Santa Baby... special gift from above

I took this cute picture of Kelson lastnight while Jason and I were cooking in the kitchen. She is our little "santa baby". Lastnight the girls and I played bunco and had a great time. Of course I suck and lost AGAIN. Jason watched Kelson. I came home around 9:30pm and she was already in bed- he said that the "Bobfather" came up alittle before I got home and wanted to see his grandaughter, so they went into her nursery and were just staring at her. He started to cry and hugged Jason and told him what a neat miracle he had so of course Jason started to cry too. Its moments like these that we never want to forget! Happy Holidays All.

Christmas Tree Competition...

Well for those of you who don't know, each year its a race between Bob and Lucy and our family to see who can put their tree up the fastest after Halloween, well unfortunately since Jason wasn't here, we weren't able to do it :( A couple years ago, Jason and I had gone out on Halloween night and came back to find our tree missing, well we went down to Bob and Lucy's house and looked through their window and they had stolen our tree (it was still in the box) and was sleeping with it in their bedroom. haha! So its a fun game with play with his parents. This year, Aunt Weeza (Louise) said she was going to partake, but I have a feeling she was a little busy too and has yet to put hers up. Bob and Lucy were pretty busy this year too- working on Theana's new apt- so they got theirs up on Sunday night, Nov 3rd. Our tree is up, but still has to be decorated, so this year I will declare 2007 to Bob and Lucy! Next year we will have a anxious little 14 month old girl who will be able to help! Well sorta :)

Another tradition- Nov 1st Bob turns on the corner tree for everyone to know that Christmas is coming. This year a little boy and his mom were driving by and they stopped the car so the little boy could ask a question. He rolled down the window and asked "Are you gonna put Santa up on the tree this year?" AW!!! So of course he's going to now. He's honored that the Christmas "corner" tree spreads Christmas joy and love to all ages.

Smile... Your on Camera

Lucy, aka Memere, decided to take Jason, Kelson, and Grand Memere to Sears yesterday for a "4 Generation" picture. I got off work around 3:00pm and headed over there to see how things were going. Kelson was dressed in her blue outfit from her Aunt Natasha. She looked precious, but wasn't in the best mood, she had just eaten, so she was tired. They managed to get a few cute pictures. There were "Santa helpers" (Aunt Weeza, Aunt Nin, and Aunt Theana) all there to help get Kelson ready for the camera. We took a break and let another family go while we got Kelson settled down and a little nap. We changed her into an adorable "Santa" outfit and she was much happier and ready to go. I happened to have on a red shirt, so we took a family picture. This was our first professional family photo. It turned out really cute and I think Kelson liked having her mommy and daddy with her. They asked me about getting pics for our Christmas Cards this year, but I knew my sister was going to be taking some pics while we are in FL, so I'm gonna see what we take then. She is growing so fast week to week, so who knows what the next holiday's picture will entail. Its gonna be so much fun. Well we have LOTS to do before heading down to FL for Daddy's shows, Family time, Hanging out with the cousins, etc.. Pray that she does well on her first plane ride! :)

Kelson Updates...

Its amazing how big Kelson is getting already. I was just looking at her the other day in her bouncy seat and realized how much bigger she is now. Its so exciting, yet sad, cause that means she is growing up so fast. She is showing more expressions too. She loves to smile- esp in the mornings. That's her favorite time of the day- I think. We have started the Enfimil with Iron formula and she is doing great. Well except for the GREEN poo poo that has come with it. But we are just supplementing, so its not all the time, but good lord what a difference in breast milk and formula. I noticed the other day that she was watching me eat some pringles and she started "mocking me and chewing" and staring at me eating. It was amazing.

Kelson LOVES bathtime. She loves to have the running water over her and just lay in there. Its amazing how much stronger and bigger she is now. She used to SCREAM when I bathed her but she loves it now. I love the smell of a clean baby.

She loves when people sing to her. She already has a knack for music. A few weeks back I laid her on my chest and I was singing "I loved her first". She was smiling so big and cooing and singing along- it was the neatest experience ever. Of course I was bawling and couldn't sing. Jason wasn't her to experience it, but I'm sure I can get her to do it again. I played this song all the time when I was pregnant, so I really think she remembers it and it soothes her.

I broke out the bumbo yesterday to try out and she did GREAT. She could sit in it pretty well, but she still needs a few more weeks to really do it by herself. But I think around Thanksgiving she will be doing it on her own. Don't worry it will only be on the floor- no tables! ;)

I can't believe my little girl is already 2 1/2 months old. Jason comes home Sunday and will be home for a while. We are going to Orlando next Thurs for a week. Heartland has two shows down there. Kelson's first flight- well see how she does.

Carving the pumpkins...

We are a little behind on carving this year, due to Jason's schedule, but we managed to get it done before Halloween, so this past Sunday, Jason and I turned on the "Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and "Haunted Mansion" and got to carving. I was VERY impressed with our carving this year. Jason had a scary face, I had bat eyes and star nose and mouth, and Kelson's was the best. I bought a Disney princess pattern book from Wal-Mart and laughed when I realized how detailed it was gonna be, but thought I would give it a shot. I think I did GREAT. Kelson's pumpkin was the rose from the Beauty and the Beast movie. Of course Kelson wasn't able to help, but she slept while we carved, so that was help enough.
I had seen a picture online of a baby in a pumpkin and thought of that idea for our Halloween e-cards this year, so i cleaned out my pumpkin really well, blew out the candle in it- hehe, and we stuck a cloth inside and Kelson. She did SOOOOOO good. She seemed to really enjoy it. We got some great shots of her. What a wonderful Halloween we had. I made a joke that last Sunday was pumpkin carving time and this Sunday will be the putting up of the Christmas Tree!

Catching up...

Well our Halloween Costumes this year were a hit :) Jason was Popeye, I was Olive Oyl, and Kelson was Sweet Pea. Jason and I went to our annual Halloween party (can you believe Jason was in town on a weekend- I still can't believe it) hehe. Kelson stayed home with her memere and we went out. We had a great time. I'm going to post some pics from that night on my kodakgallery so check out the albertsland website. It was hard trying to get myself dressed then wake up Kelson to dress her. She was NOT happy. But we managed to snap a few pictures. We all had a great time!!! I'm just now catching up on my sleep from Sat night. Guess those days of staying up all night are over now... ;)

Prayer Circle for Robbie Mathis...

Jason's godson, Robbie Mathis, has been feeling ill for the past two months. It all started with an ear infection that turned bad. He was taking antibiotics, but nothing seemed to work to get rid of the infection. After many weeks of antibiotics and pain meds they got the infection to go away, but the pain wouldn't subside. He has been in excruciating pain for the last two months, so his parents recently took him to Vanderbilt children's hospital to find out what was wrong and what was causing him so much pain. Apparently Robbie's brain was still sending the message that he was in pain and somehow a nerve was damaged in the process. He has been unable to go to school or get up and play - like a normal child. This young man is one of the sweetest kids you will ever meet (the whole family is that way). The dr's believe that he is going to make a full recovery with the proper meds and rehab. Robbie's motor and walking skills were somewhat damaged through all of this. I know that he will make a full recovery and FAST. He is such a fun kid with lots of spunk, so I know he will do just fine. Being a mother now, I realize how much you go through what your child is feeling. Please keep Robbie and the whole Mathis family in your prayers. I'm attaching a picture of Jason and I with the Mathis family- we went to Disney last summer and had a blast (Robbie is standing in front of Jason). Just want him to know that we are ready to do it again next summer! Here's to a FAST and WONDERFUL recovery. We love you guys.

WE MADE IT!!!!

Well my little angel did wonderful! She got her ears pierced like a champ and was so good during her shots. Of course, she cried (like the breathe baby breathe) crying, but she stopped soon after to get some milk- thank God for that. Lucy gave Kelson some baby Tylenol before the appt, so I think that really helped ease the pain. The pediatrician's office did a great job with her and administered the 3 shots so fast. Mom, Lucy, and Theana got to meet Dr. Zbell for the first time and they loved her. She's so good with Kelson. We gave her a copy of the "Country Weekly" to post on her board in the office. Thank you to Memere, Grammy, and Theana for going to the appt with us. They make a great back-up team. Kelson now weighs 10lbs 14oz and is 22 1/2 inches long. They think she is gonna be a tall girl (around 5'8) and have bright blue eyes- yea! We also talked to her about formula and she suggested Enfamil, so that's what we are gonna try out. The hospital gave me lots of samples when I came home with Kelson so I'm gonna try combining 3oz of breastmilk, 3oz of water, and then the powdered formula once a day (at night) to see how she does with it. If she does ok, then I will slowly ween her off the breastmilk and just use water, to give me a break from pumping all the time.
Kelson slept very soundly on the way home. I sent Jason a quick video on my phone showing him Kelson's pierced ears, well needless to say- he wasn't pleased that I got that done. He KNEW that I was going to do it, but I guess seeing it done he was mad because she was put in more pain than needed, but honestly she did better with that then with the shots. So anyways, he got over it after a min or so, but was sad that he wasn't here to comfort her and be with her, but he is glad that our baby girl is fine and happy again. I reminded him that I would NEVER hurt our daughter. Little babies get their ears pierced all the time- right Annabelle? ;) All is well. I told him that she will love it when she is older. She will be one step ahead of her friends- hehe. Most toddler girls want their ears pierced, but are afraid of the pain, so if you do it when you are still in control of their actions, they will thank you for it later.
Just an example on letting your kids make decision for themselves: My dentist told mom that I didn't medically need braces when I was younger, but could get them if I wanted straight teeth. Well mom of course asked me if I wanted then- and being 9 and scared to death, I declined. I only wish that my mother would have MADE me get braces instead of ASKING me. Luckily my teeth are in good shape and I can always get invisiline to get them really straight now :)

Kelson's 2 month appt

Well Kelson is 9 weeks today, but we are just now going for her two month old shots. I am SOOO not looking forward to it. I know how hard it can be to hear her cry when she's hungry, needs changing, etc.., so knowing that she is will be in pain and I have to sit there and watch it (more than once) is gonna be really hard. All i remember and keep telling myself is that EVERYONE had to go through it and NOONE remembers it as a newborn, so that is keeping me sane about going to this appt. With that being said- the pediatrician, Dr. Zbell, offered to pierce Kelson's ears too, so we are gonna do that as well. MIGHT AS WELL GET IT ALL DONE AT ONCE. I'm really excited about getting that done. I always said I would do that if and when I had a little girl. Unfortunatly Jason isn't in town so Lucy (Memere) and Linda(Grammy)are gonna go with me to the appt. There's no way I could go alone! I'll let ya know how we do tomorrow. I am anxious to see how much she weighs now and how long she has gotten. She has seem to really grow in the last couple of weeks. I'm gonna get video and pictures. Wish us luck!

Country Weekly Magazine

Kelson, just a few minutes old, has already made an apperance in a nationally distributed magazine. Jason and Kelson's picture is in this week's issue of "Country Weekly" Magazine (Nov 5th issue). Right after we found out it was in there on Friday, the whole family went and bought copies. They are on page 4 - right next to Jason's idol- Garth Brooks. Its amazing to be in a store and open up a magazine and see your family in it. Course I chose not to have my picture in there with them- seeing as how I didn't want my debut picture of me in that magazine to be no makeup, fat, and just not so cute. hehe. I'll wait till another event comes up. Maybe a follow up picture or something? Its really a sweet picture and caption. Go grab yours today! The cover is Alan Jackson and his family. Love you all.

Introducing something new...

Kelson's baby acne/heat rash is ALL GONE now. I think it was a phase and glad that its over. I talked with Chantell, Jason's cousin, today for about an hour about baby stuff. I'm thinking about introducing Kelson to formula. Not full out, just supplement, so I don't have to stress over producing too much milk when I'm at work or want to go out one night. I love nursing, so I'm def going to continue as much as I can, but I want to have a backup plan just in case. The question is - which brand do I use? What are ya'lls opinions and thoughts on this? I'm up for comments on this.

The time has come...

Well I started back at the gym last night. It went GREAT. I did 30 min on the elliptical and 15 min of free weights. It was so weird to go back and not see a single person that I knew- I just laughed to myself and wondered where had everyone gone. Were they off having babies too, decided to go somewhere else, just didn't care anymore and become fat, etc.. I had lots of time to think about these things while working out. Even the people who worked there were different. One girl that taught classes when I left was there, but that's it. My workout buddy, Stacey, is having her baby soon, so unfortunately she can't come and workout with me for a while, but I was ready to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Funny story- i was working out on the elliptical and I kept smelling this foul throw up smell and I was looking on my shoes and at the girls around me trying to figure out where it was coming from. Finally I wiped my mouth on my shirt (from sweating) and realized- OMG- it was me, well Kelson. I had fed her before I left and apparently she spit up quite a bit and I didn't realize it or wipe it all off. So i had to work out for an hour with the smell of throw up on me- haha! That was the only part that I didn't care for, but it was pretty cool to have a little bit of Kelson with me at the gym for the first time. But from now on, I'm gonna check myself before leaving the house.

Keeping it in the family...

I was just browsing through my sister's pictures of Annabelle when she was Kelson's age and OMG- they look so much alike! You can tell a tid bit of a difference, but overall they look so much alike. You can really tell how she starts to get her features (like she has now) around 4 months so I can't wait to see how Kelson looks around that time. I told my sister that I didn't think Belle looked like Corgan either, but after seeing a few pics she does resemble him. I just found this SO cool and amazing!

Kelson's first time at home with daddy

Jason's schedule was pretty hectic this week, but he finally got to have some quality time with his little girl today. He only called me one time and that was to find out where her favorite bouncer/vibrating seat was?! I forgot to take it out of the car, so it was with me, but he seemed to manage without it. That's the fussy seat- if she seems to be fussy after trying the 4 steps 1) change her 2) feed her 3) burp her 4) rock her, then the vibrating seat is the next option :)
He sent me a cute picture of Kelson this morning saying that they had just woke up and she was getting ready to eat. I texted him back telling him it was weird getting a picture from him of her since I'm normally the one sending them. It was a nice surprise. Kelson finally showed her daddy that she is a good girl and can sleep through the night. Lastnight she went to bed around 11 (after being up most of the day with grammy, going out to dinner with the family, and hanging out with Memere until 10:30pm while mom and dad had some quality time)and she didn't wake up till 6am. He's heard me talk about it, but never experienced it. He said he woke up during the night to get something to drink and had to think if she had gotten up at all- hehe! What an angel God has blessed us with. Well I'm heading home to give my little girl and hubby kisses. Jason has to leave again tonight, but gets to come back Sunday for a few more days with our family. YEA! He's such a GREAT daddy/husband!

Scary stories on the news...

With all the recent scary stories about parents accidently leaving their kids in the car, I have a worry that I'm gonna do that too. Everytime I leave to go somewhere I ALWAYS check my backseat to make sure that I didn't leave Kelson behind- even though I KNOW she isn't there. Isn't that awful? But in a way its a good thing to do just in case someone gets in a hurry and forgets. So as scary as that is forgetting your child in your car, I think its really opened the eyes of lots of parents. Did all these stories have an effect on you???

Who ordered the IUD? That would be me...

Well I got an Mirena IUD inserted the other day at my 6 week checkup, so no more babies till we are ready. Things are so advanced these days. It helps prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years. They insert it (takes a few minutes; you feel a little bit of pain and pressure)- nothing compared to what I felt 6 weeks ago :)) and there is very little side effects, no pill to take, and after a few months supposedly lighten periods and maybe even eliminate them altogether. I'm really excited about it. They usually require that you already have a child before trying this form of birth control. So anyways, I'm excited that I found something so convienent and whenever Jason and I are ready for Baby #2 all they have to do is remove it and I will be fertile right away (as if I had never taken anything). My sister is going to have this procedure done too at her 8 week checkup. As she said- we are doing the "My Mirena" dance together :)HEY MY MIRENA! A-ight! haha! Such a kidder. I told her she better hurry before baby donald 3.0 decides to arrive! haha!

Hanging in there...

Well Poor Jason has been on the road for 10 days now and is missing his little girl like CRAZY. He wrote me a text lastnight that said that he loved us and that his heart was hurting (I wanted to cry). And that he was writing a song about it. I feel so sorry for him. I know he's enjoying his career on the road, but he misses his family too, I'm sure they all do. It has been hard not having him here- for all reasons, but mostly to enjoy Kelson. I jokingly told him that I felt like a "single mom" these days- hehe. We are both reassuring ourselves that his career will destin our futures so we have to stick it out. I continue to send him pics and videos all the time to keep him up to date with whats going on with her. I can't imagine what those women who have their husbands overseas are going through. Never being able to talk to them or even unsure if they are coming home. My heart goes out to them!!!

My sweet angel slept from 11 to 6 lastnight (7 hours) I couldn't believe it. I woke up at 3 expecting to hear a cry any minute and never did, so I fell back asleep and woke up again at 5 REALLY expecting to hear her, so I went and checked and she was sleeping so sound. Then she woke me up at 6 it was so cute and it was so satisfying to know that she slept that long. I feel like I accomplished something- hehe. Its not everyday that a 6 week old sleeps for 7 hours at a time. Thank you Jesus. hehe.

Well I'm gonna have my first night out since Kelson was born on Sat. I'm going to the Big Spring Jam to watch Los Lonely Boys- love em- and Jason Aldean. Oh- and to eat a gyro for Jason ;) I can't wait to hang out with my friends and have some "me" time. Memere Lucy has been on travel all week so she is excited about babysitting Kelson.

My first week back to work is almost over. It really wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I did miss my little girl, but it went by pretty quick and I never had to worry about Kelson. Jason's aunts and mom were AWESOME babysitters this week. I can't thank them enough. Not only did Kelson have a great time, but they fed me too, and watched EERS for a little bit. Gotta love family. Oh- and dad gave me a footrub one night- yee haw! I think I've finally got our routine down.

PS- I posted some more pics if you wanna check them out.

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,

Rock a Bye Kelson

Kelson is doing SO great at night. Sunday night grammy and papa were over visiting and mom was getting some quality time with her grandaughter and laid her down (after swaddling and rocking) around 9:30pm and she didn't wake up again till 3am. Course I woke up on my own twice and checked on her to make sure she was still breathing. I had to laugh to myself- as I have read that so many mothers do that. When she wakes up now, its diaper change, feeding, burping, and back to feeding. Its a pretty set pattern now and she falls back to sleep within an hour. After she was fed she slept from 4am to 7:30am. Lastnight she had pretty much the same schedule. So I think we are getting the hang of things. I'm still breastfeeding and its going WONDERFUL. She is latching on so well and has no problem with taking a bottle either from anyone. Her "pacifier" is starting to be a big hit too.

Back to working 9 to 5 next Monday

Well ok- so its more like 8 to 4, but it fit the title better :) I start back at work next Monday- I can't believe 6 weeks has flown by so fast. I can only imagine how fast time is going to go now... I feel GREAT- I really have since about the first week. Thanks to God's healing touch and Xango :)
I've got some babysitters lined up for when I go back: Lucy is going to work from home two days a week, My mom, Aline, Jeannette, and Jason when he is home. I HATE the fact that I can't be here with her every moment, but I guess that's life. I couldn't see putting her into a daycare with so much family around, so well try it out and see how it works out.
I tried to do the "leave her alone and let her cry" ordeal lastnight and that didn't work AT ALL. I let her cry for 20 min and she still never let up till I picked her up and rocked her. It was SO hard to do and It didn't seem to help.
Since I am going back to work soon and will need some rest, I really really would love your advice on how to get her on a schedule and sleeping better at night. It just might help. Thanks all.