When will he get here?

I put up a game/survey for you to choose the date he will actually get here, his weight, length and time of birth. Click on the link that say's "When will Haven get here?", on the left side of the page, under "Links". Place your bets, everyone!

Birthing Class-December 12-13, 2008

So, we had our lovely birthing class, with BJ and Ashely, last weekend and learned lot's of interesting tidbits. Friday was more of a wash than anything else. We didn't take anything from it. But that's ok. We were shown some birthing videos, one without drugs, one with drugs and a c-section birth. They weren't as graphic as I thought they would have been. Don't get me wrong, we saw everything, but it wasn't gorrie or anything like that. All I can tell you is, I'm sooooo having drugs. I'm not brave or crazy.
The guys asked a lot of questions and put in a lot of input. I was proud of them. I can honestly say that I discovered some things that I defintely do NOT want when I give birth and I told Kelly my wishes. I know I probably won't care at the time, but right now I do, and I hope that Kelly will be able to remember my wishes when the time comes. Nothing major, just some modesty things. And I know they say that all modesty goes out the window when your in labor, but some of the things I saw were just grosse and I don't want it. Maybe I should write them down for Kelly, so he won't forget.
Anywho, I think the class was very informative and we learned a lot. I'm glad we took it, even if we had to use a whole Saturday for it.
Update: I did have to go and get my Rhogam shot on Monday. They put it in my hip and I went on along my merry way. Glad that's over with.

Dr's Appointment-December 11, 2008

Today was the gluclose test. They are checking me for gestational diabeties. Here's how if works: you drink a 10 ounce "sugar-water" drink that is flavored. You have a choice between orange, which tastes like flat Sunkist, and Fruit Punch, which tastes just like Hi-C fruit punch. I went for the fruit punch. I'm not real into flat Sunkist. Then you get 5 minutes to drink it. I guess I drank it in 5 minutes, the nurses didn't tell me otherwise. However, there was a girl that came in after me and I think she chugged her's, cause she was done before I was. Anywho, once you drink it, you have to wait an hour and then have your blood drawn. They let you know if you fail within a few days. Then you have to go back for a 3 hour test, if you fail. So while I was waiting for my hour to pass, I had a regular doctor's appointment.
I saw Dr. Fishburn again, and he said everything with the little man is good. His heartbeat is 142 bpm and I'm measuring right on target. He said he wasn't positive, but he thinks that he is head down. He put my hands on it so that I could feel it. I didn't really know what I was feeling so "whatever you say, doc." He says that is a good thing, even though he is active he could move positions, but it was good that he is there now. So hopefull he'll be back there in 11 more weeks.
I thought I was supposed to have my Rhogam shot at this visit but I was halfway wrong. This is the shot to deal with my negative Rh factor in my blood. Along with them testing for the diabeties they took enough blood to test my antibodies. Dr. Fishburn explained it that if my body is already producing the antibodies to deal with the negative blood, then I don't need the shot, my body is already taking care of it. So they will call me tomorrow or Monday to let me know if I need to come in and have the shot.
This was the last 4 week appointment. I have to start going every 2 weeks now. So my next appointment will be December 22.

Hospital Tour-December 7, 2008

We went on a hospital tour on Sunday with BJ & Ashely and Kim & Michael. It was super helpful. But I have to admit, it made everything very real for me. I've never been admitted to the hospital for anything, so as I was standing there in a room that will look just like the one that I will be in, and it was kinda nerve racking. It made me nervous. But I keep telling myself that by the time it gets here and I'm in that room, I won't care about a thing. I'll just want it over with. So, for now, that's what I'm going with.
So the nurse that gave us a tour is a friend on Ashley's. She is a nurese in the maternity unit at Matthews. Really nice. She answered all of our questions and even some that we hadn't even thought about. We got a tour of all the different rooms, she showed us what all the tools in the room are used for, we got to visit the nursery and we saw the area where the c-sections happen. Not an actual room, but where they would take a patient needing a c-section.
The boys asked questions and poor Michael got more information than he as hoping for (he has a weak stomach). We learned that we get to stay in the same room throughout the whole process, unless it's a c-section. We have the option of allowing the nurses to take the baby from 11pm til 6am, which is highly recommended, so we can get some much needed rest. The hospital supplies eveything that we will need, Dad's get a cot or a chair to sleep on and the nurses have no problems being the "bad guy's" when it comes to visting and mom being "over-it".
All in all, we had a great tour and left with some helpful information. We're now much more prepared for what's in store for us.
I'll have even more information once we take the birthing class. It's this weekend.

ooohhhh!....the heartburn

I never had the pleasure of experiencing heartburn. That is, until about a 3 weeks ago. I had to ask my mom what heartburn felt like. And she totally described what I was feeling. She said that spit gave her heartburn, the whole time she was pregnant. Luckily, mine waited until the end of my second trimester.
I believe pizza is the cluprit. Everytime I eat pizza, I seem to get it. Spaghetti doesn't bother me or any other italian dish. Just pizza. My favorite thing to eat. Such a bummer.
Last night was the worst that I had it. I promise I thought my esphagus was going to turn into ashes. It was horrible. Thank goodness for my new best friend...his name is TUMS. Without him, I might be able to breath FIRE!
The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to realize that spit might be giving me heartburn. As I sit and write this post, I feel it coming on. This can't be good.

Look what I went and did.-November 26, 2008

Yep. Sure did.

1st Baby Shower - November 16, 2008

We had a joint baby shower this Sunday. It was really nice. We got all kinds of goodies from the family. This little boy is going to be decked out in some CUTE clothes. We got lot's of other really useful stuff too. Just to name a few things: wipe warmer, diapers, burp cloth, wash cloths, bottles, drying rack, blankets, bibs, the list goes on and on! We had a really nice time. My sister threw the party for me, Kim, Ashley and Stephanie. And of course my mom was helping too. It's such a nice thing. I have some BIG shoes to fill when my sister gets married and has kids. I owe her a lot.

Doctor's Appointment with Dr. Barnes: Novemember 13, 2008

Everything went just fine at the doctor's appointment. His heartbeat is 157bpm. The nurse said that was normal. My blood pressure is good. I did have a little bit of protein in my urine, but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. I should just drink some more water throughout the day. Next visit is December 12, 2008 at 2:30pm. This is the visit where I have to do the glucose test and I have to have the Rhogam shot then, as well. Yuck, a blood test and a shot, all in the same visit. Can't say I'm ooking forward to that visit. He did also mention that I should get a flu shot. They recommend, for woman that are pregnant during flu season, to get one. So I'll be calling around to find a place to get one. All is well at this visit.

Storytime

Well, pregnant brain is taking over my world. Last night I discovered heartburn. And what an awful discovery that was, might I add. Anyway, so I decide to go to CVS and get some TUMS. I put on my coat and grab my keys and my wallet. And out the door I go. Well, as soon as I closed the LOCKED door behind me, I realized that I never put my house back on my key ring. So I had just succeded in locking myself out of my own house. And to top it off, Kelly wasn't home (I'll give you one guess where he was...hunting) so he couldn't do anything about it. So I get in the car, after checking all the doors to see if I might have left one open. No luck. So I call BJ and asked if he still had a house key. Praise the Lord, he did. So I get my TUMS and head over to their house, get my key and head on home. When I get home, I immediately put my house key back on my key ring, but I forget that my wallet is still in my pocket.
I head to work this morning and while running some errands for my boss, I decide that I should stop fo some gas, since I was running on fumes. I pull up to the pump and starting digging thru my purse for my debit card. I come to the awful realization that I never put my wallet back in my purse, last night. So it's at home in the coat that I wore to CVS. So I can't get gas, get anything for lunch or go to the grocery store on my way home, like I planned. I had to call Kelly and ask him to come to my office, from Rock Hill and bring me some money for gas and lunch.
I swear, I have never been this forgetful, EVER!!! Pregnancy really does make you stupid.

More Nursery Shots

So I did some more work on the nursery. Here they are.

Preliminary Nursery Shots

I wasn's going to post any pictures of the nursery, until it was totally finished. But I can't resist. I finally finshed painting the furniture and the walls. So here are some before and after shots for your viewing pleasure. I'll post more when it's complete.

Moving

So I have been feeling him move for almost 2 weeks now. I now know that the little movement was feeling a while back was actually him. But I feel it a lot now. Everyday. It's funny, I will sit up close to my desk, to where the edge is gently digging into my tummy. Well, he doesn't care for that. I feel him moving or kicking to get me to move. I hate it for him when he gets bigger and then he really doesn't have any room to move.
Kelly tries to feel him move, but he can't. Of course whenever I feel him moving and Kelly puts his hands on my belly, all movement stops. Not that he is even kicking hard enough right now for anyone other than me to feel. But Kelly still hopes to catch a little punch. He'll just have to wait a little longer.

Doctor's Appointment: October 16, 2008

Everything looks good. I went at 3:30 and met a new doctor. So far, I think Dr. Fishburn is my favorite. He wears cowboy boots under his scrubs. Too cute. He was very friendly and super informative.
So here are the details: heartbeat is 168, blood count looks good, measuring right on schedule, no swelling or dizziness. So, all is well, right on track and going smoothly. Couldn't ask for anything more. I did ask if I was going to have another ultrasound and he said not unless the measuring suddendly became off or some complications were to arise. So, hopefully no more for us. I do have to have the shot at 28 weeks for the negative RH factor in my blood. So that's coming in about 7 weeks. Next appointment is November 13 at 4pm!

Registering-October 9, 2008

WOW, WOW, WOW! I registered last night at Babies "R" Us and it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Every other time I have been in there, I get extreme anxiety (well, not so much extreme). I can usually go for about 10 minutes and then it becomes all too much. I look around at that big store, full of all kinds of different baby items, and I have no clue on where to even begin. Total madness for me.
Anyway, I got it done, with the help of a seasoned mother, in about 2 hours. I hope I didn't leave anything off. I put a link up on this blog page (over to the left), if anyone wants to check it out. Be on the lookout for a Target registry comming soon!

October 1, 2008-The BIG Ultrasound!!

Well, it's a BOY! I'm in total shock. I was convinced that it was a girl. So it took me most of the night to wrap my brian around it being a boy. But I wrapped it and I'm good now. I'm excited! There is nothing like the relationship between a mother and her son. My aunt say's "Those boys sure do love their momma's." So Haven Joseph it is. I guess I'm the one that broke the girl chain. All my cousins are having girls...now I get to have the only boy and he'll be spolied rotten! BJ and Michael are sooo jealous! I love it.
The technician said that I am measuring right on schedule, so my due date is not changing and everything looks good. We can't wait to meet him!

September 26, 2008-Movement?

I think I may have felt the baby move this morning! Don't know for sure, considering I've never been pregnant before and I don't know what it feels like. Anyway, I was lying in bed this morning and I rolled over on my stomach (yes, I can still lay on my tummy). After lying there for about a minute I felt something strange in my tummy. I would describe it like an air bubble in my tummy that was rolling around. It did it twice, one right after the other. The second time made me aware of it. I thought to myself "Hmmm, that was weird. Hey, I wonder if that was the baby moving?" I laid there for a few more minutes waiting to see if I could feel it again, but no such luck. So I decided to get up and get ready for work. I wonder if it was really the baby moving or just my tummy rolling? I suppose I'll know if I feel the same thing again.

September 24, 2008

So, I mentioned before that my cousin's are pregnant, too. We are all due within a month of each other. So far everyone has found out what they are having.
Stephanie: GIRL
Ashley: GIRL
Kim: GIRL
Isn't that crazy?! We all think that our grandfather, that passed away in March of this year, played a hand in us all getting pregnant within a month of each other. It's just a little joke we have. Now it looks like he might be at it again. Giving us all girls. I wonder if he'll go 4 for 4 and give us a girl too! You know 20 years ago there was a boy boom in our family with Kendall, Devin, Tyler and Jeremy. Now maybe it's the girls turn to have a boom. I can't wait to find out!

Doctor's Appointment: September 18, 2008

Well, I FINALLY got an ultrasound date. Mark your calendars for October 1st at 3:30pm. Yeah!!! We finally get to find out what this little person is!!! I'll be taking bets up until the first of October, so start placing them now!
The baby's heartrate is 164 beats per minute. That's good. Between 120 and 170 is normal. It took her a few secounds to find the heartbeat and then she got it. Then the baby moved so she lost it and had to find it again. So we have lot's of moving around. I still haven't felt any movement yet, but the nurse said I'm still kinda early to feel it. But hopefully soon I'll be able to feel it. I'm so curious to know what it feels likie. Everyone has their own description of it. What else?....they did more bloodwork, which I wasn't prepared for. They are checking my iron levels. And I go back for another regular appointment on October 16 at 3:30pm. I think that's all the main points.
So let the countdown to the ultrasound begin!!! Feel free to place your bets at any time! Tootles!

September 12, 2008-15 weeks

This week has been full of changes. My belly started sticking out more so this week than ever before. I wore maternity pants to work and have discovered that they are super comfy! Not so good looking, but comfortable. My energy level has come up, too. I don't feel like I could sleep for days as soon as I get out of the bed. But 9pm is still bedtime for sure. Sometimes it's even 8:30pm!
Going back to the doctor for a regular visit on Septemebr 18. Then we're going to make an appointment for the BIG ultrasound. Exciting stuff! Can't wait to find out what this little human growing inside me is.
Check out the new section at the bottom of the page. It's called "I wish someone would have told me..." This could get really amusing, espically for all of you that have been pregnant before. Feel free to offer up things you wish someone would have told you before you got pregnant. I'll add them all to the list!

Doctor's Appointment-Heard the Heartbeat-August 22, 2008

We finally got to hear the heartbeat today. It was sooo loud. I had prepared myself for it to take the nurse a minute or so to find it, I have heard that it could take a little bit to find. But as soon as she put the doppler on my belly, there it was. It's beating at 168 beats per minute. They like to have the beats between 120bpm and 170bpm. So we are in the range. They say the higher the heart rate means a girl and the lower the heart rate means a boy. So what will it be? I also hear that the younger the fetus, the higher the heartbeat. So who knows! We'll find out t 18 weeks though.
I also found out that my blood type is O negative. Which means that I have to have the RHO shot at 28 weeks. Then if the baby's blood type is positive, then I have to have it again after delivery. This is to protect the fetus in the next pregnancy. My antibodies could attack the next pregnancy. The shot at 28 weeks is to protect this pregnancy. The negative Rh factor could cause illness in the fetus and low birth weight. I did a bit of research this morning on it and I found out that O negative is the universal doner type, meaning anyone can accept my blood. But I can only accept O negative blood.
So there is a little science lesson for you. I hope you took notes, there will be a quiz tomorrow!

My 1st Maternity outfit-August 20, 2008

Well I broke down today and put on my first maternity outfit. I did keep my regular pants, with the bella band. Cause Lord knows, those suckers were NOT going to button. Then I decided to wear a new maternity shirt. Partly because I had nothing else clean to wear and partly because I really wanted to be comfortable. So check out my outfit!

Little Bit of Everything-August 14, 2008

Ahhh, the joy's of pregnancy. The nausea, the sleepiness, the food aversions, the constant need for junk food and the thongs that have gotten sooo tight that it looks like (well you know what it looks like). So off I go to Target, on Saturday, to buy myself some bigger undies. I made the mistake of buying medium hipster panties. They are huge. They bunch on the sides and droop in the back and sag in the booty. Then I buy 2 packages of, what I thought were thongs, and what do I end up getting? Not thongs, the whole reason for going to Target, but I bought bikini's. I read the front of the package , I know a few times, and still thought I was buying thongs. Didn't realize it until I opened the package and went to put a pair on. So I can now add one more symptom to my ongoing list....stupid. Maybe I'll soon be able to get the right undies. Pray for me.
Onto another rant....I had a dream last night that I had the baby. Don't know what it was, but I know I had it. Got the baby home and realized that I forgot to call the peditrician, the baby had no doctor's appointment and I forgot to call the insurance company too. I guess I should make a list now of phone calls that have to be made. I might forget to call the doctor!
I think I can safely say that I have traded the nausea for sleepiness. It is all I can do to drag myself out of the bed in the mornings. I feel like I could fall asleep at my desk everyday. But around 2:00pm it goes away. But only for about 4 hours. By the time I get home at 6:30pm, I'm ready for bed. And then I feel like I could sleep for days. I bet I'll trade the sleepiness for peeing every 5 miutes, here in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted.

Putting the word out now!

For those of you reading this blog, please keep your ears open for us. We're looking for a person to baysit our child when I have to go back to work. BJ and Ashley are interested in this as well and we were hoping to find someone that would come to our house and watch both of our children. We would love for a retired lady to do this but we are open to other suggestions. This would be a paying gig, of course. If you know of anyone that would be intrested in this or have any good places to start the search, please let us know. Our requirements are very basic: non-smoker, own transportation, experience with newborns, CPR certified. Please feel free to throw out any other suggestions that you might have. This position will not be available until mid April. Thanks for all your help!

Pre-Natal Visit with the Pediatrician-August 7, 2008

Today, we had an appointment with Dr. Neal. He is going to be Baby Poplin's doctor. Funny,
he was my doctor when I was a kid. My aunt takes her boys to him and my cousin takes her son there. They all think that the man can walk on water, so I figured, if they all think so highly of him, then so should I. So now we have a peditrician. We went in at 8:15 and sat down with him, while he told us lot's of information. Main points:
*Don't stress out over this pregnancy. Just be pregnant and go on about your business.
*Don't read a lot of books. It's mostly a bunch of junk and every woman's pregnancy is different.
*Call me when you go into labor.
*By the time your child is 18 months, they need to be in some sort of day-care, at least part-time (something like mother's morning out) and by the time the child is two years old, they need to be in something full-time. They need the socialization. He was very avid about this.
So all in all, I think we went away with a lot of good advice, that made a lot of sense. So now, we can check that task off the list. Now just 99 things left!!!

StoryTime at 10 weeks-August 2, 2008

So, I go over to my parents house last night and I'm standing in the kitchen when my mom comes over to me. I have on a red dress and she makes me lift it up. She wants to see my belly. So I hike my dress up and show her my belly. She touches it and says "You've got two in there. Look how your already showing at only 10 weeks and it's already hard as a rock." So mom thinks I've got twins in there. Honestly, I think I would be ok with that. Some women that I talk to think I'm crazy for saying that, cause they say that one is all they can handle. But I kinda look at it this way, if I get twins the first time around, I won't know any different. Another plus factor: I wouldn't have to be pregnant ever again. The Poplin's would be finished with the expansion of their family. If I could choose, which I know I can't (one can daydream, though), we would have a boy and a girl. My mom would say "One for me and one for you!"

July 25, 2009

I had my 2nd doctor's appointment this morning. I got lot's of information and gave them mine and Kelly's medical history. They took blood, a first for me, and told me about all these different tests that they can do, if I want them done. Not sure on which one's we will opt out of. I totally thought the bloodwork was going to be WAY worse than it actually was. I finger prick hurts 10 times worse. I have some paperwork to fill out and send in and other than that, all went well. I go back in 4 weeks (August 22) and we can hear a heartbeat! Exciting. I will get an ultrasound at 18 weeks. Which is the last week in September. Stay tuned, there is lot's more to come!

July 23, 2009

Starting to look like a fattie! I broke down yesterday and had to buy a bella band. My capri pants were sooo tight on Sunday that I had to unbutton AND unzip them. Now I should be able to wear them unbuttoned and no one will even know! The nausea is still here, but I have discovered it only shows when I'm hungry. So, as long as I eat constantly I should feel pretty good. That bella band might not work for very long if I have to eat constantly. :) The pre-natal's are getting harder and harder to take too. We all know that I'm a wuss and can't swallow pills. So I have been taking Flintstone's chewables. Well, those have not been the greatest idea in the world. They are totally disgusting me! I got a tip today saying that I could go to GNC or a health food place and get the pre-natal vitamins in a powder form and then put it in a glass of orange juice. You can't taste anything in orange juice. I'll be getting my vitamin and an extra dose of folic acid. I think I'll give it a try.

July 9, 2009

Well it looks like the nausea has reared it's UGLY face! Thank goodness it just comes and goes. And thank goodness it's tolerable. I bought some of those "sea-bands", just to see if they work. It is a band that you put on both of your wrists and it is supposed to hit a pressure point in your wrist, and help with nausea. I haven't really tried them yet. I almost want to wait until I HAVE too!
We have recieved out first baby gift. Whitney, Kelly's sister, came over on July 7th with a bag for us. It had a heart-to-heart monitor in it. Which is a monitor that you strap onto your belly, once your 21-27 weeks along, and you put the head phones on and you can hear the baby kicking and moving and the heartbeat too! I can't wait to try it out. She also gave us a plush little teddy bear that says "My First Bear". It's adorable!

Don't forget to vote!

There are some things that you can vote on at the bottom of the page. Just scroll down and read the questions, then cast your vote. I'll put more up later! Thanks!!!

Confirmation Appointment-June 27, 2008

Well I had my confirmation appointment on Friday, June 27, 2008. I went in and had a urine test, got weighed and had my blood pressure tested. It is now official, I'm pregnant. The doctor has cofirmed it!! Everything looks good. I am due on February 28, 2009. Which made me 4 weeks and 6 days along. We are super excited! I go back in 4 weeks.

The Test- June 22, 2008

It was a Sunday night and I was sitting at home wondering if I was pregnant or not. I had told myself that if I had not gotten my period by Monday, then I woud go ahead and take a test. Well, for some reason, I had a "feeling" that I needed to take a test tonight. I had gone to the dollar store earlier that afternoon and bought two of them. I went ahead and took the dollar test and it was postive. Not 100% convinced, I decided to take a digital one that I had. It was a Clear Blue Easy test. It said "pregnant". Kelly wasn't quite sure if he should believe it or not. He kept asking "Are these real? Shouldn't you go to the doctor?" So I went to bed that night and got up the next morning and took the other dollar test. It too, said positive. So I figured if three tests gave me a positive, then I MUST be pregnant. I made a confirmation appointment with my doctor for the following Friday, June 27, 2008.

Welcome

Hey there! Welcome to our site! We are super excited to have you here with us in this special time. We will be posting news and photos as this pregnancy unfolds! Can't wait to meet Baby Poplin!!!