He Loves to Smile!

So I figured out that Baby Shawn is just as much of a "Ham" as I am. He loves to have is picture taken! He is really growing up so fast.

We think Shawn has one blue eye and one brown eye (cool huh?) but we won't know for certain for another few months. Also, we think he may be teething! Amiee found a "tooth bud" and he has been slobbering and gnawing on his hands. Last night he slept 7 hours without waking which is SO wonderful...but he still doesn't go to bed until 2am or so (it's lucky that Mo doesn't go into work until 2pm)!

Well, I better go now...we do have a busy weekend ahead of us which does include a visit from both Mom and Dad! LOL

The Weekend Visits

I can only make it through the week now without pulling my hair out because of spending time with my best friend Amiee and her son Leith, and because I know Mom and Dad are coming to visit on the weekends...now granted it's on much DIFFERENT days ha ha...but they both almost always make it.

Mom (Grandy) and Dad (G-Dad) can't get enough of "Sugar Booger"/"The Little Boy". I don't think I have ever seen them this happy and giddy about, well, anything EVER ha ha. It makes me SO proud that they want to see him so much and be here for Shawn every little moment! Mom always tells me that she loves me dearly but there is nothing like the feeling she gets when she is around her grandson. It doesn't bother me a single bit because I get it...I feel the same way about little Shawn and always will.

Dad has been here every weekend and Mom would be too if she could (and almost has been even though she lives so far away)!! Dad has multiple pictures of Shawn that he takes every weekend and then posts (in order of weekend) on Facebook...in fact it's one of the main reasons he got on Facebook...so he can picture swap like Mom does LOL!!

Off the subject, I know too that most of you will wonder why it is that I am posting at 3am! I am posting this late/early because we JUST got Shawn to bed for the night...how exhausting!!

My Baby Has Troll Doll Hair!

Elaboration...

Since Shawn is asleep I can elaborate on some of my experiences that probably most everyone wanted to hear about.

When I went in on the 25th of March I was so nervous! Luckily I got a great nurse and Mo was there (and Mom too just not in the same room) so that comforted me. There is a lot of preparation that goes into a C-Section so it took about 2 hours for prep. I was a little nervy until I got the epidural. The epidural was FANTASTIC!! It took away all the anxious feelings I had and they wheeled me back to surgery while I was on cloud 9! I didn't even realize that the doctors had already cut me open when all of the sudden Dr. Banks said, "Here he is!" and held up the most beautiful thing I had ever seen...my Baby Shawn. Of course tears streamed out of my eyes because of all the anticipation and here God had made him more beautiful than I had imagined. They handed Shawn to Mo for a very brief period of time so we could see him. Mo brought him up to my face so I could see him and kiss his cheek.

It was all in all a wonderful experience even though it was major surgery. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world...it's so much easier to have a C-Section under the right circumstances.

Well, Baby Shawn is waking up so more next time!!...

6 Weeks Later...

Sorry it has been SO LONG since I have posted...but I have been busy!!

Shawn is just the most precious thing ever...even when he is screaming his head off at me at 4am for a bottle. He brings so much joy to Mo and I...we are so very blessed.

My experience with the C-Section was fantastic! I went through minimal pain and recovered VERY quickly! Honestly it was a struggle getting into the swing of things, and there were mixed emotions and craziness between family members, but we are doing wonderful now.

Shawn is very easy to take care of...eat, change diaper, eat some more, sleep, wake up, eat, etc. He does have a lot of gas pain but we counter that with Mylicon (thank you Mom). He is now 6 weeks and learning to smile and he even laughs this little deep gurdle thing that cracks me up too!

Currently we are listening to Vertical Horizon and I'm bouncing him in his bouncy seat while he battles the hiccups he hates so much (contrary to popular belief). He is my little Tater-Tot...he is so snuggly! Well, he is getting restless so I hope this little snack of a blog will do for now...until next time I can sneak on the computer!

Shawn Danish Syed

...Was born March 25th, 2009 at 7:47am (via c-section). He was 9lbs 5ounces and 21inches long. He is the love of his Mommy and Daddy's heart and always will be.

It's nice to have the stress of labor and delivery over with and be able to breath a little easier these days (literally). Now there are a new set of worries and concerns that will last a lifetime, but are only normal.

I'm over-joyed and over-whelmed...but also happy that (knock on wood) post-partum doesn't seem so bad. I LOVE my Baby Shawn and we are SO happy that he is finally here!

40 Weeks Pregnant at Aldridge Gardens

Umi and I had a jam packed day today. First off we had to go to the DMV to get my drivers license up to date with my new last name. Luckily there were 2 people in front of me so it took no time at all. Then we had to go to the grocery store (since there was no food in this house except for the frozen or boxed kind lol). We were so worn out after that (at least I was) so we came home, unloaded the groceries, ate some Gofta and Chowel (which is meatballs and rice), and then rested.

My middle sister-in-law (Shaz) has been begging me to go get some professional pictures made of myself with my big pregnant belly. She said she would reimburse us for it. She has been MORE than generous to us lately with money so I got a better idea for some great pictures that wouldn't cost anyone anything. We have a small Botanical Gardens like Park right beside our apartment complex called Aldrige Gardens. As you can see from the pictures it is a beautiful place. So, after lunch I got as dressed up as I could, got Umi and the camera in the car, and we went to Aldrige Gardens and took some pictures of me HUGE pregnant (as you can see lol).

After Aldrige Gardens Umi decided we should get some ice cream (since I was sweating like a pig) so I took her to Brewster's. Our next stop was at Home Depot to get some more pegs so we could fix our book shelf (which right now is a DVD/VHS shelf lol). Last but not least we went to Bruno's and used my WIC to get milk, juice, and peanut butter. Whew!! What a day!

We are finally home now and I am VERY tired. Hopefully I will get some good sleep because tomorrow is my doctor's appointment which is going to be tiring as well. Then, the next day, I will most likely be having a C-Section so I need some rest! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Now Where Did I Put That Brain of Mine??

Panic!...and it isn't "at the disco". It's right here in my head because I'm realizing that I'm going to have a baby in 3 days!!

I still can't believe it, or the fact that I'm going to be having a C-Section (most likely) which everyone is deeming "MAJOR SURGERY". It sounds a little (ha ha..."a little") scary. I'll get over it. I have to "get over it" because Shawn has to come out somehow and there is NO WAY he weighs less than 7 1/2 pounds. My friend Amiee thinks he is going to weigh 9lbs 1ounce.

When Mo was born he weighed 8lbs 2ounces...and when I was born I weighed a whopping 9lbs
8ounces!! I heard from somewhere (which according to Mom may not be a credible source) that babies tend to weigh-in somewhere between their Mother and Father's birth weight. Mom says that the baby tends to weigh closer to the Mother's birth weight than the Father's. Based on that info you are MORE than welcome to take a guess at his birth weight and I'll post it later to see who was the closest (for bragging rights).

Other than that I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I know I'm going to be ok though, and I have SO MANY wonderful friends and family praying for us too. We are truly blessed!!

...and I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that after Shawn is born I'll get my brain back...I've missed it so much!! LOL

I Should be Cleaning...

but instead I'm blogging.

Mo and I were going to clean yesterday except that he got called into work. That's ok though because he worked over-time hours and we need the money!

Speaking of money I checked out the SITS featured blogger today (Katie Ritchie) and one of her blogs that I read really touched me. She talked about how her and her husband were down on their luck with money, but God sent them 2 angels (in the form of oil millionaires lol) who were very generous on one of her flights and truly blessed them with extra money to make it through. I couldn't help but relate to this because it seems like Mo and I are down on our luck 24/7 with money...and on those months when it seems we should be up to our ears in debt we come out fine! Sometimes it's because we forgot that Mo worked over-time on his pay-check, or we got tax returns, or even his family wants to be generous because they came into a nice sum of money. Regardless, we almost always come out on top and I would definitely call that blessed and watched over so I know EXACTLY where Katie is coming from!

Anyway, Umi will be here Saturday, and then Mom will be here Tues. We really do need to clean, but gosh do I NOT feel like it! Procrastination is my middle name right now!! I guess I'll "slave" over dinner and when Mo gets home I'll give HIM the cleaning list and say, "Get crackin' Bud!" Ha ha ha...

Wednesday March 25th

Yep...that's when Shawn should be here. When I went to my doc app. yesterday we found out that I am still not dilated, effaced, and Shawn has not dropped.

At my last app. when Dr. Banks was checking my cervix I was in a great deal of pain. I didn't mention it and tried to get over it thinking it was just apart of the exam. Mo decided yesterday to mention it to Dr. Banks because Mo doesn't like to see me in ANY kind of pain, tears, or turmoil (he just can't handle it). It's a good thing he did mention it. Dr. Banks was upset with me for not saying anything and proceeded to tell me why. He said that when he was doing the exam he realized that my cervix was "angled" and VERY narrow. He said the exam was probably very painful to me because he had a hard time with checking me.

According to Dr. Banks my cervix is narrow and angled which would make a vaginal delivery more painful for me. He said if Shawn is 8 pounds or more (by checking next weeks ultrasound) he highly suggests I do a C-Section. He thinks that my pelvis and cervix just won't be able to handle it and that it will all lead to a C-Section anyway.

I have decided that if Shawn is over 7 pounds 8 ounces then I will go ahead with a C-Section, but if he weighs less then that I think I will try for a natural birth. I just don't want to think that I cheated myself out of a chance to NOT have major surgery.

Why is Everything so Complicated?

Tomorrow I will be going to my doctor's appointment to see if I am dilated /effaced and if Shawn has dropped/engaged. I have been walking and doing exercises ALL WEEK in preparation for this appointment just hoping that something has changed. Now I know that everyone has been telling me to hold my horses (as well I should be) however, we (Me, Mo, and Mom) have a few reasons as to why Shawn needs to come sooner rather than later, and why it might be nice to schedule it as an induction (which my Doc seems ok with).

I will start with the reasons why I need Baby Shawn to be scheduled to come now (next week). Physically it is that my anxiety is starting to creep back again. I'm sure this is in anticipation of my labor and delivery, but none the less it's coming back and affecting me and Shawn. I have been having "night terrors" as well. I have dreams so vivid and awful (worse than any scary movie) and that's also adding to my anxiety! Also I have PUPPS on my legs (that's a pregnancy rash) that is spreading and getting worse. Then there is the usual aches, pains, and discomforts of pregnancy that every woman has.

The reasons for Mo are work related. His Chief of Security just had to fire an officer due to scheduling conflicts and now Mo will be working a lot more. Since Mo will be working more it would be beneficial for him to be able to tell Chief when he will be off work because Shawn is being born. I know that might sound unreasonable for his Chief to want that kind of a heads up, but with everything that is going right now at his work I can understand it.

The reasons for Mom begin with the fact that she lives 2 hours away and if Shawn came at 2am that would be tough on her. She has to take medicine to sleep (like most of us do) and that could be dangerous as well. Also, Mom would be able to be there to hold my hand from start to finish without me having to wait on her if I was induced. Last, but not least, to touch on a touchy subject, the ONLY people that I am allowing in the labor and delivery room (besides the doctor and nurses) are Mom and Mo. Now Mo's Mom (I call her Umi) is going to be here within the next 5-6 days for Shawn's birth and to stay and help take care of me after Mom has to go home. She is a wonderful woman, but I just would not feel comfortable with her in the room during my labor. This is because I am a HUGE prude and I will have enough people as it is seeing me half naked that I don't need another! It's also because Mo, and especially Mom, will be more than enough to take of me properly during my labor.

Anyway, I know that if I am not dilated/effaced and if Shawn has not dropped/engaged it's going to be hard to talk induction. Now even though I will be proposing to wait until the 26th or 27th (which is a few days AFTER my due date) inductions can be more painful and have a higher rate of leading to C-Section. I'm going to have to think it through long and hard tomorrow if nothing has changed. If you have been through this kind of situation with a pregnancy, or a friend or family members pregnancy, please let me know (knowing other peoples' outcomes and hearing their advice is always beneficial)!! Thanks!

A Few More Weeks I Guess...

I know I haven't blogged in a few days, but it's not because I went into labor. Mo gets his off days usually sometime between Mon.-Wed. so I don't blog because I am spending time with him. Other than that I have been going out more to the mall to walk, and to the grocery store (since we have money lol). So...that's why I hadn't blogged lately.

Anyway, I had my doctors app. yesterday at 38 weeks + 1 day. According to Dr. Banks I am only half a cm dilated and no effacement (at least he didn't say I was effaced). Also Shawn has not dropped yet even though I thought he had. Dr. Banks told me that had I been dilated ANY he would have set me up (I suppose for induction) next week. Apparently Shawn and my body are still not ready so we will give it some more time.

Other than that my list of things to do before Shawn arrives is now completely taken care of except for the deep cleaning and relaxing. I think I need to add walking and small exercises to it too to work myself into shape for labor and delivery. There are things like pelvic swaying, squats, and kegels that will help prepare me for the big day. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time because, technically, it could be any day now. We certainly are ready now if it does happen! Keep us in your prayers please!

Just Around the Corner

I don't think it is going to be too much longer and Shawn will be here. Today I had more energy to expend going grocery shopping and cleaning the house...heck I even sold a piece of our furniture today to a lady on Craigs List. Apparently all this renewed energy and excitement is what they call "Nesting" Syndrome. I do believe that is what I'm going through right now. Also, Shawn has already dropped so really...it could be any day now. I am only 2 days away from being 38 weeks! My MVP is acting up a little bit I guess because I am nearing the finish line...and all this extra energy is kicking up my anxiety levels as well.

I had my first dream where I actually "saw" Shawn (dream Shawn that is)...at least what my brain is perceiving he will look like. He mostly looked like a good mixture of Mo and I, but admittedly, he did look a little more like Mo. I can't wait to see him for real!

Well, I know this was short but I do need to try to sleep even with all this extra energy. All I can say is if I all of the sudden stop blogging for a few days to a week then Shawn is here!

Getting Prepared

Every time I think about going into labor I think about the movie 9 months with Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Tom Arnold, and Joan Cusack. The scene that stands out the most in my mind is when all four characters are in the delivery room together and Tom Arnold is videoing BOTH of the births while the women scream at him and Hugh Grant. The best part is that both women are in labor for all of 5-10 minutes! Now I know for the movie they couldn't take up an entire 12 hours to depict the whole birthing process...but they could have at least eluded to it! Movies make labor and delivery look like a piece of cake (the baby always comes early or right on time and in about 5 min)! Not only that but they make it VERY dramatic too like the fact that the woman's water ALWAYS breaks in public and if they aren't already at the hospital it takes an act of God to make it there on time!

These days the baby likes to make a debut about 1-2 weeks later. The mother is most likely having to schedule an induction, and they make it to the hospital WAY before they are in active labor. The water almost never breaks until labor begins, and most likely your doctor broke it. The movie neglects to show the 10-20 hours that you lay there wishing to die because you can't get an epidural yet (since that might slow down the birthing process)...AND what they neglect to show the most is when labor is deemed "unprogressive" and you are shipped to surgery for a C-section! Yes, what a piece of cake lol!



I know it doesn't always happen that way and some women have been very fortunate to have a short labor (like my friend Amiee). Amiee was a week late and had to be induced, but luckily she was only in labor for 3-4 hours. Now granted she never got to have an epidural because about the time the anesthesiologist arrived with it she was pushing! She tells me all the time that her natural birth (while she was not really planning on it) was great for her. She said right after she was finishing giving birth to Leith she felt fantastic! According to Amiee, and other women I have talked to on forums, you get a natural high after the baby is delivered, and you don't have to feel the sometimes yucky side effects of the epidural. I would LOVE to think that I could go without the epidural, but I'm definitely thinking I'm going to chicken out lol. I truly don't have a high tolerance for pain and I have a lot of anxiety. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and just maybe if I'm lucky enough to be like Amiee, I can have a natural child birth without having any say-so in it lol!

Over-all I have read enough material and watched enough vaginal and C-section births on YouTube to have me somewhat prepared for what I might endure. I have also visited the labor and delivery ward at Brookwood and met the staff (they are fantastic)! They showed me all of the equipment (and had to use some on me) and I went through a few basic procedures when I visited them with the stomach bug that I will be going through when I'm in labor. Also, Mom, my sisters-in-law, my cousins, my aunts, and my friends (who have had children) have ALL told me their birthing stories ranging from vaginal to C-section (even emergency births). So, having all that said, I think I am as prepared as I'm going to be and labor and delivery is right around the corner...and the best part is seeing my baby and holding him for the first time!

Stomach Bugs and Hospital Trips

As some of you may know from Mom's blog I have been VERY sick! Apparently (and I was COMPLETELY unaware of this) there has been a stomach "bug" going around for 3 months now, and it's so horribly contagious that they have had to quarantine hospital wards to contain it! On Monday I had to go to the Shelby County Health Department to re-new my WIC checks and I believe that's where I caught the virus. There were so many people there with their millions of children and even though I used Germ-X before and after I was at the Health Department it didn't stop me from getting it.

There are two very bad things about this "bug". The first is that it doesn't just last 24 hours...it lasts 3 days to a week! The second is that you have a horribly sour stomach, you throw up a lot, and you have extreme diarrhea (incontinence). Thanks to all of these fun-filled symptoms I got extremely dehydrated and was sent to Labor and Delivery (since I am so close to my due date) by Dr. Huggins (the OBGYN on call). They put me on I.V. fluids and monitored Shawn (and me for contractions). They also gave me some I.V. Zofram (for nausea) and once I had both bags of fluids I was feeling right as rain. They sent me home around midnight and I was able to eat a few bites of a turkey sandwich. I was beginning to think that maybe all I had was food poisoning...but I was wrong. The diarrhea came back with a vengeance and I was VERY nauseated.

Today Mo and I went to my regularly scheduled app. with Dr. Banks. To be on the safe side I brought a washcloth to cover my face (out of respect for others) which I replaced with a face mask as soon as I got to the hospital. Dr. Banks said he wanted to keep me at the hospital today as well and sent me down to perinatal for more I.V. fluids and Zofram. They were supposed to do more fetal monitoring and an ultrasound, but that never happened. In fact the I.V. fluids never happened either because I was too dehydrated for the them to find a good vein (so I was stuck 5 times in my hands and arms)! Since Dr. Banks was called to an exergency all the nurses did was give me the pill form of Zofram and watch me drink half a sprite. Since I kept down the sprite they sent me home! I would have gone home sooner if I had known that was all they were going to do! That visit cost us $125.00 we didn't have (sigh) and I'm still VERY sick!

As you can see I just haven't been feeling well so please pray for me. It's one thing to have a stomach bug and another to have one and be pregnant at the same time. Well, I'm very tired so I'm going to go take a nap!

T.V. Boyfriends (just for fun)

So I was bored and didn't know what to blog about...and then I got an idea. Mo and I always watch House and Heroes on Monday night and Lost on Wednesday. Well there are some talented and attractive guys in these shows that I appreciate, and Mo ALWAYS teases me about them (and of course I plead the 5th)! Here are just a few of the guys that really boost the ratings of these shows lol :) Let me know if you agree!



First and foremost is Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes. He plays the character Peter Petrelli. He is probably one of the center most characters in the show even though there are 20 different characters or more! His character was a lot "cooler" though when he could "absorb" everyone's powers...now he can only "absorb" one at a time. However he is still always the one "Saving the Cheerleader" and "Saving the World" lol



Hugh Laurie plays Dr. Gregory House on the show House. He is a brilliant actor and says his biggest trouble everyday on the set is speaking with an "American" accent since he himself is British! He also plays a very WIDE variety of instruments on House and turns out it is really him playing!



Matt Fox plays Dr. Jack on Lost. In the last episode that Mo and I saw of Lost (last week) he did a FANTASTIC scene where he had to be extremely emotionally distressed. It was some of the BEST acting Mo and I had ever seen!



Josh Holloway is another favorite of mine from Lost. He plays a very swashbuckling character who makes up funny but terrible nick-names for everyone. He is a great actor and keeps the show very dramatic and entertaining.



John Krasinski plays Jim Halpert on The Office. I used to watch the show more frequently but I have gotten too far behind now to catch up. When I watched the show his character was very down to earth while also being a big prankster (considering the people he was working for) which reminds me of Mo and his stories from work lol. He is another brilliant actor who deserves recognition whether I have kept up with his show or not!

I will now leave you with three amazing actors who are NOT T.V. related, but none the less my favorites.



Christain Bale was a favorite of mine WAY before he ever played Batman...yes even though he was the killer in American Psycho I still have tremendous respect for him and his acting abilities (even if he does throw temper tantrums lol)!



I loved Gerald Butler in The Phantom of the Opera and 300. He really is a dynamic actor and he is Scottish for goodness sakes (just like me)! The last film I saw him in was P.S. I Love You...ladies if you haven't seen this movie you need to!



Last but most certainly NOT least is Hugh Jackman. He is my absolute favorite (Mo knows, I get teased and he gets jealous lol). Hugh Jackman is not only popular in the movie business, but most importantly (what I spent 4 years of my High School career doing) he is big in theater on Broadway. This makes him exceptional! One of the things that my High school drama teacher, Ms. Taylor, told us is that almost anyone can act in a film (this is because you can call line and re-shoot any scene you want to). On Broadway there is no calling line (you have to know all your lines, all the musical numbers, and your stage position for the whole show because there are no re-shoots)! He is a very devoted father to two mixed children that he and his wife adopted (they adopted mixed children because they heard mixed children rarely ever got adopted), and from what I heard, a very devoted and loving husband as well. What a great guy!

Well, I hope Mo never reads this! Ha ha ha he would be like, "Lucy...you got some 'splainin to do!"

Dude...It's Snowing in Alabama!

Yeah...you heard me...it's snowing! It hardly ever snows here. It is so beautiful! Jerry Tracey is saying that we may have about 3 inches. It's sticking a good bit too. I would love to have a picture to post with this blog but it's just too cold for pregnant 'ole me to be going outside with the camera. From what I hear it's far enough south for Mom and Eddie to be enjoying some snow as well. Mom told me on the phone yesterday evening that I didn't need to go into labor today lol! I told Shawn that he needed to wait a day if he was ready...so I did my best :)

If, when Mo gets home at 2pm, it's not still like a blizzard outside we are going to go to Dad and Karen's new house since they are moved in now. Dad set up his pool table so we are going to play a few games and go out to eat some Mexican food for dinner.

Every time I think of snow I think of mine and Mo's favorite comic strip Calvin and Hobbes...so enjoy my little comic strip picture since I couldn't get you the real thing (you may have to click on it to read it)!

Here She Is!!

I wanted to do a quick post for everyone so you could see my friends Ryan and Mike's B-E-A-UTIFUL baby girl Miss Isabella Jane Pace that I have been talking about! Mike, Ryan, Mo and I have been joking about how she and Shawn will grow up together and fall in love...ha ha. That's a long shot, but it sure is funny to joke about, especially when Mike says, "If your Shawn breaks my Izzy's heart I'll have to break one of his legs!" I told Mike he wouldn't have to worry about that because I would get to Shawn first...believe me I know how to discipline(plus NO ONE is going to hurt my son or I'll hurt them)!

Isn't she adorable with those Chipmunk Cheeks?? :)

I Don't Like Bad Weather!!

There is A LOT of bad weather coming through Alabama today and tonight, and unfortunately I have a fear of it. Now since I have been pregnant it hasn't been so bad. The hormones that I have running through my body have greatly helped my anxiety, and so I'm ok for now. I'm watching Jerry Tracey (since NBC is one of the 5 channels we can pick up with no cable), and so far the worst of the weather is in Tuscaloosa and where Mom is in Montgomery. Mo, of course, is at work until 10pm so I'm home alone...ugh. Luckily, our apartment is on the very bottom level so if any bad weather (tornado's) did head this way I think I'd be pretty safe (knock on wood).

Other than checking the weather every 5min lol, I have been cleaning. I think I may be having "nesting syndrome". I know the day for Shawn to be here is VERY soon. Last night I could not sleep and was up until 5am with severe stretching of my stomach and possibly a few scattered Braxton Hicks contractions. I did, however, get plenty of sleep since I finally fell asleep at 5:30am and woke up at 1:30pm.

I wanted to mention some upsetting news that I found out about 2 nights ago. I good friend of mine from Hoover High School, Ann Noble Carlton, passed away of heart failure. She always had problems with her heart, and she was a tremendous fighter. She was one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and she will be greatly missed. Please keep her family in your prayers. It was a very untimely passing but at least Heaven has a beautiful new angel to celebrate about, our Nobel Ann!

iPhones can be Confusing

I got my iPhone today and it is awesome! It is an "off" brand but who cares? It has all kinds of cool things it can do...I'm surprised it doesn't clean the house and cook me breakfast! Of course the problem with these phones is that there is SO MUCH you can do with it that you don't know where to begin (which is where a manual would be helpful). WELL, since we got this phone on E-bay, and it comes from Hong Kong, it came with a tiny set of instructions (mostly in Japanese or something) and so I have had to guess at how to set-up everything. Luckily I'm pretty good with electronics. Eventually I'll get the hang of it...it really is the best Valentines present I've ever received...Thank You Mo!

I hope some of you have had the pleasure of checking out "The Cutest Blog on the Block". Their backgrounds are great! I'm really enjoying mine right now, it's so much better than just the blue (even though I did like the butterfly...maybe I'll find one to match this new background)!

I Figured it Out!

I finally figured out how to make my blog look cute! If you want to do the same thing to your blog page follow these VERY EASY steps (Mom) lol.
1. Go to the top left corner of my page and click on the link to, "The Cutest Blog..."
2. Go to Free Backgrounds.
3. Pick out the background you like the best and click on it.
4. Follow the VERY EASY instructions they give you on how to add the background to your page.
5. After that is completed, if you find, like I did, that you have a problem with font colors on your page, then go to customize fonts and colors and change the colors to match your new background!
6. Enjoy!

I was very very excited to figure this out so I can have a cute page too and I didn't have to pay for it! We honestly just don't have the money right now (since Baby Shawn is almost here)!

I am officially in my 9th month now, I'm 36 weeks and a day. Today Mo took me to my doctors appointment. I found out that I am 1cm dilated. I had to do the last set of my lab work, and get a Rohgam shot which is for mothers who have a negative blood type when the baby could have a positive blood type. I got a free diaper bag and a breastfeeding kit that had all kind of freebies in it and some formula in case it takes me a little while to properly breastfeed Shawn.

Anyway, tomorrow morning I get to pick up my iPhone at the post office! Then Mo and I are going to Dad and Karen's to babysit the movers while they finish up their house closing with the Realtor. Well, that's all for now...enjoy your new backgrounds if you choose to get one!

Officially Married!

These are some pictures of my niece and nephew (Mo's sister Shazia's twins) Iman and Walli (they were eating their favorite...Cheetos). They are older now, but Walli looks JUST like Mo did when he was a baby...so we think that Shawn may look a good bit like Walli (and Walli is fair skinned too)...aren't they adorable??!!

Oh and...We are officially married now!

Mo and I went to the courthouse today and got married at 10:30am. We will be getting the actual license on Wednesday. It doesn't feel any different though of course, but I am happy that I can change my name now so we can be Mr., Mrs., and little Syed. After we got married we went and had a yummy meal at Ruby Tuesdays!

Other than that awesome news I have had Braxton Hick's contractions for the first time today. Just to be completely and utterly honest I thought it was bad gas lol. I know that my labor contractions will be much worse, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself as much as possible. Shawn is kicking MUCH harder now since there is more baby than amniotic fluid. I thought that at this point he wasn't supposed to be doing a lot of kicking but more "rolling"...seems like nothing can cramp his style lol.

The things I have left on my To-Do-Before-I-Go-Into-Labor list are:
1. Pack mine and Mo's hospital bag (I already packed Shawn's!)
2. Write out my Birth Plan (yeah...procrastination is my middle name)
3. Mail out my Baby Shower Thank-Yous (before Mom kills me)
4. Read Baby's First Year front to back
5. Have the nursery and the house deep cleaned
6. Relax (at some point)

Hopefully this list isn't too unrealistic...and hopefully I don't go into labor in the next few days or it WON'T happen for sure (at least not the reading or the cleaning).

Well, that's all for now folks!

To Whom it May Concern

First off my friend Ryan's baby (Izzy) Isabella was born yesterday around 12pm. She is 6lbs 8ounces and 18inches long (what an itty bitty Izzy)! I don't know when they induced Ryan but I do know that she was 5cm dilated at 10am and then had Izzy 2 hours later (seems fast to me). She obviously got an epidural since she was giggly and talking when her hubby Mike called to tell us she was in labor. Ryan is doing very well. She and Baby Izzy will be going home to Talladega tomorrow. I guess I won't be able to see Izzy because Ryan and Mike did not mention to us yesterday to come by and see her (we didn't want to invite ourselves if Ryan was tired) and then no word from them today either. I guess pictures will have to do for now.

Yesterday I called the courthouse about Mo and I getting legally married. Mo and I were married "religiously" July 23rd, 2008. In his culture that is enough to declare us man and wife (even before the legalities are taken care of). So since we still needed to get "legally" married we set it up for Feb. 23rd (this Mon.) at 10:30am. I'm very happy to finally be able to attain a marriage license for us and legally change my name.

We only have 4 more weeks (if that) until Dinky Doo arrives! I'm the last of the Security Officers Wives to be giving birth. I'm also the last person (that I know) this year to be giving birth to a 1st child. I'm so IMPATIENT! I just want him to be here so I can hold him and love on him in person and not through a ridiculously enlarged belly! I also hope that some people that I know (I won't name names and NO it is NOT you Mom) can give me helpful advice when asked instead of force-feeding their "I-know-more-about-babies-so-do-as-I-say" BS down my throat. I'm a new mother so I have to learn my baby first (I hope this person gives me a chance or I'll have to tell her to LEAVE)!! Sorry had to vent for probably the 5th time today lol.

Well, tomorrow Mo works 6am-2pm (which is a nice change), and we will be going over to Dad and Karen's old house (maybe for the last time) to watch the Oscars. I loved "Slum Dog Millionaire", but I hope that some other movies and actors get Oscars too! I sincerely hope that Heath Ledger wins the Oscar for "Supporting Actor" (and I'm almost 100% that he will given the circumstances). That way his daughter can hold on to that Oscar proudly for her fathers last great work before his untimely death.

I guess that's all for today. Stay tuned for more updates (just probably not tomorrow lol).

Busy Bee's a Bloggin

Here are some pictures of Baby Leith asleep in my lap as Amiee prepared for their departure today (read on). He is a beautiful baby and he made me feel and look like a Mommy already! Please forgive the un-showered, "I just woke up" look.

Today was a busy day for Mo and I. First we had Amiee over at noon washing some clothes because her washer broke again (poor thing!) and they are in the process of moving too! She brought over Baby Leith and we played, washed clothes, and I made biscuits and eggs...it was yummy! Then I had a doctors appointment at 2:45pm (Shawn is doing very well). Mo and I got to take a small tour of the facilities at Brookwood Medical Center so I could see where I will be giving birth. Normally you have to take a class to see that, but the nurses realized that I was only 4 weeks away (so class was not an option) and graciously showed us around. The staff there is amazing and I love my doctor (Dr. Banks). After the Hospital trip we went to Babies-R-Us to use our gift card. We did not receive a baby monitor at our baby shower so we used our gift card to purchase a nice set of montiors (Fisher Price Lights and Sounds Montior). After that we went to a discount shopping/grocery store called "ALDI" that I'm sure a few of you shop at occasionaly (best prices around). We had to get some french fries to cook with our turkey burgers I made for dinner. We had a few friends over...Liz, Nic, Steven, Amiee, and Matt. We ate and watched Kung Fu Panda which is quite hysterical. I also found out today that my friend Ryan should be giving birth to Isabella either this morning or afternoon. It turns out they had to go ahead and enduce her due to her blood pressure (Pre-Eclampsia) symptoms.

Right now, since it's 1:33am and everyone has finally left, we are winding down by checking e-mails and I'm sure we will play our favorite game on Pogo.com called Word Whomp...it's a lot of fun (Mom I think you should check it out it's your kind of game). Other than that tomorrow is another off day for Mo which is fabulous to me (I love spending time with the greatest guy in the world)!

Muffin Fingers...

These are some pictures of me before the pregnancy...and the Muffin Fingers lol. This is the, "Ode to the skinny days". As you can see I love to "goof off".

All I do these days (since two days ago) is eat! Ever since I hit 35 weeks I can't breathe well, I'm a bump-on-a-log, and I eat and eat and eat! This morning I woke up ravenously hungry and raided the fridge and pantry. I loaded up my bowl with the Lucky Charms off brand (Marshmellow Matties) and a ton of 2% milk and scarfed it down very quickly. Then about an hour or so later I was hungry again so I made some black bean and rice soup with some whole wheat honey bread. I again scarfed that down and thought it should at least hold me till 8pm...WRONG! About an hour after that I was hungry AGAIN so I decided to make some whole wheat banana nut bran muffins. There was enough batter for 10 muffins. When they were done I set aside 4 for me with some milk, and I put the rest in a container for dessert tonight (after our whole wheat ground turkey pasta) or for breakfast tomorrow before my doctors appointment. So I ate my 4 muffins and kicked back to check some mail and watch the weather since we have some storms coming through Alabama tonight. About half way into my e-mails, just as Jerry Tracey said, "These storms will last through rush hour traffic and well past DINNER time" my stomach growled! I went and grabbed the rest of the muffins and I am currently making the keys on the keyboard greasy and sticky from Muffin Fingers. I hope it's Shawn packing on the pounds and not me...Dr. Banks is going to kill me tomorrow if I've gained more than 4 pounds. Ugh.

Other than that my friend Ryan who is scheduled to have her little girl (Izzy) Isabella a week before I have Shawn...might be having Izzy tonight! She told me yesterday on Myspace that when she went to the Doc they found out she had all the signs of Pre-Eclampsia, but that her BP level wasn't too high (at the time). Apparently this morning it was a bit high so she went to the Doc. My husband Mo works with her husband, Mike, and according to Mo they were doing blood work and talking about enducing soon if needed. That's a very scary position to be in, but at least Izzy is far enough along right now to be perfectly fine (36 weeks). Please pray for the Pace family anyway...Thanks!

Well, I guess that's all for now. I decorated my page a little yesterday thanks to the support...Does it look better? Oh, and Mom, you are officially the "Bird Woman"!! Ha Ha!

Help me Customize Please!!

After joining SITS and going to visit everyone's pages to comment I realized something...my blog page is BORING! I know how to do HTML on Myspace and Facebook (I'm a pro)...but not here. I know how to start customizing and adding gadgets, but I don't know how to get the really fancy templates that everyone seems to have. Mom and I tried to figure it out, but it seems that I don't have the new templates, just the generic ones. If you can help me in any way please feel free (I'm good with computers, and with a little simple direction I could figure it out)!

Other than that there is not a whole lot of news here. My upper back has been hurting (muscle maybe)? Shawn is finally starting to move around real good for the day (so I don't have to be paranoid anymore). Mo has been working 2-10pm for the past 7 days (and one more day tomorrow) and I feel like I am going to pull my hair out! When I went to CVS today to pick up my heart medication I also picked up a $5 copy of Baby's First Year by Playskool and started reading it. I figure there is no harm in being overly informed (if that's even possible).

Well, that's all for now. If you can help me customize please comment. Other than that I am off to meet Dad and K for our weekly Tues. night mexican at Pablo's!

35 Weeks and Counting

I went grocery shopping today at Wal-Mart (the store taking over the world). I guess since it's President's Day everyone decided to go shopping (it was just a normal grocery day for me). So of course since EVERYONE decided to go shopping at the same time everyone was rude and pushy and had no regard for anyone but themselves (not even a hugely pregnant woman like myself). I was there for about 45min I guess because I left my list at home (ugh pregnancy brain). It wasn't until the very end of my trek through WallyWorld (the overly populated check-out line) that I realized I was starting to feel dizzy and disoriented. Luckily I had the strenght to make it to the car, blast the cool air, and drink my delicious Tropicana Orangeade that I am addicted to (I'm sorry Mom I wish they had diet for you!!). When I got home I realized that I had "over-done" it and would now have to promise myself not to go grocery shopping again alone (I'm offically too pregnant now)!!

Other than that I am tremendously happy that today is Monday! Ha, I bet you never thought you'd hear that one. Well, you see, Moday night is House/Heroes night so I'm stoked! Last week all we got was Heroes (which was awesome) but I missed House (re-run)! House was the 1st TV show out of House, Heroes, and Lost, that I really got into. I was watching The Office and 30 Rock too...but I realized that without cable it's hard to follow ALL of your favorite shows (so you narrow it down to what your friends watch at their houses and what you can borrow on DVD from your Dad lol). Anyway WooHoo for the new episodes tonight (and Wed. on Lost)!

Last, but not least, I went and saw Dad and Karen's new house that they will be moving into Feb. 23rd. They went for their final walk-through yesterday and I joined them (well they were feeding me dinner afterwards and I had nothing else to do). The house is in a sub-division called Timberlake and YES there is a B-E-A-UTIFUL lake out there that some of the residents have the privelege of seeing out there back windows (but not Dad and Karen). It doesn't matter anyway because their house is ridiculously packed out with the finest of everything! The people that lived in this 3-year-old house before them spent thousands of extra dollars to put in EVERY amenity known to man-kind. It's a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house with a 3 car garage and a car port that fits 2 more cars. It has 2 porches (one open wrap around that you can access from 3 of the bedrooms and living room, and one sreened in porch that you can access from the kitchen). It also, amoung many many other wonderful things, has a surround sound system built into the walls and all gormet kitchen appliances. Like I said it's ridiculous! They got the house for 40,000 dollars LESS than the asking price, and the people that bought their house gave them EXACTLY their asking price so what a deal huh!!?? They already had an amazing house...but it just wasn't amazing enough (they had to go all "Greystone" on us ha ha).

Well, I guess that's all for now! Oh and I joined SITS today!!

Luckily He Doesn't Read My Blogs!

The monkey on the left (yeah the stuffed one lol) is what I got Mo for Valentine's Day! I wish I could have gotten him something more, but I was spending HIS money to get it (since I'm not working) and it just made me feel bad. The same thing happened with Christmas and his B'day...ALWAYS HIS money (even though he tells me very seriously that it is OUR money). Eh, I feel like if I laid around all day and did all the fun things I wanted, including sleeping in, while he works his butt off keeping the Galleria safe...it's HIS money. Sure I don't JUST lay around...I wash the dishes, the clothes, I put Shawn's nursery together, I organized the closet (I'll get around to folding and putting the clothes away too), AND I almost always have dinner ready for him when he gets home. However, all that is split between days and I don't think it's worth the $12 an hour he makes by chasing and banning crimnals, patrolling, going on emergency medical calls, AND being in charge of 10 other employees every day for 8 or more hours! So, if I do get him a present I have to make sure it's something cute but cheap (heartfelt...and we LOVE monkeys) and did I say cheap yet lol?? PLUS how can I get him anything else when he spent most of his money on getting me an iPhone!!! He got me an iPhone for V-Day! He is crazy, but sweet...he said everyone had a nicer phone than me (except for Mom since she doesn't have a phone but SHOULD at least for emergencies)!!!

Well, getting off that tangent I have been having a lot of fun counting Shawn's kicks and awake time. I narrowed his schedule down to this (it's almost the same day to day):
1:30am
3:45am (yeah I stay up late it's sad)
7:00am (although I only noticed this once since I am usually asleep)
11:30am
1:00pm
3:30pm
6:30pm
8:30pm
and 11:30pm (and then his cycle begins again)!!
I think that it is amazing that he keeps a schedule too! This way I can rest assured that he is being active and I don't have to be worried! Like I have said before I have high levels of anxiety (which luckily have stabilized nicely thanks to pregnancy) that make me worry a lot so I have to know that Baby Shawn is ok for the sake of my sanity!

I'd love to continue blogging since I feel like I have so much to say, but I need to finish my Baby Shower Thank-You's before Mom kills me! Hope you enjoyed!

Good Riddance!

Today was an eventful day (by my standards). I made a lot of important phone calls, did house hold chores, and even sold some furniture on craigslist! Mo and I had posted a bulletin on craigslist about 2 months ago to get rid of an oak wood dresser that we no longer had room for. We had a lot of people who were interested, but when they would come by to "look" at the dresser they wouldn't have the right form of transportation, and then they never called us back because the holidays hit. So yesterday I put the dresser BACK on craigslist and I sold it today! It's gone out of my dining room now (we put it there so it was closer to the front door and out of Shawn's nursery)!! We also have a lady coming to pick up our rocking chair lounger this Saturday. We made good extra money and now we can celebrate Valentine's Day however we want without worrying about it!

Other than that I'm about to go watch either The Notebook, Steel Magnolias, or 2 Weeks Notice and eat some ice cream!

About My Pregnancy and MVP

I thought that I would share about my heart condition, and how my pregnancy went just in case it can be helpful to others or just amusing.

As I said in my last blog I have a heart murmur called Mitral Valve Prolapse with Dysautonomia. Now this is a very common heart murmur among women. It is a struggle to live with and, at times, can be quite debilitating. The hardest part of MVP is the struggle with panic attacks, low blood pressure, and angina. All in all the panic attacks are the worst. Sometimes it gets so bad you don't want to leave your house, be in large groups of people, or drive depending on where and what set off your attack. One thing that people with MVP have to give up is caffeine...so yep you guessed it CHOCOLATE! Now how ironic is it that this murmur MOSTLY effects women and WE have to give up chocolate! That is the one special treat that makes us forget about all our woes (mostly men) and has a natural calming effect...so much for grabbing a chocolate bar during those panic attacks! OK, so I filled you in a little bit about my MVP so that explaining my pregnancy symptoms will make more sense.

My 1st Trimester:
I found out that I was pregnant at 4 weeks (July 16, 2008). I knew that I felt different that month, I just knew I was pregnant. I did that classy thing (HA ha yeah right) and went to CVS to purchase a pregnancy test. I was so incredibly eager to know that I went ahead and tested right there at the store (yeah like I said CLASSY). That test screamed PREGNANT before I could wait 2 minutes!! So, I went home in a daze and called my hubby to tell him the news. He did not act surprised (his family has some 6th sense about pregnant women lol). When he arrived home we bought another test just to make sure (and YES I was pregnant). The next day I called the doc's office and set up an appointment for July 30th. At the appointment they did an ultrasound and I was 6 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I got to see my little "rice baby" as I called it since the little thing was no bigger than a grain of rice. Dr. Banks tried to talk to me and explain ALL the things that I might go through...but even that wasn't enough to prepare me. It was about 2 days later that the morning sickness began. It was HORRIBLE! Nothing that I could eat would taste good, and even if it had it would be coming back up soon anyway. My heart was racing off the charts, and flipping and skipping beats left and right. My anxiety was at an all time high and I couldn't take as much medication because of the pregnancy. My second check-up with Dr. Banks (August 13th) went alright. I had another ultrasound and I was 8 weeks and 1 day pregnant. At this point everyone but a handful thought that I was going to be having a girl. I don't know why they just did. I continued to be sick and my poor husband was working 40 hours and taking over my house wife duties lol. Finally football season rolled around and every Saturday we got to go to my Dad's house to watch us some good 'ole ALABAMA FOOTBALL ROLL TIDE!!! I went back to the Doc's office September 4th for a Downs Syndrome check and all the results came back normal Praise the Lord!! Alabama continued to win their games and finally when my 12th week rolled around I could start to breathe easier and keep food down (for that I was grateful).

My 2nd Trimester:
Two weeks into my 2nd trimester I was feeling FANTASTIC with all kinds of energy! Mo's Mom and middle sister Shazia (and her twin babies) came to visit us for the Muslim holiday called Eid. Mo's Mom made some spicy food and that was the first time I felt my baby move (Tues. September 30th 15 weeks)! I had another routine check-up with Dr. Banks (October 2nd). He just checked baby's heart beat and sent me home very pleased that I didn't look "green" anymore. Alabama STILL continued to win their games and finally the big day for me, my husband, and Baby Dinky Doo (as my mother had affectionately nicknamed it) arrived. October 23rd I was 18 weeks and 2 days pregnant. We showed up at the Doc's office hearts racing for our baby's anatomy test. Now, like I said, almost EVERYONE thought that this child was a girl...so me and my husband did too from our "brain-washing" lol. We had decided on names already, but mostly we were deciding on how to spell the girls name we chose which was Sunnie/Sunny Marie (my middle name) Syed. Now if it was a boy he would be Shawn Danish (Mo's middle name) Syed. It came time in the ultrasound to find out if it was a boy or girl and I laughed so hard when I saw I was having Mr. Shawn lol. There was NO DOUBT that my baby was a boy! His daddy was so proud. We were ecstatic telling the family (who mostly were shocked but delighted). Alabama continued to win their games, I continued to feel fabulous and took over my house wife duties again PLUS some, and the holidays were approaching! Mo and I threw a Halloween party and a Christmas party with a turn-out of 20 people or more at each. The Holidays, my 23rd Birthday and my routine appointments (November 20th and December 18th) seemed to fly right by and then I was in my last stretch of pregnancy! Oh and Alabama beat Auburn for once in like seven years and they were #1 in the country too (until Florida...ugh).

My 3rd Trimester (so far):
My 3rd Trimester started off with my WIC appointment. WIC is a government program that helps Moms and their children to better afford milk, eggs, cheese, and so on and to keep them healthy. Basically you have these coupons you get every month to buy milk, cereal, juice, eggs, cheese and peanut butter or dried beans. This program is truly a blessing as it has helped many young families who struggle to afford the new lifestyle with baby. Also at this point in my pregnancy I noticed that I was starting to slow down and feel tired and restless again like I did in my 1st trimester. I had a Doc appointment January 8th (29 weeks and 2 days) and Shawn was doing very well. Dr. Banks told me that at this time I was going to start coming in every two weeks to see him. January 18th Mo's Mom and Dad came in town from Chicago to spend some time with us since my Baby Shower was January 24th. I had another routine check-up January 22nd (My Mom's B'day) and then two days later it was Baby Shower time! My Mom, my Cousins Rachael, Jessica, Sarah, and Jennifer, my Aunt Brenda, my Friends Jennifer, and Liz, and my Mom's Friend Susan ALL HELPED put it together! It was jungle-themed after the crib bedding that Mo and I picked out. Mo's youngest sister Shanilla came into town from Chicago too for the shower and I was able to meet her for the first time. The Baby Shower was WONDERFUL and Shawn is completely set for whenever he arrives...he is spoiled already! At the last appointment I went to February 5th Dr. Banks and I had a good laugh since Shawn was moving around so much! He loves to rest his feet on my ribs...ugh. Other than that I have felt and seen a baby hand and foot and I can't even begin to describe the joy it brings to my heart and my husbands.

So now I have about 6 more weeks to go and I am VERY impatient. The nights are getting longer with more frequent trips to the bathroom and tossing and turning from leg cramps. I'm monitoring Shawn's movements and he is on an interesting little schedule lol that will absolutely keep me and his daddy up all night when he gets here. My next appointment is February 19th and I'll keep you posted...until I blog again!!