Counting down the days

About three weeks ago I went in for my weekly prenatal check-up. My blood pressure reading was 145/95. My Doctor immediately prescribed non-stress tests twice a week to monitor both me and the baby to make sure I don't reach the Preclampsia stage. Since then I've been going in twice a week for my non-stress tests and then a third time to see my Doctor. Last Wednesday I went in for my weekly check-up and this time my blood pressure was 156/114. YIKES. So, Dr. Brown sent me immediately down to labor and delivery to have me observed. If my blood pressure wasn't going to come down then I was going to have the baby. Two hours later and after scrambling to make plans for where Awesome was going to stay we made our way home relieved we still had time. Of course I was put on strict bed rest and told to do nothing. (except care for a toddler and come in to the office three times a week to be checked out ....now that's strict bed rest.) My blood pressure has been all over the place since then but it hasn't reached the 156/114 I had last week and I haven't had any of the other signs of preclampsia. My Doctor has been really great and so when we went in this week she sat down and said, "Let's make a plan!" So if all goes well we'll be going in on Friday the 11th in the evening to Labor and Delivery to start Labor. If my blood pressure spikes between now and then or if my amniotic fluid falls low during my non-stress test on Monday it could be sooner, either way this baby is finally on it's way and I couldn't be more ready or excited. (I'm literally crying right now that's how emotional I've gotten.) Should I be concerned that I'm not nervous or scared to birth this child? Scott is! Of course he's worried about me and the baby's health and nervous with the thought of having two children but I couldn't be more ready, at least that's how I'm feeling right now. Of course that could change when I finally get home and I have a two year old who demands my attention and a newborn who needs to suckle from my breast at all hours of the day and night, but for right now I'm so ready!!!
In the meantime Awesome has been wonderful while I've been down. Some days all his toys are all over my room and in bed with me a long with piles of books we've read or movies we've watched. One afternoon I was chilling in bed when I noticed Awesome was quite in his room. I got up and found him smothered in baby lotion, lotion all over the dresser and wipes all over the floor. The picture below just doesn't do it justice. I couldn't help but laugh.

I've also have the luxury of having wonderful friends and neighbors right next door who have taken Awesome for hours at a time while I go to my Doctors visits. Having Awesome's best friend next door is a plus and when Tia wants to play they come get Awesome while I take long naps and get the rest I need. They've also provided countless delicious meals along with other wonderful things. We've also been blessed with family who have helped us out during this time. Right now as I'm typing my mother is scrubbing my toilets and deep cleaning my house so I can bring my new babe home to a clean house.

Last week I had Scott bring up all of Awesome's baby stuff from the basement. It's nice to not have to worry about buying new things when I've already got everything for a new baby boy. Awesome and I were in the nursery putting things in the dresser and closet when I looked over and noticed him chillin in the baby bouncer. My heart melted and broke at the same time. Not only because he's so stinkin cute and curious but he's getting to be such a big boy. I mean look at him, he looks so big in that bouncer when it just seems like yesterday he himself sat as an infant all peaceful and small bouncing away.

Awesome has become very independent during the last couple of months and particularly the last couple of weeks. He's a fantastic helper, always offering to throw something away or helping clean up a mess he's made here and there. He even likes to sing the "Clean up" song while we put his toys back in the toy box. Awesome loves fruit. And he knows that our fruit is kept in the fridge in the lower pull out shelf. I keep apples, oranges, grapes and kiwi in there pretty much at all times. Awesome loves his apples and helps himself to the fridge when he gets a hankerin for some fruit. He knows the routine: pull out the fruit, come ask mom if he can have it, and then wait for mom to wash and prepare the healthy snack. The other morning he brought an apple to me and asked if he could have it. I told him to take it back into the kitchen and put it on the counter and that I would be in in a few seconds to wash and cut up the apple for him. He obeyed and disappeared to the kitchen. Less than a minute later I made my way into the kitchen to find that he has pulled the chair up the counter and had taken a knife to attempt to cut the fruit himself. This is what I found. (See below) After I had recovered from my heart attack we had a very serious talk about knives and how only me or dad could use them. We are re-thinking the location of our knife block.

Chillin in bed has really been hard for me. I know it's important for both me and the baby to keep my BP at a decent level but when you don't feel like crap it's hard to stay in one place all day every day. (for those of you who've had to do this longer than two weeks, my heart goes out to you!) It's been nice to have visitors and family stop by. Yesterday Grandma Sanderson came by to visit and brought Awesome some new shirts. He loved them so much that he had to wear them all at the same time.

Last Sunday I woke up to a yummy breakfast that Scott had made for me. French toast, eggs, bacon and OJ. Awesome and I were in heaven. After eating a few bites Scott pulls out a box and I open it. Inside, a new Nook color from Barnes and Noble. I was so excited! Scott felt bad that I had to be down all day so he got me a nook so I could read and surf the net and read my emails. It is so very cool. I love it! I can even check out ebooks from the library on it. So far I've read three books and it's been awesome. Technology these days is so cool. I was reading along in the nook one night, wanted to find something out, got on the net found out the answer all on my sweet nook. Thanks babe, it's an awesome early birthday gift!

Next time I post there will be a new little one to report on. Bring on the life changing week!

Awesome's 2nd Birthday

So, I've decided to finally get back into blogging. I've been the biggest slacker and I have no good reason for not doing it. With baby #2 coming in a few weeks I thought I had better jump back on this bandwagon.

So my first post of the year, Awesome's Birthday! From the pics below you can tell this kid is in love with Buzz Lightyear. Everything is BUZZ!!! So enjoy the pics for now and I'll be catching up with ya all very soon.

Yep, It took me about 3 hours to make this cake. Totally worth it!!! (as you can see from the light in his eyes)

Greeting his bestfriend from next door.


Cake cut and now I'm sad. (love the through the shirt bra shot! Got ya lookin ;) )

Eating Buzz.

Opening gifts.

Got his Buzz

It was a great 2nd Birthday!!!

Update #1: We're having another boy!

Clear back in May we ended the month with a very nice, yet exhausting hike up Timpinogos. Little did I know that there was a fertilized little egg in me dividing into cells and creating a human being. June came and went and so did visits from family, girls camp and the start of summer. Still felt great and didn't notice anything different until about the weekend before the 4th of July. I mentioned casually to Scott that I thought I might have missed my period, that's right, my period! I have never ever ever ever missed this blessed monthly visitor in all the 20 or so years this has been happening. So to miss was a big deal. I wasn't keeping track but I knew it should have happened. Now mind you, just a few weeks earlier we received all our new paperwork from LDS Family services to get our second adoption going. I had most of the paperwork filled out and we had our first meeting with LDSFSA coming up in July.

I was at work and Scott called me. "You should go get a pregnancy test during your lunch break." No way, I thought. No way is this happening. I admit, I was past the "I'm going to get pregnant someday" and was into the "adopt all my kids" state of mind. Scott was a little more optimistic. After a little coaxing I went and bought not one, but three tests. I have to say, on my way to the store I started to get a little excited but I also tried desperately to brush that excited feeling aside to help protect my heart. Too many heartbreaks to take another!

That night I said a prayer that all would be as is should. Pregnant or not pregnant I would go on and be upbeat and happy knowing that we still had our adoption paperwork we were working on. Either way we'd have another child.

The next morning I woke up a little before 6am and went into the bathroom straight away to take the test. Getting it out of the package took forever and trying to figure out how to get an accurate reading after all my shaking was a miracle. I didn't look at the peed on stick until the whole three minutes was up...no sooner! When I looked down and saw that it was positive I yelped back a scream and then just let the tears flow! Never had I ever read my own positive pregnancy test! I walked back into the room with the stick and woke Scott up. I knelt down and said, "It's positive, I'm pregnant!" We just held each other while we cried. I took two more test to confirm my findings and then immediately called the Dr.

When I called the Dr's office (my fertility Dr. was no longer under my insurance and so I had to go with a new Doc.) the cute receptionist asked me all the normal questions and then scheduled me for an appointment for August 25th (mind you I made this call on July 2nd) I nicely explained to her my history and told her that I would be seen ASAP!!!!! I went in for blood work the following Monday (July 5th) which confirmed that I truly was pregnant and that I was very low on Progesterone. When the nurse called to report their findings she admitted to me that she surprised that I had not miscarried with having such low progesterone. WHAT... That is not what I wanted to hear. I wanted something done immediately. The nurse accommodated my demand and put me on progesterone suppositories that day. She also scheduled an ultra sound for the following Monday to see if they could hear a heart beat.

They did! (Little babe at 6 weeks)

This whole experience has brought such light and knowledge into my life. The Lord truly knows what we need. The very second I looked down at the positive pregnancy test that blessed morning I knew Awesome was supposed to be my son! Our plan was to wait and be patient for his sweet little soul to join our family and without a doubt that wouldn't have happened if we weren't in our fertility predicament and hadn't pursued adoption and all the other wonderful experience that go along with it. I look at Awesome now and can not imagine my life without him. I see this miracle, and now feel this miracle and know that this again was just another part of the plan. I have the wonderful, not expected, miracle of helping out in the creation of another human being. My first son was a miracle and my second son is a miracle. What's even better is that both of these miracles have their own miraculous story! I'm a very blessed woman, a very blessed mother and I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me these two precious experiences.

Healthy baby boy!

Quick Update

Here's some quick tidbits of info: We are expecting a boy in February, I quit my job and am finally back home with Awesome, Scott went back to school, we are down to one car, and I'll be back to blogging in no time! See ya guys soon!

"Where have you been"....

everyone's saying; "where did you go?", they all scream. "How's Awesome doing?, We want to see more pics."
Well, we've just been here. Nothing exciting and new....."come along, where expecting you" (the Love Boat theme song just jumped into my head)
Anyway, I figured it was about time I jumped on my bandwagon that i fell off of a couple months ago and get back into blogging! I mean Hell-o, I used to dream of different posts I could right about. Lately I've been thinking about the next YW activity comin up, how getting up at 6:10am is totally cramping my style or what are we having for dinner, playing with Awesome, and how I haven't put my garden in yet! I just want you to know (and really this is all for me), I'm going to get better. So, in the mean time enjoy some quick pics of my sweet boy!

I was looking through my pics the other night and came across this precious one. Man, they grow so fast!

Awesome loves to snort, he does it to make you laugh. As you can see I'm laughing....maybe a little to awkwardly! (yikes)



Awesome's hair has grown like a mop. He's already had two haircuts! After all the fun and crying he likes a little squirt down!

At home in the tub or out at the pool, we love the water...

..and the Dinosaur museum!

Catch ya later!

My Dear Granny Franny

On Feb. 2, 2010 my dear sweet grandma, Frances Marie Ewell, one of my dearest friends, and like a second mother to me, passed away at the age of 89. I will miss her greatly. Life just won't be the same without her. She was there at the bus stop when I started my first day of Kindergarten and she was there the day I graduated from high school. She came to every birthday, holiday, and other events in between. I remember when we would spend a week with her every summer. We would walk every where, stay up and have midnight snacks and enjoy her pineapple cookies. She always played with us. One time she even strapped on roller skates and skated around with us until she finally crashed into the fence. I have more memories then I can count with this special woman. No one had a grandma like I did. I wanted to share with you the montage Scott put together for my grandma's viewing and funeral. Enjoy. p.s her sweet husband, my grandpa, passed away just over 30 years ago. What a sweet reunion that must have been!

Our Holiday through pictures

Well, I believe it's about time to bring you up to speed on our Holiday. We really had a great season and we had a lot of fun but I do have to admit it's nice to finally take a breath and not have to worry about anything I need to get done. Although, Christmas this year was the best I've had in longer then I can remember. It's amazing how having children can do that. I also want to mention that there are hardly any pics of Scott. Poor guy, when you're the photographer you kinda get left out. He's been there for everything, just on the other end of the camera. Thanks babe for taking the pics! Here we go:

Here's my little man sportn' his winter gear!

Chillin with dad before bedtime.
Thanksgiving was spent at my parents house with both Grandma Sanderson and Ewell. It was a small party but very nice. Of course a lot of good food and Awesome loved the sweet potatoes and turkey.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving if Scott didn't have a diet coke in his hands!

Our first official family picture. (For some reason the picture looks a little grainy, it really doesn't look like that) Turned out better then we thought it would. Awesome was awesome and you wouldn't even know it was snowing a little when the picture was taken.

Thanks to mom and dad for helping us out with the picture! Love you guys!

One night I mentioned to Scott how nice it would be to have a mantle I could hang my Christmas stockings from. Wal-ah! Scott took the initiative and within less then a month my mere mention became a reality! Thanks Lance for helping Scott....in making a mess of my house.

Before

After

Christmas Eve at the Harmon's. Grandma Harmon reading a Christmas story.

Awesome sportn' his stylin Christmas getup.

Awesome's first Christmas gift.

From cousins Jonas and Max

Yea! We love it. Thanks guys.

Christmas pj's

Christmas morning was so fun! We all just watched Awesome enjoy what Santa brought this year. He loves his awesome dump truck....

and his even cooler and personalized table and chairs from Grandma and Grandpa Sanderson.

We made a trip to Midway to check out the ice castles. They were pretty cool.

Kelly (visiting from Alabama) with dad

Awesome celebrated his first birthday at the end of December. We had such a wonderful turn out for his birthday. Singing Happy Birthday was a shock to Awesome. He wasn't quite sure why everyone was singing to him. Then, he had a candle shoved in his face. I'm sure by the look on his face he was thinking, "what the heck, first they sing and now a candle, what do I do with this?"

so to deal with all the pressure he just cried...

Until mom let him eat some cake. I'm sure he was thinking, "oh sure, now I'm allowed to eat a whole load of sugar...I don't know what to do!"

Awesome loves his water and it went along great with all that cake.

What you see above is all he really ate. No prob. We'll go clean you up for presents and games. (wow, I look a little too excited)

He liked the Pumpkin cake though...

and loved all his cool birthday gifts...

and playing with the all balloons

Awesome went to bed that night around 9:00. He was doing well, just getting over a cold. At 11:30 we heard him cough pretty hard. We ran into his room and there he was sitting in a ton of mucas and barely breathing. We were scared to death. This was the first time ever Awesome had been sick. It was a shock to have this come on so suddenly. I blamed the Birthday cake. After a blessing from Scott and some bundling up we made our way to the ER where we spent the next 4-5 hours. I had a feeling it might be croup and while we were there it was confirmed. Poor guy. He was a trooper though. What a way to end your first Birthday.

Awesome did so well. He never cried, he growled a lot at the nurses (he likes to growl) and said "ah oh" alot after throwing his plug (pacifier)

Awesome is finally getting over his nasty cold. He still belts out a brutle cough here and there but he's still as happy and spunky as ever. We enjoyed New Years eve with friends and enjoyed spending time off with friends and family. We hope you all enjoyed your holiday's and hope 2010 brings you joy and happiness!