36 Weeks! I made it!

And the belly continues to get bigger...

Well, I'm officially 36 weeks prego and Evan is still inside cooking! I took my last contraction pill on Tuesday night and I haven't had any pains yet. At my last doctor appointment, we found out that I was 50% effaced and dilated to a 1. The baby is still really low...the nurse checked me and she said, "I just felt his head!" That is so weird that she actually touched our little guy's head! haha! The doctor said that we are OK to have him anytime...whenever he wants to come out and see us! Now that he's already tried to come out twice and knowing how stubborn he is, Evan will probably wait until I'm 41 weeks to make his debut! It's crazy to think that I'm going to be a mom anytime now...I don't know if I'm ready yet! Oh well...I guess I'm going to have to be! :-)

I got my hair done yesterday...I went more blonde (I figured since I had 2 1/2 inch roots, it was about time)...and my baby shower was last night! We got a ton of great gifts including his bedding, a swing, hand-made blankets, diapers and much, much more! Thanks to all those who came and spoiled us!

Now it's just a waiting game...I can't wait to meet our little guy!!! I'll be sure to keep everyone posted!

Memory Tag!

Tag...You're it!

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

32 weeks!

Well...I made it to 32 weeks! Yeay! I'm still on my contraction medication and will be until about 36 weeks. Then it's safe to go off of it and have the baby whenever he comes. I'm just taking it easy here around the house until my doctor appointment on the 22nd. Hope the lil guy justs keeps cookin'! PS...My computer finally let me upload the pics from our vacation! Yeah! Check my last post if you wanna see them!

I'm Back...Finally!!!

Wow...what an eventful vacation!!! We left on July 12th for Yellowstone, then on to Wyoming, followed by Sean's family reunion at Lake Mead. We then headed to Sean's parent's house in New Harmony, Utah to spend time with family. The plan was to leave to come home on Tuesday July 29th...but Evan decided he wanted to try and make an early appearance. Yes...I went into pre-term labor and was stuck in a St. George hospital for 4 nights. Luckily, after scary bleeding, contractions, a DISGUSTING and UNCOMFORTABLE catheter, 2 IV's, 2 shots of steroids to strengthen the baby's lungs in case he was to be born in 2 days, Magnesium sulfate and Procardia pills to stop the contractions, and being absolutely bored out of our minds during our stay there, WE GOT TO COME HOME!!! Sean was so sweet and took such good care of me while I was in the hospital...I mean, what husband would help me pee and poo in a bed pan??? That's tough love!!! Haha!! Thanks, honey!! The doctors there had us scared that the baby was going to be born and would have to stay in the NICU in St. George until his due date on October 8th!!! We are so grateful that Evan decided to stay inside my tummy and cook for a little bit longer...hopefully I can make it to 36 weeks!!! I'm just taking it easy now at home, watching LOTS of TV, sleeping in until 11am to make the days go by faster, and enjoying the book Twilight by Stefenie Meyer (I just finished and am now into New Moon).

I have tons of pictures from our trip before all this drama happened so I'll go ahead and post those...including my week 28 belly pictures (even though I'm now 31 weeks and will post new ones next week!)

YELLOWSTONE

Below: Sean and I with my brother Tyler and sister Jill

Below: Sean and I with Tyler and my mom

Below: A beaver we saw by the river

Below: The Grand Tetons in the background

Below: There is a sick bug on Sean's shirt...hence the look on my face!

Below: The Grand Tetons

WYOMING!

Below: Riding up the Alpine Slide in Jackson, WY

Below: A view from the top of the Alpine Slide

Below: I'm sure Evan loved the ride!!!

Below: My little fisherman at the Salt River in WY

Below: Golfing in Star Valley Ranch, WY

Below: At the top of the gondola in Teton Village overlooking Jackson Hole, WY

Below: Afton, WY

LAKE MEAD!

Below: Sean getting some air!

Below: Mommy wakesurfing with Evan at 7 months! (Hope that didn't cause the labor...)

Below: St. George the night before I went into pre-term labor

Yoshi's Haircut!

Today I took our shih tzu Yoshi for a haircut. His hair was getting sooooo long and he's always sprawled out on our kitchen tile trying to keep cool during these hot summer months. Here are some before shots and after shots of his new "do"!

Before:

After:

Ahhhhh...Much better!!!

Wakesurfing at Lake Mojave!

This past week we went to Lake Mojave with Sean's parents and his brother's family. We had a blast!!! And yes...I wakesurfed at 6 months pregnant!!! Don't worry, I was careful...if it was wakeBOARDING, then that would be a different story! With wakesurfing, you only go about 10 mph right behind the boat. The goal is to start with the rope pulling you out of the water, and then you throw it back in the boat once you have caught the wave. It's kinda tricky to stay in the wake and try to surf! Here are some pictures of our trip! I love the lake!!!

We stayed at Buffalo Bills at state-line. This was a picture of us eating dinner at the delicious cafe inside the hotel. Sean was taking the picture, hence he's missing.

24 weeks!

Here are my 24 week belly pics! (I'm always wearing pink shirts in the pictures...haha!!) I've gotten a little bigger...and my tummy always looks extra huge at night! The baby kicks me like crazy all the time and the kicks are getting a little stronger. He loves when I go swimming...I'll jump in the pool and swim around, then lay on a raft and I can feel him kicking! It's funny to watch my belly bounce with each kick!

I've been looking all over for cute maternity clothes because most of my regular clothes are too tight now. I found some really cool maternity clothes at Ross. I got 3 tops and some capris and a skirt...both with those cool stretchy bands on the tummy! They are super comfortable and all 5 items only cost $50! "Do you love it? I love it! I got it at Ross!!!!" haha!! I'm a nerd!

We registered today at Babies R Us. I had a blast, but Sean HATES registering with a passion!!! It's probably because I'm so indecisive and I take forever!! haha!! We still have to register at Target so I'm sure Sean is ecstatic about that! I'm sure he won't be complaining when we get such nice gifts for our little boy!

Angel Game!

Friday night we went to the Angel Game for Mormon Night...it was so much fun! We went with my parents and we actually all got our tickets for free!! Our seats were pretty good...kinda behind home plate but we were on the VERY TOP ROW of the stadium! We had to be careful walking up the steep steps...scary!! Unfortunately, the Angels lost to the Braves...5-2, but the firework show afterward was awesome!!! We had a great time!

Ultrasound Pics...It's a BOY!!!

Here is Evan Parker...(That's what his name is gonna be at the moment...unless we change it)...at 19 weeks. He decided to spread his legs wide open for the camera. This picture is looking straight at his bum and his legs are up in a "V" shape. There is a tiny arrow pointing at the evidence (it looks kinda like a turtle!)



Here is a picture of his profile...you can see his lips and cute little nose...looks like his dad's!



This is a picture of the back of his head...he is looking away from the camera. His right arm is resting behind his head...looks like he's relaxing in my tummy! He looks like a mini skeleton...you can see his ribs!



Today was my doctor appointment. We found out that the results from the AFP test for Down's Syndrome, etc. came back normal and we were soooo relieved! My uterus grew 4 cm and all the measurements look great! I go in for another ultrasound on June 19th to check for a possible "amniotic band" that may be present. I don't really know what that is, so i'm going to do some research online to check it out. The doctor said don't be worried, there is a rare chance that it will cause problems, but they seem to like to scare us with all the little minor problems they find. I think they have to cover their butts to avoid any lawsuits in case something rare does go wrong. Oh well...hope all goes well with that!

20 Weeks!!! Half-way there!!!

Well...i'm finally showing! My jeans are just now starting to get a little uncomfortable! I guess i'm at that weird stage where I look like i've been gaining weight instead of people thinking that i'm pregnant! I have to make sure to tell everyone that i'm pregnant and not just eating extra cookies and ice cream! haha! Here are some pictures of my baby bump! I took some awhile ago with my bare belly showing at 12 weeks and 16 weeks, but I wasn't really showing at all and my parents told me that the pictures were inappropriate! So here are my G-rated pictures!! haha!!

• PS...The Lakers are amazing!!! Wow...I about had a heart attack during their 20-point comeback in the 3rd and 4th quarter last night against Game 1 vs. the Spurs! What a great time to be a Laker fan!!!

• PPS...David Archuleta got juked last night on American Idol...He did so much better than David Cook on Tuesday and should have won. Sean and I were very disappointed...but oh well...he'll get a record for sure with a voice like his. That song he sang with One Republic???? WOW!!! AMAZING!!!

Ultrasound!

We had our ultrasound on Thursday to see how my low-lying placenta was doing. It turns out that the placenta has moved up with the uterus...just as we had hoped it would! Yeay!!! It isn't low-lying anymore and it's pretty safe to say that our precautions have been lifted! The doctor did say that there was one problem...he's never seen anything like it before...Our baby seems to be growing an amazingly large third leg!!! I guess the little boy in my tummy takes after his daddy! Haha! Just kidding! But yes...we are having a BOY! And our little guy wasn't camera shy at all...his legs were spread eagle and we could see his little pecker perfectly clear. Without any hesitation, the ultrasound tech was like "Oh...it's a BOY!" Sean was practically jumping off the walls in excitement! I mean, isn't it every guy's dream to have a little son? I'll post the pics of the ultrasound as soon as we scan them.

Pregnancy Survey

About Me

Name?: Monica

Age?: 25

Height?: 5’7

Pre-pregnancy weight?: 138

About The Father

Name?: Sean

Age?: 24

Height?: 6’2

Are you still together?: Of course…we’re married!

About Your Pregnancy

Is this your first pregnancy?: Yes

When did you find out you were pregnant?: February 1st (but didn’t tell everyone until February 22…it felt like forever!)

Was it planned?: Yes…we started trying in January and got prego that month!

What was your first reaction?: Excited!

Who was with you when you found out?: Sean…he was asleep in bed

Who was the first person you told?: Shannon (Sean’s sister)…she swore she would keep it a secret...and she did!

How did your parents react?: They were surprised and couldn’t believe they were going to be grandparents!

How far along are you?: Almost 19 weeks

What was your first symptom?: REALLY sore breasts

What is your due date?: October 8, 2008

Do you know the sex of the baby?: Not yet…hopefully we find out this Friday!

If so, what is it?:

Have you picked out names?: Pretty sure for a boy, some ideas for a girl

If so, what are they?: Evan Parker, not sure about the girl…maybe Kaylee, Kailyn, Taylor, I like Brielle (it’s kinda different!), but Sean hates it!

How much weight have you gained?: about 8 pounds…yikes!

Do you have stretch marks?: Not on my belly yet, but a few light ones on the side of my thighs…yuck!

Have you felt the baby move?: YES…it was sooo cool! Very light taps

Have you heard the heartbeat?: Yes…160 bpm both checkups

About the birth

Will you keep the baby?: ummm…yeah!

Home or hospital birth?: Hospital for sure

Natural or medicated birth?: Stab me in the back with that needle, baby! I’d like to try natural, but I don’t know if I could make it…

Who will be in the delivery room with you?: Sean, Mom, and Dad…to video and take pictures

Will you breastfeed?: Yes…and pump so Sean can help out too!

Do you think you'll need a c-section?: Hope not

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?: Probably!

What's the first thing you might say to him/her?: I Love You!

Would you let someone videotape the birth?: Yes! I want my dad to do it!

Are you excited about the birth or scared? So excited!

Early Mother's Day Present!

Tonight I went to Sean's brother's house for a family get-together where we cooked fish for dinner and watched a movie. As we were sitting there on the couch watching "Dan in Real Life," our baby decided to give me an early Mother's Day gift! He/She kicked me!!!! I felt a very light tap on the lower right side of my belly followed by another one shortly after! I told my sister-in-laws and they said "yup, that's the baby!!!!" I sat there very still and the baby actually continued to kick me for about a half hour...and I could feel it! So neat! I was so excited because I'm 18 1/2 weeks already and I was getting a little anxious to feel something in there. I thought it was cute that our little one wanted to let me know that they were there for Mother's Day! I really feel like a mom now!!! :-)

Portillo's!

From left to right: Trevor (Brittani's boyfriend), Brittani (cousin), Rob, Amy, Me, Sean

Last Friday, Sean and I went to Portillo's (a Chicago style hotdog hamburger joint in Buena Park) with my fam and some of the extended fam. It was a blast! Our good friends Amy and Rob met us there and we had fun all night! It was great to spend some time with them since they are moving to AZ in a couple weeks...SAD!!! We ate, then we went shopping at Kohl's (they were having a huge sale...i bought my first pair of Maternity pants...how exciting!), then we went back to my parents' house and played games. The best game was called the Mexican Name Game...what a RIOT!!!

15 weeks!

Hey everyone! I thought it's been three weeks since my last post so i figured it was time to update. Yes, i'm 15 weeks and 4 days prego today. My second doctor visit was last Wednesday and everything went well. We were finally able to hear the baby's heartbeat! It was 160 which the doctor said was great! He felt my stomach and measured and he said that everything was developing perfectly. He told me to keep doing what I was doing and the pregnancy will go well! What a relief compared to the last visit! I did ask him about the placenta previa and he said that I don't have placenta previa, I just have a low-lying placenta. There is a big difference and my problem is more reassuring and should be fixed with time. He scheduled my next ultrasound in 4 weeks and we might be able to tell if it's a boy or girl!!! I'll be 19 weeks by then so we could definitely see some goods if they're there! haha!

I've been feeling great and no sickness at all! yeah...i know i'm lucky! I told Sean...."Man, i love being pregnant!" Maybe that means we can have lots of kiddies like I want! :-) The only strange thing about being pregnant is that I can't ever decide want sounds good to eat! It's the strangest thing because I for sure thought that I would be eating everything in sight (since I love food!) I can't plan meals for us because the thought of certain food sounds gross! Sean is being really good about it, but I can tell that he wishes I would make some good dinners again. Sorry, babe! The weird thing is that sweets, ice cream, brownies, and dark chocolate (my favorite) doesn't even appeal to me! I guess it's a good thing that i don't crave the sweets, right?

Alright...I think that's enough writing for now...I don't want to bore you all! I'll try to update this thing sooner next time!