Monday, April 28, 2008

Mommy/Baby status and Dylan

Just thought that I'd share where the baby and I are in our development. I am 7 weeks pregnant. Most women are just finding out they are pregnant... I've known for 3 weeks. The nausea seems to be easing up a bit but it's still there. I actually think I'm just getting used to it. I have to potty a lot more but kind of having a hard time too because of the tipped uterus. I have zero energy and now love naps! There are a lot of other not so fun things going on but I won't share.

The baby is about 1/2 an inch long or (supposedly) about the size of a blueberry. It is beginning to grow it's little hands and feet and it's eyes are starting to develop. It still has a tail but should loose it soon. It's brain, red blood cells, appendix and pancreas are all beginning to develop as well. No one can convince me that this isn't a living person but that is a whole other topic.

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Today, as I was picking DT up from school, a little girl from his class was leaving too with her mom. The little girl's name is Marley. She's cute too, with curly blonde hair. Anyway, her and her mom were walking behind us when she said "bye Dylan" but it was slow and kind of flirty (know what I mean). Dylan pretty much ignored her, so I told him to say bye. He gave an unenthusiastic bye. Then Marley said "it's kissy, kissy time" then made several smooch noises and came after Dylan. It was so funny! He started to run away from her and finally she gave up. We were all laughing, except, of course, Dylan. Marley's mom told me that she comes home all the time talking about how Dylan is her boyfriend. Dylan, overhearing this, immediately corrected her by saying he was NOT her boyfriend. We all, including Marley, had a good laugh. Dylan later admitted though, that Marley had succeeded in giving him a kiss one time on the playground but he didn't kiss her back. Boy, they start out early don't they?!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Nashville Trip...

This is a long one so hold on and I mean long!


Bon Jovi and Daughtry concert!
The concert was an awesome experience overall. Daughtry put on a great show. It was only about 30 minutes long (they only have one album out). Casey enjoyed them more than Bon Jovi. Chris and the band all sound just as good in person as they do on the radio or cd. I was very impressed. It also helps when the singer is hot!
Bon Jovi came out about 15 minutes after Daughtry left the stage, which I thought was very fast. Usually, it seems like you have to wait longer. I was afraid that they wouldn't be able to have the energy that Daughtry had but I was wrong! They can still rock and put on a great show after 20+ years. Jon still looks great! Age and the rockstar life hasn't affected him at all. I can't say the same for Richie or Tico or any of the other band members. I wish I could have gotten pictures but I wasn't sure if I could take my camera in or not. Because we had to walk a good ways, I opted to play on the safe side and keep it in my car. Big mistake! Cameras were allowed and I would have gone back and gotten it if I had know before we got in to the building. Once you were in, you couldn't leave the building and come back. I was so mad! We actually had decent seats. We pretty much stared at their sides the whole time but they had ramps off the side of the stage and we could see them so clearly. I would have had awesome pictures.
My only real complaint about the concert, besides the whole camera thing, was the lady sitting next to Casey had the sweetest smelling perfume. Even when she left her seat, you could still smell it as if she were sitting there. I don't do perfumes very well in normal circumstances, much less being pregnant and queasy. Oh yeah, just a not of caution, if you go to Nashville and you want to have a drink at the concert, you might want to pre-flight before you get there. Beer was $10 a piece. Granted, they were pretty big but still! I got a bottle of water for $3.50. I almost didn't buy it but I was too thirsty not too. By the middle of the Bon Jovi concert, my energy levels had decreased to zero and I wasn't sure I'd make it back to the car, but I did.

Friday Afternoon
We got up the next morning and went to Cracker Barrel and had some breakfast then headed over to Opryland Hotel to walk around and go to the mall. We drove around and around to find a way to the mall or free parking. Couldn't find either! By the way, Nashville will make you go bankrupt with what they charge for parking. ($16 for the concert, $17 at the Opryland Hotel!) Like I said, we really did try to find the mall parking lot but never saw any signs. We didn't know what else to do but pay for parking. We had 'suckers' written all over our foreheads. The hotel was beautiful and I have a few pictures that I will share. Only once we were inside did we see signs for Opry Mills mall. We read that we could walk there from the hotel, so we began our 10 mile journey there. Okay, so it wasn't 10 miles but it might as well have been. We had to cross the malls huge (mostly empty and FREE) parking lot to get there. Once inside, it was close to noon and we were a bit tired from all the walking, so we decided to go see a movie. We chose 'The Ruins'. I had read the book not too long ago and was curious to see how the movie compared. Neither the movie or the book was my favorite but still good. After that we walked around the mall and got some early dinner at Macaroni Grill. We had never been there before and decided to try it. It was pretty good. After that, we left to go rest at the hotel for a little while before the Ghost Tour.

Ghost Tour! Mua-ah-ah-ah-ahhh! :)
I was really excited about this part of the trip. Most may not know, but I've always loved a good ghost story and I've had a few experiences in my life that I cannot explain. I pretty much watch any show that has anything to do with ghosts. Call me weird but I kinda come by it naturally and yes, I do believe in ghosts. Anyway, this was the first time for anything like this for me and Casey, too. It started around 8:00 in downtown Nashville. We didn't go on a ghost hunt per say (sp?) but the guide told us we'd might be able to see one of their famous ghosts on the tour. It had happened before. Also, he told us that people had captured things on film, so take plenty of pictures. The most common thing that was caught on film were orbs. A lot of people believe this is how ghost naturally manifest themselves. I personally believe they are bugs or dust particles. I have a few in some of my pictures that I'll put up in a bit.
Our tour began in front of the beautiful Hermitage Hotel. It is believed that there are at least three ghosts in the hotel. There are reports of a baby crying in one of the rooms and when people go into the room the crying stops and no one is in there. If you'd like to stay in this room, it will cost you $2,000/night. It's a really nice hotel. Another story is that of a lady in white. She likes to come around when there is a party going on and they say she is quite beautiful. The tour guide said they have seen her before in the second story window but no luck for us. Then, there is a third ghost. Not much is known about, except that he roams the hotel freely and can be seen just about anywhere, which leads me to the most exciting part of the trip. Before the tour began, I had to use the restroom and the tour guide said that I could go into the hotel and use theirs. When, I got in to the bathroom, I was alone. All the stall doors were open and it was quite obvious that I was alone. While I was doing my business, I heard a toilet flush. I found this very odd since I was the only one in there and no one had entered the room. I left my stall and curiously looked around and found that one of the stall doors was closed. I know they had all been open when I came in. I kind of bent over to see if I could see any feet but there wasn't anything. Since I watch ghost hunters every time it is on, I know that you can capture things on film that you can't see with the naked eye. I decided to be brave and open the door and take a picture. I figure I wouldn't pee on myself if I got scared since I had already taken care of that. I opened the door and didn't see anything but took the picture anyway. I hurried out of the bathroom and found Casey. I told him of my experience and of course, he didn't believe me. I decided to check my camera. There was a full body apparition!!! I couldn't believe it. We showed the tour guide and he was amazed and said no one had ever captured anything like it before. Click here to see it. Feel free to tell me your thoughts about it.
After we left the Hermitage hotel, we went on to the state capital, where Andrew Jackson's wife, Rachel, supposedly haunts the tower. I missed some of the story but her first marriage to Andrew wasn't legal and they re-married but she was shunned my high society. Tragically, she died the day before they were to leave for Washington for his presidential inauguration. She never got to become first lady. It is also a beautiful building. There are at least 3 other ghosts that haunt the building. The architect who designed and built the building and the man who was in charged of the finances for building the building. They became mortal enemies b/c they couldn't agree on how much money to spend. They are both buried on the grounds and people claim to hear them arguing and fighting but when they go to investigate, there is no one there. The other ghost is believed to be a general from the civil war. Also buried on the grounds is James K. Polk and his wife.
The next stop on the tour, we went to the oldest church in Nashville. I believe it was called St. Mary's church of Seven Sorrows or something like that. Supposedly a priest haunts the place. He died just before the Union Army arrived in Nashville during the Civil War. They didn't have time to give him a proper burial so they buried him in the floor and ended up forgetting about him. Just a few years ago, there was work being done on the church and some worker found a coffin. They opened it up and discovered the priest. Only, he look as if he has recently died. He wasn't very decomposed. The Catholics believe this is a sign of a saint. The tour guide said it is only a matter of time before they name this priest a saint. During this stop on the tour, I quite literally stopped the tour. A HUGE cockroach had followed me and Casey across the street and headed up the church steps to where I sat. I can handle bugs, even spiders better than I can handle those things. I jumped up and ran down the steps. I think the tour guide thought I was being attacked by a ghost. He stopped what he was saying to make sure I was alright. Kind of embarrassing.
The rest of the tour was interesting but not much exciting happened. We went to Printer's Alley and then to the Ryman Auditorium. Supposedly, Hank Williams Sr. and an old Civil War soldier haunt the place. Also, Mr. Ryman himself.
It was a really good tour and neat to hear not only the ghost stories but some of the history of Nashville.
Once the tour was over, we decided to head back to the hotel and get some dinner. We were very tired and had done a ton of walking that day. I such a great time. It was a break both Casey and I needed.
Also, we paid $10 to park for the ghost tour. The guide told us, after the fact, that the best place to park downtown are on the numbered streets like 6th ave, ect. and the meter parking is free after 6:00. If only we had meet him right when we got in Nashville, we would have saved $33.00. Sorry this was so long... I can't explain anything quickly. Again, I've been call Rose b/c of my storying telling abilities, or lack there of. Here are the pictures from the trip.

Soon...

We had a great time in Nashville and I promise to write all about it and have some pictures up. I have a great story to tell but I have to leave y'all in suspense for a little longer. Like I said, the trip was great but left me with very little energy. I've got to do a few things around the house and for school. Hopefully, sometime tonight, I can tell you all about it.

Monday, April 21, 2008

We have a baby!

I went to the doctor this morning and had my ultrasound and immediately saw a heartbeat!!! I was so relieved, excited, emotional, ect. I had been so nervous. I didn't hardly sleep at all last night.

The heart rate was a healthy 113 and the due date is December 14th. I guess we will be having fall birthday parties b/c December is going to kick out butts financially!

I just wanted to say how blessed I am that I have such wonderful friends and family. Thank you all so much for the prayers and good thoughts. They have meant the world to me. Thank you guys so so so much!!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

doctor update

My blood tests came back ok. My hormone levels are rising but they said they are still concerned b/c they should have seen more on the ultrasound. I have another ultrasound Monday morning. All we can do right now is hope and pray that the baby grows a lot this week and that they are able to find a heartbeat. If not, at least it happened early on.

We are still doing good. I'm just super tired and nauseated. I just thought I'd update everyone, even though it's not much different than yesterday.

Hopefully, I'll have some good news or at least something funny on here soon. I don't like having a depressing blog.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Doctor visit

I went in this morning to get more blood work done but when I got there, they decided to go ahead and do a second ultrasound. This time they did see something in the uterus but didn't detect a heartbeat. The ultrasound technician said that it could be because I was too early (I'm about 5 weeks and a day) or that the pregnancy had stopped itself. I have to go back in next Monday for another ultrasound. They went ahead with the blood work afterwards. I probably won't get the results until tomorrow morning. Even when the results come in, they won't know 100% sure what is going on until the next ultrasound.

I'm doing fine. I'm hopeful but realistic, too. I know that whatever happens, it is for a reason. I'm just relieved that I don't have to worry about an ectopic pregnancy now. I was afraid my tube was going to rupture and then I would have lost a baby and have more fertility problems. I'll keep updating as I get news. Thank you all for the prayers and encouragement.

By the way, nausea has set in. Fun!

Friday, April 11, 2008

A little bit of this...a little bit of that.

Thank you for all of the 'congratulations'. We are very excited. I went to the doctor yesterday and they gave me an ultrasound to determine how far along I am. I'm about 4 weeks and 5 days but they couldn't see anything in the uterus. We were told that this can be normal for someone as early as I am but I have to go in on Monday for a blood test to make sure I don't have an ectopic pregnancy. This means that the egg could have implanted outside the uterus, often in the fallopian tubes. We will, hopefully, have the results back that afternoon. I have faith that no matter what happens, everything will be ok. It's just a long way until Monday.

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Dylan love Pauls Harvey. If we are in the car and I pass a radio station with his show on, we have to listen to it. Weird.

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Today was baby Bo's funeral. It was a nice and simple funeral. Anthony and Kelli seem to be holding together pretty well. Bless his heart, this afternoon during our severe weather, he called to check on us because one of the storms seemed to be on top of us. It was, but it didn't produce a tornado. It's too bad we had to have tornado warnings today of all days.

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Smokey C's is still coming along. Casey is up there now painting. We are still continuing to be blessed. It's just been amazing.

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Back to the pregnancy for a minutes. It's kicking my butt! I have had zero energy but so far no morning sickness. The good news is, I've been losing weight. I've lost a total of 15 lbs since November. I've been taking a yoga class and aerobics class this semester. Also, I must have so many minutes in the gym for another class. I'm sure, however, that I will be gaining the weight back very soon.

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Oh my goodness! I just checked my email and I won 2 tickets to see Bon Jovi and Daughtry in concert on April 24th! I can't believe it, I never win anything! I've loved Bon Jovi since I was little bitty. I can't wait. This is the pick me up I needed!

Monday, April 7, 2008

It's preggie Meggie time!

Yep, it's true... well, I'm 99.9999999% sure. The pregnancy test came back positive Friday night and my body is beginning to tell me something is up. I haven't gone to the doctor to confirm it yet but I figured I'd tell anyway. We are, of course, super excited. I'd pretty much given up for a little while since we were starting a new business and I thought I was going to need medicine to help but God had other plans. Honestly, I'm still kind of stunned. Since I have always been irregular, it's not uncommon for me to take a pregnancy test just in case. I didn't expect it to be positive but it was. Dylan is pretty excited too. He says it will be a boy and he's pretty adamant about that. We'll take anything! I figure I'm about 5-6 weeks along and it will be born about a week or two after DT's b-day. I'll post the due date and all of that when I get in to see the doctor.

Ok Jen, you can say something now. :)

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Oh Boy George!

I was just listening to some music and dancing with Dylan, which is something we both love to do. Anyway, the song was beginning to end so I went to start a new one. As I was walking to the computer, I was sorta dancing and passed a mirror. To my horror, I saw that I was dancing like Boy George in the "Do you really want to hurt me" video. This is why I only dance in the privacy of my house.


Speaking of the totally awesome 80's, NKOTB will be performing on The Today Show tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing how they do. I was, of course, a huge fan. I just knew, at the age of five, that I was going to marry Joey.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Sleep, Smokey C's and Baby Bo

I'm sure most could tell by my last post that I was kinda crabby and obviously didn't get to sleep in. Sleep is one of my favorite past times. I guess I was just, in a way, venting but thanks for answering back. I think guys just don't realize how much noise they make.

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Smokey C's is going along pretty good right now. It probably won't be until closer to May when we open. The handicap bathroom is finished or just about and I believe we have most of our equipment.

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I got an update on baby Bo tonight. Things aren't looking good at all, again. Talk about a roller coaster ride. They are now saying that he does have the rare genetic disorder that affects the liver. They are going to take a piece of liver, skin and muscle tomorrow and make a portal(?) but the doctors are giving him very little hope. 1 in 250,000 babies have this disease. The other baby that has come through the hospital where Bo is, only lived to be 8 months. If he does make it, he will most likely have severe mental retardation. I know I don't have to ask but just pray for this family. It is such a heartbreaking story.