this chaos, I am not "married" to the counseling profession and am willing to move into a totally different career if I can find one that suites me. So, if you know of a good paying, flexible job in Birmingham, let me know. I am not above applying for any job at this point, as October is getting closer by the day!

It's been too long!-Update from the past 8 weeks

2008-06-04T20:37:00.002-05:00

Ceci is 8 weeks old today! We have had an eventful past 2 months. Many things have happened that I never would have expected-even with the amount of child-care experience I have had in the past. Here is the long and short of what has happened:

When Ceci was about 2 weeks old, we noticed that she cried ALL the time. She would eat, but not very much and she would sleep for 6-7 hours at a time when she could actually achieve sleep. Shortly before she was 3 weeks old, she came down with a case of diarrhea that lasted for 7 days. We took her to the doctor 3 times during that time. On one particular Saturday, she went through more than 20 diapers, just in that one day. We knew that something more was wrong. On the following Monday, we took her back to the doctor for a 4th time. It was then that they weighed her and found that she had lost back down to 5 lbs 7 ozs. She was extremely dehydrated and malnurished. I thought that since she was nursing for long periods of time (sometimes 1.5 hours or more) that she was getting everything she needed. Apparently not! Dr. Latona saw her and immediately told us to go straight to Children's Hospital and that Ceci was being admitted. I cried. I was devistated that she would have to be admitted and that she was now being considered as "failure to thrive". While at Children's Hospital, a 3 day stay, Ceci was started on Hypoallergenic Formula. We also did a little experiment to see how much milk I was producing-it wasn't much...I was drying up so to speak. Also of note, we found out that she was allergic to milk proteins and could not take breastmilk without having diarrhea and colic-like symptoms. It was amazing when they gave us that first bottle of formula. She sucked it down like she hadn't eaten in days! It was obvious that she was more comfortable within about 2 hours. Within the next 24 hours-the screaming and the diarrhea both stopped completely. After the short stay at the hospital, Ceci had gained back to her birth weight of 6 lbs 1 oz. They sent us home with a Home Health Care Nurse and told us that they would be monitoring her progress weekly. We were told to set alarms and to feed her every 2-3 hours, whether she was hungry or not. We followed this regimen to the letter and by the first week, she was finally gaining weight. At her next doctor's appointment, we were told to go ahead and start her on solid foods (rice cereal, oatmeal, mixed grain cereal ,fruits and veggies). Since then, she has consistently been gaining weight! Last week she weighed 8 lbs!!!!! Today, she went to see Dr. Latona for her 8 week checkup and she weighed 8 lbs 9ozs! She was 21 inches long today. Last week was the first week she was on the growth chart for her age. She was in the 5th percentile! I know that this is long, but we have been so preoccupied with trying to help her "thrive" that there has been very little time for blogging. Today, they told us that we no longer have to have the Home Health Nurse! Last week, Ceci finally grew out of the Preemie diapers. She is out of the preemie clothes and is now finally wearing Newborn sized clothes (0-3 month sizes are still a little too big). Since she has come home from the hospital and has been started on solid foods, she has also started to sleep much better (a blessing for us b/c she had only been sleeping for 45 minutes at a time-and no, I am not exaggerating). Now, she only wakes 1 time each night. She is up for about 1-2 hours and then goes back to bed. We are truly thankful that she is finally starting to "thrive". She is holding her head up and is starting to smile! She is absolutely precious!

Ok, so this was long, but it was a rare moment that I had to myself, while Jesse is holding her and she is asleep. Hopefully, as she starts to become more consistent with some kind of schedule, I can update more regularly.

Ceci meets the Vaughans-well at least some of them!

2008-04-29T15:05:00.002-05:00

Today, my aunt, Anne, brought my grandparents to Birmingham to visit Dad in the hospital. (long story about that-he is doing better though)Since they were coming to visit-I wanted them to be able to meet Ceci-their first-and only-great grandchild. I got up this morning and dressed Ceci up and took her to St. Vincent's hospital where she met Jackie, Ed and Anne for the first time!!! Since we were on a limited time schedule, I only got a few pictures. But the gist of the story is that they loved her and thought she was precious. Here are a few pictures of the event.

(Dad was hospitalized on Friday for a massive infection that had caused his white cell count to rise above 23,000. He had a very hight temperature-102.7- and was feeling generally terrible. He has been at St. Vincent's ever since. They did a CAT scan and found that a spot of his diverticulitis had ruptured, causing an absess to adhere to his bladder, infecting it from the outside-in. He then got a bad kidney infection from the growing bacteria in the absess. His temperature is around 99 now and they are taking him for another CAT scan this afternoon to see if the absess is still as prominent as it was on Friday. Say your prayers for him because he is never sick like this-much less in the hospital. I will continue to update as I get information.)

Scenes from her first photo shoot

2008-04-15T19:32:00.003-05:00

Here are some scenes from Cecilia's first photo shoot that occurred last night. Our friend, Marie, came over and took priceless photos of Cecilia. There were so many to choose from-I only picked 15 to upload because it would have taken hours to upload them all! Without futher ado-here they are!

Oh-and the Home Health people came today and picked up the Billibed!!!!! They didn't weigh her but I can tell that she looks so much better already. Tonight is the real test to see how she sleeps without being restricted. She is beautiful and we are all doing well. I will update more later!

She's Here!

2008-04-13T17:31:00.002-05:00

Cecilia Elise Adkinson arrived on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 6:31am. She weighed 6lbs and 1oz and was 19 inches at birth. Everyone is home now and is trying to adjust to life as a new family. Cecilia has had some problems maintaining her temperature, eating and she has jaundice. As of today, the home health nurse is encouraged (her name is Nurse Ceci by the way-really-she has the same name!). Today, Ceci's billirubin count has gone down by 2 points and is now at 12.6. She also gained an ounce-weighing in at 5 lbs 8 ozs! We have seen the pediatrician everyday but today and we are supposed to go back to see her tomorrow at 8:30am. Ceci is also starting to eat a little better, which is encouraging. We are having to feed her every 2 hours-we set alarms to stay on schedule. She has also taken her first bottles of breastmilk. We found out at 3am this morning that even the newborn bottles give her too much milk at once, so Papa Vaughan rescued us by getting Preemie Bottles from BabiesRus. She took to it like a champ-he got to do the first feeding by the new bottles! We are all tired and are looking forward to Ceci not having to sleep on the Billibed any more. She looks so uncomfortable and has made it clear to us that she doesn't like being constricted in her pod (she looks like a glow worm baby all zipped up on the light bed). She has improved her temperature as well and has not gone under 97.2 degrees in the past 2 days. We are trying to be encouraged. Say your prayers for us b/c this is definitly stressful. I will try to upload pictures in the next day or so. I know that there are many who are looking forward to seeing them. For now, I will just add this one. More later!

The Big Baby Shower

2008-04-03T13:46:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, March 22, I had my big baby shower. It turned out so great! We got a ton of great clothing and were very blessed to have gotten several keepsake items as well. There were several blankets that people had knitted, another dress and cap that my grandmother (Jackie) made and a picture frame with pictures of my grandfather (Papa, who is deceased) and me in it. There were WAY TOO MANY PICTURES TO UPLOAD, so I am choosing to put the link to the Kodak Gallery in this post. You don't have to join it to view the pictures, but it is very easy to upload and order from them if you did choose to join (it is free to join). Without further ado-here is the link-

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=wktwpr9.30qp5555&x=0&y=204e60&localeid=en_US

If you have problems looking at the pictures, drop me an email or leave a comment on the page and I will see if I can help. Thank you to all who came to the shower and who put so much effort in to making it a beautiful experience for me. I know that Ceci will enjoy all of her gifts!

a nervous father-to-be

2008-04-03T10:01:00.002-05:00

During this whole process-really since I was hospitalized on Friday evening-Jesse has been wonderful! He has tried to anticipate my needs and even thought to bring the laptop to the hospital so that I could have access to the outside world. He has been having tummy troubles though-more than his usual. Yesterday, he finally admitted that he was nervous. I thought it was really sweet! He went to the pharmacy yesterday and told them he was having stomach problems-when they asked him what was wrong, he told them we were "having a baby in +/- 7 days". They gave him Pepto, Pepcid, Zantac, Immodium, Emetrol, Tums and Alka Seltzer-of which he has already taken half the box! Hopefully, having this stock of meds will make him feel better. I know that he will be a great dad. I just wish I could convince him that we do have the capabilities to take care of "another human life", like he keeps saying. I am sure that this is totally normal, but I think that it is indearing! He keeps calling and saying "everything ok? how are you feeling right now? are the contractions increasing in intensity or frequency?" It cracks me up, but I love that he is showing such concern. We are on the countdown! 5 days away!!!

Released from the shackles-well partially anyway

2008-04-02T17:56:00.002-05:00

I was released from the hospital yesterday around 6pm. Today, I am at home, just "cooling my jets" so to speak. I went back to the doctor today and they did yet another sonogram (my 17th this pregnancy) and did another AFI (amniotic fluid index) and NST (non-stress test). Both were fine. The fluids were back in the normal range and there were no other problems noted. Dr. Brown checked my cervix today too and said that it is still 1-2cm dilated and 40% effaced. She said that it was "very soft" though, which is good considering there is still a lot of stretching to do before Ceci can be born. She said that if I have not gone into spontaneous labor by next Tuesday (April 8th) then I will be admitted that afternoon and induction will start on Wednesday (April 9th). SO.....with any luck, we will have a baby by this time next week! I will continue to update everyone as things happen. Thank you to all have been praying for us. Say some prayers for my sanity since I will not be returning to work prior to the birth, as I have been put on bedrest. I can get up for 1 hour at a time and have been told that I don't need to get "heavily involved" in any activity. So, that is the update. More later!

notes from the hospital bed

2008-03-31T15:03:00.002-05:00

Well, here I am. Sitting in the hospital again. This is the third admission during the pregnancy. This time, I was admitted on Friday afternoon for having low amniotic fluid. They hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor, a contraction monitor and an IV. The purpose was to try to increase my blood volume by increasing my fluid intake (no, I was not dehydrated)-by increasing my blood volume, it would in turn increase Ceci's blood volume and make her urinate more, which would create more amniotic fluid. Apparently, this didn't happen though. I have been on bed rest for the past 3 days and today's ultrasound showed that the amniotic fluid had not increased, but decreased. Dr. Brown came at 1:00 today and was ticked off that they had not taken me down for the test yet. Within about 15 minutes, I was carted off to the ultrasound room. They measured all of her organs, watched her move and breath and then measured the fluid. The technician was not able to measure my cervix because Ceci's head was so far down in the birth canal. This is reassuring since I have been feeling so much pressure down there. On Friday, I was measuring 1-2 cm dilated and "thinned out" so I am hoping that I have progressed. At this point, I am waiting to hear back from the doctor so that we can find out whether or not we will have this baby tomorrow. Even if I am not having the baby this week though, I will be sent home on bed rest for the at least the next week, if not two. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Say your prayers for a healthy baby!!! More later!

Work Baby Shower

2008-03-19T18:38:00.002-05:00

Today, my co-workers held a baby shower for me and Cecilia! They were all very generous. Our office manager, Belicia, made lasagna and it was delicious! Our morning secretary made a huge salad. Our afternoon secretary brought sweet tea. We also had cake and presents! I had a great time and I really appreciated all the hard work everyone put into the party. I know that we will get a lot of use out of the gifts we received. I am looking forward to having a baby to put into the pack-n-play!

preparations continue

2008-03-16T20:00:00.002-05:00

Today, I went to my friend's sister's house and bought several items from her that she was no longer using. I got a basinett for our house, a stroller with car seat bases for Mom & Dad's house, a boppy pillow and a little coat. This was awesome because I am trying to get the duplicate stuff covered for the grandparents so that they can have everything they need without having to tote stuff back and forth between houses. I then went to my parent's house where we unloaded all of their things that I had acquired. While I was at their house, I was presented with a large box from my grandmother, Mimi. This box was filled with heirloom baby clothes that mom and my two uncles wore as infants. There were several dresses, sweaters, day gowns and bonnets. They are BEAUTIFUL!!! I brought them home and hung them up in the armoir in Ceci's room. I can't wait to dress her up in them! Included in all of the boxed things was the "coming home" outfit that I will be using to dress Ceci in to "come home" from the hospital. So delicate and exquisite-I am sure she will look like a princess or a little doll in them. Next weekend is the baby shower. Getting all of this together is making me more and more excited for her arrival. I just hope that things go smoothly! Say your prayers for us because we are in the home stretch!

a very good report

2008-03-11T17:50:00.001-05:00

Today, I went to see my OBGYN. She told me that I have not progressed any since my last appointment. She said that Cecilia is definitly head down and that she is "in position"! I asked her about the medication that I had recently mentioned on a previous blog. She said she understood my concerns but that none of her patients have had problems with it in the past. She said that at this point, she I don't have to take it anyway because she would no longer try to stop labor if it started!!! This made me EXTREMELY HAPPY!!! I am so ready for her to be here! Now, I say-"BRING HER ON!!!"

It snowed...or was it a figment of my imagination?

2008-03-08T13:17:00.004-06:00

We got 12 weather e-warn messages during the night. They all stated that we were in line for a major snow event and were under a "heavy snow warning". I woke up at 6:04am and found that it was snowing. There was white stuff all over the ground and it covered the roof of the house. I took pictures because it really wasn't that cold outside and I wondered how long it would last. I went back to bed and fell asleep. At 11:26am, I went back outside with the dog. I took more pictures because there was very little trace of the snow left. I began to wonder whether it was a figment of my imagination. 5 1/2 hours earlier, there was snow everywhere. Currently, you can't tell it even snowed or that there was precipitation at all. Did I make it all up, was it all a dream? Or...is it the crazy Alabama weather at it again?

Doctor appointment

2008-02-27T19:38:00.002-06:00

I went to the doctor yesterday (Tuesday) and was given a prescription for the medication Brethine (commonly called Terbutaline). This medication is supposed to keep me from having any more contractions, which I am still having (only 3-4 per hour). I didn't know much about the medication, so I looked it up on the internet. Apparently, it is a medication typically used to help treat symptoms of asthma in that it relaxes the bronchospasms that occur with asthma attacks. It works the same way on the uterus in that it relaxes the uterine muscles and reduces the strength and frequency of the contractions. The bad thing I found out is that there are a lot of law suits against the makers of the drug because it has been known to cause developmental delays, speech problems and autism. I have not been able to find out what the prevalence of these problems are and how frequently they are noted to have been caused by this medication. At this point, all I know is that I would rather have her early than expose her to problems like I mentioned above. I work with children who have developmental and emotional delays on a daily basis. I do not want Cecilia to be at risk of experiencing these problems because of a medication I chose to take while pregnant with her. I am sure that there are many children who are products of pregnancies where this drug has been taken and they have no problems. I, however, do not want to expose her to the risk if I do not have to. At this point, if she were born, her brain would be fully formed and she would have a good chance of going home after a few days of monitoring. Maybe I am over-reacting but I do not think I will take the medication, especially if by not taking it I can avoid exposing her to the above disorders.

On another note, when I was seen, I was told that I have not progressed any further and am still at 1cm and 50% effaced. This is a plus because she needs to stay inside and grow a little more before she is born. Don't get me wrong...I am ready for her to get here, but I also know that she needs as much time in the womb as possible! I go back to the doctor on March 11. Say some prayers that she keeps growing and doesn't decide to come this early!

Starting the nursery

2008-02-24T18:34:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, we got started on the nursery. After much preparation, it seems that the time is near and we could possibly be using this stuff much sooner, rather than later. We are 59 days away from the due date and people are already taking bets on when I will "pop". We were fortunate enough to have friends who came over yesterday to help us do the improvements and the moving. Mr. D installed a new ceiling fan and new blinds in the room. Mrs. D and I put together a storage unit (to be used in the closet) and divided up all of the clothes that we already had (from Charlie). We found that there was a sufficient amount of starter clothes, like onesies and sleepers, but that we were lacking in the area of actual day-to-day outfits. The crib was a challenge and it was actually just finished today since both mine and Mr. D's drill died yesterday. It seems that we have a lot of furniture, some of which I would LOVE to get rid of (i.e. the pair of old blue chairs and the huge desk chair). I am not sure where all of this stuff is gonna go because my goal was to get the garage cleaned out enough that we could actually put a car into it. BIG ASPIRATIONS, I know, but that is what I want. Hopefully, I can get Jesse to actually help with the moving of the stuff in the basement because it seemed that yesterday, all he wanted to do was stand around and watch Mr. D do all the work. Anyway, I am including pictures of the beginnings of the nursery. I will update with more later after we have finished.

Another trip to the hospital...UUUGGGHHH

2008-02-23T08:57:00.002-06:00

Tuesdays are usually our nights for Lamaze. This week, we went to Lamaze and had a whole class on the benefits of breastfeeding. Class was informative but by the end of the night, I was ready to go home. Jesse and I decided to go to Moe's for a quick dinner. As we started to eat, I began to feel very nauseated. This didn't surprise me because, I had been having waves of nausea for the past several days (never getting sick). We left the meal abruptly and headed home. Once we got home, it was downhill from there. We got home around 9:15 or so and by 11pm, I was experiencing vomiting and upset stomach approximately every 20 minutes. Needless to say, I slept on the floor of the bathroom with my pillow and the duvet from the bed. After this continued all night long, I was completely drained and had started cramping (after that night,who knows if it was the baby or my intestines at that point). I couldn't keep down water and was feeling very puny. Around 6:30am, I finally gave in and called my OB's answering service. The doctor told me that I needed to go to Labor and Delivery immediately and that I would be admitted for IV fluids and observation. I started to cry because I didn't want to be admitted, but I knew for Cecilia's sake, I probably needed to go. Jesse and I got some things together and headed to Brookwood. They took me up to the perinatal unit and started an IV (which was difficult considering how dehydrated I was). I was hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and to a contraction monitor. At that point, I was having some mild contractions (no more than 4 an hour) and they wanted them to stop. All in all, I was given 5 bags of IV fluids, Immodium, Zofran (for nausea & vomiting) and Regland (for the acid reflux). I was also "checked" for the first time and was told that I am 1cm dilated, 50% effaced and minus 2 station! This is exciting because that means that things are happening to prepare for Miss Ceci's arrival! 24 hours later, things were better. On Thursday, I was sent home around 10:30am to rest and attempt to recouperate. Today, I am much better, although still a little tired. I am trying to save my strength for the nursery organization that is scheduled for today! So, from now on, I will be monitoring myself and making sure that I have no more than 6 contractions in 1 hour (fewer at this point is very normal considering my body is preparing for birth!). Today I am exactly 60 days away from my due date! If we can keep Miss Ceci in the oven for about 3-4 more weeks, we will be golden! I go back to the OB on Tuesday and am excited to see if there has been any more progression-YIPPEE! Slow and steady wins the race! At least if she did decide to come sometime soon, we would know that things would be fine!

2nd Annual Tailgate in the Mountains

2008-02-23T08:36:00.003-06:00

So, last weekend, we went to Cashiers, North Carolina for our 2nd Annual Tailgate in the Mountains. Last year, we started this tradition of a weekend getaway with our tailgating group. This year, we returned to Fern Bank Cottage, nestled on Lake Glenville, in Cashiers. The night we arrived (Valentine's Day), we all had dinner at Paoletti's (Italian Restaurant) in Highlands, North Carolina. This was a very romantic dinner and was enjoyed by all. At dinner, one of the couples announced that they were expecting their first child--Congratulations Abbie and Jonathan!! Then the boys all announced that they had arranged a day at the Hampton Health Club for all of the girls! Friday, the girls arrived at the Spa, which was opened just for our group and is usually only available to members of the High Hampton Inn and Country Club. The guys paid for the services and then took off for a day of golf at the High Hampton Inn. Jesse even paid for smoothies for us all since we were going to be there during lunch! (how sweet!!! Gotta love the big man!) Following the day at the spa, we all returned home and got ready for dinner at The Brown Trout (a restaurant in Sapphire, North Carolina). Dinner, again, was fabulous! We then returned back to the cabin for a night by the fire. Sleeping in on Saturday morning was not an option for Jesse and I. We cooked a big Country Breakfast for the entire gang! After that, we went our separate ways-the boys went to the store and the girls went shopping. Dinner that night was cooked by the men (minus Jesse, who was asleep)-we had steaks, twice baked potatoes, Feta topped tomatoes and green bean bundles--YUMMM!! The rest of the evening was spent by the bonfire at the edge of the lake. I am including pictures so that you can all see the beauty of Lake Glenville and the cabin where we stayed. I can't wait to go back next year!

If you are interested in staying in a great cabin in Cashiers, check out: www.cashiersnc.com

Finally done with the cleaning

2008-02-18T19:21:00.003-06:00

So, the air duct and carpet cleaning went pretty well. Of course, I was upsold on extra treatments, but I think that when I bring Cecilia home, I will be glad that I did it. In addition to the regular air duct cleaning, we had the air ducts sanitized with a hospital-grade antibacterial treatment. This killed any remaining dust mites, germs, allergens and/or mold that stuck around after the vents were all sucked clean. I also opted for the permanent air filters, which you never have to replace. All you have to do is take them out and vacuum them once a month and shoot them off with a hose once every three months. And-whenever we move, all we have to do is call Sears and they will send us brand new permanent air filters for our new home at a $10 shipping charge (no charge for the new filters). I think that this was a pretty good deal. When the carpet cleaning guy came, I did have to get the pet enzyme treatment, which was an additional charge, but again, the pet stains would not have come up without it. I feel much better knowing that things are getting closer to clean so that Ceci can come home to an allergen-free (or at least reduced) house. I am looking forward to this weekend, when I have friends coming to help with the nursery assembly. I just wish that it was all done and we had a baby to put in it! 65 more days and counting!!!!!

Let the fun begin

2008-02-18T07:47:00.002-06:00

Well, we made it back from the mountains and our "babymoon" (as some have called it). Now, let the real fun begin. The floors are almost completely clear of obsticles and I am anxiously awaiting the air duct cleaners to be here any minute. Following the air duct cleanings, all of the carpets in the house will be deoderized, shampooed and cleaned. This whole process is supposed to take about 4 hours. I have confirmed my order like 3 times with Sears and am ready to get started. After the cleaning is complete, I will trek across town to stay with my friend, Debbie, and her new baby, Sophie---but just for a few hours so that the carpets can dry. Today should be very interesting. I am wondering if they will be able to keep to the 4 hour time constraint, as I know I will be extremely hungry by 12 noon. Now, if I could just figure out what to do with the dogs for the next 4 hours.....

A rough start

2008-02-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess I should have expected there to be some kind of fallout at the Main office after my transition here. On Tuesday, I had my first day. The day went fairly well, with very few bumps and bruises (figuratively) as I got adjusted to the procedures at the new office. Today, however, has been horrible. Here is a run-down of my first 2 day's events:

On Tuesday, I had come in to an office filled with random blank forms and other extraneous paperwork strewn all over the office. It looked like a tornado had hit. I consulted with several peers and all agreed that it would be fine for me to organize the paperwork (that both of us would use on a daily basis-think billing sheets and medical history forms, etc.). So, I went to work. I got manilla folders and labelled them with the names of the forms and put them in hanging file folders in alphabetical order in one of the empty desk drawers. I then tidied up (dusted and straightened) the rest of the office. Before leaving, I wrote a note to my new officemate and told her where I had put all of the commonly used forms and that I had left her personal stuff untouched (b/c it was her personal stuff and not mine). I left feeilng very good about myself and hoping that my new officemate would appreciate the small bit of organization that I had done.

When I came in to the office today (day #2), I arrived to find that the office had been ransacked and totally destroyed. All of the paperwork that I had filed and organized had been taken out of the file folders (which had been torn up and shoved into a drawer) and had been again strewn all over the desk. Along with the mess, there was a nasty note from my officemate, saying how I had invaded her "personal boundaries" and how she could "leave her stuff whereever she wanted". She also said that she was angry I had change the computer password (which I wouldn't know how to do if my life depended on it-By the way, an administrator has to do that). She had ripped the information off of the walls that I had put up and she had torn up the current phone list that I had taped to the desktop (over the one from 2004 that had been there). I was devistated. Seeing as how I haven't slept well this week and this has been a stressful change for me too, I started to cry. I NEVER cry at work. I was told that she was mad that she had to share an office and that it was no reflection on me by multiple staff members. Apparently, she was so mad on Thursday that she resigned (giving a 30 day notice). This woman is 64 years old and she was so incredibly childish that she ransacked her own office because she didn't want to share. Needless to say, one of the administrators heard about the issue and came to get the copy of her mean note to me. I was told that she is a mean woman who has been unhappy for years and that they are hoping she quits before she works out her 30 day notice. All I have to say about it is "SERIOUSLY?!" I really hope that when I am 64 years old that I am not as petty and passive aggressive as she. Keep me in your prayers, I need sanity to keep working in this kind of environment.

I just can't wait to see what will have happened next week when I come in and she realizes that the administrator changed the security code for the phone so that we can both access the voicemail! This is going to be interesting.

4-D ultrasound!

2008-02-06T19:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we had the 4-D ultrasound with Cecilia! I am totally exctied even though we only got a few good shots. I am impressed b/c the pictures look like a clay mold of a baby's face. She is going to be beautiful. In the pictures, she has her head against the placenta, which is why couldn't get a real clear picture of her entire face. There are some where there is a line going down her face-that is not actually on her face, it is where the sonographer pulled back the image of the placenta and got the rest of the image of Ceci's face. Pretty neat I think! Well, without further ado-Meet Cecilia!!!!!

New Things

2008-02-04T18:22:00.000-06:00

So today there were several new things that happened.
1. Today, my grandmother, "mimi", had to do a stress test at her cardiologist's office b/c they think she has a blockage in her heart. Sweet Mimi! I just heard from her and she said that things are ok and that they are hoping to hear from the doctor tomorrow with the results. Hopefully, things will be ok with her b/c I would hate to lose her (I know it will happen eventually, but I want her here as long as possible).
2.My friend, Jeanne, gave birth (finally-2 weeks overdue) to a baby boy-Tanner Phillip! I am so incredibly excited for her. We have been friends since college and I know that a baby is all that she has ever wanted!! Yeah, Tanner Phillip!
3. I learned from Mimi that my cousin, Tatum, got engaged last night. She is a doctor here in Birmingham and has been dating her boyfriend, now fiancee, for several years. They are totally cute together and I wish them all the happiness in the world.
4. Tomorrow, I start my new job-working part-time at our main office in Birmingham. I am still with Eastside Mental Health, I will just be working out of both the Oneonta office and the Birmingham office. I am a little nervous but think I will probably be fine. (At least my schedule isn't packed tomorrow!)
5. Tomorrow, we go to the doctor again and get to have the 4-D ultrasound!!!! I am totally excited about this because I will get to see Cecilia's face for the first time!! This ultrasound is supposed to look like a photograph-it combines 3 dimensional imaging with real time, movement. I have seen several of my friends' 4-D ultrasounds and they are truly amazing! I can't believe that medical technology will let us get a glimpse of our our babies in such detail, before they are born!

Things I have realized

2008-02-03T11:49:00.000-06:00

I have come to realize that altough I have several lofty plans for the house, I can't do most of them because I am pregnant. Talking about moving furniture and hanging blinds and ceiling fans is great, but when you are married to a man who is less than handy around the house and you are pregnant, things just don't get done. I have a friend at work who volunteered her husband to come and help with the furniture moving, blinds and fan but there is still a lot of stuff to be done BEFORE those chores can be completed. I have learned that when you are pregnant, your energy gets Zapped very quickly and then you just sit and look around at the chores, wishing you could get up and do them. I have decided that I am going to have to rely on several other people to help get this stuff done b/c for once, as independent as I am, I can't do it by myself. This is not to say that Jesse won't help, it is just to say that he doesn't know how to do some of the tasks and others he would need help with. We have one more weekend before we go to the mountains and return for the carpet cleaning. I am hoping that we can get some friends over here to help out between now and then because at this point, we are at a standstill. UGGHHH!! How frustrating!

Bought out the store

2008-02-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I just got home from Brookwood Mall with my mom. We went in search of a cocktail dress for the wedding I am attending tomorrow night---we came out with half the store! We found some great deals and got some stuff for me to wear to work, bum around in and to wear to my shower! I am really pumped! I just hope that others like the choices as much as we did because this is probably the last maternity clothing we will buy.

We are officially on the countdown and only have 81 days left to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am hoping that tomorrow will be a fruitful day and we can finish cleaning out the office/nursery so that next weekend, we can just relax. We will see though. There is still a lot to be done and there is only so much I can do before I am completely exhausted. If anyone has any spare time on their hands---we would love company or assistance with this project. Needless to say, tomorrow, I will need to eat my Wheaties! Hey, at least I know I will look good doing it though now that I own all of that new clothing!

glad to know...

2008-01-31T20:21:00.000-06:00

The Culprit (on top-Sam) and her Accomplis (on bottom-Molly)

So glad to know that I am getting my carpets cleaned b/c during my dinner tonight, one of the cats (Sam) knocked over my 20 oz. glass of milk and it spilled all over the carpet in the bedroom. I have to tried to soak it all up with almost an entire roll of paper towels but I don't think even that will cure the odor that I am sure will appear in the next day or so. Now, the question is, can we make it until the carpet cleaning without getting sick from the smell of spilt, spoiled milk?!

So excited!

2008-01-30T19:45:00.000-06:00

Never have I been more excited to speak with someone from Sears! Today, I scheduled our whole house to have the air ducts and all of the carpets cleaned and deodorized! I am so pumped about this! We got a great deal and they are coming on my day off (president's day-Feb. 18). This means that we have exactly two weekends to get the office cleaned out and as much of the stuff on the floor (furniture, boxes, extra chairs) removed so that everything is spic and span and ready to have baby stuff moved in!!!!! I am really pumped. I had told Jesse that I wasn't going to move any baby stuff into the nursery/office until we had the carpets cleaned and then this deal came along (see your most recent Valpak coupon envelope). Having this done will make me feel much better about bringing Cecilia home because I know she will be coming into a much cleaner and less pet-hairy house.

Speaking of pet hair...this reminds me that one of my high school friends had her twins today! (a bit tangential I know but bear with me) She already has one child who is 14 months old..."Jake". She had a boy and a girl today...named "Sam" and "Molly". These are the names of my cats!!!! My cats now have namesakes! And...like these three children, my cats are all siblings too! Can you believe the uncanniness of that?!

Also...I went to get the car tag yesterday. I failed to mention that I got it personalized! I have never had a personalized tag before, so this was a fun addition to the new car. You all know that Jesse and I are HUGE Auburn fans! Well, I got an Auburn University tag and it says: "BBTGR"---Baby Tiger!!!!!!!!!! I love it! Right now, I have a temporary tag, but in 6-8 short weeks (just in time for Cecilia's arrival) I will have the actual tag for the new van! All I have to say about that is WAR EAGLE!!!!

A Surprisingly Pleasant Experience

2008-01-30T06:16:00.000-06:00

Pleasant Experience #1:
Yesterday, I went to get the tag for our new van. I arrived at the DMV, knowing that I would have to wait for a significant amount of time considering it was one of the last days of the month. I only had to wait for about 10 minutes! Then I got the counter and the woman was surprisingly helpful, pleasant and easy to understand. Who knew that competent people actually worked at the DMV?! I did find out that we never need to buy a car in the month that we renew again. At first, they tried to charge me for a renewal and for a new tag (double the price). When the attendant noticed this, she called over her supervisor and reversed the charges, eliminating the additional fee. Apparently, she had to issue us an old tag and then issue us a renewal (new stickers for this year). Whatever-she got rid of the extra fee, that was all I cared about.

I then travelled home and let the dogs out and headed to the other side of town for Lamaze class. I knew that I would be early, but was trying to avoid traffic, so I stopped by my favorite bakery...Savages.

Pleasant Experience #2:
When I walked into Savages, I was greated by a friendly woman behind the counter. I was shocked! Savages is known for having the most incredible pastries and cakes but for having HORRIBLE customer service. She was incredibly nice, helped me to choose some breakfast food, carried on a normal conversation and then she rang up my total (which was correct for once-there have been many times that they ring it up incorrectly and then throw a fit when you want them to fix it). I was shocked!!! I almost told the girl that this was my "most pleasant experience at Savages yet". Instead of telling her, which might actually discourage the pleasantries or make her feel like she had been rude in the past, I just took my food and left with a smile on my face.

I then travelled to Mrs. Sallye's house, where I waited the remainder of the hour prior to Lamaze.

Pleasant Experience #3:
At Lamaze, Jesse and I experienced his first two viewings of actual births (in video format). I really expected him to run out of the room and vomit since he has such a weak stomach. However, he grimaced and ACTUALLY WATCHED THE VIDEOS! He asked wonderful questions, showing his concern for my recent discomfort. He even participated in the class discussion on labor and warning signs (he knew his material since we had done our reading!).

Overall, the day was very long but I had three pleasant experiences in one day! That is unusual!

Keep them in your prayers

2008-01-21T08:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was told that the son of a well-known radio show host had accidentally drowned in their family pool. The 2 1/2 year old son of Rick Burgess (from the Rick & Bubba show) was unable to be revived after being found in the family pool on Saturday night. When I heard this, I was saddened and when I listened to the radio this morning, I was in tears. Regardless of socioeconomic status or of what this child's father does for a living, I am deeply saddened by their loss. We hear of things like this happening on the news but rarely do we ever think it would happen to someone we know.

This tragedy, along with the one that happened to my friend Andrea, are wakeup calls to us as a community. Please increase your vigilance in all surroundings-becoming more self aware and aware of those around you. Please keep these two families in your prayers.

R.I.P.

2008-01-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

R.I.P. Jesse's Car

Well, the day we all knew was coming finally arrived yesterday. Apparently, while he was driving down the highway, his car decided that it was going to die. It totally stopped working and he had to have it towed to our house. We knew that we would be shopping for a new car in the next couple of months, but we were definitly hoping to wait at least until we got our tax refund. Last night, we came home and did some research on the internet to look at cars/minivans that we were interested in. We found several at local dealerships (within 5 miles of our house) and decided that we would go look at them today. Unbeknownst to us, the websites for these two large car dealerships were not accurate. Jesse called it the "bait and switch" because once we arrived, the sales people conveniently knew NOTHING about what was on their website. After about 2 hours of dealing with complete moron sales people, we went to Carmax in Hoover. We had seen several vans that we were interested in and magically, their website was accurate. They were completely organized and when we decided on the van, options, price, payment, etc that we wanted, all it took was a few clicks on the computer and it was ordered! The salesman was knowledgeable and did not pressure us at all. He actually encouraged us to look around at all the options before making a decision. We ended up choosing a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan that is fully loaded (minus the leather) and it should be here from Nashville by Wednesday! We got a great deal and I am looking forward to going in and signing the paperwork so we can bring it home. As long as it it is ok when it gets to Hoover from Nashville-it will be ours!!! We are really excited and hope to get some good use our of this car! Look at all the features it has:

2006 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4D Pass Ext Van
All Grand Caravan Models typically include the following standard features:*
•Drivetrain, FWD
•Speed Control
•Fuel Tank, 20.0 Gal Cap
•Battery, 500-cca
•Braking System, Anti-Lock
•Moldings, Body Side
•Lights, Cargo Comp't, Liftgate & Reading
•Cup Holders, F&R
•Power Outlets, F&R
•Floor Mats, F&R
•Console, Floor w/Storage
•Stabilizer Bar, Front
•Wiper/Washer, Intermittent Rear Window
•Spare Tire, Limited Use
•Steering, Power
•Brakes, Power F&R Disc
•Defroster, Rear Window
•Steering Wheel, Tilt
•W/S Wipers, Variable Intermittent
•Restraint System, Dual Front Air Bag
•Seat Trim, Cloth
•Cargo Nets, (3)
•Garage Door Opener
•Steering Wheel Touch Controls
•Traction Control
•Tachometer
•Alternator, 160-Amp
•Axle Ratio, 3.43
•Towing Cap, 3800-lb Max (When Properly Equipped)
•Wheels, Aluminum
•Headlamp Control, Automatic-Off
•Mirrors, Dual Heated Power & Dual Illuminated Visor Vanity
•Doors, Dual Power Sliding
•Fog Lights, Front
•Steering Wheel, Leather-Wrapped
•Console, Overhead
•Light, Overhead Ashtray/Cup Holder
•Windows, Power
•Door Locks, Power
•Seat Adjuster, Power Driver's
•Trip Computer
•Seating, 7-Passenger, (4) Bucket & (1) 3-Passenger Split Fol
•Air Conditioning, Tri-Zone Manual
•Transmission, 4 Speed Automatic
•Quick Order Pkg
•Seating, 7-Passenger
•Tires, P215/65R16 LBL
•Radio, AM/FM Stereo w/CD & Cassette
•Roof Rails w/Crossbars
•Entry System, Illuminated Keyless Remote Control
•Engine: V6, 3.8 Liter
•Glass, Sunscreen
•Seats, (1) 3-Passenger Split Folding Rear Bench
•Seats, (4) Bucket

2 years!

2008-01-13T16:01:00.001-06:00

Well, I can't believe it! Tomorrow, Monday, January 14, 2008, is our 2 year wedding anniversary. Time has flown and it is hard to believe that it has already been 2 years since we got married. We have had a tumultuous past 24 months and I am hoping that our coming years will bring more happiness and fewer surprises. I am also looking forward to going out for our special dinner together. We have gone back and forth on where we should go but I am sure that with the wide variety of places that are available in Birmingham, we will be able to find one that both of us are desiring of. My grandparents sent us a check to pay for our dinner, which was greatly appreciated since our budget is tight (in preparation for Cecilia).

I know that I usually don't get mushy but I would just like to say that I am so grateful for having found such a wonderful spouse. Yes, we may have our arguments and we may not agree on everything, but who doesn't experience those same things? I am just going to enjoy him and continue to be thankful for what he is to me. In fact, we will reach another milestone next month-having been together for 8 years. In this day and time, that is pretty amazing! Hopefully, the next 8 will be just as great as the first! Now....what's for dinner??!!!!

An update regarding the last post

2008-01-11T18:16:00.000-06:00

Here is the most recent update from my mom about the situation posted in the last blog. And yes-it did really happen and yes-I do know the girl it happened to. Please read the following for more information.

Ladies,

I've had calls and emails from women with whom I have not had the pleasure of knowing personally. The subjects?
1) "Did this really happen here?"
2)"Is this another hoax email or just a new urban myth we all hear, during holidays, re: the man under the car who attacks women returning to their vehicle after spending their day or night feverous gift-buying @ the Gaggaria, Brookwood, Summit, et al?"
3)"Since I called the Homewood Police, they have no record of it, deny it happened, or, it's a ruse; so, I am calling you ((yours truly)) to ask if it is a real person?"

[[I will enclose an intra-office memo between the Chief and the Mayor, indicating their efforts to get to the bottom of the whole email thing. In addition to that statement, you will see that they have worked w/ the B'ham PD, who had also received the email someway, somehow (thanks to you who've passed it along w/ best of intentions, wouldn't you agree)? By the way, great work spreading the word -- even reaching as far as our ACIPCO friends -- and you wouldn't believe where else: Florida &Tennessee--former B'ham residents who still visit!]]

Both assigned a detective, from the aforementioned PDs, tracking the original & personal email of warning and awareness, to the mother, Dana, to ask about the "validity" of the email because the respective depts had no records!! She told them she'd neither confirm nor deny the incident -- because she had been asked by her daughter and the B'ham PD detectives not to publicize her name just yet. Various reasons were then provided to said depts upon their intrusion.It seems a bit like an attempt to censor/silence/suppress, in my opinion.

OK; here are your answers, ladies:
YES, it DID happen, just as relayed to you. And, guess what? The very real victim (SURVIVOR), Dana's daughter, HAS A D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T SURNAME (!) than her mother,since her mother had remarried! Hence, her true last name is not listed in police reports in either city; ERGO, SHE WOULDN'T SHOW UP ON ANY REPORTS, though she did call Homewood first and was referred to the proper jurisdiction: B'ham PD! Now, is that clear?!?

And, NO; I refuse to reveal her last name. Does this seem relevant to event or email? Any less a crime? Good God in Heaven, please hear this! Andrea,as all rape victims usually are, will be dragged through this horrible event again while defending her good name in court after the guys are apprehended.

Therefore, if someone is still dubious about the truth, you feel free to call me: Sylvia @ 942.3320. I will be happy to answer your questions and clear your doubts. I spoke w/ both Chief Dowd and Mayor McCulley this afternoon (Thurs, Jan 10, 2008) after the office email was passed along to my husband (those of you know our Mr Allen) who fired off a letter to both city officials and alerted me in the meantime. He received a prompt,defensive reply from our mayor. After my discussion w/ the interested and patient officials, we came to the conclusion that whether or not something of this urgent nature is true, citizens have the right to know what's going on in our area and HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES if said criminal activity does indeed happen-- be it mythical, hypothetical, factual! The police chief was of the opinion that there would be "panic". (Has anyone seen women running amok, hysterically screaming, anywhere? Do let me know; wanna watch the mayhem). The mayor questioned the method of informing citizens. I made several suggestions and he is to meet w/ Dodd tomorrow to discuss strategy for their dilemma. I warned McCulley, who was very polite, that I will be following this matter of notification (I ask you to join me) to make sure this is not "put on the back-burner." He said he understood and had my phone number, as do you, since I offered to brainstorm w/ whomever.(Suggestions welcome -- anyone? Anyone?)

With your help, maybe even continuing to pass this on to someone you left off your initial "Send" list, will raise awareness.

So,BRAVA, friends! Knowledge is power. To those of you who passed the warning along with best of intentions, I hope I have answered these important & logical feedback questions. You still have my number; call, by all means. Anyone?

You are very responsible young women of whom I am very proud -- whether I know you or not. You have cared & been an angel to someone by being PROACTIVE! The victim and mother are appreciative, as well.

Sylvia

And, read on, if you're interested in the above-mentioned exchanges, including city officials.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: I have deleted personal email addresses including full names & their places of employment since I don't have everyone's permission to pass along. I left the HOMEWOOD employees' & council members' emails. And,YES;still makes it all legitimate!

-----Original Message-----

From: Phil DoddSent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 11:16 AMTo: Barry McCulley; Allan Trippe; Allan Trippe (allantrippe@lawbham.com); Allyn Krall; Allyn Krall; Anthony Smith; David Hooks; Ginger Busby; Ginger Busby (Gbusby@burr.com); J J Bischoff (jjb4444@aol.com); J.J. Bischoff; Jackie Langlow; Jackie Langlow; Joe Falconer; Sam Brasseale; Sam Brasseale; Scott McBrayer; Scott Mcbrayer (scott.mcbrayer@sci-us.com); Smith, Anthony (Tony); Thomas HamnerCc: Tim Ross; rday@ebsco.com; Lori Dooley; Kent Baker; Ken Atkinson; Bob Copus; Chuck Moore; Dan Smith; Dennis Shepard

Subject: Rape/kidnapping email

As this email continues to circulate I am getting numerous calls and email. We have not taken any report concerning this case, the Birmingham Police have not received a report of this incident, although they are now in contact with the person who sent the original email and are trying to get to the bottom of it. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has not had a report, neither has Hoover, Mountain Brook or Vestavia Police. We also contacted the Rape response center mentioned in the original email and they have no knowledge of the incident, a check of local Fire Departments also reveals no calls of this nature during the time period in question. I do want to stress that this does not mean that the incident did not occur, but it does mean, that if it did it was not reported to any Police Agency that we have been in contact with.

If you receive this email or phone calls concerning it please pass on what I have discovered so far. As I stated the Birmingham Police are following up to try determine the nature of this incident.

Thank you,

Phillip Dodd
Chief of Police
HOMEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
1833 29TH Avenue South
Homewood, Alabama 35209
Email: phil.dodd@homewoodal.org
205.332.6235
FAX 205.877.8648

A warning for all

2008-01-09T20:07:00.001-06:00

The following post is a copy of an email sent to me about one of my childhood friends, Andrea. I am posting her mother's account of the story from Sunday night-January 6, 2008. Please take this information to heart and stay safe! I grew up with Andrea and can't imagine that anything like this would ever happen to someone I know.

NOW READ THE MOTHER'S ACCOUNT:
My dear old friends,
That event we fear the most concerning our daughters happened to Andrea on Sunday. She went to K-Mart on Green Springs at about 5:00pm. After leaving, she stopped at the gas station there on Green Springs. She was kidnapped, and for the next 5 hours was raped and robbed and generally terrorized. There were 3 black men and they were very clever. She did not know where they took her as they drove around in circles and made her lie down so she could not see. They wiped most of the prints off the car, but the police a got a few anyway. Also, they did not wear condoms, so there is DNA evidence should they be caught. The police think they will be able to catch them. From Andrea’s description of their clothing and the way they talked the police believe they are gang members and seem to know a lot about them. I hope so.

She was able to convince them to release her at about 11:00pm. What a miracle that was. She said she just kept praying and begging. She was not cooperative at first, but learned quickly that not fighting them might save her life. She had hoped at one point to be able to jump from the car, but her doors lock automatically (some safety feature!) when she turns on the car and she couldn't unlock the door without them hearing it. She does not know where they let her go. They got out of the car and told her to count to 30 before she looked up. She did. She immediately got into the front seat and started the car. She didn’t have a clue where she was, so she drove around and around for some time (she’s not sure how long – maybe 30 minutes or so) until she found her way out to Green Springs again. She drove home and called the police. They were with her all night going over the details and filing reports. They called the paramedics and they did a rape kit. She didn’t call me until Monday morning early. The detectives were still with her trying to trace any calls from her cell phone – the animals had taken everything she had.

She is grateful to be alive and believes God was watching over her no matter how terrible this is. She went to the Rape Crisis Center and they gave her a physical, the morning after pill and drew blood to test for diseases. We will go from there. I’ve been looking for apartments all day to find somewhere she can move to immediately. Of course, these animals know where she lives and since she called the police (she promised them she wouldn’t if they let her go) they may try to find her to shut her up. Kidnapping, rape and robbery will get them at least 20 years. She is terrified, of course. I am just so glad she is alive!

Oh, and Sunday was her birthday. I told her that God gave me a gift on that day 28 years ago and He gave her to me again on Sunday.

Please tell your girls what happened TO SOMEBODY THEY KNOW. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Sylvia, if I hear of your or Sharron Lancaster getting gas on Green Springs I am going to come over there and take your keys away.

Please keep Andrea in your prayers.

Love,
Dana

This much I know.....

2008-01-09T19:56:00.000-06:00

Well....I learned a valuable lesson tonight-I stink at shooting BB's. Apparently, it takes a rocket scientist to teach me how to load, cock and shoot the new BB gun that mom got us for Christmas. Jesse was laughing at me the whole time! So here is the situation:
We had just finished eating dinner and I took the plates to the kitchen. When I was returning to the living room, I noticed that that dreaded possum had returned and was dining on a snack of cat food. I yelled at Jesse, "go get the BB gun....go get the BB gun!" He told me that he didn't know where it was and told me to go get it. So, I did. I brought it down to him and told him to load it. Then I got Kramer and took him outside to chase the possum while Jesse got the thing loaded. Jesse handed it to me and told me to go outside and take a shot at something plastic so that I could get practice at shooting it. (having only shot a gun one time in my life and being knocked over by it-I was hesitant) I took it outside but I couldn't bring myself to shoot it for fear of falling down or being arrested for shooting a gun inside the city limits. I went back inside and Jesse unloaded it and shot it once for me to hear that it was the tiniest sound ever. I took it back outside and tried to shoot it-with the safety on-and found out that the BB's just fall out of the end when you do that! I took it back inside and Jesse again reloaded it and told me that it was ready to shoot. I then took one shot at the plastic planter on our front porch. God only knows where the BB went b/c I heard it richochet off the planter and it went into the leaves. I only hope I am a better shot when it comes to shooting the possum! I don't intend to kill the possum, just warn it to stay away from my cats' food. I guess I need to take some lessons or something...I am sure it was a sight to see a 6 month pregnant woman in her front yard shooting a BB gun at a planter and wincing at the sound. Where is the country girl in me when I need her?!

Wii had so much fun!

2008-01-06T16:18:00.000-06:00

Last night, Jesse and I went to dinner with our friends, Paul & Sandy Dangel. We ate at Cozumel Mexican Restaurant in Pelham and then headed to their house for some video gaming. Now, I have played on the Nintendo Wii system before, but haven't ever had this much fun with it! We played a game called Dance Dance Revolution. It was so hard! At first all you think you have to do is touch your foot on the correct arrow as the music plays and the arrows flash on the screen---it is much more difficult than that! After we had played for a couple of hours, we found out that Jesse was the best player out of the 4 of us. We were all surprised! He got so into the game that he even rolled up his pants legs so that he could improve his performance. This was probably the most fun I have had in a while. I think that we should get one of these game systems for our anniversary instead of going out to a really nice meal.

BTW-I can't believe that on January 14, we will have been married for 2 years! It seems like time has flown since that day...and in February, we will have been together for 8 years!!! Sounds like we a got a good thing goin on, if you know what I mean!

The Deluge Begins

2007-12-30T16:22:00.001-06:00

Today, we drove home from Atlanta (from visiting my dad's side of the family) and unloaded a mound of baby stuff. Then abotu 3 hours after we got home, mom and dad came by and unloaded another mound! I don't know what we are going to do with all this stuff! Who knew that babies needed this much!? I guess it is ok though since the majority of it is going to Jesse's mom's house for her to have duplicates of everything. We are pretty lucky because even though I have to go back to work after 6 weeks, Cecilia will not have to go to daycare. Jesse's mom will be keeping her! This is a huge relief because that way I know she will be getting excellent care and she won't be exposed to all those germies! Well, I need to go start weeding through all the stuff so that I can decide what is staying here and what is going to Mrs. Billie's. Hopefully, this won't take long!

I will be uploading pictures from our many Christmas adventures during the next couple of days, so check back!

My trip to the UAB ER

2007-12-28T17:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I know I said I wouldn't go but after a good threatening from my parents, I gave in and went to the ER at UAB. We chose UAB because we figured that they would have the most comprehensive care for someone pregnant and sick. What we didn't know however, is that even at the ER, they don't treat pregnant people!

Here is the run-down of how it went:

7:20pm-We walked in to the ER and were asked if I needed to see a doctor. I said yes. The man at the desk then asked what my problems were and I told him about having a sinus infection and not being able to get seen by any other doctors since I am pregnant. At that point, a blank stare came over his face and he called over a supervisor. They told me to have a seat in the triage room and the nurse would be with me ASAP. A nurse came in and did the triage and then said that they would more than likely be transferring me to "MEU" (Maternity Evaluation Unit) since I was past the 16 week mark. I was then immediately moved into another room and was set up with a fetal heart monitor and a doctor came in within 15 minutes. (I have to say this was the speediest I have ever been seen and dealt with at any ER!! ---especially since the waiting room was completely packed-probably 100 or more people in there) The doctor came in and listened to my chest and said I would definitly be transferred to the MEU. Within about 10 more minutes, I was being wheeled through the corridors of the hospital. 2 skybridges and 3 elevators later-We ended up in the MEU approximately 2 BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE ER. How we got there I do not know. I was seen by 2 nurses who didn't know why I was there and then I was seen by a resident. During the exam by the resident-more fetal heart monitoring, etc-she was paged to go catch a baby, so she left. About 1 hour later, I was seen by the Fellow and the Resident again, who said that I needed a shot of steroids and then I could go home. At this point, mom showed up--I have no idea how she found us b/c we didn't have a clue where we were in the hospital and all Jesse had told she and dad was that they were moving me to MEU. We waited for about 1 more hour and then the nurse came in and gave me a shot. I packed my things and we headed for home. 12:00am-total time in ER/MEU-4 hours 40 minutes.

What I learned from my experience:

1. Hospital beds are not comfortable

2. Bring your own pillows-1 is not enough for a pregnant person who can't lay flat on her back

3. Dropping the word "pregnant" in the ER actually got us seen faster!

4. Steroids make it very hard to go to sleep at 12:30am

5. Jesse is a great bedside nurse-he went and got mom and I milkshakes while we waited on the shot and discharge papers! (he obviously knows the way to my heart-Milkshakes & French Fries!!

6. Cell phones don't get good reception in the MEU

Now, if we could just get Jesse well, we would be good to go!

so incredibly pissed!

2007-12-27T17:43:00.000-06:00

Ok, so most of you know that I was sick about 2 weeks ago and was feeling horrible. Well, its baaackkkk. I am again sick and this time with a sinus infection. But guess what-I can't get a doctor to freaking see me because I am pregnant! I mean what do they go to medical school for if not to treat people who are sick? I am sure that I am not the only person with some other pre-existing condition that comes into doctors' offices sick with something as common as a sinus infection. I mean seriously!!! So, my OB said that sicne the Z-pack didn't completely heal me the first time, she wants me to be seen by an internist. Well that is all fine and good and all but my internist who I have been going to for the past 3 years won't see me because I am pregnant. So I decided to go to the next best thing-American Family Care. Let me re-iterate American FAMILY Care. Guess what, not only did they have a 2 hour wait (and they don't accept appointments) but they won't see me either because I am pregnant. You know what they told me---Go see your OB or go to the ER. Really---THE ER FOR A SINUS INFECTION????!!! Do you know that it would cost me $150 to go to the ER? Not to mention the fact that THIS ISN"T AN EMERGENCY!!! I just have a freaking sinus infection. I have had 100 of them in my lifetime and know that I just need an antibiotic so that it doesn't turn into Bronchitis or Pneumonia. There has to be another option other than a Z-pack for someone who is pregnant. I mean, pregnant people get sick all the time right?! They tell you your immune system is lowered when you are pregnant so that your body doesn't reject the baby. If that is the case, then why won't anyone treat me when I am pregnant?!

I am on the search now....if you know of a doctor that will see me-please let me know. Just email me or leave me a comment on this page. Either way, I have to do something because I can't go on being miserable and snotting my brains out like this!

Two Things

2007-12-17T20:32:00.001-06:00

Ok-so while Jon & Kate Plus 8 (shown on TLC and Discovery Health) is on commercial, I thought I would post my two great discoveries of late.

1. Silpat's are GREAT!! A silpat, for those who don't know, is a non-stick sheet that you put on your cookie sheet when you are baking something. This sheet keeps everything, and I mean everything, from sticking. It also creates perfectly crisp bottoms and cooks very evenly. A great invention and possible gift idea for those cooks out there.

2. I got the best thing ever at Target! It is a red velour jogging suit that is maternity!!! It is so cute and SOOOO incredibly comfortable. It even has a little bow that ties over the top of your tummy to show that you are pregnant and not just fat. I love it and am considering wearing it to work this week.

So, those are my two things for today. Too bad it isn't Tuesday and then this could have been titled, Two for Tuesday. Maybe I could start a trend and do that every Tuesday. Oh, and I couldn't take a picture of me in the jogging suit b/c Jesse is working late and the batteries in my digital camera are dead. Hopefully, I will get new batteries this week so I can take Christmas pictures of the family.

Babies R Us

2007-12-16T19:45:00.000-06:00

So, this afternoon (after much begging and pleading) Jesse and I went to Babie's R Us and tried out strollers. We had a good time but let me say---We are TOTALLY CLUELESS when it comes to strollers. It took about 4 different people to show us how to collapse, unfold and attach the baby seat to each of the strollers. At one point, it became comical and Jesse said outloud, "Are you sure we are qualified to have a baby if we can't figure out the stroller?!" I am guessing that we are not the only ones to have this happen though because there were several other couples doing the exact same thing as us. Now, this was supposed to be a fact-finding mission on my part but half-way through Jesse asked me a question he should not have, "Are you going to get the gun (also known as a zapper or price scanner) so that we can register or what?" Amazed that he would even be interested in this, I said "of course" and we headed over to the registry table. The woman was very nice and Jesse was more interested after I said he could use the "gun" to scan everything. We were given a book with commonly scanned items and their barcodes so that we didn't have to walk around the entire store. Our first stop was in the feeding section, followed by the safety section. Jesse picked out the tub, some bottles, a drying rack and fireplace edge covers (for the safety of the baby at his parents' house and ours). We then scanned the stroller, pack-n-play and the swing we wanted. Jesse even asked if we should register for formula! I told him not to though since we don't know about the whole formula breastfeeding thing yet. Anywho, we were there for about 1 hour and it was actually a pleasurable experience. On the way home, we stopped at ColdStone Creamery and got treats for ourselves. Now, all we need to do is to have several of our friends/relatives, etc look over the registry and tell us if we forgot anything.

So-here is the registry number-for some reason there are 2 under our names but only one has items on it-#69962788. Feel free to check it out and let us know if we missed anything crucial! www.babiesrus.com is the website. Have a good week!

He finally gave in

2007-12-15T16:35:00.000-06:00

Jesse called me yesterday at work and said something that he never says-"I'm sick." I think that in the 8 years that we have been together, he has only been sick about 3 times. I mean he gets the occasional short-lived cold (by short-lived I mean a couple of hours max) but other than that, he just doesn't get sick. According to him, he has a "superior immune system" and this means that even when exposed to the most random teratogens, he never catches anything. He actually left work early yesterday, beat me home and was in bed asleep when I got home at 5:30. This was surprising! I attempted to get him to take some medication-Benadryl, Tylenol, Robitussin, etc. but he refused. The only thing that I did get him to take was a glass full of Alka-Seltzer Cold. I tried to tell him that he had a temperature but he refused to take anything, saying that his immune system would recover more quickly if he let it do its job without interference. To that I said, "whatever" and left him to sleep in the bed. Amazingly enough, he was up and at-em this morning at 6:45 am for 2 appointments he had with prospective clients. He sounded better and looked better, saying that he thinks he's probably "over it". Needless to say, I will be impressed if he makes it through the rest of the evening without starting to feel crappy again.

So, this leaves us with another question: Who's immune system will Cecilia get? Mine-I get every virus and bacteria and have the most random ailments-or Jesse's-who never gets sick. Let's hope that she leans towards Jesse's side on this one!

On another note, I have been checking out various types of baby things-strollers, car seats, monitors, etc. I would appreciate suggestions from other mom's out there as to which brands and items they like the best. I have been asked several times if I have registered yet, which I have not, so I am assuming that I probably need to start thinking about that kind of stuff. Leave me comments on what you like/dislike so that I can make informed decisions!

Finally getting better

2007-12-13T17:17:00.000-06:00

So-after 5 days of being sick, I am finally getting better! I called my OBGYN on Tuesday and told them I needed something other than Tylenol to help speed my recovery. They called in a Z-pack, which is a MIRACLE drug. Now, don't get me wrong-I am still very tired and am coughing all the time, but that is better than feeling like complete poop!

Also, I went to the doctor today for my regular checkup. She measured my fundal height (the size of my uterus from the outside) and then listened to Cecilia's heartbeat. She said that things look and sound great! She also said that I don't have to come back for 4 weeks!!! This is the first time I haven't had to go back in 2 weeks since I found out I am pregnant. I am also going to start the rotation between all the doctors at the practice. I saw Dr. Sparks on Monday (for my sinus/throat thing) and I am scheduled to see Dr. Favor on January 11. Maybe, if I can get to feeling better, I can actually get the point that I can "enjoy" the pregnancy. We'll see though. I still think I won't be completely reassured until I am holding Cecilia in my arms. 18 more weeks!!!

Jesse is working late tonight, so I plan on reheating leftovers from last night and crawling in bed to watch TV. Will continue to update!

The Greatest

2007-12-09T17:48:00.000-06:00

It's official-Jesse is the best husband in the whole world! The last two days have been so crappy. As you all know, I have been sick with a sore throat. Well, last night around 2am, things got pretty bad. My throat had gotten progressively more sore throughout the day and at 2am, it was so sore that I couldn't sleep or swallow due to the pain. Jesse was so concerned that he called two different 24 hour nurse lines to try to make sure I was ok. The nurse at the Mayo Clinic Line did a complete assessment over the phone and came to the conclusion that I needed more fluids and Tylenol for the pain. I have been drinking hot tea like it is going out of style. Jesse's dad, Mark, had even brought a new can of it for me from the store (Panda Berry from Republic of Tea-carried at Barnie's Coffee and Tea). I broke down last night and took 2 Tylenol and a Benedryl which knocked me out for a few hours. This morning, however, I was not any better. Today, I called my OBGYN's office (answering service) and spoke with the doctor on call, who said I probably have Strep and need to come in tomorrow morning for a culture. He called me in a prescription of Tylenol 3 with Codeine and said if the Strep test is positive, they will give me antibiotics. All I care about right now is being able to swallow without gagging and being able to sleep. Jesse is gone right now to pick up the Rx and to get me some saline nose spray and Gatorade. He has been so attentive and has even brought be orange juice and rubbed my back. It is moments like these that you really appreciate those who love you. I think he is the best (and no, this isn't the Codeine talking) and he is taking wonderful care of me. Think about me tonight when you are sleeping and wish for me a more restful night. Also, be glad that you aren't the poor nurse or doctor that has to take calls at 2am from frantic husbands!

It finally all caught up with me

2007-12-08T14:40:00.000-06:00

Well, I think that all of the activities of the week have finally caught up with me. I have been in bed sick all day. I have very little voice and am congested. The sucky thing about it is that I can't take my favorite remedy-Zicam and Theraflu. Instead, I am relegated to Hot Tea (don't worry-it is Black Tea not labor inducing green tea) and plain white bread. I have watched about 50 hours of tv it feels like and now I am checking all of my favorite sites on the internet. Here is a snapshot of what my week looked like:

Monday-work then doctor appt then christmas shopping
Tuesday-work then Dirty Santa Ornament Swap
Wednesday-work then possum hunting then Auburn Basketball game with the fam.
Thursday-work then crashed out in bed
Friday-work then Jesse's office Christmas Party (which went REALLY WELL by the way)
Saturday-woke up with sore throat, no voice and congestion

For those who know me, you know that if I get thrown off my routine and miss more than a few hours of sleep a week-I get sick. So, here I am wondering how my body will adjust when we have Cecilia around!? I guess we will see....19 1/2 weeks and counting!

Same old Same Old

2007-12-07T16:41:00.001-06:00

Well, not much has happened in the past couple of days. Mom came over and tried to rid us of the possum but he/she never showed its ugly face, so that was a wasted trip. She did however find the nest....just no possum in it. I have gotten several suggestions ranging from shooting it to poisoning it to calling animal control. The problem is that it only comes out when no one expects it to-hence the reason it hasn't yet been disposed of.

Tonight is Jesse's work Christmas party at Open Door Cafe. I am a little nervous since I haven't ever met any of his new co-workers. I am sure that things will go well, I just hope that they have more than cocktails b/c it is being held during my dinner time. Food is of EXTREMELY HIGH PRIORITY to me right now.

Also, today marks the 20 week 2 day mark of my pregnancy. As of now, things are going pretty well. I have felt Cecilia move a lot today, which is reassuring considering this is the exact time in my last pregnancy that I was delivering Charlie. I am looking forward to going to the doctor on Thursday and getting yet another ultrasound. I counted the other day and I have had exactly 12 ultrasounds to date. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to progress through this.

R.O.U.S.'s

2007-12-04T20:14:00.000-06:00

Ok-so have you ever seen the movie, The Princess Bride? Well, if you have, you know what the above abbreviation means-Rodents of Unusual Size. About twice a day for the past several days, I have been noticing that there has been a possum on my front porch eating all of the cat food. Well, today when I came home, there he/she was again! I calmly walked up to the front door and attempted to climb the two stairs when I was hissed at! That stupid creature hissed at me and wouldn't let me get to the door. Stupidly, I stomped my feet and told it to "get", which didn't work. The possum has complete control of my front porch. I called my mom and asked her what I should do and she said that possums are dangerous because they tend to be rabid and they will attack you if you challenge them (just as I had done). Well, mom told me that I didn't need to bother it because it would "tear up" my cats and dogs (and me too) if it felt threatened. She suggested that she be the one to come to the house and shoot it. Now, I am not usually one for killing animals, but this is one of the most disgusting creatures I have ever seen----and IT HISSED AT ME! So, I agreed. The deed hasn't been done yet but mom plans on coming over the next time I spot the damn thing so that she can "take care of it". This scares me a little b/c I don't want my mom to be going to jail for discharging a firearm in the city limits...but if it means I can get to the front door without being harrassed, then maybe I am ok with at least a warning from the police. I called my neighbor and she has had possums in her attic 2 times in the past month! She was totally ok with mom coming to "take care of" the dirty little varmit. So, now, I guess I just need to notify the other neighbors so that I can try to keep my mom from getting in trouble should she come and discharge her gun in an attempt to make me safer!

On another note, my grandmother-we call her Jackie, just called and said that my aunt is no longer using the dark cherry glider and ottoman in my 2-year-old cousin's room and that we can have it!!!! This is HUGE news b/c we thought we were going to have to shell out several hundred dollars to get one on our own! YEAHHHHH!! Thanks Aunt Anne!!!! (PS-her son, Eli is the one with Santa in the picture from a couple of days ago)

Fetal Anomaly Screening

2007-12-03T18:16:00.000-06:00

Well, today I went for the Fetal Anomaly Screening at the Kirklin Clinic at UAB. We got there right before 2pm and only had to wait like 15 minutes. The ultrasound took about 30 minutes and they got detailed measurements of Cecilia's organs. They looked at her bladder, kidneys, stomach, 4 chambered heart, size of her ventricles, both sides of her brain, the circumference of her head, the circumference of her abdomen, the length of her femur, counted all 5 fingers on each hand and counted her toes on each foot. It was amazing! The only thing that I am disappointed about is that they couldn't record it on the DVD for me. You see, this is like my 12th ultrasound and I have pictures from each and DVD recordings from 5 of them. Jesse was pretty amazed at the detail you could see. After they finished taking a complete history from me, they told us that Cecilia is doing very well. She is in the 28th percentile of size, which they said is within the normal range. She is still measuring 1 week behind (I am 19 weeks 5 days and she measures 18 weeks 5 days) but they aren't worried about that. The recommended that I continue to receive ultrasounds regularly throughout the pregnancy so that we can closely monitor her growth. I go back to my normal doctor, Dr. Brown, on the 13th! As of right now, it looks like we don't have to have an amniocentisis either!

So after my day at the doctor, Jesse and I headed to the mall to get some coffee from his dad. We met with him for a little while and then we parted ways. I continued to shop, to finish the last of the Christmas list-only 2 left!! And, now, I am updating the blog. Thanks for the concerns and prayers---Keep them coming---we still have 20 more weeks left!

Oh and I picked out the bedding I like for Cecilia's room-check out the pattern at the following link:
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/ban/banbub0066.html

Our room will look a little different though since we have dark cherry furniture!

couldn't wait

2007-12-02T22:19:00.001-06:00

Ok-so I just checked my email and there was a super cute picture of my two cousins on Santa's knee. I am going ot upload it so that y'all can see just how cute they are! Last year's picture was filled with many tears from Eli's side, so this is a great one-no tears! I can't wait until I get to see them in person! Watching them open gifts is so incredible.

A regular old Sunday

2007-12-02T21:50:00.001-06:00

Well, today was a regular old Sunday. We slept in, some of us later than others (Jesse), and then we ran some errands. I got up early (later than weekdays but early for the weekend-8:30) and then went on my merry way trying to buy dog food and pick up breakfast. I was under the impression that Pet Supplies Plus would be open at 9, like they are every other morning of the week-but alas, they do not open until 11am on Sundays. So, instead of getting dog food, I picked up McDonald's for breakfast and headed back home. After a couple of hours catching up on my TIVO recordings from the past week, Jesse finally got up and we headed to Petsmart with Kramer. We took him with us b/c he really needed a bath! While waiting for him to be coifed, we headed to Costa's BBQ for some lunch. Mine was HORRIBLE! Our bill was like $22 (before the tip) and we each only had a sandwich. They had run out of turkey, so they couldn't make the "ultimate club sandwich" that I had ordered (originally $12). Being accommodating like I am, I chose to have a BLT for my lunch. Well, they forgot the fries and the bacon was only half-cooked and they attempted to charge us the full amount for the original sandwich. We ended up with a $5 discount on the bill, which left us at $22. The food was mediocre and the prices were WAY TOO HIGH for such simple meals (not to mention that we waited almost 30 minutes for our sandwiches after they had been ordered). I guess that is the price we paid for learning never to eat there again! Naps were on the menu when we got home. Followed by picking up Kramer, who smelled 100% better. Then I cooked dinner and watched TV. This is last on my list of to-do's today, so I am now updating the blog-then it's off to bed for me.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at UAB for my Fetal Anomoly Test, which I am kind of nervous about. Friday will be the 20 week 2 day mark, which is when we lost Charlie. My hopes are that everything goes perfectly well tomorrow and this week will pass without incident. Although, nothing will ease my fears, not even the kicking I feel in my stomach at this very moment, until I have at least passed that mark and know everything is ok. I know that people say "everything happens for a reason" but I just can't help but wonder if those "things" can happen multiple times, even when everything seems to be going "ok". I will update tomorrow so that y'all can all stay abreast of the latest information. Have a good Monday.

dinner with friends

2007-12-01T17:52:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I am having dinner with some of my best girlfriends in the whole world. This is an annual get-together and the first one where one of us has a baby. Three of us are pregnant right now, so it should be an interesting night! We are having an ornament swap withi $5 ornaments instead of swapping gifts. We also decided as a group that instead of swapping gifts, we would "adopt" 2 angels from the angel tree at Trinity UMC. I have a whole slew of stuff in my car and can't wait to see what the other girls have purchased. I am making chicken spaghetti for my part of the pot luck dinner. I think we will probably have enough food for an army! I will update later since I need to get Jesse up from his nap so we can leave.