Reflection on 2012 and hopes for 2013

Seeing as how tomorrow will be January 1st, 2013 I figured it would appropriate to reflect on our year in 2012 and our hopes for 2013.
For me personally, 2012 was a year of big firsts and it really tested me. In January, my Grandmother fondly known as Nonnie passed away and it was probably the hardest thing I will have to do for a long time. I loved her dearly and I miss her every day. I know that my mom misses her greatly as well and I can only imagine the heartbreak she is still going through. I know that when my day comes to say goodbye to my own mother it'll be incredibly difficult. Good thing that won't be happening for many MANY years.

February was pretty quiet. One of brads best friends, Mitchell, and his then girlfriend Ashley came out to visit us in Billings for a week or so. We drove to yellowstone national park and did a snow mobiling tour through the park. At first I was hesitant to go,but I ended up have lots of fun. It was a good time and I would do it again in a heart beat.

In March Brad and I celebrated out 2nd wedding anniversary, but it was our first celebrating together. Our first wedding anniversary, we were separated by thousands of miles due to Brad being deployed in Afghanistan. A few days before we celebrated, we were on a family trip down in Arizona to watch some spring training games and spend time with the Ireland family. We had a hard time getting down there and an even tougher time trying to get home, so Brad and I thought outside the box. We decided that we didn't want to spend our anniversary waiting in an airport, so when we made it to Seattle we bough two train tickets and rode the train home. We rented a sleeper car that included our meals and it was quite lovely. It was a much better way to celebrate 2 years of marriage, rather than sitting in an airport. :-) It's one we will remember for years to come.

May brought our first mile marker birthday! We turned 25 this year and had a lots of self reflecting. Were Brad and I where we wanted to be when we were 25? Regardless of the answer, we can't very well change the past but we can hope the future has something better in store.
Dakota was welcomed into our family in late June and she has brought so many laughs to our tummies and love to our hearts. I admit (and Brad reminds me often) that I was hesitant to bring her home, but now I can't imagine life with out her. It's so wonderful to come home to a dog that is so happy to see you. She wants to love you, and welcome you home. She is a great snuggler and she loves to play with her toys. Life without a dog, is no life at all. :-)

In the 5-6 years that Brad and I dated, we only spent 1, maybe 2 of those together on the 4th of July. So this year, it was a big deal that we were together. A good friend of mine had a BBQ at her families house and invited us to come. It was nice to spend it with close friends and my husband.
My mother came out at the end of August and for the first few days in September to celebrate her retirement. She didn't want to be in Seattle when the first day of school started. She was able to come house hunting with us and looked at our now home with us. She and I finished a wall hanging that I had attempted with my mother in law, so that was a big deal.

October brought the biggest surprise of them all! Brad and I found out were going to be parents, come May 2013!! I had been feeling a little off the past few weeks and so one morning I decided to take a pregnancy test and BAM! we were parents! We waited about a week before we told our parents or family because we wanted to wait till my blood test confirmed what we had suspected. We got another surprise when we went to my first ultrasound and found out I was 12 weeks along, rather than the 6-7 we thought! There was a full on little baby in my tummy. We couldn't be happier to welcome this child into our life!

As if discovering we are pregnant isn't enough, at the end of October we signed papers purchasing our first home! Two big firsts within a few weeks of each other. We moved in and are loving our home. It's starting to feel like home, with items finding their homes and the beauty of not sharing a wall with someone else. Dakota is getting used to her home and is loving her big backyard for her to run around in. Brad is enjoying the 2 car garage that he gets to tinker in. I've really enjoyed decorating and am eager to start on the baby's room.

Needless to say, 2012 was a big year for us. Brad got promoted to Sergeant with his reserve unit in Billings. It was quite the struggle to get there, but I am so proud of him for not giving up. We got to know each other again after being separated for a year and are probably stronger than most couples out there. It brought struggles and frustrations, but great things are still yet to come. We have our first child to welcome into the world, a house to make our own and lots of memories to make.
My hope for 2013 is that we make it an even better year. Brad will be graduating from MSU-B and he is on the hunt for a 'big kid job'. Who knows what a big kid job will bring, but we can handle what ever is thrown our way. I hope that the birth of our child goes smoothly and there aren't many complications. I am always eager to get to know my husband better so I am hopeful for date nights and opportunities to get bond with him. I see wonderful things happening for people around us in 2013!!

Happy New Year!! :-)

21 weeks 2 days

How far along are you – 21 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain – 12 pounds. I liked it before when it was hard for me to gain weight.
Maternity Clothes – I’m going to need to invest in some maternity tops pretty quick, as my pre-pregnancy cotton shirts wont be lasting me much longer.
Stretch Marks – None. I found out that my mom didn’t have any stretch marks, so that’s good news for me!! Thank goodness for good genes! ☺
Sleep – Pretty good. I’ve woken up a few times this week hurting in the morning, but it doesn’t last long.
Best moment this week – I felt an honest to goodness kick.
Miss anything – A glass of wine and a tuna fish sandwich, maybe even together!
Movement – The kick I felt and more intense fluttering. Still waiting for more movement that Brad can feel.
Food Cravings – My cravings have subsided and I’m sort of back to not having an appetite.
Gender – I still really want a girl, but I think I’m carrying too low. We will find out January 10th what we are having.
Labor signs – nothing.
Symptoms – I’ve had an achy body in the mornings and I managed to get a nasty virus. My energy level has severely decreased and I haven’t felt good for most of the week.
Belly Button in or out – In
Wedding ring on or off – On
Happy or moody –Both. My hormones have taken over my emotions. I have found that things I would normally just laugh really hard about, I start crying and then I’m sad for a while.
Brad is excited for – the anatomy ultrasound on the 10th. We haven’t seen our baby in a while, so he is excited for another peek.
Looking forward to – My 22 week appointment on the 3rd and the ultrasound on the 10th.

Our Christmas was very nice! ☺ Brad surprised me with a brand new 11 piece pot and pan set. My last set was a hand me down set from my oldest sister in law and the non-stick on the pans had worn off. I was getting more and more frustrated with each meal I used them for. Christmas morning there was a big box under the tree for me from Baby Ireland. As I unwrapped a little bit of it, I saw what it was the tears started flowing. If you told me 5 years ago that I would be so happy to get new pots and pans, I would have said you were crazy. There was one stipulation to the gift however. I have to continue making Brad “nummy” meals with the pots and pans.
My 22 week appointment is on the 3rd of January and we will more than likely get to hear the heart beat again and make sure I’m measuring where I need to be. I’m sure my doctor will be pleased with my weight gain seeing as how it was so hard for me to gain what I have.
A few days after my 22 week appointment my mom comes to stay with us for a week and will be here for the anatomy ultrasound. Saying that I am excited to see my mother is an understatement. I miss her tremendously and am very eager for her to see my pregnant belly. Hopefully she gets to feel our little Ireland move while she is here.

Half Way There - Merry Christmas

How far along are you – 20 weeks! Half way there
Total weight gain – I’ve gained 7 lbs!! It took me an entire month to keep those 7 lbs!
Maternity Clothes – I am wearing maternity pants all the time.
Stretch Marks – Nope
Sleep – I think I’m sleeping pretty good. It’s hard for me to get comfortable, but once I’m asleep, I stay asleep for a good solid 6 hours.
Best moment this week – feeling baby flutter.
Miss anything – being able to bend over to pick things up off the floor. It’s getting harder to help my residents at work. I am moving slower these days.
Movement – Lots of fluttering. Last Sunday after church, Brad and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings, and the baby either liked what I had for lunch or was just moving a lot. It was strong enough that Brad got to feel it. Neither of us would constitute it as kicking though, just intense fluttering.
Food Cravings – fruit. I ate some more cranberry sauce yesterday. Yummy!
Anything make you queasy or sick – Nothing.
Gender – I’m holding strong with a girl, but we find out on January 10th. Be sure to put in your votes either on the blog or on facebook!
Labor signs – Nothing.
Symptoms – I’ve had some tightness in my lower abdomen this week, but nothing I am concerned about. I still have a very dry nose, but on the plus side my skin isn’t as dry these days.
Belly Button in or out – stretched.
Wedding ring on or off – On
Happy or moody – It’s been pretty equal this week. I think I’ve been pretty moody but a few minutes later I am happy again. Brad is surely enjoying these sorts of mood swings.
Looking forward to – Christmas!! It should be a good one. I have to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas night, but Brad is allowed to come and keep me company both nights.
My next appointment to see my OB is on January 3rd. I will be 22 weeks along and then the following week (in my 23rd week), on the 10th is when we get to find out what we are having.
Looking at my belly in the mirror, I think I’m carrying sort of low, so we will see what we have growing in there! ;-)
Be sure to put in your votes as to what YOU think we are having. It’d be fun to see what everyone thinks.
Brad had finals week this past week and he got his final grades back a few days ago! ☺ He did a darn good job this semester! I’m very proud of him!

19 weeks

How far along are you – 19 weeks
Total weight gain – On a good day, I’ve gained 3lbs.
Maternity Clothes – My jeans all the time.
Stretch Marks – Nothing yet.
Sleep – It’s getting better now that I can sleep on my back.
Best moment this week – Feeling more and more movement.
Miss anything – Tuna, wine and being able to bend over easily to get things off the floor.
Movement – bubbles.
Food Cravings – fruit.
Anything make you queasy or sick – Nope.
Gender – I still think we are having a girl but we find out January 10th!
Labor signs – none.
Symptoms – My nose continues to be very dry along with my skin and I’ve had some pretty amazing sinus headaches. All in all, pretty small stuff.
Belly Button in or out – In and VERY stretched.
Wedding ring on or off – On.
Happy or moody – Happy most of the time, however, I can still cry at the drop of a hat.
Looking forward to – Christmas time.

Brad and I made the trip up to Red Lodge, the local ski town, today to pick out our Christmas tree from Custer National Forest. We had a blast!! This was my very first time driving to the forest, purchasing the permit to cut down the tree and then looking for our PERFECT tree. It didn’t take us too long to find “the” one, but we were also a bit pressed for time because the sun was going down pretty quick. We got it home and decorated and it looks pretty good. It’s a bit Charlie brown-ish, but it cost Brad and I all of 5 dollars and we made some pretty awesome memories. It’ll be even better next year when we can do this with our little one. I felt bad just watching Brad from the side of the road cutting down the tree, but that just meant I got to take pictures!

I can’t believe that next week I will be 20 weeks pregnant. The weeks have gone by so fast, especially with the holidays. Before we know it, May will be here and we get to welcome our little Ireland.

18 weeks - almost half way there

How far along are you – 18 weeks
Total weight gain – Depends on the day. As of today, I lost 2lbs, but a few days ago I was up 3lbs.
Maternity Clothes – jeans and my yoga pants all the time. I tried my old jeans on and boy are they uncomfortable.
Stretch Marks – Still nothing.
Sleep – It’s alright. I toss and turn more often then not this week. The doctor said I was okay to sleep on my back and it was just an old wives tale that you shouldn’t sleep on your back! Thank goodness because it’s one of the few positions I am comfortable in.
Best moment this week – Seeing my doctor for our 18 week and feeling more fluttering. Still waiting for that first big “ka-pow”.
Miss anything – Tuna and wine.
Movement – Flutters
Food Cravings – I’m still big on fruit. In my first trimester I craved peaches, but now it’s the little Satsuma oranges. Good thing they are on sale at Costco!
Anything make you queasy or sick – I’ve been feeling more queasy in the morning and randomly through the day. I don’t think bagels and cream cheese sit good with me anymore and whatever I had for lunch today didn’t agree either.
Gender – I am still holding firm to a girl . . .
Labor signs – Nothing.
Symptoms – General awesome pregnancy stuff. I have a super dry nose and my skin is incredibly dry. On the plus side, my hair is nice and full and my nails are growing like nuts.
Belly Button in or out – Still in but stretched.
Wedding ring on or off – On.
Happy or moody – I think I’ve been a little of both this week.
Looking forward to – Christmas! Our next appointment is January 3rd for our 22 week appointment with my general OB. We have our anatomy ultrasound on the 10th of January, which will be done by the high risk ultrasound technicians. My mom will also be out visiting us for that one. Lots to look forward to.

We had a lot happen this past week. Probably the biggest was Brad getting promoted to Sergeant at this past drill. It was a long hard road to get there but he followed through and got there. I was quite the happy wife on Saturday when it all happened. I wanted to be sure to capture it just to make sure it was real. I snapped a few pictures on my phone (I didn’t want to draw attention to myself in front of all of those soldiers) and watched Sgt. Church take off his old rank tags and put on his new ones! Quite the moment. ☺

I went to my high risk appointment this week as well and I was less than pleased with this doctor. Quite a few people told me that he was THE doctor to go to for high risk pregnancies and that he was awesome and amazing. I have different choice words for him. He didn’t seem interested in my defect or my concerns. As he walked in the room, he shook my hand and then asked me to tell him all about my defect and how it was fixed. I shared with him, thinking “Why are you asking me when all of this information is on the computer in my file?”. After I was done, he didn’t sound amazed that I was alive or anything, just sort of brushed it off as another abnormality that got fixed. My biggest question for him was what is the possibility of me “passing down” my abnormality to my children? Yes, mine was just a birth defect and as far as we know not hereditary, but it was quite the birth defect and it wasn’t discovered till I was 12 years old. I want to make sure and triple check that my children don’t have the same defect as me. As I was expressing my concern, he continued to brush it off and say that he doesn’t think I need to be seen by him anymore and to make my 22-week appointment with my regular OB.
This entire conversation happened in about 5 minutes and then I was on my way. I was frustrated that he just brushed it off like it was nothing. I didn’t get a peace of mind that everything was okay. I was expecting him to listen to my heart, maybe find the baby’s heart and listen to it. Nope. Nothing.
I was so frustrated, so at my doctor’s appointment today Brad and I made sure to express our concern and tell both my nurse and doctor how we were feeling. Both of them made us feel better but I think my doctor had the best words. “Megan, sounds to me like you don’t much like him. However, he is the guy to go to and I don’t want anything to go wrong with this pregnancy for you. I am still going to have him do the 22 week ultrasound and make sure that your baby’s heart is just fine. I am going to give you that piece of mind and then you never have to deal with him again!” So on January 10th, when we find out if we are having a boy or a girl, we will also find out if our child’s heart is a normal heart of if I’ve passed down a heart defect. I know that everything will come out fine, but it’s the unknown that scares me, that big WHAT IF!