Baby Rees wishes you a Happy Halloween!

It was so awesome to finally see our baby via ultrasound! And let me tell you, that baby was out of control! The baby was flipping and turning in every direction, except the one it was supposed to be in. The doctor had a hard time taking the measurements, especially the fluid behind its neck. We were in there for about 40 minutes waiting for the baby to get into the right position. They had me use the restroom, walk around, lay on my side, and give it a talk. It never did get in the most ideal position, but the doctor said she had enough measurements at different angles to get an accurate number. Even though the baby was very uncooperative for the doctor, it was a fun show for Ryan and me. At one point it started to drink the fluid! We could see its little mouth open and we watched the fluid go down its throat. We could even see the liquid inside its stomach! After that it finally went to sleep. It must have worn itself out with all the back flips and break dancing! It was a great experience for us and we came out of it with six pictures (one unidentifiable). Hopefully the baby will be more cooperative when we find out the gender on December 22. Anyway, here are the promised pictures. In the spirit of Halloween, the baby decided to dress up as an alien! I'm having trouble uploading the other pictures, so be patient.

12 week update

Today was awesome because I got to hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time! At first the nurse had trouble finding it, but there it was down at the very bottom. Everything sounds good! I couldn't believe how fast the heart was beating! I have also gained 10 pounds, which is amazing because I am still throwing up like a super model. Either I'm going to have a fatty baby, or else I will be the one getting fat.

On a good note, I have a new friend named Zofran. Originally, my doc wanted to prescribe phenergan, but that stuff makes me sleepy (which defeats the purpose if I want to take it in the day). So she upgraded me to Zofran, a powerful anti-nausea medication used for people on chemotherapy. I don't know why I waited this long to take it, because it works miracles! It really did take away all the nausea. I was even able to walk through my garage without gagging! The true test will be the frozen food aisle, but I'm not ready for that yet. So hopefully this morning was the last time that I throw up. Speaking of throwing up, my episode this morning was one-of-a-kind. I had chocolate milk for breakfast and then I blew my hair dry. After that I began to brush my teeth which caused me to gag and vomit my chocolate milk. The interesting part was that I had green mint toothpaste still in my mouth during the process and it tasted like mint chocolate chip. The flavor itself was enough to distract me from vile act that was occuring.

Stay tune for tomorrow. I have my first ultra sound, so I will try and post the cute pics of the little one.

I've been tagged!

4 things:

I Love about my husband:
1. He is like a teddy bear
2. He is fun to play jokes on
3. He is extremely patient
4. He has the coolest green eyes

Movies I would watch more than once:
1. The Client
2. The Fugitive
3. Superman
4. Dumb and Dumber

TV shows I can watch more than once:
1. Everybody Loves Raymond
2. The Office
3. Planet Earth
4. Any home improvement show on HGTV

People who email me frequently:
1. Becky
2. Claudine
3. Kim
4. Mom

Favorite foods (this could change daily or hourly):
1. Breakfast tacos (potato, egg, and bacon) from Restaurant El Chef
2. Cereal (Honey Nut Chex and Multigrain Cheerios)
3. Lactose free milk, sprinkled with chocolate
4. The #4 at Jimmy Johns

4 places I've been:
1. Dominican Republic
2. Monterrey and La Pesca, Mexico
3. Gulf of Mexico, Texas beach
4. Coos Bay, Oregon

Places I'd like to visit:
1. Thailand
2. Italy
3. Chile (Ryan's mission)
4. Africa

4 things I look forward to next year:
1. Having my baby in May!
2. Going to New York next September
3. Visiting my family in July
4. Christmas with my baby!

I tag: Kylene, Bev, and Kristina

Problems at the podiatrist and a new nephew, all in one day!

So this morning I got the news that my sister-in-law, Kristina, was going into labor! I had a busy day planned for work today, so I decided I would go to the hospital after my podiatrist appointment in the afternoon. I was very excited to get everything done today so I could get to the hospital. The reason I was going to the podiatrist was because I had a nasty infection. After removing my toenail and giving me a prescription for a topical medicine, I felt the morning sickness making it's way in. I politely waited for the doctor to finish his instructions and then I asked where I could find the restroom, but it was too late. I covered my hands over my mouth and caught it (it was just a little). But then it really came! I couldn't catch it and it went everywhere! It was all over my hands, arms, feet, legs, and even in my hair (which was a real shame because I was having a good hair day). The doctor rushed over and set the trash can next to me where I proceeded to finish my vomiting. THEN, my purse fell right into the middle of the vomit! I couldn't take it out because my hands were covered in it. THEN, all the stuff in my purse started to fall out into the vomit. THEN, my prescription fell into the vomit. I didn't know what to do. I just kept looking at this horrible mess I made. It was so awful! I was so mortified! I kept telling the doctor and the nice receptionists how sorry I was. They were so nice and brought me water and wet rags and an elastic to pull my hair back. They told me not to worry about the mess. Luckily I was the last patient of the day. So I went home to take a shower. On the way to the hospital I started laughing so hard about all of this. It really is funny if you think about it!

So I made it to the hospital just in time. Baby Cole was born about 20 minutes after I got there. Kristina wanted me to take his first picture. He is so cute and tiny. Because he was 2 1/2 weeks early he was a little smaller, 5 lbs 8 oz and 18.75 inches long. He was so alert the entire time we were there. He stayed awake for 2 hours! I watched him when they took him to the nursery and he finally went to sleep after they gave him a bath. But the poor baby next to him kept crying and it would wake him up. Here are some pictures of him when he is just a few minutes old. He looks so tiny in Ryan's big arms!

Save the waffles!

On Monday I threw up a lot. The last time I had a really bad day like that I was wearing the same outfit, white linen slacks and a black shirt. I decided that I must be having a girl and she is upset with me for wearing that outfit. White after Labor Day, a classic fashion faux pas. My morning sickness is getting worse and it has become all-the-time sickness. I have definitely had some good days. Sometimes I will wake up and feel almost normal again and I can enjoy a variety of foods throughout the day. But my sick days are getting worse and my tolerance for smells and tastes is on a rapid decline. I can't even look at certain foods (or think about them) without gagging. There is a bag of frozen chicken in the freezer that has been blocking the waffles. It happens to be right in front and it's the first thing you see when you open the freezer. It also happens to make me gag, so I have been avoiding the freezer like the plague. This morning I decided that this was it, I was going in for the waffles and the chicken was not going to stop me this time. I approached the freezer with caution, took a deep breath and made a single swoop for the waffles (with my eyes closed). It is safe to say that the waffles have been safely relocated to a secure area, away from the chicken.

I had my 8-week doctor appointment on Monday and everything is normal and looking good. I was surprised to see that I have gained six pounds! I asked my doctor if that was okay (it seems like a lot to me) and she said that some of it could be water weight. She said not to worry right now and they will keep an eye on it. My next appointment will be at the end of October when I am 12 weeks. I am particularly excited because we get to have an ultrasound!

7 week update

So something unusual happened to me this morning. I had a bad case of morning sickness and I threw up so hard that the blood vessels in my neck, face, and forehead burst! Has this happened to anyone else? I decided that I must be having a girl and she is upset with me for feeding her the junk foods I mentioned in my previous blog. Today's choice foods: strawberries, apples, applesauce, grapes, pb & j, cinnamon toast (hold the crust), cereal, and chocolate milk. Food no no's: Chinese, Mexican, chicken cacciatore, hot dogs, pork... I'll stop there. It's making me sick.

This pregnancy is really throwing me through a loop. I am different everyday. My likes and dislikes are different everyday. But one thing is for sure, this baby has really tickled my funny bone. Certain things, that ordinarily would not have been so funny, have become hilarious! I will get on giggle fits and laugh so hard that I cry. Even thinking about it has made me laugh.

Maybe you're only half pregnant...

Apparently there are three possible results you can get from a pregnancy test:
1. Pregnant
2. Not pregnant
3. Buy a better test

We found this out when I decided to take one two weeks ago (on Labor Day to be exact). I did purchase the $4 generic brand test as opposed to the $20 name brand test and the end result was #3. Although the directions were clear and simple, "+" if your pregnant, "-" if your not, my results were not. The horizontal line was hot pink, but the vertical line was very faint. Ryan's response, "Maybe you're only half pregnant."

So we did make a trip back to the store to buy the $20 test, with digital readout. Within 30 seconds of taking the test it said PREGNANT. I yelled, "RYAN," and ran into the room. We were both filled with excitement, shock, and disbelief. Ryan's other genius response, "Maybe if you leave it here for awhile, it will change." It didn't.

We have had a lot of fun telling our family and friends the good news. My parents are so excited to be grandparents (although my dad says he will not be called Grandpa, but rather Cool Dude) and my sisters are fighting over who is going to be the favorite aunt. Ryan's Algebra II classes are equally excited and have even offered some advice for me. His 4th period class recommended that I rub cocoa butter on my stomach to prevent stretch marks. Thanks guys, I'll keep that in mind.

Today I had my first doctor's appointment! I am six weeks and two days along, due on May 9. The appointment went well, except that I spent the first ten minutes throwing up in their bathroom. This has been my first case of morning sickness, but during the previous two weeks I have had a voracious appetite. I have been craving disgusting foods: hot dogs with mustard (all three were delicious!), White Castle hamburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, milkshakes, and shredded beef nachos. However, that's all gone out the window. Now I am enjoying ginger ale with a side of saltine crackers and a pedialyte frozen pop for dessert. The breakfast of champions!

Here is an official photo of me at 4 weeks.