Ben's 1 month old photo shoot!

Birth Story

My birth story starts on Friday June 19th. DH and I were at my BIL's commissioning ceremony into the Marine Core, when I started to have a lot of cramping and back pain. The chairs at the ceremony were really uncomfortable and I thought that was why I was so crampy... So I went to sit in the car. The cramping got a little better. After the ceremony everyone was going to go to Olive Garden to celebrate. We got to Olive Garden (this was about 8:30ish), sat down and ordered our drinks. Our friend was talking to DH asking him far a long I was. DH told him she is exactly 37 weeks today. Our friend than said oh wow so you could have that baby any day now! Literally two mins later, I felt a pop and than a small warm gush. I didn't know what it was and my eyes got really big. My sister saw my sudden reaction and asked if I was OK. I told her yes that I think I need to go to the bathroom when I went to stand up I felt another gush. I knew than that it was my water. My DH and I kinda just froze lol and looked at my mom. She told DH to get up and go get the car, I went to stand up to walk out and another huge gush came out. So my mom wheeled me in the olive garden chair!! LOL SO embarrassing, every person who looked at us funny my mom told them my water had just broke lol. So we get in the car I call my OB, and he tells me to head to the hospital. We stopped by the house real quick cuz we had nothing with us. When I got to the hospital, they confirmed it was my water that broke, and hooked me up to the monitors. When I got there I was 1 1/2 cm and at Zero station. My labor starting to get pretty intense. I had HORRIBLE back labor! It was the worst feeling ever, my contractions were about every two mins apart, so I wasn't getting that much of a break between contractions... after 7 1/2 hours of no pain meds what so ever and only making it to 2cm I caved and got the epi. The epi than slowed my labor so much that they started me on pitocin; this allowed me to dilate but the epi did not take away all of the pain in my back. Around 3:00 in the afternoon I had made it to 9cm. But the epi had completely warn off in my back. Ben was also sunny side up. They gave me some different kind of drugs in my IV in hopes of taking away the back pain. It went away a little but not completely. By 3:45 I was to 10cm and +2 station; and miraculously Ben had turned so he wasn't sunny side up anymore. The nurse had me do a practice push, and than started to set everything up for delivery. After my first real push she called my OB in for delivery. My OB came in and after three rounds of pushing, my ob had me doing half pushes and stopping; at the very end he told me to reach down put my hands under Ben's arms and pull him out. I did! It was the most amazing feeling ever!! I got to pull him up and put him on my chest! My doc said he was very impressed with my delivery. I only had first degree tear and I only pushed for eight minutes! Benjamin Charles was born at 4:08pm 7lbs 4.3oz 19 3/4inches long! I am so thankful to God and to all of our friends and family who had us in their prayers! God is amazing! Other than a little jaundice Ben seems to be doing great.

Benjamin Charles is HERE!!

Here are some pics of baby Ben! Also some pics of me and DH... labor is not easy so I will tell you I do not look my best lol

I am exhausted

Yesterday around 3pm, my contractions (that I have on a daily basis) started to get out of control. So I took another procardia (I take them every four hours), and tried to go to sleep. Well when seven came around the contractions which were not stopping were now about every three mins apart. So I took another procardia and decided to wait another hour to see if they would stop. Well when eight came around and they weren't stopping that's when I decided to call the doctor, of course he told me to head to L&D. DH wasn't home so I waited twetny mins for him to get home and we were off. When we got to L&D they were still three mins apart. They weren't registering that intense on the monitors so the nurse went to go call the doc with an update. Go figure when she left my contractions went to every two mins and the were pretty intense. So they decided to give me a shot of terbutaline. It was almost instant ten mins after the shot the contractions had stopped. Once it started to tapper off though the contracts started up again so they had me take another one of my procardia at 11 and than I got another shot or terb. Of course the terb was able to stop them again, so around 1:30 they decided to discharge me and before I left they gave me an oral form of terb. I am still on the procardia but now have an oral form of terb with me as well. I am so exhausted terb makes your heart beat race and make you feel so jittery (sp?). 36 weeks is still the cut off date for my anti-contraction meds, but doc told me that if this happens again at 35 weeks he is not going to stop it. I am trying to cope with the fact that Ben is going to be here early and will not make it to his due date. I am just now trying to fight as hard as I can to keep him till 36 weeks! Thank you again for all of your prayers!

31 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss- Ahh well at my docs app I was 142.... so I have gained almost 40 pounds and I will be honest I am freaking out. It's not like I am eating unhealthy, but for some reason I am just gaining weight like crazy. Once again my doc isn't worried in the beginning he told me he wanted me gain any where from 45-50 pounds but I will be honest I NEVER thought I would gain that much.... YIKES! It's all for a good cause I know!

Stretch marks - Nope none yet! ::knocks on wood::

Sleep - Sleep is very very difficult! I have sciatica which is very very painful, so sleep is kinda poopy right now but its ok. :)

Best moment this week - Having my sister feel him kick for the first time!

Movement - Yes yes it feels like he is having a party in there sometimes. I am starting to feel knees and elbows now too!

Food cravings - I have been craving a lot of cheese and rice lol

Belly button - It's sticking out! : )

What I miss - Nothing!

Milestones - Just making it another week! Thank you GOD!! And thank you ladies for all the continued prayers!

31 weeks and 5 day belly pic

31 weeks and 5 days

Just a comparison here is my belly at 20 weeks what a difference 11 weeks makes!

Retaining Wall

I don't know if any of you remember but about a month and a half ago someone ran into our retaining wall with their car. Well thankfully their insurance company did cover the cost of replaces the retaining wall. We finally got it fixed yesterday and it looks amazing!

The retaining wall when the car hit it

The retaining wall with the car pulled out


New retaining wall

29 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss- Well at my OB on monday I was 138.... So I have gained 35lbs! OB is not worried and he is actually very happy with my weight gain.

Stretch marks - Nope none yet! ::knocks on wood::

Sleep - Sleep is really hard, I can not get comfortable most of the nights so I sleep for an hour of two than wake up and try to get comfortable again. But it's all worth it!

Best moment this week - Just feeling him move is amamzing!

Movement - Yes yes it feels like he is having a party in there sometimes. I am starting to feel knees and elbows now too!

Food cravings - Deli Meat!

Belly button - It's sticking out! : )

What I miss - Nothing!

Milestones - Just making it another week! Thank you GOD!! And thank you ladies for all the continued prayers!

Long time no see..

I am a horrible blogger. So to catch up real quick. Last Tuesday night I had to go to L&D again because I could not get the contractions to stop. We were there for five hours. Man I don't know what is wrong with me, I feel like I am already failing as a mother cuz I keep having all of these problems. I just want to be able to keep him in the longest so I can give him a fighting chance. I am so scared of going in to premature labor... Anywho I had a follow up on Monday, he said did an ultrasound and said that cervix was "ok". He said my restrictions are still the same no sex, lots of rest when I am at home, and to drink lots of water. My appointments are now every two weeks because he wants to monitor me more closely. I am now on procardia for the rest of the pregnancy. I am completely stressed out because of the house stuff that we have to get done before he gets here. I just don't see how we can do it! Or should I say DH, cuz I honestly can't help that much! I just need to pray about it, cuz I know it will all work itself out in the end. On another note one of my friends had her baby on Sunday. She had her on her actual due date! Her baby is really cute! Seeing DH hold a new born is still funny, he tenses up and he kept saying I don't want to break her lol. It was cute. Tomorrow we are getting the new retaining wall put in, hopefully everything goes smoothly with that! I will put updated pics of the retaining wall when they are done! Thanks again ladies for all of your continued prayers and support! You don't know how much DH and I appreciate it!

28 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss- Not sure I haven't weighed myself in a couple weeks

Stretch marks - Nope none yet! ::knocks on wood::

Sleep - I am starting to have to pee A LOT again, so I am not getting much sleep as I was the past couple of weeks- still the same as last week

Best moment this week - DH getting to baby P dance around in my belly

Movement - Yes yes it feels like he is having a party in there sometimes.

Food cravings - Kraft Mac N Cheese!

Belly button - It's sticking out!

What I miss - Nothing!

Milestones - Just making it another week! Thank you GOD!! And thank you ladies for all the continued prayers!

27 week belly pic

Full Body pic stupid rain made my hair go flat! Happy Easter!!!

Bare Belly

27 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss- Well I haven't weighed myself but I am pretty sure I weigh 133 or something so that puts me at 30lbs so far.... But who know cuz I haven't weighed myself

Stretch marks - Nope none yet! ::knocks on wood::

Sleep - I am starting to have to pee A LOT again, so I am not getting much sleep as I was the past couple of weeks

Best moment this week - Getting the baby shower invites done!

Movement - Yea he is still my little dance machine.

Food cravings - Honestly my food cravings have all gone out the window as it is hard for me to eat anything since my heart burn is acting up so much.

Belly button - Starting to stick out even more

What I miss - Nothing!

Milestones - Just making it another week! Thank you GOD!! And thank you ladies for all the continued prayers!

This house hates us!!!

Every single time we have ever tried to a SIMPLE project, the "simple" project turns into a major wreck.. For example our cousin was coming to live with us; and we needed to paint the room that he was going to live in because it used to a children's room and had a mountain scene painted around the whole room. So we bought primer and white paint... Well we put the first coat of primer on and the paint that was already on the wall just sucked it right up it looked like we hadn't done anything! So we put a second coat on and this one kinda started to cover it. Once we were getting ready to put the third coat on my mil noticed that the paint was bubbling! Huh?!?! The next thing I know she is starts to paint on a wall that had no bubbling and as she rolled not only was the previous two coats coming off but the paint that was originally on the wall was coming off!!! Ahh!!! The enitre room ended up peeling!!! See pic below

Than what was underneath the lovely mountain scene that was peeling off a bright YELLOW wall!! Lets just saw a $125 dollar project turned into a $600 project by the time we were all done!! That is just one example...
Fast forward to our most recent project.. Putting new trim up (took all the old trim off to finish the floors) and new door frames and doors... This should be a "simple" project right? LOL no! As my husband was taking trim off in the bathroom what did he discover BLACK mold!!! GREAT!!! So now instead of fixing up the bathroom next year which we had planned on cuz we can't afford to fix the bathroom right now. We have NO choice but to fix the bathroom now as black mold is TOXIC! So now not only does Guy have to finish the back room (which entails finishing the mudding and taping, laying down the laminate hard wood floors, texturing the walls, painting the walls, and adding new trim), now he gets to completely gut the bathroom all the way down to sub-floors (we aren't taking any chances with this black mold) and re-do the bathroom. Oh and we also have to texture and paint the baby room and the hallway as well. And this all needs to be done in 13 weeks... Here is the part where I start laughing than crying! I feel bad because I can't help DH with much, he has some friends helping him but for the most part this is all on his own! He is SO stressed and I feel so bad for him! I know God will get us through this as he always does. But man I swear this house HATES us and just does not want to be fixed up at ALL!!! On the positive side of all of this after the bathroom is done the only thing that Guy and I have left to update is the kitchen and than the inside of this house will be completely re-modeled!!! If you guys could say a prayer for us that all of this can get done before the baby gets here especially the bathroom as it is DANGEROUS for a newborn, Guy and I would really appreciate it!!! : )

Our House

Wow! Ok so when we bought this house we knew it would be a project house. So far we have re-done the sewer, finished the hard wood floors, added knock down to the front room, and master bedroom (painted those rooms as well), got new front and back doors, re-roofed our back side of the house, and completely re-did our back room (well it's almost done). Our back room used to be two rooms. But it had no over head lighting and no heat! Yes it has a fire place but the fire place does not have a blower on it so that room was FREEZING in the winter time. So we knocked the wall down to make it one big room. The did not have dry wall in that room except for one wall. They had this ugly wood paneling so we took it all down, took all of the drywall off of the ceiling cuz there was water damage.Took all the carpet up cuz it was red and gross. So we added canned lighting, we added a heater for that side of the house. So far we have all of the new dry wall up we still are the in the process of mudding and taping this room is HUGE. But should be done with that in the next couple of weekends. Than we can knockdown that back room, add our laminate hard wood flooring, and add the trim. Than the only thing left in that back room will be the marble for the fireplace and the new mantel.
All of roots that were getting into the old clay pipe sewer line

Starting to dig up the sewer

The entire sewer dug up and taken out

The new sewer in

Me helping to cover up the sewer line

We also added a clean sweep as well

Starting to sand the floors

Floors completely sanded

Floors finsihed!

Another pic of the finished floors!

Starting to take down the wall separating the two rooms

The ugly wood paneling that was through out the whole room

My hubby goofing off

The ceiling exposed showing all of the old nasty insulation

The fire place with all the old brick

Starting to knock the brick down

All the brick almost off

No more brick

Adding the canned lighting

Adding the new insulation

Putting the dry wall up on the ceiling

Dry wall almost all up

Almost done


These are all the pics I have so far! I will post more when we are finished! But last night we went to lowes and we bought all new trim for the whole house, new door for every room and the laminate floors! We hope to have it all done very soon!