Whoa Baby!

There are several things I have learned about pregnancy that I did not know but this morning as I am sitting at the computer Reagan is going nuts. Now, that is normal. She moves a lot. But today....I actually got to see the outside of my stomach move! Ok wow! I honestly have never actually seen a stomach do that before. Don't get me wrong, I know people say it happens but I've never seen it. It happens really quick. There are times I can feel her move on the inside but I know someone couldn't feel it on the outside. Well today my friends, I saw and felt it. Its weird in a cool way. I know I am not the only first timer to see this but to me its just another new thing. I was kinda freaked out then like oh wow I guess she is getting bigger and stronger everyday. Anybody else get kinda freaked out when they saw it for the first time?

Am I the worst blogger or what?! Geez! Ok so here is a short recap of the last few weeks.

• I had eye surgery on Jan. 20th. (Note: if you are even a bit squeamish about eye stuff you will want to skip this part) The surgery went fine. It was after that when it all fell apart. Apparently I had hemorrhaging inside my eye which caused a fluid to build up. Which in turn made my pressure go up. After one emergency visit to the office at 2:30 am and 5 times of sucking stuff out with a needle in the office they got it under control. Yes, 5 TIMES they had to suck stuff out. But believe me, it was a lot better than having to feel the way I did. This also caused me to be off work for 4 weeks. Then, I had a hole appear from somewhere and caused a bubble to form in the front of my eye. It makes my vision terrible. Not that its great anyway but still. Imagine looking through plastic rap covered in Vaseline and your eye lashes being wet on top of that. The light reflection is what I can't handle. That's the wet eyelash thing. They have tried to take out the bubble in the office several times with no success. So needless to say I am going back to the OR on Wed. to get it removed that way. Hopefully, I wont have as much trouble this next time.
• We finally got our house on the market. There have been a few showings and one offer. The offer was laughable to say the least. All the comments have been very good so that makes us hopeful we can get it sold by the end of April. We have a showing this Sat. so cross your fingers!!
• Now to the fun stuff! Reagan seems to be doing just fine. She is growing bigger everyday. She moves A LOT! I can only imagine what its going to be like in the next month or so when she starts running out of room in there. I went today and had my glucose test and I passed by 11 points!! My doctor says all of my eye issues shouldn't effect her. I've gotten registered for everything, I hope. My mom and Zac's mom have already bought a bunch of clothes. All in several different sizes so that is great. I finally picked out the furniture for her room. We ordered the crib this week so we should get it soon. Not that we have a room to put it in yet but we are going to leave it at my parents until we move. Ellie, "Jane", Lisa and Reva are throwing me a diaper shower in March. I am SUPER excited!! I can't wait!! I am going to have another big shower in May for all the other stuff. I'm super excited about that too. Stay tuned for the pictures from that courtesy of Lens Envy Photography. Oh, Erin is going to take some pictures of me and Zac in April too. (Courtesy of Lens Envy as well.) That way I'll remember how big I was! Ha!

I think that is all for now. I promise I'll try to update more!!

Eye of the Tiger

I had an eye doctor appointment yesterday after work to check my bionic (left) eye. I have been having a few vision issues so I thought I needed to have it checked out in case it's something bad. Well, apparently, my retina is elevated in the center. I like to refer to it as bubbling even though its only one bubble. It sounds cooler and makes people go ewww. With my track record of eye issues I am going to see a specialist (again, for the 1 millionth time) on Friday morning. I hope he can tell me why it has a bubble in it and if it can be fixed. I just hope its not as bad as last time. Of course last time my retina was actually torn. So I guess at least a bubble is a little better then a tear. Right? Yeah I have no clue. Let's just all pray it can be fixed some other way besides surgery. I am not sure how surgery could be good when you are preggers. I'll have an update tomorrow once the dilation wears off and I can actually see to type. :)

A lot to blog about!!

I know it has been forever since Ive posted anything. Sorry!! Most of you know, but there is A LOT to blog about these days. Not sure if I should make this one big recap or do a few separate ones. We will see where the keyboard takes me.

First, Christmas was great as always. I got a lot of maternity clothes which I needed desperately. I got Zac a new cell phone because he needed one and wanted this certain one. I was super excited to get it for him. I know he was really surprised. It was really a lot of fun to have Carter even though he was kinda ill all day. I am so looking forward to next year already! But let's have summer first! I'm freakin freezing! All in all I think everybody had a successful Christmas this year.

Second, on the 28th we got to find out what grape is. Obviously, you all know she is a girl, just like I said she would be! HA! It was super exciting! Our appt was at 10 or 10:30. Can't remember exactly. (Already got that mom/goldfish memory thing.) I was so anxious the night before I guess b/c we were leaving to go to Gatlinburg right after that so there was a lot going on. Before I went to bed that night I took a Tylenol PM. Now, before you all wig-out on me, my doc said Tylenol PM was fine. I just knew I wouldn't get any sleep if I didn't and I would feel like crap all day. As I was getting up that morning this was my thought, Oh My Gosh! What Have I done?!? I have drugged my child and now she isn't going to move around at all! She is going to be asleep!! Now we aren't going to be able to find out!! I almost hit nervous breakdown mode. Then I remembered I had a Sunkist in the fridge. Yes!! It was just one of those little half-cans. I think they are like 8 oz or something. I only drank half of it on the way down there b/c it was so carbonated it made me nauseous. I had intended on drinking the whole thing though. I'm glad I didn't. My mom and dad met us there and we basically went straight back. She moved around so much the whole time!! The nurse even asked if I had some caffine before. Then I felt bad again. Crap! First I drugged her up now she's all jacked up on Sunkist! Guess that is the life of a parent though. It was really a lot of fun. I am so glad my parents came and got to be there for it. I think they were glad too. We kinda knew it was a girl already so it wasn't a shock. I think everybody is excited about it. I know I am!! Yea girl stuff!! As of right now her name will be Reagan Lynn Spanick. We just like Reagan and Lynn is after my daddy and my sister Rachael. I wanted it to be some what meaningful. Here are a few pictures of her at 16 weeks. I go back on January 25th for another ultrasound to measure her organs and stuff. And to make sure they were right at 16 weeks!





I'll get to our trip to Gatlinburg later.

Merry Christmas!!

I just wanted to comment on how much I have heard the "horrible" phrase Merry Christmas this year. So many people have said Merry Christmas to me this year and I LOVE IT!! It is Christmas!! And Thanks for making it Merry!! I really can't remember how long its been since I have heard it so much. I even went to Wal-Mart and the employees have said it to me! Now we all know that Wal-Mart is the Evil Empire so I was literally floored by the fact that any employee of said Evil Empire can even mention Christmas. In fact I am surprised they even sell Christmas decorations and all the propaganda that come with it. They really are communist you know. So, good for you Wal-Mart or employees for Wal-Mart who are breaking rules, if in fact, that is what you are doing. I just really am glad to hear Merry Christmas so much. It really makes the season better.

Look at you guys keeping Christmas in the spot light! You will be rewarded for it. Nice job everybody!

Merry Christmas!!!

Just So We're Clear

In a previous post, about the new baby in our lives, I mentioned that the process was sometimes grueling. Now, I am sure that the female readers took it the way it was written. It was a long and grueling process emotionally. Apparently, I was not as clear as I thought I was to my male readers. As Zac so kindly pointed out, it sounded like I meant the act was grueling. Sorry if that is TMI. No honey, that isn't what I meant. I tried to explain to him that most women would see it as emotional. Maybe some didn't. That is why I want to clarify the statement. Just so we are ALL clear, it was a long emotional process. There, happy now.

It's a Family Tradition

Is it just me or is it totally time for the holidays? I am super stoked about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year for some reason. Last year, eh, not so much. This year, Yes Please!! I'm not sure why but I am SO EXCITED! It makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe its the whole preggo thing. Not sure. I just thought I might share some traditions our family has for the holidays. Everybody has so many different ways they celebrate and traditions they do. Its interesting to me to see what else everybody else does. So, if your feeling froggy, post a few of your own.



Thanksgiving:

On my moms side we all go over to my Granny's on Thanksgiving day for lunch and we normally stay for dinner too. When I say all, I literally mean ALL the family. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins children, cousins boyfriend or girlfriend at the time. My mom has 3 other sisters and a brother. My Uncle Jerry and his family they live in Augusta so we don't see them much. But everybody else is there.

We have your normal (what we call normal anyway) Thanksgiving feast. Smoked and fried turkey, my Mom's sweet potato casserole (the kind with brown sugar topping not marshmallow), dressing my Granny makes, my Nae-Nae's potato salad (yes potato salad. we have it at every family event), Cindy's hashbrown casserole, Aunt Dean's mac-n-cheese, green beans of some sort, deviled eggs, my Granny's homemade rolls (I just drooled thinking about them), and my favorite...cranberry sauce from a can.

We all eat then sit around and go through all the sales papers. My mom, granny, and aunts plan out their Black Friday expedition. They go every year. They leave at like 5 am and are normally gone until dark. Not me. I can't stand Black Friday. Too many people and the sales aren't really that great in my opinion. Of course, this year the UA vs AU game is on Friday AFTER THANKSGIVING. I mean really who does that? That is a whole other post. Saturday we will put up all the Christmas decor. Zac loves this part because he gets to go in the attic. He just loves the attic.


Christmas: This was a couple of years ago. Just setting the table. Not everything is there yet.



On Christmas Eve we spend it with my dad's side of the family. We do your normal, everyday, eating and presents. We draw names for all the kids and the adults play Dirty Santa. This year should be extra exciting since certain people aren't talking to certain people and those people really aren't sure why said people aren't talking to them. Plus we have had TONS of drama this past year. Looking forward to it. Should be loads of family togetherness.

On Christmas Day, Zac and I will get up and go to my parents for presents and breakfast. My mom and dad always cook a great breakfast Christmas morning. This year will be super great because we will have Carter. Babies make Christmas so much more fun! (Then next year I'll have my own!) After that we all get ready and go to my Granny's for lunch. We eat the usual Christmas feast. This time we have ham and turkey. Everybody will get stuffed and we go open presents. After presents everybody will more than likely eat again. Then Christmas is over. Sad day. We will all head home to play with our new gifts and relax.

But yea Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!! I can't wait!

Mele Kalikimaka!

I have totally just cheated on Thanksgiving and I am ashamed!! I just couldn't help myself. Oh Bing Crosby White Christmas how I've missed you so!

I am taking a cue from Tabitha. Here is my, probably one and only, Christmas savings post. We were in Best Buy yesterday looking for Christmas gifts and I came across the Christmas music section. I was super stoked! I noticed that they had the Bing Crosby White Christmas CD. It was 6.99. I thought, well, I'll just get it on iTunes its probably the same price. Get on iTunes this morning....$9.99. Some of the songs individually were $1.29! Seriously, iTunes? I mean, I know you have the MP3 market on lock down but jeez! What happened to "all the songs are .99"? So I head on over to BestBuy.com just to double check the price again. At Best Buy online all the Christmas music is on SALE!! The Bing CD....$4.99!! And you can just go pick it up at the store! (Side Note: Please beware though some CDs are not better deals. Do some shopping on both sites to find the best deal.) If you have a Best Buy close to you that rocks! If you don't and just need an excuse to get out of the office for an hour, that rocks too! Even if you have to have it shipped its only like $1.89 or something like that. Totally worth it in my opinion. Take that iTunes! In your face!! Now that is the Christmas Spirit!

On my way back from Best Buy this afternoon I just HAD to pop in the Bing CD to just get a preview of Christmas. Of course, as I'm listening to the beginning of Silent Night, my air conditioner is on because it's 75 outside. That album just takes me back to Christmas as a kid. Every year after it came out my Mom would put in the tape and we would listen to it as we were decorating the house. We listened to it on our way to my Granny's for Christmas Day. We listened to it all the time! I loved it though. I didn't care how much it was played. Every song seems to bring some sort of Christmas memory. Then I get to the very last song. Mele Kalikimaka. Then I have visions of Clark Griswold standing in his kitchen day dreaming about the pool he is going to get with his bonus check. Ahhh. Its Christmas!

BUT NOT BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!! Its really Christmas AFTER November 26th! I will not listen to an entire Christmas song until then. That is on My Five Things List!

Oh Baby Baby!

So here is the post you've all been waiting for! Well, maybe not all of you. It has been a while since my last post and I am deeply sorry. A lot going on here lately! The only time I feel like doing anything is at night and when I get home from work I am exhausted so I have neglected by blog lately. But I have caught up on all my favorite TV shows!

As you all have heard by now, Zac and I will have our first little bundle of joy in June. It was a long and sometimes grueling process but we finally made it. It took us over a year. When it seems that everyone around you can get pregnant but you, it is really tough. I had some great people to fall back on. My family (the ones who knew) were good at helping us and my good friend Lauren from high school was going through the same thing. Little did we know 7 years ago during our high school dance team days we would be having these conversations. Lauren helped me so much more than I think she or I realized at the time. She was such a good support system even though we only talked through email. We both understood each others pains and frustrations. She was one step ahead of me in the infertility treatment stage so she would tell me about it and I would feel better because I knew there was another step to take. Unfortunately for Lauren and her husband they have not succeeded yet. They have taken a break for now so hopefully it will happen for them soon. If you read Lauren's blog you know the story. I just wanted to tell her part in our story. Thank you Lauren for all you helped me with!

At this point I am 10 weeks. I have had 2 ultrasounds and we got to hear the heart beat each time. I am told this is a good sign but not out of the deep water until 12 or 13 weeks. We just pray about it and hope this is God's plan. If it isn't we will deal with it when or if that point occurs.

I was sick to begin with but my doctor changed my prenatal vitamins and they seem to help a lot. I haven't been sick since I got the new ones. Well, sick like I was before. All signs point to it being a girl but as Lisa says I am her friend so it should be a boy. The Chinese Birth calendar says girl. At least the one I've seen. Zac saw one that says boy so that is the one he is going by even though he says we aren't Chinese so it doesn't count. My dad did the string on a pencil thing and it said girl too. Of course, people tell me all kinds of crazy stuff so we will just have to wait and see. I am hoping to have an early ultrasound so we can find out before Christmas. My doctor will only do the one where we are supposed to find out at 20 weeks but she told me we could pay to have one done early at 15 weeks. We will either do that or go to Virginia College and let them do it there. They have a sonography department and they will do it for free. I know several people who have had it done so i would feel comfortable with it. I am just ready to find out. I feel like I can't do anything until we know what it is. No name picking, no registry stuff, no buying anything. Good things come to those who wait I guess.

So, needless to say our lives are really changing over the next 18 years I guess. The only thing that scares me is changing too much. Not like how our lives will change but how I will change as a person. I just don't want to change that. I know a lot of people who just turn into crazy people after they have kids. God help me! I do have medicine for being crazy though. I'll just still take that and maybe that will help. Ok I guess that is enough rambling for now. More to come though. I'm sure as I have thoughts about things there will be more but until then.....

Another Year Older

Happy Birthday to my great friend Lisa today!! We grew up together basically and lost touch some through college like most do. Now, we talk a good bit and I am so glad she is back in my life regularly. Like BeneLisa. Ok sorry sick joke. Anyway, there are many stories that I could share about Lisa but one day I too will have a birthday and I'm sure retaliation would be involved. I'll spare you and her the humility. Your welcome.

Lisa is a great wife, mother and friend. She has a beautiful family and I am lucky to have had her as a friend all these years. Happy Birthday Lisa!!