It's Always Fun When Grandma Comes

Allie had such a fun time with my Mom when she came out to help when I had the blood clot.  Allie quickly became Grandma's little side-kick after about 1/2 a day and would go around looking for "Bamma" all day long.  I just got out a new toothbrush the other day from the cabinet and Allie started looking around for Bamma because it looked like the one that she used when she was at our house over a month ago.  Allie has a great memory!

Once I was taken off bed rest, we took Grandma to the Houston Zoo to go trick or treating there with Madison and Angie.  We had such a great time (even though I couldn't really do much) and cannot wait until we come out in December to visit!

 Allie and Grandma looking at the baby Elephant

 These were both impromptu costumes that were easy and not hot

Allie got to ride the Carousel  with Grandma!

Look Who's Going to Be A....

and we could not be more excited!  

We are due May 14th so we are a little over 13 weeks along right now.  We have had a roller coaster of a first trimester but hopefully things will calm down and we can enjoy the best part of pregnancy, the 2nd trimester!  

When we were about 9 weeks along, I started bleeding and cramping really badly after we were at the zoo on a  Saturday so we called my doctor and went over to the hospital to get an exam and ultrasound to see what was happening.  I thought for sure we were losing this baby and was very emotionally drained.  It turns out that I had a 5 cm blood clot in my uterus where the placenta tore away from the lining. The baby was okay and the heartbeat looked good, but at this point, the blood clot was larger than the baby and the sac, and the doctor on call at the hospital said that there was still a big risk that we might miscarry.  He also said that I basically need to be on bed rest for the next couple of months and cannot lift Allie, etc.

Well, at this point I didn't know what to do as Mike was starting a new rotation at MD Anderson Cancer Center which was going to be the hardest rotation of his residency and he was not going to have any time to help.  So, I called my Mom who flew out that night to come and save us.

So, I was on bed rest for the weekend and on top of it I had a cold/cough that had started that I am just now getting over 6 weeks later.  I was still bleeding some but it was starting to slow down and on Monday I called my doctor and went in right away to go see her for the first time (I had seen the Nurse Practitioner/Midwife for my first visit).  Most of our fears were calmed when she explained it MUCH better than the doctor at the hospital who said that I had a 5 cm tear which was much scarier than a blood clot.  She also said that recent studies show that it does not make a difference if you are on bed rest or not  so that also caused a huge drop in our stress levels.

Fast forward 2 weeks

My angel mother went back home and I was trying to take it easy and I started bleeding again (much older looking blood) and there was a lot coming out.  We went back to the hospital, got another ultrasound (we have seen a lot of this little baby) and it looks like it was the 5 cm of blood coming out which is a good thing.  Hopefully that is the last of the bleeding!  This baby is a tough little guy and seems to be growing just perfectly.  The last ultrasound we got see all sorts of body parts and it really brought the excitement back to me that we are going to have a baby!   

Thankfully the nausea is starting to wane, I haven't thrown up in over a week!  Being sick and having all the emotional stress, I had lost 10 lbs from my first appointment but with the help of halloween candy and feeling much better, I am up net 1/2 lb.  

Sorry for the super long post, and the long blogging hiatus that ensued since this whole ordeal.  We are super excited and am anxiously awaiting this little baby.  We find out the gender right around Christmas so that is what we are looking forward to next.  

Safari Halloween

This Halloween we decided to be Safari themed with some really cute lions and a lady in a jeep.  Mike did so much work to help put these together, he even sewed the tails all by himself!  For not starting anything until Friday night, I think we did a great job.  We even won the costume contest at our complex last night too.  

At the Ward Trunk or Treat, Allie would growl instead of saying trick or treat and I think that got her even more candy!  This morning, Allie came out of her bedroom and went directly to her costume and begged to put it on, probably wanting more candy.

 Our little safari family

Understanding the idea people give you candy if you wear a silly costume

The Cutest little lion there

We had to get a little tail shot

Mike made the Jeep out of boxes all by himself.  I think he is quite creative

Allie's 18 Month Post

Allie's 18 Month Stats:

Height: 34.5 inches (100%+)

Weight: 24.5 lbs (60th %)

          Allie has been such a joy lately, learning so much and becoming so independent.  She now will go into her room and read books on her little rocking chair for 10+ minutes at a time all by herself.  She has a lot of teeth now and can eat basically anything, but she still eats like a little bird.  She would rather graze all day long than sit and eat meals.  She LOVES Elmo and she sometimes gets to watch Elmo's world while I get ready if Mike has already left.  

         Allie also constantly asks to play with her buddy Madison, or AAAA as she calls her.  Today we were on our way back from the store and Allie was pretending to talk to Madison on the phone; it was really cute.  She has done fantastically well in Nursery at church and only cried for a minute the first time or two and now just runs into the room and waves goodbye.  I love it!

         Allie's vocabulary has started to expand greatly, saying new words every day.  Her latest ones are all halloween related as we just put up our decorations.  She will go around saying bat and pointing to the decorations.  Her favorite word now is See.  Whenever I am in the kitchen she will come up to me and say see see see pease,  mama see.  She wants me either to pick her up and hold her or to put her on the counter so she can see what I am doing.  I just have to remember that I am sure I was the exact same for my mom and that it will come in handy once she can actually start helping me in the kitchen.  

         We love our little Allie, even though she is not so little any more, and look forward to who she is going to become.  

A Little Seat for a Little Bum

I came into the living room this morning and Allie had pulled out her baby's bassinet (that is actually her Aunt Melanie's that her grandpa made) and decided it was a good seat for her as well.  Good thing she has a little bum.  

On a second note,

Allie has been a teething machine lately.  Since moving to Texas, she has added 4 molars, 2 canines and 2 more canines that are so close to popping out.  We have seen a whole lot of fingers in the mouth.  Yum.