Week 34

I went to the doctor yesterday and everything was great. I had my Strep B test done and thankfully I don't have it. I am also officially into my weekly appointments! I can't believe Brody will be here in less than 50 days! The appointment went smooth and quick. I am starting to have some pain in my feet, especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays when I am on them for so long. I try to elevate them when I can, but at night when I lay down they throb! Luckily, I have a wonderful hubby who rubs them daily. ;) We also have gotten A LOT done in the nursery this week.. thanks Amy and Maggie for your help! I have washed everything also: all of his clothes, bedding, swing stuff, etc. We are almost finished in his nursery.. I just need to get some closet racks and do some decorating (hang his letters, etc). We are getting there!

Update from BabyCenter.com: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate him body temperature once he's born — are filling her out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Week 33: Bittersweet

This week started off very hard for my family and I. At 1:34 P.M Friday afternoon, I lost my dear grandmother to a long battle with cancer. I know she is rejoicing with the Lord and isn't suffering anymore. It has been a long, hard past few months, but I take comfort knowing she is in Heaven watching over our family. She was a very strong woman who instilled many qualities in our whole family. My only wish was that she could have met Brody. I love you, Ma! The picture above is of me and Ma a few days before she passed away. I am thankful to have been able to hug and tell her goodbye.

On a happier note, my baby shower was this weekend! And what a great one it was! I am so very thankful for everyone who came and all of the goodies Brody received.. I think we are officially set! He is going to be so spoiled! I really have such great friends.. I am so thankful for those who helped set up and brought food! A special thanks to Kasey for helping out Amy lots! And finally, to Amy who went above and beyond the perfect shower.. She is the most creative person I know and everyone was so surprised at her work.. She should really do events for a living! :) Thank you Amy for spending so many hours dedicated to my PERFECT shower.. I couldn't have asked for better!

I barely fit everything in my car and Brody's nursery is officially a mess! We have so much to do! Later this evening, Maggie and Paige brought over 12 boxes of boy clothes to go through! Brody is set at least two years thanks to them! I am thankful I have friends with children, especially being the first to have children in the family.


There are a ton of baby shower pictures on Facebook, here's one :)


Update from BabyCenter.com: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a cone head-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 32

Yesterday we went to my 32 week appointment and everything went great.. It was a rather quick appointment, but so far he is measuring right on and is head down, in position and ready to go! My next appointment is in two weeks and from then I will be going every week. We are finally getting there! My hubby and I went to breakfast after the appointment.

That night, I came home to a home cooked meal from my awesome husband.. It was very romantic! He surprised me with my birthday present: my Juicy Couture Diaper Bag I have wanted FOREVER! I actually thought it was a digital camera or Ugg boots, but this was perfect! I didn't think I would ever get this diaper bag and he did GOOD (Amy helped him, hehe)! What a great night!

Halloween was also this weekend. I spent the evening with my favorite boys and they both had friends over. We had a house full.. They are officially getting too old for trick -or- treating, so I will be excited when Brody can enjoy this with me!

Update from BabyCenter.com: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 31

It's painting time! I feel like I have really procrastinated with Brody's nursery.. BUT, I have been SO busy with school, work and not to mention keeping up with two other boys! So, Amy and her babies (her dogs, of course) came and spent the day with us (and our babies). Amy and I went and picked out the paint for Brody's room, then the three of us painted it (in about an hour and a half!). It looks really good! Then, Amy and I put together the crib! We did it with no "manly" help and were so proud of ourselves! :) This took a big load off and now I am ready to fill this room up AND put a baby in it! Thanks to Amy for all of her help.. she is such a great friend!


Update from BabyCenter.com: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30

I went and got my RhoGam shot yesterday (Friday). I went to Henry Medical and had to have my blood drawn first. I had to wait 2 hours to get the shot. I was a little frustrated when they said it would take that long, but they explained that if they were somehow wrong about my blood type being negative, that I could die when I received the shot.. 2 hours was definitely worth the wait when they told me that! ;) It wasn't too bad though. I heard that you get sore like you do when you get a tetanus shot, but luckily I didn't have the side effect.



Update from BabyCenter.com: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Week 29

Doctor's appointment details: Went to the doctor Friday and heard a few new things.. First, my iron, protein, etc. is perfect, I have gained 29 lbs already (ugh)-- doctor said it is all in my belly, Brody's heartbeat was perfect and he is measuring "not small, but not too big"-- I now have to go the doctor every 2 weeks! We are getting there! :) Lastly, I found out that I am "O negative" blood type, which means that I have to have an immunization shot called RhoGam. This is what this means: Being Rh-negative means you don't have a certain protein ("D antigen" or the Rh factor) on the surface of your red blood cells. If you do have it, you're Rh-positive. So the terms “Rh-negative” and “Rh-positive” are really just terms that further define what type of blood a person has, beyond the general blood type categories of A, B, AB, and O. Being Rh-negative is neither good nor bad, but it can become a serious issue if you’re pregnant by or planning to have a child with a man who is Rh-positive. If you're Rh-negative and carrying a baby who is Rh-positive (like the baby’s father), your baby may be at risk for a serious disease. When your immune system (which fights off invaders to keep you healthy) is exposed to your baby’s Rh-positive blood, it will begin producing antibodies that are sensitized (designed specifically) to destroy these “foreign” blood cells. If this is your first pregnancy, chances are everything will be fine. These sensitized antibodies are typically not dangerous until subsequent pregnancies, when they've had time to grow in strength and number. However, all subsequent pregnancies would be at great risk. That is why you must act now to prevent your immune system from being exposed to Rh-positive blood. This is very common and happens when anyone has negative blood type. So, with the shot, I will be immunized against this.. My mom is also "O negative," which is the reason I am.


Tess is finally a Mills! We had a fun-filled weekend of wedding festivities starting with the rehearsal dinner Friday night at Pilgreens.. yummy! Tess and Alison stayed the night at our house and we stayed up until 4am talking! The wedding day consisted of going to breakfast at Waffle House with the girls. Alison and I had our hair done together and we were at the church ready for pictures at 4. The wedding was SO beautiful and emotional for me! Tess was a gorgeous bride and I (and Brody Jett) was blessed to be apart of her special day. The reception at Pilgreens was a blast, ending the night hanging out with Maggie's family and Amy.. SO much fun! Now, I am pooped...


Also, I have started my Kindergarten placement at Rock Springs Elementary and love it! Looking forward to being with this group of children for the next two months!

Update from BabyCenter.com: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Helloooo third and FINAL trimester!

We started this last trimester off with a bang! We decided last minute to have a yard sale to get rid of a lot of "stuff" before Brody Jett arrives. We didn't have much, but knew we needed to get it done before Christmas or we never would. We weren't expecting a huge crowd.. However, we sold everything but just a box full! We ended up making $160 bucks, which was great considering the amount we had.. BUT, this is the awesome part! While we were cleaning out the garage to prepare for the yard sale, we decided it was time to get rid of our 750 CD collection since they were just sitting there (and were already on our iTunes). So, while I was out doing the yard sale, Brent was on the computer putting the names of ALL 750 albums on Craigslist.. We have only used Craigslist once to sale our TV, but we decided this wouldn't hurt. Within 2 hours, a man who owns a Media Store wanted to come buy the collection of CD's TODAY for $420 bucks.. WOW! So, we had a very successful day.. Got rid of nothing by JUNK and made $580.. sounds like a productive way to start this trimester to me! We are now ready to paint the room and get everything in order.. I am so excited about this next coming month with one of my bff's wedding and my baby shower.. I am ready to TACKLE this last trimester and meet my precious little boy!

BabyCenter Update: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 27

I have been having a MAJOR craving these past few weeks.. A VERY COLD glass of milk! I crave this at least twice a day, if not more.. especially when I wake up and right before bed. I actually put it in the freezer for about 8 minutes before I drink it, so it gets VERY cold! I crave it so much that I even took a glass on the way to Atlanta and when I was out, I almost stopped at a gas station to get more! I hope this means Brody will love milk :)

Update from BabyCenter.com: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Week 26

This weekend we got SO much done! On Friday night, we moved ALL of our furniture into our garage to get ready for the carpet cleaners the next day.. Whew that was nuts! I didn't of course carry anything heavy, Max and Brent actually did everything! Saturday the carpet cleaners got here about 8am and we set this up (picture above) in the garage because the fumes were just too strong for me. It only took him about 2 hours, so that was good! We had to let it dry for 6 hours though, so we went over to Amy's to help set up her electric fence. When we got back, we moved our furniture back in.. We moved Mac down to his new room in our office, Zane into Max's room, and Brody's room is empty! Whew, I am so glad that is done! We can finally start on his nursery!! There were some pretty bad stains in his room (Zane's old room) that I didn't know about. The guy got them up as best as he could, so we are still going to have to get an area rug to cover some. I actually "spot" painted the whole house too and even painted the baseboards.. It's been a couple of years since we painted the house and it was time for some touch-ups! What a weekend! We accomplished so much!

Update from BabyCenter.com: The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Week 25

Tess' lingerie shower started my 25th week of pregnancy! We all went out for her Bachelorette afterwards to Figo Pasta in Little Five Points. We had a great time. By the end of the night, I had major cankles. :) I also got to see Alison for the first time since she went to finish college in Florida. She is so excited to meet Baby Brody!

Also, I had a doctor's appointment Friday. Went well.. They are estimating Brody at 2 1/2 to 3 pounds! (NOTE: Look at the average weight at this point below.. He's gonna be big!!)

Update from BabyCenter.com: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than a rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Week 24

On Tuesday, I had to go and take the most dreaded lab test while being pregnant.. This is the glucose drink I had to drink to test for gestational diabetes. It was ABSOLUTELY disgusting! The only flavor they had was Lemon Lime and I had to drink it in 5 minutes and sit for an hour until they could finally take 2 vials of blood.. so boring! The drink was so thick and it took everything I had not to GAG! It didn't help that I was starving either. Anyway, I am just glad it is finally over. Haven't gotten a call with results, which means I am good.

I also had my 24 week check-up, since it was canceled last week. Everything is great and they are estimating Brody Jett at 2 1/2 pounds. If you look below at the update from babycenter.com you will notice what the "average" is at this point in pregnancy.. Just over a pound.



Update from BabyCenter.com: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Week 23: Swollen

Whew, what a week! My interning has finally started and I am so pooped! Monday thru Thursday, I am up at 5:30a and get home around 6:45pm. I make sure I don't over-do it, but I fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow at night! A major "ugh" this week has been being swollen! My ankles are taking the brunt of it. I am on my feet all day (I sit down when I get tired), so I notice it at night. I am trying to drink LOTS of water during the day to prevent this. The downside is that I have to pee literally every 5 seconds during class and at work! I am also trying to eat less salt because Tuesday my wedding ring wouldn't even fit! After a busy week, I am looking forward to my 24-week check up tomorrow and a relaxing, 3-day weekend with my wonderful husband.

I have also picked out my travel system this week. I originally registered for one at Babys-R-Us, but I actually saw one I liked better from a child at CCS. After researching, this Graco travel system isn't available at Babys-R-Us.. only at Target. My mom is going to buy it for us in the next few weeks! :)

Update from BabyCenter.com: Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Weeks 21 and 22

Baby Brody is starting to kick more and more over these past two weeks! He especially likes to kick at night, which I am hoping this "night" pattern doesn't carry over when he is born! ;) Classes have started back, so I am preparing for my intern to start next week. I know my life will be full force until December, so I spent last week relaxing before work. I will have a crazy schedule until December.

One body change this week: I have been noticing that my gums are getting swollen and bleed when I floss.. Another joy of pregnancy. When I go to the doctor for my 24-week check up, I am going to ask him what I can do besides brushing, flossing and usuing Listerine daily. I read this from BabyCenter.com: Swollen, red, tender gums that bleed when you floss or brush are a sign of pregnancy gingivitis, and they're a common complaint during pregnancy. (About half of moms-to-be have these symptoms.) The inflammation is caused by higher progesterone levels that make your gums more sensitive to the bacteria in plaque and by increased blood supply to your mouth.

Friday night we went over to Amy and Sean's for an early birthday party for him since he will be deploying in the next weeks. Had a great time talking with the girls! We will miss you, Sean!

Week 22 update from BabyCenter.com: At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Some Ultrasound Pics: FINALLY

Ok, so tonight we finally fixed our scanner. I only scanned a few pics out of the 20 I have. They are all from 14 weeks, so they aren't the clearest ultrasound pics.

20 down, 20 to go!!

I have officially met my halfway mark!! And what an awesome week this has been! (These hard last few weeks were starting to get to me). To start off my 20th week, Brent and I spent 2 hours Saturday registering for our little man! We ate Steak -n- Shake before our Babys R Us adventure. I didn't realize all of the STUFF we need! There is TOO much! The lady from Babys R Us was very helpful and gave me a "Must Have" list to begin with.. I had no idea where to start! Brent got a hold of the "clicker" before I did and started clicking away! Me being OCD, with my pen and "must have" list in hand, I yelled, "STOP! I need to check this stuff off!" We had a lot of fun.. Our registry is up on Babys R Us and I just need to update/edit a few things (it's under Kayla Philmon for all of you wondering, hehehe).

We ended the day by going over to Tess and Blake's for UFC Fight Night and only planned on staying gone a couple of hours. Finally, when we laid down for bed around 2:30am, I felt this WEIRD feeling in my belly. I am a major stomach sleeper, have been all my life, and have continued to sleep on my belly during this pregnancy until I physically can't any longer. So, of course I was laying on my belly when I felt this "thump" along with a sudden urge to pee. Well, then it went away for a second and then a minute later, I felt it AGAIN.. and AGAIN! It was the coolest feeling EVER! I have officially felt my little man move/kick!! I think he was telling me to get off of my tummy! :)


The next day was the girl's trip to Helen. If you scroll down a few blog posts, you will remember what happened last time I visited Helen. I was in the hospital within 24 hours having surgery, so I was a little hesitant to go, just because of the scare I had before. To make a long story short, Helen was great and relaxing.. definitely different than our experience before! (The two pics of Amy and I above)


Today, we had our 20 week OB check up appointment. Normally, I would have the extensive ultrasound, but because I had one at the specialist 2 weeks ago and everything was fine, this was just a normal routine visit. Heard Brody's heartbeat and it was perfect! Next visit will be the most dreaded glucose test.

As the weeks continue to fly by, I am getting more and more anxious to meet my monkey! I don't think December could get here fast enough! :)


Update from BabyCenter.com:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a large banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). EW.

Week 19

I have started to have this sharp pain in my right leg. At first I thought I pulled something, but then realized it would shoot from my butt, down to the back of my knee cap. It actually feels like a tingling sensation. It has been keeping me up at night and causing me to LIMP! A lady even asked me today at work why I was walking funny. UGH. Everyone who knows me, knows that I research everything, so I started reading about leg pain during pregnancy and realized my symptoms are that of sciatic nerve pain. It is extremely common during pregnancy, in fact my mom had it. There isn't much you can do about it except walk and apply ice or heat. I plan to ask my OB when I go August 10th for a check-up just to make sure.

On a happier note, Max drove for the first time this week! He did very well (scared me to death)! Oh, and school starts back. Our open houses went well and I am looking forward to a great school year (for all of us)!

Update from BabyCenter.com:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Week 17 and 18: Stressful, much?

Hmm.. Where do I begin? At my last OB appointment, I was given the slip to go to the lab and have my blood drawn for the usual 16 weeks blood test. Something I wasn't worried about whatsoever and knew it was apart of the routine. Well, I just had my appendix removed and couldn't do it until this 17th week, a week after surgery. Well, I got one phone call at work that ruined the next two weeks. Dr. Shilling's office called me on Monday AT WORK and left me a voicemail to call them as soon as I could. They also called the house, so I had a text from Brent telling me to call them. I thought, "Hmm, I wonder what this is for?" That's when it hit me. I remember Shilling's office telling me at my last visit that "you need to go get blood drawn, if you don't hear from us, everything is perfect. We will only call you if something is wrong." So, I anxiously call them and I am told (in the first sentence of the conversation) that my lab test came back abnormal and that I tested positive for Downs Syndrome. I am in the bathroom at work and my stomach hits the floor. Everything the nurse said after that, I didn't comprehend. All I heard was that my son would have Downs Syndrome. She did say that there was a 1 in 300 chance and that just because my test came back positive as a risk, it did NOT mean he had it, just that I needed to have a further ultrasound to make sure he didn't (didn't hear this or understand the first time around). I call Brent and my mom freaking out, crying hysterically (please keep in mind I am at work teaching 3 year olds when this call was made).. Not one time did the nurse say "do you have a minute? are you able to talk?" NOTHING. Anyway, I probably would consider this one of THE worst days of my life. I have never prayed so much, and it was not that I was asking God to make sure he didn't have Downs Syndrome, it was more so asking Him to help me understand and give me the strength to deal with this. I get home and quickly go on the computer to research. I start reading the numbers and remember the nurse said something about 1 in 300 chance, but like I said, I didn't comprehend anything after her first sentence. I also read about how common FALSE positives occur and that this screening is VERY inaccurate, that most women go on to find out their baby is perfectly healthy. So, I decide to call that nurse back. She explained that my PERSONAL chance came back as 1 in 300, which was considered extremely low and that even some lab places would have considered that normal (she could have explained this when she first called). She reassured me this didn't mean my son at this, just that there was a small risk. So, she set up an appointment for me with Atlanta Maternal Specialist for the following Monday (my 18th week). The next week was the worst of my pregnancy yet.. I had terrible nightmares, was constantly researching, praying, etc. I didn't want stress to affect the two of us, but it was very difficult. I also didn't want to tell anyone about this until after the ultrasound. I lost nights of sleep until Monday.


Week 18: Today was the day. My mom and I went to the appointment together. I don't think I have ever been SO nervous in my entire life. I was finally called back, from what it seemed like hours of paperwork of mine and Brent's life history. Ashley, the ultrasound technician who called me back (can't believe I remember her name), said "Do you know why you are here?" I said, "Yes, because there is a chance my son has Downs Syndrome." She said, "Barely." She explained that 1 in 300 in other labs was actually considered NORMAL and that I would have never have gotten a call if it would have been somewhere else. She explained that it was my particular lab that cut off "normal" at 1 in 250 chance, thus this stressful process. She also explained the factors that could lead to the positive results, which could be the doctor being off even a day on gestational age or "stuff" in my system (I had just had surgery a week before my blood was drawn). My mom and I explained the phone call I received and Ashley was appalled. She couldn't BELIEVE the way it was handled and barely explained. She made me feel much better and proceeded with the ultrasound that would determine the results. She tested EVERYTHING from Brody's heart all the way to his pinkies! He showed NONE of the signs of Downs Syndrome and in fact, said everything was perfect. The doctor came in next to look at the results herself. She too said I missed the "normal" screening mark by a millimeter and that everything was fine.

Honestly, I thought having my appendix removed was the worst week of pregnancy so far, but this TOPS it completely. In fact, this was two of the worst weeks of my life. It could have been handled differently. Glad that we can move past this! WHEW.

Week 16

We are contemplating middle names for our little man.. We have decided on Brody as a first name, but Brent wants Jett as the middle name and I want Lee.. I wanted Brody in the first place, so I may have to compromise. Brody Jett Philmon is a catcher though! :)

Something very exciting this week: Brody got his furniture thanks to Grandma Phyllis!! It is precious! I have always loved black furniture, so we got a crib and chest. The crib actually will grow with him! It turns into a toddler bed, day bed, and into a FULL size bed.. so cool! Now, I am carefully looking at bedding.. Decisions, decisions!

Have to go for the most dreaded OB appointment: blood work! Yuck!

From BabyCenter.com: Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, about the size of an avacodo, 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Week 15: The WORST yet

Ok, I have had a smooth sailing pregnancy so far, but the start of this week was HORRIBLE. Saturday, Brent and I took the kids to Helen for a day trip with Kasey and her family. We went tubing and went to the water park. I was a little tired from doing some activity out of the norm, but not bad. We headed home about 5pm and ordered us a pizza. We ate and watched "The Crazies." I of course fell asleep during the movie and woke up on the couch about 9pm. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach! I thought maybe I had pulled a muscle or something and didn't think too much of it. Well, we headed to bed and about 30 minutes later is when it all began. From this point until 9am the next morning, I vomited every 30 minutes. It was like clockwork.. It had Brent and I VERY worried. By 2am, I was just dry heeving.. I was actually drinking water, just so I wouldn't have to dry heeve when the next 30 minutes were up.. It was almost if I had food poisoning. I got ZERO sleep and began to worry because I wasn't keeping anything down to keep the baby and myself hydrated. So, about 9:30am Sunday, July 4th (the next morning) I decided to call my OBGYN.. The abdominal pain by this point tripled.. I could barely walk. Dr. Shilling was out of town, but I was transferred to Dr. McIntosh from Women's Healthcare. I described all of my symptoms to her and she informed me to head straight to the ER because the pain I was describing was where my appendix was. OH MY GOSH, I thought.. that NEVER occured to me and opened up all kinds of worries. The boys were still sleeping and we headed to Henry. The ER wasn't packed at all (it was July 4th so I wouldn't think so) and I was seen almost immediately. I was taken into an ER room where we met with a doctor and he wanted a CAT scan immediately. I was VERY scared because radiation to the baby is NEVER good.. and they didn't help by reading and going over all of the risks to having a scan while pregnant. But, they said there was no other option to finding out what was going on. I had to drink this dye that had to settle for 2 hours.. I couldn't take it thru an IV because I am pregnant. I went in for the CAT scan about 2pm and within 15 minutes of being done, the doctor informed us that I had Appendicitis and my appendix had to be removed immediately. EMERGENCY SURGERY, pregnant?! I had never been SO scared in my entire life. They called the team in to do the surgery because it was a holiday and they didn't have any surgeries scheduled, only call-ins. The surgery lasted about an hour and everything went great.. Whew. The surgeon told Brent that my appendix was close to rupturing. They put me in Labor and Delivery for recovery so they could monitor the baby and I. That was a relief. I went home the Monday evening and told the nurses I did NOT want to see them again until December! :) What a scary and hectic experience..

I have been recovering well. The first couple of days I slept mostly and by Friday I was moving around. After all, I had my very important interview with GSU to get into the Early Childhood Education program.. Am I dedicated to teaching or what?? Hehe. That went well and I should know something by July 23.

From BabyCenter.com: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces about the size of an apple. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Hellooooo Second Trimester!

Amy's cute little outfit she got for him!
I will post the actual ultrasound pictures when I finish scanning them onto the computer!

It's a BOY!!

Who would have thought?? We went yesterday (7/2) and found out the sex. I was 14 weeks, 6 days. I read and researched about what to do to help before an ultrasound to better see. I filled my bladder up with lots of water and sipped on a coke 30 minutes before to get the baby moving. Brent, my mom, Kasey and I went to the appointment.. They looked like we were crazy when the four of us walked in! Amy came to meet us before her and Sean left for Oregon to give a key to Kasey and brought the baby's first gift! So sweet! I had two to choose from, a boy and a girl gift.. Thank you Amy! I have never had to pee SO bad in my life, but I had to hold it! We went back, and Dr. Shilling's wife Denise was the one who did the ultrasound. I had heard many great things about her, so I wasn't too nervous about not being able to tell. As soon as I looked at the screen I knew. He was squirming around and and I could have sworn I saw his "third leg." I didn't say anything, everyone just knew it was a girl! She said, "Are you guys ready?" She changed the view to be between the legs AND... there it was!! It was SO obvious.. I cried! Of course we talked about girls way too much, but I cried out of happiness.. it just made it so real! It's a BOY if I had ever seen one before! :) I guess my husband isn't capable of producing girls, hehe.. but we can try later on down the road (wink). Anyway, we got to the fun part of just playing around and he was just a waving! His hands are huge! I guess the coke helped because he was putting his hands on his head, waving, and kicking his feet. We even got to take a look at this heart, which was cool because they usually don't do that until 20 weeks. His legs are measuring to be 3 weeks ahead of what I actually am.. he is going to be tall like his daddy! Also, Denise said that she had been doing ultrasounds for 20 years, and at this week in pregnancy, she had never seen feet that big! He was measuring at about 4 ounces, and she said his feet were alteast an ounce of that! WOW! Oh, this has been the best day of my pregnancy yet. It was so real!

And let the SHOPPING begin! I first opened THE cutest little outfit from Amy! Then, Kasey and I headed to Tanger. I got some outfits from Carters and then headed to Target to buy a baby book.. I can't wait to write in there! I decided to stop and just look in Marshalls and that's when I emptied my wallet.. I couldn't believe all of the name brand CUTE boy clothes in there! I am getting so excited about meeting my little man!

From BabyCenter.com: This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon— and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Week 12-13

We went Thursday, 6/10, to our 12 week appointment. Went good, but our luck, the power went out as soon as we walked in the building! So, I couldn't get an ultrasound.. But, we had our appointment in the dark with candles and window light :) At this appointment, we didn't meet with Dr. Shilling, but the midwife there went over things like what to expect, what kind of birth I want, etc. We heard the heartbeat.. It took her what felt like 10 minutes, so I was a little freaked out (especially since I hadn't heard the heart beat in 5 weeks). I learned later that this happens alot, it can take them a few minutes. Anyway, I was so tense that as soon as she found it, I burst in laughter.. It was just a sign of relief. So, because I did that, she lost it again. HA! We just laughed for 5 minutes, I almost cried! Everything went great and I booked our Baby Prints appointment for July 2.. We get to find out the gender (or I hope so)!! Dr. Shilling has this "Baby Print" package where you can pay 100 dollars and get a DVD of the ultrasound, lots of pictures, and find out the gender as early as 15 weeks.. Come to find out, the DVD machine there wasn't working, so we would only have to pay 50 dollars! Nice deal to me.. Can't wait!!

This week, I FINALLY had to break down and buy maternity clothes, well pants! I can still fit into my regular pre-preggo pants with a belly band, but it is getting to be uncomfortable, especially at work when I am constantly bending over, etc. Amy and I went after to work to just "look around." We started at Target and I didn't really find anything I liked there, so we headed over to Motherhood Maternity.. We had a blast in this store! First, the sales clerk in there was SO annoying and nagging, she wouldn't leave us alone! I mean, it was very nice of her to help, but it gets annoying when they start actually picking out clothes FOR you! Anyway, I tried on lots of clothes and we had a ball in the dressing room. ... 250 dollars later! SO expensive!

From BabyCenter.com: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce.

Week 11

11weeks down and I am feeling GREAT! No morning sickness at all (yet!) and getting some energy back! First week of summer camp was a success. However, I do have to get used to this new schedule.. Went from 3 hours in the afternoon to 6:45a to 2:45p. Love getting off early, but I am tired! I dread starting my summer classes next week, but thankfully I am only taking two.

I have enjoyed the boys being home from school and so glad Brent is home during the day with them, working of course. It makes my day better when I don't have to worry about them at home (like last summer). With my first trimester coming to an end in the next two weeks, I am getting very antsy about knowing the gender of my Baby Philmon! I am ready to buy stuff, and I know my friends are too! I am ready to get this house ready, Max moved into his new room, and get a nursery started. This week, I am beginning to think about getting new flooring put in. I love this house, but if there was one thing I could change, it would be the carpet. It hasn't been taken very good care over the past years, so I have been looking at hardwood. Oh, and I am still trying to convince Brent that it's a necessity. ;) I will keep you guys updated.

New this week: My baby bump is coming back! I can still fit into my pants, with a belly band of course, but I can tell it won't be much longer! I also have my next appointment this coming up Thursday that I am SO excited for! I can't wait to see how much our little bundle of joy has grown! I have also been getting heartburn for the first time in my life!! I didn't have a clue as to what the burning sensation was until I read about it in my What To Expect book.. I have Tums on hand now! :)

BabyCenter Update:

Week 11: Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Week 9 and 10

I decided to put week 9 and 10 together because a part of these two weeks, I was laying on the beach! The good thing is, my little bug/virus is completely gone! Thursday of week 9, we were leaving for Panama City with 8 of our awesome friends.. Amy O. and I are both pregnant, so we were able to share that with each other the entire trip! We had a great time! After all, it was poppy's first beach trip and I was able to give my small bump a little tan! :)

A quick recap of the trip:

Day One: Drove from Atlanta into Alabama and then down into Florida to Panama City! Brent, Camron and Kasey and I rode together in the PT Cruiser, Amy, Sean, Amy and Chris rode together in Amy's minivan, and Blake and Tess rode in their truck. We spent the afternoon unpacking and admiring our amazing condo! We all went to Pineapple Willies for dinner.

Day Two: Today, we spent most of the day on the beach. We played volleyball, Frisbee and football, and just layed out. We had lunch in and played in the pool, then we went to Angelo's for dinner.

Day Three: We relaxed on the beach for a while and played in the pool. Chris, Sean, Amy and I grilled out on the beach for dinner and the rest of us went out to Dirty Dick's for dinner.

Day Four: We spent almost the whole day at the pool. It was so relaxing and fun! The guys played "aquatic quarters" while the girls layed out. We all went out to Margaritaville at Pier Park for dinner. That was a blast! Then, we went back and Brent, Sean, Cam, Chris and Amy played spades.

What a great vacation! It was back to work Tuesday and to get ready for summer camp the following week. No sickness, still feeling great! As you can see in the pic of me above, my belly flucuates depending on the day. I can fit into my pants one day, and the next I have to wear a belly band!

I have been craving sweets lately. I don't crave anything particular, just desserts in general... something I never have really been in to! I just kind of go with whatever my body feels at the moment. We went broke this 10th week. I craved Mo Joe's one night, Olive Garden another, and KFC twice. After each dinner, I wanted Dairy Queen for dessert! I enjoyed a dipped cone one night and an oreo blizzard the next two nights.

BabyCenter.com Update:

Week 9:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long, the size of a grape, and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Week 10:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size- to nearly 3 inches.

My first doctor appointment @ 8 weeks!

Dr. Shilling

This week was NOT a good week for me! In fact, it was rather strange! Monday morning, the day after Mother's Day, I woke up vomitting. As soon as my feet touched the carpet, I was hugging the toilet for about an hour. I thought, "Oh no, here comes the morning sickness!" On top of throwing up, I had a high fever. I put Zane on the bus and Brent had to take Max to school because I couldn't even stand up. I had to be at work today, so I laid down and went back to bed hoping that it would pass in a couple of hours. It was strange, I woke back up around 11:00 am and STILL had a fever and was continuing to have the morning sickness feeling. I could barely stand up! I HATE calling into work, but knew it had to be done. There was just NO way! My boss completely understood. At this point, I was hoping this was some virus.. I felt like I had the flu. It continued that way until Tuesday, where I felt a tad better. I still continued to vomit, but only in the morning. I forced myself to work the rest of the week, but my body was out of whack! I thought that there is no way I could be sick the ENTIRE day like this. Wasn't morning sickness supposed to just come at one point and you get some relief throughout the day?? I was glad I had an appointment at the doctor's office Friday, so maybe I could get some medicine for the nausea. I had an appointment Friday at 9am with Dr. Shilling and one next Wednesday the 19th with Women's Healthcare (this was so I could decide which I liked best). Thursday came around and I was feeling tons better. It had to have been a virus! I still couldn't eat very well, but the vommitting went away. I was orginially going to cancel my Friday appointment with Shilling and try Women's Healthcare first, but when the sickness came along I decided to keep it. I went in Friday and met Dr. Shilling! I absolutely LOVED him! It was exactly what I wanted in a doctor and the funny thing is, this is his last year delivering so I got him just in time!! He told me I had that "happy pregnant glow" that he loved to see on his first time patients. Usually they don't do ultrasounds so early, but he wanted to reassure me that everything was okay. Also, we were right on with how far along we thought I was! We did the ultrasound and I heard the heartbeat, sounded like a galloping horse! It was AMAZING.. the best feeling in the world. It made it all SO real. Oh, and there is only one baby in there! :) I decided that I would stick with Dr. Shilling because I liked him so much. The sickness was going away and he said what I had sounded exactly like a virus. WHEW!!! I am ready for a vacation with my buddies!

Oh, I lost 2 pounds this week because of the sickness... my belly bump went down some.

Update from BabyCenter.com:

Week 8: New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

Happy Mother's Day.. and 7 weeks today!!

Today was a very special, but busy day! Max woke up at 7am with a high fever, so he had to stay home from church, etc. to rest up for school tomorrow. He is thankfully feeling a little better. I woke up to flowers, cards, my all time fav movie Erin Brockovich that I have been wanting to have on DVD, and big hugs from Max and Zane! We started our day off with going to Lord of Life for my Danielle's (my sister) Confirmation. It was awesome and I am so proud of her! The service was nice and reminded me of when I grew up going there. Zane actually enjoyed the traditional service (vs. Avalon) and asked if we could go there again, actually. The whole family, except Uncle Erik, Aunt Kristie and Jacob, went to Golden Corral to celebrate. However, the line was out the door so we decided to go to Yuki Japanese instead! Boy, that was delicious!! It was great family time, but we missed Maxie. Afterwards, we made a surprise visit to GaGa's (Brent's mom) and gave her Mother's Day gift and let Zane and Kyle swim for a bit. Then, we went to visit Brent's dad's to spend time with Phyllis. It is always a pleasure to visit with them and I loved my new petunias! We finally made it home around 7 and I am pooped! I am writing my blog for a bit, getting the boys settled for school tomorrow and writing this last final due tomorrow at 10am! Then, I can officially say I am done with this semester! WHEW.. 6 classes definitely wore my butt out!

Besides a wonderful Mother's Day, today starts my 7th week of pregnancy! I have started to feel some nausea these last couple of days. Nothing serious, just a constant hangover feeling! Oh, and the thought of certain types of meat disgust me! I crave fruits and sweets.. mostly cold stuff! The hot food isn't settling well. I also continue to have NO energy! My house (to me) is the filthiest it has ever been and I am a CLEAN FREAK! So, it is bugging me! This week, I am going to clean in spurts and get this done.

LOVE reading these, so thought I would post what's going on this week:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.