Welcome to the world Baby Reagan!!

Reagan was born on Monday, October 12th. She is a healthy, happy BEAUTIFUL baby girl!

Sunday's To-Do list

OK, so it isn't so much MY to-do list as my husband's. I love him dearly but he is the definition of the word PROCRASTINATION! Many of these things I have been asking him to do for a while (because I simply can't for one reason or another) so now he has to do them all today before we go to the hospital tomorrow...

Monday is D Day!

D for delivery of course! ... well at least we hope....

At my Dr's appointment Thursday, my doctor decided that I should be induced a little early and let Reagan come into this world ahead of schedule.

Is THAT what's in there?

Being that it is the first day o October...and my due-date-month... I wore a special shirt today. "Yes, I swallowed a pumpkin!"

Sweet (?) Dreams

I've had some weird pregnancy dreams before, but last night takes the cake. I had two weird pregnancy dreams that I actually remember.

The first one, I dreamt that

Can I astral project during labor?

Chris and I went to a childbirth class today. It was interesting but loooooooong. 9am-5:30pm and the instructor rambled quite a bit and really over shared about her personal life! I'm really not interested in how much hair you had...well... wherever! LOL

Winnie the Pooh!

Chris finally finished painting our Winnie The Pooh nursery. I always knew he was a good artist, that he can draw amazingly well, but...WOW...just WOW! He did a FAN-TAB-U-LOUS job! I am so proud of him and can't wait to show Reagan her room!

Stage 1 & 2: Paint the grass and the sky then draw out the pictures....

Stage 3: Paint the mural (WOW!)....

Stage 4: Add the furniture and decorate... See the pictures at the top of this blog. Of course being a teacher, I had to fully stock her book shelf! It is complete with traditional nursery rhymes, Classic Winnie the Pooh books, Dr Seaus, Golden Books, and books 1- 20-something of the Magic Tree House (Yes, it will be a while before those are of interest to her, but I love them so they are there!). There are also plenty of pop-up books, finger puppet books, "feely" books (where there is something soft, crinkly, scratchy, etc on each page), a couple of coloring books, and even a Children's First Encyclopedia.

Now we are just waiting for Stage 5...Add baby Reagan!

Wednesday was a day of Air, Master's, and a Vampire

Life in Florida without an air conditioner is bad.

Life in Florida in the middle of August without an air conditioner is really bad.

Life in Florida in the middle of August without an air conditioner WHILE PREGNANT is PURE TORTURE!!!

I have been without A/C for a week and a half. It broke on a Saturday, apparently it was a cylinder that had cracked and leaked all the oil and freon. Fun fun fun. The warranty was past so to fix it would be half the cost of buying a whole new unit, so we decided to go with the new, more economical unit. It got put in on Wednesday....finally!

Until it was fixed, I did convince my husband to go buy a small window unit at Wall-mart to put in the bedroom. It wasn't quite big enough to cool the entire bedroom and the bathroom but it worked well enough to keep it from being scorching in one room of the house as well.

The only problem was the room service sucked... hahaha :)

Wednesday however, was a great day. Not only did I get my A/C fixed, but I also finished up all my final paperwork (Case Study, portfolio, reflection paper) for my Master's Degree and submitted it all. It will be so wonderful to have these last few months before Reagan is born to not have to constantly write papers or read textbooks. I can't even begin to imagine having to continue with all of this AND take care of a newborn... It wouldn't have worked at all!! Just call me "Master Mommy!"

The bizarre thing about Wednesday was that I woke up with a busted blood vessel in my left eye causing a red blood spot/ring around the white part of my eye. If you have read,or seen the movie (although the book is, as usual, way better) Twilight, you will know that both new vampires have red eyes (Older vampires who have recently fed on human blood also have red eyes too haha, but I can assure you that I have NOT had any of that!!). Let me tell you...it was a ton of fun to go to school and work with Kindergartners, first and second graders with a blood red eye! Too bad it wasn't Halloween!!

My doctor said that it is fairly common for pregnant women to pop blood vessels in their eyes. I could have sneezed, rubbed it, coughed, rolled over wrong in bed, who knows what.

To say the least...I had a very interesting day yesterday!

Pregnancy torture

Pregnant women like to eat. That is a fact. Not an opinion, a fact (well unless that pregnant woman is having morning sickness...then she may want to eat but can't).

With this fact in mind, why oh why is it not considered torture to ask a pregnant woman to fast for 10 hours to then come to the hospital, get blood drawn and fast for 3-4 MORE hours!?!?

I failed my first glucose test...the easy one, the one you don't have to fast for, the one that they only take one vial of blood, the one that only takes an hour.

I don't know by how much I failed the 1 hour test but I did and I had to do what they call the 3 hour test. 3 hours my fat booty!!

10 hours prior to going to take the test, you have to fast for 10 hours. Then you go to the hospital or the lab and wait. Yes, wait. Those places never get you right in! Then they take one vial of blood and sent you to a room to again...wait. After about 30-40 minutes they come in and either you are OK to take the test or your blood sugar is too high already to even start. If they continue, they give you the NASTIEST foul tasting drink. Pure sugar water with what they want to call flavoring...bleh!!

After drinking the drink (with an audience to make sure you actually drink it all and don't throw it up), you again wait. For an hour. Then they draw blood...and you wait another hour. After that hour they draw MORE blood and have you wait yet ANOTHER hour. After that hour, they draw the final vial of blood and release you to do a mad run/waddle to the nearest McDonalds - at this point not even caring if you are diabetic or not!

Luckily, I passed the 3 hour test and I in fact do not have gestational diabetes. I've since learned that many many people fail the 1 hour yet pass the 3 hour. I think it is a ply by the lab techs...they like to see us preggos squirm!

I didn't eat anything after 8:00 one night, and didn't get to eat until nearly noon he next day! That would make me cranky even when I'm not pregnant!!

Now where did I leave that chocolate cake... ?

Thank You Granny!!

My granny, my dad, and my granny's friend ::wink wink:: Joe came to visit Chris and I this week. This morning, Granny took me to Target, pulled up my registry, bought several things off of it... and MORE! I am so thankful!!

She bought a Diaper Genie with 2 refills, 2 boxes of newborn diapers, wipes, a bassinet, a changing pad, a chair that converts from a high chair to a toddler booster seat, bottle brushes, nursing pads, blankets, washcloths, onsies, footed PJ's, bottles, those pacifiers with the mesh that you can put frozen fruit and stuff in when they are teething, a Boppy pillow, and a baby tub. I joked that she wasn't leaving anything for anyone else to buy!

I'm also very thankful for my mother who has also already bought the crib bedding, as well as all my wonderful friends who have given me awesome hand-me-down items. With all of this stuff starting to pile up, it's starting to really sink in....WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!! :)

Baby Expo

Yesterday, I met up with my sister Amy, a friend of hers, and the friend's mother and aunt to go to a Baby Expo put on by a local radio station. It was a really great day...long... but great. I met them at 9, and we didn't leave until 3:30ish!!

The Expo included multiple vendors and service providers for expectant and new mommies. It seemed each booth had samples, goodies, fliers, information, and raffles! We of course signed up for every raffle, took all the samples anyone would offer as well as the literature about the best breast pumps, child safety, nutrition, and anything else. They gave us a bag at the entrance, but several of the vendors also gave us bags. I ended up with 3 canvas bags and a small diaper bag full of goodies! I came home with several lip balms, a large thing of Simalac, a big cuddly purple stuffed bear, a tee shirt, a diaper bag, a ribbon for measuring how big my belly is getting, a DVD of Christian children's songs, more pens than even I know what to do with, and samples of everything from diaper rash cream to lotion and Preparation H. I don't think I won any of the raffles, at least, I haven't been contacted yet! We ended up taking Ariella out of her stroller and carrying her in order to pile all of our bags and things on the stroller!

They also had discussion and question/answer sessions with professionals about different baby topics. We went to the feeding one as well as one that was a panel of moms answering questions about anything related to kids. It was really informative and interesting.

But, like I said, it was a LONG day and I was exhausted when I got home.

This is me sitting on the floor of the expo with Ariella. I just couldn't

stand up any longer, and she was out like a light!

It's a GIRL!!

I had another appointment with the specialist today, but since Chris couldn't be there with me, my friend Alexis went with me instead. We got the see the baby moving and wiggling around and find out that I am definitely having a baby girl! The nurse was doing the ultrasound and the doctor quickly walked through and said, "Well that's a little girl!" the nurse laughed and looked at it again and agreed...definitely a girl.



Everything looks great, including my BP so the doctor (not to mention me) is very pleased!

A few parent/family pictures

These pictures were actually taken June 29th when Chris's parents were here.

An Unborn Baby's Prayer

I love being so close to you Mommy, I was lulled to sleep when you were walking today, the gentle warm waters rocked me so. Did you feel me kick today Mommy? I have been practicing so long for you to feel me, I want you to know I am well and growing. I have hiccups tonight, I just can't stop them coming and it feels so strange-I hope they don't keep you awake too. I did a somersault for you Mommy, I turned over and back again cos I found I can still do it, I won't be able to soon but I suppose that will make you glad! Today I heard for the first time, Mommy-I heard your heart beating slow and steady next to mine; will your heart always be close to me? You have a lovely voice that I will recognize at once, for I woke and heard you singing-will you sing to me when I'm cradled in your arms? You must have been in sunshine today, for I saw red colors shining through my fused eyelids. I want so much to see you and the colors you wear. O how I wish I could always be this close, Mommy, protected and stretching and growing under your heart, but I know you tire easily so I must be in your arms! I want you to love me forever, Mommy- I've prayed God will make my skin really velvety soft, so you will want to touch me and cover me in kisses. God's told me He's preparing me as a gift for you, He's shaping me in a secret place known to just us three… I've asked God to help you love me, Mommy, to make me the best baby just for you-He whispered," Just relax and be yourself, that's all you have to do"

Ariella Marie

My sister had her baby yesterday, a beautiful baby girl that they named Ariella Marie. Chris and I got to go see our niece this morning. She is just perfect!!!!