29 weeks - day 6

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end! It will mark my 30th week of pregnancy. Wow! Ben was off all day today and will be off on Monday and Tuesday as well. I am very excited to spend time with him and do some stuff around the house.
We bought paint for Esther's room last week and it isn't what we want. We are going to head back tomorrow to try again. I am actually growing rather fond of the color we already have on the walls. It matches the khaki color dots in Esther's quilt. We painted the walls of her room 5 years ago when we moved in and don't have the name of the color, so it would be a guessing game if we tried to match it. We'll see what happens tomorrow when we head to Lowe's.
Ben put Esther's crib together today! It's a lot bigger than we thought! Not that it's bigger than a normal crib, because it's not, but we just thought it wouldn't be as large! I had to put the crib skirt and bumper in the crib even though there is no mattress yet! It was too tempting!
The top left picture is a picture of Esther's crib. It is solid wood and stained Espresso. I am lovin' it! Especially that there is a drawer on the bottom. To the right is a picture of Esther's quilt. I am so happy with the bedding I picked out. It's not super "girly" and it was very reasonably priced! The price made it so that I can buy another bedding set if I want and not break the bank! I bought a few baskets that match and a diaper stacker as well.

29 weeks - day 3

Every parent wants the best for their child, but sometimes the best isn't always reasonable. I ordered Esther's crib last Wednesday and am pleased with what I was going to buy. I really wanted the Larkin sleigh crib ($1,099) from Poetry Barn, but seriously, is that reasonable? Being the frugal family that we are, we opted for the cheapest (yet best) option. We shopped around and found a crib that we really liked at Walmart.com for $169. We liked the reviews and the price was way right, especially with 97 cent shipping, how could we go wrong?
So the package came on Monday and I had the delivery guy bring it into the living room. I didn't want to open it until Ben came home, since it would be a (quasi) special moment for us. Ben came home very late that night from work and took one glance at the huge package and said, "That's not the crib." What?! Don't say that Ben, you just ruined my night! It says in big letters on the package "Venetia" which isn't the crib we ordered. I hadn't looked too much at the box since I was SO tempted to open it. They shipped us the $285 Venetia solid aspen wood crib (I've seen it retail on some sites for $450-$500). Okay. So what would you do? I felt that we had a moral obligation to let WalMart.com know that they sent us the wrong (more expensive) crib. So that's exactly what I did, except I couldn't get a human to speak to me to save my life! So I called a regular WalMart and asked to speak to a manager. I told him the situation and he was very short with me. Basically the conversation ended like this, "Are you happy? Because we're happy. Keep your crib." Okay! Done!
We went to put the crib together on Tuesday morning and had a surprise. We were sent four of the crib legs, but one of them was the wrong one. Crap! So we called AFG manufacture and sent them pictures of the problem and requested the proper "B leg". They were very friendly and it seemed like everything was going smoothly, until I got an email from them asking for my order receipt from WalMart.com. I emailed them the receipt and then called them to clarify the situation. I told them how our receipt shows Nadia, but we really have the Venetia! I told them about how I called WalMart.com and then WalMart (they really are two seperate places people!). They said they would get back with me and that they had to verify my order. Okay. Great.
I got an email last night from AFG confirming the shipment of my replacement part. It will be here Saturday. Yay! The crib is in the backroom waiting to be put together. I am very excited!
Not much else to report on the home front. I can't believe I have a little under 11 weeks left until Esther's due date. It's gone by so fast. I am very blessed and thankful!

28 weeks - day 5

I had a check up with Fanous on Friday and everything went great. He spent about 30 minutes with me answering all of my questions. Since I am in my 3rd trimester (and nearing the end), I have entered the world of appointments every 2 weeks. It's a huge smack of reality that Esther will be here soon!
I cleared out Esther's closet on Saturday and really started tackling the chaos in her room. I was able to get rid of a lot of trash and start a Goodwill pile. I have been keeping pillows that we used to keep on a bench in the living room in the back closet. They fit well with the room and were handy to have around, the only problem was that the dogs would sleep on them and knock them onto the floor. They were a hassle to clean and became an annoyance. I threw them in the back closet so I wouldn't have to look at them. Now I am getting rid of those pillows, which is going to free up TONS of closet space (since pillows tend to do that!). I also kept two big decoration pillows in the back closet that go with a bedding set. We don't use them anymore, since they ended up on the floor at night anyways... they became an annoyance too. So I put those on the floor next to the front door to go with the other Goodwill pillows. Well, Jack and Hunter decided that they wanted to sleep on them. They looked so comfy and satisfied that I decided the pillows will stay in the living room as doggy beds. They are pretty happy campers.

I am debating on if I want to buy a new camera. I've asked some friends who have nice cameras and friends that are photographers to help me out. The above pictures are for them to give me their opinion. The one on the LEFT is taken with my current Canon Elph and the one on the RIGHT is taken with a Nikon D80. They have NOT been edited in anyway. What you see is straight from the camera. You can click on the photo to make it its true image size.
Do you see the issue I am dealing with? I think the picture with my current Canon Elph looks better.

27 weeks - 5 days

So my format didn't turn out as I wanted it to, but it actually doesn't look all that bad. Here are some pictures of Esther from last Friday. The top one is her girly parts, the second two are face shots and the last one is of her yawning. I have to say, seeing her yawn on the screen brought tears to my eyes. It was for sure amazing to say the least! My hips are killing me! Especially at night, which doesn't making the whole sleeping situation any better! Last night I slept for 4 hours straight, it was pure bliss.

Our kitchen is finally at the tail end of the remodel. We finished putting in the floors yesterday. There is still LOTS to do, like floor boards, texturing, etc., but I am very happy with where it's at now. I am able to start putting the house back together. I brought the kitchen table from the sun room back into the kitchen so we can have somewhere to eat (other than the living room coffee table). The table will eventually go back into the sun room once it is remodeled. I have been clearing out the back room and throwing stuff away. It's hard to find a place for everything!

I am almost finished with my baby shower invites! I am out of ruby red paper so I am missing about 30 front little scalloped deals. I might punch some out the same color as the card and then sponge them with ruby red ink. I am mailing out the invites to family and people who aren't local sometime soon. They are in my purse, they just need to make it to the Post Office. I actually can't send mail from my house... I don't have a drop box. It's rather lame. Our mail comes to this mail lock box on our block. I guess I could leave my mail in my box with a note to mail it? It seems easier to just drive the 5 blocks to the Post Office, but obviously I am a dork and forget that I have something to mail!

27 weeks - day 2

Sometimes I forget that I am actually pregnant. It's one of those, "What the heck?!" moments that sneaks up on me. Since it took us a while to actually "get" pregnant it seems like a dream now that I actually am. I had mentioned to a man and his wife at church a few weeks back that we had some fertility issues. He proceeded to tell me that we were "doing it wrong". What?! I decided to keep my mouth shut and not say anything about "doing it".
Esther has decided that she likes to bounce off my bladder and hang from my rib cage. It's cute... but hurts. I really don't mind, I'm not one of those pregnant woman that gripes and complains about being pregnant just to hear herself gripe and complain. I do enjoy her moving around and her doing her thing. It just stops being fun and cute when it starts to hurt! Ben decided to be patient the other night and actually put his hand on my belly and wait for her to move around. He now realizes that he doesn't have to be patient for very long and that she moves A LOT! It was neat to see his face as Esther did her flip turns.
I have officially reintroduced myself back into society. I no longer have a serious fear of door handles, public bathrooms or grocery stores. That doesn't mean I am not cautious and don't Lysol the gas pump, but I am okay with being in public. And yes, laugh all you want, I Lysol the gas pump and shopping carts... and ATM machines. Don't judge. I've had multiple people say, "hey, that's smart." No kidding!
I hadn't been to WalMart in over a month and it was time to make a trip. We were in serious need of some supplies. So Monday morning, with list in hand, I made the trek to Odessa. I was proud of myself for being at WalMart. It was the final, "Okay world, I am here. Bring it on!".
I was lucky enough to be within ears reach of a woman lecturing another woman. Here is this lady with her three kids who are deathly ill. Coughing, red cheeks... sick, sick, sick. They were obviously home from school... sick. A healthy, middle aged woman decided to take it upon herself to inform the mother of the three sicklings that she was rude. She told the mother that if her children were sick enough to stay home from school and if they were hacking up a storm like they were, that she shouldn't be bringing them to WalMart, around people who were trying to stay healthy. It was very comical, and was exactly how I felt! I don't think the mother of the sicklings knew what to say. It was one of those, "I am so glad I am here to hear this" moments. The lady was right on! I almost wanted to start clapping!
Did I mention I am making my own Baby Shower invites? I know, weird, but seriously... I had the cutest idea and when you see my invites you will know why I am making them and not settling for some boring print out invite. My friend Gerri is going to help me with them today. They are almost done... and I am excited to get them out in the mail. AND Gerri wants to make her own Christmas cards this year! Oh goodie! I am going to take my Stampin' Up catalog over to her house with me and we are going to get some ideas on what we're going to do. I need to start thinking about Christmas cards as well... so perfect timing.

26 weeks - day 6

The story from Friday:
Dr. Fanous doesn't like his patients getting 3D/4D scans from those "sneak-a-peak" places. Sometimes they mention medical things to his patients about what they see and they are completely off. However, he is completely fine with his patients getting 3D/4D scans at Regional Perinatal Center, which is where I went to the specialist at 18 weeks. They have high tech sono machines and highly trained peeps running their equipment, or so I've heard.
Beverly did all the measurements for my 18 week scan. No complaints. She also did my 3D/4D scan yesterday (I just realized on Friday that the 4D part is a video).
We tried for about 15 minutes when Beverly asked, "Have you been drinking a lot of water?"
I said, "Yes. I am trying to recover from being dehydrated a few weeks ago. I had a bad case of bronchitis and it sucked the life out of me. Why?"
"Well. Your amniotic sac fluid is low. There isn't much space for her to move around in there. She is packed against the placenta which isn't making it easy to photograph her. Maybe you can re-hydrate and come back in a few weeks and we'll try again?"
"Oh."
"Yes, make sure you drink lots of water."
"Oh. Okay. That's fine."
We rescheduled and were on our way.
I thought that Fanous' office should know that I was (might be) dehydrated still. I wanted to get a game plan to get the fluid in the amniotic sac back up to par. I've been drinking lots of water and lately and haven't been coughing as much (which is what they were saying wasn't helping my hydration. I guess coughing drys you up), so I was worried that I need to do some crazy dance or something to get fluid in me. I called Fanous' office, briefly told the receptionist about the situation and asked if I could speak with Laura. I waited a few minutes and then was told that Laura was with a new OB patient and it would be a bit, but that they wanted me to come in. No problem, their office was just around the corner. So I head in there and Priscella (one of the nurses) comes out and meets me. You can tell she is furious (with Regional Perinatal Center).
"So. I called over there and told them you were told your fluid was low. I asked them for your fluid measurements and they couldn't tell me. This is why we don't use those sneak-a-peak places. They make blanket statements like that and don't follow through. It pisses me off that she didn't take measurements or call in Dr. Blanco or Bruner. You have been very sick and this kind of important. We're going to send you back over there for a full scan and have them monitor you for a little bit. I am so sorry that you have to go back over there. This really shouldn't have happened. If she saw something that was off she needed to get a doctor. That's what they're there for and why we use their office for these scans."
So back over to Regional Perinatal Center. I was a little upset at this point because I thought everyone was over reacting. I just wanted Fanous' office to know that I was (might be) dehydrated. Ya know, get a game plan. I didn't want to get Beverly in trouble, but it looks like I did. Eek! After the whole ordeal played out I realize that Fanous' office wasn't overreacting... just taking care of me.
So they call me back and started the scan and monitoring. Beverly didn't do it this time, a different gal did and I think I am actually more fond of her. After about 25 minutes of taking measurements and all that jazz, I was told that Dr. Blanco was going to come in and check everything out. I have never met Dr. Blanco, I've only heard about him. I know that he isn't Pro-Life and I don't really like that. Whatever. I really like Dr. Bruner. He is the famous "Hand of Hope" doctor and is very personable. I'm not sure on his abortion views, and maybe I really don't want to know since I like him so much. I'm scared that he isn't Pro-Life. I found out he was the Hand of Hope Doc after he did my 18 week scan. I mentioned to the scan tech (lady-gal-girl-whatever) that I really liked Dr. Bruner and wouldn't mind seeing him.
She said, "I know but Dr. Blanco wanted to see you. He specifically told me to call him in."
"Oh. Okay. But I still like Dr. Bruner. Maybe Blanco just wants to meet me and my amazingness? Ya know, I am pretty cool. I was quite the hot-topic back when I had a false positive HIV test. Everyone wanted to get their hands on me." I was cracking jokes and being my witty self... and he came in.
Duh-duh-dunnnn...
He's not all that bad actually. Friendly, happy, up beat, round belly, full beard, nice. He apologized as if I was going to sue the practice. No wonder HE wanted to see ME (he is the head man at RPC). I think Fanous' office gave him an ear full and told him how out of line Beverly was. They must have given him the 411 on my bronchitis situation as well. He checked everything out and knew exactly the problem with the 3D/4D pictures not working out and why it looked like I had "low fluid". Esther was/is tucked up tight against the placenta. There was not too much wiggle room around her upper body. She is able to move, but her placement is not conducive to good 3D pictures. There was too much shadowing from the placenta. He then showed us a shot of her feet. TONS of space there. She just likes the placenta! My fluid level was normal and there was nothing to worry about. There was more apologizing and butt kissing from him. He said I wouldn't be charged for this monitoring or screening today since they screwed up. He also mentioned that he didn't know if it would be worth coming back in a few weeks for another 3D/4D scan since Esther looked very comfortable up close to the placenta. It didn't look like she was going to be moving positions. I'm not sure I understand that fully... since I feel her moving a lot. Surely she will shift positions?
Blah. I actually wasn't overly worried through the whole situation. I just wanted a game plan to get re-hydrated... which I don't even really need, since I am not dehydrated! I talked with Laura last night and was very sorry about what happened. I understand why they were "over reacting" and concerned. I am thankful for Fanous' office and being so thorough, standing up for me and taking care of me. They are really on my team.

I've slept somewhat good the past two nights. We bought new sheets for our bed. That might have something to do with it. Or it might be a totally psychological thing... I THINK they have something to do with it, so I sleep better. Whatever the case, I am happy.

26 weeks - day 4

We went to our 3D/4D scan this morning with not much luck. Esther is tucked up close to the placenta so pictures were hard to get. This is the best we got today. After about 15 minutes we decided to try again in a few weeks. Maybe she will be shifted in a different position.
Another interesting thing happened, but I am too tired to explain everything. It will just have to wait.
I personally think she is kind of cute.

26 weeks - day 1

It's raining! And I am rather shocked! It wasn't anywhere in the forecast that I know of. I guess that's just part of the West Texas weather experience.
I've been up since 3:59AM. I know, I'm nuts. But I really can't help it. I am surprised that I slept that late! I have a little anxiety about the H1N1 vaccine running out this morning for pregnant women at the Health Department. Maybe "a little anxiety" is an understatement, but still the same... anxiety. I am hoping to get a nap in after I get my vaccine. We'll see how everything goes.
We've been super busy with the kitchen. I'll shut up and just post some pictures.

25 weeks - day 4

Good news! The health department here in town has about 100 H1N1 vaccines available right now. They are left over from vaccinating EMS and other health professionals in our town. They are now offering them to pregnant women in Andrews. Yay, huh?! On Monday morning I will go and get my vaccine! They only have 100 and it's a "first come, first serve" basis. They are only doing it from 11:00AM-12:00PM. Being the pessimist that I am, I worry that I won't get there in time and they will run out. I will get there at 10:00AM and pray that I get it! Our town has about 10,000 people in it, surely there won't be 100 pregnant women there before me, right?! I hope not!
If for some reason I don't get it, Fanous' office should be getting their shipment in sometime next week. Laura said she signed for the shipment to arrive this past week and they are just waiting. They gave me the go ahead to get it at the Health Department. Like Laura said, the sooner... the better:)
Lunch with Amy was great! I miss her being in Texas. Mandy (her daughter) came too and we ate and chatted it up at McAlister's. After lunch I headed over to Hobby Lobby. I found some really cute wall decorations for Esther's room. I was thinking of putting some jewels on them and maybe some glitter on some spots. We'll have to see if they pass the "Ben Test". I am not even sure on my opinion... just because I am not sure where to start with her room. Will they fit in? Can we make them work? Are they too girly? What bedding are we going to use? It's hard to know where to start. Maybe these wall decorations are a good starting place? Maybe this is why I have a hard time scrapbooking. I don't know where to start. I am thinking maybe a light yellow wall color. Not bright yellow but something mild. I have voiced my thoughts to Ben, but I am not really sure on his thoughts. Maybe I should shut up, ask him, and listen to him, huh?

25 weeks - day 3

I've been in a funk this past week. It seems like this whole H1N1 ordeal is really getting to my head. I have really started to get back into the mix of things since I am feeling better (minus the lingering cough). I am living my life, but being very cautious. I spent yesterday and today at the Real Estate office and tomorrow I am heading into Midland to have lunch with Amy and possibly go to Hobby Lobby. I am proud of myself for being so adventurous! Ha!
Laura said the H1N1 vaccine should be coming in soon. And yes, I will be getting the vaccine. Some people think I am crazy for even entertaining the idea, but seriously, can I afford to NOT get it? I have never had a serious allergic reaction to vaccine or drug, I will be going into my 3rd trimester soon, it's important for me to NOT get H1N1.
As you all know, I am blessed to be under the care of an amazing doctor. I pay him to tell me what to do when it comes to pregnancy. Pregnancy is his area. It's his deal. He says I should get it... I am going to get it. I would rather take the advice of my doctor than not get the vaccine because someone in Small-Town-Texas says it causes paralysis (or whatever).
A few things to talk about:
faveREDS... a pack of Starburst that are all the red colors. Seriously. It's amazing. I love all the red Starburst flavors and to get them all in one package without picking through the yellows and oranges, is life changing. I ate a whole package a few nights ago. As much as it is the greatest thing ever, it's kind of scary since I love them so much. Eating a whole pack of Starbursts will have to stop when Esther gets here.


The further along I get in my pregnancy the more weird stuff I experience. I won't go into all the details, since I am sure most women who have been pregnant before who read my blog understand. Sometimes I am completely baffled. I will honestly say, "what the heck?" out loud and stand and ponder the weird things happening to me.
For example, I ate my make-at-home egg McMuffin (minis egg) yesterday morning for breakfast. I felt fine and then all of a sudden I find myself running to the bathroom. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the sink or toilet and I projectile vomited all over the hallway wall. What the heck? My tummy is covered in peach fuz. It makes me laugh, but still the same, "What the heck?" That's all the "What the heck?" moments you get for today.
My baby shower is scheduled for December 12th! I am really excited because I have a lot of out of town guests coming in. It's rather overwhelming! In a good way! I didn't expect everyone to want to come! My mom and dad's nearest airport is really small. It makes for a long day of travel to fly from Medford to Midland. It is also usually very expensive. I just didn't think she was going to come. We usually fly in/out of Portland or Sacramento, but my mom is able to fly out of Medford for only $80 more than it would cost her to fly out of Sacramento! Score! She will be traveling for 10-12 hours, but is going to make the trek! My Aunt Linda and Jeanette from Kansas City are flying out along with my Grandpa's girlfriend. I was wondering what my Grandpa was going to do without his amazing sidekick (aka girlfriend, aka Quinna), and sure enough... he is going to tag along! I will officially be spoiled with family! My dear friend Kelleye is hosting the shower at her house and I couldn't ask for a better place to have it. I am excited for my family to meet all of my amazing Texas friends. I know that my family will be blessed to meet every single one of the special Texas people in my life.
As I mentioned above, I am having lunch with Amy tomorrow. She is doing the "Tour de Daughters" and one of her stops is in Midland to see Mandy. I am glad Mandy lives here... it means Amy comes to visit! And I like that!