Movement

Well, I must have made a very good dinner tonight. Scott and I both agreed that it was quite tasty. But why the burst of pride, you ask? Well, it must have been good because after dinner the little baby inside of me was an active little one! Yes, today, at 16 weeks prego, I felt our new baby move for the first time. S/he was quite active for about 5 whole minutes! That's why I say dinner must have been good ;) Again, we had Italian food - but we'll keep having it if it will make this little one happy. The movement wasn't quite strong enough for Scott to feel, but I know it won't be long! Tonight, this little one was as active as Ella Beth was, so Scott and I are in for lots of kicks and squirms to feel. I can only imagine what Ella Beth's reaction will be the first time my tummy jumps for her!

So, after 3 months of being totally overwhelmed by being pregnant, feeling the baby move has made me happy to be pregnant. It made me teary to think of how happy I was to feel this baby squirm all about. I know that I will still have days where I am anxious about what's to come, but after this evening, I know that I am blessed and happy to have another little one on the way. :)

On another note...Ella Beth and I had to say good-bye to two special friends over the weekend - my friend Kylie and her daughter Reese (who Scott and I met in our birthing class; Reese is 1 week younger than Ella Beth, and Kylie is prego and due the week after me in March - crazy, I know!). Kylie's husband is opening a Chick-fil-a in Raliegh/Durham, NC, in January, but his on-the-job-training is about to begin. It was so sad to see them leave. Even though we only met a year ago, going through so many stages at almost the exact same time, really draws you close to a person. And, even though Ella Beth doesn't really know any different, it was sad for me to see her first friend leave. I'm talking, every Mon/Wed/Fri for months Kylie and I would walk 3 miles with our girls at Central Park. Even in weather that was very cold - 30 degrees. Our little girls would be bundled up, and they would sleep the entire way. Kylie and I had so many wonderful talks about similar things in our lives, and it was just nice to have a friend to relate with. I know we will keep in touch, but it's still hard to lose a friend to distance. Kylie, I wish you, John, Reese, and the new baby the very best. I know y'all will make Durham your home very fast!

Okay...so enough of that sappy stuff. I have a hair appointment on Tuesday. Any suggestions??? Part of me wants to cut my hair off, but another part wants to just "trim" it. When I was prego with Ella Beth, I had the BEST hair. It was so shiny and thick and awesome (not being boastful, just honest). Here's some more honesty - with this pregnancy my hair is flat and blah. I can't stand it. It has no life. I pull it up every day b/c I can't do anything with it. So, if anyone has any suggestions - I am completely open.

TTFN - Ta Ta For Now :)

Just havin' fun

Over the weekend, Scott and I took Ella Beth to the Family Fun Festival at Central Park. It was a lot of fun, and we saw a lot of friends. Ella Beth LOVED every second of running around and feeling "free." It was a lot of work just keeping up with her! The heat of the day didn't help either. She really enjoyed watching all of the other kiddos running and playing, and she enjoyed the petting zoo. She didn't care too much for the llama b/c it kept poking its head at her, but she was mesmerized by the large tortoise. She just stared at it with wide eyes and said, "turtle." So cute! Here are a few pictures of Ella Beth and Scott playing chase. I don't know who had more fun!

On Tuesday, Ella Beth and I had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my high school friend, Jennifer. It was an exceptionally yummy lunch - and the most expensive lunch that Ella Beth has ever eaten. Of course, I decided to order pizza with pepperoni and pineapple. Since I didn't know how well Ella Beth would tolerate pizza, I ordered her two sides: Mac-n-cheese $5.95 and Broccoli $4.95. Her meal was more expensive than mine. Luckily, Scott ate her left overs with some grilled chicken for supper. Next time, even if I do have a pregnant craving, I'll be sure to order something that Ella Beth and I can share! We did have a very nice visit with Jennifer. It's so funny how 10 years can pass without keeping in touch, but it doesn't really feel that long at all. We had lots to talk about, and are looking forward to another couple of outings before baby-two gets here. After that, friends may just have to bring lunch to Beechwood Lane. I need some lessons on how to get out and about with "two under two" (as so many people put it).

I go to the doctor Friday morning for my next prego check up. I will be declining the Downs test loud and clear. I have been having a good deal of cramping throughout the last week, but I am hoping that the doctors will say it's "normal" and not to worry. I'll send out an update after my appointment.

Update on Scott

We went for Scott's endoscopy procedure this morning. What a long morning it was. We had to be there at 8:00 AM. His procedure didn't start until 9:00 AM. Why the early arrival time??? We have NO IDEA. All we did was sit with a lot of other early arrivals in the waiting room for an hour. Grrrrr.

They did the procedure at 9:00, and I was allowed in recovery wtih him around 10:20. Such a long wait for a nervous wife. Well, the doctor said, "All 3 feet of his intestines look great. However, we found something small on his stomach so we did a biopsy. We need to see you back in the office in two weeks. That's how long the pathologist takes to biopsy tissue." So...more of the waiting game. Needless to say, we are beyond frustrated. Thank goodness this hasn't been a life-threating situation, or who knows what would have happened in the last month since Scott first went in about feeling sick. I can understand some waiting, but my word, it seems like that's all we've done. Go for testing. Wait a week. Go for more testing. Wait another week. Go for testing. Wait two weeks. Just frustrating.

Anyway, thank you all for calling and e-mailing to check in. I didn't realize just how far friendship can go. I hope you are never in the same worrisome situation, but if you are, I hope I am as good of a friend as y'all have been to us.

10 Random Thoughts

10. Viva paper towels rock! I am actually one of those people who will use and reuse one paper towel. I will simply rinse it, ring it out, and hang it to dry until I need it again. There is just no paper towel that can compare (in my opinion). Yes, they cost a little bit more, but I sure get my money out of them.

9. Ella Beth loves to wear my underwear. Around her neck, that is. If I can't find her, chances are she is in my closet picking out a pair of under-roos to put on and wear around the house. Too funny. :)

8. I eat too much. I've been a "good eater" since I've gotten married, but since I've kept up my exercise routine it's been fine. However, I feel as though I'm in contest with that Japanese hotdog eating guy lately.

7. Cleaning my car is futile. I (typically) keep the inside of my car neat, but why bother with the outside? It never fails that as soon as I wash my car, it was a wasted effort.

6. Long naps are gifts from Heaven.

5. Ella Beth's obsession with shoes is O.O.C. - out of control. She can't stand if someone doesn't have his/her shoes on and will go get the shoes for the person to put on. There is just no stopping this behavior.

4. Turtles and kitties - two of my favorite things that are also Ella Beth's favorite things. :)

3. I must be craving Italian food because that's all we've been eating at home lately.

2. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the crispness in the air, the leaves falling all around, cloudy days, hikes in the mountains, campfires. Love it!

1. Since the day Ella Beth was born I've had a new favorite smell. Her breath. It is absolutely the sweetest scent on Earth.

A fun day

Today was a fun day spent with my mom and Ella Beth. We went to Chick-fil-a for lunch, stopped by Parson's, drove around a little, went to the grocery store, and finally home. Ella Beth was ready to get out of her carseat, but was a trooper most of the way. When we got home, Ella Beth entertained us by acting silly and having fun. She has learned to play "monkeys" (Three little monkeys jumping on the bed...), and will pick up any small toy and say "monkey," which means sing the monkey song. It's fun to do because she likes it so much, but by the 20th time of singing about monkeys, I'm about done!

I did get a couple of cute pictures of my mom and Ella Beth together. Ella Beth wasn't in the most photogenic mood (i.e. not smiling big), but she was cute nonetheless.

And for those of you dear friends who keep reminding me that I have yet to send out a belly shot this month, here you go. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn't look as big in the photograph as I look to myself in the mirror. I feel bloated and fat. I'm trying to eat well and moderately, but I guess it's just the stage I'm in. I'm not at all fitting into my maternity pants, but my regular pants are just uncomfortable around my belly...especially when I sit down. As of right now, I have one pair of pants that I can get away with wearing (only with a long enough shirt) and 5 shirts that I rotate every week. If you see me in the same outfit as the last time you saw me, rest assured that it is clean, it's just all that I have!

You've got to see to believe

These pictures speak for themselves in regard to the title of this post. A friend of Scott's rescued a deer when it was only HOURS old. Now, the deer is a month and a half and thinks his "mom" is a human. It was so special to feed, pet, and get so close to this baby deer. Ella Beth was intrigued by it. She loves animals, and loved looking at this deer and talking to it. She was a bit timid when it nuzzled against her, but she never made a whimper. She's an animal lover just like her parents!

Before this fun adventure, we spent the afternoon with Scott's family celebrating his dad and grandmother's birthdays (yes, that is proper English...it's called a "compound possessive") . As always, we ate too much yummy food! We'll be doing so again very soon because my mom is coming in town for the day on Tuesday, and she wants to provide a steak dinner. Ummm...BRING IT ON! Steak is one of Scott's and my favorite foods. Scott is master of the grill around here, so my tastes buds are already watering! Hopefully, I'll get some cute pics of Ella Beth and my mom together while she's here. We got her a frame for Mother's day that says "Mimi and Me" that is still empty. We've got to work on that!

Sweet Jackson

My dear friend Meredith and her son Jackson came to visit this past Monday. It's so nice to have them visit, and our lunch outings are always tasty! Mere had me take Jackson's 6 month pictures. He was very much the "ham" and cooperated SO well for our photo shoot. Here are a few of my favorites:

On another note, poor Ella Beth has had quite a few bumps and bruises in the past week. I know that it's completely normal, but seeing my sweet baby bleed and end up with knots on her head never gets any easier. Today, she was outside with Scott while I was cooking dinner. I hear Scott open the door followed by the wail of pain. Scott comes up the stairs with blood on his shirt, and Ella Beth has blood all over her face, hands, and in her hair. Of course, it looked MUCH worse than it was...but nonetheless, my baby had a "boo boo." Once we washed her up, we could finally tell that she had hit her top teeth. Since she's cutting more top teeth, her gums are very sensitive and bleed easily. I know there are many more "boo boos" to come, but man alive I am going to get stressed out. If this next baby is a boy, I'm totally in for it!

13 and 13

Today marks a special day of my pregnancy. Today, and throughout the next week, Ella Beth and I will both be 13 - I'm 13 weeks pregnant and Ella Beth is 13 months old! I just thought it was pretty neat - especially since it won't happen ever again.

It's kind of hard to believe that I'm in my second trimester. Wow is this pregnancy flying by! On one hand I'm glad b/c I just want to get the hard part of adjusting to having a newborn and a toddler over with. On the other hand, I want this time to crawl because it will be the last time we have to spend with JUST Ella Beth. This is the hardest thing that I'm (still) dealing with. Ella Beth will still be a baby herself when the new little one arrives. I just want to cherish every day with her right now. Even today...which wasn't an easy day.

Well, in the last 2 days Ella Beth has learned 9 new words: walk, buckle, bath, hot, no-no, horse, tee-tee, potty, and pretty. It amazes me that now that she knows how to form words, she can pick up just about anything! I guess Scott and I are going to have be careful with what we say. Not that we say anything worse than "crap," but I don't want my sweet little girl going around saying that! It will be a good time to break that bad habit.

As of now, my photography business is finally getting off the ground. With the addition of Christmas cards and Birth Announcements, lots of people are making appointments! Here is my favorite Christmas Card that I've done so far - I just love the simplicity of it. I still have about 15 more to finish, so I may change my mind later...but for now:

15 pounds and growing!

Ella Beth finally weighs 15 pounds!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!! We are so excited. :) The doctor has decided not to do lab tests on her "for now" but wants to reevaluate Ella Beth's weight progress at her 15 month appointment. Scott and I are 100% convinced that there is nothing "wrong" with Ella Beth - she is just petite. I mean the girl is built just like her mama. She's destined to be short and small...but hey, that just means we can share shoes and clothes when she gets older.

It's official...we have a chatter-box on our hands. Ella Beth is the most talkative little thing. The doctor says that she almost has the vocabulary of a 2 year old. That's awesome! We love listening to her talk, and we're not tired of it at all! My favorite things that she says right now are, "Up please," "Hey Mandy" (our dog), "bye, bye, Kitty," "kiss," and of course, "Mama." She has about 50-60 words in her vocabulary, and has learned at least two words a day in the past week. It's just amazing how fast she learns. I am sure she will be teaching her little brother or sister lots when he/she gets here! That will be fun to watch.

Well, Scott has sucessfully worked this week. He still says he feels "fine," but when I press him, he will admit that he doesn't feel "normal." He doesn't want to go to his appointment with the specialist next Tuesday, but I am not giving him a choice. Why are men so stubborn when it comes to going to the doctor? I mean, it's not my favorite thing either, but I'll go when I need to.

Okay...thats' all for now. Here's a picture that I took of Ella Beth yesterday morning when it was cool out. I love her new Fall clothes, and can't wait until she can wear them every day! I don't really know what it is about this picture that I love. I think it's knowing that someday I'll look back at it and remember this look she's got on her face.

Givin' up the ol caffeine...again

So, this pregnancy I have allowed myself 5 caffeinated beverages. Not many, I'll agree. However, each time I've had one, I've felt really guilty b/c I didn't have any during my pregnancy with Ella Beth, and I only had one caffeinated beverage that I can remember while I was nursing. So...despite the research that "limited amounts" of caffeine are okay, and "research suggests that there are no serious side-effects to limited caffeine consumption," I'm still givin' it up. Partly b/c I feel that I need to give this baby the same treatment that I gave Ella Beth, and partly because "research suggests" just doesn't make me feel 100% convinced. So, here I go...I suppose for a year and a half without caffeine. Oh, how I am going to miss COKE. Now, I'll buy caffeine-free COKE every once in a while, but I can't find a single restaurant that serves up a fountain caffeine-free COKE - and believe me I ask every where I go. So think of me as you indulge in your Dr. Pepper and COKE. I'll smile for you on the outside, but on the inside... ;)

Well, the pain in Scott's side/abdomen has returned. He says that it's not "as bad" as it was almost two weeks ago now. However, it upsets me that it has returned at all. It also frustrates both of us that his appointment with the specialist is still 9 days away. I mean, the poor guy has pollops all over his small intestine and is in pain from this infection. Why can't they squeeze him in, say, YESTERDAY??? I am going to make sure that the doctor understands our frustration - in the nicest way possible, of course.

Something strange happened this morning. First, last night I went to bed around 10 and I was a little hungry. But I just don't like eating that late, so I decided that I could manage. WRONG! I was so sick this morning. I had a black-out spell in the shower which was scary. I knew that my eyes were open, but I couldn't see anything. I just held on to the sides of the shower and carefully lowered myself down so as not to fall. It took all of my energy to finish my shower. When I got out, I demanded that Scott fix a "substantial breakfast" - of course, he had already poured milk for his cereal - oops. He promptly turned it into chocolate milk. Thank goodness I have a sweet hubby who (even when sick himself) can still fix a "substantial breakfast" of bacon, eggs, and toast. Yum-o! Now, don't go thinking that I'm some psycho when prego - this was my first demand of the pregnancy. Since I'm now 12 weeks, I think I'm allowed at least one "demand" per trimester. :) However, I won't be feeling bad about eating no matter what time of the night!