Hurricane Irene Weekend

Last week was Jason's vacation week so we made arrangements for Grandpa to come visit us in Hershey! I'm not going to lie...we were pretty excited to have our first visitor at our new home in Hershey. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene decided to come up the East Coast and throw a wrench in our weekend plans.

On Friday when I got off work, I experienced quite a bit more traffic than normal. Most of the license plates were New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey and all the states that were in the direct path of Hurricane Irene. When I got home, I noticed that our apartment complex was taking precautions for the hurricane too. Tarps were put up in front of all the lower complexes to prevent flooding--it made for an eyesore but I think the tenants were happy to have a little bit of protection from the wind and rain.

Don't worry...Hurricane Irene did not stop the guys from having a good time! They were still able to get to the nearest electronic store and admire all the newer, bigger and better TVs.

Saturday and Sunday were spent indoors trying to stay out of the rain. We are about 1 1/2 hours away from Philadelphia so we just got some wind and rain. Thank goodness we didn't get anything too severe. Since moving to PA, we've experienced an earthquake and a hurricane all in one week. YIKES!

I think we both needed some good rest and relaxation--the dark rain clouds and large rain drops on the windows made for some great sleeping weather.

Water Baby

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family....Water Baby. One of my co-workers bought me this cute water bottle because they know how much I struggle to get in my daily amount of fluids. The picture definitely doesn't show the true size of this bottle. It's 74 oz. and is super intimidating when it is filled with water. Notice the color?? I was told that the office is hoping for a girl so we're trying to keep everything pink. Only a few more weeks until we'll find out what we are having and if the baby is a boy, then we'll have to adjust the water baby accordingly!!
On Friday I didn't even come close to drinking all of the water baby but hopefully this week goes a little better!!

Bump Updates: Week 14

Here is the bump update for week 14....

How far along? 14 weeks and 3 days (Saturday, August, 27,2011)

How big is the baby? The size of a lemon

Sleep? I'm still finding myself pretty tired but I'm having difficulty getting comfortable and falling asleep again after I get up to go to the bathroom.

Food Cravings? Right now I'm not really craving anything in particular.

Gender? Still too early to tell--anatomy appointment is scheduled for September 20th!

Best moment this week? Feeling the baby kick. Last week, I felt a flutter in my stomach but I thought it was too early to feel anything but then I felt it again this week. I think it's safe to say that the flutter I felt was the baby moving around. Such an amazing feeling!

Development? The baby is starting to straighten out and the neck is getting longer and the head is starting to get more erect. Hair and eyebrows are also starting to grow. The baby's eyes are starting to move, as well as the arms and the legs. The baby is also able to produce a sucking action with his/her mouth. The organs of taste and smell are starting to develop and the baby is growing and developing with each passing day!

Noteables? This week the 'growing/stretching' pains were pretty intense. I know that pain around my uterus is normal during this time but feeling this still kinda scares me. In good news, the nausea is definitely getting better.

STEP 1, STEP 2 And Now STEP 3

Jason will be taking his last STEP, STEP 3, today and tomorrow. There isn't as much pressure associated with this exam as the previous two exams but it still isn't something to be taken lightly.
He's been studying the past few months, even when he was exhausted from work hours, so I know he will have a huge relief off his shoulders come Wednesday afternoon.

I still can't believe we are off the island, through medical school and now 2 (almost 3) months into residency. The journey seemed to go by so slowly when we were in the middle of it but now that I look back, the time actually went by faster than we thought.

I'm so proud of my hubby and all of his hard work...God couldn't have given me a better partner for life.

House Update

6 days and a few phone calls later, we decided to walk away from our contract on the house. No communication, good or bad, can be too much to handle for anyone, especially for first time home-buyers.

After tons of prayer, I know that God has a better house in mind for our family. I know I'm suppose to be patient but right now all I can think of is making a house a perfect little home for our family...I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!!

Thanks for all your kind words and support during the past week...I had no idea buying a house would be full of so many emotions!

Bump Updates: Week 13

Here is the bump update for week 13....

How far along? 13 weeks and 3 days (Saturday, August, 20,2011)

How big is the baby? The size of a peach

Sleep? Sleep has been a little tricky this week. I wake up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom and I'm finding it more and more difficult to fall back asleep.

Food Cravings? Still salty things!

Gender? Still too early to tell--anatomy appointment is scheduled for September 20th!

Best moment this week? Playing back the heartbeat on my cellphone ANY TIME I want!

Development? The baby's intestines, which are growing inside the umbilical cord, are now starting to move to their permanent position inside the baby's abdomen. Vocal cords are forming and sex hormones are also being made. The baby is making breathing-like movements.

Milestones? Finally have started the 2nd trimester. I'm so thankful that the baby is growing healthy with each passing week!!

Noteables? This week I got started on some quilting squares for the baby if it is a boy. I love the fact that I'm helping (with Grandma) make a homemade quilt.I love homemade things that have been passed on to me and I know I will love rocking the baby to sleep in a blanket that I helped make. Don't worry...if the baby is a little girl it won't be left out. We already finished the little girl quilt!

Housing 101--First Time Homebuyer

The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of house hunting. Pretty much any free time the two of us have together, we are setting up appointments with our real estate agent to help us find the perfect home for our soon to be family of 3+2 pups!
Well on one house hunting excursion, we finally found a home that we liked well enough to put in an offer so Tuesday night we met and put in our first offer on our potential first home...super exciting!! Yesterday was painful...I swear I checked my phone/email multiple times per day to make sure that I didn't miss a call or email from the realtor with some follow-up news from the seller.
Fast forward 24 hours and we finally heard something. Actually, it wasn't the news we were expecting to hear at all. Someone else put in a bid on OUR house...the nerve! Don't they know that we are expecting a baby and this mama needs a house to start making a home??
I guess not because the offer is still on the table so it caused us to re-evaluate our initial offer, make some changes and submit a new offer. Not really something we thought we would have to do on our first offer but oh well.

Tonight at 6:00pm is the final meeting with the seller and the agents to decide which offer will be accepted. I have a feeling that today is going to be long and painful....
I just want to put this situation in God's hands but it is so hard to keep out my emotions!
Would you do me a HUGE favor and pray for our family today? I want to make sure that God wants us in the house and all my outside emotions are left out of it.

Our Underground Adventure

On Saturday we wanted to get outside but because of all the rain storms, our options were pretty limited. Indian Echo Caverns is an underground cavern right by where we live and we thought we would go and explore it while Jason had some free time.The Caverns had a lot of fun things to do while groups waited for the tour guide to start. We spent our time petting the animals at the petting zoo and swinging on the swing set.

Once our tour group started, we headed down to the main entrance of the cavern.Once we got inside, the temperature dropped to a chilly 52 degrees and water was dripping from the cave ceiling. I had no idea but caves can actually repair themselves. When the water runs over the already existing rocks, some of the minerals from the water get left behind and over time, the minerals harden and make new formations. Here is a stalactite that the guide referred to as 'Indian corn' and it is estimated to be about 750,000 years old!We took so many pictures but because the cave is so dark, a lot of the pictures didn't turn out all the greatest. Here are some of the sights we saw as we walked through the tight spaces of the cave. We had such a great time exploring the caverns...it crazy to think that something so pretty is hidden away. Not only were the views awesome, but the amount of history that has taken place in the cavern is mind blowing. Such a fun way to spend a Saturday!!

Bump Updates: Week 12

Here is the baby bump at week 12....How far along? 12 weeks and 3 days (Saturday, August 13, 2011)

How big is the baby? The size of a large plum

Sleep? I'm actually starting to get back into a semi-normal routine. I still tend to go to bed early but my eyes are staying open a little more during the day.

Food Cravings? Still salty things. My cravings are actually calming down a bit...I still tend to gravitate towards food that I know won't make me sick.

Gender? Still too early to tell

Best moment this week? Hearing the baby's heartbeat. The baby was pretty active...170 beats per minute. I made sure to audio record it on my cellphone so I could send it to everyone!

Development? The baby is now 1/2 an ounce and about 2 1/2 inches long. Most of the baby's internal systems are formed but they are busy maturing in the next few weeks. The digestive system is practicing the contraction movement, the bone marrow is making white blood cells and the pituitary gland at the base of the brain has begun making hormones.

Milestones? We've made it to the second trimester!! We had another doctor's appointment this week and everything looked great with the baby's growth.

Noteables? This week, especially since we heard the heartbeat, I really felt like I had a baby growing in my belly. I'm so excited to see how much the baby grows in the next few months and even more excited to hold my baby.
Jason got this cute card from my mom this week...

Great Daddy!

Something tells me Jason is going to be a great daddy!!

Pink Fingernails

I'm rocking the neon pink fingernail polish today. I don't know what it is about bright colored fingernail polish but my mood is soaring today!! Seeing the pink nails flash over the dark keys of my computer as I type up emails makes me so much happier!! Summer is coming to an end and then these bright polishes will be replaced by the darker, more wintery colors. I'm rocking the pink as long as I can!!

The Big Announcement

Today was the day...the day that I told my boss and co-workers that we are expecting a new member of the family!! I went all day playing the conversation over and over in my mind that I would have with my boss later in the day but the more I played the coversation out in my head, the more nervous I became. Finally around 5:00pm, I worked up my courage and pulled my boss outside and proceeded to shake and stutter my way through my pregnancy speech. Once I got everything out, I was pleased to see a smile and hear a congratulations! I was so nervous that the news wouldn't be taken how I wanted it to be taken but felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders once he showed his excitement.

I immediately ran inside and told all the girls the good news! Everyone was extremely happy for us...thank goodness!!

This gal is feeling SO much better now that the news is out....I couldn't be more thankful for all the love and support!!

Just Our Life...

• I have a HUGE announcement to make!!! My mom is officially spending Thanksgiving in Hershey, PA! Tickets were bought yesterday and this girl couldn't be more excited. I've been playing around with the calendar and finally we found some time when we could plan some time to spend together and it just so happened to be at Thanksgiving!! The countdown is on!!
• Jason started a new rotation in August and it is all focused on anesthesia and he loves it. He does a lot of pre-surgery pain blocks along with all the pain medication that needs to be administered after surgery. He always gets nervous before starting a new rotation because of the unknown but he's definitely finding his niche in this rotation. His attending has nothing but kind and positive words for Jason and his work ethic.
• Our toilet has been accumulating a small puddle of water at the base of it since we have moved in and I finally remembered to call and have maintenance look at it. Well...the toilet was cracked completely through the bowl and it had to be replaced. The new toilet is installed and is working perfectly but for awhile our bathroom looked a little rough!
• The boys are officially in the 'dog days of summer'. It has been so hot that when we get back from a walk, they both run to the water bowl and then they are down for the count. I couldn't resist snapping some pictures of my sweet boys.
• After two weeks into my new position and I'm still liking it very much! This week was quite a bit of traveling throughout the work days to other campuses (just to get acquainted with the staff) but it was still a great week!
  
• Big things are happening this weekend! I'm not exactly sure what yet but Jason has Saturday AND Sunday off of work so something fun will be occurring. The weather is suppose to cool down so maybe we can do some hiking/exploring outside for a change. Who knows...we'll see!
  

Bump Updates: Week 11

Here is the baby bump at 11 weeks...How far along? 11 weeks and 3 days (Saturday, August 6, 2011)

How big is the baby? The size of a lime

Sleep? I still manage to get in a good 8 hours of sleep a night but my eyes definitely get heavy and I move a little slower as the day progresses.

Food Cravings? Still on the salty food kick. Still extremely sensitive to certain foods and smells. Nausea has decided to stick around longer than I would like!

Gender? Still too early to tell

Best moment this week? Getting another week closer to my second trimester

Development? Hair follicles are forming..yippee!! Fingers and toes are now individual instead of in the webbing that they were just a few weeks ago. Bones are hardening and muscles are developing. This is the first week that the baby has distinct human characteristics...hands, feet, ears, nose and mouth.

Milestones? We're rapidly approaching the end of the first trimester and another doctor's appointment!

Noteables? Jason is starting to get excited about the baby, which I love! He came home this week and was telling me about some Penn State clothes that he would like to get the baby once we find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. He's going to be such a great daddy and I love when he gets excited!