Friday, September 30, 2011

New pictures of our little nugget

 Hi everyone.....do you see my wee little hands/feet?!


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Quick little pregnancy update :o)

I went back to Dr. Morales yesterday as a follow up from Dr. Willis' appointment on the 15th when he found the baby!!! Since Keith already took 2 days off for the last 2 appointments, Mom came with me.  Everything went really well except the fact I couldn't see a thumping heartbeat on Dr. M's monitor (bless him but he has some really outdated machines but hey, I'm not complaining since I get to see the baby at every appointment!).  We actually saw the baby move with his machine and he said he was completely assured everything was fine, but he knows me and he knows I want to see that heartbeat to get reassurance.  (It is SO nice to have a Dr. that knows me like that!) So, we went back to Dr. Willis' office (who I seriously can't praise enough and I personally told him how much I appreciate him and his staff for being so kind and caring to me) and we saw the little nugget with it's heartbeat! It was beating 184bpm :)  My Mom was SO excited and we both just had tears in our eyes.  Best part was I'm no longer measuring 2 weeks behind.  I'm officially measuring 10 weeks 5 days (as of today) which is exactly where I should be!

Since I now have total reassurance that everything is okay, I am going to start the weekly pregnancy update on Saturday.  I feel like doing that makes it "real" now.  I have to admit, I've been having weird emotions and feelings before my appointment.  I was seriously having anxiety about my appointment.  I felt like I was going to get bad news and I just couldn't shake it off.  It bothered me that I hadn't really "connected" with this pregnancy like I did with Preslei's but I think that I just heavily guarded my emotions so that if something was wrong, I'd be okay.  I also think that I don't have as much "free time" to just "ooh and ahhh" about everything baby like I did with Preslei because I'm juggling work, mommy duties and wife duties whereas before, I didn't have a silly 3 year old running around.  I've finally allowed myself to get giddy and excited and start looking at furniture and strollers and ALL that fun stuff and not have a doubt in my mind.  I felt ashamed of my feelings and emotions and I had only talked to 3 people about it and they all reassured me that it is normal to guard your emotions when someone has been thru what I did. 

Much love,

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Pinterest. A love/hate relationship

Ahhhhh.....pinterest, how I love thee...except for days like today. It's 10:36am, I haven't eaten anything "filling" for breakfast yet all I can do is look at recipes on Pinterest. Not a good thing. I mean, OHHHHH....MMMYYYY....GGOOOSSSSHHH. I feel like I need a bib. Here are some of the ones that I'm drooling over.


1.  Cheesy Enchilada Casserole
2.  Pizza Bites
3.  Chedder Bacon Ranch Bites
4.  Mac & Cheese
5.  Blue Velvet Cake

That's just a few.  But, I seriously need to get in the kitchen this weekend and try some new recipes.  This is one of the many reasons I totally need to be a stay at home Mom. ;o) 


Friday, September 23, 2011

Apologizing and realizations

Apologizing is hard for stubborn people like myself; especially when not everything is your fault but I think that as grown people, you just have to "man up" and do what is right.  And that is what I have done.  I have always prided myself in the fact that I can see two sides and can put myself in someone's shoes to try to see the whole picture, even when it is something I'm involved in.  I think, well I know, I am one stubborn girl but hey, I get it honestly (ah hem...Daddy....LOL) but once I cool down and start thinking logically, I realize things and then I, 9 out of 10 times, try to make amends. 

I recently apologized for something that I didn't cause nor allowed to continue but, at some point in your life, things have to change...YOU have to change.  I have got to learn that people make mistakes and that hopefully, by making mistakes, they can learn by them.  Now, does that give the ok for people to continue to make the same mistake over and over again, well no, but we as Christians should forgive.  God forgives so why shouldn't we? 

Has my apology been accepted? No, well, not that I know of.  And you know, I'm okay with that because I truly feel like deep down in my heart, I have done what was right.  I took the first step and opened the door to hopefully resolving the issues at hand and I truly mean that. 

Will things ever be the same as they were? Probably not.  I think I will always be guarded but I do want things to be different than what they are now.  So, at what point should I make another effort or should I just let them try to reciprocate my actions? 

This reminds me of an old friendship I had back several, several years ago.  Lindsey and I were seriously like the best of friends.  Connected at the hip practically.  She was one of those girls that reminded me SO much of myself in the sense that she never meets a stranger and is just very friendly (Yeah, yeah, I'm totally bragging on myself....LOL).  We literally hung out every single day.  Things happened between us and we stopped being friends.  Several years passed by and both of our lives had changed.  She got married, had her 2nd son, moved away, Keith and I had Preslei and we all just basically grew up and matured.  I had always hoped she was doing well (Seriously, no matter how much people may think I can't stand someone, I always hope people are doing well in their lives).  I decided to reach out to her on Facebook one night.  I am slightly addicted to Big Brother and she reminds me SO much of Rachel and so, I messaged her and told her that and that I hoped she was doing well.  That one message basically renewed our friendship.  I am so proud of the person she has become over the past few years.  Moral of the story, always forgive because at one point in your life, there was a reason you liked that person.  I truly think God brought both of us back in each other's lives for a reason and especially at the right time. 

Until next time...

Thursday, September 22, 2011

We have a name folks!

But....I'm still keeping it a secret. :)  There are only a handful of people that know our names and I can't decide if I want to keep it a secret throughout the entire pregnancy or if I will reveal it when we find out the gender.  Who knows.  The girl name is a very special name.  It has a sweet story that I will share if we have a girl.  It's actually traditional but not very common so I like it, actually, I love it.  I've loved it for years and the story behind it makes it 10x more special. 

I have my next appointment next Wednesday....yay!  I'm wondering if they are going to monitor me more closely now b/c of all the craziness?? I hope so b/c I LOVE ultrasounds.  I need my own personal ultrasound machine.  LOL.

Monday, September 19, 2011

The Name Game

For the most part, I'm a planner. I like to know when things will happen and what the end result will be. I am typically not a fan of surprises. Before we found out we were pregnant with Preslei, I already had our names decided on. If it was a girl, her name would be Preslei Paige and for a boy, Cohen Jutson. This time, I am not 100% set on a girl name and it is already driving me insane, lol. We have our boy name (it isn't Cohen) but the freak I am, I get paranoid someone will "steal" it and then I'll have to think of another one. Keith decided on the girl name, and while I like it, I don't LOVE it.

So, let's play the name game. I need some girl names!! The middle name will be Claire. I like "different" names. Not anything crazy but not a name that a bazillion kids are named. I also need something that kind of flows with Preslei.

**Oh, and I really like last names for first names if that helps any!**

HELP!!! :o)


Friday, September 16, 2011

Our TEENY TINY miracle

This picture still just gives me goosebumps! To go from being told I had a blighted ovum to seeing our little bean is just AMAZING!!!




Thursday, September 15, 2011

Our God is an Awesome God!

For those who don't believe in God or the power of prayer, I am a true testament. We saw our baby and the heartbeat today!!!! I am measuring 2 weeks behind (I'm measuring 6 weeks 6 days as opposed to 8 weeks 4 days) so our due date is May 4th. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are.  I mean, WOW. 

Friday, September 9, 2011

Devastated

Devastated is putting it mildly.

Our doctor's appointment didn't turn out as expected. They couldn't find a baby. Dr. Morales said I have what is called a blighted ovum. Basically, I'm pregnant but the baby didn't form. I had my hcg level checked to see if my due date was off but my quant count was 63,000 and he said there should be a baby with a heartbeat. My mind has been in a thousand places since Wednesday. I am absolutely heartbroken. When we've tried for so long and to think "finally!" and now you are told you need a d&c and your doctor wants to refer you to a specialist (oh and it doesn't help that I.F. isn't covered by our insurance) you feel helpless.

I have decided to wait a few weeks and have 2 more ultrasounds before doing the surgery because I've read that women with tilted uteruses often get misdiagnosed. Now, that's not to say I think I was because I don't want to have false hope, I'm a realist, but before I get my insides scraped out, I want to be 150% sure.

If I never ask for anything else from my readers, I ask that you pray for my peace and understanding with this.

With love,


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Do I have any readers from the Blue Ridge, GA area?

If so, let me know. I won a VIP Pass for two to the Blues and Barbeque Festival for THIS Saturday (Sept. 10) that I would love to pass them along to someone. Email me at amandakines@hotmail.com if you are interested.

Friday, September 2, 2011

SUYL-Favorite blogs

Of course, my blog is my favorite..LOL. In all seriousness, here's a list of my favorite blogs.

1. Kelly's Korner (DUH!)
2. The Journey of Parenthood.  I actually found Emily's blog on Kelly's Korner on the SUYL baby names.  I liked how she spelled her son's name (Kye) and then I realized she only lives like 45 minutes from me.  I love how her and her husband are a young couple like me and Keith and how she loves the Lord and her entire life is focused on family.  I think it is amazing to see people my age leading their lives in the right direction. 
3.  Lambert's Lately.  I found her thru KK's too!
4.  A Journey from Hope to Grace.  Okay, I absolutely 100% LOVE LOVE LOVE Jenny.  I found her blog thru a friend of a friend about 3 years ago.  I have met some of the sweetest girls from Texas and she is one of that bunch.  Jenny is like my online BFF, lol.  This girl has been thru Hell and back and I admire her strength and Faith SO SO much.  Have I mentioned how much I love this girl?! I can't wait to meet her in person! Yes, a flight to Dallas has been discussed many, many times!
5.  Stephanie.  Oh gosh, what is there NOT to love about Steffy.  She is funny, witty, smart and SUPER crafty.  She and I have gone to school together since elementary school but were never super close.  Especially after she poured a snow cone down my shirt in 5th grade....LOL.  Thru Facebook, we got back in touch with each other and she has been one of those people who I wish I could go back to high school and hang out with.  She has always given me her ear thru my last infertility struggle and I am so thankful for that.  Fun fact about Steffy:  She appeared on TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress-Atlanta" a few weeks ago.  She was hilariously funny on the episode.  She bought 3 wedding dresses and wanted another.  She said one made her feel like cupcake, LOL. 
6.  Rachel King.  I don't even know where to begin with Rachel's blog.  Rachel is a local pastor's wife.  They lost their beautiful and most precious 4 year old daughter, Makiah, in a tragic car wreck last October.  She was killed by a teenager high on marijuana.  It literally gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes just writing that.  This tragedy has rocked our town to its core.  Rachel was also 16 weeks pregnant with her beautiful twin girls, Abby & Alena, who were born this February.  This blog is just amazing. 

Hope you love reading these blogs as much as I do!

On another note, because I know this will get lots of views and you can never have enough people praying for you....we have our first OB appointment on Wednesday.  We tried for almost a year to get pregnant with this baby and so, as any woman knows, the first trimester is very nerve-racking.  Please keep me in your prayers that I get a good check up and our little butterbean is healthy and growing.