My due date has come... And gone!

 

My goodness it's crazy to think that my last post was almost 3 months ago. In that post I felt like my due date was never going to come!  Tomorrow is the LAST day of November and I'm officially 6 days past my due date!  I officially feel like a walking time bomb, lol. I am confident that I will go in for a scheduled inductionid next week but I know in the back of my mind she could decide to make her grand entrance at any time. Paul and I have been going about our days just like we always do. A watched pot never boils is what I hear!  

Last month I decided to fly to Utah to see my mom, sister and niece for a week. The looks that I got from people who found out I was there from out of state made me smile!!!  They acted as if I sneezed this baby was going to be born. I could not sit around my apartment with nothing to do... So I went on vacation. Here are a few pictures from my trip. 

My first real Phili cheese steak from the Phili airport!

We took lily to see the fountain in Farmington, Ut

How pretty!!!!!

Renovated Ogden, Ut temple. It was simply beautiful inside and out!

Lily and I snuggled... A LOT!

It was even warm enough for some swimming :)

Beautiful drive up the mountain near my moms. 

Roasted hot dogs and s'mores

Even lily loved the marshmallow!  She got so excited!!

We enjoyed 2 cupcake stores that were on cupcake wars on the good network!

Walked around temple square

My sister took some very sweet pictures of lily for Halloween!! 

It was such a wonderful trip!  

As promised, I finally have pictures of Afton's nursery!!

It's so nice to have the nursery finished!  All I need now is a baby to put in it, lol! 

I have a few random pictures I'll stick in this post. 

This will probably be my last pregnancy picture. It was taken about 3 weeks ago. My face has gotten so poofy from swelling that I have no desire to have another picture taken :) 

My wedding ring was actually big on me before I got pregnant. Sigh!

Last trip to the dc temple before baby! 

Dc temple grounds were simply beautiful! 

This past week Paul and I decorates the apartment for Christmas so we didn't have to fuss with it after we brought the baby home. I love our tree so much!

Stockings are hung!

Even Afton's stocking is finished and hung!  Mom flew to Virginia to surprise me last week. I has NOOOO idea she was coming. While she was here she finished Afton's sweet stocking!  I had such a wonderful time with mom while she was visiting. She knew baby would not come during her trip, she just wanted to spend time with me while I was going stir crazy. I not only enjoyed the company but she was such a rock for me while she was here since Paul was working and pulling some overtime!!!  

Any my last picture is of a speck of dirt I found in the windshield of our car. It looks  VERY similar to Rudolph, lol. I found it the day we went and bought our hallmark ornaments. Lol. I thought it was cute :)

Well, that's all I have for now. My next post will be pictures of Afton!  I PROMISE!!!

EQ

I'm 31

I turned 31 one week ago. Since my birthday I have been reflecting on several different moments in my life. Some that are filled with sheer joy and others that I'd prefer to put in a box, lock it up and swallow the key. Growing up in the LDS church I have always been taught that I have the right to receive personal revolution. When I was 24 I remember getting a very strong impressing that I was going to be 30 before I would have the opportunity to become a mother. I remember feeling that 30 seemed FOREVER away and I remember wondering why The Lord would have me wait that long to fulfil what I believe is main earthly job. But at the same time I found peace in knowing I had received personal revolution. Paul and I got married when I was 26 and I felt as though things were finally falling into place.... And that's when the infertility really started to bother me. I had a nice home and the best husband and I felt deserving of a baby. But, it was not in the cards for us. Every year that passed without us getting pregnant was another year that I became more impatient and more frustrated with not only The Lord but with myself. I now find myself pregnant at 31 and I see the Lords handy work in my life. I see his divine timing. I am the first to admit that between the ages of 21 and 26 I would not have been a good mother. I would not have been able to meet the emotional and financial needs of a child. I know from the ages of 26 to 30 I was in desperate need of self reflection and self improvement. Now I'm 31 and it's such a wonderful feeling knowing that I am exactly where my Heavenly Father wants me to be so I can be the best mother possible. I felt the need to share this story mainly because we need to ways remember that The Lord is aware of us and our circumstances. I feel I can say that not because I am expecting a baby and that trial is behind me but because I knew even before I got pregnant that there was no guarantee I would ever birth a child. I can say this because I know that there is no guarantee I will ever be able to get pregnant again no matter my desire to give my child a sibling someday. I know that there were things Heavenly Father wanted for Paul and I before we became parents. He knew our strong desire to be in the best financial position possible, he knew we needed to sell our house at the lake so I would have the opportunity to be a stay at home mother... But most of all I think he knew I needed 4 1/2 years of bliss with my best friend before taking on the responsibility of another human. I needed to feel the solidity of my marriage and I feel the solidity of my own mental and emotional state. All of those needs have been met and now I can move forward without hesitation. I know that through our trials and tribulations come great blessings. Blessings that will FAR exceed your desires and expectations. I promise. 

Tomorrow I will be 29 weeks 4 days pregnant. I cannot believe it. I went to see my OB today and she assured me tr last 10 weeks fly by. September 28 is my last day of work before Afton makes her grand enterence into this world the end of November.  I've started struggling with certain physical aspects of my job so I will be spending the past 7 weeks at home getting ready for my baby girl. 

This is my 29 week pregnancy picture. My mom is convinced I'm having twins lol. 

It's amazing how quickly the last 29 weeks have gone. I'll be the first to admit that I have not enjoyed pregnancy but I am finally starting to accept what it is doing to my body and my emotions. I will admit that the 2nd trimester is the best bc you feel the best you are going to feel. The 3rd trimester bring unusual pains and sleepless nights and potty break after potty break and sheer exhaustion, lol. But... I have truly enjoyed feeling her move around. It's fainting to feel her flip over and scoot around. 

I am still in shock from time to time that we are having a little girl. I pray she has her dad's calmness but a little but of my bold personality!!

I guess that is all that is on my mind today!  I know I have promised pictures but we have a little more re arranging to do in the nursery and then I will upload some pictures!  

I hope this post finds you all well! 

EQ

Final trimester!!!

I have been a TERRIBLE blogger throughout my pregnancy. I love these women who give their monthly updates with their weight and newest cravings or symptoms. I was going to be "that girl" but somehow the weeks kept getting away from me. I guess it's a sign that this pregnancy has been going to fairly quickly.

My last post was at 19 weeks and there have been a lot of changes since then. I'm officially 27 weeks 1 day and that means I'm FINALLY in my 3rd trimester 😊. Some of my less desirable symptoms (nose bleeds, gum bleeding, migraines and vomiting) have all but gone away... THANK GOODNESS!!!  Now I am dealing with back pain, left leg numbness, mild abdominal pains from time to time and still the constant need to pee, lol. All for a good cause I guess! 

I posted this picture in Facebook last night with the caption " pregnancy finally has a purpose! I have somewhere to put my popcorn, lol" 

I'm sure all of you know by now but we found out about 5 ish weeks ago that we are expecting a little girl!  Although it came as quite a shock to both of us since we were both convinced it was a boy, we are both VERY excited!!  We are naming her Afton Rebecca Quillon. 

This is our most recent ultrasound picture. As of a month ago she was rear end down and totally folded in half. Dr said he is not concerned about her position bc she has plenty of time to turn before my due date. Crossing my fingers she is not stubborn. 

This is the ultrasound picture we had taken to find out her gender! She has the CUTEST little profile 😄. During this ultrasound she kept sticking her knee in her eye so we only got one good profile picture. 

I finally took an updates bump picture!  I was almost 27 weeks in this picture. I won't lie. I may hate being pregnant but I am going to miss maternity clothes!  

My mom has been in Virginia for the past 10 days and we have had a wonderful time. We went to Virginia Beach for an afternoon and we both got terribly sunburned. But, we had a blast. It was so nice to get away for a day. We have made Afton 5 blankets, a crib bumper and a crib quilt. 

I need to get pictures of the blankets we made!  Once we finish getting her room put together I will get pictures of her nursery. It's going to be so cute!!!

I think that's all the baby updates. Paul and I are doing well. Paul got home from northern Virginia yesterday. He was in a police motorcycle competition and came home with 1st place in his expert BMW division and 10th out of 78 overall!  I'm so proud of him. This has been such a busy summer so far with Paul's work. He has a 2 week class he is taking in Colorado (😒) but then I think it's going to be pretty low key until the baby is due. 

Several people have asked me if I am still working... Yes I'm still working for now. My plan is to have either the 17th or the 21st of October as my last day of work. Paul and I will have to iron things out sometime this next week. Believe it or not I have to sit down with my boss next Wednesday and give her my plan for before and after the baby is born so she can hire someone to fill my shift. 

I guess I have rambled on long enough. I'll end my post with a picture of my niece lily!  She will be 8 weeks old on sept 8th. 

I ❤️ her!!!!!

19 weeks and counting!

I hit my 19 weeks mark today in my pregnancy.  Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last update.  I cannot believe in 1 week I will be at my 1/2 way mark.  It feels amazing to be this far into my pregnancy :)

I have realized a few things over the past month while I reflect on how life has changed in the past 19 weeks and how I am handling the inevitable upcoming changes...  Whoever wrote those pregnancy books out there have obviously never had a baby.  I read through those books and laugh bc it describes NOTHING that I am going through.  I'll never forget reading one of the books I was given and it was discussing how to handle morning sickness while at work.  It suggested that if you feel the need to throw up while at your desk to just "pretend you are looking for something in your purse or pretend to be throwing something away and then get sick in a zip lock bag and then discard the bag".... UMMM, WHAT?  I have never silently thrown up.  Good for those women out there who can hide it.  Comment on this blog and tell me how you do it! I have also found myself so overwhelmed with things that we need to think about when it comes to the birth... such as... does Paul want to cut the umbilical cord?  I guess I just assumed the dad would jump on the opportunity but now that it's a reality I need to ask him.  On my birth plan list it asks if I want the umbilical cord cut before or after it stops pulsing.... Lord have mercy, I have no idea.  Do I want the baby handed to me before or after the nurses clean it off and weigh it... I guess all I know FOR SURE is that I want to birth this baby in a hospital, I want an epidural and I want the doctors to do what they feel is safe and necessary for the baby.  I work in the medical field and I cannot stand it when someone tries to tell me how to do my job.  I had to tell the wife of a patient of mine a few weeks ago that I have been doing this job for 12 years and to have a little faith in my skills... so I want to extend the same courtesy to my birthing team. 

I am finally starting to prep for this baby!  I was at the Dr on Thursday and was very disappointed that they had not scheduled my ultrasound for that day to find out what we are having so that will have to wait until July 30 but I was thrilled to hear that heartbeat and happy that it sounded great and was beating at 146 bpm.  I love knowing that Baby Q is healthy.  I am very anxious for our next ultrasound b/c not only will we know the gender but we will be able to find out if baby is given a clean bill of health.  Crossing my fingers for all good news!  Dr. Arnold told me that he thinks I have an anterior placenta which means the placenta is attached to the front of my uterus and not the back.  Apparently my sister has the same thing but she is carrying the baby so high that it's apparently not a concern.  Dr. A also said I am carrying this baby really low and from what I read online it looks like there is a small chance that the placenta could be blocking the exit.  That means they would do a C-section and in all honesty... that is TOTALLY fine by me!  My sister in law Kaylyn gave me some online coupon codes yesterday and I had a little shopping spree :)  Pretty much the codes allowed me to only pay for shipping which was $12.95 per store but the item was free.  I ordered 10 nursing pads that are washable (I have read mixed reviews on washable nursing pads but if they work, it will save on us having to buy throw away ones).  I ordered a baby sling that grows with the baby, I ordered a car seat cover and finally a nursing cover.  By the time the baby comes I hope to have several nursing covers.  I love the idea of nursing but I have NO desire to have anyone... AND I MEAN ANYONE looking at my boobs :)  I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my last post but we ordered our crib!  It's still tucked away in it's box but at least we have it!  I know some couples get the nursery set up early in the pregnancy but I think I want to wait.  My mom is coming in October for my baby shower so I'm thinking that will be a great time to get the crib set up and some shopping done :)  It's a month before the baby is due which seems like a great time to put the nursery together.  We are waiting to complete and post our baby registry until we know if it's a boy or girl but we are SUPER excited to get our registry done! 

Quick update from my last Dr apt.  I have gained 1 lb so far and the only things I ever really crave is steak and spicy food, lol.  I have had 1 migraine in the past 2 weeks which is a welcomed change.  I cannot say for sure but I think I have started feeling the baby bump around the past 3 days.  Thursday I started feeling this little nudge on my lower left side and that is where the feeling continues to be.  It's not all the time.  2-3 times a day i'll feel it several times in a row.  The area seems right since the dr always hears the heart rate best on my left side.  I'm anxious to see as the week progresses if the feeling get's more intense.  Several women have said that their pregnancy anxiety decreases when they start feeling the baby kick bc it's a sign that everything is healthy.  I'm agreeing with them on this. 

I have honestly found that swimming suit shopping was more fun this summer than it's ever been b/c I KNOW I'm not suppose to have a flat tummy and I KNOW that it's ok for my thighs to not be what they use to be.  It was a struggle b/c I had to go up a size in swimming suits but my chest has not gotten much bigger so I had a hard time finding a suit that had a top that fit well.  I was successful though and I have really enjoyed spending my time at the pool! 

When I found out I was pregnant my sister was 25 weeks pregnant and now her  baby is due in 2 days.  Makes me realize how fast the next 21 weeks are going to go :)  Bring it on, I'm ready!

Well, that's all I have for now!

EQ

12 weeks!

Well, I have hit week 12 in my pregnancy.  The best part about week 12 is knowing I only have 1 week left until the end of my first trimester!  WOO HOO! 

I am surprised by several things right now.  1) just how quickly the past 12 weeks have really gone.  2) how pregnancy is NOTHING like I thought it would be :)  and 3) how my husband is MORE amazing than I thought he was already. 

The past couple weeks have been really rough.  My migraines have only gotten worse and it's made the nausea even worse.  Poor Paul has taken over pretty much everything that I did before the symptoms started.  I can honestly say I have folded 1/2 a load of laundry the past 2 week, we have a brand new vacuum that is apparently amazing... I say apparently b/c I have yet to use it.  He's done all the dishes and makes sure that I come home from work to a nice clean apartment.  I could not ask for a more supporting and loving companion.  How blessed am I?  I know so many husbands out there who would (without being asked) take on most of the household responsibilities.  Thanks babe for all you do!

We have our next Dr. Apt 2 weeks from tomorrow.  I am so anxious to hear the heart beat again!  I believe we will find out the gender at our apt the end of June.  The first ultrasound looked like a little spot.  I am so anxious for the next ultrasound so we can actually see a baby :) My sister is currently 32 weeks pregnant and is STILL throwing up several times a day.... crossing my fingers that is not me!  I would like to point out though that my "baby bump" is bigger at 12 weeks than hers was at 22 weeks, lol.  What in the heck am I going to look like at 22 weeks! 

We bought our crib today!!!!!  It's funny b/c I have really had no desire to buy baby clothes or anything baby related yet.  I think once we find out the gender we will both be on the hung for the "perfect this" and "perfect that".  Although I was going to hold off a few more months to buy a crib, I found a great deal on Amazon.com yesterday and Paul and I both thought it was a deal we could not pass up. 

Our BEST news of this post is that we have settled into our new apartment.  I have pictures on my phone and will try to get those posted sometime this week.  The apartment is wonderful.  We have new furniture for the living room and we have a new kitchen table and chairs.  It's like being on vacation.  Even though almost all of our neighbors have dogs, we never hear them unless we are in the stairwell area.  This apartment was such a blessing.  I am excited to see what our time here holds!

Well all, that's all the news I have to share for today :)  Until next time!

EQ

Excuse my rant...

 Morning sickness has been nothing but a huge suck fest and then there are the headaches...

I totally understand that you should limit the "toxic" medications that you put into your body and believe me when I say I do not want my baby coming out with a 3rd eye or a tiny tail... but how on earth am I expected to function on a daily basis when there are people EVERYWHERE ready and willing to throw their opinion at me about how terrible it is that I am putting Tylenol into my body or that I am actually allowing my Dr to put me on medication for these pain in the butt migraines.  I'd like to point out that I have honestly tried alternative ways to manage my headaches.... including pressure points, heat, ice, chiropractic adjustments, increasing my water, decreasing my caffeine, sleeping more, hot showers, luke warm baths, buying a massage pillow, switching pillows and I'm sure the list could continue.  I am not in a position right now where I can up and quit my job and I cannot spend every day off between now and who knows when the pain will stop, laying in bed in tears with my zip lock bags b/c the headaches make keeping the food that my zofran actually allows me to eat down virtually impossible.  I do appreciate every ones concern but please understand that not everyone has the same pain threshold.  And, a bad headache is NOT a migraine... God bless you if you have never had a true migraine.  I knew when I got pregnant that my headaches would either get worse or better... I prayed for better (obviously) but instead, they got worse. Yay me!

End of rant!

Ok, so on a lighter note :)  WE ARE MOVED!  Wednesday was moving day for us and it went off without a hitch.  Our amazing Missionaries met us at our new apartment and between the two of them and Paul, they were able to get everything up 3 flights of stairs and I did not have to lift a finger.  I did have to help Paul load the truck but we had a dolly that was such a life saver for the both of us.  Our apartment is wonderful.  It's right at 1000 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, decent size kitchen and I have to say I LOVE having a bath tub again.  As soon as we get the spare bedroom put together and finish unpacking our boxes (hopefully by Tuesday) I will take pictures and post them.  Yesterday our furniture was delivered.  Our living room looks amazing with our new couch and love seat and the dining room has a purpose now that we have a kitchen table.  Paul and I decided to go with the tall table and chairs so Harley could not rest his head on our knees and beg for food during dinner.  We had friends over for dinner last night and it was humorous to watch how frustrated he got once he realized he could not get all up in our space.  Poor puppy!  Speaking of Harley... I have to admit that he has had a difficult year.  He went from living in the Lake house for 2 1/2 years and loving it there to being moved to a basement that he hated to now being in our apartment that he is REALLY unsure of.   Nothing is familiar to him besides his bed.  When we moved in we bought new bedding so our bedroom no longer smells like our bedroom.  Hopefully within the next couple weeks he will settle in and realize that this is his new home :) 

Baby Q is apparently the size of a green olive right now.  I am not really showing quite yet.  I will take my 10 wk 1 day picture on Monday and post that one along with my 8 wk 1 day pic on my next post.  None of my pants fit and I am noticing my scrub tops are getting a little snug around the waste.  I will probably be ordering maternity scrub tops in about a month so i am more comfortable at work. We have an apt tomorrow morning at 9:20 and I really hope we are able to hear the heart beat this time. My first ultrasound was so early we were not able to hear it.  That would be such a nice sound right about now.  Just knowing that everything sounds good and healthy :) 

Well, I guess I will go. I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy!

EQ

The happenings of our home!

Who's a big huge slacker??  MEEEEE!!!!  That's right.  It's been almost a year since my last blog update! How in the world is that even possible???  I guess I have some catching up to do :)

I believe the last update was regarding our house being sold and us moving.  I will start from there, lol. 

I believe our family theme for the past 12 months should be "Ideal Timing". 

When we found out the closing date on our house was May 16th, 2013, we were BEYOND ecstatic!  Recap: It had taken us over 2 years to sell our house so we were feeling a huge weight being removed when we went to the loan office to sign the house over to the young man who is going to marry my sister-in-law Randi in a little over a month.  As soon as we knew the date we would need to be out of the Lake Monticello house, we started looking for housing.  For anyone who is familiar with Charlottesville, it's full of rich people and rich college students (I swear, it's nothing more than boat shoes, dockers and blazers, lol) so rent in this town is ridiculous.... and that's if you DON'T have a dog.  We started thinking and it came to us that maybe would could possibly watch Paul's parents house for them while they were serving their Mission... and the best part is, they were leaving the first week of May so they could transition out and we could transition in.  After some lengthy discussion, we all decided it would be a deal for all parties involved.  So.... we have spent the past 11 months maintaining the home while his parents serve The Lord!  We could not have asked for better timing.  Now their mission is coming to an end which means it's time for us to move out and take on the responsibilities of being adults again such as rent, blah blah blah.  That takes us back to the issue we ran into a year ago... the cost of rent.  Booo!  I jumped online and started looking at what a 1 bedroom apartment would cost us with our dog and I about fell over.  How on earth could someone charge us $1000 a month for a tiny apartment?!?!?!  After my amazing husband did some research and spoke to a few officers that he works with we found out about an amazing deal at an apartment complex 10 minutes from where we live now.  With what they are charging us for rent, I told Paul I did not care if it was in the "Ghetto" of Charlottesville!!!  SOLD!  We submitted our application and deposit and we are THRILLED to say we are moving in April 23rd!  This is the part that I get excited about b/c I pride myself on being a professional packer/mover :)  At least typically it is my favorite part but I have zero energy right now so the basement officially looks like we are hoarders, lol.  Why do I have no energy you ask???  Because I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!  That's right, baby Quillon is expected to arrive the week of Thanksgiving 2014 :) :) :)  We are BEYOND thrilled. 

Yep, there is our little peanut :)  My official due date is November 23 but the babies size is saying November 26.  Either way, we are going to have a busy Thanksgiving week!  And, tons to be thankful for! 

Several of my friends have asked me the "how did this happen" question.  I always laugh and want to say "when a man and a woman love each other..."  but I hold my tongue and say it was a lot of work and a lot of dedication. 

For those of you who are not aware, Paul and I have battled infertility for the past 3 1/2 years.  It has been quite the journey.  When we got married we knew we wanted to have a family but months and months went by and nothing happened.  After a good 3 years of "leaving it in the Lords hands" I mentioned it to my Dr at an apt and she suggested I try Clomid which is a fertility drug that tries to force your body to ovulate if you are not already.  Paul and I discussed it and decided it would be a good course of action.  What could it hurt, right?.  But, before Dr. Owens wanted me to start the Clomid, she wanted to do a laparoscopy to take a look at my uterus, etc to make sure everything looked healthy since I had complained of symptoms similar to those found in Endometriosis patients.  During surgery she did find Endo and it was successfully removed.  That was in September 2013 and I started the Clomid that month.  It was strange having my Dr be so honest with her.  She said my body was in it's "prime" after surgery so we needed to go the birth control rout to preserve my newly perfected uterus or we needed to get on the Clomid and do a 6 month round.  It was a big decision that we needed to make in a moments notice b/c Clomid is allllll about schedule.  Paul came to my work and we discussed it in our parking lot before he left for work.  We agreed we would try the Clomid.  Every month I had to take 5 pills on certain days and then on day 21 of all this mess you get to have your blood drawn.  Each month my Dr would call and say how happy she was with my levels and she kept saying how "confident" she was that this would work... and yet for 5 months I was terribly disappointed.  Then February came.  My Dr had accidentally written me for an extra month of Clomid so when I was getting ready to start taking my pills for the 6th month I realized I had a 7th month worth of pills.  Hmmmm..... what to do with this extra month.  Since Dr. O did not want me on the pills more than 6 months, there was only 1 option that made sense in my mind.  Double my dose.  So... that's exactly what I did.  I typically took 50 mg on days 5-9 of my cycle and in February I took 100 mg on days 3-7.  I felt like such a risk taker, lol.  The end of February came and now it was the waiting game.  March 13th I took a pregnancy test and it was VERY faintly positive.  I did not want to jump the gun and get Paul all excited over nothing so I kept testing for the next 3 days and finally told Paul on March 17th which ironically was his favorite holiday!  St. Patricks day!  I am officially 8 weeks pregnant tomorrow and we cannot express how crazy excited we are!!!!!!!  For those of you who have asked, yes I am experiencing morning sickness.  My Dr wrote me a script for Zofran on Thursday and it's doing a fantastic job.  This is another reason why I am thankful I am not a pioneer!  Crossing the country while throwing up is NOT my idea of a good time :)  God bless those women who did!

Well, I think I will call this post good for now!  Now that we have things going on other than the day to day grind, I will do a better job of keeping this darn thing updated! 

LQ