Allyson's 3rd Birthday!!!

     Last night we celebrated Allyson's 3rd Birthday.  She was so excited to open all the presents.  She would unwrap a gift and then did a little shake as she held up each item to show it off.  We were honored to have Grandpa Rod, Grandma JoAnn, Grandpa Don, Grandma Jolayne, and Great Grandma Loraine over to enjoy cake and ice cream with us.  Even though she didn't feel really good during the day, you would have never known it last night!  She knew all eyes were on her.

     Don't you just love how she shows by the show of fingers how old she is?  I remember Trey did the same thing, how do they know to come up with the number three that way. 

     What made the night though was when things had slowed down and I was rocking her to sleep, she said to me, "Mommy, sanks for the bike".  I said, "Well Ally, your welcome".  Ally then said, "Mommy, sanks for all the birday presents".  I said, "Ally, your welcome".  Then she summed it up by saying, "Mommy, I love you." "Ally, I love you too!"    What a cutie.

I Love My Boy . . .

Trey, my boy with such a creative imagination, he reminds me so much of his dad.  This night he was busy building a tower with some legos.  He kept hounding me for some tape and wouldn't tell me why.  I obviously couldn't find the tape, with two sisters in the house the tape disappears fast around here.  I left the room for a minute to look for some and in the meantime, he had found some of his dad's electrical tape on top of the fridge.  He started using the tape to make his tower stand up against the wall and then before I knew it he had made himself a gotee!  Then McKenna jumped in and helped him put them on his eyebrows.  And moments later, the thought he looked like his dad!  I couldn't pass this moment up to catch a photo of them together!  I truly love both my boys!



My Little Office Assistant

It has been so much fun to spend time with Allyson while I have been put on bed rest.  I feel lucky that I have been able to work quite a bit from home, all while trying to rest.   While I work, Ally is good about staying busy.  Most days, I do take her to the learning center, but this morning, she wanted to work!  Today, she brought in her table and chairs, coloring book and markers, and away she went to her own type of work.   She stayed busy coloring me all sorts of pictures to put by my, what Ally calls my puter!  I couldn't ask for a cuter office assistant!

Valentine Boxes

Trey's Valentine Robot!

Trey was so excited to take his Valentine Robot to school this year to show all his friends.  With these big eyes and 'T' for a buckle, this little robot was sure to be a hit!

McKenna's Valentine Purse!

McKenna could not wait to go to school to show off the latest Valentine fashion.  With diamond studs and flower accessories, she was definitely a style setter this year! 

Ally's Sweetheart Bag!

Ally, full of excitement to go to her Valentine Party!  She insisted she have a butterfly on her bag, it made for a cute little embellishment!

Making Valentines . . .

The kids had so much fun putting their valentines together this year.   Both McKenna and Trey had to make approximately 22 to take to school and share with their classmates.  Trey picked out Hot Wheels and McKenna picked out Tangled.  It worked out that McKenna used part of the Tangled ones for the girls in her class and then Trey let her use his Hot Wheel ones for the boys.  Trey ended up doing the same thing, used his Hot Wheels for the boys and then McKenna's Tangled ones for the girls in his class.  I love watching them take their time making sure their classmates names are written on the cards so nice and neat.  Not only that, but I like to see how their own name is written on the card.



Even Ally made Valentines this year.  She needed to make 20 for her friends at the ACT Learning Center.  She picked out Princess valentine cards.  Somehow she was able to convince her dad into two different packages because she couldn't narrow the cards down to just one box.  We had them all spread out and she laid out each Valentine for me to write her name on.  However, she insisted on making one especially for her friends Shae, Gratia, and Landry.  These three friends each ended up with double the valentines from Ally because each of them needed the treat, the little bookmark that came with one of the boxes of cards, and a card from each box.  It was pretty entertaining to watch her, just her persistence that they each had to have it all!  She could have cared less that the others were all loaded up with the extras!  She loves to play with those three in the big room, they are all she talks about!



Doctor's Orders . . . .

2 weeks of bed rest down . . . with a possible 11 more to go!

On January 25, 2011, I went in for my 27 week checkup for this pregnancy.  As I sat down, the nurse took my blood pressure and it was 160 / 90!  Little to my suprise, that wasn't good.  Soon the doctor came in and wanted to double check my blood pressure after I had sat there for a minute, and when he checked it, it ended up being 160 / 100.  He then started to explain what I was up against with blood pressure that high this early in my pregnancy.  He asked if I had experienced any symptoms of having high blood pressure, headaches, heart racing, seeing flashing lights, nausea, etc, which looking back I had dealt with bad headaches, but I never thought anything about them.  He had me go to the hospital to take a non-stress test.  I was hoping I would be able to go back to work afterwards, but he said that I would be there as long as it was necessary to bring my blood pressure down to a safer range.  He said that I shouldn't worry about work, because these next few days could change drastically in my life.  So off to the hospital I went.  It only took 45 minutes for my blood pressure to go way down.  The nurse soon came in and said that the doctor wants to put you on bed rest for a few days and then he wants to see you again on Thursday.  So I followed doctors orders and went home and took it easy until Thursday.  

Well my appointment on Thurday, January 27, 2011, went about the same way as my Tuesday appointment.  I started by taking a non-stress test at the hospital first and of course like expected, my blood pressure is right where it needs to be when I am laying down, but a completely different story when I am up and moving around.  I went to the doctor's office, had the nurse take my blood pressure and this time it was 150 / 88.  (I can't remember the exact bottom number, but right now the doctor is concerned over the top number.)  The doctor came in and explained the details of toxemia and the effects that it can have on me and the baby.  He prescribed a prescription of blood pressure medicine and in the meantime, no cooking or cleaning and take things easy.

So last Thursday, I went again for another follow up appointment.  I did the non-stress test at the hospital first and then had my appointment with the doctor at 1:30.  Just like clockwork, my blood pressure again was a lot better when laying down compared to when I am up and moving around.  This appointment, the nurse took my blood pressure and my top number was 139.  The doctor said that after reviewing the report from the hospital and seeing how my blood pressure has lowered from what it has been in the past, he was relieved that things were starting to work!  He said he has been very nervous about me and that I should continue bed rest since we can see the results of it actually working.  He said in fact, I have probably bought bed rest for the rest of this pregnancy, which is 11 more weeks.  One thing he did say was that because of my situation now and because I ended up having high blood pressure at the very end of my pregnancy with Ally, he thought that my chances of going 40 weeks is slim to none.  So this baby may come around week 36 or 37 if she is ready.  I go again to the doctor tomorrow for another follow-up, so I hope things are still good.  And through all of this, this little one shows no sign of stress at all . . . thank goodness!



I'm back.

Yep, that's right I'm back and I'm going to be doing lots and lots of posts!