Happy Birthday to me!

Ok, so this isn't necessarily a shameless plug for my birthday, but I did want to share the *sweetest* birthday greeting I have gotten! This is from my "twin" cousin's 3 year old little girl...Who wouldn't LOVE opening this message on their birthday?!?! Bear with me as I load the clip to this posting. http://www.filehosting.cc/?d=3FBE431E. (Scroll to the bottom of the page, enter the verification code and then hit enter. After that, click on "download"---it takes just a few seconds then listen to this sweet angelic voice.....)

If you are not able to open/download the file, email me. This is the first time I am trying this, so I might have goofed up something in the process.

Speaking of "twin" cousin, I want to wish Catherine a very happy birthday as well. Catherine and I were born on the same day, same hospital, same doctor....and less than 2 hours apart from each other. Our moms are sisters, so we just called ourselves "twin" cousins. Not too many people can share their birthday with a terrific family member...I can :)! Enjoy your day, Catherine!!!

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A DATE!!!!

--FEBRUARY 7-- Dr. B officially placed me on the books for Anna Kate's big arrival on February 7th. Looks like we will extend the "cousins February Birthday trend" by one more day! She'll have a birthday to call her own :).

Everything is going very well, Anna Kate looks great. I go back on Friday for my now bi-weekly appointment. I will also get my pre-op stuff done on Friday, as well as the official time to arrive at the hospital. YEAH!!! It's finally coming to a close! Eight days and counting!

We have entered the digital age...

Mike and I have finally left the age of VHS shoulder size camcorders and bought ourselves a new digital camcorder today! Kinda of a "Birthday/Delivery/Anniversary" gift to each other. Mike threatend to use it during the delivery in a few weeks--Sure, right! He did have to promise that he will NOT get any backside pictures of ANYBODY.

While at the store, the sales associate got a good giggle from us. We asked alot of questions that although might have been silly, neither Mike or myself have any experience with digital camcorders. Our last experience with camcorders was the huge VHS kind....and what a long way technology has come! We hope to have a sample of our movie making abilities posted soon on the blog. If not, you will have to come to see us here in Florida! We hope to perfect our skills so we can post some of movies of Anna Kate when she arrives!

TV Dilemma Solved!

Ok, so watching The View yesterday didn't kill our TV after all. After resetting our TiVO box, guess what? The picture is back!! Woo hoo! I will have to remember this for next time. I probably could have reset it yesterday, but I figured it was more technical than that. Of the 8 troubleshooting tips TiVO offered, resetting the box was #8. I figured it was more since I had a working TV and then all of a sudden I didn't.

Just very happy that we have a TV back :).

I knew watching The View would not be a good idea

I have decided that Rosie O'Donnell broke my TV. I have never been a fan of hers. I was flipping the stations for some background noise. Dixie was barking at the construction going on next door, so I was trying to find something to counter the noise. I am not a big fan of The View but landed on the program for a few minutes. Then again, I am typically not home to watch TV midday. And they call this award winning journalism? Rosie's personal style and choice of clothing or why Elisabeth can't drink beer or eat barley. Give me a break! I would hate to see what they think ISN'T quality programming.

I pick up the remote and start flipping again. They all of a sudden my TV goes black. Cable is still connected and TiVO works, but I don't get a picture!! The cable works in the bedroom, so it must be the TV. GOOD GRIEF!!! Daggummit...Rosie killed my TV! Who else could have done it?

It would be one thing if the tv went out AFTER Anna Kate was born, but I still have not quite 2 weeks before she arrives. What timing!! Guess I will have to wait for Mike to get home and swap out the bedroom TV for the den. Is it 5pm yet?

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7pm Update: Mike came home and was fiddling with TiVo and the TV. We think we have figured out the culprit: TIVO!!! He connected the cable directly to the TV and voila! We have a picture!!!! Woo hoo! Carolyn, thanks for your suggestions...I am thankful that we don't have to get a new tv...at least not right now! We'll deal with TiVo later.

When you least expect it...

Ok, so I thought my OB check in this morning would be just the rest....vitals, listen to heartbeat, measuring my growing belly and "see ya next week." Well, I was wrong. Dr. B decided to do the ultrasound TODAY to see how big she might be. I was shocked! I thought it would happen next week.

Well, after u/s measurements, Anna Kate ranks in the 97% of estimated fetal weights at NINE POUNDS, TWO OUNCES NOW!!!! Based on the ultrasound, she measures closer to 41 weeks gestation, which cooresponds to the "clinical" measurements of my belly. Although her precise weight might not be 9 lbs, she will be a good size baby when she's born.


During the ultrasound, Dr. B could see that Anna Kate is "practicing" breathing when he did the lung and abdominal scans. Good sign that she is doing so :). He could also see that she has a good bit of hair. I didn't know what I was looking at when he pointed to the haze on the screen, but I trust him. Considering the amount of heartburn, I deserve to have lots of hair on this baby!! He also said that he would like for her to stay in utero for 2 more weeks, putting us right at 38 weeks when Anna Kate makes her grand entrance.

Dr. B also placed me on another non stress test to see if any contractions and to monitor AK. WOW...both on the same day!!! Great heartrate and maybe a few contractions, but nothing noteworthy.

SO, what we do know at this point:

• Forget the 0-3 size: Even if the measurements are off, Anna Kate will still be a big girl when she is born!!!
• Although I am officially 36wks, 4 days today, I am measuring 40-41 weeks
• I am definitely going by c-section
• The magicial date is EITHER Feb 7 or Feb 8

When I go back next Tuesday, we should get an official date and scheduled time for the delivery. I am SO EXCITED--it's coming to an end and we can't wait to meet Anna Kate!!

Babies Are Playful and Cuddleful Things!

Yesterday, Mike and I were 'showered' with a "Baby Pooh" baby shower, graciously hosted by Loretta, Lori & Michael Lynn, three of his co-workers. They were so sweet to think of us and host such a fun event for us. I have to tell you that all three of these women are terrific cooks/bakers and it was hard to resist the *delicious* treats. Everybody had a great time.

It was a lot of fun to see Mike's coworkers outside the office. We played baby shower games and had a great time opening the gifts. Anna Kate got so many beautiful and thoughtful gifts. She will be one decked out baby!

Here are a few pictures from the party.

Still No Date

I think Dr. B knows how to get under my skin. Either that, my powers of persuation are not working on him. I must be losing my touch.....

I thought I had posted the no-news news yesterday, but it didn't appear. To my dismay, Dr. B won't finalize my c-section just yet. He actually said there is a chance--a very SMALL chance--of a normal delivery. He said that Anna Kate continues to measure big (I'm 35 wks, measuring closer to 40 weeks) and that at the time she is to arrive, she could be 9 pounds (insert your own response here: holy cow! WOW! OMG! you get the picture....)

He said that he wants to check me out one last time before making that call with an ultrasound. I assume that will happen in two weeks since, the u/s tech and Dr. B are scheduled at the same time when I get one. Since my next appointment, which January 25, doesn't include the tech, the u/s won't be then. He is still aiming for Feb 8 as the big day. But we really won't anything firm until the week of my birthday...

So I wish we knew more, but we don't. So we'll all just wait together! Countdown: 19 days!

I knew that it would be expensive....

I got my letter today from the hosptial saying they received my pre admit form and how much to expect to pay. OMG!!! I knew it would be a pretty penny, but this surprised both Mike and me. IF I were having a normal delivery, it would be $6100, and our part would be $1020. But since Dr. B told me to expect a C-section, the hospital fees are $11,300!!!! And our part after insurance is $1700. HEAVENS!!! And this doesn't include Dr. B's fees. I knew babies were expensive, but there goes the tax refund :).

I will be posting as soon as I can tomorrow, as it will be my (almost) 36 week appointment with Dr. B. We should get our confirmed debut of Anna Kate first thing in the morning! I do have a few errands I have to take care before getting home to post. But I promise to let you all know tomorrow!

24 days and counting

I can't believe we're looking at only 3.5 weeks before Anna Kate's big arrival. That's it! We still have a bit more to do, but took care of alot this weekend.

I "planted" my pink hydrangas in the pots out front this weekend. I also hung my Baby Girl pink wreath on the front door. I like it...

We also (finally!!) hung the "Anna Kate" letters in her nursery. I am *almost* finished in her room. Her lil scare last week has made me realize I need to take care of these small details. I also started backing my bags for the hospital. OMG! I can't believe we've gotten to this point.

Speaking of last Thursday and our unplanned trip to Dr. B's, Anna Kate is back to her old self now. Although her room is limited at Hotel Suzanna, she still have 3 periods a day of really active movements. This morning, it came during mass. That was funny to watch my belly move from the inside out while trying to pay attention. So we are in good shape...last Thursday was just a preview of her threatrics. Go figure!!

A minor concern....

Anna Kate has been rather active this entire pregnancy but this morning she was very quiet. Normally I get a few movements out of her when I get up and definitely by the time I have had breakfast and OJ. I get a few rounds in by dinner time. Well, not today. I typically don't count the exact number of kicks daily, but more of be mindful of her normal routine.

As of 2pm today, I had only felt about 3-4 moves all day. That's what I was told I should get in one hour time frame. I called Dr. B, who happened to be off today. Another nurse covering for him asked me to go home, drink a tall glass of cold water and lie on my left side and see how many I can count in one hour. I was home in 5 minutes and by 3:10pm, I had only felt 3 movements. The nurse recommended that I come on in and on the safe side, to be monitored.

As I am walking out the door, I call Mike, who is in a meeting, and relay a message through his secretary. I try to call my dad to at least let one parent know what's going on, since my mom is still in school at this point. He's in a meeting, but a secretary answers his personal phone. I just said that it's his daughter in Florida, that everything is fine, but I am heading to the doctor's office, and will call when I can. Then I try for my brother, and that goes to voice mail. At least I can leave a (long winded) message of what's going on.

I arrive at the clinic in 8 minutes. Within a few minutes of me being called back to be seen, Mike appears in the doorway of my room at the doctors office. Nice to see a smiling face, although he appears concerned. My blood pressure is 140/90...the highest it's been all pregnancy. I have had a very level bp, so the nurse said it's a good thing I came in anyway. The nurse also mentions that the anxiety could be keeping up high. She leads me to another room down the hall marked "emergency equipment" (great!!! just the room I need) to be monitored on a fetal non-stress test machine. Basically, I lay there while two monitors are placed on my belly....one to measure Anna Kate's heart rate and the other to measure my contractions, if I am having any.

At first, the nurse couldn't find a heart beat. Granted AK likes to play hide and go seek, but the nurse tried for a solid 5 minutes to find *something*. Even Mike's voice got a bit shaky while he was talking to me. (I know my bp probably went up a bit more at this point...) FINALLY we found something that resembled a fetal heartrate. Anna Kate was moving around and made it difficult to find her. Over the period of 45 minutes of being monitored, the nurse had to reposition the monitor 4 times since AK was moving around so much. Her heartrate ranged from 125-170 while there. The nurse said that is very normal for a baby at this state.

The doctor covering for Dr. B came in and said that everything looks good and that I am not contracting (yeah! Jan 11 is a tad bit early if you ask me!!) and that I should take it easy. The nurse also took my bp again...down to 120/72. See! I don't have high bp! It was just the nerves and anxiety talking! He also reassured me that I did the right thing by coming in. I love that. That don't make you feel like a psycho first time mom when things don't feel right. I love this practice.

In the middle of the test, my mom calls and Mike calls her back. My dad calls to tell her I'm on the way to Dr. B's office (his secretary gave him my cryptic message). She knew I didn't have an appointment today, so I know that call unnerved her. I spoke with her briefly to let her know that things are looking good and that I will call her when I can talk.

By the time I called her back about 20 minutes later, I know she had been crying. Bless her heart--She sounded upset (and I was trying NOT to get that way). I just told her that I thought at least one parent should know where we are, just in case something wasn't right and we were transferred to the hopsital. That last thing I want to do is call and say, "oh by the way, Anna Kate is here!" Too, I didn't want someone to call either Mike or me and not get us on the phone. THAT would have freaked out my mom as well.

So, it's been an interesting day here in Florida for us. We are certain that all is well and Anna Kate is ok and not coming too soon. We had dinner out afterwards and treated ourselves to dessert...a bit of extra sugar for good measure. I should have done this BEFORE hand, since she was performing her circus routine about 30 minutes after dinner...back to her old self now.

Anyway, it's nice to know that everybody is ok...AK, Mike, my mom and me and planning on a quiet evening. No more excitement before my next appointment next week. I promise. Not sure Anna Kate will agree to that .... :)

Trust me, if we knew, we'd tell you!!!

I have to poke a little fun of the family members who keep asking about either 1) Anna Kate's grand debut/my scheduled section or 2) Her Baptism date or 3) both. We are hearing it from both sides of the family, and the closer we get to February we are asked this on a regular basis. Now, I am not complaining (and hope this doesn't sound like I am) but trust me, if WE KNEW, WE'D TELL YOU!!!!! Why would keep this a secret? We told you we were expecting back in June and we told you it was a girl when we found out in September....And we will tell you her birth date as soon as we know! We are just as excited about her birth and the opportunity to introduce Anna Kate to you!!! I know you are trying to make conversation, but seriously, the queen of over-planning is dying to know when her own baby is going to be born!!!! C'mon!

As much as I love my doctor, I have unsuccessfully tried to get him to commit to a scheduled date. The only thing he will tell me is that Feb 8th is the lastest he'll let me go. SO, her arrival will be Feb 8th or sooner!! That's the best I can offer ya right now! With my next appointment on Jan 18, I HOPE AND PRAY he'll confirm a date. We'll be 2 weeks out and I anticipate he'll be ready to put something on the books.

And as for her Baptism in Jackson, Fr. Mike won't schedule anything until Anna Kate is born. That's the church's rule, not mine. Again, if I had my way, all this would have been done a long time ago!!! What I can tell you is that we are planning to coming to Jackson sometime in April, most likely the weekend of the 21st or 28th for the baptism. This is what we are anticipating, but babies can have a mind of their own, and we reserve the right to change the date!!

Like I mentioned, we are hearing this from both sides of our family, and it's not just from one source. No names here....we want to protect the guilty :). But please give us some wiggle room. We know you are just as excited. I can assure you, you will be notified of all the big details! Just hang in there with us for a few more weeks!!

How 'bout 'em Gators!

Mike and I have become semi-Gator fans since returning back to the sunshine state 15 months ago. Hey, at least they are another SEC team!!! I will pull for just about every SEC team, with the exception of a few teams. We've been known to watch a UF, UT or LSU game when our Bulldawgs aren't on TV. I tried to stay up watching the big game last night, but feel asleep before the end of the 3rd quarter. Not too bad to make it that long. Mike woke me up to tell me they won over Ohio State (AWESOME!!), then I rolled back over and fell asleep again.

The way I look at it, the likelihood of Anna Kate going to MSU is slim. Granted she'll have alumni scholarships, but not sure if that is enough to get her to Starkville. At least we get the advantage of instate tuition at UF :). And UF is SO MUCH better than FSU. Yes, if you live here long enough, you do take a side.

I wish I had a camera handy yesterday. Our part of Central Florida is definitely part of Gator Nation. There was this minivan--blue of course--with a six foot alligator strapped to the top of it--NO KIDDING--Lit up from the bottom with small Christmas lights, and Florida flags hanging from every window. The driver was *decked* out in gator gear. You would think he's on his way to Gainesville. It was so funny that I had to stop and stare. I normally don't do that, but I wasn't expecting to see someone that excited for the game NOT at the game.

My $11 Feltman Brothers dress

TALK ABOUT A BARGAIN!! I couldn't believe I found a $45 Feltman Brothers Dress at Belks...for $11 bucks!! OMG! I was thrilled to discover this treasure! I have never seen Feltman Brothers stuff marked down almost 75%. It had to either be a mistake or really good luck on my part. I was hoping the sales associate would honor the same discount on the other Feltman items, but no. Oh well. I am VERY HAPPY with this purchase!

Got the invitation for my "Florida" Baby Shower

Mike brought home the invitation for the baby shower hosted by the sweet, sweet ladies at Mike's work. They are SO EXCITED about Anna Kate's arrival and being so kind to throw us a shower Jan 21. I asked Mike what are they planning (since they are keeping most of the shower a surprise...they let me in on it to make sure Jan 21 would work for us and not too late in the pregnancy). Mike's only comment, "Hmmm, they said something about serving punch and that I couldn't come." And that tells me alot....

So, we have two weeks to go before the shower. I can't wait :). I'll make sure to keep the camera handy this time and get some 'action' shots. Better yet, I will find somebody else to take them. We all know what happens if I end up carrying the camera...it gets lost and doesn't make it back home with me :).

I Know What Causes Pregnant Women's Feet to Swell...

I have solved the great mystery!! Swelling is caused by an allergic reaction to working!!! Not kidding! The 10 days I was off for the holidays, I saw my ankles for the first time in several weeks. Literally, by yesterday afternoon, they were back to their swollen state. Not as bad, but swollen, none the less! SO, it HAS TO BE WORK that is causing the allergic reaction :).

Thanks to Maureen, I have invested in a pair of those Crocs, the plastic orthopedic shoes that are popular now, and have worn them just about everyday since Christmas. I am not a big fan of plastic shoes (maybe because I didn't like the jelly shoes that came out in the 1980s either), but they work! I have the 'mary jane' style of shoes so they are not as bulky as the other kind. They're kinda cute! I have even worn them to church! As I told a fellow co-worker in jest, "Why should you care what kind of shoes I'm wearing when I can't see my own feet?" There is some truth to that, though!!

No date as of yet...

I was hoping that during my appointment today that Dr. B would officially schedule me for my section. Nope...not today :(. He said that I am still measuring farther along and baby is still growing nicely. Heard a *strong* heartbeat today. Nurse said that her back was probably to us, so that's why it sounded as loud it as it did. My next appointment is tentatively scheduled for Jan 18 at 8.30 am. MAYBE I'll get a scheduled date??? If only Dr. B knew how much this is driving me CRAZY not knowing and not being able to schedule something firm.

My last day of work is next Friday the 12th. Yippee! I am sitting for my 45 hour CE class Jan 15-19. Talk about waiting until the last minute to do the CE class! It's a week long course, but after this I'll only have to do 14 hours every year. After I finish this course, I will have about 2 weeks to get things in order and finalize last minute details. I just can't believe I only have a few weeks left!! Where has the time gone?

I wish I had more news to report about Anna Kate, but we are still truckin' along. She has definitely dropped...I'm carrying much lower now: Good for my breathing and heartburn, bad for the bladder. Is it February yet????