And so it begins

He's crawling

2009-10-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ethan started really crawling on October 21. But now all he wants to do is stand. Silly little boy. He was doing the worm across the floor since September. He also pulls himself up in his crib. I found that out on the video monitor one morning. Halloween is this weekend and Norm's mom and grandma are coming to visit. This will be the first time Ethan meets his grandma. He is going to be a skunk for Halloween. I have to say he is the cutest little stinker. I'll upload pics soon. For some reason I am not able to

It's been 4 months

2009-10-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

since I last updated. I am going to try and get back to updating regularly. Ethan is almost 8 months. He's such a little boy. Not my tiny little baby anymore. He's got chunky little legs. He's been eating solids for 2 months now. He loves food and really loves feeding himself. right now it's just been gerber puffs and mum mums. He is pulling up and getting ready to crawl. He's been army crawling for a few weeks now. We continue to see my family about once a month. Norm's mom and grandma are supposed to come out at the end of the month. It will be his first time meeting them. I am getting very excited for all the holidays. I can't wait to dress Ethan up for halloween. He is going to be a skunk. He is going to be so stinking cute :)

4 month appt

2009-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

We had our first appointment at the new doctor yesterday. Things went well. Ethan weighs 11 lbs 13 oz and is 24 inches long. He is only in the 5th percentile for weight and the 25th for his height. This was the first time he got weighed without his diaper so I am thinking he has been in the low percentile the whole time. I'm happy with his weight gain. It's almost 3 lbs in 2 months. He did great with his shots. Norm held him and he cried. My poor baby. The doctor wants me to let him cry it out to fall asleep. I don't believe in that so we will continue doing it our way. It's been working for the past 2 weeks. He is reaching all of his milestones and has good head control. We go back in 2 months for another round of shots.

4 months

2009-06-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ethan turns 4 months today! It is going so quickly. He has changed so much in the 4 months but especially in the last month. He is now reaching for toys and everything is going in his mouth. It's so cute when he gets excited. We bought him an exersaucer and he is way too little for it but we still put him in it with a blanket for support. He loves it and is reaching to play with the toys. We finally moved him to his crib and it's working out well. I am putting him to bed at 8:45 and he sleeps until 3 and I get up and feed him then he sleeps until around 6. Tomorrow we are going for his next set of shots and wellness check at the new doctor. I hope he has the same reaction as his 2 month shots. He did so well
In other exciting news. Lillian Marie was born on June 6 at 4:03 am. She is just a little peanut. She was 6lbs 3 oz and 19 inches. Erin was 38 weeks 3 days when she had her. They are home now and doing great. We won't be going to Pittsburgh until the end of June. Erin has already said we are going to do something since she will be stir crazy if she hasn't gotten out since then. I'm so excited t o see her.

He's rolling over

2009-05-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ethan has rolled over. He did it first for Norm twice. I was so disappointed. I feel like I should see everything first. I know I am going to miss firsts since I have to work so Lois(our daycare provider) has a rule of not telling me if he does anything until I tell her. He is rollling from back to belly which is suppossed to be the harder way to go. The only problem is once he gets on his belly he doesn't know what to do. He still hates being on his belly. I can't believe how fast he is growing.

In other news we are waiting patiently for the arrival of our niece. It's killing me b/c Erin isn't sharing the name. Ethan and I will be going to visit at the end of June. By that time it will have been 3 months since I last saw Erin. 3 months is way too long to go without seeing each other

3 months old

2009-05-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well today Ethan turns 3 months. I can't believe how time is flying. We found a new doctor to take him since I was very unhappy with his last doctor. He has gained a pound in the past month. He is now a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz. Norm and I both feel like he has gotten a lot longer overnight. I've tried taking pics but he doesn't want to cooperate today and of course I have a little t shirt that says 3 months on it. He is much more active. He loves yellow. We have recently started watching baby Einstein videos and he is so intrigued by them. He also loves when you stick your tongue out at him. He tries to imitate you and he giggles. There is no better sound than to hear him giggle. He still isn't sleeping through the night but he is only waking up between 3 and 4. He is only up for around 10 minutes so I don't mind at all.

It's also my first Mother's Day. Ethan got me a beautiful necklace that symbolizes a mother and child's eternal embrace. Norm made me a wonderful breakfast. Today is a great day. I love being a mom. He is definitly the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Back to work

2009-04-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Well I'm starting my 3rd week back at work. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I miss Ethan like crazy and he's on my mind most of the day. I can't wait for my shift to end and come home to see him. I think it's not that bad b/c of the daycare situation. He is the only baby and Lois loves him. I know he is getting one on one attention and the other little girls there love him as well. It's also nice to see that he is happy and content when he is there. Norm likes having guy time with him on the nights that I work. It's taken a few days but they are adjusting well to each other. I love my days off and spending time with him.
My parents might come for a visit next weekend. I want them to see Ethan again. He's changing so much. He's much more alert and happy now. He "talks" to his stuffed toys. I also think he was talking in his sleep the other night. I kept hearing oohh, aahh and I looked over and his eyes were closed. At least I know he was having a good dream :)
It's not too much longer for Erin. That little girl is going to be here before we know it. I can't wait to meet my little neice.
Well off to work for me.

pics

2009-04-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time

2009-04-02T05:59:00.001-07:00

since I've updated the blog. The past 6 weeks have flown by. I can't believe my maternity leave is over in 3 days. I never want to leave Ethan but I don't have a choice. Let's see what has happened in the past 6 weeks. My mom and sister both came for a visit, we went to Pittsburgh for Erin's baby shower. Ethan has struggled with gaining weight but he finally gained a pound. So at 7 weeks 3 days he is at 8lbs 10 oz. We had a daycare lined up and it fell through. We found another daycare and she really seems to love Ethan. I think it is going to be a better situaiton for us. She is 1/2 way between Norm's work and the house.

Things have been going great. I love our little family. Norm is a great dad. Bailey loves the baby and Morgan doesn't understand why he doesn't play with her. He's sleeping for about 4 hour stretches at night. Sometimes it is 6 hours. I don't mind getting up with him.

The first week home

2009-02-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

Well Ethan and I were released from the hospital on Thursday. When the nursery nurse brought him in to me at 5:30 she mentioned his bilirubin #'s were high and that he was jaundice. Of course I freaked out and called Norm and he came to the hospital. We waited around to be discharged and for the Pediatrician to come and tell us what was going on. When she showed up she said the #'s weren't that high and we were good to go. So we went home to face our first night alone. As soon as we got home Norm called and made an appt with Polly, our lactation consultant. She told him to stock up on snacks b/c this night would be the hardest on us. Boy was she right. Ethan wouldn't eat and he cried alot. I was getting frustrated from lack of sleep and thinking my child was starving. Thank goodness we have Polly b//c I called her at 1 am and she told me to try pumping and giving formula. I didn't like it but Ethan got formula his first night home. Norm and I survived the first night!

Friday morning we went to Polly's for a consultation. She confirmed that he did have jaundice. We came up with a plan to keep him well hydrated and hoped that would work. When we got home my mom suggested calling his pediatrician and let them know what was going on. Well that phone call landed us in the ER. It was the hardest thing to watch Ethan having blood drawn. We were there for 4 hours. Ethan's bilirubin #'s did rise. They went from 9.2 to 13.7. The ER doc wasn't concerned. Our instructions were to call the ped in the morning. Erin and Ryan arrived shortly after.

Saturday, Norm called the doc and they wanted another blood draw. So we packed up again and made our way to the hospital. Ethan is so strong. he didn't even cry when he had his heel pricked. We recieved great news that his # was down to 11.4. Keeping him hydrated was working and the bilirubin was leaving his system. :)

On Sunday we had a little photo shoot with my family and Ethan. He is the cutest baby. My family left and we were all alone.

I survived my first day home with him and the rest of the week. He's getting stronger and better at breastfeeding. We are trying to overcome obstacles. He's been gaining weight and we go back to the doctor this Thursday.

Norm and I are completley in love with him. He is the best thing to ever happen to us.

Ethan James is here

2009-02-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

On Monday February 9 I had a GTG with my girlfriends. They were joking about me going into labor that night since Amy had Zoe the day after a gtg and Melanie was saying how she had brownie and coffee the day her water broke with Justin. I got home and Norm and I went to bed. Around 2:20am I woke up to use the bathroom. As soon as I got out of bed I felt a gush. Great, I just peed myself was my first thought. I came back to bed and started having cramps. I got up again to use the bathroom and the cramps were getting worse. I told Norm that I was going to go downstairs to see if these were timeable contractions. No sooner did I sit on the couch when felt another gush, ran to the bathroom and my pants were soaked. I screamed for Norm to wake up and called the doctor. At this point it was about 3am. The doctor said it sounded like my water did break and to come to the hospital. Norm showered and I finished packing my bag. When I went to put my socks on there was another gush. We got to the hospital at 4:20. I was checked by the resident and he said I was 4 cm dilated and my water did break I was being admitted. I was also having back labor and it was painful.

At 6 am I recieved my epidural. It was more painful than I thought it would be. But after it kicked in it felt great. Unfortunately since Ethan was sunny side up I had to lay on my side. It could only be my left b/c on my right his heartbeat would drop. This caused pain in my right hip and I was feeling every contraction in my hip. The anesteshioligist came back and added something to my epi.

By 8 am I was fully dilated. The doctor came in at 9 and said we would start pushing as soon as she was done with a c section. I thought it would only be a few minutes but it ended up being 1 1/2 hours. At 10:30am I started pushing. Over the course of 40 minutes I pushed for 5 contractions 3 times for 10 seconds each. Ethan was born at 11:10 am. The doctor laid him on my stomach and I fell in love. They took him away and Norm went with them while I delivered the placenta and got stitched.

We then got to spend an hour with Ethan before he went to the nursery. I went to a private room. Norm and I couldn't have been happier with our beautiful little boy.

10 days to go

2009-02-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well I'm still here and he's still not. I tried the eggplant Parmesan. It didn't work. Oh well. I am just going to have to be patient. Eventually I will have my baby. Norm's work threw him a baby shower on Monday. The decorated his desk and had a cake for him. They were extremely generous and got us a gift card for Babies R Us. So this weekend we will definitely finish buying everything we need. I'm so excited I have another weekend off. I don't know what we are going to do. We've talked about heading over to Canada to eat at the Brazilian restaurant. I think we should go to dinner and do something since it will hopefully be our last weekend of just the 2 of us.

38 week appt

2009-02-02T09:19:00.001-08:00

This morning was my 38 week appt. I am 2-3 cm dilated and his head is very low. Cheryl the nurse practioner also tried stripping my membranes. She doesn't think I will go past my due date and was impressed I was as far as I was. I think tonight's dinner is going to be eggplant parmesan and raspberry leaf tea. I'm hoping it won't be much longer. We are pretty much ready for him. We have a couple things to still pick up at Babies R US but Norm knows what and where everything is so he can go and get it.

What a stressful day

2009-01-26T13:52:00.001-08:00

Well today was my 37 week appt. I am a loose 1 cm dialated, 50% effaced and the NP had her finger on his head. So things are moving right along. The stressful part came when she listened to his heartbeat. It was in the 160's. His heartrate has never been that high. She worried b/c it was high and I wasn't feeling him move and she didn't see him moving. So she sent me for a NST. A stress test for the baby. Too bad it was way more stressful for me. I got hooked up to a belt and had to push a button every time I felt him move. I only felt him twice in 40 minutes. His heartrate was all over the place. 168, 143, 174, 117, 152. I hated looking at the monitor and seeing it jump around like crazy. But the doctor read the results and said everything was fine. I was also having contractions. Not timeable ones but they were definlty starting. She said if I wasn't feeling him by midafternoon to come back in for another stress test. So I came home and took a nap and just relaxed. I got nothing accomplished that I was supposed to today. Around 3 I still wasn't feeling him so I called the dr. I went in for an ultrasound and got to see the baby. It's not as much fun when there could be a problem. As of now he weighs around 5 lbs 11oz. Everything is fine and I go back next Monday. I'm just trying to relax and get by the next week.

37 weeks!!!

2009-01-25T10:17:00.001-08:00

Today I am officially considered full term. It is so hard to believe that almost 8 months ago Norm and I were seeing 2 pink lines on those pregnancy tests. I have a dr appt tomorrow morning. I was just there on Thursday but my work schedule is so crazy that it's hard to make appts each week. Yesterday Norm and I had a really good baby day. We had a breastfeeding class at Baby's Sweet Beginnings. The owner, Polly was wonderful. I wish Erin lived up here b/c I would definlty send her to the class. It was very informative and even Norm enjoyed it. I bought a couple bras there and picked out some other things that I would like. Then off to Marshall's where Norm got a diaper bag. He's so excited for his son and I knew he wanted a bag but he didn't want to spend the money. So I bought it for him. Now I am just patiently waiting for the nesting instinct to kick in. Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

36 week appointment

2009-01-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Today was my 36 week appt. Everything is good. The baby's heartbeat is 150. My blood pressure was 122/74. My cervix is 50% effaced and closed. The baby is in a -1 station. So basically that means he isn't coming any time soon. I go to the doctor again on Monday. Hopefully there will be some progress over the weekend.

It's a Girl! and other updates

2009-01-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

Erin is having a girl!!! I am so excited to have a niece to spoil.
My mom is home from the hospital and doing well. She is going to come up here once the baby is born and stay as long as I need her here.
We signed up for a breastfeeding class. The woman at Baby Sweet Beginnings was wonderful. The next class that they had wasn't until Valentine's Day which of course doesn't work for me. So she is going to give me and Norm a private class.
Since the Steelers made it to the Superbowl Norm is convinced the baby will come that day. I won't mind if he does. Anytime after Sunday works for me. As of this upcoming Sunday he will be full term. I can't believe it's almost over.

My Shower

2009-01-19T16:48:00.001-08:00

My shower was last weekend and I should have updated sooner. Erin did an awesome job as usual. She knows that I don't really like typical baby things. She did the shower in Chocolate brown and Turquoise. Then she had the favor be a Sarris chocolate diaper pin. Julie(my bff from college) was able to fly in on Friday. Then Melissa(bff from Netco) came in on Saturday. It was great to see both of them. It's been way too long. Unfortunately Beth(bff from HS) wasn't able to make. There was a prediction of a very bad storm coming and she couldn't risk it. My mom also wasn't able to make it since she was still in the hospital. Our baby boy defintly got spoiled. He got so many wonderful gifts and books. He already has a little library started. Now we are just counting down the days until his arrival.

34 week appointment

2009-01-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

It wasn't anything exciting. Blood pressure and weight are fine. The baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. He is still head down so that makes me happy. 40 days to go. I'm getting excited to go to Pittsburgh this weekend. It's my shower. :) I'm sad that my mom won't be there but Norm said we can video the shower and then visit her in the hospital and show it to her. It's going to be a busy weekend. My 3 best friends are coming in for it. I can't believe that it has been a year since I have seen Melissa and almost 2 years since I have seen Julie. I can't wait.

Goodbye 2008...Hello 2009

2008-12-31T17:17:00.000-08:00

Well another year is gone. Looking back 2008 was a pretty good year. Much better than our previous 2 years. In 2008 I got a promotion at work, we started fostering for Eskie Rescuers United, I turned 30, Norm still has a job after all the craziness with the mortgage industry, and of course we got pregnant. I'm looking forward to 2009. We will have a baby and a new niece or nephew. I hope to have a New Year's Party next year to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. To all of our friends and family we wish everyone a happy and healthy 2009.

Finally Pictures

2008-12-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some Christmas pics.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. Norm bought me pj's to wear in the hospital. Sadly I need to exchange for a bigger size. :( He also bought me the diaper bag I wanted from Pottery Barn. My parents bought me the cutest carollers , a santa clause, a sweater and shirt to wear for the shower. We are going to celebrate Christmas with Erin when we go home for the shower.

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

Well it's Christmas Eve and I still have so much to do. Today is Morgan's 4th birthday. We are trying to tell her she is no longer a baby and now she is a big girl. It has taken her 4 long years to finally calm down.
I have to work the night shift tonight but that's ok. My parents are coming up tonight so they should pull in the same time I do. I hate waiting for them to get here so this will take my mind off of it. Erin and Ryan won't be joining us this year. It's going to be strange. This will only be my 2nd Christmas without my sister. Our family Christmases are probably going to be a thing of the past now that we both have babies coming.
I can't wait to see what Santa is bringing me. Norm will not let me open anything early. He's no fun. Oh well I only have 1 day to go.
Merry Christmas Everyone!

6 days to go

2008-12-19T17:49:00.001-08:00

Well I am 1/2 way thru my long work stretch. I'm getting tired but I'll get through. Tomorrow night we are going to my friends house for a party. I'm so excited. I love getting together with my nesties. Everything is going well with the baby. He's moving and has found my ribs. My next appointment is the day after Christmas. It's coming so fast. We've already gotten in Valentine's Day candy at work. I've only got 58 days left to go.

Oh I love my job

2008-12-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

I just got my schedule between now and Dec 25. I have 1 day off and I work 12 days in a row. I can't wait to see how this goes. Last year I worked 9 days in a row and was a bitch. By Christmas Eve noone better even give me a look or else. My doctor doesn't really want me working 6 day weeks so I can only imagine what she'll say when she hears this. She told me that if it gets to hard they will write me an excuse. I really don't want to do that b/c i don't want to screw my co-workers. Oh I wish I had the work ethic of my current and even former employees.

Had my first baby dream

2008-12-04T06:54:00.001-08:00

I finally had a dream about the baby. He was beautiful. He had dark hair, Norm's nose and he was so little. I just kept holding him and kissing him in my dream. I can't wait until he gets here. I have less than 11 weeks before I am holding him for real.
We also got our camcorder delivered yesterday. I'm so excited. It's the tiniest camera. It weighs less than my digital camera and is about the same size. It's perfect for us. I can throw it in the diaper bag and always have it handy.
This is my first 6 day work week. It's not that bad yet but our customers are horrible. Everyone is rude and demanding. I can't wait until it's over.

Thanksgiving was great

2008-11-30T15:12:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday Norm's brother Jim, his wife and kids arrived for the weekend. I am so proud of my girls they did awesome with the kids. The played all weekend with them. I think they are going to do just fine with the baby. Especially Bailey, she just followed them around.
Norm outdid himself with his dinner. The turkey was delicious as were all the sides. I made my mac and cheese for the kids. But this time they didn't like it. We watched every Christmas movie we had.
Friday at Midnight Kristy and I went to the outlet mall. I got some great deals at the Carters outlet for the baby. I got a couple gifts for Norm and even picked out some for myself. I had to restrain myself in the Kate Spade store. The whole store was 40% off. There was an adorable cow print purse that would have ended up being $36 but I didn't buy it. I knew Norm wouldn't have cared but I have to think of the baby before myself. From there we went to Bon Ton to pick up a couple things. After that was Walmart. Of course that place was a zoo. Then home to bed for a couple hours before I had to go to work.

Our company left on Saturday while I was at work. Norm and I ran some errands when I got home from work and now we are decorating our tree. I love our house at Christmas I will post pics when we get it complete.

Passed my Glucose Test

2008-11-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

I had my Glucose Test today and I passed! I wasn't really worried but it was in the back of my mind. Everything is great with the baby. I heard his heartbeat again today. It really is the greatest sound in the world. He is still low but that's ok maybe it just means a fast labor. I start going for appointments every 2 weeks now. I know I have said it before but time is flying. Christmas will be here before you now it and then my shower and then the baby.

King Linus

2008-11-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

We got an update on our Linus Frog. He's doing great. He's getting along with his new fur brother and sister. He isn't having any stomach troubles. His seperation anxiety isn't as bad. His new mom and dad are very happy with him. Getting updates makes fostering worth while. We know we've saved a life by taking in Cooper and Linus. Someday we will find the perfect 3rd dog for our family

5 days until the happiest day of the year!!!

2008-11-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for Friday. I look forward to this day all year. I have to admit I miss the good old days when I used to do this with my mom. Hopefully someday we'll spend Thanksgiving with my family. Norm is going to go with me b/c we want a camcorder and he is going to stand in line with me at Best Buy. Actually he wants us to each go to seperate Best Buys. I'm also debating about going to the outlets at Midnight. I would only buy clothes for the baby and he doesn't need anymore. He needs diapers. Other than that there really isn't anything I need to get out of bed that early for. But the bargain shopper in me will have me up.

Pics of Linus

2008-11-21T18:55:00.001-08:00

Green paws from playing in freshly cut grass

Saturday is going to be rough

2008-11-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

Well tonight is Linus's last night with us. After 5 months he is going to his furever home tomorrow. It's a great family that only lives about 1 1/2 hours from us. We are really worried about how Morgan will do without him. They are best friends and together 24/7. I've already started crying about it. This is harder than I ever thought. I don't know how anyone can give up a pet after years and not shed a tear. They must not have a heart. Linus has come a long way since we first brought him home. His seperation anxiety is under control, he hasn't bitten me in 3 months and he finally comes to me for love. Even little baby Ethan/Logan knows Linus. He starts kicking me every morning when Linus barks that he is awake. If for any reason it doesn't work out with the family we will take him back and not give him up. I know we saved his life by taking him in. He won't be our last foster. This is something that Norm and I are commited to. If a dog in needs comes up before the baby is born we will not turn him away. If not we will wait until things are stable around here before taking in another.

Everything is going good

2008-11-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

This pregnancey is flying by. I can't believe I am in the 3rd trimester already. I had a Dr's appt yesterday. I love my dr's office. The doctor told me my skin looks great and that I am glowing. I don't know if I believe that but still it is nice to hear. Everything is great with the baby. He has a good strong heartbeat. He is sitting low. She said it's not a problem he is just comfy there. My blood pressure is great 120/70. I go back in 2 weeks for the GD test. I'm lucky that with my insurance I can do it at the office and just have to drink a can of Orange Crush. The Dr is concerned with my work schedule for December. She doesn't want me working more than 8 hours and is willing to write a note to say that. I told her we'd see how it goes and I will let her know how I am feeling.
In other news Linus is probably getting adopted. He has an awesome application in on him. I am just trying to coordinate a time that I can meet with them. It is going to be so hard to let him go. But if it doesn't work out with this family Norm said we would keep him. Morgan is really attached to him and I don't know how she is going to be once he is gone.

Work in Progress

2008-10-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some more nursery pics. The cushion on the glider is just an outdoor one. My mom is recovering the cushions for me. The long dresser will be used as a changing table. I'm really happy with the way it has turned out. We just need wall decorations and accessories. I can't wait to bring the baby home and have him in there.

Norm felt the baby

2008-10-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Norm was finally able to feel the baby kick. I drank freezing cold water and it worked. My sister thinks I am torturing the baby. I tried telling her to wait and see how she feels when she is this far along. I'm so glad that he finally felt him.

Nursery Pics

2008-10-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

The nursery is painted! The crib is put together(we still need a mattress), curtains are hung and we have a dresser. There is still a lot to be done but I thought I would post some prelim pics.

Finally...The BIG u/s pics

2008-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

We finally got the printer/scanner working again. Here are the pics of our little boy. Norm must have scanned the pictures crooked. The last picture is his little foot. We've been trying to upload the video of the u/s but the file is too big. If we ever figure it out we will post it.

The proof he is a boy.

Bought the crib

2008-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight we bought the crib. I'm so excited. We also bought the paint. I'm not allowed to paint until next week since it is going to rain all week. I really want to do it tomorrow. My mom has a white dresser and changing table. So his room is slowly coming together. Norm is going to build a couple of shelves for the closet and paint the back of the door with chalkboard paint. I have to buy all of the accessories and the mattress. My goal is to have the room complete by Thanksgiving when Norm's brother and family come out and before I start the madness of December.

He's moving

2008-09-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I am feeling the baby move. Right now it feels like little bubble popping or like a little bug walking across my stomach. I can't wait to really feel him move and kick. The Dr said probably by the end of next week. :)

Bought the bedding

2008-09-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

I LOVE knowing what we are having. Today I was still upset about the bedding so I went to a Marshall's by the house and they had it! I am so happy.

It's hard to see in the picture but there is teal blue in there. Now I just need a crib to put the bedding and the baby in.

Shopping for the little prince

2008-09-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today we ran up to the outlets to exchange the girl clothes my mom bought. The boy section is definitly smalller in stores. But that's ok. I still managed to find a ton of stuff. I did restrain myself since I know I am having a shower. Besides I need to get him furniture and diapers. We did buy a bunch of clothes with little dogs on them. I'm so mad I had a room in a bag in my hands and put it back b/c of whatever reason. It was teal and chocolate brown not babyish looking. It was exactly what I wanted. I doubt I'll find it at any Marhsalls again.

We also got the baby steal of the century today. We stopped at EMS on our way home. There was a Kelty backpack carrier for when Norm takes the baby hiking. It was on final clearance for $50 b/c it was returned. The original price is $200. Norm is really excited b/c now he knows he will get to go hiking next year.

It's a boy!!!

2008-09-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

We had our big ultrasound today. It is definitly a boy. Norm and I are are so excited. We now need to start thinking of names. Now that we know what it is we can start shopping and planning. I will post pics shortly. Our printer/scanner isn't working right now.

My Birthday Weekend

2008-09-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday we dropped Morgan and Linus off at the kennel and headed back to Pittsburgh. My sister threw me a wonderful birthday party with all of my favorite things. Buffalo chicken dip, bbq chicken, little hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls, m&m's, white cheddar cheezeits and my favorite Kribel bakery cookies. She is so thoughtful and had photos and albums of my life on display. I have wonderful family and friends who came to the party. I have the best sister anyone could ever ask for. Everyone was curious about the cloth diapers and of course people are betting we don't last a week with them.
Sunday we went with my parents to the zoo. I haven't been there in 7 years. There are 2 baby elephants that were so cute. We got to talk to a keeper and he talked to us for at least 1/2 hour telling us all about the elephants. The main reason I wanted to go was to see the new Polar Bears exhibit. Of course the polar bears were sleeping not playing in the water.
Monday we had to come home. Being hormonal makes leaving even harder. This time I cried for an hour. I wish I could move back. We would have such an amazing support system. We stopped at Homegrown Baby and picked up a couple more diapers.
All in all it was a great weekend. Now we are on vacation the rest of the week. We'll go shopping for the baby and start prepping the room to be painted. I am also impatiently counting down the days until Friday when we go for the BIG ultrasound.

Fun times with Friends

2008-09-13T04:50:00.001-07:00

On Thursday night I got together with my nestie friends. We went to this wonderful dessert place, Butterwood. It's always great getting together with these girls. The topic of conversation was babies. Whoopsie is going to have lots of little friends to play with. Such a lucky baby.
Yesterday was a great day. I went to Target and their was one green cloth diaper left. Some targets are carrying Bumgenius diapers. Now I just have to find which one in Pittsburgh does. As I was getting ready to leave I was hungry and I happened to look at Target's snack bar and wouldn't you know they have Pizza Hut.(the only pizza I like during this pregnancy). To make my day even better I topped it off with a Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte. Mmmmm.
This morning we are getting ready to drive back to Pittsburgh. I hope Linus does well at the kennel and he doesn't think we are abandoning him. But he will be with Morgan. Bailey gets to come home for the first time in 3 years.
Tonight should be another night filled with fun and friends. :)

Our fun weekend

2008-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well this past weekend Norm and I had 2 of our friends come to visit. On Friday night we went to Buffalo Brewpub for dinner. Yum! Norm got the fish fry and it was delish. Then headed back to the house to wait for Rob to arrive.
Saturday we went to the wing festival. It was good. We had lots of wings. I also had a pizza, a slice of watermelon and strawberry shortcake. After awhile we found a table in the shade. Then we went to Pearl Street Brewery where the guys had some drinks. Being the dd for the next 5 months is going to get old.
Sunday I had to work but Norm took Rob and Dave to Niagara Falls. Dinner was at the Shogun. We haven't been there in years. Everyone enjoyed it.
Now we have to get ready for the block party we are hosting on Sunday. :)

2nd appt

2008-08-27T08:22:00.001-07:00

Today was my second appt. All of my bloodwork came back normal. The baby's heartbeat was 150. I go back for the Big Ultrasound on Sept 19.

What a great weekend!

2008-08-24T16:05:00.001-07:00

My parents came to visit this weekend. It was all about the baby. My Grandma was very good to me and sent up 2 gift baskets filled with clothes and gifts for the baby. Friday night my mom and I went to the outlets and I got my diaper bag.(I think I am keeping it. I keeping having buyers remorse) It is the cutest Kate Spade bag. We also went to the Carter's outlet and I got some neutral newborn clothes and a really cute soothing sounds puppy to attach to the crib. I can't wait to find out what we are having so I can buy pink or blue.

Then Saturday we all went to the Elmwood Arts Festival. After that we stopped at Home Grown Baby to learn about cloth diapers. We've decided we are going use cloth diapers. We bought a diaper and a cover. The only bad thing is the only store in Buffalo is moving 1 hour away. So I have to decide quickly if I want to buy from them or order online.

My parents left today. It was a great visit. Now we have to get ready for our next round of company coming in for the wing festival.

How did I get so lucky?

2008-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

I would love to know how I got so lucky with finding Norm? He really is the best husband. Last night he bought me a small diaper bag that I found online. Then today he called me and asked"How much money can I spend on you?". A jewelery store is going out of business and he wanted to go and look for me. Then tonight I had a craving for french toast and he made it for me. I am so lucky to have him. Thanks Connie and Norm for raising a great son.

Baby Voldemort

2008-08-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I went today for the 2nd try at the NT scan. Whoopsie is in that weird looking alien/voldemort stage. There is one pic of the baby and it really looks like voldemort from Harry Potter. (I'm not posting it b/c it is so freaky) Everything went well today. The baby wasn't in positioin so the tech gave me a Kool-Aid to drink and then Whoopsie moved. The measurement was 1.2 which is comepletely normal. I got to see both arms and legs moving around today. Also you can see all of the vertebrae. (Anythingthat is white is bone) The heartbeat was 149. I can't wait for the "big ultrasound". That should be in September. I wish I could find out before my birthday but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

My due date has changed

2008-08-07T05:29:00.001-07:00

So yesterday we went for the NT scan. Whoopsie would not cooperate. The tech wasn't able to get a measurement on the back of the neck. So I get to go back for another ultrasound on Tuesday. :) Everything looks good. The heartbeat was 150 and the baby measured 12 weeks 3 days. So my new due date is 2/15/09.

Lions and tigers and bears...Oh my

2008-08-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we went to Wines in the Wild at the Buffalo Zoo with my friend Jessica and her husband Rick. We had a great time. There were so many different restaurants and wines to try. (No wine for me). I can't wait to go again next year.

Good thoughts for Bailey

2008-07-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Poor Bailey is at the vets office. She did something to her hind leg and won't put any weight on it. I'm hoping it's nothing too serious. But she yelps and cries when we try to pick her up :( We will get her after work today.

Things I want

2008-07-23T04:46:00.001-07:00

I am such a planner and shopper. It is killing me not to be able to buy anything. 20 weeks is so far away. So I have started online shopping to get ideas.

We love this frame and recieving blanket. I have to show it to my sister b/c I'm sure when she has a baby she will need it in the Steelers.

This is the travel system I have picked out. I love the colors.

We heard the heartbeat

2008-07-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

Today was my first official appt with the Dr. Norm went with me. We got to hear the heartbeat. It was so fast. That little sound makes it so real. It brought tears to both of our eyes. Then we got a diaper bag filled with free stuff from the doctor's office. I go back in 3 weeks for a NT scan(genetic testing).

I have the best husband

2008-07-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

When I came home from work after the ultrasound I had a nice suprise waiting for me. Norm bought be a dozen roses, a wicker basket that had a bottle of wine that was wrapped in a swaddle me. I have the sweetest husband.

The dating ultrasound

2008-07-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

So the day after the positive tests I called the doctor's office to make an appt. They didn't answer the phone so I drove there. Good thing it's close. The receptionist asked for my name and "If I had a problem?" I told her yes, I think I am pregnant. She made an appointment for the next day to have an ultrasound. Norm went with me and we got to see baby whoopsie. At the time she was 2 mm and had a heartbeat of 92 bpm. We go back to the doctor on July 17.

Meet the family

2008-07-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

Bailey is our first dog. She was rescued in November of 2003 from AARF in Richmond, VA. Bailey was good training for raising a child. She was the most difficult dog when we first adopted her. Barking nonstop, locking herself in the bathroom, and now she is so well behaved we can't even remember the bad times.

Morgan is my baby. Morgan came about because I won a bet with Norm while bowling. She joined the family in March of 2005. She makes us laugh everyday. Recently she has become an escape artist. For whatever reason she thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

The newest, temporary addition to the family is Linus. He is a dog we are fostering for Eskie Rescuers United. Norm and I decided that we had the time, space and love to give and wanted to help out this very special breed. Linus is 4 years old and a goofball. He loves hanging out with his fursister.

So as you can see we love our dogs. Yes we are having a baby and no we are not giving up the dogs. So please don't ask.

And so it begins

2008-07-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

On June 23 we got the suprise of our life. I got a positive pregnancy test. When I showed it to Norm his response was "Maybe it's old". So off to the store we went and I proceeded to get 3 more positive results. Norm tried shaking the word pregnant out of one of the tests but it wouldn't budge :). We are expecting our 1st 2 legged child.