Thanksgiving '09

So Thanksgiving went great! The drive was fine, no bad weather at all. It's nice visiting the family since I don't see them that often. If I stay longer then a couple days, they tend to get on my nerves...lol...but whose family doesn't. Here is my beautiful mother cooking dinner: 




We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, cranberry sauce, and of course, pumpkin pie. I LOVE my mom's pumpkin pie..no one can make it like she can. Even if it is canned pumpkin..lol. 




My darling brother got a new car recently. Lucky dude. His cavalier is having problems...which is to be expected. It's a cavalier. Duh. He got a 2000 Hyundai Sonata...it is now the newest car sitting in my parents driveway! He got it off of Craigs List, which is brave I think. I don't trust that website. 


And here he is eating, what he does best: :-)



Hubby happened to get off early Thanksgiving day. He had to work at the hospital, watching over an inmate that had to have some kind of work done. So he was only 45 minutes away from the house which makes a huge difference in the time we get to spend with each other before he has to go to bed. :-) Thats another hour we have together :-) So we actually had our own little Thanksgiving...leftovers but still good. And here is the sight that welcomed us the next morning: 



A blizzard! The day after Turkey day! We immediately put up some Christmas decorations to get in the spirit. I love how they make the house look :-). 









I had my 7 month checkup yesterday. I was told not to eat anything with sugar before my appointment so that they could do a sugar test to make sure I'm not diabetic. We got there at 9, they had me drink a nasty orange sugar drink then they listened to the baby's heartbeat (nice and strong!) and measured my stomach. I think she said 28". We then had to wait for an hour for the sugar to circulate through my body then they took my blood and had me run it over to the lab in the hospital to get tested. They told us to wait another 2 hours so they could process it before I could come back for my Rhogan shot. So we went and putted around the flea market right down the road. We found Hubby a Carharrt jacket for $15! He doesn't have a heavy jacket and I've been meaning to get him one and finding that was a life saver. It also saved me from my jacket curse.....the jacket curse started when I bought two of my exs nice heavy expensive jackets and neither relationship lasted and both were very painful and heartbreaking experiences. So that saved me from the curse! lol..anyway...we went back to the hospital where I got the Rhogan shot. I have O-neg. blood and I have to get that shot to balance out the chemicals in my body so I don't reject the baby. Overall the appointment took about 4 hours! blegh..but from now on I will have nice normal boring checkups. :-) 

I have to keep a movement count of the baby now. Once a day, I have to sit and count up to ten times, how many times the baby moves. He has to move at least ten times in one hour for it to be considered normal. If I notice he's not moving as he normally does, then it's not a good sign and I would have to go in to the doctors immediately. I really don't think that's going to be a problem. When I counted today, he moved ten times within 4 minutes. :-)

On another note, the car is STILL in the shop and will be for another week. I don't know what is wrong now, something about the shifter? But they have to order another part so we will have to wait another week. *SIGH*...this is so annoying. That car isn't even a year old and this is all happening. Not cool. 

I got Rachel's Christmas present, but I still have to get Hubby, Heather, and others something. I'm trying to find my mom something cool but I told my parents not to expect anything. I really don't know what to get them anymore so I might just get them a gift card to somewhere. Not sure. Hubby will be easy, video games and movies. Boys are easy :-) 

I would love a Wii...and Hubby already told me he's going to get me one, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I know we really could use the money for something else more important. But I know he knows that I really want something we can do together. I just don't play the xbox that much. I'm awesome at Guitar Hero but Hubby sucks at it so he doesn't like to play it. If we got a Wii, I really believe we could play it together and have a good time. I don't like watching him play his stupid war games so it seperates us really. I go do something else while he plays so we're not spending time together. I would love something we could do together :-) Other then that, I plan on getting a video camera so we can use it when the baby is born. 


Can't sleep...

Well my pregnancy is moving along right on schedule and my body is continuing to prepare for this baby. The baby is still pretty active, his kicks are getting harder and his positions more uncomfortable. He lets me know when he doesn't like a position I'm sleeping, sitting, or driving in. -He's kicking right now- :-) I hope he's a good sleeper after he's born. I'm okay with staying up late, but the early morning hours are not my friend. I'm not a good sleeper anyway, so I hope I can adjust easily to the new schedule I'm sure he's going to make for me. 

I am currently trying to get rid of Bailey. Some days I really can't stand her, other days she stays out of my radar and I don't think about it. I just hope the Lord shows me what I'm supposed to to. Sell her or not? Hubby has really taken a liking to her, but I'm just not that crazy about her. I would never sell my dog Sandy because I honestly love that dog, but Bailey is just another story. She gets on my ever loving nerves and uses every possible opportunity to piss me off. I just don't know...

On another note, I'm thinking of getting a Wii. They're just as pricey as the xbox 360 was, but they do so much more. I was anti-wii just because I thought they were introduced to suck the rest of the population's money. And I still believe that, with all the different accessories you can buy and the different games that require those certain accessories. But I couldn't help but fall in love with the game the other day at Rachel's birthday dinner. Her mom has one and it was a blast to compete against other people at games that actually get your heart-rate up. I beat her husband at boxing! I loved it :-) If only it wasn't so expensive. 

Anyway...I am going to try and go to bed now. Sometimes I get so many thoughts in my head, I have to go write them down or I will never get to sleep. So I have made my checklist and gotten out what I've been thinking about today so hopefully sleep won't evade me any longer.

G'night!

Baby shower #2

Well....number two wasn't as successful, but it was still fun! Rachel came over early to help decorate. We had it at my house because I have more room, but it turns out we really didn't need it. I was kinda disappointed that only two other people showed up, but I was kinda expecting it at the same time. I don't know a lot of people up here, there's Hubby's family but no one was able to make it. Although two of his aunts stopped by to drop off presents, which was really nice. And the other girls I know are really Rachel's friends. But thankfully Hubby's friend Jesse came and Rachel's mom came as well.


I ended up keeping the decorations up a couple days, I loved them so much. It made the house look so nice :-) And here are the presents I got. Rachel's mom was so sweet, she got ME something, not the baby. :-) Jesse did too, which really surprised me. They both got me some sort of bath and body set. Jesse has a boy of her own so she brought me some hand-me-downs along with some new clothes, a small diaper bag, toys, and lots of other small, but very useful things. Rachel's mom got me a car seat cover, which we will def. be using. :-) Then I got diapers, blankets, and more clothes. :-)


And I finished painting those wooden cars I bought earlier. I figured he could learn his numbers as well as enjoying playing with them. It was too cute a chance to pass up :-)


I'm just waiting now till we have a little extra money so I can go ahead and order a football jersey to hang in the baby room. I found a website where I can personalize one with his name and a number, I just need about $40 :-)

Other then that, I have been keeping myself busy with Christmas decorations. :-) I found a wreath at the YMCA for about 50 cents and personalized it myself with my own decorations and some ornaments I made. The snowman is made out of styrofoam, and the little tree and the candy-cane are made out of felt I cut up and sewed together. :-) It was fun to put together and cost under a dollar total!


I then went to Dollar Tree and found some things to put together as a centerpiece. Total cost: about $5! Then the wooden plaque I had already lying around, I just painted it silver and added the star and holly leaves. The words were already cut out, so I just brightened them up with some nice Christmas-y green paint. I love doing things like this :-)


I have my next doctor's appointment December 1st. Hopefully by then they will have some H1 shots around so I can finally get vaccinated. I got my regular flu shot back in October but they haven't had any of the other flu shots since then. I keep checking with the health department as well but they keep running out too before I can get one. It's getting really frustrating. I swear they do this on purpose, hold back on all the vaccinations they could give out. I'm not really worried that I'm going to get it and die, I am really trying to get it to prevent anything happening while I'm pregnant. If I weren't prego, I wouldn't even bother. I never had bothered with any kind of vaccination my whole life. I just think it's a big uproar for no good reason. I turned down getting the meningitis shot back at Radford, and that was right after they had that little episode at Tech with all those students getting it. I just believe if you run and get every single shot they tell you to get, you are just hurting yourself in the long run. I have always had a good immune system. I have had the flu twice in my life and the last time was over 8 years ago. Like I said, I'm only doing this because I have another little life to worry about now.

My mom is worried to death I won't get the vaccination in time. We had a little scare when we thought Hubby had the H1 flu..he had all the systems except the fever. Turns out he had some sort of upper respiratory infection. Ever since, mom has kept me on my toes asking if I have had it yet, to always wash my hands, and to stay away from other people. I love that woman :-)

My plans for Thanksgiving this year are going to be without Hubby :-(  He has to work, and he works twelve hours shifts at the prison which is an hour and a half away...so he'll be going aaalll day. I'm going to drive back to Va to have dinner with my parents and my brother. I'll drive down Wednesday, spend the night, and stay for dinner then drive back up here to be home before Hubby gets home at 8:30. Mom said she'll send leftovers home with me so me and Hubby can have our own little Thanksgiving! I wish he didn't have to work, but it's okay. I bet a lot of other officers are going to call out so he'll be forced to stay anyway. Thats what sucks about him being a Correctional Officer. It's not like they can operate without anyone, they always need someone to watch the inmates. So if someone else calls out and they don't have enough people to cover that position, they will make you stay longer till the next shift shows up. It bites. He has to work Christmas too...boo :-(

We have a loaner car for about a week...the BRAND NEW focus we have no longer has a working transmission. WTF?!?!? I was LIVID when Hubby told me that. I had always told him that I don't believe in brand new cars because they get problems just as often as used cars. It's stupid to pay that much money and have it break down. But then again, I am thankful that it's still under warranty so we don't have to pay for a thing. GRRR...you can never win. Anyway, the loaner is a Kia Sentra...which I hate Kias. They are stupid and ugly. lol. I just wish we could find another affordable, slightly used car for Hubby to drive to work so he's not putting all these thousands of miles on the new car. We have had it about 7 months now?...and there is already 16,000 miles on it. NO JOKE. Hubby drives 120 miles a day, at least 4 days a week. Its ridiculous to put that many miles on a new car when he could just drive a used car that it doesn't matter if the value goes down. 

25 weeks :-)

So I swear my 6 month preggy picture looks smaller then what I was at 5 months....


but maybe it's just the shirt...I don't know!

My pregnancy symptoms haven't really changed. I don't get headaches like I used to when I needed to eat or take a nap. I get really lightheaded instead when I haven't eaten in a while. Not good. I noticed twice now, that right when I wake up, I feel ever so slightly nauseated. But it's not to the point where I feel like I need to throw up, just an uncomfortable feeling that I haven't had before. I think it's because the baby is getting bigger and pressing against my stomach. He LOVES to kick me up near my lungs, after bouncing off my bladder. It is a very strange feeling...lol. It's like he's using my bladder as a trampoline. :-P  He hates is when I sit forward, cramping his elbow room. He will kick me until I lean back and give him more room. Specially when I'm driving!


My first baby shower went great!! I had it at my parents house so I could invite my "Va people"...lol...then I'm having another this weekend for my "Wva people"!  Mom invited some ladies from her church group, Heather and her sister Melanie came, and Sandy and her pregnant daughter Angie came as well. Angie is exactly as far along as I am!! She is due a day before me!! How weird!! I got tons of clothes, some diapers from Heather (thank you!!), a few toys, lots of blankets, and some other odds and ends. This picture doesn't do justice to how much stuff I actually got!

  I had so much fun, I thought it would be awkward being in the center opening all these presents but it went so smooth! I also got a gift card for $60 to Wal-mart, which I immediatley put to good use :-). I went and got the diaper bag I wanted along with some canvas totes to put baby items in. I still need quite a few things, but I'm assuming I'll just have to buy them myself. I don't expect people to buy me another car seat/stroller combo, or a crib mattress. I expect this weekend I'll get more clothes and diapers. Which is totally fine with me! I love getting presents!


I love the decorating I get to do too! I got some small wooden cut outs in the shapes of soccer balls, baseballs, and a basketball along with a real football and some wooden cars that I'm going to paint. He can play with the cars when he gets older :-).


I'm pretty sure I got enough onesies to last him a lifetime...lol. I'm trying to find a place where I can customize a football jersey with his name and Hubby's football number on it to hang on the wall in the baby room. It was Rachel's idea and I love it! Other then that, there's not a whole lot more I'm going to do decorating wise. I don't want to go over the top just to have to take it all down when he gets older. So for now, it will look sporty without there being footballs all over everything. :-) I can't wait!

On another note, Hubby and I celebrated our one year anniversary back in October! YAY! I would put pictures up but I just realized...I didn't take hardly any at all. lol. Mom took us out to dinner and set us up at the Hampton for a night. It was nice to relax and not worry about everything for a couple days. :-) Since it is hunting season...I feel the need to brag on Hubby getting his first buck of the year :-) It's not a huge one point wise, but still it was awesome the way he brought it down. He shot into a small herd right as they started running down the hill and hit the only buck in the herd perfectly behind the shoulder. :-) We now have enough deer meat to last a couple years. lol.


Here are some pictures of the windmill parts they keep hauling through our area. I'm not sure where they are being put up, but they have been hauling the parts up there for about a month and a half now. There are three parts to it. The base which has the wider bottom they can haul on a long bed but the middle column is so much longer, they have to haul it on special trucks where the front end has a base then it hangs in the air till it connects to the rear base. So the whole thing can turn around curves. These things back up traffic for quite a while when they are getting off the freeway. They there are the blades they haul separately as well. It's all quite fascinating, I want to go up to where they're set up to see the final product. This picture is of the middle column. You can see how difficult it must be for the driver to get around anything. They have to take a couple street signs down to get to where they have to go, like here there is usually a sign at the end of this median.



We constantly have the "wide load" signal vehicles around here. They are DOZENS of them sometimes all at one time. They bring about 10 trucks loaded down with parts at a time, park them in this parking lot off the road for a couple days, then all at once, they all take off up the road again. Each truck has at least two to three signal trucks around it. Craziness :-P

Lastly of all, I want to share my funny picture for the day. This is our puppy Bailey outside on her chain talking to the cows. :-P

oh baby!

So as my belly is growing..it is getting noticeably difficult to get up from sitting down, get out of bed, and other daily activities. :-P    I get out of breath easier too...it's kinda funny. I've also noticed lately the baby is getting really active! He kicks a lot around 9 pm, then again in the morning around 9 am. He had a little dance going on around 1:30 today too :-)  It's really neat and makes it that much more real. I love it!!



I recently got poison ivy all over my face! Our neighbors were cutting up firewood on our property and me and Hubby went out to see how they were doing. Hubby decided to help and I sat on the 4wheeler to watch. I never touched a single piece of wood but somehow got poison ivy on my face which has since spread to behind my ears, down my throat, on my chest, and I just noticed, on my stomach. I need to stop scratching!  I went to the doctor the day after to get some preggie friendly meds and she gave me some cream and a steroid shot! Which I later found out from mom was just cortisone, so it had no side effects. I wasn't so sure when I heard steroid!

We finally got the baby room cleaned out. Hubby had to do it in the rain!! lol..it looks so good now! It looks like a real baby room now. The crib is so cute with the mobile, blankets, and stuffed animals. :-) I have a few more boy things, a friend's wife gave me things her boy didn't need anymore. I've realized though, that I would rather have new things. I don't want everyone's leftovers. So a lot of it is going to goodwill.


It's our one year anniversary this weekend and we're going down to visit my parents. Mom is paying for us to stay in a hotel for a night...I'm excited! It will be our first date night in a looong time. And like everyone tells you when you're pregnant...enjoy it while it lasts! I plan on it thank you :-)  She's also going to take me baby shopping to get a few things I need. My brother also wants me to go clothes shopping for him. He likes what I pick out for him and I love that chance to go shopping and spend someone else's money :-)  Overall, I am very excited...it's a change in pace and I think it will do us some good. We are very tight on money but mom always hooks us up :-)

Happy fall!

5 months along

It's a BOY!! :-)

Doctor visit went great...no news = good news :-)  Baby C is growing just like he should and I am doing what I should! Hubby was SO excited to learn that baby is a boy...I was slightly disappointed but am getting more and more excited as the days go by. I started crying when I was cleaning out the closet in the baby room and found all my stuffed animals and little toys from when I was a toddler. I got really sentimental when I realized that I would have to wait to share all my memories and toys until I have a girl. :-( But a boy will be just as fun :-)

It took me 4 1/2 hours to put the crib together, but when I was finally done I was blown away by how real this is getting!! I could just imagine my little boy sleeping in that huge crib...:-)

just keep walking....

So my preggie book told me that it was best to start exercising when you are at least 4 months pregnant. So I have been walking daily with the dogs, to get us all out and about. I just go out into the field to the creek and back. The dogs love it and they get off their butts and get some exercise. After about 3 days I noticed my butt muscles were a little sore..lol..but I also feel more energized after I'm done. Since I didn't really exercise that much before I got pregnant, I have to be careful not to over exert myself b/c it's not good for me or the baby. But so far, so good!!

The hubby is finally done with his training and will be home daily. YAY! I got used to him being gone during the week, but I look forward to him being home every night now. :-) Even though he's a 6ft tall 5 year old, I love him to death and really do enjoy him being around. No matter how much I may complain about him, I wouldn't trade him for the world. 

*scratch*

So my belly is starting to itch :-) I'm not stretching yet just growing e-v-e-r so slowly. And it's harder to sit in a compressed position, I have to have room to breath. Specially when I yawn or sneeze. The belly I had before I got pregnant doesn't help...lol.

AND I'm starting to eat a lot more. I at least feel like I'm eating all the time...a lot of snacking it all it is really. I tend to eat lots of fruit, veggies, sandwiches and nuts. No weird cravings...just when a commercial comes on or someone mentions some kind of food, I'm like: that sounds AWEsome!! So I go get some.

I am definitely getting more irritable easier...Hubby always forgets I'm prego when that happens.

So a slight prego update: My stomach tends to get upset easier. After I ate breakfast the other day, I felt nauseous and if I am really active. I'm guessing this is because my baby is getting bigger...not sure. I am starting to show but I just wish I could fast forward to when I'm obviously pregnant so I don't just look fat. :-P

Hubby has started to be more considerate of my pregnancy by fixing dinner the other night when I didn't feel good. Other then that, he tends to forget that me being prego makes me more emotional. Like it's hard to figure out....but that's men for you.

Just to start

So I just got home from watching "Julie & Julia", a very good movie if I do say so myself..however that is not the reason I started this blog. I started one about a year ago but really did not have anything to talk about as I was a college student with a crumbling relationship and did not want my failing engagement to be posted for all the world to see.

Now, however, I am happily married (to a different guy) and expecting my first child in February..I think now I have a lot to talk about. :-) The movie just reminded me.

I am exactly 4 months preggers right now. I had a checkup this morning and got to listen to my growing baby's heartbeat. :-) Only the sweetest sound I have ever had the honor of reaching my ears. No gender specified yet, but next month on the 6th, we will find out, finally!! Four months is not a long time, but waiting to find out boy vs girl makes it feel twice as long. Specially when your mother insists on buying baby clothes, all girl so far, for the past couple months.

So far so good though, no sickness, no cravings. I get headaches when I need a nap, or food, but other then that, I have really had no basic symptoms of pregnancy! It's lovely :-)

But now I need to eat...going 12 hours without eating is not good when you're eating for two. Baby is very unhappy with me. So steak, potatoes, and my favorite show: Bones!