Dylan & Erica’s Place…

From the title of my post you can tell its been fun huh? So when I was 34 weeks on a Friday I called my doctor because I was having a headache that would.not.go.away. It hurt so very very bad. I tried everything. I decided to take my BP since its been going up and low and behold it was up there in the 140s. I decided then to call my doctor normally when resting it never got up that high. The on call doctor asked me to try to get rid of it with caffeine and Tylenol and if it didn’t go away go into the hospital. Don’t worry he said, you won’t stay over night. YEAH RIGHT.

We got in and my BP was in the upper 150s. I blamed nerves. Once I rested and the nurse went out it went down dramatically. They had be start the 24 hour urine collection and did some blood work. I thought I would be discharged and go home. Not the case. The nurse said they wanted to hold me over night and watch me for 24 hours. That meant I would miss my baby shower.. AGAIN. WTF I wanted to cry but I knew there was no use. By now it was just hilarious. Apparently my daughter is shy and hates attention on her.

I called all my friends and the girls hosting the shower to let them know of the news and like great friends they are they were all understanding and considerate. We decided to have people come up to the hospital and eat cake.. YUM!

Overall it was a WONDERFUL shower. I have some wonderful friends who were very considerate and generous. I got released after the shower and told to follow up with my doctor on Monday and continue with the 24 hour urine collection. Oh and bed rest for the weekend.

I checked up with my doctor and my BP is slowly rising and looks like I’m developing Pre-Eclampsia. I know I’m super close to being full term so I’m trying not to worry about this at all but I did have to stop working and got put on bed rest.

While bedrest sounds wonderful for the first hour it sucks. Let me tell you. I know what I am doing is for the best but the nesting urge is ridiculous and I want to do so much but can’t do anything. I can go from bed, couch, bathroom, back to bed, couch. I have one day a week I can go to dinner with Dylan or to a movie but he has to drop me off as close as possible to the entrance and limit my walking.

It looks like my BP is doing okay while I’m resting but if I get up and do anything it goes up to the 140s/80s. My doctor is hopeful I can make it to 37 weeks (FULL TERM!!!) and we can induce. We were planning on inducing anyways because little Pepper (or shall I say BIG) is measuring 3 weeks ahead.

So right now I’m just laying here and playing on the internet. In the past week I have watched so much TV and I feel like a bum. I’m not going to lie I’m envious of those women who can still do things at 35 weeks. I hate that I’m stuck here but I know its for the best for ME and PEPPER. And I also know in a couple of weeks I’m going to be WISHING I could lay on the bed and have nothing to do.

I could use many prayers right now that my BP stays low and that Ms. Pepper stays in me until I’m at least 37 weeks. I’m so close I can taste it!

And here is a 34 week photo of my belly. It sucks because now I don’t really get dressed now but I told Dylan I promise to keep up with the photos. This was a photo I took of the dress I was GOING to wear to my shower. Boo! Instead I wore an awesome nursing nightgown.

Well things are getting pretty hectic and busy in the life of Erica and Dylan. First off we had a wonderful shower in my hometown when I was 30 weeks. We got such great gifts from a pack and play to a little activity mat. We are so blessed. Here are some photos from that shower.I still have about a million thank you letters to write and hopefully by the end of this weekend they will be finished!

 Yum Yum! Best cake ever!

 My Mom and Me

This passed Friday we had some excitement.. to say the least.

On Friday around lunch time I felt like someone was punching me in the bladder/uterus/ I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t feel like they were contractions but I couldn’t really walk without hurting REALLY bad. I thought I just had to pee super super bad went to pee and it still hurt. So I’m walking at work and my coworker Sarah is like oh it might be round ligament pain and I said yeah probably so. Call my doctor they said the same thing. Well I went to sit down because thats when it felt better and the pain just got worse so I called my doctor and said I’m heading into L&D. Well this entire time Im trying to contact my husband at work and he is MIA.

Little did I  know he was IN my office for my ‘SURPRISE’ shower and Sarah and my other coworkers were like well we guess we should tell you your shower is today. HAHA. Nice

Then I feel horrible but know something isn’t right so I decided just to go with Dylan.

We get there and I’m really thinking they are going to say, you are a first time mom, its braxton hicks weirdo. Or get out of here its nothing. Well yeah thats not what happened. The nurse was pretty sure I was having a pain from a really bad UTI from my description and the fact that it was constant pain. They take my sample hook me up and low and behold Im having contractions but I dont feel anything because I’m in pain from the UTI so I really didn’t know what was going on.

Anyways they gave me meds for the contractions and the UTI and sent me on my way. I will say my poor bladder was so irratiated and sore but besides that we are all fine and I’m so happy I went in. I really thought I was going to feel stupid and they were going to say its RLP.

Lesson learned: If you think something is wrong, something is probably wrong.

Here are some photos from that shower that I didn’t get to attend but I’m so happy they were able to ‘party it up’ without me. Not only that but they gave us such wonderful gifts! A much needed swing and snap and go! Hopefully later this week, Pepper and I can bake them some goodies to tell them thank you for all they have done for us!

The organizers

The whole gang!

Yum Cake!

Awesome gifts!

After I got discharged from the hospital we had to go back to my office to get some cake, I mean, Dylan’s car. Can you tell I have my priorities in line? We then had to pack up to take the trip to Baton Rouge where Dylan is from for a shower there. I’m not going to lie that drive was miserable. We didn’t even make it out of Houston and I was bawling. It hurt so bad to walk, to pee, to move, to do anything. I wanted to stay home and really should have to rest up but sucked it up and went. 6 1/2 hours later we finally made it. And its only a 4 hour trip. Its good we went to see family and friends, I just wish I wasn’t so miserable. Needless to say I feel wonderful now! We got lots of LSU clothes so she can cheer on her favorite team with her daddy! She definitely won’t be naked! We also got a much needed Bumbo and some hair care stuff. Because we all know she is going to have TONS of hair! Some pictures from that shower.

 Yum Cake!

Me and Anna Catherine. She made us some awesome burp cloths. All sewed by hand

 32 Weeks

We had our 32 week checkup appointment on Tuesday. Everything went well. Good news is I’m only up 13 lbs. For being this far into the game and having weight issues all my life this is amazing to me! What a great feeling. My little Pepper is measuring a wee bit ahead. Wee bit is an understatement. 5 weeks to be exact. Right now that means nothing.  Seriously nothing.  Anything can happen and measurements are just estimates. We are having an ultrasound this Thursday to verify she really is that big and if she is we will just go with the flow. Right now I’m not worrying about it or stressing about it. Not much we can do. My blood pressure for some reason every single time I go to the doctors office is elevated however when I take it at home AND even at the pharmacies its low. So I have a feeling I just get worried and freaked out when I’m there and they are taking it. My doctor said right now I don’t have any of the signs of pre-eclampsia (head aches, seeing dots, swelling, protein in my urine) so it might just be stress when I walk into the office.

I can’t believe how far I am now. I swear just the other day I was peeing on a stick and before you know it she will  be here! While Im excited to meet her she can stay in there as long as needed. I want her to. I’m not ready. And if one more person asks me if I’m ready.. I’m going to lose it =) Are you ever ready?

We really don’t have that much more to do in her nursery. Its all pretty much finished. We just need to hang some stuff up from the ceiling and we are finished! All what is left on my to do list is packing my bag (finishing packing it), making some frozen dinners from dream dinners, get a freezer for the frozen dinners, take a CPR infant class, finish thank you notes, and organize her closet. Oh and get a carseat. We REALLY need to get that.

Sneak Peak at her Nursery

Seriously this is me now. Where did the time go? How the heck did it get to be July? How the heck did I get this big? How the heck am I going to make it?  Eeek. Is this really happening?

Besides being scared I’m doing great. Well great minus the regular appointment I had with my doctor. Apparently while I was there my Blood Pressure was a little high. Not that high but something to be watched.  As a good girl, and as hard as it is to do nothing and have Dylan do everything, I have been sitting on my butt doing nothing. I don’t know if that is what is causing my Blood Pressure to go down or if that day it was just a fluke but it is nice and low and the way I like it to be. No more scares please.

Pepper kicks all the time. She loves to kick after I eat or in the afternoons. She loves FRUIT. Seriously if I have cake or fruit in front of me, FRUIT IT IS! I love it. All kinds. I’m not partial. She also loves Corn and Peanut Butter. Not together or maybe? I also ate french fries and dipped them in my frosty from Wendy’s and her father had this look of disgust on him. Seriously it was awesome. Sweet and savory. I want some now!

She is also on top of my bladder which means every day and night I have to constantly pee. Seriously I should wear a diaper. Its getting pretty crazy. I think I pee about every 2 hours at nigh. I guess that’s getting me ready for the sleep I’m not going to get right?

I’m beginning to prepare and get ready. I need to get my hospital bag packed and hope to get everything in it and purchased this weekend. Also Pepper’s nursery is really coming along great. We are still waiting on the bedding and Dylan needs to put up a decal and some molding around the decal but its really coming along.  Hopefully next time I post I can have some sort of

Next weekend we have our first shower and I can’t wait! I’m super duper excited! I know she is going to be so spoiled. She already is!

Here is a 29 week photo of us. I can’ t believe how big I am getting. Its nuts!

Pepper decided to kick the crap out of her dad. It was pretty awesome. I don’t know if it was the vuvezelas she was hearing or just knowing soccer was on TV but she sure did kick him. I’m feeling her every single day all the time now and it is probably the best feeling ever.  She loves to kick after I eat, drink or lay down. She definitely loves to kick when I’m taking a nice bath. I guess she is relaxing also?

Since getting back from Hawaii we have been busy with her nursery. Well I say we, more like Dylan has. We have done alot, but still have more to do. On our list to do is:

Put up crown molding

Get rug

Make curtains

Purchase Mattress 

Bedding is being made as we speak

Put decal above her crib

Make molding around the decal 

Put up poms

We also have a couple of things to do in our house after her nursery is finished. Like I really want to get a big freezer for all the breast milk I will be storing (Crossing fingers here on this one), I want someone to paint the bathroom. I don’t mind helping though. We need to get some new patio furniture and put some frames up in the guest bedroom.

Hopefully these things can be done in the next couple of weeks. If not, oh well it will be fine.

This weekend Dylan and I deep cleaned the floors because our dumb dog Floppy thinks our floor is the backyard and keeps peeing on it. Apparently he knows something is up and knows he is no longer the baby. Well he better get over that fast. My mom also came down and we did some baby shopping and recovered a lampshade with fabric. Lets just say it was  little more difficult than the website showed but we got it!

I’ll give you a couple of sneak peaks into Pepper’s room. She is going to have a pretty awesome room. She’s already so lucky!

Her view from her crib 

Again

The fabric for her bedding being made as we speak! 

View from the door

Also I’ve been bad at having Dylan take my photos. Here is a photo I took myself at 26 weeks. Enjoy!

Hawaii!

Hawaii was great. It was a good getaway. I could have managed without the time zone change or the flight back from LA. It was miserable because I was so sleepy and so cramped. Dumb red eye flight But we had alot of fun.  I wish I would have been prepared for the horrible trip to the top of the volcano. Poor Dylan had to tell me multiple times I was okay and we were fine. No one was dying. I got altitude sickness along with motion sickness from this windy road and crazy bus driver. It wasn’t so great but the view was AWESOME. Once we stepped out of the bus I was 100% fine.

I loved the sno cones. So amazing. On the bottom there is a surprise waiting for you.. Ice Cream! Yum!

We saw some amazing fish and SEA TURTLES. Snorkeling was so much fun with Dylan. I enjoyed so much of it. I hope one day to take Ms. Pepper so she can see the fun fish for herself.

Some of the highlights:

Our Balcony and Pepper 23 Weeks

Our Balcony and Dylan’s Beer Baby?

SPAM!

The day on the beach with beer strawberries and cheese!

Waiting for the sun to rise on a volcano 10,000 feet in the air! Talk about altitude sickness = NOT FUN!

Visiting the Brewery for Dylan - Notice I’m a good girl and drinking water

Taking a scenic road trip!

Sailing to Lanai and snorkeling - Notice how sunburnt I am =*(

Road to Hana

SNO CONES!!

Luau Time!

So sad to leave this:

I’m pretty sure of it. She’s going to be a gymnast. Lets hope she is a better gymnast than her mother. I wasn’t the best at doing Flip Flops but I was pretty awesome at front tucks.

Sunday night,  May 16th I felt the best feeling ever. A huge kick. She kicked me. It was more like a thumb but it was there. I put my hand on my belly and could feel it on the outside. It was pretty amazing. I ran downstairs and told Dylan. Running down stairs is a huge thing for me now. Usually I yell at Dylan to bring me something up. Call it lazy if you want. I call it growing a human.

I wish Dylan could have felt it. She’s stubborn like her mother. Or shy like her father. Either way eventually she will kick for him.

Here is a 21 week photo of my ever growing belly. I never thought I could be so in love with a belly but I am. I can’t wait to meet Ms. Pepper. Don’t worry Pepper we will make sure Floppy learns how to keep his toys in his toy basket and not on the floor.

We have 20 weeks more to go! I can’t believe how fast it has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was peeing on sticks trying to see if that line was real or not. I really can’t believe it.

Last week, May 11, 2010, we had our Anatomy Scan. Boy, were we in for a shock. We first saw little Jelly Bean moving away in there. Showing us her/his fingers and toes. Then you see him/her touching her nose with her little finger.

Dylan has highlighted the special features of the ultrasound so you can see what he thought was going on:

Yes thats right folks, My husband thinks the little one is picking its nose! Silly boy!

And for the big reveal…

Its a GIRL! I think at first I was in shock. I started bawling. Not because I didn’t want a girl just so many emotions came over me. What do I do with a girl? I hate shopping. I’m so not a girly girl. I know more about football than I know about makeup. I hate the color pink. She is doomed.

Then I realized all the little fun things we can do together.  Baking (Yum!), Pedicures, Having Tea Parties, Playing Dress up, Dance Recitals, Gymnastics, Getting her ready for her first date (This will not come until she is 18 maybe 19), Sending her off to college (She will NOT go to a party school…Sorry that includes LSU. Just kidding Dylan, Just kidding), watching her walk down the aisle with her Daddy, Having her first child.  Amazing.

Who knows what a do with a little girl or boy? No one really knows right? Its their first child. You have no idea. They don’t come with instruction manuals. One thing I know for sure is that I will promise to never make her do anything she doesn’t want to do. I will be the best mom I know I can be. I will love her unconditionally and be there to pick her up when she needs picking up. I know we will butt heads and this is where her father will come in and save the day. Her father will keep me in line. I promise to always be there for her whenever she needs it. I promise to make her own decisions and choices (within reason). We will be best friends but at the same time I will also be her mother.  She will be wrapped around her father’s finger and when I say no, she will run to him. I’m sure of it. She will have to get a job before she gets a car. And if she wants that expensive purse (which her mother NEVER gets) she will buy it herself. (I know I’m evil).

We will make it. We will survive. There isn’t anything better than a mother daughter relationship and now I get to experience it.

Here are some photos so you can see the progression of my belly from

15 Weeks

16 Weeks

17 Weeks

18 Weeks

18.5 Weeks

Look at my belly grow! So exciting. I can’t believe to this day I have a baby growing in there. Its simply amazing. I ask him/her everyday to give me a sign what him/her is. Yeah I get nothing.

Things have finally been easing up. I haven’t thrown up in about 4 days. Yay! That’s so awesome. Saturday night I threw up some french fries. I think my baby really enjoys eating healthy food. I have been having this vegetable kick. I love corn on the cob and green beans. Really I could eat them every day. And I guess thats a good thing right?

I also know love bananas. Yum! Most fruit I love. I still can’t eat chicken. YUCK! But do love breakfast sausage and pork. I have never wanted more breakfast sausage in my life. This poor kid is going to come out wanting a McDonald’s Sasuage McMuffin. At least they are only a dollar? But geez the fat is ridiculous. You have to eat what your cravings want right?

I do also love a Pepsi every now and then. I can’t believe this. Its not like I didn’t like Pepsi before but I can’t tell you the last time I drank a real Pepsi before I got pregnant. It had to be years ago.

Sno cones are also on the top of my favorite things. So yummy and so nice and cold and refreshing. I haven’t really had any in the middle of the night cravings. I do every now and then have a want for something like candy at night but I just go to bed instead of telling Mr. OB to go to the store to get me some. I can usually fight it with water.

Sleep is beginning to be interesting. I tend to wake up every time I turn to the side. I don’t know if its me making sure I don’t roll over on my stomach or what.

We did a 5K this weekend. Yep this little old pregnant woman ran/walked a 5K. Who says a pregnant woman can’t run? Seriously I loved it. I think my little baby did also. After working out he/she is always moving.

Oh I forgot to tell you about the flutters. I guess about at 16 weeks I felt the first one. It felt like the little one was tickling me on the inside. Its a very interesting feeling that makes me smile every time I feel it. I can’t wait until I get to feel the first kick or punch.

On the nursery front we have been busy. We bought this set yesterday:

We bought the crib, the hutch and the 6 drawer dresser. We are also going to get a night stand, a glider (Any ideas on a good one) and some bookshelves.

Looks like one of the big purchases (of the many) are done. We still need to get the stroller, carseat, glider, and a video monitor. So much fun stuff to do!

March 29, 2010

So I have hit 14 weeks! Yay! I’m so excited. I never thought the 2nd trimester would be here. Everything seems to be going great. We had an NT scan on last Tuesday. Seems my cervix and the baby are measuring great. Little one is measuring just a little ahead but thats fine with me! Our scan went well. No news is good news says the nurse and the U/S tech said everything looked good.

Whew! Not that I was really worried about it. We just wanted to be prepared if anything was alarming. The nurse did tell me that I needed to eat. Really? No one in my entire life has told me to eat. I normally have NO problem stuffing my face with food. I have problem LOSING weight.

However, it seems little jelly bean is taking all my nutrients and having a feast! My appetite has changed so much since I have gotten pregnant.

For the first time last week I felt hunger again. Normally I just feel nausea. Its so odd. I just can’t eat alot. If I do I’m regretting it. I had one slice of pizza the other day and felt like I had eaten the entire pizza! Its so different.

Now lets talk about these cravings I have. At first all I wanted were hamburgers. Hamburgers, Burgers, and more burgers. I just couldn’t get enough.

Now I love chickfila nuggets. Or any kind of nuggets. However JUST nuggets. I hate hate hate any other kind of chicken. GROSS!

I’m also on a fruit kick. I don’t know what it is something about fruit I just want to eat! Yum! Now last week I really wanted pineapple REALLY bad.

Did I get pineapple? Well not really. I did run to the grocery store and I came out with the following:

Lemon Meringue Pie
Almonds
Peanuts in the shell
Candied Pecans
Pimento cheese (WHO THE HELL EATS PIMENTO CHEESE?)
Strawberries
Croissants
Lays potato chips
Reese Pieces

Notice there is no pineapple in the list. Why did I get most of this stuff? Hell if I know. I just felt like I needed it. Sigh I didn’t think my cravings were that bad until I saw what I bought at the grocery store.

Oh and on Saturday night at 10 apparently, I’m not the only one craving a Taco Bell taco. Apparently there are others like me out there!

And for fun!

March 12, 2010

Yes everyone I graduated from my RE! While I didn’t get one of these:

I did get one of these:

Which personally was much better than the prior. I am very excited to be released from my RE but at the same time very sad. I feel like it was all because of him we are where we are at today. He listened to me. He understood my issues and most importantly he fixed him. He was truly amazing. Not only was he amazing but so was his staff! They made me promise I will go see them when I am big and round especially since my OB is just upstairs from their office.

We are so excited. Sometimes I can’t believe it. I think how just a couple of months ago I was crying and screaming because I was still spotting. Ugh. So annoying. But now I know there really was an issue and now its fixed.

I can’t wait until next week when I can finally tell the world I am knocked up! Oh and then I can say hello to 2nd Trimester! Oh how I hope 2nd Trimester will like me as much as 1st Trimester did!

I think I’m finally getting my energy back or so I think. My m/s seems to be getting better. I know I have Zofran and it is my friend however my friend gives me horrible headaches. Its bitter sweet. Do I want headaches or do I want m/s. I have to choose my enemy. But overall I’m not complaining. I actually remember telling God, please show me a sign I’m pregnant. I want my head in the toilet. Wow be careful what you wish for huh? Its nice though.

Next week I have my 12 week OB appointment with my awesome OB. I need to talk to him about cervical issues I could have because of cyrotherapy a couple of years ago and also we have our NT scan scheduled. No matter what the outcome this child will be loved!

Oh and my issues from last post… well they are gone. Gosh I thought I was going to die. But after calling my OB and drinking benefiber MIXED with prune juice it did the trick. I learned my lesson though. Drink LOTS LOTS LOTS of water and eat tons of fiber. Things seem to be goign better on that end.

And to end Ill show you a 11 week bump picture. Sometimes I think its a bloat picture.