Baby Andrew Update

As most of you know, Baby Andrew has arrived!

Andrew Lee Elliott

December 20, 2011

Born at 7:08pm

7 lbs. 3 oz. 19 3/4 in.

We went into the hospital Tuesday, December 20th at 4:00am to be in induced even though I was already having some small contractions. My water broke very early in the morning and progressed well through out the day until late afternoon. There were a few scary moments throughout the day, but overall it was a piece of cake (Thank God for an Epidural - I only made it to 9:30am without it).

Things changed when at 5:30pm the nurse came in and said it is time to "take the baby". We were like, "What do you mean, 'take the baby?'". She responded with "Cesarean". Mom, Josh and I were all shocked. Although we knew labor had slowed down, this was the first time anyone had mentioned there was an issue or a concern with a natural delivery. I immediately got anxious for many reasons... I wasn't even thinking about having a c-section, my Doctor had a family emergency to attend to so I was stuck with the on-call Doctor, I was worried about being off work longer, I knew I would have a slower re-cooperation period, and it was the first time someone had mentioned that the baby's heart rate was dropping with each contraction. I think mom and Josh were more concerned than I was because they kept fighting the issue, I just wanted it to be over with. I wasn't worried about the surgery at all. They do them all the time (I had read that 40% of births are Cesarean).

We had to wait for an opening in the operating room. I was rolled into the OR at 6:53pm, 15 minutes later - Andrew was born! I think I left the OR at 7:23pm. I knew it was a fast procedure, but that was really fast!

We were released from the Hospital Thursday afternoon (Andrew was only 42 hours old). Naturally, I was moving slower, but for just having a Cesarean I was moving at lightning speed. I felt fine and Andrew was doing well so we headed home - I knew we would feel even better once we got home.

Fast Forward 11 days...
We have had many visitors (both at the hospital and at home), a few webcam dates, and one outing to the pediatrician's office. We don't have any more visitors planned so Andrew is stuck with just Mom and Dad! This next week Andrew has a two week check up with the Pediatrician and I have a two week check up as well. Next weekend, we will take our first road trip. We are headed to Dallas. Josh wants to attend the SHSU national championship game which is being held in Frisco, TX (just a few miles down the road from Mimi and Poppi's house).

Two Years!!!!

Two years ago today, Josh and I tied the knot! Time really does fly when you're having fun, because it does not seem like it has been two years. And this year we are expanding our family! I am so blessed to have such a funny, loving, and supportive husband and I know he will be a great father because of those qualities. I look forward to the memories we will create in the coming years.

Happy Anniversary Josh!
I love you!

Dr. Appt #14 (LAST ONE)

This morning, Mom, Josh and I headed to my final Doctor appointment. Since I am a week overdue they did an ultrasound and exam. The ultrasound tech estimated him weighing at 6lbs, 14 oz. I can't believe he is that small... but it doesn't feel like he can grow much more in there anyways! We'll see how good their estimation is very soon!

After I met with the Doctor, she suggested we induce tomorrow morning! YAY! We are scheduled to be at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Labor and Delivery at 4:00am and should begin the induction around 5:00am. Hopefully we will have a baby by the end of the day! But since it's my first, I anticipate a long labor. Hoping for the best, but preparing for anything!

Requesting prayers for a quick and safe delivery.

It's a little funny

After Jackie's graduation ceremony, we all came back to our house to take pictures with the graduate and watch the SHSU Bearkats football game. The Bearkats (ranked #1) are competing for their division title. The semifinal game was scheduled the same evening as Jackie's graduation.

Anyways... so we headed back to the house and prepared some appetizers before the game. We had chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, Christmas cookies and stuffed jalapenos to be exact. Mom, Josh and I had finished preparing all the food and we sat down to begin watching the game. A few minutes later witnesses spotted me running to the bathroom. I was found leaning over the sink doing a dance, singing "owe, owe, owe, owe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", and splashing water into my eyes. In addition to my singing I had quite a few curse words I was expressing (I don't think I had ever said so many bad words) Despite washing my hands twice after food preparation, I got jalapeno juice on the inner corner of both my eyes simultaneously. Initially it was just a tiny sting, but it spread rapidly to my eyes and sinuses. MY FACE WAS ON FIRE!!!!!

I couldn't do much for relief other than run cold water over my eyes. It was a little challenging because 1) I was pregnant so it was hard to bend over to the sink, 2) Both eyes stung really badly,but I could only wash one at a time, and 3) I was wearing contacts and I knew I had to take them out in order to not cause damage to my eyes and get all the stinging to stop. I removed the right contact lens first... if you have ever taken a suction cup window cling off the window.... that is exactly what it felt and sounded like. It really hurt so I focused on washing that eye out. A few minutes later I realized I needed to do that to the other eye (DAMN!). In the midst of all that... it was doing a number on my sinuses. My snot was literally FLOWING out of my nose!!!! GROSS!

Ultimately I was in the bathroom dancing, singing, cursing and washing my eyes for at least 15 minutes... it hurt so bad I really don't know how long it was. The best part was we hadn't taken pictures yet so I have a red face and eyes for Jackie's graduation pictures. For the next 30 minutes I sat in the chair with an ice pack to help relieve the heat.

Lesson Learned... I am going to wear gloves next time I handle Jalapenos!!!!

Dr. Appt #13

Josh accompanied me to my Dr. Appointment this morning; it went well. There have been no changes since last week though. Since my due date is this Wednesday, Dr. said "Well, let's do this... come back next Monday...". Apparently I had a concerned look on my face because she paused and asked what's wrong? Josh and I looked at each other and started to laugh. We asked when was the earliest we could induce? She said right now she doesn't have a medical reason to induce me so she would see if there was anything available for us to come in this week.

After a few minutes of research, she came in with a frowny face. She said they didn't have anything available this week. So we will schedule an ultrasound and exam for next Monday and she is "sure she could find a medical reason to induce next Tuesday". So... in eight days or less Andrew will make his appearance.

In the meantime, Mom is visiting from Dallas. There was a short week between Josh and Jackie's graduation so she decided to stay in case Andrew did decide to come. Mom brought her laptop to work, but during her down time we are preparing for Christmas at our house this Saturday. We have pulled many baking recipes out in preparation for Saturday. Today's feautured recipe was Aunt Denise's Peanut Butter Balls. Mmmmmmmm. (I don't know that they will make it all the way to Saturday though) :-)

Joshua Byron Elliott, B.S., L.A.T., D.C.

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, Texas Chiropractic College held their Fall 2011 Commencement in the Dr. Shelby & Connie Elliott Auditorium.

It was a very special day. Josh has been in school since he was six years old. At the age of 25, Josh has received his high school diploma, a Bachelors of Science degree (major in Kinesiology, minor in Health), achieved a State License in Athletic Training, and finally a Doctorate of Chiropractic. I am so proud of him!!! I know it has been a struggle for him to not be able to "support" our family the past few years. Although he may not have been financially supporting us, his commitment to school and passion for the Chiropractic profession will support our family for many years to come.

Graduation was extra special for Josh and his grandfather, Shelby. Shelby has been a chiropractor for over 60 years and was even the President at Texas Chiropractic College for 12 years. During the ceremony Shelby got to assist in the hooding of Josh's regalia. I'm sure that was a special moment for both of them.

After the ceremony we invited family, friends and faculty to a reception at Josh's grandfather's house. We are so appreciative to Connie and Shelby for opening their home for the party. At the reception, we enjoyed lunch which was catered from Magnolia Cafe. Luckily, Connie agreed to return Josh's cap and gown on Monday so we were able to bring it to the party and take family pictures. Below is a picture of the three generations of Elliott Chiropractors: Dr. Shelby Elliott (grandfather), Dr. Joshua Elliott, and Dr. Steve Elliott (uncle).

Dr. Appt #11

Monday, November 28th I had another Doctor Appointment. I had been up since 3:30am that day. I had fairly consistent contractions for about two hours and never got back to sleep before I had to go to work. The contractions were not painful... I classified it as "discomfort". When I got to my appointment the Dr said my Blood Pressure was great, Baby's heart rate was great and I am starting to dilate and about 50% effaced. After some discussion, she said he could come at any time... and he was not likely to be a late baby. I hope that's true because I am ready for him to be here.

I have been trying to convince him that it is very fun and exciting outside the womb! He will get lots of hugs and kisses! But, I thought back to my first sonogram when he was being so stubborn and not moving into the correct position. He will probably continue that trend and come on his own terms when he's good and ready.

In the meantime... my bag is packed and the family is on high alert. BABY ANDREW COMING SOON!

Dr. Appt #10

Thursday's appointment marked the first of my weekly visits to the Doctor. Andrew could come at any time!!!!

We had our first ultrasound since we found out the sex of the baby (20 weeks). Andrew is right on track. The ultrasound tech is estimating him at 5 lbs 7 oz right now. She said babies grow about 1/2 lb each week so we are probably looking at 7 1/2 - 8 lb baby depending on when he arrives. I was very excited to hear that... not exactly looking forward to giving birth to a 10 lb baby if you know what I mean. During the ultrasound she pulled out the 3-D wand - it was sooooo cool to see our baby's face and he isn't even born yet! We think he has my nose, but mostly Josh's face. Check out the pictures below.

The ultrasound was followed with an exam by the Doctor. Nothing else exciting happened, however I was feeling very dizzy and light headed at the appointment. The Doctor said that was normal and if I could go home and rest for awhile before heading to work that would be wise. So that's what I did!

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, I was unable to schedule an appointment for next week. So the next appointment is scheduled for the following Monday, Nov. 28. at 11:15am. Stay tuned!

Dr. Appt #9

Another routine doctor appointment today. I have had no complications so I get in and out fairly quickly with the exception of the infamous waiting room.

Mom snapped this picture while she was in town this week. She said this is the only shirt that makes me look pregnant. I feel like my belly is big (mostly because I am always running into doors and sitting too close to a table or desk), but others say that I don't look like a woman who has six weeks left of pregnancy. What do you think?

I mentioned mom was in town this week. She came for a few reasons. She delivered our crib so we could begin working on Andrew's room and she also came to assist Jackie in getting her car repaired. She arrived Friday evening (just in time to watch the Rangers lose the World Series). Saturday we dropped off Jackie's car at Maaco in Houston, while Josh worked. That afternoon and evening I had a Fall event at work so mom and Karl hung out at the house and began putting baby furniture together. When Josh and I arrived home later that evening the bookshelf and dresser had been put together and all the baby clothes had been washed. On Sunday, mom and I went to Babies R Us to pick up the crib mattress and traveler system. Meanwhile, Josh was at home putting together the crib. We just relaxed the rest of the day. Monday it was back to work for all of us. Mom worked remotely at our house through Wednesday and returned to Dallas on Thursday.

We had a great time while she was visiting. She was a huge help since I seem to get tired very easily nowadays. She was like the Energizer Bunny... she just kept going and going and going. I look forward to her staying once Andrew arrives, but I fear I will never want her to leave! She definately spoiled us this week with cooking and cleaning. Thanks again Mom!


Here are a few pictures of Andrew's room... all we need now is a rocker to finish off the room.

Top 10 signs you know you're pregnant!

10.) You move into a new house with more room to accommodate the baby and all their belongings and you still don't have enough for room!


9.) Your center of gravity begins to shift and you trip, fall and run into walls.


8.) You seriously ponder the thought of investing in Charmin Toilet Paper and Tums because you use them so frequently.


7.) Your belly reaches a point where it should be mandatory to wear reflectors.


6.) You get your own personal party where "Ooooooos" and "Awwwwwws" echo throughout the room.


5.) Your belly plays a multi-functional role: It serves as a nurturing womb for baby, Table duster and a TV Tray!


4.) Suddenly everyone cares for you as if you have a disability.


3.) You begin to wonder if nine months without a menstrual cycle will be worth all the pain and suffering of labor.


2.) People begin to actually read the blog to keep up with the breaking baby news!


1.) You are more grateful and appreciative for the simple things in life. Things like not loosing your breath when doing the laundry, getting to sleep on your stomach, receiving back adjustments from Josh.

Baby Shower - Huntsville, TX

The weekend was full of excitement! We had special visitors from Minnesota - My Aunt Jenny and Cousin/God-Daughter Makayla. They were in town for my baby shower, which was hosted by my sister, Jackie.

The shower was magnificent! Summary of the Shower: good food, goofy games, amazingly delicious cake, fantastic fellowship and generous gifts!

Andrew's Mom, Grandmas and Great Grandmas

Baby Andrew and Me

Makayla and Me
Once we got home and Josh returned from the SHSU vs. SFA football game I updated him on the festivities that took place at the shower. Then he opened his gift from Jenny and Makayla - "Josh's Diaper Tool Kit". Looks like he is ready for some serious diapers!!!!!

Jenny was the official photograoher for the event... stay tuned for more pictures!

Dr. Appt #7

Well... this appointment was pretty unproductive! I sat in the waiting area for about 25 minutes until my name was finally called. Did the usual... pee in a cup and weight. Then it was back to a private room where they took my BP (123/80). The Doctor came in checked the babies heart rate, confirmed that my glucose test results came back great and then asked if I had any questions. A few seconds late I was out of there... I was in the back for less than 10 minutes! That was a very expensive 10 minutes I'm sure. I guess I would rather be safe than sorry, but overall I have had a very smooth pregnancy... Mom and Baby are doing Great!

I will have two more appointments just like this one: 32 weeks and 34 weeks. After that it get's interesting!

In other baby news... This weekend marks my first Baby Shower!!! I am getting super excited!

An Unexpected Blessing

Exciting news in the Elliott household! We received an unexpected blessing from the good Lord above!
Josh was offered a position at St. Luke's Hospital in The Woodlands. He will work as a Part Time Licensed Athletic Trainer. He works for the Hospital, but is doing contract work with Montgomery ISD. Right now he is working Monday and Tuesday evenings at Jr. High football games.

This new position definitely comes with its challenges since it's a new program, but the pay is worth it. Josh expects his first paycheck this week!!!!

Injury highlights so far: two sprained ankles, broken thumb, and one ambulance call. The ambulance wasn't for a serious injury... the kid's parents weren't at the game and he wouldn't stop whining. The coaches called the parents and they said to transport him to the hospital.

Our New Home

Josh and I have been searching for a new home over the past two months. We needed a little more space with a baby on the way and we wanted to get out of our current neighborhood (not exactly family friendly). We narrowed our search to some townhouses in Alden Bridge - The Woodlands, TX. Last weekend we finalized our decision... it was getting close to the end of our lease date in the apartments (October 31st). We selected a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouse with a two car garage. It is about 1,550 square feet on a corner lot. The home was built in 1997, but has had some remodeling work done recently. New tile in the Kitchen/Dining Room, new carpet downstairs, 2 inch blinds in all windows, new AC unit, and energy star appliances. The rental includes all the kitchen appliances, but no washer and dryer. Not a problem at all because we have our own.

We will move in just a few short weeks; I will slowly be packing up the apartment throughout that time. The lease starts October 15th, but we will move the majority of our furniture and belongings on October 21st. I think we will be having a Move In Party that weekend... being seven months pregnant is no bueno when moving. We could use the help unpacking!

Our new address: 2 Timberstar St. The Woodlands, TX 77382. Here are some photos of the front of the house. We will post inside pictures after we get moved in.

Dr. Appt #6

Glucose Screening Day!

Exactly one hour prior to my appointment I had to drink a glucose mixture. It really didn't taste as bad as I thought it would, but it did burn a little going down. It was A LOT of sugar!!! Less than a minute after I consumed half the bottle I felt my heart rate drastically increase and the baby was bouncing around like crazy! We were both on an extreme sugar high.

When I got to the appointment they immediately took a couple tubes of blood. They are checking to see if my body can bring down those glucose levels to a normal range within the hour. If I don't have a result within the recommended range then I will have to go to a special lab to get a three hour glucose screening... same thing only they take your blood three times at one hour intervals.
The Dr. said "No news, is good news". If I need to go for further testing I should hear by next Monday. This meeting I had a normal blood pressure... that's a first! Lately I have had a wide range of BP results: 130/90 all the way down to 93/55. The Dr. said that was normal and over these last couple months my BP will likely increase. She also recommended we register at the Hospital and find a Pediatrician. I asked her about the classes available at the hospital - she said none were required, but she suggested we attend the infant child care class.

Tomorrow marks 28 weeks and the Dr. said we will move to having appointments every two weeks. Once I hit 36 weeks I will have weekly appointments until the baby arrives. Do you know what that means??? More blog updates!

Dr. Appt #5

As you can see I am finally getting a belly! (very exciting) The baby is kicking pretty frequently and they are definately getting stronger. Luckily they are still bearable... who knows how long that is going to last? I have only had one night when the baby kept me up for over an hour because he was kicking mom-stop(I think I drank too much Mountain Dew that day). I am really good about regulating my caffeine intake, but for some reason that day I was not thinking of the consequences.

So today I had a doctor appointment. It was pretty uneventful except for the blood pressure cuff. The nurse took my BP as they normally do, except it didn't sound and feel the same as it normally does. She said it was 116/80 and then she walked out to get the Dr. The Dr. came in and checked for the baby's heartbeat (sounded good by the way). She said next time I was going to have my diabetes screening. Then she asked if I had any questions or if there was anything she could do for me? I said yes! "Can you take my blood pressure again?" I explained that it is usually higher than that and I had some concerns about the way the nurse took it. So she said no problem! She grabbed the BP cuff and stethescope off the counter (same one the nurse used) and placed it on my arm then pumped... and pumped, and pumped and so on. She said "huh, it would help if we had a cuff that worked". (it sounded like there was a whole in the cuff or the valve was bad. the cuff never pressurized so it was impossible to take a reading). The Dr. went to grab a new cuff and returned. The new BP was 130/82... that's more like it! I can't believe that nurse was just making up numbers for all those patients in that room! and how many others have the the same? and how many patient's lives could have been at stake because of someone just giving a random number? Oh my goodness!!!!!

On a lighter note, Josh and I have been spending a lot of time narrowing down our preferred baby names. We have had a lot "help" from my dad in the baby name department. So stay tuned and maybe we will make a decision soon. Send us any suggestions (no "J" names please).

My First Baby Shower

My sister, Jackie, is hosting a baby shower on October 8th in Huntsville, TX. We have invited many family members and friends. I hope they can come!

Josh and I have been building our registry over the past few weeks. It was an overwhelming task to say the least... definately not the same as creating a wedding registry. So I need all you mommy experts to let me know if I am missing any "absolute must haves". That way I can register for it! We are registered at Babies R' Us, Target and Kohls. Some things we didnt register for because we figured people would get them anyway (clothes, pacifiers, blankets, toys, etc.)

I hope to see everyone at the shower... and I can't wait to oooooo and awwwww over all the cute little baby stuff!

Baby Gifts

This week we received our first two baby gifts courtesy of Mimi and Poppy!

First, Mom called me to tell me she had ordered and received our baby crib from JC Penney that we liked. I am so relieved our baby will have a place to sleep!

Secondly, we received a knock at the door when we sat down for dinner this evening. It was a package for Jill Elliott. Looking at the box, it was from Kohls so I had a sneaky suspicion it was our crib bedding. I was RIGHT! I pulled it out of the box and said "Awwwwww". Josh was excited but definatly did not display as much enthusiasm as I did. So now... not only will our baby have a place to sleep, but he will have cute, comfy sheets and blankets to sleep on. Yay! Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

TCC Homecoming - Galveston, TX

I took Thursday and Friday as vacation days so Josh and I enjoyed a long weekend in Galveston after our Dr. Appointment Thursday morning. We got down to the gulf around 2:30pm and checked into our hotel - Baymont Inn. We headed over to Moody Gardens where Texas Chiropractic College was hosting their Homecoming festivities. We walked around the expo a while and then headed over to the museums at Moody Gardens. The first day we only made it through the Aquarium exhibit. Once we finished up there we headed back over to the Moody Hotel to meet Josh's Grandpa and Grandma for dinner followed by the College's Beach Party and Moody Garden's Palm Beach. After a long night of visiting we headed back to our hotel for some Zzzzzzzzs.

Friday, Josh and I attended Dr. Sportelli's opening speech for the day. He covered a 50 year history of the Chiropractic Profession... very engaging and informational. After that we went over to see the Rainforest Exhibit. We were kind of rushed to get through there because we were supposed to meet Josh's dad in League City for lunch at 11:00am. But since we had 5 day passes we could always come back to that exhibit. We met Terry at Cracker Barrel and headed back to Galveston. Josh dropped me off at the Hotel for a nap and he headed to Moody for a Seminar - Practice Management and Ethics. When he returned we put on our swim suits and sun screen for a walk along the sea wall. It was very hot, but since we were on the coast the breeze made it bearable. When we returned to the hotel we had to take showers to get ready for the TCC Homecoming Banquet. It was a nice event - food, speeches, awards, fireworks and dancing. Here's a picture of us all dolled up at the Banquet.
On Saturday, Josh woke up early to attend the Board of Regents meeting - I got to sleep in! When he returned we checked out of the hotel, grabbed some lunch at Quiznos and headed back over to Moody Gardens to check out the exhibits we missed. We went back through the Rainforest Exhibit, Rode the Happy Feet Ride Film, saw the Discovery Exhibit (bones), Rode the Paddlewheel boat in the Galveston Bay and then we topped off the day with some Dippin' Dots. On our way home Josh's dad invited us to go eat Chinese Food with some of the family - so we took a little detour to Crosby and enjoyed the food and fellowship. We made it home about 10:15pm, unpacked our stuff then crashed on the bed.

It was a good quick get away. Here's the link for all the pictures we took from the trip.

Dr. Appt #4 - It's A Boy!

I have been patiently waiting my next Doctor Appointment... well Josh would disagree. He would say that I have been impatiently waiting. As you all remember this was the trip we were going to find out if we were having a girl or a boy. When we arrived, we first headed back into the ultrasound room, the technician asked us if we were having a boy or a girl and we said "That's what we're here to find out". Then she asked us what we think it was we said boy. (Josh has never thought of it being anything else and I have had many signs that lead me to this answer) She proceeded to squeeze the eeewy goo on my belly followed by the wand. With in a matter of two seconds she said... "it's definitely a boy"! The baby was in a perfect position to show off his prized jewels for us all to see.


Once she took a few measurements and a few pictures we headed over to meet with the Dr. As we were waiting we realized that both of us were wearing blue shirts... kinda funny! Not much happened with the Dr. Will head back in four weeks for another check-up. Will not have another ultrasound until 36 weeks (16 more weeks).

Color me Happy!

Earlier this month I debated whether to color my hair or not. I have TONS of gray on my head and I am only 25 years old! Many co-workers said not to color my hair because it might harm the baby's development. I did some research online and found nothing to substantiate that claim. I also figured there would be some kind of disclaimer if it did harm you or the baby. I called mom just to get her input... she confirmed my thought process. She also mentioned that when I was home this weekend she wanted to dye her hair... if I got one we could both do ours. So I purchased a box of Loreal Paris 7 1/2 A hair dye and packed it in my suitcase.

Tonight mom and I pulled out our boxes and to our surprise they were almost the exact same. Mom had purchased one shade darker - Loreal Paris 7A. How funny!

See our below and after pictures below: Subtle changes... but at least it covers the GRAY!

It's not Robbin's Brothers!

One of our stops while mom and I were out on the town today was Kohls. I picked up a couple things and decided to check out the jewelry to see if I could find a pregnancy ring. My wedding ring has not been worn the past couple weeks because of the swelling in my hands.

I found one that I liked and it was only $18.00. On our way home I put it on and asked mom how long she thought it would take for Josh to notice. We didn't take bets, but if we did I probably would have lost. It wasn't but an hour after we got home and Josh said... "That's an interesting ring". I'm sure he said that because it isn't anything like my wedding ring other than the color silver. Although it is different than what he expected he said he still liked it.

Fancy Feet

Today was Mom and Me Day! We started of the day with a pedicure, went hunting for a few things - no luck, grabbed some lunch and then some shopping.

Check out these Fancy Feet!

Dr. Appt. #3

The day started off with Josh saying, "Don't you dare find out the sex of that baby without me!" I told him not to worry because I am not scheduled to have an ultrasound. (Josh was unavailable to make this appt since he has been working at the DeBakey Clinic in the afternoons)

So after work I headed to the appointment. It started out with a typical weight and pee sample in a cup... then off to the exam room. This visit was unlike my others because I didn't have an ultrasound before meeting with the Doctor. The nurse took my Blood Pressure, it was a little high - 143/94. The Dr. came in and she said, "Why is your blood pressure so high?" I didn't really have a good answer other than... "Well, I did survive the day at work." We chuckled.

She had me lay back so she could find the baby's heartbeat. Thankfully it was still there! After that she decided to re-check my BP - 133/85... a little better. She asked if there was anything else she could do for me and I said no, I have the normal symptoms - heart burn, frequent urination and swelling... so much so that I can't wear my wedding ring anymore. She said no problem... head to Charming Charlies for a temporary! We chuckled again... I love my Doctor!

She suggested I return in four weeks for an ultrasound, but I remembered I will be out of town on business that week, so I asked if I could come in three weeks instead. She said no problem. I was so excited because at the next appointment we get to find out the sex of the baby!!!!! Anyone else as excited as I am? If not, I will be sure NOT to post anything about our next visit and it will remain top secret... to you at least!

Bubbles in my Belly

Today I experienced something unusual. I am pretty sure I have felt my first little flutters from Baby Elliott. Ladies I have been sharing the experience with has described the first flutters to be like a butterfly in your belly... well, I describe it as tiny bubbles. And no it was not GAS... I know what that feels like! Ha!

Today marks week 15 on Baby Elliott's journey to birth... which is also the second week of the second trimester. Baby Center describes week 15 of pregnancy:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

Next Doctor Appt. is Thursday, June 30th. I don't think I am having an ultrasound this time so it looks like we will have to wait until July to find out the sex. Does anyone have any guesses yet? Josh says the baby is a boy until proven otherwise. I have a feeling that it will be a girl... but I don't know if that is wishful thinking or a mother's intuition? Send us your thoughts. TTFN, Ta Ta for Now!

The Road to Graduation

Josh has recently been accepted into a four week rotational program sponsored by his school, Texas Chiropractic College. He had to go through an interview process in order to be selected. They only allow two chiropractic interns into the rotation each session. This rotation program happes to be the longest running rotation (since 1985) sponsored by TCC which allows the interns to attend the rheumatology rotation in the afternoons while they can still see patients at the Moody Health Center in the morning. The rotation is under the direction of Dr. Martin D. Lidsky at the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center (world renowned VA hospital) located on the southern side of downtown Houston.

Three medical residents and one medical fellow attend the rotation with the two chiropractic interns. Basically they do nothing but observe. Josh says they follow the Dr. around stand in a very small room with the Dr. and patient and then walk out, and go to the next patient. They don't get to ask the patient questions, but the Dr. does quiz them during the patient exams. When Josh arrived home after his first day at the DeBakey Clinic he just looked and me, smiled really big and said, "I realized I am a genius!" Apparently Dr. Lidsky had asked the crew why the palmer region is spared during carpal tunnel? No one new the answer except Josh - because the pamler branch of the median nerve does not travel through carpal tunnel, it goes over it. Josh was excited to realize that his knowledge and education was at or above a third year medical resident.

Although it is a few more miles for the Camry on an already long trip, the experience and exposure he will receive through this program will pay off in the long run.

Doctor Appt. #2

Well I am in my 11th week of pregnancy. This picture was taken today, you can kind of see a "pouch" developing. Unfortunately Josh had clinic this morning so I had to go to my second appointment by myself, but we would both rather him go the later appointments as it gets closer to having the baby. During my visit today I had a normal check up in addition to some special testing for down syndrome.


Currently, more women are electing the first trimester combined test, done in two steps during week 11 to 13 of pregnancy. The first trimester combined test includes:


Ultrasound: The doctor uses ultrasound to measure a specific region on the back of a baby's neck. This is known as a nuchal translucency screening test. When abnormalities are present, more fluid than usual tends to collect in this tissue.

Blood tests: Results of the ultrasound are paired with blood tests that measure levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Abnormal levels of PAPP-A and HCG may indicate a problem with the baby.

We had quite the ordeal trying to get the baby to cooperate - it was being very stubborn today (maybe it's a boy). The first ultrasound we had a view of the right profile - the baby was not moving, just kicking. So the technician said maybe if you go to the bathroom and relieve your bladder it will move, I said okay it's worth a shot. So I did and guess what? The baby moved! ... just not in the right direction. It was then laying on it's belly. In order to do the test she needed the baby to be laying on it's back. After some coaching and poking the baby was still not cooperating. So the technician suggested I meet with the Dr. and then come back and try it again.

I met with the Dr. very briefly. I have not had any complications or sickness so she said we'll draw your blood and see you in 4 weeks. Then it was back to the ultrasound room. Well, surprise, surprise, the baby still wasn't in the right position. The technician poked and jiggled my belly and poked and jiggled some more and finally the baby curled up in a ball laying on it's back. She quick took the measurement and printed some pictures and then I was on my way to work for the day. The pictures of the baby curled up were not as cool as the one below. This is like looking at the baby as if it were laying on the floor looking up at you. You clearly see the head, arms, chest and legs. Isn't that cool!!!!

Quarter of a Century!

On Sunday we celebrated Josh's 25th Birthday. The day started off kind of slow, we slept in a little bit and then I decided I would make Josh some muffins for breakfast. This was a special treat since normally we don't eat breakfast at all. Well, long story short... the muffins were expired and they did not turn out good at all!!! So much for breakfast!

Then Josh opened his birthday presents and cards. He received a birthday card and best buy gift card from my mom and dad, a card from my Grandma and Grandpa, and then I gave him a cute litte card with a couple of gifts. I got him a new dress shirt and tie in addition to a white lab coat. He wears his every day in clinic and it is getting a little worn. Now he will have a spare.

We didn't really do anything in the afternoon just lounge around the house. We did schedule a webcam date with Makayla so she could wish him a Happy Birthday. That was fun!

That evening we met Josh's dad, step mom and grandma for dinner at Johnny Carino's. We absolutely LOVE their Potato Soup - they didn't let us down this time either. It was soooo good! After that we went home and watched the Finale of Survivor.

I don't know that it was an especially exciting or memorable birthday, but it was relaxing and enjoyable. Happy Birthday My Love!

Doctor Appt. #1

Today I had my first ultrsound and Dr. appointment. We discovered "IT" or "Baby Bean" is seven weeks and four days in the making. Turns out it was a Hawaii Baby - too much info???

Below you can see the ultrasound picture we received - of course after scanning it doesn't really to it much justice. If you look to the right of the round sac that is the head and to the left you can see the butt and legs forming. We got to hear the heart beat - "going strong" said the Dr.

I have another ultrasound and lab work scheduled in another four weeks.

Current Pregnancy Symptoms: I am really not having any symptoms other than I am ALWAYS hungry! Yay no morning sickness!!!!

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!

Well I am sure most of you have heard already, but Josh and I are going to be parents!

We found out about three weeks ago and spent the last week telling our family and friends. We are very excited about the journey ahead, but a little anxious at the same time.

My first doctor appointment is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4th! Only a few more days and we will know a little more information, but for now we are guesstimating the middle of December we will have an early Christmas present.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Maui - Best Vacation Ever!!!!!

Josh and I had a great time in Hawaii, we both agreed it was the best vacation ever! We kind of needed a vacation from our vacation though. We didn't come back with hardly any sun - some wondered if we even went on vacation. Well, we did and I have the pictures to prove it. Check them out here. I don't have any pictures of the surprise party (which was priceless), so I will have to get those from my Aunt Diane who was our official photographer for the week. Here is a quick snapshot of what we did all week:

Sunday, March 13th we arrived in Maui about 2:30pm - mom had been texting me all day because they were arriving in Maui the same day but a few hours earlier. Since we were staying in the same hotel we had to make sure we didn't run into each other. We did NOT want to ruin the surprise on Monday. Later that afternoon Josh and I picked up the birthday cake, some food for the breakfast surprise party and then unpacked our stuff (once we finally got into our official room... it's a long story).

Monday morning we (Karl, Audrey, Jackie, Diane , Josh and me) surprised Dad at breakfast- he was speechless. After breakfast, five of us (Josh, Jackie, Diane, Haley Spooner and me) went to the Maui Ocean Center and the Maui Tropical Plantation. That evening we went to the Spooner's hotel and had some appetizers and drinks.

Tuesday we got up at 6:15am to begin our Road to Hana Tour. Josh and I were accompanied by Karl, Audrey and Diane. It was about a 12 hour day, but we saw a lot of great scenery. A couple highlights were the Black Sand Beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park and swimming in the Oheo Gulch Seven Pools. It was definately a long day - but worth it.

On Wednesday me, dad and Josh went on a Snorkeling trip. It was extremely windy that day so the water was rough and they were unsure if we were going to be able to visit both snorkeling spots on the agenda. We went to Turtle Town and Molokini Islet for some snorkeling. This was my first real snorkeling adventure, but dad had been a few times before. He said that there was quite a variety of fish at Turtle Town - he said that was rare. When we were heading back to the harbour after our snorkeling adventures we saw some whales - I got some pretty good shots. We got back to the hotel about 2:00pm - at that point we needed to get ready for our evening plans. We had tickets to Warren and Annabelles Magic Night Club (Extremely funny - good food too) which was in Lahaina. We had a little bit of time before the show so we walked along Front Street in Lahaina and got an opportunity to check out the local shops. It was a great day!

It wasn't long before we were on our next adventure in Maui. We got up about 2:15am on Thursday to begin our way up Haleakalā for the morning's sunrise with Diane. Haleakalā, "The House of the Sun", is a dormant volcano and the tallest peak on Maui, reaching 10,023 feet above sea level. We got to the top about 5:30am and sun was expected to rise at 6:25am. It was very chilly up there and extremely windy - Diane was used to it since she lives in Iowa. The wait and weather was worth it - the views were amazing to say the least. I think I easily took 100 pictures that morning. The view was constantly changing as the sun was coming up and the clouds were rolling beneath us. It was also Diane's last day and she was supposed to leave the hotel at 1:00pm to head towards the airport - well after our early sunrise we had a couple hours to spare and she really wanted to see the Olivne Pools (north side of the island). So we went on a quick road trip. It was fun! We are so glad Diane was able to join us on vacation. We rarely get to see her so it was a special treat to be in her company for the week. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting on the patio of our hotel room to catch a few rays and Zzzzs. That evening we hung out at Mom and Dad's room and ordered some Pizza from a local restaurant just a couple blocks away.

Friday was our last day in Maui. The six of us (Mom, Dad, Karl, Audrey, Josh and myself) had breakfast in Mom and Dad's room to clean out the refrigerator. Our flight wasn't until 9:00pm that evening so we had a lot of time to kill since we had to check out of our room at noon. We saw a lot of stuff that day - we went to Iao Valley, a black sand beach just south of Wailea, Peggy Sue's Restaurant, Island Paperie (scrapbook store) and we also checked out a local mall. After all that we headed to the airport to drop off our rental car and get checked in.

Before our trip to Maui I was very worried about the long flight, but I managed really well. Josh and I had a great week and would love to go back some day - there was still so much to see and plus this time we didn't really RELAX like you are supposed to on vacation, nevertheless we still had a great trip.

We send a HUGE thanks to Mom for planning such a special surprise and generously paying for our hotel for the week. We really did have a great time!!!!

Dr. Josh

Today, Josh received his name tag during the Texas Chiropractic College's White Coat Ceremony. He has officially joined the Moody Clinic as a Student Chiropractic Intern. He has less than one year until he graduates.

I am so proud of him and so thankful that I get to share my life with him.

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe it is 2011… I don’t know about you, but it takes me forever to finally write the New Year on documents. Even today I am still writing 2010 on stuff for work. Anyone got any suggestions as to how I can get in the habit of writing 2011????

Over the new year weekend, we spent some time at my parents house. On Wednesday we had our Christmas celebration with my parents, siblings and their “significant others”. We had a fabulous dinner and enjoyed unwrapping Christmas gifts. On Thursday, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins arrived from Minnesota and Iowa for our annual Kuklenz Christmas. Of course we always have fantastic food and very entertaining games.

Josh and I really treasure time spent with my family as we don’t get to see them regularly throughout the year. You can see the cute & crazy Kuklenz Klan below minus an uncle and two cousins :(