Week 22 and scare at work

This is week 22 and it has been marked by some excitement...note the sarcasm. While at work we had an emergency with my patient and had to send them to ICU. After getting the patient in the room one of the nurses tried to move the old bed out and completely smashed me up against a trashcan. Totally by mistake and completely hitting my belly. She was very worried and kept suggesting I get checked out. I tried to calm myself and relax for a bit but I was still worried and my belly was in fact tender. So one of the nurses walked me to the Emergency Room to get checked out. I went to the ER at 4pm was still there having tests come 6:30. During that time I had blood drawn and I got wheeled around the hospital in a stretcher to have an ultrasound. That was quite interesting since I work there and was in my scrubs. So every doctor, transport person and even the EMS bringing patients to the ER had to stop what they were doing to check on me. Very nice, but awkward being on the other side. At 6:30 they didn't have my results back so they let me go back to the floor to finish my shift I had to give report at 7pm. They call me from the ER at 7:30 telling me to go to L&D and get monitored. Now this was unfamiliar territory, no one knew me over there. So I called Willis and he met me over there. Walked right up and met Dr. Hilton she talked to me about what happened and they put me on the monitor. She said my ultrasound looked fine. Sigh of relief! But one of my other tests had them concerned. I knew my blood type is Bnegative so I knew I would need to have a RhoGAM shot later on but they were concerned about having a trauma that could cause the baby's blood to mix with mine. Well the test came back positive. The Dr. did not think it was major but she did want to monitor me, draw more blood and give me the RhoGAM shot early. The blood work showed that I had not built up sensitivity yet, so that was good, my blood hadn't made antibodies to start fighting the babies so now we just had to wait on Blood Bank to make the shot. Boy what a long wait that was. Finally at midnight I got my shot and then I had to be monitored for 20more minutes. So at 12:30 in the morning after being at the hospital since 7am for my shift we finally left. Willis drove me home and had to go back today to get the car. Needless to say today I have been exhausted and have rested all day. I have an excuse from the Dr.'s office that I don't have to return to work until Monday so I actually get Christmas with my family this year. I am so excited to spend time with everyone and not be rushed and to start some new traditions that will carry over once Baby Girl is here with us. I just love for the house to be spotless when we have company and with the last couple of days it definitely is not and I do not have the energy to clean so I will have to bear it this once. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Exciting new with Baby Girl...I can actually feel her kicks with my hand on my belly! And while taking a bath the other day I saw my belly move from her kick....so awesome!!!

Week 21

Time for a weekly update. Today is Week 21. Baby Girl is still moving around like crazy, some days more than others. I feel her still when I ride in the car a lot. So this weekend when we went to visit my family in TN and KY she wiggled all around while I rode in the car. I have definitely started to notice the bump is getting bigger. While riding home I had to ride with my seat belt unbuckled (which I NEVER do) but I could not get comfortable and the seat belt kept digging into my belly. When driving I can lean my seat back so I don't have as much pressure on my belly so I don't mind the belt. It was great getting to see my family and show off my bump:-)

This week Baby Girl is about 10 inches long...the size of a banana! No wonder this belly is growing! Christmas is on our minds but we just keep thinking about preparing for our precious girl. So constantly we are looking up nursery ideas and talking about names. We had settled on a name for both a boy and girl in the beginning of our pregnancy then slowly got away from both. We started looking into other options but I think we are starting to lean back to the beginning. Nothing set in stone yet. The nursery ideas are fun. We both agree we want the room to be bright, colorful and definitely girly. Willis is so cute, if I find something I like he sometimes tells me it's not "girly" enough for her.. Love it! The down side is, we have very expensive taste. All of the bedding's that we like are over $300 and that's just for the bumper, a blanket and the bed skirt. Um probably not doing that. So I'm definitely leaning towards the idea of making our own. We have a great fabric store close by and I will use the pictures I have for inspiration but this way I can hand pick the colors and designs I want. Plus it won't be as pricey! So come January I will be putting all of my creative ideas to work :-) Willis took our traditional weekly photo today and I thought I would post one since it has been a while. Miss Abby had to get in the picture but I think it's cute.

Halfway there!!!

Yes today is 20 weeks and officially the halfway mark of my pregnancy. I absolutely love being pregnant. Sure I get tired of getting up to pee in the middle of the night and the growing waistline is taking some getting use to...but I LOVE IT. As much as I love pregnancy and this growing baby inside of me after seeing her on the ultrasound now all I want it to hold my little girl in my arms, and I'm halfway there!

Yesterday was a girls day with Momma. She came up and we picked up our glider from Babies R US. And believe me, we spent a lot of time in there now that we know we are shopping for a girl! Then we came back to my house to bake some cookies. We made some cute sugar cookies Mommas were snowflakes and looked amazing and I did ornaments.

Momma baking cookies

In a Christmas book we found a great recipe for dog biscuits. So of course I wanted to try them for Miss Abby. They were cheese flavored and very simple to make. Here I am cutting out the cookies.

As you can see the growing belly is starting to get in the way. You can see some of the flour on my belly from the baking.
At the Southern Christmas Show I had found some dog bone cookie cutters that I knew would be great for making Abby's cookies. And here they are after about 15 minutes in the oven.

They get Miss Abby's approval. They smelled great and Willis says they taste like the cheddar biscuits from Red Lobster. I will definitely make those again.

Willis came home that night to a project. Just getting him use to parenthood he says :-) We picked up the glider earlier that day and Willis had to get it assembled that night. Here he is putting it together and Miss Abby thinking she's helping.

All assembled! I think it looks great in our living room. The cushion is microfiber just like our sofa and is so comfy. We decided early on that we wanted it in the living room and to match in there instead of the nursery and I'm glad we did. It's a great addition in there. We went with the darker cushion so stains won't show as easy. I'm excited to take some naps in that!

Momma didn't come empty handed! I knew that she would go shopping the second we told her the baby is a girl. She brought a cute hat box that says it's a girl with some goodies inside. She recommends using the hat box for my keepsakes like the outfit I bring her home in, her first shoes etc. and I think that's a fabulous idea! Inside was an adorable white dress, some receiving blankets, a rattle and a cute stuffed lamb. Thanks Mom! Baby Girl will love it!

While at Babies R Us Momma couldn't resist picking up Baby Girl some cute things. We got a set of 5 onsies that I just love. And a cute little outfit. It is all summer outfits since she will be here the end of April. I can't wait to put these on her!

As you know I do not do gender neutral. So until this point I had restrained myself and not bought anything and I mean anything for our baby. Now knowing we are having a sweet girl I could not go to BRU and leave empty handed! I got her this adorable swim suite and of course I had to match up a headpiece!!! LOVE IT!!! Now all she needs for her first beach trip will be sunglasses and some little sandals! After Christmas is over we plan to start on the nursery. I am giving myself time to plan what I want to do in there. I am looking through websites and magazines trying to get inspiration. All I can tell you is that it will be colorful and definitely girly!!!

It's A...

We had our ultrasound today. Can you say AMAZING! Our little one gave us quite a show moving and stretching all over the place. Here is our very first look at the profile! Precious!!
And our little one cooperated. We found out we are having a sweet little GIRL!This one was so cute she was moving her hand around it looked like she was waving at us :-)One of my fav's. Her leg was all bent up and we watched her straighten it out and flex her little toes back. Just love it!Another shot of her moving around. This is her arm and on the left you can see her little knee.A profile pic of our beautiful daughter!
I just keep looking at these pictures over and over. I am so glad she cooperated but even more thankful that God has blessed us with a healthy baby. She is right on target for how far along we thought we were. Due date is still April 28, 2010! Everything is normal, heart, spine, head, lips and size she weighs about 8 oz! And we couldn't be any happier! I so thought that once we found out the baby's gender that I would want to go shopping and buy so many things, but I haven't! I did buy a precious frame this week and have already put her picture in it the caption below reads "love at first sight" and it couldn't be more fitting :-) I am just in awe of our little miracle. I can't wait to meet our sweet baby girl in a few months!

Week 19

It's Week 19 a HUGE week! We find out in just 2 days if little Whitley is a boy or girl. I don't think I will be able to sleep Thursday night in anticipation. Here are some updates: Baby Whitley is about 6 inches long and the size of a Mango. I still feel the little one a ton when in the car. I'm still feeling great. I really enjoy pregnancy. I am starting to get a big belly on me. Everyone now notices that I'm pregnant so I'm getting use to the extra weight. But hey this is a good reason to gain a few lbs. :-) I am definitely loving being pregnant during the Holidays. My motherly instinct is kicking in and I am for sure nesting. I have this desire to clean and bake all the time. Mom is coming up on Monday and we are going to spend the day baking together! Well I have to go, Willis and I just made some cookies and they are finished. Can't wait to update on Friday!!

Week 18

Today is Week 18. A lot is going on. Baby is moving all the time! Willis is even able to feel the baby now :-) Trying to eat more after my fainting episode in Walmart. I've never been an over eater so this is all new to me. I still have moments where I feel my blood sugar dropping but I definitely make sure to eat something. The Baby this week is the size of a Sweet Potato (just in time for Thanksgiving!) I am very excited that we have Thanksgiving this week so much going on. Seeing family and decorating for Christmas is helping to keep my mind off of the excitement of next week. Next week is the big ultrasound and I could not be more excited. I hope this next week flies by!

Code White

Code White...that's what they called at Walmart this morning. What is that you may ask. Well that's when someone passes out. How do I know you ask. Because that person was ME! Yes while trying to swipe my debit card and not being able to see the screen I woke up on the ground with the man standing behind me asking if I was alright and 6 Walmart employees coming to help me up. Can you say embarrassed and worried. I had been standing in line and started feeling flush and jittery and hoping I wouldn't pass out, I do not like to make a scene, so I grabbed a Pepsi to add to my items. I thought I would have enough time to pay and then crack open the Pepsi and snacks I had purchased but oh no I was wrong. They brought me a chair and I had my Pepsi and they gave me a candy bar while I sat there trying to compose myself. Normally I wouldn't be too freaked out but considering I'm growing a life in me I thought I better be safe. I called Willis to come pick me up (yes I was alone even more terrifying) and I called the OB. They told me to come right over. Blood pressure was normal, iron and hemoglobin normal so no anemia. Then came the blood sugar. After downing a Pepsi, candy bar and just to be safe a granola bar with yogurt in the waiting room my sugar was only 95. They said not to worry they don't believe I am diabetic but they definitely want me eating more protein in the morning. They also told me the best thing I could do for today would be to have a nice steak for lunch and so that's what we did. Willis took me to get a steak right after leaving the office. I did start to feel better after eating that, not as weak or shaky but still worried. I've spent the rest of the day on the couch snacking. My main concern was the baby and everything is fine. I have been feeling the little one many times since the incident and the heartbeat is still strong so no worries there. I just have to make sure I get up in plenty of time to cook in the mornings...oh how I love to sleep until the last moment. I guess some things just have to change :-)

Week 17 and Mommy Jeans

Today is Week 17! Let's just say that this weekend I popped. I finally broke down and bought maternity clothes. My first outfit a cute black dress and I'm sure I will wear a ton! My next purchase...JEANS! I hadn't needed new pants my old ones still fit and I had some jeans in the next size up from what I usually wear that fit pretty well. Yet this past weekend while getting ready for the Southern Christmas Show it happened...I had nothing to wear!!! I obviously wanted to choose something for comfort sake while doing a couple of hours of walking and shopping and after trying on 4 pairs of pants (that fit 3 days prior) suddenly didn't fit that morning. You may wonder how I didn't notice them not fitting. Well for a couple of days I worked, which meant wearing scrubs so I didn't notice the ever growing belly. Then BAM Saturday nothing fit. Well I manage to stop wallowing in pity and put on some jeans that were not comfortable just so I could go. And yes, as tacky as it is, half of the day my jeans were NOT buttoned. The next day after church Willis took me to Motherhood Maternity and I bought mommy jeans. I never thought I would be so happy to have spandex around my belly, but thank God for it! Here is a picture of me from this morning Week 17 in my new mommy jeans!

Upadates on Baby Whitley this week: Our baby is now over 5 inches from crown to rump! About the size of an onion :-) The bones are starting to harden which makes this little ones movements more obvious! Baby Whitley has fingerprints this week!
Baby Whitley is on the move! When listening with our dopplar I constantly have to move it around to keep up with the heartbeat. I am feeling the baby a lot now. I notice the baby mostly in the car. I tend to listen to my music quite loud while riding back and forth to work and the baby kicks almost the entire ride! I'm not sure if baby likes the music or not...I like to think the baby is rocking out in there ;-) While watching a moving the other night the baby would not be still and I put Willis's hand on my lower belly. He was able to feel one of the movements! Yay! I can't wait for it to happen again :-) Our countdown to ultrasound is 2weeks now. I really haven't looked at nursery items in a few weeks. It's difficult when you don't know the sex. So I'm trying to wait until the big day Decemeber 4th. We had narrowed down the furniture and bedding we liked but I'm sure everything will change when we know for sure which gender we are buying for. Stay tuned for more updates on the growing baby!

Flutters and Week 16

Yes today is week 16 and yes I have started to feel Baby Whitley moving around. For a couple of days now I have noticed a new feeling if I was sitting still and being quiet. But today sitting on the couch talking with Willis and not thinking a thing about it the I felt it! It was stronger than the past few times and I definitely knew it was the Baby. I just stopped and stared off for a few seconds and Willis was asking if I was okay. Of course I was. This is something I have been excited to experience. It is so exciting to feel the Baby I can't wait for next time!

OB appointment

Today we went back to the OB. We saw a different MD this time Dr. Robinson who lets just say had a lot of things in common with me and Willis. His daughter graduated USC Nursing the semester after me and his son graduated the same time as Willis. Not to mention our baby is due on his son's Birthday. What a small world. My OB office rotates you from the beginning through all of the doctor's and so far we have liked them. This appointment I of course got weighed and then the doctor check my belly and we listened to the heartbeat a strong 154beats/minute. One of the best things about this appointment was scheduling our next. We got back in exactly 4 weeks for our ultrasound and we will find out if Baby Whitley is a boy or girl! I still have no inclination either way. And the verdict is pretty split from everyone we know who has voiced their choice.

Willis and I both had today off and after the OB visit we did a little shopping and had lunch out. We came back to the house and sat on the couch to watch tv and this is what happened...

Willis and Abby passed out on the couch, so cute!

Week 15

Today marks Week 15! It has been a while since I posted a belly pic so here is one from this morning.

Updates on Baby Whitley:

Baby is now the size of an orange! 4 inches long and about 2.5oz. Baby is moving around inside but I have yet to feel it. In just 4 weeks we find out the sex! Yay! I am so ready to go shopping!

Week 14

Wow 14 weeks of being preggo. The time is flying by. New updates. Morning sickness is over with and has been for a few weeks. Now I have entered the stage of eternal hunger. I never new I could be so hungry all of the time. The good thing is I haven't put on a ton of weight I have actually only gained 4 lbs which I am told is a good amount to be at right now. But this hunger where did it come from. I just woke up one day and wanted to eat everything all the time. Work is becoming difficult. I have to pack so much food to be at the hospital for 12 hours and I burn so much energy I never seem to pack enough and I'm starving before I get home. Just something I have to get use to. Our little baby Whitley is growing everyday. I can definitely feel my uterus now which is quite odd. I can't wait to start feeling the little one inside!

This week Baby Whitley is the size of a lemon!

The little one is over 3 inches and sucking his/her thumb! We find out in just 5 weeks if we are having a boy or a girl...I can't hardly wait!!!!

I Wanna Go Fast!

That was the motto for today as Daddy drove at Lowe's Motor Speedway. We had such a great time watching him and he had a blast driving. Here are some pics from the day.

Mom & Daddy on the way to Lowe'sDaddy all suited up and ready to be 1st!

Here he is in the passenger seat. He did a ride a long where he got to ride 3 laps in the car before driving. Daddy getting into the car.

Ready to race!!
Daddy Racing!!

13 Weeks

2nd Trimester has arrived! I love being pregnant!! I have not been sick in over 2 weeks and I'm feeling great. I have so been looking forward to this cooler weather so I can dress in layers. Well little did I know that it would already be time to buy new clothes. The other day I tried on 3 yes 3 shirts before finding one that actually covered my belly. Sure pre-pregnancy me wore my clothes pretty snug so this little bump I have has no room. I decided not to go crazy with new clothes just yet because I know I will get much larger. I found some comfy long sleeved t-shirts at Old Navy for just $8 dollars and the are plenty long enough!

Baby Whitley this week is the size of a Peach!

So I have been reading my books and this week Baby Whitley can start to hear. So I guess I'm going to have an audience when I jam out on my car ride home from work;-)

Week 12

Last week of the first trimester! Wow! I can't believe I am 3 months preggo!! As of now I am feeling great. I haven't gotten sick in a week woo hoo. I do have more energy. I am showing :-) Willis and I are so very excited. We still use the dopplar to hear our little one's heart beat which is just music to my ear and definitely brightens up any day. I have noticed that my hormones are RAGING! Especially when I'm tired or hungry haha it's like I am a toddler. I have started to lose my patience at work. It's difficult being pulled in a million directions for 12 hours straight. For some reason my patients don't seem to understand that I am pregnant and I would like to manage to get through a lunch break without one of them falling on the floor, one of them coding or their crazy family members calling me non stop... who's great idea was it to give nurses phones anyway?! Well enough of my complaining for the evening. I do have great support at work and all of my coworkers are stepping in to help out with lifting heavy patients and diffusing situations when I am at my wits end. On a brighter note here are some stats for baby Whitley this week:

Baby Whitley is now the size of a plum!

I was off work today and decided to use the time to finish cleaning out the nursery. Willis had moved all the major furniture earlier and a couple of weeks ago I went through some more things. So today there wasn't much left. I must say I got a little carried away when I realized that it could all be finished today. So here is the nursery! Our blank canvas. So we are ready whenever we actually start buying things!

(The curtains are not staying I just couldn't get them down myself) Can't wait to start filling up the room!!

Muse and U2!

We were most excited to get to see Muse and U2 in concert Tuesday night. Muse is one of my favorite new bands and after seeing them live I think they are more amazing. U2 rocked it out of course. Such a LOUD concert in the Georgia Dome. I didn't take my camera in so you will just have to look at the pics from my iphone.

11 Week update

Today we are 11 weeks preggo!!! Can't believe I've been preggo for almost 3 months...wow! We had a first "real" OB appointment today with the doctor. It went great. He said everything is looking great and like it's suppose to. And we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! I know we've been listening at home with Friddle's dopplar but it was nice for the doctor to point out the heartbeat :-) If that wasn't exciting enough for week 11 Willis and I are on a way to Atlanta to see Muse and U2!! Baby's first concert yay! I hope the baby comes out rockin!!!

It's official...

Okay so I have been taking weekly pictures since we found out we are expecting at 4 weeks. And the baby bump has arrived! I made it official with a belly band and all. Woo Hoo! At least now I can wear my jeans without unbuttoning them ever time I sit down hahaha. Next on my list is a pregnancy pillow. I am definately a stomach sleeper and those days are over for right now and I am having the most difficult time finding a comfortable position. If you know of a good pillow let me know!!!

10 Weeks

Today marks 10 weeks of pregnancy and here are some updates. I am starting to have a baby bump (Yay!), morning sickness really hasn't been all that bad compared to what all my friends have experienced. Today I actually woke up energetic. I haven't felt like this in over a month it's wonderful. I had been so tired that I would need a nap after grocery shopping but today I woke up and went for a walk with Willis and Abby then bought groceries and now I'm blogging with plenty of energy...Wow!! I hope this lasts for a while. We go back to the doctor next week and we are so excited. I am still listening to our precious baby with the dopplar almost everyday (when I am not exhausted from work) and Willis still gets excited when I have him listen too :-) This week baby Whitley is now the size of a prune!
There is just a little more cleaning that we need to do for the nursery and I'm planning on getting to some of it today. Willis has already moved out all the big furniture and what's left is just small stuff that I can handle. I'm dying to go shopping for baby gear but we are trying to wait until we know if it's a boy/girl. We should find out gender in early December...what a great Christmas present!!!

The Sweetest Sound

Okay, so I will admit that today I have been quite obsessed with hearing a certain sound. A sound that I cannot believe I am hearing because it is so precious. Yes it's our baby's heart beat! A couple of weeks ago at work we grabbed the dopplar and Jessica P. and Andrea and I went into an empty patient room and proceeded to find my baby's heartbeat. What a wonderful work day that was! Then Andrea brought me hers to use at home so Willis can also share in the joy. Well today I have heard it better and louder than ever before and I can't stop listening to it! Tuesday marked the 9 week mark and I can't beleive this miracle inside of me! We are so thankful for God's blessing in our lives and are so excited about what's to come. :-)

This has been a great week. Not much morning sickness. I have been trying to eat more smaller meals throughout the day and I've been eating bread at night with my prenatal vitamin so that seems to help. We also have more great news. Our best friends Ashley and TJ just found out that they are pregnant as well! We are so excited that we all get to go through this journey together. Of course Ashley and I can't wait to go shopping together and have play dates with the baby's once they are here. So much to be thankful for!

Just to put things in perspective this is about the size of Baby Whitley...

I am trying to figure out how to record the heartbeat so I can post that...stay tuned!!

Baby Belly

My friend Kelly from work gave me some great preggo advice. She told me to take time each week to journal how I felt that way in a few years I can look back on it and remember. So I of course went to the bookstore and found the cutest journal called "the Belly Book." There is a spot for each week to take a belly picture and to write something. Some weeks even have questions to get you started writing. There are spots for ultrasound pics and shower pics too. I just love it. So glad I took her advise.

Well yesterday Willis started to take our weekly picture but notice something in the left hand corner.... Yep that's Miss Abby wanting us to remember her too. Keep in mind Abby loves...I mean LOVES to have her picture taken. She did not want to be left out. Don't worry Abby we won't forget you when the baby gets here :-)

Gamecock Football

Yep that's Miss Abbs giving me her best game day face. The Whitley girls are excited to watch some Gamecocks play!

Glad football season is here. That means cool weather and cookouts!

Willis turns 27

Yesterday was Willis's 27th Birthday. And how did we celebrate........why with our first trip to the OB!

Since it was our first time, we met with the prenatal nurse and received plenty of reading material and some goodies. They drew some lab work and got all of my health history which I'm happy to say isn't much. Then we found out that we are 6 weeks and now 2 days pregnant. Baby Whitley is about the size of a Lima Bean :-) and our due date is April 28, 2010!!! Willis said that it was the greatest Birthday present to learn what should be our baby's birthday! We go back on October 6th for our first visit with the MD at which time we should get our first ultrasound. I will definately keep you posted!!

After all the baby fun we ended the evening with a lovely dinner at the Rive Rat. Happy Birthday Babe!

Making way for Baby...Part 1

Willis and I have talked for a while about the list of things we would do around the house before having a baby. Well now that we know we are expecting this is the perfect time to get that list accomplished. Project #1 that HAD to happen was a new bed. Sure I loved my Bombay four post mahogany bed. But the darn thing sat up so high I had a hard enough time getting into without being preggo. So that had to happen quick. The same week we found out that we are pregnant we bought a new king size mattress and box spring set. I had in mind that I wanted to redecorate the entire bedroom, without spending a ton of money. So I looked for some inspiration and seeing that both mine and Willis's favorite color right now seems to be green we went with that. Below is my inspiration room. I wanted black, white and green with very simple clean lines and this was perfect.

I wanted to re purpose as many pieces as possible for this project. So we took our old nightstands that were mahogany with antique hardware (hardware was already removed for the picture)...
Some spray paint and new hardware and we had totally new tables! I love how it turned out. For less that $20 we have new tables instead of spending hundreds on new ones. I love re-purposing!!!
Thankfully my mother came up for the day to help me with the major project...the headboard and bed skirt. We had went to a fabric store the week before and found this perfect green shade that matched my favorite green jacket (my color inspiration). We started by cutting the fabric...

Then ironing the fabric... Then mom got to sewing the bed skirt...The final touches were to re purpose my old lamps.

All it took was a little spray paint and some simple new white shades and we had the perfect pieces for the new room. All of our hard work paid off. Here is the almost finished product. All I need now is a black throw to lay across the bottom of the bed.