Blog Strike

Don't take this personally, guys, but I'm going to quit reading your blogs if you have a baby! Why, you ask? For your own safety! Because if I have to read one more post about how your baby 'falls asleep completely on their own without a peep' I WILL hunt you down & kill you. Got it? I'm happy for you..& I like you..but reading that makes me hate you.

Now.

This is the part where you all jump in with your sleep strategies & 'training'. I WANT to hear your advice. UNLESS. UNLESS. It involves crying it out!! Because I won't do that. Call me crazy/silly/softy etc. You may be right. But I won't. We tried that for a while..and this is how it went:

Aiden screaming. Aiden Screaming. Aiden SCREAMING. Meghan bawling. Hysterically. Go in to check on him & 'reassure' him. Aiden SCREAMS & grabs frantically at any part of my body he can get his tiny hands on. Go out. Cry in hall. AIDEN SCREAMING. Go in to check....PUKE everywhere!!! More times than once. The only variation was when it was BLOOD everywhere, 'cause he bit his tongue. He doesn't wear out. He doesn't calm down. He does. NOT. sleep. And while it may work for some people..to me it feels torturous (to me & him) & I feel like I'm breaking my child. Because after all the crying..it takes HOURS to calm him down to a whimper. And then he won't eat.

So. I love you guys. And I would like to hear your sleep advice. But I'm warning you..if you mention crying it out..I WILL be annoyed :)

Peace!

*UPDATE*: I just want to make abundantly clear that I don't think you're a terrible parent if you do/have use(d) the CIO method of sleep training. I'm not judging anyone here..there is no one size fits all & you do what works for you & your kiddo..that's what's important.

Smokin' Hot, Baby!

So, I got all ambitious the other night...fired up the grill! Crazy, right? Why would I do such a thing?

No. Seriously. WHY would I do that?

The grill is my husband's domain. Somewhere around our second year of marriage I got him this AWESOME, double sided Char Grill. One side for charcoal. The other side for gas. The man loves to grill old-school most of the time, & I felt he deserved to do so in style, while also having the option of flipping a switch for the convenience of gas grilling. Man, I'm an awesome wife!

Back to the story...

Grills get hot. It's their nature. I mean, they ARE supposed to COOK things..which entails heat. And they're designed to get hot without, um, self destructing. Or so I thought.

So, yeah, I'm all ambitious..I decide to grill some chicken for dinner. On the gas side, of course. I ain't messin' with charcoal, man..that stuff freaks me out (seriously, it does. Wussy, right?)! I flip on the burners, I push the light button, the grill springs to life! Awesome! I turned the burners down to medium heat, throw the chicken on, & go inside to work on a salad (well rounded nutrition folks!) I go check on the chicken about 10 minutes later..all is good in the hood!

Jeff calls to let me know he's on his way home..I'm choppin up some veggies..I'm in my cookin' groove. I hear Jeff pull up & think 'Yay! Back up is here!!' (for Aiden..cause entertaining a 5 month old all day can get wearing, some days). Well he came slamming through the garage door & yells 'Meghan! Are you alright?!' And of course, I'm all 'Yup, great! Why do you ask? Oh, hey, you're gonna be so proud of me..I'm using the grill to GRILL CHICKEN!' And he's like, 'Well, it looks like the house is on fire out there..come see..' So we walk outside..& sure enough! Black smoke is billowing out of the garage! The smoke is so thick you can't really see anything in there..it was nuts!

We're still not sure what I did. Jeff managed to get the grill turned off. Apparently the thermometer inside the grill was reading around 1000 degrees!! Man, I've got mad skillz! Poor Jeff is shopping for a new lid for his grill. 'Cause it melted. Yeah..MELTED!!

In other news, I have impressive talent in the 'backing up my car' department. I was running early to work the other night & figured I deserved a treat..so I pulled into McD's drive through to get one of those quite yummy frappes (not gonna lie..they ain't too shabby.) And I'm perusing the menu as the drive through guy says 'I can take your order whenever you're ready'. Well, I wasn't seeing my frappes...THEN I noticed I was in a KFC drive through! Cool! So I backed out of the drive through..90 degree turn & all! Woo hoo!

And I think I've made a big enough fool out of myself for one post!

Hmmmm...

My brain's felt too helter-skelter & slugish lately to sit down & write an actual, coherent post on this here blog o' mine! In fact, I'm struggling right now to string words together in an INTERESTING fashion (I hate it when my writing doesn't have any 'spark'!) So..here's a list of 'I Wonders' that have been streaming through my brain as of late:

I WONDER:

-If I'll ever get a full nights sleep ever. Again. My mother informs me that no, I will not..& I believe her! 'Cause once Aiden's 'sleeping through the night' (what idiot coined that phrase? I want to beat them!) He'll get teeth. Then nightmares. Then he'll be a teenager before I know it & I'll be waiting up for him! On a tangent..in highschool I never understood why my parents felt the need to do that..now I get it.

-Will my house ever NOT be covered in piles? Piles of laundry. Piles of paper. Piles of dishes. Piles of chew toys (baby's & dogs) & blocks. The answer, yet again, is NO. I'm not that motivated most of the time! I will accept the fact the my bathrooms, kitchen & floors are sparkling clean, & that's better than nothing!

-Will my skin ever be clear again? Before I even knew I was prego I started breaking out. And it's been downhill from there. I use ProActive. I use prescription meds (have since I was 16, honestly). All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR BARE MINERALS! That stuff saves my vanity :)

And now, on a more positive note, 'cause those 'I Wonders' seem a bit negative..

I WONDER:

-How I got so lucky as to have my husband! He is so amazing. I know everyone's husband is (usually...), but I think mine is better than yours :) Just sayin! He cleans our house, he grocery shops, he supports our little family, he does Tri's & builds fences & decks..& fixes my car & installs gas lines...PHEW! In all seriousness, I love having a man who is so motivated & a 'jack of all trades' as my husband. He puts me to shame. Did I mention he is the most incredible father?

-Can my baby boy get any cuter? Can I fall any more in love with him? I suspect the answer on both counts is YES! I look at him & I just melt..his gummy grins & flapping, grabby little hands...WOW!! This is so corny, please forgive me, because I used to absolutely hate it when mom's said this before I had my baby..but you just can't know how pure love can be, & what an incredible experience it is, until you're a mom!

-Will all of you in the Salt Lake area sign up for This Race with me? It's not long, it's not hard..you can walk it, if you want! It promotes healthy habits & positive body image in girls & women..which is a 'cause' near & dear to me. It's women only..no stinky boys...:) You know you want to!

Have a great day, y'all!

Dear Little Bug...An almost 4 months letter!

That's officially my nickname for you! But the little part won't be accurate for much longer! You are getting so big & chubby :) at least by your standards..grow, baby, grow!

I can't believe that you're almost four months old, little boy. You are 16 weeks today, actually! We've come a long way..I finally feel like an official 'mommy' these days. I know what you're cries mean (most of them, at least:), & I can predict your needs pretty well now...so you actually aren't crying a whole lot! Yay! You love playing with mommy & daddy better than any toy, & we absolutely love playing with you, too :) You've got the cutest chubby cheeks & little rolls around your wrists! You drool non-stop! Seriously! I thought you might be getting ready to teeth (& you might be..I'm not sure) so to check I ran my finger over your gums. You took this as an invitation to gum down on my finger & GRROOOWWWWL! It was so cute :) You also love to suck on your dad & I & on yourself...you gave yourself a hickey the other day! You've got the funniest feet: they're little chubby rectangles w/ the toes squiiished on there..I've taken pictures:

You love to stand on those chubby feet..you are SO strong! Sometimes you get mad at me when I make you sit down.

Your most favorite thing in the world is to talk. You love it when we talk to you, and you babble right back like you know exactly what we're saying.

You are growing so fast..& I love it, but it makes me sad, too. Soon you'll be a little boy, & I want to remember all this stuff: how much you love chilling in your stroller while I run, how half your naps are IN that stroller! How you love to click your tongue & cuddle with your dad & me...I could go on & on..but I won't :) I'll just post another pic to show everyone how cute you are! I love you, little bug!

Happy Birthday, Loverboy!

Jeff's Birthday was on Sunday, & man do we know how to partay! :) Once again, I didn't upload the pics in any particular order..I just don't think about that till after they're uploaded! Plus, a lot of these pics are for the grandparents, & they don't care what order they're in!!


He's destined to be a Utes' fan..which is a plus, cause I like red way better than blue!

Don't mind my weird looking smile in this pic..just focus on the cute little boy!

See? Like I said: SOOO cute!

Intense Daddy/Son convo...something along the lines of 'Dad, you look like Wolverine w/ those mutton chops!' lol

Open mouth, insert fist! It never gets old!

Yummy birthday breakfast! Blueberry French Toast...mmmmmm

Jeff's been coveting this pic for a while..

Aiden enjoyed breakfast, too! I know feeding him this 'broke' a bunch of 'rules'..but rules are made to be broken, baby! Esp if bluberry french toast is involved!

MAN, those mutton chops are HOT!

Rockin' out in his Metallica onsie..already has good taste in music! haha

He's a big fan of this octopus..we need to name him..any suggestions?

Looking quite studious in his Bumbo! He loves that he can sit up for a bit on his own :)

THE END

Where's the, um, oh, wait..crap.

This story's too funny not to tell..

So, I went to the grocery store today, list in hand. My hubby's work is having a BBQ tonight & he had two dishes he wanted to take. He kindly wrote down the list of what was needed, & off to the store I kindly went, 'cause I'm nice like that :)

Once in the store I perused over the list so I could categorize it & not have to run all over the place. Vanilla ice cream, check! Diet Mountain Dew, check! Frozen raspberries..check! Wait a sec! What's that one say? I cannot read his handwriting! Ugh! So I called him, oh, 5 or 6 times. But he was out back working on our deck, & didn't pick up. OK. Fine..I'll leave that till last & call him again. But he still didn't answer. SO I decided I'd ask someone else if they could read his handwriting, 'cause sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is all it takes..right? I figured a man would have better luck, since he was, ya know, a guy. So I searched out a nice looking dude (I made a point of making sure he a wedding ring on his finger, that way my asking couldn't be misconstrued as interest..how smart am I?:)

"Excuse me, my husband wrote this list down, & I CANNOT read what this is..can you help me?"

The gentleman kindly looked at the item I was pointing at.

"Um, I think it say croutons..yeah..I think..um....."

We both realized what it said at the exact same time. His face went bright red. "Oh, crap!!" I thought. HOW DID I NOT READ THAT????!

I'll give him credit. He did mutter what it actually said as he power walked away from me.

Hope you guys are smart & can figure it out!

haha

Shout out to my 'Home Hubby' & Chalk Art Festival!

Poor Jeff! I worked the Saturday night before Father's Day..so his first Celebration of Daddy was super lame! I was trying to sleep as much as I could since I had to be back to work that night..so...yeah. Nada. I'm sorry babe! I have to tell you guys, he is such an amazing dad! I knew this right from the start, but going back to work has made it even more apparent! I have no qualms leaving my boys at night when I go in to work, 'cause I know that Jeff has got everything under control and that our little dude will be happy, safe & loved all night :) Aiden sure loves his daddy!

Next on the agenda: Friday night we went to an awesome Chalk Art Festival hosted by Salt Lake's Foster Care Program..all these artists come & share their talent on the street that runs right down the middle of the outdoor mall! It's so fun to walk through..we went a little early in the evening, so a lot of the pieces weren't actually done, but it was still fun! We went with our friends, Mike, Shan & their little guy..we always have fun with them! Yay for good friends :)

And THAT's the father of my child...! haha


I LOVED the eyes on this one!



Cute little dude :)

Jeff invading our son's personal space!

Family pic..yay! Can I just say I love, LOVE this stroller! It makes my runs & walks SOOO great!

Aiden likes to stuff his fists in his mouth lately..even if there's a blanket in the way!

The onsie says it all! Our little boy adores his daddy..his face lights up when his pappa walks in the room :) Man, I love my boys!

Stay Awake Strategies..

So. I've gone back to work. On night shifts. Ugh. When I was pregnant, I knew this would entail sleep deprivation, but thought I'd be able to handle it pretty well. Silly me! I am SO tired! Tired isn't even an appropriate description of how exhausted I am. Exhausted isn't even a good description!! Yeah. I'm complaining :) Deal with it :) See, I thought I'd be able to nap when the little guy slept. Problem is..he DOESN'T. LIKE. TO. SLEEP! Baby's are supposed to sleep a lot, right? RIGHT??? Apparently not our child. He likes to play, & babble, & be so stinkin' cute I could eat him up! But he does not like to sleep. And that makes me sad..especially when I've worked 3 of the last 4 days & still have one more shift ahead of me...I'm in desperate need of your guys' assistance! How do you stay awake when all you want to to do is sleep?

SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!

p.s. Don't say caffeine, I already use that trick, & I can only use SO much of it, anyways, without it bugging Aiden...

Mean Girls

I've been wanting to write this post for some time now, but just haven't quite known exactly what I wanted to say..but since I just want to say it, I'm not going to bother with eloquence, and just get it out there!

Girls/Women have a bad rap: catty, gossipy, back-stabbing. And let's face it, sometimes we come by that reputation quite fairly..it's probably safe to say that at one point or another we've all done something to land us in the 'Mean Girl' category. In high school I used to say that I preferred to play soccer with the boys, 'cause they'd knock you on your butt once or twice & be done with it. Girls, though, they scratched, & pinched, & whispered nasty things about your hair the whole game through. I once had my jersey quite literally ripped off & scratch marks clawed down my back by a girl! And you better believe I tried my hardest to make life hell for that girl the rest of the game! See what I mean? Totally vengeful. Even if I do think I was justified that time!

Now, as a mom, I've noticed that there's a whole new category of 'mean-ness' when it comes to motherhood. Oh yeah. Massive judging goes on about what other moms let their kids eat, how they dress them, school them, sleep training, breastfed vs formula....Oh. My. Gosh. It's ridiculous! Here we are, doing what I think is the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life, & instead of playing nice with the other 'team members' we spend a butt load of time tearing each other down!

EXCEPT, here's where I want to set the record straight! Mom's can be wonderful to each other. And I have been especially lucky in this department. So, this is the part where I say a HUUUUUUGE THANK YOU to the women who have helped me more than words can say, with the transition into mommyhood! You guys really don't have to read the rest of this..feel free to skip to the end, but I just want to say thanks to these girls!

My sister-in-law, Heather, is an amazing mother to her two little kiddos..& she started helping me out while I was still pregnant..did my baby shower invites (they were so cute!), gave me advice, has lent me baby clothes galore, & the bassinet that's saved my life..& I'm sure some other stuff, too! Then, when everything got a little crazy, she & her husband took our dog while I was in the hospital, made us dinners, offered to clean our house..I really can't say thanks enough to her!

My friend, Cheryl, is so great..a Supermom, if I ever knew one! Went through & finished nursing school with two little boys & a husband in Afghanastan..WOW! The advice, the sanity, the phone calls..the offers to take Aiden when I'm ready to pull my hair out! The pedicures & chocolate..& lending me her glider, 'cause dang those things are pricey! My brain is intact today because of her :)

Aaaaand, my friend, Shan. We go back to when we were newly married neighbors, living next door in our townhouses..helping each other out then, too, with dogs & house sitting. She had her little boy a few months before me, so it was all fresh in her mind. And man did she go the extra mile for me! Lent me her swing, her BellaBand (highly recommend those things!)..plenty of other things, I know, but just can't remember right now (I have a list, don't worry, you'll get it all back!) She, too, has had a hand in my sanity, fielding one or two crazed phone calls about how my little boy just won't fall asleep!

I can't forget Jill..awesome mommy numero 4! Lunch & walks with her are so relaxing..something which is essential when my days feel like whirlwinds of puke & diapers! Not to mention good, sound, breastfeeding advice & all her extra diapers that don't fit her little guy anymore (that's a money saver right there!).

Last, but not least, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Amber, for her advice on reflux, & Holly, for her advice on how to navigate & survive those first couple weeks at home. Both of their advice has been absolutely priceless!

So THANK YOU girls! From the bottom of my heart! I swear I'll be returning the favor to you guys with your next kids, or your present kids, & to other new mommy's, even complete strangers at the store! Because, quite frankly, I just don't want to be a mommy- critic! It's hard enough as it is to figure this craziness out without someone telling us we're doing it wrong! So There!

Saturday Mornin' Photo Shoot for the Grandparents!

I'm actually surprised our little guy was in such a good mood this morning..he's had reflux pretty bad & it's made him miserable! We tried all the non-medicinal treatments (change mommy's diet, elevate the head of his bed, keep him upright for 30 minutes after nursing (that is super time consuming, btw, since he'd scream if I set him down!)) None of it seemed to help. So we went in to the pediatrician & got him on some Zantac. I know it'll take a few weeks to really be effective..but he already seems a bit happier! Thank goodness..'cause it sucks when your baby hurts & nothing you do helps :(



Laughin' at mom & dad :)



I love this face! I can't quite figure out what he's thinkingwhen he makes it!

The stare down w/ Daddy!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

Happy Mom's Day to all the mommies out there..this time around I actually realize all that my mother went through to be my mom..what an amazing woman she is! I hope I can be half the mom she is. And the pics I promised...feast your eyes on the cutest little boy I know !

Long Time Comin'

So it's been an eventful 6 or 7 weeks since I've posted...This mom thing? I love it! But it's an adjustment! People talked about the crazy sleep schedules, the gallons of bodily fluids, the erratic hormonal roller coaster...Well it's all talk 'till it becomes reality! And oh, what a reality it is!

For starters..that 'drama' I mentioned at the end of my last post? Well, no one mentioned to me that toxemia doesn't just go away when you deliver. In fact, they all made it sound like having your baby would instantly cure the problem. Not so, my friends, not so! It can stick around for a couple MONTHS after delivery! Yup. Well, I didn't know this (a couple people have said 'you're a nurse..how did you not know?' Well, I'm an ONCOLOGY nurse..not an OB nurse (I hated the subject in nursing school, actually!) and...AND...I'm a new mother! My head is not in the nursing mindset, thanks very much! Treat me like I'm any other patient, please!

Right.

So back to the drama: a few days after having Aiden, I realized I was having POUNDING headaches. My OB had told me to check my blood pressure at home, but let's face it, I had other things on my mind. I finally did check it..and it was still just as high as when my Dr freaked out & induced me. We wound up in the ER that night..& I went home on blood pressure meds, which I just barely got the OK to stop taking. Hmmm...woulda been nice to know all that before I dropped $150 on an ER copay!

Aiden is growing SO fast! But no chunking out for our little dude..his growth is all length-wise! The kid is a freakin' piece of spaghetti, I tell you! I don't think he'll ever be a roly-poly baby..friends babies who were born after him already weigh more than he does! Not that he's malnourished..he just has the Newman/Thornley metabolism..so he's pretty much destined to be a lurp :) I was kinda worried at first..but after some research learned that exclusively breastfed babies tend towards the leaner side..& I'm a-ok with that!

ANYWHO, it's the most incredible thing to watch his little personality grow :) He is a very stubborn & super strong little boy..already holding his head up completely on his own so he can look around (he is a very curious little man, & gets really mad if he can't see things) & pushing up to stand on his twiggy little legs! He's started 'talking' back to us & giving us those cute little smiles..yeah, I'm in love!

I won't bore you, cause I know that a lot of this is only interesting if it's your child..but I will post pics tonight..'cause I don't care who ya' are..they're freakin' cute!

Once Again...

My friend, Wendy, has done a fabulous job photographing my little family..& this time Aiden's more than a belly bump :)

Jeff&Meg+1

Thanks, Wendy!

Prepare to be inundated!

What is about to ensue are a lot of words & a lot of pictures (in no specific order, might I add..I have yet to really figure out how to properly download photos to my blog!) In fact, I can't get them to line up the way I want, so they'll be randomly distributed throughout this post.

So, as y'all can tell..our little boy is here! YAY! A tad bit earlier than expected..& now that the dust has settled, we're ok with that!

On Friday, March 12th, I went in for my usual appointment..pee in a cup, check my vitals..blah, blah, blah.
Medical assistant pumping the cuff on my arm: "Huh. Your blood pressure's kinda high..that's weird..you run low."

Me: Well, I was a little rushed this morning..we can recheck it..what was it?

Medical Assistant: 150/90

Me: That's not too bad.

Got in, saw my Dr..she said re-check the blood pressure after I'd chilled in the waiting room a bit & asked if I had any headaches..not really, that I can think of..So, we rechecked the BP..it was still a tad high...

Dr: Why don't you come back in on Monday & we'll recheck it

Me: OK..my husband & I have a trip to Moab this weekend..are you still ok if I go?

Dr: Sure, just take it easy & come back in next week.

So we traipsed off to Moab..Jeff was riding in a fundraiser for Huntsman Cancer Institute..that's a whole 'nother blog...it was fun & I took it easy & just walked the doggy & chilled at local coffee shops.

Came home on Sunday. Went in to my Dr (saw a different guy, though) on Monday..pressure was still high so that Dr sent me home w/ a 24-hr pee collection (don't ask!). I asked that Dr if I could go into work that night..I really didn't want to use vacation time until I had our little guy.

He said: It's a night shift, right? Should be a little slower (hahaha..all my co-workers are laughing now..yes?)..sure, you can go in.

So, I went in to work Monday night. Notice I'm kiiiindaaa having a headache.."hmmm, wonder what my BP is" I think. So I check it. 175/110. Oh. OK. Higher than I though it'd be. Not awesome. So I kept rechecking it. And it stayed high. And I was getting a little nervous. So, just to be safe, I called my Dr on my way home from work & left a message w/ her nurse. Juuuust as I'm snuggling down in to bed my phone rings. It's my OB's nurse.

Nurse: We would like you to come in today.

Me: Oh. OK. Sure..what time?

Nurse: Now.

Grrrreeeeaaaaat.

I will now abbreviate: I went in. They put me on 'strict' bedrest but told me they'd be surprised if I made it 2-3 more days before inducing me. I laughed at them. Work was wonderful about helping me get 'called off' my Tuesday night shift (so I didn't have to use vacation time), & friends brought me books & chocolate (thanks Cheryl, Kelly & Heather!). I kept checking my BP at home. It stayed sky high even while I was flat on my back.

Here comes 3AM Wednesday morning..Are those contractions? Seriously? Well..they're not strong, just regular..every 5 minutes for 3 hours. And my BP? 190/120. Jeff was 'mildly' concerned..& I'll be honest, knowing what I do, I was a little nervous about stroking out at this point. So at 6AM I called the OB on call. She heard my BP's & told me to come in to be checked. I fully expected to be sent home to chill some more, but packed a bag anyways. Good thing I did. 'Cause they decided to induce me. HOLY. CRAP. I was SOO not ready for that!

So. Anyone here ever been on high dose magnesium sulfate? Raise your hand (hi, Amber!). Anyone ever had your guts torn out, eyeballs removed, legs turned to jell-o, all while being told 'PUUUUUUSSSSHHHHH'!!!! I really don't have adequate words for how freakin' AWFUL that stuff makes you feel! Magnesium sulfate, in high doses, is used in toxemia to relax muscles, which in turn, prevents seizures & strokes in someone w/ high blood pressure. Which, for me, equated to 3 different catheters (how much easier would it have been if they just left the first one IN?), cause I wasn't going to be walking on those jell-o legs, being unable to hold my head up at times & puking while pushing through my contractions. I opted for an epidural..which, I was extremely grateful for while I dilated from a 4 to a 10 in the space of about an hour..but when it came time for the pushing, I felt so out of control because of the Mag Sulfate, that I let the epi wear off pretty much all the way so I could feel when I needed to push. I'll be honest, it hurt like hell..I have a whole new measuring stick for pain. But I felt in control. Jeff had to basically fold me in half towards the end of the 2+ hours of pushing, & I felt so exhausted I was 'sleeping' in between contractions..haha! Side note: My husband is amazing. There is absolutely no way I could've done this without him..He physically & emotionally kept me going when I absolutely felt like I couldn't. And the second that I got to touch our little boy's head..it was all worth it, & I just couldn't stop crying. From that moment on, love has a new definition for me.

So at 11:04 PM we had Mr. Aiden. 6lbs 3 oz & 19 inches long & for that reason i'm glad i had him a month early or he'd of been huge! However, I was NOT glad he came early at the time, because after a few short minutes of getting to hold him, they whisked him away for further respiratory evaluation. Jeff went w/ him, & I'm so glad he did..our little guy had 2 episodes where his oxygen levels dropped dangerously low, leaving him unresponsive & gray..Jeff said he's never had a worse moment in his life. It bought the dude an instant pass to 24/7 monitoring & oxygen. My nurses were awesome & rolled my huge bed into the nursery after I was all straightened out & let me touch his foot..I went right back to feeling so helpless..I couldn't move out of my bed because of the magnesium & my little boy couldn't be taken out of his bassinet or unhooked from the wires & IV's he was now connected to..saying that the situation sucked is an understatement. All those wires & IV's hooked up to my little guy just broke my heart.

But, long story short, I believe in miracles & prayer (thank you everyone) because Aiden turned around pretty quickly, & only had to stay a couple extra nights in the hospital. The hospital social worker was great & worked it out so that even though I was discharged the day before Aiden was, we got to 'board' for free in our room so we didn't have to leave him. And now we have our little baby dinosaur (you should here him growl:) home. There's more drama following this whole story, but I'll save it for another post!

You still reading this? Wow! :)

To make a long a story short...

He looks just like his daddy & we think he's the best thing since sliced bread! More to follow soon..

Getting my Domestic Diva on..

Yeah. So. I looked back at the first pic I ever posted of me 'showing' today. And I must say..WHAT was I thinking?? To all the people who told me me 'honey, that's not showing..just you wait!' You guys were right! It hurts to say it, but it's true! *sigh*

ANYWHO, I figured I'd better get up the '35 week' pic before it's too late. I know I'm going to have to get even bigger over the next couple weeks..but I'm not quite sure how that's going to happen! I feel huge! Yeah, yeah, I know..there are girls who are 'more pregnant' than I am out there right now..but I feel stretched to the max! The skin on my tummy is numb from being stretched out so much! As you can see..if I'm at home, I'm wearing yoga pants (Oh, & usually NO bra..TMI, I know! I put one on the for pic..you guys are lucky!). I have a couple pairs I rotate through..& that's it! Jeans are not my favorite thing these days..even the cute maternity ones I got a while back..I can not STAND to have anything pulled up over my belly anymore..so that stupid panel gets pushed down to my hips..where it doesn't do the job of holding the jeans up anymore..so I walk around like a two year old gangsta' constantly hitching up my pants!

And Kateka..I'm not wearing heels anymore! No. I. Am. Not. I don't care that it's still freezing outside..it's flip flop time! Or my knock-off Uggs (I may own a pair..but I still maintain they are butt-ugly..they're too convenient for me to care, though.) I made the mistake of wearing a pair of my cute boots to dinner the other night..halfway through I could feel my feet expanding! Those suckers were OFF (it took some serious tugging) the second I got in the car!

I know I have it REALLY good compared to a lot of girls. I know that! I'm still exercising (waddling on a treadmill counts..oh, yes, it does!), I'm not on bed rest (whew!). So I'll stop complainin!

The domestic diva part of this post, you ask? Well, today I am making homemade cinnamon rolls & brownies (Jeff has a fundraiser at work tomorrow). They are not done yet. I WILL be posting pics, though..'cause I know I'm going to be stinkin' proud of the end result! Which I will then swiftly inhale! Also, my floors are all vacuumed & my laundry is 75% done..that makes me feel like a diva!

*SPARKLES* EVERYONE!

P.S. That pic up there makes me look like I have tree-trunk leg goin' on. I don't. It's the pants. Just sayin.

Update: I finished the cinnamon rolls & brownies. And they looked amazing & were delicious! However, my motivation to take pictures was gone..so you'll just have to take my word for it!