Yes we have survived the first 2 weeks with Reagan. As you are all aware time to blog, check email, facebook and even pee sometimes is few and far between. i just want to let everybody know we are doing fine. Just a little sleep deprived. My mom has been here this past week and it has really helped me so much. I couldn't ask for a better mom or family for that matter. Thank you Momma for being here to help! It really means so much!
We had our 2 week check up on Thursday with Dr Blair. Reagan now weighs 8 whole pounds! She is still at 20 3/4" long but Dr Blair said that was in the 75% for her age. I was surprised to hear that because Zac and I are not the tallest people so we assume she will be short. So for now we can feel like she is tall even for a little while. According to Dr Blair her head size is in the 75% too. I could have probably told him that! Ha! She will grow into it. As for sleeping, some nights are better than others. Last night she went almost 4 hours with out wanting to eat. We couldn't believe it. She only got up once but she didn't officially go to bed until around 12:30 so I'm not sure if that counts. Hopefully though, this trend will continue. I hope, I hope, I hope! Both our parents said we were sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. How good do you think our chances are with Reagan? I'm not going to hold my breathe but hey a girl can dream right. I'll leave you with a few pictures of our sweet angel. Most of you have probably seen them on facebook but they are worth sharing again.
Saw this on MSN.com today. The article itself is about a new iPhone Apple is going to debut but this is really the only thing I comprehended from the whole thing.
In the United States, Wall Street and consumers alike are eagerly anticipating an iPhone on the network of Verizon Wireless, the No. 1 telecoms provider.
But that announcement is not expected to come Monday. Most analysts expect to see a Verizon iPhone some time next year, or perhaps as early as this fall.
Not sure if I am excited to here more news about the iPhone coming to Verizon or not. I'm starting to have mixed feelings about it. Everybody is now talking about the HTC phones. I've heard a lot of people say the new HTC Incredible is awesome but how am I supposed to know. You never know how well a phone works until you used it. I've also heard the Droid phones out rank the iPhone tremendously but again how do I know for sure. Anybody have an opinion? I may just hold out for the iPhone to come to Verizon. Crap, I've waited this long what's another year.
This is a funny story I just had to share. Last Saturday I had some errands to do. You know, last minute things that I have put off because I had more pressing things to do first. So, me, my mom, Chelsea, and Carter take off to Hancock to get fabric to make drapes for Reagan's room. Then we head over to Hobby Lobby. I have been looking for a pretty light fixture to put in Reagan's room and I just haven't found any that I liked a whole lot. I didn't want anything too girly but not something too modern either. Plus the fact that I was trying not to spend over $150 bucks on one. So a co-worker of mine told me they had some cute chandeliers with pink shades at Hobby Lobby in Hoover.
*Pause*
I am really gong to need you to visualize the rest of the story. If you know me well you know how I tell stories so please picture me telling you in person. And also think about the Hobby Lobby workers with their blue aprons with the orange piping. Trust me it will help make it a lot funnier.
*Resume*
We get there and can't find them. Right as we are about to leave I walked through the lamp section one more time and there they were. They were in a box on the very bottom shelf. So I snatch it up and we head to the cash register. As I put the box, containing the chandelier that I have looked so long for, the nice check out lady says "Oh, our lamps aren't on sale this week"............. Umm Excuse me? So does that mean I can't buy it at full price? I really tried to not give her a stupid face but I don't think I succeeded. I'm not very good at a "poker face". Its really hard for me to not show what I'm thinking sometimes. (And yes, I hope you sing Lady Gaga ALL day now!) Finally, after what felt like a 10 min stupid face starring competition, I got out "Ok" in a still confused voice. And she says "Oh ok" Like she expected me to put it back or something. Maybe she is an avid coupon cutter and never pays full price for anything. No offense to those people but what else was I supposed to do. They only had 2 left and I didn't have time to wait on the next sale. Which knowing Hobby Lobby was probably this week. I felt like saying "I want to pay the full $119.00 please. Don't force me not to!" So as we get past the door walking out, we all bust into hysterical laughter. I said "I really tried to not give her a stupid face when she said that" Chelsea says "Well you did and it was hilarious!" My mom said "Did she expect you not to buy it?" Ha! We have laughed about it since then and I have told the story to everybody. I hope you think it is as funny as we did. Happy Friday!
Well my doc appointment this week went fine. I have made some progress but not enough if you ask me. Dr Heidi said if Reagan didn't grace us with her presence before June 17th she would induce me because she is going out of town that weekend. I was glad to hear that but that still takes me past my due date. Maybe I'll have her before then. I know most people are late with their first but I hope I'm not. Even if I am I will at least be off work. I still have some vacation time left so I am officially going on maternity leave on June 14th. Well that is the day it will start anyway (if not before). My last day is the 11th until after Labor Day! Yea! My next appointment is on the 9th. Maybe I will have progressed a lot and they will want to just keep me. Wishful thinking I guess. I won't hold my breathe so you don't either.
We are at the 2 week mark now! I guess it's just a waiting game to see who can hold out the longest, Reagan or my Dr. When I had my first check up last week she said I had a little thinning and was dilated 1/2 cm. Sorry if that is TMI!
I had a little excitement/scare yesterday. I went in, she checked me and said everything was fine. My next appointment was for this morning so she just went ahead and did all the usual things while I was there. She said I was now dilated 1 cm. Whoo hoo. At this rate it may be July before she is born! Ha! Just kidding really. Dr Straughn said she wouldn't let me go over 41 weeks. (Oh thank you so much for letting me be 10 months and one week pregnant!) Can you feel the sarcasm there? But what can I do. She went to medical school and I didn't. She is a great doc so I trust her. Fortunately for me Dr straughn is the doc on call through the holiday so maybe Reagan will want to come this weekend.
Speaking of Memorial Day, it is the official start of summer! Yea!! I love summer! Even though this year I may not get to enjoy it as much. The fun part is that Carter is big enough to get in the pool. As much as he loves bath time I'm sure he will love the pool. I can't wait to see him in it on Monday! If I can stand the heat I will get some pics and post them next week some time. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!
I found this website yesterday and thought it was pretty cool. some of you more savvy "coupon-ers" may already know about it but I thought I would share anyway. You can search coupons for certain websites. Like, I looked up one for Vera Bradley.com and RosenberryKids.com. They had one for Rosenberry but didn't have any for Vera right now. But you can sign up and they will send you coupons for all the places you want when they come available. There are also coupons on there that other people have shared.
They have grocery coupons too but for what I found they are the same as Red Plum. I just thought the website coupons were cool. Check it out if you want. You never know, you may find something good.
I know this is a controversial topic for a lot of people but I just wanted to share this article that a friend sent me today. You may not see it in the media. Wait, make that you won't see it on T.V. I can almost guarantee it. Well, maybe on Fox News.
Britain Bans Doc Who Linked Autism To Shots Dr. Andrew Wakefield's 1998 Study Discredited MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer
Posted: 5:30 am EDT May 24, 2010Updated: 4:01 am EDT May 25, 2010
LONDON -- The doctor whose research linking autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella influenced millions of parents to refuse the shot for their children was banned Monday from practicing medicine in his native Britain.
Dr. Andrew Wakefield's 1998 study was discredited -- but vaccination rates have never fully recovered and he continues to enjoy a vocal following, helped in the U.S. by endorsements from celebrities like Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy
Wakefield was the first researcher to publish a peer-reviewed study suggesting a connection between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Legions of parents abandoned the vaccine, leading to a resurgence of measles in Western countries where it had been mostly stamped out. There are outbreaks across Europe every year and sporadic outbreaks in the U.S.
"That is Andrew Wakefield's legacy," said Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The hospitalizations and deaths of children from measles who could have easily avoided the disease."
Wakefield's discredited theories had a tremendous impact in the U.S., Offit said, adding: "He gave heft to the notion that vaccines in general cause autism."
In Britain, Wakefield's research led to a huge decline in the number of children receiving the MMR vaccine: from 95 percent in 1995 -- enough to prevent measles outbreaks -- to 50 percent in parts of London in the early 2000s. Rates have begun to recover, though not enough to prevent outbreaks. In 2006, a 13-year-old boy became the first person to die from measles in Britain in 14 years.
"The false suggestion of a link between autism and the MMR vaccine has done untold damage to the UK vaccination program," said Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. "Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that it is safe."
On Monday, Britain's General Medical Council, which licenses and oversees doctors, found Wakefield guilty of serious professional misconduct and stripped him of the right to practice medicine in the U.K. Wakefield said he plans to appeal the ruling, which takes effect within 28 days.
The council was acting on a finding in January that Wakefield and two other doctors showed a "callous disregard" for the children in their study, published in 1998 in the medical journal Lancet. The medical body said Wakefield took blood samples from children at his son's birthday party, paying them 5 pounds (about $7.20) each and later joked about the incident.
The study has since been widely rejected. From 1998-2004, studies in journals including the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics and BMJ published papers showing no link between autism and the measles vaccine.
Wakefield moved to the U.S. in 2004 and set up an autism research center in Austin, Texas, where he gained a wide following despite being unlicensed as a doctor there and facing skepticism from the medical community. He quit earlier this year.
Offit said he doubted Britain's decision to strip the 53-year-old Wakefield of his medical license would convince many parents that vaccines are safe.
"He's become almost like a Christ-like figure and it doesn't matter that science has proven him wrong," Offit said. "He is a hero for parents who think no one else is listening to them."
Wakefield told The Associated Press Monday's decision was a sad day for British medicine. "None of this alters the fact that vaccines can cause autism," he said.
"These parents are not going away; the children are not going to go away and I most certainly am not going away," he said on NBC's "Today Show."
Wakefield claimed the U.S. government has been settling cases of vaccine-induced autism since 1991.
However, two rulings by a special branch of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in March and last year found no link between vaccines and autism. More than 5,500 claims have been filed by families seeking compensation for children they claim were hurt by the vaccine.
Wakefield has won support from parents suspicious of vaccines, including Hollywood celebrities.
McCarthy, who has an autistic son, issued a statement in February with then boyfriend Carrey asserting Wakefield was "being vilified through a well-orchestrated smear campaign."
"It is our most sincere belief that Dr. Wakefield and parents of children with autism around the world are being subjected to a remarkable media campaign engineered by vaccine manufacturers," the actors said.
McCarthy, whose best-seller "Louder Than Words" details her search for treatments for her son Evan, wrote the foreword for a new book by Wakefield about autism and vaccines.
In Monday's ruling, the medical council said Wakefield abused his position as a doctor and "brought the medical profession into disrepute."
At the time of his study, Wakefield was working as a gastroenterologist at London's Royal Free Hospital and did not have approval for the research. The study suggested autistic children had a bowel disease and raised the possibility of a link between autism and vaccines. He had also been paid to advise lawyers representing parents who believed their children had been hurt by the MMR vaccine.
Ten of the study's authors later renounced its conclusions and it was retracted by the Lancet in February.
At least a dozen British medical associations, including the Royal College of Physicians, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust have issued statements verifying the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
This verdict is not about (the measles) vaccine," said Adam Finn, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol Medical School. "We all now know that the vaccine is remarkably safe and enormously effective... We badly need to put this right for the sake of our own children and children worldwide."
Take this for what you want but to me it says a few things. #1 This guy is from London, who has national health care, humm....is this where we are headed you think? #2 The guy who started this whole thing was a gastroenterologist! What the crap is he doing researching vaccines? And further more, who let him do it and gave him creditability for it? #3 Celebrities, no matter how funny they are, can be completely blindsided by their own issues that they fail to research both sides of the story. #4 Do your own research before you make a decision that will effect the health of your child. Talk to people and research both sides!
I have a lot to say about this immigration bill everybody in the media is reporting as profiling and racial discrimination (another post on a different day) but I just wanted to share this. I myself have actually read the bill unlike Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder. While reading, I found this:
28 The attorney general or county 29 attorney shall not investigate complaints that are based solely on race, 30 color or national origin.
So THERE! Here is your shut up juice for the day Demos!
To actually read the bill if your interested go here.
Just thought I would do a little product review for those of you who have furry children like we do. Tuesday we bought a Pet Safe invisible fence for our dogs. The new house we are in doesn't have a fence and we went back and forth on what we wanted to do. Do we want a privacy fence, just a chain link fence or try out the invisible one? We should have made our minds up 3 weeks ago but we didn't. We kept reading reviews on the invisible fence and were afraid it wouldn't work. Some people said it doesn't work good on hills, some people said it won't work on big dogs or older dogs, and then others said the batteries don't last. Well this week we really needed to do something because Zac had to work a few days instead of nights and they were going to have to stay confined in the kitchen all day. Which isn't good because Raven will eat anything! (Just for the record: Raven casualties at the new house include: a carpenter pencil, a paint edger, a pizza box, a plunger handle and a few random items in the yard we couldn't identify.) So anyway, Zac bought the thing Tuesday afternoon at Tractor Supply. It only comes with one collar and they didn't have any extras at the store. We had to go to Pet Smart in Trussville to get 2 more collars. When he got it all set up he put the collar on Raven first. Of course, she had no idea what she was in for. She takes off and gets too close to the little white flag. Once she got past it she got a little shock and it totally surprised her. She looked at Zac like "how'd you do that?" Needless to say she didn't like it at all. She hasn't tried it again. He then proceeds to put it on Sandie. She is more calm than Raven so Zac had to call her over to him. She got a few feet from the flag and just laid down in the yard. She wouldn't budge. All I can guess is that she just sensed it. It works by radio waves so maybe they can just tell. So here we are almost a few days later and they have done great. They don't even go close to the flags. I will give this a 4 star rating as of right now. We'll see how long the batteries last and things like that but its great. We love it and it doesn't seem to bother them one bit!
I am a wife, a mommy, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, an aunt, a granddaughter, a niece, and a lover of Jesus Christ. My family is the most important thing thing in my life. I am married to Zac. We have 3 Labrador retrievers and a cat. We also welcomed our first baby on June 9, 2010. We are so blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby girl! This blog is just about our lives together as it happens. Hope you enjoy!
