Briggs Eli Poland

First, let me say that my wife is amazing. Secondly, I have to really apologize for the lack of pics but they didn't give the lil guy a bath until late and we wanted him sharp. Anyways, we're extremely excited to say the least and the timing of all this was crazy. The photographer walked in right before he was born. Wow, I can't even really type right now, need to sleep on all this. Here's some quick snapshots.

Allison Lewis Photography - Baby Briggs <- Click here please

Lil P is on the way!

Thoughts on Boy vs. Girl

I have many people ask me what I think the baby is...

I took a test online for old wives tales on gender and the result was...GIRL, although I'm kind of all across the board with my answers. See below:
-carrying low or high: low (which is consistent with boy)
-cravings salty or sweet: I haven't craved much, but at first it was salty and now it's more sweet (so don't know what that means?), but they say salty=boy, sweet = girl
-color of urine: dull yellow (girl), but I drink a ton of water a day
-Month of conception: odd
-Feet: no colder than before and definitely a little more swollen
-growth of hair on legs: same as before (and I would say slower, but that wasn't a choice = girl)
-heart beat: 140+ (girl)
-round or thin face (of the mother): round (girl)
-morning sickness lingers all day: yes (girl)

Some of the questions it asked I couldn't find what my answer meant...girl or boy. So anyway results of the wives tales say GIRL.

Most of my friends at work say BOY. It was funny, they sent me a card and it said stuff like:
I can't wait to meet "him", "he" is going to be so precious, hope "he" gets here soon. Not one girl comment :)

So what do I think...that's what most people want to know... Justin has said GIRL from the beginning. Honestly my initial thought and feeling was GIRL, but then I changed and said BOY, then I changed back when we were in the hospital with all the prelabor drama and said GIRL (probably b/c every single nurse that came in and we asked, said GIRL), and now I'm going back to boy again...so who knows.

As my wise, smarty pants sister says...you know the way you can find out for sure...GET AN ULTRASOUND! Haha...I know, I know. It's been so much fun doing it this way though and I'm so glad we did. Can't wait to meet this little one and know what it finally is. It's going to be here very soon I think so stay tuned for the big reveal and DON'T FORGET TO PUT IN YOUR VOTE.

Oh and everyone wants to know the names. That's one thing we did was use the same initials so we could get a few things mongrammed...the official names are:
BOY: Briggs Eli Poland
GIRL: Blake Elizabeth Poland

Needless to say...the bags are packed and the baby's bag has girl and boy clothes in it so we are ready for either and just for the record...neither of us cares what it is..which is why we didn't find out the gender. We will be excited to have either a BOY or GIRL and this little momma is VERY READY TO FIND OUT NOW!

Doctor Update

Just wanted to update real quick. Still hanging in there. I've dilated from 1.5 to 2 cm now but no worries... still going to lay low this weekend and keep this baby cooking. Ultimate goal is to make it to Tuesday of next week which is 37 weeks. Doctor Swindle said I can come off my meds on Tuesday, so will see what happens from there.

My mom has threatened me with an inch of my life..I'd better be good until next week b/c my poor sister has her hands full with a one year old and newborn (where my mom is helping right now). YES MA'AM!

I have been working on that bucket list over this past week..don't worry...I've been documenting it, so pics to come soon. Justin and I are also working on some art projects around the house this weekend so I'll have lots to update next week :) Stay tuned!

Best Parents Ever

Here are my parents...Bob and Rhonda. Been married 32 years today...yep ya heard me...to each other! Sadly, there aren't many couples who make it to celebrate this anniversary these days. I have to thank them both for loving each other the way they do and for being such a great example to Justin and myself on how to have a successful marriage that honors the Lord and puts Him first. Love you both so much and am proud to be one of your daughters.

Coupon 101

The first coupon class. Sweet Aimee and Courtney came out to my house. First off, they ate dinner with me, and then I put the poor girls to work...they swapped laundry around, helped me fold some clothes, unloaded and loaded my dishwasher, helped me clean out the frig, took out all the trash in my house and watered my flowers...they might have done more, I can't remember. But those are just a few examples of things I used to take for granted that I could do before bedrest :( THANK YOU GIRLS...I WOULDN'T BE SANE WITHOUT YA! Court cooked a YUMMY meal and Aimee came for a lesson on how to coupon.

Me and Court did our best to teach her the basics. I can't wait to see how much Aimee starts to save once she gets the hang of it. The first step is to create the coupon binder, see below...
Everybody does couponing different. I mean I'm no "extreme coupon mom" or anything, but this is what works for me and a few of my other friends who coupon. I got a binder, dividers and baseball card holders. That's how I keep things organized and know what I have. The categories I have things divided into are:
baking/bread, condiments
cereal/breakfast
canned goods, pasta/rice
chips, snacks, candy, crackers
frozen food
meat
dairy
frig
drinks
pharmacy items
household items
personal care
paper products
baby items

But you can make them say whatever works for you. I find the more categories I have the easier it is to find stuff and stay organized.

Then I clip the coupons from the Sunday paper and file them in the category where they belong. I subscribed to the Sunday/Wed paper. It makes it work out to .50 an issue verses going out every Sunday to get the paper that costs $2.

I also use www.southernsavers.com to find other deals and ideas for my shopping trip. As I said before, I mostly use Publix and CVS. And for those of you who don't coupon, I know you're thinking..."DANG...those places are expensive". They actually are expensive unless you know how to shop there. Trust me..I did the price comparison myself with Walmart, Target, Winn Dixie, Food World and Publix. If you use the sale paper to make your list and pair it with coupons, you get things cheaper than the Walmart brand at Walmart. Same with CVS...b/c you can earn Extra Care Bucks there, they accept coupons and have sales.

It's all about planning and the strategy. So I just make my list, I make it detailed with the item, size that's on sale and the coupon I have b/c some coupons you can just buy one item and some you have to buy two...so it's good to know what you're looking for while you're shopping so you don't mess up at the register. I pull out my coupons at home when I'm making my shopping list so I'm ready when I go to check out.

I will say though...if you only need a few things or run out of something...we go to Walmart b/c hands down, they are cheaper if you just need something. But the whole point to couponing is to not run out of things and to pay the cheapest price for things that you buy. I'll demonstrate this once I can go shopping again. Right now we are going to Walmart b/c J is having to do the shopping and thanks to all of you sweet friends out there...we haven't had to get much to cook at home, so our grocery trips are very minimal at the moment. But...if there is a good week at Publix, I might have to arm the boy and send him out with the coupons and list and see how good he can do :) Or maybe I'll go ride in that little scooter thing at the store..that would be a funny picture :)

Hope this post helps. More to come on coupons when I'm back on my feet, but I thought this might be a good start for some of you. There was lots of interest in my CVS post. If anybody has any questions just email me and I'll do what I can to help ya.

Quick Doctor Update

Just wanted to let everybody know...still no change for me. I'm 36 weeks today...which is really good! Doctor Swindle is pleased and she also agreed to let me do one thing off my bucket list per day since my requests aren't too crazy. It's mostly sitting activities...pedicure, hair cut, oil change...so will see what this week brings with me increasing my activity level by a little bit. She still wants me to take things slow and keep in check with how I'm feeling. The ultimate goal is to make it one more week for sure. Don't know what happens then..just taking it one visit at time but I'll keep yall posted. I go back Friday and see where we are.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!...we keep getting tied between girl and boy...who will take the lead :)

New addition to the family

Meet the newest addition to our family...Brooks Webb Hebert... He weighs 8 pounds, 4 ounces and arrived in this world via c-section this morning in Baton Rouge, LA. Aunt Iris is so sad she can't be there to hold and kiss him, but hopefully we will be able to meet and see each other sooner than later.
Looks so much like his big brother, Cade, when he was born just a little over a year ago.
There is the happy momma with both of her boys. Cade had a long morning and didn't understand why his mommy was holding another baby. When he finally got his tummy full, he crawled up in bed with Abs and fell asleep...sweet boy :)

Friendships you cherish

Today we had a visit from a few friends.

One of my friends, Lindsey, who lives in Birmingham, brought me cupcakes all the way from Florence, AL (where she works on the weekend at her sister's new cupcake shop..."Cupcake & Co"). Can I hear ya say "YUM"! Can't wait for dessert tonight :)


And then one of our good friends from South Africa, Dan Hugo and his friend Morgan came by to visit. It was so great to see him since he lives so far away we don't get to visit often. Dan was in the area today for an XTERRA race (where they swim, mountain bike and trail run) and he came in second place overall! YEAH DAN! It was sad for me b/c I usually go run around in the woods with Justin taking pics of Dan. This year I had to stay home, but Dan and Morgan came by to see us on their way out of town. Made my day! (on top of getting cupcakes from Lindsey) Dan was so funny...last time he saw me I wasn't pregnant and so I went from being normal in his eyes...to 9 months pregnant. Poor guy...didn't know what to think about that baby bump (which looks more like I swallowed a watermelon). He wanted to compare my pregnant belly to the closest thing he could get to a pregnant belly. Dan..you're gonna need to eat a little more to catch up with this belly...haha :)

the coldest drink in town

Well, winter is for sure a thing of the past and summer is starting to show itself strong. Along with all the other man duties that go down around the Poland residence, there's seems to be a common denominator, fetching "the coldest drink in town".

Iris's cravings have not been as extreme as others but there is one thing for sure, the Green Apple Icee at the local Chevron is holding at the top of the list for now. Drink responsibly!

- Justin

Bucket List and doctor update

I'll start with what everybody is waiting to know...I went to the doctor again today (doctor Swindle was out of town so I saw one of the docs from when I was in the hospital, but same practice). She still says no change thank goodness! Still having to stay on bedrest and keep doing what I'm doing...or should I say NOT doing. I did ask her about when I get to stop taking the procardia (oral meds to keep contractions away). She said some docs say 36 weeks and some say 37. So I'll talk to Doctor Swindle about that on Tuesday at my next appt. Anyway, regardless we are pleased with the report today. And I was a big girl..got to drive to the doctor and home all by myself :) Seriously it was nice. This whole "being helpless" feeling is no fun, so a little independence goes a long way.

I may be jumping the gun a tad...but if things continue to go well..sounds like I will get some privileges. So I have compiled a "bucket list" of some things I would love to somehow squeeze in before baby P comes...ONLY if I get cleared to do them...I can hear my own mother right now and a few others who play a similar role in my life, starting to breath hard and start composing their lecture to me. Don't worry ladies...this is my child we are talking about..I'm not going to do anything against doctor's orders or that would jeopardize my child's health. With that said...

Bucket List (before baby P):

• pedicure
• movie
• go out to eat with Justin (last meal...haha)
• oil change in my car

So I think all of those require minimal walking and could definitely be doable if I get the "all clear" from doctor Swindle. And just for the record...if I don't get to do them..it's not the end of the world. I just think it's good to set goals for yourself.

Thanks again for all the sweet comments about the blog. I truly am enjoying it. Yall don't feel too sorry for me. It's a beautiful day...I'm plopped out on my driveway on a lawn chair (with my fold out table, laptop,music, cooler of drinks, good book and sunscreen), enjoying the beautiful outdoors. It's a nice change a scenery. And don't worry I'm tucked in between our garage and my neighbors so I don't scare anybody in all my pregnancy bliss..hahaha.

A Little Goes a Long Way

This whole experience has been more than anything...us seeing such an outpour of support from our friends, family and neighbors (even people we don't know too well). Just wanted to share a few things.




I have this cute little neighbor who came over to talk to us the other day when we were doing some porch sitting. When she realized I'm on bedrest, she made it her mission to bring me lunch everyday. Her and her husband are retired so they are home every day. It is the cutest thing. I mean it's a great lunch everyday...she comes at 12 on the dot with my little paper bag filled with great things like above...bagel pizza, salad, dressing and cherries. Everyday she tells me what is on the menu for the next day and gives me a choice of my side and fruit :)
It's the cutest thing and I've really enjoyed getting to know her and her husband. I hope this is only the beginning of a friendship with them.

So I asked Justin to get me some kind of candy when he went to Walmart to pick up a few things. He got this honkin bag of assorted candy! I was like geez babe...
But hey...go big or go home (as one of my friends always says).
My mom and some other friends have been sending me neat little care packages. It's the highlight of my day and always have fun things in there. This package is from my mom with some food things and a book to read. I've been getting all kinds of cards in the mail with encouraging words in them. Then my sweet friend Leslie sent me a gift card to Barnes & Noble! I was pumped b/c it's always fun to get something new to read and fyi...it's cheaper to order online anyway from B&N, which works for a girl on bedrest :)
Haha..this is another one of my retired neighbors across the street. The other lady who brings me lunch was out of town this past Monday so she recruited this lady...Ms. Amanda to take over that day. She insisted on bringing me Milo's hamburger and vanilla shake and she came over to eat with me. Then she insisted on driving me to the doctor later that afternoon. So sweet!

So these are just a few examples of the love that has been shown during my time off...we feel so blessed to have such a great support system. Not to mention we have been getting dinner delivered 3 nights a week. I can't begin to tell yall how helpful that has been! I know there are many people who have things so much worse and are even more restricted than I am or for much longer time periods. Justin and I are truly grateful for the situation we are in, there are many things to be thankful for...but it still doesn't make it easy. We are determined to do what's best for this baby, but there are times it gets lonely and boring. I try to stay positive and not worry about what is to come. There are still so many unknowns...just try to just stay focused on the task at hand and hold tight to the promises that the Lord is so much bigger than us and is in control. He has a much greater plan and purpose for all of this.

The Men in My Life

So I thought it would be fun to show everybody my men :)
I have only a few but the ones listed below mean the world to me and it's only fair for me to give a glimpse of them to the blogging world.

Most of you know this guy...he is the love of my life..I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now without him...literally. He has helped me get set up on my blog, but more importantly, Justin has been such a great support system. I try to only cry once a day :) But he is so patient and has taken such good care of me during all this. He is going to be a great daddy.

This is my dad (and Cade, his little buddy). Anybody who has talked to me for any extent about my family knows how much I love my dad and respect his opinion on things. He is such a wise soul and loves his family. He has been a great sounding board for me and Justin on many issues throughout the years. I love this man! My mom always gets jealous when they are both together around me...she says I am his shadow. I love both my parents...but there is just something about being a daddy's girl that is hard to explain (I'm a momma's girl too..sometimes)
OOOOH....couldn't you just eat this little thing up. This is Cade my little nephew and first grandchild. It was love at first sight when I saw this little baby in the hospital a year ago. He is a mess and such a joy to be around. He learns new things all the time and is too smart for his own good. It will be interesting to see how things go when he has a new little brother :)
And this is my other little buddy. Well I guess he isn't little anymore. This kid can pick me up and throw me around like a rag doll when he feels like it. This is Russ, my "little" brother. He is 11 years younger than me so I've watched this kid grow up into such a sweet, kind-hearted young man. Hard to believe he will be a senior next year in high school. I love him so much!

So these are all my men. Love all of them more than I can say. My list will be growing with the addition of my sister's new baby (Brooks) who comes next week and will see if I will be adding my own little man to the list or it may be a little princess :)
Either way, my list will be growing, but wanted to share these guys with ya. I am blessed!

Doctor Swindle

This is Doctor Swindle at Henderson and Walton in Birmingham. If anybody is looking for a good doctor...WE LOVE HER! Hoping it works out for her to deliver our baby. She is so pumped about being on the blog...so here ya go Doc...here is your big debut on the blog :)

Oh and just for the record...we take a poll everytime we go to the hospital or doctor on what they think the baby will be...Doctor Swindle said "I don't know...everytime I guess I'm wrong". But she did say she always says boy b/c of every 100 girls that are born there are 105 boys born so the statistics would give her a better chance of being right if she says boy :)

My pregnant sister

Most people know I have a sister...but do yall know she is about to have ANOTHER BABY NEXT WEEK?!?!?! I wanted to introduce Abby to my friends in the blogging world so you don't wonder who this new little baby is who I will post about when he arrives (Brooks Webb Hebert).

So here is Abs and her family...husband Josh, his daughter Dani, and their little boy Cade. Cade is the first grandchild on the Parker side...he just turned one last month...yep you heard right...Cade just turned one and my sister is about to pop out another boy this month. I keep telling her...somebody needs to sit them down and tell them where babies come from :)
Not the greatest picture of us both but everybody wants to see the belly shots of both of us together. Abby is suppose to be 3 weeks ahead of me..but since baby P has decided to act up...looks like these two cousins might be closer together than expected.

This is Cade again. The first grandchild and my sister's first born. I love this picture of this fat little thing. I could just eat up his little cheeks. It's kind of sad to see him growing up so fast...but we also like to see him learning new things and getting bigger.
This was at my baby shower that my sister, Abby threw me when she was 8 months pregnant in the middle of tax season (she is an accountant) with a one year old...yeah she is super woman! For some reason my belly looks bigger than hers in this picture...but we have been carrying them different too which may have something to do with it.

Just for the record..she is having another boy...Brooks Webb Hebert. But just because we are carrying different doesn't really mean I'm having a girl..just saying. Oh and our heartbeats are about the same on the babies. So will see :)

So this is the Hebert family. My sister and her baby boy, stepdaughter and husband. Can't wait to meet the new little addition to their family who will be getting some love on my blog very soon. His arrival date is scheduled for May 24th unless he decides to come earlier.

Weekend and Doctor Update

So I know everyone is dying to know about the doctor...still good news...NO CHANGE!  We were excited to hear that.   I actually had a driver today (my neighbor) and J met me there to cut down on his time off of work.  Doctor Swindle said she feels like I'm fine to drive..so looks like I'll be taking myself on Friday.

I told Justin...I've been the "busiest bedrest girl EVER" today...I woke up and finished reading a good book, then did the shower routine (takes a while b/c I have to do it in steps in order to rest in between), then my neighbor insisted on bringing me lunch (Milo's hamburger with grilled onions and a vanilla milkshake) and then Alison and Caby Grace brought over dinner and visited for a while, I had to time to check my email and then meet my neighbor outside to go the doctor and now I'm home typing this...whew...I didn't even get a nap today :)

We have also had lots of inquiries about how our weekend was.  Here are a few pics from the weekend to narrate our time together.  But honestly it was a great weekend, good weather, and I was so glad to have J here with me.  See below:

We had church in the bed...that was kind of fun.  We are so thankful our church streams the sermons online...so we just downloaded it, and watched it in our pajamas with coffee...I mean we would have much rather been there in person...but this wasn't a bad alternative

We have been using our netflix for sure...watched a movie this weekend..."Life as we know it" which was very cute

J did some maintenance on the mailbox.  The top fell off in a freeze last year I think?  I'm sure the neighbors were all cheering when they saw my maintenance man out there doing that.  And he put back two of the shutters on the house that blew off in the storm (we still have one missing but it's on order)...I just supervised :)

Did some porch sitting...I let J use the computer (hahaha..I know what he has been saying about me on facebook), and I read a book.  Very relaxing.

 

 

 

 

So no complaints from this little momma...things are still staying steady with... cook baby Poland cook, I've been staying busy thanks to all my sweet friends and neighbors and I'm having fun blogging.  I got a pic with my doctor today...she thought that was so funny.  She can't wait to see if she makes the blog...which she will :)
Stay tuned for more, but probably tomorrow b/c I'm pooped.  Going to eat some yummy chicken tetrazini..thanks Alison and Caby Grace!

CVS Deals - Couponing!

Who out there enjoys couponing?...I DO! I love a deal and learned how to coupon when Justin was laid off last year.

Sidenote...as stressful as all that was, it was such a blessing and we see so many good things that were reaped from that time, especially for us now. Justin did so much to help while I was working full-time and he was searching for a job...he cleaned the house for me, did the dishes, laundry, cleaned, and did grocery shopping. So his role at this point in our lives isn't much different except for the fact that Justin is working full-time and taking care of me and the baby full-time...poor thing. He is the best though...no complaints from that boy...he just gets it done. Don't worry..more to come on J...he is so awesome, he is gonna get his own post :)

Anyway, that was a good time for us b/c we really worked on our finances and learned to coupon. So this post is to give a good example of a very successful shopping trip at CVS. I was pretty proud of how this turned out. See below:

Ok...so to narrate the picture...I listed the price of the items and total before coupons was $18.67 I had $4 in coupons and paid with tax $16.35. At CVS, with certain items, you can get CVS money called "Extra Care Bucks" (ECB). It's like free money (in receipt form) you can only use at CVS. Alright....so above I got 3 things of eyeshadow for $16.35 with $5 ECB (that just means I got a receipt printed out after my purchase with $5 on it)



So then I check out a second time with these two items. I listed their regular price in the store if you just went in and bought them with no coupons or CVS card. So they initially were $17.78. I got them on sale b/c I swiped my CVS card, had an awesome coupon that was buy one, get the other half off, I applied my $5 ECB (free CVS money) and my grand total was..drum roll please... $1.80

NOW THAT'S A DEAL!!!!




And then for all you CVS newcomers...you gotta have this little red card in order to get the deals. You just scan it every time you check out and that's what gives you the sale prices and how you earn ECB. It's pretty fun, especially when you can walk out of there with a good purchase and paying very little :)

More to come on couponing later. I won't be doing too much of it right now b/c we have been super blessed with so many people providing us meals right now. So we only need a few small items usually and Walmart is right by our house. I shop mostly at Publix and CVS, but Publix is not a convenient location for Justin to hit at the moment, so we will just be sticking with Walmart for now. But when I'm back on my feet...I can't wait to share some of the deals I get there. I can seriously walk out of that store with them paying me for stuff or I get free stuff all the time! So for now we will just stick with CVS and I'll try to share when I have a good week with purchases.

Blog switch

So...since I'm all into blogging now..I was asking J...why did we do wordpress instead of blogspot? He didn't have a really good answer for my question and this weekend we have done some searching around and decided to switch to blogspot. I like the format better and it has more options for some things. So before we get too committed and have too many followers to our wordpress account...we are going to switch over. No worries...all the info is still the same with my previous posts. J spent time switching them over for me yesterday. So from here on out...we will be using the blog you are reading now: justinandiris.blogspot.com for updates. Sorry for the confusion.

friday doctor

Just wanted to let everybody know…went to the doctor today and she said no change since Monday. She actually said if anything, things have improved. So I’m going to continue to lay low and keep this baby cooking. Goal is 3 more weeks according to Doctor Swindle…so that’s what our goal is too.

bedrest essentials

Everybody keeps asking me if I’m bored yet. I mean..I guess I have good moments and bad. Sometimes it’s hard to just sit around. Yesterday was my official first day by myself because my mom left to fly back to Florida. Getting this blog set up has been a really good way to pass time. I have a series of activities that I rotate through during the day which helps break up the monotony. So here are a few things that are necessary to have:

So you can see in the picture...water bottle (hydration is key), utility tote with all the necessities, knitting, laptop, kindle.

I've been reading in this a lot. One thing a friend gave me was prayers based out of the whole book of Proverbs and Psalms to pray over your children...pretty neat.


gotta have a way to charge all the electronics

This little bag is awesome...I carry it from one room to the other with me..it holds my meds, chapstick, phone, pen, tv control...you name it, it's in there.

Tv tray for meals and an extra surface and then notice the makeshift garbage bag behind it.

Everybody needs themselves a little Rhonda (mom) when on bedrest...this woman worked her tail off while she was here and there is absolutely no way I would be sitting as pretty as I am now without her!

So that’s a pretty good summary of all the basics needed. My husband is the photographer, not me, but I tried to capture the essentials in their natural environment I will say, I have been getting some very sweet cards in the mail, text msgs during the day, and we have some of the sweetest neighbors who have really been looking out for us. We are only in week one of this (and hopefully don’t have 6 more of these) but so far, more than anything, this has shown both Justin and I how blessed we really are and what great friends and family we have. And the other thing I’m learning is, sometimes it’s not a bad thing to be forced to slow down. Love you all!

nursery

Here are pics of the nursery…I know it’s a lot of blue…but you can’t have pink in a boy’s room…BUT you can have blue in a girl’s room. So no worries..I have some ideas of how to throw a little pink in there if we come home with a girl. Oh…and we have the same initials for a boy and girl. That was the only way I could hold out and not find out what this baby is. But now I’m so excited we did it that way. That moment is going to be so special!


The baby bed. Linen bedding from Fireflies and Fairytales. The same initials for boy or girl.

Changing table...I found at an antique shop in Denham Springs, LA. We changed out the knobs and threw some baskets inside. Notice the nest picture in the frame (that my aunt painted for the nursery).

The dresser me, my sister, and brother used when we were babies. Justin and I sanded, painted and changed out the knobs.

The rocking chair and bookshelf next to it. The ottoman and curtains have the same fabric.

We are ready with pink and blue...bringing both of these outfits to the hospital to bring either "Briggs" or "Blake" home in.

monday doctor

We finally got to see our doctor Monday. She was out of town during all our excitement. What an ordeal to get to the hospital (which was a big outing for me since all the medications and hospital stay), get up to the office (in a wheelchair), see the doctor, and get home. Whew was I ever exhausted.

Short version, Doctor Swindle said there was no change from the weekend…yeah! She did say they would stop my labor until I am 36 weeks (we are 34 now) which would mean being put back in the hospital and being hooked back up to that horrible medicine. So no one has to fuss at me. Even though it’s my nature to be busy..I’m parking my happy butt on the couch and not getting up unless I have to. We want to give baby P every opportunity to get here safely, healthy and to come home with us when we leave after delivery (instead of the NICU). So now we skipped from going every two weeks, to getting to go twice a week until baby P gets here Gotta love that.

Many people have asked how they can help us. I have a sweet friend…Celeste…who created a meal calendar online, see link attached, where people can sign up to bring food. Since I can’t get up to shop, cook, clean, prepare meals…the food thing has helped tremendously. My mom leaves Thursday to go home for a few days before she moves to my sister’s house to help with her new baby.

http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=CPSL0573

baby p

So we are starting this blog to help keep friends and family updated on our new addition coming soon…baby Poland. We have had an interesting last week and lots more updates to come..so figured this would be a good way to get the news out. So a recap of the last week:

Thursday, May 5-Friday, May 6

I had been having aches and pains since Sunday. Finally decided to go to the doctor Thursday morning. I made Justin go with me because I felt like there was a possibility they might send me home and tell me I’m just a first time mom and don’t know what I’m feeling. Well I was dilated 1.5 cm and 70% effaced. We went strait down to labor and delivery and got hooked up to the monitors which determined I was having contractions. I was given a shot to stop them and some oral meds and sent me home. Later that night I kept feeling really bad with increased back pain and called the nursing hotline who reluctantly told us to come back in (only because I insisted). We threw some stuff together and once we got all hooked up…found out I was having ~2 contractions every 3 minutes! We began getting the steroid shots to help develop the babies lungs since it was unclear if labor was imminent. They gave me three different kinds of meds while we were there…they were just slowing them down but not stopping them. The final med they hooked me up to was Magnesium (an IV drip). That’s when we got admitted and I had to stay on that for 26 hours. It makes you feel HORRIBLE, you can’t eat for most of the time, just IV fluids and you are bed bound b/c of all the side effects…not pretty!
Best part of Friday…my mom came into town. When we realized what all was going on and how much more intense this was all getting…she dropped everything and jumped on the first plane here. I had to hold myself back from crying when she walked in the room. It was good to have my momma here. I think I felt so helpless being in that hospital bed and all I could think about is all the stuff I don’t have done at home to get ready for this baby. Justin is such a big help but he was with me…so mom came to our house and whipped this place into shape. If everybody had them a little Rhonda, they would know what I mean

Saturday May 7

Early (3 am Saturday) I was taken off the IV drip and switched to Procardia (an oral med that I will be on until baby P decides to come) to keep the contractions away. The doctor wanted to see how I adjusted to these meds so we didn’t run into the same situation as Thursday night, so we had to stay until Sunday morning. As much as neither Justin and I liked being in the hospital…it was comforting to be hooked up to the monitors and know what the meds were doing to me and the baby and we both loved hearing our little thumper the whole time. It helped us sleep at night The highlight of my day Saturday was getting cleared to take a shower!!! Oh the little things in life. We also got an ultrasound of the baby…WE STILL DON’T KNOW THE SEX…everyone keeps asking but we really don’t…I promise! Baby looks good. He/she is so low…the tech wasn’t able to get a good head measurement so it was hard to estimate the weight, but she thinks baby P is 5 pounds on the money..give or take a little.

Sunday May 8

Came home with strict orders for bedrest. I am only allowed to get up for a shower and bathroom. Thank goodness for mom and Justin. I said it earlier…I feel so helpless not being able to do ANYTHING! and they are running around busy getting us all packed up and organized for our inevitable trip back to the hospital…whenever that may be. It was so nice to be at home though and Justin and I slept so good that night! He was so cute…he cuddled up so close to me and baby P and just kept his hand on us all night. I think he just wanted to know we were right there and ok. I love my husband! He was such a rock during all this uncertainty and has stayed positive through the whole thing. Don’t know what I would do without him.

first time blogger

So this is my first official blog posting… Justin and I talked and since I will be having some time on my hands and have a lot of friends and family who are curious for updates, I was thinking the best way to update everybody may be a blog…so here we go. I have lots to learn about all this but then again I guess I have nothing but time at the moment…so it’s all good I’ll eventually include our story and then updates as they are available and then who knows what else through here. I’m excited to learn something new and see how this translates in our lives.