Chicken Hawk

Keltin's hair cracks me up!! Lately it's been outta control! He's got this mohawk thing going on. Mike started calling him Chicken Hawk! Do you remember the Looney Toons cartoon with Foghorn Leghorn?? Well there is a Henery Hawk aka Chicken Hawk character. Keltin looks just like him! Here are some pictures what do you think?!?!?!

xoxo,

Deidra

Bath Time

Keltin loves his baths!! He doesn't splash around and giggle...but he just sits back and enjoys! He does get very talkative after his bath!! Here's a little video:

I just love how cute he is!! I wish I had a video of him in the bath...but like I said, he isn't very active yet!

xoxo,

Deidra

10 Weeks Old

Keltin was 10 weeks old yesterday! Where does the time go? Sometimes I feel like it's been longer than 10 weeks and other times I feel like he was just born! We started day care 2 weeks ago. That has been interesting. Not a fan of it but who really is? He seems to enjoy it I guess. He's got the kennel cough - from being around all the other little rats at day care. So he's been coughing a lot which leads to puking a lot!

He had is 2 month appointment on 8.6.09 and he weighed 13 lb and was 24 inches long! He's as big as a 4 month old! I've got a moose for a child! He is in the 90th percentile for height and 75th percentile for the size of his head and his weight. Oh and he had his shots. He screamed. I felt horrible. He was crying and so was I! It was a true cry of pain. We've never heard that cry before. But he was fine right afterwards! He was a little restless that night but other than that just fine!

Yesterday Mike, Keltin and I went to Albee beach in Wolfeboro. That was fun! We got there nice and early and had our little compound all set up. It was the first true August day we've had all month! And the nicest day we've had all summer! Keltin was not a fan of the water! He loves his baths but hates the cool water. I thought the water was awesome but he didn't agree. We also had Stacy's 30th Birthday party that night. So after the lake we headed home and got ready and went the Lauze's. My dad showed up on the bike and insisted that Keltin and I go for a ride around the block! I didn't want to go but I was forced! First - Keltin is only 10 weeks old and Second - I was wearing a skirt!!! Here are some pictures!

Daddy drove nice and slow and Keltin seemed to enjoy it! He wasn't afraid of the noise! He just kept his hands on Grampa's back! He was looking all around. When we got back my dad parked the bike and I was asking Mike to come and get Keltin so I could dismount the bike as gracefully as I can - which by the way is impossible. But Nooooo...my dad has to jump right off the bike so here I am facing everyone at the party flashing my skibbs! Typical.

Well that's all I've got for now!

xoxo,

Deidra

Time flies...

when you're having fun!! I can't believe Keltin is going to be 2 months old tomorrow!! Can you believe it?! Me either!

Tomorrow is Keltin's 2 month check up. He'll be getting some shots. I'm NOT looking forward to that. Thank goodness Mike is coming along. I'm anxious to see how much the little piggy has grown. Last week we went and visited Grammy at work and he weighed 13 lbs! What a heffer! I think he'll be 13.5 lbs. Just a guess.

We started daycare on Monday. I was a mess. I had been a mess for 2 weeks! Actually I think I was a mess since day one. I cried my whole way into work. I cried the second I stepped out the doors. I cried all while I got gas. I cried on my way to work. I stopped crying around the Maine border! I had tears streaming down my face and pooling in my neck! I pulled it together for work. I never cried there. I did not call to check on him...I felt bad about that. But he was just fine! I was very anxious to pick him up and get him home. The bond you have with a child is amazing. I never would have thought I would be a mess - I thought...Oh I'm sure I will WANT to go back to work and I thought it would be a piece of cake dropping him off at day care. WRONG!! That was probably the hardest thing I've ever done.

Here are some updated pictures of Keltin. This one was taken today!

He was having so much fun watching the fan in our bedroom!

I always wonder what this child is thinking!

xoxo,

Deidra

And baby makes 3

Well Keltin is 6 weeks old!! He will be 7 weeks on Saturday! I can't believe how fast time flies. I am going back to work on August 3. I'm a little sad about that. I am not "stay at home mom" material, but I'm sad to leave my boy with daycare! They are going to be the first ones to see him roll...sit up...crawl...all the stuff that I want to be the first person to see these things! I would love to go back to work part time! We'll see how that goes!

Keltin did smile for the first time on Tuesday June 7, 2009! He was only 4 weeks old! He's so smart! He gets that from me! I've been trying to take pictures of it but he doesn't seem to want to cooperate! Here is my first attempt to try to capture the smile! It's a half smile half smirk...he was smiling I just wasn't quick on the draw!

We have been trying to get him on a schedule...not really working but that's ok. I guess it takes them a little while to get on one. I mean he's only 6 weeks old! He sleeps really good at night. The first half of night is the best...then the second half he still sleeps for about 3-4 hours but he's more restless. Then around 5 or 6 he comes and sleeps on me!! I want to sleep in so I let him sleep with me! Last night he had a good night. He went to bed at 8:30 PM and he didn't get up till 2:30 AM! So Mike got up and changed him, I stayed in bed! I then fed him and he went back to sleep and woke up at 5 AM. So it was a good night! He DOES NOT like to take naps. This is a little frustrating! He takes 20 minute cat naps. I just wish he would sleep during the day like he does at night! I'm hoping daycare will get him on a regular napping schedule! Maybe they can do the hard part for me! I mean we're paying them enough!

Ok well I have to get some work done around the house, clean out my car, and sort through the crap in the garage! I'm having a yard sale!! I need to get all the stuff together and pick a date and then I'm going to sell it!

xoxo

Deidra

The Birth

Ok so I'm a slacker. It's been 6 weeks since I had Keltin! I need to post his birth story before I forget too much! But I've been kinda busy!






Thursday June 4, 2009:






I had my 40 week appointment with Susan Selbe the midwife. She told me I was 2 cm dilated and I don't believe she mentioned anything about being effaced. But I'm sure I was almost 100%. Nothing too exciting. They made me set up an appointment for a NST test - Non Stress Test in OB at Goodall on Monday 6.8.09 I basically would go and get hooked up to the heart monitor and they would make sure the baby's heart rate was good. This appointment they do for everyone who goes past their due date! They also scheduled another ultrasound for that upcoming Thursday - just to make sure everything was ok! So I was bummed to say the least! I was so mad that I hadn't had the baby yet! And there wasn't much progress! Later that afternoon I went to the bathroom and there was a little bit of blood. I wasn't too nervous but I called the doctor's anyways. They said it could have just been from my exam and it could be the early signs of labor. I thought to myself, "I'm not that lucky".







Friday June 5, 2009:






I was sick of sitting home doing nothing. I had stopped working May 29. I felt like I was waisting my maternity leave and was regretting not working up until I had the baby. I decided around 9 am that I was going to go to Bob's Discount Furniture up in South Portland to buy a new couch! I went by myself. Everyone was mad at me for going up there by myself when I was so close to having the baby. My response was - "I'm not going into labor...I'm not that lucky". Besides, I figured even if I went into labor I had to drive by the hospital anyways to get to South Portland! So I drove my car to Jarvis to get my dad's truck in case I found something in the Pit and I had to bring it home. Well the drive up there was fine. But my dad's truck is a monstrosity! 95 was all construction, they had smaller lanes and it was all grooved pavement from Biddeford to Portland! So I was a nervous wreck driving that truck. Well anyways, I got to Bob's and what felt like an eternity later...I found a couch and a coffee table and two end tables! I bought them but they weren't going to be ready for pick up till the following Wednesday. I left Bob's around 1ish. The drive home was not a good one. I kept having cramps. These were cramps I hadn't had before. I knew I wasn't going to make it through the night. I just knew I was going to end up going to the hospital. These cramps were getting really strong the closer I got to Rochester! I dropped the truck back off at Jarvis. I told my dad I didn't think I was going to make it! He got all excited. He called my mom and told her what I said! I called Mike and told him that if he could get out of work early it would be good cause I was in labor.







I was trying to time my contractions when I finally got home from Bob's. But every time I would forget when the first one had started!! So it was useless. I think Mike was sick of me saying "tonight's the night" because I think I said that like every night for 3 weeks! But it was the night! We ordered a buffalo chicken pizza from the new place on the hill Rt. 153 Country Store. I was stuffin' my face when the phone rang. It was my mom. She wanted to know why I was still at home and not at the hospital. I told her my water hadn't broken and I wasn't going to the hospital until it broke! Well I swear to god...10 minutes later my water broke(6 pm). It was the grosses thing ever! I also started to cry. I think I was nervous...So we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital - it took about a half an hour to get out of the house. Mike made me tell him every time I was having a contraction






We got to Sanford and were in our room at 7 pm! Everything was going good. Contractions were manageable. Then they got to be pretty bad. So they gave me some staidol...that stuff made me feel like I was drunk. But everytime I had a contraction...I was hallucinating! I told Mike that I was seeing circus animals! Once the staidol starting wearing off the contractions were even worse! I wanted another dose but they didn't give me another one because it was causing the heart rate to drop. So then I said, "I'm getting an epidural!" It seemed like FOREVER to get the epi! That was the greatest thing ever!! I loved it. I couldn't feel a thing. I was ready to push at 3 AM...so I pushed and pushed! I had an episodimy and still tore. I had the worst kind of tear! But at 4:48 AM Keltin Michael was born!!! 8 pounds 10 oz and 22 inches long!! He was so cute!












So there you have it! My birth story!


xoxo
Deidra

Due Date

Today is my due date... No baby. I went to the doctor's this morning and there were only a few minor changes. Nothing to write home about.

First thing first...a few weeks back - 36 weeks - Dr. Baker told me I would go early. Well Mike and I rushed around to get everything done. Things like getting our travel system and getting them into the cars. Getting my overnight bag together etc. I tried not to rely too much on what he said. I didn't want to get my hopes up. But as always, there was a part of me that really thought I was going to go early. Obviously...not the case.

At 37 weeks there was no change. Still a centimeter dilated and about 60% effaced.

At 38 weeks I met with the midwife and she said the same thing as the previous 2 weeks - 1 cm and about 60% effaced. Now at this appointment she brought up a previous conversation we had had about her being the one to deliver my baby. I really liked her and wanted her to be there. She told me that if she wasn't on call and if I really wanted her to deliver my baby, then she would come in if she didn't have anything going on. I said ok. I wasn't a huge fan of her during that appointment. She basically wasn't telling me what I wanted to hear.

My 39 week appointment was with Dr. Baker again. No real change again. Although he said he thought I felt about a centimeter and half and only 50% effaced. But said everything looked good.

So now since my 39 week appointment I have stopped working. I've been very uncomfortable and can't sleep, my feet keep swelling...I'm irritable. I am just plain miserable. I want to have my membranes stripped or use the gel! These two methods usually help the labor along.

Now that I've filled you all on the past few weeks...I had my appointment today. I met with the midwife. The last time I saw her I didn't really care for her. Today she was fine. I voiced my concern about having a big baby, not wanting a c-section and that I wanted to know if they could speed up the labor process. She first listened to the heart beat. It was fine. Then she measured me. Fine. Then came the internal. This time it hurt when she was feeling around. I'm 2 centimeters dilated and about 80% effaced. My cervix is still really far back but she said that during the process of labor it comes down or comes forward...something along those lines. She went on to tell me that they won't do the inducing until 41 weeks. That's when I asked about them scrapping the membranes or using the gel. She said that since she wasn't on call this weekend she didn't really want to speed up my labor! In my head I'm thinking, "me and my big fat mouth!!! At this point I don't care WHO delivers my baby!!!"

So now I have an appointment in the birthing center to be hooked up to a monitor to check the baby's heart rate. I guess they do this when you go past your due date. That's on Monday at either 10 or 10:30. I also have an ultrasound scheduled for June 11 at 1:45. Again they do this ultrasound when you're past due.

So another disappointing doctor's appointment...I'm all annoyed and upset. I just want this baby to be born!!!

xoxo,
Deidra

Still no baby...

eerrgghhh!!! Why won't you come out baby Moulton?! I'm getting annoyed!

Ok so I've been a really bad blogger these past few weeks, but can you blame me?! We closed on the house on May 15, 2009 and started painting, moving, cleaning ever since then! This past weekend we finished moving all of our crap outta the trailer! Thank god for Tarsha, Rocky & Linda! Linda packed up my entire kitchen, Rocky and Tarsha cleaned the entire place! It was spotless! We got our security deposit back which is what I cared most about!!

The new place is now a mess!! My family and Mike's family and our friends have been coming up to help us clean! Thank god for all of you!! Steve and Lindsay gave us an awesome new light fixture! I can't wait to get that installed.

I stopped working last week. It was getting to be too much for me. Working (driving an hour in and home), sitting all day, being miserable, trying to pack up the trailer, trying to unpack and clean the new place...so Thursday was my last day! So all this week (it's only Tuesday) I've been running around! I got my car inspected yesterday - well actually, it failed - went and got a crib mattress and did some laundry at Linda's house! Our washer and dryer haven't been set up yet so we have "outsource" our laundry! What a pain in the butt!!

Ok so my car is a failure! Last year it failed because I needed new tires. So I went out and bought 4 brand new tires for like $475. This year I knew I had a license plate bulb out. No biggie. That would be like a $5 fix. Well...after waiting an HOUR for a state inspection - the guy - whom I don't like - comes out to "talk for a minute". Well I had another light bulb out and I have this star in my windshield that is "in my line of vision". That's total B.S. I had that star last year and it wasn't an issue. So I put up a bit of a stink. So I'm not going back to the dealership to have my car "fail" again. They want me to replace my entire windshield. No flippin' way. I go to the dealership cause they give me free state inspections. I'll pay the $30 to get the crack filled and another $30 to have someone else pass it! Rather than spend $200 on glass!

Well I suppose I need to get some unpacking done. This part sucks. I also want this baby to come! I'm sick of waiting! It's gonna be a HUGE baby! It's gonna be well done!

xoxo,
Deidra

Our New House!!

Well it's official!! We are forever in debt and we own our first house!! yay! The long anticipated closing happened on Friday May 15 - it took about 45 minutes total! That seemed like the fastest closing evah. Here are some pictures of the new house...all from the outside. We are starting the painting today...we've been up there everyday since Friday! Yesterday, Jamie, Pat & Tarsha came up and helped us clean up the yard! My parent's came over too! My dad took away a lot of the trash that the seller's agent was supposed to take care of!! Thank goodness for them!! Tarsha did an awesome job of trimming our new hedges and helping me clean the inside! I will have to get some pictures of all the yard work that they did! These pictures are all the "before" photos! So THANK YOU everyone who has come up and helped us! It's very much appreciated!

Midgie loves her new yard...not so much the inside of the house though! She is not a fan of hard wood floors or linoleum. Which is the entire house. The only place there is carpet is in the hallway...weird. But here is a super cute video (well I think so) of Midge hopping in the yard. The grass was soooo tall!!! Mike has since then mowed and Jamie removed some of the poison sumac that has begun to consume our back yard!!

Here are some pictures of our new Pack 'N Play!! I put it all together! Mostly by self!! There was a lot of swearing and only one "episode"! Not too bad...good thing I'm not putting the crib together!! Oh yeah and I love Midgie's cameos!

Oh and there is no baby yet!! Friday I stayed home from work cause I wasn't feeling quite right...and I didn't want to go into labor before the closing. Yesterday I was having "period cramps" which I guess are what contractions feel like - but nothing too consistant. My stomach was also tightening the whole day! This morning...same thing...had cramps all morning but who knows...I feel fine right now. Because I want this baby to come...they won't come out!! So...I'm going to stop thinking about it and the baby will come out when it's ready!

xoxo,

Deidra

House!!!

Yay!! Today we are making the biggest purchase of our lives! I can't believe after all we've been through it's finally happening!! This has been the longest 4 months evah! We signed the P&S (purchase & sales) back on January 20th and we are closing today May 15th. Crazy huh?!? We are both very excited and very relieved. I just can't believe we are also having a baby in just a few weeks or possibly a few days! So much all at once...so fast!

I had my 37 week appointment yesterday. That went well. It started off with me losing 2lbs. I was glad! I feel like I'm huge and I don't know if my legs can keep carrying around all this extra weight! My hips have been killing me! We learned in our birthing class that the reason that my or should I say...women's hips hurt while in their 9th month of pregnancy is because of a hormone (can't remember the name) makes the joints in the hips and pelvis separate in preparation for birth! And it's kinda painful! So anywhoo...I had great blood pressure and I was telling the nurse how Dr. Baker thought I was going early. She said, "oh yes, I see you were 1 cm dilated last week". So I guess that's a good thing! So I met with Dr. Morris this week. Now if you think we Howards are fast talkers and can't understand a work we're saying you should hear this chick!! She talks so fast that I sometimes have a hard time understanding what she's talking about! I tested positive for the strep B thingy. What that means is as SOON as my water breaks, I need to get to the hospital so they can get me on an IV and get some meds pumping through me. No biggie. My sis had it, Tarsha had it. I guess it's more common than not. Then she did the exam. That HURT SO BAD! I almost cried. What's it going to be like when I go into labor?! She said that I'm still around 1 cm which I took to mean that I'm a little bigger than 1 cm but not quite 2 cm and I'm about 60% effaced! So exciting.

After my doctor's appointment we had our 2nd birthing class. I'm glad we only paid $50 for this class. Neither of us are overly impressed with the classes. I mean they are ok but there are so many people in our class it's kinda awkward - there were 11 couples last night! So 23 people including the instructor! We learned about some breathing techniques and labor coping techniques. Then she talked more about drugs. The more we talk about them...the less I want them! I've been saying since the beginning that I wanted to go O'Naturaalll...but I'm not opposed totally to drugs but I would still like to try it with out them. So we'll cross that bridge when we get there. We have 2 classes left...who knows if I will make it through them!

During our class, Mike kept asking me if I was alright. He said I was breathing really heavy. I told him I was very uncomfortable, the baby was very active, and I was having some cramping...nothing too bad or constant. And just plain tired! On my way home I thought I was going to die from the weird pain in my back! Oh and by the way...for all of you who think Sanford is SO FAR AWAY...it took me 31 minutes from the hospital parking lot to my driveway. I was even stuck behind a tractor trailer truck and an old meme on my way home. I had this weird burning pain sensation on my back - my upper back on the left side near my lungs. I felt like I wasn't going to make it home...I kept shifting my position...well as much as you can in a car while driving. Nothing was helping. When I layed down it started going away. Maybe it was all that sitting during our class.

I woke up around 1:30 this morning and had to pee and I was having some more pains. Some of them were aches, some of them crampy things. Again nothing too constant but I wasn't sleep well at all and again I was breathing kind of heavy. But that could just be pressure on my lungs. Who knows...so we decided that I would not go into work today, to take it easy cause I DO NOT want to go into labor before we close on the house!!

I will post some pictures later and blog later about my work shower! It was awesome! And I will try to take some pictures of OUR NEW HOUSE!

xoxo,
Deidra

Oh Baby...

Thursday was a very long day...I woke up nice and early - 5:20 am...I had a doctor's appointment at 4:30 pm and then Mike & I had our first birthing class. I was excited all day at work to go to my appointment and our class! I was excited about the appointment because it was the first one where they did an internal check to see if you are progressing and to the group b strep test. And I was excited to go to our class. I really wanted to see what their birthing center was like.





So I get to my "36" week appointment. It starts off the same as always...they weigh me, take my blood pressure and ask a bunch of questions and then ask if I had any questions. Then she told me to undress from the waist down. I did. Well as most of you know...when you go for your annual exam - after you get "naked" you have to sit on that stupid chair bed thingy and wait forever in all your glory with the little cloth they give you cover up with...well my doctor this week - Dr. Baker was in there in like .2 seconds! I was like AWESOME! Oh and by the way...Dr. Baker used to by my least favorite...I didn't dislike him he just wasn't my fav doc but I LOVE him now! He's great. So I tell him I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid...but he said no. He did a test to see if I had any ruptured membranes - I was golden. Nothing to worry about. Then he swabbed for the group b strep test. Now here comes the "good" part. He goes in for the internal to see if I'm dilated or anything. He tells me there might be some pressure. I'm like ok. At first I was like - Oh this isn't bad...then I felt it! It hurt so bad! I was closing my eyes!!! He then proceeds to keep feeling around and says "huh...hmmm" and I'm thinking to myself...what the heck does that mean?!?! He said that my cervix is thinning and softening. I am also measuring big for "36" weeks! He says I'm going to go early (well DUH...I've been saying that all along!!!). I can't go this early because Goodall wouldn't have the necessary NICU stuff that Portland - aka Maine Med - has. So I would have to go to Maine Med to have this baby! So he told me "No Sex and No Lifting for a week" - I'm thinking to myself...no worries!! Not really into either of those things right now! He kept making me repeat it! He also ordered an ultrasound to check my fluid levels and check the size of the baby. They scheduled my ultrasound for the next day - Friday.





After my appointment we went to our first birthing class. It was good. We probably won't make it through all of them...due to the fact that I AM GOING TO GO EARLY or at least I really hope I do and I think I will since the doctor told me so! We watched a video and it wasn't that bad. We also took a tour of the birthing center. Our next class is on Thursday and we will be learning massage techniques and breathing techniques.





Friday was my ultrasound. I still had to drink lots of water! What the heck?!?!?! Luckily I only had to drink 24 oz rather than 32 oz. It was still pretty bad. I had a little bit of a wait and I wasn't too happy about it. But I made it through just fine! I told her right off the bat that we still didn't want to know what we were having...she said that's fine. She said it would be hard to tell what the sex is at this point because it's all scrunched up in there! I guess she could find it but they would have to move the baby all around...not worth it! We've gone this far!!! She was measuring all the baby's parts: the head, the legs and the belly, stuff like that. Well she said our baby has LONG legs! She measured it's thigh and it was measuring 37 weeks 4 days! That's a week an a half further along than my "due date"! I knew it!! I knew I was farther along!!!! Anyways...she went on to tell me that we're having a big baby and my fluids are good. The baby is head down (yay!!) and has ALOT of hair! Is that why I pop tums like candy?!?! And she said that at this point...as of Friday...the baby's weight is 7lb 13 oz!! Holy Cow!! That's a big baby for "36" weeks! She said that if I don't have the baby in the next couple of weeks (which I take to mean 2 weeks) I will have to go in for another ultrasound.





And there you have it! I'm having a baby a lot sooner than they thought! Yay!! I told everyone that after May 15 (that's the day that I'm 37 weeks according to my doctor's) anything goes! I will do whatever it takes to have this baby! We're having a big baby that has lots of hair! So now I'm getting nervous. Nervous for a few reasons:





1. We still haven't closed on our house (we are now shooting for Friday May 15th)


2. We do not have our travel system - which includes the car seat and the base


3. I do not have my bags packed


4. OH MY GOD...NOTHING IS SET UP where we are living!!!!!!!!!


5. Am I really ready for this baby?!?!?!?!





So today Mike and I are headed to Babies R Us to get the travel system and an extra base. I am going to clear out a spot in our bedroom for the co-sleeper just in case we are still living in this dump when the baby comes. And I am going to pack my overnight bag for the trip to the hospital! Good thing I got my license renewed on Wednesday!! Oh yeah and thank god for Linda! She came by on Monday to take the clothes and all the bath stuff to wash for us! So all the baby clothes are washed and folded! So I can grab a few things to bring to the hospital! Keep your fingers crossed that....*I don't go before May 15th * We actually close on our house May 15th *I go into labor on May 16th!!!!!! Haha That last part might or might not happen but I hope it does!








xoxo,


Deidra

the fall...

Oh my god. I’m a loser. So last night I’m walking to my car to leave for the day. Well it’s raining out, we have a dirt driveway with loose gravel and pot holes. I was wearing a pair of wedge sandals that I wear ALL the time – and anyways I guess I stepped on a rock wrong or something and my ankle started rolling...next thing I know, I’m flailing like a cartoon character and I go down! I fell on all fours!! I jumped up (well as fast as a 9 month pregnant chick can) to make sure no one saw me, hobbled to my car and then started crying! It hurt so bad. My hands are sore – they have scratches all in them and they are puffy. My left knee is all skinned up – I didn’t rip my jeans – I don’t know how I didn’t. My left knee has some scratches too! I didn’t hit my stomach thank god! I called the doctors and they started asking me a million and one questions:

Doctors: “did you fall on your stomach?”
Me: “I don’t think so, it happened so fast I don’t remember but I don’t think so”
Doctors: “are you bleeding”
Me: “to be honest I don’t know. I just got in my car and I’m driving home”
Doctors: “are you having cramps”
Me: “no but I feel like I’m going to puke. But that could be from my nerves”
Doctors: “can you feel the baby move”
Me: “to be perfectly honest – I don’t know, I haven’t been paying attention”

So basically they told me if I wanted too, I could go in to OB and be put on the monitor or they could see me tomorrow – meaning today. I said no that if I start to bleed or can’t feel the baby I would go to the hospital and I have a regular appointment on Thursday. So there you have it! It was so embarrassing and scary at the same time! I was just so glad that no one saw me go down...it must have been quite hysterical! The pictures don't really do it justice but you get some sort of idea!

We are starting our birthing class tomorrow night. I have my 36 week appointment tomorrow. They will do the strep b test and check to see if I'm dilated. I will try to post something tomorrow night or this weekend about how my doctor's appointment went. Oh and we are NOT closing on Friday. It's a long story...gets my blood boiling...can't talk about it right now...I will tell you later!

xoxo,

Deidra

34 days

Sunday was my baby shower!! It was awesome! Now I knew the day of the shower because I had given my mom dates that would work around all the other showers and such! So I knew it was on April 26. What I didn't know was what time and where. My mom accidentally told me what time the shower was at a week before the shower. Now I knew what day and what time. I didn't want to know where it was cause I wanted some sort of a surprise! Well as you will all recall...it was frickin' hot that weekend! Sunday was even hotter than Saturday! So I was asking Mike if there was a/c where my shower was. He said, "No, and I don't think they even have windows!" I wanted to die!! I needed a cool place! I was so hot and uncomfortable!!! So we are driving through town and the shower was at the Opera House in Farmington! It was so nice in there! And it was nice and cool! We have so much food and it was all so yummy! I think I gained quite a few pounds! So after we all stuffed our faces, I started to open all my presents! We got so many nice things! I was an opening machine! Everyone told me that was a record. There was a flurry of tissue & wrapping paper! My mom baked the cake. Now my mom can cook but she is NO baker! I had wanted Grammy to make my cake...well there was quite the debacle (too long to divulge in) my mom ended up making it and Grammy decorated it. It came out so nice! I didn't get to try any :( but I heard it was really dry! haha. Oh well...at least it looked good and I'm sure it tasted fine...just dry!

After I was done opening presents, we called Mike to come by and pick me and our presents up. There were so many gifts!! We filled the truck and Mike's parent's car! Our porch is full of all our stuff. I wanted to open everything and assemble everything but we're supposed to be moving soon and it's staying where it is cause we will just have to move it again in a few weeks! I did however attempt to put together our bouncy seat that we got...that was a mistake! It took me an hour and alot of swearing and Mike thought I was going to throw the thing out the window!! I guess I wasn't reading the instructions well enough! But here is the finished product!!!

My parent's bought us our crib and Mike's parent's bought us our dresser/changing table. Mike put it together so we would have one less piece to assemble! It took quite a while I guess. I love it!! Here is it! It's so much nicer in person than it was online!

My friend's at work at throwing me a shower on May 13! I will get to try my cake at this one! They told me when it was so I could be prepared! Hopefully we'll be moved into our new house by then and we can just bring the presents right there! I have started making out my thank you notes but I keep getting hand cramps! I'm not used to hand writting anything! So much is done on computers now!

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE PRESENTS AND A GREAT SHOWER!!!!!

There are 34 days till I have the baby!! I'm hoping for 30 or less! I really do think I will go before my due date. Here is my reason: when I first called my doctor's office to tell them I was pregnant, they asked for the first day of my last period. I told them and the girl on the phone gave me a due date of June 4. At my first appointment I should have been 10 weeks according to my last period. When Dr. O'Regan was checkin' out my stuff he mentioned that my uterus was tilted (which by the way it's always tilted when I go to the doctors) and he thought I was farther along than they thought but it was hard to tell because of the tilted uterus. So he ordered an ultra sound. My appointment was on a Friday and I had the ultra sound that following Monday. When I got there, the sonographer told me that I was about 11 weeks along. But she said that her margin of error was 3+/- days. So she kept my due date the same...but she actually said my due date was June 5! SOOOO...to sum up all of the above, I think I will go before June 4 or 5! Anywhoo...I'm 35 weeks and only 5 to go!

Well my back is starting hurt, my vision is becoming blurred and I'm dying of THIRST! I have another doctor's appointment next Thursday and we also have our first birthing class that night! So I will definately have an update after that! Oh yeah and we are supposed to be closing on our house next Friday - May 8th! Wish us luck!!

xoxo,

Deidra

6 Weeks & Counting!

I have been really bad about writing in my blog! Sorry. It's been very stressful in the Howard/Moulton residence these past 2 weeks! But all is well! Things are actually starting to fall into place! First of all...the most exciting news ever...the bank finally ACCEPTED our offer!! We are closing on or before May 8th! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! We had our home inspection this past Tuesday. That was interesting. It took FOREVER! But it's over with and now we are just waiting for our bank to get an appraisal. We have been working dilegently to get homeowners insurance and our part is done! Yay! My parents had bought us our crib - which by the way - is still in its box patiently awaiting to be assembled in OUR new house! The dresser/changing table that Mike's parents bought us arrived a day early! So on Tuesday - after the home inspection - Mike put it together! It's so nice! I love it. It's one less thing that we have to assemble when we finally move in. Mike said it took a long time to put together. It came in a bunch of pieces. The only parts that he didn't put together were the sides. But all the railings, legs and drawers needed to be put together!

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. It went well. As you all know...I've been a little OBSESSED with weight gain. Well I decided last week that I don't care anymore. I can't really control how much weight the baby or myself gains. I have been diligent in trying to eat healthier at work (since work is my down fall - free lunch every day - super fatty)! Now every time I go to the doctor's I have to ask how much weight I've gained. They never seem to just tell me. I get to the doctor's office and I have to pee. They like to get a urine sample every time. Well...let me tell you...it's very hard to pee in a cup that you can't see. I peed on my hand, on the cup and most of it went in the toilet! So after that whole ordeal, I go and wait in the waiting room. The nurse comes and gets me and we head right for the scale. I get on and she tells me how much weight I've gained. Well I thought to myself, "that's a first" and I only gained a pound! I said to the the nurse, "what the heck?! I've been obsessing about my weight and when I try to not gain any weight I gain 5 lbs and then I told myself I don't care how much weight I've gained and I only gain 1 lb!!!" She just laughed and said that happened to her too. So I am officially done being totally obsessed with my weight gain. Every thing else was fine. I continue to have great blood pressure, the baby's heart beat is strong (around 140 bpm this week) and is very active!

I'm am almost done housing!! Only 6 weeks left. I am 34 weeks. The baby keeps moving around. This morning...I had for the first time...a limb of some sort under my ribs! I was trying to lean over to eat my Cheerios - wait they are Market Basket brand: Tasteeos - and I couldn't bend! It was the weirdest most uncomfortable feeling ever!! But the baby has since then moved on to another location. He or she has been very active lately. They don't kick me much anymore but they move around a lot. I can feel my belly shift. It is a very weird sensation. Not sure I mentioned this before but Mike for the first time - really this time - felt the baby move! And he or she was kicking him as well.

Well that's all I have for right now. I need to update you on the shower with some pictures but I don't feel like getting up to grab my camera! That will come tomorrow!

xoxo,

Deidra

P.S. - I wrote this Friday...and I'm just posting it today! :)

bad blogger...

i'm a bad blogger! I haven't posted anything in forever!! I have lots to say but it's 10 PM and I need to go to bed. I'm having my baby shower this Sunday!! So I will have some pictures to post and I'm sure stuff to blog about. We can talk about the house again too! Really quick - the bank accepted our offer! So I get to decorate a cute baby room! I will try to post some info about the house tomorrow night. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday too...so I will have to update everyone on that as well!

xoxo,
Deidra

Wouldn't it be nice...

If I had a place where I could set up our crib? Or anything that we get? Well it isn't looking that way! Maybe but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm sick of this house crap...so I'm letting everyone know...I can no longer talk about the house cause it gets my blood boiling. So there is NO news and I don't expect to hear any soon. I'm no longer talking about it. Done.


Today marks my 32nd week! Wahoo!! Check out the 2 photos below:

This is what our baby might look like! We DO NOT know what we're having. A lot of people seem to think that we do know and we're just keeping it a secret. Well you're all wrong and to be perfectly honest...I'm kinda sick of hearing that! So another subject done. The baby looks like it might be pretty cramped in there! I've noticed a decrease in the kicking. But I can feel it move A LOT! I think it might have shifted it's position and maybe it's kicking my organs that I can't feel?! Also the baby weighs about 4 lbs! That's crazy. I've been having wicked heart burn. Now I do eat a lot of heart burn inducing food...but it's never bothered me before! I bought some Pepcid - the doctor said it was ok to take it as directed. So far it hasn't worked...but it is also the cheapy brand - Equate! Nothing but the best for me!

Oh yeah. I had my doctor's appointment today. I met with Dr. Baker. Now the first time I met him, he tried to make me feel guilty for having the downs test. I liked him much better this time! So I officially like every doctor that works at the Center for Women's Health! Which is good cause I have no idea who will be on call the day I have this baby! It went ok. As you all know - I have been totally obsessed with my weight gain. Well I packed on the pounds this time!! My total weight gain to date is 24lbs. Yikes!!!!! But they keep telling me to settle down - it's not bad. Well I think it is especially since I discovered the lone stretch mark on my belly! The baby's heart beat was good too! It was around 150-155 bpm. At my last appointment it was 135-140 range. Oh and I found out today that at my 36 week appointment...is the first internal. I don't know how I feel about that!!! They will check for bacterial strep 3 (or something like that) - which by the way they swab your cervix or somewhere in there - and check to see if I have begun dilated! So that is in 4 weeks. My guess is that will be around May 14 or 15.

Our crib came in yesterday. I was happy but at the same time, every time I looked at it or thought about it I cried. Here is the crib we got and the dresser/changer we want.

The color for these two is espresso. The reason for my melt down is that I'm sick of living in our place...I want a place of our own...I can't decorate a cute room for the baby! It is a super ghetto room. Most of you have seen the back room and how ghetto it is. How can I have the baby in here? So I asked Mike to move to either the porch or the garage. It was moved to the porch. So that's good. It weighed a ton too! It was 69 lbs. I'm glad I don't have to lift it or put it together.

xoxo,

Deidra

Time for some Belly!

Ok so I haven't posted any belly pictures in forever! Or at least that's the way I feel. I have also been avoiding posting a "bare" belly picture but I did it. Don't make fun of it. I'm a little self conscious about my belly. I have that stupid dark line (which by the way...isn't center...it's a little to the left) and my scar from having my belly button pierced is really exaggerated! But someone told me I might regret not taking a photo of my bare belly. I also discovered (much to my dismay!!) that I have a stretch mark on my stomach! I was totally devastated. I told Mike and he didn't seem to think it was a very big deal. I wanted to die! You might be able to see it if you look hard enough.




I'm officially 31 weeks pregnant! I have 62 days left till baby Moulton arrives. I also just entered my 8th month! Can you believe it?! I can't. It's flown by! Here are some interesting little tid bits about this week in my baby's life...the baby's ears have developed and hear (truly hear) my voice and other familiar sounds that they will recognize after they are born. Also their finger nails have grown to end of its fingers and can even scratch itself in the womb!! Oh yeah and I've noticed that the babe gets the hiccups quite a bit. It's the weirdest feeling! I feel my whole stomach move!!! They haven't been kicking me very much - or at least not that I can feel but I can feel them move. It's a shifting feeling...it's very bizarre.


Here is what the baby looks like all scrunched up inside!!!



My baby shower is at the end of this month! I can't wait! I know when it is...I told my mom the dates that would work best! I have seen my invitations...but just so you all KNOW...I do not know WHERE my shower or what TIME. I just know it's April 26th. My Aunt Cheryl was trying to tell me what they would look like. She kept saying she had the cutest picture of me. I knew the exact photo she was talking about. I was about a year old, it was Easter and I had on a cute dress and a white bonnet. Sure enough...I go to my Grammy's house and it's on her fridge! I said, "Grammy!!! You're not supposed to have my invite out where I can see it!!!" Then I was at my mom's house bringing Duke home and out of the corner of my eye, I see my invite lying on the kitchen table. I quickly looked away and threw mail on top of it so I wouldn't spoil any surprises. I yelled at my sister because she brought the mail in and just left it sitting right on top!! What the heck! Oh yeah and my name is spelled wrong on them...just a little fyi. But that's ok...I can deal. Most everyone knows how to spell it! I want to be surprised...kind of . I want to make sure I look cute but I don't need to know any other details besides the date.

Well it's getting to be my bed time (9 PM) and I want to go to bed. Hopefully by Monday I'll have another update on the house...still nothing since last Friday. Maybe we'll hear something on Friday! Countrywide (the seller's bank) has to respond my April 5 (a Sunday) but I think we'll hear something on Monday. Please keep your fingers crossed we hear something tomorrow!!!


xoxo
Deidra

mini house update

First...I didn't ask Betty about the house because I had already talked to our realtor and had some better news than before. Which I don't think I shared on my blog...so let me start by telling you all about last week.

Last week, Mike and I went and looked at the Wilson Street house (again) and then went and looked at another house on Pineknoll Drive. We checked on the Wilson Street house to make sure the roof hadn't leaked from all the snow melting and just make sure there were no other problems. All was well. We then went and looked at the Pineknoll house and I really liked that one. It was move in ready. It was another ranch that was all painted - in neutral colors - my favorite!! But it lacked a garage but it was on a dead end road and it was on a really nice lot. At this point we had NO news on the Wilson Street as far as whether the bank was going to accept our offer or not. We had HAD it with the waiting!! We told Diane (our realtor) basically to give the seller's agent and the bank an ultimatum. Either they give us an answer by tomorrow or we're walking away. Well...didn't that light some fire under the seller's agent's ass!! She called his bank - Countrywide - and they said they had until April 5 to respond. I was like WHAT?!?!??! WTF is taking them so long to decide. Then as if that wasn't bad enough that we had to wait another week and a half on top of 2+ months...they still had to do an appraisal or something that would mean we couldn't even think of closing until the end of April!! But we still have to get an appraisal so god knows how long it would take to close. We also wouldn't be able to go in and paint until we closed on the house which would most likely be a few weeks before I'm due! Not cool. So we thought about jumping ship and pursuing the Pineknoll property.

Yesterday, as you all know...I went to see the psychic Betty Lipton. I was going to ask her about the house but I received an email from our realtor letting us know that the seller's bank was working on the preliminary HUD. A HUD is a settling statement. It basically will let the bank know how much money the seller will have to come up with at closing and how much money he will "walk away" with. Which in this case, he will not really walk away with any money because it's a short sale, so it will let the seller and the bank know how much he'll be responsible for paying back after the closing. So bottom line...this happened a week earlier than they told us! Yeah! So there is some hope. We have decided that we'll wait out the Wilson Street and hope to GOD that the bank approves our offer and we can close ASAP! I would like to move in before my shower! I don't want to move all that stuff 2 times!

So there you have it. We're still waiting and we may get some news on Monday but I'm not holding my breath!

xoxo,
Deidra

Duke & Betty

Tonight is Duke's last night shackin' up with me & Mike! I love him to death but he's a pain in the butt. Just a typical puppy! We're out of the puppy stage and we have decided that if we ever feel the need to get/want another dog...we need to remember our week with Duke! I came home the other night from work and saw this:

How naughty!!! I guess he sort of liked the issue! Luckily, he shredded it on Midgie's bed so it was easy clean up! He has had a rough day today. He keeps throwing up. Not quite sure what his deal is. I think he tries to eat his food too quick and he wicked gags and then ends up puking! Duker the puker! So I've been cleaning that up all afternoon and evening! But I'm going to miss him a tad. He is really the cutest thing ever!! Well besides Midgie Moo!

I went to see the pyshic Betty Lipton in Portsmouth, NH. It was so much fun!!! I went with Alice and Casey. It was really interesting. I'm anxious to see if she was right in any of her "preditions". She tape records everything and you get to take it home. I have to listen to it again. I know there is stuff that I have already forgotten! So here are the highlights. She thinks I will have the baby between June 6 to June 8. She says it will be a big baby - 8 lbs. I don't think 8 lbs is big for me (I've got them birthin' hips!). But I could also go on June 12!! Scary! I don't want to go that late! She also said that I will have a hard labor but it will be a short one. And told me that I should try to take something to help with the pain - don't try to be super woman. Now I NEVER told her my birth plan - which is that I want to try have a natural birth with no drugs. But I also want to keep my options open so I'm not totally against the drugs! I'm sure when it comes down to it I will have something! Then she said the baby will be beautiful (would she really tell me if it was going to be ugly?!?!?) and will be into everything!! hahaha...yup...that's my baby! So that was basically it. Well the really interesting things for me anyways!

Oh yeah and she told me that I will need my space after I have the baby! Am I really that "predictable'?!?!?

xoxo

Deidra

Boy or Girl?!?!

That is the question! I have no idea. Everyone thinks I'm having a boy! There are a few people out there who think girl but the majority is boy. I guess we'll have to wait!! Everyone keeps asking me the baby's heart rate...

At 10 weeks it was really high around 175 bpm. Then it was hovering in the 160s, then it has slowly dropped to the 150s then the 140s. So who knows!! I guess you can't really tell by the heart rate! Or at least I don't believe in that method!

Yesterday was my 30 week check up! Yeah 30 weeks! 10 weeks or less to go! I feel like time is flying by. I remember it seemed like it took forever to get to 20 weeks. Now the past 10 weeks have flown by and I'm sure the next 10 will too! I just hope we have a house by then! My doctor's appointment went well! My glucose came back great but my doctor said my iron was a little low. I told her I just started retaking my prenatal vitamin and she said that should be sufficient. No need to take an iron supplement. The baby's heart rate has dropped again - not in a bad way - it was in the 130 - 140 bpm range. They were kicking once again when we trying to hear the heart beat! Oh and I asked her if she could tell where the baby was. She felt around and their head is down in my pelvic region, their back is on my left side, their butt is under my ribs and their feet (where I feel ALL the kicking) is on my right side! She said that he or she is really curled up! Which is fine by me! My friend Tarsha's baby has been kicking her in the ribs and it has been uncomfortable! So for now...my baby is just curled up and likes to kick and punch on my right side! Oh and lastly...the great weigh in. I did ok. Again I had pretty high weight gain in just 2 weeks but over all I have only put on 18 lbs and they said that my weight gain is perfect! She advised me to only gain about a pound between appointments and it's ok to not gain any weight either! I'm thinking to myself...yeah right! But I need to really crack down on what I eat at work! No more burgers, french fries, chowder, fried anything...so basically everything on our menu! That's what happens when you get to eat for FREE every DAY!

Well off to take care of my doggies! Only 4 more days with Duke! I love him but he is such a pain!

xoxo,
Deidra