New Name!

Well I finally came up with a new blog name.  And good grief, if you know us at all, you know how fitting it is! 

Since it wouldn't be fair to Delaney if the blog was named after her brother, I have been racking my unclever brain to come up with some cutesy name to change it to, possibly something involving our last name. But alas, nothing ever came to me.....until the last couple of weeks when I finally resided myself to the fact that maybe our lives would never be "normal."  Not normal in the sense that most young families know, at least.  My life has always been a bit chaotic, but it was always just me, I never really dragged anyone else into it. And through every stage of mine and Christiaan's relationship I keep thinking.....well when he moves here....when we get engaged....when we get married.....when we get our own house.....

But by now we have reached each of those stages except getting a house, and it seems like each step brings its own version of crazy, or sometimes steps it up a notch.  My mom has always told Christiaan that one day he would see what normal looked like in our family, but I think we have yet to find that again.  Its actually one of the big reasons that my dad was so fond of Christiaan, because of the fact that he walked into this relationship without a second thought of what all he was being asked to take on at the time.  That and the fact that he knew just how passive a man it would take to corral me and my, ahem, flair for the dramatics....

Just to give you an idea of what I mean by crazy, here's a short run-down of events of the last 3 years....
-found out I was pregnant with Carter (and a whole slew of crazy that went along with that)
-Dad was diagnosed with leukemia, the same week mom found out she needed a hysterectomy
-my uncle almost died from pneumonia, the same week mom had surgery
-Carter was born
-the day we were released from the hospital, Grandpa was admitted and almost died the next day
-Christiaan got mono
-Christiaan moved here
-my Nannie broke her hip
-Dad relapsed, thus beginning 11 months of one horrible event after another
-Carter had surgery for ear tubes
-we got engaged
-Christiaan's Nanny died
-Aunt Karen's GiGi died
-we got married
-Dad died
-all the stuff with Mom's house being renovated, and we all had to move out, right after Christiaan had given up the lease on his apartment
-we had our official wedding
-got pregnant with Delaney, and since about week 25 she has been stirring up trouble herself

So there you go. And that's just the major events, thrown in the mix were multiple bouts of illnesses with all three of us, and other regular life struggles.  I know everyone has their problems, but I dare you to tell me that we haven't been through the ringer these last couple of years.

Maybe one day our lives will be normal, but then we will probably be bored. 

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the crazy.  But you know what??? Through a crazy amount of prayer and some leaps of faith, I'm still breathing, we have made it through each event, and are better because of or in spite of them. 

Today

One year ago today.....



I put on this little white dress....




And took my Daddy's big, strong hand, while my Momma pushed his wheelchair and the nurses pushed his IV poles....




And this man waited anxiously in the courtyard at Medical City Dallas....




And these people (and some random others inside the building) watched us repeat our vows to each other....




And we were married in the eyes of our God.

 In three short years both of our lives have changed incredibly.  If you don't believe in the hand of God being in charge of your life, come listen to our story.  A little over three years ago we were both wondering through life alone, waiting for that moment to happen when you realize your life is about to change.  Our paths had never crossed, we lived in two different cities.  And then one day.....

And just like that our lives came together. 

Even just reflecting back on what we have been through in the last year alone, I am amazed at what we have been through.  One year into our marriage and we are getting ever closer to meeting our baby girl, adding another piece to our little family.

My sweet guy, I cannot be grateful enough for you. I don't know how you tolerate me and my crazy parade, but I'm so glad you do! I am proud to be on this journey with you, and love the life we have started together, even if it means living in a one bedroom apartment atop a barn with two kids under two and two psycho dogs. All the more stories we will tell our grandchildren!  I can't wait to see where the next year takes us. I love you to the moon and back!

(Here's the story of how that day came to be, if you missed it!)

So about that 1%

Umm. Yeah.

Well that was Wednesday's news.

Polyhydramnios. Too much amniotic fluid. Who the hell?? Oh yeah, one percent. Me.

At this point it's a mild case, thank goodness, but it apparently justifies being monitored more closely. It seems to be the reason behind the frequent Braxton hicks(or what I thought were just BH), which could be the cause of the other news from yesterday...my cervix got shorter since they checked it two weeks ago. It's just over the normal length range, but the fact that it got so much shorter in two weeks is more reason to be monitored.

My main concern, obviously, is for The Diva's well-being, and as the doctor explained, most all mild cases are unexplained and have no effect on the baby. But possible reasons could be due to a large baby which she is not, mother having diabetes which I won't even go there again, and genetic disorders. I pretty much checked out after she said those two words, despite her saying out of four sonos they have done, she shows no indications of any. but as a mom, it's the holy crap moment you pray to never experience.

There are also a whole host of possible complications, most of which lead to pre-term labor and/or emergency c-section, but I'm choosing not to think about those since she said its considered mild as of now.

So I will go back in two more weeks for another sono to check on both of these issues, with the stern instructions to sit and rest as much as possible in the meantime and don't underestimate any small change in any symptoms I've been having. Any changes could lead to bed rest, and no part of my life has time for that nonsense. It's looking more and more like I'll be lucky to get to 38 weeks, but who knows. She's my child after all, she could very well give us all these fits and be two weeks late!

I do totally feel justified in feeling so swollen and distended, and it explains why my belly is so much bigger than with Carter. And again, the sono tech did a 3d one and actually got a shot of a smile before she replaced her hand dramatically across her face!

Thank God for technology. And sorry it is sideways.

Comparison

So lately I keep thinking that my belly is around the same size that it was at the end of my pregnancy with Carter. Tonight we took a 30 week belly shot, and now I'm pretty much convinced its quite close to the same size. What do you think??


I know that every pregnancy is different, and most people are bigger earlier in subsequent pregnancies, but holy crap. I mean, I still have 10 weeks til my due date, how much bigger am I going to get? And it's not just the size, it's the discomfort factor that I'm most concerned about. That picture was taken literally just a few hours before my water broke with Carter at 38 weeks and 2 days. I could barely walk, slept sitting almost straight up(when I could sleep), was having strong Braxton Hicks all the time, and had horrendous heartburn. Already at 30 weeks I struggle to walk because she's already so low, sleeping is increasingly difficult, have been having BH pretty regularly since 25 weeks, although the heartburn has been kept at a minimum thus far.

I guess it also kinda worries me that I'm experiencing all this so much earlier. I just pray it's because my body is in worse shape than before and that she stays put til noon on December 21!!

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Dear Moron at the lab,

Hi, remember me?? The pregnant woman that you yelled at in front of a waiting room full of people, including several young children?? And tried to dispute the orders that my doctor had written? You know, the guy who actually went to med school.

Well I'm writing to let you know that you really shouldn't have messed with my blood test results just to try and prove your point. It just wasn't a good idea. Not only will your supervisor be getting a phone call Monday morning, but your location has been blacklisted by my doctor's office due to your rudeness and ineptness. Oh and also, when I receive the bill from the 3 hours of blood work that I was forced to endure due to your stupidity, you can bet your butt I'll be forwarding that on to your office to pay, along with a letter demanding reimbursement for the time I had to take off work to do said blood work. Time I didn't have to give, time away from my unborn daughter when it comes time for maternity leave. And I'll probably throw in the $98 bill that I received last week from your office for the botched blood work you did, just for good measure.

Let me give you a piece of advice--don't piss off a pregnant woman. I have no clue if you've ever been pregnant, but seriously?? Are you that ignorant that you don't know how hormonal and emotional we are?? As for me, I tend to have a short fuse in general with rude people, but toss in some stress and a buttload of pregnancy hormones and things get taken to a whole different level. Also, just be nice to be people. I'm aware you see all kinds of weirdos since you work at a lab, but not everyone coming in there is a crack whore getting her monthly STD test done. In fact, the people I saw there were normal, everyday people, adults and children, who's doctors sent then for blood work. They were likely a bit nervous in the first place, then you treat them like trash and that certainly doesn't put them at ease.

Maybe you were just having a bad day, maybe you hate your job, but for goodness sake. Please just suck it up and pretend to be nice to people for the 8 hours you are there. I promise, in the long run it will make you a happier person.

Sincerely,
Hormonal pregnant woman

P.S. here are the lab results from the 3 hours of blood work, which proves to me just how much tampering you did to the original results

The Diva

Delaney has earned herself a nickname before she has even taken her first breath. I had such high hopes that she would be calm natured like her Daddy, since Carter obviously took after me and I diagnosed him in the womb with ADD, but perhaps no such luck. She could prove me wrong and be of the quiet diva sort, but girlfriend is going to be a diva nonetheless.

So after the whole 4 hour stint in the hospital last month, I've been increasingly more uncomfortable and began having Braxton Hicks pretty much daily. 2 weeks ago I did the glucose screening test, and after a near physical fight with the moron at the lab (why in the hell are people so ignorant enough to mistreat a hormonal woman??), I supposedly failed the test. I'm not entirely convinced that she didn't do something shady with the blood work. I may not be a medical professional, but I find it difficult to believe that a person who suffers from low blood sugar problems can end up with gestational diabetes, or come even remotely close to it.

So today I had to take a half day from work to do the 3 hour test. Meaning, nothing to eat or drink since dinner last night, drink straight up the sugariest (i think I just made up a word) 3 oz of liquid ever first thing this morning, then sit around the doctor's office to have my blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours. While there I did have my monthly appointment where we addressed all the different things that have been going on, namely the previous episode and the more recent timing of Braxton Hicks, and my doctor decided to be on the safe side and have me see the perinatologist again to make sure my cervix wasn't getting shorter.

I had to run over to the hospital to get the Rhogam shot (5th needle of the day, thankyouverymuch) from the pharmacy there so I stopped by his office to schedule an appointment. They had a cancellation at 1:30, so my half day turned into a whole day.

Fortunately though, there doesn't seem to be any activity with my cervix, and Delaney is looking good, measuring right on time and at 2 lbs 15 oz! The doctor wants to check again in 2 weeks to see if there has been any change, but hopefully all will still be well and I'm going to do my best to rest and take it easy from here on out.

So apparently our girl either just needed some more attention, or is going to be a walking medical weirdo like her momma. I'm hoping she hasn't inherited my odd medical happenings. Sometimes I wonder if people think I'm a hypochondriac because the weirdest things happen to me. If there's a 1% chance of something, I am the 1%. I'll take a prissy diva any day of the week to balance out the epitome of boy that her brother is. :)

I guess the sweet sono tech felt sorry for me and turned on the 3D while checking out Miss Priss! It totally made my day! And makes me so much more excited to see her in person, if that was possible. Carter has even been talking about seeing baby Laney face!







Passed smooth out with her arm draped dramatically across her head. And wouldn't budge.

The general consensus is she has Christiaan's big lips and Carter's nose and big cheeks. And Carter said she looks like GramPam. Haha.

So, as much as I'm ready to kiss those squishy cheeks, we need her to stay there until at least Christmas break. Then all bets are off!

Picture Purge

Eating a grape co snone, as he called it


Loving on the "feral" barn cat



Being silly with My My



His beloved My My and Aly gave him this punching bag. Obviously it was a hit!



Karen sent me this from school



Entertaining us at Devin's first football game



First Baylor watching party of the season



Another gem from Karen...this is the 3 musketeers. One day they decided to have a dance party, complete with a semi-striptease...boys....



He put the Chiquita sticker on his head and declared himself a banana face



All we have gotten from Christiaan's tomato plant. He and Carter shared them both said they were good, but I may never know for myself if it doesn't make any more!







We passed these fruit snacks on an end cap at Walmart and he let out a scream so loud that several nearby people stopped dead in their tracks to see what was going on. What is up with these stupid birds??



His prized pumpkin. It slept with him a few nights, and he carried it everywhere for a few days.







I finally got him to put on his whole costume and not just the wings and gloves. He goes crazy while wearing it, and I know I'm biased, but have you ever seen anything so cute??



My family birthday dinner at Razzoo's



On a very rainy day, we just happened to find this super cute umbrella at the store! He thinks he's big stuff!

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