a few pics

Adam & Mason at the Fair
Ray showing Madison & Braden how to make big bubbles

Our family
Adam & I before the Frontier HS Football game

Crawling out of a rut

So I've been in a bit of a rut lately. I didn't need anyone to point it out to me, I felt it and definitely could see it in the mirror. The first trimester is said to be the hardest. With Mason, I didn't have that problem. The pregnancy and labor were so not what I had expected and easy, that I knew it had to be too good to be true. At least I knew ahead of time, that things could be different with this pregnancy.

The end of the first trimester is approaching, and I couldn't be more excited. From the very beginning, I have been tired, moody, bloated, nauseous, puking, and lets not forget about the heartburn. I mean, who gets heartburn from water? Oh yeah, that would be me. Not to mention that it's just an awkward stage, because your body is changing and you are in between looking like you have gained a few extra pounds and pregnant. I was so bloated one time around 6 weeks, that when we went to the grocery store, a lady asked how far along I was. I didn't let it bother me, but that lady was brave. It's a good thing, my hormones weren't in over drive that afternoon, otherwise I would have started crying right in the middle of the checkout lane.

My rut sprouted from the pregnancy and just started to grow from there. For a month, I would wake up, put hair back in a pony tail, because I didn't feel like styling it and having to deal with the hassle of blow-drying my hair. Just standing up made me sick, so the last thing I wanted to do was stand (even though I could have gotten a chair) and take the time to do my hair each morning. Not to mention, I'm growing it out and it's in the in between stage.

If I wasn't doing my hair, I surely didn't feel like putting makeup on. I seriously have such an easy 10 minute routine of makeup, but I didn't care to bother. Besides, it would probably come off from the tears streaming down my face every time I puked. I would throw on a t-shirt and shorts, because it was comfortable and I didn't want to waste my cute clothes, if I didn't look or feel cute. This had become a daily ritual.

I knew that I was in a rut, but didn't care enough to really think about it or doing something about it until today. There is absolutely nothing special about today, except that I woke up this morning with the realization that I don't feel sick anymore, my hormones have leveled off, and the only real problem is my heartburn. So if I was feeling back to normal, why shouldn't I look that way.

In high school, I always used to say that I would never, never let myself get to that point. I guess I was a bit naive. But in all honestly, I still kind of feel that way. I have never been the one that would leave the house without makeup or at least look somewhat cute and put together. It's not that I cared what other people thought, because I didn't. If anything, I cared about it and it was important to me. Looking back, I loved getting ready and picking out a cute outfit. It was never for a guy or a friend, it was always for me. So why did I fall away from that?

I don't really know. Right now, I'm sticking with my excuse of the pregnancy. But I do know, that this morning, I showered, blow-dried my hair and styled it, put on some makeup and I feel so much better. I couldn't believe how much my hair has grown. I guess when it is constantly pulled back in a pony tail, you don't notice.

ABC's

I have been tagged before, but this one is especially fun and it allows you to be creative. So thanks for tagging me Kathleen.

A: Attached or Single? Married.

B: Best Friend? Jeanna Bickerstaff. We met 4 years ago thru her ex and became fast friends. We have made plenty of memories over the years, including a few road trips that I will never forget. I love her like a sister and even though we are miles away, we still make a point to talk on a regular basis. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and I had the honor of returning the favor last year in her wedding. This picture was taken this past New Years.

C: Cake or Pie? German Chocolate Cake. I prefer cake over pie any day, unless it's Pumpkin Pie.

D: Day of Choice? Friday. It's the start of the weekend and that means eating out, hanging out with our friends, maybe a BBQ, or staying in and watching a movie. Also, everyone loves Friday. You never hear anyone say that they dread Friday, it's always Monday's right?

E: Essential Item? Chapstick. I'm pretty particular about it and only use the Chapstick brand. I won't use Carmex, even if my lips are cracked.

F: Favorite Color? Pink! I love almost all shades of pink, except really pale shades. If we have a girl, I'm still deciding if I want to go with brown & pink, or black & white with pink. Any suggestions?

G: Gummy Bears or Worms? Gummy Bears. My dad always ate Gummy Bears and I remember eating the ones he didn't like. The great thing is that I like all of them.

H: Hometown? Houston/Katy, Tx. I was born in Houston and moved to the suburb, Katy, at the age of 10. My parents still live in the same house. I believe that Houston is the greatest city and you really can't persuade me otherwise. Sure other places are nice, but Houston has some of the best people, architecture, skylines, and most of all food in the world.

I: Favorite Indulgence? Spa Pedicures. I would much rather have a pedicure than a manicure any day.

J: January or July? July. I never really liked the month of January. It's cold and dreary and nothing really exciting happens. July means summer time, the 4th of July which is my favorite holiday outside of Christmas (I also got engaged on the 4th), BBQ, swimming, vacation, and Mason was born in July 07.

K: Kids? Mason was born 7-10-07 and we are expecting Baby #2 in March. I have always wanted 4 but will probably compromise with 3.

L: Life isn't complete without? Jesus, my family and friends.

M: Marriage date? February 11, 2006

N: Number of brothers & sisters? I have an older sister, 2 brother-in-laws, 3 sister-in-laws

O: Oranges or Apples? Apples with peanut butter

P: Phobias? Snakes, Roaches, Spiders & Clowns

Q: Quotes? I have a few

"You can't choose how you die, but you can choose how you live"

"People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart." - Carrie, Sex & The City

"To the world, you are one little person...but to one little person, you are the world"

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired." - George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

R: Reasons to smile? My husband is home after being gone over 20 days the past month. Mason walks up to me to give me a hug, while he is playing. Tomorrow is Friday and we are going to the Kern County Fair this weekend. My parents are coming out to visit us in a month.

S: Season of Choice? Summer. I love everything about the summer and I'm not a fan of cold weather. The only reason I enjoy any cold weather is the for the fall/winter fashion.

T: Tag 5 people? Anyone, but since they asked for 5... Summer, Lori, Kelli, Marissa, & Jill

U: Unknown fact? Wow, I'm pretty much an open book. I'm ambidextrous. I'm left handed, but I use my right for everything else, including sports.

V: Vegetables? I didn't like veggies until I got older. They say your taste buds change every 7 years and I try to make a point to try new things. My favorite is Broccoli and always has been.

W: Worst habit? I can be a backseat driver. It's horrible, I know.

X: X-ray or Ultrasound? I prefer an ultrasound any day over an x-ray. Considering I have had over 20 throughout the years, I am very comfortable with ultrasounds. With an X-ray, you sometimes have to bend and move in weird positions just to get the perfect shot. It's way more complicated. The coolest thing about an ultrasound is during pregnancy. You get to see a life growing inside of you and there is nothing like that.

Y: Your favorite food? Really, only one? I love it all, but I guess it's a tie between queso, Spaghetti, Stuffed Chicken Marsala.

Z: Zodiac sign? Pisces. I don't follow horoscopes or astrology.

Welcome Home

Adam is home! He arrived last night a little after 7pm and luckily, Mason was still awake to see him. Mason & I stood outside, waiting for Adam to round the corner of our street and the minute Mason saw Adam's truck, he smiled so big and started bouncing with excitement. They even were able to play for a bit before we had to put Mason down for the night. I made Chicken Tortilla Soup, because I knew the last thing Adam wanted to eat was a meal out. Once Mason was down, we ate dinner and sat around watching our shows and catching up. It was honestly the perfect evening.

Thank you for your prayers

I just got home and I'm exhausted. First, I had an ultrasound done and everything looked great with the baby. He/She was actually sleeping during the ultrasound. The tech took the measurements and listened to the heartbeat and said she didn't see anything to worry about. I asked her if the placenta was in the right place and she said yes. I had worried that I had Placenta Previa, because a symptom is bleeding and spotting. She also mentioned something very interesting, something that my other doctor never mentioned.

After looking around, she pointed to a spot on the screen and asked if my last doctor explained what this area was. I didn't know what she was talking about and started to get worried. Apparently, at the very beginning of the pregnancy, I was pregnant with twins. Very early on, the baby absorbed on it's own. I told her I never had cramping and asked if I would have felt something and she said not necessarily, especially if it was very early on. She said it's more common then people think. Some doctors choose not to say anything because they figure the patient doesn't know what they are looking at and doesn't want to upset anyone. I wasn't too surprised to hear the news. I had dreams from the beginning that it was twins. When I went in for my first appointment, I was actually surprised that it was only one baby. Not disappointed, just surprised. I then asked if that meant that my body won't ever be able to carry twins and she said no, that isn't the case. Sometimes things happen and it's the natural way of the body taking care of things.

After the ultrasound, the doctor examined me and said I looked perfectly healthy and to take it easy to be safe. No exercise, or any other physical activity until I'm 14 weeks. So just for another 2 weeks. She said I could spot throughout the entire pregnancy, but just to keep an eye on it and call them if I get worried.

The boys were a handful, only because it was snack time and I was in such a hurry to get to the appointment that I didn't grab anything. They called me 10 minutes before they wanted me to show up and trying to gather both of them and change diapers and get to the doctor on time is a bit of a challenge. They both flirted with ALL of the ladies in the office and were very pleasant around the staff. I'm definitely taking a nap this afternoon.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Prayer Request

My parents were able to reschedule their trip for Oct. 14-19. Even though I won't get to see them tomorrow, I'm just glad they will still be able to come out for a visit. A month after that, I will be in Houston for 6 weeks visiting family and friends.

If you could pray for me right now, I started having some more spotting on Sunday. Like last time, it is so small and I didn't know if I should be concerned. I told my mom I would call the doctor if it continued onto Monday. Yesterday, I didn't have any, so I opted not to call. I haven't had any cramping and surprisingly I wasn't freaking out about everything. This morning, I had some more spotting, very small like before and decided I should call my doctor. They have scheduled me for an ultrasound this morning and an examination. Adam is still in Houston and I am also watching Mason's friend, Luke. So I will be bringing both babies to the appointment with me and I'm more nervous about that part. I will keep everyone posted.

No visitors this week

Due to the aftermath of Ike and the fact that my Dad works for Continental, it looks like my parents won't be able to fly out this week for their visit. I'm disappointed, but understand and hopefully they will be able to reschedule and come out for a longer visit in October.