5 Months!!!!

So Sam is already 5 months old, and as each month goes by, Johnny and I praise God that she is still breathing :]  She's so cute and such a joy to the family!  Here's a pic...

That little tongue is out all the time, and has proven problematic during solid food feeding time!  We have been consistent and just push it down with the spoon during feeding and she is getting better! She has eaten every veggie that Gerber makes and only turned her nose up at green beans, but she finished them and by the 3rd day I think she kinda liked it!

Sam is such a good baby!  Tuesday and Thursday mornings {Joey's school days} our routine goes something like this....Johnny and I wake up to the alarm, hit snooze for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before actually getting out of bed :]  Once out of bed, Johnny heads to work and I get Sam going on her breakfast.  After feeding her, I lay her on the ground to play with some toys while I get her sister out of bed.  This process can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 20, and the whole time I am handling Joey, Sam just plays and plays!  When Jo isn't crying because she doesn't want to get up, I can hear Sam just talking and moving and shaking her toys around in the other room!  When we get downstairs, I get Jo's breakfast ready, get Sam ready for the day, then starts the loading of the car :]  She never cries {knock on wood}, and just lets me do what needs to get done in the morning!  Love that!!

Sam has also been smiling a ton and even giggling a bunch too!  She thinks it's funny when you make loud kissing noises while kissing her tummy, cheeks, you name it!  I love making her laugh, and tear up pretty much anytime it happens!!

Sammy loves sitting up now and often sits in her little seat!  We just set her in front of her play mat and she goes to town!

I love those little feet!!!

In the pic above, you see Sammy is sporting a bib.  This is becoming quite the trend since she is drooling a lot!  She's got some white spots on her gums and I'm expecting to see some teeth any day now!

Well folks, I think that's it for now!  Sam doesn't have another Doc appointment until December, so for her 6 month update, I'll include all her stats!

4 Months :)

Sammy is officially 4 months old and doing great!  She has some allergies like her momma {even though the doc says she's too young for allergies, I know in my heart of hearts that's what it is}, but other than that, she's awesome!

We took Sam to the doctor today for her checkup and shots, and our doctor was actually sick so we had to see the Nurse Practitioner :(  We were bummed because we wanted to hear Dr Frank's take on Sam's test results being negative for Noonan's.  Oh well....here's the stats.....

Weight - 10lbs 14ozs {4th %ile, down from 16th %ile}}

Length - 23inches {11th %ile, down from 23rd %ile}

Head Circumference - 15 1/2 inches {11th %ile, same as before}

The nurse said that she wasn't worried about the drop in percentage, so I guess we won't worry about it either!  She said she could hear Sam's heart murmur and asked if we were aware of it :)  We sure are, thanks for checking!! :)  She also told us since Sammy is really good at holding her head up, we can start her on cereal!!  We are going to start her with her night time feeding and see how she handles that.  If she does OK, we will add a morning feeding.  She's growing up so fast! Who knew our little NICU baby would be right on track??

Sad fact...Sam had to get shots today :(  She got over it super quick, but just look at those sweet little legs :(

Sam is doing lots of cool things these days....here are a few....

 grabbing for things

smiling a ton

giggling

rolling from belly to back both directions

sleeping through the night

trying to hold her bottles

loves when I sing to her {she kicks and coos...my heart melts :]}

loves her sister

takes naps in her crib

I feel like there are more, I just can't remember them right now!  

Sammy, you are a complete joy to our family!  We love how you smile for no reason, and how you are so good natured!  God has truly blessed us, and I can't imagine life without you!

Homecoming!!!

So Friday was the big day!  We called the NICU before heading up to visit Sam, and they told us that we were going to get to bring her home!  We were so excited :)  The doc said that we should treat Sam like a healthy baby because that's what she is!  With a few instructions from one of our favorite nurses Cheryl, and we were on our way!  Here are a few pics of our departure :)

Pretty sure Johnny was listening or trying pretending to listen to the instructions?!?

Here's Sam in her going home outfit!  So cute :)

Here's the cake my mom got for all the NICU staff!  Everyone was so great, and we really appreciated all that they did for our little girl!!

Getting buckled in!!

Look at that sweet face :)

And those sweet feet!!

When we got home, we let Joey hold her and she is a proud big sister!!!

She loves to give her sweet kisses!!!

Here's a video of Joey holding her for the first time :)

It was an awesome day and here's hoping we have an awesome summer!!!  Thanks so much for all your prayers for our baby!!  We are so glad she's home!!

Today is the Day You Have Made.....

.......I will rejoice and be glad in it!

We have been praising God during this crazy time of our lives and we have been praying hard for His provision and comfort.  We have been feeling his love surround us and we have been feeling his comfort more than anyone could ever know! Thanks so much for everyone's prayers, we feel them...we really do!

Well today, and each day we receive any positive news on Sam, we rejoice as the Lord rejoices over His creation who is healing!  Yesterday we had a great visit, but today was even better!!!!!

When we went in this afternoon, we weren't expecting much.  This is usually when Sam is sound asleep and Johnny and I fiddle on Facebook or take some sleeping pictures of her or something like that. Last night Nurse John let us know that we may not get to hold her again because of her belly button IV.  He wanted us to hold her but knew some other nurses may not feel as comfortable letting us hold Sam.  So today when we went, it was time to feed Sam.  Cheryl {the Nurse on Duty} let us know that we were going to get to feed Sam today!  She pulled up a chair and let us hold and feed her :)  Obviously she's not too worried about her IV, and that's just fine with us!!!

Cheryl also gave us some other good news!  Sam had bottle fed all night and was not fed through her feeding tube at all!  She kept all her food down and they were upping her fluids from 25 ml to 30 ml and later today they were going to up her to 35 ml as long as she handled the 30 ml fine.  Also her oxygen was changed too.  She is breathing at 21% right now which is what you and I breathe everyday, so that is good news!!  She was taking in 7 Liters of oxygen each day, but they were going to lower her count each day by 1 Liter.  Today she was down to 2 Liters {that's right, 2} and doing really well!  We left her this afternoon with a sense of accomplishment!  They are pushing Sam to do great things, and she is rising to the challenges!  Team Stout!!!!

When we went back tonight, Nurse John was there and he admitted that he was worried about getting in trouble for what he let us do last night with Sam.  He didn't get in trouble :)  I have a feeling he only would have gotten in trouble if she had regressed because of something he did.  On the contrary, Sam was improving because of what he did!  Anywho, we walked in, and he asked "Notice anything missing??"

Our sweet Sam has no oxygen tubes and her feeding tube is gone!!!!!!!!!  John said that she hadn't had a feeding through the tube all day and she was keeping everything down, so he just took the tube out!  Then he said she was doing really well on the oxygen and he just tried her without it and she was doing equally as well, so he just took that tube out too!  Since both tubes have been gone, she has still been feeding with a bottle only {we got to feed her again tonight :)} and she has been upped to 35 ml.  She sucked that milk down so fast it wasn't even funny!  On top of that awesomeness, the entire time we were holding her, her breathing was staying between the 40 and 60 breaths per minute mark!!  This kid is a serious champ!  

{Look Ma, no tubes!}

{Just look at those pinchable cheeks!!!  She's precious right??}

Now the question that comes out of everyone's mouth next is "Great, when does she get to come home".  Believe me, we want to know that info too!  We are going to try and go in tomorrow when the doctor is visiting to see if we can get an answer to that question!  The only thing John said needs to happen for her to be "take home ready" is that we need to replace what she is getting in her IV each hour with milk.  Once the milk takes place of the IV fluid, and she is off everything for a few days, she should be able to come home with us!!!

All in all, a great day in the NICU for Samantha Lynn!  She's a week old already and I'm so glad she is getting better!  Please continue to pray for Sam's healing, and that Johnny and I would continue to feel God's peace surround us during this time!  We love y'all and thanks for keeping up with us!!

NICU Videos...

Yesterday was such a fun day and we got to do a lot with Sam thanks to our night time nurse John.  He's not really a rule follower, and we loved it!  We got to take her temperature, change her diaper, hold her, feed her, and hang out for a really long time!  Here are some videos of our time with Sam yesterday!!!

This is the longest video at 4ish minutes.  Never mind the talking in the background....it's not really pertinent info.  Feel free to listen in though if diaper changing and such isn't all that interesting to you :)

It was a process, but John let me hold Sam.  He had to unhook and re hook a lot of wires to make this happen!  He said it's super important for these NICU babies to be held and loved on!  I completely agree {anything for me to get a hold of that baby girl!!!}!  We had to keep her laying as flat as possible so her belly button line wouldn't come out, but I could handle that!!!!

Here's another of me holding her :)  She totally pulled her feeding tube out a little bit and I had to stick it back in...yuck!!!


And I got to feed her :)  She was hungry and chowed down on her food super quick!!


Here's Sam with daddy.  I left the room for a little bit to pump {sorry for the TMI} and daddy got to watch her get all snuggled up and ready for bed!  They wrapped her up like a baby burrito, but some heated blankets on her and gave her 2 hats to wear!  This girl was snug as a bug when it was all said and done :)  Here she is talking before it all went down!


That's all the ooey gooey goodness we have for you right now!!  Hope everyone is doing well, and again, keep up the praying!!  It's what's keeping us going, I just know it!

How's Sam Doing??

Thanks so much for everyone's prayers and supportive emails/comments on Sam's Birth Story.  We appreciate each and every one of you and know that God is listening and hearing our prayers for Samantha Lynn!

Sorry for no pics, this is my last night in the hospital and I'm still not able to upload them quickly.

Now to the question everyone has been asking...How is Sam doing??

Since Sam has been born, she's been through a lot of stuff including 2 chest x-rays, multiple sticks at trying to get an IV in her, throwing up food, projectile pooping for daddy, and more :)  I can't remember what I wrote about in my last post, but they also have taken blood from her to get her genetically tested for something called Noonan's Syndrome.

Yesterday Sam was doing great!  We were able to go to the nursery and feed her with bottles, hold her and kiss her as much as we wanted to!  I was in the shower when they called us down to do the above for the first time and got out of the shower faster than I ever have before.  I couldn't believe they were going to let me hold our little girl!  Once they got me set up and handed Sam over to me, I just broke down.  It was so good to hold her after 2 days of not being able to and I was overjoyed!!!  She's so stinkin' cute and I just couldn't help but cry.  I was able to feed her from a bottle, and I sang songs to her, rubbed her little feet, held hands with her and just stared at her.  She's so amazing and such a blessing from our Father!

As the day went on, Sam was looking better and better.  They were upping her food intake from 25 mL to 35 mL to see how she would take it.  They also moved her from underneath the warmer to a regular bassinet when she was bundled up and regulating her own temperature! And they let us know we could bring her own clothes to put on her so she could be more comfy :) {Not that she has worn her own clothes yet, and has no idea what comfy is....wait till you learn about flannel PJ pants Sammy!!}  Anywho, we are proud parents :)

Fast forward to this morning...Sam didn't take the food upping too well.  This is where the throwing up started :(   One of the times I was holding her, and I'm pretty sure it all came up...Yummy!!  They didn't know if it was the amount or how fast the amount was being given to her so they slowed down her intake by setting a distributor to give it to her rather than a person.  They also backed her down to 25 mL {a baby her size should be taking 50 mL per feeding} and decided to put an IV in since she is behind on her fluid intake as it is. They want to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated.  After trying to get her IV in her hand, foot and head with no success, they ended up having to perform a little procedure on Sam.  They took her umbilical stump off and put the IV in through there.  Needless to say, we were not able to dress her in her own clothes because the line needs to be kept in plain sight in case it comes out or starts to bleed.  Since she can only wear a diaper, they moved her back under the warmers.  Also, since she has so many tubes coming out of her, we are not allowed to hold or feed her anymore :(  I'm so thankful for yesterday and I look forward to holding her again!  For now we are able to hold her hands, and rub on her, and talk to her whenever we want to!  We will take what we can get people!!  They have also moved her into the official "Special Nursery" so people will not be able to see her if they come up...even through a window.

Tomorrow they will do another chest x-ray to see how her lungs are developing.  They are also going to review her EKG to make sure her heart defects have nothing to do with her breathing.  They ruled that out earlier, but want to double check just in case.  They are also going to send off her blood work again to check her platelet count and to be honest, I'm not sure what else.

Needless to say, her pediatrician has said that Sam will not be going home with us tomorrow :(  She will potentially be here for another 4 to 5 days.  Boo!!!

And the next most asked question...How am I healing/feeling??

How am I feeling about leaving Sam at the hospital???  Sad, but thankful that God has placed the doctors and nurses in our lives who have the wisdom and patience to find out what is wrong with Sam and are not letting up till the get to the bottom of everything.  Everyone is so caring and I feel confidant that Sam is in good hands.  I also know that we can come up whenever we want to see her, and we don't live far, so we will be doing that for sure!

I guess that's it for now, I'll let y'all know if we have anymore updates before leaving tomorrow.  Please continue to pray everyone!!!!

Sam is Here {And The Ride Has Been Wild Already!}

Warning...long post about Sam's birth, heart defects, lung issues, and more.....stick with it if you want the scoop :)  I'll add pics later, the hospital WiFi is not all that fast :)

Sam is here and we just love her already :)

Yesterday was probably one of the weirdest days of my life....it started out by getting up super early to get the family ready for Sam's arrival, and by getting up, I mean Johnny yelled down to me from the top of the stairs..."are you up and moving"...I yelled back "define moving".  I was so tired, but we knew it was Sam's big day, so we got up and got moving!  Joey had a great morning meaning she woke up happy, went pee pee on the potty, got dressed without a fight, and stayed in a good mood all the way to Holli's house :)  We dropped her off with Miss Holli and headed to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital, we checked in, I got on the ever so beautiful hospital gown, left my sample in the bathroom, and started prep for Sam's arrival just 2 short hours away!  When we were talking through some check lists, the nurse asked me if I had eaten or drank anything after midnight...this is where we almost lost it!  Let's rewind about 2 hours.....while we were getting Joey ready to go, I got hungry!  The nurse the day before hadn't told me not to eat or drink anything, so I decided it might be OK if I have a little teeny weeny granola bar before we left the house!  Fast forward a few hours....so the nurse asked me if I have eaten or drank anything after midnight, and I had to tell her about the granola bar.  She said that they might have to postpone the surgery for a few hours, or even a whole other day :(  After my mild panic attack, we got word that I was not going to be pushed back, and that my anesthesiologist said "Next time you get breakfast, make sure you bring some for everyone!".  So the surgery was going to go on as planned thank goodness!!  I was going to be so mad at myself if that stupid granola bar messed us up!  

We got in for surgery, and I got my spinal block, we cranked up the 80's tunes, and batta bing batta boom, we had a baby!!!  Sam was born at 10:06a and weighed in at 7lbs 14ozs, and is 21 inches long. It took FOREVER for them to sew me back up and I started getting antsy, so I just started singing along with Jon Bon Jovi "Livin on a Prayer".  My doc was like "only you would sing during your surgery!"  Once we were done, I was taken to recovery and they brought Sam to me!!  She's so beautiful!  She as dark brown wavy hair, a little pug nose, a tiny chin, and chubby cheeks!!

I was able to feed her and hold her for about 30 minutes and then the lactation nurse said she was breathing kinda fast.  She called the nursery and they came and got Sam to check her out.  Johnny and I were taken back to our room and a while later they came in to tell us that Sam was breathing fast because she had swallowed some of the amniotic fluid on the way out of me.  Her lungs aren't fully developed as of yet, so they wanted to watch her all day and night to make sure she was getting better.  Also they were hearing a heart murmur that was pretty significant.  Turns out Sammy has the same thing as her big sister...Atrial Septal Defect and Pulmonary Valve Steno-sis.  Joey's pediatric cardiologist happened to be in McKinney, so he came to check Sam out.  He said that he's not worried about her heart, and he thinks it should heal on it's own as Joey's heart defects have.  He also said it had nothing to do with her breathing fast.  So they kept her all day and night and her breathing was not getting worse, but wasn't exactly getting better either :(

This morning I was able to get all the wires taken out of me and I felt well enough to walk down to the nursery and see our beautiful baby girl for the second time.  She has a breathing tube in her nose and a feeding tube down her throat and is under a heat lamp {Johnny says he wants one for the house}.  She's super warm and soft :)  We were able to talk to her doctor and he said that most babies come out of the womb ready to go, but some come out wanting some extra lovin......Same needs her some lovin!!  She will be in the nursery until they get her breathing under control.  She is supposed to be breathing between 40 and 60 breaths per minute before they will let her eat from me, and it keeps fluctuating between 40 and 90.  Nothing is consistent yet.  Once it is consistently between 40 and 60, they will take her tubes out and keep her for another 24 hours, then if she does well with that, she will either get to come in our room, or go home depending on what day this all happens!

My doctor also came in yesterday to let us know why it took so long to sew me back up...she said when she got "in there" that my bladder was on top of my uterus and when they moved it there was a window in my uterus.  Basically it had healed from Joey's surgery 2 years ago so thin that they could see Sam floating around in there...CRAZY right?? This was the reason it took so long to sew me back up {a full hour}...they were being extra careful making sure that everything was reinforced and sealed tight.  Dr. Roberts told me that had I gone into labor, my uterus could have ruptured and that would have been bad for Sam and I both...YIKES...Thanks God for watching over me on that one :)  Anywho, what does this mean??  It means that Johnny and I are done having babies on our own.  We have always wanted to adopt a child, and want a family of 4.  Now instead of us being blessed with 1 adopted child, we get to care and support for 2 children in need {not sure how this whole process works, but we have helpful friends who we will be seeking wise council from in the upcoming years}!!! We know this is a God thing and we know that he already has our future children picked for us and we can't wait to meet them one day!!

Back to Samantha Lynn...

Her doctor also told us today that they are going to do some chromosome testing on our little bundle.  She has a couple of features that have made them want to do this.  They are going to take her blood and we will get the results back in about 2 weeks.  They are specifically testing for Noonan's Syndrome.  I guess she has a dent in the bridge of her nose, and something about the creases on her hands which are causing them to want to test.  It's crazy because Joey has had chromosome testing too, and everything that is "wrong" with Sam has been "wrong" with Joey.  The Lord has prepared us well for this situation, and I have a feeling this is why we are not worried.  God's provision is insane, and we feel blessed!!

It makes me sad to think that we may have to go home without Sam, but I am taking JOY in the fact that our Savior Jesus is with our precious baby girl and knows the outcome of this situation.  I don't have to worry because he is in control and he knew that she would come out with hair on her ears, nails that are long, a little wave in her hair and every other detail about her!  He also knows the woman she will grow to be and every detail about her life, we just get to be along for the ride!  

There are more stories, but I will write those later...thanks for sticking with this post if you have, Johnny and I have appreciated all the visits from friends and family and your prayers have been felt and coveted.  Please continue to pray for Sam's healing and for the doctor's to have wisdom when it comes to our little girl!  It's hard to believe just how much we love her already even though we have only gotten to see her a handful of times, and haven't been able to snuggle our little one.  She is a gift from God and we are so thankful!  I hope all this makes sense, and I'm sorry for no pics....I'll get some up ASAP!!

Our Final Weekend as a Family of 3.....

So here it is, Monday of the week Sam will be born!  There is no question that this kid is coming out Wednesday morning if not sooner :)  This weekend was super busy, and my hubby did so much for our house it kinda makes my head spin!

Saturday morning, we woke up and took Joey to gymnastics class.  She's getting better, and she loves to "jump" on the trampoline!  On the way home we went to Wal Mart so that we could eat this week and we got out of there for under $80 thanks to some gift cards!!!  When we got home, Johnny cleaned the entire garage...swept, shop vacuumed, organized and sprayed for buggies.  Joey and I played with bubbles :)  After that we put Joey down for a nap and I went to get a Manicure and Pedicure compliments of Bret Stout and Alan Kirby..... 

.......while Johnny deep cleaned the entire down stairs and sprayed for bugs in there too.  He pulled all the furniture away from the walls, vacuumed the base boards, dusted, mopped, and cleaned anything cleanable :)  What a man!! We also got the Pack N Play set up, moved Joey's kitchen upstairs, and her babies down stairs...I'm pretty sure we worked in some Play Doh time too :)

Sunday rolled around and we went to church.  I got the normal questions like "You're still here?", "You haven't popped yet?", and "When are you due again??".  The sermon was a good one as usual talking about what Jesus would have us deconstruct in our lives to be more like him.  We know the answers, but it's putting the belief into action.  I need me some of that!  After church, I went to see Sex and the City with Kelli and Shawnda.....

......while Johnny put Joey down for a nap and then proceeded to deep clean the entire upstairs!  Again, he moved furniture, vacuumed, cleaned both upstairs bathrooms, and I'm not even sure what else!  I came home and it smelled glorious :)  Last night we went to the mall to get me a night gown for the hospital.  I'm remembering having to untie the whole thing during feedings, and it's a hassle!  We found 2 that I liked and came home for dinner.  

Today is my first official day of Maternity leave and I'm just sitting her waiting for this baby to come out!  I do have some work to do today and will most likely get it done, but I don't have to go in to EWA for anything! 

And that's our weekend in a nutshell...busy, relaxing {for me}, and busy!!!

I'll leave you with this picture...it was one of our first family photos as a family of 3 and I can't wait to take our 1st family photo as a family of 4!

38 Weeks....1 Week To Go!!!!

Alrighty folks, that's right, 1 week from today we will have a new addition to our family!  This is CRAZY to think about!  I'm actually feeling a little sad today because it's our last week as a family of 3.  Johnny thinks I'm being silly, but I don't think so.  I'm just really starting to think about all the things that are changing.  I really want Joey to know I'm still her mommy and I love her soooooooooo much!  I am praying for an easy transition for her and myself!  I guess Johnny is OK, so I don't need to pray for him :)

As for how I'm feeling this week......So far so good.  Aside from feeling full and out of room, I can still breathe somewhat and am not swelling, so that is good!  I had a doc appointment yesterday and I weigh 129......1lb shy of the 5lbs she wanted me to gain!  I'd say I did pretty well :)  She checked me to see if I was dilated or effaced at all, and the answer was NO on both accounts.  What this means is that Sam is cozy and may actually make it till next Wednesday....BOO!!  So I'm done with doc appointments for this pregnancy which is weird!  I do have an appointment at the hospital on Tuesday at 9:30am to get my blood work done, and I guess they are going to give me a medicated wash rag thing to use in the shower on Wednesday morning.  They said this helps cut possible infection from a c-section by 80%!  Sounds good to me!  On Wednesday I will walk check into the hospital at 7:30am, and Sam is scheduled to arrive around 9:30am!  I'm starting to get jittery about the surgery, so please pray for my nerves as I have time to think about the c-section this upcoming week! 

Enough about me, let's check out those final Belly Pics!!

Here I am the night before Joey came into our lives!  We took this picture and night at 2:30am {so technically the next morning} I got up to pee and my water broke!  I called for Johnny and I told him my water just broke...he said "You think it did, or it really did".  I said it really did!  We sprung into action!  I wish I would have known what the next 17.5 hours held in store for us and that I wouldn't be able to take a shower for another day, I would have slowed down and taken one before we went to the hospital!  We did make it down the street and turned around to get our DVDs that we had forgotten!  We didn't want to be bored!  Here we are over 2 years later and we are here again but scheduled this time :)

Holy Toledo that thing's a torpedo!!  I weigh the same as I did with Joey at 38 weeks, but my tummy is obviously bigger!!  I can't wait for this belly to be gone!!!  Next week Sam's eviction notice will have been served, and she will be on the outside!  It would be really funny if this picture took place and tonight my water broke!  I still have so much to do at work, but I would still find time to laugh :)

The news from Baby Center:

How your baby's growing (38 Weeks):

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

And here's what Sam is doing in there...

Things I Can't Reach Anymore...

As my belly is getting larger, it is getting harder to reach things in our home.  I am only 4' 10 & 1/4" and putting this belly in front is taking about 5 inches off of my reaching abilities!  Here are just a few things I can't reach anymore :)

One day I will be able to reach the back of the washing machine with my hands, not a hanger...

One day I will be able to reach the laundry basket on my own instead of waiting for Johnny to get it down for me...

One day I will be able to turn the disposal on with my hand and not the dish brush...

One day I will be able to get a glass of water without the step stool...

One day I will be able to touch my toes again...

I long for One day!!!

37 Weeks and 2 To Go :)

Even though there are 2 weeks till Sam will make her way into this world, I only have 7 work days left, and I'm pretty stoked {no offense Bret and Akirb}.  With all the prep work that has been going into my maternity leave, I'm ready for a break!!!  Next week we have our annual team banquet and that will be my last hoorah!!  I've joked about asking our DJ Lisa {my SIL} to not turn up the base too loud or we may have a water breaking issue on the dance floor :)  

As far as how I'm feeling this week, I'm doing fine, just feeling FULL! My fingers look like sausages...gross, and it's getting harder and harder to do things around this belly!  I have been sleeping on the couch these days because it's easier to get out of in the middle of the night when I have to go potty, and I can keep it really cold downstairs too which is awesome!  I still end up hot, but at least I don't freeze Johnny out :)  

Anywho, I have a doc appointment tomorrow and we will see what she says!  I'll make sure y'all have the update.....until then, here are some belly pics!!

Here I am with Joey in my belly...it's hard to believe that this was over 2 years ago!  She's about to be a big sister!!!  Wow, that's a whole lot of belly!! Apparently I was ready to go in this picture...But this belly ain't got nothin on Sam's belly shot for week 37.........

Yowza!!!  That's a whole lot of belly!!  This baby must weigh a ton :)  Joey was 7lbs 1.4ozs when she was born...If we are comparing, I'm guessing Sam will be 7lbs 8ozs :)  We will see if I'm right!!

On with the Baby Center News...

How your baby's growing (Week 37):

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

That quarter keeps getting smaller! And here's the inside scoop for those interested...

 

Here's to 2 more weeks!  If you are the prayin' type, please pray for me to get done all the things I need to at work in these last 7 days!  Also pray for a safe and uncomplicated C-Section on the 2nd!  I'd appreciate it!!!

36 Weeks and 3 To Go {21 Days Left}

That's right folks, 21 days left!!!  I'm so stoked :)  There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!  

I had an OB check yesterday and I weighed in at 125.8 {gained 1.8 lbs in 2 weeks}, and my doc says she wants me to gain at least 5 more...grrrrrr, I'm honestly trying not to gain because I'm so skinkin' uncomfortable right now, i can't imagine 5 more lbs!  She asked how I was doing and I starting asking questions..."How do I make my hips stop hurting? Did you make a mistake and I'm really 40 weeks...let's get this baby out?  Am I dilated and ready to go?"  She said "Is there anything I can do for you aside from delivering your baby today???"  I said "no"...we both laughed and went on with the visit!  She checked for dilation and I am not dilated AT ALL, so this baby is comfy and staying in there, which let's be honest, that's the best thing possible, but still :)  She said everything is looking great and the baby is going to come on her own time :)

I still have a lot of work to do at EWA before I leave to take care of this beautiful baby, and I am working as hard as I can!  I am so thankful for my friend Schram who is taking some things off my plate, and for Candy who is taking on more at night so I can get things done, and everyone else who is helping ease the load I have to take on in the next few weeks!

Alright, on with the belly pics :)

So I don't have a picture of me with Joey in my belly because at this point in my pregnancy they had said I was miss measured and was actually at 37 weeks :)  So you will get to see that picture next week!  Here is a great for you, not only do we have my picture with Sam in my belly, but the rest of the family posed for  week 36 too :)  Here we go...

Here's me with Sam...hot diggity, this thing is huge :)  I keep getting inquiries....."When are you going to pop?? How many weeks ARE you?"......I also keep getting pitiful stares at the OB's office like "Oh poor preggo teen......I feel so bad for you!"  I'm seriously almost 30, I'm married and this is our 2nd child....it's legit people :)

Here's Johnny at 36 weeks :)  He's been doing P90X for the last 60 or so days, so that's why he's got some eXtreme abs :)  Great job babe!!!

And last but not least, here's Joey at 36 weeks :)  She's so cute and didn't want to be the only one without a belly pic!!!

On with the Baby Center News:

How your baby's growing (36 Weeks):

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

That quarter keeps getting smaller and smaller :)

.....and for those who want the inside scoop.....

Can't believe there are only 3 more post till Same makes it into this world!  I can't wait to met her, and love on her and snuggle with our sweet baby girl!  See you next week :)

35 Weeks With 4 To Go!!!

So here we are week 35!!!!  Almost there :)  Yesterday was a crazy day that ended this "baby week" crazily!  I had a super stressful day at work with too many details to divulge, came home to a 2 year old acting like a 2 year old, tons to do at home, and to top it all off, I was contracting every 6 and a half minutes for an hour.   YIKES!!!!  

On a different note, the rest of the week was awesome, and today was really good.  I have felt huge but pretty good!  I am having a hard time bending down and shaving my legs, but if that's all I have to complain about, then that's not too bad!

On with the Belly Pics :)

Here I am with Joey in my belly!  I love the face, so I had to do something to duplicate that so I came up with this....

Holler :)  Here I am with Sam in my belly!  That thing is large and in charge yo!!

Here is the Baby Center Update...

How your baby's growing (Week 35):

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Here's the inside scoop :)

I have an appointment next Tuesday so I'll let y'all know how that goes next week!!!  Have an awesome week everyone!!

34 Weeks And Only 5 To Go :)

And what that really means is ...only 5 more weeks of people asking in amazement..."You are due any day now right?"  I get it people, I am HUGE!!  I feel huge, I look huge, and my tight shirts don't lie...I feel huge!  

In other news, I have had some crazy allergies these past few weeks.  I had a doc appointment today and he said that there's not much I can do, so I'm just destined to live with them until the baby comes {worst case}.  I can handle that right??  I sure can!  Other than no miracle cure for my allergies, my doc appointment went well...I weighed in at 122lbs {gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks}, and my pee was good enough for them I guess!  Sam is doing fine, and we are officially scheduled for our C-Section on Wednesday June 2nd at 9:30a!  I have my next appointment at 36 weeks and they are going to check for Strep B at that time and check my anemia as well!  Hopefully I get a good report on the anemia like last time! After that appointment I start going every week until the baby comes!  

As far as what I need to still get done before this baby comes, there's a lot!  

• We have some room rearranging to do which involves in consolidating toys, moving a toy box, and more!
• We need to get the Pack n Play from Holli's and get that situation figured out (where is this thing going to go??)
• I have so much to do at work including all things creative for the months of June, July, and August.....ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

There are more things, but these are the immediate needs...5 weeks people....5 weeks!

On with the belly pics...

Here I am with Joey in my belly!  I wrote about how I was not sure what life was like before this built in shelf on my body! And I guess it was cold??  I love hoodies!

Here I am with Sam in my belly.  I do remember life before this built in shelf, and it was fabulous :)  I can't wait to have this baby, rest for the 8 weeks then get in P90X shape!!!  Should be fun right???  We shall see, I'll have at least 20 somethin' lbs to loose!!!  I guess I have 5 more weeks to worry about that huh???

Here's the Baby Center update:

How your baby's growing (34 Weeks):

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

And here's the womb with a view :)

Thanks for checking in with our little corner of the world...only a few more posts left till Sam gets here!  I can't wait!!!

33 Weeks and Only 6 To Go :)

As I'm typing this post, Sammy is doing gymnastics in my belly!  I'm pretty sure I just saw a perfect cartwheel roll across my belly...no joke!!  Ok, I kid, I kid :)  Anywho, this week has been going well.  I feel huge, and when you get a look at the belly pic, you will probably agree!  I do have to say in my defense though that we take these pictures very late at night, and I'm pretty sure I gain like 10 lbs each day, so objects in picture may appear larger than they actually are :)  My allergies are kicking my booty this week, but other than that I am feeling well!  My hips haven't hurt in forever, and the Braxton Hicks are still there, but not a huge deal.  I am stoked that 6 weeks is all I have left, and we are pretty booked for that 6 weeks with church stuff, home stuff, and most importantly....Joey's 2nd Birthday!!!  That's right folks, our 1st bundle of joy turns 2 this Friday...where has the time gone..I will post more on that Friday!!  I guess that's it, so on to the baby bumps :)

Here I am with sweet Joey in my belly...she was content in this small tummy and I was content for her to be there :)  I only weighed 111lbs at this point in my pregnancy with her and I was all a glow despite the stupid look on my face :)

Here I am with Sam, and I'm convinced she's hiding a twin sister in there or something....last Wednesday I went to the doc and weighed in at a whopping 120lbs.......she is stretching and growing and has room to do cartwheels as I stated in the beginning of this post!  I'm getting more uncomfy as the days ware on, but I know the end result is worth it for sure!  I will need help getting this baby bump to go away, so all my work out friends, I'm gonna need you once I get cleared to exercise!! 

What does Baby Center have to say about all this??

How your baby's growing (33 Weeks):

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with aconehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

And here's what's going on on the inside :)

That's all she wrote folks!  Look back on Friday to get the birth story on our sweet little JoJo!  Night Night!!