A flashback of my pregnancy with Parker!

 

It seems like this pregnancy has flown by SO fast! I really started to realize it this past week when I was checking my pregnancy progress tracker on my phone. The "update" for this week started talking about what to do if I go into pre-term labor, and explaining what Braxton Hicks contractions-- then the realization that I'm at the end smacks me in the face. So I start thinking back about what all i've been through to bring this baby boy into the world, and although I'm not regretful for this blessing, it's still funny to think back about the last 7-8 months.

 

 

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was in a state of disbelief. Due to my PCOS and reproductive system mess-up thanks to the Depo-shot! I couldn't believe that it was actually true, and we were having a baby. I believe that I even sent a picture of my "barely" positive pregnancy test to my doctor (who has been wonderful, by the way) to make sure that I wasn't crazy! That sweet doctor got me in for a blood test that day-- and I was 100 percent pregnant! However, my progesterone was really, really low, so I started taking progesterone pills and creams immediately. I had to stay on them until I was 12 weeks along.

 

 

In the meantime, I had the WORST stomach issues that I could have ever imagined! I suffered with morning sickness until up to week 18- yuck! I was unable to "go to the bathroom" until somewhere close to my 4th month-- even after seeing a specialist. It was a miserable time! Finally, when I was 1/2 way through my second trimester, my terrible stomach issues finally went away!

 

 

I had always promised myself that I would never turn into that "crazy pregnant lady"... but I did (and sometimes I still am). My craziness really showed after our 20-week anatomy scan, when we were told that a spot was seen on our baby's heart, and that we would need to see a high-risk OB to get it checked out. Even though my doctor reassured me that it was probably nothing, and I didn't need to freak out... I freaked out anyways. Luckily, there was nothing wrong with Parker's heart, but I swear that day was one of the scariest of my life. I would have been devastated if something would have been abnormal with his precious little heart!

 

 

My next venture down the crazy path was when I "googled" pre-eclampsia. I think that googling should be outlawed when your pregnant- it's the worst thing ever! My doctor wanted me to do a baseline urine collection over a weekend to monitor the protein in my pee to make sure that it didn't rise over the next few months. So, of course, I assume that I have pre-eclampsia and i'm going to have to deliver Parker way too early and he'll have developmental issues... oh wait, and wikipedia said that I might DIE having my baby! So... being the crazy lady that I was- I texted my doctor for reassurance that I won't die and that I probably don't even have pre-eclampsia... at this point, I'm sure that I am the patient that every nurse and doctor in the office is laughing at. Although, I still feel like I haven't been "THAT" bad! Haha!

 

 

My latest annoying pregnancy symptom... my "chubby" baby has decided to lay on my sciatic nerve and SI-joint. Sounds lovely, right? Wrong! Thankfully, physical therapy has helped a little, but it's still very uncomfortable to walk or roll over! Hey, worst case scenario is that I only have to wait like 9 more weeks to evict the little guy!

 

 

All of that being said-  I am SO thankful that I have came this far in this pregnancy without any major healthcare issues. I do NOT have pre-eclampsia. I do NOT have gestational diabetes. My baby is perfectly healthy. I AM able to work and live a normal, everyday life. So far, I've not gone into pre-term labor. I've not gained an excessive amount of weight, and actually I think i've only gained 8 pounds total from my pre-pregnancy weight.... although I bet that will soon change! I haven't had any excessive swelling... yet! I DO have the best doctor in the world, and I am so glad that I've found someone so wonderful to deliever my son into the world-- if anyone ever needs an OB/GYN, let me know- I know the best one in Knoxville! She always goes the extra mile to be extra thorough with me and Baby Parker! So all in all, I have been so lucky in this pregnancy and I hope and pray that continues through to delivery of my baby!

I have never been so thankful...

In one, single, solitary day I have realized exactly how much this sweet little baby means to me and my family. Yesterday, I went into have my 20-week anatomy ultrasound done, and afterwards, the tech told me that everything looked great and I shouldn't worry about a thing! Well, today, I received news from my doctor that they seen a small, bright spot in my baby's heart, and I needed to make an appointment with the high-risk obstetrical office to get this checked out. Well, the paranoid crazy pregnant mom in me went onto alert mode and I begged my doctor to get me in today, and luckily she was able to. So I leave work, pick up Chris from Toyota and we head to UT to get this ultrasound done.

When we get up there, I go back to get checked in, and the nurse was so sweet to me. I immediately felt more calm after her sympathizing words. She didn't tell me to "calm down" or not to freak out, but she understood my nervousness, and helped me ease my nerves. When we get into the room the ultrasound tech comes in and explains to me what they were looking for and that I should not be scared because this didn't mean that my baby had heart problems. She detected the small bright spot that we were alarmed about and explained to me that it was something called "Echogenic Intracardiac Focus" and all that meant was that the ultrasound waves made this one spot on Parker's heart brighter than the rest, but it was nothing abnormal with the heart and Parker's heart was absolutely perfect! Hallelujah!

So... I thought that we were all in the clear, right? Well, the actual high risk doctor came in and requested that we do one more ultrasound just to double check. Well, my fear sky rockets into the high zone again, and I start firing off the "why" questions. Turns out, these little white spots are called "markers" and sometimes, if a baby has more than one marker, he or she is at risk for downs syndrome. So, I go from scared of a heart defect, to scared of a downs syndrome baby. Oh geez. So this doctor checked Parker once again from head to toe looking for more than one marker... and she didn't! She looked at my previous genetic testing, and didn't even recommend me to get the 2nd trimester genetic testing because I only had 1 in 10,000 chances of having a baby with downs syndrome.

Thankfully, I was leaving UT with a happy heart and thanking God for answering my needing prayers. I didn't realize how much I loved this sweet little baby until I thought there was something bad wrong with him. I don't know what I would have done if something would have happened to him. Thank goodness that atleast for today, I don't have to worry about it.

I know that some people probably think that I over reacted in today's events, but I am so glad that I did, because when I lay my head down to sleep tonight I know that my Parker is a healthy 9 ounce boy that is thriving! I also am so thankful for my husband who was my rock today- he was strong and good to me today, and without him, I don't know what I would do. Even my sweet momma left work and met us up there today to be with us. I don't mean to brag, but I really do have the best family in the world. They are always there for Chris and I, and Parker is a lucky boy to be born into this loving family!

Although we received great news today, my uncle Bubba was not as lucky. As some of you know from momma's facebook, Bubba is in the hospital in Mississippi (he was at the Army's summer camp) because he was having trouble breathing/heart issues. Well, they ran a bunch of tests and it was concluded that he has something called Echocardiac Disease (?) and they really didn't disclose a lot of information about it, but just said that he would have to see a specialist for instructions as of what to do next. So, please just keep him in your prayers! He's been through a lot lately with this illness, and dealing with my grandparent's house in halls, I know he's stressed and could use a few prayers! I love my uncle, and he's so tough and strong that I know he's going to be okay!

I think that's all for now! Thanks folks!!

Back to Reality

Oh how hard it is to get back to normal life after a most relaxing beach vacation! Panama City Beach was wonderful to revisit where we became married just a little over 2 years ago. It's amazing how next year we will be visiting PCB with our newly born baby! This vacation was interesting to say the least, we had 10 people sharing a condo built to sleep 6 people. We made the best of it though, and I venture to say that everyone had a great time! I would love to share with you all some of my most memorable vacation moments!

Hands down, my favorite activity of the trip was going to Gulf World. I was stoked to be able to hold "hands" with Cajun, the most adorable dolphin! The dolphin show was amazing and most enjoyable. Here are some pictures of the cuties!!

This is Cajun and myself after enjoying the dolpin show! If you have never pet a dolphin, you should! It's an amazing experience!

Is this not the cutest face ever?!? This is one of the 2 year-old boy dolphins! He was very personable and friendly!

This is Otto, the very entertaining sea lion! He put on quite a show!!

Our next favorite vacation activity...

I'm sure if you asked Christopher, his favorite activity would be holding the baby shark that a fisherman pulled out of the beach... about 10 feet away from where we were swimming! Anyone that knows Chris also knows that he has been fascinated with sharks since childhood. Growing up watching JAWS and is always a diligent watcher of Shark Week, Christopher's favorite animal hands down in the Shark! Here are some pictures from his first hands-on encounter with the ocean's most feared predator!!

The guy who caught the shark told Chris exactly how to hold the little sharkie to keep from getting bit... I told Chris he needed to let the shark bite him, so that he could say that he had been "attacked" by a shark and lived to tell about it... haha, I was only kidding!

Doesn't he look thrilled?!?

Usually, I'm upset about fishermen luring these dangerous creatures into our swimming area, but Chris was so happy to hold the shark, that I couldn't get frustrated this time!

It's bigger than it looks... the baby shark was about 1 1/2 feet long!

Moving right along, I do have to say that something I'll never forget, but certainly not my favorite memory would be the water tornado (a.k.a. the water spout)!

As many of you know, the one thing that I am scared of the most is stupid tornadoes... they absolutely terrify me! Thursday, we were looking out over the water and noticed some ugly looking clouds. Chris pointed out this funnel cloud coming out of the sky and reaching down into the water. This tornado (water spout) lasted about 5 minutes, maybe less. We took some pictures, so I thought that I would share...

Creepy, huh???

  

If it would have came any closer to shore, I would have been seeking shelter, haha!

Now it's back to reality...

Not that I am happy about it, but vacation is over and it's back to the real world. There are several exciting things happening in the near future... one of them is something I'm not going to mention yet, until I get more details, but I am certainly keeping my fingers crossed! BUT, it's officially 2 weeks and 1 day until we get to find out what the gender of our baby is!!

Our picked out names are Paisley Shay for a girl, and Parker for a boy! I've made it apparent that I'm hoping for a girl, but I will be thrilled either way! Boys can wear hairbows too, right....?? haha, only kidding!! I'm excited that both Chris's parents and mine will be present to see whether its Paisley or Parker! We are so blessed that we have such a supportive family unit that loves and supports us in many ways!!

Well, that's all for now! I'll keep everyone updated!! :-))

Almost at the end of the 1st trimester!!

To say that being pregnant is hard is an understatement... That being said, I don't see how some people make it look so easy! However, getting "almost" to the end of my first trimester, I'm starting to feel almost back to my normal self. It's hard to believe how fast this pregnancy has already gone by, and I am sure that the next few months are going to go by even faster!

So, everyone is asking "What are you hoping for? Boy or Girl?" and at the risk of sounding vain, I'm team PINK all the way! Most people just say "I don't care, as long as its healthy," and yes, I am primarily concerned with this baby's health first and foremost... but I have that underlying longing for a girl to wear pretty sun dresses and hair bows! If it turns out to be a boy, I know that I will love him just the same! :)

We have been so blessed with the outpouring of love from our friends and family, and I cannot imagine life without them! Chris's parents have offered to help with watching the baby, and a family friend has offered to help the rest of the time, and that has eliviated most of our worries about expenses. The last huge hurdle we will have to figure out is insurance for the baby- Chris's work insurance is SOOOO expensive, and I am on my parents plan until i'm 26, but to figure out what to do with the babe has been our biggest stressor yet! So if you all have any ideas or suggestions, let us know!

Whew... lots going on!

Well, if you're my facebook friend, you've seen that I have gotten a new job! I'm sad to leave Primrose, but this job opportunity will give me the experience that I need to get into my career field! I will be working in the medical field- doing administrative stuff, but atleast it's more "business-type" experience. So keep me in your prayers that i've made the right choice for me and my family!

Next Friday, (May 18) is Bekah's back surgery- doctor said that it isn't "serious" but they will be opening her up to take out a cross bar in her spine. The cross bar was useful at first, but now that her spine is stronger it's actually causing her more discomfort than anything else. So keep Bekah in your prayers for a fast and speedy recovery. We are actually going to Dollywood next Sunday (5 days before this procedure), and I think we've got mom talked into letting her ride some roller coasters! :) Woo-Hoo!

So- I guess that everyone is privy to the drama in Lenoir City about the Yearbook article. It's actually making me sad that people are attacking each other. I have my religious beliefs about what's right/wrong in regards to that topic, but I don't think it's okay to judge people. My Christian beliefs don't involve threats, judgement, criticism, etc. I think that instead of people quoting bible scriptures about how "God said ... " about homosexuality, you should share God's love of one another- shine a light to people that make them see the good in Christians, not the bigotry. I don't think that this article titled "it's okay to be gay" should have been published- not because its right or wrong to be different, but because these are still minors buying/reading this article and any sexual content (gay, straight, bi, etc.) should not be published in a yearbook. That being said, I am not here to pass judgement- I love all God's children; and the bible says to "Love thy neighbor" and that's what i'm going to do!

Well, anyways- that's my soap box! I will keep everyone posted on the top two topics!! Love you all!!

It's Been A While...

Hey Everybody!

It's been a while since I've blogged, but I thought that I'd give everyone an update on our life at the moment. I've decided to start back to school to pursue my Master's degree in Human Resource Development. I have always truly enjoyed working with people, and I think that this degree will lead me on a path that I will be more happy with! Don't get me wrong, I love working with children, but I just don't think that I want to be in the education world right now. Oh well, who knows what I'll actually be when I grow up... haha!

So, this weekend we had such a fun time hanging out with my parents! We spent the night with my mom and dad this past Saturday, and played video games and ordered pizza! It was hilarious watching everyone play with the Xbox Kinnect - especially watching Bekah and Mom dance to Michael Jackson! haha! To me, it was truly amazing watching Bekah moving and dancing around like that just a few short months after breaking her back in multiple places. God has truly given us a miracle for which we will forever be grateful for. Everytime I pass the location of Bekah's wreck I get goose bumps, and imagine dozens of police cars, ambulances, etc. lined up down the road and "sweet pea" (the car), turned over on its side. I wasn't even at the wreck site when it happened, but the vision still haunts me to this day.

So, I guess that it isn't a "secret" anymore- that Chris and I have started the journey to parenthood. (and no, I'm not pregnant, haha) but we have decided to work on starting a family. I've not had the best of luck so far, thanks to PCOS and the Depo-Provera shot (which I recommend to NEVER, EVER take)! I've been very blessed to have the greatest doctor ever, Natalie Blache with Women's Specialty Care through UT. Natalie has been so great on helping me every step of the way when it comes to my health! I have to get a lot of blood work done (and if you know me, you'll know that I do NOT like needles), I have to take a lot of medicine that has my hormones all over the place, too! It's definatly not an "easy" process- but I'm hopeful for a successful end result! I will keep everyone posted with updates - We were relunctant to post/share this information with everybody because if/when we are unsuccessful its hard to talk about it and have people ask me all the time "are you pregnant yet?". So, just say prayers that we have lots of great news to share before too long!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon!

There's nothing I like better then sitting at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon watching my favorite shows on t.v. and a sleeping puppy sitting on the couch and a sweet husband playing his video games! I am going to take this very rare opportunity to update my blog! I know, I'm a blog procrastinator! There hasn't been much going on as of late! Just working at the Primrose School, which I love! I am working in the infant room, which is so much fun! There are two very sweet babies that i've gotten to get close to that just make me smile everytime I see them! Chris is working hard at Toyota selling services to the customers! He has to have the BEST schedule (being off almost as many days as he works each week).

I am sure that everyone is wondering how Bekah is doing so here is an "official" update, haha: 

Bekah is going to school part-time for her high-level mathematics class and her singer's group class. She is driving and getting out more and more each weekend. This past weekend she was able to spend the night with one of her friends and I know that it was good for her. She went to the doctor recently and found out that she is close to 80% healed and by the summer-time she should be able to ride rollercoasters again! Crazy, right??!? She hasn't been able to go back to work yet, but these are stepping stones to her recovery! A Christian group called "The Sunday Drive" (look for them on facebook) is going to have a benefit singing for Bekah the last Saturday this month to raise money to help my family offset the medical costs associated with Bekah's accident. We would love to have everyone come out to help celebrate the wonderous love God has had for our family and his watchful eye for her speedy recovery! The singing will be held on Saturday, February 25th at Keith Avenue Church of God in Knoxville. I will give more details as I get them (as in what time it starts!). Please email/text/call me if you have any questions regarding the singing!

This past weekend we celebrated my 23rd birthday by going out to eat and going to the ice bears game! It was so much fun being able to spend the time with my closest family and friends! I love you all!

Everyone had a wonderful time at our very good seats! :-D

Pre-Game Dinner at my favorite place, Moe's!!

Yes, I am an ICE BEAR!!

And yes, I am a FAN!!

I Love My Dad!

No doubt, I have the best mom ever!