Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 5 Weeks (10/25/10)
Size of baby: Baby Haywood is the size of an apple seed. Amazing!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: No weight gain so far. I'm doing really good at eating more fruits and vegatables and drinking lots of water - mainly so my stomach will stay in check.
Maternity Clothes: Haven't bought any traditional maternity clothes yet, but have a few things that will work I hope.
Gender: We're still a long way from there! I've been feeling like it will be a girl, that's just a premonition at this point.
Movement: We've got a few weeks before I'll feel any movement, but I can't wait!
Sleep: I knew something was off when I was actually waking up when my alarm was going off at 5:30 and getting up on time. Of course, at 9 p.m., I am literally in a coma and so tired that my entire body aches. The only way I can describe it is that it's a tired that I've never felt before. I have noticed that I feel less tired on the days that I walk, so I've been trying to do that.
What I miss: Blue Moon!
Cravings: Not really craving anything yet
Symptons: Hungry a lot, tired, cranky at times (what's new). I haven't been sick yet, but I have gagged a couple of times. It may have been my prenatal vitamins, so I'm taking those at night with my meal.
How Far Along: 10 Weeks (11/29/10)
Size of baby: Baby Haywood is the size of a kumquat, or little over an inch long.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: No weight gain so far. I'm really surprised because of all of the activities we've had lately: family, wedding, Thanksgiving, etc. I do think my lower stomach has started to pooch out more though.
Maternity Clothes: Old Navy had a sale last week, and I got several pieces that I can wear through the winter. I haven't needed any special pants yet, but I have a feeling that it's coming.
Gender: At first I thought it was a girl, now I feel like it's a boy, which is what Brent is really going for. I honestly don't care either way, but we should know for sure at the end of January\first of February. We have also not discussed names because Brent says why waste your time discussing one gender if it's not going to be that. He has a point, and I don't feel like arguing too much with him on this point.
Movement: No movement yet- just twinges of things growing.
Sleep: Oh sleep - you're a fickle friend. Some nights are good, and some are not so good. And then there are the nights when I have strange dreams and they make me tired before I even get out of bed.
What I miss: Still Blue Moon! It's funny how not being able to have something makes you want it even more!
Cravings: I got an intense craving for Ma's cheese ball that she always makes for Christmas Eve, and I'm waiting on the recipe because I'm not sure I can wait an entire month! I've also wanted good sushi from Sushi Cafe (only the fried kind of course), and I wanted pizza the other night, but that didn't end well.
Symptons: Oh the nausea set in about week 6, and I think it may be easing up some. I had to get some meds for it and those seem to help when I'm gagging. Luckily, I have not actually thrown up, but it's just the general sense of feeling like crap wears you out! The nausea is worse right before I go to bed, which is definitely not classified as "morning sickness" but it's still a sickness. I'm also ready for bed by 9:30, but have been forcing myself to make it past Ned's forecast. Thanksgiving break was so nice because I was asleep by 10:30 every night and got up at 8. Nothing like 9-10 hours to make you feel normal again!
I can also tell when the hormones are ramping up because the emotions go into over drive! I've had a few instances where I completely lost it: the first was at church while watching a clip of Saving Private Ryan, the second was at Target after talking to an old friend (had to go to the car), and the last one was watching the Country Music Award tribute to Loretta Lynn and hearing her sing "Cole Miners Daughter". Oh yes - Brent has seriously though I have lost my mind, and everybody says that it's probably going to get worse. At least we can laugh about it at the same time!
I'm looking forward to my second doctors appointment next Tuesday! Time is certainly flying, and June 27th will be here before we know it.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Survey
There's a graduate student in Fayetteville who's doing a thesis on blogging (I found on Kelly's Korner blog). I had to do a survey and research paper to graduate with my Master's degree, so I thought I would help her out. She's a graduate student in Communications so I certainly feel her pain! Take a few minutes and help Brittany out (www.razorbackbritt.blogspot.com).
"If you are a woman who writes a blog with content predominantly about her family, and you have 10-15 minutes to spare, we would love to hear from you! We are doing research on bloggers, and invite you to take a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/mommyblog. Your participation will help one graduate student get one step closer to completing her thesis, and one step closer to graduation! Thank you for your input and for your time!"
"If you are a woman who writes a blog with content predominantly about her family, and you have 10-15 minutes to spare, we would love to hear from you! We are doing research on bloggers, and invite you to take a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/mommyblog. Your participation will help one graduate student get one step closer to completing her thesis, and one step closer to graduation! Thank you for your input and for your time!"
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
10/20/10
(This is a post I wrote right after I found out, but nobody else knew at the time. Everybody knows our little secret now).
I wanted to document these feelings and experiences now, even though we're not sharing them with anyone right now. I had a suspicion on Thursday, October 14th when my temperature rose another few tenths of a degree. I have been taking my danged temperature almost every morning since March, and knew that if it spiked again, then that was a good sign that fertilization had happened. My work wife Elizabeth and I went to the new Target and bought a test, and I took it when I got back to the office. I thought "why not do it now," and sure enough, it was POSITIVE! I was shaking and tearing up, and just couldn't believe it that our Boot Camp worked. (if you want to know what all that included, just email me and I'll tell you. I'll spare everyone else the details). I told Brent that night that we had been successful, and the first thing he said was "You're Welcome"! ha! He was cautiously excited and said that once we go to the doctor for the first time, it'll seem more real. Although I think he knows something is going on because I go into a sleep coma about 9 p.m. every night.
At first, Brent wanted to wait until Christmas to tell everybody, but I finally talked him into telling everybody after our first doctors appointment. He doesn't understand that I have questions that need to be answered! I am true planner and have already had a freak-out moment about money and daycare. I have also been cautious in my planning because I'm afraid something might happen. But God reminded me one night that I had enough faith to get to this point, I should have enough faith to make it through the rest of it. And what I said a few days ago still applies: I WILL HAVE JOY no matter what happens. I was also reminded that I need to continue to pray because God wants to hear our wishes.
Stay tuned to find out how we told our parents...
I wanted to document these feelings and experiences now, even though we're not sharing them with anyone right now. I had a suspicion on Thursday, October 14th when my temperature rose another few tenths of a degree. I have been taking my danged temperature almost every morning since March, and knew that if it spiked again, then that was a good sign that fertilization had happened. My work wife Elizabeth and I went to the new Target and bought a test, and I took it when I got back to the office. I thought "why not do it now," and sure enough, it was POSITIVE! I was shaking and tearing up, and just couldn't believe it that our Boot Camp worked. (if you want to know what all that included, just email me and I'll tell you. I'll spare everyone else the details). I told Brent that night that we had been successful, and the first thing he said was "You're Welcome"! ha! He was cautiously excited and said that once we go to the doctor for the first time, it'll seem more real. Although I think he knows something is going on because I go into a sleep coma about 9 p.m. every night.
At first, Brent wanted to wait until Christmas to tell everybody, but I finally talked him into telling everybody after our first doctors appointment. He doesn't understand that I have questions that need to be answered! I am true planner and have already had a freak-out moment about money and daycare. I have also been cautious in my planning because I'm afraid something might happen. But God reminded me one night that I had enough faith to get to this point, I should have enough faith to make it through the rest of it. And what I said a few days ago still applies: I WILL HAVE JOY no matter what happens. I was also reminded that I need to continue to pray because God wants to hear our wishes.
Stay tuned to find out how we told our parents...
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Weekend in Springfield and Update on Nannie
Last weekend, my mom and I took my grandmother to my aunt's house in Springfield, Missouri. We had a great time of just laying around and visiting. On Saturday, my 2nd cousin Kayla was dancing in the Ozark City Christmas Parade, so we bundled up and headed downtown to watch the parade. I thought I had enough warm clothes, but it got really cold as soon as the sun went down, so about half-way through the parade, I sat in the car.
Here's my aunt and mother. They are a mess!
Here's my aunt and mother. They are a mess!
Once again, Aunt Debbie...we told her she looks like a homeless person here.
They had lots of old cars in the parade.
This is another one of my 2nd cousins, Grace. She is really funny and at a cute age. We had fun teasing with her.
Here's me and my two cousins, Shannon and Michelle. Michelle and I are two months apart in age, and we had the best time growing up. We would just giggle and laugh! It was so good to see these girls again.
Here's Shannon's little boy, Landon. He is a mess!
Not sure you can pick her out, but Kayla's in this group dancing. She's an awesome dancer, and is also about 6 ft. tall!
Luckily we were close to a bathroom, cause this preggers girl had to go!
My Nannie didn't get to come to the parade because she had a bad cough and didn't want to get out in the cold. She was seeming to get better, but after we left, her cough got worse, and they had to take her to the ER. She had a stroke back in September that affected her speech, but she had recovered from that and we thought was doing better except for some blood thinning issues. The doctors originally though she had pneumonia, but after another scan, they found a mass in her lungs. They did a biopsy, and results will be in on Monday. The doctors suspect lymphoma, but they are not 100% sure yet. My parents went back to Springfield on Wednesday, and she got to come home from the hospital on Thursday, so we're just waiting to see what happens.
We are praying for good news and knows that the Great Physician has his hand in this situation. Please take a few minutes to pray for our family and my Nannie's miraculous healing.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Oh Baby! It's Thanksgiving!
Since it's Thanksgiving, I couldn't think of a better time to tell our big news.
That's right. We're expecting a new addition to the Haywood family in June 2011. This is Baby Haywood's first picture at 7 weeks, and it's hard to see, but the heartbeat was good.
I am so thankful to God for this blessing and miracle. We are so excited and have had some interesting moments over the past few months. Right now, I am about 9 1\2 weeks, and will go back to the doctor on December 7th.
God is good!!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Jeff and Mandy's Wedding!
This weekend was Jeff and Mandy's big wedding, and it was so much fun to hang out with our friends. Brandon, Andrea, Alyssa (5), and Evan (3) Williams from Dallas came to stay with us, and we had a lot of fun visiting and watching the kids play. Friday night, Brent and I went to the rehearsal dinner at Whole Hog, then on Saturday we went to the Clements house to hang out before the big event, and we also hung out afterwards.
The groom and groomsmen
He got a pocket watch - a pretty cool gift.
Lucy Jewel, Evan, and Alyssa. They had a big time playing together.
Since Brent was in the wedding, Monkey was my date for the evening. We had a good time eating cake and watching the kids dance.
The kids watched Toy Story 3 during the ceremony and you didn't hear a peep out of them. The iPad is a cool distraction tool.
The bride and groom!
The Albert Pike Hotel
Awwww...
Believe it or not, event Brent got out there and danced with Alyssa!
High School buddies: Brandon Williams, Jeremy Clements, Jeff Yates, Chris Wilson, and Brent.
After the wedding, the kids got in the bed and watched a movie until we left. I think I was the first one to tap out at 10:30. I was exhausted!
All in all, it was a great weekend. I love hanging out with friends who we don't see often - we just pick up where we left off and keep going. We are also thrilled for Jeff and Mandy and their new life together. They're in Branson this week on their honeymoon, and I must say I'm jealous. I really love Branson, especially this time of year. I would leave tomorrow if I could.
On another topic, I really can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here. I took down my fall stuff today because I was sick of looking at it. I'm very ready to get my Christmas tree up and all the other festive decorations up. I've even got a few presents to wrap. One thing's for sure - it'll be here before we know it!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Guardian Supervisor
Last spring we did a temperment survey at work. After answering 70 questions, I was classified as a Guardian Supervisor. They're doing reviews of each personality types on the company intranet this week, and here's what mine says. It's fairly accurate, so that's why I'd like to document it in my personal journal. It's really helped me realize how I am and how I respond to things. See if you think this fits me to a tee....
Overview of the Guardian Supervisor
Supervisors are willing to put in hard work to make sure a goal is completed. They excel at scheduling, organizing details and executing objectives. They enjoy completing tasks and can give a project momentum through difficult times. They are confident at making decisions and will consistently take actions to complete stages of the project.
They can be very economical and prudent with the available resources and can be counted on to protect assets. They are loyal and enjoy being a part of a team. They are objective and can be counted on to find a logical solution to a problem.
How they communicate:
Supervisors will often need to have discussions to form their ideas and plans, or to digest information. If Supervisors immediately begin talking about information or a request for information, they may just need to speak their thoughts out loud in order to process the information.
Supervisors will communicate with others by being serious and sincere. They can communicate with high energy, but also by being direct and to the point when they speak. They will challenge others to do their best and provide a clear, well-established framework for others to follow.
Strengths:
They are able to critique plans and point out potential flaws in advance.
They can supervise people and assure that proper results are produced.
They are skilled in following and executing the plan.
Can take charge quickly and steer a project onto the right course.
Are very hands-on and will work with the team to complete a project.
Leadership style:
Will treat team members fairly and impartially.
Will encourage team members to tie up loose ends at the end of a project and have everything be complete.
Are able to make tough-minded decisions.
Will expect teammates to adhere to high standards and principles.
How they annoy others
May abruptly dismiss ideas they think are not logical or impractical, or be too blunt when they communicate.
May disregard others' feelings to complete a project.
May complete projects to meet deadlines but not allow for needed improvements to reach higher levels of success.
May focus more on tasks and actions than the sentiments of the team.
May be too bossy or micromanaging and drive hard for completion.
May rush too quickly to judgment without considering all the potential implications or others' points of view.
Can be rigid and try to fit everything into a structure or schedule and are not comfortable with ambiguity or lack of closure.
Weaknesses
May be skeptical and resistant to change if a new, untried solution or process is presented.
May get very frustrated with constant change or unjustified decisions from management.
May pressure people to make decisions quickly, even if they are not ready to decide.
May force changes to happen rather than waiting for consensus or approval.
Can be blunt, demanding, and insensitive when interacting with the team.
Areas to work on
Be able to change course if it's the wrong direction, even though a lot of effort has been invested.
Be more flexible in allowing non-traditional approaches to problem solving or accomplishing tasks.
Be more diplomatic in times of stress and avoid saying hurtful or sarcastic things to co-workers.
Be sure to reply with your comments regarding the Guardian Supervisors.
Overview of the Guardian Supervisor
Supervisors are willing to put in hard work to make sure a goal is completed. They excel at scheduling, organizing details and executing objectives. They enjoy completing tasks and can give a project momentum through difficult times. They are confident at making decisions and will consistently take actions to complete stages of the project.
They can be very economical and prudent with the available resources and can be counted on to protect assets. They are loyal and enjoy being a part of a team. They are objective and can be counted on to find a logical solution to a problem.
How they communicate:
Supervisors will often need to have discussions to form their ideas and plans, or to digest information. If Supervisors immediately begin talking about information or a request for information, they may just need to speak their thoughts out loud in order to process the information.
Supervisors will communicate with others by being serious and sincere. They can communicate with high energy, but also by being direct and to the point when they speak. They will challenge others to do their best and provide a clear, well-established framework for others to follow.
Strengths:
They are able to critique plans and point out potential flaws in advance.
They can supervise people and assure that proper results are produced.
They are skilled in following and executing the plan.
Can take charge quickly and steer a project onto the right course.
Are very hands-on and will work with the team to complete a project.
Leadership style:
Will treat team members fairly and impartially.
Will encourage team members to tie up loose ends at the end of a project and have everything be complete.
Are able to make tough-minded decisions.
Will expect teammates to adhere to high standards and principles.
How they annoy others
May abruptly dismiss ideas they think are not logical or impractical, or be too blunt when they communicate.
May disregard others' feelings to complete a project.
May complete projects to meet deadlines but not allow for needed improvements to reach higher levels of success.
May focus more on tasks and actions than the sentiments of the team.
May be too bossy or micromanaging and drive hard for completion.
May rush too quickly to judgment without considering all the potential implications or others' points of view.
Can be rigid and try to fit everything into a structure or schedule and are not comfortable with ambiguity or lack of closure.
Weaknesses
May be skeptical and resistant to change if a new, untried solution or process is presented.
May get very frustrated with constant change or unjustified decisions from management.
May pressure people to make decisions quickly, even if they are not ready to decide.
May force changes to happen rather than waiting for consensus or approval.
Can be blunt, demanding, and insensitive when interacting with the team.
Areas to work on
Be able to change course if it's the wrong direction, even though a lot of effort has been invested.
Be more flexible in allowing non-traditional approaches to problem solving or accomplishing tasks.
Be more diplomatic in times of stress and avoid saying hurtful or sarcastic things to co-workers.
Be sure to reply with your comments regarding the Guardian Supervisors.
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