Hey everyone! Congratulations to all of the other pregnant ladies out there and good luck to those who are trying!

I guess I can tell you a little about myself and my pregnancy so far.

My husband and I have been married since March 18, 2006 (but have been together since May 26, 2001). I work for Nextel as a sales rep and am a junior at the University of West Florida, working towards my Organizational Communication degree. My husband is a firefighter/paramedic for a nearby county full time and a paramedic for this county part time. We have a chihuahua named Snapper who is my angel, a boxer named Bo who is crazy, and a ferret named Oliver... so, yes, we already have our hands full!
As for my pregnancy, I am 6 weeks and 6 days as of today (Jan. 3, 2007) and I am due August 23, 2007. This wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy, but my husband and I are so excited! I found out about two and a half weeks ago... and of all times, it was the day after my husband went out of town for a week (for a SWAT class for his job). So I couldn't tell hardly anyone until he got home. It absolutely drove me nuts... that was the longest week ever! Anyway, when he got home later that week I gave him an "early Christmas gift:" it was a little Christmas bag with a bib in it that said "I love my Daddy" and a pacifier and a jar of baby food. I recorded his reaction... it was priceless. He was so suprised and excited. So the next day we told both of our parents (basically the same way, except the bibs said "I love my Grandma" and "I love my Grandpa"). They were all so excited, too (especially my mom, dad, and sister)!
So my pregnancy has been pretty rough so far though. No morning sickness (I know some of you hate me for that), but TRUST me, I have had my fair share of bad days. I work full time and I'm about to start school again, but I stay SO tired that I don't know how I'm going to do it! I also stay pretty nauseous(sp?) and I have constant headaches and lots of bad cramps. Oh, and my mood swings are ridiculous... you can just ask my husband. I don't really want to eat anything healthy, because I feel like if I eat something I don't want then I will get sick (and right now I only want Krystals and other bad stuff). Anyway, I know once this trimester is over everything will be wonderful! I can't wait to start showing and "feeling" pregnant!

Me and my family Me and James on our wedding day

Jan. 20, 2007
Well, not too much has been going on these days... until this morning... I've got my first stretch mark! Ahhh! Well, its on right boob, no joke. I have been using Palmer's cocoa butter... I didn't think I would be getting stretch marks so soon, but I figured I would go ahead and start using some cream... hmm... I need to get that mother's friend stuff... a lot of people I know swear by that stuff! Anyway, I am in the process of getting over the stomach flu. Yeah, it sucked. I had been feeling very bad... achy, coughing, diarrhea, not wanting to eat or drink, headaches... and so I called my doc and she said I def had the flu and to take tylenol as I needed it and keep my temp down and drink lots of fluids. This all started Wednesday so I didn't go to work or school Wed, Thurs, or Fri. Well Sat I started feeling REALLY bad and my temp was up and I knew I was dehydrated so I went to the ER cuz it was like 11 at night and they checked me out andhooked me up on an IV and filled me out with fluids. Everything was fine, but I def had the stomach flu. The doc said everything should be just fine though... it's almost impossible to not get sick because your immune system is down and its flu and cold season! Anyway, I feel lots better now! Also, has anyone noticed that some people are at different days in their pregnancy but have the same due date? According to my last u/s, I am 9wks and 3 days today and my due date is Aug 23. Anyway, everything else is going pretty well... just not been wanting to eat much lately and been tired, but my symptoms are getting much better! Oh, and I've been breaking out very badly! No fun, but it could be worse...

Feb 2, 2007
Well, yesterday we had another dr. appt and we got to see our little baby moving all around! He/she was waiving his/her arms and legs all around and was soo active. It was absoutely amazing, I couldn't help but cry. She/he has grown sooo much since our last appointment. We also got to hear the heartbeat which was so neat. It almost seems fake that there is a little baby inside me, moving and kicking, and I can't even feel it! I'm so happy though. I have been on a natural high since we left yesterday. My next appt is Feb 28, but I don't think I get a u/s that time; she will just listen to the heartbean and examine my belly. Then at 20 weeks (almost 9 weeks away) we will have an appt to find out the sex. I can hardly wait for that!!! Anyway, I have been feeling much better lately, just a little moody... well, little might be an understatement according to my hubby. My hubby also had to go out and buy a new truck today... haha... his old truck was a regular cab and he obviously can't put a baby in that! So I know he's happy about that. So many changes... Anyway, hope everyone else is doing well! Feel free to leave me a message, I love to chat =)

Here is our baby at 11w1d! (S/he is upside down).

February 16, 2007
Hey ladies. Well, there's not been too much going on with me lately except that Wednesday was the first day of my second trimester. I have been looking SO forward to this for quite some time now. I have a cold right now and am not feeling too great, but it could be worse. I feel that I'm having more energy though! I actually feel motivated to do things that I just couldn't make myself do a few weeks ago, which is wonderful. I also found out that two ladies at my husband's part time job are also pregnant! It's just kinda neat to know so many people who are pregnant right now... there is something in the water for sure =) Anyway, I still don't feel like I'm showing any more than what the people closest to me can tell. It's just my lower belly - under my belly button - that is protruding. I am so ready to show because I'm tired of feeling fat all the time!!! I also haven't been sleeping hardly at all lately! I go to sleep so early to try to catch up on my sleep, but I still wake up all throughout the night. And when I do sleep I have these wild dreams! They just don't even make any sense!! I have my next appt. on Feb. 28th, but that's just to check the heartrate again (already heard it once) and for my doc to feel for my uterus on my belly, so that won't be too exciting. But I seriously cannot wait to find out what we are having!!!

This is me at just over 11 weeks (I'm at work).

February 23, 2007
Boy oh boy has my appetite picked up. I feel like in just the last few days my appetite has gone through the roof! I am hungry like every hour and a half to two hours. I never thought I'd want to eat this much, especially after being nauseaus my first trimester! My doctor told me I need to eat every two hours though... I just hope I don't gain too much weight! I've been feeling good lately other than headaches and backaches. I went to the dentist last week and he thinks I have TMJ, which could be causing the headaches. I really don't know... they have been bad since my senior year of highschool, but they've been getting worse in the past few weeks. Anyway, I have my next appt Wednesday... my parents are coming since my hubby has to work. We will get to hear the heartbeat and my parents are soooo excited. I'm getting off work so I gotta go. Everyone have a great night!!

March 5, 2007
Well, I had a dr. appt on the 28th. My hubby was working so my parents came with me. We got to hear the heartbeat, which was in the 140s and she did a u/s (she wasn't planning to, but since my parents were there she did) and our baby has already grown so much just in the last month! S/he was resting and just barely moving, but s/he was sooo cute. I also made my next appt for March 29th, and that's when I will make an appt to find out the sex (it will be like two weeks after that appt). I can't wait anymore! I want to know sooo bad!!! I don't really want one sex more than the other, but I'm just ready to start buying stuff!! I haven't beel feeling too great today. Kinda nauseaus and really tired... and I have a bad headache. I've just been sooo busy with school and work lately, I haven't had any time to relax! I also really feel like I'm starting to show now... you can actually tell through my clothes. Hopefully I will get a pic up soon! I will post the new u/s in the next few days, too.

March 12, 2007
Well, I have definately been feeling some flutters lately! James and I went camping this weekend and the batteries in our air mattress were dead so we were VERY uncomfortable when we were trying to sleep. So I tried to lay on my belly and within a minute I could feel little flutters in my belly and there was no denying that was the baby! They were stronger than every before and this time I was sure it was the baby and not gas or anything else. Well, I thought I might have been squishing the poor little baby since the ground was so hard, so I forced myself to sleep on my side. Anyhow, I have been feeling more flutters here and there since then. It puts a smile on my face every time I feel our little baby! Anyway, I have been feeling great lately. When we went camping I felt soo active and full of energy, a way I haven't felt in quite some time. I still haven't put my new u/s pic up... I need to do that soon. Other than pregnancy stuff I have been staying super busy with work and school... trying not to stay stressed, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Anyway, hope everyone having a great pregnancy so far!

April 10, 2007
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted! Well, we get to find out the sex of our baby this Friday! We are sooo excited... I can barely wait! I have also been feeling a lot of movement for about the last week and felt a little kick from the outside yesterday. I was sooo excited! My husband hasn't been able to feel it yet, but hopefully soon! I have been feeling pretty good lately except back pain. Oh, and two weekends ago I spent the night in the hospital for what I thought to appendix problems. After a bunch of tests the docs said it wasn't my appendix, but they weren't exactly sure what it was. At my follow-up appt, my doc said she thought it was a torn/pulled muscle, but since it was right where my appendix is they needed to do all the tests. Anyhow, below is a picture of me and my sister from Easter. I really don't usually look that pregnant, but I got a few maternity dresses and they REALLY show off my belly!

This is me (and my little sister) at 20 weeks and 4 days pregnant on Easter Sunday!

And here is our beautiful baby at 15 weeks!

April 13, 2007

We had our big u/s today and ....

It's a BOY!

24 weeks 31 weeks

This is me (and my sister in the 2nd picture) at my baby shower (34wks 3days) on July 15th!

Introducing Keaton Alexander!!!
Born August 10, 2007 @ 7:22pm
6lb 9oz 19 1/4 in

My birthstory:

It started Tuesday night when my husband and I decided to take a walk to try to start labor (we had been to the midwife earlier that morning and she said it could happen any time now). As soon as we started walking I started having contractions, which wasn`t unusual. Well, they didn`t stop, but they didn`t hurt either. After a few hours they become regular and lasted all day the next day. After eating with my parents that night we decided to go to the hospital because they were still regular. The nurse said I wasn`t quite 2cm dilated and that it wasn`t labor, so we went home. Well, the next day (Thursday) they continued. I went to the mall with my Momma to get some exercise and after a while I couldn`t hardly stand to walk anymore because my back hurt soooo bad. James had to work so my sister and her boyfriend came to stay with me and my friend Victoria came over. We all went for another walk and my contractions began to get very uncomfortable and still regular. After a few hours they were about 5-6 mins apart and still hurting so James came home. After sitting in the tub for a few hours they still hurt sooo bad so we went to the hospital again... and had the same nurse as the night before. She seemed a little annoyed but I KNEW I was in labor. By this time I was only a little over 2 cm dilated, but he was at a +1 station, so she was convinced I wasn`t in labor. I got in the jacuzzi tub for a few hours there and they kept me over night and gave me demerol to help me get some rest because I hadn`t hardly slept the night before and was exhausted. The next morning they sent me home and told me to come back in 6-8 hours. That was the WORST thing they could have done to me. I was in sooo much pain... almost all the pain was in my back. My contractions weren`t that horrible, except the fact that my back hurt sooo bad. The nurse said it was because he was already so low. I alternated between laying in the tub and slowly walking around the house for 6 hours, until I couldn`t handle the pain anymore. We went back up to the hospital and at 1pm and about an hour and a half later my midwife, Jenny, came in and broke my water. I immediately went from 3cm to 4cm dilated. At that point I didn`t think I would be able to handle it but Jenny knew I didn`t want an epidural so she `worked a deal with me` and told me she would give me Nubain if I would get in the jacuzzi tub... I agreed. I stayed in the tub for a few hours in a few different positions she showed me, which really helped, but the pain was so intense in my back. After a few hours (around 4:30 or so) I told James I HAD to push. They got me out of the tub and put me on the bed and I was already 8cm dilated. They put me in a position called the `fire hydrant` so that the need to push wouldn`t be so intense. After another few mins they checked me again and I was already 9 1/2cm so they got ready for the delivery. They told me his head was SO low that it should only take about 30 mins of pushing, which I was happy about... but that wasn`t the case. I pushed... and pushed... and pushed. The pushing was so much worse than I ever could have imagined, but Jenny and James kept telling me they could see his head and that he had a head full of dark brown hair, and that kept me going. After about an hour and a half I didn`t have any more energy (from not eating or sleeping for a few days). The baby`s heart rate slowed waaay down and Jenny said we had to do something. I tried SO hard to push as hard as I could, but it wasn`t enough. Finally, after two hours of pushing, she had to use the vacuum to get him out. I really didn`t want to, but I wasn`t making any progress and he was getting distressed. Well, he came out face up (OP), which we weren`t expecting. That`s one reason my back hurt so bad and I had to push so long. Once she used the vacuum he came out very quickly. I was so excited once I saw his head that I didn`t care about the pain anymore. After suctioning his nose and mouth, she laid him on my stomach and all the pain literally just went away... he was soo beautiful and perfect. James and I were so happy and proud and excited!

2 week update

Keaton is now up to 6lb 13 oz!!
I had an appt w/ my midwife Thursday and she said that if I hadn't switched to her I would have DEFINATELY gotten a c-section because the doc I had wouldn't have waited 2 hours for me to push! She said she has seen her call for c-sections just because she was ready to go home. That's crazy, isn't it? I just thank God I switched! I've also lost 18 of my 30 pounds that I gained. I'm still having trouble accepting my body right now... I just don't feel like I look like a 21 y/o should... but at least I have a beautiful baby boy to show for it! Breastfeeding is going well. I just got a pump yesterday so James can help out and so my mom can feed him when she watches him in the future... oh and so I don't have to breastfeed in public! He is nursing really well, although I'm still having to use a nipple shield. I'm still struggeling with whether or not I should go back to work... I'm pretty sure I won't, but that's going to be sooo strange for me! Anyway, that's all for now!

Feel free to message me on myspace, if you have one. You can find my page at http://www.myspace.com/christinas85.