AM I READY?!?

So.... last week I realized how NOT ready we are for Bing to come home. On Thursday night I was talking to Molly (my little sister with the same due date as me).... and she was telling me about how she is ready for Jack (my nephew) to join her in the world outside the womb. She literally has all her clothes washed, sheets washed & on the crib, hospital bag packed... even has nipple cream & nursing pads packed!! Well... I was thinking "I have time... at LEAST a good 2-3 weeks until I need to even THINK about doing this stuff."

Well... Friday sure made me sing a different tune....

You see, I was at work and started to not feel right.... lots of cramping... which really makes it hard when you are trying to take care of sick people. I even timed these "pains" and they were 6-10 minutes apart. Well... I let them continue for about 3 hours before calling my doctor. They didn't increase in pain over that 3 hours, and I couldn't even feel my abdomen contract like I could with the "practice contractions", but I figured SOMETHING was going on, so I had better go in. Luckily, I chose a doctor that has his office in the hospital that I work in... so it was just a short walk over there.

WELL... I got quite the scare when I went over there... My blood pressure was high... WAY higher than I am used to... and the nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor and kept saying things like "If you think you are having a contraction, you probably are." and "Looks like we are going to be sending you over to Labor & Delivery". I freaked out. She told me to wait for a bit until the doc could make it in the room.... and I sat there... for 15 minutes... thinking about all what I had left to do.....

Molly has NIPPLE CREAM?!? I don't even have SHEETS for my baby's bed!! Molly has breast pads?!? I don't even have my car seat installed to take the little guy home! It made me realize how unprepared I was for my little guy... not just that it was still WAY to early for him to be making his appearance in the world (I was 34 1/2 weeks).



Well.. Thank God it was just a false alarm. Once my doctor told me that I was not having "real" contractions & that I was NOT going into labor I was able to calm down... a lot. He retook my blood pressure and it had come down... but he instructed me to go home & rest...

SERIOUSLY?!? Go home and REST?!? Well.. I did rest... until Austin came home... then we immediatly went to Babies R Us & got the sheets for Baby King's bed & some other "necessities". I spent the whole day Saturday finishing the nursery, washing all his clothes that are 0-3 months, picking out his "home from the hospital" outfit, and even washing bottles! The things I couldn't finish on Saturday we finished on Sunday. Though I don't have my hospital bag packed yet... I do have a pile of things that need to go in it. I feel MUCH more prepared... and I am sure my blood pressure has gone down even more since this little "event."

Anyway, here is the finished product. I would like to note that we do have letters above his crib that spell out his name... but since we are keeping that secret I have not yet hung them. Also, there is normally a rocker in the corner but we have moved it into the living room until the baby is born so I can elevate my legs while watching TV. hehe.

Time for relaxation?!?

There are some things that you just miss during pregnancy. You must give up a lot during the long 9 months of pregnancy to ensure that the little bambino is safe. Some of these things are a bit extreme... but some seem a little more legitimate. Well.... one thing that I have really missed is a hot, bubbly bath. I have been holding out for quite some time on this little luxury because I did not want to "hard-boil my baby" (as Jenny McCarthy would say...) But seriously, doesn't this look absolutely delightful?

Well.... my baths never include rose pedals or lime slices.... but you get the point. Well... I have recently gotten the "go ahead" to start taking baths again... (as long as my water hasn't broke).... so you can just IMAGINE how excited I was for the time to come where I could sit in a nice, warm, bubbly bath and relax. I got even MORE excited when these great people got me some bath soap & a new loofah as part of my baby shower gift.
Okay.... so I had this day ALL planned out where I would be able to take my bubble bath. I had to wait until Austin would be close to coming home (just in case I couldn't get OUT of the bath, literally, once I got in), I had to clean the bathtub before, and I had to get all my candles lit. I was SOOOOO excited that I had time to do this today......

First, I started to clean the bathtub. It has been out of use for the past 9 months or so.... besides the cats hiding place from the dogs... so I cleaned it VERY good. It was sparkling when I was done with it. I then turned the water on HOT, added my new bubble bath, lit some candles, and let the bath water flow to wonderful relaxation levels.

When I first stepped into the bath I noticed that it wasn't quite as hot as I would normally prefer, but disregarded it as being "a sign from God" that the bath water still should not be super hot for the comfort of the baby in my tummy. After about.... 1 minute in the tub I decided that the lukewarm water needed to be hotter for me to enjoy this relaxation moment I was trying to make..... I turned on the hot water again.... and..... FREEZING COLD.

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Our water heater must have taken a break on us because there was absolutely NO HOT WATER to make this dream of mine a reality. The water that would come through the pipes was so cold.... and was making my lukewarm bath colder! I couldn't get out of the tub because I was too big.... and un-flexible being 8 1/2 months pregnant! I had timed it perfectly so that I could be in the bath for 30 minutes before Austin got home & then he could help me out.... so.... I had no choice but to sit in my cold, cold bath for 30 minutes!

Maybe next week I will attempt this goal again....

Showering "Bing" with Love....

Last weekend we had our first party/parties for "Bing". First, I must clarify...... we are not actually naming our child "Bing".... this is just what we are calling him until we get to meet him outside the womb. "Bing".... it stands for "Baby King"..... get it?

Well... last weekend he got spoiled with love from family & friends. Do not feel bad if you were not invited to his party. It is not because I do not love you, but because I hate making people feel like they must come and give gifts..... especially if we have not seen you in awhile.

Well... we had 2 parties.... one was just for some of my close friends & family. This was Winnie the Pooh themed and turned out great. It was very low key and was fun seeing everyone.

The second was for me & Austin's mutual friends.... who many are male... and we have grown to love their significant others.... so... we made it a co-ed party with a "Sports" theme.... (especially because "Bing" will probably be tall like his father.... and we will be living in the same town as the Spurs.... he might be the next Tim Duncan.....).... so... we thought we would teach him about sports early on..... I don't really have anything big to post about anything "crazy" that happened at either of these showers.... but it really meant a lot to us that we have such great support from our family & friends.... and I thought it deserved a post. "Bing" is already loved so much and nobody has even met him yet!

Mom Turns 60!

Mom turned 60 last month.... most kids would have gotten (and most Mom's would enjoy) a nice piece of jewelery from her children, or some nice, sentimental gift. My mom? No way. My mom has been talking about a Cotton Candy Machine for..... I don't know how long. So, we all pitched in & got her one of these doozies....

We didn't know it when we first set up the Cotton Candy Machine... but we didn't have it set up right.... and it would take FOREVER for the sweet treat to web up. My mom would literally stand there with her cotton candy cone for at LEAST 20-30 minutes with minimal results and get so excited when she would see just a speckle of candy. You can only IMAGINE how happy she was when she got THIS result..... (and how LONG it took to get it!)When she was cleaning it up after 2 LONG days of making Cotton Candy we finally read the directions & realized that the sugar was not close enough to the heat... and that was why it was taking so long.... so.... hopefully next time we get some better results. Until then... our sugar high will just have to wait...

John has stolen my blog before... without my permission.... so here I am going to steal his... because it is full of good information... and I am hoping Austin will read it..... :)

Good day everyone. My name is John and I’m filling in today for "Browyn." She’s out grabbing some lunch and doing her nails while skydiving. She told me they dry faster that way. I write a blog called Fatherhoody.

I wanted to get the word out to all you ladies and to any husbands that might be reading though, there are certain things you must do to handle a pregnant wife. My wife and I found out we were pregnant way back in 2009. That’s like… a year ago (2010-2009 = 1). That also means we’re getting closer and closer each day to her popping out a small human. (The human will grow to be a larger human and eventually go on to play right field for the St. Louis Cardinals, make millions of dollars, and place me into a very nice retirement home.) Anyway, as we approach A-Day (arrival day) a husband must care for his pregnant wife in a very different way than one would care for a non-pregnant wife.

You see, the Pregnant Wife (Wifius Pregnasius), is a creature like no other. She can be emotional. She will always be tired (and will always use the word exhausted to describe her current state). She will also always be uncomfortable. She’ll be uncomfortable standing, sitting, sleeping, driving, walking, running, jogging, especially jump roping and always when mountain climbing. Therefore, as the helper of Wifius Pregnasius the Husband of Pregnant Wife (Husbandian Wifius Pregnasius) must use the following advice to keep things happy in the household.

1. Act Excited About Everything. A request to do the dishes for her on a night should be met with the following: “You want me to do the dishes? I’D LOVE TO DO THE DISHES!” During statements such as these keep your voice pitch an octave higher than usual to show extra excitement. Also, be extra excited about doing anything outside the home. It is very difficult for Wifius Pregnasius to get the energy to leave the nest, so if the opportunity arises make sure you act like she just asked you to be her date to every single game of the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals season and you get to sit right behind home plate and wave to it throughout the whole game while on your cell phone. “WHAT?? You want to go to Target to look at maternity tops?? Oh my GOSH!!! I was just thinking how I’d love to go to Target and do some shopping! I’m so glad you thought of it too!” If Husband does not act excited, there could be tears involved.
2. Strength Training. As Wifius Pregnasius enters into the third trimester, the Husband must be prepared to help her with every larger scale movement. This means any movement that is more than one step forward. Getting up from the chair? A Husband must have an arm extended. Getting up from the floor? Husband must have arm at the ready. In the middle of the night and she needs to turn over? Husband must have arm raised throughout night for her to grab onto. (If arm is not raised, she will punch you in the face. It’s happened to me.)
3. Help Out a Little More. Wifius Pregnasius is growing a human. Husbandian Wifius Pregnasius had no pain in making said human (in fact, he had a pretty good time creating said human). Therefore, it’s the least Husband can do to take on a couple more chores than usual and maybe even make the bed… even if it is his most hated chore in the world.
4. Entertain. Wifius Pregnasius will encounter incredible mood swings. These will mostly occur when she is “exhausted” and it will usually end with her being quite depressed for no reason. There is very little Husband can do to prevent this sadness. (“Hi honey! I just brought home a million dollars!” will lead to “That makes me so sad…” which will lead to “Why are you sad?” which will lead to “I don’t know!!!!” and a tear.) Therefore, it is up to Husband to find someway, anyway, to make Wife happy. It’s a difficult task, but for my wife, there’s one thing that can put a smile on her face. Me dancing. (Now, before you hit play, I should have you know that this was a very big debate in the house about whether this was for the “internet” or just for the “family”. I sided on the side of “internet”. Wife sided on the side of “family” fearing she will be forever embarrassed by sharing my incredible talent with the world. I’m not quite sure one would be embarrassed when they are met with award winning style points.)

   John Dancing for Pregnant Wife

And people… I want you to realize that that was pure talent without any music or a beat. Eat your heart out dancing reality show peoples.

So there you have it folks. Four suggestions to help both Husband and Wife make it through nine incredible months of amazing joy, amazing trials, and an absolutely amazing journey. God bless.

See you at the hood… Fatherhoody that is. (That was a dumb way to sign off)

Fighting Multiple Sclerosis

MS WALK 2007

Well.... My little sister has shown me up.... and I am so glad she has. You see, every year I do the MS walk for Multiple Sclerosis. We started a team after my father-in-law got diagnosed. Our team was "Allen's Awesome Ambulators," and our team has grown each year, and each year we raise even more money than the previous year. Here are some pictures of my late father-in-law, Allen King.

Austin's father passed away about a year and a half ago. Though cancer is what ultimately took his life, I believe that the MS disguised many of the cancer symptoms and they were left untreated until it was too late. As you can see, raising money for this cause is near and dear to my heart.

I think this would be our.... 4th year.... doing the MS Walk. Right now I am still up in the air on if we will get a team together again.... and this is because of my little sister, Bridget.My little sister is graduating from college in May of this year... and then she is doing something big.... really big. She is biking across the country to raise awareness and money for the fight against MS. Why am I debating doing the walk? Because I want all donations that would normally go to me for the MS Walk to go to her instead. She needs to raise at least $3,000 to make this possible. Here I ask you to check out her website and donate even a small amount to her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

http://biketheusforms.org/cyclists/details.asp?c=Bridget_McCartney

My name is Bridget and I am currently attending St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. I'm graduating in May with an Advertising/PR degree and I have absolutely no idea what I want to do after graduation. I've only recently gotten into biking, within the last year, but I absolutely love it. Whether it's riding around the city or going for long rides, I'm all for it. After graduation, I want to do something filled with risk, beauty and meaning before having to start life in the "real world". I started thinking about riding my bike across the country but didn't want to do it alone. (I mean, what better way to start the rest of my life than by riding my bike across the US?) I found the website for 'Bike the US for MS' and applied right away. I can only imagine how unforgettable of an experience this will be and not only that, but also doing it for a great cause. I don't think I really know what I'm getting myself into, but I'm ready to find out.

Not so Identical Pregnancies....

The first rule my doctor gave me, and probably the most important, was as follows: Do not compare your pregnancy to anybody elses.

In this blog I will break that rule. I mean, is it REALLY possible to NOT compare my pregnancy with my sister? Who, if you didn't know, has the EXACT SAME DUE DATE as me? No. It is not possible. So, here I go comparing. Most of this will be the down-sides of pregnancy. Though it may seem like I am complaining in this post, I am not. I realize that everything I am going through, have gone through, and have yet to go through, will all be worth the little prize in the end. I am very happy to have every ache, pain, crack, kankle, and every stretched out piece of skin.

Well, this past weekend Molly was in town for her Nebraska Baby Shower. I have not seen her since November... so we have both.... grown.... a lot since then. This was our first time seeing eachother after we were pregnant. This was at the end of October....

As you can see, we are not too big at this point... but boy we thought we were big. I am hardly showing and I am already in a maternity shirt! ha! Little did I know.... This past weekend, THIS is what we looked like....And pretty soon we will have one of THESE pop out....

As you can see, we are both already pretty big. It is amazing to think we have 9 weeks left.... and people are NOT shy to tell either one of us that they CANNOT BELIEVE we STILL have 2 months left (if you didn't already know... this does not make a pregnant girl happy... see Molly's blog: http://www.consideringcampbell.com/2010/01/molly-is-getting-upset.html)

Well, when Molly was in town we compared pregnancies... a lot. Mostly because I think I feel "more" pregnant than her. I have hip pain, leg pain, beginning stages of kankles, killer heartburn and it is getting nearly impossible to put my shoes or socks on. Molly.... none of this. She has an itchy tummy and feels "uncomfortable." Not me.... I am already beyond the stages of "uncomfortable." Which REALLY worries me because people keep reminding me I have 2 months left!!

Molly states that it is all "fair" because she "got sicker" in the first trimester then me. Notice how it is "sicker" and not "sick"..... I still got pretty dang sick... it just took a couple weeks longer to start up.... but it lasted a bit longer than Molly's. There was one point at work I was running to the toliet (to throw up.... sorry).... and I leaned over so fast I ripped my work scrubs right down the center!

Anyway.... Since I always compare and contrast every aspect of me and my siblings life... and everything is a competition... I must say... Molly, I've got you beat on this one.

But... Look what I did get her for her Baby Shower. It may be the most amazing thing ever. Not quite sure yet if Molly agrees.....

"Make that a double!"