22 weeks!

Here are the latest updates for this week:

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain: Ugh. It is NOT GOOD to be pregnant over Thanksgiving and Christmas! I've gained between 15-20 lbs so far. My doctor said he isn't worried about it at all since I was at a low BMI before getting pregnant. He also said I will likely taper off with the weight gain. I sure hope he's right!

Maternity clothes? Yes please! There is no way I can wear regular pants. I still have some regular tops/sweaters I can wear though.

Sleep: Not too bad. I wake up a lot and have to roll over, but it isn't that bad.

Best moment this week: Having my sister feel Kellen move on Christmas Eve! She was so excited!

Movement: He kicks a lot, mainly when I am sitting or laying down. I love it!

Gender: He's a boy and proud of it!

Labor Signs: Nothing yet, thankfully!

Belly Button in or out? In, but it is stretched out and more horizonatal than it normally is.

What I miss: Since Christmas was this past week, I really missed drinking wine, champagne, and those fun Christmas cocktails.

What I am looking forward to: Registering!

Weekly Wisdom: Hmm, got nothing!

Milestones: We have less than 120 days to go! He'll be here before we know it!

Some updates!

Josh was able to feel the baby kick on 12/19/09! I had been feeling him kick for several weeks, but everytime Josh tried to feel him, he would stop! Finally, we were laying in bed one night and I could feel him. I grabbed Josh's hand and put it on my belly. He felt it almost immedately! Josh was so excited!

Well, I think we've decided on a name for our baby boy! Here were our top three, in no particular order:
1. Colin
2. Carter
3. Kellen

I really like Carter, but Josh didn't care for it as much, so we nixed that one. It was down to Colin and Kellen. I went to the Social Security website to check out the popularity of the names in the year 2008. Colin was ranked #114 and Kellen was ranked #444! That made my mind up right there! Josh and I talked about it and we decided that our little boy's name was going to be Kellen! Foley is Irish, so Kellen flows nicely with it. =) As for a middle name, if we had gone with Colin, we would have used David. It is Josh's middle name and my dad's first name. Since we're going with Kellen, we are going to use Walker. This is my mom's maiden name, and we're using it in honor of my Pappaw. He passed away in 2004 from cancer and I think of him every day. I miss him like crazy. I thought this would be a great way to honor him and the many memories I have. So, KELLEN WALKER FOLEY it is!

The Nursery

We ordered the nursery furniture from JCPenney on Cyber Monday. It arrived last week. We were able to borrow my BIL's truck and pick it up at the store, which saved us some big $$ in shipping. Thanks Tony!

Josh and I spent a few nights getting everything put together and in place. We also ordered our bedding, Baby Cocoa, from Babies R Us. Josh had guard duty this weekend so I decided I was going to paint. I went to Home Depot to get the Behr paint with low VOCs. I decided on "Grass Cloth." It is a light mossy green. I think it will look great with the bedding, which is a jungle theme.

I started painting on Saturday and it took me about 5 hours total. Not too bad! Although, I definitely noticed a difference in painting while pregnant. I don't use tape when edging. I use an angled brush and am just really careful. Well, it was a lot harder to scoot around on the floor and I definitely noticed it being harder trying to climb up and down the stepstool. I managed though! Here are pics of the nursery with the furniture, bedding, and newly painted walls. We still have a ways to go!

Here is the crib and bedding:

Here is the changer/hutch. The rocking horse was mine when I was growing up.

The BIG reveal...

Well, I know, I am a few weeks late on this post. We had our big ultrasound on 11/23. I was so excited and thought the day would never end! I don't know why I scheduled the appt for 4pm! I was so nervous! I was hoping that our little one would show us the goods! My friend Jenny told me to drink some orange juice about an hour before the appt to get the baby to move. I was hoping she was right!

I left work immediately after the kids got on their buses, and met Josh at the doctor's office. When I pulled into my parking spot, Josh met me at my car. As we were walking up to the building, I notice my mom standing there. What the heck?! I was so confused as to what she was doing there! She came to surprise me. She had two gift bags in her hands---one pink and one blue! I guess Nana was excited to see if she was having a grandson or a granddaughter!

We go in the doctor's office and I check in. They call us back immediately and we got to meet the u/s tech. She was the nicest lady. I asked her if it was ok that my mom was there, and she said sure. The tech asked me if we wanted to know the sex of the baby and I said, "I've been waiting for 18 weeks, I am NOT going to wait any longer!" She put a glob of the jelly on my belly and started the u/s. She did a great job explaining everything that we were seeing. As soon as I saw the heart beating, I started crying. I just couldn't help myself. I had been so worried that something was wrong, it was such a relief to see my little one doing well. Right after that, I asked my mom if my sister knew that she was here. I figured Tessa would be ticked if she knew mom had attended the appt and she wasn't there. Mom said, "Uh, well, she's on her way. She should be here any minute!" The u/s tech just laughed and said that there was plenty of room for Tessa to join us. Shortly after that, Tess walked in. She is very excited to be an aunt!

It came time for the BIG reveal. The u/s tech started scanning down, trying to find the goods. All of a sudden, I saw something on the screen and said, "It's a boy, isn't it? It's a boy." She looked a little more closely and said, "Yep, and he's not shy! In fact, it looks like he's an exhibitionist!" IT'S A BOY! Again, I started crying! I couldn't believe it! Josh was very happy--he didn't shed tears like I did, but he definitely had tears welling up in his eyes.

The u/s ended with the tech showing us the four chambers of his heart, his intestines, his stomach, and his skull. She took some measurements and said everything looks great! She also noticed that our little guy was using my bladder as a punching bag. I can definitely attest to that!

Mom and Tessa left after the u/s, but before they did, I opened the blue gift bag. Mom had gotten us a cute little blue bib! I was so excited to have both of them there! What a great surprise!

Later that night, Josh and I ventured out to Kohl's to buy our first "little boy" outfit. It is so cute!

Here is a picture of our little boy and his little boy parts!

Almost 18 weeks!

I apologize, I have been such a slacker when it comes to blogging. Work has been super crazy lately. The teacher I am co-teaching with has been sick and is currently in the hospital, so I've had to stay late getting her lesson plans done for her sub. When I get home, I am completely exhausted!

Anyways, I am almost 18 weeks pregnant! We have our BIG ultrasound on Monday at 4pm. I have never looked forward to a Monday like this before! LOL!

Josh and I went to a wedding last night for our friends, Yung & Megan. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and we were happy to spend this special night with them. As we were sitting at the reception, waiting on dinner, I felt the baby move! I had heard people say that I would feel little flutters and then pops, kind of like popcorn popping in my belly. I had felt a few little flutters around week 16, but couldn't tell if it was the baby or not. Well, it was obvious last night. It was the strangest sensation. It felt like the baby was doing somersaults in my belly! It was crazy! I am looking forward to feeling the baby move more---just not looking forward to the karate kicks to the bladder!

Above, you'll see some pics from last night---please pardon the ones toward the end---it was almost midnight and I felt like a zombie! =)

15 weeks!

I know I say this every week, but I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I am 15 weeks pregnant already! Time flies! There have been lots of things happening around here lately. First off, we went to the doctor last week. Everything looked great. Unfortunately, we didn't get an ultrasound, but we did get to hear Baby Foley's heartbeat for the first time. I think that was the best sound in the world! It is crazy to think that a fetus that is only 4 inches long right now (we've come a long way since "sesame seed" size!) can have such a strong heartbeat!

My doctor poked and prodded at my belly, noting that he could feel my uterus and it was right where it needed to be. (Up near my belly button if you're wondering!) He then told me that we would be able to find out the gender of the baby at our next appointment in...drumroll please...a mere 4 weeks! WOO HOO! We were able to schedule the BIG u/s for the Monday before Thanksgiving, November 23. That is just 3 weeks from today. Josh and I can't wait. I feel like once I know the gender, I'll be able to start in on the nursery. I am itching to get going on that. I know I have a lot of time left, but I'd like to get the majority of it done now so I can worry about other things this winter/spring.

The other major news is that I spilled the beans to my students last week. I was going to wait a while to tell them, but my baby bump is becoming obvious, so I figured I better let the cat out of the bag. I sat them down in our class meeting area and told them that we were going to play a game of Hang Man. The message looked like this: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _! It spelled out MRS. FOLEY IS HAVING A BABY! After making many guesses, they finally figured out the secret message. Needless to say, my third graders were very excited for me. The first question out of their mouths was "Are you going to bring your baby to school?" They also asked what I was going to name the baby. I told them I wasn't sure yet, it depends on if it is a boy or a girl. Then one of my students volunteered a name: Pumpkin. Hmm, while I do love pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, etc...I do not think the name Pumpkin will work for my child. Thanks for the input though! =)

Here are the latest updates for this week:

How far along? 15 weeks

Total weight gain: Oh, around 8 pounds or so. I guess you gain quickly when you have absolutely NO morning sickness! Yikes!

Maternity clothes? Just pants so far. All of the maternity shirts I've tried on make me look ginormous!

Sleep: Actually, it is pretty good. I feel like I've been sleeping better now than before I was pregnant! Talk to me in a few more weeks though...

Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's hearbeat. Hands down. Amazing.

Movement: I haven't felt any movement yet, but I am hoping to in the next few weeks.

Gender: We'll know November 23, as long as Baby F is willing to show the goods!

Labor Signs: Lord, no.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: My social life.

What I am looking forward to: A bottle of wine with my name on it.

Weekly Wisdom: Hmm, got nothing!

Milestones: I am officially well into the second trimester! Woot woot! We're over a third of the way there!

14 weeks

Call me a slacker---I have been awful at updating this blog lately. Things have been crazy busy at work, which leaves little time to do fun things like this! I'll leave you with a picture of me at 14 weeks. The baby is about the size of a lemon! I promise I'll update more next time!

12 Weeks!

Well, here we are at 12 weeks! I can't believe it! The 2nd trimester is approaching very quickly. I am looking forward to getting some of my energy back. I feel like I am getting ginormous! My uterus is now above my pelvic bone, so I guess I have that excuse...

Josh and I had a doctor's appt last week. They did another u/s. The baby looked great. It was amazing to see how much the little booger had changed from the 6 week u/s until now. We also discussed family history with the nurse and had TONS of blood drawn. Ouch! Our next appt is on November 2nd. I'll be 15 weeks at that point.

After our appt, we decided to come out and tell the world our big news. What better way to do it than on Facebook?! It felt so good to get the news out. I am so happy that I don't have to "hide" my pregnancy anymore. I also told everyone at work, except for my students. I'll probably tell them once I start to show more. We are so fortunate to have so many people that are excited and happy for us. Here is a picture of our 11 week u/s picture. The baby's head is on the left and his/her feet is on the right. You can also see the little arm buds sticking out!

How far along? 12 weeks, 1 day

Maternity clothes? Well, I went shopping last weekend for some maternity pants. My work pants are dressier and aren't as "low-rise" as my casual pants. I think this is why they weren't fitting as well. I couldn't stand being so uncomfortable by the end of the day, so I took the plunge. Maternity pants = AMAZING!

Stretch marks? Nothing yet...

Sleep: Eh, just ok. I am still waking up a lot and tossing and turning.

Food cravings: Yagoot Frozen Yogurt---yum!

Gender: We won't find out until the beginning of December, but I am thinking Team Pink!
Labor Signs: None--that would be scary.
Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Sushi!

What I am looking forward to: The BIG ultrasound, which should be at the end of November. CAN'T WAIT!

Weekly Wisdom: Hmm, can't think of anything right now! Not feeling too wise!

10 Weeks!

I can't believe it! I am 10 weeks pregnant today. I definitely have a "bump" although I believe it is just bloat and not baby! We are now officially in the "fetus" stage instead of the "embryo" stage. The fetus is approximately 1 inch long and is now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac.

How far along? 10 weeks

Maternity clothes? Not yet---fortunately my pants still fit. My tops are a little tight around the middle. I'm definitely rockin' the muffin top look!

Stretch marks? Dear Lord, I hope I don't get any of those!

Sleep: Love it, but I am not getting to bed as early as I would like. I am also waking up around 2:30am to pee for 5 minutes straight.

Food cravings: Cookies!

Gender: We won't find out until the beginning of December, but I am thinking Team Pink!

Labor Signs: None--that would be scary.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Unwinding with a glass (or two) of wine after work.

What I am looking forward to: Our next appt on October 5---we're coming out to the world after that.

Weekly Wisdom: Hmm, try to get plenty of sleep. I am not getting enough and it is wiping me out!

Holy Crap!

I talked with my best friend yesterday, Shannon, who I've been best friends with since we were in the 6th grade. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell her I was pregnant since she had a miscarriage last winter. Her and her husband are trying again, but nothing has happened yet and I didn't know how to go about telling her that I was pregnant. Here is how our conversation went:

Me: Hey there! How are you? What's new with you guys?
Shannon: Hey! I'm good--just busy being pregnant!
Me: WHAT?! You're pregnant? ME TOO!
Shannon: Shut up! How far along are you?!
Me: I will be 8 weeks on Wednesday. You?
Shannon: I was 8 weeks on Sunday! Holy crap!

So, needless to say, I am very relieved that I didn't have to break my news to her. I am so excited that she is pregnant too and that we are 3 DAYS APART! How crazy is that?! Her due date is April 25 and mine is April 28. We are both crossing our fingers and saying our prayers that we get through the first trimester safely. My next appt is October 5 and her next appt is October 6. I am so grateful that I have someone I can talk to about pregnancy. I am sure Josh is thrilled as well! Ha ha! Shannon and I even joked around saying that Josh should move in with Joe and Shannon should move in with me. We could each have a bed to ourselves and we could eat all the ice cream we want without judgement! HA!

8 Weeks!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. With school starting a few weeks ago, I haven't had time to breathe!

Josh and I came out to both of our families over Labor Day weekend. It goes without saying, they were all very excited for us. Here are some details about the little Foley:

Baby's now the size of a raspberry!Baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs, and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

How far along? 8 weeks, 1 day!

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I am definitely bloated beyond belief. PJ pants are my favorite things right now after I get home from work!

Stretch marks? Well, none yet! I'd like it to stay that way.

Sleep: I have never been this tired in my life. It is 7:30pm right now and I am seriously contemplating going to bed! Working full-time is NOT a good thing right now!

Food cravings: Ice cream!

Gender: We won't find out until the beginning of December.

Labor Signs: None--that would be scary.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Going to Happy Hour with the teachers at school.

What I am looking forward to: Our next appt on October 5---we're coming out to the world after that.

Weekly Wisdom: Drink WAY more water than you think you should. My doctor told me he would love to have me drink 3 liters of water/day. Yes, 3 LITERS! Yikes!

Frustrations of a 3rd Grade Teacher

Well, August has come and almost gone, and I am STILL not in my classroom. Here is a little bit of backstory for you: Our district is in financial strain. We have tried to pass an earned income levy (which is good because we have lots of farmers and retirees who are on fixed incomes) but that didn't pass. After that failed, we tried a traditional property tax, which failed. The state of Ohio is slashing the budget and our district is losing millions and millions of dollars from the state. We had to make some changes for this school year in order to operate at state minimum. Many of you know that I volunteered to move schools last year. Well, with all of these changes that are happening, I found out at the end of last year that 3rd grade was going to be moving again. The bad news: I have to move again. The good news: I get to move into a brand new building! Woo hoo! The buildings I've been working in have all been built in the 30's, so I am welcoming this change.

Here is where the frustration comes in to play. We were supposed to gain occupancy of the new building on August 4th, which got pushed back to August 17th. On August 17th, they said we would have to wait until August 20th. We found out yesterday that we won't be able to get in until next Tuesday, August 25th. I am wondering if that will really happen or not?!

The issue with all of this is that movers packed all of our boxes for us, basically dumping stuff in boxes w/o any rhyme or reason. I need to go unpack everything and then figure out where to put it all. Oh--did I mention that I haven't even seen my classrom yet?! I have no idea what it looks like, what kind of furniture I have, etc.

We have Open House on September 2nd. Oh, and after I set up my classroom, I need to work on lesson plans. FML.

World Cancer Declaration

I just signed the World Cancer Declaration - a major global push to pressure world leaders to act now on cancer. I have had several family members who have died from this disease, so this cause hits close to home.

Right now, Lance Armstrong is riding in the Tour de France and dedicating his ride to this cause. And after the race, he'll send these commitments to world leaders and pressure them to attend the World Cancer Summit in Dublin this August. It's our best chance to push for better treatment, more funding for cancer research and access to care for everyone around the world.But if people like us don't stand up, these leaders won't pay attention.

Will you sign the declaration? It only takes a moment and could make a huge difference: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/commit-fight-cancer

While we've made tremendous progress in the fight against cancer, we still have a lot of work to do. By 2010 cancer will be the #1 killer in the world, and as you read this message millions are fighting the disease around the globe. We need our world leaders to take action now.

Diary of a Dog & Cat

I received this in an email and found it rather funny, especially since I have both a dog and a cat. (Toby and Callie are both pictured in this post) Enjoy!

DIARY of a DOG

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm – Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm – Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

CAT DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of.

However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’ I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the Guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.

For now.

Heartbroken...

This has been a rough summer. There have been many tragedies and I am just heartbroken over them.

First, a friend of mine, Ashley, gave birth at 26 weeks due to severe preeclamsia and HELLP syndrome. Little baby Nolan weighed a mere 13 oz. He fought for 3 days, but just couldn't fight any longer. Ashley and her husband Chris have been so strong through this whole thing. It's just not fair...

A few weeks later, a boy from my hometown and his girlfriend were killed in a motorcycle accident. They were coming around a bend in the road and a truck crossed over the center line, killing them instantly. Aaron had just turned 26 the day before and Amy was 22. It's just not fair...

And, just last night, a guy I graduated high school with, Ryan, was riding a four-wheeler with his young son. There was an accident (still unsure of all the details) and little Levi was seriously injured. Air Care was called and took little Levi to the hospital where he passed away earlier this morning from a collapsed lung and some other injuries. It's just not fair...

Nolan, Aaron, Amy, and Levi...rest in peace.

A little bit about me...

I stole this from my Facebook page. I've listed 25 random things about me. Enjoy!

1. I have known my husband, Josh, since we were 12. We actually "went out" all through junior high and for a short time in high school. We finally decided to get serious at age 26 after he moved home from GA.
2. I've never had a cavity.
3. I love my dog more than anything, even though he drives me crazy at times!
4. I would choose gummy candy (Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, etc) over chocolate if given the choice.
5. I am not a morning person at all, but still manage to get up at 5am to go to the gym 5 days a week.
6. I can't stand winter and would love to live somewhere warm, but couldn't imagine leaving my family.
7. Chicago is my favorite city, even though I don't get there as much as I'd like.
8. Sushi is one of my favorite foods.
9. I love trivia and think I may have unhealthy obsession with Jeopardy.
10. I will eat diced tomatoes, but not sliced tomatoes.
11. I love randomness.
12. I have a thing for numbers----I may be related to Rain Man. =)
13. I love to read, especially when combined with a bubble bath and a glass of wine.
14. I am very observant and pay close attention to details---this drives Josh crazy at times!
15. I am a spelling fanatic, especially with words like "there, their, and they're." It drives me crazy when they are misspelled.
16. I am named after my great grandma---I just wish I would've been lucky enough to meet her.
17. My sister is my best friend in the whole entire world---she "gets" me when no one else does.
18. I consider "people watching" a sport.
19. Using Post-it notes makes me happy.
20. I am a huge Bengals fan, even though they suck---I am still holding out hope for the 09-10 season!
21. Cancer is my enemy---I've lost both my grandma and Pappaw to this awful disease. I live for the day they find a cure.
22. My alcoholic drinks of choice are beer and vodka.
23. I have to have chapstick or lipgloss on at all times. I can't even fall asleep if I don't have chapstick on. I am a chapstick addict.
24. Thanks to working at Victoria's Secret for 2 years, I am obsessive compulsive with folding my undies. I've even "trained" Josh how to fold them! =)
25. I am almost always cold.

It's about time!

As most of you know, I teach 3rd grade. So, I have my summers off. Josh and I were married this past April in Jamaica. I am a tech nerd, so I figured I better start my own blog since I have the time right now. I will apologize in advance---I do not have a way with words. This blog will not be the most entertaining blog you've ever read, but I hope you can learn more about us by reading! Thanks for stopping by!