New defensive coordinator!!!

I am SOOOOOO excited that Matt has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator!!!  My sweet husband has put in 100+ hour weeks for 6 years now doing a job that he absolutely loves.  I know I complain about his time away from home but when I see him after games all lit up like a lightning bug, I have to shut myself up.  He's so good at what he does and so deserves this.

The job became available when Coach Miller took the head coach position at Lewisville High School.  It was hard to see Coach Miller leave; not only was he Matt's coach in high school, but he was also his best friend on the staff.  But his leaving left a huge opportunity for Matt that we just weren't quite sure if Coach Joseph was going to give him.  In all honesty, there are not a lot of 27 year old coordinators in the state.  Combine that with the fact that it was at KATY, we just had to pray that it would happen.

We found out recently that Matt got the job, and Matt spoke at his first clinic this weekend.  It's so fun to see him "grow up" in his job, if that makes any sense at all.  It will be SO MUCH more responsibility (and hours, ugh) but it will also be worth it.  I know Matt will do so well as a coordinator and he will have FUN!

So between our new baby and Matt's new job, next football season should be interesting! Congrats, Matty!

Caroline's Baby Shower

In the mess that was this week I completely forgot to blog about Caroline's baby shower last weekend!  My BFF Missy hosted a WONDERFUL shower for Baby V in her gorgeous home.  Missy and the other hostesses did such a great job creating a gender neutral shower that was neither too girly or boring.  The theme was "Bless our Nest"

Missy's new dining room looks great! 

Crave cupcakes!!  I won't tell how many I had

20 Weeks and 34 Weeks

  I can't wait for Baby V to get here next month to see if our mini will have a playmate or future wife!!  :)

On My Nightstand: Belly Laughs

source

I had heard of this book before we got pregnant and made a mental list to buy the book once we were finally with child.  I'd heard great things from friends who read it and have seen lots of reviews on other blogs about how funny Jenny McCarthy is.  I actually bought it around Christmas and it has been sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read.  

Today I finally ventured out of the house for a pedicure (I figured this was okay because 1) I was sitting the entire time, and 2) I needed it) and brought Belly Laughs along with me because I didn't feel like dragging the iPad along.  I kid you not, I finished the entire book during my pedicure.  I didn't look at the clock, but I think I was probably there an hour and a half, so it was a quick read.  It has 42 chapters that are each 2-6 pages so it would be good to keep in your purse if you just have a minute or two to read at a time.  Perfect book for the bathroom.  :)

Y'all, this book is hi-larious.  She is crude and truthful about EVERYTHING pregnancy and delivery related, but didn't scare the scrap out of me with any of her details.  It's the dirty, nasty truth spelled out for you.  As a first time mom I was flipping pages pretty fast, but I also made a mental note to re-read with subsequent pregnancies (God-willing).  

This book is good for anyone in any stage of pregnancy.  I've ordered a lot of books online and am keeping them for later so a lot of the information is fresh on my mind, but this came at the perfect time.  I have experienced enough symptoms to be able to laugh with her stories, but still have a ways to go so I was still able to laugh at the rest of them.  

If you are still not convinced, just take a look at some of the table of contents:

• I Can Either Pee On You or You Can Get the Hell Out of My Way! (Frequent Pee Breaks)
• Passing Stonehenge (Constipation)
• Can I Have a Mustard Sandwich with Pickles, Anchovies, Peanut Butter, and a Little Cottage Cheese?...Oh, and Throw a Few Fish Sticks on There! (Cravings)
• I Just Need to Lie Down for, Like, Five Minutes...Okay, Maybe Three Months (Sleepiness)

See what I'm talking about?  

11 Questions

I got tagged by my friend Amanda awhile back and am FINALLY getting around to answering her questions.  I blame the cerclage, the virus of 2012 and my vacation at L&D for my delay.  Apologies.  

Rules For Bloggers: (you must repost these) (I'm breaking rules 4- 6, rebel!)

1. Post these rules.

2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people! 

11 Random Things About Myself:

1. I use the same chapstick tube until it’s completely gone (rather than having multiple). The same goes for pens at work… I use one until it dies.

OMG- this was Amanda's random item and I am the exact same!!  I have a chapstick in my makeup bag, my purse and my desk and use them until they are gone.  I also have back-ups waiting, lol.  And I have "certain" pens I use for certain things, like my grocery list pen, my pay the bills pen, my grading papers pen, etc.  Amanda, I know you already have a twin but this is scary! 

2. I hate that my favorite movie is The Notebook.  I think it's so cliche and I wish I had something more sophisticated to answer when people ask me that questions, but I'm hopeless when it comes to The Notebook.  It's my go-to movie when I have 2 hours to kill (followed closely by Harry Potter, duh)

3. I honestly asked Matt if we could name our son after a character in Harry Potter.  He declined.

4. I think less of people who refuse to read Harry Potter.

5. I'm such a "routine" person and I'm stressed about creating anew routine once Monkey is here.  It's honestly my number one stress/fear above all else.  

6. I love cheese as much as I love Harry Potter, as does Cooper.  We usually have Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese cubes when I get home from work (yes, I said we.)  I pray that I won't have to go dairy-free again once Monkey is here.  I guess that would be my number 2 fear after my routine.  

7. When I'm in my car I AM Adele- I swear she sounds just like me.  It's funny how that doesn't translate anywhere else.  In my next life I'm definitely a singer. 

8.  I need to go back to junior high English and re-learn all the grammer and punctuation lessons.  During study hall I often have them take out their English homework (after their math homework is done, duh) so they can teach me a thing or two.  You have probably cringed a time or two while reading the ole blog, am I right?

9. Nothing makes me happier than my niece and nephew.  Baby laughs melt my heart and they both have the best laughs.  :)

10.  My "side of the bed" is whichever side is furthest from the door.  

11.  I like having lots of things on my To Do list.  I'm more productive that way and just feel better.  If there is only one thing on my To Do list it doesn't get done.  

Amanda's questions for ME:

1. If you had to have any one song play to announce your arrival whenever you walk into a room, which song would it be? Easy...Usher, OMG.  You cannot be in a bad mood when you hear that song.  

2. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (Note: there is a correct answer to this question in my book, so answer carefully.) Chicken.  Am I right, Amanda?

3. What one thing is guaranteed to make you cry? When Old Allie forgets Old Noah in The Notebook.  

4. What do you do for a living? Did you grow up wanting to do this? I can remember wanting to be a teacher growing up, but I also remember wanting to be in the circus.  Does that adequately answer the question?

5. If you had to name your next (or first) child after a pet you’ve had during your life, which name would you pick? So my choices are Samantha, Tabitha, Boo, Little Boy, Diamond, Bugs, Thumper, Maisey and Pumpkin.  I think I'll go with Samantha and call her Sammie after Matt's dad.  :)

6. What’s your favorite sport to play? And to watch? Play- don't.  Watch- football.  

7. What’s your pet peeve of the moment (because if you’re like me, they change from day to day)? Not being able to sleep on my stomach.  And someone not inventing some sort of pillow with a hole in it that I can sleep on and put my belly through.  Guess I should jump on that patent.  

8. If you had to eat one thing for breakfast every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Until 2 years ago I did eat a Pop Tart everyday for breakfast.  Now I have yogurt and Mootopia.  If I had to choose one thing I would definitely choose French Toast or Cupcakes.  

9. How many glasses of water do you drink, on average, per day? Are you proud of this number? I have to watch my water intake while teaching since I can't just up an go to the bathroom when needed.  I usually drink a large glass of tea (decaf) in the morning, a glass of water at lunch, a glass of water during my afternoon classes, and milk or tea with dinner.  

10.What was your favorite grade in school growing up and why? Haha, I vividly remember every grade being my favorite.  

11. How many pairs of shoes (estimate) do you own? Estimate- 25.  Actual- 48, including house shoes and rain boots. Yes, I actually counted.  As a math teacher I find it important to estimate your answer first and calculate your answer second.  I'm no slacker.  

Anyone else want to join? Feel free!

21 Weeks

Obviously I will be re-taking this picture once the virus of 2012 passes.  Embarrassing. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: carrot

Gender: BOY!!!  Still no progress on the name

Maternity Clothes: been rocking sweatpants and t-shirts this week while I've been sick

Weight gain: hoping I stayed at 6 pounds this week, but not likely :(

Movement: YES!!!  Monkey moves all the time!  If I haven't felt him in awhile I can put my hand on my stomach and he starts kicking.  Matt lays with us and talks to him every night while he's moving- it's my favorite time of day. 

Sleep: Good this week with the addition of some crazy dreams

Symptoms: abdominal cramping and a backache

Cravings: anything but Mexican food
What I miss: Diet Coke, sleeping on my stomach

Best moment this week: listening to Monkey at L&D while being monitored.  He didn't like the monitor on my stomach so immediately started kicking it, lol! 

Best husband moment/quote: since my doctor has been discussing bed rest and now I've been sick Matt has started stressing about all the stuff he is going to have to take care of by himself.  Bless his heart! 
Notes: Being sick and pregnant is NO FUN!  I'm limited to clear liquids and my bed all week and I'm bored to death.  But very happy that Monkey is moving around and fine- all for you baby! 

Trip to Labor & Delivery

Well...spent the day in L&D today...fun times.

Friday I started feeling bad- backache, stomachache, overall feeling of just "yuck."  I thought maybe it was just the uncomfortable part of pregnancy settling in early and started sleeping on a heating pad for my back Saturday night.  Sunday I woke up at 5:30 in PURE AGONY.  Everything hurt, I was sweating profusely, freezing cold, shaking, vomiting and having Braxton Hicks.  Not fun.  I spent all day Sunday and most of the day on Monday in bed trying to keep liquids down unsuccessfully.

Today I tried to go to work and lasted from about 6:40-7:30 and then had to go home.  My stomach was really hurting- but it was weird like I couldn't have anything touching my belly and couldn't wait to get home and take my pants off and get some sweatpants on.  Thankfully my friend Lauren was there and was able to jump right in before 1st period started to sub for me.  I don't know what I would have done if she wouldn't have already been on campus and I would have had to stay until a sub got there while worrying about getting sub plans together.  Lauren saved my life today.

I went home and changed and laid in bed until the doctors office opened at 8:30.  I had called the nurse on Monday worried that I had a stomach virus so she knew I wasn't feeling well and was worried as soon as she heard me call again today.  (Side note- I love everyone at my doctors office, including all the nurses I've never ever met except over the phone.  They are all so sweet and take such good care of me.)  She talked to Dr. P and called me back and said I was definitely dehydrated and probably still hanging onto my stomach virus so I needed to go straight to labor and delivery so they could monitor Monkey and get me some fluids.

Matt's mom picked me up and we got to the hospital about 10am and checked right into a bed in triage.  My mom was walking inside right when we got there so she came upstairs with us.  We were able to listen to Monkey for a little while until he started kicking the monitor, lol.  They also monitored me for contractions which I was having one every thirty minutes or so!  I couldn't feel them but I could tell whenever I had one because my belt on my stomach would get really tight and we could see the contraction on the monitor.

My nurse said it was nothing to worry about and between my dehydration, vomiting and virus it was completely normal.  She said she would start worrying when I was having over 5 contractions per hour.  

So they hooked me up to an IV and fed me a bag of fluids over the course of the day.  I feel so much better now- it's amazing how much a difference a little bit of water makes! I had some jello and sprite before I went home and kept that down so I was able to leave around 4pm.  I'm off work tomorrow and maybe Thursday and on strict doctors orders to stay in bed and have only liquids.  

BIG THANKS to Mrs. Diana and my mom for hanging out with me all day, and for Lauren for leaving me nothing to worry about at work.  Goodnight! 

20 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: banana

Gender: BOY!!!  Debating between Carter Ryan and Jackson Ryan

Maternity Clothes: still going back and forth, but maternity are so much more comfortable!  

Weight gain: 6 pounds (6.3 technically, according to Dr P's scale)

Movement: YES!!!  I noticed him Thursday night and KNEW it was him!  Matt was able to feel him!  Now he moves all the time, always in the same place in my lower abdomen. Sara and Mrs. Diana have both felt him too! 

Sleep: I've found comfortable ways to sleep on my sides, so a little better than last week.  

Symptoms: does a bursting heart for my little monkey count? :)

Cravings: none, but still don't like the idea of Los Cucos
What I miss: Diet Coke, sleeping on my stomach

Best moment this week: seeing our Monkey on the ultrasound screen and hearing the doctor say "He's perfect!"

Best husband moment/quote: Matt wasn't able to make it to my appointment yesterday, but he was insistant that I text him every update during the ultrasound.  So cute to see him so concerned! 
Notes: Cerclage went well today.  I was home by 1:30 with no pain or pain meds.  Monkey is sealed in there tight, lol!  Thanks for all the prayers, emails, texts, etc today.  So much love! 

20 week appointment and a cerclage

We had our 20 week appointment and anatomy scan today.  Our little monkey was ALL OVER THE PLACE!  It was SO nice to match the movements I saw on the screen to the movements I was feeling in my belly!  His hands and feet were exactly where I thought they were, where I keep feeling little jabs.  He flipped around a few times for us and let us measure all his little organs.

His heart rate was 143 and she let us listen for awhile...such a sweet, sweet sound.  Everything measured perfect!  So glad our little monkey is growing as he should be and we got a good report today.  Keep going buddy!

Doctor diagnosed me with an "incompetent cervix" so I will have a cerclage put in place tomorrow that will stay in place through week 38 when it can be removed.  It's a pretty common and easy procedure so I should be back to work on Thursday, provided everything goes well tomorrow.  I will have an appointment every 2 weeks from here until Monkey is here so she can monitor me closely.  No complaints here!  She did mention the possibility of bed rest in the near future, which I'm not complaining about either!

Prayers tomorrow at 11:30 are much appreciated!!

PS- Who is NOT surprised I have an incompetent cervix?  *raises hand*

Our Love Story: Link Up

I'm linking up with From Mrs. to Mama today to share our love story.  Head on over to her blog and share your story too!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Matt and I met in May of 1998, the summer before we started high school.  Almost 14 years ago!  Most of my lifetime memories involve him and his family somehow.  Crazy how long we've been apart of each others lives! 

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

In junior high I danced at a local studio in town and the other girls there went to various schools in Katy ISD.  My BFF, Paige, invited her friends (which included Matt) to our end of the year dance recital.  Afterwards, we all went out to eat at Chili's and Matt and I ended up sitting next to each other.  We flirted with each other, but I didn't think much of it since we went to different schools.  About a month later he called and we started talking on the phone everyday.  I think we spent most of the summer of 1998 on the phone with each other!  We would literally fall asleep on the phone, watch TV together and go 30 minutes without talking, and about the only thing that would get us off the phone was if one of our phones died, lol.  

He officially asked me out on July 1, which also happens to be his parents anniversary.  We dated most of freshman year, part of sophomore year and then took a long break.  We got back together October 30 of our senior year and have been together ever since!

3. If married, how long have you been married? 

We got married on March 15, 2008 and are approaching our 4 year anniversary.  Crazy how fast the time goes!!  This past year has by FAR been my favorite, although I hope I keep saying that every year.  :)

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?

We got married at Holy Covenant United Methodist with the reception following at the Crown Plaza.  It was big-ish with about 300 people at the reception (part of the downfall of being together so long- you have high school friends, college friends, work friends, etc)  Looking back, my only wish is that Pinterest had been around back then! 

Side story- our original reception venue closed down 3 weeks prior to our wedding.  Thank God for my mom, who handled everything!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another?

Matty, Mattypoo, babe, coach.  He usually calls me babe.  

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

I never get sick of being around him because he is so laid-back and never irritates me, his hard work ethic which I pray he passes onto our son, and he is hands down the smartest person I know. (Also hoping Monkey is as smart as his daddy)

7. Tell us how he proposed?

In May of 2007 I went to his parents house to pick him up for his aunts birthday party.  His family had already left for the party so we were the only ones there.  I went in his room and Armageddon (our first official date) was playing on the TV, there were pictures of us all over the room and rose petals on the bed.  Cooper (our dog) came around the corner with a sign around his neck that read "Mommy, will you marry us?" and the ring attached to his collar.  I'm sure you can guess my answer.  :)

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He falls into the "oh crap, is today Valentine's Day?  Love you, baby!" kind of guy.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

TV on the couch for sure.  We love watching TV together, when he is home.  

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I'd love to take a vacation to Bora Bora and sleep in one of those huts on the water.  It's on our bucket list and we already have a savings account open for it! 

source

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

Last year we went out for sushi, which is obviously out this year. Honestly I'd like him to bring home take-out and be in bed at 8:30!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Thinking of asking for a prenatal massage or mani/pedi

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Always laugh together.  We are proof that it's not the quantity of time spent together, but the quality.  When we are together we make sure to focus on each other and tune out all other distractions.  And no matter how busy we are, we always call/text each other during lunch just to say I love you.  Kisses every day!

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

19 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of baby: heirloom tomato

Gender: BOY!!!

Maternity Clothes: I've still been going back and forth between maternity and non-maternity pants. 

Weight gain: guessing 6ish pounds

Movement: Still not feeling anything daily, but I can tell he is sitting very low in my abdomen

Sleep: Sleeping even worse this week than last.  Not having to go to the bathroom, just cannot get comfortable.  I miss sleeping on my stomach!!

Symptoms: dull ache/pain in my lower abdomen, leg cramps

Cravings: no cravings, but lots of aversions.  Can't stand the idea of Los Cucos which breaks Matt's heart because it's his favorite
What I miss: Diet Coke

Best moment this week: walking into my co-workers room this afternoon and one of her students saying "Whoa...she's fat" to the kid next to her.  I'll take that as a compliment! :)

Best husband moment/quote: Us sitting down to look at Matt's spring/summer schedule so he can let Coach J know when he needs time off
Notes: Looking forward to my 20 week appointment next week

New floors!

Ugh...this has been such a nightmare!  But I'm so glad we are done (except for moving furniture back) and our lives our back to normal.  And our new floors look great!

Matt and I started talking about getting new floors once we were pregnant and realized how SICK our carpet was.  Seriously people...we will never again have carpet in any house we ever live in.  I wish when we built our house that we had upgraded to tile or wood...NO CARPET EVER AGAIN!

So after Stephanie and Sara both had theirs done, we hopped on board and tore out the carpet in our dining, living and play rooms.  Now when Monkey is here he can crawl around on nice, CLEAN floors without us worrying about all the dirt we bring in burying itself into the carpet.  Such a relief!!

Before:

They had just started tearing up the carpet here when I snapped this pic

After:

You like??  We are so happy and now we just need to order rugs for each room.  I'm going to take my time and find rugs that I really like before buying anything just to fill the space.

Now...moving furniture back! 

Yes I did!

18 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: sweet potato

Gender: BOY!!!

Maternity Clothes: I've still been going back and forth between maternity and non-maternity pants.  The above picture is mat pants and regular shirt.

Weight gain: guessing 5ish pounds

Movement: Still not feeling anything daily, but I felt something Tuesday night that I'm positive was him.  So sweet! 

Sleep: Ugh, not sleeping good this week.  Bought a maternity wedge today after a glowing recommendation from a friend.

Symptoms: dull ache/pain in my lower abdomen

Cravings: none that I can remember
What I miss: Diet Coke

Best moment this week: starting to decide how we want the nursery to be set-up.  Not finalized yet but we are making progress cleaning things out of there.  

Best husband moment/quote: Matt being a doll and moving all the furniture in the house my himself in preparation for our new floors.  He wouldn't even let me move a lamp!
Notes: I can't really put it into words very well, but pregnancy after infertility is so...weird.  I feel like I can't really fit into either category anymore and I'm not sure how to process everything.  Maybe more on this later.  

Poor Coopie

Cooper had surgery yesterday to get a mass on his leg removed and poor thing just can't calm down.  We were up all night with him as he just wouldn't stop crying. My heart just breaks for my little (big) guy as I can't fix anything for him.  It kills me to see him to stressed and sad and I know he would feel better if he could just get some sleep.

Nana and PawPaw checked on his today for us while we were at work and he seems to be feeling better today than he did last night.  Hopefully we continue in this direction and my baby boy is back to himself in no time at all.

God is definitely preparing us for our little monkey in July.  Matt and I took shifts on who would lay with Cooper last night while the other got some sleep on the couch, lol!