What a Wonderful Christmas!!

Christmas this year was fantastic! I enjoyed every second of spending time with family and friends but the holidays definitely flew by! I got to see Amber on Wednesday; she was in from New York and brought her super sweet boyfriend Kenny. Thursday morning we woke up and spent Christmas Eve with Eric's family. We got such awesome gifts and baby Graham racked up on some goodies. I woke up Christmas morning and drove to Florence at 4 am when Eric woke up for work. I just don't see how he does it every 3rd day! I was fighting sleep the entire time, and I had to pee about 20 minutes into the drive. I get to Cullman, and of course no gas stations are open. I get to Moulton, and of course no gas stations are open there. As I start to panic, I call Eric to ask if it would be inappropriate to go behind a building (he yelled at me for thinking that would be safe haha). I look in my rear view mirror, and I see blue lights behind me. GREAT! I am getting pulled over! This very country, overweight cop saunters up to my window and says, "sweetie, whatcha doing out this early?" I explain that my husband who is a firefighter had to work on Christmas Eve, so I was driving to Florence to spend the holiday with my family, and that I was pregnant and desperately needed to use the restroom. He said "honey, you aint goin anywhere here. Theys all closed. I can let you in City Hall if you need it or you can hold it 30 more miles." He told me I was going 70mph down through town and needed to keep that little baby safe and slow it down, and let me go. Thank the Lord! I have never been pulled over before this incident, and I definitely did not want to ruin my Christmas! I don;t know if it was the fact that I had a firefighter tag, was pregnant, was driving on Christmas, had to pee, or a combo of all of these things, but that sweet little Moulton cop made my day! I think he felt sorry for me. After safely arriving to Florence, I had another fantastic day of giving and receiving, and especially enjoyed spoiling Graham even more. Here are just a few of the many precious things he got from people, but Graham says thanks to all of his family for thinking of him!! He LOVED everything!!

Yesterday I got to go and see Robin and Jared's new angel, Reese. She is 2 weeks old and is absolutely precious! Eric, my mom, and I all got to hold her and she was so good- she basically just slept while we ooed and aahed at how beautiful she was. It made me even more ready to see my little tot! Krystal tried so hard to hear or feel him all weekend but he was being silly and would not cooperate. She even had her stethoscope out mashing all over my belly, but I think all she heard was all of my Christmas food sloshing around that I had eaten haha! He kicks all day long, so I know Eric and everyone else will feel him very soon! I also got to see my pregnant friend Beth Sunday at her baby shower! I love sharing these special moments with other pregnant friends. SPEAKING OF, I have always wanted to be pregnant at the same time as my best friend. After waiting rather impatiently for this to happen for 6 months, I can finally say that Lesley and I are pregnant together! I could not be more excited right now; every time I think about it I cannot stop smiling! She is probably about 8 weeks and got to see that precious little baby this morning on the ultrasound! So CONGRATS Les, I love you and wish you a very easy pregnancy with NO morning sickness!

Healthy little man!!

We had a fantastic day today!! We went to UAB this morning to the Dept. of Genetics to have our genetic counselling appt. This was a referral from our doctor due to Eric's brother having a rare form of dwarfism called Seckel's Syndrome. Eric and I had to watch an educational video on amniocentesis, which I had opted out of from the beginning of my pregnancy. No Thank you, I do not want a needle stuck in my stomach dangerously close to my sweet little baby to find out whether or not he has a birth defect and risk a miscarriage. I understand why some mothers to be would want this done, but personally, I am at peace with what God has created inside of me. He cannot be changed, so I am content without the amnio!! After the video, Eric and I met with our Genetic Counsellor. We discussed Matt's condition in detail and the likelihood of our baby having Seckel's. I have already done plenty of research on the syndrome so I pretty much knew that she would reassure us that the chances are slim to non of him having it. The syndrome is so rare, and therefore there are very few carriers of the dominant gene in this world. It is likely that Eric is a carrier, but the chances of me being a carrier is like one in millions (maybe even billions). After the meeting, we got to go get a targeted, or level 3 ultrasound. A more qualified ultrasound tech and a maternal fetal medicine doctor performed this, and it was awesome!!!!! We got to see every nook and cranny of that little boy! His head and brain development was perfect, as was his heart and all limbs. He was even above average (59th percentile) in weight at 1.1 pounds! We got a great view of his side profile and could even see his little ears! So precious! I could have stayed there for hours watching him. He was a little stubborn when it came to showing his privates. Although we knew he was a little boy, it took some prodding and shaking to get him to move and unclench his thighs haha! I will post pics of the little guy as soon as I ge ta chance. I have to run and do some last minute Christmas shopping, and I am hoping these swollen feet won't get any worse tonight because I need to be productive!

Kicking and Fluttering!!!

I have always thought that the most amazing feeling in the world was being in love with my wonderful husband, being able to help people hear better everyday, kisses from my pups, relaxing with friends and family, and being inside Jordan-Hare stadium during a big win. I am adding a big one to my list: feeling Graham move around in my tummy. For the past few weeks, I have been feeling some weird sensations at odd times in my stomach, but I haven't been able to say for sure if it was Graham or not until about a week ago. The feeling is so hard to describe; it is almost like gas bubbles, or light thumping and it occurs around 3 or 4 pm and again at night when I am going to sleep. For the past two days I have also felt him rumbling around in there throughout the day while I am sitting still. The sense of relief I have now that he is moving is huge! I have proof, everyday, that my baby is still alive and well in my tummy and I don't have to wait once a month to verify this using the Dr's doppler. My tummy is growing daily and getting rock hard- I guess my pre-pregnancy pudge has migrated to other areas on my body! One monumental change is the appearance of my belly button. I have always had an innie that you would get lost inside of- until now. Eric pointed out the fact that my belly button now is so shallow that you can barely get a fingertip in it. I forsee the outie making its appearance any day now!

On an exciting note, one of my good friends will be a mommy within a week! It has been such a blessing to be able to share being pregnant with her, and I get goosebumps everytime I think that she is about to be a mom! it reminds me of how fast being pregnant flies by! I love you Robin, and I am praying daily for a perfect delivery! I cannot wait to see that sweet little girl! Below are some pics of my growing belly from 16 weeks to 20 weeks

16 weeks:

17 weeks:
19 weeks:

20.5 weeks:

We're Halfway There!!!!

Today marks the halfway point in my pregnancy- I am 20 weeks!!!!! I woke up singing the Bon Jovi song "Living On A Prayer" as I was getting ready for work, determined to have a wonderful day, and an unfortunate event occured. Since I am running out of work clothes more frequently nowadays, I decided to throw on one of my jersey dresses with a pair of tights and be comfortable today. I have never had an issue with pantyhose because I always have bought them a few sizes too big so it isn't an act of God to get them on. On this day, I was in for a rude awakening. I got to about my knees with my tights and the "give" in my once roomy tights were not "giving" any more. I finally got them to my hips and thought, "ok, the worst is over". Boy was I wrong. After much yanking and attempted stretching, my belly was tucked snugly inside my tight tights. I then reached down to slide on my flats and BAM, they rolled all the way down under my belly. So here I sit at work, with my pantyhose maxed out and rolled up under my belly, afraid my legs are losing all circulation. My lunch hour will be spent shopping for maternity hose! It is amazing how rapidly your body changes to accommodate for a baby! I know it varies from person to person, and I also know that it will be worth it in the end when Graham makes his appearance into the world!
My friends and family have been fantastic to Eric and I! They have sat on the phone and responded to my emails about nursery design, have gone to baby boutiques with me to ooh and aah over baby gear, and have even started getting baby Graham some goodies. Mom, Dad, Donna, Leo, Krystal, Lesley, and Lena have already shopped for my little man, and I LOVED every gift he has received so Thank You!
I am going to post updated belly pics so you all can see just how much Graham is growing!

IT'S A BOY!!

Last week my mother, mother in law, and I went to my 2nd trimester ultrasound! I was super excited to get to see the baby move around and even more anxious to find out what color I should be buying my little baby! The ultrasound started and of course the tech turns the screen away from the psycho pregnant lady until she is done with all of her measurements for the doctor (I repeatedly asked if there was a heartbeat and she ignored me! I was about to get a little angry and begin hyperventilating!). Finally she turns the screen to me and I was overwhelmed with love for this little alien in my tummy. It is so weird how overcome with emotions you get when you watch your baby inside of you; it is hard to imagine that something so tiny can mean so much to you but when you experience this the emotions are intense! She pointed out the skull, arms and legs and I even caught the tech once as she said "There is her little hand above her head!" I had studied up on ultrasounds, and I knew what to look for as far as gender prediction goes: 3 little lines for a girl, and the obvious "mushroom" shape for a boy. All of a sudden I saw 2 little legs kick up on the screen and my eyes immediately began scanning for "the part". I saw it! Even after I heard the tech slip up and call my baby a "her", I knew that the protrusion between those precious little legs was unmistakable: a baby boy.

I will honestly admit that although I truly thought I was having a boy, I really wanted a baby girl first. The primary reason for this was because Eric's family has not had a girl born in several generations and I just want to have one girl in my house full of boys haha! I quickly became excited that I was staring at a healthy, beautiful boy, and could not wait to go shopping! I called Eric as soon as I hopped off of that exam table (poor thing had to work all week out of town) and he answered with, "We are having a Greer aren't we?" and I said "Nope, a little baby Graham Hayes." He was so sweet as he came home Friday with a bag from my favorite baby store, Giggles and Coos in Auburn. He had picked out a few PRECIOUS outfits, a "lovie" blankie, and some hilarious "Tee Tee Tee Pee's". You set them on the wee-wee so you don't get pee everywhere when you change their diapers. Since this was my biggest complaint with boys (and men as well! Hit the target already haha!) I thought his gift was perfect! Now that tiny closet will quickly be filled with the cutest outfits I can find!

I am so blessed right now. This Thanksgiving is going to be fantastic as we get to share our excitement about Graham Hayes with our family and friends. I am so thankful for everything that God has provided me, even when I did not expect it! I cannot wait for Graham to get here- this pregnancy is flying by!

Pink or Blue?!?!?

The date has been set! FINALLY, after 18 weeks, I get to see if Baby Corscadden is going to be sporting pink or blue! This Thursday at 11am I get to have my 2nd trimester ultrasound! Unfortunately Eric is out of town all week for a fire certification course and won't get to be there to see the "goods" haha, but my mother and his mother are coming to the ultrasound with me. I felt so terrible when I scheduled the ultrasound on a day Eric could not be there, but I asked him if he would rather wait until the next available appointment (which was 2 weeks after) and he quickly said "No way! I cannot wait!". I am so anxious, and I pray that the little baby isn't shy! And if you thought the week could not get any better, I must mention that Friday is also a very important day for me! New Moon comes out in theaters, and Lesley, Krystal, Sarah and I will all be there! We have had tickets for 2 months now, and we are fully prepared to use my pregnancy as a handicap in order to get good seats haha! Don't think for a second I won't outrun those teen twi-nerds, poking my belly out as far as I can to make people move! I am thankful that the movie comes out this weekend because I am re-reading the Twilight series for the 5th time to get in the proper mindset, and this seems to be keeping me occupied so that I am not counting down the minutes until Thursday morning! Ill be sure to update my blog on Thursday or Friday with the gender!

My Canine Babies

Through all of the craziness and excitement of becoming new parents, I haven't really mentioned that I am actually already a proud mother of two children, Hank Randy and Paisley Jane. During my sophomore year at Auburn, Lesley and I took at trip to the Lee County Humane Society. It was there I fell in love with a little blonde mutt, then named "Arizona". Lesley and I told a little fib that I lived with her so that I was able to rescue the poor baby, and so motherhood began. Arizona was renamed Hank Randy after days of deliberation, and immediately became my partner in crime. Hank and I have been through everything together: eating bags of chocolate, extended potty training, break ups, roommate arguments, endless days at Keisel or Chewacla, hanging with our best friends, road trips, and many more memories. Hank is my first love, and if you have ever met Mr. Hanky, you know that he lives for one purpose only: to be with his mama. I am a huge animal lover, but I can say with confidence that Hank holds a special place in my heart and he knows it. In fact, when Eric came along, Hank was not exactly keen on another man being in my life (and he still struggles with this today). It was only natural for me to worry when I decided to get a great dane for Eric for his birthday. Once again, Lesley and I set out on a journey to a scary house in Birmingham to pick up my baby girl. We brought Jake for security (thank the Lord) and as we pulled up to the dark house with iron bars on the windows and no answer at the door, we wondered if we had made a mistake. Thankfully, we did not and brought home a 20 lb, 9 week old bundle of joy to suprise Eric. Paisley Jane loved her big brother Hank right from the start, and after a few weeks of pouting he realized that he was the big brother and would be the boss man and care taker of his little, giant sis. Paisley is beautiful, marbled with grey and black and now weighs 120 lbs. She actually believes that she is no bigger than a yorkie and loves to lay on top of me and nap.
Before I became pregnant, I always said that I had no idea how I could love anything more than the two babies I already have. I know that things change when you have a baby, and I must say that I am anxious about how Hank is going to handle the whole "new baby" thing ! It is crazy, but I have noticed that Paisley has become extremely protective of me lately. She has been great on walks by not dragging me down the street, and she even gets concerned when Hank tries to jump on my tummy! I am not worried about my gentle giant at all- great danes are known for being remarkably gentle around newborns and I feel that her temperament follows that exactly. I know Hank will be brave and become a great big brother again! It may take some coaxing on my part, but I have faith that he will understand that I still love him the same! I will wrap things up now, but I wanted you all to know a little about Baby Corscadden's big brother and sister! Have a great week!

Belly Pics!!!

I am 15 weeks today! Time is ticking by slowly as we will find out whether the baby is a boy or girl in the next few weeks. Thankfully, I am feeling so much more energetic, and although my headaches haven't disappeared, I am not as overwhelmed by the pain now! Everyone keeps asking whether I think the little tot is a boy or a girl, and I truly think that there is a little boy in there, however, I have always wanted a baby girl first! The lack of a female born into the Corscadden family in 3 generations hurts my chances a bit haha! Of course, I just want a healthy baby so either will be wonderful! Even though it is super early, I have been straining this week to feel the baby move. All of my pregnancy books say that around 15 weeks and afterwards you may start to feel "fluttering". Thus far, I haven't felt anything aside from a hungry growling belly! Unfortunately, I have a little extra padding on my tummy so I may not feel him/her for a few more weeks, but it doesn't hurt to try!

Ok, as promised, I am posting some weekly pics of my growing tummy! Although I am not exactly fond of sharing my flab with the world, I want you to see the growing baby! Here you go:

8 Weeks:

10 weeks:

11 Weeks:

12 weeks:

14.5 weeks:

Decisions, Decisions

After much consideration and deliberation, Eric and I have named our baby! We have always thrown around names we would name our future children, but when the time actually comes to choose a name that will stay with our baby forever, the decision becomes difficult. Suprisingly, Eric and I really agreed on the names we both liked, so narrowing down the list was pretty simple. Here they are:

BOY- Graham Hayes Corscadden

GIRL- Greer Mackenzie Corscadden

We chose Graham Hayes because we love Graham (precious baby name and great adult name and it is Scottish) and Hayes is my mother's maiden name. A friend of mine, Lauren C., suggested Hayes and we thought it was super cool! We chose Greer Mackenzie because we love the unusual Scottish name Greer, and Mackenzie (another favorite of ours) goes well with Greer. I am 14 weeks tomorrow, and I am feeling great! I am definitely getting a bump, and I think I am really starting to show. It is funny how you perceive you own body, but I am beginning to notice my patients' eyes staring at my stomach so I am pretty sure I am getting bigger. My tummy is getting hard, so it is beginning to look less like a beer belly and more like a baby belly! Soon I will post the week by week pictures of my growing belly. At first I wasn't going to go public with these photos as they aren't exactly slenderizing, but I want to share my progress with those of you who care! Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

Moving Right Along

WOW! I am 1/3 of the way through my pregnancy! The first trimester has flown by, and today I am breathing a sigh of relief. Yesterday Eric and I went for our 13 week Dr.'s appointment and got to hear the heartbeat. As soon as I saw the nurse turn the corner with that doppler in her hand, I was on my back with my belly out ready for some proof that our little tot was still safe and sound! Thank goodness we immediately heard the fast "whooshing" noise of a tiny heart hard at work! When I asked the nurse if the heart rate was good, she said "It sounds like a girl". Eric's face was priceless, haha! Even though we know that she was guessing, I loved hearing those words since there has not been a girl born into the Corscadden family in 3 generations! I proceeded to tell Dr. Ingram that I had been highly tempted to rent an at-home fetal doppler online, and she looked half amused/half afraid that I may act on this temptation, and then she would have a pregnant crazy lady coming in everyday freaking out because I cannot find the heart beat at home! I have this new sense of relief that I am sure will be interrupted with yet another worry, but for now I am at peace, and blessed that the tot is okay!

I have developed a new symptom, which may be the worst yet: SEVERE headaches. I am not talking about an "ouch my noggin hurts" kind of pain, I am talking about lights out, no talking or movement or I may seriously hurt you excrutiating pain. I am truly convinced that Tylenol is a sugar pill and nothing but a Placebo pill to make pregnant ladies think they are going to feel better. (For those of you not pregnant, Tylenol is the only OTC medication recommended for use by pregnant ladies for pain.) Thankfully, my doctor prescribed me Fioricet and I have relief. I have never been keen on relying on medication, but that little orange bottle is my new security blanket, and I won't leave home without it. I pray these headaches will go away soon!

I am also continuing to cope with the weight gain. Yesterday Dr. Ingram said my weight, OUT LOUD, in front of Eric! I have never disclosed the numerical aspects of my weight to my husband, but I guess pregnancy airs out all of your dirty laundry! When we got in the car and I was freaking out about it, he said, "It's ok babe, you can just lose it all as soon as you have the baby". Poor thing, he keeps having to reassure me that I am not disgusting in his eyes and that he still loves me. I should have enough self esteem to know that I am having a baby and you gain weight when you get pregnant, but I just need some reassurance as I feel about as far from sexy as you can be! Weight gain combined with mood swings equals psycho wife, so thank you dear husband for dealing with me!

Days Like This.....

Ahhh the joys of pregnancy! I have been experiencing a new symptom this week: erratic mood swings. This morning, I woke up Eric, FURIOUS that I had to drag myself out of the bed and go to work in the dreary rain while he got to sleep in. I even yelled at him for taking my weekly belly picture at a bad angle (I am nuts I know)! Huffing and puffing out the door, I call my mom to gripe about how exhausted I am and how life isn't fair, blah blah blah. Poor Eric, haha. It is not his fault that his job requires him to stay up for 24 hours, and then be off for 48 hours. On top of that, he has really been helping around the house while I have been stumbling around like a mummy for the past few weeks. Looking back on the situation, pregnancy has turned me into a psychotic, irrational, mummy and I am ready to wake up and become stable again! I am blessed to have a sweet husband who is putting up with my ridiculous and fragile state.

On an exciting note, I am 12 weeks pregnant today! Woo hoo! For those of you who have yet to google pregnancy and get the terrifying statistics that I have come across, 12 weeks marks the passage into a safer zone for baby. I work myself up and worry like crazy over every possible mishap that can occur, and I know I should let all rest in God's hands, but I do feel a bit of relief today! Thank goodness I am about to be in the 2nd trimester, but let the stretch marks begin!

Happy Anniversary!

I cannot believe it has been two years since I walked down the aisle at Gabrella Manor and married Eric! Since then, we have both graduated from Auburn, moved to Homewood, started our careers, bought our first home, and now we are having a baby! Lots of life changing events in such a short time! I must say that I am truly blessed to have a hilarious, handsome, loving husband who is my very best friend, and I am counting down the days until he becomes an awesome daddy! Ok, I'll stop with the gushing now but all of the above is certainly true!
This weekend something triggered my body to "show the world" that I am pregnant! My belly just pooched out overnight; it actually freaked me out a bit! Since I have never been the smallest gal on the block, I have always been conscious of weight gain. When my face gets round, boobs get bigger, and I have to do a few sets of lunges and squats to stretch out my blue jeans (not for exercise, for stretching purposes only), I know that it is time to put down the Blue Bell and pick up the dumbbells! When my body is changing daily combined with the overwhelming exhaustion, it makes me feel absolutely helpless! I am doing the best I can to eat right and exercise, and hopefully after this first trimester ends I will have more energy! Despite the initial shock of a protruding tummy, I am ready for people to be able to tell that I am "with child" and not just "with fat rolls". I even took a huge step and bought some maternity jeans from Gap. For those of you ladies who have never been pregnant, you have yet to discover the best kept secret in denim: the belly band. I must admit, when I first put them on I felt weird, especially since I am not officially showing yet, but I had to make an economical decision to transition into pregnant jeans rather than continuing to lose circulation in my current jeans. Let me tell you, I could sleep in my new maternity jeans! So comfortable! I am almost eleven weeks now, and the days are ticking by a little faster now! I will try and update you all as much as possible! Thanks again for taking the time to read!

Baby Blog Debut!!!!!

After several requests from friends to start a blog, I have delved into the world of blogging with no idea of how this works, so I hope I am not too terribly boring! As most of you can guess, Eric and I are going to have a little bundle of joy in a few months! We found out September 1 that I was 6 weeks 5 days pregnant, and trust me, I was shocked. As most of my closest friends know, Eric would have popped out a baby on day 1 of our marriage while I could wait a few years before diving into parenthood. I would ask, "Why do we need a human baby when we have two precious canine babies that give us plenty of love?" I think I was more reluctant to take on such a huge responsibility while still juggling work, quality time with hubby, and enjoying time with family and friends. Regardless of my hesitation, I have never been happier. It is amazing the amount of love and protection you have for just a little bean in your belly, even when it is making you feel like absolute crap! I am now 10 weeks pregnant and THANK THE LORD have had no morning sickness thus far. The exhaustion and bloating is a bit overwhelming but I'll take those symptoms with gratitude that I am not nauseous/vomiting. We got to see the heartbeat last week, flickering at 182 beats per minute! It was such a relief to see that little tot thriving in my tummy; I wish ultrasound machines were available for purchase so that I could see it everyday!
I guess this blogging business is easier than I thought- I will try to keep this up as much as possible. Thank you for reading!!

***Please note: I have a strong adversion to the words "preggars" and "prego" and therefore will not be using them for the duration of this blog. Sorry.