Doctor's Appointment

Well, everything went great at the doctor's office yesterday. Much better, if you ask me (Ryan), considering the wait was about 15 minutes, rather than the 1 hour and 15 minute wait the last time! The most trouble we had was with the receptionist who did her best impression of the airline receptionist on Meet the Parents!!! If you haven't seen that movie, let me know, and I'll do my best impression!!!
Anyway, back to the doctor...
Dr. Bellavance was most concerned with Jamie's weight loss, but when Jamie informed her just how sick she's been getting, she understood. Hopefully, this sickness will end soon, and she can start enjoying this pregnancy a lot more. Flurry's heartbeat was easy to find this time, and the doctor said all seemed well!!! We are now scheduled for an ultrasound on March 31, where we will finally find out if Flurry is a HE or a SHE!!! We would love to hear of any "old wives tales" on how we can tell Flurry's gender. You can vote on whether you think Flurry will be a little girl or a little boy to the right. But until next time, pray for Jamie and Flurry and for her sickness to go away.

If life gives you lemons, why not make lemonade?

Flurry is now the size of a lemon!!! He/she is now able to squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb!!! And from the frequent trips to the bathroom that Flurry's mother is making, I can only assume that Flurry is peeing a lot!!! I think Flurry was upset at us last night. Probably not the last time he/she will be upset with us!!! Anyway, Jamie wanted some nachos, and instead of going to Taco Bell, I decided I would make them. Well, apparently, nachos are not Flurry's favorite meal, judging from the 2 a.m. trip to the bathroom. Soon, we'll be off to another doctor's appointment. Wish us well!

Hallelujah!

I almost hate to make this post for fear of it back-firing on me, but I am so excited I can't resist! I FELT GREAT TODAY! I haven't felt the least bit nauseous and haven't taken any medicine either! I even ate Applebee's BBQ chicken wings and salad that the drug rep brought for lunch! YIPPEE! Now, I am well aware that this could be a temporary situation, but I thought I would celebrate for the moment! Right now I am sitting here in my pajamas (it's 4:30 PM) enjoying some cinnamon gummi bears! Ryan is going to be thrilled when he gets home to see that I am ready for bed~sleeping is my new favorite hobby, especially after a day at clinical!

In other news, I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. Should just be a routine check, but hopefully we will be given the order to get our ultrasound at the next visit! HOORAY! Will post more after the appointment.

Twins, Hemorrhoids, or Kicking?

This was how I was greeted by someone at church this morning, "Congratulations! I just heard you were expecting yesterday and that you're having twins!" Word certainly travels fast! However, due to the high number of rumors, phone calls, and emails we have received over the past couple days, we have decided to let the cat out of the bag early! We are NOT expecting twins and I have NOT felt the baby kick, so now you can draw your own conclusions as to what the new development at our house is! From now on, I will have to be a little bit more cautious with revealing any new developments at our house. Sorry for the disappointment!

Weight Gain - A Husband's View . . .

It seems that there is this little known idea that the husband of a pregnant wife is known to gain a few extra pounds during the pregnancy. Whether this is because there is extra food around, or the husband doesn't want the wife to feel bad, chances are that he may put on a some extra poundage as the baby develops. As I was wolfing down my second brownie the other night (after finishing off a bag of Doritos) Jamie looked at me and just laughed. We came to realize that I, not her, had gained more weight this pregnancy!!! So, in an attempt to shed some of this unwanted "winter weight", as I call it, I jumped on the treadmill last night, and set it for 1 hour. After 25 minutes, my legs were hurting so bad, I had to jump off!!! Oh, well. Winter will be over soon, but in the mean time, I guess I'll just have to finish off those brownies!!!

Ryan

A New Development...

Well, there is a new development in the Peppler household! We are still trying to take it in! After much persistence we have finally begun to accept this news! You can bet this little addition will add a few more sleepless nights to Jamie's schedule over the next several months. One week from today we will tell the world our BIG news!

Myth or Fact?

Nausea subsides by the end of the first trimester?
Answer: Myth!!!
I was very prepared to start feeling much better yesterday morning! I figured a switch would flip and Flurry and I would start enjoying all kinds of different foods! HA! I was mistaken! Oh well, maybe next week!

Shrimp & Eggs

Well, week 13 is here, and it is time for a growth update. As you can see from the picture, Flurry is about the size of a 3-inch long shrimp. Flurry's skin is still so thin that you would be able to see the veins and organs right through the skin!!! Thankfully, Flurry's body is starting to catch up with the size of his/her head. Something I thought was especially interesting...If Flurry is a girl, she already has 2 million eggs in her ovaries, which is pretty amazing, considering she only weighs an ounce!!! Also, Flurry can be identified now, considering that his/her fingerprints have formed.

In other news, Jamie and I got to babysit for our nephew last night. I think we both decided we can hardly wait for our little one to get here!!!

Countdown to the 2nd trimester!

Well, in less than 24 hours we will have begun the 2nd trimester of this pregnancy! Despite all the sickness and sleepiness, I can say the past 3 months have gone quickly (Ryan probably disagrees). I am beginning to feel a little better each day. I haven't had to take any medicine today and only was sick one time yesterday! THAT IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!

My new favorite food is spaghetti!!!! I have eaten an entire box in the last 18 hours! I really only like Prego mushroom sauce, but Ryan is just glad that I have found something that tastes yummy! Our next doctor's appointment is a week from Tuesday, so hopefully there will be no drama between now and then! Hope everyone has a great week!

Key Lime Pie and Sunglasses

Well, it's time for the weekly growth chart picture. This week, Flurry is about the size of a lime. Now, for some of the developments going on: Flurry has started to produce urine, which is just fabulous. Also, if Jamie prods her stomach, Flurry will move, although Jamie won't be able to feel him/her. Flurry's ears have moved to their final resting place!!! But the best thing of all is that Flurry's eyes have moved from the side of his/her face to the front, making Flurry's face look definitively human!!! Which, if nothing else, means that Flurry will be able to wear sunglasses!!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud!!! Hope all is well with everyone!!!
Ryan

A New Experience

FAIR WARNING!!! THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! I love putting stuff like that at the beginning of posts because even those people who probably shouldn't read what I have to say cannot possibly resist the urge to read it anyway!

I was getting ready to leave work around 3:30 this morning and I didn't feel very good. Since this has become a typical experience over the last several weeks, I decided to start home and thought I could talk myself out of getting sick. Well... as I was veering onto I-69 I decided there was no way I was going to make it. Since it was so early in the morning, I did not want to pull off the road and throw up because I thought there might be a police officer who pulled me over because he/she thought I had been partying a little too hard, and I was not in the mood to try to explain myself. So, I pulled out my trusty Lutheran Hospital cup and proceeded to throw up as I was driving down 69 at 70 mph! Well, I threw up several times, each time making my deposit in the cup, until the last time! I went to grab the cup and before I knew it, there it was, fresh puke all over the front of me! What a mess! By now, I am ready to get off 69 and onto US 30 and I had nothing in the car to wipe myself off with. So, I decided to drive to the rest area (which I know and have been reminded several times that this was probably not the safest decision, however, desperate times call for desperate measures). I walked into the rest stop, dumping my cup in the grass as I went and, of course, there were no PAPER TOWELS! So, I proceeded to wipe myself off with toilet paper and wash my cup out for the rest of the journey home. Luckily, I made it home without having the urge to get sick again. Since this morning, I have stocked my car with paper towel, wet wipes, and a puke basin! I will be prepared the next time little Flurry decides to have a hiccup while I am driving!

199 days to go!

Look at the ticker at the top of the page! Less than 200 days to go! I feel like I am in elementary school again and the teacher has the countdown on the blackboard until summer vacation!

I think I am about over my nasty cold... or whatever I had. I am still coughing a little, but feeling well enough to go to work tonight, bummer!

I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 2.2 pounds! YAHOO! Now, for those of you who worry... losing weight in the first trimester is normal, especially if there has been morning sickness. There has been plenty of that! Today I got to revisit my Frosted Mini Wheats a second time.... that was disgusting! I am sure the scales will start going the other direction one of these days!

Hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!

Yuck!

Well, this week has been full of sneezing, coughing, and sniffing. I have a sinus infection and can't quite seem to get rid of it! The main problem is that when I cough, I gag, so it has intensified my not feeling well. Hopefully this little annoyance will pass soon. I stayed home from clinical today to try to give myself a chance to get better. I am hoping by tomorrow I will be good as new!

As far as Flurry goes, he/she doesn't seem to be minding that mommy is sick. Nothing to eat really sounds too good, but that is nothing new! I am looking forward to getting my appetite back one of these days. No crazy cravings this week. I did have Ryan stop and get me some OJ earlier this week at the Kwik Mart. A 1/2 gallon of OJ cost $4.29!!!!! I don't think we will be going there anymore for my afternoon cravings. Will try to have a more lively post later!
Take care!

Sorry, honey!

Well, I definitely had a bit of an emotional meltdown last night. I have had a cold for the past couple days and Ryan got the brunt of me not feeling well and overreacting. Luckily, he handles these little setbacks in stride and remains calm when I am not at my best. Sorry, honey, for having to see the ugly cry... thanks for loving me anyway.

Did Someone Say Fig Newtons?

So, I've come up with yet another witty name for Flurry this week. In honor of Flurry being the size of a fig, I've decided my new favorite name is Newton!!! I'm sure Jamie is not quite as excited about the new choice of names, but we'll throw it into the mix!!!

Ryan

Big News!

Not much to report this week in terms of Baby Flurry. It seems the child has started doing water ballet and having the hiccups as he/she continues to grow and develop. Flurry is just excited because he/she is going to have a new uncle! Rachel and Adam got engaged over the weekend! We are so excited for them and looking forward to hearing about all their wedding plans! Flurry can hardly wait to attend his/her first wedding... maybe inside mommy and maybe in the flesh! Congratulations Rachel and Adam! We are so happy for you!

Doctor Update

Well, after sitting in the waiting room for 1 hour and 15 minutes, we did finally get to hear the heartbeat! Ryan was on the edge of his seat. Flurry has a fast little ticker! The doctor told us that she wasn't sure if we would hear it or not since I am only 10 weeks, but Flurry cooperated! We are so proud of our little baby!

Nothing else too exciting happened other than Ryan asking what all the different pieces of equipment were for. After explaining the speculum he didn't ask anymore questions!

Ryan has a doctor's appointment tonight, if they find a heartbeat in his belly he is going to have some explaining to do!

Have a great evening!

Ryan Checking In!!!

This is Ryan checking in. I decided to get weekly emails to see how our baby is doing each week. I'm already getting some very interesting information. For instance, my uterus is growing at an incredible rate. I was very excited to know that . . . until Jamie told me that I didn't have a uterus.
Now, under the category of "useful news", I did get to hear Flurry this afternoon!!! The heartbeat sounded great, and that sound was an answer to my prayers. Please keep praying for our baby!!!
Flurry is now the size of a kumquat!!! I decided to put a picture of a kumquat on here because if you are like me, you don't know what a kumquat is!!! Flurry has also lost the webbed feet that he/she was accustomed to and is growing tiny little finger nails and peach-fuzz hair!!! Also, you can see Flurry's spine now . . . because Flurry has translucent skin!!! That sounds so cool. It's like he/she is some sort of superhero fetus!!! SUPER-EMBRYO!!! Also because of Flurry's developing brain, Flurry's forehead is half the length of his/her body. Flurry is already very smart. Daddy's so proud!!! That's all I can tell you. Can't wait to give you more useless information next week!!!

Emotional Roller Coaster

So, I didn't think I had been too emotional or moody so far until the other day. I was driving to Fort Wayne to school and was surfing through the radio stations and stopped on a country station for a minute. They started playing the song, "Have You Forgotten" by Alan Jackson which is about 9/11 and I started sobbing. I nearly had to pull off the road to get my self composed before driving on. I am not sure what it was about that song or that moment that caused me such an emotional meltdown, but I am hoping those are few and far between.

I have noticed that I am feeling a little better, but I have felt extremely tired this week. If I am at home, I want to be laying down. I did manage to do a couple of loads of laundry this morning and clean off the kitchen counter. Hopefully, the cleaning streak can continue as our bedroom looks like a tornado has come through! We're off to the doctor this afternoon. I will try to post an update when we get home!

Have a blessed day!

Prayers for Maci

Hi to all! I just wanted to post a quick note to ask for prayers for my friends Jayme and Mike and their new baby girl, Maci. She was born on Sunday morning and is in the NICU due to high bilirubin levels. It sounds like her levels are coming down, but if you think of it today, could you send a prayer up for her and for her parents as they adjust to life as Mommy and Daddy.

Week 9 Update

I just got home from getting my haircut and there was a lady there whose daughter is expecting triplets! YIKES! Ryan and I were just talking about multiples last night, and believe me, we are hoping this grape will not be a cluster!

I finally filled my presciption for Zofran last night. After the apple juice episode Sunday night, I decided to give up on toughing it out and take the medicine. So far, it has worked! One of my friends at work told me that the medicine causes constipation... Ha! It seems to have the opposite effect on me! I'll spare you the details!

Anyway, cravings for this week include... a hot ham and cheese sandwich from Hardee's, Walmart brand fruit snacks (I ate the whole bag), and Cheerios. I also switched to Flintstone Gummi Vitamins this week and they are FABULOUS! I don't think Flurry will have to worry about getting enough vitamins from now on. Ryan is going to have to ration them out!

Nothing else to report, except that the baby's name will NOT be Gilbert!
Have a great week!

Grape

Well...Jamie told me last night that little Flurry is the size of a grape. No word on whether he/she is a red grape or a green grape, but just a grape. On the good side, though, I thought of a new boy's name...Gilbert, Gilbert Grape!!! Oh, now the bad news . . . FLURRY LOST HIS/HER TAIL!!! It must have fallen off with all the morning sickness and everything going on!!! With all the trauma, I'm sure my tail would have fallen off, also. In other news, I'm really enjoying my trips to the store for chocolate and crackers and juice and Gatorade and so on. I really have to laugh at the Taco Bell commercial where the pregnant wife sends her husband out for something melty, then something crunchy, then something chewy. I just look at Jamie and she's already laughing. Peace.

Ryan, Jamie, and Gilbert...I mean, Flurry!!

Just in case you were wondering....

Just in case you ever wondered whether apple juice and chocolate Riesens were a good combination.... they're not! I decided apple juice sounded so good last night, so Ryan went to Walgreens and got me some. He also brought me my favorite chocolate snack. I don't think he intended for me to eat them together. Well, the apple juice tasted so good, I thought I would try the Riesens, too! Ha! I was soooooo sick! Needless to say, I did not have either of those items for breakfast this morning! Oh well, live and learn!
Have a great week!

Week 8 Update

Well, I had my first doctor's appointment today. It was just a meeting with the nurse to update my history, answer lots of questions, and get orders for a set of labs that I will have before my next appointment. I also got a prescription for some nausea medicine (HOORAY!). It's too early to listen to the heartbeat without doing an ultrasound, and my physician will not do an ultrasound until 20 weeks unless there is a reason to. I guess at this point, no news is good news. My next appointment is January 30th and they think they will be able to hear the heartbeat by then with a doppler. I hope so!
Otherwise classes started yesterday, so I am trying to juggle clinicals and work and a little housework in between somewhere (which Ryan can tell you I have totally dropped the ball on lately)! I am very tired, but seem to be holding up pretty well so far!
For those of you who were concerned about our baby having a tail last week, during week 8, the tail nearly disappears and our baby has grown to the size of a kidney bean! I am wondering how many different food references there will be to the size of the baby! Hopefully, one week soon, Flurry will be the size of a scoop of icecream or a cheeseburger! YUM!

Week 7 update

Well, this week our baby has a tail and is the size of a blueberry. Flurry is growing hands and feet this week which look more like paddies than acutal fingers and toes. Ryan thinks it's hysterical that Flurry has a tail! He pointed at me and laughed last night and said, "Ha, Ha! The baby looks like a blueberry and has a tail!" I am really looking forward to having two children in the house once Flurry arrives!

I think I have kind of gotten a handle on the morning sickness. I figured out that for me it is important to eat less food more often! As you read in Ryan's post, I bought lots of snack foods last night at the grocery (granola bars, vanilla wafers, yogurt smoothies). Hopefully these will help curb my hunger and visits to the bathroom.

I go to the doctor a week from today. Thanks to everyone who is praying for Flurry and mommy during this exciting time!

Craving$$$

Well, Jamie is not allowed to go to the grocery store with me anymore!!! Being the expert coupon clipper that I am, I can usually save around 30-35% at the grocery store every week. Well, that was before I was shopping for a pregnant wife!!! I only saved 22% this week due to the snacks thrown in the cart!!! I can't complain though. My chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream might have put us over the top. I can't wait til Flurry is here so that I can show him/her how to save money at the grocery!!!

Late night cravings!

Well, Flurry and I are just finishing my shift at work (3p-3a) and I thought I would make a quick post to update everyone on the latest cravings! Today I ate cinnamon sugar toast followed by a chicken sandwich. Tonight I had chicken noodle soup, string cheese and a grape popsicle. Nothing too exciting to report. Today has been the longest stretch of awake time I have had without being sick for the last 6 days~about 13 1/2 hours so far and I will be up for at least another 2 hours, so this record might stand for awhile! Last week I had to stop at McDonald's on my way home from work for a cheeseburger (well, really 2!). I hopefully won't be making a habit of that! I think tonight I will just be happy to go home and close my tired eyes!
Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year! Blessings to you all in 2008!
Good night!

Morning Sickness... well, really All Day Sickness!

Well, morning sickness is in full swing!! However, the term morning is relative. I seem to be getting sick any time of the day! So far, I have been able to sleep through the night without feeling too bad! If there are any secrets out there, I am all ears! I have decided that my latest strategy is to find out before we go anywhere where the bathroom is located and to carry my toothbrush with me everywhere! Today we are halfway through the first trimester, so hopefully this too shall pass!

Sorry

This is Ryan posting...Sorry for the puke post just posted by my wife!! If you are half as grossed out as I am right now, I am sure you are thinking twice about ever checking this website again. Please do. I will be editing all comments in the future, so please come back!!!

Puke!

This post might not be for the faint of heart! I puked for the first time today! It was actually a great experience! I felt horrible after we got home from a family Christmas and was miserable. I walked into the bathroom, made my deposit, and left a happy woman! Ha! I am sure most of you don't think this is such a nice thought, but I feel much better! Now I am going to have some Gatorade (orange flavor) and carmel corn before we go out to dinner at Carlos O Kellys! YUM!

The Reactions

Well, we told my parents about their new grandchild on Sunday and my mom screamed so loud she scared our nephew! I figured they were kind of suspecting a pregnancy, but needless to say my mom was surprised! I don't think Jacob quite realizes how important his job will be as the big cousin!
We told Ryan's parents on Christmas morning and Dave hugged me so hard I think Flurry might have gotten squished! Rachel asked if it was okay that she was crying, and Deanna got to make the first phone call to her best friend to let her know she was going to be a grandma! Everyone is excited and looking forward to sharing the good news!

243 days to go!

We put a ticker on our blog site today to countdown to the baby's due date. One of the things I have already noticed is that finding out you are pregnant so early on makes 9 months seem like an eternity! Only 243 days to go! YIKES!

Cravings

The other day I didn't think I was having any cravings, but when I was eating an olive loaf sandwich drowning in mustard followed by spaghetti and garlic bread, I decided maybe my taste buds were off just a bit (I later ate Saltine crackers dipped in ranch veggie dip). One good thing so far is that I don't seem to be craving sweets like I usually do, and I have had no morning sickness. I usually feel a tad queasy between 4-6 PM, but so far I have been able to eat whatever I want without problems.

The Secret's Out! Well.... almost!

Well, you're likely visiting this site because you received our announcement in the mail. We're pregnant (photographic proof below!). As I am typing this, we have not even told our families yet. We are waiting to spring the news on them at Christmas, which is tomorrow for my parents and 3 days from now for Ryan's. The anticipation is killing us!
Before we knew we were pregnant we had every intention of waiting until we passed the 12 week milestone to make the announcement, but decided 5 weeks was more than we could handle! We are so excited to be pregnant and looking forward to sharing this wonderful time with our friends and family.
We have decided to nickname this child "Flurry" for now, in honor of the recent snowstorm which blanketed our home with a lovely coating of the white stuff. Flurry should be arriving sometime in late August. In the upcoming posts you can read about Flurry's progress and watch as mommy grows.