My Favorite Room in the House

I think that one of the most special things about being pregnant is decorating a nursery. For months, I handpicked every little detail, with the idea that everything had to be perfect for my little man. I would get home from work, and Patrick would build me a pallet in the middle of Declan's room so I could just lay there and think about my son. For months I imagined myself rocking him to sleep in his cream glider, changing his diaper under his big initials, putting his clothes away in the dresser that was his great-great-aunts, and laying him in his sweet crib surrounded by safari animals. It quickly became my favorite room in the house!

I finally got around to taking pictures of Declan's nursery. I am not as good with the camera as Patrick, so the pictures do not do it justice, but you get the idea!

{30 weeks pregnant}

When I look at the last picture of his changing table, I chuckle to myself. Four months ago I would have been mortified by the plastic mobile and the straps hanging off. Oh, how things change when you have a screaming little one. We got the mobile as a gift, and after weeks of scream-filled diaper changes, my mom convinced me to use it. He absolutely LOVES that mobile. Sometimes I strap the kid in, sit on the floor, and just let him watch the thing go round and round!

What a Weekend!!

Patrick and I had an eventful weekend, to say the least!

I have been SO busy with school the last six weeks - working 65-75 hours a week, on my feet all day long. Saturday, when I got off of work, I was so excited to have Saturday night and all of Sunday off!

On Saturday evening, something just didn't feel right. I was super, super tired. We had planned on going over to some friends houses, but decided to get take-out and go home instead. When we got home, our friends Emily and Matt decided to stop by. While they were over, I started hurting, like a lot! I tried laying in bed and going to sleep, but that was impossible. I was cramping, and they were extending around my back. After spending 4 weeks on the labor hall in January for school, I knew what these were. They were contractions!!!

So we started timing them. They were regular and consistent, coming about 6 minutes apart. This is where we started FREAKING out!! Thinking - "I am 32 weeks pregnant. My baby weighs 3.5 pounds! I can't have my baby this weekend!!"

We drove to the hospital immediately. Didn't call the doctor, didn't pack a bag, didn't even think...just drove. By the time we got to the hospital, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart.

When we got there, I was immediately started on IV fluids. We hoped that it was simply dehydration causing these contractions. The fluids didn't work.

Then I got a shot of terbutaline. Terbutaline is a drug that stops contractions. And makes you feel like you have had about 6 cups of double shot coffee. It's awful! But...praise the lord...it worked. Usually, they will give you 3 shots before they start working you up for labor. Luckily, I only needed 1.

After my shot, I went an hour without having another contraction. So they sent us home.

I woke up Sunday morning, still feeling a little crampy. So I drank A LOT of water. Really, a lot is an understatement. I probably had about 8 liters throughout the course of the day. And it really did help. I didn't feel anything at all. Until Sunday night. I started having contractions again. This time they were further apart and less strong. But, they were regular. So I called the doctor, and he had us go into the hospital.

We took our time before we left. I took a bath to try and relax. Patrick packed a bag. Bless his sweet heart, he asked if we should bring the carseat. I knew that if Declan came, he would not be going home with us anytime soon, so I told him we wouldn't need the carseat yet!

Once we got to the hospital, they put me on IV fluids. This time the fluids worked. No terbutaline needed! But they still wanted to check my cervix - it was closed! I was officially not in "real labor." After an hour of no contractions, and another cervix check, they sent us home.

Today, other than being exhausted from being at the hospital the last two nights, I am feeling much better. I haven't had a contraction all day. I went to my doctor today, and she said this is all probably from the stress I have been putting on my body at school. She did not put me on bedrest, but did say I was going to have to drink a lot of water and be a "lazy med student" for the next 6 weeks. She also gave me some medicine to take at home if I am getting regular contractions again.

While this weekend was the scariest I've ever had, I am thankful for the experience. I now know what to expect when I actually go into labor. I know that I am married to the most supportive man I could ever hope for. I know that no matter what happens, we will get through it!

My Little Miracle: 30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks

Baby's size? 18 inches, 3.2 lbs

Weight gain? 24 lbs

Sleep? Still ok! Going to sleep can sometimes be difficult because I'm so sore, and I often feel like I can't breathe, but once I'm asleep, I sleep fine. I do have weird dreams, though!

Foods I am loving? Ice, clementines (I eat like 5 a day), cupcakes

Foods I am hating? Nothing!

Best moment this week? Watching my belly move when he's moving around in there

Symptoms? Rib pain - OMG, it hurts sooo bad! Shortness of breath. Multiple trips to the bathroom.

Gender? A sweet baby Declan

What I miss? Right now, I'd love to just go for a run. However, since I haven't been working out through this pregnancy, I can't just jump out there and do it.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting this little boy in 10 weeks!!

Emotions: Stressed about school, but so happy to have this little ray of sunshine in my life!

Baby Boy has a name!

We have finally decided on a name for our sweet baby boy!

His name will be:

Declan Thomas

St. Declan was a saint in Ireland at the same time St. Patrick was there. Since Patrick has a very strong Irish background, we always knew we wanted to name our first son something Irish.

Thomas is Patrick's dad's name.

We are so happy with his name!!!

Holiday Break

Top Ten Reasons Why Holiday Break Was Wonderful (in no particular order):

1. We were invited to lots of fun parties

{Tacky Christmas party, 2010}

2. I got to spend lots of time with some of my favorite ladies

3. We saw our precious baby's face, hands, feet on ultrasound, in 4D! I may be biased, but he is the cutest thing I have ever seen!

4. We shopped for family and friends for Christmas. In Christmases past, we were always both in school, so we didn't ever get to buy for our loved ones the way we wanted to. This year, we had so much fun buying for the people we love!

5. I spent lots of time with my mom

{We even accidentally wore matching shirts}

5. I spent even more time with my amazing husband, who I grow more and more thankful for every day

{Christmas Eve at Patrick's parents, 2010}

6. My belly finally started to get big! It seemed like forever before I looked pregnant, instead of just fat!


7. We worked on baby boys room a little bit. I have been planning on refinishing my great aunts dresser for his room, and we finally got it started!

{Before}

{Me and Courtney working hard}

{After - still needs handles and some touch-ups}

8. We decided on a name for our baby boy! More to come in the next post!

9. Baby boy got so many sweet presents from his favorite aunts, grandparents, and great-grandparents

{Opening our Co-sleeper from Patrick's parents}

{Cute little tennis shoe booties from his Aunt Allie}

10. I was able to rest so much. While it feels like we were really busy, I really did sleep a lot. I needed that so much having just finished my surgery rotation, and about to start Ob/Gyn!

My Little Miracle: 22 Weeks

I haven't done one of these updates in a while, so I decided it was time!

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby's size? 8 inches, 1.2 lbs - about the size of a papaya

Weight gain? 14 lbs

Sleep? Sleep is fine! I have to get up about 2-3 times a night to use the restroom, but who's counting?

Foods I am loving? Orange juice, peanut butter crackers, hot chocolate

Foods I am hating? Nothing really, although I still choose not to eat bacon and coffee

Best moment this week? I am feeling baby boy move sooo much, and I LOVE IT!!! It is so amazing to know when he is sleeping and when he is awake. I think he appreciates food as much as his momma because he goes CRAZY after I eat. But my favorite moment this week was definitely when Patrick got to feel him kick. Usually he doesn't kick hard enough to feel from the outside, but one night I had a bad nightmare that must have gotten him really going (I'm guessing it was my heart rate). I woke up to him kicking like a soccer player and grabbed Patrick's hand really quickly. He was SO happy when he felt him! It was definitely one of the most amazing moments that I will always remember!

Symptoms? Just going to the bathroom a lot more. No complaints though! I absolutely LOVE being pregnant at this point, and my misery in the first trimester has almost been forgotten! Maybe I can do this again?!?!?!

Gender? A sweet baby boy. We are still "marinating" on his name and practicing using it, but it is such an important decision that I'm so nervous to make the final call! Once we are 100% I will announce his name!

What I miss? Alcohol. I want wine, beer, egg nog, bloody mary's, champagne. Jeez...I could go on and on!! And I don't even drink that much!

What I'm looking forward to? Seeing sweet baby boy on ultrasound next Friday!

Emotions: Like I already mentioned, I am absolutely LOVING being pregnant. I am on cloud 9!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

around our house!!!

{Our Christmas tree topper}

{Our Christmas tree}

{The fireplace - with room for one more stocking!}

{The wreath I made last year}

{Patrick surprised me with lights outside!!}

{Guess who made his blog debut!!}

-Alicia

A First Look at the Nursery!

We started working on Baby Boy's nursery over Thanksgiving break. It is going to be a super fun process that I am definitely looking forward to! I can't wait to decorate the perfect room for him - a room that is comfortable for both of us. Here are some pictures to show our progress so far:

{Patrick's mom begins the painting process}

{Old house = closet that needed an overhaul}

{The closet after the renovation!!! <3}

{Crib assembly begins}

{The crib is finished!}

{And of course, we had to make sure it was strong enough :) }

I love the progress so far. The closet is so wonderful, and all of his cute little stuff (what we have so far) looks adorable in there! The color of the room is the most perfect gray with a slight touch of blue. Now I just have to start getting stuff to fill the room. I will definitely be showing the finished product when we are all done!

-Alicia

What's "It" going to be?

It's a BOY!!!

We are still in awe that our love for each other has brought us a precious son. We are so excited about bringing this little man into the world.

We found out Tuesday afternoon, and on Tuesday night we went to dinner with our immediate family to share the news. We had the "Grandmas" open a gift that had either boy clothes or girl clothes, and they were surprised at what they found!

{My mom is shocked!!}

{Jeanette, Patrick's mom, is thrilled!}

{My Grandma knew the whole time it was a boy!}

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, home happier, past forgotten, and the future worth living for"

My Miracle Monday (err Tuesday): 16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks

Baby's size? Baby is the size of a turnip - 5 inches

This, my friends, is a turnip:

Weight gain? 7 lbs

Sleep? Now that I'm working 6am - 6pm, 6 days a week, I am sleeping like a CHAMP! And I love it!

Foods I am loving? Lemonade, cold cheese, Dr. Pepper, cold fruit

Foods I am hating? Same old bacon, coffee, and fast food

Best moment this week? Hearing the heart beat today!!! It is such a relief to know that the bun is still baking in the oven! AND I think I may have FELT baby - I will update when it happens again!

Symptoms? I'm a broken record - nausea is still hanging on, but better with each day. Nasal congestion, although it's hard to tell if that is the pregnancy (which has been known to happen) or the weather change.

Gender? Getting closer! But EVERYTHING says it's a girl - so I already feel like I know!! I'm gonna add a poll in the next couple of days to see what YOU GUYS think it is!

What I miss? Nothing at the moment :)

What I'm looking forward to? Gender revealment! DEFINITELY feeling baby

Emotions: I'm so busy with work-school lately, it is really strange not to be completely consumed by this pregnancy. I spent 4 weeks sick on the couch thinking about the baby all the time, so I almost felt guilty going back to work and "forgetting" I was pregnant. It has made the time go by SO much faster, though! I can't believe that we are almost half-way there!

P.S. I am thinking about posting "bump pictures" on the blog. I will not be putting them on Facebook, but would love to let my far-away friends see the progression. If you think I should post them on here, let me know!!! Comment below!

My Miracle Monday: 14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks - 2nd trimester! Wooohooo!

Baby's size? Baby is the size of a navel orange - 4.5 inches

Weight gain? 4 lbs

Sleep? Insomnia has struck :( I just don't sleep anymore!

Foods I am loving? Lemonade (which I hated pre-pregnancy. Isn't that weird?), rainbow sherbert, Dr. Pepper (don't worry, my Dr. says I need the caffeine and calories), edamame, any kind of sugary candy (not chocolate - sprees, chewy jolly ranchers, sour skittles), fresh fruit

Foods I am hating? Still not eating bacon or coffee. Fast food really grosses me out too!

Best moment this week? Entering the 2nd trimester has been the best thing to happen this week!!!

Symptoms? Feeling even better!! Still take my nausea medicine 2x a day, but I can function like a normal human being. I've started experiencing some insomnia, stretching, headaches

Gender? We find out November 17th!!!

What I miss? When it started cooling off, I really wanted a glass of red wine. I'm starting to sound like an alcky!

What I'm looking forward to? Registering, getting the baby's room ready, finding out the sex, being able to feel baby in the next couple of weeks

Emotions: Starting to "enjoy" being pregnant is so exciting! It has been so difficult up to this point, so I'm so happy! I love this little nugget so much already, so I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I finally meet him/her!

My Miracle Monday: 10 Weeks

How far along? 10 weeks (25% through pregnancy!)

Baby's size? Baby is the size of a lime - 2 inches

Weight gain? I'm nervous to get on the scale! I'll let you know next week!

Sleep? Sleep is MUCH better. Still getting up to go to the bathroom, but I can deal with that!

Foods I am loving? REALLY salty foods - olives, popcorn

Foods I am hating? The B-word...and my kitchen, which I still can't step foot in

Best moment this week? Starting to notice a baby bump instead of a belly bulge! (I know it still seems early to have a baby bump...but have you seen the size of my uterus on my ultrasound-HUGE?!?!?!)

Movement? Nope

Symptoms? Feeling much better, but still having nausea; plus bathroom trips and weird cramping in my pelvic area (round ligament pains?)

Gender? We still think baby is a girl. I should say here that we would absolutely be happy with a boy or a girl, but our gut still says a little lady is in our future!

What I miss? Sometimes I really want an extra dirty vodka martini - it's gotta be the olive thing! I will say though, that I don't miss anything more than I want to be a momma! It's worth it!

What I'm looking forward to? My month off - in 4 days!!!!!! Starting to get the baby's room ready.

Emotions: I can breathe again - I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel with this nausea thing! I still can't go on long shopping trips or make exciting plans, but I'm making strides. So this makes me reeeeeallly happy! Developing a little baby bump makes this more real, which I love!

My Miracle Monday (err Tuesday): 9 Weeks

How far along? 9 weeks

Baby's size? Baby is the size of a prune - 1.5 inches

Weight gain? 0 lbs. I'm back down to pre-pregnancy weight. This week has been a rough week of nausea, even worse than last. And I still feel unusually pudgy.

Sleep? The nausea is making sleep more and more difficult.

Foods I am loving? Olives!!! Salty foods, Green apples, Carbs

Foods I am hating? Bacon - literally, it makes me gag to type it

Best moment this week? Having a 3 day weekend to give me and baby a break and do a lot of sleeping

Movement? Nope

Symptoms? I know I'm a broken record with this nausea thing, but seriously y'all, I never imagined it could be this bad. I dry heave when I walk in my kitchen. I have to carry a bag with me everywhere I go - including in the hospital when I'm working - for "just in case." And this is all with prescription medicine 3x a day. I can't imagine what women did before the days of medicine!

Gender? Still thinking a girl

What I miss? Feeling normal, doing normal things like cooking, going for walks, eating out at restaurants, shopping

What I'm looking forward to? Taking next month off - only 8 more days of work to get through! Being able to feel the baby so that I have a constant reminder that this will all be worth it.

Emotions: Still having a really difficult time with not feeling good. I have an amazing husband who does everything right, and I don't know what I would do without him. I am so thankful to be carrying this life, and can't wait until I get to meet the little one, but I just want to feel better! I would really appreciate prayers to get through this!!

My Miracle Monday (errr Tuesday): Week 8

How far along? 8 weeks. Finally - the milestone we've been waiting for to start telling friends!

Baby's size? Well, my ticker says a raspberry. But I've also read a green olive (1 inch). That just makes me want a martini!

Weight gain? 2-3 pounds

Sleep? Not as well as before. The nausea makes it a little more difficult. Plus, I have to get up at least twice a night to use the restroom.

Foods I am loving? Chicken nuggets, french fries, green apples, anything with lots of carbs

Foods I am hating? Coffee, eggs, salads

Best moment this week? Seeing the baby on ultrasound. Seeing/hearing the heart beat was life changing.

Movement? Of course not! Can't wait, though!

Symptoms? Uggh, nausea and vomiting ALL day not relieved by Zofran. Do not be fooled by the term "morning" sickness - those people lied! Plus, it's really difficult to drink any fluids, so I get dehydrated really quickly.

Gender? We're pretty positive it's a girl!

What I miss? Drinking and enjoying coffee, Food Network (it makes me nauseous to watch), waking up feeling good

What I'm looking forward to? The nausea/vomiting going away, getting rid of this "beer belly bulge" and actually looking like I'm pregnant

Emotions: I am an emotional wreck because I am sick as a dog. My sweet friend, Rachael, sent me this wonderful verse that made me feel better:
John 16:21 ²¹A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

Oh, baby!

We are so excited we are having a baby!

We are due in April, and we couldn't be more thrilled!