Our Big Girl!!!

Let me start off by saying that I sure hope I don't jinx anything by posting this....

Okay, tonight is the 2nd night that Tatum is sleeping in her big girl bed. Night one went down something like this...

Antonio changed Tatum's diaper, put on her PJs, read her a book, and layed in her bed until she went to sleep (about 30 minutes). I was prepared for Tatum to wake up in the middle of the night, cry, and we would have to decide whether to put her back in her crib, put her in bed with us, or one of us sleep with her. However, this never happened. We didn't hear a peep out of her until 6:30am!!! This is an hour earlier than she usually wakes up, so that wasn't too cool that I had to get up so early, but I would take that anyday over having to get up at 2am.

Tonight, Tatum ate supper, Antonio gave Tatum a bath, put on her PJs, read Tatum a story, and left her awake in her room! It has been an hour since then and we haven't heard a peep again. She never cried when he left or anything. Once again I sure hope I am not jinxing this 'cause I was expecting this to be tough, but Tatum is making this too easy.

I PRAY that she sleeps in a little bit tomorrow or else we will have to figure out a new morning routine so we can get out the door at a decent hour.

But, so far so good! I will also try to post pictures of her new room soon. While her bed is put together and her dresser is nicely painted and a bright white, that's about it. There are no curtains(they are in her old room still), nothing on the walls, and we still have an ugly bookcase in there that needs to be cleaned off an removed. So, her room is still a work in progress, but her closet is PACKED! (Surprise, surprise!)

TP Tuesday

It's been a while since I did a TP Tuesday on an actual Tuesday, but here it is.

As of this morning, my belly is measuring 9.5 squares of TP. I need to look back and compare earlier posts, but I don't think my belly has grown much recently.....my hips, butt, arms, face, etc...now that's another story.

****I looked back at some older TP Tuesday posts and on August 5th I was 8.5 squares and on Sept 9th I was hovering just under 9 squares, so it seems that I am growing about a half square a month. I am sure it will pick up in these last few weeks when the baby really starts growing.****

I have also gained 20 pounds as of this morning as well.

We found some bedding for the baby's room that we like.....we don't LOVE it, but it will do. I think it will look better once we get it in his room and set up.

Tatum's room is coming along. Antonio painted her bed this past weekend and we are hoping to have it set up enough to get her transitioned this weekend hopefully. If this happens then I can really start concentrating on the baby's room.

We still have not decided on a name for the baby. We just can't find a middle name that fits with the first name that we love.

I go back to the dr on Oct 27th. I am trying to really get a good idea for an induction date from my dr., but it is still really too early to tie a date down right now. I am pushing for before Christmas, dr. is pushing for after. We KNOW who will win this one....she will. Don't worry I am trying to paint that pic for my dr of having to be in the hospital on Christmas morning because one of her patients (me) decided to go into labor on her own. Her poor kids would be home alone left to open presents while she was at work....it's not really working right now. My dr just giggles everytime I say it.

That's it for now. I am making it okay for the most part. I am still having contractions here and there, but I think they are just Braxton Hicks these days since there is no pattern to these. I do have them everyday, but nothing I can't handle. I am working this week and I can sure feel the difference from last week when I was off on bedrest. I am wearing my maternity belt though and it seems to be helping some.

Heartburn Help

So, I THINK I may be having heartburn these days, but I don't really know what heartburn feels like.

I know that I am nauseated again these days, and i had pizza for lunch which I know is a trigger for heartburn IF you normally have heartburn. I also was nauseated after I ate last night, and eventually got sick and felt better immediately. I sent Antonio to Walgreens tonight to get some Rolaids to see if they help, so we will see.

Or maybe I am having indigestion? I don't know. It's not killing me, but it is uncomfortable.

In the mean time....would anyone care to describe how heartburn or indigestion feels to them?

My Oh My, How Time FLIES!!!

Okay, this will be my last blog for the day. I was looking back over Tatum's last 2 Halloweens and thought I should share pictures.

This first picture is 2006. Tatum was 4 days old. I dressed her up and took pictures between trick or treaters.

Next is 2007. I THINK this is the picture we used for her birthday invitations last year.

And now 2008. Tatum is growing up so fast, but I can't believe she will be TWO in just a few days. And on a side note, YES I loved her sweater last year so much that I bought it in a bigger size for this year. lol

Pumpkin Patch with Family and Church Friends

Our church small group went to Priddy Farms on Sunday afternoon and we had a blast. The weather was perfect and Tatum was full of energy that needed to be freed! She spotted this swing when we got there and we had to start our afternoon here...

She realized that she loved it so much that AMIGO Bear might love it too, so he got a ride.
After we tore her away from the swing(yes kicking and screaming) we went to check out some of the pumpkins.
They also had a little train for the younger kids. Here are Tatum and her friend Landon waiting for a ride.
Still waiting...
Tired of waiting....

They both eventually got out before the ride got going.

Here is the train in action...
Tatum did ride it, but we got a friend's daughter (who is 7) to ride with her just in case Tatum decided she wanted out.
Here they are. Tatum LOVED her ride.
Next we went on a hay ride. Here is Tatum sitting in Antonio's lap.They stopped midway through the hayride and we got to get out and pick out a pumpkin or 2.

Tatum had a blast trying to find the perfect pumpkin...

Here is the one she chose.
They also had slides a Priddy Farms that Tatum loved as well.
We saw a LOT of this side of Tatum. She was CONSTANTLY on the go. I think Antonio were as worn out as Tatum was by the end.

Here is our "family picture". I look like a cow (MOO!)and Tatum wouldn't smile, but I wanted a picture anyway.
This one is better since I cropped out my lower, bigger half.
Tatum and Landon really have fun together and actually play well together too. He is just a few months older than her. This was a few minutes before we had to leave. There is a better picture of Tatum giving Landon a kiss, but someone else took the picture, so I am hoping I can get her to email it to me soon.

We had a great weekend. Antonio also painted Tatum's bed, but I didn't take any pictures. I will eventually take pictures of her room as we put it together. We are hoping to transition her sometime this week/weekend coming up.

Gabby is SEVEN!

Friday night we went to Gabby's 7th Birthday Party! Gabby is our niece, Antonio's sister's daughter. Anyway here are a few pictures...

Tatum loaded in the car and ready to party...
Antonio wanted to take a pic of me too before we left, so here it is...
Gabby is in LOVE with Elvis! I thought it would just be a phase, but it has been a year now and her love is still going strong for this man. Saturday she and some of her friends went to Graceland (again) for her party with friends.
Here is her cake...
I must admit I have NEVER been a fan of the cupcakes that are iced together to make a cake. I haven't really seen any I like. However, I have seen 2 recently that I just LOVE! One being the one above and the other being Alesa's daughter's cake. They are growing on me (or either people are getting more talented). Anyway, the cake was something that I have been stressing about for Tatum's party, but the lady that did Gabby's cake is going to do Tatum's as well. SO, if you are in the Memphis area and need a cake for a reasonable price but still with great quality, let me know. Terri, the lady responsible for this cake, is wanting to branch out on her own and start a business so she said I could pass her info along if anyone asks.

Tatum was in LOVE with the balloons, but everytime someone would get her one out of the bundle, she would just let it go. I think she was seeing how many times people would let her have what she wants...I think it worked at least 4 times before I had to start telling everyone not to give her one.

Here is sweet Gabby with her cake.

Gabby opened her presents with the help of Eliana(her mom) and Tatum was close by taking notes on how it is done. She will be doing this in just a few days!

Gabby giving Tatum a hug to say thank you for her present.

Now, after all the birthday party fun, Tatum had a blast with Chris (Eliana's husband). She LOVES Chris. He spoils her and she definitely appreciates it. They started out by running around the gazebo for a bit...
Then Chris started spinning Tatum around and around and around....
Of course this made Tatum extremely dizzy....Here Chris is holding her up so she doesn't fall while Caiden checks on her.
Needless to say, Tatum LOVED this, so she made Chris do it over and over with her. However, eventually she got extremely dizzy and couldn't stand up anymore. It was so funny cause she would just giggle and giggle as she would fall. Don't worry she didn't get hurt with any of the falls.
That's it. I can't believe Gabby is SEVEN!!! Antonio and I started dating when Gabby was just 13 months, so almost 6 yrs ago. THe only way I can keep up with it is because i can remember how old Gabby was at the time.

Gabby is such a sweet, beautiful, and loving young girl. She is so animated and her love for Elvis and all things Elvis just puts a smile on my face. I can't wait to see her grow up into a young lady, but I wish she wouldn't grow up so fast! Happy Birthday Gabby!

Pimp My Page....FOR FREE!

So, my friend Alesa found this wonderful (FREE) website that you can change the background of your blog for FREE! It's easy AND you don't lose your links on the side either.

Check it out if you want a new look. The website is

http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

29.5 Week Belly Pics

Self explanatory....here's my belly at 29.5 weeks(and 20 pounds extra as of today's weigh in). I took these this morning before I went to the doctor.

Dr. Update

I went to the dr this morning. After waiting an hour in the waiting room (don't worry, i expected to wait longer), I finally got called back. Dr. B and I went over what went down Tuesday and I told her I have been feeling great until I got up this morning to start getting ready. the more I was on my feet, the more I was hurting down low again. She decided to hook me up to her machine in the office to monitor the baby and see if I was having contractions again. After 20-30 minutes, we decided I wasn't having any contractions.

She checked me and I am still not dialated or effaced or anything (Thank GOD!) and so she told me to just take off of work the rest of the week, take it easy this weekend, and then return to work on Monday. She said to do only as much as I felt like I could, but not to overdo it or else I will be paying for it later. NO LIFTING TATUM! that was her big thing. Since Tatum is 30 pounds now, she said that was just way too much. We will see how well I keep to that since Tatum has become quiet a Mommy's Girl here lately.

She also told me to go get a maternity belt for support to see if that helped at all. I got one late this afternoon and I have been wearing it. I was not expecting it to be helpful at all, but it actually is working pretty well. It is kind of annoying though cause it is so tight(I could loosen it but that would defeat the purpose I am guessing). I am also a little nervous how it will fit under my clothes. I feel like it makes me look like I have a HUGE muffin top or something, so I bet its not too flattering under my dress clothes. I don't really care at this point though.

Anyway, the great news is Baby Boy Simpson is doing great! Moving all around and his heartbeat sounded wonderful again today. I just need to suck it up and make it a few more weeks.

I also need to figure out how I am going to get this nursery and tatum's room done....sigh

Baby Simpson Update...

While this post doesn't have any pictures, I promise it does have some drama at the end.

Okay it has been forever since i updated about Baby Boy Simpson. I have gained a total of 19 pounds so far and I am a little over 29 weeks so I am happy with how I am progressing there.

We STILL don't have a definite name. We do have a first name, just not the middle name yet.

The nursery is at a stand still. We have to do Tatum's big girl room before we can fix the nursery for the baby. Not sure when this will happen due to below drama.

Baby Boy Simpson is DEFINITELY a mover and night owl! He kicks so much and so hard, but I think all of the kicks are my favorite part of pregnancy.

So, as I posted a while back, I got the stomach virus and lost 6-8 pounds in about 48 hours. I am pretty sure I got dehydrated then, but didn't ever go to the hospital.

The next week(last Monday) I started having sinus problems again and I am still having that issue.

All that being said, I have been having what I think are Braxton Hicks contractions since I got sick with the stomach virus. At my dr's appt last week I told her what was going on and she checked me and did a test that would tell if I was going to go into labor in the next 2 weeks. The test came back negative, and I was sent on my way.

Well, *HERE IS THE DRAMA*, yesterday I went to lunch and had a great time and left. I was hurting low again, so I thought I had to "use the restroom". I went home, used the restroom, and I was still hurting. THis was around 1:30pm. So I did all the things that you are supposed to do with Braxton Hicks to make them go away, drink lots of water, take tylenol, and lay down on your left side. Nothing was helping. Antonio got home and I finally decided to take a warm bath and it didn't help either. Finally at 7:15pm I called the on call nurse and told her what was going on....long story short, I ended up at the hospital last night in Labor and Delivery.

My friend Brandy came over around 8:15pm to sit at our house while Tatum slept and we headed to the hospital. They monitored me for about 30 minutes and I was having contractions. At around 11pm, they gave me an IV of fluids and a med to stop my contractions. I was finally sent home around 1:30-2am. I slept all morning today and when I got up, called Dr. B's office. The nurse told me to come in tomorrow at 10:30 to see the dr. Until then, I am on bedrest.....eeerrrrrr.

I don't think/pray it is nothing major, but I am just not feeling well. I still feel crampy down low and my back is still hurting. Hopefully we can figure it all out tomorrow and I will be back to normal soon.

Until then, LOTS of water and off my feet!

Girl's Trip

I know I am WAY behind on blogging, so I thought I would post one now and more to come later. Jennifer S. and I went on a long, relaxing girl's trip back in September and had a blast. Here are a few pictures....most are self explanitory.

First, are some pictures of where we stayed.

The pool....
Our view from the balcony....it over looks Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs....
A picture from the living room looking back at the kitchen and the entrance door....
The living room....
And finally my room....I failed to get any pictures of Jennifer's room. She had the "good" room with the king size bed, nice view, etc. She had never been here before, so I wanted to spoil her good!
THe first day we went to the Wax Museum downtown. Let me just say I was expecting wax figures of Britney Spears, Brad Pitt, Paris Hilton, etc....However, none of those people were at this wax museum....Instead I got this...

The Last Supper....

Bill and Hillary Clinton (yest that is her and NO it didn't look like her)
Jennifer posing with Elvis...
There were tons of other politicians and other history stuff, but I was a little bored. I apologize for making us go in there.

We also walked through a bath house or 2. I had done this before, but it was still fun. The best find I saw in a bath house is below....
Look closer.....TIGER Toilet Paper.....how RANDOM!?!?!? I loved it though!

I also got to spend lots of time with my friend Kimberly H. She lived in Memphis and worked with me at Cintas for a while, but now lives in Hot Springs. She has a little girl that is about 6-8 weeks older than Tatum and she also has a little boy on the way due at the end of November. She looks great and I look, well FAT. Oh well, this was the best picture. It was GREAT gettings to see her and I am glad she lives a little closer than before.

Then, Jennifer MADE me do this next thing....(just kidding, but I wasn't very excited about it). We went to the top of this!!!!
I was brave enough to get a few pictures and then I was ready to head back down. Jennifer was very understanding and only made fun of me a few times. What can I say, I didn't like it! Here is a shot of Hot Springs...
And here is the famous Arlington Hotel...
Me looking fat and scared but I had to get a picture....see how tight I am holding on to that rail? lol
Jennifer enjoying the fresh air so high...

Me taking a self photo with the Arlington Hotel in the background....it was windy so my hair was in my mouth...
After that scary adventure, we headed to the Arlington Hotel to see about booking a massage. This one lady was sure trying to sell us, so she gave us these warm neck things....I didn't wear it long though cause it was making me SWEAT!
We also went to anther museum. I didn't take too many pics but there was lots of cool little things. Here is a toilet that is a water fountain....."a Sip of Faith"....mind over matter....would you take a sip??
Jennifer did! Okay so she didn't really, but I made her pose for my picture!
There were many more pics taken, but they are pretty boring I am sure. We had a blast relaxing, watching movies, shopping, getting massages, manicures, pedicure, etc. I can't wait for the next trip. It may be harder to swing though since I will soon have 2 little ones and Jennifer will have a little one as well to take care of.

I will post a baby update soon....there really is lots going on, but I want to take a belly pic to post too.