The MacGregors

The yearly blog post :)

2011-08-25T05:17:00.000-07:00

If it feels like I have abandoned my blog it is because I have. Unfortunately I find the convenience of leaving one liner updates on facebook all to perfect for my lifestyle.

Here is what we've got...
We are 15 days away from welcoming our little boy Joseph Francis MacGregor IV into the world. Still welcoming nicknames, but it looks like Quad may be the one. I feel like this pregnancy has flown by. With just over 2 weeks remaining I find myself completely un-miserable (most likely due to the cool monsoon weather we have had) and just enjoying every moment. Funny how easy it is to forget how it feels. I swear I have amnesia just from this pregnancy and Ellies. My favorite thing is the kicking. He has gotten what I would call a little violent lately, which is why I am up a little earlier than expected this morning :). It cracks me up when I am at work and I can just feel him kicking the desk. I try to scoot back in my chair, but honestly.... I can only reach so far over this HUGE belly to do my work.

A lot is different with this pregnancy too. Planning a C-section is... interesting. For example I have been able to tell people we are going in September 9th at 7:30, so by 8:00 we should have a new member of the family. A little odd, but it definitely takes the guess work out. I'm sure most would prefer to be surprised, but if I am going to be completely honest I can say I prefer knowing. Wierd as it is Joey and I are planners that way. I guess we still have 2 weeks to go, but I have not had NEAR as much swelling with this one. With Ellie it got so bad I didn't have ankles for the last little bit there. I didn't realize how much I liked the shape of my legs until I had to deal with kankles. Can't say I miss that little symptom. I definitely carry more up front than I did with Ellie too. Don't get me wrong... people could still make wide load jokes as I pass by.... but it is just more forward with JFM4. I do have a bit of "dazing" with him. Mostly while driving. It is this strange feeling where I'm not really focused, and I don't feel.... awake. Trying to stay aware of that little item so we don't.... "run into" any problems. Overall I am feeling pretty prepared, but I know to expect the unexpected. The to do list never ends, so I have stopped stressing about getting "everything" done before he gets here and have settled with doing what we I can before he gets here.

Ellie is doing fabulous. We just celebrated her 2nd birthday and I can't believe how grown up she is. She makes us laugh every day. Her obsession with her glittery pink shoes and jewelry is one of the funniest things ever. I honestly expected her to by a tom boy... which i supposed may come later in life, but make no mistake.... Ellie is as girlie as they get. We actually threw away the old pair of glittery pink shoes (due to the wretched stench) a few weeks back. There were tears and arguments about them being missing just about every morning, but Grammy had gotten her a duplicate pair in a larger size that we had planned on saving for her birthday. The box sat on the table for a good 2 months without being acknowledged in any way. A few days before her Birthday Ellie decides to sit at the table and discover what was in the box. Grammy and I were in the kitchen, and Daddy just happened to watch what was going on. She opens the box of glittery pink shoes and with her most sincere and emotional tone says "oh my goodness.... oh my"! With tears of joy in her eyes she pulled out the shoes and clutched them to her chest. We couldn't take them from her at that point, so I had to explain that they were a birthday present and that she needed to tell Grammy thank you. It has been almost 2 weeks now since she got the new shoes and I can tell you they look worse than the original pair. Almost all the glitter is worn off and that "familiar smell" is starting to lurk around the pink shoes. Not sure what we are going to do about that one.

Another funny Ellie moment happened just the other day. She is equally obsessed with cats. All cats. The neighbor cat Sammy mostly. She searches for him every time we get out of the truck and insists on going to visit him if she is lucky enough to spot him before Mama corrals her into the house. So... for her Birthday we took her and her "birthday tickets" (gift card from grandma hill) to pick out a present at WalMart. To be honest we haven't been big on toys so we really didn't know what kind of things she would be in to. So we walk down the toy aisle and let her browse and play to see what she likes. Finally we came to this fluffy white cat with bright blue eyes. It took no time at all for Ellie to fall in love. I pushed the button on her back and she began to walk and meow. Ellie had to hold it in the cart for the rest of the trip and kept laying her head down on her fur and saying awwwwww kitty. First Ellie named her gato, but has now changed it to blanca gato. Did I mention Ellie is learning Spanish? Anyway, so blanca is our new house cat. I was doing some laundry in the other day and I heard Ellie "talking" with a very authoritive tone. I snuck in to the front room to see what she was up to. There she was scolding blanca pointed finger and all. I said Ellie what is going on? "Nuffing" she says. Really.... it sounded like you were yelling. "Yeah" she says with that Ellie enthusiasm. Why were you yelling? "Blanca gato kicking" she says with a disapproving look on her face. She was kicking you? "Yeah" she says again with her spunky little voice. Apparently they way Ellie was holding blanca she kept pushing the walk button which in return made blanca "kick" her. I thought I was going to die. No shortage of emotion with little miss Ellie. Her facial expressions are ridiculous! My biggest challenge is not laughing at some of the things she comes up with. She is doing awesome with the my baby can read stuff. I swear she can read all of green eggs and ham :). She also is doing pretty great with the spanish. It's like she just craves more and more. I would recommend that program to any parent. It's like an exercise video... if you don't watch it you can't benefit from it. Ellie asks to watch one of her reading or spanish videos at least once a day. I am seriously shocked at what she has learned from it. Just had to throw that in there. Seriously LOVE it!

As for Mr. MacGregor. Did I mention he got a new job? Well same company, but he is now a Sales Rep for RSC. He loves it! I think the variety has just been really nice for him. It's funny to see how much he has already grown. Pretty sure he is going to do great! It will take a little time to adjust, but already he is just loving it! He is really up to the same old thing. Working, hunting and hanging out with the family. Got another deer just last Saturday ( I know....we are all surprised). :) He seems to be doing pretty well in the way of being prepared for a second child. He shares my anxiety on the whole how are we going to handle 2 and will Ellie be jealous thing. We are just planning to work through it and hope all goes well.

Well that is pretty much it for now. I had bettered get going and get started on my to do list for the day. Canning deer is on the agenda. I know it sounds super gross, but it is actually awesome! It takes out the game flavor and makes really great meat. It also takes up a lot less freezer room. Joeys mom and I have gotten pretty adventurous with the canning since we started the garden. We have already done a batch of pickles, working on bread and butter pickles, and are planning to do salsa, whole tomatoes, apples, and whatever else we can come up with :). If you have any good canning recipes please send them my way :)

Love you all and will post soon. Ahh... who am I kidding. Will post when I can :)

9 months... Seriously?

2010-11-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Yep... that's right. I could have had another baby in the amount of time it has taken me to post a new blog. I didn't... but I could have ;). Alright... short and sweet. Facebook has become my preferred method of sharing my life story, so If you feel like you are missing out check us out there.

Joey- Not sure I can say everything he has been up to since February. How about some recent updates? :). Dang near broke his ankle. He was playing volleyball and he and another guy went up to hit the ball at the same time. He came down on the other guys foot and severely injured his ankle. The doctors say it would have been a quicker recovery if he broke it. That was a month ago. He is just barely getting to walking on it (or should I say limping) this week. Poor guy. To top it off he caught a cold this week. Not sure what it is with Men, but they turn into the biggest babies when they are sick. Maybe if we didn't stack sickness on top of an injury I would be more tolerant, but I'm just not feeling the let me pamper you thing. On the brighter side, he has a little giddy up in his step now that he found out we got drawn for Javelena & spring Turkey. He is also enjoying his Daddy role. He loves that miss Ellie demands his presence, delivers kisses when he tells her "pay the toll", and cuddles him and says ahhhh when he pats his chest and says "show me Daddy's girl".

Ellie- She really is the sweetest dang kid there ever was. She is quite a ham too. Pretty sure she got my humor, although her father would disagree :). The funniest thing is her need for attention. Not sure how I am going to handle it later, but now it is the funniest thing ever! The first thing everyone says when they see her is "What pretty blue eyes". I have noticed lately that she waits for this compliment. We were in Bashas shopping the other day and this little old lady must not have seen her. As she always does when she feels someone accidentally bypassed her she tried to get the lady's attention. "Hiiiiiii" She says in a sweet and teasing tone. The little woman didn't respond. Take 2..... "Hiiiii". No response. She looked at me like a little lab puppy. Her head titled to the side like "Why isn't she noticing me??? She didn't even say what pretty blue eyes I had?" I swear it was the cutest thing! She is SO funny! Makes us laugh every day! She skipped walking all together and went from crawling to running. Seems to be quite a chatter box this week too, although no formal sentenced have formed yet. I don't know if we could love her any more, but there is always tomorrow :).

Me-I feel like my update is always the same. Maybe because it is :). Had our last staff member quit a few weeks ago so it's just me now. The would make 3 formal positions I am covering now. I don't even know how to explain how absolutely behind I am. I have decided to forget any above and beyond and keep my focus on "keeping it legal". So far so good, but I am feeling pretty stressed about dropping all the additional things to get caught up. I am still only working 3 days a week which is amazing for Ellie and I, but complicated for keeping up on my new additions at work. Unfortunately, almost everything in my life has suffered lately from my stress and lack of attention. I don't feel crazy, but I find myself just plain forgetting things and losing track of time. I swear Fridays are Mondays & Tuesdays are Thursdays. Weekends? What are those? I have kept myself so busy either catching up at work, catching up at home, or trying to help someone else do something that I haven't had any down time. Such is life I suppose. So looking forward to going to Kentucky next week and spending a week with family. Hoping it will be the down time I've been fantasizing about.

That's us in a nutshell :). Crazy busy, but happy together. We are still working on that whole slowing down time thing... but still have some kinks to work out.

I'll try to post pics and update more often. No promises for now. I'm already over committed :).

Luvs
MacGregors

funny mobiles

2010-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ellie thinks it's funny when the mobile stops. Of course it wasn't as overdramatic the second go round, but she still giggles a little bit. I think she knows when she is on camera :).

Finally... some free time!

2010-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Ellie's Room...

Happy Baby in the morning...

Our Beanie Baby...

Deer in the headlights...

Our little Deer...

Ok... I'm not going to lie. I am not the best at updates. So it's been like 5 months.... that's not half bad. Ok, it is. I have been wanting to update this page for a while and have even gotten threats to update or else. Today with all of the beautiful snow I have found myself stuck to do the things that i have been putting of for, well about 5 months now. I'm pretty caught up, except I will need to re-organize Ellie's room and swap out her too small clothes... Again! I swear this child grows like a weed! She is 5 months and she is barely fitting in her 6-9 month clothes! Speaking of the little angel, I can't even explain the joy that she is. She laughs, she rolls over, she sleeps like a rock... no kidding! Like we put her down about 8 ish and I usually have to wake her up for her 7 am feeding. Not to mention she takes 3 full naps a day... and usually without even as much as a whimper. I give FULL credit to babywise! I must have read that book 3 times before she was born (including the time I went through and highlighted my favorite points), and skimmed through those at least another 5 times. Loved it so much I bought the whole series from babywise to teenwise. I think as parents we drastically underestimate how much sleep our kids need. As a result, she is honestly the happiest baby I could ever imagine. She hardly ever cries. Infact, we didn't even know she had an ear infection until it burst and goop came out. She is such a precious girl! She LOVES Daddy time! I'm not sure if she loves it as much as he does, but I'm sure it's close. Today was awesome because Joey got off pretty early and got to spend the rest of the afternoon with us. Now we have 2 more full days of family time this weekend! It's so great!

I guess while we are discussing Mr. MacGregor I should report the last few updates to the hunting story that is his life. I guess I shouldn't make it sound like he has been abandoning us, to tell the truth we have had and awesome time hunting, I just haven't got anything. We have had so much fun down at the Globe house hanging with the family. Audrey & Jeff have been with us which as been awesomely fun, and equally helpful. While I have gone out hunting Audrey has stayed at the house to hang out will Ellie. Jeff and I have had the most fun irritating Joey. It is a full time job... truth be told he is getting much better. It takes quite a bit more than it used to, but we manage now and then by dropping range finders, talking too loud, making the deer run away (ok that last one has been mostly me), sneezing, coughing, pretty much everything there is do to wrong we manage to cover it. I know he has enjoyed it too! Funniest part is he killed both his deer for this year and his pig while Jeff and I were not present. All signs aside we have had a blast finding and chasing deer. Not so much pigs. Couldn't find the little suckers. We saw one of the biggest deer I have ever seen up close. He still makes my heart race to think of him. Good news is we have One more weekend to get our 2010 deer before August. Next weekend it's on!!!

To sum up the last few months we have had a blast. I don't think either of us expected life to be so... active with her being so little. She has been amazing & fun. She is growing faster than we can keep up with, so we are trying to enjoy every little moment. I will try to update soon, but you never know with me. Enjoy the pics :).

Getting Settled

2009-08-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Amazing how times flies. Tomorrow Ellie will be 2 weeks. Already we are noticing little changes in her. In case you were wondering she has mastered getting what she wants. Looks like she had no trouble at all tapping in to what makes Mom & Dad tick. Everything has been going great. At her checkup last Monday she weighed 7lbs 7oz. (she was 6lbs 13oz when she left the hospital). Needless to say she is getting plenty to eat. Sleeping has been pretty good too. She seems to be getting in to a little routine. It's pretty nice for me. Everything seems completely normal and healthy. As for me.... I have been feeling great. Everything is healing as it should and I am well rested thanks to Grandma Hill. It has been so great to have her around to help out for these first couple of weeks. Joey is doing great too. He went back to work on Wednesday and seems to be handling the change just fine. Granted he does look a little sleepier than usual, but all in all he is doing great. There are a few things we have discovered as parents. The main one is never say you won't do something. Inevitably you will do it. I have had so many opinions and things I swore I would never do that have flown out the window. When it comes down to it I guess you just do what works and hope to get through the day without crying curled up in a ball in the bottom of your shower. Luckily I have not ended up like this, but I'm not going to say I haven't been close. All I can say is thank heavens for pacifiers... always burp the baby with a burp rag... and if people offer help, take it. Parenting is for sure not a one person job. With the help of family, friends, amazing spouses, and awesome grandma's these last two weeks have been beautiful. Thanks to everyone. Will update as soon as I get a moment :). Love you!

A dramatic entrance...

2009-08-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

Yes... I realize it is 12:37 AM. This is really the only time I have to give updates. The last few days have been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I'll briefly touch on some the events we have experienced so far. I should start by saying everyone is healthy and safe now, although there were times when Ellie has given us some good scares. Everything was going ok, but I was not progressing in labor... at all. Turn the pitocin up... tons of contractions... no movement, turn it down... no contractions... even less movement. We were ready to endure it the full 24 hours they would allow after the broke my water until the unexpected happened. For some reason... which is still unknown the lost the fetal reading. Nurses are running everywhere, trying this position... and that one. All i can hear is people telling me to breath deeply in my oxygen mask. (By this time I was hooked up to about 8 different machines including the fetal monitor and the oxygen). So I'm breathing... and waiting... and finally they get it back. We all relax and everything is ok. And then came the tears. It scared me so bad, but I knew everything would be ok. Surely that wouldn't happen again. More time goes by... no progression. Lost fetal reading again. Tried to hard just to focus on my breathing and fix whatever was wrong. After what seemed like an eternity they found it again. At this point The nurses get concerned enough to call the Doctor in to the hospital. He arrives and not moments after we lose it again. It took him only moments to determine that we needed to get this baby out NOW! They immediately rolled me down the hall and started operating. Minutes later Ellie was here (12:41 a.m.), but not in great condition. Joey and I didn't find out until the next day, but they actually had to resuscitate her. Finally after the amazing team of nurses and doctors got her going we heard her cry for the first time. All I could see was a head of hair and some fingers move on the table. They took Ellie and Joey to the nursery right after that. I was a little heartbroken to find out that I couldn't go see Ellie until I was able to walk... which wouldn't be until much later that day. They got us settled in our room and we attempted sleeping. Didn't work so well. We rested, but I don't know that you would call it actual sleep. Finally around 6:00 I wiggled my toes and feet enough to where they allowed me to be put in a wheelchair and go to the nursery. Amazing! Meeting her for the first time was so ..... I can't even say. I still can't believe she is ours. After that we figured all would be fine and dandy and we would get to go home after 48 hrs (c-section release time). Little did we know the drama had just begun. It's hard to even recall everything that has happened in the last couple of days because there has been so much. Monday was just rough to be honest. One thing after another. She would just stop breathing, or she would choke on her own spit and turn blue, they didn't think her color was very good... I mean really one thing after another. It was a very scary and frustrating day. I was supposed to be able to feed her at 8 that morning, but then got put off till 11, and then they bumped it back to 3... everything just felt so crazy. After a long crazy day we finally got some answers. They had run more tests and everything was looking better. They determined she had Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension, and anemia. Apparently both of these things are easily fixed, and from our hospital. Such a relief. Then came Tuesday ( I would say today... but now it is 1:03 on Wednesday :)). Tuesday was the best day! So much improvement. She passed every test, her color changed, she became very active, and she finally breastfed for the first time. It really was the best day. Looking back it's hard to even think about all we went through Monday because today has been so great. She still is on an IV with her antibiotics, so we don't get to room with her, but she is just doing great and we spend a ton of time in the nursery with her. Not sure what tomorrow... I mean today will bring. I can only imagine good things. She is doing so great! Not sure when we will be discharged. I'm pretty sure they will discharge me as a patient tomorrow, but there has been talk of possibly keeping Ellie here for 7 days???? In that case I would be staying here as a boarding Mommy as long as they will let me. We should find out more later today. I'll keep you posted as much as possible. I would honestly like to say Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. We feel so blessed and know that it was through the power of prayer, and the grace of the Lord. Hope to have just as good of a report next time I post. I'll let you know when I can. Love you! ~MacGregors

Today is the day...

2009-08-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe today is the day. Getting ready to go in for induction this morning. Ate a healthy light breakfast and doing some baby yoga stretches to get my body going this morning. I feel very excited... but amazingly calm. It feels like Christmas morning! Strange to think that we will celebrate this day for the rest of our lives. Strange to think that by the end of today our lives will be changed forever. Can't wait to meet our beautiful angel. Funny side story... 22 years ago my Mom and Joeys Aunt Leslie went in the hospital and had babies on the same day. Yesterday Aunt Leslie's daughter (Brittany) gave birth to her little girl, and today I will give birth to mine :). Following in Mom's footsteps. We have joked about it this whole pregnancy, but I really didn't think it would happen. So crazy! 2 little girls added to Joey's family in one weekend. Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and prayers. We will update as soon as possible with pics and information. Love you! MacGregors

All my bags are packed....

2009-08-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Wow... life has been crazy! Still no arrival of little miss MacGregor. Not sure what she is waiting on, but by the feel of things she is in no hurry. Still dilated to a 2 on Wednesdays appointment. Other than that really not much news. I have been cleaning like a crazy person, and had a lot of help from my family when they were here for Kirsten & Brock's wedding. It was awesome to see everyone! I hadn't seen some people for honestly the far side of 10 years or more. It was beautiful and we all had a blast! Now just finishing up where Darbi left off an making some last minute organizational adjustments to make my home more functional, and touching up paint here and there (Thanks to all the painters!!!). Other than that I am just taking it easy and waiting for her to give me a sign that she is getting ready. Glad to go back to work today. Staying at home all weekend made me a little baby crazy and rushed. Working really helps me calm down and not drive myself crazy wondering what she is doing in there :). Strange to think I won't be here for 8 weeks. Not worried... just feels kinda funny. Oh... I finally joined face book. If I haven't found you yet please invite me! I really want to be your friend. I don't know if I really get the whole thing yet. Between my phone and the Internet version I have gotten a little lost... posted notes that I didn't mean to... you know just figuring it out I guess. I will for sure be able to post a note about Ellie's birth there because I am more likely to update it from my phone than to find a computer and update the blog. I promise I will write the full report when I get settled down. Ok.... before then. I will make a point to write something as soon after as possible since settling down may not come for at least a few weeks :). mmm... feeling hungry. Going to find something to eat and get back to work. We'll update you as soon as possible. Love you all so much! Thanks for all your kind words and support through all of this. We are so excited to make this amazing transition in our lives. We know it will be much different, but well worth it. Thanks again. Luvs- MacGregors.

Are we there yet?

2009-07-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

As July is wrapping up, and the due date within 3 weeks our house has been a little crazy. Poor Mr. MacGregor has been feeling the pressure to finish up his task list ever since our last appointment.

Not sure if I have shared the drywall story with you or not. A few months ago I got on a hot rock that we had to scrape the popcorn ceiling and re-drywall the babies room. Nesting??? Maybe so... in hind sight I think I have been using this whole nesting business to get a few things done that I had wanted completed for a while now :). Sorry Joey. So... it took one fit about the baby breathing in possible lead based paint and I had my way. Mr. MacGregor promised to fix the nursery before Ellie's arrival. I believe it was Joey's sister that said if you have 9 months to finish a project it will take you 9 months to complete it. Ain't that the truth! :). So we have been busy every weekend.... or just not wanted to do it... or made plans to do other things on the weekends planned for fixing the room. A few months or maybe weeks (not really great at measuring time lately) ago we scraped the popcorn ceiling down. This was only because Joey's family (seeing that we were not making progress) made a project of it and came over to help scrape the ceiling. Step one accomplished. Time goes by and still no urge to finish the room. Suddenly Joey had a feeling that Ellie is going to be here soon so he started the drywall. I was away that afternoon, but came home to find one worn out Joey. Exhausted and extremely frustrated looking he began to explain to me that he had a minor setback. Instead of fixing the drywall... he punched a hole in it. After the fact he realized this was not the smartest thing to do and noticed how close he was to trying to punch through a 2x4. The reason for the frustration and eventual hole in the wall was the mud. He bought some mud from Ace hardware that was really really old. I don't do drywall, but it was really noticeable how chunky it was. Needless to say he fixed the hole before I got home, but not much else was accomplished. After a trip to the home depot & a few more weekends and evenings of drywall, sanding, and texturing the room is finally ready for painting. Now all he has left to do is paint.... finish the closet.... have the AC installed.... Poor Mr. MacGregor. Who knows if the list will ever end.

The last appointment was pretty exciting. I have really had my hopes set on going in to labor on my own rather than being induced or something, and it looks like I may get my wish after all. The Dr. was surprised to report that we were dilated to 2cm. I realize that this does not mean that she will be here tomorrow, or even next week, but I am really excited that my body is already preparing and everything is falling in to place. Can't wait for our appointment this Wednesday!

In other MacGregor news... the whole family is coming to town. Kirsten is getting married this Saturday, so Mom, Ben, Hayli, Darbi, Ry & Kayla should be arriving tonight and Lane on Thursday. Cari & Allen are already close, so it should be a week of eventfulness. I guess that is really all to report for now. Keep checking in with us over the next couple of weeks. I do promise that I will post information (and hopefully pictures) as soon as possible of our little angel. Hope to be posting soon :).

Tagged

2009-07-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tagged! 5 Things I was doing 5 years ago:
1. Getting married
2. Getting my Real Estate License
3. Working for Coldwell Banker McCarty Realty
4. Taking care of my new puppy tootsie
5. Getting used to living with a spouse

5 Things on my to do list:
1. Have a baby
2. Paint the nursery
3. Prepare everything at work for my 8 week leave
4. Move my craftroom upstairs
5. Turn the current craftroom into a home office/downstairs nursery

5 Things I would do with a million dollars:
1. Pay off home in Show Low Bluff
2. Update current house
3. Make Joey start his own archery shop
4. Start a MacGregor Estate Trust
5. Travel more

5 Places I've lived:
1. Hansen Lane (Big House)- Lakeside
2. Hansen Lane (Little House)- Lakeside
3. 5th Place- Show Low
4. E. Nikolaus- Show Low
5. My office- I spend more time there than at home sometimes

5 Things I hope to be doing in 5 Years:
1. Having another baby
2. Celebrating my 10 year Wedding Anniversary
3. Taking a cruise
4. Going back to Yosemite
5. Working

So out of touch...

2009-07-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Man... I was doing so good! Sorry to not post any updates for so long. Everyone is alive & well :) Our little girl is still growing healthy and strong. So healthy in strong in fact that she has raised some eyebrows. The Dr. had to measure 3 times at one appointment to try and make her smaller. He didn't have much luck. Kinda gets my hopes up the we will have her sooner rather than later, but still sticking to the 16th in my head. Had another appt yesterday and everything is still good. We have been doing appts every 2 weeks for a while now and they are pretty routine. Crazy how in the beginning every moment in the Dr's office is so intense and important, and around the end it is just... casual. They just kinda have you hang our for a while, check a few things, and have a chat with the big man and send you on your way. We will be 35 weeks on Sunday according to the August 16th due date. I am so excited. I know we have a ways to go, but it just feels like we are on the right track for delivery prior to 08/16. I'm starting to think we should open up a money pool. Joey thinks she'll arrive in about 4 weeks which would put us around August 6th. I am reserving August 17th just to keep my mind on track. I would hate to start believing it was sooner and be miserable after it didn't happen. Would love to hear you guess :).

Everything else is going well. We're just working like crazy, & livin life. Here are a few pictures of the archery shoot and the 4th of July this last weekend. I'm not in them because I'm behind the camera, but I did manage to find a pregnancy picture with Joey's family at a softball game recently (see top of post). I'll work on getting more pictures on I swear. Love you all! Hope all is well for you and yours!

Say cheese...

2009-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Another great appointment has come and gone. We had an elective baby pictures/ultrasound appointment yesterday as well as our regular checkup. The whole thing was really cool, but the best part was when Ellie smiled :). We were looking at her chin discussing how it looks like Daddy's chin, and then we got this.

A big smile from our little angel. I don't know that either of us could have been happier. The Dr. says she is probably 6 or 7 days further along than the August 16th date, but at this point it is not enough to readjust the date. She is 3 lbs & measures 30cm. I know we still have a ways to go, but we are really running out of time. I think we are pretty much ready, I have just been so excited lately that I can't even stand it. Still feeling great, just ready to really get out and get into an exercise routine. The weather has been so nice lately that I have no excuse not to anymore :). I guess preparing for childbirth is serious business. One of the books I was reading compared it to training for a marathon. It said it is one of the most physical events you will ever put your body through, therefore you should condition your body to be prepared for it. Sounds pretty inspirational, so I'm gonna go with that for now. Don't be worried... I won't be doing intense training that will put me into early labor or anything... I think more than anything they were referring to the mindset. Mostly yoga ball stuff, my baby yoga, & a ton of walking. They all seem to really make me feel good. Well I'd bettered get going. I'll get you more info soon. TTYL!

The Big Kick & Baby Namer

2009-05-10T11:32:00.001-07:00

This morning was pretty cool. I know Joey has felt the baby, but he still wasn't sure, because he thought what he was feeling could have been my heavy breathing, my movements etc. This morning as we were lounging in bed he finally knew for sure he felt her! Took him long enough! So he had his hand on my belly and there were little movements here or there that he kinda just shrugged at like.... I guess that could be it, and then bam! Big kicks! She had 3 or 4 of them in just a few minutes. They were unmistakable! He says she was throwing little jabs & a big right punch. So funny. I think the reason he hasn't been able to feel them so far is he is not really around me in her most active time, and I never want to wake him from sleeping when she gets crazy at night. I'm sticking to that because today it was about 8:30 when she was going crazy & usually by that time he has been off to work for several hours already. She also gets pretty active around 4 everyday, but again long before we ever get to see daddy. Other than that we can count on middle of the night kickings and that's about it.

As for the name update.... Boy has this been fun! I will tell you Claire has been eliminated from the running, and Lyla has been fading for a few weeks. Kamri is still a top pick, but to be completely honest the name I want most and Joey is starting to like is Ellie. This one I have loved all along, but Joey put the kibosh on way early on. Over the last few weeks this one keeps coming up! Finally Joey said I could "try it out" for a little while. So we may have found a name after all. Ellie MacGregor. What for a middle name you ask? C'mon people! We're still having trouble with the first name :). Actually... I'm going to throw this one out there. A girl on our softball team found out we were having a girl and said we would have to name her Jolynn. Not really catching on I smiled and said we would think about it. The next day I was discussing the name with Joey and it hit me.... Joey... Lynsi.... Jolyn? Hello? Not sure if it took any of you as long as it took me, but I instantly fell in love with a name I would otherwise not consider. Joey is still not a fan, and honestly I wasn't either, but it's really really really growing on me.

I think it sounds nice... If you don't please keep it to yourself, because I will likely beat you with a stick for telling me the reasons you hate it. Not that it is a for sure thing, but I am definitely leaning towards it more than anything else. Well... that's really all I have for now. Today we are 26 weeks which would make us roughly 6 1/2 months (depending on how you count). No matter how you look at it we are 14 weeks until full term. Sounds like a ways out now, but it's getting closer and closer! Yikes! I have been able to work through most of my fears, but I am still very nervous for the unknown. Love you all and hope all is going well for you! Talk to you soon!

Joey's Big Girls...

2009-04-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Guess I should post an update. First I will take a moment to embarrass the love of my life. Poor Joseph. Had I not been watching what he was pointing out I never would have been able to make fun of him, but I was watching and I will never let it go. So cute! We were standing over the crib looking at the sweet little outfits and Joey had a very serious question that seemed to have been bothering him for some time now. He said "Why does every little girl outfit come with a hat"? Not a very odd question, because a lot of little girl outfits do come with hats, but what was funny was that he had picked up a pair of bloomers to show me the "hat" he was referring to. I almost died. After I explained that they were bloomers I got a sheepish grin out of him. So needless to say since then we have referred to them as hats. Loved it!

As for an update, we had our 24 week appointment yesterday. It was especially tense for me because I wasn't sure how much weight I had gained. I have had one nurse this entire process, but the appt before yesterday I had a nurse that I didn't particularly care for. She said I had gained 10 pounds (could be the reason I didn't care for her)! I was pretty depressed since I had been doing pretty great at eating healthy, drinking tons of water and just being good in general. Not to mention up until that point they had been telling me I had been losing weight (not surprising with my first couple of months). Anyway... I expected to gain weight, but that much that quickly freaked me out. At work it got worse when a girl said "that's ok... if you continue gaining at this rate you'll only gain 64 lbs". I could have cried! I didn't think 64 lbs would be healthy in any way. So... I went to my home scale to check the nasty nurses accuracy. Yeah... little problem. I noticed the reading was 10 lbs when nothing was on the scale. The question was did it get messed up recently, or have I just been weighing myself with it 10 lbs heavier for a while now???? I had to try it as I saw it, because it wouldn't be fair to turn it back 10 lbs. The stupid thing said I had gained 17 lbs since I started? The bright side was it would only be 17 if I had been weighing myself with the additional 10 lbs. If somehow it got magically screwed up I would have only gained 7. I sure wasn't feeling like I had gained 17 lbs so again not sure what to do here. The Good news is... the nurse didn't weigh me right last appt! Yeah! So it all evened out this appointment. My total weight gain has been 12 lbs, but the first few months I lost 5, so the Dr. said my overall weight gain is 7 lbs. Not sure if you can Imagine my relief! A little too much info I know, but it had been making me crazy for a month now! Doc gave me a high five and said I'm doing great for 6 months!

As for the little angel. Her heart rate this time was 152 bmp. The only other new news from this appointment is we will be having a big girl. She was 27 cm, which he said he expected about 24 or so, but according to my babycenter.com she should be about 21cm. So needless to say she is getting more than enough nutrition. It honestly made us wonder if the original "due date" controversy is still a little up for debate? Not really sure yet, but we should have a better idea next month. We go in for an optional ultrasound (pics & video) and they should be able to do measurements then. So we'll see on all that :). Here is the 24 week update.

Your pregnancy: 24 weeks
See the big picture
How your baby's growing:Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Where has the time gone?

2009-04-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe how quickly this is all going by! It seems just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant, and here we are at 5 1/2 months. I'm feeling spectacular... except for the congestion I have had for the past 2 days. It's crazy to think about what I will be doing 6 months from now... 1 year from now... just the future in general. Our little girl has been kicking like crazy! Not clearly defined as a hand or a foot, but there is definite movement. Joey got to feel it for the first time yesterday. He wasn't sure the first 2 times he felt her, but in the evening he was pretty sure he did. I think it takes a few times to really be able to identify it as movements rather than gas bubbles, a pulse, or breathing by mama :). Up until recently I have just wanted it all to rush by, but lately I find myself wanting it to slow down. August is coming quicker than expected. I am so excited and ready, and at the same time I don't know if I have been more afraid in my life. Are you ever really prepared for it? Can you ever be ready? I know we will do just fine, and everything will turn out better than I could have expected... but I have a hard time not really knowing what to expect. I have an idea of course, but I'm sure there is much more to it than I can even comprehend right now. I have been around kids my whole life, but I have never had one be my whole life. I think if Joey and I can find a balance and really establish teamwork we will be just fine. It has been a while since I left and update from babycenter... so here you go.

How your baby's growing:At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Comment Issues

2009-04-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

After many reports of trouble with commenting I have fixed the issue (I think). It should be good to go now. Comment away! Let me know if it is still giving you fits. Not sure what I did to it. Fussy blogspot!

It's a girl!

2009-03-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

We have had an idea for a while, but the appointment today confirms that we are having a little girl! We are so excited! She is now 12 oz, and I think I saw the monitor read the heartbeat at 155 bmp. Not 100% sure on that one. Everything looks really healthy, and it looks like all fingers and toes are present. We even got to see the 4 chambers of the heart. Kinda strange, but really neat, and oddly comforting. I have two favorite moments from this appointment, and I think Joey shares the same two. The first was the hiccups. There was a side view of her and we could see her little heart pumping, and every few seconds you could see her whole body move. She had the hiccups! The second was when we were looking at her face. I don't have any pictures that show it, but we got a really clear view of her and the tech said she had my button nose. We both just smiled. I'll have to watch the video tonight to see what we actually caught on tape, but it was amazing! I was a little cranky going in because I had overfilled my bladder by a long shot, but they let me take care of that and we ended up having a really comfortable sitting. She stayed pretty curled up, but our tech said it was because it was snowing outside. Didn't realize that would make a difference. Next ultrasound (28 weeks) I'm going to revert back to the apple juice approach. So... all is well, everyone is healthy, & we are so excited to start planning a future with our baby girl! I know Joey is going to be wrapped around her finger, and I... well let's just say I will be getting what I deserve. If this little one puts me through half the stuff I put my Mom through I'm really in for it. I can't wait! Thank you all for the love, support & prayers! We really do appreciate it. Love you so much! ~The MacGregors

Cribs & kicking & puppies...OH MY!

2009-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Spring is well on its way and there is plenty of action going on at the MacGregor house.

Cribs...We finally got the crib put together (finally meaning we bought it like 6 weeks ago, and after pushing weekend after weekend Joey finally broke down and put it together as I watched). I have to be honest this was a bitter sweet thing to do. Seeing it put together is so sweet and beautiful, and excites me to no end. On the other hand, it is giving me a little bit of a reality check and I have never been more scared in my life! I started reading this book called baby wise. Controversial yes... but hear me out. I am almost done with it, and I am so amazed at what it has given me. I feel like I really have a "realistic" idea of what life after labor is like. Before I imagined perfectly clean clothes, a big baby smile, giggles at bath time, and just plain bliss. I know it will be, but now I am starting to really understand that it's not as easy as I've imagined. There will be crying, and screaming, and poop, and stains on the favorite outfit and of course sleepless nights. It's going to be real life. For those of you who have children you are giving me the duh.... comment right about now right? Seriously though.... this is my first time. Now that I have accepted this truth, I have been able to really move forward and still be very excited for our new addition.

Kicking... I have been really hesitant and unsure of what this was going to be like. Yesterday as I was reclining reading a book I finally felt something. Not a violent kick, or even anything that said "hey this is me"! It was a very gentle movement in my tummy that felt like I was either really nervous or borderline sick. Just a little tickle. The funny thing was it was more noticeable when Joey was talking to me. The more he would talk the more butterflyish it got. I am pretty positive this was our first movements. I had thought there was movement 3 times before, but wasn't sure if it was gas, or just plain craziness. Still not sure what all that was, but it didn't feel like this. It was so subtle I think I could miss it altogether if I wasn't really paying attention. Loved it!

Puppies... this one takes the cake on the SHOCK factor. Our crazy dog tootsie had puppies! AGAIN! She just had a batch in September. I was under the impression dogs only had a cycle twice a year so had no thoughts of her even being pregnant. Last Saturday we were eating breakfast with the Nephews when Joey reported strange activity by Tootsie. After further investigation she was indeed acting strange. She had 3 puppies! We had no idea she was pregnant, and didn't even think she looked pregnant. I guess 3 compared to the 8 she carried last time didn't really look like much. Mom & pups are doing really well and we think we have already found homes for two of them. Although they were unexpected they really have been fun to have around. I do love puppies! They are just so clumsy cute! So if anyone is looking for a chocolate lab you're in luck. These babies are free to a good home and should be ready after April 25th. Let me know soon, because I really do think Joey has 2 reserved. There was 1 Boy and 2 girls.

Alrighty! I'm going to get back to it now. Hope all is well with all of you! I'll let you know what we find out at next Mondays appointment! Oh... just as a side note. A friend of ours (A.C.) went in at 16 weeks and they said she was having a girl, but at the 20 week appt they found out it was really a boy! Not saying that will be the case... but it you want to change your vote I would do it now :0) Luv u! MacGregors

the amazing appointment....

2009-03-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

What an amazing appointment we had today! We had heard from a few sources that the Dr. I go to has let people see at 16 weeks what there were having. I wasn't going to ask for it, but I wanted to be prepared just incase. Joey had heard from a friend to drink apple juice before you go in because it gets the baby moving around. Little did we know this decision would be the reason we were able to have an ultrasound this month. Because of all the sugar the baby was moving around too much and they couldn't get a heartbeat.... so we got to get an ultrasound! I had been looking forward to this since our first because I had tons of worries that the baby might not be growing like it should... etc. I'm told the worries never go away. It turns out the baby is growing just as it should. We are a healthy 6 oz, and the heartbeat was 164. It was incredible! The baby was moving around so much! It was precious! I've seen other peoples ultrasound pics, but not really go into it. So different this time around. To see it move and squirm was amazing! I knew it was happening, but not being able to feel it yet it was still pretty amazing how much it is moving! It seemed that when I would say something it would respond. Loved it! Alright... so I realize if you wern't there these pics don't mean the same thing, but I will try to interpret.

This is the face of our little angel. You can see it's right hand up next to it's mouth.

This one shows a head (I think it is the face, but the tech didn't say it was or wasn't), a left hand, a plump tummy & a long umbilical cord streaming off to the right.

Here is a side view of baby MacGregor. The cutest thing was the legs crossed. You can't really tell here, but it was one of my favorite moments. Head up top, right arm covering face, and right leg.

This one is the most controversial pic. According to the tec we are looking a the babies rump as if it were sitting on a glass table. So... if you look at the 3 lines she pointed out this picture would indicate we are having a little girl. We still will not know for another month, but that is what we know for now.

So... as you can see it really was a very eventful appointment. I'm not sure if I'm ready to start calling it a "she" yet, but it's almost hard not too. I will promise to refrain from purchasing girl stuff until the next appointment when we really do have a better idea, but I'm feelin pretty good about the tech being right on the money. I can't explain the amazingly good feelings coming out of that appointment. Everything is going so well, progressing as it should, and I'm feeling super lately! I guess I am waiting for someone to tell me it has all been a dream. I can't believe we will finally have a little angel of our own. With our nose... our eyes... and our curly brown hair (heaven forbid this child should come out blonde or red headed :0) I might have some splainin to do). We could not be more excited about our little miracle.

Feelin Good N Clingy

2009-02-23T11:58:00.001-08:00

I am so impressed with my body lately. It seems I am finally taking on somewhat of a pregnant shape. I still have mild sickness from time to time, but overall I am just amazed at all the changes that are taking place. For the most part I feel REALLY GOOD! I must admit I have had slight bitterness toward the weather, because it warmed up and looked so promising and then snowed. I am very grateful for it because I know we need the moisture, but honestly it made me a tad bit grouchy for a while. All that aside it has started to get warm again which has made me really happy! Another thing that has impressed me is my body's "cravings" for really good food. This is where I am not sure if my body is wanting these things or I am persuading it that I want these things. For example instead of ice cream I have really wanted fruit. Now mind you I eat ice cream, I just don't want it even as much as I did before pregnancy. Is this because of the books I've been reading? My own logic in pregnancy weight gain? Or is my body really craving the nutrition that comes from Fruit vs. Ice cream? Now really... I'm not trying to say I'm eating perfectly, nor am I trying to impress you. I am simple impressed myself. I guess when I used to think of pregnancy I thought of eating double of what you want when you want, and having no remorse. It seems most people view it that way as well. The truth has been in my case that I can't eat even as much as I did before at one sitting (because it all comes back up), although I do eat lighter meals more frequently. I have been hitting the liquids pretty hard and it really has made me feel really great! And this biggest change has been that I actually consider the effects of what I am putting in my body. Again, not near perfection, but a huge improvement from my pre-pregnancy eating habits. I've paid a lot more attention to my calcium intake, sugar intake, protein... fruits... veggies. I'm just really proud. I think all of this has had an effect on my feeling good lately. The other feelings I have had lately have been anxious & clingy. Anxious to feel movement, and to find out what we are having, and clingy toward Joey. Hopefully not in a disgusting way to him :). Not sure if it is normal, but I have really had a need to be with him lately. More than usual I have wanted to be close to him, holding his hand, hugging him, just really.... clingy I guess. It probably didn't help that he was away all weekend and today, but it's still a very recognizable urge that has developed over the last week or so. Strange as it sounds I missed him before he left this weekend. As I was telling him good bye I already was sad that he was gone???? Can't really explain how it feels. Anyone ever had that? Maybe we just need some quality time together. Who knows. Maybe I'm just over needy right now. It really feels more that way. We spend time together... all the time... I just feel like a stalker or something lately. Not sure if he has noticed yet, but I can see it becoming a real problem if I don't get a handle on it soon. Then again maybe he is feeling the same way??? I guess I should talk to him huh? I'll get right on that when he gets home :). Well yesterday we hit the 15 week mark. Yeah! Here is the update. Your pregnancy: 15 weeks See the big picture How your baby's growing:Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Little Lemon

2009-02-17T13:53:00.001-08:00

How your baby's growing:This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Joey's idea of Valentines Day :)

2009-02-11T09:17:00.003-08:00

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Snow, Shrimp, & Sugar Cookies

2009-02-09T15:44:00.001-08:00

Those 3 items have nothing in common right? Those are just the things on my mind today. The snow because it is snowing like crazy outside. They are big fat flakes! I have been told if they are big flakes it means there will be little amounts of snow, and if they are little flakes you will get a big snow. So not true! Is that like if you sleep facing the north, and crave sweets it will be a girl? (By the way... I so don't buy any of that bs! Details later). Anyway... the snow is coming down. I'm not very happy about it because it got really nice and warm last week, but you can't say it isn't beautiful! I could watch it for hours! Being bundled up isn't so bad after all. It hides the belly that people confuse between possibly pregnant, and hugely overdosing on doughnuts!

Shrimp??? For some reason can't even stand the idea of it lately, but I read that our baby is the size of a Medium shrimp right now, so of course all I can see is shrimp. Here is the 13 week update (I can't believe it's already been another week!!!) How your baby's growing:Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

As for the Sugar cookies! Oh my gosh! I got some of the soft sugar cookies, because I really felt like I "needed" them (apparently you can just need food in pregnancy and no one questions you! Crazy!), but once I got them I was very disappointed. They had nothing that I had wanted. I barely finished the one I started and passed the rest on Joey's buddies at fight night. A couple days later I still felt this need for sugar cookies. I don't usually like the hard ones, but man oh man! They were money! The hard ones that have all the sprinkles on them... I still have the sprinkle proof stained on my tongue, and my thumb & pointer finger. I have tried not to eat them way to fast, but it has seriously been so hard. I brought 2 to work today one for today and one for hopefully the next couple of days. No Way! Those things were gone in 10 minutes! I hate them a little bit, but mostly I am in love with them. My only hope is that Safeway and Walmart discontinue them. Unlikely :).

Speaking of food that is making me happy... I love pickle spears. Not the slices, or the whole ones, but the spears. MMM... I bought the biggest jar ever! It's like the ones you get at sams club. So awesome! Anyone who has been pregnant understands, however my husband has made fun of me to no end about the dang pickle spears. I defended them as much as I could telling him they were crisp and refreshing and made me feel good. He simply would not listen & said I was gross. As I was fishing for pickle spears the other day guess who wants one? That's right... Mr. MacGregor. So I get him a pickle spear on a napkin. Mmmm... that was good, with bashful rosey cheeks he asks in his sweet voice... can I have another? After I finished my victory dance I got him another pickle spear. We have been eating them like crazy ever since. I love it!

One last thought and I will wrap it up. These old wives tales that tell you what gender your having are BS! Some of them are down right ridiculous! Honestly! What if you crave sweet and salty things, sleep on both of your sides, dream about boys & girls, have one smooth and one dry hand, not to mention the ring on the string goes back and forth and in circles??? Does that mean your having a hermaphrodite? I don't think so. They are 50/50 anyway right? Silly silly. A healthy baby will do.... boy or girl. Ok then. That's enough for today. I'm going home before the roads get too bad. Luv ya! ~ The MacGregors~

12 weeks & an appointment

2009-02-02T14:39:00.001-08:00

Hello all! Just as an update todays appointment went very smoothly. All is well with both of us. We got to hear a heartbeat again which is now at 162 bpm. Everything is looking great and our next appointment is March 4th. The sickness hasn't settled yet, but yesterday it occured to me that as long as they have me taking progestrone suppliments I will continue to be sick. I forgot to ask when they wanted me to stop taking them, so I have a call in to our nurse. So other than that it's business as usual. I'm feeling pretty great (other than the sick & really sleepy), and just excited at our progress. No new pictures yet, and the next appointment doesn't look likely either, however we are only 8 weeks from a full 4D ultrasound, and of course finding out the gender. So if you can hang in a little longer for an updated pic we will be good.

As for the superbowl... so fun! I was sad the cardinals lost, but they still did amazing. Let's not forget the Arizona cardinals were in the superbowl. How crazy sounding is that! They did great. As for Maggie & myself and our puzzle. Not so great :). We did pretty good, but even a 750 piece puzzle didn't work. Next year we are going to try 500 to boost our self esteem. We can build up from there. It was a great night & we enjoyed all the food, and family fun!

Here is your technical update for Baby MacGregor

Hello from BabyCenter! Your baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. Her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, have moved closer together. Your baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protruded into the umbilical cord, will start to move into her abdominal cavity. Her kidneys are secreting urine into her bladder. She may have acquired more reflexes, including sucking, and she'll even squirm if you prod your abdomen, though you still won't be able to feel her move for several weeks.

11 weeks and counting

2009-01-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for the Superbowl!!!! My reasons are two fold :). First of all, so excited for the Cardinals! They are already champs in my eyes! Our Superbowl Tradition is going over to Joey's sisters, eating pizza, watching the game, and she and I try to put together a 1000 piece puzzle before it is over. We haven't finished one yet, but we try every year. I'll let you know how we do :). My 2nd reason is we will finally be caught up! Since they bumped us back to 8 1/2 weeks time has gone by so slowly :). On Superbowl Sunday we will be officially 12 weeks! Yahoo! Hopefully that will bring a farewell ceremony for the morning sickness, and a welcome ceremony for the "new energy" everyone says I will get. Just for the record I have never in my life been so happy to be sick. It gets rough sometimes, but mostly I feel sympathy for those around me (I can't stand hearing someone throw up). It is an awkward situation for anyone to be in. But I would go through it all nine months if it meant that I would have a healthy happy baby at the end of it. Joey is still up to his sweetness. He says the cutest things and doesn't really know it. For example... lately I have felt.... fat. Not pregnant, or oh so cute, or like I'm growing in one specific direction. Like bloated, expanding everywhere, odd & just fat. From what I hear this is typical of the ever changing pregnant body. So I figured keeping these feelings of yuck to myself was in every one's best interest. I don't remember what I was doing, but I caught Joey giving me a sideways look. Not being able to read exactly what he was thinking I asked... What does that look mean? He says "nothing". Well... when do you think you will start showing? Again one of those moments when I could just squeeze him to death. The fact that he wasn't thinking... umm your not "that" far along, lets try and hold that in a little longer huh? was remarkable. My head has lead me to believe that every person I talk to is thinking that anyway. But honestly to hear him and see his eyes truly ask me was amazing. I felt so good. He is getting a little anxious lately to see our little one grow. He feels either I should have a growing belly, or we should have a new picture that shows our growing child. I guess he is just looking for a progress report :). Well we have a checkup on Monday, so I will let you know how it goes. They might do an ultrasound, thought it is highly unlikely since we just had one a few weeks ago. Who knows. I'll get you new pictures of baby MacGregor as soon as possible :)

Here is our 11 week update.

Your fig-size baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing a quarter of an ounce. His skin is still transparent, allowing his blood vessels to show through. Some of his bones are beginning to harden. His fingers and toes have separated, and he may soon be able to open and close his fists. He's busy kicking and stretching, but because he's still so small, you won't feel any of his aquatic workouts for another month or so. As your baby's diaphragm develops, he may also start getting the hiccups.

10 week update & the sweetest things

2009-01-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

Just got home from another eventful hunting weekend with Joseph. We chased pigs and deer all over Globe, but no volunteers. Needless to say trotting a few miles up mountains & mostly sliding down steep valleys while carrying my bow in the scorching heat did a number on me. Sometimes I thought I was going to pass out from the heat of the sun.

Mind you this is what we call fun. :) Under normal conditions it really is, but with added concern and stress about getting dehydrated, & the dizzy spells it just didn't go so well for me. After an afternoon nap I decided to stay home while Joey & his buddy Asher went out for the afternoon hunt. Wise choice. Over the nap I had developed a pounding headache that just would not go away. So... i took a shower. Still felt terrible. Ate some food... felt even more terrible. Tried to lay down for a nap. You guessed it terrible. No matter what I did I could not feel good. I just felt Terrible!

The boys came home and I told them I wanted to run by the grocery store to pick up some fresh fruit & ice-cream. They were hungry so agreed to go. We get to the store, and not even a minute after I get out I'm heaving behind the tail gate. Poor boys! It's disgusting I know, but it just had to be. Feeling a little better now we go inside & get our supplies. Heading home starting to not feel so good again. Once again not moments from getting out of the truck & I'm bent over in the front yard.

Thinking we are all done I'm ready to try some of this fresh fruit. That lasted all of 30 minutes and yes... another trip to the bathroom. You guessed it more heaving. I had surrendered my head to the toilet, and finally dropped helplessly to the floor to feel the cool tile against my face. Surely there could me no more heaving, because I could honestly say there was not an ounce of fluids or solids left in my system. Cue the dry heaving. If you have never been fortunate enough to experience this I will be happy to explain. Your body knows there is nothing left, but continues to try to get you to empty your contents. You have no control over it, and it lasts as long as your body wants it to. Nothing in the world can stop this fruitless labor.

Dropping again to the floor I heard a voice from the hallway. It was Joey asking if I was ok. Surprisingly in a sweet voice I managed to get out the words "I'll be fine,thanks for asking". That was his responsibility right? If someone is sick you ask if they are ok. Common courtesy by any standard. If he had walked away after that I would have understood and had no reason to be mad at him. He was being courteous.

These next few moments shaped our very future and left me with a deeper understanding of where we are really headed. Next to me I felt his body on the floor. He started rubbing my back. I could never have guessed that such a simple thing could make me feel better, but it absolutely did. I started to feel instant relief all over my body. As he continued with my arms & my neck I felt my headache get lighter and lighter. I felt so good and happy it is just too hard to put into words the things I felt. It's like when you were a kid and you stayed home from school when you were sick and Mom gave you some hot soup.

It's always an awkward situation when you see someone is not feeling good and you know you cannot help. I always knew Joey loved me, and that we would always be ok, but that simple gesture made me feel like I'm am not at all in it alone. I know that sounds silly, but even when you are married some times you are just one your one with some things. It seems to me that Dads in general get scared (or in some cases lazy) and really just leave kids with the Moms and call them "their responsibility". As much as I understand the reasoning and agree somewhat, I strongly feel like it is a family unit, and each member has to put in their share.

For whatever reason the worries I had about Joey being a not so helpful Dad disappeared. I feel like he is in it just as much as I am. I feel like he wants to help. I feel like it is important to him too. It just left me feeling good. Emotionally & Physically :0). As much as it was kinda a rough weekend, it was almost groundbreaking for me. I know it may sound so silly to everyone else, but it was a really important moment.

So now that you have heard my complaints & ramblings... Here is an update on our little one. We are 10 weeks today! Take no note that the explanation call it a HE. I stared pulling these from Baby Center, and until you find out the sex they rotate he and she in to their write ups. Guess it helps keep an open mind right? Who knows... Here is the update.

Your pregnancy: 10 weeks

How your baby's growing:Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Getting ahead of ourselves...

2009-01-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hello all... as promised I am reporting about the Dr. Appt we had today. Joey just managed to make it in time. He was in globe and almost missed it completely. Today the only goal was to hear a heartbeat. The nurse was "unable" to find a heartbeat meaning we needed an ultrasound. We waited a while and finally got it to have the ultrasound. The great news is.... there is a very strong heartbeat! We got to hear it and it was really amazing. This next bit of information may be confusing but I will try to explain the best I can. The reason we have had so much trouble getting pregnant is that my body is EXTREMELY irregular. Meaning there were times I went 6 months without a cycle, and that is just how it was. Well... the Dr. bases how far along you are on your last period. The date I gave was in October. The Ultrasound however indicated that our little angel (which is so cute even though it's not very distinguishable) is only 8 weeks and 3 days. Yeah... that one threw me off a bit. So with that said our new due date is August 16th. We are so excited, and Joey feels like he gets to make up for lost time or something :0). I guess another month to prepare. So all is well, and a very healthy MacGregor baby is indeed in the works. Thanks for all your love & support. I'll keep you posted, although you already know what will be happening with our baby for a least the next 4 weeks :0).

The Christmas Whirlwind

2008-12-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a whirlwind :0). This year my family came to visit for Christmas. They arrived on the 19th, and just left a few days ago. It was awesome! I just love having a full house. There is so much to do. :0) The events were non stop between Joey's family and my family. Let me see if I can remember what all we did. Dinner at Eva's for my Mom & Ben, Marissa's baptism, helped at the Love Kitchen, DQ party, Christmas Caroling, Christmas Parties with both families Christmas Eve, Christmas parties all day with Joeys family Christmas day, Allen's wedding, fight night & Skippys farewell. Keep in mind each day had a seperate event :). It was a family marathon & we loved it! I will try to post some pictures of all these fun events. I didn't take any... but I know they are out there. So when we did have a few minutes we just chilled at home with Ben, Mom, Kirsten, Hayli, & Lane. We had a blast. It just felt like we had never lived apart. They stayed with us part time, and part time with Cari in Joseph City. What an awesome Christmas.

Well... today is the 11 week mark. Here is whats up with our baby.

11 weeks-WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY Your baby-to-be is about 50 millimeters crown to rump and weighs about eight grams (about a quarter of an ounce). The irises are now forming. The liver, intestines, brain and lungs are beginning to function on their own. The primitive "tail" is now gone. The intestines are beginning to migrate into the abdominal cavity and the external genitalia are present but difficult to distinguish. Now that most of the major organ work is done, your baby adds such details as hair, fingernails and toenails. While your baby's head is nearly as large as the rest of her body, head growth begins to slow during this period.

Next Wednesday I should be able to give you a rundown of our appointment. We should be able to hear the heartbeat! I'm so excited!!!

Talk to you soon!

Moving right along

2008-12-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
Things are going great with our little one. I have had a few episodes of crazy sickness, but with you in mind I will keep them to myself :0). Other than that, all seems to be going well. Our next appt is in two weeks, so until then there is no real update. Here is a the blurb from Ivillage (which I love by the way).

10 weeks-WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
By the end of this week, your baby will have verifiable fingers and toes. The tadpole appearance diminishes as the tail completely disappears. Eyelids fuse and will stay shut until weeks 25 to 27. Both the external ear and upper lip are complete, and the beginnings of external genitalia appear. The average size of your baby-to-be is 27 to 35 millimeters, crown to rump, or 1.06 to 1.38 inches. Your little one weighs in at a hefty four grams! At the end of the eighth week of gestation your little one is no longer an embryo; from now on he or she is refered to as a fetus.

Helping out

2008-12-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! People are so giving. I wish people behaved this way all year round (only exception being the crazy shoppers that steal things from your cart, and insist you stole something from theirs). We have had so many family events in the past few days, and are packed full for the rest of the year. I love it! I just can't help but wish it was this way all the time. Everyone is thinking of someone else, and what they could do for them that would make them smile... I mean it's just right isn't it?

This Saturday I got the opportunity to serve at the Love Kitchen. My Mother in Law and sister also readily voulenteered to help. I was really touched at what a little effort can do. Not many showed up because they are not used to getting food on the weekends, but the few that did show were very appreciative. It felt really good to help, and we had a lot of fun planning & preparing the food. It made me want to book myself every weekend for the rest of the year, and it also made me feel very grateful. For my family, for my husband that works so hard to provide for us, and just for the abundance that so many of us are blessed with everyday. We may be in peralous times, and have no clue what will be happening in the near future, but what a blessing to not have to worry about catching the bus so we can make it for dinner tonight. I am usually a believer that people make their own circumstances, but right now so many people are trying, and they just can't make it work. Regardless of my prideful outlook of who does and doesn't deserve assistance, I know that helping out is Christ like. No matter what those people are or are not doing, he would serve them. I am planning to set up a program after the new year to where we go every weekend to serve. I am not asking every weekend of you, but if you would like to spend an afternoon doing something truely fulfilling please let me know when you would like to participate, and who will be coming and I will be happy to sign you up. Also, if you need to get rid of any canned goods, or boxed food that you just are never going to use you would be surprised what they can do with it. Let me know and I'll be happy to let you know where to drop it, or take it up for you.

Merry Christmas

The unicorn!!!

2008-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

No really... he was a unicorn. We were joking that he is a duck. If you have never seen "open season" the name comes from being half doe, half buck... making him a Duck. Just a little guy, but like I said he was my first deer and i couldn't be more proud. Very true to my style to end up with the smallest one with half a rack, but what can I say. Some things are just classic.

Our new addition...

2008-12-15T10:08:00.001-08:00

Truth is I'm just not that great at blogging. This is my attempt to keep everyone posted on what is going on. Last week Joey and I found out that we are pregnant! Yeah!!!!! It has been a long wait for sure, but now the wait doesn't feel like it was all that bad.

Also on the MacGregor bullitin is my first Deer kill. With my bow at 62 yards none the less. Joseph is ever so proud :). It is just a little guy, but I'm sure he'll be good eating. We are looking forward to heading down in January for more deer, and pig hunting. It really is a good family adventure :).

Back to the baby news (WARNING: It is likely that baby news will be almost all I blog about for the next 7 months). Which brings us to our first question. How far along are we? Tommorrow will be the first day of our 9th week. Below is the technical breakdown of what is going on with our little one.

9 WEEKS-WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

This week, your baby-to-be grows to between 20 and 28 millimeters from crown to rump, or about an inch. Weighing in at one gram, your baby is very active, although you can't feel its movements. He or she now has all the major organs, muscles and nerves. A Doppler may be able to identify the heartbeat. While testes and ovaries are formed, external genitalia appear sexless, which is why it is too early for an ultrasound to reveal gender. Eyelids are beginning to form and the trunk is straightening and elongating.

As for personal experience... I'm feeling a little sick throughout the day, but it really gives me confidence that we are actively moving forward in a healthy pregnancy. Our next appointment is January 7th which should allow us to hear the heartbeat. Wow! I can't believe all of this moves so fast! I'm reading every article, book, & magazine I can get my hands on :0).

Well thats about it for now. I will try to keep you posted as much as possible. Thanks for stopping by :0).