17 Weeks and Family Visit Pictures

I am 17 weeks pregnant today.  It's a little difficult to believe I'm that far along, already.  We find out if 2.0 is a boy or a girl in 10 days!

I'm still feeling run down and nauseous every single day.  I have to rely on zofran just to get anything done.  And today, taking zofran as soon as I woke up apparently didn't help. I re-read some old blog posts I wrote from when I was pregnant with Tanner, and I was feeling so much better by this time.  I barely have an appetite, but I force myself to eat little things throughout the day. I also haven't gained anything. I'm sure that's because I just don't want to eat anything.  17 weeks along with Tanner I was already up 9 pounds! Yikes. We have Hershey Kisses and M&Ms in the house and I just don't want any of it.  

I have felt kicks, though! And that's always awesome.

Nick's mom and brother drove out to Oklahoma last week.  It was really nice to see them! I really miss family.  Tanner enjoyed the visit as well. 

Tanner's uncle Don is a tennis player, and now Tanner has his own racket!

Laughing at Daddy

"Must snuggle with Daddy"

Bud got jealous

We moved the furniture around in the living room and now Tanner can turn the TV off.

I'm back!

Again.  Sorry! :)


My mom left yesterday.  We have been busy!  The house looks fantastic!  I love it so much!  I have a few "before" pictures that I took the day our furniture was moved in (and before we left for Texas 4 months ago).  So tomorrow when I have some natural light to work with I will take some "after" shots.  My mom worked so hard and I am so thankful for her help!  I already miss her a bunch!


Until then I will leave you with some food shots of Tanner today.  He loved avocado!

Quiet

The house is unpacked.  Nick is training in Washington.  Tanner is sleeping.  It's quiet.  But yet, I can't really relax.  My mind is ready to go rock Tanner back to sleep even though he isn't awake.  I'm just waiting for him to make a peep.  I wish I could take a nice warm bath, but I still wouldn't be able to relax, and that's when Tanner would wake up.  For sure.  Maybe another day.


My mom is coming to Oklahoma on Wednesday and I am so excited to see her!  It's been 5 months since she has seen Tanner.  And I can't wait to go get coffee with her, go shopping, and out to breakfast/lunch.  I can't wait for her to see Tanner.  

Vacation

We moved to Oklahoma in July of 2010 from North Carolina.  Every holiday it seemed like we could never make it home, whether it be because of pilot training, or me working in health care and never getting those types of days off. Or because of being 9 months pregnant or having a newborn.....

So when Nick graduated, and Tanner got a little older we figured it would be a great time to finally go home to visit family.  We got up at 1:45am on a Tuesday morning to drive to the city to catch our 6am flight to NC.  We had Tanner and our cat, Harry, with us.  (We can only have 2 pets while we are in an apartment in San Antonio, so Harry is going to live with my parents.  He's much happier there anyway.)

Harry loves his new cat tree!

This was Tanner saying goodbye to Harry.

Our flight to Atlanta went very smoothly.  Tanner was a complete angel.  I fed Tanner on take off (to make sure his ears popped) and he slept the rest of the way.  Harry had to be put on a separate flight from Atlanta to Greensboro because there were human organs being transported and  guess having a cat on board could cause problems.  He only got home about 2 hours after us.  

The first place we went to once we got home was Prissy Polly's BBQ.  There is NOTHING like NC BBQ.  We miss it so much.  While we were home we were able to eat other things that we only have in NC/or don't have in OK.  Biscuitville, Terry's Deli, Red Robin, Cagney's, Don Juan's, and Qdoba were a few of our favorites.   

That next day Nick went to our old high school and spoke to a few of the JROTC classes and visited our JROTC instructor and a few of our favorite teachers.  While he did that I had my hair cut.  I had probably a foot cut off and donated to Locks of Love.  I absolutely love my hair now!

We visited Nick's mom's work, and my dad's work.  We went to the shooting range, and to Target and Kohls.  I got to see my sister and nephews, and have my mom's cooking. Nick also got to work on Thumper some with my dad.  Thumper is my dad's '69 Mustang Fastback with a 408 stroker. It was an amazing time!

Thumper

That Saturday Tanner met some of his extended family.  His great-grandma, great-grandpa, and his great-great-grandma on his mom's side.  And a bunch of other family members.  It was a very long day, but I'm glad he was able to make so many people smile.  We also have some great video of it all.  

My dad with Tanner at the airport.  Tanner was getting ready to poop here.

Tanner and Uncle Don.

Tanner with his Great-Grandpa Barber.

4 generations.

5 generations.

Tanner with Great-Grandma Barber

On Monday we flew to Tampa to see my Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt.  We only had about a day and a half there, but it was amazing.  The weather was beautiful and it was great to show Nick a few of our favorite places. We also ate at Sonny's.  :)

Out on the pier in Tampa.

Mom, Grandma Chenault, Tanner, and me with downtown Tampa behind us.

We finally made it home late Wednesday night.  Tanner did so well on all 6 flights.  I already miss it so much.  But with Nick being done with pilot training and me not working right now, we can probably make it home a little more often than every 2 years. 

Tanner is people watching at the Tampa Airport.  

Passed out on the plane.

I'm hoping we can make it back to Tampa to stay a little longer.  It's like a second home for me and there is so much more I want to show Nick.  And come on, it's Florida!  Coming back to Oklahoma and not having that salt water smell in the air, and no palm trees anywhere is a little depressing.  

Tanner's schedule did get completely screwed up, though.  He's no longer sleeping 6-7 hours at night now.  More like 1.5-2.  He also got a little fussy there at the end of our trip, but I think waking him up from naps and teething didn't help that any.  

Blog Hijack

Hi everyone, this is Nick, Lindsey's husband. I'm Hijacking Lindsey's blog for a post so I can say thank you to some people. 

Today, I graduate from pilot training and I'll officially be an Air Force pilot. This has been a tough year and quite honestly I could not have made it through without the help and support of several people. 

My friends and classmates here at Vance as well as their wives have helped Lindsey and I out so much. All the friends that came in to the hospital to see us and Tanner and bring us food and gifts.  And all the wives that have taken Lindsey in and enjoyed time with her during my long days at work. We are very lucky to have all of you. 

Lindsey's family has provided so much support for me as well. Lindsey's mom came out and helped a ton during the last weeks of Lindsey's pregnancy and first weeks of Tanner's life especially when I had my biggest check ride in all of pilot training a week after he was born. Her dad will finally get to meet Tanner for the first time in a few days. And we are so excited to see him again. 

My family has helped a lot as well. My dad was always helpful when I needed advice on pretty much anything. My mom has been my personal driving force my whole life. She's worked her tail off to raise my brother and me. Working two jobs and being a single mom for I don't even know how many years. Whenever I'm having a rough day, I just think about how rough she's had it her whole life and I realize I can't really complain, because, heck, I fly planes for a living. I've always made it a goal to be a positive role model for my brother and I'm glad to see how hard he is working in school and making good decisions for his life. 

To my wife. Lindsey, you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Ever since that day in high school when one of your friends came up and told me you liked me, you have made me a better person. You raised my self-esteem at that low point in my life and you have never stopped supporting me and my goals. You have sacrificed so much for me and I really haven't said thank you enough, but I don't know that I ever could.  I still can't believe you slept on the couch with a 6 day old in your arms just so I could get a good night of sleep before my big check ride.

I'm done now. I'm sure Lindsey will post some pictures of the ceremony and everything when she has a chance. Sorry, but I don't have any new pictures for you right now, but we will soon.  Thanks for reading. 

Overdue Thank yous

I am going to try to see if I can write this blog.  At least start it.  It's been way past due.  I have so much I want to say but I don't know if I will be able to express it all in the right words.


First, I want to thank all of my friends.  Thank you for being so great to me throughout my whole pregnancy, and even after.  Thank you for throwing me my baby shower.  Thank you for all the kind text messages asking how I was doing.  Thank you for the thoughts and prayers during labor and delivery.  Thank you for the flowers and gifts.  Thank you for visiting us in the hospital and checking up on us after we got home.  Thank you for the dinners.  You are all amazing and I am so lucky.


I want to thank my mother-in-law and brother-in-law for coming all the way to Oklahoma to be with us for Christmas.  Thank you for taking the time to take care of Tanner while I was able to sleep/shower/eat/heal.  Thank you for the help around the house and for cooking dinner.  I am very glad you were able to spend Christmas with us.  I know I was down a little bit, not really feeling the Christmas spirit, but being surrounded by family definitely helped!


Thank you to my dad.  He is so giving and sacrifices so much.  Thank you for sending mom to me for a month.  I know it was tough spending Thanksgiving alone and being away from mom for so long.  I absolutely hate that you were not able to come out here to be with us and meet Tanner too.  You deserve so much, and I love you more!


Mom, you and I have talked about this, but I truly am thankful for all you did while you were here.  You helped me so much before Tanner arrived, allowed my achy body to rest, helped with a huge Thanksgiving meal, kept me company.  You did so much for us while we were at the hospital.  I can't even list all the things you did for us on here because it would turn this post into a book.  And after we got home from the Hospital you did even more.  You cooked, cleaned, watched Tanner so I could sleep and re-cooperate, and most of all, you dealt with my crazy hormonal mood swings.  Now that it is 4 weeks since Tanner was born I can look back and see how 'unstable' I seemed.  I wouldn't have been able to put up with what you did, and I love you for that.  I'm so sorry for putting you through that, but I am forever grateful for all you did for us.


Nick, I can't begin to explain how great you are.  From the moment we found out we were expecting Tanner you were by my side.  You have done so much the past 10 months and never once complained (well,  maybe about the kitty litter, but I'll give you that one).  You are such a natural when it comes to being a dad.  You were by Tanner's side from the second he was born.  You are so great with him, and I can't wait to see you with him when he is able to interact a little more.  Thank you for helping me with him.  You do so much and I can't thank you enough.  I have fallen in love with you all over again seeing you as a daddy.  I truly have never loved you more.  You are amazing and I am so blessed to call you mine!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day.  0730.  I'm really hoping I can get a good night's sleep, but I doubt it.  I am already too anxious/nervous/excited...


I am STILL having contractions, but they are still not painful.  They are changing though.  They don't feel quite the same as they did a few days ago.  I have 14.5 hours left to go into labor on my own. I bet if I had a few more days I would go into labor on my own.  But I'm fine with the induction tomorrow.  It's not ideal, but it is what it is.  And once Tanner gets here, none of this will matter.  And that makes me happy!


I do wish I was home though.  I'm very thankful to have my mom here, but I wish my dad was here too.  And my mother-in-law! It's her first grandbaby!  I can't wait to get home this spring to show him off!


Nick is still flying, and won't be home until 10 tonight. I guess it's good that Tanner is waiting for him.


Anyway, I am going to try to take notes during labor so I can write a birth story to share here.  I love reading other women's stories and I still can't believe that I will be having one soon!


Wish me luck!

Christmas Decorations/Photo Dump

I'm pretty lucky.  My mom is here in Oklahoma and she has very good vision when it come to decorating!  Also, Nick really got into decorating this year.  I let him take over the front yard, and I have to say he did a great job!  Living on base, we don't get to do too much to the house, so decorating for the Holidays is a nice way to allow our house to stand out.

Here is the outside.

(The blue is meant to look like a Taxiway for planes...Nick's idea)

This is a look at the inside from outside.

I love our tree!

We have garland around the whole living room.

And here are a few random things inside.

(Tanner has a stocking waiting for him!)

(A view from the kitchen)

Merry Christmas!

35 week Doctor visit

My appointment went very well today!  My BP was great, no UTIs, and I've only gained 1 lb.  I was tested for Group B Strep (which is very common).  I could call tomorrow to find out the results, but it isn't really important to know at this point in time, so I'll just wait until my next appointment in 2 weeks.


I was able to talk to my doctor a little bit today, usually he's in a little bit of a rush with patients in labor.  I was really worried about them moving my due date since I'm pretty sure my "real" due date is the first one I was given, December 10th.  So I let him know that.  He got his measuring thing out and measured my belly.  And surprising, to me, I'm measuring right at 35 weeks.  So I guess November 30th it is!


I was happy to find out my doctor has a very low c-section rate.  But then he asked me how tall I am.  If you ask me, I'm 5'1"; but if you ask my husband, I'm 5'0". My doctor then said I look like I'm 5'0" to him.  He says there is a big difference in c-section chances for a woman who is 5'0" compared to 5'1".  Like a 5% better chance on having a c-section if you're only 5 feet tall.  A lot of it has to do with the way the woman is shaped.  But so far, he hasn't mentioned me needing anything special to give birth.


He did tell me not to go into labor on the weekends of the 11th or the 18th, because he will be out of town for a concert and a comedian show.  He said Thanksgiving would be great because he is on call. Hahaha! Thanksgiving would be great! Well, preferably the weekend after Thanksgiving.  My mom is coming into town on the 20th, and I want to decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.  lol


Tanner is still doing great! Heart rate was 138, and he is still very much head down.  He feels super low to me.  I'll have my first internal check at my next appointment in 2 weeks, so we'll see if there is any progress after that.


I think I'm going to go make some flannel washcloths now.  Nick is flying late so I don't have to worry about dinner or anything.  By the way, I have yet to receive an email saying my cloth diapers have shipped...It's been over a week........But who's counting.

Simply put, I am blessed

This past weekend was wonderful!  My friends gave me a surprise baby shower!  They put so much time and effort into it!  I still can't believe how lucky I am to have them all as friends!

There are pictures.  I will add a few.  But I'm going to avoid as many of them that have me pictured.  I swear I do not look like I use to.  (I've even had friends say they hardly recognized me after not seeing me for a while).  I get super depressed when I see my face in pictures.  So there. That's my excuse.

My friends are amazing!

Delicious food!

Amazing diaper cake! (I have the ribbons hanging on Tanner's wall now.  I will show pictures soon)

Gifts!  We are all set!  

They even planned an awesome craft!  We painted onesies! It was so much fun!

(I hate my massive boobs)

I truly am so grateful for all of this! I was speechless and wanted to cry, I was so happy!  It's hard being so far away from family being pregnant.  But I have family here too.  :)

(And a note to my mom and mom-in-law...If you want to see more pictures, like those of me opening the gifts, go to facebook.  I'm tagged in each one.)

In other news, I'm still nesting.  And bringing all these new baby things home just made it worse! Today I was extremely productive, and it felt really good!  I had some cramping and braxton hicks last night for about an hour, but nothing today.  I'm really trying to stay hydrated and take breaks when I can. I think it's helping.  

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I'll post about that when I get home.  It's GBS testing time...