Pregnancy Update

I will post about the Trip to Hot Springs another day, but for now I wanted to update everyone on the pregnancy. 

I woke up this morning around 4 am with cramps, I tried to sleep through them but they came and went for a few hours. When I finally got up around 7:30 I became light headed and short of breath. Lucky for me I was already scheduled to see my Dr. this afternoon for the monthly appointment. Had I not been scheduled, I would have called to be seen asap.  I just knew that something felt "off". Normally I wouldn't worry but I have to admit that I was a bit concerned because I knew that what I was experiencing was not "normal" for me.  

At 11am Bryce and I went to the Dr (midwife). I updated her on everything that I had been feeling and she decided to check my cervix just to be sure it wasn't signs of preterm labor. When she checked my cervix she told me immediately that she was sending me to be checked out by a specialist (so they could measure the cervix) and rule out anything that might be wrong. She said that when she checked the cervix it was soft and that when it is as soft as it was people are usually 4 weeks from delivery. She wasn't concerned that I would deliver at 27 weeks, she just needed to know if I would have to be put on bed rest. She also measured the baby and said that he seemed to be measuring larger than a baby should be at only 23 weeks. 

All that said.... we went to the specialist at 1:30pm. 

They did a sonogram and said that the cevrix was measuring 33cm. They say that as long as it's over 30cm I should be OK. Since we are close to that number they may want to monitor me a little more just to make sure that it doesn't keep softening. The specialist also said that Kyah is very large for his "age" and that he is measuring 8 days ahead of schedule. This temporarily changes my due date from August 28/31st to August 20th.  Bryce and I were both large babies so this part does not surprise me at all. The cervix issue on the other hand is actually very surprising. 

I am waiting to hear more details and instruction from my Dr (midwife) and I will keep you all posted. 

Thank you for the prayers. I know God is listening!

Ps. We got some new photos of Mr. Kyah Man... Check them out. 

Read more...

Beached Whale...

Hey there everyone…. It’s been a few days. Sorry about that. If it’s not work keeping me busy these days it’s something at home.

Bryce is getting in from Austin, TX tonight. He had to travel yet again for work. He rented a car and drove there last night around 7pm. He’s already on the road home as we speak.

Work has been extremely busy these days. It’s so nice to be able to have something to do. I think that we are behind schedule as far as planning for Summer Camps and such but I think that between a few of us, we can get everything caught up this next week. There is so much to get done. As a child you never realize the time, effort and money that goes into your Summer Camps. Then again… I never went to an 8,000 + member church when I was little, but still…..

Ohhhhh…. The other day I was checking my email (like I normally do) and I received an email stating that the glider (rocking chair) we wanted was back in stock. I was only going to give it through the end of April to come back around. Lucky for me, it did. I immediately tried to place an order online but for some reason the website still showed it was out of stock. I called and placed a phone order and I lucked into FREE SHIPPING again! That free shipping stuff is coming in really handy these days. And it seems that I am catching it right when it’s on the “last day”. Maybe it’s just telling me it’s the last day, but regardless, I love it. It’s saving us tons.

We chose the paint colors for the nursery… The bedding came in. It’s AWESOME! It is just what I was picturing it to look like, if not better. It will definitely suit Kyah! The colors are Teal and Chocolate Brown. Even though it lokos like baby blue it's not. It’s so fitting for him and for us! Here is a Picture of it.

I have to admit, I am feeling a little down this week. Everyone around me says that I look amazing to be over 5 months pregnant and some people say they can’t even tell I am expecting (people that obviously need glasses). That’s great and all, but when I am carrying around an extra 15-17 lbs already and feel like a beached whale… I don’t want to be told that I don’t look pregnant yet or that I look the same as before. There is NO WAY that I look like I did before I was pregnant. I have always been thin (5’9’’ and 125-130lbs pre-pregnancy) so this is ALL coming as a huge adjustment for me. I don’t mind putting on the “good lbs” for the baby and all, but wow… looking at the scale is depressing. There for a while I was really excited about the weight gain maintenance. Then around weeks 18-21 I started putting on the lbs and it’s been a hard hit.

The good news.. Kyah is about 11 inches long this week and weighs over 1 lbs. He is growing so fast. The more I think about it… he is half of his length (or close to) and has about 6-8 more lbs to gain and he’s “done”. I guess I can afford to put on more weight huh? Then again.. I don’t really have much of a choice now do I?

Ps. We are leaving for our mini vacation to Hot Springs, AK tomorrow! I'll take pictures and post them just as soon as we get back on Sunday! Until then... you won't be hearing from me :)

Read more...

Great Day for a Great Dad!

Yesterday was a great day! Bryce and I slept in a little bit and then I got up and cooked us breakfast! After I was dressed we headed out the door to Babies R Us. When we got there we had to wait for a scanner (all of them were being used). That gave Bryce and I a few minutes to walk through the beginning isles to make sure we knew exactly what we wanted to register for. Bryce was a little overwhelmed but he did such a good job. There were a few things that he didn’t see a purpose for (and still doesn’t) but that’s OK with me. We have registered for the basics and that’s what matters in the end. To be honest, I think that he was more into the clothes than I was. I really didn’t have the intention to register for many “outfits”, but when we went to scan a few sleeping gowns, etc… Bryce went crazy scanning all the outfits that he thought would be cute on Mr. Kyah. We really had a great time and we learned a lot too. While we were there we bought this system that you can listen to your baby. It’s was only $20 so we figured that we would give it a try.

After that we ran home to get my car so that we could take it to get new tires. We have wanted to get new tires on the SUV for a while so we have been pricing them. The best deal that we found was $680… hence the reason we have been putting it off. However, yesterday we went to the trusty little Tire Shop in downtown Mesquite. The owner there is such a great guy. He gave us everything for $420. Can’t beat that! It’s so nice to drive a car with new tires. You don’t realize what a difference it makes until you are behind the wheel. I’m sure that Kyah will appreciate the smooth ride.

We went back home and relaxed for a little while before we headed out to Church. We used the new “Listen to your Baby – thing” and had fun trying to hear different noises. Apparently you can hear the thumps and bumps, the whooshing and the heartbeat. Also if it has the hiccups you can hear those as well. In reality, it’s just a battery operated stethoscope. I laid there for a few minutes moving it around on my tummy. I was about to thumps, but I can’t be for sure if it was Kyah or just my tummy. I did put it over my heart and that was very clear. After a few minutes of playing around with it I was finally about to hear the whooshing that you can hear in the Dr. Office. The further a lot I get the better you will be able to hear it. It came with equipment to record and email. Maybe I’ll catch something worth recording one day, but until then it’s just fun.

We headed to Church around 5pm and then to register at Target afterwards. Target and Babies R Us are the only two stores that we are going to register at. I think that between the two there are plenty of choices. We have registered for some really needed items and then some fun ones. Bryce thinks that stuff is expensive (and it is), but these days people go together in groups and purchase those big ticket items. It’s unfortunate that stuff cost so much. Overall we had a good time in Target. Since we had already been to Babies R Us earlier in the afternoon it didn’t take us long at all to get in and get out.

Once we got home, I cooked dinner and baked cookies (for dessert). Yummy! We laid around for a while and watched some TV while I loved on my puppies. After that we crashed because we both had to get up early this morning. Me for work and him for golf. (His life is so rough) lol

The best part of the WHOLE day… Bryce was able to feel Kyah kick for the first time!!! We were settling in for bed and just as we were getting comfortable I felt Kyah kicking around. I told Bryce to lay his hand there that I was certain Kyah was about to kick hard enough for him to feel it and sure enough… BAM! Bryce was So excited! He knew the moment that he felt it that Kyah kicked.

Read more...

Bedding is here... I'm 21 weeks and Kyah is KICKING!

Lots of fun stuff to tell you guys about. First off, I'm 21 weeks today! We are officially OVER 1/2 way there... only 19 weeks left (give or take). Not that I haven't been excited the whole time, I am just getting WAY more excited now!

Kyah's bedding came in yesterday. It wasn't supposed to be shipped until the 20th but, they shipped it early and it got here in 2 days! How awesome is that? I had a rough day yesterday so it was just what I needed when I got home. I'll post a picture of it soon.

Also, Kyah has been kicking pretty hard this week. It's been fun to feel him do his "gymnastics" up until this point but, now it's neat to feel the real kicks. He mostly does his "kicking" in the morning when I am still lying in bed trying to wake up (more like tossing and turing, dreading to get out of bed)... and then again in the evening around 5:30pm when I get in from work and start to settle down. I think that he starts to wake up and move around that time. There are other random times during the day but, those are the ones that have been pretty consistant this past week.

Right now it's thunderstorming outside and we are supposed to be getting ready for our Family Huddle at church tonight. I'm certain that I will not make it through the day without being drentched!

Bryce was scheduled to fly in this evening but, he went to the airport this morning to see if he could get an earlier flight. They scheduled him for take off at 12:30pm but then cancelled that flight because the weather is so bad here in Dallas. He called me a few mintues later and said that they got him on another flight at 12:50pm but it will take him to San Antonio. After that I guess he will get another flight to get back here (depending on weather). Either way.. I'm very excited that he is coming home today. It will be so fun for him to be able to feel Kyah kicking in the morning.

Read more...

Is time going fast or slow?

Howdy folks!

Tomorrow will be 21 weeks!! Time is going by much quicker than I thought it would. Time at work on the other hand...not so much. The last few days have been VERY slow. I have a Family Fun night at the Church tomorrow until 9pm so maybe that will kep me busy.

Bryce went to Harlingen on Tuesday afternoon to oversee a group of employees receive training over the systems and procedure that Time Warner uses. Basically he is just there to moderate the training and see to it that the trainers are not leaving anything out. He is also there to answer questions if people have any. I have been talking to him throughout the days via email and then at night on the phone. I’d have to say that he is quite bored and can’t wait to be back home.

I found out yesterday that our bedding was shipped and should be here soon. Probably within a week. I can’t wait to see it!!! In case you forgot what it looks like, here is the link.

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6E.aspx?DeptID=62438&CatID=62728&GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=13328ef&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=62438%7c62644%7c62645&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=1&CmCatId=62438626446264562728

We leave for a mini vacation get-a-way next Thursday, so I hope it gets here before then. That way, when we get back we will know what it looks like and can start choosing paint colors. VERY excited!!!!


Also, we decided to have a garage sale to make some extra money and to make some space. The garage sale is going to be on May 2nd. I think that my parents are going to have some stuff in the sale and maybe even Bryce’s family. I’m not sure yet. Either way, all of the money that we make on our “junk” we will use to purchase stuff for the nursery. I don’t have much to get rid of, but it will be enough to clear out space in the house and get a little cash for it. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Read more...

Burp Cloths

I was not going to post anything until I was able to sit down and write about our Easter weekend, but, I just had to share these with you!  I got them in the mail this afternoon! 

I found this lady on Ebay and figured I would try her out. Her prices were good and it never hurts to have some cute Burp Cloths for public outings....  

She has so many ribbon choices, font choices, colors, etc...  I thought that these would be a good choice to start out with and I'm not disappointed! 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

Read more...

Half way there....

Time is just getting away from me these days... normally I would be able to to update the blog when I get to work early but, this week I have been getting there with no time to spare. I have been SO tired in the mornings. I have got to get back on schedule this next week. 

We are officially half way through the pregnancy... 20 weeks 1 day! Whoo Hooo! Little Kyah is very active in there. I love feeling him move around.  I do however have to say that I think he has created his own sleep schedule already.  Seems that he is very active during the 10 am hour and then slowly settles to sleep. Then I feel him being quite active again during the evening hours. When I lay down at night I am never able to feel him move. I think that he goes nigh night then too. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Read more...

Happy 8 years!

Just wanted to tell my wonderful husband Happy Anniversary. Though we have only been married for 4 1/2 years... today was the day that started it all, 8 years ago! I love you!

Ps. Kyah loves you too! :) 

Read more...

It's a BOY!!!! We love you Kyah Everett Williamson!

I'm so sorry it's taken this long to update... we have been so busy!!!!

THE STORY............................

On Bryce's Birthday (April 6th) we FINALLY got to find out Ittle's gender! The morning started when we woke up around 8:30am. I asked Bryce if he wanted to go grab breakfast for his birthday before we had to go to the appointment. He loved the idea and that's what we did. I got dressed and we headed out the door around 10am. We went to eat breakfast, enjoyed talking about what we thought the baby was and even flipped a coin (twice) to determine the gender. Each time we flipped the coin it landed on Heads (which we chose to represent boy)... haha

After lunch we headed out to Arlington (the city in which we had the Ultrasound done) and piddled around in a few stores until our appointment time was close enough to head in to the office. Around 12:20pm we decided that we should head over and cross our fingers that they could fit us in earlier than our appointment time at 1pm. When we got to the office, I filled out the paperwork that was needed (2 very quick signatures) and she called us back. The room set up was amazing! They had a nice comfy chair for dad and a super comfortable bed for me. The neatest part.... they turned out the lights and projected the ultrasound on a screen the size of the wall in front of us. It had such great clarity... we may as well have been looking at the computer screen. It was awesome!!!! After about 10 seconds of the sensor being on my tummy, she was able to show the STUFF on the screen. I saw it immediately (Cause you can't miss it).... However it took Bryce quite a while to be able to make out what he was looking at but, when he saw it... he saw "it"! All in all... there is NO doubt that it's a boy!!!

The tech continued to move around and get different shots of our baby boy! Since he kept his arm over his face the ENTIRE time we never got facial pictures.

I have to say... by the time the 16 minute video was over our faces actually hurt from smiling SO much! I am hoping to post the video on You Tube and share with you all. It's so neat to see!

When we got to the car we made phone calls to the family and then I sent out texts (somewhere around 50 of them) and Bryce updated his facebook status! Something I find interesting... everyone in Bryce's family asked us how we were going to spell Kyah... my family never even thought of that. Either way, it's pronounced KI-YA for those of you that may not have figured it out. Bryce and I have had this name picked out for about 7 years!!! We are so glad to finally be able to put it to use.

Some of the things that we learned about Kyah:

- He is a wiggle worm!!! He was moving like CRAZY!

- He kept his left arm in front of his face the entire time. Stubborn little guy!

- We saw his bladder, stomach and his heart (and his little skull at times)

- We counted 10 toes and 10 fingers

- His spine looks great!

- He has adorable little ears and lips and even has eyebrows! So precious!

- We think that he might be a thumb sucker. There were several times that we thought we saw him but never were 100%. Gigi thinks that if he doesn't suck it now, he will probably find it sooner than later and end up sucking it.

- His heartbeat was at 143bmp... Keeps getting lower and lower each week.

- He is the most precious little Kyah in the WHOLE WORLD!!!!

Other updates:

I got home and looked up the bedding that we chose. It happened to be on sale and had free shipping (only through today) so I went ahead and ordered it along with 2 additional sets of sheets. Everything total was only $216. That's about 50% from the original price (what I would have paid if it weren't on sale with free shipping). Can't beat that huh? It's due to be here in about 2 weeks. Then I can go match paint colors and accessories. I can't wait!!!

Bryce and I also bought the letters for his room. "K-Y-A-H". I will paint them when I have a better idea of what the colors will be.

What else... OH... I went and bought him a few outfits! They are precious!!! I can't wait to get more for him! He is going to be so loved (and spoiled).

Anyways.. we could not be happier!!!! I love him so much already!

Ps. My tummy gets bigger and bigger everyday. Won't be long before I have bigger bump shots to share! Give me a few more weeks!

Read more...

Belly Picture - 19 weeks

Then......

19 weeks 1 day

NOW..... 

Read more...

Random Updates and Story Time!

This is going to be a random post to sum up my random week.

I’m really not sure where to begin so I can start by saying we only have 3 more days until we find out what Ittle is (Boy or Girl?) Our hope is, and has always been, a healthy baby regardless of the gender.

Wednesday night I had to stay at the church until 9pm. We had a meeting to go over some of our summer camp stuff that’s coming up. We were handed t-shirts and told to wear them to the meeting. I went to the bathroom, put on my shirt and walked out of the stall. There were two other women in the bathroom that I have never met but, they were here for the meeting as well. This one lady in particular kept staring at my tummy. She never said anything but, I could tell by her facial expressions that she was trying to evaluate whether or not I was pregnant or if I was just fat. Either way… you can tell my tummy is growing.

Yesterday morning I was trying to decide what to wear. I reached for what I thought was the only red shirt I owned and as I put it on I realized that it was a maternity shirt that I had bought on sale after Christmas. I quickly found out that I owned two red shirts and not just one. The good and bad news is that the shirt actually fit. I decided that I would go ahead and wear it. It was nice and comfortable and it actually looked cute.

After work yesterday I had to run to the grocery store to buy more fruit. I live on fruit for those of you that aren’t aware. While I was there I also picked up a few cases of water, some milk and a few other necessities. I checked out and took the groceries to the car. I opened the back of the car and began to put the milk and cases of water in the back. This gentleman that appeared to be in his late 30’s or early 40’s parked next to me. He got out of the car, walked over to my car and told me that I should not be lifting anything heavy and that he would help. I asked him why and he said “because you are expecting... aren’t you?” I said yes, so he loaded the waters in the car and then took the basket back to the store for me. I say all of this because I now know that when I wear a maternity shirt I look pregnant, but when I wear regular clothes I just look fat. (haha)

The last few weeks Ittle has made him/herself known by thumping and bumping my insides. This began during week 14-15 and has increased overtime. There is no mistaking the feeling of Ittle moving around. With that said, this week we have a new type of movement. I call them “Summersaults”. I don’t have to be sitting still or lying down to feel them anymore. They occur at random times and are felt completely with or without me paying much attention. Ittle will just move from one side to the other. I can’t wait until Bryce is able to feel them from the outside. I personally don’t think that it will be much longer; maybe a few more weeks. Regardless, we have an active little booger on our hands!

Also, last night I had my first “real” mood swing. It all started when I got nauseated at around 9:15pm. I knew I need to eat something but didn’t feel like getting up. Bryce got home around 9:30pm and when he walked in I went to the kitchen to greet him and then proceeded to the pantry. I was hungry and I knew that I needed to eat something in order to get the nausea to subside. The only problem…. Not one thing sounded good. I had just gone to the store, so you would think that I would have everything I needed/wanted. Nope. Couldn’t find a single thing that looked like it was ease the nausea. I didn’t want peanut butter, I didn’t want to eat anymore bananas, I didn’t want crackers... etc. I wanted pasta and we didn’t have any. I sat on the kitchen floor and pouted. Bryce left the room to change clothes and get comfortable. He came back in the kitchen, reached down and tried to help me out of the floor. I took his hand, he pulled me up and then I threw another fit. I didn’t want to stand up so I sat back down. I then got mad, went to the bedroom, threw all of the pillows off of the bed and got in. I got mad about that too… because I was now in bed and I still had the nausea and still didn’t find anything to make it go away. I got back up, went back to the pantry and started to cry. The only thing that I pulled out was a snack bag of Chili Cheese Fritos. I opened the bag, took a bite and headed back to the bedroom. I got in bed (again), took another bite of the chips and got mad again. This time I turned into a raging lunatic!! I hurled myself out of the bed, completely crushed the Fritos in the bag and was looking for somewhere to throw them. The little voice in the back of my head said… “ You are going to have to clean them up if you throw them on the floor, at the wall, on the bed..” So I ran to the bathroom, opened up the door and threw them at the trashcan. At this point, Bryce is standing behind me in the bedroom laughing hysterically. While I on the other hand, I’m so mad that I am bawling my eyes out. After seeing him laugh, I begin to laugh too because I knew that this is NOT something that I would do if in my right mind. So here I am, nauseated, laughing and crying all at the same time. I finally lay in the bed, not moving a muscle so the nausea would go away and I drift off into a perfect nights sleep.

Read more...

Dr. Appointment Update

Bryce and I just got in from the Dr. to check up on the baby. Quite a fun and interesting appointment. Here’s the details…

First of all, there were two babies being delivered at the Birthing Center so we had our appointment moved to their office building a few blocks away. After finding our way to the office location we made ourselves comfortable in the waiting room and waited for about 10 minutes before we could meet with the Midwife.

Carol (CNM) called us in the exam room and we introduced ourselves to one another. Keep in mind that we had never met her before and this was our first introduction. When you choose a birthing center there are normally more than one CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife). At this particular birthing center there are two. Every other appointment that you have you alternate between the two CNMs. This time we had the honor to meet with Carol. She is a really nice and funny lady. I can tell that she would be a blast to work with. She really knows her stuff too. Very helpful and encouraging.

After we had our “update” discussion and I told her about the Heart Palpitations I had during week 15 and a few other discomforts that I am going through, we got to hear the wonderful heartbeat again. That’s the part that Bryce and I look the most forward to, as I am sure that it is the highlight of most prenatal visits for all women.

Carol put the Doppler on my tummy and we heard one swoosh and then it went away. I told her that I felt the baby move so she readjusted and finally got the swooshing again. Come to find out (which I learned today) she was first listening to hear the blood circulate through the system (that's the swooshing sound). Then she moved to the actual heartbeat. You can tell a difference in the two so she was able to go back and forth from one to the other and let us hear. As she was doing so, we heard a loud thumping noise. She laughed and said that was the baby kicking the Doppler. In return, I smiled because I felt it kick it and knew exactly what it was. It was really neat for Bryce to be able to take part in something like that. Since he can’t feel it kicking like I can, or see anything on a screen, it was fun for him to hear it.

I know that everyone says you can’t go by the heartbeat to determine whether or not you are having a boy or a girl, but I must confess… this baby might just be a boy after all. We are going to find out Monday, but just as a heads up, don’t be surprised. I have felt like it was a girl the entire time but today I must say, I have my doubts.

Here are the stats:

Heartbeat: 148bpm with fluctuations in the low 150’s (It was 161.5bpm on the first visit and then 160bpm on the second visit). She said that the fluctuations are wonderful and that she LOVES to see that. It means that it’s very healthy! The heartbeat itself has dropped significantly, though they always say that at 9 and 13 weeks the heartbeat is just about always in the 160-170 range. The MW said that if I was around 38-40 weeks gestation and the heartbeat was 110-120bpm then she would assume it was a boy and if it was around 140 she would assume girl. Then she proceeded to remind me that it’s way to early to tell that by the heartbeat at 18w5d. Oh well… we’ll find out soon enough. Just a few more days.

Measurements: My uterus was measuring exactly 20cm. She said that was perfect! Bryce was happy to hear that the baby is growing at the right pace and seems to be very healthy.

Blood Pressure: 114/70. Apparently pregnant women have a little lower blood pressure during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and mine is exactly where it should be.

Weight: 140lbs. I started at 130lbs and have gained 10lbs. The MW said it was perfect and to keep walking, and eating right and I should be right at the 25-30 lbs marker at the end.

Overall, everything is perfect and we are BEYOND ecstatic that things are going so well. Now I am just curious to know what this little booger is. Boy or Girl… I’ll be extremely happy!

Also… it’s funny how God works sometimes. I was just fighting the feelings of disappointment of the potential chance of having a boy- if that’s what it is- but, now that I heard the heartbeat and have the thought that it might be a little guy, it’s really fun and it makes me want a boy now. Go figure!

Read more...