34 Weeks and my Christmas Surprise!

I am 34 weeks this week! As I sit and type this Burke is moving all over it feels like! What a wonderful feeling. I've been told that once you have your baby you will miss the feeling of having them inside you. I can definitely see how you can miss this.

Greg and I got quite the surprise early Christmas morning. Around 2:00 a.m. the doorbell started ringing nonstop. Greg flew out of bed and went to the door. There stood my parents in Santa hats ringing jingle bells! Talk about thrilled and surprised! Have I mentioned that I have the BEST parents?! Goodness gracious did they surprise us! It was one of the best surprises! Of course, my mom had brought all the groceries for our Christmas dinner and then some! We had made plans to go to our dear friends, Carrie and Brian's, for Christmas dinner, so Mom knew I would not have any dinner planned. She came in with a cooler full of food! I was so happy to see them. Mom and Dad stayed until Sunday morning, so we had a great visit with them. My sister and her family came Friday and just left today. We had a wonderful holiday together. We ate too much, played tons of cards, I watched others enjoy coffee and beer, and just enjoyed hanging out! Thanks again, Mom and Dad!

Greg goes back to work tomorrow. I am so bummed that he has to go back. Greg spoiled me and got me the Coach handbag and wallet for Christmas that I had been wanting. You know the one that I lost the bet over. Well, I never went and bought it for myself. I just couldn't. I love the purse and am so glad he got it for me...even though he went way over our set amount to spend on each other this year. I got Greg the newspaper from when the Jayhawks won the NCAA tournament framed. It looks great!

Here is a picture of my Gregie...I rarely get a good picture of him so I had to include it! Isn't he a cutie!




The best present was having all my family here though. Greg and I had a fun time! I thought a lot over Christmas how next year will be so different! I really can't imagine! Neither Greg nor I can wait to be Santa. Even though we know Burke won't have a clue what is going on...we will and we are excited!


I couldn't leave out my nieces Summer and Lilly...they are just too cute!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I see my OB again on Wed. I go every week from now on. I will update if anything were to change.

Love,

Alicia

Merry Christmas!

Hi Friends and Family!

I just can't believe today is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is my favorite day! I love it, in that I am always with my family, cooking, baking, giving my dad a hard time about not making the Bierocks correctly, being too hot with the oven on and the fire place roaring, drinking so much coffee that I can't sit still, playing cards, eating too much, but mainly being with my family! Christmas Eve is just the best to me. Don't get me wrong, Christmas Day is wonderful. But once the presents are open it is always kind of a let down to me. This year I am so thankful for baby Burke. So thrilled that he is doing so awesome. So thankful that I get to meet him in less than two months. So incredibly thankful that miracles still happen to very ordinary people. I am sad though too. It is just Greg and I. I have been sad since Thanksgiving. I feel bad that I am sad, I have so much to be thankful for this Christmas, but my heart hurts not seeing my parents and sister. I am a 33 year old baby.

We saw my OB yesterday. Burke is doing wonderful! There is only one thing that is driving both Greg and I crazy. You see, Greg makes decisions all day. He is a manager for the railroad and they are pretty significant decisions. He always gets an outcome. If the outcome isn't good, he fixes it. I am a planner. I know what we will be having for supper at eight in the morning. I make lists and generally I achieve everything on my list. Obviously, I am not like Greg, but I control everything in my life. Well, being pregnant is different. Nothing is definite. We are told one thing, but everything can change. We want to know our baby will be born on this day. Unfortunately, that just isn't how pregnancy works. It is a wait and see game. A game that is driving us crazy! We don't want Burke to come too early, obviously, but we REALLY want to know when we get to hold him, see him, and give him tons of kisses.

This year will be our 16th Christmas together! I can't imagine how exciting next Christmas will be with Baby Burke! This Christmas already feels extra special, because Burke is with us. I just can't imagine how next year will be! Greg and I bought a video camera yesterday...a family present. Just think...next year you all will be watching video of my baby boy opening his presents from Santa! God is so good.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Alicia and Burke

Happy Birthday Riley!

Today my first baby boy turns five! Five years ago Riley was born in Humble, Texas. On Christmas Eve, I found an add in the Houston Newspaper for a Bulldog. I called the breeder and asked if she had any left. She said, she didn't have anymore that were in the paper, but that another liter had just been born on the 17th of December. That they would be ready on Valentine's day!

I have so enjoyed having Riley. He was literally my first baby. He has lived in Texas, North Dakota, and then back to Texas. He has been my friend when I knew no one and was new to an area. He has slept beside my bed when my RA was ugly. He has heard me cry when I couldn't understand why I couldn't have a baby. We have had many fun times too! He loves car rides, he loves playing with his bone and dumbbell, and he loves watching me make a salad as he loves carrots and green peppers...raw of course ! And now he is about to have a baby in his house. A baby that will surely drive him crazy, who will cry at all hours of the night, who will enjoy having toys scattered from one room to the other, and a baby that will take almost all of my attention. Poor Riley, life will never be the same!

So today, I got up bright and early and made him an egg with carrots and green peppers sprinkled on top! He was thrilled! Happy Birthday Riley! Thanks for being my first baby! I will always love you, even when your baby brother arrives!

He's BIG!

We saw Dr. K today and Burke is doing awesome! He is a BIG boy though! He is weighing in at 5 pounds 3 ounces! I am 32 weeks and technically he shouldn't be this big until 35 weeks. Dr. K said, "we are going to get you to 36-37 weeks and get him out"! I cannot lie, I was a little surprised with this news as I had always assumed he would be small. Greg said, my eyes had a look of total shock when he said he was significantly bigger. You see, we just took our birthing class this weekend and I heard all the horror stories of having a big baby. I, of course, told myself that none of these situations apply to me because Burke is going to be small. Haha! This week has been one enlightening moment after another! So, we see Dr. K on January 6 and it looks like a BIG decision will be made at that appointment. I had assumed I would have Burke around the 26th of January, now it looks more like the 11th!!! OMGOSH...I'm so excited!

We did not get any pictures of Burke this visit. We saw him on the screen in 3D, but Dr. K was busy getting a lot of measurements. Which by the way, I found out Burke's placenta is an anterior placenta. Which doesn't mean much regarding Burke, but it does explain why it took so long for me to feel my little guy move and kick. Basically his placenta is guarding my belly so he has to kick hard for me to really feel him. It was a full day and I feel so good to know Burke is big rather than small. Even if I was rather shocked!

At our Birthing Class we had a local celebrity in it, click here for more info! The class was very informative, but like I said much of the time I was like "oh my"!

I am very tired today, but I wanted to tell you all about my visit to see Dr. K. I am so happy that Burke is doing well! I can't wait to meet him and see his face in real life!

Can you believe I am 31 weeks pregnant?!

I certainly cannot believe I am 31 weeks! Whoohoo! Burke and I are cruising along and doing very well. He puts on his nightly show and moves, kicks, squirms...I swear he is going to be a football player! Even if he is just the punter. He loves ice cream which should be a given, since his parents love ice cream. Every night after ice cream he just goes crazy. I absolutely love the feeling he gives me! It is so amazing and the most wonderful gift!

We attended the Railroad Christmas party last Saturday. It was a lot of fun and great to meet all the people Greg works with. I found out just how proud Greg is to be a daddy, as everyone I met knew I was pregnant. I danced a couple of songs, but I am klutz and just knew I would wipe out. I didn't want to take any chances, especially since I about wiped out just walking down the stairs to get to the party. Someone at the party took our picture and it is a great picture, but we haven't received it yet. I'll post it as soon as we get it!

We see Dr. K on Monday. He is the BIG doctor. The one that makes me nervous...the one who can really tell if something is not going right. We will have another Level 2ultrasound, and we will leave hopefully feeling as elated as we did last time! We are really excited to see Burke in 4D again. At 20 weeks, he was super skinny. And it stressed me out. I have worried about him a lot due to the pictures. I was told that was perfectly normal, for him to be so skinny, but it stressed me. 32 weeks is optimal time to have a 4D ultrasound, so we can't wait to see our little guy again! Hopefully, he will be chubbier! Plus, we get to see him in 4D for free! Meaning we don't pay extra for those amazing pictures! I tell you, being high risks does have its perks!! Dr. K will be checking to make sure Burke is growing fast enough. Lovenox, the shots I take, can slow down his growth. I have no reason to believe he isn't growing fast enough, as his kicks show me he is a strong little guy! Please pray though that our news is positive and I hear once again that my baby boy is doing perfectly!

I feel like I am leaving something out. Oh yes, I finished that grueling book!!! Hooray for me! I feel like I am an adult now. I did not enjoy that darn book one bit, but I set myself out to finish it and I did. I will not tell you what it is, because it seems to be quite popular right now. I would hate to sway you one way or the other.

I'll let you know on Monday what Dr. K says.

Love,

Alicia and Burke

30 Weeks!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great time with all my family here. I hated to see them all go. I won't see my parents again until Burke is here. That makes me sad. I wish we all lived closer. My sister and her family will be here a couple days after Christmas, but for the most part it will just be Greg and I. It was great to have them for Thanksgiving and I am so thankful this year. When my dad said the prayer before our turkey dinner he prayed for Burke. I still get a lump in my throat right now thinking about it. While I pray for Burke every day, it was so wonderful to hear MY BABY being prayed for out loud by others. Huge tears welled up in my eyes, just as they are now. Thank you God for this baby. OK, I am getting too emotional, onto other things.

We saw Dr. P this week. Burke and I are doing awesome. I am having no blood pressure issues, my weight is slowly creeping up, but nothing too much, Burke is growing strong. I have to tell you about my nurse, Andrea. I have mentioned her many times. I should call her my friend, but I want you all to know that she is technically my nurse. Well, when Greg and I arrived she took us to our room and said she'd be right back. When she returned she had a bag FULL of clothes and diapers. Brand new clothes, many with the tags still on. They are all so cute! I have washed them and have them hanging in Burke's closet! She said her baby boy couldn't wear them and she wanted us to have them, as my blog touched her. Out of all the patients she sees every day she picked our baby Burke to get these clothes! Greg had big ole tears in his eyes when she walked out the door. Of course, I had tears too. Andrea, thank you so much! Burke will look great in his new clothes! We think the world of you!

So, this week I am tired. I have been going nonstop since last Wed. and I feel super tired. I have been having moments of panic where I feel like I must get EVERYTHING done for Burke. I have a lot of stuff bought, but nothing is truly functioning yet. This has me stressed. Today I went and bought bottles, wash clothes, a few toys, bassinet sheets, etc. I have done Christmas shopping, house decorating, tree decorating, lunch dates, etc. It has all been fun, but I am whipped by the time Greg gets home. Plus, I joined a book club and can't get into the book...which needs to be read by next Saturday. HELP!! Other than being tired I feel great though! I officially look pregnant as people have started to stop me and say "when are you due". I am sure I must beam from ear to ear as I am so thrilled! My OB wants me to do kick counts and so I have started doing that twice a day. Luckily, Burke goes to town and doesn't make me wait around too much. He already is such a good baby!

I don't know how this happened, but I did not get a picture of Greg or myself this Thanksgiving. Talk about being annoyed. I am the picture taker in my family and I forget to say "stop, take a picture of me"! This weekend we have the railroad Christmas party so I will try to get a picture of the proud parents to be!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Alicia

29 Weeks and my 2nd shower!

Happy Thanksgiving friends! I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! My family is all coming to our house on Wednesday! I have bought all the groceries, done some cleaning, and now tomorrow I will make the pies and a few other things. I also washed all of Burke's clothes and blankets in Dreft this week! Greg and I had fun folding and hanging up the little outfits that will looks so precious on our cutie!

I had my second shower this last Saturday given by Karin and Stephanie. It was great! I had a wonderful time seeing all my girlfriends. The theme was circus like Burke's bedroom. It was so cute! They had carmel corn, mini corn dogs, candy, peanuts, and the most yummy lemon cupcakes that Steph made! I received all the bedding for the nursery, the Papasan Cradle swing, diapers, and a few incidentals. I loved everything I received and I know Burke will too! My good and long time friend, Suzanne, made the trip from Ft. Hood. It was so special that she came to my shower! Her husband, Bill, is serving in Iraq, so I know it was a lot for her to load up three kids and make the three hour drive by herself. I am so grateful for this bunch of girlfriends. I played Bunco with them one time as a sub and they liked me so asked me to join, that was almost two years ago. They have become so special to me. I wish we could get together more often!


This is Karin, me, and Suzanne at my shower



Tippy Cup Race! I must tell you, that I won!


The pregnant girls...Carrie is four weeks behind me....

I am starting to feel like I am in the home stretch. I had my two showers, I have Thanksgiving, then the railroad Christmas party, birthing class, then my first book club meeting, followed by couples Poker and then Christmas! January will go slow I am sure, but December should fly by. Greg and I are getting super excited! The anticipation is growing daily! How much will Burke weigh, will he be short, will he have Greg's blue eyes, will his skin be like mine (sensitive), will he need glasses, will he be cool and calm like Greg, will he have a nice smile, we must sit around and talk about this stuff everyday.

I think that is all for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love,

Alicia

28 Weeks and a shower!

I am 28 weeks and two days! I made it to my third trimester! It was a cause for a celebration so we went and bought the stroller of my dreams. I have been very wishy washy about buying this stroller, but when the price went up I knew I better go ahead and buy the stroller. I will post some pictures of it soon!

I had my first shower this last weekend! It was wonderful. My little sister made me so proud. Saying thank you seems so inadequate. Heather, you did a wonderful job! I had adorable M&M's with "Baby Burke" and "Handsome Boy" on them! Way cute! She had a fruit arrangement done by Edible Arrangements...it was so pretty I hated to eat it! She got Burke adorable clothes, she filled my diaper bag to the brim with all the things I need, but best of all, her husband, gave my mom a free ticket to come to the shower! I knew God blessed me with my sister and he keeps blessing me with her. She is my best friend and the one person who knows me inside and out. Thank you Heather from the bottom of my heart!

My friend Hillary came from Ft. Worth with the most beautiful cake! It truly was one of the neatest gifts! Hillary has recently started baking cakes and I do believe it is her calling! Hillary is married to Greg's friend Hervey who also works for the railroad. They are our friends who we always see when we go to Ft. Worth. It meant so much to Greg and I that they made the trip for our shower!

I got lots of great gifts for Burke! He is so blessed...people love him so much! I guess when people know you would give your right arm to have a baby, well the baby is maybe just a little extra special....maybe I am biased. We had a wonderful Saturday and while I was nervous to be the center of attention I had a great time! I was so happy that my mom was here, that my sister did this for me, and for the friends that I have.

The only bummer is that Greg and I are both sick today. We had sore throats yesterday and still do today. Poor Greg...today is his first day to work 12 straight, so please pray he finds time to go to the doctor and that he gets well soon. I know he won't call in sick. In eight years with the RR he has only left one day to be sick. I am headed to the doctor here shortly...hopefully it is nothing.

I have another shower this weekend given by my great friends Karin and Stephanie. I am looking forward to this one just as much as I was the other! I will upload some pictures soon, but I just don't feel so good now.

Have a great week!

Alicia

15 Things I'm not afraid to admit

I was tagged by Karin. I have never done this before, but here goes. Please don't judge me!
1. I am horribly afraid of rodents. I mean deathly afraid. My Dad used to tell me they would eat me alive if there were enough...I still believe that.
2. I love old school Gangsta Rap.
3. I love Birkenstocks and will wear them until I am old and gray. Greg worries the kids will find out Burke was actually named after his Mom's favorite shoes.
4. I am a hippy at heart...I would have loved to have been a teenager in the 70's, instead I was just five.
5. While I am a good at all the jobs I have had, I called in sick way too many times, it is best I no longer work outside of the home.
6. There are many days I firmly believe there has been an error regarding my lab work and that I do not have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Then God gives me a really crapy day and I get a not so friendly reminder.
7. It really grates on my nerves when people judge me for having caffeine while pregnant. Like I would do anything to hurt Burke. My doctor gave me permission to have two caffeinated drinks per day and I enjoy both of them!
8. I have never done any drugs. I used to say I would smoke marijuana if I got cancer, but I've been to too many concerts and the smell is horrible.
9. I enjoy playing "kitchen" with my nieces. I sure hope Santa brings them the kitchen from Pottery Barn Kids!
10. As much as I like living in Texas, Kansas is better!
11. I like California rolls from HEB better than any sushi restaurant.
12. I worked at a soccer store for about a week. I didn't know and still don't know a thing about soccer. Lord help me if Burke wants to play soccer. Boring....
13. I change the ending to movies if I don't like how they end. I just tell myself...that character didn't die, they got together and grew old together.
14. When I am nervous I laugh. And it isn't a little chuckle, it is loud laughter. I don't know why. Generally it happens when something is not going right for my sister. She gets very stressed so I laugh. Not cool.
15. In high school, I dined and dashed one time. Let me tell you though that the line to pay was insanely long and we ate there all the time. When I go back to my hometown I always stop by the Anchor Inn, of course, I stop to have some good food, but I also still feel I need to pay my debt for my $5.95 meal that I didn't pay for!

So that's a few things about me. I tag Carrie, Marci, and Jennifer. Can't wait to read all about you!

Drumroll....the results are in!

I was on the phone talking to Greg heating up my oatmeal, that was laced with sugar and I said, "oh no...it's the clinic on the other line". My wonderful nurse Andrea, was there waiting for me when I clicked over. She said, "it looks like Greg gets a new Playstation 3!" Of course, I was so happy! The story keeps getting better, as I changed the deal with Greg. I wanted to back out of the deal, obviously on his part. Meaning, if I did have diabetes I would still get the purse, but if I didn't he wouldn't get the Playstation because, well, that would be punishing me twice. He agreed to two new games for his XBOX 360. God is so good!

Oh yeah...real quick. On Monday night Burke was a wild child while I slept...or tried to sleep. I woke up for my routine of going to the bathroom at 2:00 a.m. and then he was crazy! He was kicking big time. A couple of times I couldn't keep quiet. It was weird, funny, but truly awesome! Which left me to drift off to sleep with the biggest smile! I had told him earlier in the day to lay off the soda or he would be up all night, but he didn't listen. haha!

And for the record...I really need a new purse, so check back for my celebration present...a new Coach!

Thank you for your prayers.

Alicia

Gestational Diabetes screening and a Bet

I have been dreading this day. I just feel rather confident I have gestational diabetes. I am at high risk because, 1. I am overweight, 2. I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, 3. I am over the age of 30. I have been dying of thirst for about four days, which is a sign of diabetes. I am leaving to have my screening done here shortly. Please pray I don't have this. While I know it won't be the end of the world, I know that I can control it, I just don't want to have this to worry about too.
I have made a CRAZY bet with Greg. Basically, I am so sure I have this diabetes crap that I made a horrendous bet. If I don't have diabetes then I must buy, my oh so addicted husband, a Playstation 3. Keep in mind he already has an XBOX 360 and a Wii. But if God forbid I do have GD I get a new Coach handbag. Go ahead, tell me how crazy I am. But first pray I am at Best Buy buying a Playstation 3!

I'll keep you posted on the results.

Alicia

26 Weeks!!!

Burke and I are doing well. Last Sunday, Greg was finally able to feel Burke move/kick. We were lying in bed and Greg was resting his hand on my belly. Almost immediately Burke gave his Daddy a little kick. It was great! I had been rather sad as Greg still had not felt Burke. I have told you all this before, that my stomach is my biggest weight problem area so I knew it would be a while before Greg would be able to feel him. But finally at 26 weeks Burke wanted to let his Daddy know he just may grow up to be a punter for KU! I slept so good that night!

We see Dr. P on Monday for my Gestational Diabetes screening. I am nervous about this test as I know I am higher risk to get it. Greg has reassured me that if I get it he will follow the same diet. What a great hubby I have.

To all the parents or even soon to be parents, I have a question. When you became pregnant or when you got close to your adoption, did it seem every expense possible came up? Since becoming pregnant, our Air Conditioner has went out twice, our refrigerator has went out, our spa heater went out, our pool pump had issues, and now today I found out we have roof damage from Hurricane Ike. It just seems it has been one thing after another. It is starting to get old!

I need to get this posted so I'm going to wrap it up. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Love,

Alicia

25 Weeks!

I am 25 weeks and three days! I can't believe how quickly being pregnant has gone. I mean some days are slow, but for the most part it is flying by. Greg and I had a nice time while he was off. Greg got lots of stuff done. And for the most part we are ready for Burke to arrive. His nursery is adorable! I will post pictures when it is completely finished. We took a quick trip to San Antonio and that was fun! My sister helped me get registered at Babies R Us. Wow! That store is amazing! I think I went a little crazy with the scanner, but it sure was fun to dream and wish! Actually, if I get nothing but Burke all my dreams will come true.

So this week I am experiencing back pain big time! And let me tell you it isn't so fun. Last night I woke up on my back (which is a no no, I know, but I didn't purposely lay in that position) and it was killing me! OMGosh it was hurting. It was miserable. I tossed and turned all night. This morning I feel fine, but sleeping was not enjoyable. Other than the back pain I still feel great! I have started to gain weight, which I knew was inevitable, but I was sure hoping to not gain any until the last month. I have officially gained seven pounds. I have a never ending craving for sweets. Maybe it is the Halloween candy, but it is a sweet tooth like I have never had. This concerns me as Burke's daddy has a major sweet tooth! Whenever I put a piece of chocolate in my mouth I simply say, "Burke wanted it". It seems to work quite well! Greg doesn't give me any grief!

We received the awesome Cd's that I told you all about. Love, love, love, them. In fact, I told myself to stop listening to them as I don't want to be sick of them by the time Burke arrives!

I think of Burke pretty much all the time. I have my concerns about being a good enough Mom. About making sure his childhood is as full as mine was. About giving him everything Greg didn't have. About being positive enough, patient enough, confident enough, calm enough, etc. Greg and I have been married almost 15 years. Our life is going to change and it will never be the same. It is a wonderful feeling, but at times it makes me scared. God gave me this incredible gift and I just want to be the Mom that I know I was meant to be. All I want is to be Super Mom! I hope my expectations aren't too high!

Happy Halloween!

Alicia

24 Weeks!

Everything is going great! I saw my OB yesterday and he was very happy with how Burke is progressing. I am doing a 24 hour urine collection to get a base line of protein in my urine. My OB does this for anyone who has had high blood pressure in the past. Which I have. I do not currently have high blood pressure, but he wants to have a base line test in case my blood pressure were to increase. So I am having fun today collecting my urine! Sorry if that was too much info!

Greg is on vacation this week! Yahoo! Since we can't travel we are just relaxing around the house. There were still a few "to do" things left, but we are wrapping them all up. I am going to get the curtains hung today in Burke's room. His room is looking very cute...I must say!

I found the neatest lullaby songs! I just have to share them. I love music and I am a die hard lover of The Smashing Pumpkins. Greg loves Metalica and we both like U2. I found lullaby's made by our favorite rock bands to the songs we grew up singing, or should I say rocking out too! If you take the link from this page, scroll down a bit and you will see where you can listen to samples. I just placed my order today! I just loved them and I'm sure Burke will too! Let me know what you think!

My lovely nieces were here this past weekend. It was so great to see them! I have really missed them. The girls were pretty excited to see the crib in Auntie's house! I love those girls so much! Here are a few pictures!



I hope this finds you all doing well. Thanks for stopping by! Take care and check out those lullaby songs! They ROCK!

Love,

Alicia

23 Weeks!!

Our nursery furniture arrived last Thursday! Can you say excited! When Greg got home there were five large boxes on our patio. I thought Greg would probably wait and set all the furniture up on the weekend. Nope! He got right to work. He had the crib assembled in about an hour. Our only hang up was the side that slides up and down. I have asked around and it seems most parents have problems with that side! He set up the bookshelf on Friday and we are waiting for the dresser to be delivered. We were super busy!

Greg had three days off and I can't say we did anything other than nest! We worked on the back yard, decorated for fall, hung three ceiling fans (which is mandatory in Houston), and we went to Target to register. Our Target had been damaged in the hurricane so I went to the new Target. It was so picked over. It was terrible. We went ahead and scanned a few things, but today I am headed to Babies R Us to register. The most exciting thing is, that I found the stroller of my dreams! I absolutely love it and it is a must for someone with RA. I am so excited to stroll Burke around in it!

My sister and nieces weren't able to come last weekend so they will be here tomorrow. My niece Addy, who is just five months old had to have surgery. It was nothing too major, but poor Addy had a rough go. Hopefully she will be back to her old self when she gets here.

Greg starts vacation on Sunday! Yahoo!!! His last vacation was Thanksgiving of last year. It was our choice to wait this long. But I must say his vacation is much needed. I just hope we don't kill each other spending nine days together! Haha!

Burke is moving more and more each day! It is such a wonderful feeling! I just love it. I know I type that every week, sorry...it's just an amazing feeling! People have asked how my RA is doing. It is actually doing very well. I have had a couple days where I don't feel so great, but usually if I just rest I feel better. I can honestly say that I have never felt this free of symptoms since I was diagnosed eight years ago. All the powerful drugs don't compare to the antibodies that baby Burke is putting into my system. Truly a God thing.

Until week 24!

Alicia

Our baby boy has a name!

The name was decided on many years ago. It was decided when we were going to college and had no idea how long it would be before getting the chance to give a cute little baby boy his name. The thing was we forgot about that name. We had selected three names we liked. For some reason I couldn't commit. Then, Greg said, "what happened to Burke?" I said, "that's his name!" I knew that moment that was my baby's name. Burke William. Where did Burke come from you ask? We had a friend in college. Ryan Burke. Everyone called him Burke. And I loved that name. William is Greg's middle name. When I found out we were having a boy I just had to give him Greg's middle name. Doesn't it sound perfect?! He is my little Burkie. He has a cute name, but a strong name. His name is not popular..which if you know me, you knew I wouldn't pick a popular name. His name is different, but not too different, it's perfect!

I am 22 weeks today! I can't believe it. I had Greg take my picture this weekend and I do look a little pregnant! I gained two pounds in one week. Wow! How in the world did that happen? I feel great though. I sleep like a baby, except when I wake up to go to the bathroom. Then Burke gives me a little squirm and I can't fall back asleep. I am too excited to sleep. I just love how it feels to feel him. I am still walking two miles a day and enjoy it thoroughly again. There was a time it was just too much work, but it isn't now. Life is very good!

I wanted to tell you about my friend Marcy. She follows my blog and I follow her blog. We both are in line to adopt from China, we both are Jayhawks, we both love Kansas. Both of our lives have taken a different turn, as Marcy, is now adopting from Kazygstan, and as you all know, I am pregnant. Marcy sent me the cutest gift this last week. I wanted to show you all!


Cute isn't it! And Burke will love it! Thanks again Marcy! I really hope we can meet up in KC sometime!

This past week we ordered Burke's furniture! I finally got all the sorting done, the closets are cleaned, and the drawers are semiorganized! Thursday night we sat down and made our big purchase. I love what we got Burke. I am a very light furniture girl. Our master bedroom is white wood. Our living room is white and honey. Our dinning room is a darker honey. I knew if I had a boy I wanted his room to be a dark Espresso! I LOVE it! I just can't wait to have it in his room!

Ok, this is getting a little long. My sister and nieces will be here Friday. I can't wait to see them! I plan on doing some scrapbooking this week...I need to get caught up!

Burke and I thank you for checking in on us. If you click on the pictures you can see the ultrasound and the china set better. Of course, you can also see that my skin is very blotchy during this pregnancy. I hear that is normal?!

Love,

Alicia

21 Weeks!

Our little baby boy is making his mama smile all the time. I am finally able to feel the little guy moving, wiggling, maybe even punting! Last Friday, I had been busy all day. I finally laid down as I was exhausted. Suddenly, I felt him. I felt my baby boy! Five days later, it seems that I feel him more and more often. I was stressing that I hadn't felt him. My OB kept saying, "you'll feel him". He was right and what a feeling it is!! So, you want to know our baby boy's name? OK...I'll tell you next week!


This past weekend we did some serious shopping. We bought the baby's nursery bedding. PBK had the set I liked on sale. I knew once it went on sale it would sell out. So, Saturday night we went down and bought it! I love it! I also, had to break down and buy some maternity shirts. Suddenly all my shirts became belly shirts. Not cool! My sister, and friend, Carrie, will be proud of me!

Of course, once I had the bedding all bought I knew I needed to buy the actual furniture. Well, I've been dragging my feet on this one as the baby room had become the "catch all" room. Monday, Greg started moving stuff. And before I knew it we had already gotten a lot done. I am almost finished. I've had to do a lot of sorting and debating if I really like some of the decor that I have that hasn't been out since our last move two years ago. I decided I didn't. I have the donation center coming tomorrow and I have three boxes full of stuff. Plus, I am a scrapbooker. And I think all srapbookers will agree...we simply get too much stuff. We like everything, but we always find something else we like better and end up having a TON of stuff that is never used. I confess I think I am a pack rat.

I read in my nursing book that anything that annoyed you before the baby will totally annoy you once you have the baby, i.e. my disaster of a closet! So, as soon as I type this I am going to go tackle the closet. More stuff to donate, I'm sure of that!

I have to tell you real quick what a good wife I am. After our big appointment at Dr.K's last Thursday. I told Greg I wanted Ben and Jerry's Ice cream...the best ice cream in the world. Well, as we were driving there Greg said "well the Gingerman is right down the road, I could sure go for a celebration beer". I smiled and said, "sure honey, I'd love to go sit and watch you drink a beer and then drive home in Houston rush hour"! Greg was happy, and it was a nice day to sit outside and drink water!!

I hope you all are having a great week! It is starting to feel fall like here. I love it! Certainly, not like fall in Lawrence, KS, but it is cooling off.

Until next week!

Alicia

Just the words a Mama wants to hear....

I am breathing a huge sigh of relief. I have been since about 3:00 p.m. today. We saw Dr. K and he said everything looks good. When I asked him, "does my baby look great?, he replied, "yes he does"! Just the words a Mama wants to hear! We got to see many pictures of our cutie pie. We even got to see him in 3-D several times! Amazing, is all I can say! I am so happy, so relieved, so thrilled! Our baby boy was a little ahead of schedule which is great news since his Mama takes Lovenox, which can slow down baby growth. He weighed 14 ounces! He is 100% a boy! We got to see his package again today. There is no doubt he is a boy!

I am a shopping maniac. Greg and I are having a blast! I think my sister is too. She was up shopping on line the other morning. We hope to order our nursery here soon. I will post some pictures of what I have bought here very soon!

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. We love you all!

Boy, oh Boy!

Hi! I'll get right to the point! We made it home yesterday. We did a few things around the house and then we headed to my OB. My nurse asked if I had seen the Specialist and I informed her that I had to be rescheduled. She said, Dr. P may want to do an ultrasound since I am 20 weeks. She asked when I was rescheduled for and I told her on Thursday, but not to tell Dr. P, because if he knows that he may not do the ultrasound. She said let me do some talking to him. She came back giving me the all good sign. Then Dr. P came in and discussed how I was doing. He said when is your appt. with Dr. K? I said "next Thursday". Then out of no where I panicked thinking what if I tell him next Thursday and in actuallity it is this Thursday and it could harm the baby. You know having too many ultrasounds. Can that happen? My mind was racing. So, then I had to say, actually my appointment is this Thursday, my mind is mush! He said, no problem we will still do a quick peek!!!

Greg and I headed down to the ultrasound room. We were both so excited. I just knew though that they wouldn't be able to see, as you know we weren't supposed to find out today. I laid on the table, they put the wand to my belly, and boom to my surprise there was a little penis! WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!! Out of all the pictures I have seen this pregnancy, there was no doubt our little guy was very proud of his package and wanted to show it to his parents! Greg and I both had huge tears of pure joy and excitement! They took several other pictures including, his hands, feet, profile picture, and legs. Now, I must tell you that I knew I was having a boy! I had said since day one, I think this is a boy! I didn't tell anyone, but Greg, but I knew. Then yesterday on our drive home from Ft. Worth, I said to Greg, "I don't want to say this too loud as I don't want the baby to hear, but I secretly want a boy!"

There you have it...we are having a BOY! We went and bought some cute little outfits from Janie and Jack and that was so much fun! I'll post some pictures soon of the outfits! I've never bought boy clothes, except for my friend Sarah's baby boy! I come from a family of all girls. Then we headed to Pottery Barn Kids to get the final numbers on the nursery. I had been having a hard time deciding on the nursery. My sister was right, once I knew the sex of the baby it wasn't hard to decide at all.

What a wonderful day! We are so excited and happy! Our baby finally has a name and I will share it with you soon! I feel like I can really start preparing now. However, I can't sleep tonight. It is 4:00 a.m. and I have been up since 3:00. I just keep thinking about the baby!

We did come home to a mess of a pool though. Greg has some major work cut out for him. Luckily, our good friend Brian is coming over to help him today. Other than the pool being a swamp, our house did great. When we got home, all up and down our street people had drive ways full of trees. Our house on the front looked just like it did the day we left. We are blessed. The house feels dirty though, so I am doing some cleaning today and of course, I have to go buy all new groceries. The pool, groceries, and cleaning seems so small though. Life is so good. We are having a baby boy and we just couldn't be happier. We see the Speciaist on Thursday. Please pray that we get all good news. I just want to hear "your baby boy looks perfect...I'll settle for, "your baby boy looks fine"! I'll write more on Thursday.

Love,

Alicia

Darn you, Ike!

Hi friends! I wanted to let you know that Greg and I are doing fine. Our house made it through the hurricane and we are so thankful for that. We are so fortunate that the Railroad sent us to Ft. Worth. We are staying here until power is restored in our area. Our dear neighbors are watching our house and using our kitchen as we have a gas stove. We are so thankful that they stuck around and are willing to take care of everything. We owe them big time! From what we are hearing Houston is a mess. My neighbor said she waited three hours for a bag of ice. Please pray for all the people of the Houston/Galveston area.

Our big day is canceled though. I told myself when we left on Thursday that more than likely I wouldn't have my appointment for my BIG ultrasound on Monday. I cried big time yesterday when I realized it wouldn't happen. I cried mainly, because I wanted to hear that everything was fine. Yes, I wanted to know if we have a little Alicia or a little Greg growing in my tummy, but mainly I wanted to know that my medication wasn't doing anything harmful to our baby. I won't be hearing that tomorrow. I don't know when I will have the ultrasound. I am going to call tomorrow, but who knows if they will even be open. I am not going to feel sorry for myself. People have it much worse than we do, and I am just thankful that tonight we are sleeping in a cool hotel, our house is ok, and we have wonderful neighbors.

Again, I ask that you pray for all of the people of Houston/Galveston. They are currently saying it could be 2-4 weeks before Electricity is restored. And keep in mind this is Houston, TX where it is still 90 degrees. I'll keep you all updated.

Love,

Alicia

18 Weeks and Ike

My good friend, Jinny, commented that there were no photos of me. So, I had Greg take a picture so I could show you all that I do not look pregnant. I knew this would happen to me as I am a classic apple body shape. Yes, that is me, skinny legs, and all middle. I have not gained any weight, and have actually lost weight, as food just makes me more nauseated. My OB says this is fine, since I started out with some extra padding. It is annoying that this is the one time in my life where craving food and acting on that craving is acceptable. I just have food adversions. But you know what, I know I am pregnant and that is all I need!

Ike is making more turmoil for the Gulf. We are evacuating this morning at 7:00. As you can imagine, I am a little stressed this time. I have my BIG appointment on Monday and it stresses me to think we will be driving back Sunday night or Monday morning. Greg told work he couldn't fly this time. The corporate jet was neat and all, but been there done that. We can't be at the company's mercy to get us back in time for our appointment. Pray that we don't have any issues with travel or sitting in heavy traffic (which stresses me out to no end with a blood clotting disorder). Please pray for all my friends who are staying in Houston. They are much braver than I am.

I am going to make this post short as I need to be packing. I will post on Monday to tell you our news. Oh yeah, real quick. I dreamt the other night the Perineonatologist said "your baby girl looks fine". I don't necessarily believe in dreams but I woke up and there was no getting back to sleep. All I want to hear from that doctor is "your baby looks fine, healthy, or perfect".

Love,

Alicia

17 Weeks!

Can you believe I am 17 weeks pregnant?! I seriously cannot believe it! Some days it just seems so hard to believe. So hard to believe, that God finally blessed me with carrying this wonderful gift. I could go on and on, but I won't...

Last Friday, we went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! It was a great concert and I sang and danced to my hearts content! I was however, very annoyed with the amount of marijuana being smoked. I mean, come on people. It is a public venue and my ticket cost as much as yours. Why should I have to breath in that crap all evening?! I absolutely could not stand the smoke. I couldn't stand thinking "I'm exposing my baby to this horrible smelling stuff". I expected some marijuana, but geez, it was everywhere. I will quit complaining and tell you about the people we saw. We saw, Rat Tail Grandma, T-back, and Belt girl. If you want details..let me know. I'll tell you all about them.

Then, on Sunday, we officially evacuated with Greg's work. We flew in the corporate jet to Ft. Worth. I must say it was very swanky and pretty neat! I know I will probably never do this again in my life. I told Greg, he either needs to become a Big Shot or win the lottery. We both laughed, and said, the lottery had better odds! So, we spent three days in Ft. Worth. It was relaxing for me. Not for Greg, who worked his rear off. Have I ever mentioned Greg is amazing at his job and he NEVER complains! He has worked two weeks straight, on call 24/7 and still never complains. Thanks Greg for being the man you are. You are such a trooper! I love you!

We are home now, and we never even got a drop of rain. Greg is still tired and I think he will be until his vacation September 23. I am feeling OK. Things are changing, moving, shifting, stretching, etc. Some days...well just aren't the best. It looks like most people think we will have a boy! Thanks for voting! You guys are great fans! Speaking of fans, Kansas Football season has begun! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

I hope you all are doing well!

Until next week,

Alicia

16 Weeks!!

****Update
Greg took pity on my blog and put a poll over on the right side of the page! So, be sure to vote!****

This has been the longest week I have had in a long time. That darn hurricane, Gustav, is making Greg's job crazy and he is working all the time. To make things worse he had a staff meeting last night. I have cabin fever big time! I am bored out of my mind. The good news is that we have an appointment set for September 15 with the Perineonatologist for my Level 2 Ultrasound! This is the big day when we will find out if we are having a boy or girl! We can't wait to know!

We saw my OB on Monday and things are progressing wonderfully! My nurse, Andrea was back and I was so happy to see her. I have seen her several times in the last year. I was always saying "I can't stand coming here seeing all these pregnant women". She was so kind. She didn't tell me until she was literally about to pop that she was one of those women. Oh boy, did I feel bad. I apologized profusely, but I still felt like a real idiot knowing I had said it so many times. Anyway, when I saw her I was so happy to see her. She said "I was looking through my list of pregnant people coming in this week and to my surprise I saw your name!" It was great seeing her and of course being so proud that I was finally pregnant!

I have officially started wearing maternity pants. I was miserable. I made it 16 weeks, well actually 15 weeks, but suddenly nothing around my waist felt comfortable. I hit the jackpot, with Heather giving me a TON of maternity clothes. However, none of them were shorts. And it is dang hot here still. I went shopping the other day and there are NO shorts left. I think there were a total of 15 shorts and 10 of them were smalls. The others were hochie mama shorts or basically capris on these short legs. So, no shorts for me, until I get desperate and cut the legs off a pair of the jeans Heather gave me!

So the big day is September 15! Greg and I can't wait to give our baby the name that we have picked out. It will be nice to say "him or her" rather than "the baby". I seriously don't know how people can wait to find out until the big day. Quite honestly, we just aren't that patient! People who can wait are amazing! Greg and I do not care what God gives us. We just can't wait to know! Let's vote and see what you all think we will have. I wish I knew how to set up a poll, but you all know I am not up to speed on those kinds of things. Just leave a comment on whether you think we are having a boy or girl. Also, you can always be anonymous and just sign your name at the bottom. I have been told that many people don't leave comments, because they don't want to register. So go ahead and just be anonymous.

I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I will be dreaming of going on a boat ride. I remind myself that next summer I will have a baby riding in the boat with me! Oh, won't that be wonderful!! If you have a boat, get out and enjoy it...for me!

Love,

Alicia

15 weeks and a few of my favorite things

I am 15 weeks three days pregnant today! Yahoo! Tonight I am having my Poker group over and I should be cleaning and baking, but I can't get motivated. I don't think my friends will judge me if my house isn't clean...at least I hope they won't! Here are a few of my favorites in no particular order!


Some of my Favorite Things

1. Lawrence, Kansas in the Fall, on Campus, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt

2. Spending time with my family

3. Pizza

4. Going on long boat rides, packing a lunch, and hanging out in the sun for the day!

5. A clean house

6. Bikram Yoga...which I miss terribly

7. Thanksgiving...I should say I love Thanksgiving, because I love all the excitement following Thanksgiving. You know the shopping, decorating, baking, etc, to get ready for Christmas!

8. Kansas Basketball

9. Going out to eat

10. Going to the Zoo

11. Birkenstocks...is there any other shoe? I know, not a fashion statement, but I love them!

12. Being pregnant!

14 Weeks!

I cannot believe I am 14 weeks 4 days pregnant! This has been the most wonderful summer of my life. On some days I feel like the pregnancy is blowing by, but then on some days I'm like 25 more weeks... hurry up...I want to meet this baby of mine! Each day I have a new thought, feeling, etc. I think about the baby constantly. I feel like my mind is mush. I ran into a curb the other day with my car (I didn't tell Greg) I was thinking about this baby of mine, and turned a little too tight. I ramble on and on about stuff and then stop myself and think, "what did I just say". I dream about the baby. Baby thoughts are constant. When I go for my walks, I think of the baby the whole time. I catch myself crying on the path. I quickly try to get a grip, and hope no one notices my tears. If they do I will just say "I'm pregnant and oh, so happy!"

I don't know if any of you realize this, but I had pretty much convinced myself parenthood wasn't in the cards for me. We had met the requirements for China, got in line, and waited. The wait for China was not what we had signed up for. I'm 99% sure had we known it would take this long we would have picked another country or Domestic adoption. Despite going to the OB and him telling me "I think we can get you pregnant", I just didn't believe it. I was afraid to believe it. What if I believed him and then this didn't happen either. In April, when Heather had Addy, I watched her delivery. Maybe, it wasn't the smartest thing I've done, because quite honestly, the whole thing broke my heart. I wanted a baby. I was mad at the world. I couldn't believe how unfair life was.

In May, I called Greg home from work. I have never done this. His job is much too busy and making calls to come home, is just not something I do. But I just KNEW this was the day I was going to get pregnant. Greg thought I was crazy, but being the man he is, he kindly obliged. That is the week I got pregnant! God led me to call Greg and I am so happy He did. What a miracle. People used to always tell me "God's timing is always perfect". When they said it, it irritated me. I thought "easy for you to say...you have a child". But I will tell you this...I believe this statement wholeheartedly now, God's timing is always perfect. And I wouldn't want this joy, excitment, love of my life, any other time or any other way. I was meant to carry this baby and have this overwhelming joy that sometimes takes my breath away.


Until next week,

Alicia

13 Weeks!

This week has been full and busy! My sister, and my nieces, were here for a week! We had a fun time and I miss them already! The house is much too quiet with them gone. Lilly, who is two, wanted to stay with Auntie and I wanted to say, "sure you can stay another week". I knew though that her Uncle Gregie was tired and ready for some peace!

We did lots of shopping for my nieces and lots of dreaming for my baby! I wanted to buy so much, but since I don't know the sex of the baby I just couldn't buy any outfits. I did finally purchase this diaper bag that I have wanted forever! I saw it at Pottery Barn Kids about two years ago. I said, "when I get my baby I want that bag"! To my surprise, PBK still had the bag and better yet it was on sale!

I know there will be many more bags for me...as I love handbags, but it was fun to purchase my first baby bag!

Heather was so much fun to have around. She shared so much with me. She is quite the pro at having babies! She had lots of advice, tips, and just reassured me about all my worries. Thanks Heather!

Overall things are going great! I feel so much better now. I don't have the nausea anymore. My doctor had told me to stop drinking so much water (I have always been a huge water drinker) and to switch to Gatorade. I started drinking that G2, by Gatorade, and it has helped me immensely. Also, I love ice cream, but ice cream doesn't agree with me right now. On the occasions that I have actually vomited it has been after ice cream. So, no more ice cream for me. Greg said, "the baby must be lactose intolerant". I don't think there is any truth to that one, but who knows.

I'm not sure I have told you all how awesome Greg has been! I knew Greg was amazing before getting pregnant, but gee whiz, he has been so wonderful to me. He just goes with the flow. If at the last minute I don't want to cook supper and say "can we just have grilled cheese?" he says, "sure". If a commercial makes me cry he gives me a hug and laughs at the fact. If I have worries, he reassures me that all will be fine and perfect. He tells me I am the most beautiful Mama he has ever seen. Who would have thought at 18 years old I knew this was my Prince. I love you Greg!

Ok, better go, I'm crying huge tears and I need to watch the Olympic Basketball game!

Alicia

12 Weeks!

I decided to change the blog a little. What do you think? The colors of the University of Kansas are Crimson and Blue. I wanted to spruce things up a bit and what better color choices! I actually, wanted to pay to have our blog done professionally, but Greg thought that was ridiculous, so you all are just stuck with what I can do for free on Blogger.

We saw my OB on Monday. We most importantly got to see the baby. The baby was wiggling all over and raised its arm as to say, "hi mom and dad". I only cried for a moment this time...usually I cry through the whole thing. I wanted to really see the baby and you can't see if you are crying big tears! Our OB said "The baby looks perfect"! Just what we want to hear at every visit! We asked a few questions...I am quite certain our OB gets tired of all our questions, but we are first time parents, we are older, and we are SUPER excited!

I was very bummed though that we won't have another Ultrasound until week 20, when we go to downtown Houston to have a very "thorough" ultrasound. To me, being high risk, and having frequent ultrasounds was one of the perks to being classified as high risk. I guess, it is a good sign though, to not need them all the time. It sure was great seeing the little baby so often.

Our doctor said "you know this is a miracle baby don't you? Chronic hypertension, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Polycystic Ovaries, and absolutely no fertility drugs. I said..."oh yes, we say every night that we have a miracle baby growing in me!!"


Until next week,

Alicia

11 Weeks!

My friend said to me last night "you haven't updated this week". I am really not good at posting this often. Plus there really isn't much to say. I will tell you this, in the past I have not been the most sympathetic person when it comes to "morning sickness". I'm always like "yeah..whatever...you get to be pregnant, stop your complaining". So it has been very difficult for me to admit that Morning Sickness is very real. That it can get the best of you. Now, I will never complain about not feeling the best, but I definitely don't feel like the old Alicia. I have tried to down play the nausea, but let's be honest....it has been ugly. I have vomited on a few occasions, but for the most part it is just this constant nausea. I thought I was through it, but this week, well my body wanted to remind me that I am very pregnant!!

I am also tired beyond description. I could sleep all day. I make myself get up at 6:00 a.m. to go and walk. Today I was thrilled that "Dolly" is creating some rain in Houston and I couldn't go outside to walk. Yay! But now I know I must clean my house, and well, I don't really want to do that either. I would prefer rest on the couch! Keep in mind I was out last night until 11:30 playing cards with my card group that meets once a month. Unfortunately, I did terrible. Oh well, it was nice visiting with the girls!

We get to see the baby on Monday! We can't wait!! Do you all remember when Tom Cruise bought Katie an ultrasound machine? I thought how incredibly strange. Let me tell you...if I had the money I would! I would love to hear the baby's heart beat every morning and see our baby growing strong and healthy.

I am 11 weeks 4 days pregnant. It is a wonderful feeling. Last night at cards three out of six girls were pregnant! How fun! Please keep Sarah, who is due Sept. 28 and Carrie, who is due in March, in your prayers also.

See you next week!

10 Weeks!!

I usually only post about once a month, but there is just so much excitement that I can't contain myself. I have made many friends through the blogging world and most of them post quite often. So, I'm going to start posting at least weekly. I hope I don't bore you to death!

Our house is the happiest house we have ever had. Greg and I walk around with a permanent smile on our face. Saturday after church we went to dinner with our friends Darin and Dionne and all their family. We had a nice time. While driving home Greg said "I'm just so happy". My heart danced to hear that. I have to agree, I too am just so happy!

I feel really good. I have had a little bit of nausea, but nothing major. I continue to walk and I must say today kicked my butt! I just felt exhausted. I wasn't half way done and I wanted to turn around. I kept trucking...knowing my exercise will keep me healthy and keep the blood flowing!

I started Lovenox (blood thinner) on Tuesday of last week for the Factor V. I give myself a shot every morning at 6:00 a.m. Through the years I have had to take shots for my RA. Many days I would skip my shot. It hurt, or I forgot, or some other lame excuse for missing my shot. Let me tell you this is one shot I do NOT forget. The Mama clock in me wakes up every day at 6:00 for this shot. It isn't a big deal to take the shot, it is however, a HUGE deal if I don't do it.

Greg is in Ft. Worth today and I didn't like him leaving. I have great neighbors though and I know if I need anything they will be here for me. Tomorrow I get to see all my Bunko/Texas Hold Em' friends for a day of swimming. I am looking forward to seeing them all. This summer has went rather quickly, but I am going to miss my time at the lake this year. My OB doesn't want me any further than three hours away. There is nothing better than being on the boat with the sun beating down on me...well, actually there is....being PREGNANT!

One last thing. The blogging world is amazing! I have come across some amazing blogs, blogs of courage, loss, adoption, faith, etc. I have also realized that there are so many woman out there struggling with one thing or another. I have met a lady by the name of Michelle. She was one of the first people to know I was pregnant. I posted on another blog that I was praying for a lady that I feared had Factor V. I mentioned that I was pregnant with Factor V. Michelle read my post and came by my blog and said, simply, she was praying for me. I went to Michelle's blog to find out who she was. I read and read. Then I came across Bring the Rain friends. And there it was...my name...Michelle has a list of people that she thinks needs prayer. I cried, oh boy did I cry. Michelle, I do not know you yet, but you made my day when I saw that you did that. It amazes me how many wonderful people there are in this world. People who think others are important. People who take the time to pray for so many others, despite what is going on in their own lives. Oh boy...here I go again...crying. Thank you Michelle. Now, I am asking all of you to read Michelle's blog and Bring the Rain and that you will pray for Michelle's daughter and Audrey's family.

Until next week....

Alicia

I never thought I would type this, but here goes....

We are PREGNANT!! Yes, it is true! After 14 years of just Greg and Alicia we are finally expecting a baby! We found out on June 27. I am nine weeks pregnant and we are ecstatic! We are thrilled, excited, happy, and maybe just a tad nervous!

Now you ask how did this happen? Well, I think we all know that one, but I will give you a little more info. Last September I went to the OB and said "I want a baby. Our China adoption is going nowhere and I am sick of waiting". I talked to my Rheumatologist who said he would support my decision, but that I would need to realize my pregnancy could be difficult with my RA. I said "I will be miserable for nine months to have my dream come true". I was told I had to get off three medications before we could begin trying. By November I was off one medicine, by Feb. the second one was gone, and on June 4 I took my last RA medication. We were to start Fertility drugs in June, but you guessed it....we didn't need them, we got pregnant on our own!!! My OB says it is because I lost weight and was so determined to make this work! Yeah!!! Talk about amazing!!

We have had two ultrasounds already and we are asking for prayers. I have a lovely thing called Factor V. It is rather scary, but I will fight with all my might and I know our baby will too. This baby is our "miracle" baby. I just can't tell you how happy we are. I have huge tears as I type this. They are tears of happiness that I never thought I would have.

Greg and I celebrate our Anniversary on July 9. We will be married 14 years! There is no Anniversary gift that could compare to this. My heart is overflowing with joy. I am just so happy. Thank you all for your love and support. Thank you especially to my sister, who has listened to this know it all for so many years. In case you don't know this....I know everything. But let me tell you this...I know nothing about being pregnant. Heather, has given me so much information about being pregnant, she has researched Factor V, she has been my best friend and I am so thankful God blessed me with her as my sister.

Ok...I will keep you all updated. We see the OB in three weeks for another ultrasound. I have a feeling we are going to be regulars for ultrasounds.

With much love,

Alicia

A little about me...

After my post about starting my new jogging regiment I was pumped. I was going to become a runner! Little did I know that sometimes the best laid plans don't always work out! For those of you who don't know me that well, I will tell you that eight years ago I was going to college, at the most awesome school in the world the University of Kansas. I started having pain in my shoulder and hips. I thought "I sure am out of shape, this back pack is killing me". I had no insurance and there was NO way I could be sick. But this pain wouldn't go away. It started to spread. Like into my hands and wrist. What is this that is going on? Luckily, for Greg and I we worked for a Family Physician and of course he saw me for free. He did labs and said "you need to see a Rheumatologist". He gave me a lovely medication called Prednisone and in about a week I felt fabulous! So obviously nothing was wrong with me...right? Not so fast....after canceling my appointment with the Rheumatologist (I wasn't sick afterall) I continued to feel well for about two weeks. And then this ugly monster snuck up and wouldn't go away. My doctor wouldn't give me Prednisone due to the fact that he worried I would never go see the Rheumatologist. I remember that time and honestly I was barely able to move. It was ugly. Long story short...I found out at 25 years of age that I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. I guess you could say I was in complete denial. I was told on my first visit to the Rheumatolgist that I would start another lovely drug...Methotrexate and children were out of the question. Which totally blew all the plans Greg and I had. Our plan was to get an education and then start a family. Well Greg was to graduate that December and this was October. Getting pregnant in January suddenly wasn't going to happen. Denial came and didn't leave for two years. I was depressed, I gained weight, I just couldn't believe our luck.

That was eight years ago and wow has life changed. I have taken many medications for my RA. And finally found one that works well for me. RA is very different than Arthritis. It actually is an autoimmune disease that primarily attacks joints, but can attack organs..which is scary! I have great days where you would never know there is something wrong with me and then I have those days where I just never want to get out of bed. Luckily I have more great days now. But when I get out of bed I resemble an 80 year old woman.

So where is this going? I guess I wanted to tell you all why my running program failed. I made it to week two. And then it was horrible. My knees were on fire, my hips throbbed all night, and my ankles well that was just a nightmare. My joints were hot and red, and swollen. In eight years I have learned that when this happens it isn't good. Also, I must tell you that I proudly told my Rheumatologist about my newest adventure and he was far from impressed. He warned me this would probably not work...he didn't discourage me, but said he only has one patient that has the ability to run and her RA is very different than mine. RA varies from person to person. My RA has been pretty crazy at times. That is a different story. I will share it with you someday.

So there you have it I am not a runner. When Mr. Summerville, asked, during my 7th grade run, "what's your troubles bubbles," I should have said "someday when I am older I will have RA and running just won't be in the cards for me"! I am back to walking my three miles a day and am adding a few extra blocks a week. My RA still isn't back to normal, but I know it will settle down. It just takes time. If you don't have a cause to donate too please consider donating money to the Arthritis Foundation. The link is on this blog. My mother has Lupus (which is another autoimmune disease) so this disease is definately genetic in my book and most of the doctor's.

I hope I haven't bored you to death. I just wanted to let you know. Some of you were so supportive and I must say I am embarrassed that I failed. My good friend Jinny, sent me an email saying how I inspired her. Wow...that felt amazing, but on day five of my jogging journey my joints were already flaring. So I knew this post would be coming soon.

It is very hot in Houston...I mean HOT! We celebrated Greg's 33rd Birthday on Monday! I am five months older than him so it is nice when his Birthday finally rolls around!

We are enjoying a trip in Ft. Worth while Greg attends some meetings for work. We have been able to see some of our friends. Which is always fun!

I hope this finds you all doing well! I will post some pictures soon!

Trying something new....

Ok, well I was told I no longer can practice Bikram Yoga. Long story, it is perfectly safe, and I encourage everyone to do it, but a lot is going on and my doctor doesn't want me in the heat. So, it has been about two months since I did my last Triangle Pose (which by the way was my LEAST favorite pose, but it did get my heart pumping) and I am going through withdraw.

I have this friend, Laura, who I met at Bikram and she is a health/fitness maniac! Really...she amazes me. I told her my walking just wasn't giving me the "high" that Bikram gave me. She said "well how about running?" Running...are you serious? I could never do that! Well, today I had my first session with Greg. I signed up for a nine week course at www.active.com called "Couch to 5K". In nine weeks I will be ready to run my first 5K.

Now I must tell you the last time I "ran". I was in the 7th grade, in my favorite teacher's class, Mr. Summerville. He was getting old back then...and he ran every single day...which amazed me back then and still does now. I don't know why, but he was also the coach for some sport, maybe Track? Long story, but my parents believed you tried out for EVERY sport...track, now that was just crazy! And my school was small so of course, everyone made the team. Just my luck! Our first day was a running day and I could not do the run and he said "come on bubbles you can do it". He always said "what's your trouble bubbles". Can you tell I really liked him? Well, I was second from DEAD last on that first run. I did make it, but I was almost last. So for me to even attempt this is amazing, crazy, scary, and super invigorating!

Laura, Greg and I are all going to run a 5K in August. Laura, is training for "Couch to half Marathon", but she said she would do it with me. It will be the hottest month in Texas, but I can do it! If I have learned anything in the last year it is this...I truly can achieve anything if I want it bad enough and nothing that is worth doing is easy. I'll keep you posted on this journey!

No news as far as the adoption. I would say adoption from China is at a standstill. Others may not agree, but when you are told it could easily be three more years, well to me, that means they aren't getting anywhere. It is still a very SORE subject.

Greg and I are looking forward to going to our hometown in June to see our good friend, Steve, and our Grandparents. It will be a short trip, but a very needed one. I hope you all are doing well. Check back for my progress on my new adventure!

Adalynn Brooke is here!

Saturday, April 19, at 4:03 p.m. Adalynn Brooke was born. She weighed 7.8 pounds and was 20 inches long. She is just as sweet as Summer and Lilly! Greg and I are excited to be Uncle Gregie and Auntie Alicia again! Please keep Heather and her girls in your prayers!

More pictures of Kansas games!

 

 

 

 

We had such a fun time! My sister and her husband got FREE tickets to the games. Lucky dogs. Anyway my sister was quite the trooper! She is VERY pregnant..due any day and she went. Her doctor said "you must really like basketball"! haha!

Have a great Tax Day!

Love,

Alicia

Kansas...National Champions! Go Kansas!

Greg and I had a wonderful time cheering our Jayhawks to a National Championship! We had such a fun time being at the games and cheering with the thousands of Kansas fans!

The Kansas vs. North Carolina game was a real treat! To those out there that thought the game was boring...well, you must not be a Kansas fan. That game was awesome. Our boys wiped the floor clean with the Tar Heels. We had many NC fans sitting by us, and let me tell you they were very quiet! Sweet Victory!

Going into the game on Monday I assumed Memphis wouldn't be a problem. Oh boy, was I wrong! I guess I should have known by the hurting they put on UCLA, but I was naive. When there was two minutes left and we were down by nine I thought "this is it, we are going to lose this game". Then Memphis didn't make their free throws and suddenly there was a chance.
Mario Chalmers....YOU ROCK!!! When he made the three pointer to tie up the game and we went into overtime I really knew then that the Jayhawks would win the title of National Champions!

We had such an amazing time! Greg has wanted to go to the Final Four since he was a child. I have to say there is no one I would rather have been at the games with than my husband Greg. Thank you Greg for such a wonderful time. You will always be my favorite Jayhawk, even though Mario is pretty high on the list!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk! K!! U!!

More pictures to come...Alicia

Final 4 here we come! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

Christmas morning is about here! Greg can hardly contain himself! The Jayhawks are playing UNC on Saturday and WE ARE GOING!! We are so excited! Greg just bought our tickets to all the games!

The game on Sunday was such a nail biter! We yelled, cursed, screamed, and cheered, and low and behold our boys did it!! It will be so wonderful if we can beat ole' Roy in San Antonio! It will be awesome if we win the Championship! We will cheer extra loud for all our friends!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk...Go KU!!!

March is already here!

 

I can't believe it is already the middle of March! We had a fun February... we hope you did too!

I celebrated my 33 Birthday on Feb. 7. I can't believe I am already 33...ouch! Greg did a great job this year surprising me with some art I had wanted and then he took me to a delicious supper at a Japanese steak house! Yum!!

February 16, we celebrated Lilly's 2nd Birthday! We are so happy we live close so we could go to her big party! We stayed for two days so that was fun!

While we were in San Antonio we were able to see our dear friends Sobha and Dhanya. It was just wonderful to see them! We were neighbors with Sobha and Dhanya at KU. They are in the pictures with Greg and I.

Then we had Valentine's Day. Again, Greg did awesome. He got me two charms for my Pandora bracelet and a Pandora ring. We weren't supposed to get each other anything. So, I did what we had agreed to do, and looked silly when he got me such a nice gift.

I've been battling some ear issues, so I wasn't able to do as much Yoga as I like to do. I did manage to lose another four pounds. Nothing earth shattering, but at least it is gone!

My parents will be here next Thursday for Easter weekend! I am hoping my dad will paint our bedroom. We will see though, as it is a short trip for them. We will all go to San Antonio on Sunday to have Easter with my sister and her family.

Well, on a final note, this Sunday is Selection Sunday! Yahoo! We are actually hoping KU gets a #2 seed so that they will be in the South region...which plays in Houston! Obviously, if they make it to the Final 4, we will go scout tickets in San Antonio. We are very hopeful this is the year for our Jayhawks! Cheer loud!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Go KU!!!

Love,

Alicia

Happy 2008

I hope this finds everyone having a wonderful 2008! January is flying by so I thought I would update you on the happenings in our household.

Our adoption continues to drag along and I must admit we are looking at other options. It has been a heartbreaking process and I am afraid I don't have what it takes to keep holding out. We are being told our wait could reach 2011 before we bring our daughter home. For those of you out there who have wanted a child you know that 2011 seems like FOREVER!!! I am struggling big time and I ask that you pray for me. Greg is busy with work so he has to put his thoughts into other things. As for me, well all I think about is "I still don't have a child". I will continue to keep you in the loop...just know right now it is a touchy subject.

Over MLK weekend, my sister and her girls, and I made a quick road trip to Missouri to surprise my mom for her 57th Birthday! I think she was surprised and thrilled to see us! My nieces did wonderful on the 11 hour car trip! They are awesome travelers! They make their Auntie so proud!

Our dear friends Carrie and Brian returned January 3rd from China with their precious Gracie! She is adorable and is just amazing! We spent this past Saturday evening with them. It was so wonderful to see them as a family of three!

I am still doing my Bikram Yoga and I am still loving it! I am improving on my practice every week. It is the most challenging exercise I have ever done. People think Yoga is a bunch of meditation, with candles and soft music...well not Bikram! Greg has promised that he will go one time with me when I reach my goal weight. I hope I reach it by May! I am still holding at 55 pounds. I guess I have hit a plateau and need to turn it up a bit. Hopefully next time I write I will be at 60 pounds!!

We are going to my sister's house next weekend for the Superbowl. We have really enjoyed living closer to them. I love that my nieces know who their Auntie is. Lilly will be two in Feb. and she calls Auntie "TT". We assume she can't say Auntie. Too cute! Lilly also loves Riley. I think he is her best friend. She loves to sit in his kennel with him with the door shut. I know it sounds crazy but if you can't find Lilly, well you know she is in the kennel! It irritates my clean freak sister so much! She really enjoys getting in it when she is all clean! Children are so fun!

I hope this finds you all doing well. Thanks for checking in on us. Take care.

Love,

Alicia