Good report

Today was another doctors appointment and ultrasound. This ultrasound was scheduled because back at our sonogram where we found out the sex they found a choroid plexus cyst on Baby P's brain. We found out about it at our appointment after the sonogram at like 20 weeks or so. And let me tell you it was a long and scary 8 weeks. Our doctor assured us that there was 99% chance that everything was fine because everything else checked out A-OK. We had the option of having an amniocentesis test but the risk of miscarriage with that test was higher then what I felt comfortable with. So we decided to wait until 28 weeks for another sonogram. When the doctor first told us I put on the bravest face I could but as soon as she walked out I just crumpled. But after coming home and doing hours of researching I was calmed down a bit. There was a lot of prayer going on with Shawn and I. Not just that everything would be fine, but also if it wasn't that God would give us the strength that we would need to deal with the situation. So we arrive today and as soon as I get on the table my heart started racing. I ended up having to turn on my left side several times because I was getting so dizzy I thought I was going to pass out. But thank God the technician assured us that everything was fine and the CPC had cleared up.

We did find out that Baby P has a big head. His head is measuring at 30 wks. That didn't come as a shock to us because big heads seem to run on both sides of the family :-D Baby P is already in position which is good so fingers crossed he'll stay that way. He seems pretty feisty and a little, uh, difficult. Because just like the first sonogram we had the hardest time getting him in the correct position to check the important things. We were however able to get a 3D shot. I'm going to post it but it's not the greatest quality because I don't have a scanner so I had to take a picture of the picture. But he is soooo cute and reminds me of my little sister Julianna.

Pray for us, we are headed on an approximately 17 hour trip to Minnesota Wednesday for Shawn's brothers wedding (yeah Paul and Becca). The guys are really excited about the drive, I on the other hand am not looking forward to the drive so much as I am to get to the hotel and swim. For the last several months I've been "craving" water...like swimming water. It's so weird. I want to swim sooooooooooo bad!

The joys of pregnancy

So today I had the dreaded Glucose test, which actually wasn't bad at all. I had heard that the soda type drink they give you is really gross. But it wasn't bad. I mean I wouldn't order it in a restaurant or anything but it wasn't bad. It tasted like flat orange soda. After downing the drink we had to sit for an hour which I wasn't looking forward to because I was really tired. However, the "older" people coming into the lab kept Shawn and I very entertained.

Warning: The following will be an account of some non-attractive pregnancy symptoms. For all of those out there who think I am one of those sweet, delicate, girls who never does anything gross, this may be TMI and may shatter that pure and pristine image you have of me, so I recommend you click off now

My first trimester I was working and I heard that morning sickness can be kind of gruesome. So I was praying the whole time that while I was working it wouldn't hit. Luckily it didn't and I stopped working right when the exhaustion set in. However, what would pregnancy be without some discomfort, gross side effects, and unpleasant surprises. Well about 3 weeks ago this weird thing set in. Every time I try to eat, I can't. I hardly ever want to eat and when I crave something I take a bite and then I'm done. When I do eat I take a bit or two and I have to sit back and let out these huge belches and then I can continue to eat. I take a few more bites (like 3 or 4) sit back belch 2 or 3 times and take my last 3 bites and I'm done. And even when I'm not eating my stomach is really bloated or I even threw up which I detest doing! It's so annoying. So at my doctors appointment a few weeks ago I mentioned it and she said I could take Maalox. I got some last week but I'm afraid to take it because I think I'll vomit and I'm just not interested in doing it. I'm short, thus I have a short torso so there's not much room and what room I do have Baby P has occupied!

The other annoying new side effect of this wonderful adventure they call pregnancy is how hair my stomach is! I'm Greek, not sure how much or how little but enough to get the excessive hair gene. I've always had a little hair under my belly button, it's never bothered me much so I don't do anything about it. But yesterday I had my shirt up because I was watching him flip across my belly and I noticed the obscene amount of hair on my ENTIRE stomach! I was like "Holy crap!" Luckily my "I'm proud of my bump and I'm going to wear a bikini" idea was nixed due to the oddly formed stretch mark (the only one might I add) on the bottom of my belly, so because of that and now the hair I've decided not to "embrace" my new shape and wear a bikini this summer and just wear a regular old maternity suit....

Oh the joys of pregnancy ;-D

almost there!

27 weeks/2 days. 13 weeks. 3rd Trimester. Coming into the home stretch people! I can't believe I'm 7 months pregnant already! Everything here in Baby World is going good. Baby P is kicking like a wild man! He's not as active during the day (much like his mother) but all of a sudden at night he comes alive! Some nights he's kicking so hard I swear he's trying to escape. I've just reached the point now where I can actually watch him kick me. It's amazing, he's amazing, and I'm amazed! Whenever I read all of the books and get my weekly updates of how I should be feeling I always check them against my actual feelings. I've been waiting for the onslaught of crazy hormones and mood swings. For a little while I wasn't sure if I would really be able to tell the difference between my normal mood swings. I'll confess I am a bit of a mood swing person. I am not laid back at all. But the one thing I have never really been is super sensitive. So now the pregnancy mood swings have kicked in and instead of being (more) of a raging bitch (I'll admit) I am this sensitive little sissy! Everything makes me cry. Last week Shawn was complaining about how cold it was in our house (I'm always hot) and usually I would just say "Get a sweater or some socks and hush!". But when he said it the other day I felt like it was this personal attack on me and I started bawling! It's so crazy how sensitive I am. I haven't had any swelling of the hands, ankles, or face (yet) and I'm really hoping it stays that way. I have new pictures to post from today and up until I reviewed the pictures I didn't feel like my belly was getting any bigger, but then when I saw the pictures back I was like "Whoa! He's in there!!!'"

So 13 weeks and counting! Let's do this!

I heart singing

If any of you know me in the real world you know that ever since I was about 8 I've always loved to sing. When I was about 9 my sister and I partnered up with two of our friends and sung this song by Jaci Velasquez called "If this world" at camp. When we got back home one of the leaders who had gone with us told everyone how good we did and cute we looked in our matching silk long skirts. So one Sunday our Pastor let us do our song. Afterwards I remember our worship leader coming up to my sister and I and saying that when we turned 15 we better join the worship team. Over the next few years my sister and I would do different special songs in church and sing with another friend for weddings, Christmas and Easter plays and graduations. We also ended up joining the worship team waaay before our 15th birthdays. My sister loved to get up and do specials but I always had to be pushed and made to do them because I felt like I was showing off and that I wasn't even that good.

It wasn't until I met Shawn and he started recording me for fun that I heard myself back and realized..."Hey I can do this! I sound good, and that's without any Autotune!" I've gone back and forth over the years about trying to get into the music business. I never really pushed for it because it's such a competitive world I wanted to make sure that it was something I really, really, wanted. Something that I absolutely had to have. I've finally reached that point. I'm ready to go for it. It may be an awkward time for that realization to hit considering I'm about to be a mom. But I know that God gave me this gift and I don't want to waste it.

Having said all of that I finally recording my first real song today. The song is called "Stay in bed" and no it's not a Christian song so hopefully that doesn't bother any of my old friends LOL. Shawn wrote and produced it for a real artist, whom I can't mention now as that stuff is kind of "secret". The song was made for a certain male artist so you'll have to ignore the female love references. Anyhow back to the story....Shawn needed a reference singer for the song....and tada! It was either me or little Shawn...So I got to do it.

I created a MySpace Artist page so that people could hear the song. I didn't feel like figuring out how to do a Podcast. Oh and the song is short because it's just a verse and a hook. That's all we have for now. Hopefully you'll like it and if you don't, please don't be too harsh it's my first time :-/

www.myspace.com/allyleighann