Story of a girl and boy...and their son

Serious Update Part I

2009-08-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, now it's time for a serious update!

The end of April, we left South Florida. Griffin, my parents, their dogs, and almost all of our belongings went to Indiana; while Cory, Murphy, his brother (who flew down to help us pack/move) and the rest of our belongings drove the Corolla to Pennsylvania. These trips were not so much uneventful and resulted in the loss of two bicylces...

R.I.P Penelopie Cruiser

2008-2009

Also, Griffin, got kinda bored, despite all his toys...

Once in Indiana, I got to introduce Griffin to my family there (although Michele had already met him).

Gabe and Griffin:

Cassi and Griffin:

Gabe, Kirstin, and Brayden ready to travel with us:

Uncle Ic meeting Griffin:

Aunt Shel and Griffin:

After spending a couple days there and Cory spending a couple days in PA and MD, we (minus two dogs) drove to St. Louis to intercept Cory (he flew there, while leaving Murphy and the Corolla in PA).

The Reunion:

We then spent another 6 or so days in the van, traveling across the country to Tacoma, Washington.

Here are pics of some of the highlights...

And finally, on May 7th (or thereabout), we arrived in Tacoma, WA and began unloading all of our belongings in a storage unit. Griffin was VERY happy to be in one location...for a few days...

After unloading all of our things we parted ways with my parents...they drove back to Indiana and we flew to Hawaii.

To Be Continued...

Traveling Fools and Photos

2009-07-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time!

I keep wanting to write everything on here...where we've been, what we've been doing...then I get overwhelmed with what all I will have to write.

So, I'll start here...we have been traveling fools. Griffin has now been in 20 states, insane, huh?? I will give more details about our travels shortly (I hope). We have been able to see lots of friends and family. It's been great being able to introduce Griffin to everyone!

The main point of this post though is to share with you Griffin's 6 month photos. We got them done last week with an awesome photographer and old friend of mine. She does amazing work! The online gallery will be available for two weeks, so check out the pics now. It's going to be so hard to pick which we want to purchase, I just love them all!! If anyone needs a photographer in Indiana, contact Leslie, she's great!

To access the online gallery, go to:

http://leslieober.com/index2.php

Click on "Clients" at the bottom,

Password is "griffinz"

Enjoy!!

Another short one...

2009-04-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

Quick update...

Griffin just pooped in the bath for the first time tonight.

And here are some new tummy time pics...

Craziness

2009-04-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

More to come, but just wanted to say...Griffin is three months old! CRAZY!

Updates...

2009-03-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Again, it's been a while...

Griffin is growing so much! We went to his 2 month appointment last Monday and he weighted 11 lbs 10 oz and was 24.25 inches long. He's grown almost 5 inches since he was born...crazy!

At this appointment, he also got 4 shots and an oral vaccine. I don't think he felt too well after these, as he was not a happy camper for a couple days after. Poor guy. He's doing a lot better now though and is sleeping really well too. Last week there was a night he slept 8 hours straight! Unfortunately I had a hard time sleeping then. I woke up after 2 hours and was up for 4 hours, then back down for another hour and a half. How is a 2.5 month old sleeping better than I am?!? I guess I won't complain too much...hopefully he'll keep this up and I'll train myself to be a better sleeper. :)

More updates:

Griff rolled over today for the first...second, and third time.

He was in his first parade on Sunday.

He's outgrowing most of his clothes.

He's smiling and responding to people more and more.

We started going to a "Play Together, Learn Together" group last week. First class didn't go so well, but second went a lot better.

And as far as internship, we're moving to Tacoma, Washington! One corner of the country to the other...crazy!

And now for some pictures...

All dressed up for his first play group...

Lots of tummy time pictures...

After a successful playgroup...

On St. Patty's Day parade float...

Mid-roll...

After roll...

GREAT NEWS!!!

2009-02-22T03:42:00.000-08:00

GREAT NEWS...I got matched to an internship site. I don't yet know which one/ where, I will find that out on Monday, but at least I know I've been matched! Phew...what a relief! I feel like the past couple years my life has been somewhat on hold. Looking back, I realize that I have had some great experiences...ones that will really help me in the future, it's just been a little tough seeing the positive aspects of it all. Everything is really starting to fall into place though. People always say, "Everything happens for a reason." I think that can be such a frustrating thing to hear, but then I have moments like this where I really believe it. Who knows where we'd be right now if everything had happened as I planned? I am so thankful for where we are at now...especially with our amazing little guy, Griffin!

On that note, here are some more pics. I decided to see if G could sit in his bumbo chair the other day and I thought he looked adorable, so there are several pics of that, then there are a couple others. Enjoy!

Pictures and Videos

2009-02-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures....

Also, I posted some videos of Griffin on youtube. I will continue posting videos on there, so you can either subscribe to my videos or check back on there for other videos. Our username (that you would search for) is zimmeroosa

Here is a link to one of the videos:

Smiles

Lots of Pictures and Updates...

2009-02-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

It's been a little while since the last post...

Griffin went on his first mini vacation. He, Mimi, Gramps, Mommy and Daddy went to Key West for a night. He was sooo good. He loves traveling and being outside. He is so tolerant with sounds and was even comfortable and content in bar/restaurants in Key West that had live music. He definitely takes after both parents. :)

Here are a couple pics of the Key West trip...

Bad glare on this one, but I thought I'd post it anyway...

Griffin taking his first bottle (of breastmilk)...

Griff's dollar at Willie T's...

Mmmm, good lunch!...

Southernmost Point...

Griffin also had an exciting night recently, at home with Mimi and Gramps watching the Superbowl, rooting for the Steelers.

This past weekend, Griffin helped to celebrate Martina's 30th birthday and he also got to meet Beth! Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Here is his first smile caught on camera--ADORABLE!!!...

He looks so cute in the hat that Grandma Z made for him...

Here I think he is praying that Beth comes to visit him lots and lots and brings her beautiful daughter, Kiley, for him to play with...

And today, for Gramps 65th birthday, Griffin got to go to the beach for the first time. Of course, I have the trip documented with pictures. :)

Here he was being super cute and smiling at me. He also cooed for the first time! I think he was telling me he liked the beach...

Then he became a little more serious...

Besides all this fun, Griff also had a doctor's appointment this week. It was his one month visit. He has grown like a weed! He went from 7 lbs 15 oz at his two week appointment to 9 lbs 12 oz! And he grew from 20.5 inches to 22.75 inches! The doctor was amazed at how much he has grown. Everything else with the doctor was fine. He is doing great and is perfectly healthy. I am so thankful for how great of a little boy we have!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and update. Leave comments. :)

Being a mom

2009-01-23T20:52:00.001-08:00

I've realized I'm definitely a mom...

This realization occurred first the other night when I reached into my purse (diaper bag), searching for my lip gloss and all I could find was Mylecon, a pacifier, and an itzbeen (http://www.itzbeen.com/).

My realization of being a mom was reinforced when I caught myself licking my finger and wiping something off Griffin's face.

I hope I don't turn into a crazy mom...I hear it's inevitable and I am starting to believe it. And since it's inevitable, here is ANOTHER picture of Griff...

2 Week Update

2009-01-18T01:33:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been a rough couple of days...I got mastitis (a breast infection). Let me tell you, this has got to be one of the worst things ever! I would have rather given birth again than to go through this! For days my temperature kept going up near 103, I had the worst aches and pains all over my body, including the worst headaches I've ever had, chills, sweats, breast pain, nausea....ugh...it's bad. I'm feeling a lot better, but not 100% yet. I can't wait for that!

To top that off, I had an internship phone interview during all of this. It was not pleasant, but hope it went well anyway.

On a good note, Griffin is doing great! At his first pediatricians appointment, he weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. This means that he lost about 2 oz. a day after he was born, but apparently that is good for breast-fed babies. Everything else at the first appointment went well. The doctor commented on how much he looks around and focuses on things. She called him "an old soul". She also commented on his large feet. :)

10 days later (today) he had his 2 week appointment. The doctor said he looks great. And he's up to 7 lbs 15 oz! He's also grown an inch since his birth. He's now 20.5 inches long.

He's such a cutie, I'm so in love.

Birth Story

2009-01-09T21:02:00.001-08:00

Well, today was my due date, and Griffin is 1 week old, so I thought this was an appropriate time to finally type my version of his birth.

On the night of New Years Day, I felt like I had gas pains (great way to start a story, huh?!?) :) Anyway, I went to bed with this feeling, but after an hour of laying there and not being able to fall asleep, I decided that maybe these were contractions I was feeling and I should time them. They didn't really hurt, just felt like uncomfortable gas. So anyway, I got Cory's laptop, brought it to bed and went to contractionmaster.com (great website). I timed what I was feeling and after an hour, looked to see what the duration and frequency was. I was having these gas type pains every 2.5-5 minutes, lasting for around a minute. The doctor kept saying that if I was having contractions every 4-5 minutes, lasting for one minute, for one hour, then I should go to the hospital. I was hesitant to do so, because I wasn't really sure if they were contractions that I was feeling. Anyway, I woke Cory up and said that I thought maybe it was time. We got things together, I took a short shower, and we were on our way. I kept saying that I was hoping that this was really labor because I would feel bad if the doctor got called and it was just gas or something. I was pretty certain that it was probably a false alarm because it didn't seem so bad.

We got to the hospital about 4 am and they hooked me up to the machines to track the contractions. They also did an internal exam. They said that I was 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced...only 1 cm further than I had been at my doctors appointment a few days before. They said that they spoke with my doctor and he said to walk around for about an hour and they would check me again to see if they would admit me. I was so happy to hear that the doctor that I had been seeing all along was on call. That was always one of my biggest worries...that he wouldn't be there when I delivered. After an hour of walking, they checked me again and I had progressed slightly. They said that they would be admitting me and that my doctor was going off call and the other doctor would be in shortly to check me out. I was so upset! I guess I gave the nurse a real upset look, because she tried to reassure me that this doctor was "really nice". At the time, that didn't matter...I was really hoping for my doctor who I had been really happy with. A short time later, he came in and checked me out and said that I would be moving out of triage and into a labor and delivery room. At 9 am I was in the room getting hooked up to IVs. The contractions were getting more painful, closer together, and lasting longer. I had a lot of back pain. Cory was wonderful...he was very supportive and rubbed my back to try to ease the pain. A little before 11am, the doctor came in and checked me again. He said that I was progressing really well and was going to break my water since it hadn't broken on its own. He said that I should probably be ready to start pushing in a few hours. Following this, I had the worst contraction ever. I felt completely out of control and was throwing up and crying...it was NOT fun. I was hoping that this wouldn't last a few more hours...I was hoping for minutes or even seconds!

After a little over a hour of extremely painful contractions and the nurse asking me if I wanted an epidural and me not being sure if I should say yes or no, I REALLY wanted it to be over. I really really wanted to start pushing, but the nurses were saying that I couldn't. The doctor wasn't there, but they were going to get him from the cafeteria because I had progressed quicker than they expected. As soon as he came in, they were still telling me not to push, because my body wasn't ready...well it felt like it was ready! Then all of a sudden they said I could. Pushing was the greatest feeling ever. It took all the pain and craziness away and focused me. The doctor ended up giving me an episiotomy and after a couple pushes, the baby's head was crowning. After a couple more he was out. It was such an amazing feeling to see the baby for the first time and have the doctor lay him on me. Seeing Cory look at him was beautiful! Griffin Porter Zimmerman was born at 12:08 on 1/2/09, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz, and measuring 19.5 inches long.

Oh, and it turns out the doctor was really nice. I really liked him and was extremely happy with him. He was a lot nicer and more laid back than I expected. I felt bad for being upset about him being there. About 20-30 minutes after Griffin's birth, my regular doctor called me in the labor and delivery room and said that he had heard from his colleague about the delivery and how well it went. It was very nice of him to call. The next day the doctor that delivered Griffin came to see me and said that that was one of the fastest deliveries he had seen and how rare it is that people don't get epidurals. Glad I could be a good deliverer. :)

So that's it, that's the story of the birth of Griffin Porter Zimmerman. Hope I didn't bore you too much.

In case I did though, here are a couple cute pictures of Cory and Griffin to make it all better...

Phone Pictures

2009-01-08T19:43:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple pictures from my phone:

Right after Griffin's birth...

Griffin and Daddy in the hospital...

Sleeping at home...

Birth Story and Pics

2009-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

SOMEDAY I'll post my version of Griffin's birth, but since it hasn't happened so far, I will post a link to Cory's. I read it this morning and cried.

http://zimdog.blogspot.com/2009/01/litter-of-one.html

Being pregnant, giving birth and being a mother is amazing!

Here are some more pics...

More pics

2009-01-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

Haven't had a chance to type up the story of his birth, but that will be coming soon. Until then, here are more pics....

1st family photo:

Griff and Daddys 1st nap together:

I think I'm in love....

Our son...

Griffin Porter Zimmerman

2009-01-02T22:41:00.001-08:00

Griffin Porter Zimmerman, born 12:08pm, 1/2/09, 7 lbs 9 oz, 19.5 inches long

more tomorrow...

39 Week Belly Pic

2008-12-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

Just a quick picture post.

Here is my 39 week belly pic...well, technically this is taken at 38 Weeks and 5 days...

SIGH

2008-12-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

I am getting sooo impatient. Where is Baby Z?!?

I still love being pregnant and will miss it. If I knew I had 2 months left, I'd be fine, but since I know Baby Z could come anytime now, it is driving me crazy!!! I don't want to wait anymore! Grrrr....

17 days!

2008-12-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

17 days to go until the due date, but I'm still hoping to meet Baby Z before then!

We went to the doctor today...I am still 2-3 cm dilated, but now 80% effaced and Baby Z is at zero station. (See earlier post for an explanation of dilation, effacement, and station.)

Also at today's appointment, I told the doctor that the baby was not moving as much. He told me to go get lunch and come back to get hooked up to monitors for a non-stress test. We did that and everything looked great. Of course the baby started moving more after I said something. :) It was great though, Cory and I got to sit for about 30-40 minutes listening to Baby Z's heartbeat. I could have done that all day!

So that's about it. Doctor said we may have a Christmas or New Years Baby...cross your fingers, I can't wait to meet the little one!

The Unborn

2008-12-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

Uh oh...I just saw a preview for the movie The Unborn...in the preview it says, "On January 9th...witness the birth...of evil."

Agghhh...I hope more than ever now that Baby Z comes before January 9th.

37 Week Doctor's Visit

2008-12-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

Just had another doctors appointment. Things are continuing to progress. I am 2-3 cm dilated, 70% effaced and almost at 0 station. To get a a better idea of what this means, I will paste some info I found on babiesonline.com...

Effacement, Dilation and Station
In most pregnancies, at about 37 weeks, your doctor or midwife will begin checking your cervix for effacement, dilation and station. She will then report back to you the results. For first time moms this can be confusing. If you don’t know what effacement, dilation and station are, then when your provider reports that you are, “One centimeter, 25%, -2,” you may feel very confused. Below are explanations of each stage of your body’s preparation for delivering your baby.
EffacementPrior to pregnancy and in the first and second trimester, as well as much of the third trimester, your cervix is long and thick. As labor nears it begins to shorten and thin out. This action is referred to as effacement. As your cervix begins to efface, the plug keeping the entrance to the uterus sealed is released. This is called your mucus plug and it may contain some blood.
Effacement is generally measured in percentages by doctors and midwives. When you have an exam your provider will tell you that it is anywhere from 0% to 100% which means not effaced at all to completely effaced and thin. When it is completely effaced it becomes a part of the uterine wall, allowing the baby to pass through.
DilationUntil you are late in your third trimester, your cervix should stay tight and closed with no dilation. Dilation is the process of the mouth of the cervix opening and widening, which allows your baby to pass through. This is measured in centimeters. For most of your pregnancy it should be 0 centimeters. In order to deliver your baby your cervix needs to stretch open to 10 centimeters. As the cervix dilates, some people describe cramping and pressure, similar to what you would feel during menstruation.
If you begin dilating in the second trimester or at a rapid rate before the last month of your pregnancy it can be a sign of premature labor. If this is the case your doctor or midwife will advise you on what to do next.
StationWhen your provider tells you about your baby’s station, she is referring to how far down his head has come into your pelvis. If your baby has dropped, but has not yet settled into your pelvis to begin his decent, it is measured in centimeters as a negative station. This negative measurement goes from -3 to -1. Once your baby has settled into your pelvis, but before he starts his descent to the birth canal, it is referred to as a zero (0) station. Once your baby starts heading towards the cervix, it is referred to as a positive station from 1 to 3. During this time it is likely that you will feel an increase of pressure and pain in your pelvic bone and vaginal area.

So...still don't know when baby will come...could be weeks still, but I'm super excited...and ready. I'm not real uncomfortable or anything, just ready to meet the little guy or girl!

Our next appointment is next Tuesday, the 23rd. Will write more then, unless I think of anything exciting sooner. :)

New Belly Picture

2008-12-11T21:17:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture that was taken last night (at almost 36 weeks)...

I've really grown lately!

30 Days!

2008-12-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

Only 30 days left til due date!

I went to the doctor this past Monday...Megan joined me, but didn't get a show...she stayed near my head during the exam. :)

Not so great news first...the doctor took a bacteria swab last week and it came back positive, so I will have to be treated with penicillin when I go into labor and if the bacteria is still present at that point, there is a 1:1,000 chance the baby will develop pneumonia. Hopefully we're not that unlucky!!

Good news...I am 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. After doing research about that, I don't think that means anything definitive...I could stay like that or progress slowly...or quickly. So who knows...maybe baby will come early, maybe not. All I know is that it's starting. :)

My FL friends had a nice baby shower for me this weekend at the beach. Thanks to everyone! And while I'm at it, don't remember (because of my pregnant brain) if I said anything about the Indiana shower...my family had one for me out there...thank you to everyone for that as well!! I'll post pictures soon!

35 Days!

2008-12-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

Only 35 days left until our due date of January 9th!!

We had a doctors appointment this past Tuesday. I now go to the doctor every week!

We waited FOREVER in the waiting room for this appointment...they ended up taking literally everyone else in the waiting room, never called me, and closed the window for lunch. Cory poked his head back in to get someones attention to let them know that they must have forgotten about me. Sure enough, they did.

When I went back, the doctor was very apologetic and seemed pretty upset that I got passed by.

On to the appointment...everything looks great, I'm still measuring right on track- 35 weeks, and the baby's head is down and ready for delivery. :)

For all of those who know about this crazy rash I've had, I don't really know what it is. I got blood work done, but all the blood work looks good. The rash looks almost gone, but I'm still pretty itchy sometimes. It's strange, but not as annoying as it was. The doctor doesn't seem concerned about it.

During the appointment, I asked if my parents could come back to hear the heartbeat. The doctor said he'd do one better and show them the baby! So he sent a nurse out to get them and then Cory, my parents, and I got to see the baby on an ultrasound! That was definitely worth being overlooked in the waiting room. :) Luckily he kept the baby's sex a secret and just showed us Baby Z's spine, heart, arms, face, hands in front of face, etc. It was crazy to see how much bigger the baby has gotten. Before you could see so much more of the baby on the screen at once. Now though, each part takes up the whole screen!

So...it was a good appointment and being there made me realize how soon Baby Z will be here!

On that note, I've been trying to get everything done in case he/she comes early. We went on a maternity tour Tuesday night and we're signed up for a breastfeeding class next Tuesday. I picked up the stroller and car seat last night...thanks to Beth and Dennis, my parents and a few others who gave us gift cards/money for baby things...that's how I bought the travel system. We still need to figure out what we'll be doing for insurance and a pediatrician...and try to find a childbirth class to take (or cliff notes to read he he), but everything seems to be coming together.

I'll update more soon. I am due for a new belly picture, so I'll do that soon and let you know how my next appointment goes. It's on Monday already!

Maternity Photos

2008-11-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

We got some maternity photos done last week (at 32 weeks). Here are some of them...

Another doctors appointment

2008-11-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

I had another appointment yesterday. Only 2 months left!!

Everything looks and sounds great. The doctor just did a routine visit...asked how things were, listened to heartbeat and measured my belly. I love how positive my doctor is. He keeps saying things like...perfect, you're measuring right on track, you look great, everything is perfect...I love it!

We also talked about how the last doctor had me concerned about the possibility of having to have a c-section just because of the spinal fusion I had. I don't remember if I blogged about this, but I contacted the surgeon that did the fusion and he thought it would be okay to proceed with a vaginal birth. Anyway, my OB didn't seem to think it was a problem either and was surprised that the other doctor even brought it up. That was relieving. I really was worried about dealing with a doctor that jumped right into c-sections. I mean I will have one if it is the best for the baby and/or myself, but I don't want to jump into it, you know?

Oh, I also passed my glucose test...no gestational diabetes! Woohoo! So I can continue eating all these brownie sundaes! Nice! :)

Hmm...I don't think I have any pictures for you today.

Ohh, no, I do...I got some hand-me-down clothes (which I love) from a co-worker who has twins...a boy and a girl...Cory decided to test out his daddy skills and dressed up Murphy...

Election Day Freebies

2008-11-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

Haha, not pregnancy related, but thought I'd post anyway...

I saw that starbucks and ben & jerrys were giving away free coffee and ice cream tomorrow for those who vote, so I decided to check out what other places are offering up goodies.

I found out that chick-fil-a (some locations) and a couple other places were giving out free food or coffee, but I also found that you can get a free "adult toy" and free tatoo removal tomorrow, just for voting. Thought I'd pass this info along incase any of you are interested. :)

http://gothamist.com/2008/10/30/voting_never_felt_so_good.php

http://www.newlookdallas.com/Vote_Tattoo_Removal.html

30 Weeks

2008-10-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm 30 weeks tomorrow. It's crazy how fast time is flying! Only 10 more weeks til our due date. I go to the doctor on Wednesday. After that, I'll be going to the doctor every two weeks until the last month when I go every week.

I had my glucose test done a couple weeks ago, but I haven't heard the results. Hopefully I pass and don't have gestational diabetes...it would not be fun to give up brownie sundaes. :) At my last appointment I also got a RhoGAM shot. I got this because I am Rh- and the baby may be Rh+...this will prevent complications that could happen if our blood mixes...that's how I understand it anyway. I'll get another shot following delivery too.

Also at the last appointment, I saw a different doctor. He made me nervous that I would have to have a c-section because of the spinal fusion I had in 1999. I contacted the surgeon who performed this surgery though and he thinks that based solely on that operation, I should still be able to go ahead with a vaginal birth. I know I've had more back problems since then (herniated discs) and I don't want to mess anything up, but I would really like to try to have a natural birth if possible.

What else? I have sent out 1/3 of the internship applications I will be sending out. 7 out of 21. I'm applying to 21 different sites in 17 different states. Who knows where we'll end up!

Tomorrow is Halloween. I'd love to dress up because when else will I be pregnant on Halloween, but I can't decide on a costume. I'm so indecisive. What I'm NOT indecisive about though is that I now HATE cooking. I used to love cooking, but it is no fun anymore. And I'm super uncomfortable afterwards. Blah!

Here's my 30 Week picture, sorry it's a little fuzzy...

Busy...

2008-10-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

I'm super busy with internship applications...they're stressing me out.

I can't do a long post now, but I thought I'd tide you over with a belly shot. :) This was taken a week ago (at 27 1/2 weeks)...

Another 3D/ 4D Ultrasound

2008-10-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

I went today for the free 3D/ 4D Ultrasound. The baby wasn't very cooperative again. He/she was in a bad position...despite me trying to wake the baby with OJ and soda before the appointment. I did get to see some cute images of the baby while I was there...even though most of the time his/her hands were in front of his/her face again. At one point I even got to see Baby Z yawn- it was adorable.

I was very disappointed when I got home though and looked at the DVD they gave me. They were supposed to give me a DVD with all the pictures and videos, and when I opened it I noticed that she only included a couple pictures and no video. And the pictures that she did include weren't even the best ones. :( I'm so sad. I wanted to be able to share more.

Here is the best of the worst though...a profile shot of the baby...

I heart garage sales and ultrasounds!

2008-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day...I woke up at 5:15 am and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up, ate some breakfast, got ready, and went to an early garage sale. I bought the following items, plus a book that I forgot to put in the picture for under $15! How exciting!

After the garage sale I came home and picked up Cory. I suprised him and took him for a 3D/4D ultrasound of the baby for his birthday! We got to share this with several people: Lucas, Patty, Dylan, Kerry, Martina, and Chris. It was so nice to have them there!

The man doing the ultrasound asked if we knew the sex of the baby and I said no, and that we didn't want to know. Throughout the ultrasound he kept asking if we were sure we didn't want to know cause he knew. Luckily though no one gave in, he didn't spill the beans, and we didn't see any between the legs shots!

The baby was being a little bit of a stinker and didn't want to show his/her face. He was facing a little towards the back, which makes it hard to get a good shot, then Baby Z kept putting his/her hands, arms and even a foot in front of his/her face!

You can see here in this first picture what I'm talking about (arms and hands in front of face)...

This second picture shows the baby's face with his/her fist at his/her mouth...

The next picture is my favorite, it looks like Baby Z is smiling and waving. Silly baby!

This next one might be a little harder for you to see...towards the left side of the picture is Baby Z's face with his/her left hand pointing just above where its left eye is...

And here is a 2D picture of Baby Z's profile...

Someone that I work with let me know about this volunteer opportunity to get a free 3D/4D ultrasound, so I am doing that on Thursday. :) I'm so excited to see Baby Z again...hopefully the little stinker will be more cooperative next time!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Let me know if you can't make out Baby Z/ need me to explain any of the pictures anymore. :)

Bellies

2008-09-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

I love being pregnant! Don't get me wrong, it has it's downsides, but the good parts FAR outweigh the bad! I might even say I don't even mind the bad parts. I love how people are so nice to pregnant people...it's too bad though that people aren't more like this all the time. I've noticed that people are more likely to talk to you when you're pregnant- and their voices are usually higher than normal. Strange, but entertaining...and I like it. :) Also, it's hilarious to see people look at my belly first then my face.

On a separate note, I think Cory is experiencing some of the symptoms of pregnancy as well.

Here is a picture that demonstrates what I'm talking about...

23 Weeks

2008-09-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've been to the doctor twice since my last post. I went for my regular appointment which went well. Not much to it. Got to hear the heartbeat again, which I love. The doctor was a little concerned because I had lost a few pounds since the previous month, but not enough to worry too much. Plus I've been eating like crazy, I should be packing them on soon enough. :)

I went to the doctor again the following week because I was feeling kinda crazy at work. Like I had drank a pot of coffee...and I hadn't had any caffine. I think it was a drop in my sugar. Anyway, I called them and they told me to come on in right away. I got to see the nurse and the doctor. I was really impressed with how soon they got me in and the attention they paid me and the baby. They agreed that it was probably a drop in my sugar and instructed me to keep candy or juice boxes with me...sounds good to me. :)

Here is a belly picture from this past week. In this picture I am 22weeks and 5 days pregnant...getting bigger.

And here is a belly picture from yesterday (23 weeks 2days). I was in the Chicago area for a wedding and got to see my parents. Despite all the bad luck experienced, it was great to see my parents as well go to Annie and Chuck's wedding!!

My next appointment is scheduled for October 1st. We will be doing some sort of test during that appointment, but my pregnant brain has forgotten what that test is. I think it might have something to do with me being Rh-. I guess we'll find out then. :)

Thanks for checking my blog and keeping up to date on our pregnancy...leave me comments, I love them. Maybe I'll post more if I see that people are actually reading this stuff/looking at these pictures. :)

2008-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

This week we got a free crib and had gotten some bedding while visiting family in Indiana, so today Cory put the crib up and I put the bedding on. Here are pictures...

I think the crib is a little feminine because of the ladybugs and I want to keep it neutral, so I'm trying to think of a way to make it more neutral, what do you think? I like the idea of a pond type theme...like different bugs/insects ( cute ones, not real looking ones :) ), and frogs, and ducks and stuff. Hmm...

On a side note. I've still been feeling very good for the most part. Sleeping is super interrupted because of my back hurting and going to the bathroom, but otherwise still feeling pretty great. My doctors appointment got switched from Tuesday to Thursday, so I'll definitely update more then, if not before.

Movement

2008-08-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

I started feeling the baby move and I love it! I guess when he or she is kicking me in the ribs I may not love it quite as much, but for now it's great! :) I started feeling it a couple weeks ago, but very rarely. Now I've been feeling movement several times everyday. Today I was rubbing my belly, talking to the baby and asking it to move and it did! I know it's not cause I asked him/her to, but it was great timing. :) Cory got to feel him/her move the other day too! Seems early, but he did-I was so happy!

Ultrasounds are FUN!

2008-08-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this last night, but we don't have internet at home, so today it is...
We had our ultrasound yesterday and it was GREAT! The baby was measuring at 12 oz and the technician figured about 9 inches long. The technician said that he or she was measuring at 20 weeks 3 days, compared to the 19 weeks and 5 days that goes along with my due date of January 9th. It was first estimated that the due date was January 1st, so maybe it will move up, not sure.
The baby was head down and the placenta is away from the cervix which is good. He or she was being a "stinker-butt" according to the technician and facing towards my back so we couldn't get a good profile picture of his/her face. The picture below is the best we got...its of the baby's face straight on. Some say it looks like an alien, but I think it's beautiful. :)

If you need help deciphering it...it is a close up of the face. The bigger darker area is his/her brain cavity, underneath that on either side of the face are two eyes with a nose in the middle and the mouth just under that. Do you see?

Here is another picture. Harder to tell, but it is of it's face with it's arm next to its head (on the left side of the picture).

During the ultrasound, the technician showed us all the parts of the baby...well, not the private parts, cause we don't want to see them yet! It was great, she pointed out both sections of both arms and both legs, both kidneys, the heart and all it's 4 chambers, the brain, the spine, the ribs, the aorta and renal arteries, the stomach and the fluids in it from the baby swallowing the amniotic fluid (like it should) and the full bladder (he/she needed to tinkle). We also got to see the umbilical cord, and the lips/nose (although i couldn't make those out). The technician looked there and was able to tell that the baby does not have a cleft lip. She also showed that the spine was fully formed which is great.

After the ultrasound, the technician turned off the machine, lowered the table, etc and worked on putting information in the chart while she answered our questions. Just before us leaving she said that she would look at the baby again to see if he/she had moved so we could get a profile shot of the face. Unfortunately (and fortunately though), it looks like the baby takes after me and is lazy in the morning and was still resting in the same position. She tried wiggling my belly to wake the baby, but he/she is a sound sleeper I guess...hopefully the baby keeps that up after birth! :)

I loved having the ultrasound. I said that I could stay there looking at the baby all day! She wouldn't let me though...sigh! Hope you enjoy the pictures half as much as I do!

It's been a while...

2008-08-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since the last blog. I was traveling around all summer and got back to FL a couple weeks ago and have been super busy since. I think I will be that way until the baby comes...well...after too, I'm sure.
We went to the doctor on August 5th, the day after we got back to Florida. At this appointment we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again (Cory for the first time in person) and I got a blood test done to check for Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome. I got a call this week saying that the bloodwork came back fine and everything looks great! We have an ultrasound scheduled for this Wednesday (August 20th). I am sooooo excited to see the baby again! I am now 19 weeks pregnant and we haven't seen the baby since our 9 week appointment! I am so excited to see how he/she has changed. It doesn't even seem real that the pictures that I see in books of a baby at 19 weeks is like the baby that is growing inside of me. I can't wait to actually see him/her!
Overall I have been feeling really well. I still get real tired sometimes and have gotten some headaches and have been having trouble sleeping due to my back hurting (and all the trips to the bathroom), but overall, I can't complain! I can't believe that the pregnancy is about half over. Time is really flying.
Here is a picture of me at 19 weeks...
While I'm posting pictures, here are some others from this summer...

Heres me and Cassi on the 4th of July...
Here's me and Cory tailgating at the Buffett show...
Holly and her parents at Buffett...
While in PA, Cory's parents threw a baby shower for us. Here is a picture of me and Cory from the shower...
and me and Meg at the shower...
and Kiley...
So that's all the pictures for now. I'll post more on Wednesday...pictures of the baby!! Enjoy these for now.

Wishlist

2008-07-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day...I'm wild! :)

I found this website today that I can make a wishlist for the baby. The wishlist can consist of items from any website you want. I thought I'd share it with everyone for two reasons...

1. I'll use it as our registry
and
2. It's a cool site that you should use for yourselves so I know what to buy you for your birthday, Christmas, etc.

I'm using this site to list items that we would like to get that are also eco-friendly. I'm sure we'll end up registering at Babies-R-Us or something as well, but these are the "smarter" items that we would like purchase for Baby Z.

Here's the link:
Em and Cory's Registry for Baby Z

Third OB appointment

2008-07-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

I am 13 weeks and 4 days along and today was my third OB appointment. Cory is working in the Boston area and was not able to join me at this appointment. My friend, Katy, went with me though, and I was so glad to have her there. The doctor said that all my blood work came back "perfect". He used the doppler and I heard the heartbeat for the first time! I then asked if I could record it on my phone so I could send it to Cory. I am going to try to post it here so you can listen as well, just don't know if it will work. The first 17 seconds are him saying that I am in the 13th week and that it is the 8th of July, then he looks for the heartbeat. 17 seconds to the end is a good heartbeat...actually, I think its the best heartbeat ever! :)
So...click below if you want to hear (after you click on the link, you click the download button on the right side of the page, then the audio clip should just open up)...
Baby Z's heartbeat

Cory and Em with Baby

2008-06-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture to give you an idea of what Cory and I will look like with a baby...

Okay...so this picture was taken 9 years ago...I guess we won't look exactly like this. :) Also, my right leg has since grown back.

End of First Trimester

2008-06-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

So with the due date that I was given, January 9, 2009, that makes me 12 weeks and 1 day pregnant today. This is the last week of my first trimester. In honor of that, I decided to post all my first trimester belly pictures...

----------5.5 Weeks --------------------9 Weeks-------------------12 Weeks

I have been in Indiana spending time with my family. It has been great...very relaxing. They're spoiling me and fattening me up. Not all of my bigger belly is baby...its also from all the yummy food my family has been cooking me! I'll have to leave soon before I get too big. :)

Look what I did...

2008-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm reading The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy and in it, it says, "DO NOT CUT YOUR HAIR OFF WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT!" It's even in big letters like that. Well...I didn't listen. Look at what I did...

I learned a few things during this experience...
#1 The hair on the right side of the head grows faster than the left...from the Left side I donated 12 inches of hair to Locks of Love and from the right, 13 inches.
#2 One side of my hair flips out while the other naturally curls under
#3 Washing short hair you need a lot less shampoo

Good news!!!

2008-06-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have had a great week! Last Friday I took and passed my clinical competency exam. That has to be the most stressful, horrible thing I have ever done. I hated it, but luckily it is over forever! :) Now I can move on to internship and hopefully graduate someday.
Then today we had our second doctors appointment. The doctor tried to use the doppler to detect the heartbeat, but he couldn't find it, so they wheeled in the ultrasound machine. They did another vaginal ultrasound and we got to see the baby. He/she was sooooo cute! The baby now has arms and legs and was even moving around! He/she looked like a little boxer the way it was moving its arms around. Here are two pictures:Adorable, right?!? :) I cannot believe how much the baby has changed in the 3.5 weeks since our last appointment! The doctor also told us that once the baby is moving around like ours was that the chances of miscarrying drops to below 1%. Now with that news and not having to worry about CCE anymore, I should be relatively stress free for a while! :)

Another Problem

2008-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Oh man, Problem #3...I'm out of banana bread. AGH! :) Hehe, gotta make more!
I have my clinical competency exam coming up on Friday and I've been super stressed about it. It's so hard to concentrate on what I have to get done when I have the internet to constantly look up pregnancy and baby things! Once it's over though, I can focus on baby. :) I'm sure it'll be happy once this is over, I'm sure the stress isn't good for him or her!
I have my second doctor's appointment a week from today (June 10th). I'll update after that to let you know how everything is going. Check back then!

Problems

2008-05-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

I think I have two problems.
Number 1, I CANNOT stay awake. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't take 2-3 naps a day! I have never been this tired. Okay, I have definitely been lazy before, but this feels totally different. I am exhausted most of every day.
And Number 2, I'm addicted to banana bread. If I'm awake, I'm eating it. Somehow it makes me feel better (gets rid of the nausea).
K, that's all for now. :)

Cute Things

2008-05-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

The morning sickness has set in. BLAH! Don't get me wrong, I am sooooo excited and happy to be pregnant, but being nauseous half of everyday is NOT fun! I just need to stay focused on all the positive things going on. :)
This past week I got two super cute gifts. The clothes are from Kerry and Martina and the Play Yard is from Beth, Dennis, and Kiley. Thanks!

This is the pattern on the play yard:

Big News...

2008-05-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

So I've said in the past that I was going to become better at blogging. I am serious this time...because I want all my friends and family to be able to share our pregnancy experience with us. :) Yep, that's right, Cory and I are expecting a baby!
I found out I was pregnant on May 4th...through the use of a home pregnancy test...followed by two other home pregnancy tests (hehe). I was so nervous about being excited until everything was confirmed by the doctor.
We went to our first Ob/Gyn appointment this past Friday (May 16th) and got to see the heartbeat and everything! Now that has to be the greatest thing I've ever seen! When the pregnancy was first confirmed at this appointment, they said that I was 7 weeks and 3 days along and due January 1st. After doing the ultrasound, however, the doctor thought I was closer to 6 weeks and due closer to January 9th. At this point I really don't care about those specifics, I was just soooo happy to hear that the baby looked healthy and had a strong heartbeat!
And now for pictures...

This was right after the (first) positive home pregnancy test. Excuse how messy I look, I had just gotten up. :)
And here's my first belly shot. I guess I was between 5 and 6 weeks along here.
And here is the first baby picture! It's pretty fuzzy, but that's the little guy...or girl there on the bottom, right side of the big black area. :) The heart beating was this bright light pulsating on the screen there. It was soooo amazing, I wish you could see it in this picture! :)

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and news. :) Check back often and keep us in your thoughts!

Yea!

2008-02-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

But oh so rewarding! Pictures coming soon!

I'm going to go crazy!

2008-01-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

AAAGGGGHHHHH, packing and moving is soooo overwhelming!

Lots o' work...

2008-01-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

Here are a few before and after pictures of the place (mostly painted)...

I'm not homeless!!

2008-01-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yea, we found a home! How quick was that?!?

The house we are going to be renting is actually our second choice, but it has a lot of character and we're real excited about it. :) We are allowed to paint it, so we're going to paint it all crazy colors. It'll be fun! :)

Also, this place is walking distance to tons of fun stuff like restaurants, bars, shops, an arts park, etc. AND.....biking distance to the beach! WOOHOO!

Here are some pictures of it. It is still dirty and has stuff in it from the previous owner, but imagine it clean and painted! I got this Glidden paint cd rom thing that I uploaded these pics to and painted the walls what colors we're going to. It was real cool and makes the place look super nice, but I can't figure out how to upload them to the web, so SORRY, you'll have to wait to see the real thing. :)

There are also two bedrooms, an office, and an attic that I'm not showing pics of. Show you more once the place is painted (and cleaned) !! :)

New Year, New Blog

2008-01-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

AAAGGGHHH, life is stressful!

Happy New Year by the way. :)

I have not proven to be a good* blogger, but I hope to improve over this next year. I definitely seem to have things to blog about, so let me get started.

Christmas was fun, but quite an experience...Cory, Lucas, Murphy, Daisy, and I spent a total of 38 hours (or just under a full work week) in our Corolla driving to and from Indiana to visit my family. Boy was that drive fun...here is evidence...

This is what happens to someone when they spend WAY too much time stuffed in a compact sedan!

Here is Murphy laying on Cory in the backseat

And Lucas looking unsure of things in the front

We were scheduled to drive back to Florida the Thursday before New Years, but that didn't happen, as Cory, Lucas, and I (along with my sister and both of my parents) all got some kind of stomach bug and we were stuck vomiting and aching for 24+ hours. We ended up leaving 24 hours late and ended up with some kind of a cold when we arrived in Florida 19 hours later.
The following day, Cory and I fought through our cold and traveled down to Key West to ring in the new year camping with friends.

Upon returning home, we discovered that the owner of the home we live in will soon be moving back with his soon-to-be wife and that we need to be out by the end of the month. AGHH! Talk about stress! We have been house hunting full force though and have some decent places to choose from.

Here is a bottle opener that we saw on the fridge of our number one choice (I bleeped part of it out for the kiddies)...

House hunting can be amusing! We'll hopefully have a decision later this week. I'll keep you posted!

On a separate note, American Gladiator is back and I believe it will be a regular addition to our Sunday nights. Cory says it's better than Battlebots. :)

My favorite quote from tonight's episode came immediately after the first two girls went head to head in the last competition. After looking completely drugged as they ran through the obstacle course, the winning competitor yelled, "I'm in so much pain, I can't breath, and I'm so freakin' excited!"

That's all for now. More blogs to come in '08. :)

*less than 49% bad

Bad, Bad Blogger

2007-12-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

I'm a bad blogger.

I HATE MIAMI!!!!!!

2007-11-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

So...5 weeks to the day that my purse (along with cash, credit cards, social security card, palm pilot, etc) was taken in Miami, someone went into my office at work and stole my phone and the cash in my purse!
I hate Miami!!!
Anyway, please send me a message with your phone number as I have lost them all.

Halloweeners :)

2007-10-31T18:11:00.000-07:00

I've been called out about being a slacker with blogging. Thanks Kristen! :)
So...I was wondering what I would blog about, then it happened....I got my first trick-or-treater ever!!! That's right....EVER! I grew up trick-or-treating in Indiana. We lived out in the middle of nowhere, so we would have to go to some neighborhood kinda far away to get our tricks...I mean treats. :) Then if we were ever around home when it was trick-or-treating time, no one ever came to our house since we didn't live near anyone. Anyway...long story short, every year I get candy hoping that I will be able to experience the knocking at the door and the yell of "Trick-Or-Treat" from silly little kids all dressed up cute and every year I never get the knock and end up eating all the candy.
Well...THIS year was different! I bought a bag of candy today...which was dangerous since I'm trying to diet. I came home with the intentions of putting spider webs out on the front porch so it would look inviting for all those silly little kids. Well, I got sleepy and decided to try to take a nap instead. Then I woke up and I figured it was too late to put up the web, cause it was already getting dark (and I didn't want to look too desperate) and because I was worried they would stay up until next year (like our Christmas tree has stayed up since last year). So later I heard kids outside, but again I didn't want to look desperate by running outside with all my candy, so I waited patiently and hoped they would knock on my well lit door. But no, they didn't. I was so sad that I thought it was going to be like every other year, then it happened!!! A little knock at the door sent me running to grab the candy and open the door...probably a little to eagerly. Then there was this cute little boy in bloody scrubs with his face all messed up yelling "Trick-or-Treat"! It was the cutest thing ever! I offered him my jar full of candy and he took one piece. I was like..."you can take more!" He said no thank you and left. I was excited about what had just happened, but I wondered if I should have commented on his costume or made small talk or forced him to take more candy, but then I realized I was thinking a little too much about it. :) It was great....then later a big group, then a couple more stragglers came by. Fun stuff. I love Halloween. :)

Newmarket, NH (2002)

2007-10-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

Sugar Cookies

2007-10-17T16:14:00.001-07:00

I want a sugar cookie soooo bad. I went on the South Beach Diet a week and a half ago and I thought my cravings were supposed to be gone by now. I hadn't had any major cravings until now, but now I want a sugar cookie...and I didn't think I even liked sugar cookies! Grrrrrr.

Two Posts in One Day

2007-10-16T18:36:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to update about dinner (the Greek Shrimp and Scallops with Feta). It was pretty tasty. Next time though, I'll use mussels instead of scallops. If you like seafood, you should definitely try this one.

While I'm blogging, I might as well give you another piece of the picture. :)

Day 2 Ramblings

2007-10-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

Here we are at day 2 of me having a blog. Look at me, I post EVERYDAY. :) Ok, now I'm just being a dork.

Not much to say today. I made a yummy Chicken and Tomatillo Soup last night. I had never cooked with tomatillos before. I don't know what they would be like in other dishes, but in this soup they were great. Tonight I'm going to try a Greek Shrimp with Feta dish...but I'm adding bay scallops.

Well, I guess that's all I have. Here's another piece of the picture. :)

New to blogging

2007-10-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

So...this is my first blog and I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I don't know what my goal is on here....to keep family and friends updated on my life, to journal, to blab, or something more meaningful. Apparently right now it is to blab, but I guess I'll figure it out eventually.

I want to post a picture here on my first blog, but I also want to keep you coming back...so you only get part of it, enjoy. :)