Today I'm joining up with a great new teaching blog I came across: Oh Boy 4th Grade!
She is hosting a little linky party (kind of a Think-Write-Share), and I thought it was fun! She also created this cute image to type in your answers! I had no idea how I was going to add my answers on top of the image, but I copied it into Smart Notebook using the camera feature and did it there! You may have to click on it to make it bigger in order to see my answers, sorry about that!



Anyway, to all my teacher friends, you should check out this blog--lots of fun and great ideas, etc.

Can you believe school starts in 2 and 1/2 weeks?! Sigh. This new mommy is already missing her baby just thinking about it! :(

...our little angel.

...SO darn cute.

...wiggly.























...a precious gift.


...sleepy.

















...tiny.

















...a little prince!























Hudson, you are 6 and 1/2 weeks old now, and you are really growing!

You are finally getting into a night time routine, where you sleep for a longer period first (usually 4-5 hours), then a shorter period next (2.5-3 hours). We are so thankful that you are figuring out the difference between night and day!

Daddy has been SO wonderful in helping me out when he is home. On weekends he helps with a nighttime feeding so I can catch up on my beauty sleep, and he changes LOTS of diapers when he is here!

You are about to switch over from newborn diapers to size 1 diapers, and you are starting to fit into some of the 0-3 month clothing, though you can still fit into your Newborn size clothes as well. I guess all the brands are a little different in sizing, just like in women's clothing!

One of the best things EVER was seeing you smile at me for the first time (June 30th, 5 weeks old)--of course it happened at 3:00 in the morning, so your daddy missed it! I almost woke him up, but I don't think he would have appreciated it too much! :D Now your daddy and I love to try to make you smile--we especially love when you grin really big and show your toothless mouth--so precious! One of these days we'll catch it on film.

We love you so much, Hudson. I am already getting sad when I think about going back to work in August; I'm going to miss seeing you all day! :( In the meantime, I'm just trying to enjoy all my time with you because I know these moments will pass too quickly. So stop growing already, sweet baby! :)

We are overjoyed that he is here--happy and healthy. He weighed 6 lbs, 10 oz. and was 19 and 3/4 inches long.


We checked into the hospital Tuesday night at 7:00 pm to begin the "cervical ripening" since I was not dilating. I received the medicine around 8:45, and within the hour, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart! The baby's heart rate began to drop after most every contraction, so the nurses kept coming into my room every 30 minutes or so to change my position in hopes that he would respond better; no luck. He didn't like contractions in ANY position (I can relate).

Eventually the pain got pretty bad, so they gave me an IV narcotic which didn't really take away the pain, but it did make me hallucinate really funny things when I closed my eyes. Like rows and rows of elephants in straight lines or rows and rows of frogs. (The animal changed every time I opened and closed my eyes again.) Around 5:30 am my contractions were 1 minute apart, so I got my epidural (thank JESUS), and life was good. About 8:00 am they began the Pitocin to try to speed up my labor since I was still only dilated to a 3, even though my stupid contractions were so close together. Not long after, they stopped the Pitocin because baby was still under stress. We just waited and waited to see if I would dilate more and keep progressing, but the only thing that progressed were my contractions (even after they STOPPED the Pitocin--really??). At some point around 1:30, my doctor came in and said that we really needed to go ahead and get baby out and needed to do a c-section. My whole pregnancy I was hoping and praying I wouldn't have to deliver via c-section, but at that point I was almost relieved because I was so nervous about putting the baby into even more stress when I went into active labor/pushing, etc. So 10 minutes later they wheeled me out (after a pep talk from my mom, who had a c-section with me) and down to the operating room.

I think Clint and I were both petrified of the surgery; I know I was. The second they wheeled me in, I started shivering! It was the strangest thing, though the anesthesiologist (blessed, blessed man) told me that shivering was very common (??). I got my spinal block of morphine, which caused me to need to vomit/pass out, so I got more meds for THAT. Lol. I was SOOOO nervous knowing I was about to get cut open, and I just couldn't stop shaking. Finally they brought Clint back so he was right next to me when they began. I definitely did NOT like the sensations of the cutting and pulling out the baby (that was the worst part), but I am SO thankful my baby boy is here and safe.


I was so drugged up that the moment he was born and they held him up over the curtain, it was so surreal, and I just laid there smiling. I think I may have said "awww..." Lol! The first real words I remember saying were when they called out his weight, and I said "Really?!" because I really thought he'd weigh much more!

Anyway, that's my birth story. Well, Hudson's birth story. :) A dramatic entrance to the world, which is scary--he must take after me!

Well, for all of those people (including me) who have thought all along that this baby would come early, we were wrong! :)

I'll be 40 weeks on Wednesday, and baby Hudson does not seem to be in any type of hurry to enter the world! We sure are ready to meet him, though, and we go back to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. It is likely, depending on his size, that I'll be induced Wednesday. So he may be born on my due date after all, which is so rare! :)

I haven't really had the whole hard-core nesting phase, just experienced it off and on. I've felt so awful for the last few weeks (and have been on bed rest for 2 weeks), I haven't had much energy to do a ton, so thankfully Clint has been amazing and doing tons of stuff around the house, and my mom has come over to help me a few times. She and our good friend, Debbie, came over to clean one day, too, which was awesome.

Hudson's room is all ready for him, so I'll share some pictures. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I knew I wanted bright colors, not pastels, and no typical baby theme (trains, bears, etc), so here's what we ended up with:

REALLY IRRITATED that blogger somehow lost the last post I wrote, which was REALLY long. SIGH.

This has never happened before, so I'm hoping it's a one time thing! Anyone else having this problem? (Aside from the fact that the site was shut down for 2 days?)

Oh my goodness. Yesterday was my 38 weeks pregnant mark, and sadly, at my appointment, baby hadn't progressed much since last week. Looks like Hudson is nice and cozy where he is for now, but I'm still hopeful that he'll be born on May 18th (next Wednesday)--that's the date I've thought throughout this whole process. Ha--process of growing a baby?!

The doctor said she thinks he is currently about 6 and 1/2 to 7 pounds, and I'm thankful that even if he gains a half pound a week for the next 2 weeks, he still (most likely) won't be over 8 pounds. I am pretty nervous that if he were to be too big, I'd have to have a c-section, like my mom did with me (I was over 8 pounds, and her pelvis was too narrow). I would love to be able to deliver Hudson myself and not have surgery. Yes, I am a wimp and want an epidural (without a doubt!), but I still want to experience the labor and delivery if I can. Of course, if I need to have a c-section, that will be ok, too. I trust my doctor, and that's what she's there for.

My dear friend, Jenn, just had her perfect little baby boy, Eli, a couple of days ago, and she did amazingly! He is a seriously GORGEOUS newborn (takes after his parents!), and Jenn was a trooper and actually had fast labor once it finally started (baby Eli was 8 days overdue when he arrived)! I am so, so happy for Jenn and her husband; they are going to be amazing, loving parents--he is one lucky little boy to be so loved and adored! I also can't wait for Eli and Hudson to meet--they are going to be best buddies! :D

Jenn gave me hope that the labor is conquerable and not as awful as t.v. shows make it out to be--I know I will still be super nervous when it's time, but I have faith that I can do it! Women do it everyday, right? And besides, my fear of the unknowns of labor & delivery are trumped by my desire and NEED to get this baby OUT of me!

Monday I began modified bed rest at home, so my last day of work was last Friday. Thank GOD, because I have been in SO much pain that it hurts to walk, to sit, to lay down, everything. My lower half feels like I'm a Gumby figurine and someone has ripped my legs apart. My legs feel like growing pains as a child--remember those?? Too bad I'm not getting taller as a result. My lower back and hips are the worst, with my sad little ribs a close second (Hudson LOVES to hang out under my ribs, apparently--OW). Anyone who knows me knows I am a complainer by nature (I come by it honestly; have you met my mom?), but I am truly thankful to be expecting this baby boy any day now. I am so thankful we were able to conceive pretty easily, and I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy. Now if I can just get him out safely so our new life as 3 can begin! We are so, so lucky, and I can't wait to meet our little boy.

:D

Well, I have been posting my photos from baby showers on Facebook, but I figured it would be nice to have those memories here on my blog as well. So here we go!

This shower was hosted by my wonderful cousin, Melissa, and my sweet mother-in-law Dianne helped out with the yummy food!

My BFF, Kristen, hosted a shower for me at her awesome house in Dallas:




My amazing fellow 2nd and 3rd grade teachers hosted a shower for me at school:



Clint and I feel VERY blessed to have so many friends and family members who love us and want to celebrate Hudson's arrival!

Only 3 and 1/2 weeks left till D Day: May 25th!

Very curious to see if he comes early like everyone thinks he will!
Bags packed and ready to go, just in case! :D

-cereal

-cake (vanilla or yellow only, please)

-donuts (specifically cruller/buttermilk)

-trashy t.v.

-my tervis tumbler

-dr. pepper (with & without vanilla flavoring)

-Pink (the artist, not the color)

-Hudson's room

-the baby in my belly (even though he won't stop pounding on my ribs) :)

-my fabulous husband, who has really been understanding and has catered to me during this pregnancy

-my co-workers, who are all fabulous and funny

-my new car (especially its bluetooth--the BEST)

-margaritas (sigh--one day, i shall taste you again, my long lost friend)

-the fact that i will get to meet this baby boy in approximately 5 weeks!

Wow, time is really flying here at the end of my pregnancy.

And thank GOD. The bigger I get, the worse I feel, which only makes sense, right? Everything is pretty doable except for the severe rib pain I've been feeling. Sometimes it will just be some random sharp pains, but other times it's constant sharp pain, and it's awful. Today has been one of those awful days. I am just waiting for baby Hudson to drop and hopefully take some pressure off my poor ribs.

In other news, back at our 18 week appointment, when we found out we were having a Hudson and not a Quinn, the sonogram showed a calcification on his heart. Since then, we've been getting lots of sonograms on a regular basis to check on this little "spot," all the while knowing it would possibly go away, and also, that (according to our dr. AND the specialist) it was nothing to worry about.

Anyway, at our 32 week appointment, the calcification wasn't seen, so we are hoping it is gone for good! Like I said, we were told not to worry, but you can't help but wonder just a little bit, even so. :) We go back on Monday and get ANOTHER sonogram, so hopefully the calcification really is gone. :)

At 32 weeks, baby boy weighed approximately 4 lbs, 4 oz. They say at this point the baby gains about a half pound a week. Uhh...I do not relish the idea of having a 9 pound baby! And frankly, even though my hips are clearly widening as I type this, I am pretty sure they will STILL be too narrow to fit a 9 pound baby between them. Just sayin. And I really don't want to have a C-section if I don't have to. My mom had to have a C-section with me because her pelvis was too small. Seriously. This baby cannot be 9 pounds, or I will be screwed! LOL. Oh well. I know none of this is in my hands, and whatever happens, happens. As long as Hudson is healthy--that's all I'm concerned about right now. That, and I just can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like! At our 32 wk appointment, we lucked out and got to see some 4-D pictures of his face, and his cheeks looked SO CHUBBY! In that sense, he definitely takes after me. I am so curious to see if he will inherit the Cockrell chin dimple, which all the Cockrell men seem to have. :D

As it gets closer to time to meet Hudson, I just feel so happy and excited. I'm still nervous about labor & delivery. I know it's going to be hard being a parent. I know we're going to be exhausted for a while. I know breastfeeding will probably be hard, at least at first. There are so many things to be afraid about, but I know things will work out, because above all, this baby is going to be LOVED. Like, hardcore.

Wow. We are really going to be Mommy & Daddy. Wow.

7 Weeks

























9 Weeks



















10 & 1/2 Weeks























12 Weeks























14 Weeks
























16 Weeks

Thanks to The Texas Darlings for hosting FMM this week and for allowing me to link up and participate! It's been ages since I really blogged for the sake of blogging, and I figured this was a good way to forge my re-entrance into the bloggy world! So thanks again. :)

You can find other new fun friends' blogs at: THIS LINK


This year has been WONDERFUL, and I am very thankful for my life right now, including my job, my husband, my family, and my friends.

Top Ten Things from 2010:

10. Spending holidays and birthdays with our crazy but sweet families. I am thankful for their support, and it is so fun to be around our TEN nieces and nephews! Even though Scott & Shawn aren't so young anymore...ok, so they're technically adults...*tear* They grow up so fast!

9. Snow for my birthday! Last time that happened, I lived in NYC! Crazy for it to snow in Texas (in MARCH, no less)!

8. Did I mention my husband is awesome? 5 years together and counting, 2 married years and counting, and he still makes me laugh at the most unexpected times.

7. My new job in 2nd grade. I am really loving the 2nd graders, and I LOVE my teammates. Lucky me.

6. Laughs shared with my friends. Makes life better, huh?

5. Pool time in the backyard this summer. Ahhh...spending time with our friends and family out back. Can't beat

4. Performing the title role in Miss Saigon. Never in a million years, would I ever get that chance again, and it was the role of a lifetime. It was the first dramatic role I had ever played, and it was HARD and emotionally difficult. There were nights when I would go home totally depressed because I was so deep into feeling her life and circumstances. But wow, what an amazing show and experience.

3. Surviving the 2009-2010 school year. I love my job, and I love my kids, and sometimes (like last year), you love your kids almost too much because of their special needs. It was a very hard, emotionally and physically draining year, and I felt like I grew a lot as a teacher and person. It was tough, but I made it through!

2. Our trip to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands! WOW. I can't even describe the beauty and serenity of that place. And I REALLY hope we can go back one day and stay in St. John (my favorite)!

1. Finding out that we are going to be parents! Wow. I just can't wait to meet this baby. It's surreal in so many ways and hard to believe that there is an actual HUMAN growing inside of me! We are so blessed.


Happy Monday!

I can do it! I can make it to the 2nd trimester in one piece!

Letters to Baby:


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dear Baby,

I am 7 weeks pregnant with you today. I can’t believe I still have to wait a whole week to see the doctor and get a sonogram. I am dying to see you and hear your little heartbeat. I just want to make sure you’re doing ok in there all by yourself!

My tummy is quite round for me to be just 7 weeks along. I have decided that something is up! Either you are actually BABIES, not baby, or perhaps I have been pregnant longer than we think. Either way, we are so excited about you, and we can’t wait to visit the doctor next week. I can’t believe when May comes around you will be joining our little family. Things will be so different, but I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you will bring to our lives and our hearts.

You have definitely already done a number on my body. At first, the only thing that I noticed is that I was exhausted. I mean, so exhausted I didn’t feel like moving. I have spent a LOT of the last 6 weeks taking naps, resting on the couch, or reading in bed.

I’m still feeling pretty darn tired ALL the time, but it’s not QUITE as bad as when I first found out about you.

About a week or so ago, I started feeling pretty sick to my tummy. I feel hungry a lot, but nothing sounds good. I don’t actually want to eat anything. But my tummy hurts like it’s hungry. Very frustrating! I just ate some Cheez-Its, and they were YUMMY. Now Daddy is cooking some stir-fry with chicken, and I think it will be good, too.

Be good in there, love.


Sunday, October 31, 2010

Dear Baby,

Wow! Time has flied! I am almost 11 Weeks along now, and I am counting down the days until I enter the 2nd Trimester and (hopefully) start to feel better and more energized. I’m sure your Daddy is tired of waiting on me hand and foot, cooking, and cleaning up for me, but he sure has been sweet about it.

We finally got to see you on the ultrasound back at 8 weeks, and there was only ONE of you in there (thank goodness)! You measured EXACTLY 8 weeks, so you are just coming along quite nicely, just like you should. Way to be the best at growing; you are already a baby after your Mommy’s own heart, trying to be the best at everything. ☺

These days, I have been eating a LITTLE better, though my tummy sure still doesn’t want certain things. (A LOT of certain things, actually).

I have been liking salad, yogurt, jello, pudding, chocolate, milk, orange juice, cereal, strawberries, apple sauce, and donuts. I can’t get enough donuts; I am trying to quit going to the donut shop in the mornings on the way to work, LOL! I also have been drinking a Carnation Instant Breakfast (milk chocolate flavor) every single morning. Mommy has NEVER liked to eat breakfast, because her IBS has always made it an unpleasant experience. So I do eat something small, but not until I get to school and after having my Carnation.

I am still sleeping a LOT and taking lots of naps after work and even on weekends. Today I felt extra awful and laid in bed for 6 hours! ☹ Hopefully I have successfully warded off the cold that was trying to attack me.

Aunt Sadie & Uncle Trey have already given us LOTS of goodies for you; you are going to have SO many people loving on you and giving you gifts all the time; that’s pretty obvious already! You have already gotten gifts from both Grandmas, too!

We are all VERY excited to meet you. So keep on growing and getting stronger, and preferably don’t grow MY nose, because it’s not my favorite. ☺

We love you, sweet pea!

Yep. So for the few people on earth that don't know, Clint & I are expecting our first baby in May.

We are SO excited and feel very blessed that this pregnancy fit right into our anal retentive time table for me to have the baby at the end of the school year so I could be home with baby all summer before going back to work. :) Hee. Don't you just love it when things work out the way you plan? It's such a rarity, I must say I was really surprised when I saw that "pregnant" on the digital test. I am praying that things go along well and both baby and I stay healthy.

Another reason I'm so excited is because one of my dearest friends, Jennifer (who I also teach with), is due 3 and 1/2 weeks before me! It's so nice to have a good friend to talk to, complain to, and compare stories/pains with!

I am a little over 10 weeks along now, so I am really hoping that some of this nausea and other accompanying pains will start to diminish soon. :( I keep reminding myself that it could be SO much worse, and I am thankful to be where I am, but that doesn't make me feel much better when I'm lying awake at 3 am, feeling awful. :( Here's hoping I get back to my normal self soon!

OK, I'm going to post a few belly shots, and please forgive me for the horrible quality, as I was too lazy to use a real camera/get my husband to take the shots/etc.

I plan to start using a real camera from now on! It's amazing how you can feel so horrible that it doesn't seem like a priority to take a decent picture of yourself that will be used to document an amazing time of your life...hmm. Yeah. Well anyway.




7 Weeks


































9 Weeks


So am I the only one who is too lazy to scan the sonogram picture so I can upload it to the internet? I must be. I'm sure I am the only one who's too lazy to do that. See, we don't have a scanner at home. And the scanner at school is like, way far away from my classroom. And like, did I mention I feel awful? Hmm. So anyway. Yeah.


YAY BABY!!!

So exciting. And scary.