The Rex Family

4 Months

2009-03-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time, but I am here with an Eli update. Our little Doodle Bug is now 4 months old and getting so big. At his 4 month appt (which was 11 days before he turned 4 months) he weighed 12 lbs 15 oz, was 24 in long, and had a head circumference of 42 cm. I was just saying to Mitch that is was hard to believe this little person was inside of me growing and developing and that when he was born he was half this size! Oh, it all happens so fast.

Elijah is amazing us with the new things he does everyday. He is really reaching for things now, especially his own feet. When he feels like it he will hold his own bottle. He can roll over from his stomach to his back and is almost to the point where he can go from back to stomach. He is talking more and more and really chuckling. He loves being lifted up in the air and when daddy gives him zerberts on his tummy. He loves when mommy sings to him, especially the ABC's. Eli's newest adventure is his jumper even though we have to put a pillow under his feet. He has so much fun with it! He also likes to blow bubbles and stick out his tounge. For now this is cute ;-).

We have been eating rice cereal and just recently tried sweet potatos. So far, so good. He seems to really like it. And of course I just get a big kick out of watching him eat and make faces. Eli did have quite the case of baby eczema (You can see it in his St. Patty's Day photo), but we have it under control now.

We are just so blessed as a family and are enjoying this awesome and amazing experience of watching our baby learn and grow into his own person. Being a parent is the BEST!!!

2009-03-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

3 Months Old

2009-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our handsome little man turned 3 months on February 16th. He is getting so big and is so interactive. He loves to be talked to and to talk back. He has started taking his pacifier out himself and while it is very cute, it does get annoying after the 15th time b/c he cries for it and hasn't figured out how to get it back in. He smiles and laughs all the time with that big toothless grin :-D. Eli is really starting to hold his head up. The other night he even sat himself right up from laying at an incline. I do have that on video so as soon as I get it off the camera I will post it. We just love him to pieces!

Murder Mystery Masquerade

2009-02-24T11:32:00.001-08:00

Mitch and I enjoying the evening. Lots of fun!

The cast and crew

Guilty as charged! I knew he did it ;-).

The crime scene

Who could this good looking couple be.

This event was a lot of fun and we did right at our friend's house. They did a wonderful job and we look forward to doing it again.

2009-02-24T11:32:00.000-08:00

Scenery

2009-02-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

These are pictures of the magnificent Oryx. Very impressive creatures.

These are views from the tram car going up to Sandia Peak

A picture of the starting point.

Anniversary in Albuquerque

2009-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Elijah and I got to go with daddy on a TDY to Albuquerque. This was a special trip b/c Mitch and I celebrated our 3 yr anniversary. Even though Mitch had to work, we were blessed to be together. Eli and mommy got to go out to lunch w/ friends, we all went to a lot of yummy places for dinner, we rode the worlds highest (or is it longest) tram up a mountain, and we had a family movie night in bed our last night there :-).

2009-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend a few of us made the trip to El Paso to go to A Beth Moore conference. It was a great renewing and spiritual time. We laughed and cried, but most importantly we were together experiencing the Holy Spirit. I feel so honored to have been with these women (there were more of them that are not pictured) and to have gotten to know them better and on a much deeper level. In these pictures you will find the crazy La Quinta crew, Kari and I sharing toast dipped in egg yolk (Kari is my fellow Western/Upstate New Yorker), and the preciousness that I had to leave in Alamo. Daddy and Eli got to have a boys night and they enjoyed every minute of it. Mommy on the other hand didn't sleep a wink b/c she was thinking about and missing her favorite boys.

2009-02-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

2 Months Old

2009-02-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Elijah is growing, changing, and learning/doing lots of new things. On 16 Jan he turned 2 months old. He has discovered his hands and is even trying to hold his own bottle. His legs are getting stronger and stronger too. He is holding himself up quite well these days. He loves sitting in his boppy and keeping mommy company when she is working around the house. He goes everywhere w/ mommy. To work, the gym, meetings, bible studies, prasie team/gospel choir practice. He is so good and very popular. Eli has also discovered that he can make his toys move w/ his hands. It is so cute when he realizes that he moved something on his own. He is cooing up a storm and has also found his scream. When he is mad, he lets you know it (like his mommy);-). Eli's favorite time of day is in the morning, especially when he is getting his diaper changed. He talks, smiles, and kicks the whole time. He is also starting to enjoy bath time.

Elijah has had some major issues w/ being gassy and fussy. We tried EVERYTHING. We think we FINALLY have a handle on it. It seems to be a lactose problem (like his daddy). He doesn't like the taste of the soy formula so we mis it with the kind that he does like which is for lactose sensitivity but still milk based. We also found some drops that settle his stomach when he has a really bad bout. Even though everyone else swore by Mylicon, he would spit up almost as soon as he swallowed them. Believe it or not we have had success w/ the generic walgreens brand. The only thing now is that we have a lot of poopy diapers and a rash :-(.

At his 2 month check up Eli weighed 10 lbs 15 oz and was 22 inches long. The doctor said he is doing all the normal 2 month old baby things. He also had to get shots :-(. We brought along our friend Kari, who happens to be from the same part of NY as we are. Kari brought Eli in when he got his shots so that mommy didn't have to see her little man get hurt. He did really well and we kept the tylenol going for about 24 hours. He did end up having a reaction on his legs from the bandaids. It got red and bumpy, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

We are loving and enjoying this little guy to the fullestand hope you love and enjoy the pictures.

2009-02-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Elijah's Photo Shoot

2009-01-12T11:18:00.001-08:00

Christmas in NY

2009-01-03T17:43:00.001-08:00

These pictures are some of the precious moments we had for Eli's first Christmas and first time meeting many of his family and friends: Eli as Alfalfa, A stocking full of preciousness, mommy and daddy on Christmas day, Eli on Christmas day, A couch burrito(get it-haha).

Mitch and I took Eli home to NY for his first Christmas and what an adventure it was (are you really surprised?). We had a very late night the night before we left doing our last minute getting ready. I am pretty sure Elijah slept better than mommy or daddy. We kept him up most of the day and then gave him a bath and swaddled him. Before I could even get him wrapped up he was asleep in my arms.
We got up at 4:30 am to make sure we got out of the house with plenty of time to get us and all of our goodies to the airport in time for our flight. We had a pretty crazy flight schedule...El Paso to DFW, DFW to Chicago, and Chicago to Roch, NY...or so we thought. By the time we landed in Chicago we had a message that our flight to Roch had been canceled due to weather. I will spare you many of the ridiculous details. The major points are that they were telling us we couldn't get a flight until X-mas Eve, AA agents were telling us to call the 800 #, the 800# was telling us to talk to the agents, we decided it would be best to drive from Chicago to NY through the terrible weather rather than stay at the airport w/ our newborn and 2 dogs for the next 3 days.
Praise God that my husband is an expert driver b/c he drove us safely through some pretty crazy weather/road conditions. It was so cold outside that I ended up changing diapers on my lap in the car! A trip that normally would have taken about 8-9 hrs, took us 16!!! Eli was the most amazing baby. He handled the stress way better than mommy did. I broke down a couple of times just feeling so awful for putting my little precious baby through all this craziness. My wonderful hubby reassured me that I was doing the best I could and that b/c of how well I prepared, I had everything we needed for baby to get through a 36 hour trip w/ all of his needs met.
After an insane couple of days of travel there was of course no time for rest. We had a full schedule of visiting ahead of us. Many of our family and friends got to meet our precious Elijah for the first time and those who did meet him were anxious to see him again. We enjoyed sharing our time with our loved ones but were absolutely exhausted! Mitch had tried convincing me many times that staying put for Christmas was a much better option and until this experience I had been opposed. It is amazing how things change once you have a child whose well being you are solely responsible for.
Mitch left for NM on the 27th w/ dogs in tow and made it back w/ little hassle (but you better believe there was some hassle). Eli and I finished up our visit and headed out on the 31st to get back to daddy. Of course that day there would be a snow storm. The weather was perfect for every day in between our travel days. When we checked for flight delays AA kept telling us we were on time. As soon as we got to our gate, there was an announcement that the airport would be closed for the next two hours. This meant that we would miss our connection in Chicago. We had to take a later flight out of Chicago to DFW. We did end up meeting a very nice couple who also had a 6 wk old. They were on our flight from Roch to Chicago and from Chicago to DFW. We also got bumped up to First Class ;-). Eli and mommy had a very long day of sitting in airports and flying when we finally for back to daddy, but boy were we glad to see him!
Needless to say, I did not end up being conscious to being in the New Year, but I did have a dream that my hubby came in to give me a kiss and say, "Happy New Year." Oh wait, maybe that really did happen ;-).

One Month Old

2008-12-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

Our little man is a month old now and we can't believe it! He is growing so fast and still not sleeping well at night. The biggest thing is that he loves is pacifier and loves to sleep anywhere but his crib ;-). We sure do love him to pieces and he is absolutely precious. His baby acne is clearing up, no more blocked tear duct, and still lots of gas! He gets more and more alert every day and is really starting to pay attention to his surroundings. We like to play the staring game together.

This weekend we are headed to NY to be with our family for Christmas. This will be Eli's first trip on a plane and we are also taking the dogs w/ us...UH OH. We are excited to have Elijah meet the rest of his family, but a little nervous about traveling w/ him being so tiny.

3 Weeks Old

2008-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Elijah turned 3 weeks old! He is growing by the day. We bought some newborn diapers yesterday only to realize that the size 1 fits him much better...ALREADY! His onsies are actually fitting him now :-).

Some other developments: Poor little guy has a pretty bad case of baby acne and some major gas. Most babies lose some of their hair and then it grows back, but Eli seems to have more hair, and with a serious rooster tail in the back. He is definitely a sucker. He likes to have his binky in his mouth a lot (this will be good for our plane ride home to NY). He even has a favorite kind of pacifier (I am sure you have seen it in pictures). He still likes to be swaddled and cuddled especially when he has a battle w/ his gas. On average our little buddy is sleeping 3-3.5 hours at a time during the night (w/ the exception of this past weekend). Daddy had weekend duty and Eli was especially unhappy at night :-(. It seems much better though now :-).

2008-12-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

My little precious guy watching his musical cow in his bouncey seat

A father and son precious moment

My three favorite boys chillin' on the love seat.

All Alone

2008-12-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just got home from dropping GiGi and Aunt Chelsea off

Give me a break, I'm tired

I love this picture...he looks like a little man

Well, after a month of family here we are finally on our own. Mommy, Eli and Daddy are all back to work. Eli spent his first night in his crib last night and it went pretty well. This morning we took a trip all the way to El Paso to drop GiGi and Aunt Chelsea off at the airport. Eli did great until the last 20 minutes of the trip. He was ready to be home!

Elijah Mitchell Rex

2008-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Elijah is already 2 weeks old. Here is our story:
Our precious little one was born on 16 Nov @ 1610. He weighed 7lbs 5.4oz and was perfectly healthy. On 15 Nov I was in labor all day long. At around 1800 I wanted to go for a walk so my father-in-law and I went out for a stroll and sure enough my contractions started getting very intense. They were about 15 minutes apart and getting longer and stronger. My mom was to come in at 2000 to El Paso. I really wanted to go b/c I knew I would go crazy sitting at home and waiting. No sooner did we get on our way that the contractions started getting closer together and lasting between 1-1.5 minutes each. We picked up my mom and by the time we got back to Alamo the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and REALLY starting to hurt. We decided to stop home to grab our bags and head right to the hospital. Of course on the way I was having a super contraction and Mitch stepped on the gas a bit and ended up getting pulled over. My father-in-law, who was following behind us yelled out, "She is very pregnant and in labor." Thankfully he let us go.
We got to the hospital and I was sure I would be 4-5 cm dilated w/ how much pain and discomfort I was in. When the nurse told me I was only 1-2 I started crying just out of frustration. Because I was having some serious labor they let me stay and finally admitted me when I reached 3 cm. I did my best to breathe through the contractions. I had a lot of support from my amazing hubby. He was so sweet and helpful. I tried the shower and labor ball as well. After hours and hours I was exhausted!!! At one point I was dilated to 8-9 cm but Eli wasn't descending. He was still +4. I tried the labor ball again to see if that would help him move down. We didn't have any luck w/ that so I decided to get an epidural so I could at least get some rest before I had to push. When the baby was at +2 they gave me some pitosin to again help things along w/out making me push right yet. Things were going along well when suddenly baby Eli's heart rate dropped below 100 bpm. Suddenly the mid-wife and nurses rushed in and said we couldn't wait any longer, he had to come out now. This was scary, but I just prayed and stayed calm. They got ready and soon I was in position and pushing. Mitch was waiting all gowned up and sterilized ready to catch the baby on his way out. Every once in a while he would mouth that he loved me and gave me thumbs up :-). We did need a little help w/ the vacuum but all in all I only pushed for an hour.
When Eli came out Mitch's face was absolutely priceless. I can still picture his face and it makes my heart melt. Eli's lungs were definitely working b/c he came out screaming :-). Unfortunately the umbilical cord was so short that they couldn't even lift him up for me to see. The mid-wife said it was the shortest cord she had ever seen. When Mitch cut the cord and they placed Eli on my chest it was such a wonderful moment as a new mom. I couldn't believe how perfect and beautiful he was!
All in all, I was in labor for 29 hours w/ 22 hours of really hard labor. 100% worth it!!!
We sure did have a lot to be thankful for this year. Thank you Lord for our precious little one and for all of our friends and family that love and support us.

I will update this very soon...I promise

2008-11-28T11:41:00.001-08:00

2008-11-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

On 12 Oct Mitch and I went to the portrait studio inside walmart (we don't have much of a selection here) to get professional pics while very pregnant. I am 35 wks in these pictures. While we weren't extremely happy w/ the 10 min sitting we received, at least we have something and Mitch really wanted to have pictures w/ my bare belly. I think they turned out pretty decent. W/ the exception of the first pic, these are the poses we did. We were able to get upgrades on them (black and white, sepia, borders), but I didn't scan them. Just wanted to give an idea.

Close up of the expecting parents

And there it is...the bare belly

This is my favorite. I think it is so sweet. It looks really neat in the sepia.

PWOC Baby Shower

2008-10-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today I am 38 wks along and yesterday The PWOC bible study gave Sarah and I a baby shower. We are due around the same time, Sarah being due a bit before me. The shower was very nice. We had great food and Eli got some more great gifts. He is so spoiled already! It is amazing to me the generosity of others.

Hubby is on his way home to us today...YAY!!!

Full Term!

2008-10-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

I am now 37 weeks, which means full term. Yay!!! The waiting game begins. We will now be going to the doctor weekly and our next appt is Tuesday. Mitch leaves on Wednesday for a TDY to Reno. It is a short trip, but we have our friends the Bohans on stand-by. There have also been people from church that have offered their help no matter what time of day or night. Starting 8 Nov we will have family here until 5 Dec. I am looking forward to having them here for this special event.

My Wonderful Husband

2008-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

I would like to dedicate this post to my husband. He is the greatest and has put up with a lot from me lately. I am blessed to have a husband that is so dedicated to his family and to making me and our unborn baby a priority. Since I have been sick he has been taking over much of the domestic responsibilities. He has been cooking (Mitch is a great cook), cleaning, and doing the grocery shopping. He will even call me periodically throughout the day to make sure that I am taking it easy and resting. He has been completely selfless w/out complaining. Thank God for my husband! I love this man!!!

Below are pictures of Mitch making homemade sauce (his own recipe...delicious!)

Best Appointment Yet!

2008-10-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had an ultrasound and then an appt. The ultrasound was to determine where my placenta is to see if a c-section would be needed. We went in and of course were happy to get to see our little precious guy and how he has grown and were pleasantly surprised when the tech decided to play around a bit w/ the 4D pictures. It was amazing!!! We were able to find out that He likes to suck his thumb and the back of his hand, he has chubby cheeks and it looks like maybe dimples, he has his daddy's lips, and he has LOTS of hair! My suffering from heartburn is not in vain ;-). The tech gave us some pictures, which she did not have to do and we are very grateful.
After taking some measurements the doc decided to rule my condition low lying placenta instead of marginal placenta previa. This is a blessing b/c it means that I can try for a natural vaginal delivery. We still need to be very cautious w/ the amount of bleeding. The doc said that she has seen women who are 4 cm dilated and not progressing much but have a lot of bleeding and have to go in for an emergency cesarean and she has also seen women who progress to 9cm quickly and the amount of blood loss is not too much before the mother is able to push the baby out. Basically they will keep a close eye on me and I need to be prepared for either outcome.

SO Sick Of Being Sick!

2008-10-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here I sit sick once again :-(. I am really getting worn out and frustrated from all of this. I really hope that this isn't going to be how things go for the rest of this pregnancy. I want to be healthy and rested by the time labor and delivery comes.
I noticed my throat getting scratchy this past Thursday and by Saturday I wasn't feeling well at all with sinus pressure and a sore throat. Things just kept getting worse and of course sleep was out of the question.
I was able to get to the Doc today and got some meds that are similar to Benadryl which should help me w/ my symptoms and sleep. That is about all they want to give me at this point due to the pregnancy. The good news...I don't have strep!
So, please pray for me that I would get well, stay well, and get rested and strong so that I will be able to better endure labor and delivery. Thank you!!!

Its Been A While

2008-10-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have written something, but I have been pretty busy lately. I have been trying to get acclimated to the new job and it is that time of year when we have a lot going on. I have a lot of activities to plan and implement while trying to learn the ropes at the same time. We also recently had Mitch's aunt and uncle visiting us from PA and I had been sick last week and the week before.
Things are getting pretty uncomfortable. Baby Rex's head is very low (a good thing) and his feet are in my ribs (not so good for me). Since I don't have any room to grow up or down, it looks like out is the only option. The concentrated weight is putting a lot of strain on my middle back which makes sitting pretty uncomfortable. Oh, and I am surprised at how hard it is to breathe now-a-days. All of these things must be why women are ready for pregnancy to be over at this point ;-). Don't get me wrong, overall I feel good and I am thankful that I am even able to experience these pregnancy hardships. I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Next week we have our appt on the 21st where we will have the ultrasound to see where we are with the placenta previa. We will also be getting the strep B test done. By then we will be at the point where we go to the Dr. every week until Baby Rex arrives.
We have family that has plans to come down soon. Grampy Rex will be here Nov 8th-22nd. Grammy Post will be here Nov 15th-23rd. And Grammy Karen and Aunt Chelsea will be here Nov 24th-Dec 5th. We are very excited to have family here to support us and welcome our little miracle into this world :-).
We talked with our friends the Carpenters tonight and they are getting ready to have their baby girl very soon :-). We can't wait to hear the news that Ashleigh is here!!!

Completed Nursery

2008-10-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some Random New Pics

2008-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Emily brought me her crown to wear

Mitch was feeling left out so I shared ;-)

I'm not the only one nesting

Mitch and I on our trip to Cloudcroft w/ Tammy and David

David and Tammy w/ the mountains in the background

Here are just a few recent pictures that are from our baby bash given by our church family, a visit from our friends Tammy and David, and the nursery to completion. Our friends Tammy and David came to visit us from Albuquerque. We originally met them while we were stationed in Corpus Christi. They were part of our church family there and we love them! They ended up moving to NM right before us due to David's job and we have been fortunate to have a couple of visits w/ them and their adorable son, Marcelo.

New Job

2008-10-01T01:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how unusual this is, but I will be starting a new job this wk and I will be 6.5 wks away from my due date. I guess it may not seem like the most ideal time to get into something like this, but I really feel that I was blessed to have the opportunity. Also, everything fell into place w/out me having to put too much effort into it so I'm confident that this is right. As of Oct 1 I will be the RE (Religious Education)Director for the Holloman AFB Chapel. One day I was asked if I would be interested, the next day I inquired about it and applied, a week later I was told the job was mine. What is really great about this position is that I can walk to work, I can work from home if I need to, it is part time, if I do go into my office I can bring the baby with me, and I get to work in ministry for the Lord who had blessed me with all these things. One thing I probably should find out is what happens during that time when I am having the baby, not sure how maternity leave works in this situation ;-).

What A Day (Of Appointments)

2008-09-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Appt 1 - "Moley, moley, moley": I made an appt to have a beauty mark, ok fine, mole looked at. I know this is gross, but I am a red head w/ fair complexion so I don't take any chances here and I keep an eye on all of my beauty marks, freckles, moles, etc... There was one mole in particular that I was concerned about. I had had it for as long as I can remember and it is located in my bikini area (I'll try not to get too graphic). Well, with the big belly and all, I can't really see it. One day I was in front of the mirror when I noticed that it suddenly wasn't the cute little mole I had grown to know and love all these years. It was now oddly shaped, very dark, and HUGE! This thing had to get checked out and no matter what... IT HAD TO GO! So, I go in, have the Doc look @ it (he isn't concerned, says it doesn't look cancerous), and he says, "I'm right on schedule, lets take it off right now." Allrightythen. I say, "While your at it, what about this one?" I had another one on my lower back that is right where your clothing tag rubs..annoying. While he was prepping me for the removal of the bikini area mole, I felt the need to apologize for the forest that has been neglected since my belly has made it impossible to see that region, let alone take a razor to it ;-). The doc was very understanding and said that I had a perfectly good excuse. Of course you know that this couldn't go as smoothly as one would expect, nope, not with me. First, he couldn't get me to go numb and had to use much more lidocaine that he anticipated. Second, they didn't want to come off (I guess they were used to their home). And third, the incisions wouldn't stop bleeding. At this point I just have some pain and discomfort given the very sensitive areas they were in (I'll spare you any more details on that) and who needs more of that when your in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy?!? Do you feel sorry for me yet ;-)?

Appt 2 - "Back to Back": I finished my first appt @ 9:49 and had my next appt @ 9:50. Luckily they were right down the hall from one another. Now we have PT for my back. What joy! The last time I went to PT, it made my back worse. I get there and have to do all this range of motion stuff and describe my pain and the level of pain I'm experiencing in certain positions...And guess what, he makes me get on my back, yes the same back where I just had the mole removed w/ a knife. It really wasn't that bad though b/c I was still pretty numb. I paid for it later though. After all was said and done the physical therapist said that it could either be pelvic displacement, but more than likely it is a bulging disk. I can't even tell you what number this diagnosis is. The kicker is that he doesn't personally like to deal w/ pregnant women so we are basically going to do some stretches each time I go and he gave me a lumbar support to use while I am in the seated position. Mind you, the whole reason I got referred to PT was b/c my lower back is out of whack and I was worried about it making for a difficult labor. Oh well.

Appt 3 - "By the way...": My last appt of the day was w/ the OB. this was the first time I had met w/ this particular OB. Oh goodie, another person who doesn't know me or my situation thus far. She briefly browses through my file to get up to speed and begins the usual proceedings. She measures me, looks good. Listens to the baby's heartbeat, sounds good. "Oh, by the way, has anyone gone over the results and findings of your ultrasound from your visit to labor and delivery?" "Uh, no, I guess not." "Well, it shows that you have a case of marginal placenta previa." "REALLY?!?" Thats funny since I was just in last week for a follow up from that very visit to labor and delivery and no one said a thing to me! Seriously, isn't this something that is rather important and should be discussed w/ me, marginal or not? She said that she expects the situation to resolve itself by 36wks at which I will go in for another ultrasound. Its a good thing that I have been taking care of myself and that I have an amazing husband that helps me out A LOT. I talked w/ a nurse here on base and she was amazed at this and at the fact they didn't even tell me what I should be doing in this situation. I also talked to another woman who has the same thing and they have been monitoring her very closely, have been giving her specific instructions on how to take care of herself, and she has seen the same OB the entire way through. I can't help but feel that I have fallen through the cracks since day one. The one thing I can rely on though is God (the healer), b/c He will never let me fall through the cracks and He has obviously been taking very good care of me and Baby Rex the whole time. PRAISE GOD!!!

The Transformers @ Holloman?!?

2008-09-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

We are famous! Who knew that here in Alamogordo, NM (HAFB) would have a claim to fame to a blockbuster hit?!? I am pretty sure that the 1st Transformers did some filming here as well @ White Sands Missile Range. Last Wednesday I was observing @ Holloman Middle School and they had a couple of tanks from the US Army in the parking lot that were being used for the actual Transformers 2 movie. I thought that was pretty cool. Then on Thursday I had heard that there were star spottings (ShiaLaBeouf) @ our local WalMart and Chilis. I even saw the pictures caught on the camera phone of a friend of mine. This week they brought in some of the actual Transformers here on base so I went to get some pics :-). Enjoy!

A Day At The Hospital

2008-09-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

This past Friday started as any other day. I got up to see my hubby off to work and had a lot of expectations for getting things done. I had some breakfast, caught up on some emails and was feeling motivated to work out a bit. I got on the elliptical for a half hour and then did some reps w/ my little 5 lb weights (Ive been doing this the entire pregnancy). I felt really good all through the work out, but shortly after I started getting really bad cramping in my lower left abdomen. It was continual pain w/ sharp pains every once in a while that would radiate in my back. I laid down for about a half hour w/ no relief so I decided to call the Dr. I spoke w/ the nurse on call and she advised me to go to Labor and Delivery to get checked out. Mind you, the baby was still moving a lot, as usual, and there was no bleeding.
When I got to the hospital I had to give a urine sample and they hooked me up to the monitors. I could here the baby's heartbeat which made me feel better. They asked me a series of questions and kept track of the monitors. The nurse told me that everything w/ the baby looked great and she could see small contractions. The pain was not getting any better so they sent me in for an ultrasound. While that was nerve racking, I enjoyed hearing about Baby Rex. The technician said that all his measurements were good, his heartbeat was 158 BPM, and he weighs 3 lbs, 9 oz. How cute is that!?!
The ultrasound showed that things were just right, there were no tears and my cervix was still closed. The urine sample came back showing no issues either. Because I wasn't having more than 4 contractions in an hour, but still having the pain, they concluded that it must be really intense round ligament pains b/c of the rapid growth of my uterus. They gave me some pain meds w/ a script and told me to go to the OB this coming week instead of waiting for my next appt.
Well, by the time I got out of there is was 5:30 and our prenatal class started at 6. Mitch ran home to take care of the dogs and get out of his uniform ( he would be late) and I was to get us something to eat. We ate and listened for the first part pf class and the second part was more hands on. We got to practice labor positions w/ the labor ball (exercise ball). The instructor gave us a bag of ice and when she said, "contraction begins" we had to hold the bag tightly while using our breathing techniques and labor positions to keep our minds off the annoyance of the ice. Fun, fun, fun. I do have to give props to hubby b/c he was so darn cute and doing everything he was supposed to :-).
By the time we finally got home it was 8:30. Needless to say, my expectations for getting things done did not happen. Oh well. Better to be safe than sorry.

Nursery Coming Together

2008-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Den and Mitch had fun building things during their visit, which included the crib/changer combo and the glider and ottoman. The nursery is coming together. It is now just a matter of finishing touches and getting the rest of the baby items we need so that we can find a home for everything. The pictures below will give you a glimpse into Baby Rex's nursery (and all the hard work Den and Mitch did while watching football ;-O).

Gives new meaning to, "behind bars"

Yes, Mitch is actually reading directions and yes, Den is watching his Vikings

All put together

Pretty soon is won't be the teddy bears using this nice glider :-)

Paint Colors

2008-09-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Mitch and I live in base housing that is run by a company called Soaring Heights. What this means is that essentially we rent our home and b/c it is on a military base, everything looks a particular way and they have strict standards (ex: your yard has to look a certain way and anything you want to do/change has to meet certain criteria and be approved), although we have noticed they are not nearly as strict here as they were at Vance AFB. Anyway, since we will be here for a significant period of time, I really wanted to get some color on my very boring, off white walls. Also, you have to have everything back to the way/color it was when you moved in. For this reason, I thought we would at least do an accent wall in each room to make it more our own. I went and had the colors approved by housing and then bought the paint and put it in the garage where it sat for quite a while. After coming back from our month long trips, Mitch and I realized it was time to get to work and get things done around the house. I am happy to say that with my father-in-law's help, Mitch was able to get all of the rooms painted. The pictures below will give you an idea of what we did. Mind you, I didn't do a very good job with getting the true color b/c my photography skills are a little lacking.

This is the dining rm color that extends onto one wall in the kitchen as well (we have a vineyard grape theme going)

This is the spare BR, very neutral

This is our giant wall in the giant liv rm

And this is Cheech being adorable in the nursery. He thinks that is HIS blanky.

And last, but not least, we have the Master BR

Prenatal Class and More

2008-09-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

We started our prenatal classes this past week at the hospital. So far it seems to be well put together and informational. For our first class we spent some time meeting the other people in class. We then went over the basic anatomy/physiology of pregnancy, body mechanics/exercise, the warning signs of preterm labor, labor pain and pain theories, and breathing and relaxation exercises. A lot of it was review for me, but I am glad Mitch got to see/hear the information.
We also started our Tuesday night bible study for company grade officers, I started attending a PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) bible study where I am the praise and worship leader (Yikes!), and I have also started back singing w/ the chapel's praise and worship team. Mitch has been extremely busy @ work and getting big projects done around our house. Right now he has some help b/c his dad (Den) is here visiting us. Den is always such a huge help and I am very thankful that he is able to be there for my hubby :-).
I spent all day today washing and putting baby stuff away. I know I got a lot done, but I am paying for it now. My back hurts so bad! I like going into the nursery though and seeing all of Baby Rex's toys, stuffed animals, ADORABLE clothes, diapers, and other baby essentials :-). I can't wait until we get the furniture in there, get it painted and decorated.
I am hoping to get some pictures from the shower I had at home up as soon as I get them my self. Next week we have another OB appt and the spouses coffees will start (lucky me, I get to be the treasurer). Mitch heads out to GA for a wk on the 13th. I will miss him and he has to miss 2 prenatal classes, including the one where we cover tips for the support person (Ugh!).
Time for some rest!!!

3rd Trimester - WooHoo!

2008-08-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

The bare belly shot. My sister likes to cut off the top of my head ;-).

Bare belly from the side. I just realized that I am wearing the same shirt as in my 20 wk pics. What can I say, I like the shirt.

Full side view :-). Get a good look @ those FAT feet.

Sisters

2008-08-28T13:38:00.001-07:00

Chelsea and I trying to take a nice picture for Grandma together.

Another attempt...

Sisters-in -law. She makes me look like I have a really big head ;-).

While I was in NY

2008-08-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Keaira @ Darien Lake. It was rainy and cold the entire day, but she didn't complain once. The almost 3 yr old had a better attitude than I did.

Mitch and I on the deck @ Camp before my baby shower.

Daddy with his furry babies :-).

Livi blowing out her candle for her 2nd bday.

The baby bellies. Me @ 28 wks and Patty @ 20 wks. Keaira is just being cute.

We're Back!

2008-08-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

We are finally back in NM and trying to get back to normal. Yesterday when looking around and thinking about all the stuff that needs to get done, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. I was looking at our house wondering how on earth it was going to be ready for a baby in 2.5 months. We don't have room for what we already have let alone all the things that will be coming. This weekend's goal is to organize and make room for baby. I think Mitch and I are both very good at holding onto things "just in case." Mitch loves his gadgets and I have accumulated so many purses/bags for any occasion. I mean really, do I NEED 4 different beach bags?!?

I have to tell you about my travels from NY to NM...I was leaving out of BUF @ 4:15 (supposedly). My mom and grandma came w/ me and got passes to the gate to see me off. I m very grateful for this as I would soon find out that my flight would be delayed. Before I get to any more of the bad stuff, let me say that I was thankful to not end up paying for my 58 lb suitcase or the $100 fee for my precious doggies :-). My mom and grandma were amazed that I travel like this at all, let alone by myself, with two dogs, and @ 7 months pregnant. Although stressful @ times, this is my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. When I found out the actual time I would be departing BUF I quickly realized I would have 10 min to get off the plane and on the next plane in Chicago O'Hare. As soon as I get off the 1st plane I hear, "Final boarding call for flight...to El Paso." Yup, thats me and I am in concourse H @ the last gate and have to get to concourse G, the last gate. Karen was very generous and gave me a cart to carry my bag and the dogs through the airport so I wouldn't hurt my back even more, but at this point I had no time to even set it up. So here I am carry-on bag over one shoulder, dogs over the other, cart in hand, and...7 months pregnant jogging through the airport. I am sure this must have been quite a sight to see ;-). The entire time I had Mitch in one ear and Karen in the other telling me to take it easy, it isn't worth hurting yourself. I was feeling good though. Sweating my butt off and aching feet, but feeling good. I finally found a woman who was going to the same gate and asked her if she would let them know I was coming if she made it there before me. When I made it to the gate there was an American Airlines worker telling me to hurry up until she saw my condition and then changed her tune. Thankfully, it was a big plane and it wasn't full so the dogs and I got to stretch out in the Exit row all by ourselves for the 3 hr flight home. I knew @ that point that God was taking care of us and though it was a crazy experience, He was with us the entire time making sure we were ok.

Just Checking In

2008-08-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a while so I thought I would check in and let you know what we have been up to. I have been in NY for a little over a week now and enjoying seeing friends and family. Unfortunately I did hurt my back on the way here from carrying my dogs and bags. It got progressively worse with each passing day and has been quite annoying. I did get a massage from my friend Kristin and she did an awesome job (a little plug...Body and Face by Kristin in Geneseo, NY). After a day I was in pain again b/c everything was so out of whack. I decided to go to my favorite Chiropractor (Dr. Theresa Alianell in Mt. Morris, NY) and she informed me that my neck, middle back, and pelvis were all out of place. After a few twists, pops, and cracks, I was on my way. Before I left, Doc told me I should be carrying nothing heavier than my purse (which she said that was even too heavy). I was really starting to feel good and thought it would be a good idea to carry my niece (who is a teeny, tiny thing) down the stairs...NOT a good idea at all!!! Now I was in even more pain. I have been trying my best not to carry or lift anything and I ice my back at night, but no matter what as the day goes on the pain increases.

Baby Rex has already received so many goodies on this trip and we haven't even had the shower yet. He is going to look so stinkin' cute in all of these little outfits and accessories. It is so funny to me how much attention he is already getting. As soon as people see me, I hold my arms out for a hug, they go right for the belly to touch and talk to it. I can only imagine what it is going to be like when he is actually here in the flesh. I guess I better just get used to being #2.

I do miss my hubby b/c he is in Ohio for some training. I sure do love the life I have built w/ him. Even though I always know this, being away from him lets me really internalize how good I have it. He is such a good provider and so loyal to his friends and family. He is so much fun to be around and he is my "home" no matter where we are in this country (though I do hope to get back to the East Coast after this assignment).

I have been keeping busy so far. I have been making my rounds w/ the family and having special occasions w/ friends. I have also been working for my in-laws at the Floorstore in Canandaigua, NY. By the way, they can take care of all your flooring needs with style, quality, and a great deal ;-)!

I wonder if I am going to get any cuts from all these plugs I'm sending out here ;-)...

July 31st OB Appointment/Lab Work

2008-08-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

We went to our OB appointment yesterday and saw a midwife instead of my regular Dr. We (I) wasn't too fond of her...She told me I gained too much weight this month and maybe I should stop "treating" my self so well. THE NERVE!!! First of all, it was over 6 wks from visit to visit last time and I only gained 5 lbs. Second, I gained 5 lbs this 4 wk period. If my calculations are correct that is 10 lbs in 10 wks which meets the 1 lb/wk goal. All I have to say is...WHATEVER!

My belly measurement is 27". She said the baby is progressing well and has a nice strong heartbeat. The midwife wasn't very good at finding the heartbeat either. Its ok though b/c yesterday was her last day so I don't have to worry about seeing her again. At the end of my appointment I was informed that I had to get lab work done and it had to be done Friday since I was leaving for such a long time. This was lab work to test for anemia (to make sure my iron pills are working) and the glucose test to test for gestational diabetes. Of course this was a big hassle b/c when I called the lab they told me they had nothing available. So here I am an irritated pregnant woman, not going to take "no" for an answer. By the end of my phone call I had my appointment at 10am on Friday.

I am sure there are a few of you who know that the nice syrup drink they give you for the glucose test is GROSS!!! And then there is the waiting for an hour after you drink the nasty stuff before you can get your blood drawn. Not sure when I will get the results, but its over for now and tomorrow the dogs and I are headed to NY. I suppose I should go pack ;-).

1st Miserable Day In 2nd Trimester

2008-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Mitch and I decided to take a drive to Albuquerque and then to Santa Fe to drive around the Enchanted Ring. We were going to pick up our friend Tammy and her baby Marcelo on the way, come back and go w/ Tammy, David, and Marcelo to the Zoo for a concert. Well, right from the start of the day, nothing seemed to go right. It actually probably started the night before when we went to bed way too late! We of course got a late start in the morning just trying to get everything together for the loooong day and making sure that the dogs were all set for the day w/out us.

We finally got on the road, the lovely NM roads, and thought we could make up some time with Mitch's very calculated, skilled, and safe driving ;-). No such luck there. Slow traffic and of course those lovely NM roads were working against us.

I really wasn't feeling well at all. At first I thought it was just b/c I was tired, but then I noticed that my feet were already starting to swell up. Now here is where we have a dilemma. One of the reasons for water retention is not drinking enough water. So, here I am w/ Baby Rex pushing on my bladder as it is, no bathrooms on the lovely NM roads, a three hour ride just to Albuquerque, and swollen feet. I try to elevate my feet on the dash when suddenly I get so nauseous that I have to yell to Mitch to pull over immediately (not going to help us make up any time here). I swear, it was worse than the morning sickness in the 1st trimester. Here I am doubled over on the side of the road while the slow moving vehicles we just passed are once again in front of us. I get back in the car and we quickly realize there is no way we are going to have enough time to do what we had planned and be back in time for the concert at the zoo.

We get on our way once again, call our friend, and change our plans. I recline, elevate my feet, and attempt to try and feel better. We had told Tammy that we would call her when we were 20 minutes out so that she could get herself and the baby ready for the continued road trip to Santa Fe. Mitch asks for my phone when I realize that I don't know where it is. Thinking it had fallen out when I abruptly hurried out of the car during my emergency road side stop, we quickly pulled over again b/c we were going to have to go back to get it. In a panic I called my phone using Mitch's and was relieved to find it jammed under the seat.

We picked up Tammy and Marcelo and went to Wendy's for some people fuel. I ordered chicken nuggets w/ sweet and sour sauce, the sauce being the only reason to get the nuggets in the first place. We get back on the road and I distribute every one's food. When I finally get to mine...NO SAUCE! There were also no napkins and no straws. It took us so long to get our fast food that we decided it was better to just cut our losses and keep moving.

By the time we reached Santa Fe I had been in the car for 6 hours!!! At that point we chose to take the Turquoise Trail back to Albuquerque. This was a beautiful ride, but a far cry from our original plan to drive around the Enchanted Ring. When we get back to Tammy and David's we get a break from the car to get ready for a picnic dinner at the zoo :-).

We get to the packed zoo and find a nice spot on the grass and begin to make our sandwiches. It was nice to relax and get some "good for you" food (don't worry, the sandwich meat was all natural and nitrate free). We also met a nice couple and their 2 kids who were friends of Tammy and David.

We wanted to walk around and see some animals before they closed all the exhibits. I didn't make it very far before my feet were killing me and were so swollen they were bulging out of my flip flops...that's right the thong part of my flip flops cut into my grossly large feet. My hands were also swollen at this point so I decided to go back and put my feet up.

After the event was over we were headed to the car (to endure a 3 hour ride home) and I told Mitch that I had never been so uncomfortable as I had been that day and at that point. Between the tiredness, water retention, soreness, unsettled stomach, and constipation (sorry, just being honest), I couldn't wait to get home, get to bed, and not have to get up for anything!

There you have it, my miserable day. I don't think I was the only one either. All is well though now. We are rested and happy. This week will be pretty crazy seeing as how both Mitch and I are leaving this weekend to travel separately for the entire month of August :-). Mitch will be in Ohio for work training and I get to go to NY to do lots of fun stuff w/ family and friends. The dogs will be coming with me (should be interesting). Mitch will get a chance to drive up to NY on a couple of the weekends :-)...Phew! Ok, I'm done for now.

OB Orientation

2008-07-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mitch and I went to OB Orientation yesterday. I think I had mentioned it in an earlier post. It is a function put on by the mental health clinic right here on base. I really loved having Mitch there with me, he made it fun :-). There were quite a few people and there was at least one pregnant woman in each trimester. It sure is amazing how people grow and carry differently when pregnant. A woman who is due 3 days before me looked as if she were about to pop any minute (this was her 4th child). Then there was a woman next to me who is due in Oct. and she was so tiny!!! Now mind you, she looked like she probably weighed 90 lbs when she got pregnant. There was even a woman who was 8 wks along but looked like I did at 12 wks.

We learned some useful tips and watched a cool video that actually showed a fetus growing. I think it may have grossed Mitch out a bit ;-). We also learned a lot about how our insurance deals with the cost of prenatal and postpartum care and what we need to do to get the baby registered. Someone from the dental clinic came in and talked about oral hygiene while pregnant and of course taking care of your baby's oral hygiene. Did you know they recommend parents brush their kids teeth (or at least help) until they are 8 yrs old!?! And dry brushing is the best way to get rid of tartar and plaque.

My favorite part by far was having my hubby there with me :-). It totally made my day! I just really enjoyed sharing the experience with him.

"Don't Bother Me In Here"

2008-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I thought this was funny... On Monday I went to see my PCM (Primary Care Manager) and when the Airman sat me down to ask the numerous (and some ridiculous) questions, he asked when my last menstrual cycle was. When I told him Feb. 10th he looked at me in shock and asked, "Are you pregnant?" Now mind you, I had on a relatively tight t-shirt. I looked down at my belly and said, "Why, yes I am." Next time I think I will say, "No, I am on this new fad diet called the all beer diet b/c I really like that beer belly physique." Anyway, when you are pregnant they apparently like to record the baby's heartbeat at your regular PCM visits. Fine with me :-). Not so fine with little Rex though. The nurse came in and was having a difficult time finding his heartbeat. My OB usually finds it right away. I wasn't worried though b/c I could feel him moving around like crazy. So, the nurse keeps finding a heartbeat, but its mine! When she would finally find his he would move and she would lose it. A couple of times he even kicked the "thingy" of course causing the nurse to lose the heartbeat again. Needless to say, she never did get an accurate BPM. He just wasn't having it!!! I, of course couldn't help but laugh :-).

22 Weeks Today!

2008-07-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today we start our 22nd week. Yesterday I went to a 2nd trimester class and I was the only non-military expectant mother there! There are several classes that they offer here on base. They have a class for each trimester, even the "4th trimester" (about childbirth prep, the stages of labor, delivery, and after the baby is born). I had already attended the Basic Training For Moms class last month and on the 22nd both Mitch and I will be going to OB orientation together :-). There is also a prenatal class offered at the hospital that both of us get to go to for the month of Sept. I signed us up for that and I signed myself up for a breastfeeding class (I doubt Mitch would get much use out of that one ;-)).

Lets talk about my ailments...I finally got a perscription for my incecent heartburn!!! Get this, a nurse told me that there are actual studies showing a relationship between heartburn and a baby born with lots of hair! I still don't know if I bleieve this. My friend Alayna had pretty bad heartburn and her beautiful, now 1 yr old, still only has little blonde fuzz. If this child takes after me in the hair dept., then it doesn't stand a chance. I had peach fuzz until I was 3! Even when my mom would dress me head to toe in pink people would still say, "What a cute little boy." Now on to the hips. Mitch painted an accent wall in our bedroom this week so we decided to sleep in the spare bedroom for the night. We are used to our nice big king size bed and here we are with our two dogs in a full size bed. I have this amazing pregnancy pillow that wraps around me to support my head, back, hips, and belly that I decided against bringing into our temporary sleeping quarters. I even decided not to bring an extra pillow to put between my legs given our situation of limited space. BIG MISTAKE! I woke up in the middle of the night b/c of this terrible pain in my hips. I was so uncomfortable. It took me an entire day to recover. Conclusion: must have pillow between legs for sleeping...NO MATTER WHAT!!! The dreams are in full effect at this point too. They are so wacky and vivid, not to mention, completely random.

All in all though, I am still blessed, still thankful, and still loving being pregnant!

Ultrasound Pictures

2008-07-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

It's a boy!!! This is the image we saw when the tech told us she could see his turtle.

What a cute little foot :-)

Maybe not as cute, but this is his face. You can see the eyes, nose, and chin.

And back to being cute- This is his profile. You can see the forehead, nose, and mouth here.

Its A...

2008-07-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a morning. We have been anticipating finding out what our little Baby Rex was and this morning, after almost thinking the baby wasn't going to cooperate, we found out we are having a little BOY!!! We are so excited. It is nice to know and be able to picture him. Being able to go to the stores and look at the boy clothes, toys, etc. It turns out he is facing my spine so the technician had a hard time even getting her images in order to get the proper measurements. We tried poking and prodding. I even rolled to my right side b/c he tends to move around when I do that and he just didn't want to budge ;-). Our technician was great. She told me what everything was and what she was doing. After a while she said, "Are you sure you want to know what it is?" Then she said, "See this right here, that is what we call the turtle." I started my nervous giggle and stared at Mitch while he was sitting there staring at his little baby boy. Mitch called it though. Two years ago when his sister, Michelle was pregnant w/ her first he said that they would have a girl first and we would have a boy first. And when I asked him last night before we went to bed he said w/out hesitation that it was a boy. I honestly had no feeling either way, although I did have a dream about holding a baby boy. Its funny b/c there were so many people saying it was a girl. There were only a handful who predicted a boy. So, despite the high heartbeat and severe morning sickness, we will be buying blue ;-). As of right now my due date has been moved to November 18th and the baby weighs about 12 ounces with BPM of 160. Now to decide on a name...

20 Week Pictures

2008-07-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Front view of the baby belly
Side view w/ belly exposed
Side view- I know, I'm cheesey!
Mommy w/ the furry babies- Emily and Cheech

July 1st Dr. Appointment

2008-07-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

We went to see the OB today. It's been over six weeks since our last appointment so we were more than ready ;-). The Doc said that everything is looking great. All of my tests and bloodwork have come back and show good things as well. I am still anemic so I will have to continue taking iron pills. We heard the hearbeat (150 BPM) which is always such and amazing thing. Even though I have been feeling the baby move quite a bit lately, hearing that heartbeat just makes my day!!! Speaking of movement, I felt a new sensation this morning. Baby Rex has decided to start rolling around in there :-). This is the first week that they start to measure my belly (I forgot to ask what the measurement was :-( ). I can say that the measuring tape ended about two fingers above my belly button. The most exciting news was that we get to have the ultrasound tomorrow!!! We are so excited :-D! Mitch is going to meet me there and we are scheduled for 9am. Can't wait!!!

20 Weeks- Half Way There!!!

2008-06-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day :-). We are at the half way point of the pregnancy...its a big deal! This past week has been awesome as far as new developments. Baby Rex has been moving around like crazy. A couple of mornings ago I was awakened by a very deliberate and distinct kick in my left lower abdomen. Up until that point I was feeling little flutters here and there. Even Cheech, who was curled up next to my belly, was startled by mommy's belly moving ;-). This morning while I was on the couch reading, Baby Rex was moving around quite a bit so I lifted up my shirt and within a few moments I could see my belly pop out. It was so awesome!!! Of course I teared up because I was just so happy. Later that afternoon Mitch and I were in our room and the baby started moving around so I was hoping Mitch would get to see it and sure enough we had a couple of pops. I then woke up from a nap and Baby Rex was really on the move. It was amazing how much I could see my belly moving around. This is such a great and exciting experience.

I do have pictures to post, but of course our digital camera decided to bite the dust today. I had to run to the BX to get a disposable and we will hopefully have the pics up this weekend.

18th Week

2008-06-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Baby Goodies

2008-06-20T17:43:00.001-07:00

Future Nursery

2008-06-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

11 Weeks

2008-06-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

11 weeks. This is when we first really noticed the baby bump. I haven't been able to stop looking at it in the mirror ever since ;-).

Getting Caught Up

2008-06-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here we are...finally! Today we are 19 wks into our pregnancy :-). How about a little background info; Mitch and I started trying to conceive in January of 2007. By the end of April 07' we were pregnant. Soon after we found out I had a miscarriage. It was difficult to deal with. We had wanted it so badly and I was far away from my friends and family (we were living in OK at the time). After that I had one complication after another and got very frustrated. When the AF moved us to Corpus Christi, TX I began fertility treatments, but it didn't seem that we were making much progress. We then found out that the AF would be sending us to NM. Between the process of moving, living out of boxes, having to find another fertility specialist, etc. We really had no choice but to put the baby idea on hold (or so we thought) until we got settled. Shortly after we got to our new home base I went home to NY to meet our new nephew. As usual it was a great trip but this one ended up being extra special...I was scheduled to get a body perm in my hair when I realized that if there were a chance I could be pregnant, the perm thing wouldn't be a good idea. It happened to be the earliest day I would be able to take a home pregnancy test so I did! At 4:30am on March 8th I did "the" thing, recited "through Him all things are possible." for 2 minutes, looked down and low and behold, God had answered my prayers. I was overjoyed!!! The only thing was that hubby was in Vegas for work :-(. I had decided at that point that we weren't going to tell anyone until I was out of the first trimester and could get back to NY to tell everyone in person.

We met daddy in Vegas and went to the ER @ Nellis AFB just to make sure that everything was ok and sure enough, we got a good report. This was a huge relief since it was at this early stage where we had the miscarriage. Mitch was so cute. He was so excited that he just had to tell someone so he started spreading the word to his co-workers. Every time a friend or family member would call he would try to throw hints around, which drove me CRAZY!

We had our first appointment at 10wks and an ultrasound a wk and a half after that. It was so awesome to see Baby Rex moving around and seeing the little heart beat. So far, we have heard the heart beat 3 times (160-170 bpm). Our next appointment will be July 1st. I will be into my 20th wk by then and will be able to schedule the "big" ultrasound where we should be able to find out the sex (if there is cooperation) of Baby Rex.

We were able to go home for Memorial Day weekend to tell our family and it was a wonderful visit/experience. Our family and friends are thrilled for us and have been so great!

So there you have it. Caught up and ready for the progress reports and pictures :-).

Love you all!!!