Catching Up

Woah! It's been a while.  I decided that I would do an update since I've already watched American Idol and I'm not tired.  Brian started second shift about two weeks ago and so going to bed it difficult some nights.  He has been having Fridays off (as well as weekends) and I have LOVED it but he starts back next week to working five days so it's kind of a bummer!  Ahlyssa has loved the switch to second shift.  She loves waking up and he's home.  She LOVES to wrestle with him and since its the morning he has more energy and they just have a blast.  I love hearing her giggles when they play--it's so real and she has such a beautiful smile.  I'm sure when he's driving at night those wrestling matches are taking a toll on him. ;)

Well we are doing pretty good.  Ahlyssa has turned three but going on 15.  I swear this girl seems so grown up.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that the tantrum she is throwing or the stubbornness goes along with her age because she's only three!  She's so smart and such a good little girl.  She has such a sweet personality and loves to know what's going on and "help" with things around the house.  She's pretty excited about becoming a big sister in June.  Although I'm not sure how much she actually understands.  She knows that "mommy has a baby in her tummy that will come out soon."  Sometimes I'll hold my stomach and she'll ask, "Baby bite you?"  It's quite funny the things she's says and seeing it from her perspective.  We recently took the T.V. out of her room (Yes, I know the consequences of T.V.s in kids rooms).  When we lived at Brian's parents house it just turned into a habit and it was one that seriously needed broken especially since her transition to her toddler bed.  She'd get up a few times a night asking for it to be turned back and with baby #2 coming I don't want to deal with that and a newborn.  She has done really well.  We let her pick out any toy at the store and told her T.V. is gone and now as she is getting ready for bed she tells me that she is a big girl with no T.V.  I feel so guilty putting her to bed with no noise (other than her fan) but it was the same feeling when we took the pacifier away.  Anyway she surprises me how well she can adjust.  She's my little baby girl.

Speaking of baby girl.  Hopefully this little one will make her debut soon.  This pregnancy has been SO different than Ahlyssa's.  Everything started out good until about 15 weeks and started with high blood pressure.  Then at about 21 weeks I had extra fluid.  Almost to the point of abnormal but 2 weeks later they did another ultrasound and the fluid had gone down so they weren't too concerned.  I still have a lot of fluid in there so I look like I could pop any minute and have looked this way for awhile.  About 3 weeks ago I ended up in labor and delivery because I had felt so crappy for about 3 days.  Stomach cramps (not contractions) and numbness in every limb and my face.  I decided it was probably a good idea to go on in.  I was apparently dehydrated--that is NOT a fun thing to do.  My doctor said that in pregnant patients when she gets dehydrated your body sets off pitocin which causes contractions, but mine were labeled as "irritability".  If that was "irritability" then I don't want to feel the "real" ones.  I can't really remember with Ahlyssa any of the birth so I don't remember the contractions.  Anyway last week I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and level 1 bed rest.  I saw my doctor couple days ago and because its about impossible to rest when you already have children at home, she said if I don't rest, then complete bed rest is the next option and that one doesn't seem like fun!  I'm trying hard to chill out when I can.  Through all this I am just grateful to this opportunity to carry this precious little girl.  I am grateful for the priesthood, the power of prayer and for modern medicine.  I go for doctors appointments 2-3 times a week and as inconvenient as it is I am just glad that my doctor is keeping her eye close on my condition and as well as the baby's.  When I was pregnant with Ahlyssa I never felt that bond that women say they get.  Even when she was born I still had a hard time bonding with her for a couple months.  I loved her so much but they hand you a person that you have to get to know just like anyone else.  But the things that have gone on with this pregnancy has almost forced me into having that special bond.  I've had several ultrasounds and 2 times we week I sit in a room with a heartbeat monitor on her and hear her heartbeat for a 1/2 hour with zero distractions-just me and her.  (She hates the monitors so she moves almost the entire time!)  8 more weeks and then we will get to meet our second daughter! 

Well next week we were supposed to leave for Myrtle Beach, SC but with my condition it wasn't possible so we decided to take a little trip down to Cincinnati and go to Great Wolf Lodge.  Ahlyssa is super excited which makes me excited.  It will be fun to take our minds off the some the distractions and have fun with our little girl before she becomes one of two!  Another plus of not going to the beach--Marissa is going to prom the weekend we were going to be gone and now I get to see her all fancy dressed!  I can't believe my little sister is going to prom, what the heck!?!

Well typing this blog post did the trick and I'm getting sleepy.  Until next time...