Friday, July 26, 2013

Two More Liebster Nominations

Big thanks to Nell B from "TTC #2 -Four Completes the Set"  and Shanna from "Our Road to Motherhood" for the Liebster nomination! Here are my answers to their questions.


TTC #2 -Four Completes the Set Questions 


1. What is your greatest fear? Losing those very close to my heart



2. What is your greatest accomplishment? Graduating nursing school and achieving my dream job



3. What public behaviors do you find the most offensive? People chewing with their mouth open!



4. If you could change one law in the State where you live what would it be? Same sex marriage recognition 



5. When you leave this earth what is the one thing most people will say about you and the life you lived? I lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment.



6. You are at your happiest when? I am well rested and fed lol



7. What is your favorite quote or saying? 

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.


I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."


8. What is the one little known fact that most people will find surprising about you? I'm a nurse who can not handle vomit (literally makes me hurl lol)



9. How many slices of pizza do you typically eat in one sitting? 2



10. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween



11. Are you #TeamiPhone or #Blackberry? IPHONE!



Our Road to Motherhood's Questions

1. What has TTC taught you and your partner? PATIENCE


2. Where would you go on vacation if money was not an issue? France


3. Do you have pets? And if so what type and their names? Dog - Bowie and Cat - Melvin


4. Favorite Meal - Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner and what do you prefer to eat for this meal. Dinner, chicken cutlet


5. Fall or Spring? FALL!!!


6. Favorite winter activity? Ice skating


7. Who has influenced your life the most (family member, friend, teacher)? My mom


8. If you could re-do one thing what would it be? I have no regrets.... so nothing


9. How many kids do you and your partner want or are you done? 2 - 3


10. Favorite thing to do on the weekends? Relax and go outdoors


11. Why did you start blogging? To track our TTC Journey





Monday, July 22, 2013

Cardiology appointment

Well today confirmed what I have been feeling for two weeks now. They did an Electrocardiogram to see if my heart was in a normal rhythm. And it was not. My resting heart rate was 120 beats per minute which is double what it would normally be. I was also in atrial fibrillation. Here is a good comparison between normal and my heart.

Luckily I believe that the abnormal rhythm comes and goes on it's on. And the rhythm itself is not harmful to me or the baby. It's the side effects that become the problem. Which explains the shortness of breath and dizziness I have been feeling. So, the plan now is to go on a pregnancy category B beta blocker to control my heart rate, which would in turn control the abnormal rhythm (hopefully). Also, after we get back from vacation I will need to wear a monitor for a week which will tell the doctor whether or not I am staying in the rhythm or coming in and out of it. If I am staying in the rhythm they will need to put me on a blood thinner and do a procedure called cardioversion. Which basically shocks my heart into a normal rhythm. If I am going in and out of the rhythm (which I think I am) we will try to control it with medication. 

So, all in all it's good to get some answers. I will start the medication tomorrow and hopefully this helps. I am also hoping my midwife doesn't freak out and say she can't be my OB anymore (that would devastate me).

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Liebster Award

I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award! Thanks to Pieces of Religion for her nomination! This is a way for small bloggers to give recognition to other small bloggers (200 followers or less). Here’s how it works:
Copy & Paste This Whole Post and Replace All Your Information — who awarded you, for example.

The rules:
1. Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Post 11 facts about yourself, answering the 11 questions you were asked and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen.
4. Display the Liebster Award logo.
5. No tag backs meaning you can’t just re nominate the person who nominated you.
As Solo the First put it “The real purpose behind these nominations are not only as an accolade from a fellow blogger and let’s face it, nothing gently strokes our little writer hearts more than someone telling you they appreciate your work.  In addition to the back patting we need to receive from time to time, it also allows us to get a little more personal as we get to know our increasing blogging community. It also helps drive traffic to your site as we reference one another.”

The questions put forth to me (with my answers) are as follows:
1)  Paper Book or Electronic? Electronic
2) Who would you have dinner with if you could pick anyone ever? Hilary Clinton
3) What kitchen utensil would you be? Rubber Spatula, it doesn't look like it does much but according to my wife it smooths out all the problems and can be used for multiple things
4) If you met the president, what would you say to him? Thank you for viewing my family equal to others
5) What’s the hardest lesson you have had to learn in your life? You have to work hard and chase your dreams in order to one day get there
6) What’s the best decision you ever made? To marry my wife
7) What’s your favorite musical? Grease
8) What’s your biggest pet peeve? When people chew with their mouth open
9) What’s your greatest accomplishment? Getting my dream job as a Nurse
10) Where do you see yourself in 15 minutes? Watching a movie with my wife and fur baby :)
11) Where do hope to be in your life by the time you are retired? Financially sound, and surrounded by a family of my own



Here are my nominations (In no particular order!) I also have no idea how many followers these people currently have, but I love reading them!:
Here are my 11 questions:
1.  White, milk, or dark chocolate mocha? 

2. Did you grow up in a small or big town? Did you like it?

3. Your favorite adult as a child? (and not your parents, if they were your favorite)

4. Most embarrassing moment from your high school years? 

5. What's the most delicious food you've ever eaten in your life? 

6. If you had to move to another country, where would you move?
7.  Coolest thing you've ever been for Halloween?

8. City or nature person?

9. What are you most proud of in your life?

10. If you could relive the past would you? And to which part of your life?

11. If you had to change careers, what would you pick?

20 week update

My face is so swollen in this picture lol, I just woke up before taking it.

How far along? 20 weeks 2 days
How big is baby? A banana
Total weight gain/loss: Up 5lbs
Maternity Clothes: Still all I wear.... bought more summer attire
Have you started to show yet? Yes, starting to look more pregnant rather that chunkier lol
Sleep: Not terrible
Best moment this week: C feeling the baby move
Miss Anything? Nope
Movement: Non-stop lol
Food Cravings: Sugar
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nah
Gender prediction: It is a GIRL
Symptoms: Dizziness 
Major purchases this week? Nothing
Looking forward to: Anatomy scan and viability!! Feels so far away!


Friday, July 19, 2013

20 weeks and back to the heart doctor I go...

In the past two weeks my dizziness and heart arrhythmia's have been more and more frequent. So, my wife and I agreed that it's best to go back to my Electrophysiologist and see what he thinks. I am pretty sure he will put me on a beta blocker to control my heart rate (in turn preventing SVT and A-fib). Which at this point I am open to. I just want to be able to keep enjoying this pregnancy, and making these symptoms disappear will help! My appointment is on Monday, which is perfect because I see my midwife on Wednesday. And then we leave for the shore next weekend. I sure hope we can figure this all out. And even more so I hope Reese will be okay with the solution.

I'll leave you with a belly picture from today:

Taking Bowie for a walk in this heat wave!


I will post a 20 week update tomorrow because we haven't taken our 20 week bump picture with our board yet. BUT I can't believe we are HALF WAY THERE!!!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

TMI time...

Well everything around here has been pretty good. I am starting to feel like I am hitting another slow point in the pregnancy, I think because I am so antsy to reach that 24 week mark. But Reese is still in there and still growing stronger with those little kicks and flips. C actually got to feel some movement last night. We also listened to her with the doppler and she was moving around all over the place. My belly is definitely getting bigger. We have been so busy and forgot to do our 19 week board but will definitely do one for the half way mark this Friday!

New on the horizon is more frequent dizzy spells, most likely related to hydration! I need to be more vigilant with my water intake! Also.... this may be TMI but I have been getting really nervous when it comes to the sex topic. I want it more often for sure this trimester but afterwards I get so scared that my uterus is going to contract and that I'll go into premature labor! I know I am worrying too much, but my uterus dose feel tight after sex for a little while and it just makes me nervous.

Anyway C and I got some cute little onesies for Reese:



Also, we are getting ready to go on vacation next Friday! I can not wait to go shopping for more baby clothes down the shore :). I also can't wait to be in Wildwood for a whole week! We rented a house with my sister and her boyfriend. It will be a nice little get away. Of course I won't being enjoying the rides or alcohol but as long as my preggo ass gets to go to the water park I am all good! I like the beach but you can only get so much sand in every crevice before you call it quits lol. One thing that stinks is having to leave behind our fur babies. I took Bowie, our dog, to the vet today for a wellness check up and two shots. This way he will be all set for when we board him. He loves his daycare so I know he will be in good hands. And the cat is so easy, we fill up two self feeders and fill up the big water fountain we have for the both of them and he is set for a whole week. One thing that sucks for the cat is that he likes to go outside. But unfortunately for the week he will need to stay indoors only.

My big boy is 2yrs8m and 97lbs!

Well until next time, I hope all is well in blog land! I recently found out the is a fellow blogger couple that lives close to us, that's always exciting to know that you're not alone in this process :)!


Friday, July 12, 2013

19 weeks and Nursery :)

My wife C taped the boarders of the room and painted the whole nursery in two days :)! After the paint had a chance to dry for a few days my sister and I had a day off together, so in our boredom we figured why not get started on putting the nursery together. We had a dresser, bookshelf, and rocker already purchased. So now we are just going to have to buy a changing table, purple area rug, and crib. We went back and forth with whether or not to get another short long dresser or just a changing table. But considering the room that Reese will move up to when we have another we opted for the changing table. The other room has a huge walk in closet, so her dresser and that should be fine. 

"REESE" before

This wall will have the changing table and a few paintings


"REESE" after :)

The walls look green here but they aren't lol it must have been the lighting. I am aware the rocker clashes slightly but I don't care because it's the ONLY one I fell in love with AND it was on clearance.

I will add our 19 week bump photo to this post tonight after we update our board lol. One more week until the half way point!

How far along? 19 weeks
How big is baby? Still a Mango
Total weight gain/loss: Up 5lbs
Maternity Clothes: Still all I wear, so comfy :)
Have you started to show yet? Yes, starting to look more pregnant rather that chunkier lol
Sleep: Kinda hard to judge while on night shift
Best moment this week: Still feeling the baby move :)
Miss Anything? Nope
Movement: Non-stop lol
Food Cravings: Slurpee's lol
Anything make you queasy or sick? Last week my prenatal caused me to gag and get sick but otherwise nope.
Gender prediction: It is a GIRL
Symptoms: Round ligament pain and dizziness 
Major purchases this week? Maternity clothes for vacation and art supplies to the name sign in the nursery
Looking forward to: Anatomy scan and viability!! Feels so far away!


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Better late than never..

So here is a quick picture of me at 18 weeks (last Friday):

Also, we got some good news from our midwife today. After the quad screen was re-done completely with the CORRECT information the results were NORMAL! So, it's safe to say our little Reesie Cup does not have Down's Syndrome. Such a relief! Our next US is August 5th which will be our anatomy scan (technically I'll be 22 weeks and 3 days but they said that's fine). I also have a consult with the Perinatologist of August 6th regarding my history of A-fib/SVT. I haven't had any abnormal heart rhythms since November.... up until a few days ago. I am not sure what triggered the episode a few days ago but it was just as bad as the one in November. But my cardiologist swears it's harmless.... the symptoms just suck (dizzy, headache, palpitations etc). So, who knows what they will say. I would rather stay off medication and experience "episodes" every now and then, rather than expose Reese to the beta blockers. 

Anywho, I have been reading all the blogs I follow. It's so awesome to read everyone's progress in the TTC, pregnancy and parenthood journeys :)!

Thursday, July 4, 2013

18 weeks tomorrow!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! My wife and I (being nurses) are working but that's okay :). Here is a cute little outfit my mom bought our baby girl for her first 4th next year:


Well, here is our little Reese Brielle (yes that's her name). These US photos are from this past Saturday, I was 17 weeks and 1 day. The morning started off kind of crazy because I was coming off of a night shift, and I was super cranky. But then we decided to make it a beach day (after the US). So, after getting some rest in the car.... it turned out to be a great day. Oh how I missed the summer days at the beach. And soon enough we will be down Wildwood, NJ for a whole week (at the end of July)!! Also, new on the horizon we registered at Babies R Us and Pottery Barn Kids. We know it's early but we figured, hey why not? We also went to Lowes and picked out the paint for the Nursery :). My lovely wife taped up the borders of the room so now we (or she rather) just needs to find a day to paint. I would love to help but we shall see if that happens lol. 

She found her thumb!

Drama hand, "Another ultrasound!"

Love this one. She is laying on her belly on my placenta. Look at her bony butt!

Another drama hand :).

A little blurry but here is a smile :)!

How far along? 18 weeks (well tomorrow)
How big is baby? Mango
Total weight gain/loss: Up 5lbs! 
Maternity Clothes: All I wear besides scrubs and yoga pants lol
Have you started to show yet? Yes
Sleep: Ehh not bad
Best moment this week: Feeling Reese move in my belly.
Miss Anything? Nope
Movement: Yes she is quite the little mover.
Food Cravings: Nothing specific, just food in general
Anything make you queasy or sick? Just when I don't eat for a while
Gender prediction:  We now know it is a GIRL
Symptoms: Round ligament pain
Major purchases this week? Blankets, Rocker, and Bedset
Looking forward to: Anatomy scan and viability!! Feels so far away!