Four Years!!!

 Happy Anniversary Mike! I can't believe its already been 4 years but it has definitely been the best 4 years ever!!

 Someday Mike and I may be able to celebrate our anniversary on the actual day but at least one of us has been in school each year since we got married or it was on a Sunday so we usually have to push it to another day. This year the month of March was crazy since Mike was in school and had board exams and finals right around March 25th. This meant we were both extremely stressed right around our anniversary. So we decided to wait until the 29th to do our celebrating because Mike would be completely done with the quarter and so we would both be much more relaxed.

We planned a full day in Greenville and I was so excited about it. The day was going to be full of shopping, registering, movies and yummy food. We were so excited to kind of get out of town and just spend the day relaxing and having fun that a forecast of rain couldn't even ruin our day.

We have been needing to do our baby registries so we decided to start at Target and do that one first. I forgot how much fun it is to create one! We loved just wandering the store and picking out fun stuff for our little guy :)

The other part of our plan to celebrate our 4 years was to go see a movie. We haven't been to a movie in a while and our first plan was to go see the new movie Noah. Then we heard such terrible things about it that we decided to go see Divergent instead. I had read the book so I was really excited to see it and for Mike to see it!

We LOVED the movie!! Honestly, I thought it was excellent and really kept me engaged. I love the story and the message it gives. I thought the acting was great too. I would strongly recommend this movie.

Such good food! Happy Anniversary sweetie!

Dinner was an interesting experience. Our original plan was to go to Ruby Tuesday because we had such a good experience there on Valentine's Day. When we got there it was about 6:55 and they weren't too busy. Lots of people were inside but we didn't have to wait to be seated. So we went and sat down and the hostess got us our water and then said our waiter would be right with us. So we sat and looked at our menu's and decided on our food. Then we waited and we waited and we waited. Before we knew it, it was 7:20 and still no one had come to our table. So it had now been 25 minutes or so and I looked at Mike and said "let's go". So we stood up and walked out of the restaurant. Honestly, I was so annoyed about it. I mean it would be one thing if we had been waiting for food but no one even came to introduce themselves or take our order.

So instead we went to Red Robin. It was super busy when we got there. We had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated but once we were the waitress came right to our table and began to serve us-shocking I know. Then we proceeded to have a lovely dinner of great food and great company :) It ended up being a great dinner. Our waitress even took a picture of us.

No anniversary celebration would be complete though without something sweet and terrible for you but oh so delicious, so we headed to Coldstone! I seriously love the ice cream here so much that we only come here on special occasions because if I not then I would go way too much :) I had my traditional cheesecake ice cream that I always look forwards to getting but I added a brownie and nuts and whip cream this time and oh boy I was in heaven :) It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day!

I can't believe Mike and I have already been married 4 years. I know that may not seem like a lot to most people but I think its amazing. Sometimes it seems like we got married yesterday and sometimes I feel like we've always been together. We've had our ups and downs and its not always easy but its so worth it! I think this past year with all our fertility struggles and my anxiety during pregnancy has really strengthened our marriage. I'm grateful our family is growing but I'm also grateful to have had the past 4 years to learn and grow as husband and wife and enjoy that time together :) I love him so much! He is seriously the best husband (I know everyone says that but its true) and is so patient with me. He treats me better than I deserve and is honestly willing to do anything for me. I've been especially difficult lately (I'm not a very nice pregnant woman and I'm super emotional and anxious) and he has handled it so well and I'm so grateful for that. (I think if the roles were reversed I would've run away by now haha) I know that neither of us is perfect but I feel like we are perfect for each other and help to bring out the best in each other. I can't wait to see him with our little boy! I know he is going to be a wonderful dad :) I love you Mike!

Mike Update 3/14

Mike here again. I just wanted to write a little update on my progress so far, although most people following this blog want pregnancy/baby updates, I will interject a little about what has been going on in my life, (selfish mike moment). Today marked the last day of my seventh quarter of school. Since it is a fourteen quarter program, you guessed it I am half way there. It has gone fast but not quite fast enough for my liking, you know the old phrase days feel like years but weeks feel like minutes or something like that. Seventh quarter was one of the toughest for me so far. This was the quarter where at the end I took my first of the four part national licensing board examinations. While studying for those, I also had eight other classes to worry about, which ended up giving me by far the most quizzes and tests I have ever taken in a 11 week period. But here I am writing this to you today as a survivor. So in retrospect I experienced a lot in the last year and three quarters. During this time I have been able to perform well on the first of my board examinations, (which marks a completion of basic sciences, thank goodness) I have been able to discover the way that I will deliver my services as a chiropractor i.e. the technique I will use (which I am taking the elective on it this next quarter which I am very excited about), I have learned a ton of material (from different types of bacterium to the angle of the joints on your spine to energy metabolism and even the stages of syphilis plus much much more), and I have made some great friends in the process as well (suffering together helps to build relationships and you cannot hide when everyone that started with you has the same classes throughout the three and a half year program).

So today also marks a large transition in my education. The first half has been nearly all sitting in classes getting lectured at, but starting next quarter we transition to my time in the clinic as an intern. We start with review classes next quarter and then student clinic in the summer, where we get a student reciprocal as a patient as well as new students of Sherman as patients and then this fall they will set us loose on outpatients from the outside world, (under the supervision of a licensed case doctor of course). I will need to bring in my some of my own new patients so if anyone is wanting to try out the empowering effects of chiropractic care let me know. So on new experiences and more success as I journey to becoming a chiropractor.

I have included details of how boards went from my blog, Musings of a Future Chiropractor, the post was written last Monday. If you want to learn more about chiropractic and other health topics go check that blog out. Here is that Board post:

Well that was one of the fastest weekends I have ever experienced. Nine hours of testing over a day and half makes time pass rapidly. It turns out that I have been able to retain information for a year and a half of classes. I was able to keep track of how many of the questions I knew for sure the answer to, and to my joy it was more than half on all six sections, (you need 375 out of 800 or 46% to pass each section of part 1). Biochemistry was by far my strongest section, no surprise there. Although this is no guarantee that I have passed them, as with all standardized tests, they will now take all the tests from around the country and statistically adjust them; like if everyone got a question right, or if everyone got it wrong they throw it out and readjust and they will do all other types of statistical wizardry to get the final scores. Based on past results they tend to curve the tests in such a way that ~75% pass and ~25% fail each time they administer the exams. I feel confident that I am in the top 75% and I will get the official scores on May 5th.

With everything said and done, I am happy to have that experience done and over with. One less hoop to jump through before I can become a licensed chiropractor. I would like to thank all those that gave my support and sent happy thoughts my way way. Now on to pre-clinic next quarter and the next phase in my education.

                                    

-Mike E

A food post

I thoroughly enjoyed the second trimester of pregnancy as far as my high energy level. I took full advantage of it since I know it won't last forever. Since I'm home now during the day I've been trying to find things to keep me busy. One thing I have been doing is cooking more. I really enjoy cooking (but not baking) and so we bought a new cookbook for me to use to try some new things out. I was getting really bored with our menu lately.

I love cooking and I love to try new things but I always get frustrated when I see this long list of ingredients and half of them I don't have and would only use when I made that meal. I don't want to pay for that especially if we may end up not liking the meal. Then we went to Barnes and Noble to look around and found this: Taste of Home: 5-Ingredient Cookbook

I love this book so far! My favorite part is that I have and use just about everything a recipe calls for in my apartment. Everything we've tried has been a winner so far. So I thought I would share a couple of our favorites:

1. Garlic potatoes and ham (This is so good!)

8 small red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package (16oz) frozen broccoli cuts, partially thawed (we used green beans...delicious)
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 envelope herb with garlic soup mix (we used half the package for the 2 of us and it was perfect)

In a large skillet, cook potatoes in oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in broccoli, ham and soup mix. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (4 servings)

2. Noodle and rice pilaf

*We usually have this with chicken and corn on the cob

1/4c butter
1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
1/2 cup uncooked fine egg noodles
2-3/4 cups chicken broth
Minced parsley

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add the rice and noodles; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in parsley. (4 servings)

3. Ham and rice bake

1 can (10-3/4oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package frozen vegetables, thawed (we don't mix the veggies in with the bake-we just have them on the side so I don't know how that would turn out)
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

In a large saucepan, combine the soup and a 1/2 cup cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in vegetables, rice and ham.
Transfer to a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy :)

4. Seafood stuffing

1 package instant chicken flavored stuffing mix
1 cup imitation crabmeat
1 cup small frozen cooked shrimp
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cook the stuffing according to package directions. Mix with seafood and sprinkle with lemon juice. This is so tasty, easy and filling. 

5. Graham Cracker Brownies (I made these for a bake sale at Sherman and they were gone in the first hour. Several people came back and bought a second or third)

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 30 squares of crushed graham cracker)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spread into greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and then enjoy :)

I had such a hard time just choosing 5 to share but these are some of the easiest and most cooked in our home. They are so good and so easy to manipulate according to the size of your family. 

*All recipes above came from the Taste of Home: 5-Ingredient Cookbook

28 Weeks!

Welcome to the third trimester!

 Yay! I made it to the third trimester! I'm so excited that we only have 12 weeks left until our little boy gets here. I have actually enjoyed being pregnant so far but I can't wait to meet him and hold him and see who he looks like (I'm really hoping he has blond hair and blue eyes like Mike).

Their is no doubt about it...we are going to have one active little boy on our hands. He is constantly moving. The doctors are having me monitor how many kicks in an hour and I just have to get to 5 and most of the time it takes about 10 mins for me to get that and I'm done. I love it though! I love feeling him move, reminding me that he is still there. It is just the best feeling in the world to have him doing somersaults in there :) We had our 28 week appointment on Friday and he was actually kicking the doppler the whole time. Every time the nurse would move it to get his heartbeat he would kick it away and anytime she tried to touch my stomach he would kick her hand. He does the same thing to Mike when Mike touches my stomach. His heartbeat was still at 140 though so that was awesome to hear and I'm still measuring normal. For now it looks like all is well :)

- I still have a ton of energy and I'm putting it to good use while I can.

- I'm still able to wear all of my pre-pregnancy clothes which has been super nice but sometimes I like to wear the maternity shirts cause they are my warmest which I've needed cause the weather has been crazy lately.

-These past 2 weeks or so  I've really started to focus on what I want his nursery to look like. He has a crib, changing table, dresser and book shelf in there now but I want to decorate. So thankfully I know some people who are much more talented than myself who are creating some wonderful things for his room :) This is leaving me free to focus on shopping for everything else our little guy needs! It's crazy how fast time is passing!

-I'm still exercising 5 days a week although sometimes I have to shorten my workout because little man has decided to push on a nerve that causes my leg to cramp at times making it harder but thankfully its not a lot and doesn't happen often or during the workout-just after making the afternoon not so fun. Working out is really helping my stress and anxiety levels to stay down and its fun!

-We are 90% sure on his name although we still have a few ideas. We aren't going to make a final decision until we meet him though and we also aren't sharing the names we like.  You know.... people give their opinions too freely sometimes and they don't stop to think how negative or hurtful their opinion can be. I know that I am far too emotional right now to have someone say something negative (even if they don't mean it) and it would probably make me second guess myself which I don't want to do. Besides, we want to make sure the name is a good "fit" for him.

- I still don't have any specific cravings...its pretty much just if I am hungry their better be food close by because I'm going to eat. I still LOVE fruit and eat it all day long but no specific kind. I also still don't have any problems eating just about anything I want which has been great.

-I'm still cold most of the time but I'm hoping this gets better as spring arrives. I've also become more sensitive to smell in the past couple of weeks. So more smells will bother me or I'll notice them before Mike and so he looks at me like I'm crazy for a few seconds til he notices it too.

-The worst part of this pregnancy for me has been my anxiety. Thankfully with each week I get a little better but I do worry about everything. I'm extremely emotional and poor Mike never knows what might make me upset. We've really been working on things I can do to lower my anxiety and some of them are helping so I feel like I'm getting better which is really best for everyone. I'm very blessed to have such a patient husband because I know I'm not the easiest person to live with right now. 

On another note, I had my glucose test and YAY for no gestational diabetes! I also had no problems with the test. They gave me the fruit punch flavor of the drink and honestly I thought it tasted fine and I had no urges to be sick so that was great! My hemoglobin count was normal too :)

We are so excited and anxious to meet this little guy! I'm so excited to go do more shopping and get everything he needs :)

24 Weeks

 It's crazy to think that in 4 weeks I will be in my third trimester! The past few weeks I have actually really enjoyed being pregnant. Our little boy started moving like crazy and Mike was actually able to feel him moving around too. I LOVE feeling this little guy moving around. Every time I feel him move its just a wonderful reminder of the blessing I have to bring a little boy into this world and it makes me more grateful. So far I'm not even annoyed when it happens at 3am....although I'm sure that as I get bigger it will get much harder.

• I am still going to the gym 5 days a week for over an hour. I love exercising and that it gets me out of the house for a little while if I don't have anywhere else to go.
•  I can still wear all of my pre pregnancy clothes and the pants all still fit very comfortably. I have maternity clothes and I will admit that sometimes I will wear one of the shirts just because they are nice and loose :) I love that I still have lots of room to grow.
• I'm still sleeping well at night. I get up a few times but I don't have trouble getting back to sleep which has been great. 

His heartbeat was at 141 bpm. Like I said, he is a very active little boy but in the words of my doctor, "we like them that way" :)

Hopefully we'll get to have an ultrasound and see him again soon but since I'm measuring right where I should be and my weight is stable and we're both healthy....no ultrasound right now :(

We've been starting to get things ready and I've been spending lots and lots of time designing what I want his nursery to look like and I've almost decided.....I think I'm too much of a perfectionist but oh well :)

Valentine's Day

We had a very simple Valentine's Day this year. Mike and I don't really go all out for this holiday. We don't do presents and I beg and plead for him to please not get me any candy or junk and I'm grateful he doesn't. This year Mike was home from school the entire week before Valentines day due to the winter storm. We got a couple inches of snow and the roads were icy (I suppose...we didn't test them) so we were home. I think this was the first time that we were actually able to spend the whole day together which was awesome :)

The roads were really icy in the morning on Valentine's Day so this is what I found in the way of flowers when I got home from my morning workout :)

Honestly, I'm glad he didn't try to go out. I know he knows how to drive in icy conditions but most people around he don't. I also think its sweet that he even thought to do this and honestly I was impressed. I can't make a paper flower to save my life.

After relaxing and doing some shopping during the day. We got all dressed up and Mike took me out to dinner. He surprised me by taking me to Ruby Tuesday. It was delicious! The food was amazing and the service was awesome. Then the manager came out and told us he felt our food had taken too long to get to our table (we didn't think so but hey we won't correct you) so he said our desserts that night would be free. So we proceeded to order cheesecake! It was one of the best slices of cheesecake I've ever had. It was too big to eat there after we had stuffed ourselves with dinner so we took it home.

On our way to dinner :)

Yes that is chocolate sauce covering it and yes I was a very happy pregnant woman that night :) My mouth is watering right now just remembering how yummy it was :)

 I love that I got to spend so much time with my wonderful husband. He spoils me so much and is just the sweetest and most self-less person I know. I'm so grateful for him and I can't wait to see him with our baby boy! I'm grateful that he works so hard to be a good chiropractor and plan ahead for our family so he can take care of us. He puts up with me which right now really makes him a saint because I am not the easiest person to live with these days :) I love you Mike!!!!

A Special Day

 *I know this post is late since I'm already over halfway done being pregnant but I just don't want to forget this special day.

I have spent many years imagining the day that I would find out I was going to be a mom. I imagined how I would tell my husband. I imagined how we would tell our families and when we would tell them. I tried to picture if I would be surprised, scared, happy, sad or maybe a little of everything. The way that this all happened was not at all like I imagined. It was nothing like I thought it would be but it was perfect :)

Since I found out we weren't pregnant the first time we tried, I thought it was only fair that this time Mike get the phone call instead. I was so scared the answer would be no again that I decided I would rather here it from mike than a nurse on the phone. So I took the blood test on October 4, 2013 and went to work. I'm pretty sure that was the least productive day I've ever had. I went through the motions just waiting for 1 o'clock when I could go home. Finally Mike told me he was home and waiting for me and that they had called. So I left work at 1 and drove a little faster than usual home. When I got there, I didn't want to get out of the car. I was so scared. So I sat in the car for about 15 minutes after I got home just trying to get the courage to go into the apartment. Finally, I got out and walked slowly up the stairs. Then I couldn't open the door so Mike started to open it. He kept telling me to just come in and find out. So I opened the door and this was waiting for me....

I couldn't believe it. The only thing I could say for about 2 minutes was "really?" I kept asking if he was kidding. Then he let me listen to the message from our doctor confirming that we were indeed pregnant. I was so excited and shocked. All I could do was hug Mike and jump up and down. We had imagined this for so long that now it was real and honestly had no idea what to do next. All I remember feeling in that moment was gratitude. I was so grateful it had worked and that we had a little miracle on the way.

A part of me wanted to shout to the world that we were expecting but another part of me wanted to keep my secret for as long as I could and just hold it close. It seemed too good to be true and I really just wanted to savor the moment. We knew our parents knew the date of the IUI though so we couldn't really keep it from them. So we bought a cookie cake and wrote 'congratulations grandma and grandpa' on it and drove down to Charleston. 

This day was worth the wait. The moment I found out we were going to be blessed with a baby suddenly made every shot, every blood draw, every ultrasound, every doctor's appt and sleepless and tear filled night worth it. We already love this little boy more than words can describe. I know that the fertility trials made me appreciate the opportunity to be pregnant and become a mother (in a few months) more than I would have otherwise.