Still Waiting...

Everyday for the past week I've either received a phone call or text message inquiring whether we've had our son yet. NOPE...still waiting. Derek and Skofeild are doing a lot of this...

Derek and I have both had severe allergies this week so he took some time off work. He has lost his voice and he is constantly coughing. I tease him about being my labor coach, he's going to need Que cards that say "Breath"... "Relax" and so forth. I have a rash that is devouring my entire body, I've been taking beneydryl which makes me so drowsy.

Skofeild has been extra affectionate, he likes to cuddle with us whenever he gets a chance. He flips out whenever Derek tries to take a picture of me and him but he seems pretty calm whenever I take pictures.

When I'm not "nesting" or napping, I'm doing a lot of this...

Some days it takes a lot for me to get on the treadmill but between the excessive heat and the overall feeling of being heavy I've been trying everything to induce labor. I'm listening to salsa on my i-pod, it's music that always makes me want to move:) I'm thinking about taking my i-pod with me when I go into labor, maybe it will distract me from the pain.

The walking has helped the baby get into position, I've posted a couple of pictures of two angles so that you will notice that my stomach isn't as high as it once was.

You'd think that I had a set of twins in my belly by my size. As far as we know we're only having one.

At our last check up I was dilated at a 2.5 cm. I was expecting to go into labor any day now. Several of my friends said that they were dilated at a 2.5 for an entire months so that squashed my hopes of going into labor any day. Wish us luck, we are so...Excited!

Countdown to a Miracle

It's crazy to look at my pregnancy ticker and see that I only have 15 more days until our son will be here! Last week had our weekly Doctor appointment to check and see if I was dilated and to monitor the growth of our son. An ultra sound was ordered because he is still measuring very large. The ultra sound reported that he is 8 lbs 14 oz! The Doctor suggested that I walk more to induce labor so I've been trying to walk 2x a day.

Here is the latest picture of his face. I told Derek that he for sure has his cheeks. I really can't tell what his other features will look like.

I've been super uncomfortable so I've started having conversations with my belly "Son I know your uncomfortable in there don't you want to come out already?" "I can feel you elbows and your feet, there can't be much more room in there". Derek says it's not up to our son, it's up to my body...so I guess I'll keep walking, I even threatened to run but then I remembered the extra 35lbs on me and decided not to.


We went to a pool in a nearby town, I felt weightless for 2 hours. It felt sooo good!More updates to come. If there is a sudden lack of posts, you'll know that our son has come. Derek hasn't learned to blog, nor does he have the desire but I'll make him post a picture when our son finally gets here.

Anticipation

Derek has been anticipating his last day of school for weeks now. On Friday, he had his last exam and he has successfully, officially finished his first year of medical school! Only 3 more years until he graduates and another 4 years completing a residency, time has flown by and I know the remaining years will fly by as well.

I surprised him with balloons and his favorite candies. On Saturday we drove to Beckley (45 min) to celebrate at the Outback Steakhouse. Derek hasn't been eating much meat my entire pregnancy so we thought he deserved a steak. I ordered the pasta and we were both very pleased with our meal.

Derek will be starting his research with Dr. Bridges on Tuesday, June 1st. He will be conducting research detecting diabetes, the analase marker will determine who is more likely to be predisposed to diabetes. We both wish that we could travel back home to visit but with the baby due date coming up we will be spending the entire summer here. All of our friends will be visiting home...we are so envious that they get to see their families.

Speaking of baby, our Doctor continues to tell us that our baby is very large (even with the sugar free diet!). It's still too early to determine whether or not I need to be induced. I feel like my skin can't stretch any more than it has but every week I grow a little bigger. My energy has been sapped by the heat, this entire week has been in 90's. I feel like a beached wale...my body is collapsing under all the baby weight. It's official, my hands and feet are swollen. I'm really sad that I can't wear my wedding ring. I'd still be wearing it if my husband hadn't scared me into taking it off, he knows of people who have had to get their rings cut off due to severe swelling. I'm happy that my husband will be available to help more. The last time we went shopping at Wal-mart I lasted 30 minutes on my feet before I had to sit down. I feel like I do calf raises all day, my legs seem to always be throbbing with some sort of discomfort.

I treated myself to a pedicure, I thought it would help these swollen feet look a little better.

My swollen hands, my ring size was once 5 1/2 but this band is a size 7 (I used to wear it on my middle finger and it was still loose, not anymore!)
Your probably wondering, what's up with the ridiculously long nails? I'm always the first to tell my mom to cut her nails (I take after her when it comes to my hands) I'm just seeing how long they actually get before the baby gets here. I'll cut him once he arrives, I wouldn't want to scratch him:)

Latest profile picture taken today.

To those who visit, I apologize ahead of time. I typically sweep the floor at least once a day due to the pet hair that drives me nuts!...I have let that go. The office, I don't even try to maintain a clean space anymore...I have let that go. Our kitchen, I can't stand dirty dishes in the sink, counter space taken up by left out food and the kitchen table which has been converted into my sewing workspace. Fabric scraps, fur, crumbs are tossed about the floor...yes, I have let that go as well. Laundry gets washed and dried but often stays in the dryer for a couple days before I get around to folding it. I literally feel so sapped of energy that I barley manage to cook up meal (Derek has been doing most of the cooking even during his hectic schedule with school). I know I'm making myself out to sound like a lazy nag but its just been this way for the past couple of weeks. This week I set goals to wake up early enough to resume walking for at least 30 minutes a day. I have my husband as a work out buddy now too:)

Measuring BIG

I had what I think was my last ultra sound last Monday. My doctor has been telling me for the past month that I'm measuring ahead of schedule. A couple of weeks ago he told me to cut back on the refined sugar. For some reason his advice triggered me do the exact opposite.



Last Monday he gave me the stats of my baby. He is now in the 89% and is nearly 5lbs. Those stats scared me into action. Who likes to be told that they are fat? It's worse when the doctor is telling you that your child is VERY BIG. I have cut out refined sugar from my diet. I have replaced it with Splenda (which I hate) so I just go for the sweet yummy fruits like watermelon, pineapple and mango.

I've misplaced the latest ultra sound image of our little boy. Honestly, I couldn't really make out the body parts anyway because he was moving too much. Derek thinks that he will have my eyes and lips, I think he'll have his daddy's cheeks and nose...I hope that combination makes for a very handsome little boy.



I had Derek take this picture a few minutes ago...I know my hair is a mess but it is reality and I have my bad hair days. Derek threatened to stop taking profile pictures of me if I continue complaining about how huge I am. I'll just complain about how huge our son is. I can feel his every move now. I can identify his large hard head and his feet. My entire belly tends to shift back and forth and it looks odd, but I'm glad that he is active. I'd be worried otherwise. I'm counting down the days to delivery day!

In Full Bloom, 30 Week Update

It's official, I can not see my toes! Time to treat myself to a pedicure!!!!



According to my book What to expect when you're expecting I should be experiencing the following:

Stronger, more frequent fetal activity-
Definitely, he's most active early in the morning and when I'm laying down. He hates when I fold my arms across my chest or place anything on my belly. He can also recognize his daddy's voice, at the sound of it he tends to squirm around.

Heartburn, indigestion-
Tumbs goes everywhere with me. My stomach always feels like it's in my throat especially when I eat dairy products.

Leg cramps-
This week I haven't taken Skofeild out for a walk at all and I have no desire to do my pregnancy yoga video

Backache-
Nothing new to me but at times it seems more extreme

Stretch marks-
Not yet...and I hope not ever! My belly gets a lathering of Coco Butter twice a day. Hopefully the humidity here will help too.

Difficulty sleeping-
I can't ever find a comfortable position and when I do, I either need to get up to use the potty or the baby starts kicking

Pelvic pressure & Achiness-
I try not to wobble but I do...I know I look funny but I guess that's part of pregnancy

On a positive note, the great thing about being pregnant is people seem to be more polite. People open doors for me, I get food served to me first. I love being treated special. I also really enjoy feeling our son move, sometimes it wakes me up but it is truly a miracle to have a baby growing inside of me.

I have an ultra sound scheduled for Monday, now that I'm in my 3rd trimester appointments are scheduled every other week. Last week I was told he was still measuring big. I'll keep you updated.

Burned OUT

This week Derek had a test in Behavioral Medicine, Pharmacology and Physiology. He had several tests a couple weeks ago and he just felt overwhelmed with having to learn so much information in a short period of time. Every night he'd study until 12am but even then he still felt like he needed to study more in prepartion for his exams. This is the look I get when I try to document everyday life. This is the night before Derek's exam. He wouldn't approve of this picture but I thought it was perfect because it shows just how exhausted he was. He never crashes on the couch unless he is super tired. He of corse did well on his exam and is excited to get a week off for Spring Break. On Saturday we decided to go to Sherwood Lake with several of our friends who are in medical school as well (and their families). James Bishop (Left) and Stewart North (Right) Skofeild needed a break from our little apartment as well so we took him along too. Derek and I (25 1/2 weeks pregnant) We also plan to venture into civilization sometimes this week. I'm planning a cheap getaway to Virginia and we also plan to go to the D.C temple with other ward members. We can't wait to find a decent place to eat out, we really miss good food.

I'm Pregnant, This Is As Perky As I Get

It's back. The bucket that went everywhere with me during the first trimester of my pregnancy. The past several weeks have been tough,hence the lack of blog posts. I thought I was over the vomiting stage and well on my way to the other discomforts of pregnancy. I'm on two medications that should provide some relief but that hasn't been the case lately.



I'm really trying hard to be positive because I know that no one wants to be around a miserable person. Skofeild can even sense something is up, the poor dog is walking on egg shells in this house. Lately, I've been writing in my journal to vent my stress since running is no longer an option. I've been trying to get my mind off of how I'm feeling by reading, taking photographs and planning out our Spring Break trip in a couple weeks:)

We've also been thinking a lot about names. My mom continues to offer suggestions of "nice Tongan names", but I finally told her that we're most likely not going to choose one of her suggestions. There are too many family names floating around and I figure I don't want to contribute to the confusion that may take place when it comes to our family genealogy. So sorry Simi, I don't think a 6th Simi in the family will be happening (don't worry your still my favorite brother).

I thought about posting our top 3 names on our blog to have our friends and family vote. I'm not sure our son would a appreciate a name chosen based on the amount of votes casted so we decided against that.


For all those curious minds, we've decided against major cities such as Denver, Dallas or Orlando. We're not in favor of anything that screams that a percentage of his racial makeup is black such as DeAngelo, Orangelo, Jamal or Kendrick. Traditional American names such as Christian, Micheal or Joseph are a bit too bland for our taste. Harsh Tongan names with the letter "F" or "K" which means that Funaki,'Alifeleti, Timote are not an option! My husband couldn't begin to pronounce those names so that won't be happening. We're not into trendy names or popular celebrity names neither, the list can go on and on about what we don't like. Now we just need to find names that we do like;)

To answer all of you who have been asking, when we finally do have a name, we won't be sharing it until after his birth. There are too many opinions that may sway our decision and much worse I wouldn't want it to be snatched away from us. We are still accepting suggestions if any of you have one that is not like the previously mentioned suggestions.

P.S More updates on my husband and medical school to come. As for now, he is preparing for another test tommorow (his first test in Pharm Rx) and counting down the days until Spring Break.

Are You Doing Somersaults In There?

Sometimes I'm surprised to see my reflection in the mirror; my belly is popping out more and more these days. I'm 23 weeks and so excited my pregnancy seems to be moving along much faster than I had expected.
I've been feeling our little baby move around inside of me a lot more often. At times it's a neat feeling, Derek can even feel him from the outside of my belly. A few nights ago I placed a book on my belly as I was reading. He didn't like that too much and started kicking the crap out of me. I know I shouldn't even be complaining because I hear that it only gets worse as the baby grows bigger.
Now that I'm larger, my back gets sore all the time me standing for more than an hour is all it takes for it to begin to hurt. Thankfully, Derek is so into OMT (Osteopathic Manipulation Techniques) and I get to benefit from his practice. Today we visited with one of his Professors Dr. Karen Steele; she showed him some techniques that helped relieve the pain immediately. She also informed us that studies have shown that women who receive OMT regularly during pregnancy tend to have an easier labor. Hurray for me!


We've also been more proactive in preparing for babys arrival. I've been shopping at the local thrift stores and I'm surprised to have found so many cute little outfits. I've always shopped second hand and plan to forever because i'm cheap...but i'm cheap by choice. The fact that we're living off of loans helps motivate my frugality as well.

One of Derek's professors told him that when she had her baby while in school she didn't buy much of anything accept for a car seat. She used a dresser drawer for her baby's crib. I recounted the story to my Mom and she bought us this crib...I guess she didn't want us using our dresser drawer Lol. Thanks again Mom!

BOY oh BOY we're having a BOY

We're excited to announce that we're having a baby boy!! So to all of you who voted a boy pat yourself on the back. To my mom and dad and their psychic abilities to just 'know' it was a boy from the start...good for you both. Mom was convinced she dreamed about having a grandson (such a Tongan thing to think!) I'm still shocked I even told my best friend to buy me girl stuff in Hawaii. I guess I wanted a girl so bad that I believed it. Derek is so very excited, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. We're excited to know that he is growing healthy and strong. We can't wait to welcome him home in four months!

Which will it be a He or a She?

We're finding out the gender of our baby tomorrow...I'm thinking it's a girl and Derek really would like it to be a boy. If it is a boy, I'll never believe another wives tale again! I was informed that the ultrasound will take 30 minutes, we're so excited to watch the movements of our baby. He/She has been super squirmy lately...I think it may be all the sugar I've been eating this weekend.
Please vote if you haven't voted. Can't wait to share the news tomorrow!

Puppy seeking attention

I often neglect to write about the happenings of my husband’s life in medical school. He continues to do well but he’s feeling a bit bombarded with all that he’s learning in Neuroscience and Physiology. Every once in awhile he reviews what he’s studied with me and it seems as if he is learning another language. He has just completed Clinical skills for this year; he’s pretty excited about that. Last month he performed male and female examinations on actual patients. The patients were paid to teach the students how to perform the procedures accurately, I hear they pay well but you could never pay me enough to let students examine me!



Here he is in his white coat; he looks so handsome and professional.

Skofeild on the other hand has had plenty of anxious days with me stuck in bed. I’m doing a lot better but I no longer take him out for runs and it’s been too cold to throw his ball outside. If he’s not chasing his tail (which he does when he’s anxious) he is in the bathtub because he’s gotten in trouble (he runs to the bathroom with his ears down when he knows he has done something wrong). I finally decided to teach him how to run on the treadmill. He surprisingly caught on very fast especially with treats involved. In the morning when I ride my bike trainer or do a pregnant Yoga video he’ll run the whole entire time on the treadmill. He runs about 3.5 mph for at least 50 minutes. He really is too smart for his own good, lately he has taken up making fake vomiting noises to get us to let him outside. He’s good at it. I never thought I’d enjoy a dog as much as I enjoy Skofeild, he has so much personality it’s hard to imagine how animals can be mistreated sometimes.

Skofeild in the bathtub, his ears perked up when he saw the camera.


Here he is on the treadmill. I have video footage of him running on my phone but the quality isn’t good enough to post on the blog.If you really want to see it, let me know and I could send it to your phone.





I’ve started the craving stage of my pregnancy; it’s been so nice to eat food without vomiting. Last week I was nearly in tears when the Mexican restaurant brought me out a soggy burrito with too much sour cream and cheese. Luckily the waiter caught on and took the meal off the bill. That night I looked up how to make a California style burrito with homemade tortillas. My friend Melanie gladly accepted my invitation to cook them so I spent the majority of my Wednesday at her house making delicious authentic tasting burritos. I was in heaven. I haven’t had a really good burrito since I lived in California. It was nice to be outside of our home and in great company.

My days are a lot better. I’m able to work out with no problem. I’m grazing on food all day, I feel hungry all the time. We’ve started shopping for the basics like a crib, stroller and car seat; online of course, because this small town doesn’t have much to offer. I’m really excited to start decorating the nursery. I catch myself daydreaming about what I’d like it to look like I plan to hit up the thrift store to see what I can find. We’ll find out our baby’s gender next week so if you haven’t voted do so before February 15, 2010.

Baby UNDER Construction...

Almost 18 weeks! There is a wives tale that says "baby girls steal your beauty". According to the copious amount of pimples on my face, we are definitely having a girl. My face is worst than it ever was in high school hence, the headless portrait!

Pregnancy has been TOUGH. Thankfully, we didn’t struggle to conceive as I know it is difficult for many. Shortly after we found out I was pregnant, morning sickness (more like 24/7 sickness!) hit me like a ton of bricks. As my sense of smell increased, my appetite decreased. I had aversions to meat, especially red meat and anything powerful smelling. I felt ravenous with hunger all the time but nothing sounded appealing to me. Derek has been so loving, he would either pick up dinner or make dinner despite his heavy load of studying. In frustration I would end up crying because I couldn’t eat. I spent the majority of the day in bed, curtains drawn shut, phone turned off and a vomit bucket right beside my bed. I’m sure you might wonder "why didn’t she just run to the bathroom?" I was throwing up so much I became tired of the toilet water ricocheting into my face and clothes; the bucket lined with a garbage bag was a far better option. I’d throw up stomach acid and the little food that I managed to keep down. It was the first time my life that I was concerned about losing weight.


Due to several complications at 9 weeks, we had an emergency ultra sound. Our little baby was dancing around so much we nicknamed her/him "dancing gummy bear". Dosn't it resemble a gummy bear?

At our 2nd prenatal appointment, the nurse noticed that I had lost several pounds. I was advised to try "crackers and 7Up" I was very annoyed at the quick fix suggestions everyone had thrown at me. It was almost like it was my fault that I was nauseous because I wasn’t doing one simple thing, eating crackers with 7Up. The fact that it came from staff at a OBGYN office bothered me, surely I wasn’t the only pregnant woman suffering severe morning sickness to the point where I was losing weight! Not to mention, what good would the suggestion do if I couldn’t keep anything down anyway?

The following pictures are reccomendations to cure morning sickness by the MANY friends, family and stranger offering their expertise...


This was not worth the $5.97 I spent on it.



These worked at first, so well that I obviously went over board on purchasing so much. My justification, I knew we wouldn't have it here in West Virginia so I splurged. It stopped working after a week.


My mom sent me these along with maternity clothes. I've stopped by every store in this town and no one sells maternity clothes. My mom claimed that she ate these when she was pregnant with me. She failed to mention that there is a very hard seed in the middle of it, it nearly cracked one of my crowns! Needless to say these don't work.

In my mind I envisioned pregnancy to be wonderful… smooth sailing. I’d continue my routine of running or working out in the morning, working and participating in activities with the other wives. I figured I was a healthy young woman (but not too young) so naturally I thought that my pregnancy would allow me to continue life as it had been. I must admit that I’ve never had patience for anyone who blamed their pregnancy for their actions (such as punctuality, upholding expected responsibilities ect.) My experience with my pregnancy has definitely altered my perspective. I have no routine, I quit my job (which I wasn’t sad about at all) and I have developed a profound respect for women who can work, attend school ect while being pregnant. I haven’t cooked or done much housework at all. I’m thankful to have a husband who is understanding and is willing to do what he needs to do to help out. I’m also thankful for our friends who are so persistent in keeping tabs on us. They’ve brought us meals and have kept us in their prayers.


This was taken at 12 weeks. Everytime the we get an ultrasound, the doctor comments on how big the baby is...I'm really hoping for a normal sized head rather than the traditional supersized Tongan head that runs in our family.

This week I’m heading into my 18th week. Although the nausea hasn’t cleared up completely I haven’t thrown up in the past 6 days! I’m sure by our next appointment I’ll have gained weight; I’ve developed an appetite of a football linebacker. My Doctor prohibited running so I plan to continue watching what I eat (as I had been doing pre-pregnancy) and exercising regularly. My poor husband has already heard enough crying from me and the last thing he’ll need is to hear me cry over excessive weight gain post-pregnancy.

Despite all the uncomfortable symptoms and sickness, we are truly so excited for gift we are about to receive. We are blessed with the knowledge of our Heavenly Father’s love and awareness of our situation. We’re thankful that we can draw strength from our faith in him and from one another.