Had our 39 Week appointment yesterday! Nothing too crazy - got to listen to our Lil G's heartbeat - 142bpm and got my belly measured - which is now right on track...measured in at 39 weeks!
I was definitely curious to know if any 'progress' had been made since our 38 week apt (i.e. dilation/effacement), but wasn't going to volunteer being 'checked' again! Dr. Fernbach said everything looked good, and that if he didn't see us before our appointment next week (i.e. at the hospital) that he would do another internal check to see how we are progressing!
I'm just doing my best to keep this little one hibernating til Jenni gets here (per her request). She'll get in around 2pm on Monday so we'll see! Mom and Dad are coming in late tonight...I'm hoping they are already on the road...I'm worried about them driving so late, esp. after Mom worked all day!
Tomorrow we are doing Thanksgiving Dinner at George's parents - I guess his mom has a 'backup plan' for the Turkey in case we end up going into labor! I was talking to his sister, Leni, last night and she was cracking herself up with how funny it would be if my 'water' broke while we were having our dinner ~ yeah...not so funny for me ~ I'd be mortified! But, we are hoping to be able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner and are especially Thankful that we've had a healthy pregnancy and can't wait to meet our 'Lil G' - just hopefully - after Thanksgiving! Oh and we also want to be there when George's Cousin and Husband, Maria and Kyle (future Greek Godparents of 'Lil G') announce what their little one is - they just found out on Monday, so we definitely don't want to miss that announcement!
We are truly blessed and have SO MUCH to be THANKFUL for! We'll keep you posted if we make it to Week 40 - or if 'Lil G' decides to show up a little early :D!!!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sleep and Dreams...still tired...
This weekend was a weekend - full of crazy sleep and dreams, which ultimately left me feeling well...not so rested.
We spent the weekend trying to clean and organize things a bit more before the arrival of our 'Lil G' - so Saturday we had stripped the bed, flipped the mattress, washed the pillows, remade the bed...but the pillows weren't quite dry yet...so went to bed using the pillows that are normally in our pillow shams...and very full, stiff pillows. So, Sunday morning, I woke up feeling like I'd been beat in my sleep - maybe my 'pregnancy induced' snoring is finally getting to my dear husband and he's 'beating' me in his and my sleep - ok...not really...I'm blaming it on the stupid pillows!
So, after church I was absolutely exhausted and decided to lay down and take a nap. It took me a while to finally get comfortable and fall asleep, but I finally did...and proceeded to dream that George and I were doing a bike ride, WITH LOTS of HILLS, and I was nervous going down the hills that my brakes were going to give out (I think my brakes really do need to be fixed on my bike...), so I was cautiously applying my front brake as needed :). Then at one point we came to stairs and I figured it best not to try and ride down them, so I picked up my bike and proceeded to run down them w/ my Belly and all :D! I had all these people saying to me that they couldn't believe I was doing the ride and I was like - 'Oh I've got another week or so before the baby come, no worries :D' - Ha ha! Thankfully, my mom called around 3ish and so I didn't 'finish' the bike ride - I probably would have woken up even more sore :D
Last night - after finally falling asleep - I proceed to dream that I read all the baby books I had, which in the dream was a TON more than I actually have! So, I would read one put it away, and go onto the next one and read it! I woke up at what I thought was 6:30, and was just purely exhausted, feeling like I hadn't been asleep - that I'd actually be reading that entire time, thankfully my eyes saw the numbers wrong and it was 5:30, so I was able to go back to sleep for another 1.5hrs! Craziness and I couldn't even tell you what I 'learned/read' in the books - ha!
Oh - and I'm not the only one having crazy dreams! One of my best friends from my ERAU days - Mariann - texted me early Sunday morning to tell me that she had dreamt that we were getting manicures together and I went into labor :) ha ha! I do want to go get a pedicure before 'Lil G' arrives, so let's hope that her dream isn't a 'sign' :D
Anyway...just thought I'd jot down the crazy dreams...I'm hoping that I can get a restful sleep tonight. All this dreaming has left me exhausted - but I hear that, along with getting up to go to the restroom every few hours is just our body's way of preparing us to get up with that little one every few hours after s/he arrives! I'd just like to be a little more rested before s/he arrives :)
So exciting! 1 week and 1 day from tomorrow til our 'official' due date! We should have done a 'pool' on when s/he would arrive :) and if 'Lil G' was a girl or a boy...oh well! I am gonna miss being pregnant - it's definitely been a fun experience! But, I can't wait to meet our 'Lil G' - the reality that we'll be holding our little baby boy/girl soon still hasn't sunk in!!! I'm not sure it actually will until I'm holding him/her in my arms!
We spent the weekend trying to clean and organize things a bit more before the arrival of our 'Lil G' - so Saturday we had stripped the bed, flipped the mattress, washed the pillows, remade the bed...but the pillows weren't quite dry yet...so went to bed using the pillows that are normally in our pillow shams...and very full, stiff pillows. So, Sunday morning, I woke up feeling like I'd been beat in my sleep - maybe my 'pregnancy induced' snoring is finally getting to my dear husband and he's 'beating' me in his and my sleep - ok...not really...I'm blaming it on the stupid pillows!
So, after church I was absolutely exhausted and decided to lay down and take a nap. It took me a while to finally get comfortable and fall asleep, but I finally did...and proceeded to dream that George and I were doing a bike ride, WITH LOTS of HILLS, and I was nervous going down the hills that my brakes were going to give out (I think my brakes really do need to be fixed on my bike...), so I was cautiously applying my front brake as needed :). Then at one point we came to stairs and I figured it best not to try and ride down them, so I picked up my bike and proceeded to run down them w/ my Belly and all :D! I had all these people saying to me that they couldn't believe I was doing the ride and I was like - 'Oh I've got another week or so before the baby come, no worries :D' - Ha ha! Thankfully, my mom called around 3ish and so I didn't 'finish' the bike ride - I probably would have woken up even more sore :D
Last night - after finally falling asleep - I proceed to dream that I read all the baby books I had, which in the dream was a TON more than I actually have! So, I would read one put it away, and go onto the next one and read it! I woke up at what I thought was 6:30, and was just purely exhausted, feeling like I hadn't been asleep - that I'd actually be reading that entire time, thankfully my eyes saw the numbers wrong and it was 5:30, so I was able to go back to sleep for another 1.5hrs! Craziness and I couldn't even tell you what I 'learned/read' in the books - ha!
Oh - and I'm not the only one having crazy dreams! One of my best friends from my ERAU days - Mariann - texted me early Sunday morning to tell me that she had dreamt that we were getting manicures together and I went into labor :) ha ha! I do want to go get a pedicure before 'Lil G' arrives, so let's hope that her dream isn't a 'sign' :D
Anyway...just thought I'd jot down the crazy dreams...I'm hoping that I can get a restful sleep tonight. All this dreaming has left me exhausted - but I hear that, along with getting up to go to the restroom every few hours is just our body's way of preparing us to get up with that little one every few hours after s/he arrives! I'd just like to be a little more rested before s/he arrives :)
So exciting! 1 week and 1 day from tomorrow til our 'official' due date! We should have done a 'pool' on when s/he would arrive :) and if 'Lil G' was a girl or a boy...oh well! I am gonna miss being pregnant - it's definitely been a fun experience! But, I can't wait to meet our 'Lil G' - the reality that we'll be holding our little baby boy/girl soon still hasn't sunk in!!! I'm not sure it actually will until I'm holding him/her in my arms!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Old Wives Tales...mostly predict GIRL!
I had an eye doctor's apt. on Monday - need to get some new contacts ordered before 'Lil G' arrives :) So, while there I of course was getting asked the normal pregnancy questions of: "When are you due?" and "Do you know what you are having?", etc. :)
So while in with the Doctor - he asked me if we knew what we were having and I of course said, 'No, we are going the Surprise route!"! So, then he starts to tell me about this study that he read where you can 'predict' the gender of babies by how the mother's tears break up. So, he asked if I wanted him to give it a shot :) I said sure, why not, it's all in good fun! So, he dapped my lower eye lid with something to get it to tear up...and then watched thru his scope to see how fast my tears 'broke' up (at least that's how I understood it). The study said if the mother's tears broke up in under 6 seconds, she was having a Girl and if they broke up after 10 seconds, she was having a Boy!
Mine broke up in 2 seconds...so based on this 'study'...we are having a GIRL! :) Ha ha! So, we'll see - I told him I'd let him know!
Another 'wives tale' that we played with was the Ring test - where you take a ring - I used my wedding ring and tied it to a piece of hair. Then you hang it over your wrist area, without letting it touch. The ring then begins to move - on its own - which is crazy! Based on the movement of the ring you can 'predict' if it is a girl, boy, and how many children you'll have (to do multiple kids you touch it to your wrist in between motions) - here's the breakdown:
Circle - it's a GIRL
Parallel with Forearm - it's a BOY
Perpendicular to Forearm - you are done having kids...
So...we of course had to try this (I had lots of my girlfriends do it :D) and based off that...it says...that We (George and I) will have three kids (had always planned for 4 - but we'll see...maybe we'll adopt one :D)...but of the three we will have it will be: Girl, Boy, Girl! So, another 'wives tale' we'll have to 'verify' :D
We of course have had various people look at me and the 'way I am carrying the baby' and tell me - "Oh it's a Girl!" or "Oh, it's a Boy!" or another one I heard recently was that If the mother is glowing - she's having a 'Boy' but if she's looked pretty rough through her pregnancy - she's having a 'Girl - b/c the girl steals all her beauty'. Ha - so...all those people that have told me I'm having a Girl - obviously thought I wasn't looking so great :P! Got a good laugh out of that one!
Regardless of what we are having - we will love this little one to pieces :) I think we both definitely have a little Girl on the brain...me mainly because I've slipped a few times and referred to 'Lil G' as 'She' - and probably because so many people have said 'Girl'. So lately I've been trying to prepare my brain that we could very well have a 'Boy' :) Ha ha! Either way - we will be surprised and can't wait to know and to hold 'Lil G'
Only 2 weeks - plus or minus a few days before we are holding our own little one in our arms!!!
So while in with the Doctor - he asked me if we knew what we were having and I of course said, 'No, we are going the Surprise route!"! So, then he starts to tell me about this study that he read where you can 'predict' the gender of babies by how the mother's tears break up. So, he asked if I wanted him to give it a shot :) I said sure, why not, it's all in good fun! So, he dapped my lower eye lid with something to get it to tear up...and then watched thru his scope to see how fast my tears 'broke' up (at least that's how I understood it). The study said if the mother's tears broke up in under 6 seconds, she was having a Girl and if they broke up after 10 seconds, she was having a Boy!
Mine broke up in 2 seconds...so based on this 'study'...we are having a GIRL! :) Ha ha! So, we'll see - I told him I'd let him know!
Another 'wives tale' that we played with was the Ring test - where you take a ring - I used my wedding ring and tied it to a piece of hair. Then you hang it over your wrist area, without letting it touch. The ring then begins to move - on its own - which is crazy! Based on the movement of the ring you can 'predict' if it is a girl, boy, and how many children you'll have (to do multiple kids you touch it to your wrist in between motions) - here's the breakdown:
Circle - it's a GIRL
Parallel with Forearm - it's a BOY
Perpendicular to Forearm - you are done having kids...
So...we of course had to try this (I had lots of my girlfriends do it :D) and based off that...it says...that We (George and I) will have three kids (had always planned for 4 - but we'll see...maybe we'll adopt one :D)...but of the three we will have it will be: Girl, Boy, Girl! So, another 'wives tale' we'll have to 'verify' :D
We of course have had various people look at me and the 'way I am carrying the baby' and tell me - "Oh it's a Girl!" or "Oh, it's a Boy!" or another one I heard recently was that If the mother is glowing - she's having a 'Boy' but if she's looked pretty rough through her pregnancy - she's having a 'Girl - b/c the girl steals all her beauty'. Ha - so...all those people that have told me I'm having a Girl - obviously thought I wasn't looking so great :P! Got a good laugh out of that one!
Regardless of what we are having - we will love this little one to pieces :) I think we both definitely have a little Girl on the brain...me mainly because I've slipped a few times and referred to 'Lil G' as 'She' - and probably because so many people have said 'Girl'. So lately I've been trying to prepare my brain that we could very well have a 'Boy' :) Ha ha! Either way - we will be surprised and can't wait to know and to hold 'Lil G'
Only 2 weeks - plus or minus a few days before we are holding our own little one in our arms!!!
38 weeks...will we make it to weeks 39 and 40?
So yesterday - was our 38 week mark and we had our weekly check up with Dr. Fernbach. I was dreading the appointment, mostly because I had heard this weekend that it was painful, but was also anxious to know if we had an progression towards the arrival of 'Lil G'!
Dr. Fernbach measured my belly again (after saying "Oh that's a nice round belly :D") and we are now measuring at 38 weeks (even though he measured 39 last week), so it truly is subjective. We also got to hear "Lil G's" heartbeat again, which always puts the biggest grin on my face :D and it was about 139, so a little slower than normal, but that is to be expected since s/he isn't moving around quite as much. Then came the internal exam :P - and yes - OUCH it did hurt, but it was nice to hear that we are over 80% effaced and 1cm dilated. Dr. Fernbach, seemed pleased and said "Any day/time now!" - ha ha which I think was a 'wake up call' for George and I. He told us he'd see us next week, if not before then at the hospital!!! HOLY SMOKES...so we could very well have a little one in our arms before Thanksgiving - we surely have so much to be Thankful for!! Although, I don't think Mom and Jenni would be too happy to miss his/her arrival!
So...for now we are schedule for next Tuesday for our 39week apt., but also made sure we moved the pack n' play into our room and got our bags packed, just in case we end up coming home with a little one sooner than we thought! I have heard of people going for weeks being dilated at 1 and 2 cm - so we'll see :)
We enjoyed the rest of the day/evening - we got to go and FINALLY meet Quinn Madison - our friend's Ryan and Barb's new little girl - she is absolutely precious and Big brother Rowan loves her so much! Here's a few pictures of the growing family :)
From Ryan and Barb's we headed over to see our nephew/Godson, Gregory, perform in his first band recital. They did such a great job, especially for only a few months of practice! Here's a picture of him :)
Dr. Fernbach measured my belly again (after saying "Oh that's a nice round belly :D") and we are now measuring at 38 weeks (even though he measured 39 last week), so it truly is subjective. We also got to hear "Lil G's" heartbeat again, which always puts the biggest grin on my face :D and it was about 139, so a little slower than normal, but that is to be expected since s/he isn't moving around quite as much. Then came the internal exam :P - and yes - OUCH it did hurt, but it was nice to hear that we are over 80% effaced and 1cm dilated. Dr. Fernbach, seemed pleased and said "Any day/time now!" - ha ha which I think was a 'wake up call' for George and I. He told us he'd see us next week, if not before then at the hospital!!! HOLY SMOKES...so we could very well have a little one in our arms before Thanksgiving - we surely have so much to be Thankful for!! Although, I don't think Mom and Jenni would be too happy to miss his/her arrival!
So...for now we are schedule for next Tuesday for our 39week apt., but also made sure we moved the pack n' play into our room and got our bags packed, just in case we end up coming home with a little one sooner than we thought! I have heard of people going for weeks being dilated at 1 and 2 cm - so we'll see :)
We enjoyed the rest of the day/evening - we got to go and FINALLY meet Quinn Madison - our friend's Ryan and Barb's new little girl - she is absolutely precious and Big brother Rowan loves her so much! Here's a few pictures of the growing family :)
From Ryan and Barb's we headed over to see our nephew/Godson, Gregory, perform in his first band recital. They did such a great job, especially for only a few months of practice! Here's a picture of him :)
Friday, November 12, 2010
37 Weeks...and Kitchen Remodel Progression :)
Okay - so 37 weeks has almost come and gone! I can't believe we are getting so close! Esp. knowing that 'Lil G' is now full term and could basically come at any time! :D
This week has been an exciting one, as our friends Ryan and Barb welcomed a little girl, Quinn Madison, into their family :D She was born on the 9th - just two days after her due date! Weighing in at 9lbs 1oz - I told Barb, I'm not sure how she fit b/c Barb is so tiny! She basically looked like she had a basketball under her shirt! We are hoping to go and meet her tomorrow, we would have gone sooner, but Ryan and Barb were exhausted and got to head home the following day, so we decided to let them get settled at home - but we can't wait to meet her!!!
Also heading home on Weds. - just one and a half weeks after their delivery - was Dela and Mike with their twin boys Miles and Jack :) Which is so exciting! Not sure if you remember or not, but Dela's 'official' due date was 1 week after me. So her boys were born at 34 weeks and 6 days - after Dela managed to keep them hibernating an extra 6 weeks - which is just incredible :)!!! I can't wait to meet these little guys and hold them too...but it'll likely be this spring before that happens :(
As for us and 'Lil G' we are still doing great :) No real changes...that we know of. I've started to have a little more pelvic pain/pressure, cramps (which I'm told are like 'false labor'), and random Braxton Hicks Contractions (also 'false labor' but painless). So - I've read and been told - all of which is normal and is basically my body preparing for the BIG Event!!!
Other exciting news on the home front is my Beautiful new Kitchen :) I am amazed by the transformation! I'll have to post a final final picture once all the dishes get put away, etc. but here are some shots of the Before and After! George and his Dad (who MADE our cabinets and Counter top) did an Incredible Job!!!
Entry Way Progression...
Before:
After Demo:
Tile Laid:
Tile Grouted and Baseboard up (different angle):
Kitchen Progression (Sink Side):
Before:
After Demo:
Reconstruction:
Countertops, Doors, Backsplash Started:
Backsplash and Tile Baseboard Done:
Kitchen Progression (Stove/Fridge Side):
Before:
After Demo:
Reconstruction - Cabinets In:
Cabinet Doors and Crown Molding:
Backsplash Done:
I'll do my best to get FINAL pics taken and posted this weekend :) It is truly a beautiful transformation! We can't say Thank you enough to everyone that helped - GG and His Dad throughout the entire process and the countless hours they put in, Frank, Kyle, Jacob, and Mike with Demo; GG's Dad's buddy for tiling, Frank (help with Electrical and Baseboard), Christopher (moving around the Shop Vac and being a good 'Gopher'), Gus for plaster/drywall, and Mom D for the wonderful meals she's fed us, while we were without a Kitchen! I'm sure I've probably missed someone or something that someone did...and if so...I'm sorry - we'll blame it on preggo brain...but we seriously can't Thank everyone enough for all your help and in the making of our new kitchen and in making it happen so quickly! :) Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!
This week has been an exciting one, as our friends Ryan and Barb welcomed a little girl, Quinn Madison, into their family :D She was born on the 9th - just two days after her due date! Weighing in at 9lbs 1oz - I told Barb, I'm not sure how she fit b/c Barb is so tiny! She basically looked like she had a basketball under her shirt! We are hoping to go and meet her tomorrow, we would have gone sooner, but Ryan and Barb were exhausted and got to head home the following day, so we decided to let them get settled at home - but we can't wait to meet her!!!
Also heading home on Weds. - just one and a half weeks after their delivery - was Dela and Mike with their twin boys Miles and Jack :) Which is so exciting! Not sure if you remember or not, but Dela's 'official' due date was 1 week after me. So her boys were born at 34 weeks and 6 days - after Dela managed to keep them hibernating an extra 6 weeks - which is just incredible :)!!! I can't wait to meet these little guys and hold them too...but it'll likely be this spring before that happens :(
As for us and 'Lil G' we are still doing great :) No real changes...that we know of. I've started to have a little more pelvic pain/pressure, cramps (which I'm told are like 'false labor'), and random Braxton Hicks Contractions (also 'false labor' but painless). So - I've read and been told - all of which is normal and is basically my body preparing for the BIG Event!!!
Other exciting news on the home front is my Beautiful new Kitchen :) I am amazed by the transformation! I'll have to post a final final picture once all the dishes get put away, etc. but here are some shots of the Before and After! George and his Dad (who MADE our cabinets and Counter top) did an Incredible Job!!!
Entry Way Progression...
Before:
After Demo:
Tile Laid:
Tile Grouted and Baseboard up (different angle):
Kitchen Progression (Sink Side):
Before:
After Demo:
Reconstruction:
Countertops, Doors, Backsplash Started:
Backsplash and Tile Baseboard Done:
Kitchen Progression (Stove/Fridge Side):
Before:
After Demo:
Reconstruction - Cabinets In:
Cabinet Doors and Crown Molding:
Backsplash Done:
I'll do my best to get FINAL pics taken and posted this weekend :) It is truly a beautiful transformation! We can't say Thank you enough to everyone that helped - GG and His Dad throughout the entire process and the countless hours they put in, Frank, Kyle, Jacob, and Mike with Demo; GG's Dad's buddy for tiling, Frank (help with Electrical and Baseboard), Christopher (moving around the Shop Vac and being a good 'Gopher'), Gus for plaster/drywall, and Mom D for the wonderful meals she's fed us, while we were without a Kitchen! I'm sure I've probably missed someone or something that someone did...and if so...I'm sorry - we'll blame it on preggo brain...but we seriously can't Thank everyone enough for all your help and in the making of our new kitchen and in making it happen so quickly! :) Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
36 Weeks...
Wow - I can't believe that we are at 36 weeks already! We had our weekly check up yesterday and all is good :) at 38 weeks, we'll get checked to see if there is any effacement/dilation beginning. I have started to have a few cramps (which I've been told are Braxton Hicks Contractions), but definitely nothing regular, so I think my body is just practicing for 'Lil G's' arrival!! S/he has definitely been really active these past few weeks - LOVE IT!
This past weekend was an exciting one :)
Friday - GG and I picked up the rest of our baby furniture and he finished grouting the floor. :)
Here's a picture of GG hard at work!
Saturday - Yue came over to help me finish getting the rest of the quote up and George and his Dad carried up the rest of the furniture (tall dresser and the chair/ottoman) - so exciting :)
GG and I in front of finished quote and you can see the chair/ottoman :)
Yue and I :) Thanks so much Yue!
Sunday - I got a text from Dela first thing in the morning that her water had broke and they were on their way to Mission Memorial in Asheville. I got to talk to her around noon and she was 8cm dialated, I think the boys were born around 1:30ish (or just after I got off the phone with her b/c a nurse was coming in to check her), I got the text that they had arrived while I was out to lunch with the girls (Tracie, Binh, Iris, and Rachelle) at 56 West. :) So excited for her and Mike, oh and I love the boys' names - Jack and Miles! (I did just get pictures...but I'm waiting for Dela to post some first...they are seriously the cutest things ever!) I can't wait to hold them...it's breaking my heart I have to wait months...
Sunday afternoon we met with Kimberly Althausen of http://www.kimberlyalthausen.com/ - to take some maternity pictures :). Here's a sneak peek of them! She did a great job and we can't wait to see the rest! It was a bit chilly, but well worth it! Thanks so much Kim!
Me, 'Lil G', and George
Holding Hands and 'Lil G'
Our gift :D
Kim is also going to take "Lil G's" newborn pictures for us :) We can't wait for those!
We finished the weekend off with handing out candy for Halloween :)!
I still need to blog about the Kitchen Remodel, but maybe I'll wait till the very end to post 'Before' and 'After' Pictures! I am very excited though b/c the cabinets are going in today :) and it looks great soo far! Here's a sneak peek at the cabinet install!
As for other happenings this week - not a whole lot...I did pack "Lil G's" bag for the hospital :) we have both our boy and girl outfits ready to bring him/her home in :D! We also got the car seat installed in the car and checked at our local fire dept. this morning :) Unfortunately, our 'convertible' car seat won't fit rear facing in GG's truck, so we thought we'd have to buy another base for the carrier. Thankfully though, Yue has offered for us to use her other base (same car seat style), so we'll be good until 'Lil G' isn't in the carrier anymore. After that point, we'll have to take my car or push the front passenger seat up in the truck and I'll sit in the back with 'Lil G' :) So, we'll see...it definitely is weird to have that little car seat back there! Soon enough 'Lil G' will be back there too! :D We can't wait!!!
This past weekend was an exciting one :)
Friday - GG and I picked up the rest of our baby furniture and he finished grouting the floor. :)
Here's a picture of GG hard at work!
Saturday - Yue came over to help me finish getting the rest of the quote up and George and his Dad carried up the rest of the furniture (tall dresser and the chair/ottoman) - so exciting :)
GG and I in front of finished quote and you can see the chair/ottoman :)
Yue and I :) Thanks so much Yue!
Sunday - I got a text from Dela first thing in the morning that her water had broke and they were on their way to Mission Memorial in Asheville. I got to talk to her around noon and she was 8cm dialated, I think the boys were born around 1:30ish (or just after I got off the phone with her b/c a nurse was coming in to check her), I got the text that they had arrived while I was out to lunch with the girls (Tracie, Binh, Iris, and Rachelle) at 56 West. :) So excited for her and Mike, oh and I love the boys' names - Jack and Miles! (I did just get pictures...but I'm waiting for Dela to post some first...they are seriously the cutest things ever!) I can't wait to hold them...it's breaking my heart I have to wait months...
Sunday afternoon we met with Kimberly Althausen of http://www.kimberlyalthausen.com/ - to take some maternity pictures :). Here's a sneak peek of them! She did a great job and we can't wait to see the rest! It was a bit chilly, but well worth it! Thanks so much Kim!
Me, 'Lil G', and George
Holding Hands and 'Lil G'
Our gift :D
Kim is also going to take "Lil G's" newborn pictures for us :) We can't wait for those!
We finished the weekend off with handing out candy for Halloween :)!
I still need to blog about the Kitchen Remodel, but maybe I'll wait till the very end to post 'Before' and 'After' Pictures! I am very excited though b/c the cabinets are going in today :) and it looks great soo far! Here's a sneak peek at the cabinet install!
As for other happenings this week - not a whole lot...I did pack "Lil G's" bag for the hospital :) we have both our boy and girl outfits ready to bring him/her home in :D! We also got the car seat installed in the car and checked at our local fire dept. this morning :) Unfortunately, our 'convertible' car seat won't fit rear facing in GG's truck, so we thought we'd have to buy another base for the carrier. Thankfully though, Yue has offered for us to use her other base (same car seat style), so we'll be good until 'Lil G' isn't in the carrier anymore. After that point, we'll have to take my car or push the front passenger seat up in the truck and I'll sit in the back with 'Lil G' :) So, we'll see...it definitely is weird to have that little car seat back there! Soon enough 'Lil G' will be back there too! :D We can't wait!!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
October - where did you go?
Okay - so where did October go? I can't believe that next week is November already and that a month from Saturday is our "Lil G's" DUE DATE!!!
We've just finished our 5 weeks for 'Prepared Childbirth' - we did the whole 'Hee Hee Hee Ho' breathing bit - which I had a hard time keeping my giggles contained...I'm sure everyone else was ready to shoot me...and GG reasured me that I probably wouldn't be giggling when it was the real thing :) - ha ha - but oh how awesome would that be if I just laughed my way thru labor! I know...very unrealistic...and I'd probably be admitted to the Psych Ward before they'd discharge me :D. But, over all it was a great class - definitely learned A LOT and was glad to have GG by my side in the classes - he's be great at being there for everything, classes, and all Dr.'s apts. - haven't had to push him once about being involved! He's even going to 'Daddy Bootcamp' this weekend - which I thought for sure he'd push back on...since he has to go by himself, but he's looking forward to it! I know he'll be a great dad!
Last week at our class we did the hospital tour again, and then got to learn about all the 'postpartum' care :P BLAH - they don't tell you about this before you get preggo (well actually I had been warned by some friends)...but I'm sure that it is all worth it in the end. Glad that GG was there for that too - b/c now he'll know what I'm going thru - ha and he did lean over at one point and say 'I'm so glad I'm a guy!' Which I have often wished for myself...just seems they have it easier...but they also don't get to experience 'carrying a child and feeling that little one move inside you' - so...with I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Last night was our last class and we learned 'Baby Basics' - how to give a newborn a bath (those first few weeks), changing a diaper, taking a rectal temp, dealing with circumsion, etc. etc. - it was very helpful and I just hope we remember it all when we come home :) Oh and one fun fact - well more so for GG and all the Browns fans...was that we had a Browns player and his wife in our class (they are actually due a week from today) - Jason Trusnik.
Tonight we have our Breastfeeding class - it was supposed to be next Weds. but they needed to move it up, so this will be our last class. Crazy to think b/c I remember signing us up for all of them, and weird to think we are finally done. It has been really nice that our Hospital has such a great program to help you prepare :)!
As for other things going on...we had our 'Greek Baby Shower' on 10-10-10 - which was wonderful - our hostesses did such a great job! I will have to post some pictures from that shower as well! We were once again showered with so much love and goodies for "Lil G" - I think we are really ready for this little one now, we just need to pick up a few more items and we'll be set! We were also especially excited b/c my Mom, Dan and Becca, and Manisha were all able to come in for the weekend to help us celebrate, so it was great to spend some QT with them :)
Mom and Manisha also helped me get the quote started in the baby room, and all the letters/words cut out, which was a HUGE blessing! It is definitely a very time consuming effort to get them letters/words up, but it was so much cheaper to do it this way than to order it from a 'custom vinyl wall decoration place' - only cost me $18 total - and of course borrowing the Cricut from Leni :) (thanks Leni!).
We were able to get the nursery started with all the goodies we got from our Showers (Crib - Thanks to GG's parents, Bedding set - our hostesses, etc. etc.). We also had some of our furniture come in...here are some pics of the nursery in progress :)
Putting the Crib together:
The Closet Organizer that GG set up (LOVE IT!):
Crib with bedding set and Dresser:
Yue came over last week to help me get more of it put up on the wall and hopefully we'll be able to finish it up this weekend, since I just got the call that the rest of our furniture is in :) (Tall dresser, glider, and ottoman :D - YAY!!!)
We also got to do a 'Fall' day with family and friends a Mapleside Farms - Hayride and all, so that was fun and we celebrated our nephew Christopher's 5th B-day party (I can't believe he's 5 already!).
Oh...and we've started Kitchen demolition...That will have to be a separate post!
So...yes...I guess that is where October has gone...and we have so much to look fwd. to in November - Ryan and Barb welcoming baby #2, Jenni/Rex coming home, finishing up Kitchen :), Dela and Mike welcoming their identical twin boys (who are technically younger than Lil G - but you know twins - they tend to show up early - official Due date is Dec 6th), Thanksgiving, and of course finishing off the month with "Lil G's" arrival :D - YAY!
We've just finished our 5 weeks for 'Prepared Childbirth' - we did the whole 'Hee Hee Hee Ho' breathing bit - which I had a hard time keeping my giggles contained...I'm sure everyone else was ready to shoot me...and GG reasured me that I probably wouldn't be giggling when it was the real thing :) - ha ha - but oh how awesome would that be if I just laughed my way thru labor! I know...very unrealistic...and I'd probably be admitted to the Psych Ward before they'd discharge me :D. But, over all it was a great class - definitely learned A LOT and was glad to have GG by my side in the classes - he's be great at being there for everything, classes, and all Dr.'s apts. - haven't had to push him once about being involved! He's even going to 'Daddy Bootcamp' this weekend - which I thought for sure he'd push back on...since he has to go by himself, but he's looking forward to it! I know he'll be a great dad!
Last week at our class we did the hospital tour again, and then got to learn about all the 'postpartum' care :P BLAH - they don't tell you about this before you get preggo (well actually I had been warned by some friends)...but I'm sure that it is all worth it in the end. Glad that GG was there for that too - b/c now he'll know what I'm going thru - ha and he did lean over at one point and say 'I'm so glad I'm a guy!' Which I have often wished for myself...just seems they have it easier...but they also don't get to experience 'carrying a child and feeling that little one move inside you' - so...with I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Last night was our last class and we learned 'Baby Basics' - how to give a newborn a bath (those first few weeks), changing a diaper, taking a rectal temp, dealing with circumsion, etc. etc. - it was very helpful and I just hope we remember it all when we come home :) Oh and one fun fact - well more so for GG and all the Browns fans...was that we had a Browns player and his wife in our class (they are actually due a week from today) - Jason Trusnik.
Tonight we have our Breastfeeding class - it was supposed to be next Weds. but they needed to move it up, so this will be our last class. Crazy to think b/c I remember signing us up for all of them, and weird to think we are finally done. It has been really nice that our Hospital has such a great program to help you prepare :)!
As for other things going on...we had our 'Greek Baby Shower' on 10-10-10 - which was wonderful - our hostesses did such a great job! I will have to post some pictures from that shower as well! We were once again showered with so much love and goodies for "Lil G" - I think we are really ready for this little one now, we just need to pick up a few more items and we'll be set! We were also especially excited b/c my Mom, Dan and Becca, and Manisha were all able to come in for the weekend to help us celebrate, so it was great to spend some QT with them :)
Mom and Manisha also helped me get the quote started in the baby room, and all the letters/words cut out, which was a HUGE blessing! It is definitely a very time consuming effort to get them letters/words up, but it was so much cheaper to do it this way than to order it from a 'custom vinyl wall decoration place' - only cost me $18 total - and of course borrowing the Cricut from Leni :) (thanks Leni!).
We were able to get the nursery started with all the goodies we got from our Showers (Crib - Thanks to GG's parents, Bedding set - our hostesses, etc. etc.). We also had some of our furniture come in...here are some pics of the nursery in progress :)
Putting the Crib together:
The Closet Organizer that GG set up (LOVE IT!):
Crib with bedding set and Dresser:
Yue came over last week to help me get more of it put up on the wall and hopefully we'll be able to finish it up this weekend, since I just got the call that the rest of our furniture is in :) (Tall dresser, glider, and ottoman :D - YAY!!!)
We also got to do a 'Fall' day with family and friends a Mapleside Farms - Hayride and all, so that was fun and we celebrated our nephew Christopher's 5th B-day party (I can't believe he's 5 already!).
Oh...and we've started Kitchen demolition...That will have to be a separate post!
So...yes...I guess that is where October has gone...and we have so much to look fwd. to in November - Ryan and Barb welcoming baby #2, Jenni/Rex coming home, finishing up Kitchen :), Dela and Mike welcoming their identical twin boys (who are technically younger than Lil G - but you know twins - they tend to show up early - official Due date is Dec 6th), Thanksgiving, and of course finishing off the month with "Lil G's" arrival :D - YAY!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Catching up...
Okay - so things have been crazy busy since we got back from Greece.
Sept. 14th - we had our Introducing your dog to the baby class - which was very cool :)
Sept. 18th - We had our first Baby Shower (see other post :))
Sept. 24th - I flew home to NC for my friend Dela's Baby shower - she is due with Identical Twin Boys the week after me :) It ended up being a little different b/c she ended up in the hospital for the night b/c she was having contractions and was already 80% effaced, but they thankfully got it under control and she was released Saturday morning with strict 'Bedrest Orders' - so we took the shower to her! Little by little :) We still had everyone come to the hall which was decorated, but then shuttled them up to her house, so they could shower her and the boys with their love and gifts :)
Here's a picture of Sinead (her sister), Me, Dela, and Manish - at the end of the day!
I'll post some more pictures of the shower details later...but all in all we had a wonderful day and I was so happy that I was able to fly home for it.
It was also nice for me on a more personal basis b/c I was able to see some family that I haven't seen since the wedding and/or before! So, it was for for them to see my preggo belly :) and for me to share that with them! I can't wait for us to take 'Lil G' home to NC this spring to meet Dela's little boys and to show off our 'Lil G' :)
Good news update on my friend Dela too :) She has been following Dr.'s orders to a 'T' - only allowed to be up 5-10min/hr and has to rest on either her left or right side. Her hard work has paid off and her cervix has thickened up and looks like those little guys are staying put for a while longer :) We are all praying til at least early November - so keep her and them in your prayers :) They need to get a little bigger before they decide to make their appearance!
September 27th - We met with a potential pediatrics Doctor - that our OB/GYN Dr - Dr. Brooks and friend Yue had recommended. We fell in love with her and have decided that we'll go with her! She is a wonderfully sweet Christian lady that I know will look out for the best interest of our 'Lil G' :)
September 29th - we started our 'Prepared Childbirth Class' - it is a 5 week course that will cover, lamaze, baby basics, breathing, and the basics of what to expect when Lil G decides it's time to make his/her appearance! It was a good class - although I did struggle a bit w/ controlling my giggles during the relaxation/breathing part at the end of the class...those of you who know we well...know sometimes those giggles just come on and don't stop - often caused by nervousness :)
September 30th - a Happy Birthday to my brother Daniel and good friend Manisha - was also another Dental Cleaning - glad to be done with the dentist for a while...and we also got to meet our new Dr. We were supposed to have met him on the 21st (my Brother-in-Law Rex's B-day and good friend Bill's) but they didn't have us on the books :(. Anyway..our new Dr. is Dr. Fernbach - he is an older well seasoned doctor who was very thorough and to the point - we missed the 'small talk' that we had with Dr. Brooks, but are sure that he will do a good job :) We did find out after the fact that he delivered GG's Cousin Maria - who was an 11.5 lb baby - so we'll have to ask him at our next apt. if he remembers her! We are now visiting the Dr. every 2 weeks - so again on Oct. 14th and Oct 28th and then in November we'll go to seeing him weekly! WOW - we can't believe we are so close!
October 1st-3rd - Was a busy weekend! GG worked diligently to finish up the baby's room. We had stripped the wallpaper, he finished it while I was home in NC, and then primed last week, and painted it this weekend! It looks wonderful! On Saturday - our brother-in-law (Frank) came over to help install the overhead light in the baby room, which makes a world of difference - Thank you Frank! Then we went out to dinner with Frank and Leni on Saturday night! (Also a shout out to my Dad - who's Birthday was on Saturday!) Sunday afternoon - we headed to Leni and Frank's to help with the baby shower favors and rolling of silverware for our 'Greek Baby Shower' which is 10-10-10 :) It was fun to catch up with the family! Sunday night GG finished touching up the walls and then last night painted the trim! Here's a picture of the room in progress:
So all we have left is cleaning out the closet, setting up the closet organizer and cleaning the carpet! I'm looking forward to beginning to put all the goodies we have been blessed with in Lil G's room, so it is ready to welcome him/her in a 8 short weeks! We hit our 32 week mark today!
Tomorrow - we will go to our 2nd 'Prepared Childbirth Class' and Thursday - I have my Prenatal Water Thai Chi class (we thought it was a prenatal water aerobics class) that I am taking with Barb and Rachelle! It is definitely NOT aerobic...but I realized last week it is good for practicing our breathing and relaxing (for childbirth) and it also provides some good stretching - as well as some good quality time with my other preggo friends :)
Looking forward to this weekend. My mom and Manisha are flying in Friday night, and Dan/Becca are coming up either Friday night or Saturday for the Baby Shower on Sunday! I'm excited to have some quality time with them :) and we are very excited about our other baby shower! Mom and I are planning to start getting Lil G's room set up on Monday - since I have the day off and she isn't flying out until that evening :)
Yay! We are so truly blessed!
Sept. 14th - we had our Introducing your dog to the baby class - which was very cool :)
Sept. 18th - We had our first Baby Shower (see other post :))
Sept. 24th - I flew home to NC for my friend Dela's Baby shower - she is due with Identical Twin Boys the week after me :) It ended up being a little different b/c she ended up in the hospital for the night b/c she was having contractions and was already 80% effaced, but they thankfully got it under control and she was released Saturday morning with strict 'Bedrest Orders' - so we took the shower to her! Little by little :) We still had everyone come to the hall which was decorated, but then shuttled them up to her house, so they could shower her and the boys with their love and gifts :)
Here's a picture of Sinead (her sister), Me, Dela, and Manish - at the end of the day!
I'll post some more pictures of the shower details later...but all in all we had a wonderful day and I was so happy that I was able to fly home for it.
It was also nice for me on a more personal basis b/c I was able to see some family that I haven't seen since the wedding and/or before! So, it was for for them to see my preggo belly :) and for me to share that with them! I can't wait for us to take 'Lil G' home to NC this spring to meet Dela's little boys and to show off our 'Lil G' :)
Good news update on my friend Dela too :) She has been following Dr.'s orders to a 'T' - only allowed to be up 5-10min/hr and has to rest on either her left or right side. Her hard work has paid off and her cervix has thickened up and looks like those little guys are staying put for a while longer :) We are all praying til at least early November - so keep her and them in your prayers :) They need to get a little bigger before they decide to make their appearance!
September 27th - We met with a potential pediatrics Doctor - that our OB/GYN Dr - Dr. Brooks and friend Yue had recommended. We fell in love with her and have decided that we'll go with her! She is a wonderfully sweet Christian lady that I know will look out for the best interest of our 'Lil G' :)
September 29th - we started our 'Prepared Childbirth Class' - it is a 5 week course that will cover, lamaze, baby basics, breathing, and the basics of what to expect when Lil G decides it's time to make his/her appearance! It was a good class - although I did struggle a bit w/ controlling my giggles during the relaxation/breathing part at the end of the class...those of you who know we well...know sometimes those giggles just come on and don't stop - often caused by nervousness :)
September 30th - a Happy Birthday to my brother Daniel and good friend Manisha - was also another Dental Cleaning - glad to be done with the dentist for a while...and we also got to meet our new Dr. We were supposed to have met him on the 21st (my Brother-in-Law Rex's B-day and good friend Bill's) but they didn't have us on the books :(. Anyway..our new Dr. is Dr. Fernbach - he is an older well seasoned doctor who was very thorough and to the point - we missed the 'small talk' that we had with Dr. Brooks, but are sure that he will do a good job :) We did find out after the fact that he delivered GG's Cousin Maria - who was an 11.5 lb baby - so we'll have to ask him at our next apt. if he remembers her! We are now visiting the Dr. every 2 weeks - so again on Oct. 14th and Oct 28th and then in November we'll go to seeing him weekly! WOW - we can't believe we are so close!
October 1st-3rd - Was a busy weekend! GG worked diligently to finish up the baby's room. We had stripped the wallpaper, he finished it while I was home in NC, and then primed last week, and painted it this weekend! It looks wonderful! On Saturday - our brother-in-law (Frank) came over to help install the overhead light in the baby room, which makes a world of difference - Thank you Frank! Then we went out to dinner with Frank and Leni on Saturday night! (Also a shout out to my Dad - who's Birthday was on Saturday!) Sunday afternoon - we headed to Leni and Frank's to help with the baby shower favors and rolling of silverware for our 'Greek Baby Shower' which is 10-10-10 :) It was fun to catch up with the family! Sunday night GG finished touching up the walls and then last night painted the trim! Here's a picture of the room in progress:
So all we have left is cleaning out the closet, setting up the closet organizer and cleaning the carpet! I'm looking forward to beginning to put all the goodies we have been blessed with in Lil G's room, so it is ready to welcome him/her in a 8 short weeks! We hit our 32 week mark today!
Tomorrow - we will go to our 2nd 'Prepared Childbirth Class' and Thursday - I have my Prenatal Water Thai Chi class (we thought it was a prenatal water aerobics class) that I am taking with Barb and Rachelle! It is definitely NOT aerobic...but I realized last week it is good for practicing our breathing and relaxing (for childbirth) and it also provides some good stretching - as well as some good quality time with my other preggo friends :)
Looking forward to this weekend. My mom and Manisha are flying in Friday night, and Dan/Becca are coming up either Friday night or Saturday for the Baby Shower on Sunday! I'm excited to have some quality time with them :) and we are very excited about our other baby shower! Mom and I are planning to start getting Lil G's room set up on Monday - since I have the day off and she isn't flying out until that evening :)
Yay! We are so truly blessed!
Baby Shower - September 18, 2010
September 18th - We had our first baby shower - hosted by my wonderful friends Iris (and her family) and Yue! We can't even begin to say Thank-you to everyone for showering us with their love and support! Lil G will be greatly loved and we were reminded at how truly blessed we are with such great friends! Thank you!
Here are just a few pictures from the shower :)
Our cute cakes that Iris made - notice the 'Tarheel' one :D
All the amazing gifts our friends showered us and 'Lil G' with - Thank you!
GG and I with our friend Rachelle - she (and her team) were the winners of the diaper game - we all got a great laugh out of this :)
The beautiful blanket that Iris' mom made for Lil G :)
And the cute diaper cake that Marlene made for us :)
Oh..and a picture of us preggo girls :) L-R Barb (32 weeks), Vicki (29 weeks), Rachelle (18 weeks)
Many Thanks to everyone that came out and/or sent us their congratulations on Lil G! We are truly blessed! Thank you!
Here are just a few pictures from the shower :)
Our cute cakes that Iris made - notice the 'Tarheel' one :D
All the amazing gifts our friends showered us and 'Lil G' with - Thank you!
GG and I with our friend Rachelle - she (and her team) were the winners of the diaper game - we all got a great laugh out of this :)
The beautiful blanket that Iris' mom made for Lil G :)
And the cute diaper cake that Marlene made for us :)
Oh..and a picture of us preggo girls :) L-R Barb (32 weeks), Vicki (29 weeks), Rachelle (18 weeks)
Many Thanks to everyone that came out and/or sent us their congratulations on Lil G! We are truly blessed! Thank you!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Greece! ~ September 1-13th ~
A bit late in getting this posted...but I wanted to make sure I had pictures to add to the post :) including some 'belly pics' :D
We started our journey to Greece on August 31st, Leaving Cleveland and flying to Newark (had a 5hr layover, in which we enjoyed relaxing in the Continental Presidents Club), then boarded on our plane to Athens. We had nice seats - being that it was only a row of two (which made my getting up and down a lot easier - without having to sit in the aisle seat) - although we were disappointed that our 'window seat' wasn't really a window :P.
We arrived around 10am in Athens on Weds - September 1st and breezed right thru customs, they basically stamped our passports and that was it. After getting our bags we walked out and were greeted by Jenni and Rex (who had arrived the day before), George's parents (who had arrived in early August), and George's uncle. It was nice to have them waiting for us :) and Jenni was so excited to see my preggo belly :)
So - Wednesday afternoon we headed back to GG's Aunt/Uncles and then over to his other Aunt/Uncle's for lunch (which was a HUGE meal), met some of his cousins and their kids and then we headed downtown (via the Metro) to check out some of the sites. We hit the archeological museum (pics below) at the base of the Acropolis, which was very cool! They had excavated the area and so the Museum was built over the ruins, so you basically walked on glass, looking down at this old village - so cool! We hit a few shops that night and then headed back to GG's family's do have dinner w/ his other Aunt/Uncle and cousins.
Thursday we got up and headed down to see the 'Changing of the Guard' and then hopped on the Athens Bus Tour, getting off to do some shopping at one point and grab some lunch, and then hoping back on to make our way to the Acropolis/Parthenon. We got up there about 1.5hrs before they closed - hiked up and took in the sites (along w/ lots of pictures) and got to see the sunset - beautiful!
Friday we made the trek up to their village - it ended up being about a 6hr drive getting up there and almost 12hr drive coming back b/c we went the long way and made a few extra stops. It was curvy roads, which I don't do well with to begin with let alone when you are cramped into a little car w/ 6 adults and luggage. Needless to say I'm not in a rush to do that drive again...let along cramped into a tiny car w/ a bunch of people. Regardless - it was absolutely beautiful! Reminded Jenni and I of our mountains in North Carolina, so we loved it! It is a cute little village and we also had the opportunity to partake in a wedding rehearsal dinner (Friday night) and then the Wedding Reception (Saturday night). GG's dad and some family friends all drove to the wedding which was 2+hrs away at the Bride's village, but the rest of us opted to stay at their house in the village and relax. It was a rainy day, so we played lots of card games and just relaxed - which we all welcomed after the drive the day before. It would have been nice to go out and explore, but it was too rainy. Sunday - we drove back (again - not a fun drive) and were able to visit with GG's Thia Angie (from CLE) who was visiting her late husband's family - we had a wonderful meal there and then hit the road again. We also stopped to see the Corinth Canal on our drive back - which was quite impressive!
Monday morning - bright and early we caught our plane to Santorini - YAY! We fell in love with this island and stayed at a beautiful hotel (Apanemo Hotel). Had a few issues w/ our rental car - but after getting that taken care of we were on our way to relaxation and taking in the sites :). We arrived early at our hotel, but they welcomed us to enjoy breakfast and relax by the pool until they could get our rooms ready. A truly incredible family that runs this hotel - def. recommend it if you go to Santorini! We were on Santorini from 6:30am Monday - 8:30ish Thursday night and loved every minute of it. Taking in our infinity pool at the hotel, hiking to enjoy the Red Beach, the sunset at the Light House, exploring old castle ruins, enjoying the black beaches of Perissa, hiking the volcano, swimming in the hot springs, visiting the little town on the island of Thirassia, strolling around Ia and taking in the beautiful sunset there, and then exploring Fira on our last day. Absolutely beautiful and relaxing :) Jenni and Rex flew out on Wednesday night and then back to N. Africa on Thursday morning - it was so nice to be able to share this experience with them :)
View of our Hotel and Santorini in the background:
Friday we got up and headed to Loutraki (which is right by the Corinth Canal) - to his Aunt/Uncle's beach house, so that was a nice day trip and we got to enjoy the beach and relax a little. Then Saturday and Sunday we spent just relaxing in Athens with his family, did a little more shopping for souvenirs, went out to dinner with GG's Cousins and their wives (which was a nice treat), celebrated his Mom's Birthday and his Aunt/Uncles Anniversary, and packed our bags. It was a great trip!
Headed to the airport Monday morning and made our trek back home. The flight was a little longer coming home (a given - thanks to the headwind) and we had just enough time to get our bags (5 of them b/c we were bringing home 3 for Jenni and Rex) from customs and recheck them (thankfully none were searched - otherwise it we may not have made our connecting flight). Got to our new gate, with just enough time to hit the restrooms, and board. Didn't grab anything to eat b/c we figured we'd be home in 1.5hrs....bad idea. We boarded the plane, pushed back from the gate, taxied a bit, and then sat on the runway for 2hrs while a storm when thru! Needless to say, we were not thrilled and just wanted to get home! Thankfully, the flight attendants did come thru with pretzels and water - but after over 13hrs of travelling we were just ready to be home - so we were thrilled when they cleared us for takeoff. Frank (our Brother-in-Law) met us at the airport :) and took us home - it is always nice to be home :).
GG - went to get the pups the next morning - we can't thank my Dad enough for watching them while we were gone (we would have felt horrible leaving them at the Pet Lodge that whole time). He had flown up from NC to watch them at the house, but left the Friday before we got home b/c he had his 45th High School Reunion to go to down in Macon, GA - so he had dropped them off at the Pet Lodge, and our good friend Marlene had agreed to watch Darlin' for that long weekend! So many thanks to our family/friends here in the States and our family/friends in Greece for helping to make our trip possible!
So yes - Greece was amazing - as you can see from the pictures :) Our 'Lil G' is quite the world traveler already - and we have family in Greece waiting for us to come back and visit with 'Lil G' :) It'll probably be a few years, but we'll def. be making our way back!
We started our journey to Greece on August 31st, Leaving Cleveland and flying to Newark (had a 5hr layover, in which we enjoyed relaxing in the Continental Presidents Club), then boarded on our plane to Athens. We had nice seats - being that it was only a row of two (which made my getting up and down a lot easier - without having to sit in the aisle seat) - although we were disappointed that our 'window seat' wasn't really a window :P.
We arrived around 10am in Athens on Weds - September 1st and breezed right thru customs, they basically stamped our passports and that was it. After getting our bags we walked out and were greeted by Jenni and Rex (who had arrived the day before), George's parents (who had arrived in early August), and George's uncle. It was nice to have them waiting for us :) and Jenni was so excited to see my preggo belly :)
So - Wednesday afternoon we headed back to GG's Aunt/Uncles and then over to his other Aunt/Uncle's for lunch (which was a HUGE meal), met some of his cousins and their kids and then we headed downtown (via the Metro) to check out some of the sites. We hit the archeological museum (pics below) at the base of the Acropolis, which was very cool! They had excavated the area and so the Museum was built over the ruins, so you basically walked on glass, looking down at this old village - so cool! We hit a few shops that night and then headed back to GG's family's do have dinner w/ his other Aunt/Uncle and cousins.
Thursday we got up and headed down to see the 'Changing of the Guard' and then hopped on the Athens Bus Tour, getting off to do some shopping at one point and grab some lunch, and then hoping back on to make our way to the Acropolis/Parthenon. We got up there about 1.5hrs before they closed - hiked up and took in the sites (along w/ lots of pictures) and got to see the sunset - beautiful!
Friday we made the trek up to their village - it ended up being about a 6hr drive getting up there and almost 12hr drive coming back b/c we went the long way and made a few extra stops. It was curvy roads, which I don't do well with to begin with let alone when you are cramped into a little car w/ 6 adults and luggage. Needless to say I'm not in a rush to do that drive again...let along cramped into a tiny car w/ a bunch of people. Regardless - it was absolutely beautiful! Reminded Jenni and I of our mountains in North Carolina, so we loved it! It is a cute little village and we also had the opportunity to partake in a wedding rehearsal dinner (Friday night) and then the Wedding Reception (Saturday night). GG's dad and some family friends all drove to the wedding which was 2+hrs away at the Bride's village, but the rest of us opted to stay at their house in the village and relax. It was a rainy day, so we played lots of card games and just relaxed - which we all welcomed after the drive the day before. It would have been nice to go out and explore, but it was too rainy. Sunday - we drove back (again - not a fun drive) and were able to visit with GG's Thia Angie (from CLE) who was visiting her late husband's family - we had a wonderful meal there and then hit the road again. We also stopped to see the Corinth Canal on our drive back - which was quite impressive!
Monday morning - bright and early we caught our plane to Santorini - YAY! We fell in love with this island and stayed at a beautiful hotel (Apanemo Hotel). Had a few issues w/ our rental car - but after getting that taken care of we were on our way to relaxation and taking in the sites :). We arrived early at our hotel, but they welcomed us to enjoy breakfast and relax by the pool until they could get our rooms ready. A truly incredible family that runs this hotel - def. recommend it if you go to Santorini! We were on Santorini from 6:30am Monday - 8:30ish Thursday night and loved every minute of it. Taking in our infinity pool at the hotel, hiking to enjoy the Red Beach, the sunset at the Light House, exploring old castle ruins, enjoying the black beaches of Perissa, hiking the volcano, swimming in the hot springs, visiting the little town on the island of Thirassia, strolling around Ia and taking in the beautiful sunset there, and then exploring Fira on our last day. Absolutely beautiful and relaxing :) Jenni and Rex flew out on Wednesday night and then back to N. Africa on Thursday morning - it was so nice to be able to share this experience with them :)
View of our Hotel and Santorini in the background:
Friday we got up and headed to Loutraki (which is right by the Corinth Canal) - to his Aunt/Uncle's beach house, so that was a nice day trip and we got to enjoy the beach and relax a little. Then Saturday and Sunday we spent just relaxing in Athens with his family, did a little more shopping for souvenirs, went out to dinner with GG's Cousins and their wives (which was a nice treat), celebrated his Mom's Birthday and his Aunt/Uncles Anniversary, and packed our bags. It was a great trip!
Headed to the airport Monday morning and made our trek back home. The flight was a little longer coming home (a given - thanks to the headwind) and we had just enough time to get our bags (5 of them b/c we were bringing home 3 for Jenni and Rex) from customs and recheck them (thankfully none were searched - otherwise it we may not have made our connecting flight). Got to our new gate, with just enough time to hit the restrooms, and board. Didn't grab anything to eat b/c we figured we'd be home in 1.5hrs....bad idea. We boarded the plane, pushed back from the gate, taxied a bit, and then sat on the runway for 2hrs while a storm when thru! Needless to say, we were not thrilled and just wanted to get home! Thankfully, the flight attendants did come thru with pretzels and water - but after over 13hrs of travelling we were just ready to be home - so we were thrilled when they cleared us for takeoff. Frank (our Brother-in-Law) met us at the airport :) and took us home - it is always nice to be home :).
GG - went to get the pups the next morning - we can't thank my Dad enough for watching them while we were gone (we would have felt horrible leaving them at the Pet Lodge that whole time). He had flown up from NC to watch them at the house, but left the Friday before we got home b/c he had his 45th High School Reunion to go to down in Macon, GA - so he had dropped them off at the Pet Lodge, and our good friend Marlene had agreed to watch Darlin' for that long weekend! So many thanks to our family/friends here in the States and our family/friends in Greece for helping to make our trip possible!
So yes - Greece was amazing - as you can see from the pictures :) Our 'Lil G' is quite the world traveler already - and we have family in Greece waiting for us to come back and visit with 'Lil G' :) It'll probably be a few years, but we'll def. be making our way back!
Dreams...Sept. 28th
So last week was the first time that I've actually seen my belly move, and last night the baby was practically jumping around in there! It was so cool to just see my belly moving all over the place. Which, I think triggered the dream I had.
I dreamt that I could see the baby's little hand moving across my belly and I kept reaching out to touch it! It was so cool, you could see the little fingers and all :). Then at one point, I saw the baby's itty bitty little hand wrapped around my finger (I know...not really realistic thru the uterus/skin/etc.) - it was so cool!
We definitely can't wait to meet this little one! Hard to believe we are at Week 31 today and only have 9 weeks (+/- a few days) left!
On another note...we had an apt. w/ our first pediatrics doctor last night...we had planned to go and meet with a few of them, but we really liked the Doctor we met with last night and decided that we would just go with her :) Hope exciting! I think we'll plan to stop by and let them know when we go to see our New OB Doctor (Dr. Fernbach) on Thursday for our check up (they are in the same building). That way we can fill out any paperwork that might need to be done.
And...tomorrow we start our Childbirth Preparation/Lamaze class - a 5 week course which also includes Baby Basics - Hands On and a tour of the hospital! How exciting! I can't believe the time is already here!
I dreamt that I could see the baby's little hand moving across my belly and I kept reaching out to touch it! It was so cool, you could see the little fingers and all :). Then at one point, I saw the baby's itty bitty little hand wrapped around my finger (I know...not really realistic thru the uterus/skin/etc.) - it was so cool!
We definitely can't wait to meet this little one! Hard to believe we are at Week 31 today and only have 9 weeks (+/- a few days) left!
On another note...we had an apt. w/ our first pediatrics doctor last night...we had planned to go and meet with a few of them, but we really liked the Doctor we met with last night and decided that we would just go with her :) Hope exciting! I think we'll plan to stop by and let them know when we go to see our New OB Doctor (Dr. Fernbach) on Thursday for our check up (they are in the same building). That way we can fill out any paperwork that might need to be done.
And...tomorrow we start our Childbirth Preparation/Lamaze class - a 5 week course which also includes Baby Basics - Hands On and a tour of the hospital! How exciting! I can't believe the time is already here!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Time is flying...
Okay - so I've been a bit of a slacker over the past month. No blogging - sorry!
Quick recap:
Went to DC for my old DC roomie - Kristi's - Bridal Shower the weekend of July 17-18 and had a great time planning, preparing, and hosting the shower :D. My college roomie, Iris, and I drove down together in here Smart Car - definitely saves on gas, but was kind of scary b/c we were the smallest car on the road, and at one point on our way back I thought we might get blown off the bridge :P - she ended up spending the weekend with our other college buddy Heather and I got to spend a bit of time w/ her as well which was awesome :)
July 23 - Yue and I hosted Bunco at my house, so that was great fun - we 'Bunco Girls' always have a great time together. There are 4 of us that are Preggo right now :) That that is a fun experience as well :D
July 24th - GG and I headed down to Columbus for a 'Crew Game' - they are an MLS Soccer team. I had gotten us tickets for our anniversary (Paper is the 1-yr anniversary gift). We had a great time! Would love to go more often, but Columbus isn't exactly close.
July 27th - We met up with one of my best buds from College - Ryan and his wife, Barb, their little boy Rowan, and our other good friends Will and Rachelle at a local restaurant that had a 'Classic Car Night'. Both Barb and Rachelle are also preggo. Here's a picture of us. Barb is 25 weeks preggo, I'm 22weeks, and Rachelle is 11 weeks preggo in the pic. Barb had the great idea of us taking pictures as we each progress through our pregnancy.
July 29-Aug1 - I was lucky enough to head home to NC and spend some QT with my parents and two of my best friends from HS :) - Manisha and Dela. Dela is expecting Identical Twin Boys - check out her blog - http://twinparks2010.blogspot.com/ - the week after me (although they'll probably show up a little early - it's already tight in there - I think she is measuring 6 weeks bigger than I am - Craziness). Manisha was kind enough to host us in her beautiful Condo in Charlotte! It was so much fun to just hang out, get some pedicures, check out Buy Buy Baby and catch up. I am so blessed with wonderful friends and family :) Here's a picture in the parking garage as we were saying goodbye - not the greatest picture...but will help me remember a great weekend! I have a picture with Mom and Dad too that I still need to get off my camera and post :)
The first few weeks of August were just kind of hectic...things are up in the air right now with work and we've spent a few of the weekends just doing things around the house and catching up with other friends.
August 18 - My sister-in-law Becca's B-day :) was our last Dr.'s Apt. - well it was supposed to be our last apt. with Dr. Brooks, but she was at the Hosptial doing a delivery. So our wonderful Nurse, Kelly, checked us out and all is looking good :)! Our front desk staff is great too - Nadine - hooked us up to see Dr. Brooks one last time before she moves to her new position. So we have an apt. on August 30th with Dr. Brooks and I'll also have to do the yucky glucose test, but we are super excited to see Dr. Brooks one last time.
Last weekend August 20-22 - was a fun filled weekend. We went to the Akron Aeros minor league baseball game on Friday night to watch our nephew/godson, Gregory, throw out the first pitch. Then on Sat. we had a bunch of my ERAU college buds come over for a cookout. Our friend Bill (who is in the Air Force and based in OK) was home visiting his family, so Heather drove in from DC, and Iris and Ryan (who are in the CLE area) came over! It was just like old times sitting around the table catching up and laughing! We were supposed to go down and tailgate w/ George's sister and family with Bill and Jacki (they were going to the Brown's game) but it was raining, so we all ended up 'Tailgating' in Bill's hotel room :) Good times! Sunday was spent hanging out with Heather and Iris and we got to see Iris' new house :) That evening we went to Leni's (GG's sister's) for a end of summer cookout! Fun fun!
This week has been a busy one too - Monday Aug. 23rd - we had an Infant/Child/Adult CPR class, which GG and I went to with Barb (Ryan stayed home with Rowan), so that was a good refresher and was fun to hang out with Barb for a little while. Tuesday we hit the 26 week mark (need to take belly pics and post) and also went out with Kyle and Maria (GG's Cousin) - we had a great time at dinner with them! They are going to be our little one's 'Greek' Godparents :)
Tonight we are picking my dad up at the airport(he's coming up to watch the dogs for us while we are gone this weekend and in Greece) and then tomorrow we head down to Indiana for my old roomie -Kristi's wedding :) My dress is altered - yay! and we are ready to go :) Sunday we are gonna stop at Buy Buy Baby - so I can show GG this awesome store (they are a sister store to Bed Bath and Beyond...but just have baby stuff - very cool) Then Tues. we leave for Greece :) We can't wait!
So - my next update will likely be when we get back from Greece - so we'll have lots of Belly pics - the Baby at the Acropolis, Baby in Athens, Baby in Santorini, etc. etc....our little world traveller :)
Sept. will be a busy month too - our baby shower - Sept. 18th and then Dela's on the 25th :) The next few months are gonna fly by! I can't believe 'Lil G' will be here in 16 weeks! Craziness!
Quick recap:
Went to DC for my old DC roomie - Kristi's - Bridal Shower the weekend of July 17-18 and had a great time planning, preparing, and hosting the shower :D. My college roomie, Iris, and I drove down together in here Smart Car - definitely saves on gas, but was kind of scary b/c we were the smallest car on the road, and at one point on our way back I thought we might get blown off the bridge :P - she ended up spending the weekend with our other college buddy Heather and I got to spend a bit of time w/ her as well which was awesome :)
July 23 - Yue and I hosted Bunco at my house, so that was great fun - we 'Bunco Girls' always have a great time together. There are 4 of us that are Preggo right now :) That that is a fun experience as well :D
July 24th - GG and I headed down to Columbus for a 'Crew Game' - they are an MLS Soccer team. I had gotten us tickets for our anniversary (Paper is the 1-yr anniversary gift). We had a great time! Would love to go more often, but Columbus isn't exactly close.
July 27th - We met up with one of my best buds from College - Ryan and his wife, Barb, their little boy Rowan, and our other good friends Will and Rachelle at a local restaurant that had a 'Classic Car Night'. Both Barb and Rachelle are also preggo. Here's a picture of us. Barb is 25 weeks preggo, I'm 22weeks, and Rachelle is 11 weeks preggo in the pic. Barb had the great idea of us taking pictures as we each progress through our pregnancy.
July 29-Aug1 - I was lucky enough to head home to NC and spend some QT with my parents and two of my best friends from HS :) - Manisha and Dela. Dela is expecting Identical Twin Boys - check out her blog - http://twinparks2010.blogspot.com/ - the week after me (although they'll probably show up a little early - it's already tight in there - I think she is measuring 6 weeks bigger than I am - Craziness). Manisha was kind enough to host us in her beautiful Condo in Charlotte! It was so much fun to just hang out, get some pedicures, check out Buy Buy Baby and catch up. I am so blessed with wonderful friends and family :) Here's a picture in the parking garage as we were saying goodbye - not the greatest picture...but will help me remember a great weekend! I have a picture with Mom and Dad too that I still need to get off my camera and post :)
The first few weeks of August were just kind of hectic...things are up in the air right now with work and we've spent a few of the weekends just doing things around the house and catching up with other friends.
August 18 - My sister-in-law Becca's B-day :) was our last Dr.'s Apt. - well it was supposed to be our last apt. with Dr. Brooks, but she was at the Hosptial doing a delivery. So our wonderful Nurse, Kelly, checked us out and all is looking good :)! Our front desk staff is great too - Nadine - hooked us up to see Dr. Brooks one last time before she moves to her new position. So we have an apt. on August 30th with Dr. Brooks and I'll also have to do the yucky glucose test, but we are super excited to see Dr. Brooks one last time.
Last weekend August 20-22 - was a fun filled weekend. We went to the Akron Aeros minor league baseball game on Friday night to watch our nephew/godson, Gregory, throw out the first pitch. Then on Sat. we had a bunch of my ERAU college buds come over for a cookout. Our friend Bill (who is in the Air Force and based in OK) was home visiting his family, so Heather drove in from DC, and Iris and Ryan (who are in the CLE area) came over! It was just like old times sitting around the table catching up and laughing! We were supposed to go down and tailgate w/ George's sister and family with Bill and Jacki (they were going to the Brown's game) but it was raining, so we all ended up 'Tailgating' in Bill's hotel room :) Good times! Sunday was spent hanging out with Heather and Iris and we got to see Iris' new house :) That evening we went to Leni's (GG's sister's) for a end of summer cookout! Fun fun!
This week has been a busy one too - Monday Aug. 23rd - we had an Infant/Child/Adult CPR class, which GG and I went to with Barb (Ryan stayed home with Rowan), so that was a good refresher and was fun to hang out with Barb for a little while. Tuesday we hit the 26 week mark (need to take belly pics and post) and also went out with Kyle and Maria (GG's Cousin) - we had a great time at dinner with them! They are going to be our little one's 'Greek' Godparents :)
Tonight we are picking my dad up at the airport(he's coming up to watch the dogs for us while we are gone this weekend and in Greece) and then tomorrow we head down to Indiana for my old roomie -Kristi's wedding :) My dress is altered - yay! and we are ready to go :) Sunday we are gonna stop at Buy Buy Baby - so I can show GG this awesome store (they are a sister store to Bed Bath and Beyond...but just have baby stuff - very cool) Then Tues. we leave for Greece :) We can't wait!
So - my next update will likely be when we get back from Greece - so we'll have lots of Belly pics - the Baby at the Acropolis, Baby in Athens, Baby in Santorini, etc. etc....our little world traveller :)
Sept. will be a busy month too - our baby shower - Sept. 18th and then Dela's on the 25th :) The next few months are gonna fly by! I can't believe 'Lil G' will be here in 16 weeks! Craziness!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Night with the Anesthesiologist
So tonight - George and I had our "Night with the Anesthesiologist" and a tour of the hospital!
I must say it was a little overwhelming...and somewhat frightening...I'm glad that I'm a little more educated on what is going to happen with an epidural, but I also think it just scared me. I don't do well with hospitals to begin with and thought I might have to get up in the middle of his talk (mainly during question time) because I was becoming a little overwhelmed...thought I might get sick.
But, both George and I survived :) Happy to say! I definitely think an epidural is the way to go...but still sounds so scary! We'll see!
The evening ended with a tour of the birthing center/rooms and then the recovery rooms/where you stay for the duration of your hospital stay - after you've had the baby (these are the rooms I've seen...when visiting Yue and Barb last year after they delivered their little ones). And we of course got to see the nursery - which had about 5 babies in it - and of course brought tears to my eyes and I couldn't stop grinning :D. I guess that is what makes it ALL worth it in the end :D
Found out details about who can be in the birthing room (George and two other guests) and then in the regular rooms (I guess only kids over 10 are allowed to come and visit - unless siblings). She also showed the Dad's where they can go to get snacks for Mom while she's in labor - Popcicles, Ice, etc. Ha Ha - GG was all about the Popcicles...but I told him I didn't think they were for him ;).
All in all it was a good evening - despite the scariness! But knowing that at the end of it all you get to hold your little peanut :D - is what helps you push thru it all!
I must say it was a little overwhelming...and somewhat frightening...I'm glad that I'm a little more educated on what is going to happen with an epidural, but I also think it just scared me. I don't do well with hospitals to begin with and thought I might have to get up in the middle of his talk (mainly during question time) because I was becoming a little overwhelmed...thought I might get sick.
But, both George and I survived :) Happy to say! I definitely think an epidural is the way to go...but still sounds so scary! We'll see!
The evening ended with a tour of the birthing center/rooms and then the recovery rooms/where you stay for the duration of your hospital stay - after you've had the baby (these are the rooms I've seen...when visiting Yue and Barb last year after they delivered their little ones). And we of course got to see the nursery - which had about 5 babies in it - and of course brought tears to my eyes and I couldn't stop grinning :D. I guess that is what makes it ALL worth it in the end :D
Found out details about who can be in the birthing room (George and two other guests) and then in the regular rooms (I guess only kids over 10 are allowed to come and visit - unless siblings). She also showed the Dad's where they can go to get snacks for Mom while she's in labor - Popcicles, Ice, etc. Ha Ha - GG was all about the Popcicles...but I told him I didn't think they were for him ;).
All in all it was a good evening - despite the scariness! But knowing that at the end of it all you get to hold your little peanut :D - is what helps you push thru it all!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Incredible!
So - I do apologize for the delay. Here is our little munchkin! It was such an amazingly incredible day (July 6, 2010)! We got to see our little one :) So precious s/he was jumping up and down/doing pushups (still can't feel it), doing some squats (too cute), sucking his/her thumb (we got a great picture of this), and watching his/her little heart just pump away - so awesome :D
Look at those little legs - it was awesome b/c s/he was jumping up and down or doing push-ups is what the tech said. s/he was also doing squats :) It was funny because George was like "You can't feel that?" and I was like 'Nope'....which is kind of crazy...considering how much the baby was moving!
One of the kind of scary shots...straight on...but not as scary as some I've seen.
This one you can see the little teeth buds :) Can't tell yet if s/he'll have my gap :D
Another kind of scary one...looks like a tusk or fang coming out of the side of the face, but it's really the little hand that was up there - you'll see in the next few pics :)
Our little 'thinker' :)
Opp...starting to suck his/her thumb - too cute :) This is probably my favorite picture along with the little legs :)
Still sucking thumb or covering mouth with hand...I guess the bluriness at the back of the skull is actually my uterus, so that's why it looks funny
Baby Douzos in 4D - a little blury b/c s/he was moving - but look how tiny...the tech couldn't measure overall length - but babycenter.com says baby is about 6inches long (about the size of my hand) and weighs about 8.5 ounces (and our tech said s/he weighs about 8 ounces from her measurements) - I guess the actual measurements had us at 18weeks 4 days :)
It is truly amazing how God thought of everything in designing us! Incredible! He is so good! We feel so incredibly blessed and can't wait to meet our little one!
Our next apt. is July 21st and we'll go over the ultrasound results with Dr. Brooks :)
Look at those little legs - it was awesome b/c s/he was jumping up and down or doing push-ups is what the tech said. s/he was also doing squats :) It was funny because George was like "You can't feel that?" and I was like 'Nope'....which is kind of crazy...considering how much the baby was moving!
One of the kind of scary shots...straight on...but not as scary as some I've seen.
This one you can see the little teeth buds :) Can't tell yet if s/he'll have my gap :D
Another kind of scary one...looks like a tusk or fang coming out of the side of the face, but it's really the little hand that was up there - you'll see in the next few pics :)
Our little 'thinker' :)
Opp...starting to suck his/her thumb - too cute :) This is probably my favorite picture along with the little legs :)
Still sucking thumb or covering mouth with hand...I guess the bluriness at the back of the skull is actually my uterus, so that's why it looks funny
Baby Douzos in 4D - a little blury b/c s/he was moving - but look how tiny...the tech couldn't measure overall length - but babycenter.com says baby is about 6inches long (about the size of my hand) and weighs about 8.5 ounces (and our tech said s/he weighs about 8 ounces from her measurements) - I guess the actual measurements had us at 18weeks 4 days :)
It is truly amazing how God thought of everything in designing us! Incredible! He is so good! We feel so incredibly blessed and can't wait to meet our little one!
Our next apt. is July 21st and we'll go over the ultrasound results with Dr. Brooks :)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What a crazy day :D
It started out with me feeling very sleep deprived, as I'm still fighting this horrible cough and didn't get a good nights sleep, but I couldn't help but feel excited because we had our 3rd doctor's apt. today and were going to get to hear our little one's heartbeat again :)
The morning flew by pretty uneventful and George and I headed out around 11:30am to go get some Subway before our apt. at 1pm. We decided to leave early enough, so we could stop by the Lab and get my blood work done before our apt. with Dr. Brooks.
So, we arrived at the Lab around 12:20 - I signed in, was called up to sign the appropriate paper work and told to go sit back down and wait to be called. So, GG and I are sitting there reading the magazines, when all of the sudden all the lights in the waiting room/office dim very slowly and then begin to flicker (like a strobe light). Turns out we quickly find out that a Electric/Utility Pole over at the Walgreens has caught on fire. So the lights continue to strobe and I had to close my eyes to keep from getting sick, as the time passed by. We continued to hear them telling everyone that the Ultrasound and XRay machines were down, but that they were still doing Lab work. So, I ask GG to run up to Dr. Brooks office to find out if we were going to still have our apt., since it was now 12:45ish. Just after he left the nurse calls me up and asks if I can go to the Westlake location because my lab work is so extensive and with the lights out, etc. it was iffy. I was of course more than happy to do so, I wasn't sure I wanted someone trying to find a vein in my arm with strobe lights flashing anyway :) - not my idea of a fun time!
So, I headed out to find GG and ran into our nurse Kelly in the hallway, who greated me with a nice warm "Hello Vicki" - I was surprised she remembered my name :). She explained the situation - which I was obviously aware of and said they were trying to get ahold of Dr. Brooks, who was on her way in. But, said for me an another patient (a LOT further along than me) to go on upstairs and they'd probably do our apts, since they were pregnancy check ups. So, the other girl, George, and I hiked up the 3 flights of stairs. I definitely felt bad for the very pregnant girls - but I know it was good for all of us :)
We get check in and Nadine - the front desk Admin comes and says "Did you realize your apt. is at 1:45pm?" oops....I clearly did not. Anyway - it all worked out and Kelly called us back probably around 1:15ish. Kelly took my Blood Pressure and weighed me and then sent me off to the restroom to give her a sample of urine - which I was glad to do :). I came back and shut the door, so Dr. Brooks would know we were ready. So while waiting, GG and I were just talking and looking around he says to me "So what are we at now, week 15?" and I was like "Um...No we are at week 17!" And he's like "How'd that happen?" I'm like "2 weeks have gone by :D) So then, all of the sudden the exam table I was sitting on started to shake. I was like 'Okay...why is the table shaking" and started to ask GG if he felt that, when he asked me if I felt the shaking too. Craziness - it continued to shake for at least 10+ seconds I'd say. So, we were like - umm Earthquake?
So, a few min. later Dr. Brooks walks in and we ask her if she felt the building moving and she's like what? Basically, I think she thought we were crazy - ha ha :D So anyway, we are talking and she's asking me if I've been feeling the baby moving a lot and I was like "No, but I think I felt something a few weeks ago, but yeah not really I think" and she's like "Girl, you've gotta stop thinking it's just gas :)" So, then she has me lay down and is like "You're at what 21 weeks?" so I start to laugh and say no..."We are only at 17 weeks" and so she feels my stomach and say "Well yeah, your uterus is the size of a 17 week baby, if it was 21 it would be all the way up here" So, I laughed and said "I'm glad I'm keeping it straight, George thought we were only at 15 weeks :P" So, George pipes in "Hey if you average them...were all good." Too funny!
So, yeah Dr. Brooks then put the goo on my tummy and started to search for the heartbeat. It took a little longer to find it today than it did last time, so I think both George and I were kind of holding our breath. We were so relieved to hear that fast little heart just beating away - 150bpm - a little slower than last time, but she said that is normal. :) We then talked about this stupid cough and what might help it and then planned our next apts. July 6th is our next Ultrasound (19weeks) - we can't wait :D and then July 21st (21weeks) is our next Dr.'s Apt :) - just over the 1/2 mark :D.
After scheduling our apts. we headed up to the Westlake facility to have the blood work done, during which I found out that there was indeed an earthquake - so GG and I aren't crazy :) and the epicenter was in Ontario (Magnitude 5). Here's the link http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php
It was definitely an eventful day :) But, good :D We are so blessed!
It started out with me feeling very sleep deprived, as I'm still fighting this horrible cough and didn't get a good nights sleep, but I couldn't help but feel excited because we had our 3rd doctor's apt. today and were going to get to hear our little one's heartbeat again :)
The morning flew by pretty uneventful and George and I headed out around 11:30am to go get some Subway before our apt. at 1pm. We decided to leave early enough, so we could stop by the Lab and get my blood work done before our apt. with Dr. Brooks.
So, we arrived at the Lab around 12:20 - I signed in, was called up to sign the appropriate paper work and told to go sit back down and wait to be called. So, GG and I are sitting there reading the magazines, when all of the sudden all the lights in the waiting room/office dim very slowly and then begin to flicker (like a strobe light). Turns out we quickly find out that a Electric/Utility Pole over at the Walgreens has caught on fire. So the lights continue to strobe and I had to close my eyes to keep from getting sick, as the time passed by. We continued to hear them telling everyone that the Ultrasound and XRay machines were down, but that they were still doing Lab work. So, I ask GG to run up to Dr. Brooks office to find out if we were going to still have our apt., since it was now 12:45ish. Just after he left the nurse calls me up and asks if I can go to the Westlake location because my lab work is so extensive and with the lights out, etc. it was iffy. I was of course more than happy to do so, I wasn't sure I wanted someone trying to find a vein in my arm with strobe lights flashing anyway :) - not my idea of a fun time!
So, I headed out to find GG and ran into our nurse Kelly in the hallway, who greated me with a nice warm "Hello Vicki" - I was surprised she remembered my name :). She explained the situation - which I was obviously aware of and said they were trying to get ahold of Dr. Brooks, who was on her way in. But, said for me an another patient (a LOT further along than me) to go on upstairs and they'd probably do our apts, since they were pregnancy check ups. So, the other girl, George, and I hiked up the 3 flights of stairs. I definitely felt bad for the very pregnant girls - but I know it was good for all of us :)
We get check in and Nadine - the front desk Admin comes and says "Did you realize your apt. is at 1:45pm?" oops....I clearly did not. Anyway - it all worked out and Kelly called us back probably around 1:15ish. Kelly took my Blood Pressure and weighed me and then sent me off to the restroom to give her a sample of urine - which I was glad to do :). I came back and shut the door, so Dr. Brooks would know we were ready. So while waiting, GG and I were just talking and looking around he says to me "So what are we at now, week 15?" and I was like "Um...No we are at week 17!" And he's like "How'd that happen?" I'm like "2 weeks have gone by :D) So then, all of the sudden the exam table I was sitting on started to shake. I was like 'Okay...why is the table shaking" and started to ask GG if he felt that, when he asked me if I felt the shaking too. Craziness - it continued to shake for at least 10+ seconds I'd say. So, we were like - umm Earthquake?
So, a few min. later Dr. Brooks walks in and we ask her if she felt the building moving and she's like what? Basically, I think she thought we were crazy - ha ha :D So anyway, we are talking and she's asking me if I've been feeling the baby moving a lot and I was like "No, but I think I felt something a few weeks ago, but yeah not really I think" and she's like "Girl, you've gotta stop thinking it's just gas :)" So, then she has me lay down and is like "You're at what 21 weeks?" so I start to laugh and say no..."We are only at 17 weeks" and so she feels my stomach and say "Well yeah, your uterus is the size of a 17 week baby, if it was 21 it would be all the way up here" So, I laughed and said "I'm glad I'm keeping it straight, George thought we were only at 15 weeks :P" So, George pipes in "Hey if you average them...were all good." Too funny!
So, yeah Dr. Brooks then put the goo on my tummy and started to search for the heartbeat. It took a little longer to find it today than it did last time, so I think both George and I were kind of holding our breath. We were so relieved to hear that fast little heart just beating away - 150bpm - a little slower than last time, but she said that is normal. :) We then talked about this stupid cough and what might help it and then planned our next apts. July 6th is our next Ultrasound (19weeks) - we can't wait :D and then July 21st (21weeks) is our next Dr.'s Apt :) - just over the 1/2 mark :D.
After scheduling our apts. we headed up to the Westlake facility to have the blood work done, during which I found out that there was indeed an earthquake - so GG and I aren't crazy :) and the epicenter was in Ontario (Magnitude 5). Here's the link http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php
It was definitely an eventful day :) But, good :D We are so blessed!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pumps
I had the opportunity last night to attend a 'Breastfeeding Workshop' at Babies R Us. George had said he'd go with me if other guys were going, but since Yue had already offered to go with me I figured I'd let him slip out of this one (although I'll probably have him come to another one with me or at least for sure when we meet with the lactation specialist).
Anyway...it was super informative on all the different pumps - mostly by Madela (which is 'ma dela' - like my friend Dela - not Della), since they were the ones that sponsored it. But, that was the type of pump I was looking at anyway, b/c they had the best reviews and I've heard are hospital grade. I figure we want something that we'll be able to use with all our kids, so it'll be worth the extra $$ upfront to get one that lasts. I know the one that Yue got is already dying, so she'd gonna have to buy another one for her next little one.
I must admit - I am kind of nervous about Nursing (in the sense that I've heard some stories about how painful it can be), but I just pray that our little one will take to it easily and that I'll be able to push through it. It is so much healthier for the baby (builds their immune system and some studies show it aids in brain development), it is also extremely healthy for me (will help me lose that baby weight :), and has huge cost savings (baby formula is crazy expensive).
So - yes I must say that I'm glad Yue let me know about the classes offered at Babies R Us. George and I are planning to attend the "Buckle Up and Boogie" class all about car seats and safely installing them and the "Super Baby Shower" which helps you figure out what types of things you should register for....and who knows...maybe I'll have GG go with me to the Nursing 101 class again and then we are both up on what would be the best machine to get. Anyway...I just wanted to share this great service that Babies R Us has.
Cheers,
Vicki
Anyway...it was super informative on all the different pumps - mostly by Madela (which is 'ma dela' - like my friend Dela - not Della), since they were the ones that sponsored it. But, that was the type of pump I was looking at anyway, b/c they had the best reviews and I've heard are hospital grade. I figure we want something that we'll be able to use with all our kids, so it'll be worth the extra $$ upfront to get one that lasts. I know the one that Yue got is already dying, so she'd gonna have to buy another one for her next little one.
I must admit - I am kind of nervous about Nursing (in the sense that I've heard some stories about how painful it can be), but I just pray that our little one will take to it easily and that I'll be able to push through it. It is so much healthier for the baby (builds their immune system and some studies show it aids in brain development), it is also extremely healthy for me (will help me lose that baby weight :), and has huge cost savings (baby formula is crazy expensive).
So - yes I must say that I'm glad Yue let me know about the classes offered at Babies R Us. George and I are planning to attend the "Buckle Up and Boogie" class all about car seats and safely installing them and the "Super Baby Shower" which helps you figure out what types of things you should register for....and who knows...maybe I'll have GG go with me to the Nursing 101 class again and then we are both up on what would be the best machine to get. Anyway...I just wanted to share this great service that Babies R Us has.
Cheers,
Vicki
Thursday, June 3, 2010
3.5 months along...(i.e. 14 weeks)
So we finally took some pictures...of my belly. Here is Baby Douzos at 14 weeks (well it's really like 14 1/2 weeks) - but close enough!
I did two different signs - that way if it's a boy (I can scrapbook w/ the boyish one) and if it's a girl (I'll use the girly one :D ) Wow...I guess the angle the picture is taken at really makes a difference - my belly looks much bigger in the 2nd picture...
I did two different signs - that way if it's a boy (I can scrapbook w/ the boyish one) and if it's a girl (I'll use the girly one :D ) Wow...I guess the angle the picture is taken at really makes a difference - my belly looks much bigger in the 2nd picture... 
And...we here's a pic of our other 'babies' and their cousin Darlin' - They were wondering what I was doing...I'm not sure they are aware of what's about to happen in our household in a few months....it'll be interesting to see if they can 'sense' the baby once my belly gets bigger.
Well I've been playing on here way too long...I need to get some sleep. I know I have a LONG day ahead of me! But glad that tomorrow is Friday and that I get to end the day with a cookout with some good friends - Ryan and Barb (and Barb is expecting as well - she is due in early November :D - with Baby #2 for them - so it's been fun sharing the experience with them)!
Preregistration
I got home from work last night to find that George had set the mail on the table and I noticed there was something from Fairview Hospital, I assumed it was a bill for my last two appointments so waited to open it till after I'd eaten.
Well I was excited to see that it was our 'Preregistration' for the hospital. It has our November 30th due date on it and we are supposed to fill in all of our information as well as our Pediatricians information. I had read recently in one of my e-mails from the Hospital that I needed to start looking into Pediatricians, so I guess I'll have to add that to the top of our 'To Do List'. We plan to talk to some of our friends about their doctors as well as talk with our OBGYN and see if she has a recommendation. :D All of these things are just making everything so much more real!
It was funny though - b/c there was a little Business Card in the envelope titled "What to do when you are in Labor" - so we'll have to place that on the fridge so we know where it is when the time comes! November seems so FAR away...but I know it'll be here before we know it. I'm still amazed at how fast the past 3 mo. have flown by.
I'm hoping to take a picture tonight - to start documenting my growing belly :) I've been meaning to do it for a while and keep forgetting, so that is on my list of things to do when I get home! Depending how it looks - maybe I'll post one later! :D Might still be hard to tell what is 'Vicki Belly' and what is 'Baby Belly" :P
Many Thanks to all of you for sharing in our Joy and for all your sweet e-mails and comments! We are truly Blessed!
Love,
Vicki and George
Well I was excited to see that it was our 'Preregistration' for the hospital. It has our November 30th due date on it and we are supposed to fill in all of our information as well as our Pediatricians information. I had read recently in one of my e-mails from the Hospital that I needed to start looking into Pediatricians, so I guess I'll have to add that to the top of our 'To Do List'. We plan to talk to some of our friends about their doctors as well as talk with our OBGYN and see if she has a recommendation. :D All of these things are just making everything so much more real!
It was funny though - b/c there was a little Business Card in the envelope titled "What to do when you are in Labor" - so we'll have to place that on the fridge so we know where it is when the time comes! November seems so FAR away...but I know it'll be here before we know it. I'm still amazed at how fast the past 3 mo. have flown by.
I'm hoping to take a picture tonight - to start documenting my growing belly :) I've been meaning to do it for a while and keep forgetting, so that is on my list of things to do when I get home! Depending how it looks - maybe I'll post one later! :D Might still be hard to tell what is 'Vicki Belly' and what is 'Baby Belly" :P
Many Thanks to all of you for sharing in our Joy and for all your sweet e-mails and comments! We are truly Blessed!
Love,
Vicki and George
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Spilling the Beans
So - It's been well over a year...and a lot has happened in that year - we planned a wedding, had a wonderful wedding weekend with our incredible family and friends, enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon in Mexico, sold Vicki's house, settled in our new home (George's House), and we most recently had the opportunity to catch the latest Shuttle Launch (on George's B-day) with some family and friends.
Our latest excitement though - that seems to top everything else we've done over the past year has been preparing for a new family member! :D Yup yup :D we are Expecting our first little one at the end of November and I can't tell you how EXCITED we are :)!!!! Not only us - but how excited our families are as well! This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family (My parents are Thrilled!) and the 4th on George's side (his sister has 3 boys and his Parents are thrilled as well :)). Here's our first picture of Baby Douzos - at 8 weeks 4 days :)
Today officially (well per babycenter.com) marks the first day of Week 14 - so we are officially headed into the second trimester :D! We've been looking forward to this day for a long time, so we can finally share our excitement/news with all of you! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time last week, which was incredible!!! Of course I kept giggling, so my belly shaking up and down made it kind of hard to hear at times, so I had to try and keep my joy/laughter under control! But, it was incredible to hear and know that our little one has a strong heartbeat - 170bpm :)!
Here's an excerpt from babycenter.com - for week 14 - "Welcome to the second trimester! This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him -- a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches -- about the size of a lemon -- and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. " (note: only says 'his/he' b/c baby center switches it up every week - we will find out the baby's gender on/around November 30, 2010 - when our little one arrives) :)
This month will be a busy one for our little one - he/she will double in length to 6 inches in a sitting position and quadruple its weight from 1 ounce to 4 ounces. :)
We look forward to sharing this experience with you!
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