Button Baby Blog

2010

2010-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I think I actually forgot that I had a blog. I'm sure there's no followers anymore, so I'll have to do some good PR! What a year its been since we moved to College Station. I work at an intermediate school now (started off at an elementary) and Donald has become an apprentice in real estate appraisal. Presley is awesome! She goes to a preschool everyday and loves it. She's learning so much. She loves to sing and is always coming home from school with a new song. Presley has a ton of hair (sort of...compared to what it used to be!) and I love it when she lets me put her hair up in pony tails. Christmas is almost here and she really really wants a bicycle (said "by kikle"), a helmet ("he-met"), and an aggie sweatshirt. Oh and snow. She's dying for some snow. I doubt it, since its like 70 degrees right now, but maybe! Presley loves to look at the Christmas lights around the neighborhood and wants to know all about it when someone doesn't have lights or decorations. Presley's favorite cartoons are Scooby Doo, Little Einsteins and Winnie the Pooh. She's eating more like a human now, favoring chicken nuggets from Chick Fil A ("cow slide"), brownies, blueberries and grapes. And the "tina", which is a quesedilla. Presley is always begging for a baby. She'll be a great big sister...one day!

This summer, Presley took swimming lessons at the city and let me just say, she's a fish! She took 2 weeks with me and 2 weeks with Donald. LOVED IT.

For Halloween, Presley was a lion, which was a mistake because the costume must have been created for kids who trick-or-treat in Alaska. It was 80 degrees. Not comfortable. But Presley was a trooper and collected candy like she was never going to eat again. We went trick-or-treating with her friend Zakary and his family. She rode in her red wagon until she was too pooped to collect any more candy.

Well, its early for a new year's resolution, but I'm resolving to breathe new life into this blog! Pics to come. Promise.

Pro photos

2009-10-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

I can't say enough thanks to Ms. Kim of Kim Milburn Photography in Cypress for the beautiful pictures of my doodle bug. Please go see the pics!!! Have your little ones' pics taken -- she works magic!!!

http://capturingitthroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/2009/10/cypress-toddler-photographer-l.html

Hmmmm... I'm in love <3

Little Poo's growing up

2009-10-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Presley has so many words! She loves to say "yellow" and "NO!" while wagging her finger at me. We play tickle, so she says, "tickle tickle tickle" but at first I thought she was saying "goody goody goody"... It must be one of those phrases that only her parents understand her when she says it LOL. Presley is learning to climb on everything, which I thought she did before now, but for the most part, there's only the REALLY high stuff left that she can't get on top of. She can get herself into the booster seat at the table and into the bathtub. Presley's favorite foods are blueberries and weenies. She can say "weenie" which is so helpful because she's quite a picky eater! She also loves yogurt melts, which is freeze-dried yogurt about the size of a chocolate chip. Presley also has some signs because her old babysitter was great about that kind of thing, and I've been following up with what I used when I was in the classroom. She knows "thank you", "more", "finished", "fish" (for goldfish crackers), "banana", and "help".

Presley is growing up so fast! She'll be 18 months next week. Where did the time go?

It's the little things...

2009-09-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

Donald and I just got a new washer and dryer combo that's high efficiency. Why, you ask, are you telling me that on your baby blog? Well, its important because I want to see just how long these ultra-high tech/cost a ton of money tools last. And its kinda funny that my mom and dad installed their washer and dryer the night before my mom had me and I get to hear the story every year on the eve of my birthday. So now Presley can hear about how, when she just 16 months old, her mommy and daddy broke down to buy a new washer and dryer because the old washer ate her car seat cover.

burr....

2009-08-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

While we love our new house, we're taking cold showers right now. We (by we, you must know I DON'T mean me) didn't know to notify the gas company that we needed the gas turned on. So, they turned it off on us yesterday and we have no hot water LOL.

New...

2009-08-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say that moving to College Station has been quite an experience. The previous owner of our CS house allowed us to move in a day before we closed, which was great. As we unloaded stuff from the biggest moving truck I've ever seen, Donald's mom fell off the moving truck, breaking her leg in three places and shattering her ankle. The bone came out of her skin -- owww! We had to call 911 for an ambulance. I'm sure we made an impression on the neighbors.

Our new neighborhood is great. Its just like Mayberry. People wave and are very friendly. We've already been to the HOA party, which Presley loved. She could run around like a wild indian and there were other babies there her age to run around with. One of the groomsmen from our wedding lives a couple streets away from us and my sister Sherry lives a block over. There's a great park right behind the house that we try to take Presley to once a week. She's discovered the slide and really likes the straight slide. She's not so sure about the curly slide.

Presley's new babysitter lives just a few minutes from the house and my new school. She gets to go swimming, go to the museum, and go to the park. The babysitter also keeps Christina and James, her cousins. She has a blast and comes home pooped each day. We're having a problem with her heat rash again this summer :(

Well, I guess the last thing to share with Presley is about technology. I'm actually typing this on the laptop while we're in the truck. Yay for wireless!

2009-07-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

We're almost to the day we close on our sale and purchase. We'll close on our Katy home in a couple of weeks and our College Station home a couple of days later. Packing is exhausting even though I have Presley's "help". I can put something in a box, turn around to get something, and she has pulled out whatever it was in the box and has run off with it. She thinks she's soooo funny :) But seriously, the move has been stressful and she's addicted to her pacifier again. I'll just put that on the "to do" list.

World event wise, Michael Jackson just died a few days ago. Presley doesn't know him or his music, but she will... one day. Her name came from Elvis and we're hoping that if she has a little brother one day, his name will be Jackson.

Sold!

2009-06-28T19:29:00.001-07:00

We listed our little abode last Monday and had an offer by Tuesday. We finalized the contract on Saturday night at 11:30 (yawn!) and put an offer on a beautiful home in College Station today. We're finalizing that contact tomorrow morning at 9:00. This is Presley in front of our for sale sign.

new car seat!

2009-06-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Presley's finally over 20 pounds and can sit in a bigger seat in the truck!

fathers' day

2009-06-23T11:30:00.001-07:00

Presley, Donald and I spent the day at my parent's house in Magnolia. Presley went swimming for the first time in their pool. She did not like the life jacket at all (it made her float on her back), but she loved a pink ball that Pops bought. Even though she was clingy at first, she liked swimming. Presley got her daddy some polo shirts for his big day.

words

2009-05-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Presley is so much fun! She's running, laughing, and learning what she likes and doesn't. She's definitely becoming a toddler! Presley said her first words at school on Friday. The teachers and kids were playing a game where the teachers said, "where's so-and-so?" When the teachers said, "Where's Angel?", Presley said, "Angel, Angel." Of course, Donald and I have been pretending she's been saying things to us for months...

I dropped the camara right after Presley's birthday party, so I haven't been able to take pictures in over a month :( I have lots of video, but can't figure out how to upload it to the blog.

First birthday

2009-04-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Presley had her first birthday this week. She had a party on Saturday with family and friends at my sister, Kim's, church in Magnolia. It was tons of fun, but I'm glad birthdays only come once a year. We had a triple layer italian creme cake and pizza. Presley got a radio flyer red wagon, a princess ride-on toy and lots of clothes.

My internet connection from the house has been discontinued, so I can't post pictures from the b-day for a while. I'll get them up as soon as I can.

Donald got a new job in Bryan, TX. Right now he's driving to and from Katy each day. He likes his new job so much that we're considering moving there. I don't really want to leave the school I work at now, so we'll see what's in store for us...

Thanks so much for the outpouring of concern we got when my blog-followers found out that Donald was unemployed. You guys rock. Love you!

dare i share...

2009-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well, since this blog is mostly for posterity and for Presley, she might as well know what happened when she was almost one year old...

Donald lost his job this week. No warning. Just here you go, its your last day, thanks for the six years you've been with us, but we can't afford you anymore, nothing personal, just a bad economy and you gotta go.

He went for an interview this week, too, and said it sounds promising. Keep on praying.

Milestone

2009-03-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Presley started walking about three weeks ago. Donald and I both got to see her. It was on a Saturday morning. Now she's turning around and nearly running. She gets the giggles every night just before supper and she runs around with some random toy and laughs so much.

Over spring break, Donald and I took Presley to the Houston Zoo and to the Children's Museum downtown. She liked the aquarium the best at the zoo. At the museum, there's a place called Tot Spot that's just for babies under 2. Presley played and played and played... I thought we were going to have to pay rent :)

almost there...

2009-03-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

Presley is almost walking! She took a half a step yesterday. Donald and I both got to see her. Any day now!

Donald also ordered a huge new TV so he stayed home from work to wait for it to be delivered today. Presley stayed with him. Her favorite thing to do at home is to stand at the back door with the baby gate up and watch the puppies play in the back yard. She thinks that's the funniest thing.

I have to tell you guys -- Presley has a definite personality quirk. She LOVES Clifford the Big Red Dog. LOVES. If there was more than love, she'd do that. I call him Kifford. She has a stuffed animal in my truck and when we get in, she grunts for him and when you hand him to her, she is all smiles and hugs him soooo hard. Its precious!

Random picture tag...

2009-03-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

This is my papa. And his dog. My friend Emily has tagged me to post a random pic and tell about it.

So say cheese! My dad has 5 bassett hounds, and this long eared darling is Little Guy, or as my mom calls him "Itta". I'm pretty sure that if my dad were to face the choice between giving his liver to me or his dog, it would go to the dog. Needless to say, Papa loves them. This picture was taken on Christmas day 2008.

To tag next... Denise W., Kimmie... are you up to the challenge?? :)

Daddy's birthday

2009-03-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

For Donald's birthday, we went to Spring Creek Barbeque - yum! Presley doesn't like their mac n cheese, go fig. But the best part of the night wasn't the food...

We were actually on our way out the door. Donald stopped by the peach cobbler counter and suddenly... I felt Presley's bottom and it felt wet through her overalls. I grabbed the diaper bag and hopped off to the bathroom...

Well, the poop was everywhere. Belly button, shirt, socks, overalls...

And there was no extra set of clothes in the bag! So, thank you Mrs. Teri... the little green blanket you gave us a year ago came in handy one more time. I wrapped up Presley in the blanked and marched out of the bathroom, through the restaurant. Did I mention it was frigid outside???

Hold the chocolate

2009-02-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Presley loves strawberry milk! She's still pulling up on everything in sight, but she's starting to let go to see what happens -- and she's standing for a few seconds!

Valentine's

2009-02-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Presley had her first Valentine's party this year. She got to have Chick Fil A and cupcakes at school. She didn't like the cupcake, but it was chocolate. I think she might have an allergy! NO really! When she drinks chocolate pediasure, her face breaks out. But she loves chocolate chip cookies (go figure).

We're still on the fat diet. I think I've gained weight too, just since Pres has been on her new milk thing. We go to the doctor on the 27th to see how much she weighs now.

I'm sure I'll show Presley this blog one of these days and I want her to know how hip her momma is. I signed up for Facebook today because I wanted to see pictures that Ms. Kim (our photographer friend) takes. So while I was on it, I decided to search for folks that went to the same high school as I did. Wow! The girls all have giant...uh... "smiles", and the guys all have facial hair. Its funny what 11 years out of high school will do to someone. So, to Presley of the future, you're going to enjoy looking at pictures of you when you were just a baby and I hope you like hearing what thoughts are in mom's head as I randomly write on your baby blog.

9 months

2009-02-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

Presley went in for her 9 month check up last week. Little Poo weighed 16 pounds and was 27 1/2 inches long... but that's too small, said the doctor. Her height has gotten back up to average, but her weight was in the 10th percentile. So she's on a "fatten up" diet now. Presley has to drink 20-25 ounces of milk each day before she eats her solid foods. AND she has to drink Pediasure for her milk. We mix with with breast and whole milk. The first time she tried it, she threw her sippy cup so hard the top came off and milk spilled everywhere. But after that, our little darling learned to love her new drink. The doctor said to feel her ice cream, pizza, butter... anything with fat!

Presley is also pulling up on everything and has her third tooth coming in. She's learned to spit when she sticks out her tongue (wonderful!) and says "mamamamamama" and "dadadadadadada". She calls out the right name when she's really upset and wants one of us.

How time flies...

2009-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

I never believed people when they said how many pictures they had of their first baby, but then baby #2 and on never had any pictures taken. Well...now I can see how that's possible. Presley is on the move and I can't keep up with her. And she's just ONE baby.

Like I said, Presley is crawling. She finally got those legs working, we've been army crawling for about a month now. But then Presley got RSV (a really bad cold) this week, so I stayed home with her for a few days and on that second day home, she got it! Oh, and Presley has shared her RSV with me. I've never been so sick in my life as now that I have a baby. That just goes on the list of things that no one ever tells you about having a baby.

Presley's tubes are working just great, though, draining away, now that she's got enough snot to make a river.

I forgot to post that Presley had her pictures done with Mrs. Kim a couple of weeks ago. Please go visit her website to see Pres! http://capturingitthroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-last-session-in-08.html We were in the woods, which was new for Presley. It was a great day, but Presley hasn't been outside much ever. So all she wanted to do was look around, instead of smile. But thank God Mrs. Kim is patient. She waited forever to get the smiles :)

Donald got a Wii for Christmas and Presley LOVES to climb on the balance board. Presley also got some cool toys for Christmas and a couple new outfits. We've decided to start a new Button family Christmas tradition -- only putting lights on the tree, no ornaments. It made put up and take down so much easier and we didn't have to worry about Presley eating fake candy cane ornaments. Baby P IS eating new foods... she doesn't like spaghetti or lasagne baby food, but she loves Cheerios, bread, and baby oatmeal. Presley definitely has an attitude now. Or maybe that's "personality". Whatever it is, its gonna get her a spankin' when she's older...

Tubes

2008-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Presley had tubes put in her ears on Friday, Dec. 19. She is doing well since the procedure. I'm off for Christmas vacation (lucky me!) and we've been able to spend the past few days together. A few fun things to note since the last post... Presley got her first telemarketing call LOL. It was the bank, asking her how she liked her new account. Presley also had her first bout with the stomach flu, which she shared with me :(

The biggest of the new news is that Presley is almost crawling! Watch out world!

Where were you 28 years ago?

2008-11-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday! I get to stay at home because it's also election day and my district chose to close school for the safety of our students, since lots of our schools are polling places. Its been a great birthday... Napping on demand, playing with Presley, and staying in my jammies all day.

Presley had her six month checkup on Oct. 29. She weighed 14 pounds, 4 ounces and was 25 inches long. She's in the 25th percentile for height and weight. She had been sick for her real half-birthday, so her checkup was postponed a bit. We had a scare with baby P... thought she might have had pneumonia or bronchitis, but she's better now and the x-rays showed no fluid on her lungs. Thank you, daycare, for all these colds! We went to the doctor four times in 10 days.

During this break in posts, Donald and I also lost Grandmother Button. We had just had her birthday party, and I was lucky enough to get video of her holding Presley, so Presley will get to watch Grandmother when she's a little older.

Presley has also started solid foods, which is such a misnomer. This stuff is anything BUT solid. It doesn't go in solid, and it sure doesn't come out solid. Presley likes sweet potatoes best, but she's also eating peas, apples, green beans, peaches and carrots. I decided to make homemade baby food. It wasn't that hard, but I've only made sweet potatoes and peaches. And before you say, "Don't you just puree fruits and veggies to make babyfood?" its a lot harder than it sounds! :)

baby jen, etc.

2008-10-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Baby Jen was born on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Baby Jen is Presley's cousin, my sister Kim's baby, and Corrie's little sister. Presley is very excited :) It seems like everyone I know is having a baby right now. Presley is going to have lots of playmates!

Presley has yet ANOTHER cold. She was only well for about a week. This time, Donald and I are also sick. Germs, stay away!

Presley just got done (hopefully) going through a growth spurt. She was regularly eating about 3 1/2 to 4 ounces per meal at daycare. Then all of a sudden, she was starving all the time. I sent 6 ounces per bottle and she actually finished that off! So last night, Donald and I fed Presley cereal for the first time. She sucked it right down. She didn't even seem to realize that there was something different about the milk in the bottle. My mom had said that feeding her cereal would help her sleep through the night. I fought the cereal this long... I kinda had high expectations. Well, she didn't sleep any better than usual - which hasn't been that great lately. We're going to try cereal again tonight to see if it helps her sleep any better, especially since she's sick.

Sick

2008-10-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Presley is out of school today for the first time. School called yesterday saying Presley had a fever of 101.0. She's got a virus, which has caused an ear infection. The virus is probably just a cold -- she's got a runny nose and the congestion makes her cough. The doctor said her lungs sound clear. Since she was running a fever, the doctor gave her some antibiotics for the ear infection and antihistimine for the runny nose. We keep her hopped up on Tylenol so she won't be uncomfortable, but the doctor said her ear isn't very bad and if she was a bit bigger, she wouldn't have treated it at all.

On a positive note, the doctor weighed baby P while we were in the office and she weighs 14 pounds, 1 ounce!

Teething Nightmares

2008-09-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

OMG, I think I want to trade Presley in for a baby who either already has teeth or my old Presley who didn't have any and was happy with life. At least I think its teeth that are hurting her. She's restless, won't sleep at night, cries constantly...

So I've been trying to keep myself busy while listening to the endless cries. So here's the new blog background. Its only taken me three hours to figure out how to add a third party background. NBD! At least Presley hasn't been returned to the stork.

Power Ranger

2008-09-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Ike hit us on Saturday morning. We began losing our power at 3 AM and lost it completely at 3:45 AM. We got electricity back on Monday night at 8 PM. We had no major damage to the house, just lost a couple of shingles. We hooked in to the neighbor's generator sporatically, and that helped us to keep most of the food in the fridge and freezers. We were able to cook on the stove since we have a gas stove. The weather cooled off, making it not too bad without electricity.

Enough about us grown-ups... Presley weathered the storm without a single hitch! She stayed naked (plus diaper) and was quite a super trooper... or power ranger, should I say ;) My school district has closed school for the week, so baby P and I are LOVING the time to ourselves. Donald had to return to work on Monday.

Mr. Duracell and Mrs. Eveready, thank you so much for your batteries! Presley's toys, thankfully, are battery powered and Donald and I snaked a few for the flashlights, radio, and alarm clock.

All joking aside, Donald and I feel very blessed that we made it through the storm with as little damage as we did. We have plenty of food to last us until the lines at the store go down. We have plenty of water and gas (well, Donald always HAS had plenty of gas...hehe...)

4 months

2008-08-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

We had the four month check up on Monday. Presley weighs 12 pounds, 10 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches long. That's a teensy bit under average, but the doctor is still happy with her growth. Presley got several shots, but she handled them like a champ, with just a little bit of crying. We also went to the opthamologist because Presley's right eye continues to be watery and extra gunky after sleeping. The opthamologist said it was a clogged tear duct (as suspected). We won't do anything about it right now, and hopefully she'll grow out of it. If not, around a year, we may have to put Presley under anesthesia so the duct can be probed.

School is going well. The class that Presley is in only has babies under seven months old. There are five boys and five girls, but three of the babies aren't old enough to come to school yet. Presley hasn't been very cooperative during the painting activities, though. The first day the children painted, Presley came home with paint all over not one, but two, outfits. Picture this... all the babies' handprints are on projects, just as cute as can be, hanging up on the wall on prominent display. Under each beautiful handprint is their name. Hmmm, what's that mushy blob that doesn't resemble a handprint? Oh, that's just Presley's version of not following directions. Apparently the two grown adult teachers couldn't wrestle her four month old hand open long enough to put a handprint on the paper.

Oh, yes, one last milestone update. Presley is sitting up on her own. We have to sit her down how we want her to stay, but she can do it! She sat up for about 30 seconds completely on her own for this picture.

Presley's First Day of School

2008-08-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Well, its really day care. But that just sounds so un-Mommy-like, so we'll call it school :) Presley attends the "school" run by my school district. There's a waiting list a mile long, so we're really lucky to have gotten in. She did good, even though I was worried about her taking a bottle. I only called to check on her twice, which suprises even me!

We've been watching the Olympics and Presley is sure that she's going to be a gymnast some day. She's been doing acrobatics in her baby gym. I even got her to stand on her own for a nanosecond.

This picture is so absolutely wonderful I had to share. Presley's smile is elusive when a camara is around. She gets so curious about the camara that its very hard to get her to concentrate on anything else long enough to get a smile. So in a nutshell, treasure this picture. Who knows when the next smiling picture will come around!

Proud Mary Keep On Rollin'!

2008-07-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ha! It wasn't a fluke! Presley is now an official card carrying member of the "Babies Who Can Roll Over" club. I saw it myself this time. Presley was looking at her crib toy that looks like an aquarium, propped up on her elbows. I called Donald into her room so he could see how much she loved her aquarium toy. Just as he got to the doorway, plop! She pushed herself over with her left arm and was suddenly on her back. Even though when Presley rolled herself over earlier this week she seemed happy about it, I think it scared her yesterday. She poked her bottom lip out and started crying once she figured out what had happened.

She's also officially in her 0-3 clothes finally! We've still got two newborn sized outfits that fit her, but... I think they must be sized wrong :) We've also been on a hunt for a bottle that Presley will find acceptable and have finally found one. This bottle hunt goes on the list of things that people don't tell you when you have a baby. I just assumed that as long as milk came out of a contraption somehow, a baby would love it. No, not Presley. This was the fourth bottle we tried! Just in case you're wondering, its a bottle made by the pacifier people Nuk. The nipple looks like a pacifier! Presley scarfs down her milk now when she has to have a bottle. This frees me up to go a few more places without having to worry about nursing in public. Yea Nuk!!

Roll Over, Beethoven

2008-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Presley rolled over in her crib this morning! She was on her tummy when I put her down for her nap, and when I went to check on her, she was on her back! She's been scooting around the crib for about a week, but flipping over was quite a surprise.

Presley's face has cleared up -- thank goodness. She's also cooing up a storm and flirting like an old pro. This weekend while Donald and I were at Walmart, Presley babbled like never before. He translated the baby talk and said that Presley was telling me to hurry up :)

Big Girls Don't Cry (unless they get shots)

2008-06-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today Presley went to the doctor for her two month visit. She weighs 10 pounds and 9 ounces and is 22 inches long. Yea! Finally, she's exactly average. No more small fry!!

Presley also has a case of prickly heat or folliculitis, which is covering her cheeks. The doctor said it should go away on its own, but the mommy in me needs a cream or a pill or a drop!!

Presley also got her shots, finishing up the doctor's visit. She got five shots AND some stuff orally. She was so brave. Donald had to help the nurse hold her. I turned around and looked out the window. I was the weenie!

Two Months

2008-06-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Presley turned two months old yesterday. The three of us went to Mams's and Pops's house for a swim in the afternoon. Presley is sporting her sunglasses from Ms. Donna so that she doesn't hurt her eyes in the sun :)

Sleeping Pooty

2008-06-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Know what you can do in six and a half hours? You could watch 13 episodes of The Simpsons... drive about 400 miles... or, if you're Presley Caroline, you could let your Mom and Dad sleep uninterrupted for the first time in eight and a half weeks! Yep, Presley slept that long last night for the first time. I feel like I could teach calculus, recite the preamble to the Constitution, run a marathon... I feel so great! After she slept for that long, she ate and went back to sleep for another four hours! All that sleep after sleeping almost all day yesterday. Woo hoo! It looks like someone's growing up :)

No News is (almost all) Good News

2008-06-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Presley went for an upper gastrointestinal test where she had to drink berium a couple of weeks ago. She was spitting up and her range was about a foot and a half when she had a good one. Apparently, though, she does not have reflux. It seems that Presley's tummy did not like the Raisin Bran I was practically inhaling.

Presley also went to work with me for four days. No kids or teachers were on campus. I worked in my office. She was fantastic for three out of the four days. My secretary helped me with her when I had meetings.

We also visited Grandmother Rawlinson in Nac this past weekend. She is Judy's (Nana's) mom, Donald's grandmother, and Presley's great-grandmother. That's her in the picture.

Donald's grandfather also passed away this week. Presley never got to meet Granddaddy Rawlinson, but we know he's watching her from heaven. Presley did get to meet her cousins Logan and Piper at Aunt Jane's 60th birthday party the first weekend in June. Presley also got to meet Donald's friend, Ross. Ross also has a baby girl... well, not exactly a baby, but she's little.

Presley has started smiling at us -- not very often, but it is definitely aimed at Donald and I. She also coo's sometimes, but as Donald says, it kind of just sounds like a bird squawking. We put Presley in her swing, which she LOVES. She goes right to sleep when we put her in it. I just got it out yesterday. I thought she would be too small for it, but I was wrong! It helps free me up so I can do important things like arch my eyebrows :) (sidebar -- the ol' eyes REALLY needed it!!).

The Booby Race Winner

2008-05-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Presley had her one month check up with the pediatrician on Friday the 23rd. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and was 21 inches long. Her head circumference was 14 and a half inches. My, how she's growing! Her length was exactly average (50th percentile) and her weight was at the 25th percentile. That's a huge improvement considering she wasn't even on the growth chart at all at the two week visit. Yea Presley! You are the Booby Race Winner! We call Presley that when she throws her hands up over her head to stretch after she gets done eating. Its a hoot!

One Month

2008-05-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been a month since Baby P was born. Actually, its been a month and 3 and a half hours.

What is Presley doing now that she wasn't doing a month ago? Well, she grunts at everything she doesn't like - its her way of saying, "Mom, you're holding me wrong. Papa, I want to be covered up. Now uncover me. Change my diaper. Look at me. Burp me. Talk to me. Breath. Now don't breathe." The grunts are pretty funny, except for when she does them in the middle of the night when I'm tired and just want to sleep. There's this magic thing that happens to you when you give brith. Its called, "You'll-never-sleep-again, no-matter-what Syndrome." So the grunts make me stay awake even more, just to try to figure out what's going on in Presley's head.

I'm pretty sure she can see stuff now, more than my boob and my face. It looked like she was actually watching TV this week, for about thirty seconds. It was The Simpsons. Great choice, Pres.

Anyway, here's a picture of the one month old, chillin' out on her big one-month day.

A Typical Day

2008-05-14T09:55:00.001-07:00

Lots of people ask us what we do all day. Well, to be honest, not too much! Donald goes to work early in the morning. Presley and I wake up to feed, then go back to sleep, and eventually get up around 9:00 or 10:00, whenever the next feeding is. I eat breakfast myself and usually turn on the TV until I get sleepy. Then I grab baby P, snuggle, and take a nap until 11:00-ish. When I wake up, I try to do some laundry... vaccuum... brush the teeth, wash the face... I'm reading a fantastic book called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" given to me from Wise Wendy. The title sounds kinda boring, but WOW-is it GREAT!!! So after all the chores are done, I sit down to read a bit about what I'm supposed to be doing so that Presley stays healthy, gains weight, and develops everything when she's supposed to. Donald comes home at lunch to eat and hold baby P before he has to go back to the salt mines. When he leaves, Presley is usually hungry or tired. I turn on ABC for soap operas (my favorite is General Hospital). I usually fall asleep (or at least TRY to sleep) during the soaps. When soaps go off at 3:00, I start trying to make dinner. I know it seems early, but TRUST ME, there's interruptions! Around 5:00, Donald makes his way home and we have dinner. By then, I'm pooped, but Donald is excited to be home, so he snuggles with P until she falls asleep, and we zip in the bathroom for a shower. If we're lucky, we get to watch some prime time TV (our favorite shows include House, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, New Adventures of Old Christine, and Two and a Half Men). We don't have cable or a DVR, so if we catch the shows-great! If not, well, there's always reruns and syndications!

One of my friends asked me recently if all I did all day was just sit around and wait until Presley gets hungry. Yep, pretty much! We snuggle and get to know each other. I probably hold her way more than I'm supposed to, but I've waited long enough to hold her! I'll spoil her rotten and then some more :) Isn't that what I'm supposed to do all day?

Our First Mother's Day

2008-05-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday was my first Mother's Day! Presley, Donald and I went over to my mom's house, where we ate sandwiches and visited with family. Presley seemed to enjoy herself and was an absolute angel, although it was tiring for her. This was our first trip out of the house that wasn't to the doctor's office.

Since being confined to the house, getting my own mother a gift for her day didn't happen. However, if she ever reads this blog, I'd like to tell her how I now "get it".

Mom, I never understood why you and I fought so hard about boys and curfews and makeup and clothes and... the list goes on. But now I get it. You worry so much about your daughter doing the wrong things, and then one day you wake up, and she's doing the right things. Because you taught her how to do them. That's the beauty of growing up and having your own baby. Now I get it.

You always told me that you never slept when I wasn't at home. Even with Presley laying beside me in the bed, I sleep with one eye open and one ear on her. She doesn't sigh in the middle of the night without me hearing it. Now I get it.

You forced me to study and write my spelling words until I grew a knot on my finger because you wanted me to have good grades. You knew I could do it. I was just lazy. Now I get it.

When I told you I was getting married, you had your worries. All the wrong boys came and went, and with each one you let out a sigh of relief. Then the right one came along and you were more worried than ever. The right boy provides for me and takes care of me like you and Daddy did when I was little. Now I get it.

So on Mother's Day, Mom you just have to know how much I need you and love you. Even though I have my own baby, my own family, my own home... I'll always be your little girl and Iwant you to keep losing sleep over me and fighting me tooth and nail. That's just what moms do. Now I get it.

Presley's 2 Week Check Up

2008-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Presley went to the doctor yesterday for her two week checkup. Guess what?? She weighs 5 pounds, 14 ounces now! She's grown to be 19 inches long, and her head circumference has gained a half inch to be 13 1/2 inches. Our pediatrician was VERY happy with her weight gain. She was expecting about a half pound, but Baby P added almost a whole pound!

I thought some more about what Presley loves and came up with being swaddled. Papa and I wrap her up so tight at night, she falls fast asleep. She's great at going down to sleep at night and just wakes up when she's hungry (every three hours on the nose). I have the most perfect baby! Presley's also a fan of Pops (my dad). Here's a picture of Pops holding Presley.

Miss Personality

2008-05-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have an opinion on how baby's personalities develop. From what I can tell, Presley's personality is sure developing!

Baby Presley definitely has her likes and dislikes. For example, she likes to be held by me. Go figure. Or maybe its just that I like to hold HER and I don't give her much of a choice to like it or not :) She loves being warm, so she's a natural snuggler. She likes to be naked only if she's snuggling on Mommy or Papa's chest under the covers. Presley does not like to be cold, so if the bathwater isn't just right, she's going to let you know. Presley loves to gnaw on her fingers and sleep with her hands up at her ears. We've kept her in the sun for the purpose of avoiding jaundice, and Presley loves to sleep in the bassinet right in front of the window in our bedroom. Its nice and warm there. Presley does not like to have her diaper changed, especially when the house is really cold at night. Even warming the baby wipes don't make it any better. She still fusses and wakes up Papa, telling him how I'm so terrible that I insist on a clean hiney.

Today, I put Presley in the Kick 'n Play for the first time. It has lights, music and even a vibrating seat. She looked all around when I put her in it and seemed to be very curious about the lights flashing in front of her. She looked at the Kick 'n Play for about twenty minutes before falling fast asleep.

Wanted: One Adorable Addition to the Button Family

2008-04-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

Found! Presley Caroline Button was born on Tuesday, April 22 at 9:34 AM. She was 17 inches long and weighed four pounds, twelve ounces. My labor was induced at 37 weeks, six days. My fluid turned out to be low, which could have been as a result of the high blood pressure, my stomach flu, or any random thing. Apparently, Presley stopped growing in my tummy around 36 weeks, but it wasn't picked up on the ultrasounds, so she's a bit small.

However, we've been to the pediatrician for her first visit and she's already up to five pounds. Funny story about the trip to the doctor... Of course, Presley had to be naked to be weighed. The nurse let me strip her and put her on the scale. The nurse read the scale and told me I could pick Presley up. I picked her up and right then she peed! As Donald and I were laughing with embarrassment, the urine trickled down my pants. We thought that was funny enough -- until she pooped in my hand too! Wow, what a memory for the first trip to the pediatrician.

Presley is not jaundiced, although we will keep her in the window in order to get sun. Everything is in perfect working condition, even though she's small. Labor was a breeze -- literally, four contractions and she was born! I got petosin at 6:45 AM, my epidural when I was 8 cm at 8:45, started pushing at 9:20, and she was born 14 minutes later. Whew, God listened when I asked for easy pregnancy and labor.

We've been home for a week, and everything is WONDERFUL. Donald had taken off work last week to be with Presley, but had to return to work this week. Talk about being smitten... Presley is so loved by her Papa.

We've had lots of visitors! Presley has even gotten her first official piece of mail addressed to her from James and Joyce. It was a package with onesies, bibs and socks. Our house looks like a baby clothing store. We are so blessed to have such gererous friends and family.

Presley sleeps in a box between Donald and I in the bed. I'm attempting breastfeeding so I have to get up with Baby P every three hours. For other mommies and daddies that have to get up with their angels a couple times a night, you can appreciate not having to get out of bed at 2 AM, even though the cradle is just a few feet from the bed.

Nana (Donald's mom) has been staying with us this week to help us adjust to our new addition. She's helping by offering advice, cooking, cleaning, shopping... You name it! We love Nana!

I know I've written a novel, but one last note. My dad (also known as Pops) is a BIG fan of Baby P. He and my mom came over last night, and let's just say he's got a girl he loves just as much as Mom and me. He looked at Baby P with awe, eyes glistening, and watched every breath she took for an hour.

Baby Presley, we are so happy you are finally here! Mommy and Papa think you are the most beautiful baby ever made and we can't figure out how no one has made a baby as pretty as you before now. We love you so much and hope we can live up to your expectations of what parents are supposed to be. Our hearts ache when we have to be apart from you for a second.

Last time on "E.R."

2008-04-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe its been a month since the last post. I had intents to make this week's blog sort of like a time capsule of what's going on in current events so that one day our family could look back on what life was like back in the day when Presley was born. However, in the interest of time, I'll update you on the most pressing of issues...

We had an ultrasound on April 10th to see how big Baby P was. She was 5.8 pounds, which translates into 5 pounds, 11 ounces. She was turned head down, ready for launch :) I already knew she was headed down because she likes to play in my ribs. Presley doesn't KICK my ribs, she just pushes on them oh-so-slightly just to see how far they can bend. Funny how far they can bend without breaking...

We started the once-a-week OB visits at that time. My blood pressure was a bit (ok, a lot) high on my past visit on the 17th, so Dr. Patronella decided I should begin working half days and come back in for two visits a week. The purpose? To keep an eye on my blood pressure constantly and at some point in the near future decide for Mother Nature that Presley needs to make her grand entrance.

Long story short, our appointment is tomorrow (Monday, the 21st). Dr. Patronella will check me out, blood pressure and all, and decide to induce my labor or not. If not, then we'll go back to the doctor on Thursday to go through the same hoops again. The doctor said that at the latest, I'll have Presley by April 30th. So Mams will be happy to not "have ANOTHER May birthday" in the family. Glad to oblige.

I've been taking it easy this weekend on doctor's orders, but also because I spent the night in the emergency room on Friday night/Saturday morning. I caught the stomach flu bug from Donald! He got sick on Thursday morning and I took him to the doctor Thursday afternoon. Then Friday night, I came down with the "can't keep anything in" syndrome myself. We went to the ER immediately since we knew what was going on. They pumped me full of fluids and anti-nausea meds, checked me to make sure I wasn't in labor because of the dehydration (I wasn't) and sent me home five hours later.

I'm feeling much better today and Donald is almost up to full strength, but not quite. Our super wonderful neighbors Brian and Amy (yes the famous Aunt Amy, who will be Presley's keeper) brought us a fajita dinner feast tonight, including virgin daquiris! What a way to keep the blood pressure down!

Well, I'll post the results of tomorrow's visit when we know what's going on. I have university class on Monday nights, so patience please :)

This ain't my first rodeo, kid... Whoops, yes it is!

2008-03-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted anything. First, Presley, Donald and I went to the rodeo to see Alan Jackson. We got to go with a rodeo director, which ROCKS! We got picked up from our *special* parking spot by a golf cart and rode to a *special* elevator, to arrive on a *special* floor, where no one else can get to unless they ride the magic elevator, too. We got to watch the rodeo from a suite that belonged to Mr. Mike Golden, who owns bunches of ATM machines around Reliant Park. In the suite was yummy chicken tenders, hot dogs, and any possible drink you could want. The suite also came with a hostess! It was soooo awesome. It makes it hard to think of going to the rodeo as just a regular person.

Next, Donald got a new job! Its still with Knight Transportation, but now he's selling the trucks and trailers. He had to go to Phoenix for a week to be trained. It was a long week for me at home by myself. I took him to the airport on Monday morning at 3:30, and picked him up at the airport on Saturday morning at 3:00. Talk about sleep deprived! We came home on Saturday and slept until noon. Thank goodness Presley isn't here yet. Don't think I could have caught up on my sleep like that if she was.

Our final big event recently was going to College Station to watch the Aggies play baseball against Texas Tech. They won the two games we didn't see, but lost the one we were there for. Oh well, it was a good game, and it was neat to go back to College Station (aka Mayberry). We love Aggie baseball! We found out that our old seat-buddies, Will and Tanya, are also having a baby, due in August. They've already bought the third season ticket for their baby! While in College Station, we got to have dinner with our friends Kris and Andrea and their new baby boy, Zak. Zak was born right after Christmas and is so big! Presley, don't grow that fast!!!

Picture Day

2008-03-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Kimberley did some belly pictures of me, Donald and baby Presley today. Go to her site to see a sneek peek! http://www.capturingitthroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/ She's completely and fabulously wonderfully talented. I LOVE MY PICS!!! Presley was wiggly throughout the session. I told Kim that Presley could hear the shutter close and was posing for her closeup :) Thank you, Kimmie!! I can't wait to see the rest! Love you!

A Story for Baby P

2008-03-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

I can't wait until Presley is a teenager, gets mad at me, and tells me that I'm invading her space. I've got a story just waiting for her.

Last night, after my weekly Whataburger on the way to grad class, Presley decided that she really did not like the student desk I had to sit in during my class. I don't know if the Whataburger got her stirred up or what, but she just kicked away on the right side of my tummy. That was probably the most consistent kick that she's produced yet, and it wasn't that pleasant! So I pushed back. Presley kicked some more, and I KNOW she hates it when her space is confined. So I just put my hand on my side where she was kicking, and pushed. Well, my obstinent daughter took her foot (I could feel the whole darn foot) and pushed me right back. For as long as I pushed, she pushed. That's my girl :) Hard headed already. She doesn't stand a chance with Knepp and Button genes.

So, long story short, I can't wait for the day when she tells me I'm in her business. She has NO IDEA what that phrase means. At no point will I EVER be kicking HER ribs or dancing on her bladder. THAT is invading someone's space, my little baby P.

The GTT Part Dos

2008-02-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

The glucose tolerance test turned out to be okay. No gestational diabetes. But I had to get my fingers stuck four times and drink more sugar drink. Man, you guys that have to do the finger stick thing everyday have earned my respect. That's painful! You would think it wouldn't be. But yes! But let me tell you about the sugar drink. The first day's drink was like a Sunkist. Not bad. But the second day's... It was fruit punch flavored, which I like, but tasted as if the Cavity Fairy had come and poured an extra cup of sugar into the bottle. Please remind me to tell Presley of the trouble I went through drinking that junk when she doesn't want to take liquid medicine! Drink up, Presley my love! Mom doesn't feel one BIT sorry for that bubble gum flavored cough syrup you'll be getting in the future! The first round of baby showers start this weekend -- woo hoo! I can't wait! Oh, more neat stuff I learned about pregnancy AFTER its too late to turn this ship around... Apparently pregnant women can get pregnancy gingivitis. I don't have it, but its something to know about. You mommies out there keep secrets from us naive non-pregnant folks until its too late. Its kinda like a mail order CD club! First, the surprise with the belly button and now this! What's next?? Oh wait, don't tell me -- I'm sure I'll figure it out.

The GTT

2008-02-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Donald and I went in for my glucose tolerance test. Although there's been plenty of horror stories passed on to me about the taste of the goop you have to drink, it really wasn't that bad. Just like a Sunkist drink. No biggie!

My glucose was WAY too high after an hour. It should have been below 135 and mine was 169. So I'm on my way back to the doctor this morning for a three hour test. I guess I'll know tonight if I have gestational diabetes...

Sorry there haven't been many posts lately. School has started. I'm taking 9 hours through Sam Houston University to get my principal certification. Oh and working full time. To say the least, taking care of Presley 24/7 will be a relief because that's ALL I'll have to do. I'll keep you posted, though, on the results of the GTT. Wish me luck!

Goodbye, Belly Button. Hello, Belly.

2008-01-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, good news first. Presley got her name made by Amy, the lady who will be keeping her in the fall. The 6th month doctor appointment went well. The nurse who finds Presley's heartbeat had a hard time this trip because she's so wiggly. Tell me something I don't know. I'm glad she's little because I'd be bruised as much as she wiggles.

The bad news really isn't THAT bad, but its bad enough to me... Goodbye, belly button! Losing your belly button is one of those things people just don't tell you about. You kinda get attached to having the hole in your belly, and then, wham, one day its gone! The belly button is almost flat at this point, and Donald gets a kick out of pushing around where its supposed to be and making me have an "outie". Not cool. Are there any secret things that happen to men that no one tells them about until its too late??

Its becoming fairly obvious that I'm having a baby, no matter what I wear these days. But that's okay, I guess I've made it this far. Bye bye belly button, hello belly :)

Presley's New Trick

2008-01-07T18:39:00.001-08:00

Presley's getting stronger... at least her little soccer kicks are! Her new trick though is hiccups. She's had them each morning for about a week. They don't last very long, maybe a minute or two. This weekend, I tried to eat breakfast and she kept hiccuping. I said, "Presley, stop, that tickles and I can't eat breakfast!" She hiccuped one more time and that was it! She's my child -- very obedient :) We have our six month check up tomorrow. I can't believe its already been 23 weeks. How fast time flies...

Presley's Big Competition

2007-12-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

That is, competition in the cute department. Check out James Milo opening presents in his new Tonka truck on Christmas.

A Tale of Three Christmases

2007-12-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

Literally, three Christmases. Donald and I celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with Nana's family (the Rawlinsons), Christmas afternoon with Robin's family (the Knepps), and Christmas night with Pawpaw's family (the Buttons). So much to celebrate... so many pictures!

The first picture is of Grandmother and Granddaddy Rawlinson with the great-grandkids. From the left are Maddy, Kayla, Cody, James, Grandmother, Christina, Granddaddy, Logan, Piper and Presley in my belly :)

Next Aunt Kimmy gave Presley a bib that says "Mom's lil Aggie" (hehe).

Grandmother Button, better known as Gran-Gran, made Presley her first quilt. Wow, Gran-gran, you're fast!

"Baby Shopping"

2007-12-23T19:51:00.001-08:00

God loves Grandmothers like no other women on earth...

Judy (AKA Nana) is in Cushing to celebrate and prepare for Christmas, which is normally celebrated by the Rawlinson family on Christmas Eve. Grandmother Rawlinson was in the room while Nana talked to Donald on the phone. After the phone conversation was over, Grandmother Rawlinson asked Judy what Donald and I were up to for the day. Nana told her that we were "baby shopping" (we had been scoping out what to register for before we actually do it). Grandmother Rawlinson replied, "I thought they were already having a baby. Why are they shopping for one?"

Presley's Booties

2007-12-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

Baby Presley got her first clothes today. At my work, we're partaking in the "Secret Santa" games for the week. Presley got pink and white Adidas booties. They're so tiny! I think Chance is saying, "What in the world? Why are you giving me such tiny chew toys? Was I bad?"

Someone recently asked what cravings I've had. Well, no real cravings but there are a couple of foods that I've always turned my nose up at, that now, seem pretty darn yummy. One of them is scrambled eggs and another is cabbage. At least they're foods that are good for me : )

Well, 20 weeks down, 20 more to go...

Its Official... Presley it is!

2007-12-18T17:44:00.000-08:00

We had the ultrasound this afternoon, and its a girl! I drank a real Coke an hour and a half before the ultrasound and she wiggled like crazy. She didn't do anything amazing during the ultrasound, just moved her head from side to side and kicked every now and then. Presley weights about three-quarters of a pound.

Presley got her first Christmas card in the mail from my college friend Denisse and her husband, Ian.

We also have a sitter for when I go back to work in the fall. Our Aggie friend Amy lives in our horseshoe and has said she'd keep Presley! Yea! Amy has two babies, Emma and Carter, so Presley will be in good hands.

Well Presley, can't wait to see you. Daddy has a princess... one who will hunt wearing pink camo :)

Button Baby's First Gift

2007-12-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

Donald and I had Christmas with Chantel, Mark, Christina, James and Nana this weekend. Baby got its first gift! Nana gave Baby an Ocean Wonders musical toy for the crib. We took a picture of it with our new camara, also given by Nana, but to Donald and I. Donald has actually been reading the instruction manual all day long so that he knows just how to take pictures of Baby once she gets here.

That reminds me... Only 44-ish more hours before we find out if there's a boy or girl in my tummy! Tick tick!

Is it a BOY or a GIRL??

2007-12-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

We'll find out in a little over a week if the baby is a boy or a girl. That will be the 20 week ultrasound. I'll post what we find out. The appointment is on Dec. 18. We've been asking around. There are some tykes that think they already know what the sex is going to be...

Our cousins Missy and Brian have a precious three year old boy named Logan. While visiting Logan, mommy Missy told him that I had a baby in my tummy. Logan asked me how it got there. Uuuhhhh.... I told him I swallowed a little baby and it was growing in my tummy (sorry, I should have had a better story, but it caught me off gaurd!). He pried my mouth open with both hands and peered in my mouth. I wiggled away enough to ask him if he got to see it. He said he had seen it! I couldn't figure out what he might have seen, so I had to ask, "Well, is it a boy or a girl?" Logan said, "It's definitely a boy. I can see his privates!!" How many throat hangy-balls is this little boy going to see in his lifetime and think he's seeing baby privates??

Our neice Christina votes that its a girl. So does our little friend Emma, who lives in our neighborhood. Christina's been right before several times before.

So, that's one vote for a boy and two votes for a girl.

If its any indication, Baby likes deer sausage (thanks, Brian!) and regular Coca-cola. Baby goes nuts in my tummy! I still can't feel the "flutters", but I can feel the baby with my hand on my tummy. Donald has felt it too. It has to be the coolest feeling on earth... What a Christmas gift.

First to Know

2007-11-28T17:45:00.000-08:00

HI everyone. This blogging thing is hard to do consistently. I can try to do better! Today I'm 17 weeks along and am down to a couple pairs of pants that still fit -- but that may have to do more with Thanksgiving than the baby... ;) Folks ask who was the first to know about the baby and I was told today that my story is hysterical and should be posted on the blog so here you go. The Clinique lady at the mall was actually the first to know! My face had decided that since it didn't break out much as a teenager, it should make up for it now. So in my vanity, I rushed to the Clinique counter for help. I felt like the make up lady would just understand me better if she knew why I was fretting about pimples that I've never had before. Anyway, that was the first person to know. That says a lot about me, right???...

One more week and we'll go to the doctor again for the 4 month checkup. I'll post any news.

Last thing. We had decided on a name and now we're wavering so help us out. Presley Dylan, Presley Caroline, Presley Olivia or Caroline Olivia. Let's take a poll!

The Big News

2007-11-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

Obviously if you read the name of the link, you already kinda know the big news. Donald and I are going to have a baby! We've known since the week after Labor Day, and it was really hard to keep the secret! Now I'm 14 weeks along and we've had a couple of ultrasounds. I'm convinced that the baby is a girl, and Donald and I call have named her "Presley." There's no scientific or medical proof that she's a girl, though. The Chinese lunar calendar says its a boy...

We got to hear the heartbeat at our first doctor visit at nine weeks. It was beating at over 180 beats a minute! At that point, all we could see in the ultrasound was a blob. We got a picture to bring home, but really, its not very good unless you know what you're looking at. So its not posted here. Just imagine a black rectangle with a grey circle in the middle. That was her a month ago. She was 8 centimeters long then.

We got to hear the heartbeat again at the 14 week visit. It had slowed to 140 beats a minute. At the ultrasound this week, she was moving all around. She had one arm propped behind her head and her legs were crossed at the ankles. Talk about taking it easy! She looked like she was resting up in a hammock! It was hysterical. She also wiggled her neck around, like Donald does when he's trying to get it to pop. The ultrasound tech mashed on her to get her to move, and she stuck her foot perfectly up against the ultrasound machine. We got to see a perfect footprint! She's 4 inches long now. We did genetic testing this week for disorders like Down's Syndrome. We don't have a history of that in our families, but the insurance covered it and I got an ultrasound out of the deal, so I was gung-ho! The results will come back next week.

The good news is that I've made it out of the first trimester with no morning sickness. There was a period of a few weeks where I felt nauseous at night, but never threw up :) I was very tired for months two and three, but I'm beginning to feel better now. In most clothes, I'm not showing yet, although I've gained about 7 pounds. My pants fit tighter and there's at least two pairs that I can't wear right now.

Donald is very excited. He wants to get a stethoscope so we can hear the heartbeat at home, but from what we've read, its hard to hear it without a Doppler. We buy diapers each time we go to Walmart, and Donald always remembers if I forget. He's gone with me to all the doctor visits and when we heard the heart on the first visit, he got teary! Donald arranged to have his shoulder fixed (torn rotator cuff and tendon) so he could play ball with Presley and carry all her baby junk after she's born. Its been three weeks since his surgery, and I've never seen him so intent on getting the therapy done so he's fully recovered by the time Presley makes her debut.

That reminds me, she's due May 7. State testing is the week before my due date. I'm thinking that I won't be administering the test this year, since you have to stand on your feet all day...