Never a Dull Moment in Atchley Land

Photo Card

2011-12-08T21:14:00.001-08:00

Shiny Sparkly Ornaments Christmas

Quick and easy: Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.

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Lillian's Birthday by Kevin Atchley - Photo Book @ www.artscow.com

2010-03-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Lillian's Birthday by Kevin Atchley - Photo Book @ www.artscow.com

Almost 38 Weeks

2010-02-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

We had our big doctor's visit today. They did another ultrasound with her measurements and she is still measuring in the 17th percentile. This is good because at least her growth is consistent. She just seems to be a small baby. Based on the ultrasound, she is slightly over 6 pounds now which is about what Sammy weighed at birth. Everything else looked good too...placenta, cord blood flow, amniotic fluid, etc. The non-stress test was also reactive which is what we want to see too. Still no additional progression as far as my body goes...I'm hoping that the medications for the preterm labor were not so effective that she decides to stay in forever. :)
Here are some pictures from today's ultrasound...

Lillian's face

Her 7.74 cm or 3 inch foot

The fist that she keeps punching me in the side with

Another picture of her face

Her toes

Her face again

I can't believe I am 38 weeks. This pregnancy (even through the bedrest) has really flown by. It doesn't seem like I should be about to deliver any day now. I know that I shouldn't complain, but when I see all of the other ladies who are about to deliver and look at me, I honestly don't know where my baby is. While you can tell that I am pregnant, I still do not look anywhere near as pregnant as I think I should for how far along I am. I still have a belly button and I haven't gained any new stretch marks. I hope that this is a blessing and will make getting back into pre-pregnancy shape a little bit easier. I need to take some more pictures...haven't really taken any profile shots since the whole pre-term labor thing.

I guess that's about it. On a totally unrelated note, we did get about 5 inches of snow from last week's weather system. Sammy is still out of school (why, I don't know...the roads aren't that bad). Fortunately, I did not go into labor during that as the roads were in really bad shape up here for a few days. I am hoping that we don't get any bad weather from the storm system that they say is coming through this weekend. I'm ready for spring!

Here are a few pictures from the snow..

Snow on our fence

Side yard taken from front porch

Frontyard

Driveway was a sheet of ice

Ice anyone?

Snow on the little table out back

Sammy and his snowblob I mean snowball

The field with hay and the lake in the background

Lake from the back yard

Doctor's Visit, Snowstorm and Nickname

2010-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

We went back to the doctor yesterday and everything still looks good. I am officially 37 weeks and that means we are considered full-term now...PRAISE THE LORD! They did my non-stress test first, and it took forever to get Lillian to pick up consistently on the fetal monitor. My pulse tends to run high - especially in pregnancy - and they were picking me up for the first little bit. The third nurse to come check on us was finally able to find Miss Priss (on my right hip) and we had a good test after that. (No wonder I am having excruciating hip pain) Her heart rate looked good and she moved around some too. We then had our ultrasound (Kevin has scanned the pictures in, but I can't get to them just yet, so I'll have to add them later) and the bloodflow from the cord to the baby is still excellent. My placenta still looks young and there is plenty of amniotic fluid for her to swim around in. She was very wiggly during the ultrasound too. The doctor's visit was pretty uneventful...I'm still just taking it easy at home waiting for the big day to arrive. We will be going back next Monday for another growth ultrasound and non-stress test. Hopefully, Lillian will have grown and will be in a better percentile than she was last time.

Well, according to various weather sources, we are supposed to be getting either an ice storm or some snow this weekend. There is also a full moon on Saturday...we're wondering what our odds of ending up in the hospital having a baby this weekend are? Based on the last few weeks of pregnancy complications, we would assume that our beautiful baby girl would do nothing less than come during a winter weather event - especially since we live 30 minutes from the hospital (on roads that aren't the most traveled in situations such as this) and all sets of grandparents who are coming for the birth live at least 30 minutes away too. We've joked about this a bunch. There's also the ironic possibility that after facing all that we have in the past few weeks that I'll end up going beyond my due date...that would be kind of funny too. God is the only one who knows when she is going to make her appearance and it is going to be in His perfect time. It's still funny to guess when she may make her arrival though.

And, finally, on a totally unrelated note, I blogged a long time ago about whether or not we were going to give Lillian a nickname. We finally agreed on a spelling and she will most likely be called Lilly. I love the name Lillian and will probably call her that too (especially when she misbehaves later on), but Lilly will be a cute little girl name for her. The way we agreed upon the spelling is a little unconventional, but it worked. We are going to put her name on the back of her door just like we did for Sammy when he was little. We plan to put hooks on the letters so we can hang jackets and hats and things of that nature behind her door - so they are out of the way. The five-letter nickname for Sammy worked well for us in that aspect as it was aesthetically pleasing on the back of the door and we could put hooks on every other letter as well as put every other letter higher up on the door. It just looked good. If we spelled her name Lily, like I originally wanted to, it wouldn't have looked as good. So...I finally agreed that Lilly would work out just fine. Again, it's not exactly conventional, but it allowed us to agree upon a spelling that we can both live with. :) We're also finishing up the window treatment in the nursery (hopefully this evening). My mother-in-law did a fantastic job of turning a plain window sheer into a balloon valance. She pulled ribbon through some loops she sewed on it and it is just pretty. It really softens the wooden blinds that were on the window. She then used some plum ribbon to finish things off. I can't wait to see the finished product! We loved the valance that came with the bedding, but the window just needed something a little extra.

I guess that's about it for now. I will get the ultrasound pictures and window treatment pictures posted soon...until then, you'll just have to use your imagination. :)

It's Been A While

2010-01-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have been slacking. Since the doctor took me off of bedrest and placed me on "take it easy at home rest" I just haven't blogged. I meant to blog when we got home from the doctor last week, but I just didn't. I'll give you the update from the doctor and then go into a few things from this past week.

Last Tuesday, I saw the doctor that I saw the first night we went to the hospital for contractions. She was very reassuring and laid back about everything at this visit. We are over the danger zone for the pre-term labor scare as I will be 37 weeks (full-term) tomorrow. She stopped my medication and told me that I didn't have to stay in the bed or on the couch just as long as I took it easy! I even have permission to drive short distances (aka to get Sammy to and from school - I also went and got my haircut last week because it was time and I really didn't want to wait until after the baby was born to get a haircut...it was a short drive and all I did was sit in a chair)They did another non-stress test and Lillian looked good again. We also had the biophysical profile ultrasound again (measures fluid levels, blood flow to the baby, and placenta) and it looked good as well. They won't do another ultrasound where they measure her growth until about the 38 week time frame because as they told me, she may have been in a growth spurt or growth lag and they want to wait a few weeks to get an accurate assessment of her true growth pattern. I'm also still at 2 centimeters so no further changes there. :)

A shot of Lillian's ear

Lillian's foot

A different view of her ear

Her knee

Profile shot

Flexing her muscle

Hair on the top of her head- I hope she has hair :)

Face

Her heels

She still has her fingers on her forehead

We also had the nursery painted on Thursday of last week. It looks incredible! Linda Hoppes from our church came over and painted butterflies and flowers similar to what is in Lillian's comforter. She painted a lovely scene above the crib and another one above the window. She did a flower and vine border above the chair rail and I just love it!! It really made the room come together. Kevin has also gotten all of our baby stuff assembled and we have gotten all of her 3 month and under clothes washed and put away. I can't wait to see her in the cute little girly outfits! Girl clothes are ALOT more fun than boy clothes. Here are some pictures of her nursery.

Butterflies over the window - still working on the window treatment

I absolutely love the flower border over the chair rail

Here's a close up

Butterflies over the crib

Different angle

Changing table/dresser and bouncy seat

Flower border again

Better shot of the scene over the window

One more of the butterflies over the crib

We also celebrated Sammy's birthday on Friday. I made some cupcakes for his class at school for their snack. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there when they ate them because I had already planned on going out to eat with Sammy and Kevin for his birthday later that evening. I figured that would have been too much for me in one day. We had a wonderful time at Mi Pueblito's in Kings Mountain. Sammy was in rare form. We both told him that we hoped that this was his best birthday ever, and he told us that it was. I asked him why it was his best birthday ever, and he said, "It's my best birthday ever because you got pregnant." I cracked up - wasn't exactly what I was expecting him to say, but I found it hysterical! Kevin told the waitress that it was his birthday because Sammy really wanted them to come sing to him. They did not disappoint. They brought out the big sombrero and a fried ice cream for him to enjoy. They put the sombrero on his head and sang to him. One of the waiters even put ice cream on Sammy's nose and cheeks. It was cute - Kevin has pictures on his phone - I'll try to get them from him. Well, I was sitting with Sammy and as you know, a sombrero is no baseball cap, so he kept hitting me with the hat. He asked me, "Mommy, did I just hit you with my hat?" I said, "Yes, Sammy, you did." Then he said, "I'm sorry, mommy. I can't control the hat." Again, it was just the cutest thing ever! Kevin and I both lost it. We then came home and had a family movie night.

The weekend was uneventful. I had a few contractions here and there and just didn't feel good in general, but nothing really exciting to report. Kevin had to work on Saturday and he ended up being gone a lot longer than originally planned, so Sammy and I had to fend for ourselves. Today, I have started having some severe hip pain as well as a lot of pressure in my hips, back and pelvis. I probably had it with Sammy and just don't remember it, but walking has been difficult as well as simple chores such as putting on my pants and socks and sitting down on/getting up from the couch. I took some tylenol, but that doesn't seem to be helping. I assume I am just going to have to deal with it until Miss Lillian gets here. It's all good and it's worth it! I guess my body is just getting ready for delivery.

So, I guess that's all I have for now. I apologize for the lengthiness, but I feel better for catching you up on our past week. We go back to the doctor tomorrow for another non-stress test, biophysical profile ultrasound, and doctor's visit. I'll try to do a better job of posting updates after our doctor's visit tomorrow.

Birthday Party

2010-01-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

First, I have to give kudos and a HUGE shout out to my dear husband and my wonderful mother-in-law for taking Sammy and a few of his friends out this afternoon to celebrate his birthday! I think that I owe them dearly. They started their adventure at CiCi's Pizza and then headed over to Monkey Joe's in Gastonia so the boys could run wild and have a grand old time. I absolutely LOVE Monkey Joe's....especially since Sammy is older and he can be more independent. You just pay and turn the kids loose. After they got some (definitely not all) of their energy out, they came over to our house and had cupcakes and ice cream. This was the most active this house has been in weeks. Going from quiet bedrest to a houseful of boys is certainly interesting and different, but they had a good time and I am thankful that I at least got to see them play for a little bit since I didn't get to do the pizza and jumping activities with them earlier. Sammy is continuing his birthday celebration with the monthly Atchley family birthday dinner in Forest City. They are going to have Italian, and Kevin is going to bring half of his supper home to me...YUM! I have eaten quite a bit of soup over the past couple of weeks (cause it's easy and freezes well) so I am looking forward to a hearty Italian meal this evening (it's the little things).

Here are some pictures from today's festivities...

Kiddos waiting in line for Monkey Joe's

Logan smiling for the camera

Hey Asheton

Sammy and Logan seeing what they can get into

Sammy and Logan on the slide

Action shot

Reynold's coming down the slide

That was fun!

Time for cupcakes and ice cream (Sammy and Kaleb)

Kaleb and Logan

I think Kaleb likes it

Asheton and Reynolds

Nana sneaking a spoonful of ice cream

BUSTED

Present Time

Pharmacy Problems

2010-01-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

I need to vent. I normally try to be positive and upbeat, but I just need to vent a little bit tonight. So...after dealing with the Walmart pharmacy in Shelby for a while now, I have decided that I am tired of them....VERY tired of them. Customer service and communication is seriously lacking and I am very frustrated by this. The straw that broke the camel's back came when Kevin went to get my Procardia filled the other day. He dropped it off, they told him it would be ready in 30-45 minutes and he spent some time in the store shopping. When he came back to get it...guess what?? They were out of stock(no one bothered to tell him this when he dropped it off)...so he basically spent about an hour of his life in Walmart waiting for something that was never even there in the first place. This is not the first time this has happened. Same thing happened with my prenatal vitamins. I am apparently on a very specialized, low-demand prenatal vitamin that no one keeps in stock. I have learned that I have to call it in and wait at least a day or two for it to be filled. This is not a problem as long as I know this up front and can plan for it. The first time I ever had it filled though, I went through the exact same thing that Kevin did with my procardia. It is super frustrating to have to stand in the LONG pharmacy line only to realize when you get up there that the prescription you expect to be picking up has not been filled. Again, it is not difficult for the person who takes your prescription and gets your information to do a quick look in inventory to make sure that when they promise you 30-45 minutes, it will indeed be possible. So...after dealing with this multiple times, I had finally had enough. I switched to Walgreens. Kev took my prescription for procardia to walgreens that same day and had it filled in less than a half hour. I then got brave and decided to switch my prenatal vitamin over there as well to get it filled one last time before Lillian arrives. I called and spoke with the friendly guy that answered the phone and he assured me that it would be ready after 1:00 today. Well, Kevin stopped by on his way home from work tonight, and guess what....the warehouse was out of stock...probably won't be filled until Monday. AGGHHHH!!! I was a little bit frustrated with this. I really need this prescription filled by today which is why I called and asked all the right questions about when it would be done and such. But, I will say that Walgreens did locate the medicine at another store and they are filling it as we speak - this is better than the Walmart ever has done for us, but it is still frustrating. So...Kevin does have to be inconvenienced by an unexpected trip to Gastonia, but at least they got my prescription filled. This is probably petty, especially considering all that is going on in the world with Haiti and such, but I just needed to complain a little bit about poor customer service tonight. There, I feel better now. I'll go back to being a ray of sunshine. :)

Update on Lillian

2010-01-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I went to the doctor today hoping to only be on procardia and bedrest for one more week, but instead got two more weeks. It's all good. I know God has a plan and a purpose for this...if nothing else to slow me down in preparation for the arrival of our precious little one. I am not going to question why this is happening...I am simply going to accept it and make the best use of my time on the couch and in the bed. One of my goals this week is to pick the wedding pictures for our wedding album - yes, I realize that we got married almost 3 years ago, but it's been a busy three years with nursing school and starting a new job and all. I am also going to write some thank you notes and watch lots and lots and lots of tv, movies, etc. While I am doing this, I am most especially working on growing a healthy, full-term little girl. That is the main goal.

So back to the doctor's visit. While we were there, the doctor checked me to make sure nothing has progressed any further, and I am thankful to report that there has been NO CHANGE since my hospitalization last week...it was the same doctor who discharged me on the 4th so I trust that there has truly been no change! The procardia and bedrest are doing their job. Over the past week I have had a few episodes of approximately 3 contractions in an hour, but as long as I don't get to 4, I don't have to call them and report it. I have noticed that the contractions come when it is getting close to time to take my medication, but that is neither here nor there...the main thing is I am not having consistent, regular contractions that are causing changes because if that happens, they will not do anything to prevent it at this point, and I really want to keep her in a little bit longer.

The doctor did my tummy check and the heart rate was good and strong on the doppler (150's). He measured my tummy and then the fun began. She, of course, has now decided to measure small again. This happened before (in November) and the ultrasound proved that she was fine and in the 50th percentile for growth...just laying low. Well, they went ahead and did an ultrasound while we were there, and Lillian is in the 17th percentile for her weight/growth. This is a bit concerning because at the 10th percentile, that is when they diagnose you with intrauterine growth restriction(which in layman's terms means the baby is small). If she doesn't start growing like she should, and we get to this diagnosis, then they may go ahead and deliver because it can be better for the baby to go ahead and be on the outside at that point. So...what we learned from the ultrasound is that Lillian is small...but she still looks good (and she is still a girl - yes, I had her check again just to be sure since the nursery has been painted in various shades of lilac and lavender to match her bedding). She was moving good, stretching, and her heart was beating strong. Other reassuring factors were that her placenta still looked good, the amniotic fluid levels looked good, and the bloodflow to the cord looked good. So...there is nothing wrong structurally that would be causing her to have growth problems. They have scheduled me for a non-stress test this Thursday morning so we will be able to see Lillian's activity level and her heart rate associated with it. If her heart beats faster when she moves (lasting at least 15 seconds) at least two times during a 20 minute period, then everything will be considered normal. If this doesn't happen, then the test will be considered abnormal, and they may do some further testing. After this test on Thursday, I will be going back to the doctor for the next two Tuesday mornings for both an ultrasound and another non-stress test to monitor Lillian's growth, activity, and ability to thrive.

So that is it in a nutshell. We now have some other things to be concerned about besides preterm labor, but I am trusting God that Lillian is just going to be a petite little girl like I was when I was born. Please continue to remember all of us in your prayers as we face the uncertainties that lie ahead. God is good and I know that He is going to take care of us every step of the way. He has provided for us so far and I know that He will continue to do so. I talk a good talk, but please also pray specifically for me that I won't worry - I am such a worrier - it is one of the hardest areas I have to work through in my life. I am definitely more prone to worrying while I am on the couch or in the bed and not being able to keep myself busy doing other stuff...please pray that worry does not consume me and that I can be a strong woman of faith!

Thank you all for everything that you have done so far and continue to do for us.

Here are some pictures from the ultrasound....

Lillian's ear

Lillian was pouting in this one and her fingers are on her forehead

The white stuff is hair on her head.

Lillian's face

She may be small, but she has really big feet

Her second toe is half an inch long

It's not time yet, Lillian!

2010-01-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

So...I can't focus for long periods of time so a blog of all that has occurred is going to be challenging. I am cutting and pasting an email from Kevin so that you can be kept informed of the most recent events. I will add the latest report from the doctor to the bottom.

"We came to the hospital Wednesday night because Ashley was having some minor but regular contractions. They gave her some medication (terbutaline) that stopped them and released us. She did fine Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon, until she got up to start getting ready for work. Then the contractions started back; this time there were a little more intense and regular. They told her to come in again and let the doctor take a look.

After about an hour of observation the doctor admitted her and said he wanted to watch her at least overnight. They gave her another shot of terbutaline but the contractions did not stop like for as long as they did before. After about another hour or so he decided to go ahead and give her magnesium and steroids to stop the contractions. Since she was at 33 weeks he didn't want them to go on any longer than they had to. He said he would want to watch her until at least Saturday.

This morning he came in and said everything is looking good. No major changes. He said he would most likely keep her until Sunday, and possible even until Monday morning. He also said if everything stays smooth while she's here, and he releases her Sun/Mon, and the contraction start back after that, she'll be at 34 weeks by then and they will not do anything to stop the contractions or delivery.

oh ... btw ... HAPPY NEW YEAR (from the very uncomfortable couch in room 3345) "

The latest report from the doctor is that I am still dilated between 1 and 2 cm but nothing has changed...this is what I have been since Thursday evening. I am on 2 grams of magnesium sulfate per hour via my iv and it makes me feel like crap. I have been super dizzy, but this morning, that appears to be waning. They gave me 2 shots of betamethasone 24 hours apart to help mature Lillian's lungs in the event delivery occurs soon. They are keeping me on the mag until at least 9:30 this evening to make sure that I get the full benefits of the steroid shots. They need at least 48 hours in my system to be effective in aiding in fetal lung maturity. Once they stop the mag tonight, it sounds like they are going to keep me here tomorrow to monitor me for contractions and then hopefully send me home on Monday. I do not get the impression that if the contractions return and things start happening, that they will delay Lillian's delivery at that point. I also got the impression that if anything like that were to occur it would most likely be a delivery by c-section. I am just praying that she will stay in and bake a little bit longer. If not, I do know that God is in control and that all happens for a reason. We will get through this and our happy little family will be better and our testimony will be stronger because of it.

Also, on a different note...while writing this blog, Kevin just called me from the road (he is on his way to West Virginia to pick up Sammy from his Christmas visit to Pennsylvania) and let me know that our step-grandmother passed away this morning. Please remember my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Brenda and Gary Atchley, and our whole family as arrangements are made and as we face this difficult time. Alma had been sick with congestive heart failure and some blood clots in her lungs, but she seemed to be on the mend. Kevin said she started having trouble breathing in the middle of the night and she passed away early this morning. She's not suffering any more, which helps ease the pain some, but it is still a difficult road to face.

Correction

2009-09-25T04:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since we decided to name our our baby after Kevin's grandmother's I have been spelling Statia wrong. For some reason, I keep wanting to spell it "Stasia" instead of "Statia." I guess I am thinking Anastasia when I spell it. So, I must apologize to my readers as well as my unborn daughter for misspelling her name. I hope that this doesn't make me a bad mother. The other dilemma we are facing with her name is how to spell Lily. We plan to give her a nickname like Sammy has. Kevin likes Lilli (just drop the -an), I prefer Lily, and if I were going with Kevin's logic, I would either spell it Lilly or Lillie not Lilli...so we are having a bit of a discussion on how we should handle that. At this rate, we may just drop the nickname altogether and just call her Lillian. We shall see.

It's A Girl!!!

2009-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Wow....what a day! We had our detailed ultrasound today and we are pleased to report that we are going to be the proud parents of Lillian Ella-Stasia Atchley!! I have suspected that she was a girl the whole time, but I also thought that Sammy was a girl up until I was proven wrong at his ultrasound so I wanted to have definitive proof before getting my hopes up too much. I will say that everything I did prior to the ultrasound supported my gut feeling of girl....I will name a few...

1) Old Wives Tales - there are a bazillion out there on the internet and most of the ones that leaned toward girl held true for me and this pregnancy such as...heart rate greater than 140, sweet cravings, husband's weight gain (don't tell Kevin that I told you he was gaining a few pounds along with me), round and full face on me, pregnancy acne, etc.

2) Chinese Birth Chart - This is a chart that allegedly determines the sex of your baby based on the mother's age at conception and the month of conception. In my case, this also said girl.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html

3)The Needle/Necklace tests - You're supposed to dangle a needle from a piece of thread over your palm. If it goes back and forth, it's a boy and if it goes in a circle it's a girl. This test is also supposed to show you the kids you had before the one you're carrying now. So I did it and it went back and forth, stopped, and then went in a circle. So, according to the test, I had a boy first and then a girl. The necklace test is similar. You dangle a necklace over your belly and if it goes in a circle, it's a boy and if it goes back and forth it's a girl. Sure enough, mine went back and forth which meant girl.

4)Intelligender - This is a test you can take at home that allegedly with something like 90% accuracy predicts the gender of your baby after 10 weeks. You pee in a cup and then put it in a test kit. It changes color in 10 minutes - green if it's a boy and stays the same or turns orange if it's a girl. Mine indicated girl. I know it was silly of me to pay money for something that wasn't guaranteed, but it was still fun. :)
www.intelligender.com

So back to today. The ultrasound technician found out her gender first thing for us...Lillian was very cooperative as you will be able to tell from the pictures. She wiggled around the whole time for us. The sweetest moments were looking at her profile with her mouth open and watching her curled up in a ball with her hands on her knees. The ultrasound technician told us that she has really long arms, legs, fingers and feet. We also looked at her brain, spine, heart, kidneys, bladder, and stomach and everything appears to be developing just like it should be. There were no red flags so thank God for a healthy report on our little one! Kevin, Sammy, and I are super excited about our little girl. We cannot wait for her arrival in February. Here are some pictures in the meantime...

Profile shot with mouth closed

Profile shot with mouth open

Leg

Leg again

Girl Parts

Foot

Fingers and Legs

Face

Arm on Knee

Arm on Knee again

Preggo Pics

2009-09-18T19:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some preggo pics of me. The first ones are from week 7....

The next ones are from week 18 (Sammy was the photographer - I think he did a good job)

I am starting to get a baby bump. Although, I mostly feel like I have put the weight on in my face, butt and thighs. That's where I tell most of the difference. :)

Sick/Update

2009-09-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have had the crud this week, and I am hoping that I am over the worst part of it. I started out with laryngitis which then traveled to my sinuses and into my upper chest. Fortunately, I developed this in my second trimester instead of the first which made my medication choices a little bit better....SUDAFED!!! Sudafed normally clears this junk up for me (or at least lets me tolerate things while the sickness runs its course). I had something similar when I was pregnant with Sammy except that I was in my first trimester, miserable, and ended up losing several pounds because I had this on top of morning sickness (or as I used to affectionately call it...all day sickness).

Other than being sick this week, the pregnancy is going well. We are 18 weeks along and we find out what we are having in one week(assuming peanut cooperates)! I cannot believe that this pregnancy is almost halfway done. I still don't look overly pregnant...if you didn't know, you would probably just think I had put on a few pounds (6 to be exact). My butt and thighs appear to be blossoming and I have a small baby bump. I need to take some pictures and post them, but Kevin is not home to do that for me at the moment so that will have to come a little bit later. I have started wearing some maternity clothes, mainly for comfort. I am at that awkward stage where my normal clothes just don't quite fit right anymore, but the maternity clothes look a little silly. I am still having cravings that seem to change by the week...the one and only craving that has remained consistent throughout pregnancy has been ice cream! In addition to ice cream, I have also had cravings for Hardees' gravy biscuits, McDonald's fries, juice (apple and cranberry grape) and ketchup. I think that I have been able to feel the baby move a few times...it's just a little fluttering still. I am looking forward to the movement being more pronounced so that Kevin and Sammy can share in it with me. My doctor's appointments have been going well. The heartbeat has been ranging from the 150's to the 160's and all of my labwork has turned out good (my hemoglobin is a little bit low, but that is normal for me...if it is still low at 28 weeks, I will probably have to take some iron supplements).

On a slightly different note, Sammy is doing well in second grade. He has not gotten written up in his behavior folder all year long (we are almost halfway through the first nine weeks). All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD!!! I think that he has matured some and I also think that the way his teacher handles discipline gives him enough incentives throughout the week to do the right thing. I just hope and pray that this trend continues. He really likes his teacher too. He also starts soccer tonight assuming the weather holds out.

Kevin is still wonderful as usual. He has been really busy getting our new computer desk situated so that we can get Sammy moved into our old computer room. Hopefully, when things settle down, he'll be able to edit the videos of us telling our parents so I can get them posted on here. I still have the blog written and ready, just need the video.

I will try to get some baby bump pictures on here in the next couple of days while I am off work. Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I really need to get back into the swing of things.

Technical Difficulties

2009-08-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am having some trouble getting the video uploaded. Kevin is going to have to help me edit it down tomorrow so it won't be posted until then. I was so hoping to get that posted tonight...at least the blog part is written and all it's waiting for is the video file. :)

Slacker

2009-08-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have been a slacker over the past couple of weeks where the blog is concerned. I hope to do better over the next few days and actually post the videos of us telling our parents (assuming I am actually able to get the videos to upload). I hope everyone has a great weekend. Sammy and I are spending this last Friday together before he starts school on Tuesday. We are going to sign up for fall soccer, play at the park, eat somewhere fun (but not Chuck E. Cheese), and run a few errands. We are then going to play some UNO this afternoon - Sammy loves that game. I can't believe that he is going into the second grade. We met his teacher last night and I think he is going to enjoy his year. He really likes both his teacher and her assistant. Well, we're off to start our day. Hopefully I will start posting the video blogs later tonight or tomorrow.

Last Night of Work

2009-08-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I absolutely love working the Sunday through Tuesday schedule. After I finish up tonight, I am off again until next Sunday...it feels like I have the whole week left (which I kind of do). I haven't posted much this week due to that. I will start a series of posts over the next few days entitled...telling the fam. I will try to upload the videos from each of the grandparents as well as Sammy so you can see their reactions. They are great.

On another note, I am 13 weeks today. I only have one more week left in the first trimester. I am starting to feel much better, and I have not been consistently queasy in about a week (Thank God for that). I am still tired, and I usually feel the worst on the first full day I have off...so my tired day this week will most likely be Thursday if the pattern holds. It is all worth it though! I will take any amount of nausea and fatigue to bring this sweet little baby into this world.

I hope that everyone is having a blessed week, and I look forward to sharing our family's videos with you real soon.

Found A Peanut

2009-08-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, after we had our first two positive pregnancy tests on June 13, 2009, we headed to our local Ingles for groceries the following day. As we were walking through the produce section, Kevin found a bin of peanuts in the store. Since we had already started referring to the baby as either Peanut (by me) or Weenut(by Kevin), Kevin thought it would be neat to pick up a peanut and give it to me to commemorate our news (awwww). According to Kevin, he diligently searched through the bin until he found the perfect Weenut. Well, I was really focused on getting the grocery shopping done so when Kevin came up to me and handed me a peanut, I just thought he had gotten me a sample to try. Ingles typically has lots of free samples in the produce and deli departments so I just assumed I looked hungry or something to him. As soon as he put the peanut in my hand, I proceeded to thank him for it and started to try to crack it open. Kevin gave me a look of utter shock and horror to which I realized there must be more to this than a free sample. It finally dawned on me that he had gotten a peanut to represent our peanut...the peanut that I had tried to "bash in it's little head" according to my dear husband. I immediately felt bad for not getting his gesture immediately, and fortunately, I stopped myself before actually bashing in the peanut. We took the peanut home and it has been our little game to hide it in various places around the house and find it. I have included a picture of the little peanut in its most recent "hiding place." Once Kevin finds it, he should hide it from me again and the game will continue. :) Yes, I realize that Kevin and I are weird, corny, and sappy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Glad I am Wired Differently

2009-08-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

I have discovered a love for google reader. I can enter all of the websites and blogs that I follow and it goes out and gets new stories and posts for me to read and puts it in one central location! My hubby has used it for quite some time, and I never really saw the point until I asked him how it worked and what it did...boy, am I glad that I did. I have been using it for about a week now and it has really helped me surf more effectively (since according to him, I have a computer addiction problem. There is probably some truth to that comment, but I am not willing to totally own up to it just yet cause that would mean that I would have to do something about it.) Anyway, foxnews had an article that intrigued me - the headline was "Women Wired to Dislike Mothers-In-Law." Here's a link if that headline intrigues you as much as it did me... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537902,00.html

Apparently, the article claims that women are predisposed to think that they are not going to get along with their mother-in-law, which causes friction and tension in that relationship. The wife and mother-in-law are allegedly fighting over the role of primary woman in the family. I must say that I am so thankful that there is either absolutely no truth to this study and someone just happened upon some data that made them think this or that God just made me to not fit the mold. I know that I have an amazing mother-in-law who loves me for me, and we get along beautifully. I view her as my second mother and I regard her highly. I also love and respect her for who she is! I am doubly blessed because I also have a terrific step-mother-in-law who is super talented and crafty and we also get along extremely well. We live further apart so I don't get to spend as much time with her, but when I do, I am always amazed at the crafts and hobbies she has picked up from the last time I saw her. Both of my mothers-in-law are also phenomenal grandmothers, and I know that little peanut is going to be blessed by having these Godly women in his/her life.

I think that scripture can also help wives and mothers-in-laws get along. I think that when a marriage is Biblically based and the husband and wife both leave their families and cleave to the spouse and the families involved know and understand this, then much of this tension can be averted(Genesis 2:24). I believe that Kevin and I have worked really hard to strive for this and I think that it helps in these extended relationships. Our families also understand this concept and again, I think it just makes things work!

I realize that not every wife and mother-in-law relationship is ideal because of personality conflicts and many other issues so there could be some truth to the study after all. I hope that this is not your case, but if it is, at least you have a study to help explain what's going on. I prefer to think in my little rose-colored glasses, glass half full world that everyone has relationships with their mother-in-law that is as good as the one I have with mine. Again, I just have to say that I am truly blessed that the study does not seem to apply to me. :)

I must also add that I love my mother very much as well. I realize that the article is about in-laws, so I failed to mention my actual mother in this post, but I want her to know how much she means to me as well. You are a wonderful, God-fearing lady and I am so blessed to have been given a wonderful foundation by you(and daddy). I thank God every day for giving me such special earthly parents who are Christian and just plain ol' good people (as Kevin would say).

So, this was not anything like what I had planned to blog on today, but that article just struck me and I felt like I needed to talk about it instead for some reason. My original blog was going to be titled "Found a Peanut." I suppose I will save that one for tomorrow.

Our New Baby

2009-08-04T13:34:00.001-07:00

Well, Kevin and I are expecting and we couldn't be happier. This is something we have wanted for quite some time, but it was finally God's time for it to happen! We had talked about having a baby during my last year of nursing school, but with me not working, it was obviously not the right time. We think the newest Atchley either debuted during our Cancun trip or shortly thereafter since he/she is due around February 16, 2010. I am approximately 12 weeks according to the ultrasound, and I am so thankful that the first trimester is coming to a close. I have been miserable and exhausted for these past several weeks, but I know that everything I am going through is totally worth it and hopefully it will all abate once I hit the second trimester.

We took our first pregnancy test on June 13, 2009 and it had one really dark line and a second very very faint line. I called Kevin into the bathroom to make sure I wasn't imagining things, and sure enough, there were two lines according to his eyes too. I then researched pregnancy tests on consumerreports.com and found the most reliable one according to their standards since the first test was a dollar tree special. We headed to Wal-Mart and picked up a two pack, and I took another test later that night. It was also positive. Kevin and I were very excited, although, we did take a few days to let it all sink it. I had just finished nursing school, gotten my license and was about to start a brand new job in a very busy ER(on night shift)...add to that a pregnancy, and wow, that could be a bit overwhelming (in a good sort of way).

We told all of our parents over the Father's Day weekend. I would like to thank them all for doing a great job of keeping our little secret. Of the three sets of parents, I think Kevin's mom wins the prize of most shocked and excited...hands down! We had my parents take a picture of our family when we had dinner with them for my birthday, and we photoshopped Sammy's shirt to say World's Best Big Brother. We framed the picture and gave it to each set of grandparents as part of their Father's Day present. Shirley opened the picture and started reading Sammy's shirt...when she got to the word brother, she only got the word Bruh out of her mouth before hooting and hollering. It was classic (and we do have it on video). When I am having a slow blogging day, I'll post that instead. We did the same thing for my parents and for Kevin's dad and stepmom. I thought we were going to have to spell it out for Kevin's dad, but they eventually caught on, and my parents got it pretty quickly too! Everyone is really excited and I know they are going to spoil this baby rotten.

We did not plan on telling Sammy until after he came home from his summer trip, but since he came home in early July instead of early August, we told him when he got home. I had not been feeling well, so I knew he would suspect that something was going on with me. He was very excited, although, we had to pretty much spell it out for him too. We gave him a Big Brother t-shirt, and he just didn't quite get it. He kept saying that he was going to make a good big brother, but never put two in two together to realize that he was going to be a big brother real soon. Once he figured it out, he was ecstatic. He has wanted to touch the baby, but I am not quite showing enough yet for that to happen. Hopefully, soon. He prays for me and the baby every night and that just touches my heart so. I have also developed pregnancy acne (joy joy) and Sammy calls them my baby dots. He looked at me the other day and said, "You sure do have a lot of baby dots on your face." Kids say the darndest.

We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday (yes, I know I am a little late, but I was waiting on my new insurance to kick in because as everyone knows, the insurance I previously had was less than stellar). We had our first ultrasound and we were able to see the sweet little angel firsthand. She/he did not disappoint. The baby even did a little dance for us at the end. I am looking forward to our next big ultrasound in approximately 6-8 weeks. I will try to post regularly, although, when I am working, all I seem to do is sleep and work. I hope that you will enjoy this journey alongside us.