Dylan & Erica’s Place…

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.

February 16, 2010

And I have made it to 8 weeks! Woo hoo! I can’t wait to see Jelly Bean (aka Hamburgler) again! I have a feeling if everything goes well.. Please God let everything go well.. I will officially graduate from my RE.
I’m sort of sad actually to tell you the truth. I love him so much. He is so caring, understanding, cute (yes I said cute), sweet, smart, knowledgeable. Man I could go on and on. I wish he could follow me through my whole pregnancy and get to meet and see him or her. The good thing is he is very good friends with my OB and my OB is upstairs in the same office building. Maybe one day I can accidentally run into him with our new little one.

I will be happy to graduate but sure am going to miss Dr. H. We are definitely going to see him with #2 if I still have ovulation issues.

So whats going on with me? Lets see. I’m sick. I throw up alot. It has gotten a little better but as weird as it sounds, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! Its very reassuring.

I love burgers. I can’t get enough burgers. Actually I want sonic now. OH MY GOD, a double cheeseburger sounds ridiculously awesome right now.

I’m tired to the extent that I didn’t know I could be tired. Seriously I could sleep all day and still be tired.

I have to pee about a million times in one night.

My pants don’t fit.

I ate banana pudding for dinner last night.

I haven’t worked out in a week.

I went to the gym yesterday and forgot my pants. Who does that?

Did I mention I barf at night?
Oh and lets not forget the crazy ass dreams I have.

You know what? I wouldn’t change this FOR A THING! I absolutely love it. I know lots of women who complain. Who are upset. Why do I have to be sick. Why do my pants not fight. Women that are miserable. But I personally love it. I love knowing I am making a little person. I love that God has given me and Dylan this opportunity. I wouldn’t trade this for a million bucks. I wouldn’t trade it for energy. I wouldn’t trade it for a bigger bladder.

This is simply amazing. And for all you ladies out there trying to start a family, DONT GIVE UP! I know its hard. I know how many tears I have shed over this. I know how many times I was upset with God but in the end he came through for us. And that is simply amazing! I thank him every.single.day.

February 2, 2010:
I’ve been a horrible blogger. There is a reason. Main reason is shown below:

Can you see that? Can you see our jelly bean? Can you see it? Yes I’m pregnant. I’m 6w3d today. Last Friday we got to see a heartbeat and it was truly amazing. Dylan wanted to take a photo with his iphone and my RE said, here’s a print out. So sweet!

So why didn’t I blog this earlier. We are just cautiously excited. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to share it with the entire world, just need to be cautious.

I will never forget my positive test. I decided to test after my temp went up on cd11. It NEVER stays up that high. EVER. It always plummets. I didn’t even feel different this cycle. I was just ready to get some testing done after this cycle.

Well that Thursday morning (January 13, 2010) it was as early as 5 in the morning and Dylan was already getting ready for work. I’m lazy and SLEEP forever but I just had to pee so I walk to the bathroom, pull down my pants, and ‘Knocked Up’ (the movie) style, pee on a stick.

I stare and stare and say, Oh sh*t. There’s a line. I see it. Oh My. I get the stick run down the stairs into the kitchen where Dylan is making his coffee and say, Oh My God. Do you see it? He says, yeah but its so faint. My comment, who cares! Its a line! We’re having a baby!

I then can’t go back to sleep. Go figure and call my RE’s office when they open I go in for a beta and its 33. 33!! I’m pregnant! I can’t believe it.

I then have multiple betas and they all seem to be doing great and multiplying correctly. I’m still in shock. Its so amazing. So unbelievable. It happened.

Like I said, on Friday I saw our little jelly bean and its little heart thumping away. So tiny but so loved already.

Tomorrow I go in for another u/s. I’m hoping this time we can measure the heartbeat and will get to see little jelly bean’s growth.

Its truly amazing!

of not post for more than a year. In a year we have gone from my husband almost dying to expecting our first child.

I’ll first start with our journey and my husband almost dying.

The Rollercoaster

So you want to know what this rollercoaster was? Oh just wait.
First let me tell you a little about Dylan. Dylan is so optimistic, sometimes a little too much. He always tells me to calm down, don’t worry, everything is going to be okay. He is my rock, my strength and my best friend. He is my everything.

On Dylan’s 27th birthday he decided to take the day off and enjoy his birthday. We were just sitting at home and he decided to go out for a jog. When he returns he tells me he can’t type and my laptop is acting funny. Weird? My computer? NO WAY! See Dylan always complains about my computer. It was old, big, bulky, and heavy. He didn’t think twice about MY computer being the problem of why he couldn’t type.

Fast forward to the next day Monday, Dylan chats with me online and starts complaining about not being able to write with his right hand. I tell him to make an appointment with a neurologist and what do you know, HE DOESN’T! That’s fine. I start obsessing (what I’m good at) and start googling his symptoms and realize he has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Well, this is my diagnosis; I’m not a doctor or anything. Nothing that bad, nothing too much to worry about right? WRONG!

Tuesday night Dylan showed me how he couldn’t even pick up his pen while trying to write. I tell him, scratch that, I DEMAND him to get an appointment with a neurologist ASAP. He says he will.

Wednesday morning Dylan calls me on the way into work and says, “I’m going to the Emergency Room, I’m slurring my words and my hand doesn’t work at all.” Great. I tell him to stop what he is doing and I will pick him up. I meet him at a shopping center parking lot and he gets in my car and we drive to the Emergency Room. We still think it’s nothing that serious. Well, I try to convince him it’s just a really BAD migraine and everything will be fine. RIGHT? WRONG!

June 11, 2009 is when my world changed forever. Dylan was sent for a CT scan and when Dr. D came back with the results he said some of the words that changed my life…

“Mrs. T, Mr. T’s brain is bleeding.” YES that’s right, my husband, my rock, my twenty something husband who has NEVER had surgery in his life, who JUST ran a 10K two weeks ago, has a brain bleed. I stand there looking at him, holding onto his hand so tight lost and confused. HOW? How could this happen to us? We are so young. He is so young. What do you mean brain bleed? Is it still bleeding? Make it stop. What can we do?

A million and one thoughts were going through my head and I look at Dylan and he starts to tear up. Surprisingly I’m not yet. I ask some very odd questions according to Dylan. I ask the doctor, “What caused this? And what is the worst case scenario? Is it brain cancer? Is he going to die?”

NO! It can’t be! We don’t have children yet. He can’t die. How I went from brain bleed to dying I don’t know. It must be the pessimism in me.

Well Dr. D left us alone and I asked Dylan how he was. He was fine. He had anti anxiety medicine. He was fine. I’m not fine. He asked me how I was. I said fine, even though we all know I wasn’t. We were going to be okay. It was just a bump in the road, nothing too serious. I mean it’s JUST a brain bleed. Little did he know the minute I walked out to call my friends and family I lost it. Completely lost it. I cried, I cried more, I threw up, and I gained my composure and walked back into the ER room. (Thank goodness for wonderful friends and family. Without them, well I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been the rock I was.)

By this time my friends had come to see us and were keeping me a little calm. Everyone has asked me what was going through my head and all I can say is this.

I was upset. I was pissed. I was hurt because I knew if Dylan left this world I wouldn’t have had any children with him. We didn’t have a family. I was so sad and hurt. So I took his hand, looked at him with a big smile on my face and tears in my eyes and said, “If you make it through this alive, I promise you I will no longer wait to have children. We are starting a family the MINUTE you are released from your doctor”. See, I always wanted to wait to have children. He was ready. I wasn’t there yet. I don’t know why I wanted to wait. There weren’t really any reasons. I just wanted to wait.
And that is where our journey of trying to start a family started. With a small promise I made with my husband in a hospital bed in the middle of an Emergency Room.

So I am sure right now you want to know what caused the brain bleed and how Dylan is.

Cause: A golf ball size mass.

Where did this mass come from? Well he was born with it. I always knew my husband was a little odd, I just didn’t know he was born that way!

The night before his surgery, AKA our 2 year anniversary, Dylan could not walk, talk, or use his arms. He was paralyzed on the entire right side. I looked at him in amazement. This entire time he never thought he was going to die, he was so strong which made me stronger for him. He was and is truly amazing. Simply, amazing.

Dylan had brain surgery on our 2 year + 1 day anniversary, 14 days after his initial diagnosis of a brain hemorrhage. In those 14 days he went from walking and talking to having seizures and paralysis.

His wonderful amazing neurosurgeon removed the mass from his brain in 6 hours. (I will say I have a slight crush on him. Would you expect any less? He gave me back my husband!)

Two hours after surgery I saw my husband for the first time in recovery and I fell in love with him all over again. I was so proud of him. His first surgery was brain surgery and he had made it. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, “You did it. How are you feeling?” He looks at me and says, “Okay but my throat hurts”. So amazed and happy I said, “I’m so happy and grateful right now”. Then it hit me. HOLY CRAP! He is talking! He isn’t slurring! I ask him to move his legs and in amazement he moves them. No problem! My eyes are filled with tears and we hug and cry! This was and will always be one of the best moments of my life. Photo warning for below: Picture was taken right after surgery.

 Hours after brain surgery!
Can you tell I haven’t slept in days

If you are wondering how he is now, well let me just tell you, as I am writing this Dylan is working out and jogging. Can you say Over-Achiever?

So this is my story and how the journey started for us.

One month after brain surgery!