Labor and Delivery and 3rd Anniversary

It is December 30, 2008 (our 3rd wedding anniversary) and I am just now getting around to telling my story of Labor and Delivery (October 28, 2008). My daughter is now 2 months old and I can't believe it's taken me this long to tell about my experience. Oh well, I'm doing good just getting on the computer, I think. :) haha. Though it isn't as fresh on my mind as it would have been a couple of months ago, I do remember great details about my labor and delivery. It was something I could never prepare for, something I enjoyed greatly, something that hurt like crap, and something I will never forget!! My mom did a great job of documenting everything via journaling, and I am very thankful to have that to refer back to.

On October 27, Matt and I headed to the hospital to be induced (we arrived there about 5:30 am). We did not sleep at all the night before. It was like Christmas Eve times 1,000!! To know that I would wake up to go have a baby really kept us both wide awake with excitement and crazy nerves. So, we woke up and headed out bright and early to have us a baby. On the way there Matt managed to spill his cup of cereal and milk all over the car (we had to pull over and clean it up) and later spill is dr. pepper. Bless his heart! haha. When we finally got to the hospital, we had to wait about 20 minutes or so until we saw someone to take us back to the insurance lady to discuss everything. As we waited we had some "winners" in the room waiting to be induced. Actually, it was one girl and about 35 of her annoying, loud family members. How do we always get stuck with the obnoxious people?! Oh well-we didn't let it ruin our excitement. :)

After we finally met with the insurance woman, we were taken back to our room (Delivery Room 4). Mom met us there about 7:15 am and my Pitocin was started at 7:30. I was extremely excited to see my buddy, Ashley Adams when her shift started b/c I knew she'd take great care of us. The majority of that morning consisted of us watching Saved By The Bell, Fresh Prince of Bellaire and Home Improvement. The Ivester's arrived around 8 am and joined the party. At one point the Anesthesiologist came in and asked what my "dilutation" was. I was extremely confused and luckily Matt spoke up and said, "They haven't checked yet." After he walked out of the room I looked at Matt and said, "I didn't know what he was talking about. I was about to tell him that I was dealing just fine!" I'm glad Matt is smarter than I am and realized that "dilutation" had to do with how far dilated I was, not how I was dealing with the pain haha. My sweet friend nurse, Ashley came in and out to check on me and I can't brag on her enough. Not only did she ease my anxiety, pain and take good care of me-she also told me to put my nose ring back in that the nurse on the previous shift and told me to take out. God love her! :)

About noon my daddy showed up and I was happy. When he arrived I was only 1 cm dilated. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Things continued to progress slowly throughout the rest of the afternoon. I had contractions that were fairly strong, but little did I know how bad they would get. About 3:30 pm Dr. Gower (the same doctor who delivered me...LOVE HIM!) came in and stopped my Pitocin (after doing the "Gower Maneuver"...very painful I must say haha). I was only 2 cm dilated and not progressing any. He didn't want me to labor any longer since I wasn't progressing any, so he decided to stop it all and let me rest, eat a good supper, and sleep well. He said we'd start the Pitocin first thing the next morning. I was soooo disappointed. I cried and cried and cried because I was exhausted, in pain, and I wanted to meet my baby girl. My sweet husband handled me so well. I cannot give him enough credit. He crawled into the bed with me and rubbed my back (which was aching b/c I had back labor), he rubbed my hair, told me it'd be okay, etc. Words cannot give justice to how AMAZING he was to me throughout everything. Not to mention, he helped me go to the bathroom about every 20 minutes b/c I was all hooked up to IV's. That afternoon Aunt Jane, Mark, Andrea, Brie, Chad, Adger, Lauren and Andrew came to visit and lifted my spirits. Brie was ready to meet her cousin b/c she was all decked out in pink and brown! :) That night daddy brought us Firehouse to eat and it was the best meal I had ever eaten. I downed Sprite b/c I knew I wouldn't be able to have it for awhile. That night I slept great due to an ambien, some cartons of milk and an egg crate that Ashley had ordered for me. :)

The nurse woke us up about 5:30 am on Tuesday, October 28 so that I could shower and be all fresh to meet my little girl. Dr. Gower came in to break my water at 6:30 am. Shortly after my water was broken, the contractions came-hard and painful!! I have never experienced pain like that before (little did I know more pain was to come after the birth). I was in horrible pain for about an hour and finally at 7:30 am I got my epideral. Thank you, Jesus for epidurals! Thankfully, Ashley switched with another nurse so that she could be my nurse again. She was amazing once again! At 7:45 am. Dr. Gower checked me and I was 100% effaced and 4 cm dilated. Yay! At 10:10 am Matt went to get our parentals to tell them to come see me before I slept some. It wasn't a total lie...we wanted to get them in there to tell them that I was 9 cm dilated and went from 4 to 9 cm in 1 1/2 hours. Holy Cow! Thanks, Dr. Gower for breaking my water!! Ashley had checked me when I was 9 cm and later told me that I was technically 10 but she wanted me to rest some before I pushed. I'm glad she did! A little bit after 11 am I began pushing some with Ashley (Dr. Gower had left for the day and my new doctor, Dr. Price was doing a C-Section). I pushed through, maybe 6 contractions with Ash and it was so easy. I couldn't feel a thing. Honestly, I didn't even know I was pushing hard except for the fact that I was straining my face haha. Man, what a good epidural! Finally, Dr. Price came in and it was so surreal. To see all the "accessories" set up for the birth, to have nurses come in and to see Dr. Price come was crazy. I knew I was about to have a baby. I did not know what to expect, but I was ready. Dr. Price was amazing! Everything was set up and he told me to push. And push I did. I pushed one time and Cadence came out. Like I said earlier, I didn't even feel anything so I had no clue she was out. Dr. Price said, "SLOW DOWN! Stop!" b/c Cady came shooting out haha. It makes me laugh to think about it b/c I really had NO clue. It was amazing! Sweet Cadence was born (with strong lungs) at 12:25 pm weighing 8 pds, 7 oz and measuring 20 in.....SO BEAUTIFUL!!

Honestly, words can't descibe what an experience it was. I never want to forget it! Everyone was so amazing!! And seeing my daughter for the first time: WOW! My favorite moment was when they layed her on my chest and I could hear/feel her breathe. It brings tears to my eyes just writing this! In that moment I knew I was created to be a mommy. I loved this little girl more than I could have ever imagined! Even though I had no clue what to do with her, but to love her, I knew my life had changed forever in an amazing way. I'm so thankful to have such a healthy, precious, beautiful baby girl! Thank you, Jesus!

My recovery: ummm painful! After Cady was born the doctor spent about 45 min "fixing" me up. haha. Ashley said that he did such a great job that I will probably be better "down there" than I was when God created me haha. Sidenote: Ashley brought me a whole box of Sprite to down b/c I had been craving Sprite for the past day or so. (Sprite made it all better). I won't go into great detail about how bad it was, but let's just say that it is two months later and I am still healing and in pain. The time in the hospital was so difficult due to my pain. Once the epidural wore off I was in shock at how much pain I was actually in. Again, I can't brag enough about my husband and how he took care of me and handled me. He did everything for me! I am also blown away at how great the nurses and doctors took care of us. I love Greenville Memorial! Our stay was great. We finally got to leave the Hospital on Thursday. Mom and Brenda were there to help us pack up and believe me-we had SO much stuff. We pretty much had a caravan follow us out of the hospital due to all of our loot.

Coming home was great! Matt and I walked in with Cadence and introduced her to the puppies. We spent the afternoon just getting to know her and got her acquainted with the house and the dogs. That night our parents came over and brought us supper. Those first 2 weeks were the hardest weeks of my life....emotionally, physically, everything! Between my crazy hormones, not producing milk and Cadence not breastfeeding and my body being in so much pain, I was a wreck. But thank the good Lord for Matt and our families b/c they really stepped in and took care of us!

Now, it's 2 months later and I am loving life. I LOVE being a mommy and I love my daughter more than I ever could have imagined. She is growing like a weed and her personality comes out more and more every day. I am amazed at how we have fallen into the roles of parenthood. God has blessed us beyond words and I am so thankful. That brings me to today: me and Matt's 3rd anniversary. 3 yrs ago I would never have been able to imagine that I would be a stay at home mommy today. It was always my dream, but now that I am living it, it blows me away at how God has blessed us! God has given me a husband who loves me, takes care of me, and who is my best friend. I fall more in love with him every day and seeing him be a daddy to Cadence makes me love him in ways I can't explain. I look forward to many more years of loving my husband and experiencing life with him. I love you, Matthew!!

Updates to come...

Hello all!

Gosh it has been forever since I've blogged. Things have been a tad busy, as you can imagine. :) My goal is to write about my labor and delivery experience ASAP b/c I want to tell my story...I love it! :) I promise to get to that very soon!! Things here are amazing and I LOVE being a stay at home mommy with Cadence. It is the greatest job ever!! I am still getting used to the lack of sleep, how to get on a schedule, etc. But, I am learning and Cady is a great baby, so things are getting easier every day. That being said, when I actually have a second to sit down and tell my story, I promise that I will. I look forward to sharing it with everyone!! Now, I am going to go try and get ready for the day (it is 1:07 and me and the babe are still in our jammies on the couch). Hey, cut me some slack-I didn't sleep that much last night. :)

Cadence is here!

Hi there...Abby's friend Lauren here, updating for Abby while she's in the hospital. :)

Abby had a long day Monday. She got to the hospital at 5:30 am, but after having a day's worth of Pitocin, she had only dilated 1 cm by 3:30, so the doctor decided to try again today. Well, today was the day! This morning she dilated quickly and Cadence Grace Ivester was born at 12:25 pm, weighing 8 lbs and 7 oz!! Mom and baby are doing wonderfully.

The Latest!!

What a rollercoaster these last few weeks and days have been!!! I am thankful to say that things are finally coming to an end and I will get to meet my daughter very soon! :) Last night was a little scary b/c I hadn't felt Cady move much. They told me to be monitoring her due to my low amniotic fluid, so we got a little concerned. I called my buddy, Ashley (labor and delivery nurse at the hospital who is my ANGEL) and she told me to come to the hospital to get checked out. We didn't call our parents or anyone b/c we didn't want to scare anybody, so Matt and I headed up there to see what was going on.

When we arrived, Ashley met us and immediately took me to a room and hooked me up to the fetal heart monitor. Thankfully, Cadence was amazing! The doctor said he hadn't seen a heart that good in about a month and was very pleased with her. What a huge relief! They think the reason I wasn't feeling her move much was due to the low amniotic fluid and the fact that she is so big now that she doesn't have much room to move. They also thought my water might have broken, but it ended up that it had not. I was there for over an hour so they could monitor us, and while I was there I started having contractions. They were pretty regular, but the doc thinks it's partly because he was messing around "down there". haha. They sent us home and told me to take two Tylenol and a Benadryl and to sleep.

I didn't sleep much last night b/c I was very uncomfortable and kept having some contractions throughout the night-but nothing that made me think I needed to jet back to the hospital. We went to the doc this morning for my biophysical exam (an in-depth ultrasound). Everything was perfect! My amniotic fluid levels had risen and Cadence was doing amazing! They measured and weighed her and said she already weighed about 8 pounds!! Holy Cow-I couldn't imagine if I went to 40 weeks haha. I then went and was checked by the doctor (1 cm dialated and 90% effaced). She told me, "I don't know how you're walking around because her head is so low." Basically, Cadence is preparing on her own to come out which really makes me happy. She is a healthy, big baby who just knew she didn't need to stay in 40 weeks haha.

They set me up to be induced on Monday morning and we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM to get things started. The doc said she could come on her own before then, so we will see. :) But regardless, I will be in the hospital by Monday having this sweet child!! We are soooo excited and so appreciative of all of the prayers and encouragement from all of you. I don't know if I'll write any more until after Cady is here, but just know we love you all and appreciate you! I'll try to get Matt to update my blog after she is born to give you the weight, height, time, etc. :)

We love you!!
Abby and Matt

More News

I heard from my doctor and here is the latest:

I am scheduled for a biophysical exam tomororw (an in depth ultrasound) because they discovered that my amniotic fluid level is low. If it gets too low it is a danger to the baby and they would need to get her out. So, I will go first thing in the morning to check that out. If it is low, I will go immediately to the hospital to get her out. If it is not low I will wait until Monday and then I will have another biophysical exam to check her out again. If on Monday it is low, they will take her out. If not, then I will wait until Tuesday or Wednedsay (when her lungs will be fully developed) to be induced. My doctor said he would call me by the end of the day to let me know exactly when I will be induced if I don't go in early due to my low fluid. So, the waiting continues. Haha. I'm so thankful that they are taking such great care of me and Cadence. I have faith it will all work out. I will keep you posted!

Amniocentesis and more waiting!

I went in yesterday for my amniocentesis. I gotta tell ya: I was an absolute NERVOUS wreck. Both Matt and mom went in with me (Matt sat beside me and rubbed my hair and momma held my hand...bless her hand, I squeezed it off)! The needle didn't hurt at all but when it hit my uterus, I thought I was gonna scream (it felt like a terrible cramp). The whole procedure didn't take long at all but once it was over I cried and cried. I think it was everything I had held in (my nervousness, all my emotions over everything lately, etc.). After the procedure they took me to a room and hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor to make sure Cadence wasn't under any stress. Her heartbeat was wonderful. I started having these horrible cramps, which later the nurse told me was contractions (it's normal to have that after an amnio). Finally, those went away and I was just crampy the rest of the day. I am so thankful for Meredith, the nurse (who is also a church friend). She kept me calm and reassured me throughout the procedure. She also took care of me after the procedure and she was an absolute God send. Thank you, Meredith!! After about 25 minutes or so of monitoring Cady they told me to go home and rest and stay home today.

I got a call yesterday afternoon that her lungs are not fully developed. I was extremely disappointed b/c I was all prepared to go to the hospital last night and get this show on the road. Luckily I was with mom (she took care of me ALL day b/c Matt had to work). I had a break down. Gosh this emotional rollercoaster! Me and mom had fun yesterday, though. We cuddled, took a nap together, etc. Sometimes you just have to have your mommy and she was just what I needed! Thanks mom! :) Since those results came back negative, they sent them off for a more extensive look and I just received the call that her lungs still aren't developed. They are close, but not there yet. So, I am just waiting to get a call back from my doctor to tell me where to go from here. I'm thinking they will either take her mid next week or next weekend, but I can't say for sure. I promise to keep everyone updated. All of this back and forth has been stressing me out, but I'm finally just going with the flow...that's all I can do. I hate waiting and wondering, but as I know deep in my heart God is in control and that gives me comfort!

Thanks for all of the prayers! Keep them coming. :) I will continue to try to update the best I can. We love yall!

more news...

Hey Friends!! Just wanted to give a quick update. We went to the doctor today and he set me up for an amniocentesis tomorrow. I don't know what time yet, but hopefully early tomorrow. I will hear from them asap in the morning to hear when I go over there. If her lungs are definitely developed (please pray they are) then the test results will come back within an hour, they will call me and then they will take me in tomorrow night in the hospital and give me Cervadil (to get me dialating). Then, they will induce Thursday morning. If the test results come back that it's not 100% certain her lungs are developed, then they will send the results to Charleston for more in depth look (that will take 24 hrs to get the results). If those tests came back positive then I would probably go in to be induced Friday or so. If the tests come back that her lungs aren't developed at all then they will induce me at 38 1/2 weeks (I am 37 now). Soooooooo we are praying that tomorrow its certain her lungs are developed and we will be in the hospital tomorrow night. The doctor thinks her lungs should be developed by now, but they want to be certain. All that being said, we just ask for your prayers. We know everything will be okay and are trusting that God is taking care of everything. We will keep you updated the best we can. If we end up going to the hospital tomorrow night, things may be a tad crazy tomorrow so not sure if I'll have time to update. But eventually you all will hear what's happening. :) Thanks for everything and we appreciate you!

Love to you all,Matt and Abby

Update...God is good!

I will make this short, I promise. I heard back from the doctor and all my blood work came back normal, praise the Lord! So, it isn't URGENT that they take Cadence out yet. He still wants to deliver her early (around 38 weeks)...partly for my sanity b/c of my horrible itching, and also just to be careful and get her out. He said he has no clue what is causing my itching-since I don't have a rash or anything and because of that he still wants to get her out. He is perplexed, but is confidant that she will be perfectly fine in the womb a little bit longer. He wants to wait until I'm 38 weeks so that they won't have to make me go through an amniocentesis (which I'm thankful for). He said by 38 weeks her lungs will definitely be developed so we wouldn't have to worry about that. So, the plan now is for me to go to the doc twice a week so they can monitor her and make sure she is okay, and they will induce me around 38 weeks or so (around Nov. 1). We are so thankful for the results and we are also thankful they are still being proactive about checking her twice a week (since they don't know what's going on). It is frustrating not to know what is causing all of my internal itching, but we trust everything will be okay and we look forward to Nov 1/2nd. I will keep everyone updated the best I can, and I can't thank you enough for your prayers! So, it looks like Cadence will be here the beginning of November, if not before. Wow-that's only 2 weeks away...still a little more time to prepare :)

Cadence will be here soon!

I will try to make this short, but I do want to inform everybody. I heard back from the first set of test results and a few things were off, but overall everything was normal. I should hear back today on whether or not I actually have this condition: Cholestasis. I talked to the doctor last night and he said that regardless of what the test results say, he still wants to do an amniocentesis (to check her lungs) and take her out. He said he trusts a mother's intuition and gut feelings more than any labs, and both me, Matt and the doc think something is wrong and that Cadence needs to come out.

I am so thankful for doctors who listen and who validate feelings. I can't say enough about Dr. Stamm and how he has taken care of me. So, basically, now I am just waiting to hear from the doc about the results. After I hear (either way) they will set me up for an amniocentesis, and after I get those results (hopefully her lungs will be developed) they will induce me. It could be tomorrow, this weekend, or early next week. I am not sure at this point when I will be induced, but I do know it will be soon. Dr. Stamm said that I have all of the symptoms of this condition and it's nothing to play around with, so he just wants to get her out to prevent any problems. So, I still wait and I still pray. I know God is in control, but I can't help but be anxious. Please keep us in your prayers and I will do my best at keeping everyone updated.

Love to you all,
Abby

Waiting and waiting and waiting

I have been waiting on the results of my blood work for about a week. I went yesterday for my 36 week checkup and I was informed that my blood work got messed up. Long story short, the Greenville lab sent it to a lab in Birmingham...the Birmingham lab said my blood was suppose to be frozen instead of refrigerated, so any results would not be 100% accurate. So, after discussing it with Matt and my doctor I decided to go back in today to get the blood work redone so I wouldn't question the results. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!

Yesterday and last night were extremely hard because I could not stop thinking about it and stressing out. I know that if I have this condition, then they will get on top of taking Cadence out ASAP (usually by 37 weeks or so...which, holy cow is next week)! I kept thinking, "If they wouldn't have messed up my blood work then I would already know and they could already be getting on top of things and making sure Cadence is okay. Instead, I am just waiting, and the longer I wait the more serious it can get (if I do have this condition)." Needless to say, yesterday I was a nervous wreck.

This morning I went back to the doctor at 8:30 to get my blood work redone. This time my doctor's office said they were going to take care of the blood work and that I would have my results from it by this afternoon. Part of the test (the part that tests for my liver function) will be in today and the second half of the test (which tests for my bile acids) will be back tomorrow. Basically, if the test results come back positive today then they will definitely take Cadence early. If they come back negative and the second part of the test comes back positive tomorrow, then they still may take her early but it won't be as urgent. And, if everything comes back negative it just means I have a really bad case of pregnancy itching and it's up to me how long I can stand it...if I can stand it until 40 weeks, great, but if not they said it wouldn't be a problem to take her early so I wouldn't go insane.

After they did the blood work they then hooked me up and monitored her heart rate for about 20 minutes. Thankfully, she has a very strong heart beat and everything looks great there. So, now I'm just waiting again for results and what to do. I'm not as stressed today b/c I know that her heart is good and that they are on top of things. If I do have this condition I will probably go back in sometime this week for an amniocentesis to make sure her lungs are fully developed. If her lungs are developed then they will probably induce me sometime next week or so and get her out so she won't be harmed. Gosh, so much to think about!!!!

I have to say that I am VERY impressed with my group of doctors (Greenville OBGYN) because they are so on top of things. They handled me very well today and everyone knew what they were doing, they didn't waste time, etc. I am very thankful to be under such great care! And regardless of whether they take her next week or not, she will be here soon and I am excited to meet her! I will be sure to keep everyone posted! Thanks for the prayers!

Severe Itching, A Muddy Fall, and Ruined Gauchos

My day yesterday was probably one of the worst ones I've had since being pregnant. Let me give you a little recap...I can now look back and laugh-but I still get upset thinking about it. haha.

For the past month or so I have had SEVERE itching all over my body. At first it was localized and I would rub some Aveeno lotion on me to make myself feel better. Now it is so bad that lotion won't help, Claritin and Benadryl won't help (which the doctor told me to try), and the itching is not only on the outside of my body, but it's also this burning/itching sensation inside of me. So, I went for my 35 wk checkup and told him all about it. Before I get into that, let me say that I got really excited b/c the doc said she is doing wonderful, he felt her "noggin" as he called it, and he said she has dropped some and is just hanging out and waiting. That really pumped me up!! :)

Now, getting back to the itching. The doctor said it could just be that I have really bad pregnancy itching (which some women have) or I could have this condition called: Cholestasis of Pregnancy. I don't process information well, so I am about to copy and paste what this is:
"Some women experience a very severe itching in late pregnancy. The most common cause of this is cholestasis, a common liver disease that only happens in pregnancy. Cholestasis of pregnancy is a condition in which the normal flow of bile in the gallbladder is affected by the high amounts of pregnancy hormones. Pregnancy hormones affect gallbladder function, resulting in slowing or stopping the flow of bile. The gallbladder holds bile that is produced in the liver, which is necessary in the breakdown of fats in digestion. When the bile flow is stopped or slowed down, this causes a build up of bile acids in the liver which can spill into the bloodstream. A developing baby relies on the mother’s liver to remove bile acids from the blood; therefore, the elevated levels of maternal bile cause stress on the baby’s liver. Women with cholestasis should be monitored closely and serious consideration should be given to inducing labor once the baby’s lungs have reached maturity. "

So, all of that being said, it's not good for the baby if a woman has this. My doctor told me that if I do have this condition then it would change the way these last few weeks go (meaning I would probably go in twice a week to check the baby instead of once, and he would probably want to take the baby early). He then sent me to the hospital lab (where I sat forever) to get blood work which would determine if I had this or not. Needless to say, this did not make me very happy (I hate blood work and the thought of something being "wrong" really upset me). I am still waiting on the results and they said it would take a few days so I will keep you posted. I know everything will be okay, but I would prefer things to just be normal. If I don't have this condition (my preference of course), then I'll just have to deal with this horrible itching until she comes. I'm telling you, I cannot describe this itching and how horrible it is! I can't do anything without it affecting me (work, sleep, etc.). So please pray for this whole situation and also that this itching will stop regardless.

Okay, moving on. After all the blood work I went back to work and it really wasn't a bad work day...I just couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of all of this and I of course googled it (which is never good...you hear all the horror stories). So, I've banned myself from further research. haha. I left work and rushed home to let our dogs out so that I would be able to make the baby shower that Matt's work was throwing for us. When I got home, arms full, I decided to walk on our sidewalk to our front porch to get something off the porch... I slipped and fell in this HUGE mud pool on our walkway. I busted my left knee, ripped a hole in my FAVORITE black gaucho pants, got mud from head to toe (including my purse and items inside of my purse). Thankfully, the baby wasn't hurt, but I'm so sore today (my knee). I managed to get up and walk into the house but I was dripping mud so badly that I had to completely strip down. I didn't even know where to start cleaning up. I decided to start with my knee b/c it was gushing blood.

I'm so thankful because in the midst of my crisis and cleanup, my mom called my cell phone and the timing could not have been more perfect. I cried (and I mean wailed) on the phone to her b/c I was so emotionally drained, stressed, etc. and she immediately drove over (she is the best mom and friend ever)!!! Mom cleaned me up, washed my clothes and purse, hugged me and let me cry to her forever, took care of the pups, etc. I finally got it together and changed clothes and made it to the shower (15 minutes late...and I HATE being late). We had an amazing shower and are so blessed, so the night ended good. However, when we got home I just cried to Matt again b/c my emotions were all over the place. And worst of all, my gauchos that I wear practically every day (they aren't even maternity...just big and comfortable) are completely ruined and ripped. I've called around everywhere and no store has gauchos right now. I'm so bummed! Don't mess with a woman's wardrobe (especially a pregnant woman's). So, if anyone knows a place that is selling gauchos right now PLEASE tell me. I will buy 10 pair! :)

I am sorry to vent, but this blog is very helpful in that area haha. Thankfully, today has been a lot better. I am limping a tad, my knee hurts real bad and I'm still sad about my pants, but I am overall a happy camper. I am at peace with whatever the blood results show and I am trying to patiently wait and just trust in the Lord. Regardless if she comes early or not, she will be here very soon and I cannot wait to meet this precious child!

And by the way: everyone needs a mother like my mom. She is a lifesaver. And everyone needs a husband like mine b/c he is precious (he voluntarily rubbed my back last night, pampered me, let me cry, and most importantly just listened and understood me in the midst of my cry fests). Thank you Jesus for these precious people in my life!

Some Preggo Pics

Our precious friend, Shannon Leatherwood took some amazing preggo pics for us this past Sunday and we are SO pleased at how they turned out. I am not posting all of them-just my favs. I can't believe that in about 5 weeks or so, our little girl will be here-out in the world with us. I wanted to have a few pics of the "three" of us before she made her debut. :) As my pregnancy draws to an end, I am growing more and more thankful for one on one time with my husband. I am trying to cherish every single moment with him, with us as a couple. I don't want to ever forget these moments with him and regret not soaking in everything.

Updated Nursery

Well, the nursery is officially finished! I absolutely love it and I am so thankful to my husband for hanging everything, putting everything together, etc. He is amazing and I can't wait to bring Cadence home to her room! :)

The furniture is IN!!!

I am so excited because Cady's furniture FINALLY came in!! Everything seems so real now b/c baby showers have started, our furniture is in, and I am getting HUGE! :) I cannot even begin to tell you how Matthew managed to get all of the nursery furniture up the stairs and in the bedroom (I prayed a lot while I watched him "roll" and carry everything up all by himself). As I've said before, my husband blows me away. Not only did he get all of the furniture up by himself, he put it all together in no time...what a handy man I am married to! At one point when Matt was putting the crib together he looked at me and said, "It just really hit me that we are going to have a child." It's true...we know we are going to have a baby, but it all came to a reality when her crib was put together. Holy cow we're excited! :) We still have some work to do in the nursery (put up the window treatments, put her letters on the wall, etc.) but I am just so excited I had to post some pics. I will continue to add more as things progress.

*looking in through the door* (we still dont
have her rocker in yet, but we'll probably

put that infront of the window.)

*32 weeks preggo

A Babymoon, some rednecks and a couple of roaches!!

Matt and I just got back from our "Babymoon" (last vacation a couple takes together before the baby arrives) and it was soooo much fun! We went to Myrtle Beach and stayed in a nice hotel, Dunes Village. Matt and I always have so much fun together and this trip was no different. We stuffed ourselves silly, relaxed on the beach and by the pool, and RELAXED!! I am very blessed to have a husband who is so much fun...seriously-he's a hoot and keeps me laughing nonstop. I'm also very blessed that both of us tend to make the best out of situations that could make some people incredibly mad. We try not to let things ruin our fun and we try to just go with the flow. So...

After our vacation to the beach in July with Matt's family, Matt and I vowed not to go back to Myrtle Beach due to the incredible amount of rednecks that seem to flock there. However, we figured it was just because it was over the 4th of July and the fact that holidays and alcohol always tend to bring out the "best" in people. Well, this trip was no different. The first couple of days was pretty calm but then the cat really drug in some "winners." Now, I know I sound mean, and I apologize. I try to love people and accept people, but when I am on vacation I have a low tolerance for ignorant and loud people. :) I don't have tons of specifics for you, but I do have a few examples:

-When I am leisurely floating in the lazy river, I do not find it fun to be kicked and ran into by kids who are swimming like Michael Phelps under, beside and on top of me. (Where are these kids parents?)
-When I am swimming in the pool I hate to hear LOUD, middle-aged, drunk men use every cuss word in a sentence predicting who would win all of the upcoming college football games. (I think these were the parents of the annoying kids in the lazy river).
-When I'm laying out on the beach, enjoying the peaceful sounds of the ocean I hate to be interrupted by bratty kids screaming to their parents, "GIVE ME A TOWEL! GIVE ME A TOWEL! GIVE ME A TOWEL!" after they got knocked over by a wave in the salty ocean. I hate when the parents don't tell the kid to shut up-instead they just laugh at them.
-When I come in from a day at the beach and am loaded down with beach gear, patiently waiting on the elevator, I hate when people are completely oblivious and take their time getting off the elevator as if I am not waiting on them.

These are just a few examples, but really-people annoyed me. Matt and I chose to laugh at all of these situations instead of explode...but trust me, I was close. :) We decided after this trip that we will only stay in North Myrtle Beach now. Things seem to be quiter there and less people...just the way we like it. :)

Now our room: We have stayed at this resort before and loved it. The rooms are so nice and we were really excited to go back. Our first night there, we were laying in the bed and I happened to look on the wall and I said, "Matt-is that a bug?!" He looked and sure enough it was a small roach. UM GROSS! I cannot deal with roaches. So, Matt tried to hit it with a shoe, knocked the sucker down and then the roach ran off to who knows where. I decided to jump on top of the coffee table while Matt moved the bed, the box springs, mattress, etc. to find this nasty bug. Finally, after about 20+ minutes, I happened to pick up Matt's computer bag (yes, I was now off of the coffee table trying to help) and there was the stupid roach. I killed him! After we cleaned everything up, I couldn't help but laugh because our room looked like a tornado had ripped through it. We remembered when we had arrived into our room that afternoon that our balcony door was open. We figured they had sprayed for bugs or something, so we shrugged it off to chance.

Night number two: We were laying in the bed about midnight and I saw in the reflection of the mirror over our tv a HUGE roach. I, again, said: "Matt, is that a bug?!" He jumped up, tried to hit it, it fell and the search for the roach began again. This roach was ENORMOUS!! So, what did Matt do? He moved the bed, the box springs, mattress, etc. to find this nasty bug. This time was not as funny b/c we were exhausted and disgusted. In the midst of trying to find this bug (they are fast and hard to catch), I tried stepping on it as it came near my leg, I lost my balance, grabbed onto the corner of the bed and fell. Yup, I twisted my ankle. I started to cry and laugh (because it had to have looked hilarious). It didn't hurt that bad until about 20 minutes later and Matt had to get me a bag of ice to keep on it. Long story short, we found the roach and killed it (after a long time of searching). Matt called down to the lobby and told them of our roach experiences and how his 7 mo. preggo wife twisted her ankle trying to kill one and we wanted a new room.

The next day we were instructed to pack up all of our stuff and leave it for the maids to transfer to another room. So, we did just that and headed out to the beach for the day. I'm happy to say that our new room for our last two nights was roach free. And when we checked out, they gave us a night free so that was a plus. Looking back, it was really hilarious. Gross, but hilarious. And my ankle: it's much better now. :) Despite the rednecks and two roaches, Matt and I had a blast. We ate at our favorite restaurants, shopped, and enjoyed it just being the two of us!! Next time we go to Myrtle Beach (b/c we will go back...it's just tradition), we will stay in North Myrtle and bring roach spray. :)

"I plan on having a vaginal delivery with an epidural!!!"

I know I've written before about how people tend to tell you any thing when you're pregnant (give you advice, tell you youre big, etc.). While that has really annoyed me, I have yet to have a really odd encounter with someone regarding my pregnancy until yesterday. After my encounter I knew it was definitely blog worthy haha. So, here is my story:

Yesterday at work this lady came in to visit with one of our residents. I had never met her before so she was a complete stranger to me. She seemed really friendly and came into my office to chat for a moment. I was sitting at my desk and the first thing she said to me was, "Are you with child?". Obviously, I said "Yes." She then asked me if she could touch my belly and I said yes. I stood up and she then preceded to rub my stomach in this sort of thrusting motion-back and forth, back and forth. It was an incredibly awkward moment, but I must admit it did feel good. The reason she was rubbing this way was because according to her, "Pregnant women love when I do this because they are usually real itchy in this area." Odd, but whatever.

After my "prenatal massage" she sat down in my office and said, "What is your birth plan?" Oh my gosh, seriously??? Why is this strange woman asking me about my birth plan?! So, I just looked at her and said, "What?" This is how the rest of our conversation went:

Stranger: "Your birth plan...what is your birth plan?"
Me: "I plan on having a vaginal delivery with an epidural."
Stranger (in a firm tone): "Oh no you are not having an epidural!!!"
Me: "Really? How come?"
Stranger: "Well, I shouldn't tell you this because you are pregnant, but I am going to. Do you realize that if you have an epidural, you have a great chance of being paralyzed afterwards?"
Me: "Well, I really think that is rare and I think I have a great chance of not being paralyzed."
Stranger: "I wouldn't do an epidural. Seriously, there is a great risk for that. Another reason you shouldn't get an epidural is because you won't be able to get out of bed or walk for 2 hours after the baby is born."
Me: "That would be fine with me. After hours of labor, I think I wouldn't mind relaxing in the bed for a few more hours."
Stranger: "Well without an epidural, you are free to get up and shower at any time during your labor if you wanted to."
Me: "That doesn't really matter to me. They can sponge bathe me."
Stranger: "Also, with an epidural you have to have an episiotomy."
Me: "My sister-in-law just had a baby with an epidural and she didn't get an episiotomy. I know a lot of people who didn't have to get an episiotomy."
Stranger: "All I am saying is that the Lord intended for birth to be natural. I had three kids all natural and it really is mind over matter. Seriously, it does not hurt and your labor will be shorter than if you had an epidural. I was in labor for 72 hours with my first child."
Me: "My friend Lauren just had a baby and she had her child just a few hours after her epidural."
Stranger: "Well, natural is the way to go. You can even ask for this massage where they put oil on your labia and massage your vagina and it feels really good."
Me: "If I have an epidural I won't feel anything any way so it really doesn't matter."
Stranger: "Honey, don't let anyone tell you what to do. All I am saying is that you need to have a natural birth because it is the only way to go. Now tell me...after us having this conversation, what is your birth plan?"
Me: "I plan on having a vaginal delivery with an epidural."
Stranger: "Well, just be sure to breast feed. (Her kid started fussing at this point and as she headed out to go after him she said). I will come back another day to give you another massage."

HOLY COW DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THAT CONVERSATION WAS AS WEIRD AS I DO?! I mean really!!!!! First of all, I had never met this woman before in my life and she gives me a "prenatal" massage. Then, she sits down in my office and lectures me (for at least half an hour) on how I need to have a natural birth. The conversation lasted a lot longer that what I quoted...those were just the highlights. By the way, a lot of her points made absolutely no sense and she completely contradicted herself a lot throughout our conversation. At first I was a little angry that she was forcing her opinion down my throat. But then I just realized that she is like a lot of people in this world: crazy and has no sense, so I just laughed inside and made fun of her in my head. :) I have no problem with people having natural births, but do not tell me that is the only way to go. Yes Eve had a natural birth back in the day, but goodness- a lot of things have changed. We don't sacrifice animals anymore, we don't walk around in tunics and sandals...a lot of things have changed. Whew!! I am worn out just replaying that conversation. It was quite interesting. But just so all of you, I PLAN ON HAVING A VAGINAL DELIVERY WITH AN EPIDURAL!!! :)

Aubrie Michelle Rucker is HERE!!

I am now a proud aunt of a sweet, beautiful, precious baby girl: Aubrie Michelle Rucker. She was born on Monday, August 11, 2008 at 4:40 am, weighed 7 lb. 13 oz. and measured 20 in. I cannot tell you how proud I am and what fun the whole fam had at the hospital. Let me do a recap for you.

I got a call from momma about 8 am on sunday morning informing me that Andrea had been having contractions since 1am. They were waiting for her contractions to be 5 min. apart before they went to the hospital. So, the waiting game began. Matt and I decided to go to the early service at church so we could be available if they went to the hospital later that morning (New Spring is right down the street from St. Francis). After church we called momma and they informed us that everyone was on the way to the hospital. Matt and I arrived a little before 11 am. A few minutes later everyone else arrived. Little did we know that we'd be leaving very soon. Ruck and Andrea walked out, disappointed, and said that she was still only 1 cm dilated and could go home and rest until the contractions got more severe.

What did we all do? Well, we all loaded up (me, Matt, mom, dad, Chad, Michelle, Mark, Andrea, and Andrea's parents) and went to eat lunch at Stax Omega. We had so much fun (except for Andrea every 5 min or so having contractions in between eating her french toast and drinking her drink). After our leisurely brunch we all went our separate ways. At 4pm I got a call from mom that they were heading back to the hospital because Andrea's contractions were getting more severe. So, we packed our things back up and headed to the hospital to wait this thing out. Sure enough when we got there, they admitted her (she was 3 cm dilated) and in pain. Andrea and Mark would occasionally walk through the waiting room prior to her receiving her epidural (she wanted to wait it out as long as possible so she wouldn't be confined to her bed). At about 7:30 pm or so she finally decided to get her epidural (after that she was in heaven). :)

We would all take turns hanging out in the waiting room and going to their room to hang for a few. Gosh they were so relaxed and calm-they wanted us to come visit. About 10:30 pm or so, Matt and Michelle had to leave because they had to get up really early the next morning for work. So, that left me, mom, dad, Chad, Andrea's parents and uncle Adger (who showed up about midnight). About 11pm Mark told me to come in their room and lay on the couch and rest up. So, while everyone else "napped" in the waiting room, I headed to their room to watch the olympics and try to sleep. It was such a special moment to share and I will never forget it. About 12:30 am, I slipped out while the nurse came in to check Andrea's progress. After this time, there was no more sleeping. The diagnosis: about 6 or 7 cm dilated (I can't remember). We still had a long ways to go. :)

For the rest of the time we all just hung out, looked up jokes online (Chad entertained us), played games, became delirious, etc. About 4am the nurse came out to tell us that Andrea was going to start pushing and that they would keep us posted. We were pumped!! Mom and I sat with our camera and video camera, just waiting for Mark or the nurse to come tell us when she had arrived. At 4:40 am I heard a baby's cry and I told mom I just knew it was Aubrie. Mom didn't believe me because she said there was no way we would be able to hear her from where we were. :) At 5:05 am the nurse came down the hall to tell us to go in and they were ready. By the way, Aubrie was born at 4:40 am so that was her cry I heard. :) I cannot tell you how hard it was for me not to pee my pants on that walk down the hall because I was so excited. We all walked down the hall and peeked through the door and I will never forget the look on Mark's face. He had the biggest smile on his face and tears in his eyes and said through a giggle, "Look at her! Yall just look at her!" It was the most tender moment ever-to see how proud my brother, this new daddy, was of his little girl.

We all took our turns holding her (they were awesome about insisting that we all hold her). I was fine until I took her in my arms-I cried like a baby. I can't imagine how I will be when Cadence gets here-I'll probably need some strong drugs to sedate me haha. We had such a blast with the whole family hanging out in anticipation and then sharing this special moment together. I love my family, but I love them even more now-and especially this sweet new edition.

We all finally left the hospital about 5:45 am to return to our homes to sleep. I probably got about 2 hours of sleep before having to head into work the next day. Then of course after work, we headed back to the hospital to see her and have her birthday party (Mark and Andrea had made her a cake when her labor pains began). So, we all sang to her and enjoyed cake and each other. So much fun! I am ready to go love on her some more. :)

The Rucker Family

Mimi, Daddy Mark, Aubrie, and Papa

Aunt Abby and Baby Aubrie

Aubrie, Daddy Mark, Aunt Abby and Uncle Chad

Beautiful Aubrie!

Uncle Matt

Aubrie's Birthday Party

Waiting for little Aubrie Rucker...

I am extremely excited because any day now I will be an aunt to a sweet baby girl, Aubrie Rucker. My brother, Mark and his wife, Andrea are expecting their first child around August 9. I think I've been so focused and excited about my own child coming that I tend to forget that I will be an aunt for the first time in the next few days or so. I will definitely add some pics of her when she enters into this world.

It has been fun being pregnant with my sister-in-law. I am 3 months behind her, which has been exciting getting to see her experience things-knowing I would later be experiencing the same things. I can't believe that her pregnancy is almost up...it seems like just yesterday they called to tell us that she was expecting. I can't wait to have our little girls grow up together and be "best cousins." I hope they will be atleast. :) I am sure they will be very different, but yet still get along great. I never had any cousins close to my age/proximity, so being able to watch my daughter grow up so close in age and proximity with her cousin will be so much fun.

As you can imagine, my parents are beside themselves. Mom already has a nursery ready (has had one ready for about 3+ months now). It is beautiful. Now all she needs are some rugrats to fill up the nursery! :) I can't wait to see my parents be grandparents (Mimi and Papa..."Mimi" after my mom's mom and "Papa" after my dad's dad). I had the best grandparents ever and I know that my parents will be just like that (Matt's parents too). It's crazy how life changes and things just go in a circle. I look forward to everything that the future has in store for all of us.



*Me and Andrea at one of her baby showers*

Bonding with Cadence

Last night Matt had to go back into work and I had some time alone (which normally, I do not like-especially after dark). But, God really used that time last night to speak to me and to give me some amazing time with Cadence. You're probably wondering how in the world I can have some time with her since she hasn't even entered this world yet, but trust me: God is good and He makes it happen. :)

I decided to go up into our bedroom with the puppies, read my Bible a little bit, and spend some time in prayer. Lately I have really been struggling with my time in the Word and what to read, what to pray, etc. So, I am really trying hard to dig in and just let God lead me. During my prayer time I really just started praying for Cadence and for her future. I've been so excited to become a mom that I have not really thought about the fact that I am going to be a MOTHER and raising a little girl. I know that sounds dumb, but it didn't really hit home until last night. All of these thoughts started running through my head: Will she love me and have a great relationship with me like I do with my mom? I hope she knows the Lord at a very young age and does amazing things for Him...but what if He calls her overseas for missions? (that'd be so hard to let her go). What if she goes through a lot of middle school/high school drama with petty girls and stupid boys?!

Soooooooo many thoughts started running through my head and I realized that Cadence is first and foremost God's child. As much as I am going to love her and want the best for her, God will love her that much more and design an amazing plan for her that I can't even imagine or dream up myself. He already knows the date and time when she is going to meet Him and give her life over to Christ. He already knows the heartaches she will experience and He already knows the man that will sweep her off of her feet. It may sound weird that I am already thinking and praying about the man that will marry my future daughter, but let me tell you that if it weren't for my grandmother and my parents praying-since the day I was born-for the man I was going to marry, then I would not have found Matthew. God honors the prayers of His people and He gives us the desires of our hearts. I have prayed for Cadence since the first time I saw the positive sign on our pregnancy test, and I will continue to pray for her until the day that I die.

After praying for her and allowing God to speak to my heart, I spent the rest of my "alone" time singing to her. Now, for all you out there who are laughing, you can kiss my butt! :) It was a sweet time. I sang "Amazing Grace" over and over (the song that was me and my Mimi's favorite) and would you know that she LOVED it!! She kicked and squirmed. I have read that by now she is able to hear voices and other things on the outside of my belly, so I am making sure to sing to her and talk to her. After I sang my first verse, I just stopped and stared at my belly and kept saying outloud, "I am going to be a mom and my little daughter is living inside of me right now." (something I've known since the day I found out I was pregnant-that I would have a living being inside of me.) But I'm telling you, it did not really hit me emotionally until last night.

I am so thankful for my time with Cadence and with the Lord last night. It was such a blessing and something that I will never forget. I look forward to many more bonding times with her-especially after she arrives into this world! :)

Making Way for the Baby

Matthew and I have been working hard (actually, Matt working hard and me "supervising") on trying to get things ready for Cadence. I know we have 3 1/2 more months to work on things, but I like to get things done early so I can enjoy it and not stress (plus the fact that I'm OCD and it will drive me crazy if I don't do something that I set my mind to). Anyhoo-last weekend Matt and I did a huge clean out in our house. We cleaned out bedroom closests, bedrooms, our bonus room, etc. It wore me out, but it felt so good to get it all done. I really did ache for a couple of days afterwards-and let me tell you, going up and down stairs REALLY wears me out these days...it's sad but oh well. So, that was last weekend's chore.

This weekend was the fun part: painting the nursery! :) I say fun b/c all I did was lay in the bonus room, watch King of Queens, and run and check on Matt every half hour. Bless his heart- he worked his butt off (until about midnight or after) to get that room done for me. It is soooo pretty. Matt's parents gave us the bedding for the nursery on Saturday, so we took a trip to Home Depot and matched the paint. I don't know what you'd call the color but I'd say its something like, "Cotton Candy." It is PINK!! For those of you who really know me, you know pink is my favorite color, so I am one happy camper. Cadence will like pink if it kills her. :) It really does look a lot like the color of my room when I was a little girl (thanks mom for introducing me to the best color ever when I was a baby)! When I figure out how to post pics within a blog entry, I will be sure to show you this pink nursery...or maybe I'll wait until the nursery is finished. We will see. :)

I am excited to get the furniture in now! It should be in by the end of August. And unfortunately, I am not good at putting things together so Matt will be working hard yet again. Oh and did I mention that in the nursery there is no overhead light/fan (not even the wires to have one installed)?! Yea-Matt is going to have to put one of those up and do the wiring too. :) I can't tell you how thankful I am to have a husband who is such a handyman! Really-he can do anything as far as I am concerned. I would go into detail and brag about him, but then I'd have to change the title of this entry to, "My husband is the best and can fix/do anything- no doubt!" :) I love you, Matty!

Alright, I am going to try and get some work done now. Monday mornings are always fun-especially when our cleaning ladies use this time to clean my office (dust and vaccuum) all around me as I am trying to work...seriously-one is standing right behind me, dusting my desk and not putting the items back where they were originally. ugh! Okay, that is another post in itself. :)

*Update: here are some pics I just uploaded of the nursery-in-progress! :)

*The before picture*



*Matt showing off the paint!*


*The first coat of paint*




*So pretty!*


*I love it!*


More pics will come as we continue to work on the nursery! Stay tuned. :)

Crazy Hormones

Oh golly are my hormones going crazy lately!! I'd say that for the most of my first trimester, it was filled with unpredicatable moods-I'd cry for no reason, get mad for no reason, etc. I absoutely hate being out of control of my emotions! Thankfully, this second trimester has been great (sure I cry occasionally, but I'd do that even if I wasn't pregnant). I hear that once you hit the third trimester your hormones start going crazy again. Well, I'm not in the third quite yet, but things are changing I believe. Or, maybe I just had a crazy night last night-who knows?! Let me give you a glimpse into our evening last night...

I had an overall good day. I've had a bad cold this whole week, but it hasn't caused me to be in a bad mood or anything, so I don't know where this "swing" came from last night. When I got in from work yesterday, my sweet husband was working on my new phone-adding songs, making sure it was all set up for me, etc. I decided to go crash on the couch for a few before I started supper. I ended up drifting off for about 30 minutes and it felt great! Well, my sweet husband came over to lay on the couch with me and cuddle. After he came over, here came Riley (our 60+ pound Beagle/Rottweiler mix). Then, Maggie (our little runt that we don't know what she is) decides to come on the couch too. She proceeds to jump on my stomach-which I HATE and I had a little fit about that. Overall, though, it was good cuddle time. As I was about to get up to cook our supper I noticed Riley had been chewing on himself (he had jumped off the couch onto the floor which was covered with our couch pillows)...his nasty slobber was all over our good couch pillows. That made me mad. Then, as I was getting up, Riley apparently got excited, jumped up and crushed my toe. That made me mad. So, I jumped off the couch threw (well, slammed) all the couch pillows onto the couch (where Matt still was) and screamed at the top of my lungs (it sounded demonic), "All of you are getting on my nerves!!!!!!!!!" I then stomped off into the kitchen to start supper. I managed to calm down and prepare supper (which went well). When I called Matt to come into eat he noticed that my mashed potatoes were a tad gooey. When I say, "tad gooey" I mean that when he tried to scoop them out they all just stuck to the spoon as if it was glue. Well, this made me mad and I then slammed the serving spoon into the mashed potato bowl and let out some kind of scream, noise, or cuss word-I really don't remember. I sat in my seat and then started to tear up as Matt tried to cheer me up. It didn't work though because everytime I saw Matt try to spoon nasty, glue-like potatoes onto his plate (bless his heart for eating them anyway) I would get all mad again. So what did I do? I burst into tears and ran into the bathroom, locked myself in there, and sat on the toilet and cried. After a few minutes, I composed myself and went back to join my husband for supper. What was Matt doing? Just sitting there, precious, eating his supper and nasty glue potatoes. Have I mentioned how much I love him? Seriously-he handles me better than ANYONE!! He didn't make me feel bad for yelling at our dogs, for screwing up the potatoes, or for being a complete MANIAC! He just smiled at me and said, "Do you want me to say the blessing?" haha. I thank God for blessing me with a patient husband. I owe him big. I really hate being so unpredictable...I hate it more for Matt. But, it does give us something to look back on and laugh at, right?! Matt-I do love you and thank you for loving me despite my crazy hormones! :)

Becoming a Chunky Monkey

I went to the doc today for my 23 week checkup and everything was great. I am very thankful that Cady is measuring where she is suppose to be, her heartbeat is strong, I am healthy, etc. God is good! I wasnt too happy about going to the doc today because I thought he would say I have gained too much weight (no, I will not disclose to you how much I've gained...only Lauren gets that privilege). :) But, to my surprise he did not comment on it. I, however, brought it up. I really am not pigging out/eating like people think most pregnant women eat. I am eating salads and drinking water (with of course the occasional sweet) but yet this weight is just piling on and on-making me into a chunky monkey. I asked the doc what he thought and he completely made my day. Before I tell you his response let me tell you that there are about 8 different doctors at my OB. I have my regular doctor whom I ADORE, I have one doctor that I already know I don't like because I used to see her, and the rest I have never seen before. So, I get pretty anxious before each visit because I really want to like the doctor that delivers my child. I am happy to say that every single doctor I have seen I have absolutely LOVED (despite the one I know I do not like and I can deal with that). So, I get nervous thinking that these doctors I have never seen will think I'm a huge pregnant failure who is turning into a cow! Anyways, back to my story of gaining weight...when I expressed my concern he looked at me and said, "Abby-if you came in here and had gained 40 pounds already I would be concerned and I would sit you down and politely tell you something was wrong. But, you are doing great! Do not listen to people/websites/books that tell you that you should have only gained about ____pounds by now. So what if you've gained more than that-does that mean you'll be an unfit mother? Of course not! So do not worry about it at all!" WOW-I love this doctor. :) Now, that doesn't mean I ran out the door and went to McDonald's to get me an M&M mcflurry (which I love by the way). It just really made me feel so much better that: I am doing the BEST I can, the best I know how and that a qualifed doctor told me I was doing great. Weight gain (that I can't help) is not going to affect the type of mother I will be and my little girl will love me even if I am a house when she sees me for the first time. haha! So, I am gonna try to chill out and not freak out when I see the numbers on the scales creep up. I say this, but I know come my next doctor's visit I will be all stressed out again haha. Such is life, I suppose!

Movin' and a Shakin'

I have been feeling our little girl, Cadence, move around for the past few weeks. It has felt like weird gas bumbles rumbling through my stomach. Last night, for the first time, I finally felt her kick or jab me (not sure which one it was). I was laying on the couch downstairs and all of a sudden I felt like someone was punching/kicking me from the inside. It shocked me at first and then I got really excited, so I lifted up my shirt and started pressing on the area where the movement happened to see if she would do it again. A few minutes later she kicked in the same spot and I could actually see my hand move up and down on my stomach where she kicked. It was absolutely amazing!! I ran upstairs to tell Matt and we tried to get her to do it again but she wouldn't. She is, however, moving and shaking like crazy as I type this. She is going to be active I do believe. :) I have heard lots of women say, "Oh it feels wonderful feeling the baby move. It is the most amazing thing ever." Not to call them liars or anything, but it doesn't exactly feel good. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE knowing that my child is moving and is healthy, but the word "good" just doesn't come to mind when I describe how it feels. It's just plain weird. I guess I'm just not one of those super pregnant women who embraces and completely loves every little thing about being pregnant. I am, however, so thankful for being able to experience this and glad that I can feel my little girl move around inside of me. Hopefully her daddy will feel her soon. He told me I'd better not let anyone else feel her move before he gets to. :) Matt, if you're reading this, I promise I won't let anyone else feel until her daddy gets to feel. I'll save that for you. :)

Before I end this post I wanted to "announce" our little girl's full name... Cadence Grace Ivester
Ahhh I love just typing it b/c I love it so much! All credit goes to my dear husband b/c it's all him. A few months ago we were at the lake with my family and were looking through a baby name book. We each wrote down some names we liked and Matt wrote down "Cadence." I liked it, but I really wasn't sold on the name. When we went for our ultrasound and found out we were having a girl, during the ultrasound I felt this huge urge to pee (surprise! surprise!). The ultrasound tech lady (whatever you call those people) told me to look and our little girl was tapping her foot like crazy on my bladder...it was the coolest thing I've ever seen! After that ultrasound we really started to talk about baby names and I was thinking we'd never have a girls name. However, my creative husband reminded me of the name Cadence and how it means "rhythm." After talking about it, we both knew this was her name because she was obviously jamming to some kind of sound when she was tapping her foot on my bladder. Also, Matthew and I are both musical and would love for her to be musical too. So, Cadence it is. As far as her middle name, that comes from my grandmother (the one I posted about yesterday). No, her name is not Grace, but she was the most graceful, godly woman I have ever known. She played such a huge role in my life (still does even though she has passed away) and I really want her to be apart of my girl's name. Me and Mimi's all time favorite song is "Amazing Grace" and I grew up singing it as she played the piano. So, Grace just fits. Cadence Grace Ivester. Gosh I love it! I'm sure we'll call her "Cady" for short some, which I love too. I'm just ready to meet this little gal who seems to be enjoying tapping on my bladder and jabbing me. :)

Faithful and Thankful

I am learning more and more about God's faithfulness, and every day I am more thankful! This weekend was extremely busy, but God allowed me to have several moments of reflection (over various things). All of this probably won't mean anything to you, but I am going to write it just to remind myself of how good God is.

The fact that I am actually pregnant completely blows my mind. I know I complain of the aches and pains, mood swings and so on, but honestly this is such an amazing time in my life. It seems like just yesterday I was complaining about how I'd never get married and blah blah blah. I was reminded of this yesterday at my sister-in-law's baby shower. My grandmother, Mimi (she passed away a couple of years ago and was the most important person in my life) was the person I told everything to. It makes me sad when I think that she couldn't be at my wedding and won't get to meet our daughter, but God reminded me of how blessed I truly am. At the shower, Mimi's best friend, Grace showed up-which is always a blessing. I love talking to her because I feel like a part of my grandmother is there. Grace was telling me how much I meant to my Mimi and how they would talk at least once a day (sometimes for hours) about what God was doing in my life and different things I was experiencing. She reminded me of how in October of 2004, I had called Mimi to cry to her and to tell her I thought I'd never get married (sob story, I know). Grace informed me that after that conversation Mimi called her and said, "We need to pray for Abby. I know God has a husband out there for her and I've been praying for him since the day she was born. Let's just pray that he comes soon because Abby is so discouraged." In November of 2004 (less than a month after that conversation) I was introduced to Matt and of course we later married and now I'm pregnant! :) Grace also reminded me that Mimi had the chance to meet Matt before she passed away. This is absolutely huge to me because Matthew knows how much Mimi means to me and he was able to see why I loved her so much and vice versa. Also I had forgotten (and Grace reminded me), but when we got my wedding dress I was able to model it for Mimi a few months before she passed away, so she was able to see me in my dress even though she passed away before the wedding. I know God placed Grace in my presence yesterday to remind me of how faithful God is and how he orchestrates every little details in our lives. I am thankful that I had an amazing grandmother to pray for me since the day I was born and who loved me enough to ask her friends to pray for me. God knew she wouldn't be alive to be at my wedding, but He allowed us to have a special day to where I could model my dress for her. I really wish she could meet Cadence, but I have faith God has told her all about her. I will definitely tell Cadence all about Mimi.

I am also reminded and blown away at how God has blessed Matthew and I with our family, friends, church, home group, house, jobs, this pregnacy, etc. It is hard to believe that we are 25, own a house, and have a baby on the way. I would have never thought that I would be where I am now. God is continuing to bless us tremendously in ways that we do not deserve. He is giving us the desires of our hearts and I am so thankful!! I am overwhelmed, actually. I am thankful that God got ahold of my heart this weekend, reminded me and showed me just how much He has given me and blessed me with. There are so many other examples that I could give to show God's faithfulness, but it would take about 3 million posts. I am just glad that I serve a God who is concerned about my heart and who loves to bless me.

i think i'm an 80 yr. old woman

with pregnancy comes the urge to pee a lot, so i've learned. and let me tell you, i run (well, i walk briskly) to the restroom about every 30 min. or so to pee. the problem is, when i actually get in there it's rarely a gush of pee, which is what i feel needs to occur. it's almost always a *drip* and it really gets on my nerves (though it does make me feel much better). i am really beginning to feel like an 80 yr. old woman who needs to just put on a depends undergarment and get on with my day. it would be much easier to just *drip* whenever i pleased onto a depends, instead of get up from my desk -or wherever i happen to be at the moment. i know some of you may think this is gross, but you try being pregnant...nothing will gross you out anymore. :)

since i do work at an assisted living facility i am around a lot of 80+ yr. old women and i really do think they are rubbing off on me (or either this pregnancy is). let me do some comparisons for you:

*they have trouble remembering certain things/telling stories~~~~i have trouble remembering things/telling stories.

*they can get a tad grumpy and snap at the drop of a hat~~~~yea me too.

*they walk a little slow, hunched over and plop on a couch whenever they can~~~~i am now walking slower, hunching a little bit b/c my back hurts, and i would plop on a couch if ever near one.

*they frequently run to the bathroom or just go in their pants~~~~i freqently run to the bathroom and i would like to go in my pants.

i am sure there are some more comparisons but i can't really remember them right now. :) i do love my elderly that i work with. working here really is like the movie ground hog day. every morning when i come in i see the same people, answer the same questions, hear them talk about me behind my back about the same things: (yes, i used to be the activity director and drive the bus. yes i am pregnant. yes i now work in front office, etc. etc.), and every day i redirect the same people to the bathroom, to their room or to a couch. i do love them and it does make me thankful that i am young and pregnant, instead of old and forgetful. :) okay, im done for now. i need to go take Mrs. _____ to the bathroom before she wets herself!

i know i am pregnant, people!!

so, i love reading other people's blogs and i thought i would try starting one. i'm not sure how long this will last because i get tired of things really quickly and i will probably get tired of this. but, i will give it a try. i gotta admit, i am not the best at getting my thoughts out-my husband will tell you this. :) i can't tell stories good, and i do not remember details very well either. but, if you are my friend and are reading this, you will be used to the way that i talk/type, so bless your heart for hanging in there with me and reading this amazing blog!! because my life is so fascinating, i figured i would share it with everyone (ha.). actually, i just have a lot of time on my hands right now and i figured i would join the bandwagon and share my life with the internet world.

i need to apologize before i continue because i am going to use this post as a time to vent. most of you know that i am 22 weeks pregnant and yes, i am showing. i don't mind it all that much because i've never been pregnant before so all of this newness and attention is pretty fun. MOST of the attention, that is. i gotta say that i am sick and tired of people (mainly people at work) coming up to me and making comments such as, "Wow you are getting big." "Gosh your belly sure is growing!" "Are you sure you're not having twins because you look big!" i mean, really people!!! do you not think that i know my body is changing? i haven't been able to get in my normal clothes in weeks, my face has broken out like a girl going through puberty, my body aches, i am tired, and YES MY STOMACH IS GETTING BIG!! i snapped at a coworker yesterday b/c i believe i am at the end of my rope with people's ignorant comments. after she came into my office and said, "oh my gosh you are getting big", i took it upon myself to say, "yea that is what usually happens when someone is pregnant. i am pregnant!" i went home last night and started thinking about all of this. for one, i am really annoyed with people making ignorant comments about things that i know are happening with my body. on the other hand, i felt really bad for snapping at this poor girl who can barely speak any english...okay, so that has nothing to do with anything, but for some reason it does make me feel extra bad! maybe i need to be more patient and just take the good comments with the bad. OR maybe these people can just stop being so stupid and learn to shut their mouths...i dunno, i'm trying to figure this out because i really don't want to be mean.

well, this post was short, but its 4:30 and time for me to leave work-i don't stay one minute past unless it is absolutely necessary. maybe i'll write again tomorrow. or maybe i'll never write again. we will see what happens. :)