Saying goodbye is never easy...

Well, I have been dreading having to write this blog entry, but it needs to be done, so here goes nothing...

Monday was D-day for Ryan to be back on a plane and heading back over to Iraq. :( His whole time here, we had done our best to focus our attention on everything BUT Iraq, so Monday kind of snuck up on us, well, at least on me. We did our best to have a positive attitude about everything and try not to focus on the bad stuff. Ryan, Eli, and I spent the majority of the day enjoying one another's company and just focusing on our little family. It finally came time to tie up loose ends and head for the airport and as Ryan and I were sitting there, a song came on that said, "So kiss me goodbye, cause Honey I'm gonna make it out alive". I was doing sooo good until that, and I just lost it! The funny thing is the song is kind of silly and those are the only lyrics that apply at all, but it still made me lose it! Well, after my little melt-down, we headed to Renee's house to drop off Eli, and say goodbye to the fam and then Ryan and I would head to the airport. We hung out for a little while with Renee, Haylee, Sam, and Heather, and then Mom and Dad got there. We talked for a little while and realized we really needed to head out. Ryan went around the room saying goodbye to everyone and then it was time to say goodbye to Eli. I was already getting emotional before this, so I just had to turn around and look the other way when he said goodbye to our son. I don't know if I'll ever be able to comprehend the emotions that he was having at that very moment. I mean, I have left my family for long periods of time because of the Army, but being forced to say goodbye to your brand new baby is more pain than I can imagine. Ryan handled it better than anyone could have dreamed, but it was obvious the pain that he was going through. We finally headed out to more hugs and the tears were shared by all. Ryan and I then loaded up and headed for the airport. We did our best to make the trip as pleasant as possible, but knowing that you are saying goodbye not only to your wife, but to your brand new son, does not make it easy. When we finally arrived at the airport and checked the ticker to see what gate his flight left out of, we were not happy to see that his flight had been cancelled! My poor husband has the WORST luck with airlines, so it really should have come as no surprise. We then lugged all his gear over to the ticket counter to see what they could do for him. I was dreading the thought of my poor husband having to wait anymore than he was already going to. Well, turns out that because he was military and there were multiple connections he was going to miss, they just re booked him for the exact flight schedule leaving the following day! We were excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. The thought of him having to say goodbye one more time was daunting to say the least, but we were thrilled to spend one more day together. So, back we headed to Nay's house to plan our evening and the following day. We decided to go out to eat and celebrate, so we took the fam and Sam and Heather out to Red Lobster! :) It was of course, scrumptious, and we had a really good time enjoying everyone's company. After dinner we all went our separate ways and Ryan, Eli, and I had one more relaxing evening at home.

We decided to just enjoy our time as much as possible on Tuesday, so we relaxed in the morning and then Ryan and I left Eli with Grandma and headed to the Mall to get my birthday present. :) Seeing as I still can't fit into regular clothes and my hands are still slightly swollen, so I can't get any rings or anything, I really was at a loss to tell him what I wanted. After walking around the entire mall, I decided I would just go shopping later for shoes in his honor, cause we both were starving and would rather be eating than shopping anyways! We had a great lunch at Five Guys restaurant and then headed on to the Pediatrician which I already blogged about. :)

Well, after all that we headed back to Nay's and lets just say the goodbyes were ALOT better this time. I think it helped that we got some of our emotions out, so it was a little easier. We then headed back to the Airport and this time the flight was not canceled. :( Well, we went to the counter to check him in, and the lady was very pleasant and helpful as he explained his situation and asked for a flight itinerary. She then noticed that he was military and asked if I had an ID, because if I did, she would give me a pass to go back to the gate with him! How cool is that! We were so excited and it was nice to have a little more time to relax and enjoy each other's company. We were able to get a little dinner as we waited for his flight, and I did my best to distract him from the sad stuff. :) We had fun talking about what we were gonna do when he gets back for good. (I think we're gonna take a cruise, YAY!) Anyways, his flight kept getting delayed, and it was finally time for me to go and feed Eli, so we said goodbye and actually managed to maintain composure and be strong for one another. I love this man so very much, and I know how painful it is for him to say goodbye, so I tried as hard as I could to keep smiling and not make him feel bad that he had to leave. We are gonna be a better family because of this and that is what we have to keep in mind.

We kept saying that "We've done this before, and we know we can do it!" This is the last time we are gonna have to say goodbye for a long time, and that is a great consolation in and of itself! Next time I see him, we will FINALLY be able to be a family!

Well, that is our little sad, crazy story! He was in Balad last I heard, waiting on a flight to his base, so hopefully he should be "home" in the next day or so. Please keep him in your prayers as he is going through a lot right now with the separation.

Only a couple more months and we will be a complete family!

Thanks for praying, love ya!

Pediatrician Relief...

Well, Tuesday was our 2nd Pediatrician appointment, and this time we tried a different one considering our woeful trip last time! Ryan wasn't supposed to be able to go, but because of his flight being canceled, he was able to go! (More to follow on his flights etc...)

The appointment wasn't until 2:30 PM, so we had a little time beforehand, so Ryan and I headed to the Cleveland Mall to find a Birthday present for me. :) We ended up just walking around and eating at Five Guys Burgers and Fries joint. :) Anyways, after that we headed home to feed little man and head on to the appointment. Ryan got a nice little tour of the country as the Doc office is in Boiling Springs. :)

Well, when we got there we were pleasantly surprised to find it was a nice new building with colorful signs and it looked like a Pediatrician's office. When we walked in we were again pleased to find a decent size waiting room with toys and games and kids furniture. The receptionist was very friendly and after we filled out a few forms, the nurse came and got us to go back to see the Doc. She weighed Eli and good news is he is still growing and has gained 7 oz in a week, so he is now up to 9 lbs 7 oz. :) She was extremely friendly and the office was very clean and colorful and pleasant. She asked us multiple times if we had any questions or concerns and was very gentle with Eli. She went out to get the Doc and a few minutes later he came in and lets just say he was interesting. :) The first thing he said when he came in was, "I hate Bush, Bush should have to go to Iraq himself!" (We had told the nurse that Ryan was heading to Iraq in a couple hours) He was nice and knowledgeable, but as Ryan and I put it, he seemed to be kind of like a hippie. :) He was unusually calm and when we would ask him a question he would say something like, "Well, whatever you choose really, this really is a user based thing here..." We were very relieved however to find that he was a little more traditional and old fashioned in regards to feeding schedules and such. I guess I am just not used to such an easy-going Doctor. :) Not serious here, but Ryan and I joked that we wondered where he was hiding the pot, cause no one is that calm and relaxed without drugs. :)

So, it was definitely a better experience, and now I need to call and make another appointment for his month checkup. I'm still not looking forward to his 2 month checkup, cause that is when the poor guy gets his shots. :(

So that is the update and it is definitely a relief!

Birthday fun... :)

Well, Ryan's birthday is the 11th of July and since I knew I wouldn't be able to be there for it, I decided to make him a cake and sing to him! :) So, Monday morning on the day he was supposed to head back to Iraq, I snuck upstairs to bake him a cake. Mom helped, but I just knew he was going to get suspicious as I kept on going back and forth to get it finished. So, when it was finished, I called down and told him to get dressed and bring Eli up. I then started lighting the candles and because I underestimated how long it would take to light 24 candles, he got upstairs before I finished! :) We sang him Happy Birthday and Mom told him that he better blow them all out at one time, cause I had blown all my candles out the first time one day after giving birth. :) Of course, everything is a competition in the Swaringen household, so blowing out candles is no exception!

Poor Ryan had no idea what he was in for! He gathered a big breath and attempted to blow out all 24 of his candles. Unfortunately for him, just when he thought he was done, half of the candles reignited! :) I had mixed in 12 Trick Candles and all of them slowly were lighted again. :) Mom and I could not stop laughing as Ryan tried unsuccesfully for about 2 minutes to blow them out! He was such a good sport about it, and could not believe that I had put Trick Candles on it! I have never used Trick Candles, but I was amazed at how time after time they would ignite even after several seconds of no flame! Finally we had to use tongs to get them off the cake and extinguish them in water, but it was such fun on a Monday morning. Ryan seemed to enjoy his morning birthday cake, and we all had a good time at my poor husband's expense!


Of course I didn't think to take pictures, but I thought I would include a picture of the birthday cake I made for him in Germany LAST YEAR on his actual birthday. :) I didn't have anything to decorate with, so I had to use Lucky Charms! :) It actually tasted very good!



I love you babe, and I hope you enjoy turning 24 this year! Soon you'll be old like me!

Attemping to catch up...

Well, I have been just a wee bit busy the last couple days, so blogging has not been a priority. :) Sorry to the extended family and friends!

I guess I just need to start somewhere and hope to eventually be caught up! Well, I guess I will start with our trip down to Georgia. :) Ryan had been dying to go down ever since he got here from Iraq and was thrilled when the Doctors said that it would be a possibility. :) There are quite a few people he hadn't seen since our wedding in November 2005, so he was thrilled at the prospect of seeing them and showing off our brand new little boy. Needless to say I was a little apprehensive about taking our brand new baby on his first road trip, but he really did beautifully and slept most of the way. We only stopped one time for me to feed him, and it only added about 45 minutes onto the trip. We got in at about 10:00 pm on Thursday night and hung out with his parents for a little while and then I went up to try to get some sleep. :) Ryan's mom, Gramma Leigh Leigh, was kind enough to stay up and take care of Eli and would bring him up when it was time for him to eat! It was really nice to actually get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep in between his feedings! I think she enjoyed the time with him as much as we enjoyed a little extra sleep time. :) She actually did this Friday night as well, so I'm really thankful for that! I know she was pretty exhausted, but it was definitely much appreciated!

On Friday many visitors came and went and Ryan was able to introduce Eli to his Nana and some good friends of his. Ryan and I were also able to leave Eli with Gramma Leigh Leigh and Nana and go out to Lunch and make a trip to Barnes and Noble. :) It was nice to spend some more alone time together and I think Gramma and Nana enjoyed Eli as well. We then had dinner that night with family and friends and ended up having a relaxing evening with his family before heading off to bed. We planned on leaving Saturday night, so after Ryan got up to go with his brother and Dad out to get coffee and do some shopping, we had a nice relaxing day with his family getting to watch a movie and just hang out. A few more friends stopped in and then we went out to eat at Sonny's with his parents before making a quick trip over to his Nana's and then heading back up to North Carolina. I hope I'm not forgetting too much, but we had a really good time, and Ryan was sooo happy to be back in his home town for a little while.

Here are a few pics from the trip! Hope you enjoy!

-love ya,

bette anne

Nana's first Moments with Eli!

Nana and Gramma Leigh Leigh enjoying Eli

Some of Ryan's friends, Scott and Kaiylin

How cute is he, really... :)

Russ and Eli

Russ doing squats with Eli

Ryan with his 2nd favorite boy, Rebel :)

He was so excited to not have to shave for a few days!

Seriously need to catch up...

But, here are some pics I took of Eli this morning having his first "real" bath at home! He did really good, and he didn't cry at all even with inexperienced me doing the washing! :) I tried to not photograph his "area", but did manage to get it in the shot! :) Just don't harrass him when he gets older that his Mom put compromising photos of him online!

I have lots more to post, but this last week has been crazy and emotional and now that Daddy has gone back, Mommy is having to do a little more on her own! (Of course with the help of Grandma!)

love y'all!

Pediatrician woes...

Well, I scheduled Eli's first appointment with the Pediatrician yesterday, the 19th, for a weight check-up. I didn't research the place, because it was the only one in Gastonia that military insurance covered. I didn't dream there would be any issues, but boy was I WRONG! Mom, Renee, Haylee, Eli and I all piled up in the car and headed over there. (Ryan was supposed to come with, but he had to go to Charlotte to get Eli set-up on our insurance and unfortunately the 2 appointments conflicted) Well, we get there and it was interesting to say the least. The waiting room was literally like 10ftx10ft and there weren't any toys or anything, really bland. The clientel was how shall we say, from the lower end of the spectrum... Half of them looked like they were in a gang on the side and the other half hadn't showered in days! I felt like I needed to give Eli a tetnus shot just for being in the same room! Plus there was this scary man giving away suckers to everyone in sight! I was seriously contemplating just getting up and leaving, but I knew I needed to get his weight checked, so I decided to stick it out. After what seemed like FOREVER, we finally got called back and the nurse weighed Eli in at 9 lbs. That is 5 oz up from his weight when he left the hospital, which is really good. We thought that was all, but she said the Doc was gonna come and check him out. We waited another 45 minutes or so and she finally came in and said that he looks like a 2 month old and everything looks really good! She was really nice, but it doesn't make up for the shady office and shady clientel.

I've already called another pediatrician that is in Boiling Springs, that some people from church recommended, so I hope that works out, cause the only other pediatrician is one in Lincolnton and I really don't want to go that far if I don't have too. Here's to hoping that this doc and his office are not shady and I will feel more comfortable with it. I was really glad that I didn't go by myself and Mom and Renee could verify that I wasn't crazy and the place really was scary!

At least Eli is growing and looking great!

Motorcycle Pics... This is what happens when Daddy dresses Eli!

Here you go Renee...

Well, Renee tagged me a few days ago, but I've been just a little busy, but today I decided to find the time... Let's see if I can think of 8 unique things about me...

1. My job in the Army required me to hang out the side of a helicopter videoing various "Army stuff". (really cool)

2. I can't dive even though we've had a pool since I was 13. (I know, I'm sad)

3. Ryan is the only man I've ever told that I loved.

4. I don't balance my checkbook.

5. I have incredibly odd looking toes. (Thanks Mom)

6. The first movie in a theater I ever saw was "The Passion of the Christ". I think I was 23. :)

7. My junior or senior year of high school a classmate of mine was showing me a trick where you can make a pencil look disjointed by closing one eye. Well, this was during class and the teacher, who was blind in one eye, asked what we were talking about. Without thinking, I said, "oh, this is a cool trick, just close one eye and see if you...". I trailed off with the realization that she always has one eye "closed"! Seriously, how twisted am I? The whole class just got quiet and she quickly changed the subject.

8. We've finally managed to pay off all our credit cards and loans and are finally debt free!! Yay!

So, there you go, that's about as unique as I've got.

Swing Pics

Happy Daddy Day Everyone!

Just wanted to post a quick Happy Father's Day message out there to all the Dads of the world! I have a couple pics of some important Dad's in my life, so I thought I would post them, Hope you enjoy!

Update that I sent about Eli's birth...

Well, I wanted to post this update at the hospital, but the internet connection at the hospital blocked this site which I think is so stupid, but whatever. I planned on posting it a little sooner, but I have been a little out of it with getting acclamated to Eli and Ryan being home, etc...

Anyways, I will try to keep up a little better with the blog, but here is an email I sent out to a lot of you on Tuesday...

"It is 1:10 am here, Tuesday, and just got done nursing Eli and was starving, so grabbed a little sandwich and decided I would write a little about his first day of life. :)

Last night, Mom and I checked into the OB Triage at 5:00 pm and were sent to a birth suite and told to just relax until a nurse would come by and start the admission process. I was worried about being late to the hospital, so we decided against stopping on the way for supper. Instead, we hung out a little while in the suite, and then Mom headed out to Arby's to pick up some supper. I knew that the hospital wasn't going to want me to eat anything, but after a security guard told Mom she better check to see if it was okay to bring me food, she decided to ask the nurse who promptly told her that I was not allowed to eat anything and wouldn't be eating anything but clear liquids until after the baby! I almost started crying as my last meal was at 1:30 pm and the thought of not eating for a pregnant woman what looked like 36 hours was scary and discouraging to say the least. Needless to say I was NOT happy with Mom that she asked, knowing what they were gonna say! I don't think I was very sweet to her for the first couple hours, but I think I eventually got over it! I was allowed hard candies and Popsicles and one nurse was even nice enough to strain chicken noodle soup and let me have that.

When they placed the contraction/heart rate monitor on me, they said that I was already contracting, but I honestly didn't feel a thing! They weren't true labor contractions, but at least my body was starting to prepare for Eli's arrival I was then checked at around 7:30 pm and was not dilated at all and was 50% effaced. They gave me some medication that was supposed to thin out my cervix and start contractions. This brought on pretty regular, but short Braxton Hicks type contractions that were really just annoying and crampy more than painful. At around 11:00 the nurses said that they would give me a sleeping pill since I was having a difficult time resting because of the constant contractions. I then went off to a happy land where I was literally dreaming of pink unicorns and fields of purple flowers. :) Until they decided to wake me up at 12:00 and 1:00. :( I couldn't sleep anymore because the meds had worn off, so Mom woke up with me, and we played Phase 10 and watched TV from 1:30 am - 5:00 am. At 5, the Doctor came in and checked me and said that was now 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced and that Eli had moved down a little already in the birth canal. I was thrilled at the progress and she said she was very pleased considering this was my first baby and I was not dilated at all when I came in. I then actually dosed off until they came in around 7:30 am to start my Pitocin. Around 8:00 it started to kick in with some pretty painful contractions and by 8:30. I was really hurting and so the Docs recommended I try a moderate pain reliever. This seemed to make me completely incoherent with only slight pain relief. Mom and the nurse just had to laugh at me because I would just say the most ridiculous, random things! This was when Dr. Peach got there and said that I was still 1-2 cm and 75% effaced, but decided to break my water to speed up the process. The contractions continued to get more severe and just when I thought I would break Mom's hand, they said that I could have my epidural! I was so relieved and at around 10:45, the anesthesiologist administered it and within 15 minutes I was able to talk through the contractions and within 30 minutes I was feeling almost normal again. :) Thankfully, Ryan decided not to get there until around 11:15, so I was feeling pretty good and he avoided my wrath during the really painful periods. (I don't think Mom was so lucky!) It was right around this time that Dr. Peach checked me again, and I was already 4 cm and still 75% effaced! He was very pleased with the progress, and said 0-4 cm is the most difficult progression and I may be looking at about 1 cm and hour until I get to 10. I was estatic with the progress and so thankful that God answers prayers. Between this time and around 1:30 several family members arrived, and I was able to relax and spend some time with them. At 1:30 pm, I noticed that I was feeling some pretty strong contractions and felt oddly like I should be pushing. I knew there was no way that I was already ready to push, but it concerned me enough that I thought I should call the nurse and see what she thought. She said that she would check me and see if maybe his head was just pressing on a nerve. So, we sent everyone out and as soon as she checked me she said, "You're gonna have a baby". I was thinking, we know that, that's why we're in the hospital! I then asked if I was anymore dilated, and she informed me that I was 10 cm and the baby was at full station, and I needed to get ready to push! I was in utter shock and started shaking at the prospect that we could be holding little Eli very soon! Because we had to wait a while for the Doctor to get there, we let the family back in. Needless to say they were almost as excited as we were! None of us could believe that I was only in active labor for 5 hours 20 minutes! I kept telling my nurse that the Doc better hurry and get in there cause I was NOT going to be able to hold him in there for much longer. I was so greatful that even with the epidural, I could still tell when to push. Unfortunately, my Doc was in a meeting at his clinic because he didn't dream that I would be fully dilated so soon, so the midwife on duty was sent to deliver Eli. At first I was disappointed because I really liked my Doctor, but the midwife turned out to be very nice and really made me feel comfortable. I started pushing around 2:00 and at 2:46, after a pretty painful, but bearable time of it, Elijah Luke Stroud was placed on my chest and our lives were forever changed! I know it is cliche, but I could not imagine how much I could love another human being, until I saw him and instantly fell in love. He cried pretty quickly, but quieted down almost as soon as I started to talk to him. They then took him to get weighed where he promptly peed on 3 different nurses. :) He weighed in at a healthy 9 lbs 3 oz and 22 inches long! He then got a 9 and 9 on the APGAR test, which the nurse said is very good. (10 is the highest) This measures Activity, Pulse, Grimace (Reflex irritability), Appearance (Skin color), and Respiration. He missed the 1 point because his hands and feet were a little purple initially. They then brought him over to us and after the midwife finished with me, the friends and family all came in and were thrilled to see Baby Eli! Mom was the first of the group to hold him, as I thought she earned her place by being my labor coach until she could pass it on to Ryan. :) I think everyone got to hold him at that point, and we all just marveled at how amazing it was that it was so quick! I was prepared for 24-36 hours of active labor, so just under 5.5 hours was unbelievable! The Doctor's attributed it to my body reacting very quickly and fully to the induction methods, but I honestly believe that it was the prayers of everyone involved. God really is so good to have let Ryan get here just a few hours before Eli was born, and to give us a beautiful, healthy little boy.

I also want to mention that Eli is doing such a good job with nursing and Mother and son are having a good time learning together. :) This was something I was truly concerned with, and I am again so thankful that God is allowing Eli and me to learn so quickly.

The new nurse for this evening said she didn't want to jinx me, but she could not believe how good of a baby he was. He honestly hasn't cried more than a few wimpers here and there since that first cry when he was born. I know it is only the first night, but we really are blessed to have such a beautiful, content little boy.

I also want to make sure and thank my husband for all he is and does for me. He is selflessly serving our country and provides for me, and now for Eli. He really is a wonderful man that I am so lucky to have. He did such a beautiful job as my labor coach and did nothing but encourage me. The look on his face when he first saw our son was worth all the pain and stress of the pregnancy and labor. He really is going to be a tremendous father. Thank you babe!

Well, I think that is about it for now. I can't upload them all the pics now, but once I get back home I'll try to post some more."

Off to the hospital...

Well, wanted to let everyone know that I'm off to the hospital to start the whole induction process...

Don't know when I'll be able to update again, but getting excited as Ryan should get to Charlotte at 10:15 AM Monday morning! So, he should get to be here for the birth and hopefully Eli will cooperate and arrive shortly thereafter! (wishful thinking, I know!)

I better go, but hope everyone is doing well, and I can't believe we are about to officially be parents!!

Yay!

Updates are fun I tell you, FUN!

Well, went to bed not knowing where exactly my husband was and wondering if he even really got on any flights at all yet! Well, woke up this morning with an email from him and my heart sank thinking that it CAN"T be good news if he emailed instead of called. Well, I was wrong! Here is some of his email...

"Got to Balad yesterday, flew to Kuwait late at night. thought i was getting a flight for the morning, but I have one for tonight instead. So, this means I will arrive in Washington DC at 6 something and the in Charlotte at 1015, monday morning."

He also said that... " could you hold off having the baby until I get there, that would be cool. I know im asking a lot."

I almost laughed out loud since I won't even be starting my Pitocin drip until Monday morning and it usually takes MINIMUM 10 - 36 hours to take effect when you are starting where I'll be starting. So, unless God does some type of intervention and has me go into natural labor today, I think he's gonna get here before the baby is born! ;) I'm just afraid he's not gonna recognize me since who knows what my pain level is gonna be at that point! :) Poor Guy... I hope I can at least be nice to him, cause I don't know at what point they'll let me have an epidural?

Anywho, that is the update and I can't believe I will see him so soon, and be in the hospital by this evening!

Life comes at ya fast, huh?

my ryan is coming... my ryan is coming...

Just received an email from Ryan that he did not get on a flight last night because they were canceled, but he put himself on a flight for Saturday afternoon and should be in Balad by night. He then flies to Kuwait, waits for a flight to Atlanta, and then to Charlotte hoping to be in Charlotte by late Sunday or early Monday!! Don't know if he will be able to get to any phones along the way, but he said he will try to call as the situation is often changing when you are dealing with the military! There is an 8 hour time difference so that helps a little with the flights from Iraq as you "gain" a little time on the way over. I do not envy him in the least doing all that traveling! It makes me shudder thinking about all the those trips I took between the states and Germany, and that was only dealing with a 6 hour time difference, and I was on commercial flights! I'm hoping his flight from Kuwait to Atlanta will be commercial, but I'm really not sure.

Please pray that he will stay alert and of course safe throughout his travels.

I, of course, cannot wait to see him! Yay!

I never took Communication 101 in college, but I should have...

This morning started off with my niece Haylee jumping in my bed waking me up at 7 am. I thought this was a pretty eventful wake up until I got a call from Ryan saying I need to do him a big favor. (I rarely get calls at this time from him, so I was very surprised to hear from him!)

He said that now his company has said that if my Doctor sends a Red Cross Message saying that he is planning on inducing me on Monday for our first born, that they will send him on Emergency Leave and he should be able to be there for the birth! Wow, what a surprise!

I guess Ryan and I got our signals crossed cause I thought that he decided that it would be better for me to have Eli before he got home, so he would be guaranteed to spend the whole time with him and me, but he was just preparing himself for that thinking that was probably his only option! Communication really is hard when you are like 4,000 miles away! I of course would LOVE for him to be there, so I went to work calling my Doc office and the Red Cross for about 4 straight hours trying to get everything worked out! I don't know if you've ever tried get an incredibly busy OB/GYN on the phone, so you can explain your situation, but it is NOT easy! Everybody kept telling me that they would call me later, so I just hunkered down, but kept calling them back annoying them!

Finally I figured out that it didn't have to be the Doc that called the Red Cross. It could be his nurse, so this made the situation a little simpler. We weren't sure if Dr. Peach would just want to move the induction back, but because of the blood pressure, size, and him not being on call till the next Sunday, he said, No, we need to keep the date for Monday.

So, without sharing ALL the boring details, the nurse was able to give the Red Cross the info, and I was able to tell Ryan his Case number to "pick up the Red Cross Message". He called me throughout the process, and the last time I talked to him was around 8:15 pm his time, and he had not gotten the message yet, but when I talked to the Red Cross later in the afternoon, they said that the message got to Iraq at 8:30 pm his time, so I'm hoping he was able to get the message and get something started on his end. We were extremely frustrated with all the bureaucracy and red tape involved, but it really only took about 4.5 hours from the time I called to the time the message got to Iraq, which the Red Cross said is really unheard of, so I guess we should be thankful for that.

I honestly don't know if he was able to get a flight out that night or not, but he should still be able to come on Emergency leave just leaving later, otherwise, he will take his regular leave come Sunday night, the 10th. The advantage of Emergency Leave is he should be placed in the top category giving him the fastest (the term is relative in the Army) way home.

So, I say all this to say that he may get to be here for the birth! I am really excited about the possibility now that it is a real option! I had just given up on it thinking it wasn't happening, but now that it might, I am thrilled!

Hope all my rambling makes sense!

Can't believe I'll be in the hospital in 2 days!!!

I'm in love...

Well, I guess I'm officially pregnant and losing it, cause now I'm posting about ICE CREAM!! :) Mom got this on sale and with a coupon, and it is the BEST ice cream ever! It is just the perfect blend of ingredients! I don't know why I've never had it before, but it is now a permanent fixture in my freezer! It is close to passing my old standby of Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream even!

You have GOT to try this ice cream! It is creamy vanilla loaded with chocolate-covered peanuts, peanut butter-filled chocolate bunnies, a thick chocolate fudge ribbon and a peanut butter caramel ribbon.

Yum Yum! Alright, I guess I'll stop posting about ice cream! Don't know if it's still on sale at Harris Teeter, but you should check it out!

Eli's going home outfit options...

Just wanted to send a few pics of what we have as options to take Eli home in. :) I have a whole bunch of clothes that we've been given already, but I really wanted his going home outfit to be something that we bought for him. I have been looking for a while, but really haven't found anything that I liked. Once I was scheduled for the induction, I figured it was time I got serious about finding something! :) Mom and I were running errands at Target looking for some stuff for Ryan when he gets here, so we decided to look and see if there was anything I liked. I found these outfits, and I really like the idea of him wearing the little onesie and jean shorts, but don't know if that will be too comfortable for him, so we have the little soft cozy outfit as an option too. :) Hopefully he will fit in them, we'll see! I just LOVE that little lion onesie! Too cute! I guess I should pull out some socks for him too! :)

He'll probably mess on both of them and end up going home in a hospital t-shirt, but it doesn't hurt to try!

We're getting close... Yay!

formatting stuff

Wow... I am REALLY not liking the way the templates are set up with blogger! It is a royal pain, and I can't figure out how to simply customize colors and basic settings like that. I guess I will just have to learn the HTML language and completely design a background I like. I made the header succesfully, but finding a pre-made template that fits it perfectly is beginning to look impossible. What makes it even more difficult is that I like the posts on the right and the profile stuff on the left. Only like 20% of the stupid pre-made templates are set up that way! Maybe I'm just not understanding how to do it, or it could be really late, but I am giving up for tonight! At least I tried to customize my look!

Update... Okay... I sortof figured it out like 2 minutes after I posted this! It still isn't perfect, but at least it is a start!

I'm not very good at saying no... :)

Well, tonight Mom and I loaded up to head to Nay's house and her Lia Sophia Jewelry Party. I didn't really know what to expect since I have never even heard of these parties before, but I really had a good time, and I really like the jewelry. It isn't too expensive, and they have some really unique peices. We played a little game, and I won a $20 credit!! I couldn't believe it, I NEVER win ANYTHING! :) Plus they were running a special where you buy two peices and the 3rd peice is 50% off. The cool thing is you get 50% off the most expensive item, so how cool is that!

Anyways, here are the 3 necklaces I got tonight... I haven't bought myself jewelry in forever, so I kind of went crazy!

Let me know what you think!

well, the doc finally caved...

Well, had my Doc appointment this morning to monitor my Blood Pressure and here is how it went...

My blood pressure is still slightly elevated, but he really isn't too concerned about it since it is lower than Monday. He then checked my cervix and unfortunately I still am not dilated at all and he classified the cervix as still unfavorable. :( He then told me to get dressed and he would talk to me about everything. Well, of course I had already waited an hour or so just to be seen and then waited around another 45 minutes just to talk to him again! Got to love it when you see the popular good doc. :) Anyways, he brought me in and after much deliberation thought that I should maybe wait a week and see if the cervix opens up on it's own. I said that normally I would agree, but given the circumstances I feel like I really have no other option but to try to induce on Monday. I told him I was afraid that Eli would be too big if I waited much longer and I wouldn't even have a CHANCE of delivering naturally, plus my husband is getting here from his leave from Iraq sometime Wednesday - Friday and he really wants the baby to be born before he gets here. He thought that was odd, but I explained to him how short of a time he has here and he is afraid that he'll be here a week waiting for him to be born and then only get a couple days with him. He said he can understand that and if I want to try the induction then he would schedule it. I said, okay, let's give it a try. He said he still feels like there is about a 50% chance of my cervix not ripening or the baby being too big and still having to do a C-section, but he thinks that we are at the point where we should definitely TRY and have the baby naturally. I asked him if he thought I was foolish for trying without the cervix being favorable and he said that if I didn't have the situation with my husband, then yes he would think I was foolish, but when you factor everything in, he understands why I want to do it. So, I am now going in to be admitted Sunday at 5:00 pm and they will insert something to try to ripen the cervix, (Don't remember exactly what this is called) then Monday morning, the 11th, they will start the Pitocin drip and try that for 6-8 hours and see if they can start the contractions. There is still a chance that I could not take to the Pitocin AT ALL and he would have to reschedule it for another day. If I do start contracting and going into labor, but I am not progressing, then he said there is a good chance of a c-section. So, I feel like we are doing all we can to have the baby here, but if that's not what God wants, then he'll be born when my hubby gets here and maybe that is his plan. I don't think it is, but we'll see. I really feel we need to do everything within our power since we have this opportunity. I really can't believe I have a date SET, and can't believe that we could have our little boy come Monday!!

Another thing is my birthday is the 12th, so knowing my luck, I'm prolly gonna end up having him on my birthday! I will be 38 wks 2 days on Monday. :)

So, that is the update! So, now the hope is that my cervix decides to open up at least a little on it's own!

Everything should be decided tomorrow!

Well, tomorrow is the deciding factor in EVERYTHING it seems! I have an appointment with Dr. Peach tomorrow at 9:45 am to check my blood pressure and decide what we are going to do about Eli. At my appointment on Monday my blood pressure was slightly elevated, so he was a little concerned and wanted me to come back to check on it again. If it is still high, he wants to admit me to monitor it. :( Not good news if you ask me! If this meant that they would induce me right away, then it wouldn't be so bad, but it just means having a bunch of tests for 24 hours and spending the night in the hospital.

If my blood pressure is fine, then we are supposed to determine when to induce. I will be 38 weeks on Saturday, but they don't induce on the weekends, so I'm hoping that Monday, the 11th will be the day! He is on call that day, so I am seriously going to push for that. If he does schedule it for Monday, then I would come in Sunday night and they would prep my cervix, then on Monday they would start the Pitocin and hopefully Eli would cooperate and come sometime Monday. My birthday is Tuesday, so I'm really hoping that he will come on Monday, so we can each have our own day. :) Grandma Bunt's birthday is the 11th, so that would be fun if they could share the day. I mean, honestly, I really don't care at this point, but I do have my little hopes about it!

Oh, if you hadn't heard, the Ultrasound showed him to be around 9 lbs 8 oz, so that is a main determining factor in inducing early. Plus I have come down with this horrid, itchy rash called P.U.P.P.S. that covers the majority of my body. It is similar to hives, but unfortunately will not clear itself up until Eli is born, and it is unbearable!

He also put me on bedrest until the appointment tomorrow, so I'm really hoping that something will be decided cause I am getting REALLY bored! :)

I'll update when I know something!

Elijah can come now!

Well, I figured it might be a good idea to start a blog so people can keep up with our lives without having to send out email updates all the time. I hope I'll be able to keep it up as well as my sis does, but we'll see. :)

Anywho, I just received Elijah Luke's receiving blanket in the mail today! My Grandma Bunts made this for little Eli and it is the softest cutest little thing! I can't wait to wrap him up tight in it! I really feel like we have everything we need and this definitely makes me feel even more ready!

Thanks Grandma, you're the best!

Here's some pics I took tonight of his blankie...