Can't Catch a Break!!!!

I probably should post a picture with this of my HUGE prego belly!

However, I haven't taken one recently and am too lazy to do it at this very moment so just imagine a whale of a mom HUGE with child, and you will have a clear picture of what I look like at this very moment!!!

22 days to go! 22 days til my due date - although the Dr. thinks I will have this baby within the next week - in fact, I have another appointment tomorrow for her to check me because she thinks I might be close enough to just admit this weekend. So I guess we'll see!

You know things are pretty bad when even the Dr. who has now only seen you 3 times, 2 of them being in the same room in the hospital tho, says that she is excited for me to get this baby out of my belly so I can feel better!  Yes, I would say it has been rough - and this week is NO EXCEPTION!!!

Chip set off Monday again for California and we were once again on our own.  Things quickly got out of control.  I woke up not feeling great but figured it would pass!  However, they just got worse and I ended up calling a friend to come help me take care of my kids while I just layed on the couch.  Things got so by 1 pm tho I called the Dr. and they said I better head over to the hospital to get checked out.

It was like deja vu of 2 weeks ago - into the ER, up to the delivery wing, back into the same room I was in then, feeling even worse than before, having not eaten anything but ice all day and wanting to die!!!  I was worried about my kids at home but realized they would survive at this point, and I wasn't sure if I would!  When the Dr. came in she said "this is getting a little too familiar - you in the same room with the same symptoms but even more this time, but without your cute hat!" I felt so lousy I didn't even have time to grab the hat, although I probably needed it bad at this point.

After blood tests were done again, everything came back great so we ruled out HELP for sure this time.  My pulse was high though and I was so dehydrated that even though they wanted me to drink some water or gingerale all I could take down was ice chips.  They asked if I had been aruond anyone with a stomach bug recently, to which I didn't think so so I said no.  Well, after about another 3 hours of tests, IV fluids and phenergan via IV, Tylenol, I was starting to finally feel a little bettter.  She thought it could be appendicitis, but couldn't see that on the ultrasound because the baby was in the way - the contractions were coming every 2-5 minutes and although started pretty high were actually moving lower and lower and starting to hurt at this point.  They decided after fluids were gone that I could go home unless contractions picked up.  At this point a nurse came in and when checking my monitors said my contractions were off the charts and I felt warm.  She checked me and I had spiked a fever of 102.  I had just had tylenol 1.5 hours previous for my headache and had no fever then, so we weren't sure why now I had one.  The Dr. said I was her mystery patient.  Maybe I had a sinus infection since I sounded pretty congested. I am just trying to get over a terrible cold.  Anyhow - I did get to go home, although by this point I was actually feeling terrible all over again - but I was worried about my babies being alone at night without me or their dad and so wanted to sleep at home.  I had a friend staying over with me just in case I needed to come back in.

Well, I had a pretty bad night - feeling awful and hot and awake almost the whole night, but after 2 hours of sleep around 3-5 am I did finally start to feel better.  I was taking Tylenol around the clock and the contractions had died off.  It was the next morning I learned there was a stomach bug going around, and I had unfortunately been one of the many victims of people in the ward - we figured it got started at institute friday night at the church, and then someone infected got me at my own shower!  How TOTALLY UNFAIR!!!!  I got the nasty bug at my own baby shower! Sad!!! I was just glad I was now feeling better and praying my kids did not get it, especially with chip out of town.

Well, the day went pretty good, and I thought I was doing better - night came and the kids seemed fine still! I put Cash to bed and was trying to put Griff down but he wouldn't go at all.  He was so fussy and finally I brought him out to the couch with me and he just layed against me so tired and calmly - very unlike him.  I had 2 friends over and my sister in law and we were just on the couch and I asked him if he wanted me to take him to bed - he said yes and layed down on my shoulder.  I was standing up to take him upstairs when it hit!!!  Projectile vomit right all over the couch towards my friend Dara.  Luckily she was just out of reach.  But it kept coming!  And coming! And coming!  Poor little guy had eaten a ton for dinner and it was all coming up.  My friends I must now say are AMAZING!!!! I am not good with vomit and probably would have run for the hills at this point if I were them  I wanted to do that and I am his own mom.  It was so gross and smelled bad and I am wondering how I didn't puke myself at this point - but somehow we got through it.   I had one friend who went up and started a bath for him, the other one got towels and started helping me clean, and then when I took him upstairs my friends got the couch cushions off and into the wash, my sister in law cleaned the carpet, and everything was done when I came back down with him.  What AMAZING friends!  Well, I wish that were the end, but unfortunately we had a few more rounds of the pukes within the next hour - poor Griff was miserable, and it was horrible to see.  I felt terrible, and all he wanted was for me to hold him but snuggling him I couldn't do very well because I am horrible and was too scared of getting puked all over.  Luckily the rest came out on my kitchen floor, much easier to clean!  Anyhow, I finally layed him down on the floor on towels and he fell asleep.  I planned to sleep for the night on the couch, and hoping Cash didn't get it tried to lay down and sleep too - but i was so worried and feeling crappy myself at this point I couldn't.  I can't relax when my kids are sick and it is just awful!  I tried and tried but just kept making myself feel sicker.  I tried to rationally tell myself it would be ok, but somehow that didn't work. Heidi came upstairs at this point and just talked to me and gave me a foot and leg massage and somehow that worked - then she offered to sleep on the couch so i could sleep better in my bed and if G woke up she would come get me.  What a sweet sister right?!  Well, at this point he woke up and so I ended up staying wtih him and then moving him to his bed - he slept the rest of the night and so did Cash, and although I didn't sleep great I did get a couple hours.  The next morning Griff was fine and Cash was great too.  I felt better as well and we were just hoping to not have it get Cash last night.  Luckily he seemed to avoid it.  I am so grateful!!!

Anyhow, today I am back to the headaches and nausea, Griff has his little cough that I thought was getting better but seems to still be bugging him and a runny nose as of 3 weeks still, and I am just so tired of us not being fully healthy.  It has been rough, and I don't want to say it can't get any worse because I know it will in some way - so I will  just say it hasn't been the best week, and we are all so glad daddy comes home tonight, and maybe I will be done with this pregnancy sooner rather than later.  So tomorrow we'll see, that is if I don't go to the hospital again - cuz the contractions have been occuring every 2-5 minutes all day and are starting to really hurt.  

Please stay in baby tell daddy gets home!!!

Happy 37 weeks to me!

A Wonderful Surprise!

So nice to come home from an outing today and find these beautiful flowers waiting for me!

Thank you honey for sending them to me, and more for the wonderful little love note that lifted my spirits and brightened my week while you are away!  It has been a rough week and this is just what I needed!

I love you!

PS - they smell SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! 

April 26, 2012: 6 years Down!!!

Yesterday marked 6 years of marriage!

6 WHOLE YEARS!!!!

Where has the time gone?

I really can't believe it has been that long, and yet I can't even remember what life was like before I had Chip in it!  

We have moved a TON! We have (almost) 3 kids! We have been around the world and back, have had some really great times, a few challenging times, and yet have had each other to lean on the whole way.  We are so abundantly blessed and I feel so happy and at peace knowing I get to go through this life rollercoaster with my very best friend!

To celebrate this year we actually got to go out to dinner by ourselves.  Chip said if I got the babysitter he would make reservations for the place.  We pulled up to a beautiful building and were set to go inside and eat at Fossett's!  It is supposedly an amazing restaurant at the Keswick Country Club out here in Cville.  As we were walking in we saw a guy leaving in a dinner jacket.  That is when Chip stopped.  He was worried there was a dress code and he wouldn't be allowed in.  Now Chip is always dressed nice, and of course tonight was no exception.  However, he had called me from his office and asked me to bring a pair of jeans for him because he had spilled something on his business pants that day.  Also, he didn't have a dinner jacket on.  So we walked towards the car and he called the place to ask if there was a dress code.  The guy responded yes but just business casual - no dinner jacket needed!  Phew!  Then Chip said "business casual meaning no jeans?!"  The guy responded yes.  Well - bummer for us!  So we turned around, walked back to the car, and Chip felt really bad and was apologizing the whole time.  Actually now I find it quite funny that this occurred, because it has been the ONLY time in his entire career that he has spilled something and had me bring him different pants - and of course it was on our anniversary when we were going out and he needed to be in something other than jeans!  

Well, we set off and decided to go to another restaurant called Duners, which we also had heard good things about.  So we ended up driving for about and hour and 15 minutes to just get to a place to eat, and yet it worked out! The food was great, and I got to spend time alone with just my bestest friend ever!

I love you honey - even if you did spill on your pants and ruin our night at Fossetts! Hey, at least we got to eat dinner alone and enjoy time just the two of us!

I look forward to more ruined dinners but an eternity of wonderful memories with you!  I love you so much!  Happy 6 years baby! 

Update: My Pregnancy Prayer!

This has been a hard pregnancy for me.  Those who know me well and have heard me complain and whine the past 8 months I am happy to say that time has ended.  And although it has been hard, I am actually finally to the point where I am just very excited and eager in anticipation to meet this little angel who is being entrusted to us and will be added to our family in just a few short weeks.......or at least I hope it will be a few short weeks.

This past weekend has been a little crazy here.  Chip was gone Monday-Friday commuting to work in California and the boys and I were trying to get organized and back to life here in Va.  We actually were very busy and had a lot of productiveness and fun the whole week, which also made the time pass quickly.  We had a setback Thursday night when both the boys and I came down with some sickness and Friday seemed to be a little long but we were so excited to see our daddy we just took it easy.  Well, Friday night came, and after having a relatively easy week of pregnancy all things considering I didn't expect anything to change.  

However, I couldn't go to sleep and the acid reflux/heartburn set in horribly around 10 pm.  I took medicine, but then the pain in my ribs and back started and I couldn't go to sleep.  I battled the pain most the night, trying a hot bath, a hot shower, hot water bottles, ice packs, more heartburn meds, and many a different position trying to get comfortable and relieve the pain I was having under my right rib cage and in my back in the right middle section!  Nothing worked.  I had Chip give me a blessing, and although I felt things would be ok the pain still didn't subside.  Finally, at 5 am I was having a hard time breathing and I told Chip I needed to go to the ER.  I told him to stay home with the sick kiddos and I would take myself.  

When I got there they told me that once you are 6 months pregnant if you come in to the ER for a pregnancy related illness you have to be taken up to OB.  I was actually relieved.  This meant I didn't have to get an IV if I didn't need one, and I would see a Dr. who was from the practice I attended.  Perfect in my mind.  I was taken up and the pain was getting worse.  I could barely breathe at this point and my back was killing so bad no position seemed to relieve it.  I was hoping they could find answers to why I was feeling this way and quickly get rid of the pain.  I had some blood work done and then had to wait to see what the results would find.  The first Dr. said most likely it was the positioning of the baby and unfortunately there isn't a whole lot to do with it.  This wasn't very comforting to me, but had I known what was coming I think I would have dealt with the pain better.

Anyhow, the next Dr. came in and I instantly fell in love with her - she is at my practice and yet I have never seen her before, although I am now planning on having her be my delivery Dr. if I schedule an induction.  She was so kind, patient, and spent a lot of time explaining things and a lot of time making sure I was ok.  She asked me first if I wanted some pain meds, although by this time I was actually feeling better so I declined.  I was hoping that I could just get sent home and in fact the baby had shifted and all would be well.

Then the news came.  She said my lab results came back and my kidney enzyme levels were high and my platelet levels were low and she was worried it could be a gallbladder or kidney problem and I needed to be ultrasounded for this.  Also, my blood pressure had been high when I came in and I had been swollen, and although both had gone down while I was there they needed to monitor them and make sure they stayed that way.  

I had the ultrasound and the tech there was great too.  She was actually very funny.  She told me she wasn't supposed to look at the baby but she showed me some pictures of her and once again confirmed it was a girl again to me anyways.  She was opening here mouth and moving her tongue around and it was very funny to us.  It was surreal to see her moving and realize she is almost ready to survive outside my tummy soon.  She was in a really awkward position with her legs and we tried to move them but she kept putting one straight out and the other tucked behind her bum!  Seriously looked so uncomfortable - maybe she will be the flexible little dancer I can only dream of being at this time!  Anyhow, everything looked good on the ultrasound and so I assumed all was fine.

I was taken back up and then had to wait for the Dr. to come back in and tell me the news.  At this point I just wanted to get home to the husband I hadn't seen all week and my little kiddos.  I wanted to spend a fun day saturday with them, and it was now 11 am and I could tell my plans were quickly falling apart.  The Dr. was very busy with a lot of deliveries, and was currently delivering twins in the OR so the wait continued.  She rushed in I could tell quickly after, since she was still in all her scrub gear, hat and booties and all......and then the news came.  Although the ultrasound looked fine, the lab results were such that she thought I could have HELLP syndrome.  I didn't know what this was, and it wasn't until I got home that I came to understand.  She told me that they would discharge me since I had no pain at this point and my BP had gone down and everything was ok, but if I started to feel the slightest bit sick to get back in asap and if I developed a headache or saw blurry spots to also come in immediately.  She mentioned it was on the spectrum of pre-eclampsia, but I thought she meant it was the mildest form and not really a big worry.  I was just excited to be leaving and feeling better.  I came home, told Chip what it was, and then I looked it up.

HELLP syndrome:  A life threatening disease to pregnant moms which can be fatal for both the mom and baby.  OK - NOT the first thing I wanted to read.  Apparently it is the worst form of preeclampsia and very dangerous.  Reading it made me scared and I realized how serious it is.  I called my mom to tell her and she was with her good friend who is a PA and had a daughter who had this very thing and almost died with her baby from it when she had him.  I remember actually how scary it was for the family and this made me all the more nervous.  She also reiterated if anything new happened to get in and back to the Dr. ASAP!  I have to go in on Monday for more blood work to make sure the kidney enzymes have gone down and my BP is ok and all the other tests, and then go to the Dr. that afternoon to also check that all is ok once again ---- and if the results come back bad and I do have it they will have to do a c-section immediately and get the baby out.  What?!  I am NOT ready for this little one to come yet.  This made me so scared and after reading more about it I had convinced myself I probably did have it and all sorts of fears and panic set in.  I am not ready, the nursery isn't done, my mom and sister aren't coming out for over a month more, Chip is supposed to leave on Monday for AZ for the week, my boys are sick, I am just not ready.  Although I have been wanting her to come early, this was too early and I found myself in tears and thinking why does this have to be happening to me?  The biggest thing that scared me was that this disease can cause a placental abruption during birth - which if the baby is inside can be fatal to the baby, and also can be fatal to the mom if child has been born or not --- I know all about this because this actually happened to me when I had Cash and I did almost die (he was out so never was a threat to him) and so it terrifies me to think it could happen again.  

I instantly started offering up prayers that this would not happen to me.  I was to take it easy, rest, and just lay low all weekend.  Well, Chip gave me another wonderful blessing, I rested and offered up numerous prayers and pleas that she will not have to come so early.  I feel peace that all will be fine and have felt fine all day today so I am very hopeful that all will be well.  I have had so many kind texts, phone calls, people offering to help with kiddos while I go to the Dr.  A VT who is bringing me dinner tomorrow even though she didn't even know about all this but just said she wanted to do something nice now that I am back and I am so prego and she knows I am probably tired without Chip here.  So many blessings.  I have felt the comfort today that the Lord does know me and I am going to be ok.  

I jokingly told Chip that apparently I need to be abroad if I am ever to be pregnant again - because pregnancies here in the states seem to be much harder and we were so blessed with no complications or sickness of any kind when I had Griffin in China.  Ok, not really - but I do believe he was watching over me and that was a tender mercy back then when I was pregnant.  I also was talking about how I have so many friends going through tough trials right now and although this is so hard, I do know it will end and I am grateful for this trial in a weird way and that I am not going through what some others are going through, because although this has been hard and trying and I have felt or asked "why me? Haven't I endured pain enough for this pregnancy?" I wouldn't change it for others trials which seem harder.  The Lord does know us.  Each one of us.  And I am grateful for his hand in my life and my prayer is that I won't have to have this baby tomorrow or Tuesday, but she can wait a little longer......and if not we will welcome here anyways, nursery still in boy form and all, and at least hopefully she can wait til Chip can get back to make her entrance.  

So tomorrow is the big day.......Please let me BP and body cooperate and be in good health!

And hopefully now that I am a little more organized I can update with the pictures and other things I have of the kiddos from the last week we were in Cali and an update of our future move and next phase of our lives as we will soon know it!  Have a great Sunday!

The Greatest Place on Earth!!!

We had a blast at Disneyland last Saturday - albeit it was probably the most crowded day of the year so far! Every single ride had at least a 40 minute wait, with a ton of them over an hour! However, the kids actually didn't seem to mind the lines and did great and it was so fun to see the magic in their eyes and the excitement of them! It is much different taking kids then just going as a kid (or teen as I was) for myself! I actually enjoyed it maybe even more watching my own kids.....and that's saying something since I am over 30 weeks pregnant and it hurts to walk after about noon each day! But I managed to survive and it was gorgeous weather and we all had a great time!

Griff on our very first ride - Buzz Lightyear! He loved EVERY SINGLE ride and was SO excited to go on them all! What a sweetie!

Cash and I had a blast on this one - although it actually made me a little nauseous!

Chip and Griff were in the car in front of us and took the pictures - neither boy stopped smiling the whole ride!

Enjoying the ride!

What a pair! Look at the happiness! Sheer joy!

At the end! Thank heavens it was over - I normally don't get queasy but this time was different!

Cash and daddy on the boat ride!

The teacups! Cash chose which one we should sit in - it matched his shirt!

Griff really wanted to spin the wheel! And no, Cash is not flipping anyone off although it looks that way!

Love my 2 boys!

So content!

Cash and I did the Star Tours 3-D show. It was cool - although not worth the 75 minute wait! When we got up and got our glasses at first Cash told me he didn't need glasses because his eyes aren't bad like daddys. I had to explain they were special to help us see the cool effects! Here he is ready to get on the spaceship!

Smiley boys!

At the end of the day we asked Cash his favorite ride and he said the horse one - the one where the horse went up and down and went around! Funny thing because before the ride started he was crying here saying he wanted off! Not sure why, but in the end he was glad he rode it!

Griff, on the other hand, was excited for this ride from the time we walked on! In fact, he cried and got upset almost every time we got off a ride trying to get back on it! He is a happy-go-lucky kid....almost always smiling!

Was telling me about Alvin and the nuts while Cash went on roller coaster with daddy!

Chip filmed Cash during the ride - he LOVED it! (I think!)

Cash and Chip on the jellyfish ride. Griff was really upset at this point he couldn't have Chip!

Video of jellyfish ride!

Our family at the happiest place on earth!!!

Yes this is at the end of the day and we are all BEAT!!!! What a great day though!

Cash's response to how Space Mountain made him feel!

We had so much fun we think we might do it again this weekend! Wahoo!!!

March 2012 Utah Visit!!!

We had the BEST 2 weeks ever in Utah this year at Grammys. Cash and Griff LOVE their aunts and uncles, and Grammy and Mr. Grandpa and it was so much fun from the first day there. It was also a LOT warmer then we expected, and that turned out nice, and we left just in time for them to get hit with a snowstorm again!!! Can't wait for another visit already....lots of pictures and not really in order of what we did - but boy did we have fun!

The first day there the boys wanted to go out and play in the little snow that was still left. Griff is checking it out!

Hmm....maybe I can figure this out!

Snowball fight! Love this one....we had fun throwing them at Grammy's window during piano lessons!

Cash LOVES the bean museum and we went on Monday night for family night and they had a reptile show. I thought Cash wouldn't love to sit on the front row and touch all the animals but he ended up loving it! Grammy and him touched a turtle, a lizard, and two snakes.......yuck!

Checking out a crocodile skull!

Playing dress up in Alex's hat!

Griffin loved reading this book....and Alex was taking a snooze!

Very into it! Serious thoughts!

I was SO excited to get to go to Nationals and watch Kimmy dance since it had been so long since I got to go to this one! As always she danced beautifully and did extremely well! I love my little sister!

Paso Doble class comp!

My hot little sissy!

Only Gold 2 couple in the final with all the Gold Bar students!

Griff loves to put stuff on his head......and hey - why not this pair of Cash's underwear! Yes they were clean!

Cheese mom!

Cash found this and thought it made a great surf board....what a cute little surfer!

Mom and Kimmy at nationals before her big Smooth competition!

Dad and me - excited to be watching her do so well!

Getting some coaching from Micheal before the final!

Last time they will be competing this event together - and really hoping for a big win!

what?!

Right after the final when they walked off the floor! They both danced AMAZING and were SO HAPPY with their performance - it hit that it was their last time together before Matt leaves on his mission and they aren't partners anymore and so much emotion - Matt never cries and yet he couldn't stop sobbing - they were both so happy, sad, and just full of emotion - they got 2nd and even tied for 1st in tango and so they went out with a big high. It was beautiful to watch and I wish I had pics of them actually dancing but videos were too long to post! Loved watching them!

After the awards - so happy!

What a great partnership - been a very very fast 3 years for the 2 of them! Can't believe it really has been that long since they started together!

Brought this fabric back from China and it made a very awesome dress! She looked GORGEOUS!!! SO much fun!

Proud father!

Saturday night she danced Amateur Latin and brought an entirely different look to the floor! Look at this hot girl! So sassy and no one recognized her! She was stunning on the floor and is one little firecracker dancer! Love her!

After the comp ended with Matt's grandma!

Griffin getting a LOT of jelly on himself during dinner!

And then putting it in his hair!

Griffin LOVES his uncle Kevin and aunt Hollie - after dinner having fun with them!

Alex and Griffin - also his good buddy!

Cash made a fun marble tower one day - so much fun!

We went to a great park - highlight for kids (as always) was the baby swings!

Griffin is much more of a daredevil and wanted to do all the big slides although a little bit small still!

Cash is much more cautious, although finally figured out the ladders and did the slides, but preferred this fun toy and running around on the ground!

Griffin did figure out how to go up the stairs and down this slide all by himself!

Grammy - their most favorite person! My boys just adore her and it is no question why - she does SO many things with them, lets them help with simple household chores, and just makes everything fun to do while we are there. Thanks mom for such a great couple weeks and all you did for us while we were there. We miss you a ton already!

Another fun hat!

At the airport the first time - saying goodbye!

Cash was so sad to leave Grammys he kept saying.....but later on when I got bumped and took money to fly two days later and go back to Grammys he was also mad not to get on airplane and go home! However, in the end it was worth it - we got $800 to stay an extra day! More fun time!

We did finally make it home...and boys and I were SO glad to see our daddy! Last night we had taco soup for dinner - and this little guy out ate ALL of us! He had a HUGE bowl, and a lot of fruit too! My good little eater!

Yummy dinner mom!

And today I came into my room to find him playing in the laundry!

Of course he was in a jacket and a hat too!

I love my little guy....won't be my baby for that much longer, and he is getting bigger each day! I am glad he is still my little snuggly boy tho!

video of fun at Grammy's house in the kitchen!