Catching up!

I know we haven't blogged in a WHILE! We have been BUSY! It's the last couple weeks of classes and field (then graduation is soon! Yay!), and many other things have been going on, too. But we wanted to share some pictures of the latest with us and some friends...

First of all, we recently went to the Robbie Seay Band concert that was actually at our own church. The band led Sunday morning worship, and the concert was that evening. All were very awesome. :) Here is a pic of us with Robbie Seay... Very nice guy.

So then it was my and Ryan's birthdays. Not at the same time. Mine was the 11th, his the 18th. So we celebrated together. :) Ryan's mom had spring break this week, so she came down for a couple days to visit. She even treated us to a wonderful dinner at the Chop House Grill that recently opened across the street from us. Very yummy!

And in between our birthdays, another birthday occurred! One of my best friends in the whole world became a mommy! One of my other best friends in the whole world and my own mom both sent me pictures - since they are all in KY and I couldn't be there. :( I really wished I could. Patsy was there when Camden was born - even there in the delivery room when I was attempting to give birth (before the c-section occurred), and it was very special to me to have her there, so I wish I could have been there for her. But I did get some pictures of the adorable little guy...

Here are some of the new mommy and her little baby, Joaquin Christopher

Here is my mom holding him, too.

And here is Patsy's mom, who is holding Sonia's (my other best friend that took some pics for me) youngest, Christian (who looks just like his daddy!!)

Today was such a beautiful day. We had to take advantage and get outside some! We visited a local park and walked around the lake. We got to see geese, ducks, swans, a pelican, a bunch of turtles of all sizes, etc, etc. Really wish we had taken our camera! Afterwards, we were all ready to chill out for a while. Ryan ended up napping (something he doesn't get a chance to do often with our schedules!) and Camden opted to read a bit. (And obviously, I opted to hop on the computer!)

This is also the first time I have ever seen Ryan in jean shorts!! His mom bought him a pair, and we were both a bit surprised. Ryan has never owned a pair since I've known him, and he never was interested in getting them (usually just wears khaki cargos), but for some reason, he decided to go for it. ;)

Sleep!!!

Camden came to classes with me yesterday (no school for him). He's been to a number of my college and grad school classes and always does really well. Today - there was a little surprise... During my second class, he put his head on my lap and fell asleep! He slept for about an hour. He picked the perfect time, too, b/c I was leading a class discussion on a case for which I had to diagnose a child - and there were some sensitive topics to discuss (I had brought along his MP3 player so he wouldn't have heard anyway). He slept through it all, so good timing! But I was shocked b/c he never naps - esp like this! Now, I can't say I really minded (not only b/c of my presentation) b/c I loved having his head in my lap and being able to play with his hair and his face. There is just something about that - you moms (and dads, too, I'm sure) know what I mean!

So, on the way home we talked a little about sleep. He already knew he would be going to bed a little earlier this week, since he stays up really late when he visits his dad. (And when Camden stays up late, he does not tend to sleep in to make up for any of the lost sleep...) Camden did the math, comparing how many hours of sleep he got over spring break to how many he typically gets at home. At home, he goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up a little before 6. Yes, many of his friends go to sleep an hour or so later than he does... He's asked a few times when can he stay up later. My response - when you don't need this much sleep. The child goes right to sleep when he goes to bed - and stays asleep until it's time to get up. He's a great sleeper, and he obviously needs this much sleep (I do, too, I just don't get it...). So, once we talk about that, he drops it and understands that I'm not just being mean but he really does need that much.

Anyway, back to the main story... He compared the sleeping from spring break to what he gets at home, and he discovered that he missed between 32 and 40 hours of sleep over the 8 days he was away! I don't think he was expecting it to be that much! It really made a difference to come up with a total estimation. And when the child was in bed a little after 7pm, he didn't complain and went right to sleep. He needed it!

All Is As It Should Be

Life is back to normal now. My baby is back in our home. :)

We picked him up today at our meeting point - halfway in between (which is a total of at least 8 hours of driving). Nothing went wrong (on the way there last week, it took us an hour and a half to drive the last 5 miles due to "construction" that we never saw...), and everyone was actually a little early.

I rode with Camden in the back for the first half of the trip. He thought of this going - and we sat together some then, too. So, I joined again, and he seemed to really like it. We stopped twice later, and he asked me each time "Are you getting back here again?" even though I was already in the front. He talked a lot about what things he did, where he went, what he played, etc. Then he even took a nap on my shoulder for quite a while. My neck hurt a bit, his head was a little heavy on my shoulder, and he was quite hot and a bit sweaty, too, but I loved every second of it. I know he's almost 9, but he is still my baby!

And we certainly did stop by Steak & Shake for dinner. We were all pleased about that. ;) Well, until we discovered that ordering a healthier shake - the fruit & frozen yogurt shake that I got - is about half the size of the regular shakes and costs more... That's what you get for trying to make a healthier decision, huh? But it was yummy and actually just enough after that big meal! (Plus, I got hot fudge on it to balance out the health factor, so there you go...)

Daisy is...

• excited about getting the nursery furniture today! Yay!
• very thankful for friends that help out and offer to do things for you. Thank you guys so much!!!
• a little on edge and emotional today. It's very frustrating when someone else tries to use your child as a way to win over some ridiculous power struggle. Who are you really hurting here? Come on. (OK, so it does really hurt me, but it will hurt that kid, too, once he realizes what is really going on. And one day he will. I don't need to point it out. But you also don't need to mess with my kid.)
• ready for her baby Camden to come HOME tomorrow. Boy, I have missed that kid!
• thinking she might just not be ready to go off her anti-nausea meds...after some of the throwing up that has occurred since stopping the morning dose...maybe not quite yet? We'll try a couple more days and see.
• not much of an observer, even when she should be! Totally shouldn't have helped as much as I did with moving some of the furniture and ripping apart those boxes, but I have such a hard time standing back and watching instead of being a part of the action! I'm a doer, not an observer.
• thinking she really does need to see a chiropractor for this problem she's having with her lower back. Pretty much any kind of movement is rather painful - and I have a high tolerance for this kind of pain. I mean, this has been bothering me for a couple months now; it's just to the point where I can't ignore there is a real problem anymore - and where I can't move without hurting.
• not too impressed with the Heels so far tonight... they are not bringing their A-game.
• hoping they will bring it in the second half!
• really getting frustrated with blogger's issues with uploading pics lately! It's either the site or something wrong with the computer (though everything else works just fine...). Anyone else with this problem? Or with a solution?
• loving how much this little guy in her tummy is moving lately. I felt him at both sides of my belly the other morning - twice. Meaning, he kicked on one side, and I felt him kick there and hit on the other side, at the same time - he was really stretched out!
• ready for Camden to come home tomorrow!!! Did I already say that? ;)
• not getting enough school work done today. Life keeps getting in the way.
• realizing she needs to start focusing on these final papers that will be due in a couple weeks instead of worrying about the little quizzes that are this and next week. Priorities. Seriously. Which are worth more?? Yeah....
• totally in love with It's a Grind's steamed caramel apple cider. Oh Yum! It's even better than their coffee! (And that's saying something.) I cannot get enough!
• aware that we need all this rain but ready for a little sunshine. I'm ready for tank-top and flip-flop season already!
• hoping we stop by Steak & Shake on the way home tomorrow. There isn't one around here (which is fine b/c we don't need to go there often!), but I just love their burgers, fries, and shakes! Mmmmmm....
• once again - sooooooo ready for her baby to come home tomorrow!!!

Aiden's Furniture has ARRIVED!

We picked up Aiden's nursery furniture today - with the help of our good friend, Fredrik (and his little boy Gunnar)! Here are some pics from the day...

The furniture is in there! And on its way HOME! Yay!!!


Gunnar ready to help out! :)

He is just too adorable!!!


The guys hard at work! This was HEAVY stuff!


Everything is out of the boxes, except for the crib. The other pieces were already assembled, and there is absolutely no room for the crib just yet. Even the combo unit (chest of drawers/changing table) is stuck sitting in the living room for now...

The combo unit is MUCH bigger than it looks here! And the armoire is gorgeous! So glad we got the set we really wanted!

Yes, we already have some baby clothes (of various sizes) to put in the armoire! We just love Baby Gap clearance and the Carter's outlet in Morrisville (and its sales!).

Whew...what a day! We really appreciated Fredrik's help! (And the use of his trailer, too!!)

WOW - that's big!

OK, so I grew a lot with Camden - I mean, physically, when I was pregnant. (I grew in other ways, too, but that's not what this post is about.)

He was a BIG baby (11 lbs!), so it's not really a surprise. They say you get bigger (and have bigger babies - oh, no!), the second, third, etc. times around. I know that I am already much bigger with this baby than I was with Camden at the same point in the pregnancy.

Man, I am aware of how big I might just get...... If you don't know how big I got with Camden, here is a picture taken around the 8th month...

Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Trying to GO OFF MEDS!, and Where is the weight??

Last week we went in for another OB appt. Yes, Ryan goes to all of them. He is wonderful! (He missed one, but I was going b/c I was sick, and mom was in town and came along, so that doesn't really count.) He's been such an active part of this pregnancy and I know he's going to be an even better father for it. :) Have I mentioned how wonderful he is??

So, at this appt, the dr finally officially diagnosed me as having Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which (believe me!) is more than just morning sickness. They told us before that they usually wait until around week 20 before diagnosing. Well, here I was at week 20, ready for an answer. I'm relieved to finally be diagnosed. Why? Well, this way I can get the meds before it kicks in the next time I'm pregnant. That might help a bit. And it's also just validating. I knew all along this is what I had, and it's validating to have the dr agree.

On that note, we are hoping to decrease meds now. I had the nausea with my pregnancy with Camden until around the 20th week. I typically take a dose of Zofran (the highest dose I can take, too) twice a day and then a small dose of Phenergan before bed. So, I took out the second dose of Zofran about two weeks ago. I was able to manage, though I did feel like I was going to throw up immediately after eating dinner for at least a week. Not fun, but I was able to tolerate it. I have for two days now been able to go without the morning dose, as well. Of course, this morning I got sick - very much so. Luckily, it was before I had eaten. But - throwing up really is never fun, whether you have an empty stomach or a full one. But at least with an empty one, I'm not suddenly averse to a food that I just ate and threw up. (I try to see the bright side.) Please keep me in your prayers that I can be medicine free before long. I would love to stop taking medicine for this. I can't stand the thought of taking all these pills while pregnant. And some of them have some not so fun side effects.....

Something else we discovered at our visit... While I have grown a lot over the last month, I didn't gain one ounce! As a matter of fact, I weighed in at two ounces less than last month's visit. That's just crazy to me. Here are some pics to show how much I grew (without the weight - go figure!)...

These are taken at week 16 and then week 20.

Can you believe that???

Maybe I Just Ate Too Much...

I met with one of my clients today at my practicum - a little girl about 7 years old. The cutest little thing ever! As we were walking out of the room at the end of our session, she looked at my belly a couple times. She asked, "Did you eat too much?" Nope. I didn't. She thought for a moment. "Oh, are you pregnant?" Yep. I am. "Wow. Now you're going to have two!" (She knows I have another child.) It was just soooo stinking cute! Had to share.

And along with that, I wanted to share some new pics to show how big my belly really is these days....

Soccer Mom Moment, Mommy Moments, and Camden's Spring Break Trip Realization

It's Camden's spring break this week. So we took Camden to meet his dad and grandparents to spend the week with them in KY.

First, though, he had a soccer game. And I got to experience my first true "soccer mom" moment...

We knew it would be cold outside, but rain was not in the forcast. It was there, though...and they still played. (The refs asked the kids if they wanted to play - Camden was excited to get the chance, since it was his first time playing in the rain. I doubt other times will be as exciting now, though.) It was freezing and raining the entire time, but they played well (slipped quite a bit, but played well). Camden was very cold, of course. I had a blanket on me and an umbrella over me, and whenever he came out for a while, he would sit on my lap while I covered him up with the blanket and kept him under the umbrella to try to warm and dry him some. It was quite a mommy moment. :) Here are some pics from the game.

Camden all nice, warm, and dry after the game!

I think going to his dad's was a little different for Camden this time around. He got pretty upset Friday night. I had another "mommy moment" - you know, one of those where you are right in the middle of something (like dinner, in this instance), and your child chooses that moment to get upset and run to his room, while you're left wondering what is wrong? And then have to decide, do I sit here and finish what I want to do or...go into mommy-mode. Of course, this was one of those where you take a breath, give the child a moment to calm down and think (and give yourself a moment to think), put on your mommy hat, and go to him. To be honest, I love mommy moments. :) I think I am pretty good at them, actually. I usually feel like a successful mommy after these kind of mommy moments. (And that's a pretty good feeling.)

So after a minute of rubbing his back and letting him be upset, Camden explained to us that he "wants to go and wants to stay at the same time." I'm sure it's very tough for him, and it's probably going to get tougher. He knows he's going to miss playing with his friends that are here while he's gone. (No, he isn't wanting to stay b/c he doesn't want to leave us - just his friends. Haha! We're ok with that. He's good about being able to separate and still remain close to us.)

He did tell me, for the first time, I think, that he would miss me. I always tell him, and he says he knows. But I never prompt him to say it back. He's always so excited that he's not thinking about that, and that's fine. I know the kid loves me. But it was nice to hear him say it on his own. :) And he's now starting to realize how being away affects him and his friendships, so I think the visits may get a little harder from now on, as much as he wants to be there, too. It can't be very easy for him. :( (And it's never easy for me...... This is my baby, after all.)

Easter Egg Hunting and Egg Dying

So today we went on an Easter Egg hunt in Fuquay-Varina (because we missed the one in town yesterday and didn't want to go to Raleigh, but this way Ryan got to join us). When I first asked Camden if he wanted to do the hunt, he immediately asked, "Will there be anything in the eggs?" Then he immediately stopped himself and said, "Oh, I don't care if there is or not. I like the searching part anyway. So yes, I want to go." (This was another one of those proud mama moments where you realize maybe something you have tried to teach actually seeped through!)


Here are some pictures of our hunting. The place was packed, the kids rushed as soon as they were let through to hunt, and it was all over in less than 5 minutes, though the boys (Camden and a neighbor that came along) kept looking for at least another 15 minutes or so - just in case.

We also dyed some eggs tonight. I've had this set of paints for about, oh, 2 or 3 years now. (Shows how often we do eggs, huh?) They didn't turn out quite like the box suggested they would... Oh well. It was still fun and they look ok.

OUR Eggs

The BOX

I have a bunch of pictures to post, but I have been trying since last night, and this thing is NOT WORKING. I am so frustrated and angry with my computer right now that I am really about to cry - that or throw it out the window! As soon as we figure out what the heck is going on and can do something to fix it, I will post the pics that were meant to go on here...................

The Name Game

I was originally going to write a post about names if we were having a girl - b/c there is a really funny story behind the names we have picked out. I'll tell that in a moment, even though we're having a boy. We had the boy name picked out, though. That was an easy one for us. And we thought we were all set.

Think again! No, we're not changing the name. But we are now considering how to spell it! That is just as important, is it not? (Yes, it is.) We had just assumed we would spell it Aiden. Then Ryan saw it spelled Ayden and liked that, as well. Then Ryan's mom mentioned Edgar Allen Poe uses the name Aidenn in one of his poems. That form of the name means "Eden, Heaven," whereas the other spellings mean "Fire." So - now we have three spellings that we are considering. We never really considered the others - there are so many (Aidan, Aden, Adin, etc, etc.). This is a big deal and we'll have to put some serious thought into it... Do we go with Aiden, Ayden, or Aidenn????????????

Our reasoning behind each spelling....
Ayden - Well, this is one Ryan likes, so you can take that one up with him. Though he has decided that he does like Aiden more than this. So this one may be off the table.
Aiden - This is a typical way to spell it lately and just the way we first assumed it would be. We also want to be sure that whatever name we pick - it will work for an adult b/c this child will eventually grow up and need a "grown up" name.
Aidenn - As the name Aiden/Aidan is becoming more popular, we don't want our kid having the same name as everyone else. This is the only problem I have with the name period. I love it, and I wish others weren't loving it as much either! But this spelling is not as typical, so the name would still have some uniqueness to it (which is a good thing). But I'm not 100% sold on the two "n"s yet. And we wonder if it's too girly. We're not quite sure...(and hoping no - if we do choose to spell it this way).

Now - the story about the girl names. I have always loved the name Bailey for a girl. And I just knew that if I ever had a girl, I would name her Bailey Elise. Love that name! Then Ryan comes along. He has a nephew named Bailey. And I want the name for a girl. We're not sure what to do at this point (though we're not even pregnant when this comes up, of course.) Ryan's sister says that her Bailey wouldn't mind and we can do that if we want.

Then one day, after we're pregnant, I turn to Ryan and say, "What about Avery for a girl? That is such a pretty name. I love it. Avery Elise." He just stands there, giving me this strange look. "What?....What is it?...What's wrong with that? Do you not like it?......What?" He continues to look at me, not saying anything. He finally tells me "Avery is Steven's middle name." Who is Steven, you ask? He is Bailey's big brother.

Yeah, that's right. Both GIRL names that I absolutely love are also the names for the only other BOYS in this generation of Ryan's family. How likely is THAT??? How likely that the guy I marry has nephews with the names I have picked out for a girl?! But we love the names so much, we still can't part with them. So, the plan was to pick one of these names for a girl, if we were having a girl (most likely Avery). Maybe next time. It is a funny story, nonetheless. I just couldn't believe the irony. Still can't. (And we are definitely reserving these names for our next - if we do get a girl next time!)

So anyway, back to this spelling of our boy's name......... That's our current challenge. We would love to hear (read - haha!) your thoughts. We'll ultimately decide on our own, yes, but it's still nice to hear what others think. :)

Soccer Season!

Soccer has begun again. Camden had his first game today - a "friendly" (real games start after Easter). Here are some pics from this morning. Mammaw was still in town and able to watch. :) They won their game - either 5 or 6 to 0.

I overheard some players from the other team talking, and one said, "I don't blame us for playing bad, the other team is hard!"

Baby Adkins is a....

BOY!!!

Aiden Joseph Adkins

Profile Pictures:

This shows the chest (right) and the mouth and nose (center of picture)

It's a BOY!!!

Face in 3D - from front

Side view of face in 3D

The ultrasound went great!

Little baby moved around so much - he just wouldn't be still for those pictures! Haha!

They also got a look at the placenta (after our worries from earlier and from my pregnancy with Camden), and that is looking good for now, as well. That means I can finally start walking and actually being active. :) Yay!

Camden is THRILLED that he's getting a little brother, too! :)

Nursery Furniture!!

It took us (ok, ME) a while to settle on baby furniture. We had to get something we liked, something simple but nice, something that was good quality (must pass the scratch test - and most do not!), and decent in price. Oh, and good reviews from people who already own the pieces! All of those together = hard to find!

But we finally found the perfect set of furniture. Babies R Us happened to get this special deal from Munire (great baby furniture but pretty pricey) to sell some of their designs (called Baby Cache) at a lower price than typical. And one set was exactly what we wanted - it fit ALL the requirements. Only thing is, it's new and very high in demand. But we were finally able to make our purchase this week. We also were able to combine two offers to get it all at a discount that you can't normally get with furniture, so we are ecstatic! Here is what it looks like:

Thank you sooooo very much to MawMaw Sharon for getting the crib for the baby!
(And for getting her name on the waiting list sooner than we did - which helped us order the crib sooner!)

Another BIG thank you to PawPaw Gary and Susan for getting the Combo Unit (the shorter dresser to also be used as a changing table) for the baby!

Once we get the furniture in and have the nursery cleaned out (it's being used for storage now...), we'll post pictures of OUR real furniture. :) It's actually going to be in sooner than expected (!!!), so we have to get on cleaning out that room! Ryan said he felt bad about getting it so soon b/c some parents are still waiting to order and already have their babies but want this furniture. I reminded him, this is why you plan ahead, and we are great at planning ahead (sometimes too far ahead, but that's a different story). So I don't feel bad. If others are choosing to wait just for this furniture, that's their choice. I might have done the same - it's really great quality, great price, and beautiful.

We also have our nursery bedding picked out (for a while now, actually - haven't bought it yet, but we'll get there). We wanted something that could make it through another child and could work for both a boy or a girl. We love this design and all the textures in it for baby to touch and play with. We're using neutral colors (in case the next baby is not the same sex as this baby, and plus we like neutrals) in the nursery, so this fit perfectly with that, too.

Tummy Tales

No belly pictures this week due to my illness and totally not feeling up to it. But I did take some shots of just my belly... And here are a couple tummy tid-bits.

As you may notice by the pic, my normally inny belly button is on its way to becoming an outy. Halfway there!

I know Braxton Hicks contractions can start around 18 weeks, sometimes a little earlier. But I have been getting them since week 13/14! At first it was just in the morning when I was lying down that I could feel them, but now I can feel them all throughout the day. I never felt any kind of contractions with Camden until I was in labor (after being prepared to be induced on my due date - I wasn't actually induced - the prep work they do put me into labor). So this is a new thing for me.

I am continuing to really grow. Mom saw me and said I was huge and that pictures didn't do it justice. She told this to Gene and her sister, Charlotte, too. Funny thing - I went to the dr before my week of enormous growth and just went back this week for being sick - no weight gain. So I'm definitely growing in size but not in weight. Hmmmm.... (I'm sure that won't be the case for too much longer! Haha! And I have managed to gain some weight, just not in the past few weeks.)

The baby hasn't been moving much since I've been sick, but last night there was a little more poking, which made me feel a bit better about that.

And tomorrow we go for our big ultrasound. We've been told it will last about an hour. An hour of seeing our baby - I am so excited for that. We also will try to find out the sex. Another funny thing - I know most people just count down the days for that and are so anxious for it to get here. I haven't been like that at all. I am excited, but I guess it's more that I'm ok with whatever it is and am just relaxed about waiting to find out (this is not normally like me - I'm typically very impatient!).
Side note: If we are having a girl, you might have to wait a bit on the name b/c we're still on the fence between two first names. If it's a boy, we will probably post it on here when we announce the sex b/c we are all in agreement on a name we love for a little boy.

Spring Break ~ Whoo-Hoo? Not Quite...

So let me tell you how my spring break has turned out so far.... (Ha...Ha...)

First of all, I get sick before it even begins. Ryan says last Wednesday night that his throat hurts a little, but then he's fine after that. I, on the other hand, catch whatever it is that he was carrying, since my immunity is down from being pregnant. I start coughing a little and it becomes more and more until it is constant and really hurts. This goes on all weekend. I miss Camden's last basketball game and spend the day/evening on the couch while he has his friend over for a sleepover (and goes out to eat, too - though he did want to stay at home with me until I told him it was his night and convince him I didn't mind). Then I have to miss church the next day (and life group that night). Meanwhile, I am only getting worse. I am taking the medication I am allowed to take while pregnant - but it is doing nothing at all to help. I'm doing all the home remedies I know of (and that mom suggests). I drink more tea in one weekend than I have since I became pregnant. I seriously am miserable. I haven't been this sick in a long time. (Maybe it sounds like oooohhhh...she had a "cough" as in, that's all? - trust me, this is much more than a little cough. I wouldn't complain about a little cough.)

And my mom comes in on Sunday to spend the break with me. Ryan and Camden pick her up at the airport (since I'm too sick to join them). They show up, and she tells me - "it only gets worse." Her uncle died late the night before, and she just found out when she got off the plane. :( So she needs to fly back home on Tuesday for the funeral, but she'll be coming back on Thursday (in time for the ultrasound). So we have all of this going on at the same time. Spring break is off to a great start for all, isn't it? I do manage to get to the dr on Monday - after calling for about two hours and telling them I have to come in now even if they are all booked up b/c I really am that sick. I even lose my voice while at the visit. The dr explains that it's harder on me b/c when you're pregnant you can't cough right. To add to all of this, any time I get sick with anything to do with my head or throat, I get a sinus infection. I'm just that prone. Starting Sunday, I'm showing signs of this, too. My head is pounding every time I cough, my sinuses have all this pressure, my eyes hurt, my ears hurt. Pretty much everything above my neckline hurts. But she can't prescribe any antibiotics unless I actually get the full blown infection (b/c of being pregnant and only doing what is needed, I guess). I do get a prescription for the same medicine I've been taking but with codine (so even if it doesn't work for the cough, it should help me sleep - by the way, it didn't) and instructions on what other meds to buy and take. I am warned that I can't take the good stuff, so I'm basically just riding out the storm here. And yeah, that's true. The meds aren't doing all that much, as many as I am taking.

So now we're on day five of whatever virus this is that I have (and hoping it actually gets better soon...). I woke up this morning with the sorest musles ever. I have coughed so much (and am now sneezing) that whenever I do anything that involves breathing or moving (haha!) all the muscles from my waist up to my shoulders hurt a lot (Mom laughs at this b/c, as she says, I can take pain from a major surgery or "even her arm being cut off" and not complain at all, but the tiniest thing such as blowing an eyelash off my finger is causing me to whine. Well, I expect major things to hurt - so no need to complain. I don't expect tiny things to hurt, so when they do, I complain.) Mom is back in KY and probably at the funeral home by now. I haven't slept at all in the last two nights. Poor Ryan is having to do all the work around here and is being kept up by my coughing - and he's being so great about it, too! (I have a great husband.) We're hoping by the time Mom gets back in two days that I will be well enough so we can have at least a couple days to enjoy.

Ironically, I was watching a show on tv Saturday, and someone said something about never relying too heavily on Plan A because Plan B will always show up when you least expect it (or don't want it!). So, Plan B - here we come.

Please keep my family in your prayers.

Rest in Peace ~ Norman Carby

Tagged

So, I have been "tagged" by one of my blogger friends to post 7 random things about myself. As I have a hard time not fulfilling these requests, here goes. And these are pretty random...

1. After I brush my teeth at night, I get soooo thirsty. When I go to take my bedtime meds (yes, for the morning sickness, still...), I want to down the entire bottle of water. I try not to since it is not the best idea for a pregnant woman to drink a ton of water at bedtime - not if she wants to sleep through the night without having to get up... But I certainly want to drink it all!

2. I have chronic insomnia issues. Always have. Mom says this was the case even when I was an infant. I remember in high school trying prescription sleeping meds, and after trying so many, the dr said he just couldn't help me - nothing worked! (That was nice - the dr giving up on me...) I have found one thing that works and is not habitual, but I can't take it while pregnant, and I don't like the idea of having to take meds for that all the time... I blame my not being able to wake up easily (at all! just ask my mom, ryan, or camden!) on my sleeping problems. Once I'm out, I'm out - but getting out is the problem. And add pregnancy sleeping problems on top of that - yeah, I'm having loads of fun with my sleepless nights these days!

3. I do NOT like exercising. Can't stand doing it just to do it. I LOVE being active, though. Give me an activity (hiking, swimming, walking, biking, etc, etc.) with my family or put me in a raquetball court with Ryan, and I will go at it - and love it. But working out just for the sake of working out. Yuck. It's just not fun. Pretty boring, in my opinion. I want to be active and be having fun at the same time. It is possible. I attempted to work out quite a bit in college - but I also made sure to take a lot of phys ed courses just to get me to be extra active a few times a week. And they were a lot of fun and got me in good shape, too. :)

4. I eat breakfast every single morning. I have never been able to go without it. (I'll actually get sick if I don't eat - and this is not just while pregnant but at any time.) I might eat it in the car...but I do always eat breakfast.

5. I love venison meat!! Man, there is nothing like a plate full of venison roast, mashed potatoes, peas, gravy, and rolls - all homemade of course! My mom would always make us our requested meal on our birthdays, and this has been my request for years and years. Love it! I also love most homecooked meals that you would expect to find in the home of a family living on a farm - probably because this is what I grew up on (and from being from farming families). I don't eat as much as I would like (for the fact that I would be in pants about four sizes what I wear now!), but I do love it all!

6. I don't know left from right. Regardless of how intelligent I may be, this will never happen! I just cannot - and never have been - able to do it. I even have to do the thing where you put out your thumbs and stick up your pointer fingers (and the side that makes an L is the left...), and I still have to really think about it. That's why I need a map when someone gives me directions - I get seriously anxious with written directions when I have no clue where I am going...

7. I graduated from college with the highest honors (summa cum laude - yes siree!) and will have my master's degree in just two months... And I still don't know what I really want to do with my life! (Except for being a mom - I swear, that must really be my calling!)

Ok, there are seven random things about me that you might not have known. :) Enjoy and feel free to let me know some random things about you. Haha!

Week 16 & 17 Comparisons - the week of GROWTH!

So I claimed before (couple posts ago) that I grew so much between week 16 and 17. It's very true. I couldn't believe what a difference 7 days made!

Don't believe me? Here are some pics to compare...

16 weeks * 17 weeks

Proud Mama Moment

Recently I went to visit with Camden's teacher for a parent-teacher conference. I already knew what we were going to talk about - Camden's constant chatting in class and other inappropriate times (like during a math test!). The child has had great behavior up until around December, which is a pretty good record for him. Not that he's a "bad" child. Not at all! He's a great student, and teachers always love him - but he has the tendency to be the talker in the room. (I was never like this, so I don't get it. I was always the shy, quiet student.)

So we do talk about this. He had a great week the week before and was going to have his best friend stay over on the weekend if that week was the same. Well....he had to turn his card that very day (right after we had said, the night before, "if you turn another card this week, Will can't come over"). The teacher said he even had a tiny tear coming out of his eye when he went to change the card - so she knew something big was not getting to happen as a consequence. (Camden knows we stick to our word in this house.)

Anyway, this isn't what I'm proud about. I will say that since this meeting and the teacher having Camden write checks on a paper whenever he is off task - his chatting has literally almost stopped! Yay! (And this weekend, he does get to have his friend over for a sleepover.)

What I am so proud about was from the second half of the meeting - talking about the CogAT test results. (Cognitive Abilities Test) I have always known Camden is really smart. He learned to read immediately in Kindergarten. He has never once had to study for a spelling test. He was tested at reading (and comprehending) at the 9th grade level in the 1st grade (another super proud mama moment!). School has just always been very easy to him (which is causing a bit of a struggle now that he's finding out he does in fact have to study and put more effort into larger projects...). So I expected good CogAT results - and boy did my expectations get surpassed. The boy scored in the 99th %tile for the verbal and quantitative (math) parts of the test and for the composite score (99th is the highest you can get and is in comparison to the national norms for the test). He slacked a bit (haha!) with the nonverbal and got in the 97th %tile, but from what we're told, that is the hardest part on the test. He missed no problems in the first two sections and only missed three in the nonverbal. My child is amazing!

I'm not trying to just brag on him here. But I am so freaking proud of him!! I have to share how incredible he is in this part of his life. (He's great at lots of other things he does, too, but this is what I am writing about this time.) Of course, I still have to worry about him performing at the level he is able - which is a common problem for smart kids. My mom says that was so frustrating when me and my brother were growing up (esp for her being a teacher!). I can remember things about my brother, who is actually much smarter than me. And I see some of that in Camden. He doesn't want to study. He gets frustrated the second something doesn't come naturally with school. If he can't get it right away, he claims he just can't do it. (Ha!) He's never had to try before, so it's hard for him to have to start now. We remind him that it isn't going to get easier! Ha again! Hopefully seeing me and Ryan focusing on grad school and exams will help out with that. I kind of dislike that any other kids I have won't see that. Camden has seen me go through college and grad school, so school is just a part of life, the way he sees it. Let's hope that continues, too! :)

Anyway, major props to Camden for his awesome test scores. You can't imagine how incredibly proud I am to be his mommy sometimes! This kid is just too cool! :)