Ty's First Thanksgiving

This year our Thanksgiving was extra special thanks to Ty. It was our first time celebrating the holiday back in Orlando since our engagement in 2003. And our first Thanksgiving we spent together as a family ... Chris, Ty and myself. It was awesome. We have so much to be thankful for this year.

Love, forgiveness, honesty, and thankfulness …

Those are just a few of the qualities you learn being a follower of Christ. And this year we got the honor and privilege of sharing what we are thankful for with family and friends.
Every year brings new experiences, memories, challenges and rewards. This year Chris and I were blessed to conceive, develop and birth our first precious baby boy. We have been over joyed by the blessings this adventure has brought us so far. And love every moment we spend with him.

Just a few years back we would have not have thought that this time was possible. After an unfortunate miscarriage in 2005 and years of unsuccessful attempts we had almost given up trying to raise a family. But God showed his love and mercy on us this year and here I am writing this blog post with a precious (and quite adorable) baby sleeping on my chest.

That is what we were thankful for this year.

My Big Boy

Oh man, I am such a bad mommy blogger ... it has been so long since I have been here I almost forgot how to log in and make a new post.

Well, all things in Ty-Land are great. He is growing and developing well.

He is now talking up a storm ... well baby talk at least. We will laugh and coo at each other for like 20 minutes. He seems to have a ball and have so much to say.

He pretty much has full control of his neck muscles now. Which is awesome, he can now look around and see so much of his world.

He has quite gotten down reaching for items yet but once he gets something in his hand he has a good grip and it will probably end up in his mouth in a few seconds.

Speaking of his mouth, they haven't broken through yet but we can already see 2 little teeth under his gum. I still think we have a month or so but he is already chewing on them. Instead of sucking his pacifier he is mostly chewing on it and anything that goes in his mouth.

He's just 3 months now but I am starting to look into the right types of cereals to start feeding him in the next month or so.

But he is a pretty healthy boy. At 3 months and already weights around 15 pounds. Funny though you look at him and he doesn't look fat, he just looks big. Kind of like his dad. I would never call Chris fat, but he is muscly big ... big frame. I see Ty will probably have that same build.

He actually had another round of shots which I want to share with you here. I think he is starting to realize how much pain it can but, but I am sure before long he will suck it up just like his father and I. Both of us don't mind needles.

We're All Smiles Now

Nothing feels better right now then when I see his little smiling face. To capture it on camera ... oh man it is like a treasure stored up to be honored over and over again. I love this baby so much and thank God for him every day.

Ty's Plane Ride

This past weekend Chris and I took Ty on his first plane ride to Maryland. We headed up for several reasons. One this weekend was the Harvest Festival at that the church which was a great time and opportunity for us to see a bunch of our old friends and play catch up. It was also a great time for Ty to get to wear is adorable monkey costume. We also went for his first Baby Dedication which was held by Pastor Dale after one of the weekend services (video, pictures and post to come soon).

Load of other great stuff happened this weekend but we got it started off right with an awesome 2 hour plan ride from Orlando to Baltimore. Ty only woke up once during the entire trip and that was a few moments after take off to eat. After that he slept like ... well like a baby. Didn't fuss at all during the landing like we thought he would.

What was awesome was that the crew found out that it was his first plane ride so he got the royal treatment. Ty got his first set of airplane wings, his very one flight certificate and the best part of all ... he got to sit in the cock pit and get his picture taken with the captains hat. My little champ slept through it all but will have the best pictures and stories ever.

Harvest Fun

This year Chris and I decided that we were going to be a little more festive in years past and participate in some of the harvest time fun. Since Ty's arrival we have been doing more family fun activities. So this weekend we found ourselves at a pumpkin patch searching for the families very first harvest pumpkin. We had a great time. The patch was located just around the corner from our house at Tuskawilla United Methodist Church and the volunteers and staff there were so nice. We were given a free picture and the proceeds from the sales of the pumpkins all went to missions.


The next day the fun continued when we did our first pumpkin carving. Chris did all the hard work. I actually tried and little and ended up breaking the little carving set we got. But it all got finished. Afterwards I used the chunks from the carvings to make pumpkin soup (really good soup if I don't say so my self), and roasted pumpkin seeds (not so good). All in all, good times. Can't wait to light a candle in it.

Tys First Shots

We are proud to say that yesterday little Ty passed his 1 month doctor visit with flying colors. Well to be honest we weren't worried at all but it was just so nice to hear the doctors reports. All his blood work and test came back and he is healthy and negative for all tested problems. He is growing at an awesome rate ... already 10 lbs 8 oz and 22 inches long (at birth he was 6 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches long). He is getting nice and chunky and has already out grown some clothes. Its nice to see clothes that used to just hang off of him now fit.

Another milestone at this appointment was that Ty received his first shot. And my little champ did amazing. Check it out for yourselves.

Ty Month 1

Can you believe it, Ty is all of 1 month already!! I know, it's hard to believe that it's been a whole month since he was born. I still remember Phil waking me up because of the contractions, me writing them down, us deciding when was the the time to call the birthing cottage and us going there. The next thing we knew, they sent us home to relax, 3 hours later or so we were back there and 30 minutes or so out came our son. Wow, amazing.

From when we got home to now, Ty has grown quite a bit. He's cooing more and more. He's lifting his head and pushing with his legs. He's turning his head and looking at you when you talk. He's giving us smiles, which I think is my favorite right now.

Ty has definitely added even more joy to our lives. Our nights tend to be a little longer, but it is so worth it. Babies ARE Gifts from God.

Here are some stats on Ty:

Born September 2, 2009 @ 9:02pm
Birth length: 19inches

Birth weight: 6lbs 10oz
Wk 1 weight: 6lbs 7oz

Wk 2 weight: 6lbs 7oz
Wk 3 weight: 7lbs 8oz

Wk 5 weight: 10lbs 8oz

Always keep us in your prayers and stay tuned.

Peace Out Folks

Chris C

Lil Monkey Week 2

Today marks 2 weeks for our lil monkey. It was been so awesome spending time with him and watching him grow.


Lots has happened over the past week:

• My breast milk has finally completely come in so feedings are a breeze now and we aren't worried anymore about him getting enough to eat.
  


• His skin complexion is getting a little darker. We can tell he is going to be pretty light but he is getting a little color now.



• He has a few awake periods here and there where we get a chance to play and talk with him. He certainly does still sleep a lot but we get some time here and there to get to know him.



• We can't tell exactly how much but it is clear he is growing and gaining weight. He no longer fits his newborn onesies and is starting to almost fill in the next size up, but still has plenty of room to grow with them. We have a doctor appointment this afternoon and will find out his new weight then. When he was born he was 6 lbs 10 ozs and at his last appointment he only went down to 6 lbs 7 ozs. It is expected for newborns to actually lose weight at first so that was okay. Now we are hoping that he has at least put that weight back on if not gained more.



• Oh and he is making the cutest noises when he sleeps. Even caught him laughing in his sleep a few times. Okay so I know they aren't real laughs yet, but they were still adorable. Gotta love him.

Lil Monkey Week 1

Alright folks. As you know by now our little Ty has made his appearance and is now functioning out in the real world. Like most moms I want to share each and every little detail about my perfect little angel so we begin our documentary today by sharing our experience of the first week of his life.

Firstly, becoming parents for both Chris and I has been an awesome, beautiful and trying experience. Any first time parent will tell you that the first week is a hard journey that takes patients, endurance, strength, courage, determination, encouragement, support, prayers ... okay it takes a lot. We found that out for ourselves also this week.

It all started early Thursday morning when we left the birthing cottage and headed home with little Ty just 7 hours after his birth. That is a decision I would never change and so grateful we had the opportunity to do that. However, I will admit not having the extra helping hands of knowledgeable nursing staff was a little trying. But we pushed through and I really believe we became more confident and empowered after being able to survive that first night/morning on our own.

Learning how to handle, change, feed, bath and play with him has been great. Sure there isn't too much interaction besides the feeding and changing right now but Chris and I have learned to make the most of those moments and really capture his development. We really have seen tremendous growth in just this one week.

Our biggest fear this week was the beginning of each feeding. Little Ty is such a sleepy baby that it would at times take us almost an hour to wake him to eat. We of course were very concerned and scared that he would just keep sleeping and not get enough food. After consulting our pediatrician and hearing his advice we have been much more relaxed about it. Thankfully that problem didn't last too long. Once my breast milk came in and Ty began eating more he is more alert, active and has actually finally begun to wake up on his own when the time is right. Huge step for us.

Other than that the our little complete family has been bonding and sharing this time together getting to know each other and reform our family. We were blessed by Chris' family coming to spend the weekend with us and meet little Ty. It was so nice to see them and have them get to enjoy little Ty. But now Chris and I are back by ourselves and making real progress adjusting to our new lives as parents.

Our Body 37 Weeks

Well folks, this past Wednesday was an exciting step for us. We were finally declared to be full term and ready to deliver at 37 weeks. It has been an amazing journey and I have been waiting for this point so I can finally relax and be okay if Ty decided it was time to come out of his nestled area.

And what perfect timing because at 1:55 am that morning he decided he wanted to being his journey out. I woke up to the feeling of regular contractions. I laid in bed just tracking them for a while, before waking Chris up to tell him. We started actually documenting the contractions and they were coming every 5-7 minutes and lasting around :50 seconds each. So around 6:00 we made the call to my midwife and to our Douala and started to get ready to head to the birthing center.

Between me being slightly unmovable and in pain from the contractions we didn't arrive to the birthing center until 7:15 but Alice was there ready for us to start. She checked me and I was already at 4cm, which is huge because at our check up on Monday we discovered we had actually went from 3.5cm down to 2. So to be back up at 4 was very comforting. Once my Douala arrived we started our techniques, walking - squatting - bouncing on the ball and we managed to get to 5cm in just under 2 hours. We continued with those exercises for sometime however, they didn't have the same effect anymore. By 2:30pm we were still 5cm and my midwife decided that she didn't want us pushing it so she sent us home with strict instructions to get some sleep and take some medication to allow my body to relax. If we started up again we should call her and decide if we should head back.

We did just that, relaxed ... took the meds ... and sleep. At around 5:30 I woke up in the middle of some serious contractions. I shook Chris awake and we started tracking them again. We didn't take long this time because they were so strong and intense I knew it wouldn't be long. We made the call and started to head back to the Birthing Cottage. Let me tell you ... that was the longest car ride ever. Having contractions while stuck in the same position is evil. Everyone was already there waiting for us when we arrived and got checked ... I was at 8 cm. Wow, that was quick. First things first, we headed to the tub so I could 'relax' and labor in the tub. Yeah, it was anything but relaxing ... okay the warm water felt nice and there wasn't as much pressure but the contractions still kicked my butt. But we weren't in the tub for very long. While my midwife got the IV started for my antibiotics ... I continued to contract in the tub, my Douala supported me and Chris, bless his heart ran around being the greatest husband in the world. Just after the antibiotics kicked in and the IV removed I had the last contraction that I can remember. All I recall is looking at my Douala and screaming ... I HAVE TO PUSH ... I CAN'T STOP!!! I saw the panic in her face, and Chris' face and everyone scattered to find the midwife. She came and checked and said ... 'Yep, he's there and ready ... where do you want to push in the tub or in the bed?' All I could think of was that Chris did not want a tub birth so I said every so politely 'THE BED' (btw ... all caps means I can screaming).

We began yet another long and exhausting journey from the bathroom to the room. I never realized how big that place was until then. When we got to the room I first labored like I had hoped to, kneeling on the floor besides the bed. But after just a few moments and a few pushes it was clear that it really wasn't the best position for everyone that needed to work. So we changed and I got up on the bed. After then I can remember about 4-5 real pushes and then a lot of commotion telling me to stop. I was told his head was out and was asked if I wanted to touch it. What did I say?? NO! Then I was asked if I wanted a mirrow to see him come out. Again, NO!. Finally I was given the okay to push again and he was out and placed on my tummy. WOW, shocked, amazed, confused and wow. It was over ... 19 hours of labor and 12 minutes of pushing with no pain meds at all. Born at 9:02 on 09/02 and was a whopping 6 lbs 10 oz and 19 inches long. Wow.

Would I change a thing ... no. Would I do it again ... later ... much much much much later.

Since then we have been trying to adjust. We arrived home about 7 hours later at 4am and starting or life as new parents. So far so good. He has already had his first doctor visit and was checked out A-OK. Now the real fun begins.

Stay tuned as we now track his progress throughout his first year of life.

Week 37 Belly Shot...

Today we are officially considered full term. We are 37 weeks. What does this mean? This means that Ty could arrive at anytime now and we wouldn't be doing anything to stop him. So, it's really just a waiting game now. Can you feel the excitement?

It's really been awhile since the last belly shot I took. The last one was back at 25 weeks, then we did the Babies R Us photographs at 30 weeks and now here we are. Having this journal have really been awesome because we can go back and read and see where we were and the different things we were experiencing. I was thinking the other day how exciting it will be to sit with Ty and show him this and show him mommy and daddy's journey and his first ultrasound picture and video and just everything about his birth.

Wow, so here we are, week 37. Lord, You truly have watched over us and protected us. Lord, You are an Awesome God. Lord, we continue to praise and worship You.

Okay folks, here's Phil at 37 weeks. Might be the last belly shot before Ty :)

42 Inches

Peace Out Folks
Chris C

Our Body Week 36

So this post is just a little early but I figure who knows what will happen ... I may forget like last week.

Actually week 36 has started on a pretty good note. Chris and I had an awesome weekend going through baby stuff and putting together a few last minute touches. Including putting together the stroller ... YEAH! We also got a mattress for our crib and tested out our baby monitor system. Everything is working great.

Today I had my weekly check up with Alice at the Birthing Cottage and surprise surprise ... I didn't get yelled at. That was refreshing. Since it is getting close to 'go time' I came prepared with a few last minute questions and concerns, all of which were answered and I feel more prepared every moment. The best news of all was that next week after our weekly appointment I will be taken off of bed rest completely. Since I will be in my 37th week and it is safe to deliver she sees no reason to stay in bed and restricted. So no more meds, no more bed, I can finally get up and give in to the pressure of the nesting phase.

But don't worry, I will be sure to post ASAP if anything changes. As of right now, both Ty and myself are fine and relaxing.

Our Body Week 35

Okay, don't call me lazy, but I have been slacking so I figured I would get last week and this week in one shot. It's been just a tad bit crazy around here these past few days. So yeah, two post in one day, happy reading.

Let's see. Week 35 went by pretty slowly for most of the week. As you know already I am on strict bed rest now and can't leave the house, let alone the bedroom. I only got up to use the bathroom and shower. I felt so weak and sore and I am starting to worry that I wont have the strength for labor when it comes.

The highlight of my week, I was granted permission to go out into the world on Thursday to have my achy tooth pulled finally. So no more tooth ache. Only bad part about that experience was that the dentist was afraid to prescribe any real pain meds, not even the one my midwife approved. So once the numbness wore off all I had was extra strength Tylenol and sleep for my comfort. But I thought, you know what, I can handle these few days of pain knowing that the tooth ache I had before will never come back. :)

After that though it was back to bed, which was actually nice this weekend having Chris home and all to myself. We were able to get a lot accomplished around the home and we are almost 100% ready for baby ... almost.

Oh and one accomplishment for the week ... I wrote all my thank you cards and will be sending them tomorrow. How awesome is that. They are so cute, you are going to love them. My friend in Maryland, Linda, handmade all the cards. She is so sweet.

As for Ty, he is growing, kicking, wiggling and hiccuping everyday. Love him so much.

Hospital Tour...

With Phil being on strict bed rest from here on, I'll be soloing some of the upcoming events. The first of which is the hospital tour of Florida Hospital. The hospital tour was really informative and answered many different questions, some of which we didn't think about. So why the tour? Isn't Phil going to be birthing at the Birthing Cottage? Well, yes and no. I think I need to come up with a diagram or flow chart to explain our predicament...yeah that would be a great idea :) But until then, this is how it flows:

If, we went full term, which is considered 37 weeks - 40 weeks, then we will be able to deliver at the Birthing Cottage.

If, we are delivering at the Birthing Cottage and need to be transferred to a hospital, then Florid Hospital it is.

If, we are early, then we have a choice of the 3 hospitals. One of the 3 is close to where we live, but all are reasonable close. Furthest one being 15-20 minutes away.

So that's that. Now back to the tour. It was pretty good. They did some renovating and the place looks great. There is still some construction going on, but over all, it doesn't interfere with the running of the hospital.

What I didn't like. Okay, so maybe it's where I parked. Maybe there is a closer parking, but man the parking is bad! They do have valet, but let's take where I parked, and apparently where the majority of people on the tour parked. The over head walk across to the hospital from the parking garage was located on the 3rd fl. 1st and 2nd fl was valet parking, and 3rd was handicapped and few regular parking and of course the place was packed. Then the walk to get to L & D (labor and delivery) was quite a trek. I made the walk with a lady who was going to be in the same tour and she was 37 weeks pregnant and with twins!!! She was ready any minute now and there were no wheelchairs or anything. We brought up this concern on the tour and they are aware of it and made mention about the valet service and calling ahead they could have a wheelchair waiting. Is that good? Eh, I guess so. Also the recovery rooms were tiny. About half the size of a regular hospital room and more narrow. I guess we could all fit, but a narrow bed, a portable baby's crib, and a cot for dad, it there, comfortably? Doubtful, but I guess during that time, attentions would be on the baby. Oh, and throw in visitors in the room, man it would be tight. They do however, provide a suite at a first come first serve basis. It's the size of a regular room.

Over all, the staff that I saw were pretty friendly and the environment in a whole was very positive. They offer some of the freedoms of birthing that we are looking for and really stress breast feeding and bonding with the baby, if all is good, right off the bat.

So that's my take on the tour at Florida Hospital. Below are some pictures I snapped.

Peace Out Folks

Chris C

STRICT Bed Rest

So here we are, a little over 2 weeks before the 'safe' delivery time (37 weeks) and I am have been placed on STRICT bed rest. This order comes from my midwife during yesterdays appointment where I got hammered for apparently not behaving while on partial bed rest. I told her what all I had been doing and what I haven't been doing but my cervix doesn't lie. We are now about 3.5 cm dilated and 90% effaced which according to her is what most people are at when they are in labor. So now I am at the point where I can't do anything except use the rest room and shower. I can't make my own meals, no church, no nothing. So I am here online all day and reading books. I guess I can't complain because i will need the energy for the delivery, but I feel I am actually losing more energy and strength by staying here. Believe you me though, I am not moving from this bed for nothing ... well at least for the next 2 weeks and 1 day ... :)

Our Body Week 34

I ... can't .... move .... anymore.

I can barely breathe or walk, let along, get out of the bed, a chair, the car, roll over in bed, stretch to reach the remote (2 feet away). I am only good for laying in bed and allowing Ty to stretch and wiggle as much as he likes. Oh and he finally found my ribs ... no that is not a good thing. Did I ever mention how strong he is already ... I have internal bruises. Well it hasn't been confirmed but I am sure I do.

So far week 34 has been very eventful. I went out Monday afternoon to pic up the free car seat Chris had won last week, awesome downtown adventure with my mom. Then on Tuesday had some more WIC checks to collect ... feeling blessed to have that little help. And then on Thursday had an awesome time with my dad at the dentist waiting 3 hours to be seen by the doc that only took about 10 minutes. Good thing is though I will be able to have the much needed tooth extraction need week.

As for baby and my body we are progressing very well. He's still hanging in there, I'm holding him in and he is getting bigger by the day. I can tell he growing not only from my ever expanding belly (I didn't know it could possibly get bigger) but also from how extremely tired I have been getting lately. He is sapping all my energy again forcing me to sit still and take naps as much as possible. Great for him ... tiring and boring for me.

Daddy Boot Camp

So I’m back and I survived boot camp. Army, no, Navy, nope, Marines, don’t think so. The boot camp I went to and survived was the Daddy Boot Camp. First off the bat, the experience was great and if you are a dad to be, new dad, or experienced dad, I would highly recommend it.


The Daddy Boot Camp is just for dads and what it does is it helps to prepare the dads to be with valuable information about being a dad. They help show what the roles and expectations of a dad is. A point that hit home was the demonstrations of what happens when you shake a baby.


Basically, the facilitator placed an egg in a Tupperware contained and then asked for volunteers to give it one good shake. Even though we knew what would happen, some of the guys wouldn’t shake it hard enough to break the egg. I think it was a psychological thing. But after being urged on and really brining to life the scenario, they did it. After that, we had a discussion about it, and what we found out is that, most times when a baby is shaken it’s because the person is frustrated. And they are frustrated because they weren’t prepared and didn’t know what to expect. It was eye opening.


In the Boot Camp, we watched videos, had discussions and went through different interactive activities. This camp was just really starting up here in Orlando, but at other camps, experienced dads would bring their baby(s) into the class, so that the new dads would get hands on experience holding a baby correctly, learning how to properly change a diaper, and swaddling a baby. Side note, I got an F the first time I tried to swaddle a baby *lol* Guys can be real tough.

Since the Boot Camp was guys only, it was a comfortable environment for everyone. Once everyone got thru the introductions, it was clear that all the guys had pretty much the same fears and sharing then became so easy. At first, the seats were all in a straight line, by the end, it was a tight circle.

We all already said that we will be coming back after our sons and daughters were born to share our experiences with the new dads to be. We will be carrying the kids.

Daddy Boot Camp, it’s one of those experiences in life that you really don’t want to miss out on.

Peace Out Folks
Chris C

Our Body Week 33

One more down ... 4-7 more to go. Time is getting shorter and there are still some more things that I would like to do before the big day. Good thing is that according to some of the pregnancy checklists out there, we are right on track and should be prepared for the delivery. Well I still need to start packing and preparing the bags for me, Ty and Chris for the delivery. If all goes well, and we are still at the Birthing Cottage, we won't need too much stuff. I know, after this entry I am going to make my packing lists ... that is a good place to start.

Well week 33 brings loads of excitement for us. All the different websites and books that Chris and I read regularly now put Ty weighting in at almost 4.5 pounds. That is huge, and is going to gain anywhere around .5 pounds for the next few weeks. Also, more importantly his lungs are developing now. Not fully yet, if born now we would still need to have him stay in the hospital but they are getting stronger each day.

As for me: I am in the most pain I have really ever experienced before. My ligaments and back and sides hurt so much, especially first thing in the morning and in the middle of the night. I am so glad he is growing, it's just that my body isn't. I now understand why there are so many different articles and journals written regarding uncomfortable sleep for pregnant women. Oh and my appetite is going crazy. One minute I am craving something sweet, the next something salty. But I am trying to stay away from the junk food ... been snacking a lot lately on not so healthy foods (Doritos and Hershey kisses).

Our Body Week 32

Another week down and only 5-8 more to go. I still have the feeling, especially with all that is going on lately that we are going to go early ... I am just praying that it is no earlier then 37 weeks which ... holy moly is only 5 weeks away. But honestly, I am not worried or scared at all. I feel pretty confident we have all that we need and (at least the first 3 months) and I feel Chris and I are finally ready to be parents. I am sure stuff will come up that we haven't read or heard about yet but we are strong, we can roll with the punches ... I HOPE!!!

As for me and the baby this week, honestly week 32 so far is a blur. Not much changing with me. Same ole heart burn, uncomfortable moving around, hard time sleeping and baby kicking me like crazy.

I don't feel like I am getting any bigger, but I know the baby is growing. Oh oh I did find my first stretch marks ... how sad. And we tried so hard for months now to avoid them. I guess it was inevitable. At least they aren't too bad and I am sure they will fade away a little in the months to come. I am so hopeful :)

Ty's 3D Ultrasound Pictures...

Okay, so last week we were scheduled to do our 3D/4D ultrasound, but Ty we guess wasn't in the mood to do it then. We rescheduled to yesterday, Friday, and let's just say that Ty put on a show for us. It was for a lack of words, Amazing!! Technology today is awesomely baffling.


Here are the pictures from the ultrasound. Enjoy the slide show.

Peace Out Folks
Chris C

Nesting Already

This weekend my husband and I were blessed by family and friends who came and celebrated with us during our babies shower. It was an awesome experience, loved being with everyone and really loved the gifts. It was so exciting to see all the different items that I will be using with my little one soon. I don't know, maybe I am weird but even getting baby wipes made me excited and gave me that gooey warm motherly feeling.

And then it hit me ...

Wow we got a lot of stuff. Where are we going to put it all.

You see, don't know if I mentioned it but we are rooming with some family members so between the 3 of us we will only have one small room. So far we have our bed, cabinets and the crib set up. But looking at all the other new stuff, I just can't see how it is all going to fit in here. I know it will all work out and right now it just all seems overwhelming ... we just need time.

Funny thing though, now that most of the babies items have arrived and I get to see them piled up in my room everyday I think I have started the nesting phase way too early. I find my self frequently looking around the room for different ways to have stuff organized to better fit all that we need for the baby. I would momentarily panic thinking that we don't have time. But I know that we do ... a little over 5 to 8 weeks. Just makes it worse that I am on bed rest and can only visualize my ideas, can't do any re-arranging to the husband comes home. But it is all getting done, I just need to relax and enjoy these last few weeks.

Our Body Week 31

Today we enter the 31st week of pregnancy and each week that passes is such a blessing right now. Ty is getting much bigger and stronger. His last major organ to develop now is his lungs so we are constantly praying for them to develop as much as the can just in case my body decides that time is up. Here is more information that babycenter.com has to offer regarding Week 31.

As for me, I am doing pretty good. As usually getting larger is putting a lot of strain on my every day movements, just getting out of bed is such a hassle. Being on bed rest with my legs and arms getting weaker by the day doesn't help either. But I did get the okay from my midwife so start doing some in bed exercises and some light stretching so hopefully that helps with my muscles and joints.

Other than that I am just glad to be still pregnant and counting down the days. Luckily the medication that the midwife has put me on to help control my contractions has effected me that much. Thankfully the contractions are very rare now, maybe 2-3 a day compared to 6-7 a day before.

We will continue to keep everyone posted to how things are going. Thanks for the prayers.

Peace Out

Baby Shower

This past weekend we had an awesome time celebrating Ty's first party ... his baby shower. We had over 30 people come out and share this time and bring him lovely gifts. I am so grateful for my mom and my cousin Kristina for all the time and effort they put into preparing and planning for this day. Chris and I had a great time and really enjoy the company and games. Below is a link to our album with all the pictures. Hope you enjoy.

Baby shower

Don't We Look Hot

Today Chris and I had the opportunity to get some professional maternity pictures done at Kiddie Kandids at cute little photo studio located at the Babies R Us we go to. We had won a free sitting when we had placed a certain number of items on our registry.

It was fun, the photographer was nice, and had a lot of cute poses for us to try out. It took less then 30 minutes and we are pretty happy with the pictures we got. See a collage of the photos here.

Peace Out

Nope, Not Today...

That's exactly what Ty said yesterday. So finally the day arrived for our 3D/4D Ultrasound yesterday and man were we excited. There was a moment when we thought we were going to be late, so we called ahead advising them of this, but we ended up reaching when we were suppose to.

So we reached Paternal Impressions and I have to say that man it was cool in there. It was all mood lighting and scented candle. The flat screen television was looping a promotional video showing some parents getting to see their baby by 3D/4D ultrasound. The walls were decorated with different infant pictures, they were all so adorable.

Well, it was our turn and the technician carried us to the room which was very roomy and inviting and mood lit and scented candles. The ambiance was very relaxing. Their machine was hooked up to a projector, so it was almost like a movie theatre. Phil's bed was soft but firm and it was a little more elevated than a standard bed. We went through all that's expected with the package and it was good. The tech entered in all the information about Phil and Ty, started the music and dvd recorder. We get a dvd of all of the session. And we started.

In the 2D ultrasound, we saw Ty, his feet, arms, fingers, just everything that the 2D ultrasound would show, but we were here to get a sneak peek at our lil Monkey. Well, the tech switched over to the 3D ultrasound and well, Ty's thought about the whole situation was, ummm nope, not today. His hands were in front of his face the entire session. It was almost so funny.

Oh well. We'll see what happens next week. We got to reschedule because they couldn't get good shots or video. All good. So we'll just have to wait a little bit to try again.

Peace Out Folks

Chris C

Our Body Week 30

Wow, what a week we have had. I am sure by now you have read Chris' post from Monday regarding our emergency room experience and the results. Man it has been crazy. Here is a little update on how Ty and I are doing.

This week we hit the big 30, I can't believe it either. I know so much time has passed but I doesn't seem that long ago that we made the announcement that we were pregnant, now we are 3 quarters of the way done. With all that is happening, right now my goal is to make it at least the next 7 weeks, any more than that would be great also. Sounds like Ty may be growing at an awesome rate. According to Week 30 on babycenter.com he should be almost 3 pounds, however the ultrasound we had done this weekend puts him at more like 3.3 pounds. Awesome, you go Ty.

Exciting news: We do not have to change doctors, I can stay with the Birthing Cottage for now. Even with all we are going through we still aren't considered high risk enough to have to change doctors. We went in to see Alice Monday morning and she was able to do her own check up and access our situation. She has of course put me back on bed rest, this time a little more stricter then the last and has prescribed a medication to help reduce and/or stop my contractions. It has only been 3 days now, but it already feels so different from the last bed rest. After the stress and excitement of this weekend and then starting this new bed rest my body is far weaker then it has been in weeks. But I have found some sources describing different bed rest exercise I can do to maintain strength in some places. Hopefully I can start those soon, after I check with Alice.

Highlight of my week so far: Chris, in less than an hour, has put up the new crib beside our bed. Looks awesome and make me even more excited to see our little monkey.

Peace Out

Our Hospital Stay...

Here are some pictures from when Phil was in the hospital. Enjoy :)

Peace Out Folks
Chris C

We are in the Hospital...

Okay so it's not as bad as in the picture, but we are here in the hospital.

So what all happened? So, remember how Phil had to be on bed rest? Then she was taken off of the bed rest for 2 weeks, if not just click the links to get caught up. Anyways, so earlier this week Phil got the all clear to basically go back "normal" with her life :) without doing any crazy stuff. Well, Friday, you know we married folks have "needs" and enjoy each other, so before we did anything, we called our midwife to check and make sure sex was ok and we got the all clear. Well, Phil started to have contractions so we stopped, and so the contractions stopped. The day went on with little contractions here and there. Nothing to really write home about.

That evening we had our birthing classes. During the class, she started having some more contractions just alittle too frequent. I really think that the chairs help cause that. They were so hard and uncomfortable, but I digress. Phil went to the bathroom and comes back and juts something down on the writing pad, I saw a little pink spot. I said, okay, do you want to go to the ER after class? She said yes, and so we did.

In the ER, we got through pretty fast. I think we spent maybe 5-10 minutes and then they wheel-chaired Phil up to L&D (labor and delivery). When we got there, they immediately hooked Phil up to the monitors to measure her contractions and another to measure Ty's heart rate. Oh that right there was entertaining. First of all, Ty is all good. It's just that it took 3 nurses 15-20 mins to find his heartbeat. He was moving so much that they couldn't get a good reading. And so when ever they would come in, me and Phil would watch the clock to see how long it would take. All the nurses know about Ty.

They gave Phil a shot of Tribunaline, I think that's how you spell it. Basically, it's to settle the contractions of the uterus. Now, there is another test that they need to do, can't remember the name right now, but it's to detect a chemical that is present when you're near delivery. If it's positive, then we'll be having Ty earlier than we would want and be considered high risk. If it's negative then Ty will be staying put and Phil will be on bed rest. Because we had sex earlier that day and they did other tests, we had to wait 24hrs before they could do it. So that would mean staying over till Sunday..........................................

*************UPDATE***************

Okay, so literally not 5 minutes ago, the doctor came in and gave us the test results, it was negative. Thank You Lord! So we, or rather I will be packing up our stuff and heading home. Tomorrow we got to the doctor to go over some things.

Wow, this has been the longest we have ever been at the hospital. Wow. Okay, time to go folks. Later.

Oh definitely there will be some special stuff this Friday :) Check us out.

Peace Out Folks

Chris C

Our Body Week 29

This week we have entered our 29th week and time is starting to really fly now. We have so much planned for our 30th week celebration, including THE SHOWER!!! Can't wait.

As for the baby, Ty is growing a lot and really kicking around now. Week 29 on babycenter.com has him at 2.5 pounds already. Some other websites put him at almost 3 pounds. Either way, I'm impressed. Probably because of the weight and growth, I now feel each and every movement and he moves A LOT. Either he doesn't sleep that much or he is a sleep walker. Luckily I haven't really experienced the sharp kicks to the ribs yet, just to my sides.

Being off of bed rest this week so far has been amazing. It is weird, the more active I am the less braxton hicks contractions I get. Hmmm I wonder if there really was a connection to laying down all the time. I am a little more tired at night though, probably because I am involved with so much more during the day.

I am praising God that there are still a few symptoms I haven't received yet and Lord willing I won't. Mainly speaking of hemorrhoids and constipation. You can keep those.

Other then that I am good. Still trying to focus on now doing the waddle walk. But it is hard not to do. Especially right when I stand up and my hips and lower back need to adjust, or when my sciatica nerve is acting up I start limping not really waddling but you can't tell the difference.

Just think 9-12 weeks it will all be different ... life will be different. Hope I am a good mom.

Update on Ty Land

Ha ha, get it Ty Land ... sounds like Thai Land but its not the country its my stomach ...

Okay never mind. I won't try to be cute any more.

So this week has started off as a pretty awesome week. (Except for my dear friend who had a little incident involving car keys and her daughter). I know it is only Tuesday but I feel the rest of the week will be great also. It all started early Monday morning with our first 3rd trimester check up.

During this visit had our glucose test. For those of you who are following and know I did take a test like this already, since I changed doctors I don't know the results of the first test and since my weight has been far more controlled there was no immediate reason to take it earlier. I will not get the results from this test until our next appointment in two weeks. After this test we also just did the general check up stuff, check me, check the baby, chit chat about my feelings and such. Well after all had been checked my now favorite person in the world, Midwife Alice, decided to take me off of bed rest for the next two weeks to see how things are. :) Yeah.

Of course, just because I am off of bed rest doesn't mean I am going to go hog crazy and do everything. But there are some stuff around the home that I have been wanting to do. But I am starting light.

After the appointment, I met up with Chris to visit and interview our first pediatrician. We need to secure one right away. The first one we met was highly recommended by some friends of ours. We were a little concerned because when we called to set the appointment I checked to make sure they accept our insurance, didn't want to waste time, and at the time they couldn't take anymore medicaid patients. Thankfully, something told me to still set the appointment, who knows by the time Ty is born they could have some more openings. So we went and mentioned this do the office manager and she informed us that since Thursday (the day after I made the appointment) the number the were allowed to accepted has increased. Which is really really good because Chris and I really liked their medical philosophies and the atmosphere of the office. We meet with one more pediatrician today but I think we are pretty set.

Well now you are all caught up for now. Things are moving along now pretty fast as we get closer. We have less then 80 days to go so look for me updates from us as the weeks go by.

Our Body Week 28

I don't feel like I should title these 'My Body' anymore because it is clearly not my body, it is ours, and sometimes just his. I have come to accept that the only thing I really have control over anymore is what I get to do while sitting in bed. What I eat, when I pee, how long I sleep, how I sit, how I lay, nothing is in my control anymore. But hey, only 10-12 more weeks and my little Ty will be here.

I tell you what, I have a text book pregnancy because as soon as that third trimester hit I got everything they said I should. My mobility has been so limited it's not funny. At least the babycenter.com's description of week 28 isn't all that bad and baby boy is getting big now.

I have really accepted and grown accustomed to being on bed rest now, which actually isn't all that bad any more. I just have to make sure I take the time to stretch my muscles out a few times a day so I don't get all cramped up. Keep the blood flowing.

I think little Ty is going through a lot of growth this past week because I have been wiped out each night, sleeping so long and very hard because it takes a lot to wake me up. And that is even with an hour or two nap in the day. His kicks and movements have gotten much stronger lately, but not strong enough to wake me up. I did however have a weird dream about watching my belly while he was kicking and now that I think about it I think it was him moving around for real and it was so strong that it appeared in my dream. Silly baby.

GBS Update

Hey folks, just a real quick update on my Group B Strep situation. I am finally finished with the antibiotics and will be going in next week to see how things have cleared up. I can finally go back to eating a normal schedule.

I did at one point develop a yeast infection (I know, I know TMI) but that is being taken care of now. It was awesome, I only had to take on pill for it, and that pill clears it up over the next few days.

I can't say that I feel 100% better because honestly, as the mom, you don't feel anything with Group B Strep, so I don't know yet how well the antibiotics work. I do know and accept that it won't be cured just managed.

Well that is my quick update. Check back tomorrow for my week 28 update.

Peace Out

First Birthing Class Completed

Last night Chris and I attended our first class of a five session birthing classing. We had signed up for the class back in March ... wanted to take it earlier but they said it was best to wait nearer the end so that the information is still fresh. Even though many women today feel the classes are unnecessary, there were quite a few couples in attendance. It was kind of nice to be around several other women who are in the same stages as we are, or pretty close to it.

Lets see, first the instructor is pretty nice. She has been teaching this class for over 20 years, almost 10 years in Winter Park and has actually had a lady go into labor during one of her classes ... must have been exciting for everyone else. She did kinda talk a lot, but then again that is what she is there for. The lesson itself is broken down to 1/2 time spent in a lecture the other 1/2 time spent in the relaxation methods. The lessons this time included, preterm labor, nutrition, breastfeeding, dilation and effacing. I think there were two more topics but she didn't get to them. Most of the topics we have already learned about but of course there were a few details here and there that we didn't know.

My favorite part would have to be the end where we got to learn and practice some of the relaxation stuff. Chris is a pro at it. One of the best and calming messages I have ever had and can't wait to see how it plays out and helps during labor.

Well four more weeks to go. I will try and not post about each one ... boring ... unless something exciting happens during glass (hopefully not me, way to early still).

My Body Week 27

♫My God is an Awesome God
He reigns on heaven and earth
With wisdom, power and love
My God is an Awesome God♫

I woke up this morning with that song in my head, and the next thing I know Chris comes into the room and says Happy 3rd Trimester. Awesome way to start the day. I hope the rest is sunshine and roses also.

Well today beings week 27 is this awesome pregnancy journey and I feel so blessed each day that I am on bed rest. Why you ask? Because each day I am on bed rest is another day Ty is still cooking and not coming out before his time.

As you may have already read, this weekend one of the nurses phoned to inform me of a bacteria present in my urine test. I have been on the antibiotics now for almost 5 complete days and I am happy to say there are no side effects at all. I am one of those people that get at least 75% of those nasty side effects that medications warn you about.

I am also down to like 4-5 of those painless braxton hicks contractions I was so concerned about earlier. I guess it shows that this whole being in bed thing and resting does actually pay off.

Thanks to everyone so far that has voted on our new baby contest. If you haven't done so yet check out the link on the top right corner. It is fun.

Peace Out

What Else You Got ... Bring it On

I am starting to feel like I am a walking example of all the different stuff that can go crazy during pregnancy. I received a call from one of the nurses at my Birthing Cottage this Saturday morning. Apparently results from the big urine test I did, (the one they have sent out to be tested, not the one I did myself at the office) came in this week and I have what is called Group B Strep. You can read all about it on this website here from American Pregnancy.

Seriously, I feel really special that the devil is attacking us so hard. That means God has some great works laid out for our future and the devil is trying everything to discourage me from enjoying my pregnancy. But I won't let him. NO I WON'T!!!

Well, I have already picked up my prescription and I started the antibiotics this afternoon. The doctor recommends that I start treating it now, even though the website and other sources indicate that this is usually taken care of closer to or during labor. She explained that since my cervix is already at 1 cm I am at risk for bacteria and such getting to the baby. I will be tested again once the prescription is finished. Oh and I have to also take one more pill to counter act one of the side effects of the antibiotic which is it could cause yeast infections. YEAH!!! FUN!!!

Once again, please continue to pray for Chris, myself and for Ty. Right now we need an army of prayer warriors seeking blessings and coverage over us and our health. Thanks ya'll.

.

(I thought it would be decades before I used one of these pill trackers)

Peace Out!

My Body Week 26

Hallelujah, we have made it another week and Ty is still put inside my stomach. I think he is trying to find his way out though, I am pretty sure of it. He has kicked the top of my cervix so much this week it isn't funny. I try to tell him to stop, that's not a good idea, but he hasn't figured it out yet. In the mean time he continues to grow and feed off of all my food and stuff. Check out what babycenter.com has to say about week 26.

Other than that I am doing pretty good. Ty is growing a lot and my stomach is starting to get real tight now so moving around is starting to get a little harder. Doesn't make it an easier right after I eat and my stomach gets even tighter. But since changing my diet I have learned how to eat much smaller portions so it don't get up stuffed too often.

Other personal stuff ... we have to baby stuff. We got our baby crib, tons of clothes and a few items for cleaning and care. Can't wait to get to use them.

Peace Out

Double Digits Folks...

That's right folks, we have hit double digits when it comes to counting down to Ty's expected delivery date. We are now at 99 days!! How exciting is that. Me and Phil were talking about the time when we just found out we were pregnant and the counter was at 200+ days. Now, the time is coming up so fast and we are so close. It's simply amazing.

Tomorrow we will be 26 weeks and that's awesome. We are coming up to being 2/3rd of the way thru, the 3rd trimester. We are excited!

Peace Out Folks
Chris C.

Our Most Recent Prenatal Visit

Okay so Chris and I were talking about it and we have lost track of what number prenatal visit we are on so we will just go with ... our latest visit. Yesterday we had a visit with Alice our Midwife at the birthing cottage to check on how little Ty is doing and how I am doing with the pregnancy. I have to say that it was a real encouraging and well spent visit. Here are my high points of the visit:

Urine test: Tests for Glucose, Protein, Bilirubin, Ketone, Specific Gravity, Blood, pH, Urobilinogen, Nitrite, Leukocytes. I must be drinking a lot of water because all of the results were good.

Weight: Even on bed rest and not being active, my weight was great. Since that dreadful visit a few weeks back when I had gained too much weight in one month I have actually lost 1.5 pounds. But the baby is still growing and health. :)

Babies heart rate: Still strong and beating loud and clear. Although it did take the student aide a little while to find it. Luckily the baby was moving just before that point so I knew he was fine.

Chances of preterm labor: Are pretty low. While there are some issues, it is not bad as we originally thought.

While I am still on bed rest and my cervix is still dilated the chances of something going wrong are very slim. My cervix is no 1cm dilated (10cm is when it is time to push the baby out) but it is not effaced, or shortening. The midwife explained that there are several women that have gone for weeks/months being 5cm dilated and baby still was healthy and went to full term. Even if I continue to dilate slowing over the next 11 weeks I should still be okay unless I start experience real contractions and other symptoms. So I am not worried. Just chillin in bed, catching up with friends and knitting my little projects.

Peace Out

My New Hobby

This past week during my adventurous trip to Walmart I picked up myself a knitting guide and a couple packs of yarn. I had told myself, I will not be subject to my laptop and video games all day long. I will find myself a hobby and be productive with my hands. I envisioned myself being able to teach myself how to knit and make my son his own little blankie. How do you think I am coming along so far????

Peace Out