Just call me Susie Homemaker...

So, I've always liked to make things. I won't say they always look good, but I've always attempted to be crafty. I don't really have the creative edge or designer eye that I see on all the DIY blogs or shows. I can't paint or draw, never have been able to. In high school, I decided to start making jewelry. This was when the floating necklaces were a big deal, so I jacked some clear fishing line from the garage, made a trip to Michaels, took apart some jewelry I never wore, and just like that, I had an inventory. I made little notecards with "Emily Morgan Designs" on them, punched a couple holes, strung my necklaces up "on display"... and just like that, I had a little locker room business going on. At $5 to $10 a piece, I was doing pretty good. In college, a buddy of my (at the time) boyfriend also liked to make stuff. He busted up old pallets, reset them, and painted it like a Texas flag (see pic below).. I had a pile of cow skulls from the deer lease and decided to paint a vertical Texas flag, finish off around the horns with some leather, and BAM... the Yeehaw Trading Company was born. We also had bottle cap picture frames, other handmade picture frames, etc. We even went to First Monday Trade Days in Canton and had a booth... we had a sales tax certificate and everything. We were legit. Of course, like most things I do, I didn't stick with it.



Well, the most recent of my crafty idea moments has been with sewing. A few years ago I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. My mom got me the Singer Inspiration and it sat in the box for probably six months. I decided Shooter needed a doggie pillow and he wouldn't care if it came out looking like crap. So I bought some material and in a day, had Shooter a nice, big pillow. I even found an old camo shirt, cut out a big "S" and added a little personal touch. I had even gotten adventurous and attempted button holes with some little contraption that you could put on your sewing machine. Minus the finishing on the inside, it looked pretty good... of course, until Shooter decided to eat 1/2 the buttons.

Since that project had gone so well, I even attempted to make a pleated, flowy, seer-sucker skirt (definitely not beginner level). I thoroughly examined the construction of a summer skirt I already had and attempted to recreate it. There were definitely a number of flaws, and it was FAR from perfect, but it was good enough that I wore it to church the next Sunday. I've worn it several times since. The pattern thing scares me and I found it easier just to wing it and try to do what makes sense.

Well, after these two successes, my poor sewing machine sat and collected dust for at least another year, six months at the dump house in Baytown, through the move to Nederland, and at least six months to a year after we moved here. I had curtains that were too short and I ripped the hem out and pinned them up. They stayed that way for 6 months. Everytime I vacuumed, there went another pin. So, finally one day when Andrew was out of town, I got the sewing machine back out from the garage. In 30 minutes or less, I was DONE! WHY did I seriously take so long to do that! It was so easy! It took twice as long to rip the hem out as it did to sew it back. Alas, the sewing interest in me was restored.

So, FINALLY for the reason for the post in the first place. I really wanted to take a sewing class to try to really understand construction and how to read a pattern. I wanted someone on hand who knew what they were doing that could help me. One of the little sewing/fabric stores in Nederland, the Fabric Nook, had on their website that they would soon be starting beginning sewing classes. I called and they took down my information and said they were having some scheduling issues with the teacher so it might be a little while. It was, over the course of a couple months the lady from the shop kept calling me to see if I was still interested and update me on the latest projected start date. FINALLY, it was confirmed that we would start on March 18th, the Thursday after Spring Break. I was so excited, and nervous, just because I didn't want to be the worst one in the class, and because I was actually getting involved and doing something. Most of you that know me know that I'm not a shy person and could probably talk to a wall; however, ever since I've been working at home, I've become almost a recluse. I am SO used to being alone all the time, that it's almost like I've lost some of my social skills. I've almost become so accustomed to this homebound/hermit lifestyle, that sometimes it's really hard to motivate me to get up and get out of the house (or my shell).



Once I'm out, I love it. When I go to the store, I'm chatting it up with the checkout people. I love the "Peace be with you" part of church because it's human contact that I almost never get. Anyways, so I showed up for the first class with my material for my reversible tote bag, our first project. There's a wide mix of ages - 12 (the teacher's middle child) up to "grandma" age. I'm smack in the middle. I'm the only one in my age demographic really, but that's okay. I definitely wasn't the worst one in the class. Not to toot my own horn, but I got a lot farther along in the project than most, and it actually is looking pretty good. I sit next to a senior in high school and her older sister (not too much older I think) is also in the class. I've enjoyed talking with them a lot. I really like our teacher too. She's a "hip" mom and is the home economics teacher in Port Neches. I think her family does a lot of outdoors stuff too, so we have that in common. There are a couple of ladies with little grandbabies that want to learn how to make stuff for them. I'm the only pregnant person in the class, but I think they all think it is really fun and are excited for me too. I just have enjoyed getting out of the house for 3 hours and having girl time. We all barely know each other and just enjoy talking. It's definitely a nice stress reliever too.. until you screw up and have to start over! :-)

We just about finished the bags at class last week. I think it's taking everyone longer than expected, but that's a-okay!. We all brought a pattern and began trying to read them and figure out what all we needed. An upper body garment or dress is our next project. I can't believe how long I spent at JoAnn's trying to pick out fabric... it's probably going to turn out terrible or won't fit over my big belly and won't even get worn. Nonetheless, I am going to try my heart out and make a dress! Once something is completely done, I'll be sure to post a picture. Seeing is believing!

With this new found interest in sewing, I've also got several house projects that need to get done. Since we re-painted the kitchen, the old valance doesn't really match. I bought material a few weeks ago (and it's still in the bag!). Work's been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, so hopefully after Easter, I can commit a couple evenings to making the new valance. I love the new material and think it will look really good. I'm sure I will have a number of projects in Tater's room too once we get going in there.

Now... if I could just COOK like Susie Homemaker!!!

22 Weeks! = 2 Big Moments

So last Thursday after our big appointment, we stopped in Lowes to get the materials for the protein feeder (see last post). We're checking out when the woman at the register says "Boy or Girl?" I realize this is the first time in public that someone else has noticed (and actually said something) about me being pregnant. I guess I'm really starting to look pregnant. Andrew has also been saying a lot lately how pregnant I'm starting to look. It's hard to picture how you will look and feel about your body when you're pregnant, and then before you realize it, you're there. You've got the belly that you "pet" and rub all the time. People start smiling at you and are generally much more polite. More people hold doors and offer a hand. I could get used to this. :-)





Okay, so the getting called out in public by a stranger was Big Moment #1 (which, it actually happened at about 21 1/2 weeks, but oh well). Big Moment #2 was so much more special.

So we're laying in bed last night and watching TV, about to go to sleep when Tater decides to have a party in my belly. He's usually very active mid-afternoon and during/after dinner. I guess that might have something to do with when I eat. Anyways, every time I have been able to feel him from the outside (i.e. with my hand on my belly), Andrew has either not been home or not been right next to me. Well, last night was a different story. He started kicking quite a bit, so I wasn't about to miss this opportunity. Sure enough, almost right as he put his hand on my belly, there goes Tater. Andrew's face just lit up. Then it happened again, and again. Each time he kicked we smiled right at the same time. I don't think he knew what to expect, but when he felt it, he knew that's what it was. It's funny because ever since we got "the news" last week, Tater has been quite active. It was almost his way of telling us "Hey Mom & Dad! I'm fine, so quit worrying!" Feeling all that movement has definitely given me more peace of mind. I'm just glad that Andrew is a part of it now.



Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Everyone Needs a Weekend at The Farm (or equivalent "Happy Place")

After the week we had, there was no question that a relaxing weekend was highly necessary. There is also no question that The Farm is the place to go for that. The weather was crap, at least until Sunday. It was cold, rainy, and WINDY as all get out. I just figure I'd rather watch it rain up there than at home. I'm not sure what it is about The Farm, but it's our happy place.

We got up there kind of late on Friday but not too late to fry fish and make homemade french fries. All fat free of course. Before I was pregnant, we fried fish a lot because we had a whole freezer full of fresh, Andrew and Emily caught fish including all the deliciousness that is trout, redfish, bass, etc. Unfortunately these are off limits during pregnancy thanks to mercury and the overall gross-ness of the Gulf. Therefore, we committed the cardinal sin of all fisherman and purchased frozen fish (likely from China) out of our grocer's freezer. Why this is supposed to be better for me, I will never know?!? We are definitely asking about pond bass next time we go in. Since the ponds at the farm are not fed by any rivers (i.e. where the mercury comes from), I would think that these bass are about as healthy as you can get.

Anyways, despite how badly I wanted to sleep in on Saturday, Andrew was determined to fish before the front came in. That is supposed to be the best time to fish, and I LOVE fishing when we are actually catching fish, so I was game. Sure enough, the fish were biting pretty decent over at Pete's, but it sure didn't take long for that front to come in. I think we were on the water for just a little over an hour when the wind started gusting, the rain started coming down, and this massive wall of dark clouds started coming across the sky.



Until the rain passed, we were just lazy. We did go in to town briefly to buy protein feed and groceries, and then to hit up Ace Hardware and the jewelry store (I needed my beautiful Christmas present resized). I think I might have found my rocker at Ace, on sale too!. I haven't found a glider that I loved yet that wasn't that expensive. I love traditional rocking chairs too. Wanda had an old wicker one like the one at Ace and it was so comfy. The good thing about this one is since it's technically patio furniture, it's waterproof and easy to clean. That itself, may seal the deal!

Once we got back, it was no longer raining but still freezing. Andrew, my hard-core fisherman husband, was determined to fish some more. Not 20 minutes after he went down to the big pond, he came back up saying that in 5 casts he caught 3 fish (or something like that). The fish were biting was his point. I hadn't planned to be out in the cold so I was not prepared in the clothes department. I mustered up everything I could find. I had on my Target fashion leggings, my jeans, my Goretex rain pants, long-sleeved t-shirt, Deloitte fleece, Andrew's fleece, Goretex rain jacket, ear-muff headband, beanie, and camo gloves... I was READY!



He was right. I think I caught about seven bass in a fairly short amount of time. The wind was blowing like nobody' business and it was freezing, but the fish were biting, so it was fun! A white spinnerbait was the trick! :-)

Saturday night we had gumbo, which was the PERFECT cold weather meal. Andrew is the best gumbo maker around I might add. I had this pregnancy craving for hot chocolate and s'mores, of which we had neither (minus the mini marshmallows.. we had those). I headed to the little Texaco station down the road because surely they would have what little I needed to calm my cravings. FAIL. They did have hot chocolate, but in the machine. I wanted the packets so I could make it later. They also didn't have graham crackers, so I settled for Nilla Waffers. I figured I could make mini s'mores with my mini marshmallows and bite-sized wafers. I also accidentally bought Hershey's with Almonds. Pretty sad trip, but I have to tell you. The mini-s'mores with Nilla Wafers were actually fantastic! Plus, who doesn't like Nilla Wafers! We played our traditional Yahtzee game, which he whooped me on and then for some reason watched Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Very random, I know. I think Amanda gave it to Andrew for Christmas a couple years ago. It was a 2-part set, but sadly, we only got to watch one. Tear.

Sunday we got up and went to church at the little church we got married in. It's one of the beautiful painted churches of Texas. There's just something about a small country chruch that's so comforting. Old Father Bily was still having trouble reading and the lady playing the guitar and leading the worship was just a little off-key, but it was still so nice. I noticed they had replaced the hideous linoleum floor down the aisle with real tile... would have been nice 3 years ago!







Sunday afternoon also meant work time. One of Andrew's goals while we were up there was to convert one of the old feeder's into a protein feeder. This went fairly smoothly. We wanted to use the old metal drum feeder but opened it to find pure nastiness. Somehow water had gotten in there and the remaining corn was rotten and mushy and had the foulest smell in the world. Plan B was to use the existing corn feeder and just convert it back to a corn feeder in the fall. We drug everything out from the woods and then propped it up in the spot we were going to use. We started pulling the legs out a little to try to even it out when all of the sudden... crack... that cheap piece of crap split right open. Lesson on "you get what you pay for." Amazingly, the four letter words were kept to a minimum. So, back to Plan A. Go back into the woods and drag all the stuff out from the old feeder we were going to use in the first place. We could probably still use this one, but it would require a good cleaning and time to dry out. Long story short, that's what we did and everything seemed to work. Let's hope our genious PVC engineering withstanding the raccoon's and whatever mother nature may through its way. We made the pups run beside the truck back and forth from the feeder to the farm in hopes they might actually get tired. They did. Amen.

After the hard work and leftover gumbo lunch, it was back to fishing. It was a much more beautiful day on Sunday (always is), but the wind was even worse than it had been on Saturday. Beautiful, blue bird days don't usually equal great fishing days, but nonetheless, we gave it a try. Andrew caught a handful and I caught a couple, but it was nothing like Saturday.

Attempting to take a one-handed picture with my soccer mom camera, while holding a fish. Challenging.



Heaven to a dog





Sunday afternoon and evening was spent watching the Ags lose a heartbreaking game to Purdue, redeeming myself at Yahtzee, and eating beer-in-the-butt chicken. Minus the losing part, it doesn' get much better than that!

A few other random pics from the weekend:

Baby Cows



Signs of Spring (It's going to be GORGEOUS in a couple weeks!!!)



Redbuds Blooming



Windmill & Moon



What too much rain will do to your levee & spillway



Kisses for Shooter

So This is What it Feels Like...

to be a scared, helpless MOM who doesn't know what's wrong with her child.

As you've probably noticed, it's been way longer than normal for me not to make a post. Well, Andrew and I have had quite a rough and emotional week last week. We left our last appointment on March 4th with the impression that everything was great. I didn't realize that the tech doing the ultrasound is not experienced in reading them and diagnosing any potential issues, and that it can take a little while before the doctor reviews all the pictures in detail. That said, I went into Houston this past Monday for work and somehow had missed a call on my cell saw that I had a message. I listened to it and it was one of my doctor's nurses saying there was something she needed to talk to me about and to please call back. I immediately started to panic. Doctor's offices DO NOT CALL unless something is wrong. I anxiously call back and have to listen to the really long voicemail message at the nurses' station and then leave a message. I'm already uncomfortable with the situation and very concerned with whatever they need to talk to me about. It was about lunch time, so I headed downstairs to get something to eat even though I didn't have much of an appetitie at this point.

As I get in the elevator, of course, my phone rings and it is the nurse. She quickly jumped in to telling me that they had found something "abnormal" on my last ultrasound and starts talking about 2 instead of 3, something with the umbilical cord. I'm in an elevator, hearing something about my baby being abnormal, and I just can't really comprehend what she's telling me. It was all happening so fast, like someone just dropped a bomb on me. After what seemed like the longest elevator ride in history, I finally got off and just told her to stop and start over. She explained that the umbilical cord is supposed to have three vessels - 1 vein and 2 arteries - and our baby only had 1 vein and 1 artery. The diagnosis is called SUA, Single Umbilical Artery. They don't know why this happens. Of course this is something I have never heard of and have NO idea how serious of an issue it is. Unfortunately, this was not the nurse that I know had initially called, this one was much more clinical and not very comforting. Does she not get it that she's telling someone there is something wrong with their baby!?!?! I'm trying to ask what this means, is it serious, what are the potential complications, is there anything we can do, etc? She wasn't much help and just told me that they wanted us to go to a perinatologist (i.e. fetal medicine specialist) and have Level II ultrasound. She didn't know when this would be, but that they would call to set up an appointment....everything was just so vague. That was NO DOUBT the scariest part... I felt like I knew nothing.

I got downstairs to the cafeteria, sat down and said a little prayer and then immediately called my mom in tears, but felt like I didn't even know enough to explain to her what was wrong. I was just scared to death of the thought that something might be wrong with our precious little boy.

When I got back upstairs to my desk, I probably did the worst thing possible... I Googled '2 instead of 3 umbilical cord' because I still hadn't caught what the name of this was. All of these terrifying articles and what not came up talking about heart problems, Down Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities, urinary, gastrointestinal, and kidney problems, low birth weight, etc. The statistics weren't terribly comforting either. Apparently SUA is fairly common 0.5% - 2% of all babies, but the percentage of those that might have additional problems seemed to high for me to be comfortable. Then, I found all these other websites that were real moms talking about it and just about every single one of them said they had not further issues and were told it was becoming a "variation of normal." Many babies are born with SUA and they never even knew it during the pregnancy because it can often be hard to detect. Some of that was comforting, but there was no getting past the fact that there could potentially be something very serious wrong with our little guy. I didn't want to call Andrew, because I knew he would panic too. He wouldn't show it, but I knew he would be really worried. I knew I had to call him though, so I went in one of our little call rooms and attempted to explain what I had found out. Of course, he had questions, most of which I didn't have an answer to. He was very comforting, but I knew he was really scared too. He encouraged me to call back and try to get some more answers.

So, I went through the voicemail and wait drill again. Luckily, the "nice nurse" called back the next time. She was much more comforting and tried to give me as many answers as she could. She did say that she has seen this a lot and it was WAY more common for nothing further to be wrong than it was for the Level II to find something further. I was young, healthy, and had good ultrasounds up to this point, so she felt pretty good that I had nothing to worry about. She still didn't know when they would be able to get me in to the perinatologist since he was out of Houston and made rounds to Beaumont a couple times a month.

Monday through Wednesday was spent praying, crying, feeling helpless, and trying to think positive and trust that God was going to take care of us and our little guy, no matter what the outcome was. My mom e-mailed me the Serenity Prayer, which I have always loved, and Proverbs 3: 5-6. I printed them both out and taped them above my computer and found myself just reading them both over and over. I definitely didn't get much work done last week. I would find myself just staring at both during the day.

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.


Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6

We still hadn't heard anything about scheduling an appointment by Wednesday morning. So, I called back and did the voicemail and wait game again. Luckily, again I got the "nice nurse" and she got me the direct contact info to scheduing lady for the perinatologist. I was able to talk to her and she too, was very comforting and said that in the 10+ years that she had worked for this doctor, that she could not remember a time when they found something more serious or at least something that was considered a major defect. She too, felt confident that we should not be worrying... plus stress is not good for momma or baby. Even with all the positive words, it's impossible to not think "what if." We knew that we were going to have and love this baby no matter what. We both have a strong faith and supportive family and friends, so even IF we did not get the news we wanted to hear, we would be okay. Of all the things that could go wrong, this is usually 'not a big deal' and they just want to monitor the baby's growth more than they normally would. I just think about parents that get truly devastating news, I just can't even imagine what that feels like. I think that my doctor's office had passed on that I was very anxious and had been crying and what not... but, I think it helped. The scheduling lady really, really wanted to get me in so that I didn't have to stress or worry any more than necessary. She thankfully took the approach that there wasn't really room in the schedule, but that she would add me anyways and they could just deal with it... AMEN! So, we were on the schedule for Thursday morning.

On Thursday morning, I had some of the nervous anxiety I had before we had the "boy or girl?" appointment, except this was not nervous excitement, it was nervous stress. I kept saying my little prayers and repeating that I was "trusting you Lord" to get us through this appointment, no matter what the outcome. I was surprisingly calmer than I thought I would be, but I just kept trying to think positive and remember all the good things the nurses had been telling me.

First, we had to register, fill out more paper work, get a little hospital wrist band (yep, that's going in the baby book). This part was good, just because I liked this lady, Wyhnonna. She had told me on Wednesday that if I was freaking out at midnight, I could call her. I like people like that. Then we had the appointment with the Genetic Counselor. This was more of an information session about SUA and some of the possible complications. She did go through our family history, which is thankfully pretty clean. She gave lots of positive comments about the odds of having something more severe, but then she also gave all these odds about Down Syndrome, etc. Considering we had already hit the jackpot and been the 0.5 - 2 out of 100 who get SUA, some of the odds she was presenting were not terribly comforting. The information sheet she gave us said that some studies estimate that between 16-45% of babies with SUA will also have other atypical findings on their ultrasound. She talked about amniocentesis and that was really the only way to rule out some of the potential severe chromosomal abnormalities (including Down Syndrom), and we made it pretty clear that it wasn't something we were going to take the risk on. To us, there was no point. We weren't going to change anything.

After that appointment, we had to wait for what seemed like forever... over an hour, almost an hour and a half is pretty close to forever... until we got in for the appointment that really mattered.

When we finally got called back, we had to wait a little more in a cold, clinical hallway. One couple came out and then another went in before it was our turn. It was a dark room with the doctor and two nurses. The nurses were whispering the whole time and way before we even got to the imaging department, I had been told to turn my phone off. I don't think this doctor liked to be disturbed. Anyways, I got up on the table and they got the paper all tucked in to my pants. Andrew was sitting next to me and I just grabbed his hand and was aleady staring at the blank screen. I just wanted this appointment to be over. I was excited to see my little guy again (since we didn't think we would be having another ultrasouned), but at the same time, seeing him meant opening ourselves up to potentially bad news. Either way, we needed to know. He doctor squirted the jelly on my belly and it was actually warm this time... usually it's freezing. Our little guy popped up on the screen and was of course moving around. He was also breech. So far he has not been the the "normal" pose for any ultrasound. Last time he was face down. I don't know what his deal is, but he must be like his daddy and not like to take pictures. Anyways, the doc started his exam from head to toe, examining everything. He was very dry and didn't really say much except stating measurements for the nurses to record. He is an older, Israeli gentleman, and very serious and "doctor-esque." I was feeling a little tense, so I started asking what things were on the screen, trying to open up the conversation a little. He went through some of the organs - brain, kidneys, "four-chambered" heart... I think Andrew and I squeezed each others hand at the exact same time when he said that. The doc never seemed alarmed by anything, which was a good sign. He stated that I was [on paper] 21 weeks 2 days, and then furthered to tell us that our little guy was actually measuring over a week ahead of schedule... which, of course, I countered with "that's a good thing, right?!?!" ... since fetal development is one of the potential risks of SUA. In a nutshell, the doctor did NOT, I repeat, did NOT find anything else abnormal other than the single artery umbilical cord. This was such a HUGE relief. All of the organs looked good and he was the size he was supposed to be (and then some). We had been told that IF an SUA baby is found to have other types of abnormalities on the ultrasound, the likelihood that the baby has a chromosome problem increases. Since he didn't, he is at NO MORE RISK than ANY OTHER BABY would be for any of these types of problems. AMEN!!! Thankfully, we are able to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the rest of this pregnancy. On the upside, just out of precaution, they do want to do another Level II in 6 weeks and maybe more ultrasounds at my doctor's office than they would have done, just to keep an eye on his development... this means we will get to see our baby more! YAY! :-)

Sucking his thumb:



We just feel so blessed that this SUA diagnosis does not appear to be anything mroe serious. To this point, I don't think we realized how fortunate we are to have a healthy little boy. This is definitely something that we do not take for granted. We never did, but really don't know. It's amazing how pregnancy and parenthood and be the most joyous and most scary experiences you will ever face. We celebrated with a big Mexican food lunch, including stuffed avocados... my fave!

Okay... on a lighter note, here's where we were last week - Week 21.

'Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch."


An emotionally exhausted me after our appointment:



My belly seems to be growing by the day and I have developed that little dark line that goes from your belly button down. I'm not really sure what it is or what it's called, but I had heard other pregnant people talk about it. There are definitely a number of moments during the day where my belly starts to get in the way. Bending down to pick things up or when I need to tie my shoes, for example. I feel like someone put an inner tube around my waist and it won't come off. Rolling over to switch sides while I'm sleeping or getting up out of bed are also starting to become harder. I'm having trouble picturing how these things will get done later down the road. :-) I have a feeling Andrew will be helping me a lot (more... he does a ton already).

Blueberry Explosion!!!

!!!WARNING!!!...this isn't pretty....

Okay, so the strangest thing just happened. As I've mentioned before in previous posts, I am LOVING fruit right now. I make a frozen fruit and soy milk smoothie many mornings for breakfast. This morning was like no other. I made some toast and my usual smoothie and was sitting at the table enjoying it while watching the Early Show on CBS (because I got so fed up with Diane Sawyer during the Election that I vowed not to watch Good Morning America again...yeah, I know she's not there anymore, but anyways, our local CBS guys are better than the local ABC guy/gal, so that's that).

So the toast was down and so was about half of the smoothie when all of the sudden I got that unsettling feeling mid-way down my throat/top of my chest that implied that this smoothie may not stay in my stomach. Mind you, I NEVER got "sick" once during my 1st Trimester. I don't just get "sick" unless I've got some killer stomach bug. Sadly, the only times I usually got "sick" were the day after a "long night"... which, don't worry Mom & Dad... those days are long over and were infrequent. Anyways, so I think I sat there for just a couple of seconds too long debating if I really was going to throw up. Well, while I was thinking about it, my stomach decided to give me a little hint of what was going to come. So, I high tail it to the bathroom, tripping over two black dogs, some cowboy boots, and who knows what else. Let's just say that I really could have used those couple seconds while I was debating whether or not to the bathroom.

If it had been red, you would have thought someone got murdered in my bathroom. But instead, it looked like Violet Beauregarde, the little girl on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory that turned into a giant blueberry, had abscessed and exploded in MY bathroom. My NEW, crisp white shower curtain and white bath mat were covered, the floor was covered, in/on/behind the toilet was covered, all three walls managed to get a little coverage, the door frame and wall going into the bathroom was covered, the cabinets... I don't think I drank that much smoothie, so it must have multiplied in my stomach before the explosion.



Right after it happened and I looked around to see the aftermath, I kind of just started laughing. This projectile vomit mess was pretty impressive. I debated taking a picture for Andrew because I know he would find it funny (so long as there was nothing wrong with me or the little guy). He has been in a similar situation before, so I know he would understand. That is a story that will NOT be told on this blog. :-) The other thing I thought about was that I would probably see this crime scene again, except that it might be a little more of a brownish color. I have heard some mom stories about this fabled thing called projectile pooping. Ahh... so much to look forward to. If we arelucky enough to not experience that, I do know kids get sick, so I'll definitely see it coming out of the top end, probably quite a few times. Anyways, cleanup was pretty painless, just took a little while.

I'm not sure why this happened. I didn't at all feel sick before. I don't feel sick now. I never did feel sick. I think I may have just been drinking it way too fast. Who knows? Obviously if it happens again, I may need to call the nurse station just to make sure it couldn't be something harmful.

Hopefully I didn't spoil your breakfast or lunch!?!?! :-)

1/2 Way There!!!

Today marks the 20 week point!!! In other words, we are now half way there!!! That is still so hard for me to believe. It's hard to believe that so much time has already passed. I know that in these next 20 weeks the physical changes will be even more dramatic. I think the emotional ones will too. In just the few days since we found out we are having a little boy, I already feel more pregnant and more 'motherly.' I hadn't really felt a strong connection yet, which was part of the reason I wanted to know the sex, and it's amazing how much that connection and bond has grown since hearing the news. I also feel like I look more pregnant now, which just adds to the emotional connection. It's wonderful to physically see myself grow because I can picture how much this little guy is growing and developing. The movements are also getting stronger. I've only had a couple kicks that were really noticeable, but the frequency and strength of the "flutters" is definitely increasing.

And now... the weekly fruit analogy... a CANTALOUPE!!! When I first saw that, I was like "holy crap!", that's huge!!! Well, he's definitely growing because his momma sure is! :-)



Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

A few tidbits about my habits/preferences/observations at Week 20:
-Carbs are my friend! I have been CRAVING carbs like no one's business. Specifically, ramen noodles and Kraft macaroni & cheese. :-) I ate a whole pack of ramen and a whole box of mac & cheese in the same day... plus my regular meals. I know I'll regret this later, but will enjoy for now.
-Milano cookies are also my friend. I'm embarrassed to admit that the bag we bought at Walmart on Sunday was gone by Monday night. :-( Again, I will regret this.
-The "no meat on Friday during Lent" thing has become my friend. It gives me an excuse to eat a whole cheese pizza in one day. What do you expect when you can get 4 for $12?!? :-)
-I am still loving my fruit smoothies in the morning. Anything fruit flavored is so refreshing!
-Because my eating habits are getting out of hand, and I feel completely lazy, I have started working out again. Taking it easy, of course. Since the weather is getting nice, we have been going on walks in the evening or been doing something on the Exercise on Demand channel. All that stuff is free and you can do something different everyday if you want. I quickly realized this when I went to visit Meghan in Denver. When I got winded from walking up all the stairs to the upper level at the Nuggets game, I knew something needed to change. Andrew & I were hard core P90X this past summer, but after I got sent to Las Vegas at the end of July for 3 weeks, I really never got back into it. That's a long time to not have any sort of regular exercise routine. I was okay with the 'I'm exhausted' excuse during my 1st Trimester, but there really is no excuse now. With the endurance needed for labor and all the baby-lifting to come, it was high time I got myself back in better shape.
-I used to sleep on my side, but then was having back pain and a massage therapist told me to try to start sleeping on my back. I trained myself to do that and started having the best sleep ever, and a lot less back pain. Well, then I got pregnant and they tell you not to sleep on your back, especially after the 1st Trimester. So, here we go again... retraining myself to sleep on my side again. It's not comfortable unless there's a pillow between my legs, but the little pillow doesn't ever want to stay put. I'm getting there though.
-I'm starting to notice the physical limitations/inconveniences that occur during pregnancy. Sometimes it seems hard to roll over or get up off the ground or couch. Bending over to shave or pick up something isn't as easy or as comfortable as it used to be.
-I think our little guy has found where my bladder is and likes to play tricks on me. Not very nice Little Man!
-I generally seem to have quite a bit of energy, which is amazing given the serious cut back on caffeine. It's either one cup of coffee or none at all.
-I'm highly sensitive to sounds, whether it be volume related or just sounds that irritate me.

That's it for now... looking forward to what the second half of this pregnancy holds! :-)

The Big Day!!!... It's a BOY!!!!

Thursday, March 4th was FINALLY here! When scheduling this appointment after our Week 15 check-up, it seemed like it would be an eternity before we got to go back. I guess I should thank "busy season" and my test for keeping me so busy that time seemed to fly by faster than normal. Never thought I would say it, but I guess both were a blessing in disguise.

So again, March 4th was HERE! Our ultrasound appointment was at 10:15, so it was really nice to not have to wait all day to get our little 'present'. I think the pregnancy glow definitely hit me on Thursday... I don't think I stopped smiling all day. I had Andrew finally take some preggo pics of me since all the ones before involved me, a bathroom mirror and a black scarf hung as a background or me and my tripod. All of which did not include a face (for very good reason). So here it is, the Emily preggo pic right before we left to go to the doctor. Think I look happy?!?!? :-)





I still had my little "Let's Find Out" card/sign from Valentines, so we thought it was appropriate to take a picture.





I lost the 'appropriate to take a picture' battle when we got to the doctor's office. I wanted to take pictures walking in, as soon as we found out, in the parking lot, etc... okay, that was a bit much. I did get one in the car right before we left, pointing on our little sign to the cute little boy shoes.



First, I will say that this was a full anatomy ultrasound where they would be checking and measuring everything to make sure all looked as it should. Of course, that was our first priority, that everything was there and was developing on schedule. Almost immediately after we came in, the ultrasound technician asked if we wanted to find out, and of course we said yes! Thankfully, this was a different lady than last time. This was a younger woman who was much more upbeat and actually acted like she enjoyed her job. We were glad that she was the one who would be telling us versus the crotchety old lady we had last time. So, back to 'the moment of truth'. Not long at all after she began the exam, she stopped and paused. We were both staring at the screen, and before she even said, "It's a boy!," I could clearly see it for myself (thanks to friends posting ultrasounds on Facebook, I kinda knew what to look for). Right when she opened her mouth, I was in the process of about to ask whether that was what I thought it was. Sure enough, this little guy wanted us to be sure that he was a boy!



It all happened so fast, but I just remember feeling this rush of joy and looking over at Andrew to see him smiling. I wish I could have seen his face at the exact moment he realized what it was too. I just had all these precious images going through my head of Andrew and his "little buddy." I think we were both a little shocked. For some reason, everyone, especially Wanda and I think my mom too, thought it would be a girl. I think we had both convinced ourselves it was a girl too. We would love to have a boy and a girl, so we would have been thrilled either way. I will admit, it is nice to know that the Peters name will continue. Andrew is the only one that could make that happen. I know that if it had been a little girl, she would have him wrapped around her little finger. From my own experience, the father-daughter relationship is so special, and I know it would have been no different for Andrew. I know that he is so excited to have a little boy that can (hopefully) share in his love for hunting and fishing, and will want to go tromping through the marsh, and just be a boy. Obviously girls can do that too (Hello?!? Look at me!), but there is something very special about a man and his son. From everyone I know with little boys, they just tell me how much they love their mommas!!! I can't wait!!! Some other perks of little boys that I've heard is that they are cheaper (in terms of clothing... although the little girl stuff is SO much cuter!) and easier (in terms of drama). So... we'll see! I know we'll have our hands full... this little guy did not want to stay still the entire time. The poor technician was having trouble getting all her measurements since he didn't want to stay put for 2 seconds! He was also facing downward, so we didn't get that cute profile shot of him laying on his back. He did have his hand tucked behind his neck for a while and looked pretty darn comfortable in there!

Here are the rest of the ultrasound shots they printed out for us:

Hand behind the head/"I'm comfortable and not turning around" shot



Head and spine (Seeing all those vertabrae is amazing)



Kind of creepy straight-on face shot (looks like a skeleton since they have little fat now)



Another boy parts shot



"Hi" - Shoulder and arm waving at Mom & Dad



This ultrasound appointment was no doubt AMAZING! I am just fascinated at what the technology can show us. It's hard to believe that ~20 weeks ago, there was almost nothing there... microscopic. Now, there's this little person with all the body parts that we have, just smaller. You could see the all the bones, that little heart beating, the brain... it's just a miracle. That's really the only word that can describe it. I'm getting teary-eyed right now as I type, just thinking about what a special gift God has given us. It's also a little terrifying thinking that in just a few short months he will be here and it's up to us to take care of him and raise him. We are so blessed to have such wonderful families and friends that get to help us and be a part of this journey.

To celebrate, we went to one of Andrew's favorites...



And did it ever hit the spot!!! Yummy... can't go wrong with a bacon, mushroom cheeseburger!!!

It also would not have been appropriate to not buy a piece of camo clothing to celebrate the news that we were going to have a little boy. So, since we've already got the onesie (thanks to Jeremy and Jamie!), we've now got some little shoes to match. They were even Team Realtree (because you know Andrew would not have bought them if they were Mossy Oak... he's very particular!). They are just so tiny, and they aren't even the newborn size. Hunting season falls more once he'll be in the 3-6 month size, so that's what we got. :-)



We are so excited too, that Nick & Sarah are having a little boy. I'm sure that Nick's parents and Andrew's parents are cracking up about what we all have coming for us. A little Andrew and a little Nick, one month apart. One word... TROUBLE! :-) We are also so excited about our other dear friends, David & Laura and Nicky & Kyle. David and Laura just had a precious little girl, Kimberly. Nicky & Kyle are only 2 weeks behind us and find out soon the sex of their baby. There are just so many babies! Watching them grow up together is going to be so much fun!

Now that know what we're having, let the planning begin!!!

Big Week - Part 2 - The Big Reveal!!!... almost

Despite what some of the earlier blog postings said about wanting the sex of the baby to be a surprise, I changed my mind. Andrew's always wanted to know, and the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to know too. Once an inkling of the idea of finding out got in my brain, there was no turning back. I was SO excited about the prospect of knowing now. So, for Valentines day, that's what I "got" Andrew. I made a little sign/card that said "Let's Find Out!" and had a little pair of girl's shoes and boy's shoes.



My parents and a few friends knew that we were going to find out, but we didn't tell Andrew's mom because we knew that our little "we want to keep it a secret" would drive Wanda crazy!

Unfortunately, my test kept me from trying to be too excited about our appointment on Thursday, March 4th. Once it was over though, that was ALL I could think about!

I think you can find out the sex of the baby anywhere from 17ish weeks to the early 20's weeks. I was 19 weeks and a couple days, which I think is pretty normal. At least from the people I talked to, they also found out around 19-20 weeks. According to The Bump, we have a little mango now.



Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Stay tuned, the real Big Reveal is next... :-)

Big Week - Part 1 - I Survived!!!

Okay, so I'm a little behind on my updates. This past week was a bit crazy and two huge events occurred. So, for Part 1, I will address THE TEST.

Let me back up just a little. So, since I've been out of grad school, I have worked in commercial real estate. Specifically, I am in the realm of commercial real estate valuation. So, with this, I have also been working toward my Texas Certified General Real Estate Appraiser License. The procrastinator in me already screwed up once and didn't get in under the "easy" licensing criteria, which involved a much easier test (from what I've heard). In order to have more reciprocity across state lines, the AQB (Appraiser Qualifications Board) decided to have a uniform test and set of licensing standards. Of course, these are much more stringent. Because I dinked around, I now was subject to the new criteria. I had met the 300 education hours and 3,000 experience hours criteria a while back, but still had to take the test and have two of my files reviewed. I have been TALKING about taking this test for about a year now. For some reason, I kept putting it off. Fortunately it took my Trainee license renewal coming up at the end of the month and the required 30 classroom hours that I had NOT taken (because I've already taken everything and didn't want to sit through the same thing again) to finally "light the fire under my ass", so to speak. So, a little over a month ago, I got online and picked a day to take the test, paid the money, and that was that. There was no turning back now.

I set this goal to study 30 minutes a day, which worked for a while. Then, work really picked up and that fell out the window. Luckily I had a flight to Denver that allowed me to work through two practice tests. The thing that's tough is that I know this stuff. I know appraisals. I do this everyday. BUT, these standardized tests ALWAYS don't really test the real world application. They try, but so much of what they ask comes down to the slightest different interpretation of one word, one definition, one sentence from USPAP (our set of appraisal standards). The math on these tests is easy to me. The problems that are as real world as a standardized test can get are no issue. It's the wordy problems that get me. Anyways, last week studying was out of the question so it came down to Monday and Tuesday, and it was ON! I probably did six practice tests and reviewed the material that I missed in detail, but I was still having test anxiety (almost as bad as the first ACCT 229 test at A&M... which I ended up doing great on and making a solid "A" in the class).

Long story short, they allot 8 hours for this test which I thought was RIDICULOUS! The practice tests that I was taking took me 1.5-2 hours. How in the world could it take 8?!?! Well, it just about did. I think the timer said I had 30 minutes left. You could "mark" the questions to come back to. Out of 171, I think I had ~70 marked. PANIC. I'm glad I did though because after an hour or two away from whatever topic the question was on, I was able to regroup, refocus, and think from a different angle. Several of those math ones I did struggle on, I was able to figure out. Let's just say there was a lot of praying before and during that test... and a lot of thankful praying afterward that I survived it. When I finally decided I had finished and had taken those last "educated guesses" on the ones I had no clue about, I thought I was going to puke on the proctor. I was just so nervous to think "what if" I hadn't passed. I did not, under any circumstances, want to have to attempt that test again.

When I came out of the room, there was a little print out waiting that said "Congratulations! You have passed the TX Certified General Appraiser examination." Not only did I pass, I think I passed by quite a bit. There were 171 questions (although I think 15 were fake, trial questions) and you had to have a scaled score of 75. I made a 113, whatever that means. All I cared was that I passed!!! AMEN!!! I don't have my license quite yet, thanks to to a little risk management hold-up with the work file review process, but hopefully that will be resolved soon. The hard part is DONE, no doubt! The prayers to stay calm during the test and for my brain to remember all the stuff I had learned worked!