David's First CAT-Scan

Well, I wanted to get in a little interview from the patient to post here on the blog, but I never got around to it. I did talk to his momma, though...and sounds like everything is back to normal.

So, to catch you up, nephew Little David (referred to hereafter as just David: our little David isn't little AT ALL anymore) was working his "two-a-days" this summer at football practice. They practice twice a day to rev up for the start of football season, hence the name two-a-day. And may I say that although it did start to heat up in late July and August at least the guys didn't have the same record breaking heat as summers of the past.

He got hit pretty good and sounds like it really rocked his world! Amazingly the hit even moved the braces on his teeth! He had to go to the ortho to get them straightened out. The orthodontist diagnosed a concussion right away by the looks of things. He ended up with some pretty nasty bruises and scrapes around his head and neck and it was decided that his helment wasn't tight enough. They actually air them up (yes, like the old Nike sneakers)to help protect the boys heads and possibly his wasn't aired up enough. Regardless, the week went on and David was having some horribly painful headaches.

So, we got the call last Friday that they were on the way to get his head examined. By the way, that was a classic line wasn't it?! My mom used to say we needed our heads examined when she was mad at us! Anyway, he got scaned Friday, got a second opinion Saturday, and was diagnosed with a killer sinus infection and yes, a concussion. Seven days of no symptoms before he gets any play time! And right before the first scrimmage! You can imagine things were a little tense for the poor kid! And I wonder what he thought about being in that thumping, enclosed CT Scanner thing. And I wonder what his brain looked like!

Here they are ready for the first game tomorrow and David has been cleared to play! Yahoo! I don't think they had any practices with pads this week, just strength and conditiong and play book meetings which he was able to participate in. Josh and I can't wait to make it out to see him play! There is just nothing like high school football in the fall!

New Presents to Ourselves!

Well, I couldn't resist. I've been wanting a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for years now and finally broke down. We'll call it a pregnancy present! The last few times I tried to make baked goodies with my hand mixer it just didn't cut it. I had this great recipe for apple spice cake, and once I added the big chunks of apples to the batter the consistency was almost unmanageable with my hand mixer or hands alone (yes, my hands were working overtime in the bowl). Another time I added the ingredients wrong for something or other, and while it would have been fine in a stand mixer, the hand mixer just couldn't handle it and it was such a mess! Hence, my brand new, white, 5 quart, kitchen aid stand mixer....for all our cooking and baking needs. My proudest moment in this process was finding one that was brand new for $130 off the price at the store! Now that's some good shopping! I can't wait to eat up some smooth and creamy mashed potatos!

Recently Josh, good daddy that he is, asked me about getting a nice 35mm SLR. I was overjoyed that it was his idea and not mine...since I am usually the one spending the money (see story above)! I actually bought a really old used Pentax K1000 about a year ago on Ebay and got a bum deal, and although I had every intention of taking it to a camera shop to be fixed, I never have. I agreed it was a great idea to have a nice, new one to capture all the sweet little snuggles and yawns and toesies that will be too precious to resist. So we hunted around and found a brand new, opened package Nikon N75 from an Ebay shop that seemed professional and had great reviews. When we got it and tore open the package we both stared in amazment at the new fangled toy. We were both expecting a plain ol, manual, 35mm but what we got has all the electronic bells and whistles of the 21st century! It has a little digital panel on the top to tell us all kinds of things. The aperature and shutter speed are electronic but I wish they were manual. The focus is manual, but the f-stop and shutter speed are going to take some getting used to. We've taken a test roll and are awaiting it's development...yahoo!!

I Know Some of You Can Appreciate This!

I was watching Martha Stewart on my lunch break in the break room. She was showing a clip about a huge tree farm she visited in Vermont or somewhere around there. She also had the owner, George, and his wife in the audience and spoke with him after the clip finished. So she started out "I'm curious, George..." and asked him some question that I was too distracted to pay attention to. I know this guy has probably gotten jokes like that his whole life and I started to laugh! I thought it was funny! But no one in the audience laughed and Martha and George both kept a straight face the whole time. I guess his tree farm is serious business.

24 Weeks/6 Months!

D-Day is rapidly approaching! I had an appointment with Dr. Ryder last week and got to complain about all my various aches and pains. Nothing too serious, but I like to let her know what's going on with me. We got weighed and were up either 5 or 7 pounds from last time. I can't remember exactly which we'll blame on "pregnancy brain". Or maybe that is the female in me not wanting to remember how many pounds I've gained since the last appointment. Either way, it's right on track. I got my glucose orange drink for my next appointment. I will drink it right before I go in and they'll be able to measure my glucose levels (or something) to check for gestational diabetes. It's quite common among pregnant women; however I've been feeling fine and showing no symptoms of anything like that. Finally we got to hear the precious little heartbeat and ohh'd and ahh'd over it. I like to say "It's ALIVE!" a la mad scientist or whoever said that. I think it was Frankenstein's creator. Hopefully our baby isn't as big or ugly as Frankenstein.

I had my first prenatal massage! It was planned as a fun morning out for the girls (mom, Shan, Tam, and me) but Little David had to go to the doctor so Shannon had to cancel her appointment! We assured her it wasn't all that great anyway (wink, wink)! I enjoyed mine very much but it took awhile to get the hang of it with all the pillows they surrounded me with. Mom's masseuse sounded awesome throwing in extras like aromatherapy and hot towels! I want hot towels too!! I got her name and will use her next time.

Between now and the delivery, our little one's feet will almost double in size! Just like mine! We may also soon be able to hear the heartbeat by putting an ear to my abdomen. And one last fun fact...I can expect to gain about a pound a week during this month. Oy.

***Love and Skinny Thoughts to All!***

Brianna is One Month Old!

Hey O'Briens....our cousin Brianna is one month old! I snagged these pictures from her daddy's myspace page for us to enjoy.

Now you cannot tell me that she doesn't look just like Kayla's baby pictures in this one! So sweet!

Grandma emailed out a funny story the other day. She said that there is a stray cat that many of the neighbors feed around Kayla and Bobby's apartment. Kayla had run out of food for the cat so decided to put out some of her breast milk for the kitty. She said the cat wouldn't go near it! It didn't care for that delicacy! Grandma said it best, "smart girl, dumb cat!" He can just go beg for food elsewhere, then!

***Love and Baby Snuggles to All!***

My What is Where?

I've been wondering exactly where everything is going these days and found these pictures. The thought of all my major organs shifting and squishing around makes me more apprehensive than the thought of labor. No joke. So, here is a visual as to why I can't eat more than an 1/2 oz. of steak, two bites of veggies, and three bites of salad. I feel bad though cause I know Mr./Ms. Baby REALLY likes his salad snack!

BEFORE:



CURRENTLY:
(23 weeks)



Note, though, that the stomach wraps around there (or something), it is not just that little smidge of pink next to the liver. That would be just cruel if it squished up that small! The size and new form that the small intestine takes on is quite concerning however. It's kinda like having my very own stomach stapling or lap-band procedure but less invasive! Wait, who am I kidding...having this baby squish around my insides for it's new home sounds quite invasive, don't you think?!

28 WEEKS:




So, I guess this concludes your biology lesson for the day. Unless you need any more information, in which case I have PLENTY! I've got some cool labor and delivery videos for inquiring minds! Just teasing...I'll spare you the horror.

***Love and Wishes for a BIG Bladder to All!***

We Are Making Out Like Bandits!

I am getting so excited to welcome this new baby! Is that a gross understatement? How on earth could I NOT be excited! But the source of this particular excitement today stems from nesting. We have been so, SO grateful to have received the baby things that we've gotten or have been promised so far! Listen to this: Cayden and Connor's crib (in great shape and it matches our furniture), changing table from Kelly A. (also matches!), baby bath tub and exersaucer (in really great shape) from Kelly B., baby bjorn, gym play mat, books, a musical thingy for the crib, clothes and a myriad of blankets - all from Tammy. Many of the blankets were handmade by my grandma and Tammy's mom so they are special to have. Since we are using Josh's college dresser and night stand, the only large purchases for the baby's room amount to an area rug (the softer the better, of course!) and a ceiling fan with light.

We haven't looked into strollers, car seats or high chairs yet but I suppose that will be next. I couldn't be more thrilled with all the hand me downs and loaners. It really helps out and it's a great way to recycle those items that families only use for a short time.

Bright and early tomorrow morning we have a gentleman coming to resurface our hall way bath tub. This seems like the best way to go after all we've looked into. It is dingy and chipped in many places and also rusted in spots. This treatment should be the most effective for the long run. The alternative were to replace the tub with a new one which was ruled out real quick! I am done with construction in my house and that would be such a mess. Alternatively we could have had a fiberglass mold made to fit over the existing tub and tile. We didn't like that as much either, though. This company coming tomorrow has a great guarantee so we're going for it. Now our youngens will have a nice place to take baths! I can't wait to see how it turns out.
FYI: http://www.miraclemethod.com/index.htm

***Happy Weekend to All and Take Time to Smell the Flowers!***

Coasting Through 22 Weeks!

I've received a fun update from my online baby newsletter. The first part made me laugh. Picture Josh and I standing in the grocery store baking asile...

"Your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery story (and expect people to ask you why you're grinning from ear to ear). "

...and we might even be cooing at it to, just to see if we can get it to smile. :)

So anyway, this week our sweetie is making more sense of the world as he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, our little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Our fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before, even with those fused eyelids. Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see our little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage has no pigment, so it's bright white. My money is on red, though. We have a handful of redheads on his side and my side combined so we'll see!

I've been good otherwise...just quite stiff. Somedays are better than others but most of the time it's hard to even put on my socks and shoes. It feels like a board inside me and I can't bend for the life of me! But don't pass judgement...according to other mom's it's the way of the pregnancy, and not just that I need to stretch and exercise! I think my feet are doing something funny too. I hear they start growing about now and it may be happening before my very eyes. It's due to the chemical 'relaxin' in my body loosening everything up, and unfourtunately, my pelvic/hip area isn't the only spot it affects.

Josh is doing good too! I should include him in my updates - shout out to Josh! We are getting ready to whoop out on the baby's room and get it done before it gets much later. I'll keep you posted (of course).

Have a good rest of the week! Is it Friday yet???

***Love, Heather***

Texas/OU Weekend is More Important Than MY Baby?

I don't use this outlet to vent as much as to marvel at the wonderment of my developing fetus...so bare with me! I just have to get this off my chest. Medical City Hospital, where I will be delivering our baby, sent us a letter in the mail concerning our childbirth education classes. We chose to attend the class held on October 6 which apparently is Texas/OU Weekend. They decided to cancel the class because "we want our football fans to come to class". Are you kidding me?

I have several issues with this. First of all they need to account for these types of things in advance of printing the schedule and booking classes. Period. It is bad business. What this leads me to think is that which ever teacher got "stuck" instructing the class for this day wanted to watch the game and therefore decided to cancel and inconvienence the rest of us. How very professional of them. I have faith in the Texas/OU fans/OB patients of Medical City that if the game is that important to them they will NOT have booked that Saturday to sit somewhere that is not in front of a tv. Additionally, I am highly offended that a football game is more important to them than doing their job. Their job of which is to take people like me who are so eager to soak up every drop of knowledge about labor and delivery, taking care of my newborn, CPR, and breastfeeding...and are taking this very seriously...and educate us! Does this mean that they won't take my questions and concerns seriously either?

Maybe, maybe, I am reacting a little differently than you might, but as someone who could care less about a freaking football game...this is very unsettling to me that the hospital I have invested a lot of faith in is revolving around Texas/OU weekend. Last time I checked...football game or not, a baby doesn't check the schedule and see if it's convenient for arrival. Shouldn't we be a little less lax in our preparation for this huge life changing event?!

Simply said (because you need me to spell it out a little more, right?!) I was very excited about this class and learning more good stuff. I was excited about our hospital tour and spending this day bonding with Josh over our baby. I was just plain excited and now a football game won out over me and my baby. It hurts my feelings, damnit.

By the way, for those of you thinking "doesn't at least Josh want to watch the game?", no, we don't really care. Although it is a probability that now that we will be home that day it will most likely be on the tube...and I'll be reading up on what I am missing in class.

Thank you and vote for Heather.

Celebrity Babies

I keep up with all the lastest celebrity gossip to help the day pass more quickly. I am sure it rots my brain and makes me a little more stupid each time I believe one of the rumors but it entertains me inbetween signing for FedEx packages and transfering phone calls to voice mail. Eh, what's a bored girl to do?! I've been watching the exploding baby boom, and exploding it is! I've done my research and found who is due around the same time as me and made a list for the fun of it. All due in winter, we have the following celebs...drum roll please:

Christina Aguillera
Nicole Richie
Gabrielle Reece
Courtney Thorne Smith
Isla Fisher
Julianna Marguiles

Josh and mine will be the most beautiful and talented, though....