Updated belly comments......

Here are the funny, yet disturbing, things people have said to me recently:

"You're really starting to look pregnant!"
-I am 6 1/2 months along. I guess this would be a good thing!

"You look like Santa with that belly in that red sweater!"
-Ummm......I really have no comment for this one. Merry Christmas??

"You're getting really big!"
-Thanks. I haven't noticed! =)

"Your boobs are HUGE!"
-I plan on breastfeeding my baby after he's born. So, my boobs must be up for the challenge!

"You're going to have a small baby."
-A woman in HEB told me this after finding out I was already 6 1/2 months along. She felt my tummy should be larger at this point. She must be an expert in pregnant bellies or something!

It's so funny what people will say, and how different their views can be! One day, my stomach is huge, and the next day my stomach is so small! I wonder who's right? I think my tummy is the perfect size for me and baby Christian! At least, that's what I keep telling myself! :)

28 weeks and counting....

Today, marks the beginning of my 3rd trimester! Holy cow! It won't be long now until I'm holding my baby in my arms! I'm so excited! As of now, I am feeling the best I have my entire pregnancy. The nausea, fatigue and contractions are all behind me, and I'm not big enough yet to be feeling very uncomfortable. So, for the first time, I'm enjoying being pregnant. Although, I can hardly wait until Christian's arrival! 12 more weeks to go!

Here are Christian's stats for the week:

Length: 15.25-15.75 inches from head to toe
Weight: 2.25-2.5lbs.
Size: a pair of sneakers
Month: 7

He's getting so big! I can tell he has been going through a major growth spurt! I feel him moving around and playing all the time, and I have even started feeling him have hiccups! It's really cute!

I know that I need to post some pics of my belly. I have just been avoiding it! I took some back when I was 20 weeks along and I hated how they turned out. I just looked fat. At least now I actually look pregnant, so I will break down and take some pics. Stay tuned...... :)

Casting Crown's Christmas Concert

So, my sister, Stefanie, and my brother-in-law, Greg, were nice enough to purchase tickets for Giff & I to the Casting Crown's Christmas Concert! It's tonight at the Berry Center in Cypress and I think it's the perfect way to kick off the Christmas season! Stef, Greg, my Mom, Giff & I will all be going and we are definitely looking forward to it! Thanks again Stef and Greg for the tickets!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! I know I enjoyed the time with my family. And, after all of the feasting yesterday with both families, the whole gang went to see the movie Four Christmases, and it was really cute! I love Reese Witherspoon! Go see it! =)

I need to vent.....

Is it really necessary to tell a 6 month pregnant woman that her butt is getting bigger? I mean come on! I am already self conscience enough about my ever changing pregnant body....do we really need to add to it, much less point out the obvious? This person is supposed to be my friend AND she has had a baby before! So, she knows what it's like! I am seriously on the verge of tears. I wish I was not so sensitive, but I just can't help it. 3 more months- and I can start getting my old body back.

Dear Lord,

I need your strength today. Strength to rise above the occasion and see the positive. I am having a baby, and I know I am blessed. Help me to remember my expanding body is making room for my baby to grow big and strong. Help me embrace these changes. Help me to let go of things I cannot change and I have no control over. Help me to forgive. Thank you for your unconditional love and mercy. In Jesus name, Amen.

Okay....I'm feeling a little better.

My Baby Prep "Bucket List"

I saw this on the Graco blog this morning and thought "what a great idea!"

1. Find a new place to live that actually has room for baby.

2. Buy baby bedding at Pottery Barn.

3. Get glider/rocker re-upholstered- My sis was babysitting this past Saturday for a family that was having a garage sale and they were selling a glider/rocker that they no longer use. So, Stef called me to see if I wanted it. For $75, I'll take it! It's in great condition, but the fabric is white and that scares me with a new baby. So, I'm going to get it re-upholstered in brown fabric to match Christian's bedding.

4. Keep paying on the baby furniture and pay it off in January.

5. Pick up baby furniture.

6. Take birthing classes- my classes start at the very beginning of January. Can't wait!

7. Buy accessories for baby's room- lamp, wall mounted letters, model cars, wall art, etc...

8. Find a pediatrician.

9. Take maternity pictures.

10. Plan a weekend get-away with hubby for some relaxation.

11. Prepare our dog, Hitch, for the arrival of baby. (I'm still not quite sure how we are going to accomplish this?!)

12. Move.

13. Prepare nursery ASAP so it's ready when Christian decides to make his entrance!

14. Organize our new place and hopefully feel somewhat settled in before baby.

Whew! That's a lot, but it's do-able! I will probably keep adding to this list as things come up that I haven't thought of yet. 3 1/2 months to go! Time is flying!

Since I mentioned the baby bedding in my list above, I thought I would share a picture of what it looks like...

I just love it! Simple, classic, clean and modern. The furniture we picked out is dark like in this picture, so I think Christian's room will turn out so cute!

Let the decorating begin!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas! I love everything about it! The excitement, the cheer, the decorations, the music, the smells, the food, the cooler weather (hopefully), the shopping and just the overall joy this time of year brings. I think with all that has been going on this past year, everyone needs a little hope and good cheer. I know I do! Things are tough and not looking to turn around anytime soon, so I welcome this season with open arms! I can't wait to start decorating my own place and filling it with the warmth of the holidays! =)

Contractions + Hospital + Bed Rest = No Bueno!!

Here's the story....

I started feeling tightness and pain in my lower abdomen and back about 2 weeks ago. I thought this was the stretching of my uterus to accommodate my growing baby, but as this pain continued and started getting worse, I realized that I was actually having contractions. Yikes! A 21 weeks, this is definitely NOT a good thing. My mom suggested that I call the midwives to get their advice. I called late last Thursday and they immediately called me back early Friday morning. The nurse told me I needed to get to the office as soon as possible. So, instead of heading to work, I headed straight to the medical center.

Once I got there, one of the midwives, Diane, checked my cervix to see if it was dilating. Luckily, I was not dilating, but the midwife thought my cervix seemed short, which could mean I was going into pre-term labor. The next step was an ultrasound to measure more accurately the length of my cervix. Baby Christian (we finally decided on his name!) was very active, once again, during the ultrasound. This made me breathe a sigh of relief. At least the baby was doing well! The tech measured my cervix and said it was not shortened. Yay! One hurdle crossed! But, the tech said she could see that my uterus was contracting and of course, I knew that because I could feel it.

After the ultrasound, Diane put me on a monitor to watch the patterns of my contractions. At this point, the contractions were coming every few minutes. They were not very painful contractions, but extremely uncomfortable. After 30 minutes or so, Diane said that I was having labor patterned contractions, and I needed to go to the hospital to be under observation. I was not expecting that at all! But, I knew that she knew best. So, the midwives office is actually in the hospital, I just had to make my way to the labor and delivery floor, where another midwife, Dawn was delivering a baby. She would be the one to observe me.

On my way to the labor & delivery floor, I called my husband and my mom to let them know what was going on, and they immediately arranged to come to the hospital to keep me company.

Once at the hospital, I was given an IV and was out back on the monitor. My contractions were still pretty steady for the next few hours. So, the midwife, Dawn, gave me some medicine to stop the contractions. It didn't completely stop the contractions, but it made them much less frequent. Next, Dawn wanted to do another ultrasound to make sure my cervix was not changing. Again, my cervix was fine. At about 6:30 in the evening, Dawn gave me 2 prescriptions of medicine and released me from the hospital. But, she told me I had to go home and be on bed rest for the next few days. She didn't want me lifting, cleaning or walking around. Basically, she wanted me to stay in bed and rest. So, ALL weekend I was a complete bum! Ugh! No fun at all! But, the contractions went away almost completely! I only had a few of them on Saturday and a few on Sunday. I did notice that when I was on my feet like taking a shower and blow drying my hair, that I would start contracting. Once I was back on the couch, they eased up.

Dawn wanted to see me again yesterday (Monday). I was expecting to get the okay to go back to work and back to my normal routine. However, that was not the case at all! Even though the contractions have eased up a lot, Dawn fears that if I go back to work that my contractions will start back up again and I could go into pre-term labor. So, she wants me on bed rest this entire week! Ahh!!! I'm going to go crazy! But, for the sake of baby Christian, I will do what she says. It is WAY too early for him to make his entrance into the world! I can't wait to meet him, but he needs to stay put for at least another 15 weeks.

Giff & I are staying positive and we are praying that everything turns out okay.Here is the newest pic of Christian. He finally cooperated and we got a great profile picture of him! I love him so much already! :)

It's a BOY!!!!!!!!

This past Tuesday, October 14th, I had my anatomy ultrasound at St. Lukes Hospital. Giff and I both took the whole day off of work, so we could enjoy the time together! We got up early and made our way to the medical center. Baby Leu was extremely active during the ultrasound! He was tossing and turning and shaking his head every time the ultrasound machine passed over him! It was super cute! Then at one point, he put his hand to his cheek and it looked like he was waving to us! Such an amazing experience! The technician waited until the very end of the ultrasound to tell us "Oh! It's a boy!" My heart skipped a beat! I looked at Giff and he was grinning ear to ear! Such a proud daddy to be! We spent the rest of our day off going to baby stores, looking at furniture and buying cute little onesies for our little man! We had the best day! Check out what we got:

My favorite- the blue one that says "Small, Dark & Handsome." How precious is that?? Our next task, is coming up with a name. We have it narrowed down to a select few: Christian, Kevin or Brayden. Middle name possibilities are: Taylor, Alexander, Adam (after Giff's Grandpa) and Leeland (after Giff's Dad). My favorites are: Christian Taylor and Brayden Alexander. My hubby just can't seem to make up his mind. It's a big deal naming your first son! :) We hope to have a name picked out within the next week or so, so this baby doesn't have to go by baby anymore- we can call him by his name!

p.s. It has been wonderful watching Giff turn into a giddy, daddy to be......I think knowing that he will have a son in a few months has made him truly happy! I LOVE both of my boys!

Nesting already?

I have the strongest desire to make something for this little one on the way! What? I don't know! But, I see all of these projects these other moms-to-be are creating for their babies, and I want to do the same! I am very creative, but I've never learned the ability to sew. Maybe now is the time to learn! Look at these adorable bibs and onesies I found on etsy:

Now why can't I do something like that? I would LOVE to create some personal items for my newborn. It can't be that hard. Right?

I also came across some all natural, organic, non-toxic, fragrance free, good-for-your-baby laundry detergent on etsy. It's called Clean Rinse.

It costs $9 for one jar, and you get 36 loads out of it. It comes out to $0.25 a load. Not bad. But, still more expensive than my regular detergent. I am really considering purchasing the detergent before the baby arrives. I don't want to put chemicals into my baby's clothing and bedding. I will definitely keep this in mind.

Midwifery vs. OB/GYN

I have thought a lot about what kind of birth/delivery I want to have with this baby. I am a big believer in doing things as naturally as possible. So, I have been researching my different options when it comes to my care as well as my baby's care during the birthing process.

I came across a group of midwives who are part of the Woman's Specialists of Houston. It's a group of 4 midwives and 7 ob/gyns. I have read nothing but fabulous reviews of the midwives! And, the philosophies they have about pre-natal care and giving birth are right in line with my own. So, I made an appointment with them and I had my first visit this past Monday. I get to meet with a different midwife each time I go, so that I get to know all 4 of them. I won't know who will deliver my baby until I go into labor. Whichever midwife is on call at that time will be there with me through delivery. Dawn, is the first midwife I met, and she was awesome! She talked to me for over an hour! I got to know her better in this hour than I had with my previous ob/gyn the entire 3 years I had been going to her! She really put my mind at ease! Here are just some of the differences between a midwife and a regular ob/gyn:

Ob/Gyn:
Too many patients to handle
Non-personalized care
More c-sections & medicated births
IV during all of labor
Laboring happens mostly in a bed
Delivery is posed on your back w/feet in stirrups
Baby is taken to nursery immediately after birth
Breastfeeding starts hours after birth
Doctor has little to do with actual labor

Midwife:
Small # of patients
Personalized care
Very few c-sections & medicated births
No IV unless absolutely necessary
Labor on a birthing ball, in the water, or walking around
Unlimited options of positions to give birth in
Baby remains with mom after birth
Breastfeeding starts within one hour of birth
Midwife is there almost the entire time during labor

Needless to say, I have completely switched my pre-natal care over to the midwives! They will tailor my birthing plan to exactly my specifications, and they will try to help my stick with it during labor. They are more supportive and more like coaches, than actual doctors. Another great perk is that the midwives have their patients deliver at St. Lukes Hospital in the medical center. So, if there was to be an emergency during my labor, I will immediately be transferred to the care of one of the ob/gyns on call that day.

I feel so much better about labor and delivery now that I have made this change in my care! I go back on October 14th for my anatomy ultrasound, and Giff and I will be able to find out the sex of the baby! I couldn't be more excited! Less than 2 weeks to go! :)

Little Quirks About Me!

I have been tagged by Chrissy to share my quirks.

Here are the rules:1. Link back to the person who tagged you.2. Mention the rules on your blog.3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking to them.5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger that they've been tagged.

My quirks:

1. I don't like old people.....isn't that mean? I just can't help it! I find it so strange that someone 3X my age acts like a child. Now I know this is not true of all old people, so I guess I am only speaking of a specific type of old person. The ones who throw tantrums, and go to the bathroom in their pants and say rude things without regret. It just really freaks me out! I hope I never get old! :)

2. I CANNOT get into a messy bed. I hate the feeling of the sheets being wrinkled and scrunched up. Most of the time, my hubby and I make our bed, but there are times that we are too rushed in the mornings and it doesn't get done. But, it will get done before I get into our bed for the evening. If I ever have enough money to hire a maid, I will ask to have my sheets changed daily and the bed made to my standards! I am a perfectionist, so good luck to whoever takes on that responsibility!

3. I do not like my feet being touched.....at all. That's including pedicures and even my husband. I think it tickles! Even when my sweet husband wants to rub my feet after a long, hard day, he has to put a blanket over my feet in order to massage them. I guess I don't like the skin on skin contact. My feet must be overly sensitive! Weird....I know!

4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE lipgloss!!! If I could have it tattooed on my lips, I would! Although I haven't heard of a procedure like that yet! Anytime I get near makeup in a store, you can be sure to find me looking at the lipgloss trying to decide which one to buy! It's an obsession!

5. Public restrooms are a total nightmare to me! They are completely disgusting! I put toilet paper all over the seat, and I try not to touch anything with my bare hands. I will hold off on going to the bathroom until I get home unless there is an emergency. This has been particularly hard since I have been pregnant, because most of the time, it IS an emergency! When a pregnant woman has to go, that means now!

6. If I have a scab, I pick at it. I know, it's gross and it will leave a scar, but it drives me crazy to have a crusty piece of skin on me!

So, there we go! Those are just some of the strange things about me! :)

I am supposed to tag 6 people to share their quirks, but I believe that everyone that reads my blog has already been tagged. So, I guess this ends with me. It's been fun! :)

Let's talk about maternity clothes....

Okay, so yesterday, I broke down, and bought my first piece of maternity clothing; jeans. I thought I would start out with a staple item, so I can build on my maternity wardrobe from there. I have to say though, that the whole experience was a bit overwhelming. I'm kind of in that in-between phase right now. My regular clothes are feeling tight, but maternity clothes seem ridiculously huge! So, trying to determine what to buy and in what size is extremely difficult. Most maternity stores have this fake belly you can try on with your clothes to see how they will fit later on in pregnancy. But, that just freaks me out! I am not used to looking down and not being able to see my feet! So, I avoided the fake belly all together! Don't get me wrong, I am super excited to start "showing" and having a baby bump, but it still seems a little unreal at this point. I have a feeling the next few weekends will be devoted to adding to my maternity wear! I hear at this stage in pregnancy, your belly really starts to pop! So, before I know it, I will have nothing left of my old wardrobe to rely on. Hopefully in the upcoming weeks, shopping for maternity clothes will get easier.

So proud of my hubby!!

Today, Giff found out that he got a new job! Praise God! He has been so unhappy at his current job for quite a while now, so for the past few months, Giff has spent numerous hours searching for jobs online, emailing his resume to different companies and going on interviews. It has been very stressful for him, but he kept persisting and it finally paid off! I am so proud of him! It will not only bring in more money for us, but he won't be stuck behind a computer all day anymore and he gets to wear jeans everyday! (I think this may have been the selling point for Giff!) I hope he truly enjoys his new job!

Leu Baby Update: Week 13

1 week left in the 1st trimester! That is amazing! Sometimes I still don't feel like I'm pregnant, although I've had major morning sickness (or all day sickness, as I call it) , I'm constantly tired and I can't stand the sight or smell of meat! Maybe it's because I'm still not showing and I haven't felt the movement of the baby yet. Once those thing start to happen, it will feel more real. Reality or not, I am completely thrilled about this baby! This week's baby stats are as follows:

Length: 3 inches
Weight: 1 ounce
Size: An egg
Major Development: Baby now has ears developed enough to hear mommy talk, sing or hum. The baby will develop his/her vocal cords this week as well, so baby may be able to talk back to mommy soon.

Every week it amazes me how quickly this baby is growing! It is truly an incredible experience! And, I have to say that my husband has been the greatest through all of this. I have been unable to do my normal tasks around the house (cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes), and Giff has stepped in and done it all! He has always helped me with those things in the past, but he has had to completely take them over the past 6 weeks. I have felt so bad, but he keeps telling me that he doesn't mind and he forces me to sit down and rest. I love him so much!

Leu Baby Update: Week 12

I am 12 weeks pregnant today! The 1st trimester is almost over! Whoo hoo! I am so ready for the nausea and sleepiness to be gone. Hopefully within the next week or so, I will be feeling much better! Here are the baby’s stats for this week:

Length: 2.5 inches
Weight: ½ ounce
Size: A lime

I found out at my appointment last week that we will find out the sex of the baby in October. My birthday is October 20th, and what a great birthday gift that will be! :)

I stole the baby update idea from Chrissy.....hope you don't mind Chrissy! :)

Long wait...but good news!

So, I finally heard back from my doctor. She said that she did test my blood for the Rh positive antibodies, and they found absolutely none! Which means, all I have to do is have my 2 injections during this pregnancy and all my future pregnancies, as well as this baby are safe! What a relief!

Now, it's time to let the stress go and really start enjoying this pregnancy! :)

Learning that I'm Rh Negative

So, I start off my very first blog with some interesting news....

I am Rh negative.

What is that you say? Rh negative means that I do not have a specific type of protein on the surface of my red blood cells.

What is the significance? Being Rh negative does not harm me in any sort of way. But, because I am pregnant, it is a big deal. Most people are Rh positive, and my husband is Rh positive. Therefore, our baby most likely is as well. If my blood mixes with my baby's blood, my body will begin developing andibodies against my baby's blood, looking at it as a foreign invador. Once this occurs, a woman is said to be sensitized, and all future pregnancies are at risk. Unless, the Rhogan injection is given to the pregnant mother around the 28th week of pregnancy and within 72 hours of giving birth. This injection prevents the mother from being sensitized or making the antibodies. If the injection is not administered, the woman would continue making these antibodies and her next pregnancy could be a problem. Some babies that are born to sensitized mothers just have jaundice or anemia. But, in other cases, the babies are born with heart failure or mental retardation. Hence, this injection is imperative for pregnant Rh negative woman to receive if they want future, healthy pregnancies.

Why is this a concern for me? I have had a miscarriage before. The doctor I had at the time never told me that I was Rh negative, and also never gave me the Rhogan injection. Everything I have read about being Rh negative says that even after miscarriage, an Rh negative woman should always be given the Rhogan injection. Meaning I could have developed the antibodies that could harm the baby I am carrying now. This is very much a concern for me.

What am I doing about it? I've called my current doctor to ask her if she tested my blood for the antibodies. If she did, and everything turned out okay, then we're in the clear. If she didn't test for it, then I will have to wait until they test my blood again to find out. I'm praying that I haven't built up any antibodies, so I know that this pregnancy is safe. I will go on to receive the injection at 28 weeks and after I give birth, therefore protecting my future pregnancies.

I feel angry that my last doctor did not do what she was supposed to. If she had given me the injection, I would not be worrying like I am now. She completely dropped the ball. But, I have faith, and my gut is telling me that everything will be fine. I will update once I have heard back from my doctor...