Shopping with LO

This is technically another iPhone test, this time to upload a photo from my phone. This was taken the other day at the grocery store. For whatever reason, LO wanted to ride in the bottom of the little cart. Crazy girl!!




Posted from my iPhone

More Wonder Pets, Mom!

I'm trying out the blogging capabilities of my awesome iPhone, and wanted to see how easy it would be to post a short video clip I captured on my phone. This was LO the other night when a second episode of Wonder Pets came on. I always thinks it's hilarious when she calls me "mom." :)

Posted from my iPhone

33 Weeks!

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted a pregnancy update, so I thought I'd hit ya'll with 33 weeks. This way, I can continue to post every 2 weeks (at 35, 37 and 39 weeks). Chase should be here at 39 weeks, so believe it or not, we're almost there!!!

Week and day: 33 weeks, 1 Day

Belly Button in or out: Still in, of course! :)

Wedding rings on or off: Still on, and I can't believe it! I'm pretty sure they came off around 6 months when I was pregnant with LO. Here I am 8 months pregnant with Chase and rings are still on! WOOT!

Food cravings: Chocolate milk, Little Debbie Star Crunch cookies, Fruity AND Cocoa Pebbles (separately, not mixed together of course -- that would be gross!).

Food aversions: None. Woo-Hoo!

Nausea: None!

Energy level: I ain't gone none. No surprise there, right?

Weight gain: Do we really need to discuss this? Really? I can't imagine you guys are all that interested in how much weight I've gained with this pregnancy, are you? Seriously? Let's just say I'm thinking we're around the ((gulp)) 40 pound mark. There. I said it. You happy? Now I think I need another Star Crunch...

Mood: Anxious. It's hard to believe in less than 6 weeks, Chase will be here. I guess with most pregnancies this time should be an "excited anxious" but with me, it's a very NERVOUS anxious. I'm excited to finally see my precious baby boy for the first time, but I'm so very nervous about the roller coaster ride we'll be on once he's here. I'm worried about how LO will handle everything. Her WONDERFUL Aunt D will be her primary caretaker while hubs and I are at the hospital for Chase's birth. I know she'll have fun with Aunt D, but LO has NEVER been apart from hubs and I for more than one night. I'm worried she won't adjust well to not having mommy and daddy around all the time.

Maternity clothes: 24/7, of course!

Size of baby: This week he weighs a little over 4 pounds and is over 17 inches in length.

Baby's changes: He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening.

Next appointment: Let's see... I've got a regular OB appointment on Wednesday. I'm waiting to hear from Dr. Greig about an appointment next week. Then, I see Dr. Horne (the Pediatric Cardiologist) the following Wednesday, September 30th. I also have a 38-week appointment already scheduled with the MUSC OB team on Wednesday, October 21st. There will pretty much be weekly appointments with my regular OB and Dr. Greig between now and the time we head to Charleston next month. It's hard to keep track of them all! Good thing I have my iPhone now to coordinate my crazy schedule! :)

What I've been up to: We are so very happy to have FINALLY nailed down a property for our stay in Charleston. It's about a 10 minute drive to MUSC, but it's in a lovely neighborhood and really works out great for LO. I did enjoy a lovely baby shower hosted by my dear sister and fellow pregnant friend last week. It was a small, intimate gathering of just a few close friends and was very special. We're also planning to kind of put Chase's room together. Hubs is working on putting the crib together, and I need to organize the baby stuff we've received. Part of me is nervous in putting together his room because of the potential risk that he won't be coming home with us, and we'd have an empty nursery to take apart. But I'm trusting in God and am continuing to pray for Chase's health and safety through his first surgery. I know my God is more than able to do exceedingly more than I could ever ask or imagine!!!

I think I've mentioned this on here already, but I'll go in to MUSC on Sunday evening, October 25th and my induction will start Monday morning, October 26th. God willing, Chase will be here on October 26th!!!

Sorry to disappoint, but I'm feeling way too lazy to take my 33 week pic right now. Honestly, LO is napping and mommy is heading to do the same! I'll try to post a pic soon! :)

Update: I finally got myself motivated enough to take my 33 week pic! I know, you can hardly contain your excitement, right? Well, here ya go. I must say, the best part of this pic is the pretty little iPhone the picture was taken with! :) Oh, and let's not discuss the fact that the shirt is barely able to contain my growing belly NOR the fact that my blue jeans are screaming for relief from covering my massive thighs!

Another Update

So yesterday I was quite concerned with the findings of our latest ultrasound, specifically, the fact that the doctor told us Chase's abdomen was only in the 16th percentile for growth. I was very worried when we left, but even more so after we got home. I happened to have a copy of the information from our ultrasound at MUSC last week, and it indicated his abdomen circumference was in the 61st percentile! How in the world could it so drastically change in only 8 days!? Not to mention the fact that we were told he weighed 4 pounds last Tuesday at MUSC, and were told again yesterday that he weighed 4 pounds. That tells me he's put on NO WEIGHT in 8 days! Am I wrong to be concerned about this??

I did email Dr. Graham, the Pediatric Cardiologist at MUSC yesterday. Unfortunately he responded by saying he really isn't an expert in this area and that we really should rely on what Dr. Greig told us at our appointment. He suggested I contact Dr. Greig if I have worries or concerns. So I did.

I heard back from Dr. Greig today and he gave me a variety of reasons behind the discrepancy in numbers. He said there can typically be a 10-15% variation in numbers just due to the fact that there were 2 different ultrasound machines used in the measurements. He also stated there are several methods in which the baby's weight is estimated, so it really isn't an apples to apples comparison when you're talking about 2 different machines. He also said this is one reason why they typically don't do growth measurements less than 3 weeks apart, since there is so much variation in the baby's growth from week to week. And on top of all of this, Chase wasn't overly cooperative during the ultrasound and stayed laying on his left side. There's a really good chance the ultrasound tech wasn't able to get a good measurement because of his position. Again, Dr. Greig didn't seem overly concerned. He said based on what he saw, Chase's abdomen growth is on the "lower side of normal" and in cases like this, he typically tells the mom to rest more and eat more. We'll keep an eye on this measurement as we progress, considering we have weekly appointments with Dr. Greig from here on out. I guess I just need to relax and try not to worry (easier said than done!).

In the midst of all of this, I was very grateful to receive an encouraging email from a wonderful friend of mine this morning. She reminded me of a verse that brings a great deal of hope to me right now given our current circumstances:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." ~ Joshua 1:9

Chase Update

We had an appointment this morning with the Fetal-Maternal Specialist, Dr. Greig. They do weekly ultrasounds to gather information on how Chase is growing and developing. I was really hoping we wouldn't get the same ultrasound tech we had last time. Not only could she see scans of the table I was laying on with how hard she was pushing on my abdomen with that durn probe thingy (I was sure I would be bruised by the end of it), she made a comment that REALLY upset me! There I was, at 30 weeks with a baby diagnosed with HLHS, and she makes some horribly inexcusable comment about how she's just "looking for signs of failure" as she gathers measurements n' stuff. I couldn't believe she would say something like that to a patient. I specifically asked NOT to have her as our tech today, and we lucked out!

So during the ultrasound today, Chase was not the most cooperative thing ever -- no surprise there! He was laying on his left side, making it impossible for the tech to get any pictures or measurements of his heart. Typical stubborn boy! But she was able to gather other measurements, which was good. We asked her what his weight was estimated to be and she told us 4 pounds. We were quite surprised because 8 days ago when we were at MUSC for an ultrasound, they too estimated his weight to be 4 pounds. So that tells me he hasn't gained any weight in 8 days! Surely that can't be good!

Later when we met with Dr. Greig, he gave us another piece of interesting news. He said that the growth of Chase's abdomen was not on par with the rest of his body. His abdomen was only in the 16th percentile, which is much lower than his other growth percentiles that are in the 50s to 70s. I was majorly concerned about this, coupled with his apparent lack of weight gain. Dr. Greig's only suggestion was that I eat more. Ya. That's it! Eat more! He didn't seem overly concerned about it, but I couldn't help but worry a little bit.

I emailed Dr. Graham, the Pediatric Cardiologist we saw at MUSC last week to see if he had any different thoughts on this, whether or not it's normal or expected to see this in an HLHS baby, etc. I'm hoping and praying everything is still okay with my sweet baby boy and that he won't have any additional complications once he's born.

Please be praying for Chase, for his continued growth and development, for his weight gain and for him to be born as healthy as possible so he can be prepared for the surgery that awaits him.

Baby Josiah

When hubs and I went to MUSC last week for my first appointment, we had the privilege of meeting Erin and Milo Wilson, the parents of lovely Daylia and Hazyl and sweet baby Josiah. Josiah was born May 20th at MUSC with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), the same heart defect Chase was diagnosed with at 20 weeks. Josiah has had a rough journey, his diagnosis more complex than Chase's since he was born with an intact atrial septum. It's been a difficult road for this little guy, but his wonderful parents and the amazing staff at MUSC have been with him every step of the way!

Erin and Milo were informed a few weeks ago that little Josiah would need to stay at MUSC through his second HLHS heart surgery, usually performed around 6 months. Can you imagine balancing some form of a family life with two precious girls and a baby in the hospital while temporarily living in a city that is not your hometown? It's overwhelming to me just to think about it, but Erin and Milo are leaning on the Lord during this time and He is getting them through it!

On Friday, Josiah had a heart cath to determine his readiness for the second HLHS surgery. The results indicated he's not ready for the second surgery, rather, he'll need another open-heart surgery to repair his left pulmonary artery. This surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow.

Please keep sweet Josiah in your prayers, especially tomorrow as he undergoes another open-heart surgery. This little guy is so precious, and his parents are without a doubt two of the nicest people on the planet! They have a real love and passion for serving the Lord and my hope and prayer is that God will heal this beautiful baby boy!

For more information on baby Josiah, check out his blog here. And please keep him in your prayers tomorrow!

Isn't he a cutie??

Finally!

I purchased my first Apple computer, a MacBook, in May 2007 and have loved every single day with it. I was a bit apprehensive at first to make the big switch from a PC to Mac, but it truly was the easiest adjustment and by far the best decision I've made technology-wise in my life! I'm not a crazed Apple lunatic, though... just want to make that clear. However, I have been pining for an iPhone pretty much since day 1 when they first appeared on the market. Unfortunately, we've been unhappily-loyal Verizon customers for years although I have hopelessly tried to convince hubs to ditch Verizon for our friends at AT&T so I can enjoy the pleasure of owning an iPhone. Up until yesterday, it was a tough battle with a very bleak outcome.

Recently I discovered that we are eligible for a butt-kickin' discount on AT&T service through hubs' employer. Whaa? Seriously?! The ironic part is that we also have a discount on our Verizon service through his employer, which we've been taking advantage of for years! So I was quite excited and pleased to find out that this same discount is available to us at AT&T. So I did a comparison -- apples to apples (no pun intended) and get this! It turns out a new contract with AT&T (including an iPhone for yours truly) will actually cost LESS than our current contract with Verizon. Where has this information been all my life?!?!

SO... I am now more than overjoyed to say that I am now the proud owner of my very own iPhone 3GS! Yep! We finally did it! I shall forever remember Friday, September 4th as the day I finally purchased an iPhone. The past few days have been ahhhmazing, to say the least! It's ridiculous how EASY everything is with this thing! Texting, pictures, web browsing, emailing, you name it, it's easier with an iPhone. My poor darling hubs has to suffer with a Sony Ericsson slider phone, and you should see how long texting takes on that bad boy. I hope for his sake that practice makes perfect!

But in the meantime, I'm enjoying every second of my new iPhone ownership! Woot!!!

The Little Things

These days, it doesn't take much to make hubs and I happy. We know we have a whirlwind of activity that is just over the horizon, so honestly, we find joy in the simplest of things. Case in point: hubs replaced the headlights on our Jeep. And we are both in love with the results. Isn't that crazy? It seems so insignificant, but to us, it made such a world of difference to our beloved vehicle. I still don't understand why they got so weird and foggy-looking, and even though hubs attempted to "fix" them (it didn't work), purchasing new ones seemed to do the trick.

Earlier this summer, the engine blew at just over 100,000 miles. This was not expected and resulted in dropping about $5,200 on a new one. We've had both front window regulators die on us, which basically means the windows would go down, but not up. So hubs replaced them. Let's see... I think there's been a tire purchase, a brake job and something relating to the transmission over the past year or so, too. So basically, we've more or less "purchased" a "new" car, which we plan to keep for all eternity!

So here's a visual of hubs latest project. And if you see him, ask him about how much he saved on these bad boys! The genuine Jeep headlights would've been over $300 -- he got these from an after market retailer on eBay for less than $100! Woot!

BEFORE:


AFTER:

First Appointment at MUSC

Well, we're back safe and sound from our trip to Charleston for my first appointment at MUSC. Overall it was a great day and we met some wonderful people! The staff at MUSC truly was amazing -- very nice, knowledgeable and informative! All of them took the time to provide us with the information we needed and answer all of our questions.

Our trip started Monday night when we went to view FOUR rental properties. It was a L-O-N-G evening but I'm happy to say LO behaved the entire time -- for the most part! Three of the four were 2BR properties within a 3 block radius of MUSC. The location was great, but the size was way too small for our needs. The fourth and final property we looked at was a house in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from MUSC. While we don't care for the distance, we think it's doable and ultimately would give LO the most comfort and familiarity with her usual routine. The house essentially has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a lovely yard where LO can play. I must admit I loved the granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, although I can't imagine I'll be spending too much time in there. We're very happy to have finally made a decision on this so we can move forward with the rest of our planning and decisions for our time at MUSC. Hurray for progress!

Unfortunately, Monday night at the hotel turned into a bit of a nightmare. LO was apparently in NO MOOD to sleep. At all. Like, all night long. She was in her pack n' play in the room with us, and for whatever reason, refused to go to sleep. We ended up putting an Elmo DVD in around 3AM, which kept her attention for a short period. Then it was more fussing and whining. Then we did the unthinkable: we put her in our bed with us. This was the FIRST TIME we've EVER had her (attempting to) sleep in our bed. We just never wanted her to get into that habit. But we were desperate. We needed to get up at 6:30 AM so we could be at MUSC for my 8AM appointment, so sleep was so desired, but yet never attainable. Hubs ended up going into the other room and firing up his laptop around 5AM to get some work done, while I continued to try to get LO to get at least a tiny nap in before our marathon day at MUSC. Finally, around 5:30 AM, she fell asleep next to me in bed, and managed to get a good hour and a half nap. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. I think between the three of us, we probably had a combined 4 hours of sleep that night. NOT awesome.

Tuesday morning we were up and on our way to MUSC, and managed to make it to our 8AM appointment on time! Woot! The staff was super nice and the PC (Pediatric Cardiologist) we met with after my ultrasound/echo was extremely kind and informative. He explained everything to us in detail, which was a huge blessing. He explained that the echo definitely showed the HLHS diagnosis, and that there really weren't any unexpected surprises. He said that Chase isn't exactly a "textbook" case because there are 2 things the echo showed that aren't common in HLHS babies, but that at least one of them might actually work in our favor because it is allowing his aorta to grow larger than what they typically see. The other issue he wasn't 100% sure about but said the echo they do after he's born should be clear enough to determine exactly what's going on. This issue slightly adds to the complexity of his surgery, but it isn't a huge deal or anything that changes the overall game plan for his surgeries, etc. We were very pleased with what we heard and with the answers to our questions.

I then had the joy and privilege (please sense sarcasm here) of having an OB appointment with the "Prenatal Wellness" department. It was a few blocks from MUSC, so we had a nice walk over there. Seriously, once we got in there I felt like we were at a free clinic. It was weird. The waiting area was full of some unusual characters! But the staff was really nice and I was very pleased with the ultrasound tech. She got some GREAT pictures of Chase:

Here's one of his profile. Isn't he a cutie?


Here's a 4D image of his face. The cord was floating around over his right shoulder, and I think he had an arm up by his head, too. He definitely has mommy's pouty-face down pat (as does his big sister!).


After the OB appointment, we headed back to MUSC for a tour of the PCICU. It was incredible to see the area where our precious son will spend the first few weeks of his life. It really was a wonderful facility and I am confident my baby will be in the best care at MUSC. Such an encouragement!

We ended our day on a fabulous note -- we got to have lunch with Erin and Milo Wilson, whose sweet baby Josiah is currently recovering in the PCICU from his first HLHS surgery. This wonderful family lives in the same area as us, and have been at MUSC since May when Josiah was born. If you have time, you need to read her blog. She is a great writer and has shared a lot of insight into her family's journey with HLHS. Hubs and I had such an amazing time with her and Milo -- it truly felt like we were catching up with old friends! They were very easy to talk to and are such a wonderful resource for us since they've "been there, done that" and can give us some insight into what we can expect going forward. It was such a blessing to meet them!

So, on a final note, I will mention that it sounds as though my induction will be scheduled for Monday, October 26th. I'll check into MUSC Sunday evening, October 25th to get the ball rolling, but the induction won't officially begin until Monday morning. So hopefully, God-willing, at some point on October 26th, hubs and I will be the proud parents of our sweet baby Chase! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to make the necessary arrangements for our stay in Charleston, and for peace and strength as we travel this uncertain journey that lies ahead. We are confident God is in control and will see us through!

3 More...

So you may recall that hubs and I saw 3 Charleston properties last Saturday, only one of which was feasible for our time at MUSC. Of course you know by now that THE ONE we wanted got taken out from under us and we were back at square one.

This past week, I've been diligently searching for more properties and am happy to say we have 3 more rentals to see this week when we're in Charleston for my first MUSC appointment. Two of them have a GREAT location -- within TWO BLOCKS from MUSC. The unfortunate thing is that both of them are only 2 bedroom properties. This will result in us having to put LO in her pack n' play in our bedroom with us. This typically spells N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E when it comes to her sleeping schedule, which ultimately ends up impacting her attitude, which then snowballs into affecting mine and hubs' state of mind! This is NOT something we need to throw on top of what will already be an extremely trying time for us.

The third property is an actual house. Like, with a yard and everything. In a neighborhood. It's a bit out of our budget, even though the owners have come down significantly from their usual price because of our situation with Chase. The biggest drawback, though, is that it's located 10-15 minutes from MUSC.

It's such a delicate balance of trying to find a rental property that has 1) enough space for 4 adults and a 2-year-old, 2) comfortable and familiar enough that it doesn't wreak havoc on LO's daily routine, 3) is in close proximity to MUSC for our several trips to and from, and 4) fits somewhat comfortably into our budget. We know we're not gonna find a win-win property that meets all of our criteria, but it's tough deciding which one(s) to cave on and which one(s) to hold fast to.

I guess we'll have a better idea of things once we see the properties and figure out if/how we could potentially make them work. I'm just so "over" dealing with this part of things. I mean, I'm almost 31 weeks pregnant. There's already a huge cloud over this pregnancy because of Chase's diagnosis, which makes it somewhat difficult to truly celebrate and embrace this, most likely my last, pregnancy. And friends and family have very interestingly left me be for the most part, not inquiring about how I'm feeling or wanting to talk with me AT ALL about my pregnancy. And in a way I can understand that because people don't want to say the wrong thing or whatever. But on top of all that, I'm bearing the stress of finding the "perfect" temporary new home where we will reside during what will most certainly be THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER FACED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!

I think it's time for another hour-long prenatal massage...

30 1/2 Weeks!

Week and day: 30 weeks, 6 Days (so, ya, basically 31 weeks)

Belly Button in or out: Still in. :)

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Woot!

Food cravings: Nothing specific.

Food aversions: None.

Nausea: None!

Energy level: Tired. A lot. Very often. Like, all the time. You get the idea.

Weight gain: Like 20 pounds. Argh. And my little guy is supposed to start gaining like 1/2 a pound a week! And I've still got 9 more weeks to go! Do that math! Yikes!!

Mood: Excited! I know God has a perfect plan for our son, and we are totally committed to Him and are trusting in Him every step of the way!

Maternity clothes: 24/7.

Size of baby: At our appointment last week, they told us he already weighs 3 pounds, 6 ounces! Woot! According to BabyCenter, he's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. We've got an overachiever on our hands! This is especially good (concerning his weight) since we really want him to be as big as possible when he's born (although I'm not sure I'm looking forward to the "being born" part). His big sister was 8 lbs. 13 oz. at 40 weeks when she was born, so I'm guessing he'll be at least 8 lbs. when I'm induced at 39 weeks.

Baby's changes: His senses are fully developed, so he can taste, touch, hear, see, and smell everything that's going on around him. He continues to practice breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which may mean he gets the hiccups more frequently now (this is definitely the case!).

Next appointment: We have an appointment at MUSC on Tuesday morning. We get to meet with the Pediatric Cardiology team at 8:00 AM, which will include an ultrasound/echocardiogram, then head over to "Prenatal Wellness" area (a.k.a. OB dept.) at 10:30 AM for another ultrasound and a meeting with an OB doctor. The following week, it's Dr. Greig (the fetal maternal specialist) and the week after that, it's Dr. Horne (the Pediatric Cardiologist) again. Not to mention another regular ol' OB appointment in 3 weeks. Whew!

What I've been up to: Still desperately trying to locate a furnished rental property while we're in Charleston for Chase's birth, surgery and recovery. It's turning out to be much more difficult than I thought it would be! I mean, really, it's off-season, people. These property owners should be jumping at the chance to have 2-3 months of rent pouring in during the off-season! Ugh. Apparently that isn't the case. We see 2 properties on Monday so I'm hopeful one of them will work out. The only downside is that they're both 2BR rentals, and we really need a 3BR. But we'll have to make it work -- whatever we can find!

So here's my 30 1/2 (almost 31) week pic! Yes, I'm a HOUSE! ;)

Venting

• We hit the 30 week mark on Sunday, and I have yet to write a post and share a picture. In fact, I never even got around to posting my 28 week pic. Things have been SO busy lately I can barely think straight. I hardly have time to do anything. I certainly don't have time to write this post, but I'm doing it anyway 'cause I need to vent about stuff.
• Heartburn. Zantac. Did you know the correlation between the two? I didn't until yesterday. I've been chomping down 4-6 Tums every day for the past few months and they do little to nothing to stop or prevent my heartburn. So I saw a commercial for Zantac and picked some up last night. HEAVEN! I'm just so irritated I never thought to try it until now.
• So the Charleston rental property that hubs and I were about 99% sure we wanted for Chase's birth and surgery? I got a call yesterday from the property manager that the owner decided to rent it out to someone else. Now we're back to square one and have to try to find another place. I contacted 40+ properties with the first go 'round and we ended up with 3 potential properties, the one we wanted of course is now unavailable. So I have no idea how many more I'll have to go through to get another short list of possibilities. I continue to remind myself that God will provide and He already knows where we're supposed to be.
• Have you ever seen Cake Boss on TLC? It's a fabulous show that I can't get enough of -- probably because its focus is on CAKE. But it's interesting to watch Buddy, the bakery owner, who works with his sisters, brothers-in-law and other family members at his bakery. They have this connection as a family that I truly envy. Granted, they're Italians, so I'm pretty sure they've been raised for generations to have a significant commitment to family. But it's amazing to watch them interact with each other. I totally wish my family cared for each other to this degree. It's inspiring.
• I had an OB appointment this morning. It was awful. Apparently the A/C broke yesterday and, although they said it had been repaired, it was so incredibly HOT in there! And to make matters worse, I was stuck in the tiny room waiting on the doctor for over 20 minutes. It literally ended up being over an hour to check my weight and blood pressure, and have a doc come in to ask if I had any questions. Argh!
• I spent almost $60 on haircare products from Aveda the other day. Seriously, a small bottle of shampoo, a small bottle of conditioner and a hair gel of sorts. Imagine my complete and udder disappointment that NONE of these products work well on my hair. I'd be better off leaving the hair gel stuff off with as much frizz and craziness that resulted. And even using a different gel after using the shampoo and conditioner, my hair still goes all whack. Seroiusly. What a waste.
• Another random product vent? Lancome. Now don't get me wrong, I've been a dedicated fan and lover of all things Lancome for a good 10 years or so. My problem? I went to Macy's the other day to purchase more foundation. Imagine my surprise that the durn stuff is ringing up at $40 a bottle!? That's right! A ONE OUNCE bottle! Insane. And I went ahead and asked about a new moisturizer. What was I thinking? The lady recommended one and I asked how much it was -- she said $35. Whew. A bit steep, but doable. It was only after they rang it up and gave me the total that I did some quick math -- I inquired about the moisturizer and they informed me it was $43!! For a 1.7 ounce bottle! Sheesh! Almost $90 later, I have some new foundation and moisturizer. I'm so ready to head back Target and try a variety of other product lines... Revlon, Cover Girl, Maybelline, etc. Surely there has to be a similar product out there that won't set me back quite so much. Any suggestions?

Property Search

Whew! What a long day! Would you believe I was up at 6:15 AM on a Saturday!? Me, either! But alas, it's true. Hubs, LO and I packed up and headed out at 7AM this morning for a quick drive down to Charleston (about 6-1/2 hours round trip) to check out a few potential rental properties for Chase's birth and first surgery. We only had 3 potential properties to see, so it didn't take too much time. We rated the properties based on 3 requirements: Proximity to MUSC, Cost, and Safety (neighborhood, etc.).

The first property was a 2BR/2BA condo in Mt. Pleasant -- the "least expensive" of our options. Unfortunately, it's a good 15 minute drive to MUSC and truly didn't have the space we need. This was one of the first properties we considered several months ago before we decided a 3BR property is basically a must-have.

The next property was a 61-foot yacht. Yes, you read that right. A yacht in the Charleston City Marina. It was a beautiful "boat" and was our mid-priced option. Unfortunately, it was about 100 yards from the parking lot, down the docks to the slip where the yacht resided. I couldn't imagine carrying a load of suitcases or groceries that far while also trying to prevent LO from jumping/falling into the water. Hubs and I didn't have a real "warm and fuzzy" about it from the beginning, simply because of our concerns with being on the water. The worst part of not falling in love with this option is the fact that MUSC is a mere block or two from the marina.

The final property was a 3BR/2.5BA apartment on the 4th (top) floor of a historic building right in downtown. Before going to see the properties, we already had this one at the top of our list. It's about 5 blocks from MUSC, has the space we need, and although it's the priciest of our options, we felt this one is probably "the one" for us. The building overlooks a lovely lake with a walking track around it. There's a small city park about a 2 minute walk away. It includes 2 off-street parking spaces and overall, it really felt like we could make it work. The building is secure, so hubs definitely likes that. It does have an elevator so the fact that it's on the 4th floor isn't too big a deal. There's lots of space for LO to hang out in and not feel cramped. Unless we happen to come across some other option, we're pretty sure this is where we'll end up.

LO was quite a trooper today considering we had her locked down into her car seat for 6-1/2 hours. But we were able to break up the day a bit by visiting the park to play on the swings and to enjoy the picnic lunch we brought along with us. Typical Charleston, though -- it was about 95 degrees out but felt like a zillion degrees, even in the shade. Thankfully there was an occasional breeze.

All in all I'd say it was a very successful day. I was quite disappointed that our new GPS was unable to find a Dairy Queen along our route, so instead of the delectable Blizzard I was craving, I ended up with a Sonic Blast instead. It was no surprise that they totally didn't mix it well, didn't put in hardly any candy and it was a total disappointment. But hey, I can look at the bright side: I haven't had any heartburn today! The first day in months! Woot!

I am Addicted...

...to Little Debbie Star Crunch cookies.

They are chewy cookies topped with caramel and crisp rice then covered in a layer of fudge. How can you go wrong with that? Seriously. Take another look...


Mmmmm! I've just about finished up a box of 12 in just over 2 days. I've obviously been utilizing some level of self-control because I'm pretty sure I could clear out an entire box in one sitting if I gave myself the chance.

But then what would I eat once they're gone?

A Day of Bullet Points

• I'm tired. Really tired. And I think it may have something to do with hubs kicking me repeatedly throughout the night. He was dreaming, apparently, that someone stole our car. Not sure why kicking was his first instinct. I woke him up once but he doesn't even remember. So I'm tired. And it's not even noon yet.
• LO is hilarious. She keeps calling me "mom" instead of mommy. And the same for "dad." It's quite funny to hear a 2-year-old say, "I want juice please, mom."
• Our list of potential properties to stay at for Chase's birth/surgery has dwindled down to TWO. And one of them is a BOAT! Okay, it's actually a yacht, but regardless, it's on water and hubs and I don't have a warm n' fuzzy about it. So I guess our potential property list is really down to ONE. I'm hoping and praying this is the one God has in mind for us. Otherwise, I don't know what we'll do. There are only so many 3 bedroom properties within a 5-10 minute drive to MUSC within our budget, so we're anxious to see how things look after we see the properties this weekend.
• I feel huge. I'll be 30 weeks on Sunday and I feel gargantuan. There's still 2 months more to go.
• Heartburn? It's ridiculous. I never had it until I was pregnant with LO. It was occasional but not a big deal. This time around, however, it is CONSTANT! Everything I eat AND drink cause it. I'm so over heartburn.
• Work got CRAZY this week. I supposedly work part-time, but due to the deadlines that were thrown on me 2 days ago, I now officially have about 5 business days to accomplish what should take me a little over 2 weeks. Guess I'm going full-time for a bit to get it all done. I hate that LO suffers, though. We can't go to the pool, the park, or anywhere else fun. I'm stuck at home with my laptop on my lap while she's stuck watching TV/DVDs all day long. I hate it!!!
  
• Relating to the previous bullet point, have you ever seen "Yo Gabba Gabba?" My daughter loves the show and quite frankly, it really weirds me out. I'm certain it's causing some kind of long-term scarring effect on her that we won't realize for several years, but she seems to enjoy it regardless. The worst part for me? Seeing Jack Black in an orange leotard...
  

Channeling My Creative Side

As I mentioned earlier, I had the distinct honor and privilege of throwing a baby shower for my dear friend H. In doing so, I also created a few handmade gifts that I'm, quite frankly, very proud of! I'm not the most artistic, artsy-type person, so this was a tad bit of a stretch for me. But boy was I pleased with the results!

My first task was what I referred to as "Project Onesie." My lovely sister-in-law over at With This Ring Weddings and With This Nest sent me a link to the how-to instructions located on a Cookie magazine blog. These were fun to do and super simple to create! The options are endless, as you can probably tell from the instructions. They used animal shapes in the instructions, which I felt were too "boy-ish" so I opted for some other shapes to make them more girl-friendly. Here are a few shots of my tiny masterpieces:

This one's my favorite:
Both Mommy and Daddy are Clemson alumni, so this one was a must-have!

My other project was a wall print for the baby's nursery. I found a seller on Etsy that makes the prints -- you just have to purchase the mat and frame. Unfortunately, the "final project" I received from the seller did not meet my expectations, so, naturally, I recreated the print myself. You wouldn't know this, but the background of the print matches the bedding H selected for the baby's nursery. And in case it isn't obvious, the baby's name starts with -- you guessed it! -- the letter "A." I absolutely love how this turned out!

28 Weeks!

Week and day: 28 weeks

Belly Button in or out: Still in. :)

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Woot!

Food cravings: None specific. Still loving chocolate milk and sweet tea. Don't mind the BBQ chicken and also enjoying burgers from Wendy's. Mmmm!

Food aversions: None, other than the foods/beverages that seem to cause heartburn. Ugh.

Nausea: None!

Energy level: Same ol', same ol'. Nothing new to report here.

Weight gain: About 18 pounds. Argh.

Mood: Excited! I know God has a perfect plan for our son, and we are totally committed to Him and are trusting in Him every step of the way!

Maternity clothes: 24/7.

Size of baby: He weighs about 2-1/4 pounds and almost 15 inches long!

Baby's changes: He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Next appointment:This Wednesday for our regular OB appointment. This one includes the Glucose screening test (yuck!). August 18th is our next appointment with the fetal-maternal medicine specialist, Dr. Greig. We'll also have an appointment at MUSC on September 1st.

What I've been up to:Looking forward to throwing my dear friend's baby shower on Tuesday night. I've spent some time preparing for that. Also looking forward to a family gathering in Cincinnati with hubs' family. It'll be fun to all be together! We also have a property-scouting trip to Charleston planned for later this month. That's what I've been spending most of my time on these past few weeks -- trying to line up temporary housing while we're in Charleston for Chase's birth and surgery.

My 28-week pic will be coming soon! :)

Showers of Joy

I'm so stinkin' excited to be throwing a baby shower for my dear friend H who happens to be due almost 1 month exactly before me. She's having a girl, which is perfect since she and her husband already have a 2-1/2 year old son. I had the joy of throwing her a baby shower for her first child, and now I'm looking forward to next Tuesday when I will throw her a shower for her new baby girl!

Now, for those of you who know me, I'm not the most "artsy" or "crafty" person. Somehow that gene missed me entirely. But occasionally I get inspired to do something fun that's outside of my skill zone. I figured what better time to create something by hand that has some level of sentimental value than for one of my best friend's baby shower?

I'm sure you're all waiting anxiously for me to share more information about said crafts, photos, finished products, etc., but unfortunately, I can't do so until after the shower! Ack! I know... patience isn't my forte, either! But I promise it'll be worth it!

Here's a tiny glimpse of one project, which I won't specify in any more detail than to provide a link to the Etsy seller, STELLAandHODGE, who assisted me with executing the project. She was THE NICEST person ever and was completely and totally helpful, always responding to my messages quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend this Etsy seller to anyone interested in any of the items she has available!

The other handmade project I've been working on was suggested to me by my dear sister-in-law, the creator of the blogs With This Ring Weddings and With This Nest (both definitely worth reading!). She shared a link with me that I shall covet forever! Have you heard of Cookie Magazine? I hadn't either. Apparently they have a pretty awesome Nesting blog that is definitely worth checking out!

Please be sure that I will be posting photos of my completed projects after H's shower on Tuesday. And I'll also share links to the projects, including step-by-step instructions (a must-have for non-crafty folks such as myself) once I'm able to do so without ruining the surprise for the second-time Mommy to Be!

Stay tuned!

Checking In!

Hello, all! Just a quick post to let you know that I haven't forgotten about my dear blog and it's few readers! Honestly there hasn't been anything that exciting to post about lately. LO's party has come and gone, so we're back to our regular scheduled programming these days. I AM looking forward to throwing a dear friend of mine a baby shower next week, so that is taking up a bit of my time. The rest of my days recently have been spent trying to find temporary housing in Charleston while we're there for Chase's birth and the first of his heart surgeries. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a furnished 3 bedroom property within a 5 minute drive of MUSC? It's ridiculous. And it's got me slightly stressed out! We're heading down in a few weeks to see the few properties I have found, but I'm not sure any of them will work for us. I know God has a plan and knows exactly where He wants us to be -- it's just a matter of us doing the legwork to contact properties, figure out monthly rent/utilities, location, etc. and then go and SEE each of these properties until God leads us where He wants us to be. It's quite overwhelming but in a way I'm glad I have this little "project" to keep me busy so I don't dwell too much on the fact that my precious baby boy will be here in just over 2 months and once he's here, I have NO CONTROL over his health and well-being. Luckily God is in control and He has a perfect plan for our sweet Chase!

I am working on another post to share information and details about another sweet boy who is currently at MUSC recovering from his first surgery. His family has been through a lot and they are in desperate need of our prayers. More on that to come soon!

Party Like It's 2009!

Well, I finally got my act together and am posting some pictures from LO's 2nd birthday party! She had a wonderful time celebrating with her family and friends! Overall I think it was a wonderful success! It was definitely more "laid-back" than her first birthday and I don't think I went quite as overboard as I did last year. The birthday girl had a great day and that's all that matters!

Enjoy!

Birthday pancakes in the shape of a "2" -- Good Morning and Happy Birthday, LO!

A big stash of gifts! Woot!

Gotta have a pic of the food, right? These are the sliders we made, complete with Elmo skewers!

Crusin' in her Cozy Coupe!

The cake! It came out AWESOME! And it was very tasty!

The birthday princess enjoying her cake! Yummy!

Opening presents! Fun!

A new bike from Gramma and Pa Pa! Yay!!

Ringing the doorbell on her very own cottage! LO loved it!

Having a heart-to-heart with Gramma!

Pa Pa and LO playing with 3-D chalk!

Love those 3-D glasses!

Somebody loves her daddy!