23 weeks

I feel like all of our canine medical drama was meant to prepare me for being a parent.  I am beginning to realize what it will be like to have to put my needs on the back burner and put another being first. Almost all of my decisions this past week have revolved around dogs.  I try to run all my errands at once and figure out what I can cut out because I hate leaving them alone for long periods of time.  Jack has to be fed every few hours.  He has to be put on a leash and taken outside and monitored when he needs to go to the bathroom.  If he is upset about being crated, I have to calm him down without using food, which was always my go to.  I am tired and done by 6 pretty much every night and I could care less what I look like because taking care of him takes up all my energy.  To all the parents who read this, I'm starting to figure you out and I get why you are so tired.  And he is just a dog.  This worries me a little.  

How far along: 23 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:  It doesn't even matter because people are so nice about your weight when you are pregnant.   
Maternity clothes:  More and more maternity clothes.
Stretch marks: Zero.  Zip.  And I thank the Lord everyday.  

Sleep: I have been having some crazy-ass dreams and that is truly the only way to describe them.  I had a dream that the baby kicked so hard that his legs through my stomach.  Sick and crazy-ass.

Best moment this week: I got to see lots of friends that I haven't seen all summer!  It was so nice catching up with so many fabulous people.
Movement: If I am sitting or trying to sleep, he is moving.  I think this is an example of be careful what you wish for.
Food cravings: Super pretzels, which I cannot get anywhere in town.  I also saw a pin that featured a hot dog wrapped in a pretzel and that really captured my  interest.
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None.

Belly in or out: Still in but I feel like it may not be too much longer before this changes.

Symptom of the week: Numbness.  I have actually experienced this symptom since the beginning of my pregnancy.  When I walk, my fingers swell and go numb.  My feet also get numb regularly now.  It's hard to get motivated to walk when you know you won't be able to feel your hands for a while.
What I miss: Our town's big rodeo and reunion is this weekend and it is very strange to not be partaking in the festivities.  I have to work both Saturday and Sunday.  It will be different to say the least.
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery done and getting a chance to relax.  I don't know that the relaxing part will really happen but a girl can dream.
Weekly wisdom:  If you aren't feeling good about yourself go find some people to tell you how great you look.  It helps. 
Milestones: I met with Jennifer to talk about the nursery today!  A color palette will hopefully be confirmed this weekend and we have a list of furniture I need to buy.  Things are starting to happen.

Done and done

The first phase of our current remodel is officially done!  The hallway is complete and we are very pleased with the results.  I realize it sounds a little crazy to say you remodeled a hallway but we did.  Old houses mean you have to remodel everything.

We raised the ceilings, changed out the crown molding and baseboards, put in wood floor, painted, and most importantly added more storage.  Baby Brown isn't even here yet and I am beginning to realize how much stuff children come with.

The nice part about this remodel is that it was cheap.  We already had the paint and flooring.  I got the cabinet hardware on sale.  The biggest costs were the cabinets and, of course, labor.

The new hallway 

Another room with green paint and moldings to match the rest of the house

Storage!

New cabinet hardware (that I got on sale, thank you)

The nursery is the next step.  We will start moving furniture around so we can empty out that room and then it's go time.  The crib should be here next week and we will hopefully have an official color palette as well (and maybe some fabric for bedding).  I think I have said it a million times, but I am ready to be done and take a break before things really get crazy.

22 weeks (+ a Jack update)

Things are a little nuts at the Brown house.  We have contractors in one part of the house and dogs on bed rest in the other.  I feel a little like Florence Nightingale.  I will talk more about Jack below.  The remodel is moving a little slower than anticipated which is always the case.  It will be done this week though.  Once it is done, we will have to rearrange our new guest room and empty out the room we're using for the nursery so we can get started in there.  I am ready for the house to be mess and contractor-free.  But I have a feeling that it will be September before I get my wish.  

How far along: 22 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:  Somewhere around 12 pounds.  I am measuring spot on for 22 weeks which makes me feel a little less like a cow.
Maternity clothes:  A mix of maternity and pre-maternity clothes but starting to lean towards more maternity clothes.
Stretch marks: None.  

Sleep: I am not getting the most restful sleep but I still haven't woken up in the middle of the night due to the baby so I think that's a good thing.

Best moment this week: Not exactly baby-related, but Jack coming home!  Plus, starting on our hall/nursery remodel.
Movement: Lots and lots of movement.
Food cravings: Sugar cookies with icing.
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None.

Belly in or out: Still in.

Symptom of the week: Leg cramps.  Holy moly, these hurt.  I have just started to experience these moments of torture and it seems like I usually get them when I have just woken up.  They are not fun at all.
What I miss: Not feeling like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  In addition to the remodels and taking care of dogs, I am finishing up my bachelor's degree and president of our local sorority for the year.  My to-do lists are all that keep me sane.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting with my friend Jennifer to discuss the nursery next week.
Weekly wisdom: This doesn't have anything to do with being pregnant, but everyone is busy within in their own space but time management makes all the difference.  I hate when people use being busy as an excuse for not getting things done.
Milestones: Daniel has started feeling the baby move a lot more, which he is pretty excited about.  Oh and I can barely fit into my scrub pants for work anymore which was a fun surprise when I had to work last weekend.

A Jack update:

Surgical cones are no fun

Jack is home!  We picked him up from the vet this morning and we are so happy to have him back.  He has to be confined to a crate or on a leash for the next three weeks.  Let me tell you, it's going to be a long three weeks but we are so lucky that he made it through his surgery and recovery.  He also is on a special food and has to eat four times a day and go for lots of short walks.  I totally feel like I am back at the hospital.  He also has a cone because he has a hard time leaving his incisions alone but only wears it for a few hours a day because it makes me feel so terrible.  The next big test is a week from Friday.  He gets his stitches out and starts working back towards eating dry food.  I think he may miss the canned food.  Marley is also doing very well but I think she was getting used to having all the attention for herself.  She is a little jealous.  

And one more picture where he doesn't look so sad

R is for remodel (+ a dog update)

We made it 7 months without doing any work to our house, but that break has come to an end.  We are remodeling the room that we will be using as the nursery and doing some work to the hallway as well.

Daniel had suggested adding a linen closet a long time ago and I vetoed the idea.  Then when I got pregnant I  had the best idea ever, let's add a linen closet.  I guess I needed to feel like it was my idea.  Old houses are definitely tight on storage and we had been using every closet in the house.  Well now the baby will need his own closet so we had to do something with all of our junk.  We decided to add a linen cabinet on either side of our guest bath because the closets in those room are actually really big and we felt like we could lose some space without too much sacrifice.

The current hallway (please note that room was completely cleaned out before this project started)

Looking into what will be the nursery

What we are currently working with

In addition to adding the cabinets we are raising the ceiling, changing out the laminate flooring for wood, painting and redoing the trim.  We are slowly but surely making all the rooms in the house work together and I think the end is in sight.

Once the hallway is done and we can move some things around we will be ready to start on the nursery.  What we are doing in the nursery, I am not sure.  We still are undecided but I think we have a color scheme in mind.  The nursery will be getting new carpet, trim and paint and then we will be ready for business.

I am dying to be done with all of these projects.  I think I can trick myself into feeling prepared.  Plus we have been blessed by our brother and sister-in-law with lots and lots of baby clothes from their boys and we need somewhere to put it all.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is a quick project and that the nursery decorating goes smoothly.  I'll keep you updated.

We added two sets of linen cabinets

No more floor or baseboards

Symmetry is hard to achieve in old houses

A Brown dog update:

We have been able to visit Jack everyday and it is amazing to see how quickly he regained a positive attitude.  I know if I had been through what he has, I would be a little sour.  I feel like I can learn a few things from him.  He has a lot of bruising but his swelling has gone down and he is eating and drinking more everyday.  He will have to been able to eat a regular amount of food and be able to stay hydrated without any adverse reactions before he can come home.  We are hoping that he will be released at the beginning of next week.  We won't be able to see him this weekend, which stinks, but hopefully he will continue to improve.  Marley is also doing very well.  She has started putting weight back on her foot and has regained her normal not-so-positive attitude.  To say she is basking in all the attention would be an understatement.  Hopefully by this time next week our house will be back to normal.  Thank you for all of your prayers and kind words!  This has definitely been a test but I think we have learned a lot.  

Jack update

We have gotten to visit Jack everyday since his surgery, which has been such a blessing.  Yesterday he was still super weak and sore.  Today he was so much better and getting his personality back.  He still has a lot of swelling and had to be given Lasix due to some edema.  He is also still on IV antibiotics and receiving most of his fluids via the IV.  He was hooked up when they brought him in for his visit and promptly pulled the IV out. 

He has started eating very very small portions of food three times a day and drinking small portions of water.  He has handled all of that really well and would love a regular-sized meal.  He loves to eat (quickly) which is what got him into this situation.  Everything seems to be working correctly and he has been able to go to the bathroom which means that end was not affected too badly.  That might be too much information, but it is important if he wants to come home.  He is going for short walks and tolerates them but gets very tired.  They warned me that he may not be so chipper tomorrow and will have good days and bad days for a while.

The vet staff is optimistic that he will be able to come home but the soonest he would be discharged is next Monday.  They keep warning me that he is definitely not out of the woods and needs to be monitored closely for the next couple days.  We are hopeful that he will continue to progress and be released next week.  Thank you for all your prayers!  We are so thankful that our Jack is still fighting.    

Still feeling puny yesterday

Today he was a whole new dog

In other Brown dog news, Marley is also on the DL.  Yesterday afternoon I noticed that she wasn't putting any weight on her back leg.  I thought she might be looking for attention but when she kept it up, I decided to take her to the vet today.  When it rains, it pours.  It turns out that she has a partial tear in her hip and will need to take anti-inflammatory medication for two weeks and is not allowed to do any unnecessary activities.  The good news is that her and Jack did get to visit.  I would have loved to take her up to visit him for free, but she thought we needed to contribute more money to the vet.  The staff said they were very excited to see each other and Jack jumped on his kennel door.  They thought it definitely lifted his spirits, so while I hate that she is hurt, I'm glad that they could at least see one another.  However if these dogs keep it up, their little brother will have no college fund.

21 weeks

So even with our precious Jack in the dog hospital, we are soldiering on.  We went to Savannah last week and had a really great time.  The flights to Savannah were not so great and ended with our bags being lost and not arriving until 7pm the next day.  30 hours is a really long time to go without your things.  Savannah was beautiful and the food was amazing.  We even saw a movie being filmed starring Ron Weasley.  As fun as our trip was, I am happy to be home.  I have an overwhelming desire to get prepared for this baby and we started remodeling the nursery and hall area this week.  I will definitely post updates.

How far along: 21 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:  Somewhere around 12 pounds.
Maternity clothes:  A mix of maternity and pre-maternity clothes.
Stretch marks: None.  Thank you, Jesus!

Sleep: I am getting sleep but I am back to feeling tired most of the time.  There were lots of naps taken while we were in Savannah.

Best moment this week: Getting out of town.  Our trip did not start (or end) on the brightest not but Savannah was lots of fun and we ate lots of good food.
Movement: This kid has gone wild.  He moves a lot and I can really feel it.
Food cravings: I still like my daily sweets.
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None.

Belly in or out: Still in.

Symptom of the week: Sweat.  I have always been someone who sweats but I really upped the ante in Savannah.  I have never in my life felt that hot and been that sweaty.  It's gross, but it's the truth.  Pregnant women don't glow, they sweat.
What I miss: Bikinis with no shame.
What I am looking forward to: We have our next check up on Thursday and I am always excited to hear what is coming up next.
Weekly wisdom: Savannah is hot in July but Savannah is even hotter when you are pregnant.
Milestones: Going on our last worry-free vacation.  I have a feeling that our yearly trips are about to be a lot different.

Jack and me

Yesterday was not a fun day at the Brown house.  I would say it was probably one of the worst days we have had in a very long time.

It started out fine.  We picked our dogs up from the vet where they were being boarded and brought them home.  I fed them and then took Daniel to work.  About an hour after we got home, our dog Jack started acting funny.  He hates being outside so it is a little strange when he doesn't bum rush you to get in the house.

I found him in the backyard dry heaving.  This is not abnormal because he has more ailments than some 90-year-olds.  I became a little more worried when I noticed that he was walking with his legs stretched out like he was having a hard time supporting his weight.  He was also pacing and very restless, which is not like him at all.  I called Daniel and then the vet.  The vet suggested giving him Pepto-Bismol to see if that helped his stomach.  It did not.

For the next hour or so Jack kept getting worse.  He was drooling, pacing, had some bowel issues, was working very hard to breath, looked like he was getting weak, and continued to dry heave.  I kept telling Daniel that it seemed like he was going to fall over at any minute.  We loaded him in the car and took him to vet as soon as they got back from lunch.

The news continued to get worse.  Jack had twisted his stomach and needed immediate surgery.  The vet said he had a 60% chance of survival and that was all they could really tell us.  Our only hope was that we had caught it fairly early but I was feeling very guilty about not brining him in as soon as I noticed his changes and it was at this point that I lost it.

If you know me, you know I love my dogs but I really really love Jack.  When we first got him I did not.  I actually asked Daniel to take him back to Dallas.  He was super clingy and hated it.  Luckily, Dallas is not a short drive away and Daniel told me to give it time.  Since then I have become just a co-dependent when it comes to Jack.  We do everything together.  Seriously, everything.  He is the sweetest dog and has the biggest heart.

Jack made it through his surgery and the night, which are both good signs.  The vet told us that he feels optimistic but the next few days are going to be really critical in determining whether or not Jack will able to stay with us.  When a dog's stomach twists, blood flow is cut off and tissue dies.  We have no idea how much of his stomach tissue died, if any.  The vet said that it looked like there had been some tissue death but the tissue pinked up when blood flow returned.

Tomorrow they will begin feeding Jack small portions of food and water.  Our hope is that he will be able to digest and metabolize the food.  This would mean that even though some of his stomach was affected, he will still be able to lead a normal life.  If he is not able to digest food, we will be faced with a huge decision.

We would greatly appreciate any prayers we can get.  I love this dog more than I can say and it kills me to think that our time with him may be coming to an end.  Please pray that Jack is able to function normally and just needs time.  I will keep everyone updated on his progress.

20 weeks

I am officially past the halfway mark!  There are days when it seems like November is right around the corner and other days when it seems like it could not be farther away.  We had a busy week with a friend's birthday celebration, the 4th of July, my parents coming to town, and my birthday.  We are going on our last vacation (for a while/without a kid) this week but things should be slowing down when we get back.  My next project is to get the nursery situation figured out.  We are adding linen closets next week which means the nursery is the next step.  Please pray that this project goes smoothly and does not end with me in tears.

How far along: 20 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:  8 pounds or more
Maternity clothes:  I am still able to wear some of my pre-pregnancy clothes but they fit a little different these days.
Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: I am sleeping but I am super thankful for my Snoogle.  I keep waking up on my back and Googling makes that seem super scary.

Best moment this week: My parents were in town for the weekend.  We did yard work, spent time together, laughed a lot, and celebrated my birthday.  I wish they lived closer to us.  Baby Brown is so lucky to have them in his life.
Movement: I am definitely starting to feel more.  Daniel felt him move which was super exciting.
Food cravings: Anything.  Everything.
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None.

Belly in or out: In but I think I may have an outie sooner rather than later.

Symptom of the week: Headaches. I never had headaches before getting pregnant and now I get them almost everyday.  If I squint, I get a headache.  Sometimes reading gives me headaches.  It is crazy how everything changes being pregnant.
What I miss: Nothing really.
What I am looking forward to: Baby. Moon.  Hello, Savannah.
Weekly wisdom: No matter what crazy things are happening to your body, you are not alone.  Someone else has experienced it and there is an end in sight.
Milestones: I am officially half way and Daniel finally felt the baby kick!  We also picked out a name and ordered a baby book so there is no turning back.  The crib is also on it's way.  It's been a big week.  


Here is the first half of my pregnancy in pictures (at least from when we started taking pictures).  I'm not sure what happened week 17 and skipped week 15, but it is fun to see how I have grown.

Nursery problems

I thought we were having a girl.  Girl nurseries are easy.  90% of everything you see is for girls, so there are so many options out there and the possibilities seem endless.

Boys nurseries are hard.  Everyone wants to push you into a theme when you are having a boy.  I don't want a nursery that looks like a jungle or a football field.  I don't think white is practical and that is another common option.

I am having a really hard time figuring out what I want.  I like bright colors, but our home is traditional and I like the flow we have.  Thankfully, I have a professional interior designer in my life who will hopefully put me on the right track.

We do have a crib so that is a starting point.  We also have Pinterest.  Here are some of the ideas I am currently tossing around.

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Gray and green (or gray and any color)

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Calming colors

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I love navy and lime

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This is super sweet but probably not practical

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Beadboard is my fave

Green houndstooth

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Loving alphabet walls

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Blue and red

If anyone has any great ideas, please let me know.  I am totally open to suggestions.  The crib is white and I like traditional.  Those are my only requirements.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I will have an epiphany and everything will come together.  Here's to hoping.

so long twenty-seven

Today I celebrated my day of birth.  My parents came to visit which was the best birthday gift I could have asked for.  They helped landscape our front yard (because I have a thumb that is nowhere close to green) and removed a gigantic stump from our back yard (I took pictures of both events for future blogs).  We also hung out and spent some quality time together.   I swear I am not a slave driver.

All in all, it was a good birthday.  I got to watch Wimbledon, which is one of my favorite sporting events of the year.  An Andy Murray victory would have been great but it wasn't in the cards.  We ate lunch with friends and family and then had to say good-bye to my parents.  The good news is we have a layover in Houston next week, so we get to see them again.  Then I started a baby registry and was very thankful that my sister-in-law went to help.  She had tons of great advice.

Most importantly, Daniel finally felt the baby kick (he has been moving a ton today) and we picked a name!  We had a first name picked out already but we chose a middle name and made it official.  Things are definitely starting to feel more real.

I am hopeful that my twenty-eighth year will be my best yet.  Looking back, 27 was pretty good to me. We went to Miami, New York, and Spain, celebrated three years of marriage, I discovered that I love cooking classes, met Miles Austin, spent lots of time with family and friends, tried lots of new things, developed a love for photography, and were blessed with a baby.  I am looking forward to this next year and can't wait to see what happens even if it means I am getting closer and closer to 30.
 

The only person missing was my sister

My husband gets me

Let the good times roll

I love lobster rolls.  My sister, mom, and I took a girls trip to Boston two years ago and I fell in love with these delicious little creations.  The best one we had on the trip was at Neptune's Oyster.  It is a super tiny restaurant in the North End with a bar and a couple tables.  The lobster roll was served with  french fries and dripping with butter.  How can that not be good?

I pretty much always want a lobster roll but this has been amplified since being pregnant.  I recently discovered that one of the sale websites that I get emails from offers food, including lobster rolls.  I debated whether or not I thought they would be worth the money, but I decided to give it a shot.

My rolls arrived fresh from Maine about a week after I ordered them.  The meat was almost all claw meat, which is amazing.  I made Daniel go with me to McDonalds to get french fries because I didn't have the patience to make any myself.  I even got an extra order of large fries for free.  Best day ever?  I think so.

The lobster rolls were worth every penny.  Seriously delish.  I told some friends that it was the best thing I have eaten in a very long time.  All I added was seasoned salt and I was in business.  My craving was definitely satisfied but I am sure it won't be long before I have to order more.

Heaven on a plate

19 weeks

I am rapidly approaching the half way mark, but I still feel like I have forever to go.  We had a super fun weekend in Lubbock but now I wish I had a pool in my backyard.  It was so nice getting to relax and not have any real plans.  Baby Brown got to experience Texas Tech (and Chimy's) for the first time and hopefully we have a future Red Raider on our hands. 

How far along: 19 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:  8 pounds or more
Maternity clothes:  I bought some super cute new maternity clothes in Lubbock this past weekend that make me very excited about our upcoming baby moon.
Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: My bedtime gets earlier and earlier.

Best moment this week: Getting to spend a weekend in Lubbock with our friends.  We had SO much fun.  We also ordered our crib which makes things seem a little more real.
Movement: I am definitely starting to feel more.
Food cravings: Anything and everything sounds good.
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: None.

Belly in or out: In.

Symptom of the week: Reflux.  I have not had any heartburn but I have definitely been experiencing reflux after almost every meal.  It is both scary and uncomfortable.
What I miss: Sometimes it seems like small actions, like not drinking enough water, can have big consequences when you're pregnant.  I miss being a little more footloose and fancy free.  
What I am looking forward to: My parents are coming for a long weekend!  I am so excited to see them.
Weekly wisdom: You can either worry or pray but there's no need to do both.  (Thank you, 50 Cent.)
Milestones: The baby kicked hard enough that I could feel it from the outside.  Daniel hasn't gotten to feel him yet but I think his time is coming.

Baby Brown's first Texas Tech shirt

Sweet outfits from Aunt Meghan and Uncle Jake