Christmas, sprained ankle

 

 Well Christmas has come and gone.....We spent it with my mom and dad at their house. Melody and Auntie Barb also joined us. Every year my dad says "It's going to be a small Christmas this year" and every year it never is. We make it out of their like bandits. I got a pandora bracelet from Paul and a Kindle Fire from my mom and dad...completely addicted to it. My parents got Paul a grill also, which we needed. They are always wayyy too generous.
Melody, Paul and I decided to go for a nice Christmas walk. (Because we are athletes.) 2 blocks later...I must've not seen a curb, it was pretty much like slow motion I remember falling and screaming bloody murder at the same time crumbling to the ground. Melody instantly laughed, Paul ran up not knowing what was going on. I couldn't talk because I was just shocked. I tried to get up and new instantly that Paul needed to go and get a car to take me back to the house. Yes, folks.....I sprained my ankle. The pain was excrusiating!!! AWFUL!!!! I was thinking to myself, 30 weeks pregnant I am already dying because most days my groin feels like it's either ready to deliever a baby or it's going to fall off and I just sprained my flippin ankle....REALLY???! Story of my life. So after opening presents I spent the rest of my Christmas on the couch. Going to the bathroom every ehh 15 minutes because that's what pregnant people do. Paul had to help me each way unable to put any pressure on my foot. Once again Paul gets the prize of taking care of me and waiting on me hand and foot (literally.) He's so patient and I am so lucky. I nursed my ankle all day yesterday (day after Christmas). Today I am determined to get out of this house. I am feeling much better:

28, 29, 30,

Pregnancy so far has been going. :) To say the least. I am just one of those people that does not enjoy this. I am moody, fat, tired, unmotivated. I am still trying to work out but don't like it and don't want to. :( My sciatic sucks, my neck hurts, my groin hurts!!! I don't like asking for help or having people help me, I like to be able to do things on my own. I've gained 16 pounds and don't understand how anyone can carry an extra 16 pounds. It's pretty ridiculous.
On a lighter note. :) She's getting way big, and I am feeling her a lot more which is pretty great. I am ready to see her. We ended up getting a second opinion with a different fetal medicine doctor. The last one just wasn't communicating very well. I don't know how much I wrote on here about the last fetal specialist (which is different from my normal OB) The last appointment he had told me that he wanted to continue to look at this spot on her brain that "was normal" but he wanted to see me in 2 weeks just to check on it. I was very very upset.
The other doctor was great. I don't know if he was great because they gave us GREAT news or because they were really nice and I could understand them. Before the sonogram they looked at the notes from the last doctor and was confused in the first place as to why they were even worried about the false positive on the spinal bifida test. Apparently there wasn't even a 1% chance that she had spinal bifida. During the sonogram they said everything was normal and beautiful. Her head is huge. At the time I was 28 weeks, overall the baby is measuring an average of 32 weeks. Her head is the average size of a 33 week old baby. (Thank you Paul)
We got a CRIB!! One out of 10000000 things that we need has been marked off our list. We got it off of craiglist and pretty excited about it. Paul likes to say several times a day "WE HAVE A CRIB IN THIS HOUSE." It's pretty surreal to have a piece of baby furniture in the house. We touched it up with some more white paint because it had a few knicks in it.  I am working on deciding on bedding. My mom has a friend that has been willing to make it but there is just so much to choose from.

sciatic sciatic, I HATE YOU!

(pic uploader isn't working of course, I'll have to try to upload the rest later...booo!)
I feel bad I've been complaining a whole lot in these posts but it's the truth. Pregnancy sucks!! I am sick of this whole sciatic pain, I have also developed these awesome huge blue veins in my groin. They throb when I stand or walk and radiate heat!! It's awful!! I can't be on my feet or walk for any length of time before I have to sit and rest.  Once again, my poor husband. I can't thank him enough for putting up with me. I ask him to do stuff and he doesn't complain or question. Love him!
I do like when she kicks. <3. She's kicking as we speak.
I went to Dallas last weekend to see one of my best friends Ashley, we went to Canton with her sweet co-worker. I didn't do too bad. I got a cute picture frame for Myka's room and a cute outfit. The rest of the stuff I bought is for the house.
I finally got the Christmas stuff up in the house. Now for the Christmas shopping....I use to get excited about Christmas shopping, but not looking forward to the fun pain I'll have to put up with while doing it. (Speaking of, I had to sit while cooking today at the stove...) ridiculous!
I've been looking at bedding to try to get ideas. My mom has a good friend at work that has been willing to make me some. I'm very excited! I am liking the chevron pattern. But we'll see what I end up with.
I figured I'll pick out colors then go from there.
I have this week and half of next week to go before break! AND boy am I ready.
OMG!! I FOUND A LONG TERM SUB!! She subbed for my co-worker's class a few weeks ago and I snapped her up. She's taught before in Manor and just had a baby. I'm confident she will be great with my kids. It's a huge load off my back. :)

22, 23, 24 weeks!! oops.

Oops...it's been awhile. Sorry, technology has really made me mad lately. So mad I wanted to throw the computer across the room. I finally realized I was logging in the wrong way. As you can tell I DID figure it out.
Nothing much to report. Except she's moving like crazy and on my sciatic nerve like crazy. I figured out some exercises and stretches that give me some relief. Sleeping stinks.....she's on my diaphragm which makes it hard to breath.
I hate to admit it but I told my mom on the phone that I am not enjoying this whole pregnancy thing. I don't like all the limitations of not drinking (I miss wine) and happy hours. I don't even bother to go anymore because I can't drink. And my sleep habits are absolutely amazing! I go to bed at like 8 on Friday and Saturday nights! I am just SO. TIRED. The sciatic nerve thing is REALLY painful. Which sometimes limits what I can do at the gym. I am just ready for her to be out!! I want the baby and skip the whole pregnancy thing. I DO like the food part. I don't think twice when I shove something in my mouth. :) That's sorta fun.


I think we have finally established a spelling. I think we are solid on Myka. We are also playing around with the middle name Rowen...I know it's different. But so am I. AND SO IS PAUL...

20 and 21 weeks.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Well almost... Halloween is on a Wednesday, that pretty much sucks.
Paul and I went to a Halloween party last night at his co-workers house. He was the Biebs nad I was a marine. I was going to sport my Lego costume again this year but chose not to cause I can't sit in it...womp womp. We were ehhhhhh one of maybe 4 people that dressed up. (that wasn't awkward ;))

Last weekend I caved in a bought this ugly belly band thing that helps my back. My back has been KILLING me. I bought it at Babies R' Us. My friends have been telling me that I need to start registering for baby showers my first one isn't til Jan. I didn't think I needed to start this soon. So I went ahead and did it. I am completely turned off by baby stuff right now because it is just so overwhelming. There is too much out there. We ended up registering for who knows what.

 My friend Shannon and I went to this Modern Mom's thing at a place called Plug and Play. They served us dinner and we got to look at a handful of the newest baby items out there. They had the Bob stroller, Joovy walkers, expensive breast pumps and some other high end stuff. They raffled off all of the items. We each got to pick a number. There was 30 people in the room, and I got number 27...that is usually my luck. :) Shannon got 18. Shannon ended up with an expensive breast pump and I got a SIDS detector. You attach this thing to the baby's diaper (it's real small) and when the baby stops breathing or moving the SIDS thing will vibrate to get the baby to move, if the baby still doesn't move it sets off this alarm. My question was...then what? It'll either be a life savor or drive me insane.

This week was red ribbon week. The last day of the week we all had to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. I dressed up as a Marine again (the only thing that was in the house.) It was fun.

Around 20 weeks I really started feeling her. She likes to move at night, right before bed, around 10am during my planning time, and in the morning right when I wake up. It's a really really cool feeling. You can even see my stomach move. So strange, but so cool. I'm excited to feel limbs. She doesn't like it when you put your or my hand on my stomach she stops then, Paul has felt her once.

19 weeks and counting...

From my sweet husband for my awful
week

Oh my goodness. Paul and I have had a week to say the least.......Last week, I got a call from my doctor. I accidentally answered in the middle of taking my kids to the bathroom (I keep my phone with me for the time.) The nurse wanted to talk to me about my last blood test (spinal bifada)  that I had at my "20 week" appointment which was really my 17 week appointment. When they ask me to go in and get blood tests I don't even ask anymore because there are so many....and this will be my last. The nurse told me that the test came back positive for spinal bifida!?!?! I tried to stay as calm as possible with 21, 7 year olds. She told me  that there was a 1% chance that my child could have spinal bifada, and I needed to call another place to get a high resolution ultrasound to look into it a little more. Yes, I know what you are thinking 1% big whoop. Well, it's a little different when the 1% could be inside of your body and that 1% could be your child. I was pretty much a basket case....I got teary eyed thinking about it. Anytime anyone would come and say something to be about it I would lose it. It sucked...to say the least.
THEN, the next step was to make the freakin appointment for the ultrasound....this process that I am going to tell you took 2 agonizing days. I called ehhh maybe 8 times over and over, they would put me on hold to only come back and tell me that they would call me back. The "special" lady that was suppose to make the appointment for me called me back, when of course, I was in the bathroom She left a message informing me that she would be in the office til 5. I called her right back and I got the secretary again. Around 4:30....still no call back....still no appointment I decided I would call one LAST time. And the OFFICE. WAS. CLOSED. I got the after hours operator and raised major hell, crying hysterically etc..He did end up transferring me and of course they were there. I cried some more telling the secretary how ridiculous this was...the process of making JUST an appointment. She said "please hold."..she put the phone down, thinking she put me on hold and I heard her say "It's that one again." The "special" lady said "I called her 5 times and she didn't answer." O.M.G I was already upset and I pretty sure at that point couldn't get anymore upset then I had. I lost it on both of them.
To make a long story short I got an appointment...
The ultrasound was yesterday. It was a 40 minute ultrasound. They measured EVERYTHING. After the ultrasound the doctor came in and told me he didn't have any concerns, as far as the brain is concerned. Apparently spinal bifida can affect the brain. She wouldn't turn so he could see a part of her spin so I have to come back on the 29th so they can try again...so it's not completely ruled out. But I'm confident that she is fine...fingers crossed.

Other than that everything is going really well. I am a beast, and continue to eat..a lot. I have been really grumpy especially with my poor husband. He continues to be so supportive.
 The other night I fell outta bed. I rolled over, I was apparently on an incline and landed on my butt beside my bed. Paul asked me what I was doing. The next day we talked about it and he didn't remember any of that. I am feeling a lot of movement. I am waiting to feel limbs. I can't wait for that.

18 weeks It's a girl!

Well folks, you all got your wish. We found out the sex. We are having a GIRL! We are both very excited and SUPER shocked. I think we were both thinking it was a boy b/c of Paul's side. Who knew?!?

Nana Kathy came into town !

Last Tuesday we went for a anatomy sonogram I was 17 weeks then. I had to split up my kids, leave school early for my appointment. Paul had to take a half day so he could make the appointment. When we got there, the sonogram lady came to talk to us before the sonogram. She sat down and asked us why we thought we would be getting anatomy today? I told her because the nurse told me to make an appointment and say "anatomy" at my last appointment. The sonogram lady told us that they had the wrong due date down and that today's appointment would be a few "fun shots" she wouldn't even tell insurance that she was doing this and she would try to see if she could find out the sex. And then I could come back at 20 weeks to for another appointment. I said "uhhh no, that's not possible you don't understand what we had to do to even get to this appointment." Of course I was about to cry, Paul was about to lose it. I told her that if she wasn't sure what the sex was, I didn't want to know, I only wanted to know if she was sure.

1st outfit in her closet!

There SHE is! :)

We ended up doing the sonogram, it was real boring. She was measuring everything. I remember when the lady skimmed over her butt and saying out loud "it looks like a girl to me." I didn't see anything sticking out. Finally at the very end she looked at the tush again and told us we have a daughter. I almost fell outta my chair I was so shocked. Paul just smiled. :) Could not believe it.
We were going to wait and hold off on telling the parents until Saturday. My mother in law was planning on coming in this weekend, we were going to have dinner for both parents and tell the news. Well, Paul pretty much nailed it on the head. Don't have a sonogram on Tuesday and expect to keep the information until Saturday. We ended up telling both parents Wednesday  night. Both sides are super excited. My dad swore up and down it was a boy. Once again he was wrong. (He thought I was a boy also.)



16 and 17 weeks

Getting behind once again. This job is killing me! I was telling my co-workers that I have NEVER worked so hard in my life. Someone asked "Not even your first year of teaching?" I said "Not even my first year of teaching....." I keep telling myself that something has to give, but then I ask myself, what? And I can't answer that question because I need everything that I am doing....oh well.
Pregnancy is going smoothly. I don't know if I said anything in my last post but I'm real frustrated because of my 55+ hours that I am putting in at work I am unable to get to the gym as much. And when I do get there I am just exhausted. I have noticed that my back as been KILLING me and I really think the gym will alleviate some of the pain off my lower back.
We go for our 18 week check up on Tuesday to find out the sex! Yes, folks we are finding out. We were first going to put the sex in an envelope then have them use that color frosting in the cake and find out as a family with Paul's mom and my parents this coming up weekend. But, if I am going to find out, I want to find out then and there. Paul agrees because when the doc says the sex, Paul wants to be able to ask "are you sure?" I think we will still keep it a secret from our parents until Saturday.
Sleeping sorta sucks. Turning over in the middle of the night when you have to pee is the pits.
I have to pee all of the time. I feel movements at night. As soon as I put my hand on the movements they stop. I still have crazy heart palapitations at night also. Have you noticed a pattern? Everything is happening at night...weird right? I am STILL eating like a horse. :)

15 weeks. :) :)

So I cannot believe that I am already 15 weeks. I was telling my mother in law yesterday how crazy fast this time is going! Insane.....
Boy am I feeling a lot of stuff going on in my body, I feel flutters and sharp pain down low in the abdominal area. I got a body pillow from my friend Jennifer that I am in love with. It seems to be helping me get a better nights sleep. It's hard anymore to just turn over, I am having to hold my stomach in place as I turn over, I feel like my stomach is ripping off otherwise. My co-workers have told me many times over the last week that I am really popping out. That's exciting to hear. Because let me tell you what....I am real over the fat look.
This week I am starting to wear maternity pants. They don't quit fit but I defiantly can't fit into regular pants anymore. I have been getting really out of breath, even just sitting down I have to take a deep breath to "catch" my breath. I have also been noticing heart palpitations when I lay down. I looked both of the symptoms up on the web they say that they are both normal due to all of the blood I am now carrying.
Paul felt the baby flutters the other night. I woke him up to feel my stomach and he wasn't impressed. It could be because I woke him up from dead sleep at 2am to feel them. We had a nice long talk the next morning about no matter what time he feels the baby flutters he needs to ACT excited. He's a jerk face sometime but I'll have to say I am too.
Speaking of jerk faces....poor Paul. The mornings are HORRENDOUS for me. I am soooo cranky to Paul, he has done an EXCELLENT job putting up with me. Doesn't get mad and just takes everything that I whine and get mad about in stride. Gotta love the guy.
Oh and my poor kids. I am not in a good mood in the afternoons after lunch either. They seem to be taking everything in stride as well. Thank goodness.


1st baby purchase of the year.

me trying out the first baby purchase of the year.



12, 13, 14 weeks!!

omg.......3 weeks have gone by. Oops. Let's just say I've been a tad bit busy, actually "a tad" is an understatement. The past 3 weeks. I have moved into a brand new school, I have begun and ended my first AND second week of school, I have also had my 12 week sonogram (which was soo cool.)
School: School has been tough, exhausting, rewarding and fun all at the same time. It has been hard not being with my Northwest family. I miss them tons. At the same time I have made some GREAT friends here at Barron. I love my team, I am slowly enjoying the kids. When I say that it's been tough. I have been thrown into a completely new enviornment, not knowing ANY of the kids except for the handful that are from Northwest, and my classroom doesn't quit feel like "home" yet. I know it will there. :)


oh this is just a fun pic that paul took. After he took it he said "pregnant, barefoot, in the kitchen." Just the way I like my wife.....nasty man, I know.

Pregnancy: It's been going really smoothly. I finally entered into my 2nd trimester this last Thursday. I have felt the flutters from the baby. It's mostly at night when I am still and REALLY concentrating. It's a pretty strange feeling. My boobs are still SUPER sore and itchy (which means they are growing, don't know how they can possibly grow any bigger.) School has kicked my butt, I don't know if it's pregnancy mixing in with the whole exhaustion thing but I am soo tired. Yesterday was Friday, I came home wanting my bed so bad I could taste it. You know how you are so tired your body aches and have a headache? Well, that's how I was feeling.
Something that also struck me and keeps me thinking. I was in a meeting the other day they gave us a layout of our testing dates. I looked at the testing dates for March, April and May. And thought to myself "wow, I"ll have a baby then." It's weird how things make other things "real."

Sonogram: Paul and I had our 12 week sonogram. It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool! They did the sonogram outside my stomach this time. The baby WAS real low in my abdomen. It's finally starting to look like a lil human being. It was moving up and down and sucking its thumb or maybe just putting it's hand up to it's face. We also got to hear the heartbeat. I continue to look at the sonogram pics and just think "wow." Oh we also got a DVD. So neat. Can't wait to go back.
Well that's my life in a nut shell so far. I forgot to add my face is sooo broken out.

11 weeks.

We finally told the world we are pregnant. When I say 'world' I mean "facebook."  I couldn't hack it any longer! I know you are suppose to wait until after  your 1st trimester but I can't keep secrets for that long. I thought waiting til 11 wks was long enough. Everything is going really well. I get these crazy exhaustion spells around 4pm. It's a very inconvenient time, it's too late to take a nap because I won't be able to sleep that night and it's right before dinner time.
My favorite is how everyone is convincing me to find out the sex....and that will be a no-go! It's life's biggest surprise!! It'll be fine. Everyone needs to hold on to their panties and just wait it out. :) My stomach is getting harder and harder everyday. It's still really weird to think I, McKenzie Catania is growing a human inside of me. I JUST CANNOT WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT!
Today we went to the grocery store and there was this cute lil boy with his dad in the bulk food section. His dad told him to grab the green box. The little boy said "What's in there?" Dad said "bars" The little boy said "you love that kind?" Dad said "yes I do." Anyhow the conversation was very sweet, I guess you had to of been there to understand. During the conversation of course Paul and I just stopped and stared, it was too cute. Paul said after "I can't wait to bring my kid to the grocery store and answer those questions!" lol...Again we are both ecstatic!
I can't remember if I had told you in any previous posts that we got a babysitter, her name is Terri. I know her through a couple of my co-workers. She messaged me on facebook and told me she had 2 openings in the fall of 2013 and if I want one of them (She's very popular) I thought it was pretty cool that she came to ME to ask if I wanted a spot...very sweet. I couldn't pass up the fact that many of my co-workers use her, she provides diapers, formula and food AND she's awesome. We quickly jumped on it. So, one thing to cross off the list. One BIG thing to cross off the list.

This weekend was our good friend H's surprise bday party at Hanovers. We had a good time. I won't lie it was tough not drinking as much as I'd like. I did have a glass of wine, the doc told me I could. So I took full advantage.

10 Weeks

10 weeks...you know what that means, summer is slowly coming to a close *sigh*...I won't lie I am a bit stressed about this up coming year. I am moving to another school, (I will miss my Northwest family), I am worried about the lack of energy I will have with the kids, After all I need to be on my "A game" at all times with my new boss. Etc..I know things will be just fine. My new team is already fabulous, I really like them.

Today is actually the first day that I will get to move into my new school. We FINALLY have permission to get in. We have a week to prep our rooms before we start the mind numbing professional development you know the meetings where they cram you all in one room and you have to sit and listen to one person explain their philosophy in teaching (because our mind will be focused on that person, not the 5000000000 million things we COULD be doing in our classrooms.)

On a lighter note. Pregnancy in a nut shell is going well. I am eating like crazy!!! I am spending a lot of money on clothes that aren't maternity clothes but are bigger just to get me through the 1st few weeks of school. My new school has a very "professional" dress code as opposed to Northwest which was very casual. I don't feel very "pretty" in a bathing suite anymore. I guess I have never felt "pretty" in a bathing suite but that's the first word that came to mind. I look like a beast. I am pretty done with the non pregnant, but fat look. :) I am very irritable and emotional hence this post. I get mad REAL easy. Poor Paul....

This is just a pic of my living room. I was being a good teacher and organzing my classroom library. Oh, and it still looks like this. :)

9 weeks. :)

so many books to read!!
these are a FEW of my
favorite. :)

9 weeks.......9999999999 weeks. Holy cow, it's going by sooooo slow. I am so ready to tell the world. I am really excited. I KNOW my hubby is so excited as well. He talks to my belly, (don't tell him I told you that)

I have gained 5 pounds so far. I am getting squishier and squishier as each day goes by. I also lose more and more energy each day.  Annnnd I eat more and more each day. It's tough for me to think that all of the hard work that I had done before getting pregnant has sorta gone out the window (working out, eating right). I told myself in the past that when I get pregnant I will eat so clean. Ummm...that's not the case. I have craved things that I have never craved before. I cut out bread completely from my diet for a very very long time.....and I was good with it. I have NEVER craved bread like I do now. It's amazing what the little bean has done to my body and my MIND! :) You know what?? It's all worth it.

 To the right you will see my hairy belly...:) (yes I have a man happy trail, don't judge and yes I shave it, don't judge.) This contraption is made with a hair band. I am no longer my normal size 5....:) I don't quit fit into maturnity clothes and I DON'T fit into my normal clothes. Fun times. Speaking of hair. LOL...on of my best friends, Melody was helping girlfriend out. We were both on the treadmill. After the treadmill she tells me "We are good friends right?" I said "yes" she said "you have a VERY blonde beard going on right now" I said "DO I?" Well I came home and took care of that mess right away. I used one of those electric razor things that you can use for your eyebrows and shaved it all off. And she wasn't kidding! It was ALMOST gross. I guess that has to do with hormones.

The pic below is of this past weekend. We all went to middle and highschool together. In the middle is my dear friend Juan and on the right is my BEST friend Michelle. Michelle and I went to Dallas to visit Juan. We had a blast. That evening we went to a drag show, sooo much fun. I stayed up until 2am! I can't tell you the last time I did that! ANNND it was the first time that I went to a club and didn't have ONE drink, that sorta stunk. But guess who didn't have a hangover the next day?!?! That was me!
 I hope that my baby will have the pleasure to make dear friends like the special people below. That's what life is all about.