Introducing...

Miss Alexa Leigh!

She was born on December 29, 2005 at 3:22 p.m. She weighed in at 5 lbs 6 oz. and was 19 inches. Here is her birth story...

On Monday night, December 26, I was not feeling too well. I don't know what it was, but I just wasn't feeling like myself. On Tuesday morning, I woke up with some of my mucus plug coming out with some blood with it. I was having contractions throughout the day, but they were not regular. On Wednesday I was having contractions all day long, so at 7 p.m. I decided to time them. They were about 6-7 minutes apart. I called the doc and she told me to take a hot bath and drink plenty of water. I did as told, but it didn't help. They were not that painful and I had the 34 checkup appointment the next day, so I decided to deal with them. About midnight, I could not take it anymore. They were painful and were about 5 minutes apart. I called the doc again and she told me to go to the hospital and get checked out. We arrived at Northside around 1:30 a.m. and was told that I was 4 cm dialated! I couldn't believe it. I thought I was being silly for going in and that they were going to tell me they were just braxton hicks and send me on my way. Boy was I wrong! So they tried to stop the labor by giving me some shots, but that didn't help. So they just decided to let me have the baby since I was 34 weeks. So we got sent to the real delivery room and got prepped up. They gave me the epi, broke my water, blah blah blah, and we just waited. The doc said we would be lucky if she was born by 7 p.m. We thought we were in for a long delivery. However, around 3 p.m., the nurse decided to empty my bladder, and when she was down there, she said she saw the head, so they prepped up for delivery. It was hard to feel myself pushing because the epidural made me so numb, but she came out at 3:22 p.m. The doc said she practically crawled out herself. I was delivered by midwife Becky. All the nurses were very sweet and I actually had a great time. I was actually up and walking in no time. I wasn't in any pain at all except for some cramping, which I still have.

She is a preemie, but she is doing extremely well. The doc did an x-ray of her lungs and her brain, and he said everything has developed wonderfully. The lungs could have used a couple of more weeks of developing, but she will be just fine. No long term effects. She breathes fine on her own. However, during feedings, she doesn't grasp sucking and breathing at the same time, so the first couple of days, she was being fed through a tube. However, she started on bottles today and she was able to suck and breathe at the same time, so the nurse and the doc both think she will be able to come home by Tuesday or Wednesday. Originally, they said a couple of weeks, so we are extremely happy and proud of our little girl.

The first day was very hard for me. I cried all day. I was able to hold her for a minute after she was born, but didn't get to see or hold her for a long time after that. When I was finally able to see her, she had an IV that was in her head and that just made me cry even more. Today was especially hard because we were discharged and had to leave her behind. I cried right there in the NICU unit. The nurse cried with me because she knew how I was feeling. I cried a lot tonight also. I just miss her so much.

Tomorrow they are taking the IV out, so they are going to take her hospital pictures. Also, I will meet with a lactation nurse so she can teach me how to breastfeed Alexa. On Monday, Jeremy and I have to take an infant CPR class (they will not release her unless we do) and hopefully on Tuesday, we can take her home. I really want her home to celebrate her daddy's birthday on January 7.

Some good news. My mother flew down yesterday and is staying with us until January 15. That will be a big tremendous help. She just fell in love with Alexa. She thinks she is just the most beautiful thing in the world.

One more thing...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Sweetest Thing

This was so sweet that I thought I'd share with everyone. While laying in bed this morning, Jeremy rolls over and puts his hand on my stomach. He loves to feel Alexa first thing in the morning. Out of nowhere he says "thank you for carrying my baby". I thought that was so sweet. I didn't think he noticed all the bathroom breaks and the aches and pains I am going through, but I guess he does, and he was letting me know he appreciated it. HOW SWEET!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I know it's not Christmas just yet, but since we all will be so busy this weekend, I thought I'd go ahead and say it anyway. So...Merry Christmas!!! I am so bored. I have been stuck in our bedroom these past two nights because our living room is all messy. Jeremy bought a new surround sound for the living room and so things are scattered around everywhere. He is building a shelf tonight so hopefully by tomorrow, everything will be back to order. It sucks that everyone has tomorrow off and I have to work. I have Monday and Tuesday off instead of Friday and Monday. But I'm only going to work half a day tomorrow.

Good news! Our photographer called and said our wedding pictures are ready. We are going to pick them up Saturday morning before we go to Jeremy's mom's house for Christmas because the photographer lives up near her. We have the pictures uploaded on the internet for family to view and order, so I will post some pictures on here once I get the website address.

We are going to be so busy these last few days of December and all of January that Alexa will be here before we know it. This weekend is Christmas, next weekend is New Years, the weekend after that is Jeremy's birthday, nothing the next weekend, the weekend after that is Tristyn's birthday party and my brother-in-law's birthday, and then Alexa will be here two weeks after that. I can't believe how fast January is going to past. I have been having braxton hicks contractions often lately, and I don't know how I am going to handle the real thing. I am getting very nervous every week that passes. I don't know how I am going to do it. Hopefully Jeremy will be a great coach.

Once again...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ready for Christmas

Our weekend was filled with endless fun and we finally finished our Christmas shopping! On Friday night, Jeremy and I had the privilege of babysitting Miss Little Tristyn. She was a doll. We had a great time! We just love seeing her.

On Saturday, we got up early and went to the mall to finish our Christmas shopping. Afterwards, we headed over to Jeremy's neighborhood so that he can show me some houses that he is building (he's a builder for Ryland Homes). Some of those homes are gorgeous, and he wanted to show me the kind of house he would build for us when that time comes. Afterwards we went and got our nails and toes done. Yes, WE. Jeremy and I both got a manicure and pedicure. Jeremy's first time. The real reason he wanted a pedicure was for the massage. He loved it. After being pampered, we headed to Chili's for dinner. We wanted to go watch The Family Stone afterwards, but we wouldn't have made it on time. So we went to Blockbuster instead and rented The Island (stupid) and The Skeleton Key (okay).

On Sunday, we woke up early and headed to Church. Our preacher was not there because there was an infant death in his family. That's so sad. Afterwards we came home and a couple of my friends came over. One of my friends is a painter and she came over to paint butterflies in the nursery. It looks really good.

I haven't had a fun weekend in awhile. We usually just relax and sit around and do nothing, but we've kept ourselves busy this weekend. One more week of work and I have a four day weekend. Can't wait. Hope everyone had a great weekend and have a great week!

32 Weeks

So I woke up this morning with Jeremy telling me not to go to work today...NO problem with that! See, he leaves for work before me and he saw 5 accidents on the way to work. He said the roads were really icy. So I turn on the news and there were tons of school delays and closings and tons of accidents. God was on my side this morning.

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday. Taylor had come over early yesterday afternoon because her power went out, so she drove me to the appointment. I told her it's the usual checkup, nothing new and I wish they will tell me something different than everything is fine. I mean I love to hear that Alexa is doing wonderfully, but I guess it's the same old thing each time. So at this appointment, my wish came true. The nurse tells me I have sugar in my urine and something called k-tones? I don't know if I'm saying it right. I'm just spelling it the way she told me. Then she said I lost a couple of pounds. So here I am freaking out because she seems concerned and I just wanted to punch myself for saying what I said to Taylor about how I wish the doctor would tell me something different at this appointment. But when I got to see the midwife, she said everything was fine. I had sugar in my urine because I had fried rice for lunch and that is a carbohydrate and that breaks down as sugar and the reason for the k-tones is because I am dehydrated. Needless to say, from now on, all I want to hear is everything sounds great!

Glad it's Friday. We are going to finish our Christmas shopping tomorrow. I love shopping and I love wrapping presents while listening to Christmas music. It gets me in the spirit. Anyway, my favorite show, A Baby Story, is about to come on, so I'm going to sign off for now.

Finally Decorated

We finally got our house decorated. The one of the Christmas tree is sideways and I didn't know how to turn it, so I'm afraid you will just have to turn your head to see it. I'm going to have to get together with Taylor and ask her about loading these pictures onto these blogs because I still can't figure out how to put text, then picture, then text again. It seems like all my pictures get moved up to the top even though I type something first. Anyway, Jeremy and I finally got off our lazy butts and decorated the front of the house, the inside and finally put up the Christmas tree.

There's been such a commotion on artificial trees this year that we decided to purchase a real one. Jeremy is scared, as well as I, when we've heard that artificial trees can cause birth defects that we just went ahead and bought a real one. We were going to wait till next year to get a real one, but this year is fine too. I actually like the real one better because you can stick the lights inside the tree instead of hanging them on the branches like the artificial ones do. This is actually my first year having a real Christmas tree. My family always had fake ones.

No new news on the baby. Everything is still going great. My neighbor just had her baby a few days ago. She was due at the end of this month, but her little girl decided to come before Christmas so she can get some presents...haha. I am getting excited, but a little nervous and anxious at the same time. I only have 8 more weeks to go. I had tons of dreams about the baby. One dream I had, she turned out to be a he. The second dream, someone else had our baby and I was still pregnant. The third dream was that she had brown hair and blue eyes. Such weird dreams. Next week is finals and then Christmas break. After that, I start my online classes. I'm so glad I don't have to travel to campus for awhile. I'm going to enjoy that.

Well, hope everything has a great week!

Speaking Too Soon

So here I am at 30 weeks and I thought I was in the clear. Not a hint of stretch marks, pimples or back pain (the usual complaints about pregnancy). Well, let me say that I spoke too soon...way too soon. I practically jinxed myself. I found a small stretch mark about a week ago next to my belly button, and it is sort of spreading. There are a couple more right next to the original one. I have a few pimples breaking through on my face and a couple on my back. And to make matters worse, I have to attend a Christmas party that Jeremy's company is throwing tomorrow night. First time meeting these people and I am not looking my best self. Tonight Jeremy and I went to the mall to find an outfit for me to wear. Went to JC Penney's (they are having a HUGE sale) and bought a pair of black pants and a red sweater. I tried it on and can I say beach whale. Yes, the sweater is the clinging one and I just look huge. Jeremy liked it because he thinks red looks great on me. Seeing myself in that outfit really made me realize how big and pregnant I am looking.

Don't get me wrong. I love being pregnant and I wouldn't trade in this moment for anything in the world. And I know this is going to be all worth it, but I've grown up chubby all my life and I just feel that embarrassment and insecurity I felt during my chubby years.

Some good news. Alexa is moving like crazy. She is no longer kicking, but moving. I feel a lot of waves in my stomach. I even see her moving when I look at my stomach. At my doctor's appointment the other day, the doctor was using the heartbeat monitor and Alexa kicked it. I swear, she is going to have a temper just like her dad. I can't wait to see her.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words on my previous blog. Maybe it was a little inappropriate of me to share my intimate problem, but I just wanted assurance that I wasn't going crazy with all this hormonal stuff. I mean I feel like such a cry baby because I cry about everything, but I guess that's normal. Well thanks again!

30 Weeks

I can't believe I am 30 weeks. Time has just flown by. I can't believe in less than 3 months, I will be a mom. Kind of scary if you ask me. But we're both very excited!

I had my 30 week appointment yesterday. Doctor said everything looks perfect. My mom plans on flying down February 3 through February 12, so I asked the doctor if maybe I can be induced and she said she can't make any promises and we will just have to see how baby and I are doing when it gets closer to the time. I talked to Jeremy about it last night and he's not too happy with me getting induced. He thinks I'm playing God and deciding our daughter's birthday. Maybe I'll just have my mom come down the week after, just in case I am overdue, which is the case for most first time mothers. Besides, I do want to go into labor naturally.

I've been an emotional wreck lately. I don't know why, but I cry over EVERYTHING. I mostly feel insecure and unattractive. Jeremy and I haven't been intimate in forever and he says it's because he doesn't want to hurt the baby, but I guess my hormones are telling me something different. I hope this all passes because I hate feeling this way. Sometimes I feel so selfish for the way I feel. I should be grateful for having Jeremy in my life and not letting a lack of intimacy play with my emotions. I hope after Alexa is here, everything will be normal again.

The Nursery

As promised, here are some pictures of the nursery. I am very proud of it because everything was done ourselves. Putting up the trim, painting, putting together the furniture. It took a lot of late nights after work, but finally it's complete and we are so in love with it.

Truly Blessed

Ever since I became pregnant, I've realized how lucky I am. I've had an easy pregnancy so far with no complications, a husband who adores me and his unborn child, and a family that has been kind and supportive throughout this whole journey. I thank God everyday for truly blessing us with wonderful friends and family.

Moving down here on my own has been difficult. It can get lonely and very depressing, especially during the holidays. However, Jeremy's family has taken me in and has treated me like one of their own. It really touches me to know how much they care for me. The reason for this entry is because my two sister-in-laws, Taylor and Alea, and my two good friends, Nicole and Kris Anne, threw me a baby shower this past Saturday. Everything was beautiful and it was just a perfect day. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Their thoughtfulness, hard work, and generosity really touched me in a way that I cannot explain. I cannot explain into words how much it means to me that they have gone through all that trouble to make that day so special for me. I cannot thank them enough for really making me and Alexa feel special. Thinking about it brings tears to my eyes because I just cannot believe how thoughtful they were to have put all that together just for me. I am truly blessed.

Official

Okay folks, it's official. We have finally come up with a full name for our angel. Her name will be Alexa Leigh Bottoms. I have been waiting a while for my mom to come up with a middle name. I really wanted her to have a Korean name, but my mom just could not come up with anything that flowed well with Alexa. So going with my original middle name, I told my mom that I will just name her Lee, since that is my mother's maiden name. However, she informed me that in the Korean custom, you can only use the last name as the middle name only if it's the father's last name. Therefore, she told me I couldn't spell it Lee, so I decided to spell it Leigh. What does everyone think?

We really like it. I think it flows well and sounds really pretty. So there we have it folks. She finally has an identity!

Bored

So here I am at work, bored to death. I really do hate my job. I work as a file clerk at a law firm and there is not much to do, so the majority of my time is spent on the internet just searching useless things. Once Alexa is here, I am going to start looking for another job. I like to be kept busy so that the time flies by, but here I am busy probably an hour of my eight hour shift. It really sucks.

I started reading again. I just finished a book called Dress Your Family in Corduroys and Blue Jeans. My neighbor lent it to me and I finished it in two days. It's funny, but not as funny as my neighbor made it out to be. Now I'm starting True Believer by Nicholas Sparks (I'm sure you've read that one Taylor). I'm only on Chapter 2, but I love his books, so I'm sure I'll love this one.

Jeremy and I are trying to buy a new car. We looking at SUV's because they are safer once Alexa is born. Surprisingly, insurance will not increase all that much if we go from my Civic to a bigger car. The problem is the monthly payment. I really don't want anything more than what I am paying now. I know that's unrealistic since SUV's cost a lot more than my Civic, but my neighbor works for Lou Sobh Chevrolet and he is looking to get us a great deal. We test drove an Envoy Denali last weekend and I absolutely love it. We've been working with our neighbor all this week to see what he can do for us to make our monthly payments a little cheaper than what they quoted us last weekend. If it can't be what we want, then we might just go to the lower end of an Envoy. The Denali's are the top of the line ones and I don't think we really need that one, I just really want that one...LOL.

Anyway, that's what's been going on in my life. I know, boring. No further news about Alexa. She's doing great. Jeremy got to feel her move last week. He's been feeling her kick for the past couple weeks, but last week he got to feel her actually move. He said it feels like a wave rolling in, which it does. We're both so excited about the birth. I can't wait. I will post pictures soon once Jeremy caulks the trim and touches up the walls, I promise.

25 Weeks

Today I had my 25 week appointment. Everything is good. I am measuring right at my date and I got to hear her heartbeat. It was slower than normal though. The past couple of times I've listened to it, it was beating at 160 bpm, but today it was beating at 140 bpm. That makes me a little worried. According to the old wives tale, that should mean it is going to be a boy. Hmmm, that makes me wonder. I hope I'm not one of those mothers that were expecting one gender, but got the other...LOL. On a good note, I only gained two pounds from my last appointment. I don't know how. I've been eating so unhealthy. So far, I have gained altogether 21 pounds. The midwife said I have 15 more to work with. I think in the third trimester, the baby gaines a half a pound per week. That's probably where the 15 pounds will come from.

I can't believe that in a couple of weeks, I will be in my third trimester. It's funny...I thought that last trimester will never come, but then again it has come so fast. I can't believe I will be having a baby in three months. It just went by so fast. I can't believe it. I am in shock. I have my glucose tolerance test in two weeks. From now on, I have appointments every two weeks. It's definitely going to go by faster now!

As for the nursery, we are almost finished. We have the all the trim up, the crown molding up, and even have the border painted on. However, Jeremy has to paint all the trim white and touch up the wall because there are so many nail pops. Jeremy also finished the backyard last weekend. It looks so great. We finally have a backyard where Alexa can play. He also planted ten trees where the backyard ends. It looks really good. I am so proud of him. Some more great news. We ordered our crib set. We got a great deal and it's all white. I'm so excited! I will post pictures soon of the nursery, I promise!

Another good note...I was worried that my insurance wouldn't cover my delivery if I happen to end up with a midwife. So I voiced my concern today at the appointment and they said that if Dr. Grogan can't be there and they have to send a midwife, they will bill it under the doctor so that it makes it seem like Dr. Grogan delivered me. That way insurance will cover it! They said they've had that problem before. See, besides Dr. Grogan, there is only one other female doctor and if she's not available, I will feel uncomfortable having a male doctor. So I would definitely want a midwife.

Well, that's it for now. Wish me luck on my glucose tolerance test. I am a little worried. I had sugar in my urine today and I didn't have anything sweet to eat or drink today, so I was surprised when they found sugar in my urine. Hopefully it's nothing. But I do eat a lot of sugar. My current obsession is frozen pops!

Too Nice

Sometimes I hate myself for being so nice. This morning I was sitting at a red light, and some woman who wasn't paying attention bumped me. I get out of the car and she asks me if I want to pull over. I go over to the back of my car and see that there is nothing there (mind you, it's 6:30 am and still dark), so I tell her it's no big deal, don't worry about it. When I arrive at the MARTA station, I notice that I have two screw dents from her license plate. Most of you are probably thinking that's no big deal, but I've had this car for a little over two years and I have yet to have even the tiniest scratch on it. So I start getting all upset and crying because these two dents are a big deal and I was so stupid to tell her don't worry about it. As usual, I was being so sweet and I just hate myself today for it. Of course, Jeremy is all upset because he thinks I should have called the police and everything. But dumb old me just let it go and now I'm paying for it.

Some good news. Jeremy put up the chair rail molding yesterday and it looks great. Our neighbor Mike is going to help him put up the crown Saturday night. Also, Jeremy's uncle Joe came over last night with his bulldozer and leveled our backyard for us. See, our background is just a big hill, so we got a bunch of dirt poured into our backyard and we've been waiting months for Joe to come over and level it out so we can put sod down. So it's leveled and all Jeremy has to do is put sod down. Now we have a backyard for Alexa to play in. Finally, the outside of our house is coming together.

My First Project

Man, I forgot how much I LOVE to shop. I don't get to do it that often, so when I finally get to splurge a little, I forget how much I miss shopping. Well, as you all know, Jeremy is down in Macon for the weekend to attend a concert with our neighbor and some of his friends. I went to Michaels to try and see if I can get a book on crocheting, but it was way too difficult so I decided I won't even go there. So I decided to pick up another project...the nursery. I called up my friend Kris Anne, and we decided to go to Target, buy a ruffle that goes with the bedding and head over to Home Depot and get two colors that we can paint the nursery with. The ruffle is striped with four different colors...lavendar, pink, green and yellow. So we decided to paint the bottom half lavendar and the top half pink. Jeremy is going to put chair rail molding in the middle and crown on top. Jeremy promised me that when he returns home on Sunday, he will touch up the paint and run to Home Depot to get the molding so we can finish the nursery.

Today, Kris Anne and I decided to go on a shopping spree. We hit a couple of consignment shops and a lot of stores. I bought a couple of clothes for Alexa and some accessories to go into the nursery. I bought this really cute floor lamp that is just adorable. I will post pictures of the nursery after Jeremy finishes it on Sunday and the lamp because it is just too cute. I of course had to buy something for myself, so I got a pair of shoes and a purse.

I am so excited about getting this nursery started. Jeremy has been procrastinating, but since we've got the room painted, Jeremy is really excited about finishing it. Starting the nursery just makes this all the more real.

This morning, before Jeremy left, Alexa was kicking like crazy. She's getting to the point where her kicks are becoming stronger that Jeremy can feel them right away. However, this morning as I was laying in bed watching Jeremy pack, I felt Alexa kick. So I put my hand on the side of my stomach and when she kicked again, I actually felt a body part jabbing me. It was kind of weird, but at the same time awesome.

We are going to order our crib set soon. I am so excited!!! There is also this cute little girlie dresser at Home Goods that I want to purchase. It is really cute, but I decided I better stop and consult with my hubby before spending any more money. I think he might be a little agitated about how much I've spent, but it's not like I shop like this all the time. Anyway, thought I'd share my excitement about the nursery. This is just the first stage!

Ideas Anyone?

So I was thinking about picking up a hobby. You see, Jeremy is going to a Widespread Panic concert this Saturday and it's all the way in Macon. He is leaving this Saturday early afternoon and coming home probably Sunday afternoon. (He's going to be missing the Bulldogs game...I wonder if he realizes that. He NEVER misses a game. In fact, part of our wedding night was spent watching the game and when we were coming home from our honeymoon, we were listening to it on the radio). Anyway, so I thought since I will be BORED to death this weekend, I thought I would pick up a hobby. I was thinking about going to Michaels and making something for our baby. Any suggestions anyone?

I guess I could study. I do have finals next week. I guess I could hang out with some of my girlfriends. I guess I could watch television all weekend. But I am in the mood to do something productive and something I could show off. So any advice is welcome.

Mystery Solved

Okay okay...for those of you that are curious as to what I look like, I've finally decided to reveal myself. Well actually, let me rephrase that. Ever since I've learned how to post pictures on here, I've decided to reveal myself...LOL. Now you guys can finally put my blogs to a face. This is Jeremy and I on our honeymoon. We are at an Improve Comedy Club in Fort Lauderdale.

Our Precious Angel

First Shopping Experience

I am just so excited about having a girl that I thought I'd post another entry about my appointment yesterday. Alexa is really active. She kicks me all the time and the doctor had to chase her around because she was moving so much during the ultrasound. At one point, the technician was right above her head, and she was pushing down hard. Well just then, Alexa kicked me and as she did, the technician said whoa. I asked her, did you feel that or see that and she responded that she felt it. Then I said wow, she must have kicked pretty hard for you to feel that, and the technician told me that she didn't kick, she head butted...LOL. The technician said she doesn't think Alexa was liking what she was doing, so she head butted her...LOL. My baby is going to have a temper just like her mommy!

Also, according to the calendar, I was 21 weeks and 2 days at the time of my appointment. However, after the technician did her measurements, she said I was really 20 weeks and 6 days. She said it's no big deal and they won't change my due date because it's only a matter of three days. So far I have gained 16 pounds, which I guess is good. Every week, I check the development of my baby on babyfit.com. Well, during the 21 week, it says that the baby should weigh approximately 10.5 oz. Well, Alexa weighs 13.5 oz. What a piggie...LOL.

So after the appointment, we came home and ate dinner. Later that night, we went to Babies R Us to buy Alexa her very first outfit. Actually, it was going to be her going home from the hospital outfit. Well, after picking out an outfit, Jeremy says, we need to buy her something else because it's going to be cold in February. So we got her a layette. Then we were looking at hats and Jeremy wanted a three pack of one of those hats that the hospital puts on babies after they are born. Well, I told Jeremy we didn't need that because the hospital provides that for us, and he said he doesn't want his baby girl wearing something from the hospital. The hats will be dirty and he wants something clean for his baby. I told him the hospital is the cleanest place, and he just won't budge. So we bought the hats. Then he wanted to buy Alexa a "blankie". So we got her that too...LOL. I swear, he is going to SPOIL her.

My friend gave me really good advice. She said we should start stocking up on diapers, so that will be one less expense to worry about when I am on maternity leave. So we bought a pack of diapers and wipes. Every week or two, we plan on buying diapers and wipes. Of course, we will buy a little of the 1's and 2's so that as the baby grows, we will have diapers that will fit her. After buying that stuff, it just makes this pregnancy more real. I am so excited!!!

Team ......

On PW, they use the term Team Blue for a boy and Team Pink for a girl. That is the reason for my title. I went to my ultrasound appointment today and I have the results! But before I tell you, I want to keep you in suspense and tell you about my appointment first.

The very first thing I did was give a urine sample. Then they did the ultrasound before they did anything else, like blood pressure and weight. The technician asked if we wanted to find out and we said YES. At first, the baby had its hand over its private part, so the technician said let me do my measurements of the baby first and then we will go back to that. I was getting nervous thinking the baby wanted to keep its identity a secret.

She did all her measuring and printing and then explained to us everything she was seeing. She was really sweet. She said the baby was measuring just perfectly and it weighs 13.5 oz as of now. All the organs are there and we even got to see one hand with all five fingers attached. When I saw that, I cried because I was just so grateful that our baby was healthy and growing normally. She then printed out a few pictures for us to keep and went back to the private part. Now the results...it's a...

GIRL!!!!!

We are sooo excited. We have been wanting a girl and my entire family wanted a girl too, so we are all so excited. At first I was a bit shocked because everyone kept saying I'm going to have a boy and deep down I felt like it was going to be a boy, so when the technician said congratulations, it's a girl, I was in shock for a minute. It had to sink in. We have some awesome pictures. We have one where she is looking right at us and you can see her eyeball. It's kind of scary...haha. She also took a side profile picture and a picture of her private part...LOL. I can't believe how much she has grown. The doctor did an ultrasound when I was only 9 weeks and back then, she looked like a peanut, but now she looks like a human. She has a huge head.

I am so glad that finally I can say she and not it. We have already picked out a name. She will be named Alexa. We are still waiting on my mom to give us a Korean name for her middle name, but if she doesn't come up with anything cute, we might go with Lee, her maiden name. So it might be Alexa Lee Bottoms. What do yall think? I'm not too sure if it flows, but I really like Alexa. I think it's really pretty and unique. Well, not unique, but not a lot of people are named Alexa.

Alright, let me stop here before I bore you guys to death. That's the verdict!

Gas and Butterflies

Starting last week, I started feeling weird movements in my stomach. At first it would feel like gas, but nothing. Then it would feel like butterflies, and I would even think to myself "why am I so nervous" and realize that it is the baby. I know the doctor told me that the first initial movements would feel like gas or butterflies. Over the weekend, I actually felt a couple light kicks. I woke up one morning to feel three light kicks. I was so excited. I thought I would never feel the baby. But now I am feeling it all the time. It is very active!

So today is officially my 20th week. I am halfway there. I can't believe it has gone by so fast. Feels like I just found out yesterday that I am pregnant. Next Thursday is my ultrasound appointment. I get to find out what we are having. Jeremy wants a girl, but deep down I feel like it is going to be a boy. Whatever it is, we just hope we have a healthy baby.

As for married life, I thought our relationship wouldn't feel any different since Jeremy and I have been living together for a long time now, but we feel more love for each other and our relationship feels more concrete. It's a nice feeling. I feel like I have more responsibilities though. I should cook more, clean more, things like that.

So now that our wedding is over with, we need to start concentrating on the baby. I think when I am around 25-30 weeks, we are going to start really putting the nursery together. Once we find out the sex of the baby is when we are going to start buying things. We haven't bought anything yet. Our friend, who had a baby last year, gave us a ton of stuff and one of Jeremy's aunts bought us a couple of pacies and a pull down toy that plays music, but other than that, we haven't bought anything. I am excited though. I would go to the store and see something and be so tempted, but can't buy it because it's so gender distinguished. I have been using cocoa butter lotion on my stomach, but I've heard from many that stretch marks are hereditary and I've also been playing music for the baby. Jeremy and I fight about how soft or loud we should have it. I put it on loud thinking the music has to travel through my skin and my organs to reach the baby, but Jeremy puts it on so low that I can't even hear it.

He is so excited about the baby. My stomach is starting to get real hard and when you press on it, you can actually feel the baby. One morning Jeremy pushed on my stomach and he said the baby is right here and he was so excited. When he felt the baby, he said it feels like Christmas. He is going to be a great dad.

The next time I report is when I find out the sex. September 29 at 2:45. So excited!!!

Mrs. Jeremy Bottoms

Well I am back from our honeymoon and before I begin my daily life, I want to soak in my week of fun and tell you guys all about it.

Last Friday, 9/2, I picked up my family from the airport. Thank the Lord that the plane was not delayed. I was worried about that because it was Labor Day weekend and I wasn't sure how busy the airlines were going to be. After picking them up, we dropped some of them off at home and ran to the Church for the rehearsal. After the rehearsal, we went and had dinner at Kani House aka Yoshino's. It's a Japanese restaurant and it was goooood.

On Saturday, a couple of my friends came over at 6 am to help me get ready for the wedding. One of my friends, Jama, was doing all of our hairs. They looked so beautiful. We were sort of late for the pictures, but it was okay. We just took a few and took the rest after the wedding because guests were starting to arrive and I didn't want them to see me yet.

The ceremony went perfect. All my hard planning paid off. I was so nervous though. As soon as I saw the last set of attendants walk down the aisle, my knees started shaking because I knew I was up next. Walking down the aisle was a little scary. I saw my mom crying, then Jeremy's mom crying, so I started crying. Then as we were saying our vows, I started crying again. Not when I was saying them, but when Jeremy was saying them to me because they touched my heart. Jeremy was tearing up also which also touched me.

Man, I feel like it all went by so fast. It's like a blur. Everyone always told me it will be over in a snap of a finger, but I didn't think it was going to go by that fast. But it was beautiful. Everything went perfect and everything just fell into place.

Afterwards we had our reception at the Modavi Restaurant, which I was not too happy about. Sonya, the lady who has been coordinating our reception, told me that people who ordered steaks would get a chance to let them know how they want to be cooked. Well, the restaurant decided on their own that they would cook all of them medium. Not everyone eats medium. And they were bloody medium, so almost everyone asked them to cook it a little longer. What a pain. Other than that, it was pretty nice.

After the wedding, we came back to the house and dropped my family off, packed a few more things and headed off to the Stone Mountain Marriott. My co-workers got us a room there. They wanted to book us at Chateau Elan, but it was booked for that Saturday. But the Marriott was beautiful and it was a perfect wedding night...sorry guys, no details...haha.

On Sunday, we woke up early and headed off to Pompano Beach, Florida. We did so many things there. Airboat riding, buggy rides, went to Miami and Miami Beach, and other things I can't remember. We hardly had time to lay out at the pool and get ourselves a tan. We met some really nice people and it was an awesome honeymoon. We really had a great time! I will post pictures as soon as I find out how.

While in Florida, we attended some timeshare presentations. If all of you don't know, when you attend one of those presentations, you get free things. We attended one in Myrtle Beach and we got $100. We attended one Tuesday morning and got $90 and went to another one right after that and got two free tickets to the Jungle Queen dinner cruise in Fort Lauderdale and a trip to St. Thomas. We have 12 months to use that trip. It's for 5 days 4 nights. So it was well worth going to those presentations. The only thing I hate about them though is when it's time to decide if you want to make a purchase and you tell them you want to think about it, they push you and push you to try and say yes that day. Sales people, go figure.

Anyway, that was our wonderful wedding and honeymoon. I wish we can do it a hundred times over again, but eventually reality sets in and back to our lives!

Last Day

This will be my last day as a Kang. Tomorrow, I will officially become a Bottoms. That's a little scary don't you think. I mean, I am excited about getting married to the man I love, but dropping my family's last name and no longer being a part of them, in a sort of way, is kind of terrifying. But I am excited about this new journey as Jeremy and I start a family of our own.

The wedding is a little stressful now that it is finally near. When we first got engaged, everyone was telling me how stressful it gets and I was thinking, I'm having fun planning it. But now that it is getting to the end, it is very stressful, let me tell ya. The reception lady called us yesterday saying she can no longer offer the lunch menu. Therefore, we need to get the dinner menu, which is $4.00 more a person. Then the limo driver tells me a of couple weeks ago that he will call me back and fails to call me. I called him yesterday why he hasn't called me back and he said the quote his mother gave me is too low and he can't do it for that much. Well, call me and tell me. So, he is not getting our business. When he says he'll call me back, he needs to call me back no matter what.

Good news. The preacher agreed to allow us to move the communion table. About time something goes right! That is a huge stress reliever. Now I don't have to worry about people not being able to see us or the photographer not getting a full body shot of us.

Well, for the last time, I am signing off as Miss Ju Kang.

Why Me

We have 9 days until the wedding and I have a broken blood vessel in my left eye, which has caused the white of my eye to turn bloody red. How nice. Just my luck. I am into my second trimester, and even though my morning/afternoon/night sickness went down a level, it hasn't totally disappeared. I guess from throwing up, I have put too much strain on my eye, at least that's what the doctor told me. I asked if he could prescribe some drops, but he said it's pointless. It'll just have to heal on its own. How lovely. I am still holding onto some hope though because the doctor told me it should take about 7-10 days for it to heal. I have 9 days. Let's see how it looks then. He said it should eventually turn brown and then yellow, so as long as it's in its yellow stage by the wedding, I should be happy. But I'm sure if it's not, the photographer can work some magic.

Well, the wedding plans are coming along great. We have everything planned, except for a few minor details. We are still trying to convince the preacher to move the communion table. For those of you who don't know the dilemma, the communion table is HUGE. It's a pretty small Church, so the stage is not up high. Standing on the stage, behind the communion table, makes it hard for people to see me and doesn't allow the photographer to take a picture of my entire dress. The communion table covers almost half of my dress. I mean, it's a pretty huge table. Well, the preacher at first said we can move it, then decided to change his mind and said it will take the symbolism out of worship. I can totally understand his view, but it's not like we are going to get rid of it altogether. Just push it to the side. We still intend on using it, for our unity candle. We'll see though.

Has anyone experienced this. People will be so nice to you, when you are only shopping around, and when they finally get your business, they turn into a witch! The restaurant we are having the reception at, Modavi Restaurant, the staff is really friendly. Especially Sonya, who coordinates receptions. Well, after we got her business, she totally did a 180. Everytime I call her to ask her things, she is just a total witch. Major attitude. I don't know if it's me because I am pregnant and my hormones are getting the best of me, or if that's just how businesses are. Anyway, I am tired of dealing with her. I will be so glad when this wedding is over!!!

Some Family Bonding

Last night, we bonded as a family for the first time. I bought a three disc CD at Kohls that has classical baby songs. Well, last night I was playing it for the baby. I hooked up the headphones into my laptop and put the headphones on my stomach. Jeremy came home and I mentioned to him that I wanted one of those CD players that has two headphone hookups so that I can listen with the baby and he told me that he had a spliter. Well, I had extra headphones that went with my MP3 Player, so I hooked it up and I was able to listen to the CD with the baby. Well, the headphones I was using were actually earphones so I gave one ear to Jeremy and we sat there in bed for a good hour just listening to the music with the baby. I really felt a connection and it was really nice that Jeremy wanted to be a part of it.

Two more weeks left till the wedding. I am so excited. I feel like these last couple weeks are coming up SLOW. When we first got engaged, people would tell me that I would be really stressed out the last couple of weeks and they are right. I'm stressed because I want everything to go right. I'm constantly calling my procrastinating father and brother to get their tux fixed and trying to get everything ready when my family comes. Lately, I haven't been eating or even hungry because I'm constantly thinking and stressing. Well, I'm not stressing to the point where I am about to pull my hair out, but very anxious and worried. I just can't wait till the day is here and all my hard work has paid off. I've been waiting a long time for this.

Well, I'm going to relax now and play some music for the baby. Till next time...

Madame Zaritska's Prediction

Okay, so I got this off of a pregnancy message board from pregnancyweekly.com. There is a website, sheknows.com, where this Madamn Zaritska can predict what it would be like outside when you deliver and what your baby will look like. This is only for fun. I don't really believe in this. Besides, only God has the power to decide. Here goes...

The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the evening.
After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have dark brown eyes and be completely bald.

Here is my assessment of this prediction. It could be rainy since I will deliver in February. I pray my labor only lasts 4 hours. It could be a girl since that is what everyone is saying. The baby can weigh 8 lbs because Jeremy weighed that much when he was born. This child can definitely have dark brown eyes because I have dark brown eyes and Jeremy has blue. Therefore, mine is dominant. I PRAY that our child is not completely bald. I have never seen a baby girl born without hair. I've seen boys born without hair, but never a girl.

Anyway, like I said, this is just for fun. I'm not going to rely on this, but it will be fun to see if this is actually true once the baby is here. Thought I'd share this with all of you. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Pictures

This morning, Jeremy suggested that since I am now 3.5 months pregnant, we should start taking montly pictures of my belly. I am not ready to because it is still mostly 80% fat and only 20% baby. I think once I hit the 4 month mark, I will be ready to expose my fat belly and start taking pictures. I know it might seem like I am very self-conscious of my weight, and yes I am. I have been chubby my entire life and I've had to deal with critisms from family, so weight is a sensitive topic for me. I lost 20 lbs in high school and now that I am getting big again (whether I am pregnant or not), it still makes me feel self-conscious. But once I start getting bigger and look more pregnant, I will feel more comfortable with taking pictures of my exposed belly.

I took the day off from work today. I woke up with a painful migraine. I've never had bad headaches before I became pregnant. Tylenol doesn't seem strong enough for me, but I am afraid to take anything else, even something the doctor prescribes. I guess I'll just ride it out.

I have to clean the house today. I hate cleaning, but I want our house to look nice for the bridal shower. I don't want people to think we live like pigs. I've also got some homework to do. We only have two more weeks left of this term and then our second term starts. During my second term, I have classes Mondays and Tuesdays. That works out great because when we take a week off for our honeymoon, I'll only be missing one day of class because on Labor Day, we don't have class.

Anyway, let me stop procrastinating and get up and do something.

Jeremy's First

Ever since I became pregnant, Jeremy was unable to attend any of my appointments. He missed the first ultrasound, where I got to see its little heart fluttering. He missed my second appointment where I got to listen to the heartbeat. I am a little disappointed that he missed the first few important appointments, but we hit an unexpected bump in our lives and he had to do what he had to do to get us back on our feet. So I decided to rent a heart doppler from babybeat.com. Jeremy complained saying it was a waste of money, but when he heard the heartbeat for the first time yesterday, he thought it was the most amazing sound and he couldn't stop smiling.

A lot of things have changed for our wedding. The preacher, who is suppose to do the ceremony, backed out last minute saying him and his wife want to go out of town for Labor Day weekend and if it was okay with us if his associate, Rita, perform the ceremony. We said yes...I mean, what can we say. Jeremy is a little upset because he thinks the "man" is suppose to perform that duty...what a pig...LOL. I personally am delighted about it because he was getting on my nerves. He kept telling us what we could and couldn't do and I was getting so annoyed of him. I've switched out one of my bridesmaids and got an additional one. My two, VERY APPRECIATED, CAN DEPEND ON LAST MINUTE, sister-in-laws decided to be in our wedding. The reason I wanted one more additional bridesmaid was because I want my brother in the wedding as a groomsman and I needed a woman for him. But everything else is coming along great. We've sent out the invitations and have started receiving RSVPs.

I've started working out again. Nothing vigorous. Just some light walking and weight lifting. My arms are getting so huge and I don't want bulging arms for the wedding. I am wearing a strapless, so I want my arms to look at least toned since everywhere else will look HUGE. I'm even starting to get dimples on my legs because I am getting weight. I hate mirrors...LOL.

I've been having more energy ever since I've entered my second trimester. I even get to work early now, like I used to. I still get nauseous here and there, but doing much better. I've got a lot of baby things like swings and exersaucers from a friend of mine whose son just turned a year old, so our nursery is filled with a few things. I'm excited about decorating our nursery. I think we will wait until we find out the sex.

Well, that's it from me for now. Jeremy's aunts are throwing me a bridal shower this Saturday, so I guess I'll post with some presents!

13 Weeks 2 Days

So today was my third appointment with the doctor. I am officially into my second trimester. I seem to have more energy, but am still a little nauseous. Everything went fine. They drew blood from me and then I got to hear the heartbeat. It was beating at 160 bpm. So according to the wives tale, I should be having a girl, but we'll see! It took them a little while to find the heartbeat because the baby is still so small, but when they found it, the sound was amazing. I loved it so much that I might actually rent one of those dopplers off the internet.

I have another appointment on August 30. It will be with a midwife because my doctor will be out of town. My next appointment with the doctor will be on September 29. I will be 21 weeks then, so we will be able to find out the sex then. We will start working on the nursery after we find out the sex. A friend of mine is a painter and she wants to do a mural for me. But I don't know what I want the theme to be yet. I was thinking Precious Moments, but that seems to be more expensive than other themes.

I am getting excited about the wedding. It is coming up fast. Jeremy and I decided to go down to Pompano Beach, FL for a week. My co-workers got together and got us a room at Chateau Elan that includes dinner, breakfast and a massage for two on the night of our wedding, so we will be spending a night up there and then driving down to Pompano Beach. It's about a ten hour drive, but tickets are so expensive right now that it's worth the drive. Besides, we both love road trips.

An answer to Kari's question...our wedding is on September 3. I've been waiting a long time for this moment, so I am very anxious. It's going to be the happiest day of our lives. Well, besides the birth of our baby it (despite what Taylor is saying...haha).

Surprisingly, Jeremy really wants a girl. I too want a girl, but whatever it is, I'll be equally happy.

Well, that's it for now.

Back to Reality

I'm back! Actually, I've been back. I came home last Thursday around 2 in the morning. Some advice...NEVER FLY WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES! I had a two hour delay, then we had to fly over Rome, GA for an hour, then when we finally landed, we had to wait another half hour because there was construction being done around the gate we were suppose to get off at. Supposedly, Hartsfield Airport was extremely busy that night and they had no room for planes to land on, but everyone else seemed to have landed just fine. The only planes that were held up were American. Never again!

Anyway, home was fun. I had a blast! I always hate leaving because I get so pampered when I see my parents. They do not get to see me often, so when they do, they like to spoil me. It was great seeing my friends, but sucked that I couldn't drink with them everytime we went out to the bars (don't worry, every restaurant and bar is smoke-free up in CT)...LOL.

Wedding stuff is all done now. We got our invitations printed, thanks to Taylor, and sent out and we've got our wedding bands. My dress is being altered and I ordered all the attendant gifts and my jewelry that I am going to wear for the wedding. We met with Publix and got our cake ordered and our flowers are paid for. The only thing I have left to do is somehow get my veil onto the tiara I am borrowing from a friend. I have my four main things...something new (dress), something old (grandmother's necklace), something blue (garter), and something borrowed (tiara). The only problem with the necklace is I won't be able to wear it. I was thinking about tucking it inside my bra. Any suggestions?

We're meeting with the restaurant tomorrow night and the preacher Wednesday night for our pre-marital counseling and our last minute details. Then all we have to do is wait for the big day! I am soooo excited. Jeremy still wants to go on a honeymoon and even though I hate to go pregnant, I would like to spend some time alone as husband and wife. We might go on a cruise, but I don't know how well I'll do.

Anyway, thought I'd keep everyone updated on the wedding. I am getting huge! My belly is getting round, but I don't look pregnant when I have my wedding dress on, which is a good thing. The top part is made out of cardboard, I think, and the bottom part is flared and that is important because only my bottom stomach is getting rounder. I do have to say though, that even though I am excited about being pregnant, I do feel fat and unattractive. Sometimes I get depressed. I don't know if that's normal. I mean I am so happy I am pregnant and that we are going to have a baby, but my self-esteem has gone down a lot. I just feel so huge and ugly. Hope that is normal and that it will go away.

Anyway, happy Monday!

Home Sweet Home

I am so excited! I am going home tomorrow! When I say home, I mean my parent's house in CT. I still refer to it as home. When I expressed my excitement to Jeremy about going home, he's like you are home and I said no my second home. I guess I should start saying my parent's house. Anyway, I am just so excited to see my family and my friends. I am even more excited about eating some home cooked meals. My dad calls me last night and asks if there is anything in particular my mother can cook for me. How sweet. He never asks me that. He's probably thinking about the baby and what the baby wants to eat, since I am starting to get cravings. I'm been craving a lot for sodium. One day, I ate a whole jar of pickles (there was about 10 left) and a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. By the end of the night, my fingers have swelled up so much that they looked like little sausages. I know that too much sodium is not good for me during my pregnancy. I better watch my intake. So next Tuesday, I will be in my 12th week which marks the end of my first trimester. I can't believe how fast it is flying by. I feel like it was just yesterday when I found out that I was pregnant. I can tell Jeremy is getting kinda scared, but excited at the same time. The other night he said, can you believe we're going to have a baby. Yep, believe it because it's coming...LOL. He's been really sweet though. Catering to my every need. He's going to be such a great dad!

Wedding plans are coming along great. Everything is all set and now we're just waiting for the day. I took August 4 off because I have a doctor's appointment and after that, we are going to the Forsyth County Probate Court to get our marriage certificate. I don't think we are going on a big honeymoon like we planned on doing. We originally thought about going to the Canary Islands, but since I'm pregnant and all, we decided to save that trip for another time. Instead, we might just take a few days and go to Destin or something. Either way, it'll be nice to spend some time with my new husband.

Well, that's it for now and I'll post after I come home (to Atlanta...LOL).

By the way, school sucks!

A Success

Today was Jill's bridal shower (the one I threw for her). It was suppose to be a surprise, but when she showed up, she didn't seem surprised at all. I thought her fiance Joe spilled the beans, but she later told me that she read in one of my blog entries that I was going to throw her a bridal shower. Oh well, it was still a success. She really enjoyed herself and she got lots of presents!

Jeremy and I went to IKEA today. It was sooo packed. It's like the mall. We went there in search of a huge clock we can hang above the mantel, but came out buying a coffee table, two end tables and some pictures. It was fun though. It's always fun to shop!

Some sad news. We gave our dog Bailey away. We gave him to a client of Jeremy's. He bit Jeremy one time a long time ago. It was really bad. It was really deep and Jeremy had to go to the emergency room and get a shot. We let that one go, but recently, Bailey bit Jeremy again. Jeremy's hand swelled up. We would've let that one go too, but now that we are expecting a baby, we don't feel safe with Bailey around. I mean, Bailey is a small Lasa Apso, but when we try and discipline him, he gets aggressive and we can't have that. Jeremy brought him to the guy's house when I was hosting the bridal shower so that I wouldn't see him off. I didn't even get to say goodbye. When everyone left and I was home by myself, before Jeremy came home, I cried so hard. I was so upset that I didn't even get to say goodbye. Even typing it now makes me tear up. We've had him for a year and a half and I miss him so much. But to know that this guy we gave him to has another small dog makes me feel better. At least Bailey has a playmate now. Jeremy and I are so tired when we get home from work that we rarely play with him and the weekends are so packed with stuff that Bailey hardly gets any attention nowadays. I really miss him though. I'm starting to cry now so I'm going to stop talking about him.

I'm such a procrastinor. I haven't done any of my economics homework and I have class Monday. I'm helping, or should I say watching, Jeremy put together the tables so I probably won't get to it tonight. After Church tomorrow, I really got to start cracking down on the homework.

Well, till next time...

Hurrican Dennis

I know I shouldn't be complaining because people in other parts of the country, like Florida, have faced more than I have due to this hurricane, but I need to vent! My one hour commute to work turned into a three hour ordeal this morning. Part of 141 was closed due to an accident, so therefore, I had to reroute and get on Old Atlanta to McGinnis Ferry to get onto 141. Old Atlanta was sooo backed up. Then, once I got onto 141, it was backed up all the way to States Bridge. The reason for the backup on 141 was because the traffic lights at two MAJOR intersections were not working and there were no cops directing traffic, so we had to create our own lights. That's an accident waiting to happen. To top it off, it was raining so hard off and on that I had to drive 30 mph. I knew I should've called in this morning...haha.

School has started back up. My first class was last Thursday. It went okay. I was soooo sleepy though. I have a class tonight. Dreading it. When it starts getting past 7, I zone out. I am so tired lately, all I want to do is spend the whole day in bed. That's what I did all weekend. Just laid in bed or the couch and watched television all day. I'm so lazy!

I don't know if any of you experienced this during your pregnancy, but this morning I woke up with a bloody nose...and I mean bloody. It ran down like water. It was so gross. It happened once before when I was a few weeks pregnant, and I read in a book that it's normal during pregnancy because I have more blood (or something along those lines), but I just wanted to make sure it was normal.

Well, I hope everyone had a great weekend and have a great Monday!

Should I Do It?

I am so dying to rent one of those heart doppler things, but I'm contemplating as to whether or not I should because I will get to hear it on August 4. I want to wait because I want to look forward to something, besides being pricked for blood, at my next appointment, but I am sooooo anxious to hear the heartbeat. What is a girl to do...

My First Appointment

Today was my first prenatal appointment. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep last night. We went to bed late and I woke up early, even though I had the day off. I was just too excited about seeing my baby on the screen. So we arrived at the hospital at 11:30 and we filled out some consent forms, for like the HIV test and Cystic Fibrosis test. I chose not to be tested for Cystic Fibrosis because I don't know if my insurance will cover it and since I am not really at high risk, I figured why be tested. After giving a urine sample and getting weighed (I gained a pound and a half), they checked my iron and hemoglobin. Everything turned out fine. Then I was transferred to a room where they did a pap smear and then the doctor did the vaginal ultrasound. It was awesome. I saw my little baby and its little heartbeat. It was fluttering really fast. I didn't ask the rate of the heartbeat, but the doctor said it looked perfect. I'm actually surprised at its size because I am only 9 weeks and I just expected to see a dot, but it looks like a peanut. I was more excited to see the heartbeat because it just made it seem so real. The doctor gave me a couple of pictures so hopefully I'll get them scan soon so everyone can see.

After the appointment, Jeremy wanted me to stop by his office to show him. He was really excited. He went with me to the appointment, but his brother called and did something to almost mess up our loan that we are trying to get to refinance our house, so Jeremy had to leave and clean that mess up. I really wish that he was there though. He missed his baby's first heartbeat and ultrasound. I really wanted to share that special moment with him. But at my next appointment, August 4, the doctor said we will be able to hear the heartbeat with a doppler and Jeremy promised to be there for that.

My morning sickness has been calming down. I've been feeling pretty good this week. I would get nauseous and gag, but didn't vomit. But I still have food aversions that make me sick at the thought of them. I can't believe I am almost into the second trimester. It's all going so fast. I've been obsessed with A Baby Story. I watch it religiously. Watching the show makes me want to meet our baby so badly.

So that's what happened at my first appointment. I can't wait to hear the baby's heartbeat! I definitely will not be able to sleep the night before that appointment...LOL!

Fireworked Out

Man, I have never seen so much fireworks in my life. On Saturday, we went to downtown Norcross to watch fireworks with a few of our neighbors. On Sunday, we went up to Taylor's farm to cookout and hang out and watch fireworks. They were AWESOME! We had a blast! On Monday, we went to Lenox and watched fireworks with a couple of our neighbors. They were awesome! We ate at Houston's and watched the fireworks from the parking lot. The fireworks reflected off of this black building behind us. They were beautiful. The fireworks were sooo big. It looked like they were jumping right at us. We listened to Star 94 while watching the fireworks (they match the music to the fireworks) and that was cool. I love fireworks!

So Thursday is my first appointment. I think I am going to go with a midwife. Taylor had a midwife and just hearing the difference between them and doctors, I think I will do better with a midwife. If there are any complications during labor, there is always a doctor in the hospital, so I'll be alright. I wish I can get Emma (Taylor's midwife), but my insurance will only allow me to pick out of their provider list. But I'm sure I can get a midwife as sweet as Emma was to Taylor.

I hope everyone else had a great Fourth of July!

Judgment Day

I just received a call from New Natalies Bridals that my dress has arrived. I'm nervous to pick it up and try it on. I mean, I haven't gained too much weight, but I can tell my stomach has gotten a little bigger than when I bought the dress. Let's just pray that it'll fit and looks as gorgeous as it did before I got pregnant.

So my cousin Linda calls me yesterday to tell me she can't make it to the wedding. Her work is not allowing her to switch her day from the 10th to the 3rd. But no worries. I plan on asking a friend, who I initially wanted in the wedding, and I'm sure she will accept. I won't make her pay for the dress because she will need to spend a pretty penny on alterations. See, my cousin is a big girl and she ordered a size 16, which would still be too small on her, and my friend probably wears a size 8. Therefore, she's going to need to take half of the dress off and I'm sure it will cost a good amount for that much alterations. So I don't want to charge her for the dress and then make her pay for alterations. I made my mom pay Linda back for the bridesmaid dress. My mom will pay for what she's done. I don't think I should pay her.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Becareful with fireworks. I think Jeremy and I are going to go on a little date tonight. We plan on going to see Batman Begins...BOO. I really want to see Cinderella Man, but Jeremy says that sounds like a chick flick because of the word "Cinderella"..haha. We might do a dinner and a movie, but thinking about food right now is making me sick. But whatever we do, it'll be nice. We need to go out on dates as much as possible before the baby comes because after that, we won't be going on any...haha.

So you guys are probably curious about my title. Well, Judgment Day is the day I try on my dress. I will look either pretty pregnant or fat pregnant. Let's hope for pretty pregnant. I guess if I just work out my arms, I shouldn't worry too much. It's a sleeveless dress and all you'll see are my arms, so maybe I'll just keep them toned. As for the rest of me...I'm pregnant. Cut me some slack...=)

A Great Day...Yesterday

Yesterday was a great day! Not only was I not sick ALL DAY, but I was able to keep down every meal. I thought things were looking up for me until today. Now I'm back to bonding with the toilet. So it's official. Our wedding date has changed from September 10th to September 3rd, thanks to my menopausal mother. But I really don't mind...except for the fact that Melanie and Rick (Jeremy's mom and stepdad) got married on that day. I guess it's not a big deal, but it's still creepy that our wedding anniversary will be the same as theirs. But there is nothing that can be done about it now since all the tickets are bought for my family to fly down September 2nd. So there is no turning back...LOL. I am so excited! I am going home July 22nd. I miss my family and friends and I can't wait to see them all again. I'm more excited about sleeping in and not having to go to work. Lately, I can't seem to get up to go to work and I keep coming in later and later. I gotta stop or else I might get fired. But I CANNOT seem to get up and if I try to get up before 8 am, I get so dizzy. School starts next week. It's been such a great past couple of weeks without having to study or attend classes till 10 at night. Usually, we start the new term the following week, but DeVry decided to be generous and give us three weeks off for the summer. I am not looking forward to school when I start getting bigger because DeVry still uses those desks where the seat is connected to the desk and I probably won't fit into them...LOL. Maybe I'll start taking more online classes. Anyway, I'm going to try and eat my salad for lunch. Let's hope I keep it down.

Tagged

Well, I've been tagged by Kari, so here goes...

Three nicknames: Ju-Ju-Bee, Hubbas, Tubbas

Three things I like about myself: My caring nature, my ambition, my jokes (yes, I laugh at my own jokes...LOL)

Three things that scare me: Being tortured, being alone in the house (at night), the basement (I'm such a baby...LOL)

Three everyday essentials: Prenatal vitamin, a glass of milk, a shower

Three things I'm wearing right now: Engagement ring, promise ring, pajamas

Three fave bands growing up: In no particular order - NKOTB, Backstreet Boys, All For One

2 truths and a lie: I'm excited about my soon to be family, I LOVE chinese food, I am tall

Three things I can't do without: My family, Jeremy, my friends

Three things I can certainly live without: Traffic, getting sick, chores

Three places I want to go on vacation: Africa, Japan, Fiji

Three things I want to do before I die: Sky-dive, have a career, learn to swim

I'm tagging three people: Nikki, Kit, Mary

Reassurance

You know, I was just reading my past couple of blogs and it seems like all I'm doing is bitching. I'm sorry. I know it's probably not pleasant to read negative thoughts. I promise to be more positive and really, I'm not a bitchy person. I guess it's my hormones =)
I promise to be more optimistic so that my blogs are funnier to read. Hope yall come back now!

Scared

Ok I'm scared. I was reading on Week 8 and it says that this week is the most critical and I should be careful of what I eat and drink. But I am just not in the mood to eat ANYTHING. All I had today was a granola bar, a can of pears and some crackers. I went upstairs to the cafe to eat something with a co-worker and seeing her food made me sick. Even thinking about eating real food makes me run to the bathroom. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?! I know everyone says they go through this stage in the first trimester and I know the baby will get whatever it needs from me, but I just can't help but fear that I am starving my baby. I feel like I'm being a bad parent already. I know I should force something down my throat, but it just comes right back up. Even the smell of ANYTHING makes me sick. Maybe it is because I am CRAVING Korean food. Maybe I'll buy some and see if I can eat it. Maybe my appointment next Thursday will reassure me that everything is fine. I hope so. If anything is wrong, I could never live with myself thinking I starved it to death.

Wedding Blues

To catch people up to date, my mother wants us to move the wedding date to September 3, 2005 because that is Labor Day weekend and my mother wants to have a three day weekend so that she can have one day to rest before my parents open up shop. It all depended on the photographer so we gave him a call and he couldn't tell us till the end of this month because he had a meeting with a lady on 6/25/05 who wants September 3. Well, he called last night to let us know he has September 3 available. So I called my mom to let her know, but it all depended on my two cousins, who are in the wedding, because they already took the tenth off from work and they are not sure if they can switch it to the third. Well my mom had a freak attack. She said I was being selfish and if I cared more about my two cousins coming instead of her, I can keep it the tenth and she just won't come. She is being such a BITCH! I mean I love her, but she is being so selfish about the whole thing. I mean it's my damn wedding. Jeremy is so fed up with her making it her wedding and stressing me out, especially since I'm pregnant. I mean, my mother and I fight so badly that I'm sure my neighbors can hear me screaming. I just end up hanging up on her, like I did last night. She calls me back and leaves me this nasty message. And what I hate the most is when she says, don't yell because your baby will have the same attitude as you and it's like then stop making me so annoyed. So I just told her that if Linda and Jin (cousins) can't come, then she will just have to refund their bridesmaids dresses. But it's not even about the dresses. If Linda and Jin can't come, then I'm just going to have one bridesmaid while Jeremy has three groomsmen. UGH! I can't believe my mother! I just want to elope and just make her pissed off. She would HATE it if I just went and got married...LOL. Then she offers to buy me a plane ticket home for the Fourth of July. HELL NO! If I'm face to face with her, I can't just hang up on her so NO THANK YOU! I'm not going to go home until she gets whatever she has up her butt out. The only reason I would want to go home right now is because I miss my sister and my friends and I miss Korean food. I mean I can buy some from Farmers Market, but it's not the same as my mom's cooking. She's the BEST at cooking Korean food. That's the only compliment I'll give her right now!

Malnutritious?

So lately I haven't wanted to eat. Everything makes me sick. The only thing I have been eating the past few days are crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and ramen noodles. I still drink my glass of milk a day and take my prenatal vitamin, even though I throw it up five minutes later. I have been addicted to gingerale though. I drink it all the time at work because I'm naseous and they say gingerale tames it (but not for me). I don't know if I am giving enough (or any for that matter) nutrition to my baby. I'm scared I'm scarving it or giving it junk. I feel like I'm being a bad mother already. But I don't know what to do. I don't want to eat. If it wasn't for the intense hunger I feel sometimes or knowing I have to feed a baby, I wouldn't eat at all. What's wrong with me?

Miserable

I feel like I am not eating healthy enough for my baby. Not only do prenatal vitamins make me nauseous and I just end up throwing them up, but I have a big distaste for meat (a big source of protein). Lately, I just haven't been able to eat anything. I just feel so nauseous all day that all I want to do is either sit by the toilet or go to sleep. I heard morning sickness goes away around the 15th week (which means I have 7 more weeks of this), but with my luck, I'll have it until the 9th month. I want to stop feeling sick and start enjoying my pregnancy. I even told Jeremy that this will be our only child. I'm complaining now, but I'm sure once I hold my angel in my arms, it will all be worth it. I have my first ultrasound on July 7th. Maybe seeing the ultrasound will make me feel good.

My Menopausal Mother

So I called my mother to tell her we might move the wedding date closer because I might not be able to fit into my dress in September. We were thinking of July 30 or August 6. Why did she tell me I was being selfish and not thinking about them or their business. So I told her she was being selfish. I am their first daughter and my first and only wedding and she can't close the shop down not even for a day. So we got into this huge fight that resulted in me hanging up on her. My sister called me shortly after telling me our mother has been so bitchy later. I really think she is going through menopause. My dad is more understanding and he called and said if I ever had to talk about the wedding, just to call him. He knows everytime me and my mom talk, we just end up fighting. So now they want me to change the wedding to the 3rd of September because that is Labor Day weekend and they want that extra day before they have to open up shop again. I don't mind doing that, but it all depends on the photographer. He has a meeting at the end of this month with a lady who is getting married on that day. If she likes his work, which I'm sure she will, then that day will be taken. If that is the case, we will keep it the tenth. We might as well because Linda already took the time off of work and I would hate for people to alter their plans AGAIN. It's bad enough I went back and forth about the wedding and now the date. What will people think of me. Anyway, I just took this new sample prenatal vitamin and it made me throw up everything I ate today so I'm going to try to sneak a nap at work.

Officially Pregnant

After this past weekend, I can safely say that I am pregnant. I have been puking up a storm. I don't know what it was, but this past weekend was the first time I experienced morning, afternoon and night sickness. At first I contemplated as to why I started getting morning sickness and so I decided to do a test. Friday and Saturday morning, I ate a real breakfast. Usually, I just have time for a granola bar on the way to work. On Sunday, I just ate a granola bar and I was fine all day. I came to the conclusion that if I eat real breakfast, like eggs and sausage, I don't feel good ALL DAY. I vomit all day which leads to this migraine that just makes me want to drive a knife through my head. If I just eat crackers or granola bars, I'll be fine. So I guess I'll save the real food for the afternoon. I wish I could stay home during the first few months of my pregnancy. All I feel like doing is laying in bed and sleeping all day. I have no energy to do anything. I don't even feel like working out, which I should be doing if I want to fit into my wedding dress. I am worried that I'll be too big (fat and pregnant) to fit into my wedding gown. But we'll see how it turns out!

Title Change

So I decided to change my blog title from A Wedding Story to A Wedding/Baby Story. I figured since this blog will contain my steps to becoming a wife and a mother, I would change the title to fit my blogs. I can't believe I'm going to be a wife and a mother within five months of each other. It seems like everything came all at once, but Jeremy and I are both very excited about our future together. It's so cute to see Jeremy all worried about the baby. This morning I was up, as usual, and I rolled over in bed and Jeremy woke up and said, "are you on your stomach? You can't be on your stomach" and I assured him that I wasn't. I'm still having a hard time with picking out a name. I know I said I would name it Jaelyn if it's a girl, but now I'm not sure. I have always like the name Alexa and I've always wanted to name my little girl that, but when I heard Jaelyn I changed my mind. Now I'm changing my mind again. I don't know though. I am leaning more towards Alexa, but I really want a name that is original and I think Jaelyn is very original. Watch me have a boy. I haven't even thought about a boy's name. Taylor thinks we are having a girl. Jeremy really wants a girl and a part of me wants a girl too. But no matter what sex it is, it will have so much love it won't know what to do with it. I can't wait to find out what we are going to have. I'm so excited!

Sleepless in Georgia

I don't know if it's because I am pregnant or because I am not allowed to sleep on my stomach, but for the past week, I haven't been able to sleep. Don't get me wrong, when we go up to bed, I pass out, but I end up waking up in the middle of the night WIDE AWAKE. I can't seem to go back to sleep, so I end up staring at the ceiling for the remaining three hours until I have to get up and get ready for work. I hate that I am not getting my usual 6-8 hours of sleep. Hopefully it will get better as the pregnancy progresses, but I have a feeling it will get worse. I still haven't experienced much morning sickness (thank the Lord), and I've actually been feeling great. I think I even look prettier (not to be vain) because I am pregnant. I'm probably just glowing. Anyway, I just wanted to express my frustration as to my sleepless nights. I need to figure out what I can do to sleep longer.