It's Official............Maternity Leave has Begun!!!

Yay!! I do not plan to return to work until May 2nd!

I know I sometimes gripe about my job. The long hours, busy season, unexpected projects/issues, taking work home, etc. can really wear on you. But when it's not 'busy season', I'm able to manage my part-time/flex-time schedule pretty well. Public accounting provides a little bit more flexibility than your typical Corporate America job. I'm not stuck to a strict 8-5 schedule; actually, I'm rarely there by 8am. :) So, being pregnant is easier to manage at KPMG than a typical industry job. When I was throwing up non-stop for the first several months, I was able to work from home alot when I wasn't feeling well. And taking time off for the many Dr. appointments didn't necessarily require me to use PTO, as I was able to make it up later on.

Then there's the time off allowed for post-partum recovery. I know that I am blessed when it comes to this topic. First of all, I get to take off 4 weeks prior to my due date. I don't know many people that have that luxury. Then once I deliver, I'll get about 8 weeks paid time-off (due to c-section) and then an additional 2 weeks of 'bonus' parental time-off through the firm. Then you tack on additional time from my 5 weeks of vacation, and that's alot of time off! I plan on returning back to work the first week of May, when Chase is around 3 months old. With Austin, due to the timing of his birth and busy season, I took off nearly 5 months. It was a little more than I could handle.

Hopefully over the next 3 weeks before Chase arrives, I can relax, keep my blood pressure in control, and rest-up for the many sleepless nights ahead. :)

What's Your Resolution?

Another New Year is upon us. Time to make those resolutions that so many of us make and then don't follow through with. My goal this year is to stick to it though!

1. I know that losing weight is the #1 resolution that people make every year. But after I have Chase, I really want to start working out and taking better care of myself. I know I've only gained about 15 lbs. this pregnancy, but I could have stood to lose a few before I got pregnant again. I know I'm going to have my hands full with a toddler and a newborn, but I really want to start making time to take care of myself. It will be easy to manage while I'm on maternity leave. I plan on taking Chase for long walks around the neighborhood in his stroller. And hopefully I can start taking advantage of the 'gym' that Jordan has built upstairs. (I can see Jordan rolling his eyes as he reads this, as I've pledged to start working out again many times.)

2. With a toddler and a newborn, my life is going to soon become very hectic. I tend to possess some OCD tendencies when it comes to cleaning, being organized, and wanting things done just how I want them. But I know that I will have to start to let things go. The house is not always going to be in order. And Austin will probably act out here and there with Chase's new arrival. But I'm really going to try to just let things go and not get all worked up. For some reason, I think this resolution will be harder to achieve than #1 above. Yikes!

I'm not going to commit to any more than these two right now, as I know that these will both be difficult to actually be successful at. But I really think that 2011 can be the year that I actually do it. Maybe it's the crazy pregnancy hormones talking, though. :)

The Cost of a Pregnancy.........

First of all, I would like to preface this posting by saying that I do not intend to offend any readers. However, I can't make any promises. But I guess that's why I'm entitled to free speech and can write freely whatever I want on my blog.

When I pre-registered at the hospital the other day, I provided all of my insurance information to them. Now, we've been trying to prepare for our portion of the delivery/c-section and likely 4-day hospital stay. We've already paid off our portion to the OB's office for my nine months of prenatal care and performance of the c-section, which was required by month seven. And when I think back to when we had Austin, we were presented with a bill for roughly $10k (before insurance) when we left the hospital. And this didn't even include the anesthesiologist! We're on the same insurance plan now, but our coverage has changed from 90% to 85% since then (yay!). So, I can only expect that we'll be out of pocket a hefty penny again when it's all said and done:

4 visits to the ER for dehydration and constant vomiting: $1,200
OB pre-natal care, ultrasounds, delivery/c-section, etc.: $800
Anesthesiologist for c-section: $400
C-section and hospital stay: $1,500
Total estimated out-of-pocket: $3,900

That's alot of friggin' money! And this is after paying about $5,000 in medical insurance premiums for the year, too. And we'll leave out incidentals like blood work, prenatal vitamins, etc.

So, what's my point here, or why am I getting all worked up?..................People that don't have insurance. I'm not talking about the elderly who are on Medicare. And I'm not talking about the people who were laid off or legitimately aren't able to work. I'm talking about those that choose to not work at all, are self-proclaimed 'self-employed' working here and there for themselves because they don't want to hold down a regular job, or want to only work part-time and live a lazy lifestyle. It drives me absolutely nuts! Call me crazy, but I feel like it's my civic responsibility to hold down a steady job, pay my taxes, and carry my own health insurance. But then there are others who obviously don't carry that same belief and would like to use the system to their benefit. I'm sure if I decided to not work and be uninsured, I could have my baby with no out-of-pocket cost and have Medicaid bear 100% of the burden. That is just ludicrous! I don't understand how people can get off without paying a single penny of the cost, and I'm setting up a payment plan to just pay out my portion of the cost after insurance. I don't think I'm being insensitive; it just doesn't seem rational, or fair. I know; life's not fair. And some of us have to bear the burden and pay for others. Maybe one day things will be more equal, but probably not. And if Obamacare ever does go into effect, I think it will just make matters worse.

Well, that's all for my right-winged rant this evening. :)

How Many Kids is Enough?

I have to admit, over the past few weeks, I've been revisiting my decision to get my tubes tied when I go in for my c-section. Am I doing the right thing? Will I regret it in two years when I get baby fever again? I guess some of my thoughts are due to people inquiring about it all the time. As soon as family/friends/co-workers, or even complete strangers, find out that we're having another little boy, what's the first thing out of their mouth? 'Are you going to try for a third to get a girl?!' First of all, I would never try for a third child for the sole purpose of trying to get a daughter. I just think that would be ridiculous, and by tempting fate, I would end up with three boys. :) And if I had another boy, would I be resentful, wishing he had been a girl? And why do people assume that I need to have both a son and daughter? Granted, it would be nice to see what a little 'Mackenzie' would look/act like. But I always only wanted two kids, and that was Jordan and mine's plan from the get-go.

I can say with 99% certainty, that I will never be a stay-at-home mom. I have never wanted to be one, and it was confirmed with my 5-month leave when I stayed home with Austin. And with everyday bills, I don't know how people really survive on one income, to be honest. So, knowing that I will be a working mom, childcare expenses get hefty. I'm already dreading adding the expense of Chase at our daycare. But we love it there, and you honestly get what you pay for. When I think about adding a third child to the expense, my stomach drops. And neither Jordan or I were fortunate enough to have our parents pay for college and all the expenses that come with it. As a result, we've got lots and lots of student loans to pay back before our kids go off to college. We've started up a college fund for Austin and plan to do the same for Chase.

Nevermind the expenses that come with additional kids, how do you find time to give them enough attention and everything? And then there's the obvious 1:1 ratio that just completely makes sense. Who wants to be outnumbered? And when you go to amusement parks, then you have an odd number of people and someone gets stuck riding by themselves. I know, silly thoughts. But these are all pros and cons that have been floating around in my head trying to rationalize my decision.

Not to mention the fact that I don't have easy pregnancies. Maybe if I did, I would be more willing to do it all over again. But throwing up non-stop for 5 months is hard on the body, and makes it difficult to care for a toddler.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that everyone should stop at two kids. Everyone has a right to their decision. But the Houghams will be happy with our two little boys and not look back thinking what could have been. I don't mind being the queen in my castle, with all my boys. :)

This seems like a rambling post. But what else am I supposed to do while I stay off my feet? I expect you'll be getting more frequent blog posts from me in the upcoming weeks........

Getting Ready for Baby!!!

We are less than a month away from meeting our new addition. It's so nice to know that he will be here by the 24th, no matter what. The nursery is about 95% finished, and I've been running around picking up a few last minute items. I've begun packing a bag for the hospital and have a list of items that need to be added right before we go. I've also got my email announcement all drafted up, with blanks to fill-in, and my recipient list ready. And I've also got a list/instructions for whoever is in charge of Austin or keeping him. Trying to figure out who will watch Austin, pick him up or drop him off at school, etc. while I'm in the hospital is quite a chore. I know I will sure miss tucking him in while I'm in the hospital for four nights. :( Hopefully it will work out where someone can stay at our house in the evenings or watch Austin, so that Jordan can stay at the hospital with me and Chase. But if there's a night where Jordan has to stay home with him, I'm sure I can manage.

Yesterday I had my check-up with the doc. I've been instructed to stay off my feet from here on out. That's awfully hard to do, especially with a toddler and things to do around the house. I already got reprimanded by Jordan yesterday when he came home and saw that I had crawled up in the attic looking for a few things. Woopsie. I agree, probably not the best decision on my part, but when I want something done, I want it then. :) But I've promised to take it easy and be a better patient from here on out. Even after waiting in the OB's waiting room for an hour before my appointment, my blood pressure was high when the nurse checked it. Yay! :( Now, I get to start making weekly visits to see the doc until Chase arrives. And my total weight gain is at 15lbs. so far. After my appointment, I headed next door to the hospital and pre-registered so that we will be all set for the big day. It just seems so real now!

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATRINA!!!

My sister's birthday is the day after Christmas and she usually gets jipped. Most people 'forget' it's her birthday, combine a gift for Christmas & birthday, or are too busy to get together to celebrate. This year she turned 25, and we celebrated by going to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then heading next door to Dave & Buster's to play some games. It was a mellow evening, but fun nonetheless. We had a great time playing games, especially Austin!

Merry Christmas!!

I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone already. :( The past few weeks have been jam-packed with cookie swaps, family get-togethers, Christmas parties/dinners, etc. My calendar feels so empty now. The week before Christmas, we ventured over to the Gaylord to walk through the ICE! exhibit. It was a Charlie Brown theme this year and I thought Austin would enjoy it. Needless to say, he didn't enjoy the cold (it was 9 degrees!) or the fact that the eskimo jacket he had to wear was gigantic and his hands wouldn't reach out the arm holes. Maybe next year. :) Then two days before Christmas, we went to drive through Prairie Lights again. Last year was our first year through, and it was awesome. Once again, they didn't disappoint. Christmas Eve celebration was at our house with Jordan's family. We munched on some delicious snacks and exchanged gifts. After they left, it was just the three of us left and we relaxed. Jordan read the Christmas Story from the Bible to Austin; he sat still for about half of it. :) Once we put Austin to bed, we had to get the last few presents out to the tree and help Santa setup. I was so excited about Austin's new chair & ottoman. We got to sleep in until 8am; then I made some fresh pigs-in-a-blanket and cinnamon rolls for the family. We got Austin up and he ventured into the living room. I think it was alot for him to take in, seeing all those gifts. Needless to say, the chair & ottoman and new lawnmower (including gas can, of course!) was a hit right off the bat. Katrina and Logan had stayed with us the night before so they could be there first thing in the morning, and my mom came over in the morning to share presents as well. I think we all made out pretty good! And it was so nice to see Austin actually get excited opening all the presents. After cleaning up the disaster that all the wrapping paper and boxes made, I got into the kitchen to start prepping lunch. Rather than going the traditional route, we opted for a Mexican lunch. We feasted on cheese enchiladas, beef enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, rice, chips & queso, and sopapilla cake. It was quite delicious, if I say so myself. After lunch, Katrina and Logan headed out to his family's celebration, and the three of us were able to enjoy a nice two-hour nap. Once again, I thank God for a child that loves to sleep! When Austin got up, we opened up all of his toys and started getting organized. The rest of the day was spent with the three of us, cherishing these last few days/weeks when it's 'just the three of us' before Chase makes his big debut.

Baby Update!

Had my check-up with the doc today. And we got to have an ultrasound and take another peek at little Chase. He is measuring right at 5lbs. and is still about a week ahead. I still can't believe he is 5lbs.! Some babies are born at 5lbs.! Surprisingly, the doc didn't put me on full bed rest just yet. He's letting me off the hook until my next appointment in two weeks. My blood pressures are still borderline and he wants me to take it easy as much as possible still. If they get too high over the next week or so, I'm under strict instruction to call their office for a consult. Being the good patient that I was, I took my BP readings over the past two weeks, all nicely typed into an excel spreadsheet for his review today, which he appreciated. I guess it's the accountant in me, but Excel is my favorite application. :) And I've managed to gain a little more weight, bringing my total to 12lbs. now. Anyways, we went ahead and preliminarily scheduled the c-section for Monday January 24th. So, this will be Chase's birthday, unless my blood pressure gets too dangerous like last time, or I actually go into labor on my own. And for some reason, I have this weird feeling that I will go into labor, which I'm not too excited about. I didn't experience any water-breaking, contractions, or anything like that with Austin, so I feel like I would freak out if it happened. But we'll just take it one day at time, I guess. Anyways, it's nice to have an end-date in my head.

Visit to the North Pole!

Yesterday, we ventured up to the local Bass Pro Shop to wander around their winter wonderland and stand in line for a picture with Santa. I wasn't sure how it was going to go. Sure enough, it went pretty much how I expected. But I guess it's just part of the tradition, and you have to get the picture anyways. :) I guess it would be kinda scary to be plopped down on some stranger's lap.

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas!!!

I can't believe we're less than 3 weeks away from Christmas! And I can proudly say that I am all done with my Christmas shopping! In anticipation of bed rest, I got all of it done early and even did most of it online. I'm usually not one to do my shopping online as I like to actually see the product in person first, but I decided to try to do things more efficiently this year. I took advantage of free shipping, great sales, and % off when you bought so much stuff and think it went pretty well. Everything is even all wrapped
and under the tree! Well, most of it; we still have a few gifts for Austin that will just go unwrapped under the tree on Christmas morning with big bows on them.

Jordan braved the steep roof in the cold and got all of our lights hung on the house and I must say,
it looks great! We put the tree up and got it decorated. I tried to get Austin to assist in the decorating, but he wasn't too much into it. Although, he has found an ornament (ironically, his 'Baby's 1st Christmas' ornament) that he loves to take off the tree and carry around.

Our Christmas celebrations will be at our house this year, for both sides of the family. Jordan's family is coming out Christmas Eve. We usually go to Jordan's parents' house on Christmas Eve, but since I'm going to
very pregnant and likely on full bed rest then, they'll be coming out our way. Then my family will be coming over on Christmas day. Once Christmas is here and gone, it's only a matter of a few weeks before we get to receive another precious gift, Chase Cooper!

We're getting closer!!

I'm way overdue on an update regarding the pregnancy and the preparation for Chase's arrival. My belly seems to be getting larger by the day, but I can't seem to gain any more weight (still 7 lbs. to date). I've been taking advantage of my meager weight gain and indulging in anything I can find these days, but no such luck yet. I've been put on 'modified bed rest' by the doc, due to my blood pressure going up and lots of heart palpitations. They've adjusted my thyroid meds to see if that helps my heart rate, but it hasn't. So, I've been going into the office two days a week, and doing anything else from home. Luckily December is pretty slow at work.
I've had to keep a log of my blood pressure and heart rate each day to report back to the doc. I go back to see him on Monday and we'll see if it goes to full bed rest then. We also get another ultrasound on Monday to see how big our boy is so far. I've been trying to take it easy, but there has just been so much going on. Between Austin's birthday, the Thanksgiving holiday, baby showers, and holiday parties, it's been hard to stay off my feet.

My co-workers through me a lunch shower a few weeks ago and I had my friends/family one this past weekend. After everyone's generosity, we are pretty much set and only need a few things to be set for Chase's arrival. I've also been able to make some progress in Chase's room and it's almost ready as well.

Happy Birthday to You!

Ugh, can it really be; two years already? It just doesn't seem possible! I took cupcakes up to Austin's class on Friday of his birthday week. Austin must have known that cupcakes were coming right after nap time, because he woke up early and greeted me at the door when I got there. It was so cute when all of his friends sang Happy Birthday to him. And then they all dug into cupcakes with blue and yellow frosting. (I'm sure the teachers and the parents were thanking me later! :)) There was no way Austin was going to let me go home and leave him at school, so I took him home with me at 2:30
to play for the rest of the day. Conveniently, that night was also 'Parent's Night Out' at his school where you can pay $25 for them to watch your kiddo from 6-midnight while they have a pizza party and have all sorts of fun. It's quite the bargain if you ever have to pay a real babysitter by the hour! So, we decided to take advantage of this opportunity and I took him back up there at 6pm. Jordan and I grabbed a tasty dinner at Saltgrass and then headed home to do all the party prep for the next day. Jordan cleaned house while I made Austin's birthday cake and started setting up.

The next morning we treated Austin to a delicious birthday breakfast of chocolate milk and donuts with sprinkles. What more could a kid ask for?! Then Jordan took him for a quick haircut so he could look his best when our guests arrived at 4pm. The Handy Manny theme was a hit and everything went off without a hitch!
He got lots of great toys and clothes. Although, I think his favorite thing he received was a singing Mickey Mouse card he got from Meow Meow and LoLo. I guess it's the little things in life that make him happy. :)

I still can't believe he is two years old. It's so hard to remember what life was like without him in it.

Updates Coming Soon!!!

To my 5 readers of the Hougham Herald -

I promise to provide some updates here very soon. With Austin's birthday, a stomach bug that ravaged our house, baby showers, Thanksgiving break, Christmas shopping, and the pregnancy that is wearing me down, I have been slacking on providing you adequate updates on all things Hougham-related. My apologies. But I do promise lots of good reading to come. :)

Birthday Week Kickoff........Top 10!

I thought I'd start Austin's birthday week off with a 'Top 10 List' of my favorite things about our little guy, whether they're characteristics or little moments that we have shared. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard to narrow it down to just 10! I know I gush about him quite frequently on this blog, but I just can't help it! And I cannot believe that he will be TWO on Saturday!

#10- I love how you have made so many friends at school. It seems you have become a bit of a teacher's pet. You love to hang out with one of your former teachers and help her clean her room at the end of the day and she treats you to cake or extra snacks. And you love to go with your current teacher to get the snacks from the kitchen, take the dirty rags to the laundry room, etc. But my favorite part is when I drop you off or pick you up and you say hi/bye to your little friends by name and give them a hug. Such a social butterfly already!

#9- I love how you're like a little monkey, literally. Monkey see, monkey do. You watch us say or do something, and you can immediately mimic it. This is particularly convenient when I want you to say funny things. Lately, when your Daddy passes gas, you immediately yell, "Daddy, you tooted!" and laugh. All it took was to say that one time, and you were hooked. And you're the coolest kid in town when instead of giving a high five, you give knuckles. :)

#8- I love how lately you like for me to raise up my shirt, you raise yours, and we rub our bellies together and you laugh hysterically. I haven't decided yet if you actually know that a baby is going to come out of my growing belly in about two months, but I have faith that you will be a great big brother. I see how you play with Brady and love on him, and even though he's just a dog, I know you'll be great with Chase.

#7- I love how independent you are. From the very beginning, you were never one of those babies who cried if I left your sight for just a moment. Now, you're great at playing on your own, just roaming the house (which is finally 95% baby-proofed) and entertaining yourself by coloring, reading your books, or riding your bus through the house. This makes it so much easier for Mommy to get dinner started in the evenings, so thank you! But your growing independence makes me a little sad at the same time.

#6- I love how you know when it's the weekend. When I finally arrive in your room to get you out of the bed, you shout, "Nonuts!" (donuts) and 'Chocky Milk!" You have obviously picked up on our weekend routine around here. I'll also throw in here how you love to sleep, almost as much as I do! I thank God everyday that you're not one of those kids whose up at 6am on Sundays. I can usually get you to sleep til 9am or so, sometimes even later. :) Any kid who lets Mommy and Daddy sleep in on the weekends can eat all the donuts he wants!

#5- I love how you think the vacuum, broom, Swiffer, and dust pan are the best toys ever invented. I've never had a toddler yell at me, 'Mommy, need to caccuum!" so much, as you go to the closet to get it out. And you seem so content Swiffering the kitchen floor for a good 20 minutes. Oh, you are going to make some woman very happy one day! But until then, I should probably start paying you for completing your chores around the house.

#4- I love to watch you with your Daddy! He definitely lets you be 100% boy when you're with him, too. And as I watch you grow, you act more and more like him, along with looking more and more like him. You've become kind of a mini-me of him. Even with those little Fred Flintsone toes that he has 'blessed' you with. They're cute on you now, but by looking at your Daddy's, they won't stay that way forever. :)

#3- I love how when you don't want to go to sleep, you always talk me into rocking you in the glider in your room. I cherish this 'special time' we have, since I know you really don't even need to be rocked anymore. But my favorite part of this routine is how you proceed to brush the hair out of my face and say, "Pretty Mommy!". Melts my heart every time!

#2-I love how after Daddy and I put you to bed at night, you proceed to yell "Love, Love!" at least 5 or 6 times even after we've shut the door. "Love, Love!" is mine and your Daddy's special way of saying "I love you" (picked up from a Ben Stiller movie, nevertheless) and we're glad you have picked up on it!

#1-I love how the moment I saw you in the operating room for the first time, you had me wrapped around your little finger. We had waited so long to meet you, and it was truly love at first sight. It doesn't matter how bad a day I have, your bright smile warms my heart and makes everything else seem so unimportant. It's true what they say; a child changes your life forever.

Hello 3rd Trimester!

Finally! Although I feel like I've been pregnant forever so far, I'm 2/3 of the way there. I had my monthly checkup with Dr. Sudela yesterday. Total weight gain 6 lbs., so we're happy on that front. We got to have an ultrasound and take a peek at Chase. He is 2 1/2 lbs. now, and is measuring a week ahead so far. We weren't able to get any really good pics, because he was facing towards my spine. My blood pressure has been getting a little elevated lately when I'm up on my feet and running around too much. But I've been keeping an eye on it at home with my own monitor. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before it gets too out of control and bed rest is in my future. :( At least let me get my Christmas shopping done first! I start going back every two weeks now, so I'll be seeing alot of the doc.

I've had good intentions on the nursery, but haven't made much progress to show for. The crib is put together and the dresser is in there. No decor is up yet. But I've been sorting through ALL of Austin's old clothes and getting them washed so I can see what all we have......ALOT!!

My great co-workers are throwing me a 'Baby Supplies' shower on 11/17, so I see alot of diapers in my future. Then my friends/family shower will be on 12/5. So much going on!

On a side note, we did Austin's 2 year photo shoot at the park this past Sunday, and I can't wait to see how the pics turn out!

Happy Halloween!

What a difference a year makes! Last year at Halloween, Austin wasn't walking, we pulled him around the neighborhood in a wagon, and he had no idea what was going on. This year, he totally got the concept! I had been brainstorming the past few weeks on what he should go as. I went back-and-forth between a skeleton costume I had bought him and just putting together a Handy Manny outfit. Of course, two days before all the festivities started at his school, I decided I needed to put together Handy Manny! I bought him some work boots, did some iron-on magic on a shirt, painted a toolbox, and pulled out his tool belt. All done! He was the cutest Handy Manny I had ever seen!

Last Thursday, Austin's school hosted a fall festival where he got to ride the ponies, a choo-choo train, and play games for candy. He had a blast! A couple times, it took him a minute to recognize his teachers in their costumes.
Then on Sunday, we ventured up to our neighborhood Halloween party, which ended up being more geared towards older kids, but he enjoyed the bounce house obstacle course. Then it was trick-or-treat time! He was the most polite trick-or-treater, ever, saying thank you after receiving candy and then saying bye! He even got brave towards the end and walked up to doors by himself as we waited back a few feet on the sidewalk. So proud of our little boy!

Party Time!

False Alarm!!

I often wonder why I can't have a normal pregnancy. Maybe if I had easy pregnancies, then I would be willing to have more children. But that's obviously not the case here.

I woke up yesterday morning feeling kinda 'off' and not well. I got sick, but that's not really a surprise these days still. Then I laid down for awhile and felt a little better. So, I decided to do some chores around the house and just started feeling really lousy. I noticed that Chase had changed positions and significantly dropped. I no longer had a 'perfectly round' belly, but was carrying very low. It felt completely weird, his movements were still there, just in different areas than before and not as strong. If I tried to stand or walk for longer than ten minutes, I felt an awful lot of pressure like he was just going to fall out of me. Back to the couch I went to lay down. It seemed to ease up if I sat or laid down. While sitting down at dinner trying to enjoy my delicious homemade chili and cornbread, I started to feel some cramping. That's it, I had to call the doc. The on-call nurse called me back, asked some questions, and recommended that I go up to L&D at the hospital to get checked out just in case it was pre-term labor. I'm usually not one to freak out, but since I never went into labor with Austin and had a scheduled c-section, I'm no expert on what labor feels like. Yikes!

So, CiCi came to the rescue to watch Austin while Jordan took me to the hospital. Going back up to the 2nd floor at Lake Pointe just brought all the memories back. Got to the room, peed in my cup, and got my gown on. The nurse came in to hook me up to the monitors. However, Chase didn't want to cooperate, and they couldn't get his heartbeat on the fetal monitor. It was hard to stay calm, but I could feel some movement, so I knew in my heart he was fine. But my pulse was racing as we waited. While we waited for the sonogram tech to come, they hooked me up to the monitor and I was having some mild sporadic contractions. WTH?! It was way too early for Chase to make his arrival. I mean, I know the Duggars had their baby at around 26 weeks, but I would rather not have to deal with the stress of a preemie. The sonogram revealed that Chase was just fine, but was really low. He was measuring right at 2 lbs. The nurse checked my cervix for any signs of pre-term labor, but all came came back good. The ultimate diagnosis was that I was dehydrated, so after filling me with fluids, the contractions stopped. I was told to take it easy and stay hydrated. Whew, that was a close one! So, no more chores around the house or anything like that. I'm hoping that everything goes well from here on out, because I don't want to be dealing with bedrest or anything just yet.

In the meantime, Chase is still laying pretty low. Extra pressure on my bladder, yay! I definitely can't stand or walk long distances right now. Next appointment with the doc is next Monday, so we'll see what he says.

Pumpkins, Bellies, and Wine, Oh My!

Jordan and I took our 'babymoon' down to Gruene this past weekend and had a great time. It was just pretty relaxing, with not much of an itinerary. We visited a wine bar that we usually pay a visit to while down there, and enjoyed a bottle of wine on the patio. I'm usually not one to partake in alcoholic beverages while pregnant, but I did enjoy a glass of wine. It was delicious, but made me very sleepy. :) We did a little bit of walking around, hitting up our usual sites, enjoyed lots of delicious food at the Gristmill and Gruene River Grille, and listened to some great music. The bed & breakfast we stayed at was great and very authentic.

Austin stayed with Jordan's parents while we were out of town and had a great time. But he sure was glad to see his Mommy on Sunday afternoon! Once we got home and unpacked, we decided to take him up to the local pumpkin patch to walk around and maybe get some good pics. Well, Austin didn't really want to cooperate with my photo opportunities, and refused to pose or smile in any of them! I may take him back next weekend to try again.

I'm just about 25 weeks now and progressing right along. At my appointment last week, my weight was finally back up to pre-pregnancy, so the doc was happy. He measured my uterus on the outside of my belly, and I'm already measuring ahead. He ordered up another ultrasound on 11/1 to see how big Chase is already. I know my due date isn't til 1/30, but I'm fully expecting our boy to make his arrival by 1/15. I don't know how Jordan and I manage to make such big babies! But chubby babies are the best. :) Chase's crib arrived at the store today, and the dresser should be there by Thursday, so guess what we'll be doing this weekend!! This nursery will finally start coming together!

Just Rambling.....

I thought I would do just a miscellaneous update on all sorts of things. Why? Well, I'm kinda bored. I'm at home for the third day in a row suffering from a terrible stomach virus. I'm hoping to go back to work tomorrow, but still not feeling completely up to par yet.

All Things Regarding Chase

Chase is as active as ever these days! He particularly likes to liven up around 10pm every night. I hope this isn't a sign of what he'll be like when he arrives! But if I try to remember back, I think Austin liked to kick around mostly at night time. It's still an odd feeling, having a little human being rolling around in your tummy. We cleaned out the extra guestroom a few weeks ago, and this past weekend I put paint on one wall in Chase's room. Strangely enough, the color scheme in the bedding I picked out for Chase
matches that of Austin's so I'm able to use paint we already had in the garage. Score! I'm painting the main wall with the crib a dark blue and the remaining three walls a darker tan. I'm getting really excited about the planes, trains, and automobiles theme, especially since his bedding came in this week. And Mom has offered to buy his crib (since she did with Austin and she's insisted on doing all the same things for Chase), so pretty much all we have to buy is a dresser for this kid. Yay! I pulled down some boxes of Austin's clothes from the attic to start going through them. It's so fun to go down memory lane and see how much our monkey has grown. Needless to say, we're pretty much set on clothes for Chase!

Before I got this stomach virus, I was starting to feel pretty good. No more nausea and seemed to have a pretty good level of energy for the most part. But since I've been sick the past couple days, I'm still down 6lbs from my starting weight. Sometimes I wonder how I can still be down that weight when my belly is growing by the minute it seems. My next appointment will be my 24wk checkup next week with my awesome Dr......love him!

What's Austin Been Up To?!

This boy is all over the place!! He has the funniest personality and everyday is an adventure. With the weather finally cooling down, we've been spending alot of time outside playing in the evenings, which he loves. We enrolled him in a program at school called Amazing Athletes that comes once a week for an hour and works with them on different sports activities and coordination. I can definitely tell he's been picking up on a few things! After the first session, Austin's teacher commented to Jordan that the Athletes' director was impressed by Austin's abilities already and could tell we'd been working with him alot. Yay! I'm not saying we're going to have an NFL or NBA star on our hands, but I could tell it made Jordan proud of his little boy!

As you can tell from my previous post, we've completely kicked the paci out the door. Man, am I relieved it was that easy!! His teacher says he's asked about it a few times at nap time, but they just tell him he doesn't have it and he's fine. Ugh, he's just growing up too fast! I have a month and a half til his 2nd birthday, so I'm in full party planning mode now. We've decided on a Handy Manny theme this year, which he's been kinda obsessed about lately. I've got the cutest invitations picked out, all the decor, and the cake that I'm planning on making. I know I'll be cussing myself the night before the party when I'm up til midnight trying to finish the cake, but I'm pretty excited about it. Now all we need to do is his 2-year photo shoot.....I can't wait!

Everything Else!

Next weekend Jordan and I will be venturing down to one of our favorite spots, Gruene, TX, for a little 'babymoon' by ourselves before I get too pregnant. We're looking forward to a little R&R at a local bed & breakfast. There's a Music & Wine Festival going on while we're down there, so there should be plenty to do. Jordan's parents have graciously offered to watch Austin for the weekend while we're gone, but I know I'm going to miss him terribly! But before we can get to Gruene, we get to attend my 10 year high school reunion this weekend. It's going to be a small informal get-together, but I didn't expect much more when you graduate with only 46 people. :)

I can't believe that October is in just a few days! This year has truly flown by. I know we'll have such a busy few months with the holidays, Austin's birthday, and getting ready for Chase's arrival. And I've got to wrap up things at work and get my clients transitioned to another manager before my departure at Christmas-time.

Anyways, I guess that's all the updates I have for now. :)

Bye Bye Paci!!

Before Austin was born, I struggled with the decision on whether we would give him a pacifier or not. It always bothered me when I would see 3-year olds walking around stores with a pacifier in their mouth. Well, when you have a screaming newborn, it's easy to succumb to the easy soother. However, we restricted his use of the paci to only when he was napping, riding in the car, or sleeping at night. As he got a little older, it was only allowed during sleep/naps. It was always my goal to get him off of this by his 2nd birthday, which is in less than two months. I heard suggestions from others about cutting the tip off so it wouldn't give the sucking sensation anymore. That was my original plan, but the other night on a whim, I just decided to lay him down at bedtime with just Woofie (his constant companion dog) and no paci. He never even asked about his paci and went to sleep no problems. Was this just a fluke?! Well, here we are four days later and still no paci! I'm so proud of my little monkey! I had no idea it was going to be this easy to take it away from him.

He has a name!!!!

After much deliberation and debate, we have finally come to an agreement on this little guy's name........

CHASE COOPER HOUGHAM

It wasn't easy this time around. Jordan had his list and I had mine. Finally at 1:30am the other night, we came to an agreement. Chase has become pretty active these last few days, and Jordan was finally able to feel him kick on the outside of my belly. What a wonderful feeling to be able to share! We've emptied out everything from the guest room and am ready to paint and get this nursery started!

The Verdict Is In!!!

It's another BOY for the Houghams!! I saw that little turtle on the screen long before the u/s tech pointed it out to us, and my heart jumped with joy! Everything looked great and the baby was measuring normal with all the different parts of the anatomy. I'm actually measuring 3 days ahead of my actual due date right now, too. After the u/s, Jordan accompanied me to my regular monthly appointment, which has been a first for this pregnancy. It can be particularly awkward when you have to get undressed at the OB's office and your husband is sitting across the room giving you the stink eye. But luckily today, no need to get undressed, which was perfectly fine with me. Just a prick of the finger to check for anemia, talk about my nausea/vomiting, and listen to the heartbeat. My total weight gain/loss at this point is -4 from my starting weight. It's getting back up there, slowly but surely. I didn't actually gain any weight with Austin until after 20 weeks, so we're right on track with last time. For the most part I feel pretty good. I only have about one day a week where I get sick and feel like crap most of the day. Sleep has become a little uncomfortable because I'm a stomach sleeper, so I'm trying to manage that. I've got a little bump going on and feel like I'm carrying just like I was with Austin.

Ahhhh! I can't believe I will be the mother of two boys. I guess I will get to be the Queen of our castle and let them adore me. :) I have no sadness whatsoever about not having a little girl. I wasn't dead set on having one of each before we quit trying to have children. I always knew I wanted two kids and whatever they were, that was it. I would never try to tempt fate by trying for a third for a girl. At least there will be no weddings to pay for! And I think about the boxes and boxes of baby boy clothes up in the attic that I just have to wash and put in the new nursery. So cheap, since they'll be born in pretty much the same seasons.

Now we start the name game/battle. We can't seem to come to a consensus, so this should be interesting. My plan for the nursery is to a transportation theme with planes, trains, and automobiles. I envision a train track, roadways painted on the wall, etc. I've been browsing baby bedding all afternoon and am getting excited about getting the nursery together!

T minus 1 week til the Big Reveal!!

I'm not what you would call the most patient person in the world. In fact, Jordan would say that I'm not patient at all. I've threatened many times to stop on my way home from work and just pay out of pocket for a gender ultrasound, rather than waiting for our scheduled appointment. But here we are. At exactly 1 week from this post, we will FINALLY know whether we will be having a boy or a girl. And at this point, I don't really have a gut feeling which way it's going to go. Other than my face breaking out like I'm 16 and certain body parts getting rather large, everything else has been the same as it was with Austin. So, whether we'll find out we're having a little Mackenzie, or an unnamed little boy, I guess it's up to God. All we care about is having a healthy baby. Til next week with breaking news!

The Texas heat will cause you to lax on your standards!

Growing up in the country, I saw my fair share of white trash. Kids running around grocery stores with no shoes on, or in just a diaper. Even kids running around naked. Well, I guess I can count me in that group now. With record number of days in the 100's lately, I've kept Austin inside the house 98% of the time. Even going to the pool is too hot. The other night after dinner when the sun started going down, I was playing with him in the driveway. I decided to turn on the faucet and see what he did. Well, it's his new favorite playtime! He started out the first night fully clothed, in shorts and a shirt. The next night, we took off the shirt.
Then stripped down to the diaper. Well, last night he pretty much ripped off his diaper and so he went full monty on us. Luckily, we live on a cul de sac, so we don't see much traffic. He loves to fill up a cup with water and poor it on himself and stomp around and yell 'cold, cold, cold!'. Or he just looks down and says 'peepee' and laughs hysterically. It's pretty entertaining. So, as long as it's still over 100 degrees, neighbors in Woodcreek, don't judge me! :)

Here's to 7 wonderful years!!

July 26th marked mine and Jordan's seven year wedding anniversary. I really can't believe it's been that long already. But we've been married the longest out of all of our friends, so that's quite an accomplishment, especially since some that were married before us are already divorced. I can honestly say that our relationship is stronger today than it was seven years ago. Our journey as a couple has brought us a long way, and reached a new level after becoming parents. So, here's to us babe, and 70 more years to come!

Making progress........

Two weeks ago we went in for an ultrasound to check on the BeBe and check for some abnormalities. All tests results came back normal and we got a great peak at our growing bundle of joy. We asked the doc if he could determine the gender yet, but he wasn't certain. So, it looks like we'll have to wait til next time. We should find out on September 7th, whether we will once again be joining the blue team or venturing over to the unknown on the pink team. Once we find out the gender, you can bet I will have this nursery up and going shortly after! :)

Parasite or Baby?!

Over the past two months, I've begun to wonder if I'm pregnant with an actual baby or a parasite. Because whatever it is, it's literally sucking the life right out of me! I know pregnancy is supposed to be one of the most amazing and wonderful times in a woman's life. Well, not so much for me. I just don't think my body is cut out to bear children. If I'm not vomiting, I feel like I could at any moment. I've already had to go to the hospital on three occasions to be treated for dehydration because I just couldn't manage to keep any liquids down for a long period of time. The actual medical term is called hyperemisis gravidarum. Basically it's a severe form of morning sickness that can last an entire pregnancy!!! This comes as no surprise to me, since I experienced this with Austin as well, but I just HOPED this time would be different. My latest trip to the hospital involved me getting 3 bags of IV fluids and some wonderful phenegren in my IV. After running some labs, they considered actually admitting me to the hospital, which would not have been fun at all. Right now, I'm in my 15th week and I've lost 15 lbs. so far. And it's just so hard to function when you feel like crap 24/7. Thankfully, Jordan and the rest of the family have been really great at helping out and picking up the slack in taking care of Austin when momma's not feeling so hot.

I'm hoping things take a turn for the better here in the next couple weeks. But if not, I know it will all be worth it when I hold this sweet miracle in my arms in January. I guess I should try to enjoy this pregnancy a little bit, since it'll be the last time. :(

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful hubby, Jordan! Hope you enjoy the last year of your 20's!!!! Love you!

What a great vacation!

Whew! I can't believe our vacation is already over and we're back to reality. :( We got up early last Saturday and headed to the airport with ALL of our luggage. Since I cashed in 100,000 miles to get mine and Austin's tickets, we were 'Priority Access', got to board the plane first and got to check all our bags for no fees! Woohoo! And the flight went great. Austin was awake playing and eating for the first hour and then slept the remaining hour and a half. I was so proud of him doing so well on the flight. Nobody would have even suspected there was a toddler on the plane! Then we headed to the hotel in Miami. All of us stayed in a two-bedroom suite at a Hyatt, which the setup worked out perfect for us. After relaxing at the hotel for the rest of the day, we got up on Sunday and headed for the cruise terminal. With our VIP status, we were checked in and boarded the ship in about 30 minutes; it was great. We headed to the Lido deck for a delicious lunch, 'Specials of the Day' drinks, and started enjoying the good life.

The week was filled with lots of family togetherness, gambling, drinking, eating too much food, soaking up the sun, and chasing my monkey around! The first full day was a 'fun day at sea', so we wandered around the boat all day and also took Austin to 'Camp Carnival'. He absolutely loved it in there and was an instant hit with all the staff! Oh, and it was my birthday! Jordan got our cabin all decorated, and they sang Happy Birthday to me at dinner. Day two we stopped off in Grand Cayman. Katrina and I took Austin to the Seven Mile Beach for his first beach experience, while Mom, Jordan and Logan went off to swim with the stingrays. I was worried Austin wouldn't like the sand or getting dirty. Boy, was I wrong! He got in there with his bucket and shovels and just went to town! The next day we stopped off at a hidden hideaway-Isla Roatan, Honduras. What a beautiful little secluded island! Another trip to the beach for all of us. Mom watched Austin for a bit while me, Jordan, Kat, and Logan took a ride on a paddleboat.....what a workout! Our next stop was Belize. Jordan and I had previously been to Belize, which is primarily a jungle destination with mostly high intensity excursions. So, we elected to stay on the boat that day with Austin and enjoy some downtime. Our last stop was in Cozumel; but it rained most of the day, so another lazy day experiencing life on the ship. The excitement and hustle of the vacation was starting to wear on us, so it was a welcome idea.

Throughout the week, we would take Austin to Camp Carnival for a little bit, so that we could enjoy some adult time to enjoy the casino, sun, or a show. Overall, he did pretty good in there. In the evenings, we would drop him off at 10pm, thinking he would be asleep in no time. When we arrived back at 1am, we were surprised to find a little boy up and still playing. But since he stayed up late, it also meant that he would sleep in, so that was okay for us! The casino was touch-and-go throughout the week for all of. We finally got Mom to leave the slots and come over to the darkside of Blackjack and she instantly became addicted. Close to the end of the week, I walked away from the table with $700 and was very proud of myself! Jordan, well, he wasn't very consistent. His consumption of double Crown and cokes often clouded his judgment.

On our last day, it was time to say goodbye to the ship, and also to Katrina and Logan who would be headed to Omaha for a baseball tournament. In the meantime, Mom, Jordan, Austin, and I ventured to the Miami Seaquarium to blow off some time before our flight back home. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed with it. Mom said it best, that it reminded her of the marine park in the episode of Jaws where they brought the sharks in to try to attract more customers. Yep, it was a little rundown, and it was so hot outside. We quickly grew hot and tired and headed to the airport. After entertaining Austin for two hours while sitting in the airport, we were exhausted. I was worried how he would do on our jam-packed flight back to Dallas after being so tired and ready to get home. Much to my dismay, he fell asleep before we even took off and slept the entire 3 hours til we got to our gate in Dallas! Hallelujah!

Overall, it was a great trip. It took us several days to recuperate and get back in the swing of things of everyday reality. To see the joy on Austin's face while playing at the beach was enough to make it a success in my book. As for me, I will never go on another cruise pregnant again! My nausea and vomiting came and went most of the week, and the exhaustion got to me. Not to mention, no 'Specials of the Day' for me either!