The Cutest Blog on the Block

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wow, you're growing, Baby H :)

I figured I should write our 15 week update before week 16 arrives! This week Baby H is about the size of a navel orange, weighing about 2.5 ounces and measuring a whopping 4.5 inches! Way to grow, Baby H! And you can certainly tell Baby H is growing by the roundness of his/her mommy's belly! 
Not much has changed this week, I still eat a lot and have plenty of energy. I am as feisty as ever, and Lance still talks to Baby H everyday. Next Monday, June 6th, we have an ultrasound to find out what our sweet little stinker is! We can't wait. Gran and Peeps are coming to Auburn for the visit, and I can't tell you who is more excited- mom and dad or the grandparents! I just hope the ultrasound tech is ready for the explosion of emotions that may happen in that room :) 
We get asked everyday "Well, what do you want the baby to be?" or "What do you think it is?" I'll answer these:
What do we want?- We do not care about the sex of the baby, we just want a healthy boy or girl with 10 fingers and toes and perfectly functioning organs! Lance and I want a big family, and our hearts are very open to adoption, so I know one day we will have one of each. Boys are precious and love their mommy, they make big messes and can always find a way to get in the dirt, dad is their superhero who always solves the world's problems and-in their eyes- is the best at everything he does, mom is always their #1 fan. Girls, well girls can be dressed up and look adorable, they have daddy wrapped around their little finger from the second he lays eyes on her for the first time and they want to grow up and be just like mom, then they hit pre-teen years and HATE their mommy, but come back around when they are....about 20 and become best friends with mom again :). Either way, we win. We are ready with names for a boy or a girl, so as soon as we know what Baby H is, we can start calling it by name!
What do we think Baby H is?- From day 1, I have thought girl. I don't know why, I have just had a feeling it's a girl. I haven't read up on any crazy old wives tales, this is just purely gut instinct. Lance keeps guessing boy, I think this is mainly because he doesn't know what to do with a baby girl around. He had all brothers growing up, and lots of them. Boy, is he in for a surprise if we have a little girl :) Mom and dad are guessing girl, but they both struck out with me and my brother, so we will see if they can clean that record with this baby :) 

Boy? Girl? We will know in less than 6 days! YAY!!!!

Here's our 15 week picture, Baby H sure is growing!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Baby H- 14 weeks

We are in our 14th week with Baby Haney and everyday I think my belly grows a little more. I had my first experience with pants that wouldn't button this past week, Lance and I went shopping today for some big girl gym clothes so I can at least work out without feeling like I'm going to rip a pair of shorts, and unfortunately my appetite grows everyday. The good news is that I feel so much better and have more energy than I have had in a long time! At least, if I could eat a house, I could work out long enough to burn it off :) Speaking of appetite, I eat A LOT. And I crave a lot of random foods that I haven't had in years. Recently, my food journal has consisted of red meat, ice cream, green leafy vegetables, Keebler elf cookies, watermelon, corn dogs (the Morningstar veggie corn dogs- I haven't fallen that bad off the wagon!) and anything that has chocolate in it! Yeah, good thing I can still work out as hard as I could pre-pregnancy :)
These random pregnancy symptoms aren't too fun. My face hurts from all the breakouts, I thought I had made it through puberty pretty well, pregnancy has been a monster to my face! My attitude is, well, bad! My boss describes me as "hostile" :) I can't argue with that. In my defense, I work in a very unorganized, lazy, pathetic environment a couple days of the week and that is usually when she gets e-mails saying "I'm about to attack a patient!" :) I am VERY hormonal, I cried watching 16 and pregnant this afternoon, then about strangled Lance because he was making fun of me. Wow...
It is fun to learn about Baby H every week and how he/she is growing. Baby is about 4 inches long now, weighs about 2 oz and can make facial expressions and suck it's thumb. Lance talks to Baby everyday, and Maximus has become VERY protective. He sleeps right beside Baby H every night and if he sees Lance try to put a hand on my belly- he attacks! Good big brother, Maximus :)

On a completely different note, this month is our 1 year anniversary with baby BoJackson Haney :) We are such bad parents, we don't remember the exact day we adopted him (we fostered for a while, then officially adopted), but we know it was early May. Poor, second child! BoJackson has come so far in the past year. Just a little background- this sweet boy was a puppy mill rescue. He was 6 months old when we got him and had had very minimal human involvement. It took us a few months to be able to pick him up. He has chewed holes in our walls, a beautiful pair of shoes, at least 2 pair of Lance's flip flops, countless ponytail holders and pieces of jewelry from my nightstand, Max's sweaters, puppy pads, the coffee table, socks, shorts, my memory foam pillow, a hole in the comforter and sheets, and many other things- but we knew we had to be patient and one day he would grow out of it. Thankfully, the chewing stage is mostly over, he still chews when he gets anxious if we are gone for a long time, but he takes most of his anxiety out on nylabones now :) He is such a loving little boy, he loves to cuddle with myself, Lance, or Max. Speaking of Max, he LOVES Max! BoJackson is a morning boy, he is the perfect Pavlov dog case when my alarm goes off every morning. At 4 am when he hears my alarm, BoJackson jumps out of bed and runs to the door and dances until we let him out. He goes crazy if we bring meat into the house (which has become a lot more frequent!) He tries to jump  on the counter, and when it makes it to the table, he will stick his nose on the edge of table and whine until he gets a taste- rotten, I know. 
There were many times this past year when Lance and I could have given him back to the adoption place because we would get so frustrated, but then we would think about sweet Bo and wonder who else out there would really love him. We love this sweet boy, he has taught us A LOT of patience. He has been great practice for Baby H, I've been up many nights cleaning up throw-up, comforting Bo with an upset tummy, or just because it's 2 am and he feels like playing! Mommy and Daddy love you BoJackson and can't wait for Baby H to be big enough to play with you, you will be a great big brother :) 

Friday, May 13, 2011

Why hello, trimester #2

This past Tuesday, I went to the doctor for another visit. Everything went wonderful, I was feeling a lot better, and baby's heart rate was 147. He said my labs were "beautiful" and we scheduled our next ultrasound to find out what our little stinker is :) That appointment is June 6th and no one can wait!! I hit 13 weeks Thursday, yesterday, and the few days leading up to it I was really feeling good. The tiredness didn't seem too much better (but I will blame that on 4 am workouts more-so than baby H!), but I wasn't feeling as yucky and was actually able to have some really good, decent paced runs! Well....
Yesterday, I started having some cramps just randomly throughout the day and didn't feel too hot. I didn't think much about it, because as lovely as it sounds, all the muscles are supposed to be really growing and stretching right now which causes discomfort. Last night, I woke up repeatedly with sharp, awful pains. I felt horrid! This morning I felt worse because I was tired on top of everything else from being up all night, and was on the verge of panic attack! My sweet, sweet boss told me to just stay home for the day, and I called the doctor's office as soon as they opened. The nurse called me back and told me to come on in as soon as I could get there- this worsened my panic, but in hindsight I am glad they were so pro-active. We worked right in, and didn't take any time at all to see the Dr. Baby was completely fine, heart rate was 157 and mommy just has a nasty virus. He said a normal person may keep a bug like this for 12 hours, it could stay with me for 48, but not to worry- baby would be taken care of, I just had to suffer :) Works for me! He prescribed a lot of Gatorade and bland foods if I am starving- I was so hungry at this point, dirt was looking appetizing (pica?)! I ran by the store, got some meds he recommended, and stocked up on Gatorade. I have recently been dying for Keebler elf cookies (with the chocolate in the middle), and apparently the rest of Auburn has been, also- the shelves have been empty! Today, on my Kroger run for Gatorade, I found elf cookies! So, although, I have felt AWFUL and was terrified for a few hours, this visit turned very successful- heartbeats always make the day better and elf cookie finds made this hungry girl very excited! At the end of the day, I was just thrilled to know Baby H is as healthy as ever, just depriving it's mama :)
We are on the countdown to knowing what are sweet stinker is! 23 days to go :) Hopefully this virus will pass soon, and we will be feeling a lot better! I'm ready for a full swing of the 2nd trimester sneak peek I had for a few days earlier this week. 
Yes, we started with the bump pictures, Lance says he can't tell (he's just trying to be nice, he's probably bruised still from all the early bump comments he was making!), but boy I can! I think the scarf is a good camouflage for the bump in this 13 week pic. And, yes, I love my fat pants- New York and Company linen, drawsting pants are perfect for growing bellies!!





Sunday, May 8, 2011

Perfect First Mother's Day

I'll just start by saying Lance has already got the hang of this Mother's Day thing :) He completely outdid himself, and I am very impressed. 
He began celebrating Mother's Day Friday by sending me the most beautiful flowers to work. A dozen beautiful pink and red roses. Good job, Lance :) 


This morning he greeted me first thing with "Happy Mother's Day" then he talked to the baby for a few minutes, which is becoming a morning ritual :) We went to church (I got a Reese's for Mother's Day and was very excited!), then Lance decided to take me to lunch. Let me get a little side- tracked for a minute... Before baby, I was vegan. Meat and anything animal/dairy grossed me out and I wanted no part of it. Well, I've decided this child was really meant to be my brother's, I have wanted red meat for the past 5 or 6 weeks, like really wanted red meat. So, for Mother's Day, Lance and I had steak, and it was delicious. After lunch, he went with me to buy groceries, then we came home and napped with two of the sweetest puppies :) PERFECT  Mother's Day for this tired, hungry girl! 
I also was reminded of the wonderful friends I have. This baby is already so loved and it still has months before it arrives. I got so many messages today from my best friends that are just so excited about baby, and can not wait to meet the little one. Of course, Lance and I can't either, it's just incredible to see that this little stinker is so loved already. 

Thank you, little Baby H, for making me a mommy. I have had really good practice with your silly big brothers, Maximus and BoJackson, they like to wake me up all hours of the morning, puke on the furniture, and put things in their mouth that are probably toxic. They are just as excited to meet you as mommy and daddy are. You have changed our lives so much in the past 3 months and we can't wait for all of the changes ahead, you are completely worth it. Right now, you are growing like a weed and making mommy's belly bigger than it's ever been, and that's ok. We can't wait to feel you moving around in there :) Stay comfy, we will meet you soon! - Mommy and Daddy

Friday, May 6, 2011

Baby Haney Surprise

What great news to share after such sad times with our sweet Maximus!  We are still devastated about our sad news, but know Maximus will be a great big brother. 
Yes, in case you haven't seen it yet- a Baby Haney is on the way :) I am a little over 12 weeks with this little stinker and already can't wait to meet him/her.  It has been so hard to keep it a secret, but I just didn't want to spread the news too early.  My family has known for less than a month, and they have been about to burst with this exciting news. I told them they could tell anyone who doesn't know Lance or myself- within a few hours, my dad had told everyone he works with in Mississippi and the waitress at dinner :)
So how did we find out? Well... let's just start with it was a HUGE SURPRISE! Lance and I were looking at jobs and internships all over the country and definitely not thinking about adding a little one to the puzzle. I had noticed I was not feeling very well, then out of nowhere I would have killed for a mexican pizza from Taco Bell (disgusting, I realize this!). After sharing this with Lance, he said "Um, Lacey, you really need a pregnancy test!" I thought he was crazy, but in the back of my mind I knew something was going on if I wanted ANYTHING from Taco Bell! That afternoon I made Lance go buy a pregnancy test (he was not very happy about this and proclaimed he would NEVER buy another one!) He bought the cheapest one because all of the name brand tests were locked up and he was NOT about to ask to have it unlocked! I was so mad, and pitched a fit that no matter what it would be negative since he was so cheap and scared to ask for the real tests- hello, moodswings! I took the test the next morning and it was so, very positive. I took another that evening and it was still positive, then we bought a different brand and tried more. Of course, they were all positive. I walked around for a few days just saying "Oh my goodness!" I couldn't belive we were going to have a BABY.
We have had a couple of doctor appointments, and so far they have gone perfectly. We had an ultrasound to determine how far along we were, and the baby was already practicing BodyAttack :) It was so active, it was precious to see it squriming around. The heartbeat was 158- daddy Lance was frantic, he didn't realize that was completely normal! Our next appointment (#3) is next Tuesday, May 10th. Four weeks after that we will know if this baby is a boy or girl! Crazy :)
This little squirt has already changed our lives in SO MANY ways! We are looking for Lance a job to stay in state so I can deliver in Birmingham and know my pool of pediatricians, plus Gran and Peeps definitely need to be close by! We still covet your prayers that a job situation works out for Lance. What about Knoxville? We have no idea. I did defer for a year, which gives us a little time, but we have no idea what will ever come of the situation. Every position Lance has applied to in the area has not even offered an interview- I know God is in control and he knows our perfect, beautiful plan,  and he has definitely already has shown up his nice sense of humor :) I'm honestly not worried about it, this sweet baby already has us all consumed with it's sweet little self, and if I am meant to be a mommy and nothing else, I will be perfectly happy :)
 It's funny to look back and see how God was putting everything in place for Lance and I to find out about this sweet baby. First, the job I have with WIC has taught me so, very much about babies. I know I would be so overwhelmed and feel so unprepared if I had not been here for a year and learned so much. It's really interested me in reading more research and learning all I can to answer the questions moms bring to us. Also, a few months back Lance and I decided we needed a larger vehicle because we each had 2-door Civics and could not even make a weekend trip to Corner with the puppies comfortably. We upgraded to a Honda Pilot and have plenty of room for a baby now :)
We are very excited, but still need all the prayers we can get- prayers for a healthy , happy baby are at the top of our list :)
I'll share ultrasound pictures, it was a little stubborn and facing the wrong direction, but we both think it still looks adorable!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Sweet Maximus

Yes, the Haney blog project has failed miserably. You'll understand why soon enough, we have been busy with plenty of family matters to keep us busy and too exhausted to compose a blog.
The past 7 days have been horrid. There was all the devastation with the awful storms that ripped through the hometowns of too many people I know personally, missing my dear hometown by just a few miles. That, in itself, had me in an array of sad, thankful, and heartbroken emotions.
A few days before all this happened, we made a special trip to the vet with my sweet Maximus. We had recently been noticing a slight deformation forming on the left side of his head. We were visiting my family in Corner and decided to go ahead and take him to his former vet there who we knew we could get in and see that day without having to wait days for an appointment. She was optimistic that Max was just suffering from muscle atrophy, he wasn't in pain, and he may stay pain free forever and just have a silly shaped head. She recommended we make an appointment with the small animal hospital here in Auburn and see the neurologist for an MRI. My sweet boy, I was on pins and needles the rest of the week. I was terrified because once I called to maket the appointment I found out Max would have to stay alone overnight at the hospital. At least I knew he would be recieving the best care on this side of the nation!
Here's a condensed history of me and my sweet boy. If you have never had pups or don't have a pet that is treated better than some children, you might as well read no further- you won't understand. This little boy has a huge piece of my heart and I see nothing wrong with this.... I have had Max for 3 years. I will never forget the day I rescued him. The night before, I was watching the local news in Auburn and they mentioned a local humane society in Columbus, GA who had just recieved a large rescue of puppy mill puppies. I had recently decided that I needed a companion, I lived by myself and was taking an easy load in school and working a few hours a week at one job- I finally had the perfect amount of time to add a roommate. I got on the humane society's website and started looking at the dogs they had available. That is when I found my perfect match. He was a handsome 2 year old dachshund/miniature pinscher mix, and he had a ridiculous name of "PJ". I had to have him. First thing the next morning, I called the shelter to make sure this PJ was still available for adoption, and I was so excited to hear he was. I told the worker there to not let anyone adopt him, I would be on my way soon! A few hours later I got to the humane society and walked in and told them I was there to see PJ- I wanted to adopt him. They just ooh-ed and ahh-ed over what a sweet boy and he was and told me to make sure I saw him and played with him before I made a final decision, I knew this little runt had my heart before meeting him. They took me back to where he was kept- in a tiny cage he could barely stand up in with cats (his worst enemy) above and below him. He had a little, worn red collar on and they had a yellow leash to keep the sweet boy from running away too far- he was a ball of energy! As soon as he was out of the cage he jumped up on me and tinkled in the floor from excitement, I knew if he could talk he would be saying "PLEASE be my mama and take me home!!" Of course, I adopted this little angel and brought him home that day- February 20, 2008.  I hated the name PJ and didn't want him to remember anything about that stinkin' family who no longer wanted him and left him at a humane society, so I changed his name to Maximus- which he has lived up to very well :) Maximus and I have been through a lot together, there was long stretch when all of my friends were graduating (on time) and I still had years left here at Auburn, Max was my best friend during most of those days. He always HATED boys, any guy I tried to date he would growl, snap and bark continuously until they were gone UNTIL he met Lance. The first time Max met Lance I was terrified at how he would react, he barked at first just because some stranger was in our home, but within a few minutes he was in Lance's lap, curled up in a little ball asleep. I knew I had to marry him if Max like him :) We were both pretty crazy about him.
Over the past 3 years, Max has just become sweeter and sweeter. He LOVES laying in the sunshine on warm days, dressing up in all the ridiculous clothes him mom buys him, barking at squirrels, looking out the window, sleeping (his favorite nap spot is under Lance's leg pillow under the covers in our bed), eating chicken, chasing the BIG neighborhood dogs, sharing bagels every morning with Lance, and running really fast :) He has fits if he gets really excited and will run around in circles chasing his bone (yes, his bone!) until he gets exhausted. It took him about 2 years to tear up his favorite toy which was a HUGE blue bone with squeakies in BOTH ends! He is ferocious, but such a sweet mama's boy at the same time. As much as his brother, BoJackson, bothers him he really does love him. He really doesn't like baths, but enjoys the warm blanket and treats afterwards. His favorite place in the world is the country ( my parent's house in Corner) where he can run and play for days- plus, Gran give him whatever he wants and there are always new toys! This is my sweet, healthy boy...
Yesterday, we were awaiting the results of his MRI. Around 11, Lance sent me a message to call him as soon as I got a chance. My heart sank, I knew something was wrong. The first words out of Lance's mouth were "There is nothing they can do..." I lost it. Something was wrong with my sweet boy and we were stuck. The neurologist found a tumor around Maxie's brain. They can't operate because of where it is located. Right now, he is not in any pain, but eventually it will start to paralyze the left side of his face and continue until the entire left side of his body is paralyzed. There is no treatment, and our only goal is to make this little puppy the happiest little boy in the world and make him as comfortable as we can once the paralysis starts. There is no timeline, so far the tumor has been very slow growing. I am praying it STOPS growing! That is our update on our sweet boy. I have treasured every second I get to hold and love on him and make sure he knows how much he is loved.