Happy Birthday, Emily!

I forgot to do my usual quick post 

on her actual birthday, September 15, so...

HAPPY {belated} BIRTHDAY to my niece, EMILY TAYLOR!!!

Last Saturday we went to her 5th birthday party at my sis-in-law's in Concord. The theme was the movie Tangled and, oh, so cute!!

Cassy, Emily (with "Rapunzel hair"!) and friends painting

Em & La La's artwork

Lauren coloring with the rest of the little girls

"Pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider"

Learning to "Walk like a princess"

My turn {I was trying to sit down... I failed!}

Looking so grown up by her amazing cake!

Jello & orange "boat" snacks

After all the kids left, we had some nice family time with the girls, Cassy, Will, Deb "Nonny" & Phil "Pop Pops".

The Tangled dress we got her

Lauren showing off her gymnastic skills

I love this picture & everyone in it!!!

Lamb Chops and French Toast

After Emily's party last Saturday, we headed into Charlotte to my cousin Lucas and his girlfriend's new apartment. It was nice to finally meet Laela, who prepared an incredible dinner for us: lamb chops, rice, zucchini & yellow squash, and salad! Luke had asked Perry to teach him how to build his own computer, so the guys worked on that all night while the girls just talked! We had a wonderful time visiting them. We were their 1st overnight guests- thanks for having us! I'm sad I didn't get any pictures though :(

In the morning, Perry & I woke up early and went another part of Charlotte to my friend Sara Almond's new place! She moved there from Cary for a better job opportunity and I miss her. We ate breakfast at Eddie's Place- we all ordered the french toast! I thoroughly enjoyed mine with hot cocoa, bacon & grits and finished Perry's hashbrowns! After a tour of her apartment, Sara had to finish getting ready for the Panther's game so we left for home. It was so good to see her, even for just a short visit! Pics from Sara's iPhone:

Happy Birthday, Paul!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my step-dad, PAUL!!!

The lucky guy is celebrating with my Mom in Hawaii right now!

Doctor's Appointment at 23 Weeks

We had a good appointment this morning. Perry & I got to meet one of the other physicians in the practice (there are 4 that could potentially be with us at delivery, but until today, I had only seen my normal doctor). We liked her!

A Few Stats

Baby
Due date: no change
Heart Rate: 135-155 with good variability 

Mom
Fundal Height: 24 centimeters {right on track- it should be the # of weeks pregnant +/- 2cm}

Weight Gain: My weight today was exactly the same as it was at my last appt, FOUR weeks ago!!! Still up 15 lbs. How in the world?? {I'm pretty sure my scale at home has been going up.} The doctor seemed a little concerned but Gabriel's size is right on track, so we'll just watch it closely. She did give me an answer for the total recommended weight gain, 25-35 lbs. Perry predicts that in the next 2 months, I will gain a lot = the State Fair and Thanksgiving!
Vital Signs: blood pressure 111/60's, heart rate 80

23 Weeks

How far along: 23 weeks (yesterday, September 22, 2011)

Size of baby: 

Photo Credit: Baby Center

Interesting Facts: Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango^), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when she hears them outside the womb.
     Credit: Baby Center

Maternity Clothes: At this very moment, I'm wearing a pair of my regular jeans!!! Granted, I am pretty uncomfortable. And they are unbuttoned and only zipped 1/3 of the way. But they still fit everywhere else so I'm soaking it up! I only wore them to run some errands and will soon change into pajama pants.

Gender: BOY!!! 

Movement: He is still active but not quite as much kicking as last week. He bounces around in there for several seconds at a time! And does somersaults!!

Sleep: Sleeping great lately!

Symptoms: Round ligament pain; Still bad back pain but thankfully it's off & on now; Trouble formulating complete sentences with the right words! At the self-checkout at the grocery store today, I told Perry "I skipped scanning" after scanning a watermelon, then "I mean, you can put it in the box" ??? He just kept looking at me {waiting for me to make sense?} and asked "did you scan it?". What I meant to say was "I skipped bagging, so you don't have to set it in the bagging area. You can put it in the cart". We got a good laugh!

Other Notes: I have accepted the fact that my belly button is going to be an outie {they used to gross me out. I knew a girl in kindergarten who's bb stuck out like an inch!!}

Cravings: Watermelon. Apples.

Best moment of the week: Spending last weekend in Concord/Charlotte= our niece's 5th birthday party on Saturday afternoon, hanging out (and eating a delicious dinner!) with my cousin Luke and his girlfriend, Laela, at their new apartment, then going out for breakfast with Sara and seeing her new apartment!!!

What we are looking forward to: The first day of Fall and another doctor's appointment today; the NC State Fair next month!

23 week belly picture:

P-dub's B-day

August 25th
First thing in the morning... a silly surprise in the bathroom!

 

Later that afternoon... presents & "cake"!

Testing out his new drill press

Tools for school

Gentleman's choice = Dirt Cake

{The water bottle beside him was a gift, too. It's double insulated with a screw off top for cleaning/filling with ice and a top like a soda bottle! Ooh aah}

In mid-August, my Mom hosted an August Birthday family dinner (as she does for everyone's birthdays!). The "guests of honor"- Perry and my stepsister Jessica, who's birthday was earlier in the month.

Taking turns blowing out their candles ("2" and 7 for Perry, "3" and 3 for Jessica)

I'm happy to have grown up with Perry & now be growing old with him ;)

22 weeks

How far along: 22 weeks (September 15, 2011)

Size of baby:

Photo Credit: The Bump

Photo Credit: Baby Center

Interesting Facts: At 11 inches, the length of a spaghetti squash^ (or papaya, pictured first, according to The Bump) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.
     Credit: BabyCenter & The Bump

Maternity Clothes: Yes. I'm loving my new maternity skinny jeans {that sounds contradictory to me- hah!}. Still able to wear quite a few of my regular tops. For work, my Mom gave me some larger scrubs in case I need them! A few tops are getting tight (scrubs have no "give" to them!) and a couple pairs of pants drive me crazy because they sit too high on my belly! 

Gender: BOY!!!

Movement: Yes, loving it! I have a pretty good idea of his sleep cycles now. Perry has felt his movement a lot more, too!

What I miss: Deli meat.

Sleep: I said it before and I'll say it again. Sleep is good! 

Symptoms: Dry, itchy skin and all the same as last week- Stiff, aching pain in my hips, especially after 3 nights of work; Round ligament pain; The worst is the pain in my sacrum that I found to be called "posterior pelvic pain". Add in a mood swing and... yeah {sorry babe!}

Other Notes: My belly button is definitely going to be an outie, probably very soon! I'm not really thrilled about this. But no sign of stretch marks {yay!!!}

Cravings: I'm not craving anything in a gotta-have-it way.

What we are looking forward to: The hospital's labor & birth class that I signed us up for in December!; Really getting started decorating the nursery; Talking all things Baby Shower with my Mom {when she gets back from Hawaii, that is... jealous!}

22 week belly pictures:
First I'm not paying any attention to Perry with the camera...

...Then I notice him pointing it at me and *blush* ♥

A Blog-Worthy Night

I generally do not blog about happenings at work, but last night was a blog-worthy night.

I wish I could go into all the juicy details (and there's lots!), but I can't shouldn't. In a nutshell, a doctor threw a fit about something that I have no control over whatsoever as a nurse and ultimately affected the care my patient received. It was absolutely ridiculous. This doctor made me SO mad, I actually found my voice and stood up for myself and more importantly for my patient who I am an advocate for!!! {I'm usually very timid and afraid to step on anyone's toes... you'll notice this theme again...}. We went back & forth for a good 5 minutes on the phone. Bummer, it got me no where. I immediately informed my charge nurse and over the course of the night/morning, I spoke with 5 people different people in 4 different areas of the patient care team, 3 of which are supervisors/managers! As professionally and neutrally as I could as to not bash the doctor, I explained the situation to my patient and thankfully he/she understood. I must have kept apologizing because I remember them saying "I know it's not your fault, Lauren". I'm sure I will hear more of the incident in the near future... goodie.

So after all that, I went down to the cafeteria with 2 other nurses to get "lunch". I ordered a BLT from the grill. The "chef" rolled her eyes at me, probably because BLT is not on the every day menu; it is offered on occasion as a "grill special". I get it a lot {remember, I've been craving bacon lately!} and it's never been a problem. All that is involved is throwing 2 pieces of bread with butter on the grill and putting a few strips of already-cooked-sitting-under-the-warmer bacon on it. Shredded lettuce & tomato slices are kept on the self-serve condiments bar so I do that part myself; when it's the "special", the "chef" has leaf lettuce & tomato slices and makes the whole sandwich for you. Big difference, huh? While my toast was cooking along with several other people's orders, the "chef" went over to work on something else behind the counter. I watched her handle raw bacon then put some pans into the sink and wash them out... I kept thinking to myself, "She's going to change her gloves, she's going to change her gloves" but tried to come up with the nicest thing to say in case she didn't. Sure enough, she walked back to the grill and continued preparing food without changing her gloves!!!!!! Now the pressure's on for me to speak up. I kept praying that she would just use tongs to serve my bacon, but no. I started to speak just as her hand went in. I think I got out "Um, could you just--" when she said "What, hun?" and I chickened out and said "Uh-- Never mind". I took the plate from her. I was disgusted by my BLT and frustrated with myself.

I did not realize anyone else noticed, but Vivian, one of the nurses I work with, was standing next to me and picked up on the whole thing. She was lucky and ordered tater tots that were served with tongs! I went on ahead through the checkout line and paid for my nasty BLT. Jamie, my friend & the other nurse with us, suggested I microwave the bacon when we got back to our floor. But when Vivian met up with us, she said she'd take it back for me! The cashier approached us so we told her what was wrong- and I BURST into tears!!! She was really nice & made me a fresh BLT herself. Seriously? I cried over a sandwich. That was my first silly, pregnancy-hormone related breakdown. It didn't take me long at all to start laughing and crying. A few minutes later, I was all better! The sad thing is the cashier said "Sure baby, no problem. Just don't mention anything, you know she's got a big mouth". Well, I have already left a message for their manager to contact me because that cross-contamination is NOT okay.

In addition to that, I was:
*cussed out/yelled at/verbally abused by a patient several times
*fussed at by a pharmacist. First I wasn't 100% sure I had done the right thing but I searched through my saved e-mails and found where my manager specifically instructed us to do what I did... I called her back to tell her this, but she was still unhappy. I wanted to say "Take it up with SOMEONE ELSE!!!"

I'm so glad to have tonight off.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -Jesus [[John 16:33]]

Where Were You?

Where were you when the world stopped turning 

on that September day?

Were you in the yard with your wife and children

Or working on some stage in L.A.?

Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke

Risin' against that blue sky?

Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor

Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don't know?

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below?

Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue

And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself and what really matters?

-Alan Jackson-

 10 years.
In remembrance of the passengers, WTC employees, first responders, innocent bystanders, and everyone affected by the events that took place on September 11, 2001.

I will never forget.

God bless the USA!

Decals

Friday afternoon I had to attend a 2-hr class at work. Right before leaving the house I asked Perry if he wanted to come with me... so he did! We grabbed breakfast then I dropped him off at the mall. When I finished at the hospital, I met him back there. He surprised me with a family of stick people for the back of my car!

I LOVE them!!!!

We walked around and did a little shopping together. I found 2 cute tops on sale at Destination Maternity. A lady in the mall told us that Forever 21 started carrying a small selection of maternity clothes- who knew?! There definitely was not a lot to chose from, but I got my first ever pair of skinny jeans and some leggings! Then we headed to Target. Perry found a really nice light purple button-up and 2 pairs of shorts on sale for less than $7 each! {That man could wear shorts all year long so it doesn't matter that summer is almost over}.

21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks (September 8, 2011)
*Since I'm in the 2nd half of my pregnancy now, I want to start doing weekly updates as opposed to every two weeks!

Size of baby:

Photo Credit: The Bump

Interesting Facts: Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. He now measures approximately 7 inches* long and can weigh up to 13 ounces {*The Bump & my BabyBump phone app have quite a different length for 21w= 10.5"}.
      In the coming weeks, your baby will continue to grow and mature at a fast rate. The hair on his scalp is more visible and by week 21 he has probably developed eyelashes and eyebrows! He is waking and sleeping in regular intervals, which you may be able to tell from his movements. He is also swallowing amniotic fluid to help his digestive system mature for life in the "outside world". His intestines also start slowly relaxing and contracting this week.
     Notice any small, repetitive movements in your abdomen? It may be his first case of the hiccups! Usually, these movements occur for a few minutes at a time. As your baby grows larger, these movements will feel stronger. And remember, all babies are different, some hiccup multiple times a day, and others, only once in awhile.
     Credit: Planning Family

Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but still wearing some regular tops.

Gender: BOY!!!!!!!!

Movement: Sometimes, when I am completely relaxed, Gabriel "comes to the surface" of my uterus/abdomen. It's the coolest thing!!! Instead of just feeling his kicks through my smooth, rounded belly, I feel {and see!} a big bulge- I think it's his head and/or body, right underneath my skin- like he's right in the palm of my hand!

What I miss: I can't think of anything new. Still missing cold cuts.

Sleep: Okay. Still needing a lot. Still waking up on my stomach on occasion. 

Symptoms: Stiff, aching pain in my hips, especially after 3 nights of work; Tightness and cramps in my lower abdomen & sides... "round ligament pain"?; Bleeding gums; Sharp pain in my sacrum continues.

Cravings: Bacon?!

21 week belly picture:

20 weeks... HALFWAY!!!

How far along: 20 weeks (September 1, 2011)

Size of baby: 

Photo Credit: The Bump

Interesting Facts: Week 19- Your baby is now around the size of a large tomato. He is approximately 6 inches long and weighs almost 8 1/2 ounces now! This is a very important time in terms of sensory development. Inside your baby’s brain, certain areas are being specialized for smell, touch, taste, hearing and vision. Another big development in the last week, hair may finally be sprouting from his scalp. By 19 weeks, the uterus is developed in the female and the testes and penis are easily identifiable in males.
   Week 20- Your baby is now about the length of a cantaloupe^. Can you believe it? He is now around 6 ½ inches long and weighs almost 10 1/2 ounces! {*Gabe already surpassed this at 11 oz. at 19 weeks!}. Your baby can also hear sounds. At 20 weeks, he can cover his ears with his hands if the sounds are too loud and he may even "jump" inside your womb if any sounds startle him.
     He is also moving around a lot inside you. Remember, if this is your first pregnancy or if you have a larger frame, you may not yet feel these movements. If you haven’t felt anything yet, you should in the coming weeks. Many times, these first movements are described as a flutter, or may feel like bubbles or gas. If you can feel your baby moving and shifting inside of you this week, you may be becoming aware of her sleep cycles.
     Credit: Planning Family

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but I was impressed that I wore a pair of my regular shorts out & about, completely unbuttoned and unzipped! I haven't bought one of those Belly Bands yet, so my long cami tanks come in handy.

Gender: little BOY!!!!!!!! Gabriel Turner :)

Movement: Baby Gabriel is active for a few hours starting ~2-3:00am! In the middle of the night on Sunday, August 21st, I felt a kick on my hand for the first time!!!! I had to work the next night, but then that Tuesday night, Perry felt two kicks!!!!!! I sensed that he was half awake so I took his hand and put it on my stomach... wait... wait... Did you feel it?!! What a cool, unforgettable moment!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.

Symptoms: Achy back in general, plus sharp pains way down at my sacrum; leg cramps; easily fatigued and short of breath; hunger!

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best moment of the week: Celebrating my man's birthday; Seeing our little man again on ultrasound; getting confirmation that what-was-stressing-me-out last week is no longer a worry- it completely went away! God gets all the credit. It was not a little thing, I can tell you that.

What we are looking forward to: Painting the nursery; The second 1/2 of the pregnancy!!!; Fall.

20 week belly picture: