Trip to GR

So this weekend I made the trip to Grand Rapids to go to the baby expo with my mom, Sandy and Penny. It was pretty fun (other than the delta plex smelling like urine… ew). We split up and everyone found a little something here and there, I think we should have gotten there earlier for better deals but oh well! Penny, of course, found every little cow thing there because she has the eye.

We went to Applebee’s after that and discovered Avalyn still hates broccoli. Go figure. Mom said it tasted skunky anyway, so no loss for me. Mom also got to feel Avalyn kick her, which was pretty cool. It was a fun weekend, nice to shake things up a bit!

Keith = Awesome Kid

I was dreading this evening all day. I think parent teacher conferences are just as hard for the parents as they are for the kids, I’m telling ya!

Keith has been on his ADD meds for over a month now and he has improved so much! Earlier in the year the teacher called an emergency conference because his behavior in class was awful and she thought they’d have to hold him back. This conference was totally different. Keith is reading at almost a third grade level and he is in first grade. Keep in mind he had no interest in reading at all until last year. Amazing! His math skills are at second grade level and he is where he needs to be socially. How awesome is this kid? I’m so proud to call him my son.

It was so hard to hear the teacher say such awful things about him before because I knew he could do the work. I knew he could behave. He just wasn’t. Apparently ADD is why. I’m glad we took him to a real psychologist and got him therapy before getting tested for ADD. This psychologist knows his stuff and I trust his judgment. Keith has never been hyper or anything just a scatterbrain. I always told people his brain moves to fast for his mouth, and that was why. Ever since he has been on medication he has been so much better. And Matt has been better since his medication, too.

The icing on the cake? Keith’s teacher used his handwriting as a sample so other parents could see how their kids should be able to write. Way to go Keith!

Testing... testing...

Okay so on the fourth I had that glucose test. Yuck! It tasted like that old orange Gatorade… Oh well, it had to be done. They told me if I didn’t hear from them by the eighth I am good to go. I haven’t heard anything so it looks like no gestational diabetes for me. Hooray!

My kickin' chicken!

Avalyn is at it again, kicking me like crazy. I just had to share again. I’m being kicked in the best possible way!

Flutter..? Popcorn..? Gas..? No!

So today I was sitting on the couch minding my own business when I feel something fluttery in my belly. I waited a second and it happened again. My little Avalyn moved! So awesome! No, it didn’t feel like gas at all. It felt more like being on a roller coaster when your stomach sort of drops. I texted my dad right away to tell him because I had to share with someone! So cool!!! It gets more and more real every day.

It's a....

Baby! ;) Gotcha!

Normal. That was a word I saw a lot of on Thursday. Amniotic Fluid - Normal, Cervix - Normal, Weight - Normal. I don't think I've ever loved that word more. Although I may have used the word extraordinary.

The drive to the doctors office was horrible. The pain in my back was pretty intense and it was hard for me to focus on why I was getting into the car. A day that was supposed to be so fun, that I've been looking forward to since I found out I was pregnant was now being overshadowed by agony. Thankfully Matt knew how I was feeling and distracted me as best he could.

We didn't have to wait long at the doctor’s office, maybe five minutes. That was pretty great. First thing we did was see the Ultra Sound technician. She had me hop up on the table (as well as any pregnant woman can hop) and lie down. Talk about uncomfortable! All I could focus on was my back. That ruined the entire visit, I’m not going to lie. The lady was checking things off her list as normal (yey!) and where certain things were, while I was watching my baby on the flat screen. I saw hands and feet and a nose and a little beating heart. Very cool, but I was really tired of lying down.

Finally she asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby. Anyone who knows me will know I can’t wait for anything; I’m the person that reads spoilers for everything and the last page of a book before I read the first chapter. So, yes, we wanted to know the sex of the baby! So she did her little waving of the magic wand and pointed out parts to us as she saw them - we got to see all ten toes, that was wild! I was fully expecting to see boy parts pop out at me (because everyone says Clisso’s have boys) so I was thinking of the name we picked and I suddenly hate it. Jaxon? What were we thinking?! As I’m panicking silently Matt is smiling with anticipation.

“It looks like you’re having a girl!” The tech said with a smile.

I was totally dumbfounded. “What?”

“It’s a girl, it’s Avalyn!” Matt said to me, “Why aren’t you more excited?”

I was excited, but I was in pain and now shock. I got my little girl that I’ve always wanted. She’s here, in my belly, and NORMAL. Everything was exactly as it should be but my stupid back ruined everything. Grr!

The rest of the visit was a blur. We got a similac diaper bag (which came with formula that I do not plan on using) and pictures of our daughter and a book and magazine. At least I have reading material while I’m stuck in that stupid recliner. We texted/called everyone who wanted to know and only got one negative reaction but I don’t care. I have a daughter and I love her. My little Avalyn Kay. As soon as my back is better a happy dance will be in order. :)

Today is not my day...

So, yesterday and the day before I felt pretty fantastic, today not so much. I'm not saying the days were easy but there were many wonderful things that happened to make the bad disappear. Today I'm not feeling too much wonderfulness. I feel something but I’m not sure what it is.

I woke up with horrible pain on the right side of my body. I thought I had back pain a few weeks ago, but this really takes the cake. Matt got home just as I was waking up, and bless his heart, tried to make me feel better by rubbing my back. It helped until I had to go to work. So here I sit on a drafting chair during my lunch break wondering why the pain has shifted to my pelvis.

I hope to feel better when I get home, where I can take time to listen to my body and make sure everything is okay. Until then, I'm here, looking at this too saturated picture wondering why this printer chooses now to act like the piece of junk I know it is.

Can I please go home now?