Baby update

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and all I can say is that I'm SO tired of being at that office! Anyway, I'm dilated to 3 cm. The doctor actually chuckled when he checked me. I asked what this meant and he said that if I had any contractions close together that I needed to head to the hospital. I had a couple while in the office and he said to not even call or wait-just go-right away. I'm glad he told me that because usually they say to wait so much time or wait until your doctor tells you to head in. It's also a half hour drive to the hospital so that's probably another good reason to not wait. I'm still only measuring 30 weeks, but now after the ultrasound, he kept talking about how big the baby is. We have a week full of guests and fun things planned, so I'm hoping my big baby just sits at 3 cm for awhile...we'll see if that actually happens.

If the shoe fits...

Have I mentioned Alison's current obsession with pink dresses? Yesterday morning we slipped on last year's Easter dress and I was shocked when it perfectly. The exact same outfit she wore a year ago, actually fits better now.





I told Alison yesterday that we needed to run to CVS (which she calls PBS). She always asks when we're going to the store what we need to get. I told her we needed to pick up some diapers. She said, "Okay, and some pee pee's?". Ben and I just started laughing and tried to figure out what she was talking about. The little stinker found some of her Easter candy, but I'm not sure how she knows that they're called peeps. We haven't had any since last Easter and she for sure did not like them then, but I thought it was worth some money to see the funny reaction on her face again.

36 Weeks!

I'm so excited to be 36 weeks! This was the day that I gave us as a deadline to have everything done and to have a name finalized. With Alison, on this day, I was in the hospital in early labor. I'm very curious to see what this baby's story is going to be. I had an ultrasound this morning because I'm only measuring 30 weeks and I'm very excited to say that my little man is already 6lbs 6oz and in the 57 percentile! I have plenty of fluid and he's perfectly healthy. He's extremely low, so low the technician could barely get his head measurement or get a picture of his face-sorry, probably too much info but it explains why I'm measuring small and definitely explains the immense pain I've been feeling the last couple of days. I have another appointment Monday with the doctor, but I'm so encouraged that we have a "normal" baby and I feel so much better about the possibility of him coming early. I'd really like to keep him in there until after Easter, but if not, we're ready to meet him!

We're so excited!

So many things to be excited for!

First, Alison was super excited to receive a present in the mail this week from my sweet friend Lydia. New Tinkerbell bedding makes any princess happy.

We took Alison to her first Easter egg hunt yesterday. She was very excited to find the candy inside the eggs. She was not so much excited about the Easter bunny-petrified would be a better way to describe her feelings towards him.

It was so nice this weekend and we were excited to finally have space to play outside. I am so thankful we're able to be in this house and am looking forward to spending lots of time as a family in our backyard. Some of our friends handed down this play equipment to Alison this weekend and we couldn't keep her off it. I realized yesterday that Alison is this really unique blend of me, my sister and Ben. She wants nothing more than to be wearing a pink dress and Tinkerbell shoes, but she wants to spend the day outside, riding her bike, playing soccer and climbing trees. And then she throws in this really goofy side of her that I can't even explain, other than it all comes from her daddy. I'm excited to see my little girl grow in character and learn more about who she is.

I'm excited for good friends and family coming next week and can't wait to meet little Alexandria!

Finally, we're excited to meet baby brother! I can't believe he'll be here in a few short weeks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!!!

Celebrating Ben's birthday has gone nothing like I planned, but I hope he still knows how much Alison and I love and cherish him. We enjoyed some carrot cake last night and Ben humored Alison by blowing out a few candles she put in the cake for him. It was sweet hearing her sing to him though.
Getting some "thank you" kisses from Daddy

34 Weeks

The stomach bug returned Thursday, but thankfully Beth told me to ask for a prescription of anti-nausea medicine from the hospital. Our week has pretty much been spent relaxing and recovering and I'm so done with being sick.

Panic started to kick in slightly as I realized I'm 34 weeks...and already dilated 1.5 centimeters. I've tried to slowly work on baby things and am really having to fight the full fledge nesting urge. I got some clothes and blankets washed and the binki's sanitized. Now if I could just keep Alison from playing with all the clean things I'd be set.

I have a feeling this is what our summer is going to be filled with

Pink dresses and bike riding!

Stupid stomach bug!!!

I thought I was safe...I was wrong!

Beth, Nathan and the girls were in DC for the weekend and I convinced Ben to take a short trip up to see them. I was actually about to take Alison myself and leave after church on Sunday, but thankfully my very wise husband said absolutely not and arranged for us all to leave after his meeting Sunday night. I'm so glad he was stubborn in his decision-I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had been by myself. We got to DC about 1am, checked into our hotel and all crashed. About an hour later I woke up with a fever and started throwing up. I'll try and leave the gross details out. I didn't leave the bathroom all night and being sick while pregnant was far worse than I could imagine. By a miracle, Alison slept through the whole thing-Ben wasn't so lucky. We finally called Beth around 7am and she quickly saw that I needed fluids and fast. Ben ran to get some ginger ale, but that didn't stay down for long. Beth wisely knew that if I didn't get fluids quickly I would go into labor-she was right. By the time we got to a prompt care I was having contractions. They quickly told us to go to the ER. When I walked through the doors of the ER this little Vietnamese woman looked at me, her eyes got wide and she said, "You pregnant, I must get you to labor and delivery!" She threw me in a wheel chair and proceeded to run through the hospital. I felt like a hippo with this tiny women trying to push me, but it made me laugh which is exactly what I needed at that time. She wheeled me up to the nurses station and said, "This woman's about to have a baby!!!" and ran away. Ben and I just started laughing-maybe she should have tried asking us some questions. We explained what was going on and I have to say that the staff at this random hospital were awesome (I hope the staff at our actually hospital are just as good). They quickly got us in a room and tried to start an IV. I was so dehydrated my veins kept exploding. I didn't know this was possible, but it was SO painful. They finally got an "expert" in that was able to get a small IV in and start some anti-nausea medicine and fluids. They also gave me one shot of medicine to stop the contractions (I had 3 of these shots with Alison. They make your whole body shake, but this time was not as bad as the first). By the time the IV in was in I was having strong contractions every 2 minutes and was dialated 1.5 centimeters. I remember looking at the nurse through my tears and saying, "That's not good, is it?" She was so calm and said, "It could be worse". Definitely could have been worse, in fact my prognosis only got better from there. They ran a preterm labor test and it came back negative-PRAISE THE LORD!!! This means that the contractions were only because of the dehydration and would not produce a baby. It also means that there's a 99% chance I will NOT deliver this baby in the next 2 weeks! They also ran a preeclampsia (extreme vomiting can be a sign of this) test which also came back negative. After 3 bags of fluids and 2 rounds of anti-nausea medicine, my contractions had stopped and I was feeling much better. We were released from the hospital and got in the car for a 3 hour drive home. Ben and I were beyond exhausted. I'm not sure how Ben drove the whole way home, because I couldn't even keep my eyes open, but we made it home and all crashed.

So much for our fun trip to DC. Beth took Alison for the morning and let the girls play in the hotel room. I asked Ben to take a quick picture so I could at least see the girls together. I am so disappointed I didn't get to see the girls in person or spend any time with them.

Ben had to get Alison when it was time to check out of our room. Thankfully the hospital had just lifted the no kid ban and she was able to come to my room. Ben told her to lay down on the couch and close her eyes and she crashed there for the entire afternoon! I have no idea what happened to our child. I've never been able to just say, lay down in this random spot and fall asleep, nor has she ever slept that long, especially with so much commotion going on. She was only awake for about an hour in the hospital and then fell asleep again when we got in the car.

I went to my doctor yesterday and was very afraid they would put me on bed rest. The doctor assured me that everything I was feeling was just because of the stomach bug. I am still only dilated to 1.5 centimeters, which is really good. He said although it's early to be dilating, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll have the baby early. I have to go to the doctor weekly now, but I'm not restricted in my activities-HURRAY!!!

So today I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful the stomach bug is behind me and I still have my baby boy inside of me. I'm thankful it was just a bug and not my body going into early labor. I'm thankful for all the people praying for us through this and for family willing to drop everything and come help us if we needed it. I'm thankful for a little bit more time with just Alison and time to finish my nesting list. I'm thankful Ben said "in sickness and in health" in his vows.
We still have some recovery to do, but things are looking so much better. Ben was at the doctor's yesterday as well getting more medicine for a sinus infection that just won't go away. I've never experienced a sinus infection, but I can imagine it's not fun. So we're praying for a quick recovery for him as well, as this weekend he's preaching and it's his birthday.

What a character!

Alison and Daddy are starting swim lessons on Saturday...apparently that's just not soon enough. Sunday night Ben and I were prepping for our first small group meeting and to entertain herself Alison dug out her swimming stuff. Notice the tights still on from church and the swimsuit that's on backwards.

One morning Alison discovered my nail polish and decided it was time for some pampering. I feel like I have to tell Alison no so much lately simply because I physically cannot do what she's asking, so I've tried to make an extra effort to do some special things with her. I helped her paint my fingers and toes and then painted hers. She was so proud of her pretty nails. No matter how many times I told her the paint was dry, she still insisted on holding her hands out in the air all day. She even tried to paint Daddy's nails while he was sleeping-she almost got away with it because I was laughing too hard. I explained that boys don't wear nail polish and that it's something special mommy's get to do with their daughters. I'm not sure she quite got the concept. Today I put her hand on my belly and told her that she was feeling baby brother's foot. She asked if he had pretty toes.