Pregnacy!!!

Yesterday, a co-worker told me she just loved being pregnant! I looked at her and was like really?

I have heard people say many times how they loved being pregnant and wish they could be all the time. Well now that I am pregnant, I am very jealous of those woman who REALLY enjoyed it.

For me being pregnant has not been so wonderful. Don't get me wrong by saying this, I just have had a more difficult time and of lately it is getting to be more enjoyable, but I still would not say I love it.

Some of my difficulties(just to document them because I have not so far!):

• First, I will say that my due date falls at a not so convenient time and has caused me to stress and worry. Which I know is silly because I can't change anything. But by golly gee I really want to be at my sister's wedding!
• Being sick for about 3.5 months sucks! I felt like I literally had the stomach flu for the entire time. And then on top of that I would get cold sick as well! Spent some time in the ER and lots of doctor visits. Finally, after all this they finally gave me some antibiotics. I am glad that they are cautious but seriously I was hurting so bad, that I could put it in the same category as when I broke my arm and had to have surgery!
• I went from being an active person to basically a couch potato. I had no energy, even when I stayed home from work. But when I worked I was so exhausted I could not do ANYTHING! It was hard because I couldn't understand how I changed basically overnight to a completely new person. I was not Melissa and wondered where she went and if I was ever going to come back. During this 3.5-4 month period I honestly thought I was going to have to quit because I knew if it stayed like this I would not make it till June! I have never missed so much work in my life! But, I am very lucky I work at such a wonderful school with wonderful people who were very understanding!
• I really could not eat or drink much. I went from water being my main drink to not being able to stomach it without gagging! But if I drank juice, even watered down I would get really shaky. Soda did not taste good. So I worried about becoming dehydrated. I also really had no appetite and everyone who knows me knows I LOVE food! I went from obsessing about food to getting sick just thinking about it. The only things that ever sounded really good to me was anything super salty, but then I would get thirsty and not know what to drink! And then I would worry that I was not eating and giving the baby nutrients it needed to grow! I just couldn't win!
• CONSTIPATION!!!! Need I say more really. But I will. I am not a very regular person anyway and struggle with this issue. Which is one of the reasons why I drink Diet Mountain Dew. The caffeine definitely helps me with this problem. Well I was told NO CAFFEINE at my first appointment, especially in the 1st trimester. So I did what I was told, but man was I constipated! Which just made me even more uncomfortable.
• BODY CHANGES!!! Once again people who know me, know I struggle with this issue. Yes I know it is because I am pregnant, but in the beginning you don't look pregnant, you just feel fat and bloated. Some days, I felt like I was a balloon and couldn't figure it out because I was eating less than I probably ever have in my life. I know some of it was my imagination but still. And on top of that my boobs which are already big have turned into melons! My shirts are tight because of my boobs, not my belly but my boobs!! And they hurt so bad in the beginning! Joey would look at them and it would hurt. And of course, I have gotten many comments about them and about how huge they are-like I already didn't know this!! I sure hope that after I am done breastfeeding they go back down to my normal size which I would be so thankful for!
• Lastly, can we say EMOTIONAL!!! I am already a very emotional person but now I am like 100 times more so! Poor Joey, because for those 3.5 months he got snapped at and yelled at for really nothing at all, but just because he was there. But he was SO WONDERFUL through it all and never snapped back, just took it!

So, pregnancy is wonderful huh?

People who have enjoyed it probably had a much smoother start and for them I am very happy. Because the start of my pregnancy was not fun and I would not wish my experience on my worst enemy.

But about a week into my 2nd trimester I did start to notice a change and am so grateful for that. Because I know that some woman have been sick the entire 9 months and have had a lot worse. So grateful I am.

• I have more energy!
• I am back to being a little more like myself. Still incredibly emotional, but Melissa has come back, not completely but mostly.
• We are once again getting home cooked meals, laundry is being done(not really folded but we have clean cloths), I take walks again with Joey and the dogs, we can actually go out and do stuff now without worrying about if I will get sick or to tired.
• I am back to working full weeks again. And when I get home I still have energy to take a walk, cook dinner, and just enjoy my family.
• I am starting to have a baby belly and not just a bloated belly!
• Still constipated but not quite as bad. I am back to drinking my Diet Mountain Dew, just small amounts, but I think it is why I am not as constipated!
• I can eat again and drink water!!! I don't really crave salty foods anymore, now I just want brownies, Cheetos, Mexican food, and really anything that is NOT healthy!! Oh and I love milk again. I can't get enough of it.
• I am sleeping better for the most part. Instead of getting up 4-5 times to go to the bathroom, it is usually just once. And I am enjoying this because I know that will change again!

So things have started to look up for me and I am SO happy about that! Because now I can start to enjoy pregnancy. Enjoy the fact that I am caring a miracle. And it is our miracle that we created. About 2 weeks ago I started to feel some movement and now I am feeling it all the time. We have a mover and shaker on our hands.

We went for our 2nd trimester ultrasound and found out we are having a girl! She was a major stinker and would not stop moving. So the technician had some trouble getting her measurements. But so far she looks very healthy and her heart rate is very strong when she stops moving long enough so they can get it!

So as of right now I can't complain. I am feeling good and have a healthy baby girl growing inside me. I have a wonderful husband who has been so AMAZING throughout this all. Has stood by me and lets me lean on me. When I was sick and a couch potato, he didn't complain, not once. Just took over all the household responsibilities and more! This was the first time I was basically out of commission and for a while. And he just proved to me what I knew all along that he would take care of me and everything else! I had complete confidence in him and that made it all just a little bit easier. It also made me realize that no matter what we are a team and when one of us is struggling the other just picks up where the other person left off! I also had great support from all our family and friends! So very grateful for every ones continued support and prayers!

So it has finally happened!!

After 2 home pregnancy tests and a trip to the doctor to confirm, we finally believed that I was indeed pregnant!!

We were so EXCITED!! And of course started thinking of ways we would tell our parents. And Joey decided that there was no way he was going to tell them over the phone, so we splurged and bought plane tickets home!! One of the best splurges ever and so glad that Joey took the initiative and did this!!

Joey, also came up with the awesome idea of how we were going to tell our parents that we were having a baby!! So lucky to be married to a wonderful and creative man!!

And 2 weeks after we found out, we were on a plane heading home to surprise our parents with not only a surprise visit, but with some very exciting news that they were going to be grandparents!!!

Thanks to Holly, as she was the only one who knew we were coming home and for keeping it a secret! And anyone who knows Holly, knows this can be a challenge! But she did it and was our chauffeur. So thanks again Holly!!!

So Holly, first brought us to my mom's work where we surprised, did not tell her anything just surprised her!! And she was surprised and it was so fun to see the look on her face!

After that we borrowed her car and headed over to Mom and Dad Ross's house! Where Joey called them and asked if they wanted to play a game of sequence and surprise there we were on their deck! Again, completely shocked and wish we could of had our camera ready to snap pictures of the shocked look on their faces!!!

Mom and Dad Ross were the first ones we shared our exciting news with! Joey's idea was to show them pictures of when they visited and just some other more recent pictures! And of course the last picture we showed them was this one:

Once this picture was on the screen of the tv, it got so quiet, that I looked at Joey like um what if they don't get it??? And he just shrugged his shoulders and before he could say anything his mom started to cry and his dad was like "really??"
Many hugs and tears were shared! It was a very special moment and they reacted in a way I never would of imagined as this will be their 5th grandchild!!! But they were so happy for us and so excited!!

After we spent some more time with the Ross's, we were on our way to tell my sister Katy and her fiance Brandon! We wanted to tell them in a different way, a more careful way because I am due on June 2nd and they are getting married on June 18th. So we just wanted to sit down with them and explain that no matter what happens we are going to try our best to be there for their big day!! I want nothing more than to be there and to share in their special day.I mean my goodness my baby sister is getting married and I can't imagine not being there!! So hopefully all our prayers will be answered and everything will work out and we will be there new baby and all!

After talking with them we went home to surprise my dad when he got home from work! It was decided that since one of the first things my dad does when he gets home on Fridays is head to the bedroom to get ready to go to the gym. Well, when he walked in his room to get ready, he had a mighty big surprise waiting for him in his bed-JOEY!!
My mom, Holly, and I were hiding in their bathroom, so I was able to get a picture of the shocked look on his face!

Being able to get this picture was key because it was an excuse to show them the pictures!! And as soon as my mom saw the picture, she was like "I just knew it!"

Both Joey and I knew she would figure something was up when she saw us and she was right! Lots of excitement was in the air!!

The rest of the weekend was spent with both of our families and sharing the news with everyone else!
The best was my grandma who we had to explain the picture to because she thought the dogs were having a baby! Haha

We went home back to Texas completely exhausted, but more than anything we came home very excited and feeling that this was for real now that we got to share it with our families!


I am officially into my 2nd trimester, as I am 14 weeks and 2 days!!
Yipee!
Hopefully this now means I will start to feel better and enjoy the fact that I have this little miracle growing inside me!

Here are some pictures of our 1st trimester ultrasound of our little squirt!!!

Our new doggy-Molly Girl!!!

On August 14th, Joey and I woke up and had ourselves an ordinary Saturday morning. We drank coffee, played sequence, and talked about what we were going to do that day. One of the things we needed to do was to take Duke to the vet for a check up on his sprained tail and get a shot. Dukes vet is at Petsmart and that Saturday the 2nd Chance Humane Society just happened to be there with adoptable dogs.

While we were waiting to see the doctor, Joey had to go to the bathroom and when he came back he was like you have to go look at a lab back there. So of course I did and we both got all excited and decided as soon as we were finished with the vet we would go back together and look.

When we went back to look, Joey had never seen the shiny black lab that I had my eye on. So we looked at the other lab he saw originally, but something kept bringing us back to the black lab they had named Lindey. So we asked if we could walk around with her and see how her and Duke got a long. Well we ended up spending 2.5 hours walking around with both dogs discussing what we should do. At one point we gave her back and said we needed more time to think about it, but for some reason unknown we could not leave the store or stop staring at her. In the end she won our hearts over and we went home that day with another dog.

We decided to change her name to Molly, since Lindey was a name that was just given to her when she was brought to the humane society and she did not respond to it at all. They said she was brought in by someone who found her on the side of the road and thought she was about 9-10 months old. Well, that night we found out she was a little younger than that because while we were watching the two dogs play we saw that Duke had blood on him. Once we realized he was fine and that the blood had come from Molly's mouth because she was still losing teeth, we realized that there was no way she could be older than about 6 months old! The vet agreed as well that she was about that age.

Molly is a completely different dog than Duke. One word to describe her would be "CRAZY". She is just a bundle of energy and we found ourselves comparing her to Duke constantly. They are just completely different dogs. Duke is totally a Daddy and Momma's dog, he likes to be with us, wants to please us, gets excited when he gets to go places with us, he is just such a good dog. Where Molly is completely opposite. Molly is a free soul, she likes to wander around, she is super stubborn, when she is up she is full of energy and can't sit still, and nothing really seems to phase her.

We found ourselves getting stressed out with her because she was so different. And it wasn't until someone finally said to us, "you know the dogs are going to be just like your kids will be, different from each other. Did you really expect to get another Duke?"

When we stopped and thought about that question we realized that, yeah we did expect to get another Duke. And then we realized how ridiculous we were for thinking that. Once we realized that and started to accept Molly for who Molly is, our stress level has gone down and we have begun to enjoy her much more. And realized she is just as great of a dog as Duke just in a different way!

Having Molly now for over 1.5 months, she has completely stolen not only our hearts but Duke's as well as they have become best friends. I honestly can't imagine life without Molly in it! She is our new addition!

But to all those out there wondering when we are going to stop with the dogs and have real kids.

(Mom this question is for you)

I did tell Joey that we can't get anymore dogs until we move to a bigger house with a bigger yard and mostly because I want a baby now!! So no more 4 legged friends for what I hope is a long while as we have our hands full with the two we have. Hopefully in the near future I will be blogging about a new addition that doesn't have four legs!!

How could I forget???

We now have been living in Texas for over a year! Hard to believe but we have! And living in Texas you must attend these 2 things to really understand Texas living! And I forgot to mention it in my last post when I was updating!

First, we have gone to our first Friday Night Lights in the good old state of Texas where football is everything! It was almost like we were at a college game, just not quite as big! Football down here is everything and we learned that when we attended a game with my MaMa (aka Mrs. Ferrell). High school football games that we attended when we were in high school can't even compare. Just on the visitors side there were probably as many people as what a North/South game would have total! It was very easy to get caught up in all the excitement and we look forward to another Friday Night Lights game!!!

Us with the Ellison Eagle Mascot!!! We are so lucky to have gotten this picture!! Ha

And the second thing I forgot to mention was we went to our first Texas Rodeo. It was probably the most fun thing we have done in awhile!

The rodeo was so fun,

there was music playing,

Ice cold BEER,

A crazy clown that really did nothing but be a comedian,

Little kids riding sheep,

COWBOYS (HOT)

Cowboys riding the bulls

AND

Best of all I got to share these fun memories with my best friend and husband!

Thanks Joey for making these memories possible!

I am loving this adventure we are on!!!

Been awhile....

Since Joey has been home, everything seems to be a whirlwind of activities! Time is just flying by. I wish time would of gone this fast when he was gone and would slow down a bit now that he is home!
But I am so thankful he is home and that we are able to be a family again!

Here is an update of what we have been up to:

~Joey and Duke reconnected and I believe their bond is even tighter now

~A new addition has been added to the Ross Family: Molly (a black lab)

~We traveled home to Wisconsin where we got to enjoy:

**Both of our families

**Got to see Katy in her wedding dress and she looked BEAUTIFUL (can't believe she is getting married) and tried on a bunch of bridesmaid dresses! Can't wait till their very special day!
**Went up north for almost a week, which was just what we needed. It was just Joey, Duke, and I getting to go to our favorite place together and just spend much needed alone time together with no demands put on us! Thank you Mom and Dad Ross for letting us be able to enjoy the cabin...we are very blessed!

**Enjoyed a very fun night with some great friends! Thank you Roeder's for letting us come and hang out! Eli is way to cute for his own good!

**D got to meet his new Momma! Holly and D both seem to be enjoying each other and we are very glad we were able to give D to a good home! Holly will be a great Momma to my little man!

**My parents threw us a great party where we got to hang out with some family and friends. It was so great to see everyone and so nice that we did not have to go chasing to see everyone! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a great party, it meant a lot to us that you did it!

~We have been taking many trips to the Lake to help cool us all off as it is still very warm out

~Met some new friends

~Been working on the house a lot-Joeys big project is painting the trim on the outside of the house! Looks so much better so far! Pictures will come when it is all finished!

~We have started watching the show the office and have become quite addicted and perhaps it is our new favorite show!

~I am back to work and so far it has been a very busy year!

AND

~We just had a WONDERFUL visit from Mom and Dad Ross! Great to see them and spend time with them, but very hard to say goodbye!

He's Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, Joey has officially been home now for almost a month and a half and it is WONDERFUL!!

The estimated arrival dates for Joey to arrive were June 19-20 and AMAZINGLY he arrived about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20th! And if you know anything about how the military works you understand why I find this to be amazing!!

At about 3:00 pm that afternoon though I received a text and it was Joey.

First, I was so excited, I had been waiting for the moment for 4 months and then it came way sooner then I thought! I did not expect to hear from him until the later evening sometime, so I was completely shocked to see I had a message from him saying he was in Maine and would call shortly!

He was STATESIDE!!!!! Very exciting moment for me!

Another very exciting moment was hearing his ring tone when he called me for the first time. I know these are all silly things but they are also things that when you don't have them anymore you miss them! He had a cell phone again, which meant I could contact him now whenever I wanted. I have not had total access to him for 4 months and it was exciting to get it back!

At about 10 p.m. I got another text saying they have landed. It was exciting to know that not only were we in the same country but now the same city together. It was getting closer, but I had to contain myself as I knew it would be another hour to hour and half before I would actually get to see him. One of the most exciting moments of the night was when the D.J. said here come the buses and there they were!!

By the time the everything was all said and done it was after 11:30 by the time we finally got to reunite. Unfortunately because I was all by myself I did not have anyone to take pictures of us once we were reunited, but I do have a video of the ceremony which I think is pretty cool and am glad that we have it.

Here is the ceremony!

(It is dark but you can still get a good idea of what happened)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here is also the video of when Joey and Duke reunite! It is again dark but so sweet at how excited he got. The video doesn't really do it justice because Duke was so excited, hard to describe, but the video gives you a good idea! Turn up the volume because you can here Dukey cry!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Both Duke and I are so happy to have him home!

I feel different, happier and I can tell Duke is too!

Our family is complete again!

AND

Our house is finally is starting to feel like home.

So close......

As the reunion with Joey is literally right around the corner, I am filled with so many different emotions! One of those feelings is disbelief that this not so fun chapter in our lives is just about over!
Thank you God!

But the main emotion I am filled with is pure excitement! I can't wait to have my husband, lover, and my BEST FRIEND back! When I think of seeing him that first time, my heart starts to thump like crazy and my stomach gets all jittery causing the butterflies to go nuts!

There are so many things that I get so excited about when thinking he will be home shortly. Things that I have missed so very much. Even those little things that sometimes get on my nerves, I can't wait to get back!

I have missed:

~his presence to fill the house and make it feel like home
~sitting next to him in the car
~cooking real meals
~eating dinner with him
~enjoying a glass of wine at dinner
~him putting me to bed at night
~sharing a bed with him
~watching him play with Duke
~going out to dinner with him
~his laugh
~his silliness all the time
~watching Sportscenter all the time
~taking walks at night
~going with him on his runs
~shopping for him
~reading in bed with him
~his hugs
~the way he always makes me feel special and loved

AND

~EVERYTHING!!!!!!


But I would be lying if I did not say I was also nervous about him coming home as well! It has been a little over 3.5 months since I have last seen him and a lot has happened since that time. I know I have changed and I am pretty sure he has too, how could he of not. Which is not unusual because everyone changes with time. But most married couples change together, but we have changed separately on completely different continents with limited communication.

So yeah I am nervous! I have a lot to lose! But I also feel like this is normal to have feelings like this.

I also believe in our love and so whenever I begin to feel real nervous I am reassured not only by him, but by his love for me! So whatever happens and no matter how much we may have changed I am confident we will be okay! Because giving up on a love like ours just would be down right silly!

So on Sunday morning when most of the country is sleeping soundly in their beds, I will hopefully be reuniting with the man I love more than anything in this world!
His arms better be ready to catch me as I jump into them!!