Friday, December 31, 2010

Celebrating the New Year

To celebrate New Year's Eve...it was out with the old and in with the new in my closet!  Coming back from Colorado, we lugged back 2 big bags of maternity clothes and 1 of miscellaneous baby fun from my sisters.  Between that and the new ones my Mom and sisters picked out for me, I'm just about set for the next 5 months!

First, it was out with the old.  To make space for all of the new, I packed up just about everything that won't fit without a rubber band anymore.  I kept a few of my favorites back to have something around to work to fit into after this little bundle arrives!  Here's Dan's fun project for the coming days...getting these up into the attic for storage!  Shhhh...I'm waiting to spring this on him until I have everything that's coming out of the nursery and going up into the attic ready as well. :-)

I think I have been doing laundry non-stop since we got back late Tuesday night with all of our vacation laundry and the new maternity wear.  I suppose it's getting me ready for the new loads of laundry about to settle it's way into our lovely home!  Once it was all done, it was in with the new...here's a shot of my new wardrobe.  Seriously, only about 8-10 of these shirts are my old clothes - my sisters rock!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Amy Grant Lied

"Well I know there's more snow up in Colorado than my roof will ever see..."  Yep, Amy Grant lied.  Because the only snow we saw was in southern Colorado as we drove into the state.  Sad.  It's now been over 365 days since we've been in snow.  I think we need to move back north.

We spent the first 3 days in Colorado Springs visiting Dan's brother and his family.  We always enjoy spending time when them when we are home, so I'm glad they live in the same state as my family!

After that, we spent the rest of the trip with my family in Greeley and then Wray.  The following pictures are all from that time.  It was nice to not have my Dad in the hospital this year! :-)

Uncle Dan reading to Katie and Ben

Making Christmas cookies...Dan was pretty excited because I'm kind of a kitchen nazi when we do cookies and don't let him help much.  (I know...that's going to change soon!)

Me and Heidi...love this baby girl!  She's the current youngest cousin.

Dan decorating cookies with all of the nieces and nephews.

My Mom's doctor recommended this stretch for my sciatica...so I was giving it a try when the others decided to join me.

Dan and I with my Grandma Eunice on Christmas Eve

Dan and I on Christmas Eve (sorry bump watchers...the black isn't helping you see the baby!)

Walking over from Mike & Aug's to Mom & Dad's for Christmas morning.  Mom always gets everyone matching Christmas jammies...Dan's were a little highwater this year!

The baby's first Christmas gift!!

Grandad opening his present from Baby Gaines...a "come visit" card with 2 free Whataburger coupons!

My maternity Broncos shirt - love it!

Every year, my Dad gives his three daughters some type of jewelry.  This year we had been talking about how he used to bring out yellow legal pads for either helping us with math or "family meetings" (i.e., someone was in trouble).  He made our gift a scavenger hunt with the yellow legal pads this year!

We found our treasure!

Grammie and Heidi getting ready for some Broncos football!

Katie, Ben, and Mike sporting their Tebow gear.

Dan and Gav, sitting on the sidelines...kind of like Orton did (bittersweet - I love watching Tebow, but am sad for Orton being a Boilermaker!)

Uncle Dan trying to get Heidi to crawl during the Broncos game.

Tebow scores - Broncos win!!!

Hooray!!

Katie got a new hair salon for Christmas...so Dan was her first client! (getting him ready for Baby Gaines to be a girl...she told me numerous times, "Stace, I hope that baby in your belly is a girl!")

And now for his color...

And it's Uncle Dan's turn to be the stylist.

As always, it was a great trip filled with lots of laughs!  We're already counting the days until next Christmas where we'll get to bring the newest family member along!

(to see more pictures from our Christmas in Colorado - check out the album on Stacey's facebook page.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Belly Pic #1 (for Carlee)

Per the request of my good friend Carlee, and many others...this is my first belly shot...we need to get better about taking them regularly!  In this picture, I am 15 weeks pregnant.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Baby's Heartbeat (at 16 weeks)

Here's an audio of the first time we got to hear the baby's heartbeat!!  It was at my 16 week appointment, but the picture is actually from our ultrasound at 13 weeks (I needed something to show!).  It was so amazing to hear.  I'm at that point in pregnancy where I don't feel the baby move often, and all of the yuck symptoms of the first trimester have passed, so sometimes I get nervous that everything is OK.  Everything is going great, and we'll find out the sex on January 12th (my Dad's birthday!).

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

13 Weeks and no Avocados

I am now finally beginning to understand those women who say they "love pregnancy, it's a blast, I'd love to be pregnant again!"  I must admit, in the first 12 weeks, I equated pregnancy with death because that's what I felt like.  I thought it was so ironic that bringing new life into the world could make you feel like death!  Ahhhh...hello second trimester.  I can handle you!  In the last couple of weeks I feel like I entered pregnancy heaven - no more morning sickness/nausea, I'm getting my energy back, and finally feel like eating again.

I still have some weird food aversions - like avocados.  I love avocados, in guacamole, on salads, on hamburgers, just plain out of the skin!  But the baby does not like avocados.  I have a favorite sandwich at a little shop just off campus in Kingsville (shout out to Young's) - it's called the avocado.  It's a little piece of heaven - avocado, tomato, and mayo on a nice toasted bun - delightful.  At work, we are interviewing for two new faculty positions and we always take candidates to Young's for lunch.  Well, day one (of five), I ordered my trusty avocado sandwich only to be told by the baby (ever so indirectly) that he/she does not like avocados.  Interesting.  How could this baby be so against something his/her mommy loves so much?  Perhaps a lesson that will be 18+ years in the making...

Dan's favorite pregnancy symptom is my "bloodhound sense of smell."  He hasn't had the pleasure of heading out for ice cream and pickles (yet), but he does get to deal with me yelling, "Baby - come get this!" while running out of the kitchen plugging my nose and trying desperately not to vomit.  The culprit - our trash (and sometimes our dishwasher - that has decided if it doesn't run every other night it likes to smell).  So just about every other morning, Dan gets to sweep in and save the day.  He's now starting to empty the trash about every night, probably to eliminate the possible drama in the morning.  I like to keep him on his toes.

Friday, November 19, 2010

13 Week Appointment

We had a prenatal appointment today, and had another ultrasound.  Dan's favorite part was watching our little basketball star work on his/her hops in the womb.  The baby would kind of crouch down and bend his/her knees, then almost push off my womb to straighten back out.  Can't wait to feel that at 8 months!  We were also amazed at how distinctive all of the baby's features are at this point - being able to see the facial profile was amazing.  It was too early to distinguish any parts, but such a joy to get to see the baby again!  My doctor said everything looks great!


On the way home, we came across one of the craziest accidents I have ever seen.  This poor elderly woman turned at an intersection and then somehow lost control of her car.  It seemed like she had lost consciousness or something because, as Dan said, it looked like no one was driving the car.  She veered into the far lane and basically jumped the curb, hit a tree, and the car flipped.  Dan and about 7 other guys jumped out of their cars to run over and help.  The poor woman was hanging by her seatbelt upside down, and wasn't able to unbuckle herself (which was probably good, because I don't think she could have supported herself while upside down and may have fallen on her head causing further injury) or unlock the doors (which, again, I think was good because I'm pretty sure some of the guys trying to "help" at the scene would have pulled her out not thinking at all about possible spinal injuries or injuring her further).  While my heart was breaking for her, I thank Jesus that she did not hit anyone else.  Had she veered the other way, it could have been really ugly.  I haven't heard if she's ok, but she was conscious and talking to us, so hopefully she is!  I knew my blood pressure must have gone up through it all because when I got home and took off the bandaid from my blood draw, the little cotton ball was soaked through!  It was a little bit of a crazy ending to our prenatal appointment!

Monday, November 1, 2010

(Old) Wives Tales

Dan and I are definitely going to find out the sex of the baby - which won't happen until early January.  But we are having a lot of fun reading about (old) wives tales that supposedly predict the baby's gender.  So far, here's what we've found:


1.  HEARTBEAT OF THE BABY - if it's over 140 it's supposed to be a girl, if it's under 140 it's supposed to be a boy.  Baby Gaines was about 150 at 9 weeks.
Verdict: GIRL


2.  CRAVINGS - if Mommy craves sweet and creamy it's supposed to be a girl, if it's sour and salty it's supposed to be a boy.  Mommy Gaines craves chocolate milkshakes.
Verdict:  GIRL


3.  CHINESE BIRTH CALENDAR - uses Mommy's age at conception and date of conception to determine gender. (click here)
Verdict:  GIRL


4.  RING TEST - loop your wedding ring around one of Mommy's hairs and hang it over Mommy's belly.  If the ring circles, it's a boy.  If the ring sways back and forth in a line, it's a girl.
Verdict:  GIRL 


5.  MAYAN CALENDAR - uses Mommy's age at conception and year of conception to determine gender.  If both are odd or both are even, it's supposed to be a girl. If it's one of each, it's supposed to be a boy.  Mommy was 32 in 2010.
Verdict:  GIRL


6.  MORNING SICKNESS - if Mommy is super sick, it's a girl.  If she's not, it's a boy.
Verdict:  GIRL


7.  FRIEND EMILY TEST - if one of your best friends has an intuition, go with it.  We had to call these (old) wives tales, because Emily is NOT old! :-)
Verdict:  GIRL


Is anyone else sensing a theme here??  I think Dan and I better come up with a new name for Baby Gaines...so far it's been E'Tuan Robbie in honor of the upcoming Purdue basketball season.  E'Tuan Robbie may not fit into those big boy pants!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Starting to Show...Already?!?!

I've noticed this week that I'm really starting to show.  Now, there's the "I'm pregnant and feel fat" bloated feeling that I've had for the last 6-7 weeks, but over the past couple of weeks my pants have gotten tighter.  I was looking at my belly button the other day and can already see the inside of it - what the heck, I'm only 11 weeks!  I knew it was official when after hugging Dan tonight, he told me, in a very excited tone, "Hon!  You're getting a pooch!"  Uhhh...thanks sweetie.  I guess this is the only time in his life that he'll get away with saying that without getting decked or spending the night on the couch!  But it is kind of exciting - it starts to make it a little more real!  


I actually haven't even gained a pound yet.  I've had pretty rough morning sickness, and a drastic reduction in my appetite because of it. My doctor said it's right around 9-10 weeks that most women start to see those symptoms subside.  It has started to get better lately.  I'm still dry heaving in the mornings, and when I smell something that's repulsive (chili and leftover hamburgers have been the major culprits so far), but the all day feeling nauseous is starting to get better.  Now it's more bouts of it when I need to eat.  I'm still pretty exhausted, but at least I'm not having to take a nap while Dan drives us home after work now!  Sleep was one of my favorite things in life even before pregnancy!!  I'm gearing up for a pretty intense month or so at work, so I'm looking forward to Christmas break where I can rest...and sleep. :-)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

First Prenatal Appointment

Today was my first prenatal appointment with Dr. Nowitzky.  Dan thinks she's the best doctor ever because her last name is Nowitzky...even if it IS spelled differently than Dirk Nowitzki, he's convinced they are long lost siblings.  I won't mention that she is short and dark haired, as opposed to Dirk's height and blonde hair.  


Anyway - I assumed that this appointment would just be a bunch of labs, blood work, and the fun "female" exams.  So Dan decided that he wouldn't take off work for this one, and save up his time off for important trips like the holidays and babies being born!  I was so relieved when I met her, because she is awesome.  She walked in and the first thing she asked was, "What questions do you have?"  It was so comforting to know that she was more concerned that I was comfortable than doing what she needed to do.  Doctor #1 apparently did not send over my ultrasound from 6 weeks, so because of my previous ectopic history, she ordered another ultrasound so that she would have the evidence that all was well in my file.  I was so excited to see the baby again, but so bummed because Dan wasn't there :-(.


This is Baby Gaines at 9 weeks.

The picture didn't turn out as clear on this scan, but the baby is alive and well!  It was so surreal to see him/her moving his/her little arms and legs around and flexing his/her back, almost rocking back and forth.  I still wonder if I dreamed it sometimes!  The ultrasound tech said it was a very active baby! :-)


I'm still measuring spot on for a May 26th due date.  Everything from the appointment was very positive.  I LOVE Dr. Nowitzky and everything looks good!

Monday, October 18, 2010

A Tale of Two Doctors

It has been a little bit of a crazy couple of weeks!  Back in July, I met with a doctor for "pre-conception counseling", basically just to be sure that everything was OK for us to start trying after the ectopic last year.  She seemed nice, and very knowledgeable, and instructed me to contact her office as soon as I had a positive home pregnancy test.  I did, and they scheduled the ultrasound for October 1st.  I was under the impression that we would be meeting with the doctor after the ultrasound appointment.  However, she never called to verify that everything was fine with the ultrasound, and when I called to find out when I was supposed to come in I started to get very unsettled about my choice for a doctor. I called on Monday, and was told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment.  They didn't call.  So I called again on Tuesday and was told the same thing...again on Wednesday...again on Thursday.  They finally called back on Friday and scheduled me for my first prenatal appointment on November 1st - when I will be 11 weeks!  Not the most comforting information for this first time Mommy!  I have a number of girlfriends from church who all have the same doctor and highly recommended her.  So I finally decided to call and make an appointment with her only to find out that in Texas, you can not begin medical care with a second physician once you have started care with another until your records are transferred.  The poor receptionist got me blubbering into the phone asking what I should do.  Thank goodness she understands hormonal pregnant talk, because she was able to kindly walk me through what needed to happen.  The first doctor got my records sent over the next day (a Friday), and today (Monday) the second doctor's staff was calling to schedule me an appointment as soon as possible!  So I go in on Wednesday for my first prenatal!!  Dan isn't planning to come to this one with me since it will likely be a bunch of lab work and exams that he would rather not experience! :-)  I have such a peace about this move!  

Friday, October 1, 2010

Big News for Us!!

We're expecting!! 
Baby Gaines ~ May 26, 2011 

This ultrasound was done on October 1st at 6 weeks.
Because of my previous history with an ectopic, my doctor wanted an early ultrasound done to check that everything was ok.  When the ultrasound tech said she could see the baby, I asked, "Is it in my uterus?" I guess that's a normal question for someone who has had an ectopic before!  Seeing the baby, the little rice krispie, was the most amazing feeling!  We also got to hear his/her little heartbeat for the first time.  Such an awesome reminder of how amazing God is.


FOR YOU CREATED MY INMOST BEING;
YOU KNIT ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB.
(Psalm 139:13)

We praise you, Father, for we are wonderfully made!!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Graduation!!!

FINALLY!!!  Last weekend we travelled to Indiana for my graduation from Purdue.  The trip itself was crazy delayed, but worth it in the end.  We were scheduled to leave Corpus on Friday evening, but Dallas-Fort Worth was shut down due to bad thunderstorms.  We considered driving to Dallas or Houston to try to catch an early morning flight out to Indy, but decided to just take the earliest flight out on Saturday, connect through Dallas, and arrive in Indy around 2:00.  It would shift our plans, but at least we would still see everyone!  Well...there were bad thunderstorms in Corpus on Saturday morning - our inbound aircraft was diverted to Laredo - making our outbound flight almost 3 hours late.  So we missed our connection in Dallas. We were set to fly standby on the first flight out from Dallas to Indy, and had confirmed tickets for a later flight.

This is us in Dallas waiting to find out if we would make it on the standby flight...

We started out as numbers 7 and 8...moved up to 5 and 6...

We ended up being numbers 1 and 2...and didn't get on.  So we had to take the later flight - getting us into Indy around 6:45pm.  My poor parents were in Indy since Friday night, waiting for us (although I don't feel too bad for them since they had Ruth's Cris for dinner...).  It caused us to miss the party Dan's family was throwing for my graduation, so we were bummed about that.

Our friends Jason & Emily and Josh & Katie came out to our hotel to have dinner with us though...things were looking up!

Emily, Jason, Katie, Josh, Dan, and I...miss these people!!!

Mom & Dad, Dan and I outside waiting for our dinner table.

Gotta show some skin!!

Graduation morning, we got up and on the road by 6:30am - thinking there would be traffic.  There was none, so we were in Lafayette about an hour before we needed to be.  So we went and took some pictures outside of the main building I worked in while I was there.

This may have been the most appropriate sign we found that morning...

Mom & Dad and I...

Dan and I...

Dan working the cameras...

Onto the actual ceremony - we aren't sure what the white light is in these...we're chalking it up to the Holy Spirit! :-)

Me being hooded by my major professor, Dr. Alan Smith

Outside after commencement - in front of the famous Purdue fountain.  Me and my major professor.

Done with the hat...me and Mom & Dad...

Me and my dear friend, Nicole!

And my favorite boy in the world...
This is also my favorite picture of the day!

After graduation we headed back to Indy to catch our flights out.  Less than 24 hours in the state for Dan and I!  We were able to hook up with Dan's family for lunch...mmmm...Monicals...

Mom and Dad at lunch...

Mike (Dan's brother) and Kendra

Dan's parents - Ted & Becky

All in all, a crazy, but great trip!!  It's still a little surreal that I'm actually finished!  Praise God!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

My biggest fans!!

My sister, Angie, took this picture and sent it as an encouragement heading into my defense.  My biggest fans!  It made my day!!

This is Heidi, Ben, and Katie...

And it must have worked, because I received this one the next day!

Thanks Aug, for knowing me so well to send these...and thanks Ben, Katie, and Heidi for being my biggest fans!!  I love you guys!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mike & Kendra's Visit to Texas

Dan's brother, Mike, and his wife, Kendra, came to visit us over their spring break this April!  It was such a blast to have them here, although I missed out on some of the fun because I was preparing for my defense.  We showed them the best of Corpus Christi, and they even got some good beach days in while they were here - a rare treat with the spring winds we typically get!  Here's a snapshot of their fun:

Mike and Dan with Flat Stanley (our other welcome guest over the week)
Flat Stanley was sent to us by the daughter of our good friends in Indiana - so we got to show him a good time over the week as well!

Kendra and I with Flat Stanley - and Bubba - the crazy piano player at PanJos!

Dan at the beach with his new chair - complete with canopy to keep his Hoosier skin from burning!

One of my favorite places in the world...on the beach, reading, with a cherry limeade.

Dyeing Easter eggs...

The boys felt the need to sit on the big missile outside of the Lexington museum.

The four of us at the Hooks game - another one of Dan and I's favorite things to do in Corpus!