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One-year checkup

My little man turned 1 on September 29. I still can't believe it. One years old. Eek! We had his birthday party on October 2 and I won't go into too many details because I will have an entirely separate post with photos to share! But yesterday we went to Knox's one-year checkup . . . he was weighed, he was measured, and he was found only somewhat wanting. {Quote from "A Knight's Tale" - leave me alone, I liked it} So for the official stats, drumroll please:

Head circumference: 46.1 cm ..................... 47%

Height: 28 1/2 inches .................................. 23%

Weight: 18 pounds 11 ounces ..................... 5%

Ok, well at least we know he's got a large head. I really thought he'd be over the 20 pound mark {he definitely feels like it when you hold him!!}, but he's almost there and the doctor said he is on the curve now so she is happy!

The little man also had to have a round of shots - not fun. Four in total and we have to go back in a month to get the second dose of his flu shot. :-( But he handled it like a man. Only a few tears. Love that kid!

Stay tuned for photos from his birthday party!!

Catching up with Knox

Wow, I haven't blogged in so long. I haven't been keeping up with Knox's milestones, with his ups and downs, with his first words, with anything basically. I can't believe how busy I've been and how I am letting life slip me by without documenting it. As we approach Knox's first birthday (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?) I figured I really need to make a conscious effort to be better at this. So that is my goal. I did do an Easter post of Knox on my professional blog so it's not like I haven't done anything. You can stop laughing now.

Where to begin? I don't even know.

So I'll start here .... Knox's first word was "dada." Granted I don't think he registered what it meant (and I'm still not sure he does), but that was the first "word" he said. And when did this happen? See, this is where I feel like a horrible mother. Because I didn't take note when it first happened. I think I may have posted something on Facebook at the time, but it's too hard to scroll back through. What sticks out in my mind is sitting around my parent's dining room table in Pensacola, him saying "dada" or something awfully close and all of us clapping and cheering him on. So based on that recollection, I'm going to go with the rough estimate that his first word came in the beginning of June when he was 8 months old. Since then he babbles A LOT, but nothing coherent ever comes out and the only recognizeable word has been dada. Until yesterday. And then I heard the sweetest word ever. "Mama." He finally said it!!!! Just shy of 11 months. Again, not 100% positive he's associating me to that word, but I don't care. It melted my heart when he said it.

The other thing that melts my heart? When I go to pick him up from school. He'll be in the room playing, usually with his back to me. I'll show up at the door and his teacher will say "Knox, look who's here!" He'll see me, get this HUGE smile on his face and start flapping his arms. I don't know why he flaps his arms, but he does it anytime he's excited. Jeremy said he'd make a great bat for Halloween because he already does the arm flapping part. :-) I love that he gets so excited when I pick him up. But just this week you know what else he did that sent me over the top of the happiness scale? He actually REACHED out for me when I came to pick him up. Be still my heart.

He still isn't crawling, walking, or pulling himself up on his own. But he loves to stand! And he's pretty good at it. He can't do it completely on his own without at least an ottoman or something to hold on to, but he's pretty stable. Jeremy's mom said that Jeremy never crawled; he just went straight into walking. We'll see what Knox chooses to do. There are times it looks like he might crawl. I sit and hold my breath. And then, plop, back on his tummy he goes. So who knows.

This past weekend (August 20th) Jeremy dropped Knox's crib. I came home from shooting a wedding and went in to give him a kiss like I always do, and he was too low. :-( It made me sad. He's growing up way too fast. But that's a part of life.

And he's gotten so big. SO BIG. I can't believe he's the same boy who was born weighing 3 1/2 pounds. At last checkup he was just under 18 pounds! Granted at his 9 month appointment the doctor still said he was only in the 1% for weight and length, but whatever. To me, he is huge. On the plus side, he was in the 45% for head circumference. I have NO CLUE where he got the big head from seeing as both Jeremy and I have baby heads. Maybe it's something that skips a generation.... As far as clothing size goes, it is so difficult to buy for him. In most shirts, he fits into size 9 month. But for pants/shorts.... that's a whole 'nother story. In fact, he's still fitting into size 3 months! Yes, 3 months. The pants/shorts that are 6 months or, God forbid, 9 months, just slip right off him when you stand him up. He looks so funny because the 3 month ones are way too short on him. Poor kid.

We have finally moved Knox to an umbrella stroller and his other stroller without the car seat attached. He definitely looks so grown up sitting upright in his stroller, toys attached, and still reaching out for anything he can grab at the store.

I can't remember when he first started sitting up on his own unsupported. Yet another milestone I missed documenting. But I think he was somewhere around 9 months. I honestly don't know how this compares to other babies and what is "normal." But I don't care. Plus, always remember we have to adjust two months back for all that he does (until he is two I've been told). But it doesn't matter to me. I don't care if he sat up later than most babies, I don't care that he's not crawling yet, I don't care if he's not saying a lot of words that make sense, I don't care that he still eats mainly pureed foods. He's happy and healthy. And that's all I care about.

Speaking of food, he loves to eat.


I have been making his food (for the most part) and keep trying different recipes. Some are a huge hit, some not so much. One particular meal - sigh - I spent 2 1/2 hours making: beets, squash, and quinoa. It made a ton too! So I used all of my freezer containers and the entire top shelf of our freezer had beets in it. Well, turns out Knox doesn't like beets. At all. Oh we tried more than once. We had granny try. We had day care try. No one could get him to eat the beets. So finally this weekend I tossed it all. No use taking up freezer space (and freezer containers) with something he doesn't like. Another thing he hasn't quite warmed up to? Roasted red pepper hummus. I personally think it tastes pretty good. But the jury's still out on that one. We'll try a couple more times before calling it quits. However, he did love the broccoli & cauliflower. Go figure. That stuff smelled HORRIBLE making. But he liked it. So I have it on the agenda to make again (gag). I also tried coconut milk rice with peaches. He seemed to like that alright. And he definitely likes all the basics: sweet potato, pears, apples, bananas, squash, yogurt...and any combo of those. I made him a squash risotto and he thought that was ok. Basically, I don't think he likes to "work" for his food. So anything that requires chewing, he's only so-so about. Well kiddo needs to buck up because I'm about to introduce him to meat! Oh, we did give him some grits this past weekend and he really liked those! The egg.... he wasn't sure about.

Things he loves?

The pool.

Playing with Kai's tail (and taking her toys).

Bouncing.

Going out and about (doesn't matter where, as long as he's the center of attention).

(sorry no pic!)

Monkey blanket (thanks Samantha!)
(sorry no pic!)

Playing with sushi (thanks Kara!).

And He-Man. Yes, He-Man. Don't ask.

So there you go. Six months (or more) of updates in one post. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting. But as I remember, I'll try to write. I regret not keeping better track of his milestones, of his life. But in the end, the only thing that truly matters I guess is that I'm there for him and that I love him with my whole heart.

We are currently planning his FIRST birthday party, so stay tuned for details of the big event!

Contemplating what I want for my birthday......

(All photos taken with the iPhone and edited with Instagram).

Asian Beef Noodle Bowl

As any mom out there probably knows, my time has not been my own for the last few months. So I haven't had much time to experiment with new dishes. This makes me sad (and my husband crabby because I constantly want to spend money for food). It's been even harder since going back to work - especially during session - because I find even less time. But I'm trying. And I've quickly realized that the key to happiness right now - and full tummies - is quick and easy meals. I've been experimenting with my crock pot and gotten a few good results. But I tried this Asian Beef Noodle Bowl recipe last night and I have to say, I was really impressed! So I'm going to share. Hopefully it will make someone else (and their tummy) happy.

Asian Beef Noodle Bowl

Ingredients
4 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
8 oz fresh sugar snap peas (Next time I would use more - I love the crunch!)
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips (I just cut it into bite size pieces)
1 medicum carrot, thinly sliced (around 1/2 cup). Since you can't just buy ONE carrot, I bought the bag of mini carrots. I'm not sure how many I used, but I would probably err on the side of using more rather than less. This recipe is really good with more veggies.
1/2 cup teriyaki baste and glaze
4 medium green onions, sliced
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped (whoops, I just saw this word "chopped" - I just put them on whole!)

Directions
1. Cook pasta as directed. Meanwhile, trim ends off snap peas. Drain pasta and keep warm.

2. In 12-inch skillet, heat 3 teaspoons of the oil on medium-high heat. Then stir-fry the beef in the oil until no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

3. In same skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir-fry peas and carrots about 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Stir in pasta, beef, and teriyaki baste and glaze. Toss until well blended.

4. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with green onion and peanuts.

Ok, this was just delicious! Loved it. I did have to salt mine, but it is still a recipe aI highly recommend. I would add more peas and maybe even carrots next time - the peas add this amazing crunch to the dish. It makes it feel very light and fresh. I think next time I may also try to stir-fry some broccoli as well. The hardest part (and most time consuming) of this dish is just cutting everything up. The cooking part is really simple and fast. Definitely a keeper!!! I didn't take a photo, but here is one from Pillsbury.com.

Knox's Story

I have been meaning to write this post for awhile now. For about 5 months in fact. But I just haven't found the time. And then the other day I was talking with someone and we were talking about Knox and they said something to the effect of "Well, he was just ready to come into the world." So, that statement pushed me into motion to write his birth story. To set the record straight. To let everyone know that it wasn't Knox's fault at all. It was all me. So here we go. Hopefully I can recount everything properly after 5 months!

This story starts the weekend of September 25 - the Alabama v. Arkansas game. It was a very close game - much too close for my comfort and I did a lot of screaming at the TV (because I truly believe that when I yell at the players on TV they can hear me). In the middle of the game I started to feel sick. Really sick to my stomach. And I even threw up at one point. I had Jeremy run out and get my some Maalox or something equivalent thinking I had heart burn. I took it and then curled up in the only position that made me somewhat comfortable and went to bed. Unfortunately, it was a very odd position and the next day (Sunday, Sept. 26) I woke up with a bad headache and crick in my neck. But of course I thought it was from sleeping funny. So this headache lasted all day and never went away. It just got worse. And I had a sharp pain all the way down the right side of my body. I could barely move my head from side to side it hurt so bad. I really thought I had a pinched nerve. I didn't sleep at all Sunday night because I was in so much pain. Work on Monday wasn't any better. Monday after work we had our birthing class and I even asked the instructor who she recommended for a chiropractor for pregnant women. Monday night was worse than the others and I ended up on the couch because I was crying I was in so much pain (and at this point I was extremely tired!). Finally around 4 a.m. on Tuesday September 28, I went in and woke Jeremy up in my passive aggressive way. He asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, but of course I didn't. My actual response was "They're going to laugh at me." I had no labor pains or anything of the sort so why would I go to labor and deliver (L&D)?!? Made no sense to me to do so. I just had a really bad headache. But finally Jeremy said "remember the instructor said if you just don't feel right to go to L&D." So we got dressed, I grabbed my pillow, and we headed to TMH Women's Pavilion.

When I got there I had to fill out all the paperwork - you know, the stuff they say to do BEFORE you have to come in for labor so you don't have to do it while you're sitting there in pain. Well, since I still had a full 2 months before I was set to have this baby, I hadn't done the paperwork online yet. So I had to sit there, in pain, and do it. LOL Ironic. I finally get taken back to triage and they take my blood pressure. It was 170/120. Yup, you read that correctly. The nurse definitely looked a little nervous. And then the urine results came back and there was protein in it. Hmmm, not looking good. So they decided to admit me to run more tests. I got put on magnesium to help stabalize me so I didn't have a seizure (something I guess they were worried about because my BP was so high). And getting the IV was only the beginning of several days of poking. I had blood drawn every few hours to check my liver enzymes and platelet count. And they continued to monitor my proteins.

Around lunch time on the 28th, I realize I'm starving. The nurses say I can have "whatever I want" so I go straight for the comfort food: McDonald's. Mrs. Daniell brought me and Jeremy hamburgers and fries and we all ate around my hospital bed. Well, unfortunately the Big Mac did not sit well on my stomach and I soon saw it again. :-/ Then the nurse says "well, you probably shouldn't have eaten something so greasy." UM, HELLO?!? You said I could have WHATEVER I wanted. If there were qualifications, you should have told me. Sheesh. Anyway, that was the start of me not being able to keep anything down. So that was a lot of fun.

Jeremy was a trooper and opted to spend the night in the hospital room with me that night. He didn't realize he needed to prepare like he was sleeping outside . . . in Alaska . . . in winter. The stupid magnesium made me so bloomin' hot! I was sweating to death and it was like 65 degrees in the room. Jeremy spent the whole night shivering, whereas I could barely stand to have a sheet over me and I had to have ice packs placed on my forehead throughout the night. Let's just say, I HATED the magnesium.

So the next morning there was a mishap and all the hard work we spent the past 24 hours of collecting and monitoring the proteins went down the tube - literally. One of the nurses spilled the collection. So I was told we had to start over for another 24 hours. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! So at this point, the doctor had basically told me there were three options: I would go home on bed rest, I would stay at the hospital on bed rest, or I would have to deliver. Going home on bed rest is what was initially considered as the most likely option. But as the morning progressed on the 29th, it seemed that staying in the hospital on bed rest was what was going to happen. You can probably guess how thrilled I was with that prospect. Two months of bed rest - in the hospital? Yuck! But whatever I had to do right? Honestly, throughout this, all is still hunky-doory. I had some friends visit me in the hospital (BTW, thank you for not mentioning how horrible I must have looked!) and Jeremy had brought up the computer. We were chilling. And then around 4 p.m. Dr. Dixon came to see me. And that's when our world was turned upside down.

Basically throughout all of the blood tests that had been done, my liver enzymes just kept increasing. Now, since I'm not a doctor I can't really explain what this means or why it's really bad. But supposedly it is. REALLY bad. So bad in fact that Dr. Dixon didn't bother telling me until my 6 week post-pardum appointment that basically my liver was on the verge of rupturing and I would have more than likely died. Hmm, yah, I'm glad he left that tidbit out while I was in the hospital. I remember it so clearly. Dr. Dixon said that I needed to have a c-section - that day. In a few hours. I didn't even know how to comprehend this. My first thought was "But I'm only 31 weeks. Will the baby be ok???" Dr. Dixon said that the baby would be very small, but that they had put me on steroids as soon as I was admitted, so that should help. But very vividly I remember him saying "But even if you were a month earlier than this, I'd still say we have to do the c-section." So that was that. C-section scheduled. And immediately we got on the phone to my parents and told them they better get on the road and get to Tallahassee because Baby Daniell was coming that night. Needless to say everyone was pretty shocked.

The rest of the afternoon we spent contacting people and taking bets on whether it was a girl or a boy. We joked a lot, laughed a lot. I remember my in-laws looking at me like I was crazy. But I had to keep it lighthearted because if I let myself think about how I was feeling inside I knew I would lose it.

So right before surgery, the nurses came in to prep me. And that IS when I lost it. I'd never had surgery in my life. Heck, I'd never stayed in a hospital before. And now I was being whisked away for a surgery to bring my baby into this world 2 months early. I remember bawling. Normally when a woman is taken through the doors in the Women's Pavilion they push a bell and this happy sound chimes alerting everyone that a baby was just born or was about to be born. The nurse wheeling me to surgery explained this to me and then pushed it as we went through the doors. That just made me cry even harder. This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life and all I could do was cry - and not tears of joy either. I was petrified. My biggest, number 1 fear (that I refused to say aloud until the whole ordeal was done) was that they'd bring my baby out, but that he or she wouldn't cry. I remember that fear clear as if it all happened yesterday. So here I am, unable to control myself. I'm a sobbing fool and as they are trying to give me the epidural you want to know the next thought that went through my mind? "Ashley, get it together or else you'll be shaking so much that they will stab that long-ass needle in your spine and you'll be paralized." LOL Yah, I admit it. I had that thought. But luckily it all went fine.

They got done prepping me and it looked like they were about to start and Jeremy wasn't there yet. So I proceed to freak out (again!). Well wouldn't you?!? Finally they bring him in. But I found out later, they brought him in after they had already cut so he got to see me in all my glory. Thank God he loves me!

Anyway, he sat with me and held my hand and wiped away my tears. And finally, FINALLY, I heard the most beautiful thing in the entire world. I heard my baby's cry . . . oh heck, who am I fooling? His SCREAM. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. But it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. I sighed a huge breath of relief at that moment. And then Dr. Dixon held my baby over the sheet and revealed that we had a handsome little boy. But then he was immediately whisked over to the neonatologist for inspection. Jeremy was able to go with him to the NICU while I was being stiched up. Then we met back in the rocovery room and decided on his name: Donovan Knox Daniell. Jeremy went out to tell the parents that we had a healthy (relatively speaking) baby boy. My parents came back to see me. (They had arrived at the hospital right after I had been taken for surgery). Jeremy's parents came back to see me. And finally I was able to go see Knox. He was so tiny. But they let me hold him. And I'm pretty sure I cried all over again.

You'd think the ordeal was over right? But no. My liver enzymes were still elevated so I ended up having to stay in the labor and delivery ward for another full day (instead of going up to the family unit). And while in L&D I had to stay on the magnesium. That stuff really messed me up. I hated it. I felt like I couldn't focus on anything, and it gave me this horrible headache and made me nauseas. Yuck. I felt so bad I wasn't able to go up to see Knox that next day at all. :-( Friday, October 1st, I was finally able to move up to the family unit. But that was difficult in and of itself. Because I saw all these other moms walking around with their babies. And I didn't have mine. I spent a lot of time up there crying to myself. But Jeremy was with me and tried to keep me peppy and we'd go visit Knox every chance we got.

So yah, that's a really long birth story. And it doesn't even go into the next full month of craziness that we went through until we were able to bring our little man home. But he's with us now. And he's thriving. I mean THRIVING. The boy is a chunker! That's his nickname: the chunky monkey. Mainly because so many of the clothes he was given had monkeys on them. But at 5 months old he is now 12 pounds. He has almost trippled his birth weight. And he's happy and he laughs and he's mine.

This week we are up for our next little adventure in his life - surgery on his hemangioma. But I realized through this entire process that I've got to let things go. Life has it's own plan most of the time. And I just have to go with the flow. Live each day. Cherish all the small moments. And shower him with kisses every chance I get.

Amazing Ziti

This is another delicious recipe and it doesn't take too long to make.

Amazing Ziti

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 cups shredded carrot (I left this out when I made it because I didn't have any on hand)

2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed tomato soup

8 oz dried cut ziti pasta (about 2.5 cups)

2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 medium bell pepper (chopped)

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

1 cup shredded Colby cheese (4 oz)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook ground beef over medium heat and add shredded carrot, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, fresh or dried basil, and garlic powder into meat mixture. Cook until meat is brown.

3. Drain off fat and stir in tomato soup.

4. Cook ziti according to package directions.

5. In a 4 quart Dutch oven pan pour in meat mixture, mozzarella cheese, and cooked ziti.

6. Sprinkle top with parmesan and Colby cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

I know I haven't posted any recipes lately. It's not that I haven't been trying new recipes because I have. I just haven't taken any photos of the recipes. So I figured I shouldn't post them. But I've decided to just go ahead and post some of these recipes. After all, it's not fair to deny you the deliciousness of some of these recipes just because I was too lazy to take any photos of the final product.

This first recipe is one of my favorites. Mainly because it's not only delicious, but it is SO easy! This is one of those recipes that you can easily keep all materials on hand and then when you are short on time for dinner, this is the perfect recipe to pull out. It literally takes about 20 minutes. Perfect! Plus, it makes plenty for left-overs.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cans of Veg-All

2 cans of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cans of canned chicken meat

3 packages of PIllsbury Crescent Rolls

1 package (2 cups) of shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix the cream of chicken soup, drained cans of Veg-All, the canned chicken meat, and the milk in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little salt and pepper to season. Once mixture starts to bubble take off of the heat.

3. Spray cooking spray on casserole dish or metal baking dish. Line the bottom and side of the dish with the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (usually takes 2 packages).

4. Pour mixture into the lined dish. Top mixture with cheddar cheese.

5. Cover the dish with the remaining Pillsbury Crescent Roll. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the crust on top looks golden brown.

See? That's all. It's so easy! I love this recipe!!

Baby Belly - 30 weeks

T. Bubba (a hilarious comedian - if you haven't heard him, trust me, you want to get his CD) has said that with your first child you have 3 scrapbooks filled with photos of baby. When the next child comes you have one scrapbook and, well, with the third child, the only photo you have the neighbor took. So is it sad that I have only one photo of Baby Daniell in utero . . . and this is our first child? Yah, I know it's sad. Especially since I'm a photographer. So I understand why I keep getting harassed to post more photos. I will try my best to be better at this. Today my friend - and fabulous newborn photographer - Beth Johnson and I went out to play. While we were shooting, she took a few photos of me and my humongous belly. But to satisfy the masses, I am going to post a few of the photos for you. Enjoy!!

(Sorry for the lack of clarity. Blogger just doesn't work very well!)

29 1/2 week survey

How far along? I will be 30 weeks on Monday. Officially in the third trimester and the 7th month. Wow. I'm officially at the point of going to the doctor every two weeks now.

Total weight gain/loss? I think I'm done talking about this one. I feel like a huge cow. :-( My doctor said I'm doing good - 15 pounds total from my first drs appointment. But the number on the scale does not make me happy. And yes, after this post, don't be expecting to get any more numbers on this subject.

Maternity clothes? I really don't know what this question is asking. Yes, I have maternity clothes. Yes, I am wearing maternity clothes. What else is there to say?

Stretch marks? Well I guess I'm still lucky in this area. None so far.

Sleep? I wake up at least once in the night to go to the bathroom. And then maybe another time or two to change positions. But I guess I can't complain that much. I'm not completely uncomfortable when I sleep (except for being hot). The main issue is that my hands seem to be going numb at night. I'll wake up and my hands will be tingling. Sometimes the right hand will do it while I'm putting on my makeup in the morning. But I don't notice it the rest of the day. Very weird. Doc says its normal and that, unfortunately, there's nothing really to be done about it.

Best moment this week? Finding out that I passed my glucose test! Yippee!! (doing the happy dance). This means no change in diet!!!!

Movement? Yes, I feel movement, but not as much as I was. I brought this up to the doctor at my appointment this week and he had me do another ultrasound because I guess less movement is a big deal. See there? I learned how to cheat the system and get yet another ultrasound!!! :-) Don't worry, that was not my intention. I really just hadn't felt baby during the times I normally do and the movement was really light. But all showed up ok in the u/s. Baby was moving and drinking in the amniotic fluid and looked really cute. Supposedly the placenta is next to my belly wall (not baby) so it may be "hiding" some of the movement from baby. On another note, baby has finally flipped and the head is down low and butt up high. So that hard pressure I feel occasionally as I sit a certain way is baby pushing his/her butt into my ribs. Thanks kid.

Food cravings? Basically everything someone mentions. Ugh. It sucks. I am still craving fruit - fruit has definitely been a theme this pregnancy. But for some reason lately I've been craving sweets (Starbursts, M&Ms, donuts, Sour Patch candy, ice cream, etc.). Not so good. I'm trying to balance out my candy intake with fruit intake. We'll see how it goes.

Labor signs? No. Although Teacher at our birthing class said that a lot of the pressure we feel now are actually small contractions. But no worries, nothing to go to the hospital for. By the way, when do I need to start having bags packed???

Belly button in or out? In. If you've kept up with my previous surveys you know the belly button is a matter of contention for me. I don't want to talk about it.

What I miss? It's football season. I think you know what I miss. That's right. A nice frosty beer in my Alabama koozie. Sigh. And call me crazy, but very recently I've actually wanted to work out. Yah, weird, I know. Maybe it's just because I'm feeling SO huge right now, but a part of me just wants to work out.

What I'm looking forward to? Having my chair come in!! I ordered it August 27 and they said it could be here in 4 weeks. Can't wait!

Milestone? I'm finally starting to look and feel pregnant. I think that's a milestone, right?

Bonus Question - Swelling? YES! I know, this is a question I just added. But I have definitely felt my feet swell and my hands as well. My wedding rings are very tight. :-( I'm sad to think there may be a time I won't be able to wear them if this swelling keeps up. Luckily, it seems I'm the only person who has noticed it. I guess it could be worse and I could actually LOOK like Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

On a completely different note, a lot of people have asked me (or my mom) where I'm registered. So I thought I'd just mention it on here. Baby Daniell's loot is located at BabysRUs and also Amazon.com.

Ready, Set, Birth

Jeremy and I had our first birthing class last Monday night. This was something we debated about for awhile - do we take the class or not? We finally decided to just go for it. After all, I haven't really read much about this pregnancy. Scary huh? So right now, I'm totally unprepared for what's to come. I figured I needed some form of knowledge about what to expect when I enter that delivery room. Plus, I get a tour of the labor and delivery ward by signing up with the class. Extra perk.

So we show up for our class on Monday not knowing what to expect. First, our teacher is NOT what I was expecting. She's got this long hair (unusual for older women .... unless they are a hippy .... hmmmm) and she's so soft spoken. But she was highly recommended by two of my friends. So I keep an open mind. We sit down and start looking through our packet of information. What first caught my attention were the "affirmations." We received two sheets of paper: Affirmations for the Expectant Mother and Affirmations for the Expectant Father. There was definitely some corniness in there, but I still kept an open mind. I won't write out all of the affirmations but they were along the lines of: "Pregnancy is beautiful," "childbirth is a normal healthy event," and "my mate and I are the center of the childbearing experience." But the one that got me - and yes, I DID laugh out loud (I hope that doesn't get me kicked out) - was the one that said "I am able to flow with labor in perfect harmony with nature." Um, excuse me? Yah, right. As I'm shoving something the size of a watermelon out of my who-ha, I do not expect to be in perfect harmony. But heck, what do I know? I've never done this before. Oh and we had to fill out this information sheet. One of the questions asked how I feel about using drugs to help with the pain. My answer: BRING IT ON. Literally, that is what I wrote. I see no reason to lie. So that's about how the class started.

After the other classmates arrived - there are 7 other couples besides us - we went around and introduced ourselves. We are the "out of place" couple in that our baby isn't due until Dec. 1 and everyone else in the class is due early to mid November (and one woman is actually due the end of October). But come to find out that the hospital tour is done on the last class, so at least we know we'll be around to do that whereas some of these other ladies could easily go into labor before then! See? I'm always thinking ahead. Only two of the couples (we were one of them) don't know the sex of the baby. That was pretty cool.

We then split into groups of men and women to discuss the "changes" we've noticed with the pregnancy. The ladies' answers mainly were "we are always hot," "higher libido," "trouble sleeping," etc. The men's answers were more about dealing with our hormonal changes, worrying about the financial aspect, and sleeping less because we aren't sleeping well. It was sort of funny. But that was the fun part of the class. I enjoyed just sitting there with the other women talking about our pregnancy. It was reassuring to know that these other women felt a lot of what I'm feeling.

But after that it sort of went downhill. We sat while our teacher brought out photos of the female body showing us where baby is and how our insides get squished and manipulated as baby grows. Ok, so that part was actually quite fascinating. I mean, by week 34 or so your bladder has completely disappeared. Crazy! No wonder I have to pee all the time. I can't imagine how it will be in another month! But that part also scared the crap out of me - seeing the size of the baby compared to where baby is supposed to make his/her debut? Yah, scary.

Then teacher went over symptoms of pregnancy and what certain things mean and when we should go to the doctor. I guess that was helpful. The most helpful part to me was being told to take note of the time your water breaks and what color it is. I mean, who knew to take note of the color! But if it's green, well then that's bad news bears. I think the thought of green "stuff" coming out of my body convinced Jeremy that we may need to buy a waterproof mattress pad . . . and maybe even something for the couch. LOL Teacher is nice, but she loses her train of thought and therefore repeats herself A LOT. That's just annoying. But the most annoying thing of it all was when she decided to go over the above-mentioned affirmations. She literally read them word by word to us. Maybe it's just us, but at least Jeremy and I feel the same way on this: we can't stand when someone reads to us - when we have the paper right in front of us. We are all adults and, from the introductions, we are all educated. We don't need you to read to us like children. UGH!

Well luckily after that we went into our "relaxation exercises." For this first class we just both laid flat on the floor (interesting to me that she had us do this considering our doctors tell us NOT to lay flat on our back) and then we just did some breathing exercises to relax. I guess it worked. But there were times that I almost cracked up (and come to find out later that Jeremy did too). At one point Teacher starts talking about baby being all safe and comfortable in the amniotic fluid. Well all I could think about is this green fluid filled with baby's poop she had talked about earlier. I almost lost it right there. Jeremy confessed later that he almost started laughing when she was telling us to relax each and every toe: "Relax your big toe, now relax your second toe" and so on and so on. And he envisioned her saying "now relax your 6th toe." I have no clue why he thought this. He's weird. My weird husband. But as we were driving home and discussing all of this neither of us could quit laughing. We were cracking each other up. And it's then that we realized that we may not be able to look at each other in this class - or else we will start laughing .... and get kicked out.

So that was class 1. We'll see how the rest of them go.

What I learned last night

As I sat home alone last night finishing my book and then watching the Auburn-Mississippi State game and the Saints-Vikings game, I learned a few things. Here's what I learned (ok, so "learned" might not be the right word for them all) in no particular order:

1. I need another really good book to read. None of the books I currently have at home interest me right now.

2. Cowbells may be obnoxious, but not nearly as much as Boise State's ugly blue turf.

3. Someone needs to take Newton out before Iron Bowl because he just scares me.

4. Left over pizza is not nearly as tasty heated up in the microwave as it is a toaster oven.

5. However, Papa John's garlic dipping sauce IS just as tasty coming right out of the fridge as it is when it arrives in the piping hot pizza box.

6. Rice Krispies cereal gets soggy really fast.

7. Mississippi State's stadium is REALLY small.

8. I really wanted Mississippi State to win . . . and they didn't.

9. I really wanted the Saints to win . . . and they did.

10. The Favre-ster needs to retire already.

11. I hate Thursday, Sunday, or Monday night games that start at 8 p.m. or later - don't people realize I have to work the next day?!

12. ShootQ is very cool.

13. Baby Daniell is probably going to come out of the womb knowing phrases like "hold on to the damn ball" and "tackle him you f*!#ing idiot!"

14. Never leave a hungry pregnant woman alone until almost 10 p.m. Otherwise, Baby Daniell will also come out of the womb knowing how to say "learn how to use the damn phone!"

15. To others, I probably sound like a very hateful person, but I'm really not. I was just hungry . . . very hungry. And I L.O.V.E. my football.

Speaking of football. There are so many amazing games on tomorrow. Can I hear an Amen?! I am stoked!! Can I also hear a ROOOOLLLLLL TIDE?! Hmmmm, I wonder what new words Baby Daniell will learn tomorrow . . . .

And the transformation begins....

My parents came into town for an extended weekend to experience the 4D ultrasound and also to help me paint the nursery. The saga began on Thursday at NFWC for my 4D. Both sets of grandparents were there and I think seeing the ultrasound made this whole experience much more real for them. The u/s tech was very nice and never caved to my father's wishes to know the sex. But it didn't matter. Seeing how uncooperative Baby Daniell (BD) was, everyone in the room had a good guess at what they thought BD is: boy. Well, we'll see.

Once again BD didn't want anyone to see his/her face. Let me tell you how totally frustrating it was to pay $200 and see BD sucking on his/her foot! (But on the bright side, he or she is very flexible!) Even after going to the bathroom and having a nice little talk with BD (no threats I promise! It was more like pleading actually), BD STILL wouldn't show us his/her little face. I guess that's a little white lie. We were able to get a few unobstructed photos - BD even opened one eye! - but it was still a little disappointing. What a blessing the u/s tech was because she offered to let us come back this week - without charge - and try again. I plan to try either soda or chocolate this time around to get baby moving. Heck, I may even resort to bribing if I have to. We'll see. But despite Jeremy and my disappointment (don't worry, it was only minimal), the grandparents seemed very happy. So that's good.

Here are some photos until the next go around:

(This is BD saying "No photos please")

Friday I went for my glucose testing. That was just a whole ball of fun let me tell you. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I passed so that I won't have to go again for the three hour test. So help me if I have to go back for that one! Although I did get a yummy sausage McMuffin and iced coffee with hazelnut afterwards. DON'T JUDGE ME!!!

When I got home, mom had already primed the room and we got right to work painting. I have to admit, that after a whole day of painting, I remembered why Jeremy and I paid to have most of the house painted. I hate painting! Especially all the detail trim work. I just don't have a steady hand. But somehow we got it done. And I love the color and think it turned out pretty darn good looking!! So if you ever come to visit and decide you want to take a closer look at the nursery, DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD mention anything about uneven lines or imperfections or I may just have to banish you from my home forever! :-)

So the crib is finally in one piece after several hours of Jeremy constructing, unconstructing, and reconstructing it (BTW, read the instructions before attempting to put a crib together) and the room is painted. The nursery is finally starting to take shape! I'll continue to post photos as more gets completed.

The crib assembled against the newly painted wall:

You can sort of tell the color of the nursery better in this photo. It's a very light beige color.

Something my dad bought at the downtown marketplace on Saturday. Disregard the fact that it's pink . . .

Samples for the nursery. The green paint swatch at the top left corner is the color we are going to refinish the old dresser in. We're going to have two pillows and hopefully the crib skirt made out of the striped fabric. We'll have another two pillows made out of the fabric with the circles. The green fabric swatch on the bottom left is what our curtains will be made out of and the swatch on the bottom right is the material our glider is going to be.


Here is a sketch of what the nursery will (hopefully) look like when finished.

(I really hate Blogger sometimes. In "edit" mode, the text is all the same size and the bottom photos are not cut off. Weird.)

Pillsbury Giveaway!!!

Ok, who doesn't want some yummy Pillsbury chocolatey goodness right about now? I know I definitely do . . . . but maybe it's because I know I can't have it because I have my glucose test tomorrow. Stupid sugar. But after the test, well, the little Pillsbury Dough Boy better beware because I'm coming to find him!

Anyway, if you would like the opportunity to enter to win some free delicious goodness, then go to my friend Amanda's blog here and enter to win!!!!!!!!

http://therearetwosides.com/2010/08/giveaway-pillsbury-sweet-moments-prize-pack.html

26 week survey

How far along? 26 weeks. Only one more week until my third trimester starts. Wow! My next appointment is only 3 weeks away instead of 4-5 and then I'll soon start the every 2 week appointment.


Total weight gain/loss? Ugh. I don't even want to talk about it. I gained 6 pounds since my last appointment. Technically, if the books are correct and I'm supposed to gain 1 pound a week, then I only went over by 1 pound (since my last appt was 5 weeks earlier). But that didn't stop the skinny, blond b!#ch at the doctor's office from saying "Whoa, momma, 6 pounds! Packing on the tonage are we? You might want to watch that or before you know it you'll be as big as a house and they'll have to take off the roof and remove you with a crain to get you to the labor and delivery room." Ok, so she TECHNICALLY didn't say that. But that's what I heard when she DID mention how 6 pounds was more than what I should have gained. Sheesh. Thanks lady. It's easy for you standing there all young and pretty and blond. Yes, it IS important to constantly mention that she was blond. It makes me feel better. I don't know why. Anyway, I bet she hadn't just gotten back from a 7 day cruise (+4 day land tour!) to Alaska where eating was like breathing - it had to be done . . . all the time . . . and in mass quantities. Yah? What the hell was I thinking scheduling a doctor's appointment the week after that trip?!? I must be crazy, er, have pregnancy brain.


Maternity clothes? Just before the Alaskan vacation, my mother in law and I went shopping and bought a bunch of maternity clothes. I feel pretty comfortable now with what I have. And I can finally wear some of the maternity tops and not look funny since I now have my baby bump!


Stretch marks? Not yet....


Sleep? Ok, I guess. I wake up a couple times a night to go to the bathroom and/or to change position, but I guess I'm sleeping ok other than that. I did wake up one day last week with really bad stomach and back pains that lasted for a few hours. I couldn't find a comfortable position to save my life! But luckily it hasn't happened since.


Best moment this week? Well, the best moment of the week hasn't happened yet. I'm anticipating it will be Thursday afternoon when I have the 4D ultrasound done! The best moment I had last week was picking up and putting the crib together on Saturday!! (Well, technically Jeremy put the crib together . . . ). I love it!


Movement? Yup, I'm feeling baby move. Jeremy can't feel him or her yet, so he's frustrated, but I feel those thumps all the time!


Food cravings? Fruit. This baby is going to love fruit! On the cruise I loved these strawberry lemonades they would make - yummy! I've also been in a ginger snap mood recently. Weird.

Labor signs? Nope.


Belly button in or out? So, I thought that the farther along I got, that annoying crease would disappear. You know, baby would just sort of push it out. From the time I was little, this was always my hope - that at least when I got pregnant, that crease would disappear, if only for 9 months. Nope. I was wrong. I think it's destined to be there for the long haul. So, my belly button is still in - hidden in my belly crease. :-(


What I miss? OMG, let me tell you how much I missed alcohol on the cruise. It killed me! I also miss sushi. I mean, the good stuff. I will still get some sushi every so often, but it is always something with shrimp tempura. Which is fine. It's still quite tasty. But nothing like tuna. Yum!


What I'm looking forward to? Painting the nursery this weekend!


Milestone? It's finally 4D u/s time? Is that a milestone? I made it home safely from the Alaska trip - which included a very bumpy ATV ride? Is that a milestone? How about the fact that I finally LOOK pregnant? Not sure if these things are milestones, but they are things I'm happy about.

Stay tuned for photos from the 4D! Here's hoping baby is cooperative and we get some good face shots . . . and NO shots of baby's goods. I've already had a talk with the u/s tech. NO MATTER WHAT, she is not to tell the parents the sex of the baby. I promised to pay her more than my dad. :-)

Baby Belly - 23 Weeks

Ok, because so many of my so-called friends out there have been harassing me for photos - yes HARASSING! Didn't you know it wasn't nice to harass the pregnant woman?! - here, I will post one. So this is me at basically 23 weeks (one day shy). I'm looking a tad rough - don't hold it against me!

We leave tomorrow on our 11 day Alaskan adventure! Who knows, maybe I'll see Sarah Palen. One of my coworkers gave me a message to give to her, but I think if I did, I'd end up in jail. So I will be avoiding that.

I hope to have plenty of photos after it's all said and done. Unfortunately, I will have limited access to phone and Internet on the trip - I really don't know how I'm going to survive! But leave me love and I'll get it when I get back!

Slacker Pregnant Gal

My good friend Vica is also pregnant right now and on her way to having a precious little girl! (maybe this week......?) But as I was catching up on her blog, I realized what a slacker I have been. I have absolutely zero photos of me pregnant. Zilch. Nada. And for someone with a photography business, that's pretty darn sad! Not a single belly photo. Then again, I haven't really wanted to show off my growing form . . . at least not for public viewing. Those of you who have been lucky (or not-so lucky...) to see me in person, well count yourself special.

But I guess this needs to change. I'm officially 22 weeks. It's about time I start documenting this journey. I need SOME proof of what I'm actually going through so years from now when my teenager is driving me crazy I can pull them out and say "LOOK WHAT I WENT THROUGH FOR YOU!!!" Yah, I'm going to be an awesome mom. :-)

So, photos will be on my "to do" list for this weekend. I will go ahead and forewarn you that I am doing this grudgingly and that because of the "wonderous and unique" body that I have - aka, the stupid crease that's always plagued my belly - I still just look fat, not pregnant (in my opinion). But I'll do it. For you. And maybe for some parental revenge in years to come.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

Are you a book lover by heart? Are you trying to get back into reading after a long hiatus? Are you just looking for a coaster? Whatever the reason, check out this awesome book giveaweay by Amanda at There Are Two Sides. It sounds like a fascinating book and I'm hoping to win! So join the competition and leave some love on Amanda's blog!!!!

Monthly Survey

Hello there. I had my lastest doctor's appointment on Wednesday, but with how crazy work has been because of the looming special session, I haven't had time to post my survey. We were able to get another ultrasound on Wednesday because when we went in a few weeks earlier for the "big" one, Baby Daniell was being uncooperative and wouldn't let Victoria see his/her nose/mouth area. So we got another one! Baby Daniell was a tad more cooperative this time - at least Victoria could see what she needed to see. But, Baby still wasn't giving us a great profile view. Baby kept his or her hands up in front of the face almost the entire time. Baby definitely does not like the paparazzi! But we got a couple of good ones and when I get a free moment, I'll post them here. And according to Victoria everything looks perfect with Baby! And mom's doing ok too! LOL

How far along? 20 weeks . . . . Halfway there!

Total weight gain/loss? I have a quick question for this survey. Does anyone ever actually LOSE weight while pregnant? Just curious . . . . so I can seek these people out and slap them! Total of 8 pounds gained so far. I'm told that's good, but who knows!

Maternity clothes? I haven't bought a ton of maternity clothes. But my parents did just take me on a shopping spree at Chicos when I was in Pensacola and bought me some clothes that should last throughout the pregnancy (but they aren't actually pregnancy clothes). So let's see what my inventory is so far:

1 pair black maternity slacks from Gap
1 pair khaki maternity slacks from Gap
2 pair maternity jeans from Old Navy
2 maternity dresses from Motherhood (I love these dresses!)
1 maternity shirt from Kohl's - but I think I ruined it at my last wedding by leaning up against unfinished wood. It now has all of those annoying fabric balls on it. :-(

That's about it for TRUE maternity clothes. I still have this awesome long jersey dress from The Loft that I love and is great for pregnancy. And then my parents just got me this great skirt, tank, cropped jacket combo from Chicos (love it!). I also got a few more tops/tanks from Chicos that I should be able to wear for the duration (hopefully!). So that's about it. I'm sure the people at work are probably tired of seeing me in the exact same thing every week. Well, they are MORE THAN WELCOME to give me a gift card to Motherhood or someplace so I can go buy some new clothes....... ;-)

Stretch marks? Again, I haven't spotted any that weren't there before the pregnancy. Fingers are crossed....

Sleep? Yah, I'm still not sleeping well unfortunately. :-( But at my drs appointment on Wednesday I did talk to the doctor about sleeping on my back and alternative ways. So hopefully that will help a little. I've figured out how to become a tad more comfortable at night with multiple pillows positioned everywhere. Poor Jeremy! He can't even see me anymore! But lately, I've just had trouble falling asleep and then I wake up several times a night to either pee or change position. So I spend most of the week tired. I even caved on Tuesday and splurged to have a white chocolate mocha because I just couldn't function that morning. But I guess I better get used to it, right?

Best moment this week? Best moment of the week had to be FINALLY deciding what we want the nursery to look like!

Movement? YES! I mean, they are barely there. But I definitely feel the fluttering. And at the drs. appointment the baby had hiccups (you could see the baby hiccuping on the ultrasound - it was too cute) and I could feel those!

Food cravings? Hmmm, well I had a few days where I was craving sweets. One day I was in Publix and saw the cakes and wanted cake RIGHT THEN! So I bought a cake mix and some icing and made a cake that night and had a huge slice. But, um, yah, now I have this huge cake left over on the counter . . . . not so sure what to do with that. I've been craving Mountain Dew a lot - but that is one craving I try NOT to indulge in! I know how bad it is for me! But every so often, I have to have one - or at least take a sip of Jeremy's! Um, I've been on an applesauce kick lately. But I think that's about all. I'm still in my fruit phase, so that's good. Oh, and I have had cravings for popsicles, so we have some of those in the freezer now!

Labor signs? Nope.

Belly button in or out? Same as last time. :-( But Victoria (the u/s tech) told me that the baby is right about at my belly button area, so hopefully when Baby Daniell moves up a tad more, the belly will start to look more, well, pregnant-like.

What I miss? Ugh. I definitely miss alcohol at this point!!!!! I just want some wine or a cold beer in a frosty mug. :-(

What I'm looking forward to? I'm really looking forward to our family vacation to Alaska in August!!! But baby-related - I'm looking forward to buying the crib and chair for the nursery.

Milestone? Starting our baby registry and reaching the midway point in the pregnancy!!

Baby Daniell

Please don't judge me by the quality of the photos. I couldn't get digital images, so I had to take photos of the ultrasound photo and then upload it. So, yah, the images are a tad blurry. But you can still see a baby in there!

Ok, here is Baby Daniell around 11 weeks. Just looks like a tiny little peanut, huh?

And here we are at 18 weeks. Hey, look there, it actually looks like a baby!

And here's Baby's foot. Yes, Baby has 5 toes on each foot and 5 fingers on each hand. Score!

That's all for now. Since Baby was uncooperative and didn't let Victoria (the ultrasound nurse) get a good photo of his/her nose and lip area, we get to have another ultrasound at our next appointment. So I will hopefully have some face shots after that! And for those of you wanting me to post some photos of me, I just have one thing to say to you: KEEP DREAMING! :-)

EXPOSED!

I'm still plugging along. I've started to not worry as much about certain things, which I don't know if that's good or bad. But it is what it is. I decided I'm not going to stress about sleeping on my back, I'm not going to stress about eating lunch meat, and well, essentially I'm trying not to stress about too much. Which has me a tad discombobulated. I mean, I'm a stresser. It's what a do. I like to be prepared, but no matter how prepared I am, I stress. Well, for some reason I've taken a completely different mantra to this pregnancy. Heck, I'm barely reading any books about the whole thing. Can you believe it?!? It's not that I don't have plenty of reading material on hand (thanks to many friends!), but I just haven't felt the need to go pick them up. The good ole "What to Expect When You're Expecting" - you know, the Bible of pregnancies? Yah, haven't cracked it. WHAT IS UP WITH ME?!?! So not only am I not stressing, but I'm also not really preparing either. Oh well.

But I do need to vent about something today. Pregnancy. Three months (and that's if you're lucky) of feeling like you're in a constant state of being hungover, but without the fun the night before, followed by dry red eyes, breakouts, the "fat" stage (you know, where you don't yet look pregnant, just fat?), cutting out certain foods you love (aka, sushi!), and a whole host of other things. Don't even get me started on not being able to drink during football season. WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?!? But, no, on top of ALL of this, your boobs get humongous. Yes, that is my vent today. The girls are huge. I'm feeling a little inappropriate at work even. Maybe I should quite my job and go be a Hooters girl. Oh wait, mine are REAL so that's out. Maybe there is a Hooters for pregnant women somewhere? Reminder to self: Look that up. Anyway, I'm feeling a tad, well, exposed. And I'm not liking it. But there's something worse. Men just get to sail through the entire nine months. And to top off the whole pregnancy experience, they get bigger boobs to look at as well. How is this fair?!? They don't have to outgrow all of their bras, all of their clothes, all the time being scared to death they're going to get cankles, and in the end push out an 8 pound baby. Oh no. They don't have to deal with any of that. But they get big boobs. Every guys dream. And they get it. Tell me, what did women do to piss off God that much?!? Was eating the apple THAT big of a deal?!?

*sigh*

That's all I've got.

On a brighter note, we have another ultrasound on Monday. Hopefully it will help me forget about my enlarged mammaries.