Mwila is here!

Little Mwila Mwango was born yesterday December 11 2007 at 6:15! She was 7 lbs 2 oz and 19 inches long and ADORABLE!!! Holly is doing really well and will probably get to come home today or tomorrow. I am excited to have someone close that I can share stories with and who will understand. (Who else can you talk about poopy diapers with? ) I am sad that we forgot to take pictures of Edwin holding her and my mom and I but we have plenty of time for that! I am excited that Malaika will have a cousin so close in age to share life with. Great job HOLLY!!!

and we smile through our tears - One month!!!

Poor Baby- after she got her purple medicine

I have a lot of stuff to talk about in this blog and I hope I can get it all typed before she wakes up... (Yeah it didn't happen it took me a couple of days to type this.)

It has been 4 weeks since she was born.. I say it is a month but edwin said she was not officially a month until the 8th sooo tomorrow she will be a month old. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions. Since she was born she has had a white coating on her tongue. We asked the doctor about it and he said it was normal and should go away over time but if it didn't we were to let him know. So we monitored it and the white coating kept getting thicker and thicker and also transferred onto her cheeks and lips. On sunday night she was sooo fussy. She would not breastfeed or bottle feed and would not take a binky. When I finally got her to sleep she started sucking on her hand and her finger scraped her tongue. She screamed sooo loud I felt sooo bad for her. lets just say i cried right along with her. It is so hard to see your little baby in pain especially when you can't fix it. It was such a long night and Edwin had to go back to work the next morning so he needed to get some sleep. This is where I am going to break up my blog a little bit.

Her doctors appointment-

I called the doctor on monday morning and they got me in at 2:00 that afternoon. The morning was really stressfull. With mom and Edwin gone it was just me who had to deal with the tears and the fussy baby. On top of that she was the fussiest she had ever been because she was sick. At one point I didn't know if I was cut out for this "mom " thing. When we got to the doctor as soon as he walked in I burst into tears and handed her over. I told he he had to fix her. LOL

He got this concerned look on his face and was like.."Are you okay? Do you feel depressed?" NOOOO just exhausted and stressed and we need medication! So he checked her out and determined that she did have a bad case of thrush. This bad case of thrush has also passed onto me (This makes your breasts have horrible shooting pains and it is sooo itchy) For those of you who do not know Thrush is basically a yeast infection but in the mouth. It is uncomfortable and painful. The doctor gave her this purple medicine that dyed her whole mouth purple. (I will post a pic) He also prescribed Nystatin for me and for her to take for ten days. I have to soak all of her bottles and binkies in vinegar every night and wash all of my bras and anything tht comes in contact with her mouth in vinegar. (This is just added to the many things I can't find time to do anymore.) And last but not least she has a little yeast infection in her diaper area so I have to put Clotrimozole 3 times a day on her little bottom. Poor thing! The doctor was impressed with her weight she was 9 lbs 2 oz! she has gained almost two pounds since she was born.

When we got home she was sleeping so soundly and pretty much slept that whole day and evening away. I could tell the next day she was feeling so much better because she was smiling and happy again and able to eat without gagging or crying.

My Doctor's Appointment - Might have to much info so skip this paragraph if you want!

This week I have been having really bad back pain. Because Malaika was sick she wanted to be held so much more. She also wanted to be rocked to sleep. At times it was SO hard because my back would be killing me and if I tried to sit down she would cry. I also had a foul odor from my discharge. (which is something that the doctor said to contact them about) So I called my doctor on Tuesday and they said they waned to get me in ASAP. When I got there they weighed me and I only have 4 more pounds to lose!!!! That was a relief ( I obviously have much more than that to lose but it feels good to have my body back) The doctor took some swabs and tested them and said that my bacteria has changed. She gave me some medicine to take and I am supposed to let her know how everything is at my 6 week post appointment. (December 27)

Other than that the doctor said everything looked okay. She did refer me to a nutritionist because I told her I wanted to learn how to eat the right things to provide the best nutrients for Malaika. She said she would refer me so insurance would pay.. YAY!

My first week without Edwin

well... it definately had its ups and downs but I made it! It was a lot more stressful because she was sick but I am getting used to giving her the medicine and the house smells like vinegar!

My main struggle this week has been breast feeding. I pretty much gave up when she had thrush really bad because it hurt sooo much to nurse. So I was pumping as much as I could and supplementing the rest of the time. Today was the first day I have been able to nurse all day long without any pain. I do have to say pumipng is SOOO much easier sometimes I wish I could just to formula completely but I know that breastfeeding will halp my body as well as hers. so we will keep MARCHIN ON!

On a lighter note I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done!!! I wrapped all of edwins presents last night. We are trying to save our money this Christmas because with the new car (we got a 07 camry! Sorry Shanti we let go of the honda) I am still not working and we only paid rent until the end of January. I can't believe I have been out of work for almost 3 months already. It has been a big three months!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

Ready for Christmas

Just wanted to post a picture of our tree we got today!!! It was fun to decorate and we also got a Baby's first Christmas stocking. I love Christmas!

week 3 - Amazed

BEWARE - EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE, SLEEP DEPRIVED BLOG

Week three was a very emotional week for me. This was edwins last week to be home (he goes back to work on December 3rd) I don't know how I am going to do everything. He leaves usually around 6:30 am (probably 6:00 with the bad weather) for work and he and mom don't get home until around 6 pm. I know that the motherly instinct will kick in and I can do it but I also know when they get home they are both going to be tired and Edwin is going to need sleep. UGH! Here come the water works again. Hopefully I will get over it and just make it happen. All I can picture right now is me sitting there looking like a zombie and crying. LOL

I have also been emotional about her growing... haha you would think I would be excited that she is now fitting into her newborn and 0-3 month clothing but I just think of how my mom must feel and how time flies by so quick. I just want to cherish every moment. (BUT then the night comes and I wish she was 5 years old sleeping through the night in her own bed.. hehe IRONIC)

Enough about me and my emotions lets talk about our little princess... SHE IS SO CUTE!

This week we have enjoyed spending time with her. We are starting to really understand what she needs and so it gets easier to calm and soothe her. We are still supplementing with formula sometimes I feel like she is permanantly attached to my boob all afternoon, but then she is still hungry! So formula is my hero for the time being. I am able to pump about 8 ounces a day so we try to pump and save those so eventually we can just use my breast milk inbeteen my nursing. I have been taking herbs to help increase my milk supply and that seems to be working. The lactation specialist also told me to drink a beer or a glass of wine in the evenings to help with my let down. I was scared to do this at first because I didn't really see any pro's but it is working and helping me relax at night. BUT I promise only one glass.. even though I would love to have a whole bottle sometimes.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year. Pretty relaxed. I was so thankful that my mom was here to help cook (actually I only did the mash potatoes) We had Susanna, my mom, edwin, holly, and musonda here. we ate until we could not eat anymore and then watched TV. We laughed because when I went to feed Malaika she was really excited about the feeding, sucking like crazy, so I guess she wanted to have her pumpkin pie too!

On friday we went to the mall for some black friday shopping... HECTIC! I stood in line at Bath and body works for amost an hour. I got a cute little hat at baby gap that was on clearance. Then of course we had to stop by MAC and have them do my eye shadow.

My Dad and his girlfriend Cindy came that night and stayed for the weekend it is so great to see my dad interact with her. I can tell he thinks she is pretty special. I think him and Cindy will be GREAT grandparents to her. Cindy got her some cute little outfits and an eeyore stuffed animal.

It was hard when they left because I could tell my dad was sad and he really didn't want to leave her. I hope the winter is not to long so we can drive over to LaGrande and spend some more time with him.

Okay back to Malaika... we gave her her first official bath this week (the umbilical cord FINALLY came off) I was surprised how much she liked it. At first she cried but then once she was in the waer she was kicking and wiggling around it was sooo cute! Then when we took her out she cried!

She seems to love time with DADDY. She will just stare at him like she is mesmerized by him. He plays with her and kisses her and she always smiles this BIG smile.I love it when she smiles.

One thing that she has been doing a lot of is GRUNTING! It is cute during the day but a little annoying at night. She does it when she is awake and when she is asleep. Sometimes it is a poopy grunt but other times it is just an I want to make noise grunt. at night it wakes me up and I check on her and she is fast asleep.. LOL

She is an amazing baby! we have been so blessed. We can take her out to nice resteraunts ( we went to Olive garden last night) and she sleeps or just sits there and stares at everyone. I can't wait to see how much she is going to change overtime.

Last but not least i can fit back into my old jeans!!! Hooray! I tried them on this morning and they fit perfectly! I can't wait for my 6 week appt to see how much weight I have lost. Oh.. and I also dyed my hair brown... I needed a change Thats all folks! Have a great week

Week two - getting to know you

week two has come and gone and we have learned soooo much about our little baby girl. She is amazing! We are still not on a great sleep schedule yet BUT it is getting better. It is so hard to put her down I feel like I will miss out on a smile or a special face that she does sooo many of. We have visitors during the day (which we love so don't worry if you were one of them. I wil say no if we are not up to it!) so she usually sleeps through those visits and then wakes up right when they leave. IMAGINE THAT! Her time to really sleep seems to be from 12 to 4 or 5 this will come in handy when Edwin goes back to work so I can rest and clean and cook dinner. We are able to set her down now when she sleeps as long as she is in a dead sleep when we set her down. If she is not then she stirs and wakes herself up.

My milk is coming in better now I am trying to pump every couple of hours. The doctor gave me some herbs to try to increase my milk supply and that seems to be working well. We are only giving her 2 to 4 oz of formula a day now and that is starting to dwindle down. We had her 2 week appt on wed and they pricked her heel to test for any disorders or diseases. I was so nervous because they had me hold her and breast feed her while they did it. I thought she was going to think I did it to her and she would hate me! LOL As soon as they pricked her she reared her head back and her face turned bright red I quickly moved her head forward and latched her back on and she started to eat and forgot all about it. YAY! The magic of food! hehe

She has gained up to 8lbs 3oz and the doctor said everything is going great. Our next appt will be in 2 months (Jan 8th which is also edwins birthday) so it will be interesting to see how much she grows in that time.

Some of the things she did this week-

* She can follow objects with her eyes! My mom is amazed with this because she said babies don't usually do this at 2 weeks (Grandma's always think their grandbabies are the brightest.. hehe) But I do think she is pretty well developed for her age. I held up a toy and she followed it and I can move my head back and forth and she will follow me. I even held up a piece of chocolate I was eating and she watched it (I saw a little drool come out too! hehe)

* She lifts up her head and looks around. we tried to do some tummy time to see what she would do and she lifted up her head and looked from side to side. sooo CUTE!

*she holds her bottle (this cracks me upI posted a picture above) We were feeding her one night and I had to grab a blanket so I let go of the bottle for a second and there she was holding on to it and keeping it high enough for the milk to stay at the top. It was so cute! No mom we don't leave her alone like that it is just cute to watch.

*She is smiling at us when we make funny faces or when we give her kisses. It used to be that she only smiled when she was sleeping (she still does this) now she smiles with her eyes wide open!

I think that is about it I am amazed by how beautiful she is and how much she changes daily. I hope that edwin and I can be the best parents for her and teach her so many things. We love her sooo much!

Week one- sleep?

Week one went by so fast I didn't even know what day it was half of the time. We really enjoyed the time though. I just kept looking at her and could not believe that we had created this little angel. She is soooo beautiful! When she sleeps she smiles and I can see her dimples it is so cute! Edwin and I are trying to get on a sleep schedule but I don't think it is working very well. She doesn't like to be set down in her cradle or the co-sleeper hat we bought. She will wake up immediately and start crying. We tried to let her stay for a little bit to see if she would fall back to sleep and no such luck. The boppy seems to be my only rescue I can set her down when she is in a deep sleep and then get up and go to thebathroom or do the dishes. My mom has been a huge help! She babysat for us one night so edwin and I could sleep at the same time for a few hours. I never realized how precious sleep was until I am only getting like 2 to 4 hours in a day.

When she was three days old we needed some stuff from target and edwin thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house. Sooo my mom said she would watch her so we could go there and get back quick. When we got to target and started walking around I got so depressed. I just wanted to be with her! I started crying..LOL Edwin was like OH GEEZ! I think I cry more now then I did when I was pregnant. When we got home all I could do was hold her and squeeze her and give her lots of kisses.

She had her first doctors appointment on Monday 12th the doctor weighed her and she was 7lbs 9 oz so she hadn't lost to much weight. They went over breast feeding with me. I was having such a hard time because I had her latched on wrong in the beginng. I was cracked and bleeding and I dreaded every feeding. So they gave me a sheild and she seems to be doing good with that. Breastfeeding is one of the hardest things I have ever done though I can see why it is hard to keep going. We are chugging along though I am supplementing with Formula and trying to pump as much as possible but I am only getting 1 to 2 oz every time I pump. I hope the milk supply will increase soon.

We went to babies r us and bought her some premie clothes because she doesn't fit into any of the clothes we have for her. She swims in them and I am always rollingup her sleeves and trying to find her in the sea of clothing. One of the outfits we bought says daddy's girl on it and it is sooo dainty it looks so cute! Of course as soon as we put it on she had a blowout.. But a little laundry soap fixed that. hehe

Well that is all for now for week one... It is almost the end of week two and I can't believe how much she has changed!!! I love her sooo much more everyday and I can't believe how blessed we are to have her in our lives.

D-DAY

Malaika Aiyanna Mwango
7lbs 14 oz
21 inches long
head was 14 CM

WOW... time is flying by and I decided I needed to take the time and write about the delivery before I forgot everything. I know... I know I should be sleeping... YEAH RIGHT! LOL I will probably have a lot of information and maybe some details you don't want to hear soooo.... I guess if you want to read on you can!


With all of the family stress going on my doctor and I decided that we could go ahead and induce me a little early so that my family would all be here for the birth. She scheduled me to be induced Tuesday November 7th at midnight.

When I met with my doctor she had given me three options of drugs to get induced with. The first one is pitoson which is the one we knew the most about and the other two were tablets (one was called cytotec and I don't remember the other name). These tablets are inserted vaginally and placed next to the cervix to help ripen it to speed up delivery. The doctor recommended that we try Cytotec so I signed the paper work to use what she thought was best. When edwin got home we did some research on the drug and started to get nervous. The drug is used mainly for ulcers and for abortions. There was not a lot of information on its use in induction. So we decided we would go with Pitoson because it is what we had heard the most about.

Edwin decided to go ahead and start his leave on Tuesday so that we could clean up the house and make sure we had everything packed. With everything that was going on I was pretty much a stress ball (and I was pretty cranky... poor Edwin) We were advised to contact the birthing center at 11:00 pm to make sure they were ready for me. So around 8 I went upstairs and took a long shower and made sure to straighten my hair (picture perfect... hehe wish it would have stayed that way!) at 11 we called the hospital and my stomach was in knots. The nurse advised me that they actually had no room for me that night and I would need to call in around 7:30 to see if there was more room. With all the stress and getting myself mentally prepared to actually go in and get induced I was soooo upset they told me they didn't have room. Of course I cried hen we decided we better get some rest. (worst night of sleep, or so I thought) At 7:30 I woke up and and called and the nurse advised once again that they still did not have room. So Edwin decided he would head into work so that he didn't waste his leave on days when the baby wasn't here. I was soooo upset. I understand that they do not know when their "busy" times will be but it is so stressful to plan on going in and then get told twice that they have no room! Sheesh!
Edwin got to work around 9:00 and at 9:30 the hospital called me and said that if I got there within ten minutes they would have a room for me. PHEW! So I called Edwin (poor guy) and my mom and I headed out to the hospital.

My mom and I got to the hospital and were admitted and in the room by 10:00. The nurse came in and hooked me up to the monitors and the baby’s heartbeat was loud and strong. She also said I was having contractions about five minutes apart. I thought that was funny because I was not feeling anything. I kept telling my mom that I wish I knew what they felt like. The nurse checked me and I was dilated 1 CM and 50% effaced, no changes from my previous doctor appointments. I told the nurse that my husband and I had changed our mind on the Cytotec and we wanted to use Pitoson. She was hesitant and said we would need to talk with the doctor before we made the decision. Edwin got there around 10:45 and at that time we were told the doctor would be over in a few hours so I would need to rest and kill some time. The Doctor (not my regular doctor) came in around 11:45 and explained the drug options to us. She said that she preferred to use the cytotec before pitoson because my cervix was not ripe enough. If they put me on Pitoson right away it could make my contractions to strong to fast. Soooo after all that waiting we ended up going with Cytotec.

At 12:00 they inserted the tablet, I hen had to lay flat on the bed (my head could not even be propped up) for 3 hours, after three hours I had to get up and walk for an hour and then they checked me… I was still 1 CM and 50% UGH! So they inserted the tablet again. By this time I was having contractions every 3 min (still not feeling anything) so I was down for another 3 hours and then walked for an hour. My mom and my brother and Edwin were there with me and made fun of me because I was walking in circles in the room. The nurse came in and checked me again and I was only dilated 2-3 CM about 60% effaced. By this time the contractions were pretty strong (according to the monitor I still could not feel them) so they were now ready for me to start the Pitoson drip. I was thankful to not have to lay flat for another three hours.

Around 9:00 I started to have some pain (like heavy menstrual cramps) They picked up and were coming pretty strong and frequent. I started complaining to Edwin and he helped me breath through them. The nurse checked me and I was still at a tight 3… by now I am tired of being there and feeling like this is going to take FOREVER! She asked me if I would like any pain meds and I said that would be nice. She gave me stadol around 10:00 and let me say that drug is AMAZING! I felt like a warm blanket was placed over me and while I could still feel the contractions the pain was very little and I was able to sleep. Unfortunately the drug wore off in an hour that is when the nurse advised me that I could have an epidural if I wanted to. OF COURSE I DO! I am only at a three! The anesthesiologist came in at 11:30 and gave me the epidural. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was so nervous and I could feel my body shaking like crazy. He was quick and very good. After about fifteen minutes I was feeling no pain! They hooked me up to the blood pressure cuff and it went off every 10 to 15 minutes. I tried to sleep in between that time (which is pretty hard to do) Mom and Tony had gone home and Edwin tried to sleep on the couch they had for him. Around 4 I started to have really bad pain the nurse said it was called the peritoneal region and sometimes the epidural cannot numb that as well. She checked me and I was at a 5-6 and 80% effaced. She said the doctor was there and she would come in around 6 to check me and break my water. The contractions were pretty strong and I was feeling them for sure! Edwin had to help me breath through them and I have to say he is the most AMAZING coach he made sure to stay right there with me. The anesthesiologist came in and turned up the dosage on the epidural and we hoped that would take the pain away. No such luck! Finally the doctor came in and checked me and I was at a 6. She broke my water and said the fluid looked clear and good that was at 6:30. After my water broke I could feel more pressure and I told the nurse that I felt like I needed to push a little. She told me not to just because the baby was not quite ready. Edwin and I continued to breathe through the contractions and we called my mom and told them they should come. At 7:00 the nurse checked me and I was dilated to an 8... ALMOST THERE! The contractions were so strong and painful they tried to up my dosage again and that still didn’t help. I told Edwin I didn’t think I could do this anymore the pain was so strong and my body was shaking really bad. But he helped calm me down. When my mom got there she helped rub my leg and told me to breathe. She was a huge help to because she was able to calm us both down a little bit. She was also there to take lots of pictures (which I will post some of them soon... I need to find the memory card...lol) At 7:45 the nurse came in and said I was ready to go! She had me push through 2 contractions (They were about a minute apart) Pushing was hard because I was soooo tired and my legs were pretty numb from the epidural. Mom had to support one leg and Edwin the other. The nurse went and got the doctor and I did 2 pushes while she was gone. Mom and Edwin said they could see the baby’s hair and it was black! That gave me more incentive to keep going. The doctor came in and got down to business (she had a surgery to do at 8:30) I asked her how long it can take to push and she said for new moms it can take up to 3 hours… Talk about bursting my bubble! She coached me through my pushing and the baby was out by 8:15! Thank you JESUS! It was nice that the epidural had wore off a little because I could feel her head come out and then her shoulders. It was such a relief when her shoulders came out. The pressure and pain was gone and I felt relaxed. The doctor did a couple of stitches (she said I did not tear too much) and she was gone by 8:25... What team work! When Malaika came out they put her up on my chest and I was so amazed to see what Edwin and I had created. She was so beautiful! Edwin cut the cord and I told the nurses I wanted him to be the first to hold her. They took her and cleaned her off and Edwin went over and watched everything while my mom took pictures. Malaika Aiyanna Mwango weighed 7lbs 14 oz and was 21 inches long her head was 14 CM.
It was the most amazing experience I have ever been involved with. When we looked at her face we saw little pieces of each of us and we were so blessed to have her in our lives. It is so amazing how much love you can have for someone who just came into this world. I am so excited to be able to be a part of her life and to help her grow up to be a beautiful woman. I just hope this time does not go to fast.
That day we were so tired but we wanted to show her off to the family. My Brother was there and he was so good with her. My mom (Grandma!) and then Edwin’s brother and girlfriend came. Around 12 we asked the nurses that they let any visitors know we are trying to rest and they should come back in the evening. My grandparents came and my Aunt hazel later that night. Edwin and I were trying to get the hang of changing her diapers and feeding her towards the evening she started getting a little fussier. The nurse came in and asked if we wanted her to baby-sit so we could get some rest… I was so tired I was so thankful for that! The next morning they came in and checked me and said if I wanted to go home I could. Edwin was more than excited to hear those words! My dad finally got to the hospital to see her before we left it was so cute to see him hold her. He was so scared! Edwin and I packed everything up and headed downstairs to load her in the car. We finally got her adjusted right in the car seat and then headed home with our new FAMILY!
I will continue to update about our first week soon. I have been trying to keep up on my homework and sleep before finals week is here. We have had lots of visitors and it has been so fun to show her off to everyone. Thank you all for your prayers and support through all of this. It was a hectic week and Edwin and I feel so blessed that everything went well and we have a happy healthy baby girl!

New induction date...

Well some of you will be excited about this and some of you won't.. BUT I talked to my doctor a little bit ago and we are going to induce my labor sooner than monday. I really want my dad and my brother to see her and I want my family to all be here together. It means a lot to me! My dad has until the 11th off and my brother has to fly back to kansas on the 11th in the morning. My original induce date was the 12th. SOOOOO.. my doctor wants to induce me tomorrow night at midnight. That way we have time (she said it will take roughly 24 hours) She said that she thinks I am ready (I lost my mucous plug yesterday)
My doctor will not be the one delivering the baby because sh is not on call that night but that doesn't really bother me since I know that they are not going to put me with an unqualified person. So that is our update I don't know how I feel right now.. I am excited but also scared! We are really going to be parents! So keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we will be letting everyone know when she arrives!

week 39 Doctor's appt.

Well... NO CHANGES! Everything looks good and the octor thinks I will not go until my induce date but I am still only at 1 CM and 50% effaced. She did say the baby is in position and a little lower but that didn't realy make me feel better. LOL The doctor told me to stop coming into the office with a smile on my face because that means I am not in pain. UGH! I asked her if she would just break my water while she was checking me and she said she would do her best..hehe

I did go get a pedicure last night with mom and Edwin (edwin liked it by the way) The lady that worked on me said she had given pedicures to pregnant ladies before and they usually go into labor with in 48 hours. She massages my feet and ankles for a good half hour! It was so nice. then she painted my toes all pretty! I hope her magic works!

The baby bag is all packed for the hospital. I have packed a few things for edwin and I but we live so close that we are not going to worry about things we need for the next day. We can always send mom home to get it. The baby room is done and the house is clean, and my midterms are complete... WHERE IS BABY?

I will keep you all posted on what I think is going to be a VERY slow week.
Hope you all enjoy!

Week 39- is still going

Soooo this week was supposed to go by quick.. and it is NOT! I have not had any contractions this week yet and really do not feel any different. I guess I have been a little more tired than usual but it is also getting really hard to sleep because I am sooo huge! I have a doctor appointment tomorrow at 10:00 so we will see if I have progressed any further. I have noticed some decrease in her movement which made me a little stressed last night. She usually goes crazy when we first go to bed. It is always fun to watch my stomach move and edwin gets to feel her. Last night she didn't move at all. I woke up in the middle of the night panicked but then she did one little movement and I felt better. But she is definately not wiggling around like she was. If it decreases more today I will call the doctor and see whats up.
My mom's boss got me a breast pump (or a BP as my dad would say) It is a Medela and it is really nice! Mom's boss has really blesses Edwin and I a lot. She gave us a bunch of clothes from when her daughter was a baby (most of the clothes were brand new) and now a breast pump! Also I hung out with Susanna on Tuesday and she bought us a TON (YES A TON) of diapers. I think we are covered for the first year! LOL
My mid-terms are going well.. I did my music mid-term on monday and was so upset because it was a timed test (100 questions and we had 90 min) I was freaking out! By the time the clock ran out I had only finished 60 questions. So of course I called Edwin crying my eyes out. He told me to write to my professor and ask to take it again. So I did and she reset the test and also told me I can go over on the time! I was so thankful she understood. I actually think a lot of students were complaining because you can't do a test with that many questions that fast. (that is less than 1 min per question). SOOOO I only have one midterm left in my health class ( my other two classes only have finals) I had a talk ith the baby yesterday and asked her not to come until I finish my health mid-term. So far she is cooperating!
Well thats all I have for now, I will let you all know how my doc appointment goes tomorrow. Hopefully I wil be posting some pics of our BABY soon!

Week 38- The Human Vacuum

What to say, what to say!

Well I don't have a lot to say about this week other than I have been eating everything in sight! The weird thing is I don't like to sit down and eat meals I just like to snack. But I told myself that I can eat whatever I want these last few weeks because after that I need to go into healthy mode and lose some weight. I CAN'T WAIT TO WEAR NORMAL CLOTHES AGAIN!!!! I had my doctors appointment yesterday and everything is going good. I was still only dialated 1 CM but the doctor said she could feel the babies head. She gave me the option to induce on the 2nd or 3rd because she will be on call that weekend. So Edwin and I are going to talk about it and see how far along we are on our mid terms. My midterms are all due by November 5th. If I have them done I will let her know on Friday. But if we are not caught up we will just go with the 12th. I am not in any big rush. I would love to not be pregnant anymore but at least I am good at this stage... Not so sure if I will be good at the other stuff. hehe

Edwin and I are taking this weekend off from everything! We decided it was our last weekend together and my mom went out of town to see nana and Grampy. (My grandpa who is 84 yrs old was in an accident while herding cattle. He is okay but walking with a walker now.)

So Edwin and I decided to go to a movie last night, Dan in real life, It was really funny and it was so much fun to spend time together. It is so weird to think that we are going to have a baby in the house in a couple of weeks (if not days) ANYTIME NOW! EEK!

Thats really all I have for updates, if I think of anything else I will blog again.

Week 37 - human development

So this is my report on week 37 this week has seemed to fly by! I am trying to get as much homework done as possible but I can't do any of my mid-terms ahead of time and all of those are due the week that Malaika is due. Soooo I am doing what I can and that seems to be ok enough. I will be so thankful when I am finally in nursing school and my classes are all health related! On wed I had my unemployment orientation. The lady that ran it was sick so she told us she did not want to be there long. I was thankful for that because I didn't really want to be there. I saw two people that I used to work with and that was fun catching up with them and what was going on in their lives.

I have noticed that I have been a little more irritable this week. It's not like I go around yelling at everyone but I am highly emotional and the littlest things make me cranky or tearful. Edwin has been under a lot of stress lately and I hate seeing him go through that. But there is really nothing I can do but support him with his decisions. (some of you might know what I am talking about) I know he is getting so excited for the baby. He talks about her a lot and is so excited to be able to take time off work to be with her. He keeps talking about taking her for drives and talking to her and spending time with her. He is going to be such a great dad!

He is also taking a human development class and recently read that there is a tribe (I don't remember what country) that believes that everytime you have sex you are helping create a part of the baby... hmmmm... I told him that was a great idea for THEIR tribe.. LOL He told me that he liked that idea or belief because it made the dad feel like he was helping with the babies development. Which is something I have not really thought a lot about. I think sometimes the dad feels left out because we (the mom) can feel the kicks and the growth from day to day. They (the dads) can just hope that their hand will be in the right place when the baby moves. It was an interesting discussion.. then we decided we better get to work on the eyelashes.. hehehehe

I had my 37 week doctor appt today and everything went well. I lost the pound I gained last week so I guess now I am just in teeter toter mode. The doctor asked me if I would like to be examined... OF COURSE!! I really wanted to see if I was dialated or anything. She checked and I am 1 CM.. yippie! She also said that my cervix is 50% thinned so things are progressing really well. We talked about how long she would let me go before I was induced and she said she will only induce me if I am VERY uncomfortable (Which I am not really) and my cervix is ready. She also said if the baby has not come by November 12th she will induce me. So we know Malaika will be her by the 12th! So I am now onto my 38th week! The fun is just beginning right?

Nursery pictures

I have added the nursery pictures in my myspace under Nursery. hope you all enjoy!

Week 36- I can still shave my legs!!!

Thats right my legs are now silky smooth and I did it al by myself! (which is amazing since my balance is a little off nowadays!)

Well week 36 has been pretty interesting. At my last doctor appointment the doctor found her heartbeat up by my ribcage. Sooo she told me that the baby was possibly breech but we would need to wait until the next appt. to know for sure. Soooo all week I waited, and waited, and WAITED it seemed like the week would never end! I kept feeling her move but it felt like I have 5 babies inside instead of one so I couldn't tell if she was moving lower or higher or what. Friday finally came.. I did the doctor appt. routine. first I did the urine test. You would think this would be the easy thing because I pee at least 100 times a day, BUT NOOOOO I could barely go enough for them to test.. hehe the doctor made fun of me and said I as developing stage fright. Then I weighed... ugh... only one pound up but I am soooo over seeing that scale move. Then I went into the office and the doctor came in and measured me and then got the doppler out. She found the heart beat quick and easy in my lower abdomen. So I asked if that meant the baby is fine and she said YES!!! Whoo hoo.. nothing to worry about! THE BABY IS NOT BREECH! (feel better karla? hehe) But then she folowed that with, " I am gonna need you to get your flu shot today." UGH! Oh well at least I won't get the flu. My next appt. is on friday the doctor promised me that she would let me have the baby one of these days.

On thursday my friend Lindsey and I went to the Pass it on sale they have twice a year for new parents. This is what I like about living in a bigger city! The place was packed full of cheap NICE baby things. I bought another boppy for like 3 dollars and it is in great condition. I also got 2 of the backpack baby carriers for 3 dollars each. There were a few other odds and ins and it was soo much fun to shop! On saturday I talked edwin into going back because everything was 50% off on Saturday. We ended up buying another carseat for the honda that way we don't have to lug the base back and forth. It was only 20.00 and then we got a sound and vibration thing for the crib for 5.00. AND of course I couldn't pass up the 3 pairs of nike shoes they had left.. hehe they are sooo freakin CUTE! This baby is so spoiled.

Edwin and I also bought the highchair at target this weekend. We got the kind that attaches to the dining chair so we can take it with us when we travel and put it away when the baby isn't using it. I THINK we have everything but I still have that weird feeling (like when you are packing for a trip) that I have forgot something. But it's not like we can't buy it once she comes.

I think the coolest part of these last weeks are the baby movements. they are so REAL and I can see my stomach moving and I can actually feel her when she pushes. I like to see Edwins face light up when he gets to feel her too. I think this week has been a bonding moment for him and the baby. One night I was fast asleep and I woke up to Edwin Laughing... I was like, "Uh.. are you okay?" He said he was laughing because he felt the baby moving a lot! hehehehe I thought that was cute.

Well, thats all I can think of this week week. I will try to post another blog on week 37 this weekend so that I don't leave you all in to much suspense. Hope everyone is doing great!

Week 35- sore, tired, getting excited!!!

Week 35 has come and gone...
I tried to get as much homework and house cleaning done as possible since I know that I won't have as much time when the baby gets here. I actually surprised myself with the energy I had to get everything done. I even scrubbed the oven clean! I finished sorting the baby clothes and got the 6 to 12 month clothes labeled and packed away in totes. It felt good today to look around and see everything so clean.
his week I have had a lot of cramping and back pain. My mom thought it was because I was going to go into labor. (Her guess was October 4th HAHA I guess she lost) I had my Doctor appointment today and let her know about the pain and she said that I am having contractions just not the kind that can dialate the cervix. She told me to keep a close count on the timing of them and to call her if I think they are stronger. She also had a hard time finding the baby heart beat today. She finally found it up by my ribcage... So she said next week she will check to see if the baby is breech... if she is still up there next week we will try to manually move her or schedule a C-section. For some reason I am not to worried, I feel like God has been watching over me this far and he will continue to work things out.
So that is my update this week... we are still trucking along! Ohhh and the dreaded scale.. I gained 4 pounds DARN IT! LOL So that puts me at 20 total. But the Doctor said she is really proud of me. So I will not worry!
Hope everyone has a great week!

Today's doc appointment

WENT GREAT! I only gained back 1 pound... *doing a celebration jig* The doctor also gave me a baby bag full of formula and a voucher for a local spa!!! Whoo hoo! So everything is on track and movin a long just fine! They also got the test results back for the swab they tool last week.. it is a test to make sure you do not have a certain infection. If you have it then they have to administer antibiotics before the delivery. It came back negative! Yippie!!

Week 33 and 34- BLESSED!

Symptoms that I am having this week...

• Many MANY bathroom breaks - It seems like I will go and then 5 min later I have to go again.
• Lots of movement
• Really thirsty- slurpees are still my favorite!
• pain in my lower back when I sit for to long
• Hard time getting comfortable at night so I am still having sleepless nights.

Week 33 and 34 were pretty similar so I thought I would lump them together. First of all I had another doctor appt last Friday and everything went really well. I always dread the weighing part because I am always nervous that I will have gained to much. BUT This week I lost 6 pounds!!!! The doctor was not worried at all so I will just take the blessing! hehe ( I guess my Chocolate everything and slurpee diet is working well. LOL) So this puts my total weight gain at 16 pounds. I have another appointment this afternoon at three and I am hoping that I have not gained it all back and then some. I guess we will see.

Edwin and I started school this week so that has been a slight adjustment. I can't believe how expensive books are! I am taking 4 classes (and only 3 of them needed books) and edwin is taking 2 classes. Our books were 525.00! Can you believe it! CRAZY!!

I titled this blog "Blessed" because I have never felt so blessed. I had a friend from work who had a baby girl 2 years ago. She called me and said they were going through their garage and found all of haley's baby stuff. They wanted to know if we wanted it. Of course I will always take free baby stuff! I love to go through it and see what other people got for their baby. So we went to her house to pick it up and she gave us three 40 gallon garbage bags FULL of stuff. I was so amazed. When I got home and started sorting it (which by the way took me at least 2 hours just to unload 2 of the bags.) They had given us a TON of baby clothes (2 bags full) and then one of the bags was full of Avent Bottles and baby toys. There was also a hand pump breast pump and some teddy bears that have the heartbeat sound. I wanted to cry when I opened each bag. For someone to just give all of that stuff is amazing! So for the last 3 days I have been washing the clothes and putting them into piles by month. I now have enough clothes to open a small baby store... hehe Edwin and I are going to sort it this weekend and see what we need and don't need and give the rest away.
I Also got a call from another friend who had a playpen and a crib bedding set to give us. We already have both but I told her I would take it and we can give it to Edwins Brother and girlfriend. She is due November 15th. They are having a little girl and they just told us they decided on a name... Mwila. I think it is pretty!

I got a call from my dad this week and he wanted to know what to get us. I told him that edwin and I would discuss it and let him know. At this point we pretty much have everything we need. I told him the only thing I could think of was a electric double breast pump. My dad said he wished he could have bought us our crib instead.. LOL Then the rest of our conversation he would not say Breast pump he would say BP..HAHAHAHA he cracks me up!

We are putting on our fridge everyone's guesses of when the baby is going to be born. I will post those sometime this week (They are downstairs and I am lazy) So if anyone has any guesses let me know. You have to guess the date and time! Winner gets the confidence in knowing you were right.
Well that is all I have for now! Hope everyone has a good week. Malaika and I are on to week 35!!

Weekend of birthing classes

Yep, thats right! This is every husband/father to be's dream come true. hehe
When looking at our options for birthing classes Edwin and I decided to go with the weekend getaway. This was a CRAM session of birth in 2 days. We had class on Friday (Sept 14th) from 6:00 to 9:30 pm and then Saturday (sept 15th) from 9:00 to 4:00. Edwin decided this was the best option for him since he works early in the morning during the week.

When we first got there on Friday night they had us make name tags and they had a little package full of baby stuff for us. They had coupons for diapers and samples of laundry soap. Then they had usdo a little icebreaker and meet some of the other couples. It was fun to get to know the others and realize we all had a lot in common. I think I was one of the latest due dates. Most of the women were due the end of sept or the first part of Oct. Right after the icebreaker she had us watch a video on what the birthing process is. This video did not show very much it just explained what the Placenta was and how everything works together to provide for the baby. They ended the night with GREAT massage techniques to use while in labor. the guys had to practice all of them on us. IT WAS WONDERFUL! Then we switched and gave the guys a backrub. I think that was edwins favorite part. The time went by pretty fast and we learned a lot the first night.
The Second day edwin and I got there a lil late (hehe) and they had already started their discussions. She went over epidurals and C-sections and all he typical topics hat new parents have. She shared with us the pro's and cons of each and shared funny stories. Then onto the part that every couple loves! Breathing!!! She set up little stations and had us try different positions for labor. My favorite was called slow dance. The mom puts her hands on her husbands shoulders and they rock back and fourth. I liked this because edwin toook that time and told me that he loved me and he wanted to be the best support he could be. It was a special moment and really brought this whole situation to reality. We are a team and we are going to do all of this together. We also practiced the different types of breathing we need to do in the different stages of labor. This was funny at first but the teacher wouldn't let us laugh... she said we didn't have time.. hehe then she would giggle.
We then watched 3 different deliveries. One C-section, one natural delivery, and one with an epidural. They were all so informative and fun to watch. I love watching these types of things because this is what I want to do when I am done with nursing school. It was fun to see edwins expression when we saw the baby head crowning. I don't think he realized what a women goes through. When we got home he just kept saying. WOW! LOL I think it gave him a whole new perspective.
Oh one other thing they did was had us lay down on the ground and hold ice in our hands for 1 minute the guys were supposed to support us and help us get through the pain. Then we switched and the women had to help support the men while they held the ice. It was funny to watch their expressions.
Over all it was a great class and we came home with lots of information and free goodies! They also had great snacks for us while we were there.

Well Thats all I can remember right now.. I will add more if I remember later!

Week 32- Busy week

Eight months! I can't believe it! It is funny to look back and remember when I took the first pregnancy test and how shocked I was. I remember siting on the couch that night and not being able to concentrate on the TV show we were watching. I had a million things running through my head. Then here I am 8 months later and this baby is more of a reality to me than ever. I feel her move around in my belly and I try to picture what her movements will be outside the womb. I also look at my husband and imagine what qualities she will have of his. I hope she has his smile because I personally think it is the best. It is just amazing!

This week was my last week at work... I had been at the company for a little over two years. It was a bittersweet week. I was ready to be done with work and just have time to relax and get some cleaning done around the house. But I am also worried about finances. I have never been out of work. I have been able to provide half our income and we have felt pretty comfortable for the past year. I know I will be getting unemployment and that will be good I just want to make sure I do no get lazy and forget what it feels like to work. I don't want to lose the drive to work full time and go to school full time. Before I didn't have any other way that was just how things worked. (But anyway enough whining)
God worked a lot of things out. I got a retention bonus for staying until the end of work and with that and my final paychecks we were able to pay our rent until the end of January. We were also able to pay some of our little bills. This was a great feeling and we can feel comfortable knowing our biggest bill is taken care of each month until January.

Okay onto the baby stuff.. hehe
Some of the symptoms I have had this week
* a little more back pain (I lifted something wrong earlier in the pregnancy and threw out my back. Since hen it had not been right)
* Lots of cramping in my lower abdomen. Pain seemed to shoot across the bottom and up the abdomen.
* Cramping that feels like menstrual cramps (not fun) I just want to curl up in a ball
* Sorry if this is TMI BUT I want to make sure I remember.. I had a lot of leaking this week. It was more like a steady trickle.
* Baby movement is not as fast. She seems to move slower and in more stretching like movements.
* Cravings ... CHOCOLATE! I wish I didn't bu I do! Watermelon... Pizza... Coke slurpees from 7-11 ... and any type of fresh fruit
* sleeping is getting harder and harder because I cannot find a comfortable position.

Sooooo with all this cramping and the slow trickle symptoms that I was having I was glad my doctor appointment was this week. I am still rotating doctors so that I can meet all of them before I deliver just in case my doctor cannot be there. This weeks doctor was not my favorite. She was not very personable. The nurse weighed me (as usual) and I gained 4 more pounds. So my total is 22 lbs so far. Then she did the urine test... this was the weird part. Usually they take the strip and throw it away but this time she said she needed to keep it to show the doctor. They never told me why. So then I told them my symptoms and she had me undress and put on a gown ( this is also not a routine thing) The Dr. came in and didn't ask me any questions she just had me lay down and listened for the heartbeat (which was fine) she didn't even measure me. She got a swab of the inside and put it under the microscope. She told me everything looked fine and she wanted to know when my next doctor apt was. I told her it was scheduled for the 28th and she told me that was to far away. She said I needed to come in every week from now on. BUt the frustrating thing is she wouldn't tell me why. I asked her if there was anything I needed to do and she said no. I asked her why I needed to come in earlier and she said she wanted me to see the new doctor next week. UGH! Soooo of course I came home and cried. I hate not knowing why they do certain things. My mom took the morning off next week so she can go with me and give them a piece of her mind if need be.. hehe (Gotta love my mom)
So that is this weeks update. We also did our birthing class but I will write about that separately.

Week 31- kicks, kicks, and more kicks

Hey everybody! Well I guess I will list some of the symptoms I have been having...

*Lots of movement (lower abdomen) Sometimes I feel like she will kick her way right out! I still cannot tell if it is a leg or arm that is jabbing at me but it is fun to feel her moving around. I notice the most movement in the morning while I am sitting at work. (between 6 and 8) I think she had hiccups the other night.. it made edwin and I laugh because he pulsing of movement was sooo consistant.

*Edwin is getting more and more excited by the day! He went to ross the other day and came home with the CUTEST baby outfit. She is going to wear it home from the hospital!

* I have to make sure I eat smaller meals more consistently. I have found that if I forget to eat or if I wait to long to eat I get really shaky and start to feel nauseated. Also if I eat to much I feel like I am going to die. No buffets for me!

* I pee like 30 times a day!!!! Not even exaggerating. I think I have to go the most at night, I wake up at least 4 or 5 times to go to the bathroom.

* fatigue- I think this is from my frequent trips to the bathroom. My sleep is interrupted a lot so I am not getting the full 6 or 7 hours that I used to. I try to not let it effect my attitude very much but I am on the verge of crying half the time.. hehe BUT I only have one more week of work left and then I can sleep in a little and relax.

* I have been craving sweet things.. Chocolate mainly and regular milk. But I try not to eat very much of both because I do not want to gain to much weight.

* Swelling in my left foot- Yep that's it just the left foot. We were sitting down for dinner the other night and I looked down at my foot and freaked out. My toes looked like little sausages! Edwin massaged it for me and that made it feel a little better and then I put ice on it (hehe not sure why but it seemed to be the right thing to do) The swelling was gone by morning.

* My next doctor appointment is this Thursday at 1:45 so I will let you all know how everything is going.

* Last but not least... we bought a WII!!! I know I know that is not a symptom.. BUT I am about to be unemployed and don't have a lot of projects to do around the house since the nursery is done. We are setting it all up tonight and I am SOOO excited!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support I can't wait to introduce you to our new little one (whenever she decides to grace us with her presence.)

Married one year to the love of my life!

1 Year anniversary!!!!

This past weekend was our one year wedding anniversary. Can you believe it has been one whole year?? I love that it is on Labor Day weekend because we were able to go on a long weekend to the coast! We decided to go to Lincoln city since we had both never been there. We had so much fun just hanging out on the beach and playing in the ocean. I got a bunch of GREAT picture of Edwin trying to body surf (trying was the key word) hehe. I love going to the coast and looking through all the little shops they have and watching people with their dogs on the beach. It is so relaxing to go there and just listen to the ocean and not have a care in the world. We decided on Saturday night to go to the Casino and try to become millionaires! But we soon learned that playing the penny slots one penny at a time will only make you 10 dollars richer. LOL But we had a lot of fun and I liked that they had a non-smoking section so I didn’t have to breathe in the fumes. On Sunday we decided to go to the outlet malls and see what we could find. We went to the carter outlet and found some REALLY cute newborn outfits. We of course had to buy them! Edwin picked out one outfit and I picked out one. Malaika moved a lot this weekend at times it felt like she was going to claw her way right out!!! Edwin got to feel her a little and felt how strong the movements were. I think she liked the casino noises because she moved the most while we were there.
I love to spend time with my hubby so we had a lot of fun just talking about our dreams and goals and what we both see in our future. I am so lucky to have met him and been able to share my life with him. I know he makes my life more complete and we share the same dreams for life. I am so excited to have children together and see what qualities they are going to have from each of us. It is going to be funny to see who they look like and who they act like. I just thank God everyday that he brought us together!

Week 30- ups and downs

Week 30 was a pretty busy week for me… I was taking medication for the spider bite and I am happy to say the swelling has almost disappeared. One of the wonderful side effects of the medication was (sorry if you didn’t want the details… BUT this is my reality… LOL) a yeast infection. So I went from miserable to even more miserable. Luckily I finished the medicine on Wednesday and my doctor’s appointment was scheduled for Thursday. This week’s doctor’s appointment was a roller coaster ride full of uppers and downers.

I was excited to go this week because they are starting to rotate me with the different doctors so I can meet each one in the event that my doctor cannot be there for the delivery. I personally am not attached to my doctor so I was excited to see who else they had and if I would click with any other. This week was Doctor Bennett and I LOVED HER!!! I will probably ask to switch to her. She was a little more relaxing and answered all of my questions without rushing me out the door. That meant a lot especially with all the questions I had.
When I first got in they weighed me (This always makes me nervous) BUT I about fell off the scale when she said I had only gained 1 pound!!!!!! Talk about a mini relief! So far the total weight I have gained is 18 pounds which is good. The Doctor would like me to only gain 15 – 25 total so I have been trying to watch my cravings and make sure I do a little bit of exercise each day. Next they had me do the urine sample which came back okay. For this appointment I had so many questions I made a list. I was excited when I asked the doctor if she could answer them she pulled up her stool and said she would love to. (You have to understand my actual doctor tends to roll her eyes and seems impatient)
I asked about my RH negative blood type. When they diagnosed me with it they told me I would need another shot at 28 weeks. So I wanted to make sure I got one. They set it up and did it right away (however they did it in the butt muscle… not what I expected. LOL) Next I asked her about the medication I was taking for the spider bite and the side effects I was having. She confirmed, and prescribed me an anti-fungal cream to use for a week and that would clear everything up. I also had just basic questions about Braxton hicks and what they felt like and when the baby is supposed to flip (She said they will start checking that at 36 weeks) Overall it was a very good appointment and I was so excited when I left. Oh... and the baby’s heartbeat was 144 and I measured at 30 CM so I am right on track!!!

The Nursery is completely finished and we have purchased everything we will need. This is a huge relief to both Edwin and I because I only have 2 more weeks until I get laid off at work and we know that we will have to tighten our money and make sure we have enough for bills and such. I love going into her room and just sit there daydreaming about what it will be like and how she will look in all of her new outfits. I also LOVE how the cradle and crib bedding turned out! I am VERY happy with it! I can’t wait for her to get here!!!

Week 29- spider bites

Sooo week 29 (Sunday) started out with a little bump on my leg... I left it alone and brushed it off as nothing big and went about my day. On Monday that bump became the size of a golf ball. It was also purplish and very sore. I tried to put a warm wash cloth on it and thought maybe it was a pimple that was infected and if I put a warm washcloth on it then the infection would be drawn out. By Wednesday it has spread deeper in my leg and there was a rock hard center about the size of a plum. I was getting a little worried because about 2 years ago I had an abscess on my spine and it started out similar to this. (Not a fun experience) SO I decided after work I would go to the doctor and see if they could drain it or do something with it. (It was getting harder to walk because of the throbbing pain) The doctor looked at it and decided to try to cut it open and drain it BUT (sorry if you have a weak stomach) when she lanced it nothing came out it was just blood clots. She asked me if I had a spider problem and I said I didn’t think we did since I have not seen or killed a spider yet in our new house. She said that if it was an abscess then their would be stuff coming out... but with a spider bite it is usually just blood clots and some liquid (poison usually) SO she left the cut open and bandaged it and told me to put a hot pack on it and elevate my leg all day the next day to see if anything would change. She also put me on a medication called cephalexin (she promised it would not hurt the baby) this is supposed to kill any virus or infection inside the body. I am supposed to go back in 2 days (Saturday) if I do not feel any better and if it is still swollen.
So today is Friday and it is still swollen and still about the size of a plum. I am praying it will go down by tonight so I don’t have to worry about it.
Other than that the baby seems to be doing fine… Since I was off all day yesterday I had more time to think about her and think about how life will be like. I am really nervous about the delivery and having the responsibility of a baby. But I have an amazing husband who is there to support me and I know he will be a great help and an amazing father. He is always there to alleviate my fears… (And it seems I have had a LOT of those lately.) This baby is one loved little munchkin!
OHHH we also got an email letting us know our crib bedding is in. YAY!!! So we are going to go pick it up tonight and try to set up the crib!! I will take some pictures and post them in my myspace! Week 30 here I come!!!

Week 28- The longest week EVER!!!

This week started out with a call from my doctor… They wanted me to come back in for another glucose test. This time I needed to schedule the appointment for 4 hours with the lab and I needed to fast for 12 hours before the test. I decided on Wednesday and I took the day off because I knew that with my nerves and also an empty stomach I would not be the best person to be around. My appointment was scheduled for 8:30. I got there around 8:15 to get checked in. They took me to the back and drew my blood and then made me drink the syrup again. (This time they gave me Orange flavor... I liked it a LOT more) I got done drinking the syrup at 8:21 so they scheduled me for 3 more blood draws in the next three hours (9:21, 10:21, 11:21). While I waited I was not allowed to eat or drink anything and I had to stay in the waiting room. I was BORED out of my mind!!!! But time actually went by really fast and the lady that did my blood did a VERY good job! I left the lab around 12:00 and by that time I was VERY hungry and a little sick from the pure sugar drink but I didn’t want to get fast food ( all I really wanted was honey nut cheerios… hehe ) I decided before I went home I would run to Target to get laundry soap. BAD IDEA! By the time I got the soap I was so light headed I went straight for their food isle. I grabbed some animal crackers and tried to eat some but I was not feeling any better. So I decided to go pay for things and then hurry out to the car. By the time I got to the car I was sweating so bad (probably from nerves and the 90 degree weather) I jumped in and just sat there hoping I would be okay to drive home. A few minutes later I started driving home and when I got home I ate a bowl of cereal and then went to sleep... I slept for a good 3 hours and felt SOO much better. But that was sure a scary experience.
I had to wait for 48 hours before the results came back and those had to have been the SLOWEST 48 hours of my life. On Friday I called the office and they said the results look normal and I am A-OK!!! Whoo hoo! I was so much more relaxed after that. Edwin was probably grateful because I was sooo cranky the whole week.
Over the weekend Edwin and I did some more prepping for the baby room. We found a dresser and re-painted it to match the other furniture. We picked up a baby monitor and some plastic drawers for storage. It is so fun to see the room coming together! The crib bedding should be here by Friday so I am looking forward to that.
The baby has been moving around a lot more this week! I dream about her moving too (not sure if she is really moving or if I am just dreaming about it) In the middle of the night I have these crazy dreams about her doing flips in my belly. It is a cool feeling and I always wake up feeling excited! On another note…Fresh fruit seems to be the craving of choice. I have been eating so many Mangos and plums and watermelon! I also crave milk and honey nut cheerios. (That’s all I have been wanting for dinner) I am glad it is not chocolate I am craving because then I would be in trouble.
I started a new workout routine. I really want to be in a little better shape for the delivery. I know I cannot do anything major right now to change things but I am doing a pregnancy Yoga tape and taeboe everyday. It has really helped my back and the little aches and pains I get in my legs. I also sleep better at night! Well that’s about it for this week Edwin and I are getting more and more excited to meet this little one! It’s not to far away.

Week 27 - Blood sugar

This week was a great week! It started out with my baby shower which was amazing! Then the rest of the week Edwin and I got to shop for the rest of the stuff we needed. Edwin has vowed not to go back into Babies ‘R’ Us until the baby is actually born... hehe (I am sure we will go again) We ordered the crib bedding and are waiting patiently for it’s arrival. Once that gets here I have everything I need to finish decorating! The baby is moving A LOT this week. I have pretty much felt her in the morning afternoon and evening. She moves the most when I am relaxed at home in bed or on the couch but it has been so amazing to feel her little movements inside. She still has not moved for my mom. Every time she puts her hand on my stomach there is a relaxed feeling that comes over me and the baby doesn’t move. LOL! Mom said that I will appreciate that when the baby has been crying all night. Grandma will come in and sooth her to sleep.
On Friday I had my glucose screening… not the most exciting thing in the world but not as bad as I made it out to be. I had to drink this syrup solution that tasted like lemon lime soda without the carbonation and then I had to wait an hour and have my blood drawn. I got a call yesterday (Monday week 28) and they told me that my levels were a little higher than they like so I need to go in for a 4 hour blood sugar test. I scheduled the appointment for tomorrow (wed) and I have to fast for 12 hours before with only water. Then they will take a blood sample right away to see what my levels are like without food. Then I will drink the “OH SO LOVELY” syrup again and then they will take my blood every hour after that for three hours. I am prepared to be bored out of my mind! But at least I will know for sure what the blood sugar levels will be like. So I guess I will keep you all updated.

Baby Shower!!!!!

Sunday August 5th was the baby shower… My mom and Maria were the masterminds behind the big event. We had it at the arbor rose clubhouse which is a VERY NICE place. Sunday morning Edwin and I slept in and I took my time getting ready. The shower was at 1:00 so I had plenty of time to beautify myself. LOL
It was a nice morning though just hanging out with Edwin. I love the time that we have together. He is my best friend and we can talk about anything. I am the most comfortable around him and I know he is going to be the most AMAZING father any kid could ever have.
Hailey and Lorie got their a little early so I got to show them around our new place. Her daughter Hailey was the flower girl in our wedding and she is SOOO CUTE! (She was also VERY helpful) We went to the clubhouse and my mom and Maria and Susanna were all busy getting the last minute touches together. Marcia (a friend from work) had shown up early and was also helping. My mom got cupcakes in the shape of a baby buggy (although we had to tell most of the guests what it was supposed to look like.. hehe but they were THE best cupcakes! ) There were about 30 people there and Edwin and I were SO BLESSED! We pretty much got everything we needed!!! I will post pictures of everything this week (our camera has been acting up)
We also got cash from my mom as well as some gift cards to target and that evening we went out and bought the rest of the big things we needed. (Like the mattress for the crib and a boppy)
The only thing we really have left to get is a swing and a breast pump. I cannot believe how blessed we are!!!! The baby has MORE than enough clothes and we got a lifetime supply of baby wipes! And a Spa baby Bathtub! We also got a gift card to Babies R Us and went and got the cradle bedding and ordered the crib bedding. It was so fun to get the cradle all decorated.
The coolest thing about the shower was my husband. The whole week he said he didn’t want to be involved because it was a girly thing. I tricked him into coming for a minute because we “forgot” Some towels to clean the kitchen and I knew there were people that wanted to see him and say hi. So he came and popped his head in and said some hello’s and then ran out as fast as he could. Then about a half hour later I received a text from him... “Hey! Would it be okay if I come back there...? It looked like a lot of fun” LOL SO I called him and told him to come back. He did and he helped me open all the presents. It was sooo much fun to do it together.
SO I want to say a big THANKS to everyone for your Support, advice, and gifts! We had such a great time and love everything! I can’t wait to have this baby and dress her up in all the clothes we got.

Week 26- anticipation

Week 26~ July 29-August 4th

Well this week was a simple week… not a lot of ups and downs. I was restricted from purchasing any baby stuff because my Shower was on Aug 5th (Sunday). My mom hates it when I go out shopping before a big event so I tried to be REALLY good. It is getting harder and harder not to buy every cute frilly outfit in sight though.
On wed we went to an African Concert at the Zoo and that was a lot of fun! Edwin and his brother were really excited to go! It was great to just get out of the house and do something spontaneous. Lately I have felt overwhelmed with work and the stress of getting everything prepared so it was nice to have a night out and have some fun! As most of you know my work is closing. It has been a bittersweet mixture of feelings for me. I am happy that I can be on unemployment and spend extra time with the baby. But I am also nervous about our financial situation. My last day is Sept 14th (I finally got a set date!) The majority of our site was given their last day notice for August 10th sooo on Friday the 3rd our work had a Bon Voyage party. They let everyone off the phones for 2 hours to eat a catered lunch and have awards. It was really a nice setting and it was good to get to say goodbye to come people that I don’t see on a regular basis. I have been with this company for 2 years and a lot of these people have been very involved with my life so it will be hard to not see them all on a daily basis. But we plan to keep in touch!
On Saturday I went to Nissa’s going away party and also Lorie’s daughter Hailey’s 6th Birthday party. By Saturday night I was wiped out and ready for a good nights sleep.
The baby has been moving a lot now. I feel her the most in the early morning (around 5:00 when I am at work) and then in the evening when I am relaxing with Edwin watching TV or going to bed. Watermelon is still my favorite! I think we go through at least 3 watermelons a week. I also love fresh fruit so farmers market has been my friend. It is definitely getting harder and harder to find a comfortable position when I am sleeping. My belly is seems to be the hardest at night. I also have to get up at least 4 times a night to go to the bathroom. Oh the joys of pregnancy! But I love every minute of it! Well that is about it! I have my next doctor appointment on Friday the 10th and they are going to do the blood sugar test on me so wish me luck!

Ultrasound

Yesterday (Friday July 27) I was scheduled for another ultrasound. This time they wanted me to do the ultrasound at Emmanuel Hospital because they have better equiptment. I was a little nervous going in because there are two reasons why they send people to Emmanuel (or this is what I was told) #1. they send you there if you have multiples and #2 if you are a high risk pregnancy. Soooo with me being a worry wart I was a little nervous. The sonographer was a really nice guy. He made sure to explain everything to us and wanted to make sure I was really comfortable. He zoomed in on Malaika and the first thing he said was, "Well if this is not a girl then I should not be a sonographer." LOL He took some really great picks of her feet and hands. When he was finished the Doctor came in and he did his own check. It was so cool because as soon as he finished he grabbed a different wand (or probe whatever you call those) and he zoomed right in on the baby's face it was SOOO COOL! He was using a 4D ultrasound wand and the baby's face was so clear. He even printed us a picture (which was not as good as seeing it in person but SO CUTE) He said that the baby is fine from head to toe and that my due date was November 4th. So everything is on track and going smoothly. My next appointment is August 10th and they wil be doing my diabetes test at that appointment.
So there is the update... I will TRY to be better about this blog in the weeks to come.

Week 25- kicks!

Well, I was going to write about week 25 tonight after my ultrasound (and I still will) But there was a part I did not want to forget about. This week was so exciting! Sunday was the first day that Edwin has felt the baby move. It was actually the first day that I felt the movement on the outside of my belly. We were in bed Sunday morning watching TV and I had my hand on my stomach. All of a sudden I felt a ball in my hand.. LOL I actually jumped because it felt so weird. So Of course I was like, "EDWIN!!!!" He came and put his hand on my stomach and after a few minutes he felt a little kick! He was excited and kept his hand there for a few more rounds. Monday and tuesday I started being a worry wart because I did not feel the baby move. I try to not get worried or paranoid but it is hard sometimes. I also scheduled my ultrasound appointment at Emmanual hospital for Friday at 1:00. They said I would not have to drink any water so I was SOO thankful for that. Wed was my 22nd Birthday and it was such a nice day! Edwin got me some flowers and promised we would go get pedicures together this weekend. He is also going to get me some maternity clothes but he knows that I am picky so he is going to take me with him.. hehe
My mom got me the new Mama Bee stuff from burts bee that is supposed to be good for stretching and leg cramps. she also got me shampoo and a tank top which I LOVE! Then Susanna and Her boyfriend Vu came over for dinner and they got me a candle and chapstick and CHOCOLATE!!! I think I ate to much sugar that day and the baby was moving around like crazy.. so that took away any fears I had the previous 2 days.
THEN.. yesterday we were watching TV and I was laying on my side on the couch. All of a sudden I saw my stomach jump! LOL it is the weirdest feeling especially when you feel it and see it! Of course I called for edwin to come over and sure enough she did it for him too! He thought it was cool. LOl Then mom came over to look and .. NOTHING .. HAHAH Mom has yet to feel her move. She seems to calm down whenever Grandma walks by. hehe
Today is my ultrasound and my mom is going with me because edwin wants to save his time off for when the baby is here. Sooo I will post more tonight or this weekend about what the ultrasound was like.

JULY

The month of July
A lot has happened this month and when I came back to see how far behind I had got on my blog I was surprised to see how many weeks had passed. BUT at least I will have a lot of stuff to share with you.

WEEK 22 - The first week of July was my 22nd week in pregnancy… CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! This week was very busy but so much fun! We did not do much for the fourth of July. Edwin and I both had the day off and were pretty exhausted from work and we had a big weekend ahead of us… so we decided to just spend the day at home BBQ’ing and watching movies. The next day I worked from 5:00 am to 1:30 and then went home and packed and picked up Edwin from work downtown. We Hit the road! July 7th was one of my best friend’s weddings!!! We were so excited to go see Shanti and Darren get married and catch up with them. (As much as you can catch up with the bride and groom) Edwin and I stayed in LaGrande on Thursday night with my dad (which was my last night to spend in the house in union... *Tear* my dad has sold the house) and then we headed to Boise on Friday. We stopped at my grandparent’s house in Vale and had lunch with them and then headed off to Boise. It was a lot of fun to go there because Edwin had never been to Idaho. He did however cross it off of his list of places to live. It was WAY TO HOT for us. It was 110! The next day was Shanti and Darren’s wedding and it was BEAUTIFUL! They make such a cute couple and you can tell they are VERY much in love with each other. We had to leave the reception a little early because we had to get back to lagrande for another wedding by 6:00. My dad’s girlfriends daughter (bear with me lol) was getting married in Cove. Their wedding was also beautiful and it was so relaxing to sit up on the mountain with the nice COOL air and the mountain views. I miss Union county! I was surprised how easy it was to do all the traveling I only had to pee a couple of times! LOL
As far as the baby goes this week I have a little more movement but not anything I can feel on the outside yet. Edwin is waiting for the day when he can feel the baby move. No big cravings this week.

Week 23-
We got back on Sunday night from LaGrande and I slept SOOO good that night! We cranked up the air conditioner and had a nice dinner and went to bed. Monday July 9th was our big ULTRASOUND to find out the sex of the baby. I made the appointment at 6:00 PM so Edwin could be there and I was sooo excited! We both made bets on what we thought it would be and as always Edwin was right! We are having a GIRL!!! The ultrasound tech was very nice and explained each step to us. The baby was breech so she was having a VERY hard time getting any pictures. After an hour and a half she decided to call it quits and see if we could re-schedule. The ultrasound images we got to take home are VERY hard to see what it is we are looking at. ( I will try to post them this week) But the image that you get on the TV Monitor is so amazing! The baby was wiggling around and flipping over. It is so weird to think that you and your husband created this little living thing. My next appt was scheduled for the 20th so I would have to wait a week and see what the doctor thought of the pictures.
After I found out we were having a girl I was sooo excited to go SHOPPING! I went on craigslist and found a lady who was selling her lil girls baby clothes. She had the CUTEST outfits from Gap and Old navy and polo. A lot of them still had the tags on them! She sold each piece at 1.00 each. I was so excited! When I brought all the clothes home Edwin looked at me and laughed ( he thought I had bought out a store) But it was so fun to buy lil pink things and picture the baby in them. We also found a changing table on craigslist and went to pick that up. Edwin sanded it and stained it the same color as the crib and cradle. The baby room is slowly coming together!
Also the name we have picked out is MALAIKA.. you will have to stay tuned for the middle name.

Week 24-
I am now at 6 months! I cannot believe how fast this summer is going by... The baby is moving a lot more in the early morning. I work at 5:00 am every morning and I am usually at work by myself until about 7:00 so during this time I am relaxed and not pre-occupied. The baby moves a lot and I am able to feel it a little on the outside now. The biggest craving I have is WATERMELON! I can eat a whole watermelon and not think twice about it! Edwin laughed at me the other day because I took this HUGE watermelon and cut it in half. He thought I was going to cut it into smaller pieces but instead I grabbed a spoon and stuck it in the center and carted it to the living room with me... hehe sometimes that is all I will eat for dinner because it sounds so good!
On Friday July 20th was my doctor’s appt and I was a little nervous to get on the scale… BUT I have only gained 10 pounds so far! HOORAY! The doctor was proud of me and told me to keep doing what I am doing... LOL I guess the watermelon is working out. She told me that she needed me to go back to the ultrasound tech and get some more photos taken. But she is sending me to another hospital because they have better equipment. So I am excited about that because I will get to see the baby again AND we will get better pictures! The doctor also said my Uterus is growing very fast so she will re-evaluate my due date. My mom said she thinks I am going to be having twins and that is why they are sending me back… I SAY NO! LOL
So I just need to wait until Monday and if the ultrasound dept doesn’t call I am supposed to call them to schedule my appt. So I will keep you all posted!
Edwin felt the baby move this weekend!!!!!!!! YAY! SHE (not THEY MOM!!) is finally kicking hard enough for him to feel! It was so cool to see his expression and he kept his hand on my tummy for awhile just to see if he would feel it again.
My friend Maria and my mom are busy planning the baby shower! It is going to be August 5th (before my work place closes so that all my co-workers can get together) it was fun to register and picture the baby room all set up! And I know Maria and my mom will have an AWESOME party for me! I want to have one in LaGrande as well so I can see all my old friends and church family but I am not sure I can plan one so far away. But if not I will have to bring the baby over so they can see her.
Well that is an up to date blog for you all! I hope you didn’t get too bored. I will post next week and let you know how the ultrasound appt goes. Hope you all have a wonderful week!