Remembering my pregnancy...

I came across some blogs that I had written while I was pregnant with Kelson and never posted them. Just wanted to share them with everyone. I don't have up until the day I had her, but I have some pretty cute information from the first 6 months of pregnancy. Check it out.. It's long....

Milestones

01/2006: We decided we were ready to start trying to have a baby

November 20-24th: Estimated week of conception

12/16/06: Took pregnancy test(s)- I was having all the symptoms for that "time of the month" so I really didn't think I was pregnant, but since I was a few days late and normally right on schedule, I bought one. Jason and I actually talked about buying an ovulation kit the week before since we weren't pregnant yet, but I had a gut feeling I needed to buy a pregnancy test first. I got home and remembered that I had bought it and so I went into his bathroom- thought it may be good luck - since my bathroom never was- he he, so anyways, I took the test (only one who knew was my Bassett hound, EERS). So I went on with putting away groceries and a several minutes later walked in to find... TA DA--- what looked like to be a "+" sign. It was actually faded- one line was very dark and the other one was barely there. I was like Oh my gosh Oh my gosh- No way. I ran next door to a friends house to ask her what she thought (carrying the pregnancy test with me). She told me that she thought it was a + too, but said let's take another one for sure. So I did and TA DA- that one was + too, so I knew for sure that I was. We started screaming and giggling. I didn't want to tell Jason on the phone (he was on the road), so I figured I would wait till he got home the next day to tell him in person with our families. It killed me to hold it in all day. I racked my brain the whole night thinking of ways to tell him that we were pregnant when finally it occurred to me what to do. Since we are both such "Christmas Lovers" and it was that time of year, I thought the perfect thing would be to wrap up a Christmas stocking that had "Baby Albert" written on it. To make sure he understood my point, I put the two tests that showed the "+" signs in the box too. The present turned out PERFECT. God works in mysterious ways!

12/17/06: I woke up that morning and took ANOTHER pregnancy test- just wanted to make sure it wasn't a one day thing- ha-ha. It too was positive, so I knew then that I was really pregnant and today was the day I was going to tell my husband that our dreams of becoming parents were coming true. Jason finally came home around noon and since it was Sunday we did the normal "family dinner" thing, so I invited mom and dad to join us. No one had ANY clue. Right before dinner- I had dad videotape Jason opening his box- I told Jason that I had a Christmas present that I found the day before that he just had to open cause Its something he needed before Christmas time. Still no one had any clue. So his grandmother, sister, mother, my mom and dad, and Jason were all there watching him open the present. He opened it and immediately looked at me- and I clapped and started crying- I said Yep, were pregnant. He couldn't believe it and neither could any one else. Everyone started crying, hugging, and laughing with joy. It was a great moment- dad got it all on camera. Nanny tickled us all when she said, OMG- I knew you could do it- ha-ha!

12/18/06: Went to Dr. Garber's for the OFFICIAL pregnancy test. Our mom's went with us to the appointment. Jason and I went back there, I did my thing and we waited together in the office. We were really excited and were hoping that the three tests were all legit. The nurse came back in and was singing "Rock a Bye Baby" - so we knew our prayers had been answered and we were going to have a baby!!!

01/23/07: Decided on the Clinic for Woman for my OBGYN and had our first ultrasound visit. I still wasn't sure what date the baby was conceived or how far along I was, so I was REALLY excited to find out. Lucy, Jason's mom, Linda, my mom, Jason, and I all went to the first appointment. I did the weigh in and I didn't lose or gain at all over the last month or two- yee haw. I'm was at 156lbs. Dr. Rushing had to do a pap smear cause it had been over a year since my last one. So at my regular family doctor a pap smear involves checking out "everything" so your usually wearing nothing but the robe they provide. I didn't think this time was any different so I did the same thing. Dr. Rushing walked in and was pretty much in shock and said "Oh my- I don't need all that off, just the pants- I started laughing and I said- well really I don't mind cause your seeing the most private part of me anyways." I think I made him blush- only I could make a man that does this for a living blush- ha-ha. So anyways, he came back in- after I put back on my shirt- and did our thing. Then he was ready to do the ultrasound- for those of you without kids- the first one is vaginally. I was aware of this so I wasn't alarmed. They brought in the family and we got all ready to see the baby for the first time. I have to include this story, cause its one I don't want to ever forget. As the doctor was preparing the "WAND" for insertion I was watching Jason's face- it was hilarious. The procedure involves taking a wand- which is about the length of a hand held massager - just round, puts a condom on the end of it with some lubricating jelly. I was laughing so hard inside watching Jason's expressions and questions on what that doctor was going to do with that. Jason told me he was thinking is he going to put that in her... WELL there ya go he did... ha-ha! So anyways - we all waited as he made his way upwards and then there is was "BABY ALBERT" - it was amazing. Just floating around in there. It looked just like the pictures in all the pregnancy books. He measured the baby and said that i was "10 weeks" along. We were told that we were only at 9 weeks, so I was excited cause I was having all the symptoms of a week ahead. Thank goodness for pregnancy books. Actually getting to see that something really was inside of me made it so surreal.

01/27/07-01/31/07: Baby Albert went on his/her first 3-day cruise to Nassau, Bahamas. Heartland was asked to perform two shows with several other artists like Jamie O'Neil, Neil McCoy, Bill Engvall, and Tim McGraw, so we all got to tag along. Even his/her grandmother's went. We had a great time. The baby adjusted to the seas so well and I never once felt sick. We hung out at the casino, went walking around Nassau, laid by the pool, watched the performers, and ate good food. Overall we had a great time. I did feel the pooch starting to progress during the cruise- could have been the midnight pizza buffet or the ice cream bar, who knows. Only complaint about the cruise was the "no partying" - sucked being the only sober one out of 2,174 passengers- ha-ha, and they wore out all Tim McGraw songs for me for life- that's all they played 24/7.

02/08/07: Blood work- can't really say much about this. The nurse did a great job finding my vein and getting me in and out of there- That's always a plus. Didn't have to weigh in, which I was glad cause I feel like I've gained a few lbs already :)

02/13/07: Got to hear Kelson's Heartbeat for the first time. It was nice and strong- 156 bpm. Most folks said that it sounds like a girl, but according to the books, all babies should have fast heartbeats at first, regardless of gender. Jason brought the videotape so well have that moment to cherish forever. It took a few times to find his/her heartbeat - Kelson was a squirmy little thing. It was an awesome moment. We didn't cry but were so excited to hear the heartbeat. It will only get better and more exciting. We did find out that we can find out if Kelson is a girl or a boy on March 20th!!!! We can't wait!!!

03/15/07-3/19/07: I had the WORST lower abdominal cramps ever. I was in tears it was so bad. After confiding in several moms I was told that it could be "round ligament" pain. (Pretty much the uterus is expanding to make more room for the baby.) It was so painful and its not supposed to be that bad, so I went to the dr. (Dr. Wheeler- new doctor (on call) ), he gave me a little exam and said that in fact I either pulled a muscle in that area or it was the round ligament pain. Kelson's heartbeat was fine- 135bpm. So it was great to hear that nothing was wrong with me or the baby. It was just something that I had to tough out while taking my extra strength Tylenol. I woke up Monday morning- the 19th- and felt like a brand new woman. It was great- the pain had just gone away- I had been praying for two days. So I hope the next major pain I feel like that will be followed up by an epidural- haha.

03/17/07: Kelson got to hear her daddy's country band, Heartland, in concert. They played at the VBCC Concert Hall on St. Patty's Day. I still wasn't feeling GREAT, but I managed to get dressed and go to the show. It was a GREAT show and we all had a good time. Hopefully the music wasn't too loud for Kelson, I tried to cover my belly some so it wasn't- haha. She shouldn't be able to hear noises yet, but it was pretty darn loud. All the Heartland members who had girls brought them up on stage when they sang "I loved her first"- it was the cutest site ever. Jason mentioned that we were expecting and even told the whole concert hall about my cramps. It was so cute. I mean if you can't be up front with your hometown crowd, then what's the point- haha! Everyone had a great time- including Kelson. She slept like a rock that night - I'm sure it was knowing that her daddy was singing that song to her (before Jason and I even knew it was a girl)!!!

03/20/07: Kelson's gender is revealed!!!! It's a GIRL!!! I couldn't believe it. I said, "Are you sure?" to the nurse. I could have sworn that it was going to be a boy. She said that she was 90% sure and she has only gotten 2 wrong and she had been there since 1979, so that was good enough for me. I was so thrilled. Jason got it all on video and I looked up at the camera and said- I win! haha! We are both so excited. Although Jason had his mind set on a boy, he will be just as excited and happy with his little girl. We are going to try for a boy next time for sure, but only God controls those things :) The nurse said that she could see the hamburger so that's how she knew it was girl- I still can't make it out- haha! 3 slits to make a hamburger and a boy is a hot dog. Dr. Wheeler and Kathy, the nurse, said that Kelson was in PERFECT condition- everything looked great. We will do another ultrasound later on to be 100% sure, but I've already sent out the good news and told everyone, so I hope Kelson really is a girl. To tell our moms (who were waiting anxiously in the waiting room) the good news, Jason and I bought both "Ty- It's a girl and It's a boy" bears to give to them. So Jason and I walked out and he did the "pick a hand" game and of course they were both the girl dolls. They were SO excited and again couldn't believe it was actually A GIRL!!! Went to eat lunch at Casa Blanca to celebrate- haha. It was a GREAT day. I believe we have come up with our baby girl's name - Kelson Noelle or Noel Albert. (came up with the middle name cause we LOVE Christmas time)

04/05/07: Jason and I went to Babies 'R Us to register. We were there from 5:30pm till they closed around 9pm. It was really hard deciding what we wanted. I wish we had our camera with us cause we were trying everything out and seeing how we looked with different things. Ex: Jason tested out the Graco stroller we chose (aka the G-ride) up and down the isles and he said that moment and registering really made it believable we were going to have a baby. So sweet. I think with all the e-mails, inputs, and advice that we did really good on selecting items for baby. We only got through half way at the store when they were about to close, but I'm going to go back and finish up the little things. Cool thing about the Internet is you can manage your items online. I did register us at Target too. Jason got all excited that we were going there so he can register for the rest of the Disney movie collection for our little girl. It was a lot of work and I hope we did get some NECESSARY items for her, but if not, we can always go back.

04/12/07: Had our regular checkup. Mommy and baby are both doing GREAT. I've gained a total of 14 lbs so far- which the doctor said is great. Kelson's heartbeat was 138 bpm. The nurse said that she even kicked the Doppler wand when they were looking for her. I didn't even realize she did, so I guess that goes to show she's probably kicking and been moving around for a while and I just haven't noticed. My belly is definitely starting to show. I went down to FL for Kori and Todd's wedding two weekends ago and had a great time. I felt the baby move for the first time while I was there- laying out by the pool- it was so cool (I was 19 weeks along). Got to hang out with Keri and Annabelle while I was there too. Keri and I got some prego pics together, went shopping, got pedicures, did sister bonding stuff, and played with Belle. She finds out what gender Baby 2.0 is going to be on Monday, April 16th. She already has her names too: Corgan Alexander or Aurora Rose :) I like them both. I talked to the nurse about having the 4D thing done, but I have to wait till I'm 28 weeks along, so I still have a while to go, but I'm so excited about seeing Kelson up close and personal. Its only $120. Not bad at all. Definitely worth it.

Symptoms during the first trimester

Cravings:

ANYTHING sweet, pretzel bites with garlic and cheese sauce from Pretzel time, coffee (and I don't even drink it), and granola and yogurt.

Annoying things:

No energy the first month, excessive bathroom breaks during the night, tender breasts, cramps, a cold that seemed incurable, excessive coughing for the first week, being the only sober one at parties- ha-ha, No Diet Sunkist, and having the feeling that all the weight I just lost was going to come back.

Neat things:

Buying new baby stuff, getting to share the good news with everyone, splurging a little on food and not feeling bad about it, rubbing on my belly- although I wasn't showing yet, sharing all this "baby stuff" with Jason, NO periods, reading pregnancy and baby name books, getting cards in the mail from friends and family, VERY LITTLE MORNING SICKNESS- thank you lord for passing on the family genes, finding out that my sister is also pregnant (just a few weeks behind me), and came up with our uni-sex baby name, Kelson Albert. I like to sing "Baby Mine" to the baby. I also posted a "gender poll" on my myspace page to see what people thought the sex was going to be. So far the "boy" is in the lead. Jason is hoping for a boy and I'm hoping for a girl, but regardless as long as its healthy we are happy.

Symptoms during the second trimester

Cravings:

Tortilla rolls, Doritos, fruit, waffles, peanut butter, can't stand the thought of eating "meat" that's by itself- weird, I know, but I can't help it. Back to wanting "sweets" again. Grilled cheese lately, but I've always liked that.

Annoying things:

I'm definitely more hungry, but can't ever figure out what I want to eat. started getting cramps because of the growing uterus stage, 17 weeks and still haven't felt the baby move (I had one bubble feeling, but I'm still not sure if that was really it), BAD cramps (round ligament pain) for three days (non-stop), re-modeling house and I can't help much with it because of my condition. Trying to handle all the dirt from the house while its being done. Mood swings have begun. Had bad allergies for a while and stinks that you can't take anything "good" while pregnant. I just doubled up on Xango and feel so much better. Lately I've been having a lot of heartburn, but not eating differently, Kelson's hair must be growing, ha-ha.

Neat things:

Get to hear the heartbeat this trimester, my friends have decided to throw me a "girl's baby shower" on April 29th (I will be 23 or 24 weeks along) at a nearby clubhouse. Keri, Lucy, Aline, Jeannette, and mom are going to throw Jason and I a "couple's shower" on July 4th in our backyard for all of the family down in FL and around here. I'm really excited and can't wait for Jason and I to go register. Still no morning sickness, breast tenderness is starting to go away, number of pee breaks during the night have dropped, ok- they are back now, ha-ha. I've only gained the required lbs so far- I'm up to 9 lbs. They say that you should start gaining around 4 lbs/month. Keri and I got to take some pregnant sister pictures together. Felt Kelson move on 3/31. Got to register- definitely harder than registering for a wedding. I LOVE that the pregnancy books describe your baby's size by fruits and vegetables - it really makes you aware of their size. When I go to the grocery store- you can't help but hold it up to your belly and smile. We get to start on the nursery soon, our master bedroom/bathroom 700 sq ft. addition is just about done.

Helpful Resources:

Online- www.babycenter.com and www.storknet.com

Fun and Helpful Books- A Girlfriend Guide to Pregnancy, Belly Laughs, What to Expect when your expecting, Your pregnancy: week by week, The Belly book,