Monday, August 26, 2013

26 Weeks!

Another week has flown past and summer is almost over.  I consider labor day weekend the end of summer which is when I usually go through and start putting up my fall decorations and start getting really excited about everything "FALL".  We aren't there quite yet though!

The theme of this week was TOMATOES!  I did a lot of canning and there is actually still quite a bit left to go.   Here is my fancy tomato instagram photo...
 
To date I have canned 25 pints of salsa and 2 1/2 quarts of tomato juice.  This is something we have been doing for about the past 3 years and each year we do something a little different or try to make things a little easier.  This year was no exception.  Dick introduced me to the idea of using the food processer to slice and grate the onions and tomatoes instead of chopping them by hand.
 
 
Other than that this week baby has been kicking up a storm and I noticed that the kicks have been much higher and closer to my ribs and upper belly.  I can also see my belly moving around from the outside and shake when baby is doing flips or jumping jacks or something in there. 
 
I wanted to get this posted so my picture this week I'm in my under tank top and probably look a little worn out since it is getting a little late for me. :) but I really wanted to show how much the belly is popping out!
 
Julie



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

25 Weeks!

Ah! I'm a day late in posting.  That's how crazy things have been.  Over the past week we had our 3D/4D ultrasound which you saw in my last post, I toured my first daycare and we finished our child preparation class!  We also went down to visit Dick's parents and had a great time going to the county fair and spending Saturday with one of my other sister-in-laws (also a mommy to two little boys) registering at Target!  It is always nice to be able to go down to his parents and feel like something got accomplished.

Right now the thing that has brought me the most anxiety is child care.  I toured an actual daycare facility, but I am also interested in taking a look at home care.  It is hard to find home care besides through word of mouth and then you have to know the right people.  Let me tell you, I am scared about becoming an actual parent, but then to think of finding someone who you are going to let care for your child is even more frightening!  I know it will all work out, but nothing like a little anxiety with just 15 weeks to go.

This week also marks my goddaughter's 4th birthday.  I can't believe how fast she is growing up!  It seems like just yesterday... LOL oh am I sounding like an old lady.  Anyways, we have her birthday party this weekend and also our sheepshead club party on Sunday.

Time is flying, I'm feeling pretty darn good and things are getting accomplished slowly but surely and that is all that I can ask for!


 

Julie

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Oh Baby! 3D Ultrasound...

Yesterday I got to go in for a 3D/4D ultrasound through a volunteer program with GE Healthcare.  I was hoping to have more photos, but many of the u/s images were actually 4D video and I wasn't able to crop my information out of those in order to share online.  Anyways, it was extremely awesome!  At first it was so cute because we were trying to get a profile picture of the baby and he/she kept covering their face with their little hands.  Eventually we go to see it though and I am in LOVE!!!


I know it is still a little creepy looking, but just seeing the little nose and lips and fingers was amazing.  Baby did a lot of moving around and the technology and imagery those machines had was incredible.  Some of the bubbles you see in there is actually the umbilical cord.  They spent a lot of time looking at the heart (because that is what these particular U/S techs were interested in looking at, not because there is anything wrong) and the amount of detail they were looking for was amazing.  The tech kept saying, here you can see blah blah valve.  Do you know how small a babies heart valve must be and they can see it on this scan!??!

Today I had my OB apt and everything is going well.  Heart rate was around 140 and my fundal height was around 25" which is right around where it should be.  Fundal height is basically the height of your belly measuring from right above your pubic bone to the top of your uterus.  It is supposed to line up with how many weeks you are along.  My blood pressure was nice and low 98/59 or some crazy number like that.  I still get nauseous and take my Zofran and a little bit of heartburn has started kicking in.  Other than that and the normal pregnancy aches and pains things are going really well!  This week I also found a baby swing on craigslist for $35 which is in great condition ($150+ new).

Next month I get to look forward to the glucose challenge test that they see how your body responds to sugar to check for gestational diabetes.  Feeling so blessed that thus far a healthy little baby is growing in there!

Julie

Monday, August 12, 2013

24 Weeks!

This week (along with every week) is really exciting for me.  I get to do a 3D/4D ultrasound at GE!  I signed up for a volunteer program for doctors to test their new equipment on pregnant ladies.  I have that this Wednesday and thanks to my great memory I missed my monthly check up last week so had to reschedule it to this Thursday.

Big exciting accomplishment this week was registering!  The first shot at it Dick and I went together and decided on all our big stuff.  What was disappointing was that they told us they suggest having at least 100-150 things to pick from.  After an hour and a half of deciding on things we had 10 items total.  This Sunday I took my sister-in-law back with me and left Dick at home and had a much more successful outing.  We pretty much finished up everything and had at least 150 things.  It was so nice having someone with experience!!  What a relief to be done!

This week Dick and I also played in a Bean Bag Tournament.  We had a lot of fun and even though we didn't win, my little brother took 1st place.  We even made "his" and "hers" shirts for the occasion.  Yes they say, "We're #1". 
 
Not much else to report this week.  I'm really starting to get into planning mode.  I feel like there is still a lot to do and now only 3 1/2 months to do it.  I know I just need to focus on one thing at a time and that is all I can do. 
 
 
 
Julie

Monday, August 5, 2013

23 Weeks! ...and a sad note

I would like to start out by saying that 23 is my FAVORITE NUMBER!  I was born on the 23rd so maybe that is why.  I have nothing else to attribute my love for the number to.  Click to see this weeks belly pic.  However this week I have to focus this post elsewhere than baby...

Last week was very tough for us.  We lost our "first baby" Bosko who was our almost 13 year old Springer Spaniel. 

I'm still having a very rough time with it.  I'd like to explain, but first I want to write a little bit about Bosko.  We got him about 5 years ago on Halloween weekend.  I found a picture of him online and found out he was at the humane society in the town that I grew up in which is not far away.  He had been brought in as a stray with no information on him, but the humane society had him named Arwin.  I needed to go meet him right away.  I had my Mom come along with me to check things out and instantly fell in love with his big brown eyes, big floppy ears and cute little cropped tail (later to be known as his turd tail).  He was the only dog at the humane society not barking so we let him out in the play area and the first thing he wanted was to get up and sit on the picnic table.  He continued to love sitting on top of picnic tables ... I still don't know why.

Anyways, I filled out the paperwork and he was mine and his new name was BOSKO!  A name I had picked in admiration of a friend I had made while studying in Australia whose last name was Bosko.  The only thing was that night we had planned a Halloween party at the house which was not the ideal situation for a new scared dog, but Bosko did great!  He loved everyone and was such a sweet guy.  He also showed his first naughty side since we went out we left him alone and when we got home he had broken out of the basement, gone upstairs and torn up the garbage can.  He even let me take this picture of him with part of my costume: 
From the start Bosko was such a handsome guy.  Every where I went people would stop me to tell me how beautiful Bosko was.  Even straight "off the streets" he was one of the most adorable dogs I had ever met... Maybe that is just my bias:
...and then we gave him this hair cut:
He stole my heart from that moment on.  No matter how many odd quirks Bosko had, he loved his Momma with everything he had and I loved him back.  I remember his first vet appointment having the vet tell me he could tell I was his main caretaker and that he was such a good boy being at the vet and that he probably felt safe being with me. 
 
I don't remember how much longer after we had him Bosko became famous for another odd quirk of his which became known as tableclothing.  I was in the kitchen one Saturday morning and I noticed Bosko was over by the table kind of walking around under that chairs.  I called him and he didn't respond so I pulled the chairs out and realized he was kind of petting himself by walking under the cloth and letting it run along his fur and making this weird clicking sound with his tongue.  That is how tableclothing was born.


Some of Bosko's other biggest quirks was that he thought he was a lap dog, all 60+ pounds...


...and he loved keeping us in line about keeping our laundry put away...or he would sleep on them:

We'll never forget Bosko's first trip out fishing in our new boat.  He had so much fun watching the birds and of course barking at them...
...and when we caught the one and only fish for the day, he ate the tail off of it:
Then it came time we decided to get Bosko a little sister:
He didn't seem to mind splitting the attention and letting Lady rule the roost.  He would keep himself busy tableclothing and napping.  (2 of his favorite things) and letting us dress him up (okay maybe that was one of my favorite things):
 
******************sad stuff to come*************
Over the past year we have really noticed Bosko starting to slow down.  He has arthritis in his joints, he was starting to only be able to handle much shorter walks.  We knew that due to old age that this was how things happen.  Over the past month we knew Bosko was really starting to go down hill fast, I'm not going to go over everything, but finally last week when I called the vet to describe his symptoms I knew either way there would be an extremely difficult decision to make.  Everything pointed to kidney failure and while we could have decided to try and make things a little more comfortable, things would only start getting much worse for him.  I would not see my "baby" go through it when I knew there was a much more humane decision.  So last Thursday as when I brought him home, I called my Mom to come with me (Dick was at work and could not get home) to take him into the vet.  I've had dogs in the past that we have had to put to sleep, but never when it was just "my" dog.  It was the most peaceful thing, despite how sad I was pretty much sobbing through the whole thing, but being there for my friend who had been by my side through everything the past 5 years as he slowly closed his eyes for the last time.  I am crying as I write about this, but still can sense the relief knowing that he didn't have to be in pain anymore.
 
I cried and cried until there were no more tears left to cry.  The more I thought about him the more I began to realize a few things.  One that was the most difficult adult decision I have had to make and two is this:
God plans things in our life perfectly.  Bosko came into our lives at one of the most difficult times I have ever experienced while dealing with infertility for most of the time he was with us.  It sounds kind of corny, but I think God sort of has a sense of humor so hear me out.  Bosko wasn't the perfect dog, in fact he was a little nutty, needy and often times a big pain in the butt.  Those who knew Bosko know I say that very lovingly.  At times it felt like a burden dealing with a dog that had so many quirks, but now looking back that was exactly what I needed.  I needed that feeling of being a Mommy to someone that NEEDED me and not being able to have a baby, Bosko filled that void.  I took care of him and he took care of me when I would come home after finding out another IUI had failed or when we didn't know how to move forward.  He loved me unconditionally.
 
There were days when I would just be crying and he would look at me with his big brown eyes and I wouldn't feel so lonely because I had my Bosko.  He would just lay there quietly and let out a big sigh because he knew when I was in pain.  Its almost as though he could feel it too. 
 
I knew things would be difficult with Bosko once the baby came.  We would have less time to give him the attention he needed and while he is okay around kids I still worry because of how he is when there was food around (being a stray and all kind of does that to you), but I was ready to take on the challenge and thinking of ways we would be able to welcome our new family member in December and make things work.  I pictured all 5 of us sitting taking our first family picture by the Christmas tree.  Things didn't work out that way.  Just as God knew the right time to bring Bosko into our lives he knew when it was time to let him be at peace. 
 
Every time I think of Bosko I will smile because that is the kind of dog he was.  Always doing something that would make us wonder what in the world he was thinking, keeping us on his time schedule and showing his love to everyone who met him.  He will always be in my heart because as much as I'd like to think I rescued him...he rescued me.
 

The Chickee La La's

It took us years of discussion to finally pull the trigger on being "Chicken People".  Let me tell you why, our dog Lady has Cock...