3-D Surprise!

We got a nice surprise at the last ultrasound - a couple of 3-D images of the little one! We got a good report and he looks well and healthy.

Christmas 07 & Nursery Pics

Christmas07BlogAlbum

Here are some pics of things the baby got for Christmas as well as a progression of nursery pics (click on the image above for the entire album). The "theme" is located near the end. Also, check out the nifty cat gate idea that Bill came up with in the doorway. It is made out of the old crib rail set. Works pretty good so far!

Slide Show

You're squishing my liver!

So I've been a little busy preparing my freelance portfolio for online display and looking for work... I finally found a moment to put up a new post.

Things have started getting a little uncomfortable lately. The belly definitely isn't getting any smaller and my organs are beginning to run out of space! Most of the time, when sitting normally, I have this tingly feeling at the top of my rib cage. I've been told it's more than likely my liver. I have a long way to go yet folks! Some of my other non-enjoyable treasures of pregnancy are my achy back, weighted belly and...well, everything in between. I certainly have my limits as to how much I can do at once these days.

The little guy has been on the move lately. I can actually see the kicks now when I look at my belly. That's a pretty neat experience. Bill finally "snuck up on him" the other day and felt him move. Usually he's perfectly still when he senses Bill's presence, but I think his shyness is wearing off.

We racked up on some clothing deals for the little tike at the mall in Boone a couple of weekends back. We went up that way to get our trees (one for Marcia and Alan) and a short overnight getaway. When you find a bargain of Arizona baby jeans for 3.99 ea., you buy 2 of each size! Well, at least what they had available on the rack. I don't feel so bad now that I know he'll have something to wear!

I've been told I have to hurry up and make a decision on the nursery theme so someone can begin painting. That's actually a tough decision to make!

We've got a pretty busy schedule coming up, so bear with me through the next couple of weeks. Let's see, we're touring Tanglewood Gardens with Bill's boss to see their spectacular Christmas lights, celebrating our anniversary at a new venue at the Grove Park Inn (our participation will be inexpensive), then there's Christmas at the Quade's, my parents, my Aunt's in TN, and throw in a dr visit...that will easily take us into 2008! :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

oh, btw...I broke our camera, so bear with us until we can get some more pics posted. Unfortunately, it wasn't repairable under our warranty. :(

Belly Pics

Notice the Packers are on TV...This is definitely an exaggeration. I was trying to be funny by getting my belly out there as far as I could. :)

Bill is getting his practice in with our niece, Regan.

Tip of the day - Don't let Bill post any blogs

By now most of you are sick and tired of the 'waiting game'. So, here it comes. We are having a baby. You see, when a bee collects pollen from one flower and then goes to another flower to collect pollen it pollinates that flower. This will eventually lead to seed germination which allows for that plant to reproduce thus succeeding in ensuring is survivability. I hope you get the hints. If not, yell at Rhonda. So there you have it. I hope everyone is as excited as we are. Keep checking back to see how things are developing. Now its time to go sleep off the turkey.

It's a....

Yeah, I know, I promised a belly picture. Well, I had Bill take one, BUT, I wasn't happy with. I'm trying to reschedule a retake with a different outfit and location. It seems to be hard to get us in the same place at the same time not preoccupied with something else. I'll get you one soon. I promise. :)

Now you think you were really going to find out yet???? We have found out the gender of the baby. Everyone is just going to have to hang on to their horses for a couple more days! We're making the official announcement Thanksgiving. If you want to know sooner than we can get it posted, you'll just have to show up for turkey dinner. :) I encourage you to make your predictions. I believe you can make comments directly on each post. I know you don't have much to go on. Maybe if I can get a picture up, you can see "how I'm carrying the baby", and go from there.

It's definitely a busy week for most of us. As tradition stands, we now have Thanksgiving dinner at our house and are expecting up to 15. So, there's cleaning to be done, decorating touch ups, turkeys to thaw... See you back here again soon!

An update on me - the real reason you're here :)

The past few weeks have been a little bit of a roller coaster for me. I had a pretty bad bout with a cold/sinus issues that wouldn't let go; most recently, I had a bad case of vertigo. For those of you not familiar, vertigo makes the room spin really fast and churns your stomach at the same time. I only hugged the toilet once that day, but didn't do much of anything because I was afraid to move or tilt in any one direction. That was all related to sinus issues from a trip the day before to Greenville, SC to do some baby shopping. I'm just wired weird that way. I travel out of the area and end up sick. I still have some small issues with vertigo at night, but that will be a constant thing with the drought and dry, winter season.

Other than all of that, I've been feeling fine concerning the pregnancy. Just some issues starting to creep up with comfort levels and the fact that my balance is beginning to shift.

My 'volunteership' has sort of stalled out for the moment. It appears that the timing just isn't working out for folks and they have too much on their plate and it's too hard for everyone to get their heads together on the same page. I'm waiting to hear an update this week, but that adventure may be over. That's too bad, because I really had high hopes. It might take off again one day. Who knows. My next concentration is getting a portfolio up of my web/graphic design work and finding freelance side jobs.

We spent some time Saturday evening with Marcia, Alan and Regan. We all went to eat at Olive Garden. It gave us some experience of holding, feeding and tending to a baby while trying to eat dinner ourselves. Something that will be coming along all very soon! Here's Bill and Regan today at Marcia and Alan's:

Oh, in case you're wondering, Bill is doing fine minus some aches and pains of working too hard. He finally let me show him how to do this whole blog thing, so watch out, he may slip in here one day and actually post something! :)

We should be able to find out the sex of the baby this month. I know all of you are anxious to know already! We are hoping to make the announcement at Thanksgiving if everything cooperates. That should give my grandmother some new found excitement to talk about. She's pretty excited to be becoming a great grandmother. We will get to see her Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm finally starting to get a more noticeable belly, so be checking back in the next day or two for a belly picture!

Best to all!

I haven't forgotten about you...!

I'll try to make up for lost blog time by including lots to keep you reading....at least until the next update. :)

Let's see, I left you last with Bill headed off to Kentuckyland for about a week. They had a good trip and were able to get a lot in, here are a few pictures from Churchill Downs, their hotel room and an arboretum.

Why didn't I think of this for extra money???

Still ticking and kicking

TC (tax credit - per Bill) is apparently still kicking and growing. The heartbeat today sounded strong and healthy. Not much other excitement in the visit. I had some questions and that's what these visits are good for, so got those settled. I decided to hold off on getting my flu shot for a few days so I can get over whatever it is I have now. I seem to be on the mend; just to the nagging coughing stage.

Bill leaves for his big trip tomorrow, so it will be eerily peaceful around the house. Not to worry, I have plenty to keep me busy.

Bon voyage!

Green Bay Packers decor sneaks in

Here's a cute pic I wanted to share with you. Is this not funny or what??? I can't believe how much stuff is out there for GB babies. This one was on Ebay.

Under the weather, but back on top soon!

Patience pays to those of you who actually are checking in and reading this blog!

Not much in the way of the pregnancy has been happening as of late. I go for my next checkup Monday, 22nd. I've had a pretty bad bug of some sort the last few days. I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant that it seems to be getting me down so much and just sticking with me or what. It's primarily been a sore throat, low grade fever, body aches, some sneezing, coughing and a stuffed up head. I suppose it's a cold. I finally caved in to taking some Tylenol Cold (dr. recommended) on Friday and today. I think I'm on the mend.

Bill has been nice enough to let me rest by taking back to his old bed in our spare room. Either that, or he's trying to keep from getting sick. He gets to take off to a nice little trip next week to Louisville, KY for a work expo. This is the one that usually puts them up in a nice hotel. This time it's the Galt House, which is a nice hotel downtown by the river. http://www.galthouse.com/Home.aspx They are also going to take some of their free time to visit Churchill Downs. ---Must be nice!

Career Update
My volunteer/internship with Meet the Geeks (www.meetthegeeks.net) is going pretty well. I haven't actually got to do any work on their site yet, but I'm told I will soon. I've been working on optimizing scanned images for this journal that was in print and distribution back in the mid to late 80's - the Katuah Journal. I won't bore you with it, but if you're interested, you can Google it and see what it's about. They are wanting to put images of all their past journals online and begin a new discussion forum on it. I've actually picked up on and learned quite a bit so far.

I also mentioned to Ty that I really needed to focus on getting paid projects coming in and getting my portfolio built. He is willing to work with me on both and has already been true to his word in letting me bid on a project on Friday. I'll be starting with it soon and be able to include it on my portfolio as well. What I'm getting out of all of this has been leaps and bounds beyond my other internship or any job I've had. Plus, I get to do most everything from home! :) Great gas mileage!

That's it in a nutshell.
...until Monday!

Announcement to Marcia and Alan

I got to thinking last night after I went to bed that I haven't included the story on how we broke the news to Bill's parents. So, not to leave anyone out, here's how it went down.

We were once again basing it around a "birthday celebration", celebrating Marcia and Alan's birthdays that fell in August. We took them out to dinner as we wanted to tell them before the rest of the fam - which were all coming in that weekend for the Hot August Night Montford 5K race that Bill and Mike were in. I did the 1K Fun Walk.

Bill had cleverly bought Marcia and Alan "grandparent" birthday cards and we had them open them simultaneously after we ordered our food. For a split second or two, they were confused by the "grandparent" part, but quickly caught on when they read the signature 'Bill, Rhonda and 04-10-08'. We knew Marcia would cry, so we included a tissue in with her card. It was put to good use. They were very excited and surprised.

We told them they had to keep it under wraps for a while and you all know that just about killed Marcia. But she managed through and got the green light last night to tell the world.

I believe everyone is now up to speed. The only ones not to know are some family in East TN. So that means today is back to reality and I've got to quit posting and get some work done!

The word is out!

Tonight was the big announcement letting my parents know the exciting news. Mom & Dad...if you are reading this post first, stop now. You should always read a blog like this from oldest to newest so that you read in chronological order. This probably means you'll have to start with page 2 first.

That being said...on with the news. I know no one wants to hear about my week long adventure to Franklin, TN, so I'll start with the exciting stuff first. Bill and I came up with the idea of a little scavenger hunt when they got here to lead them to the surprise. Since mom's birthday was last week, we were getting together to celebrate. She was under the impression she had a present to find, so we started her off with the first clue. One brilliant, witty clue led to the next and each clue had a brown bag with it that had an object inside related to the "present". Mom and dad could read the clues and only feel what was in the bag. They had five clues that eventually led them to....the soon to be nursery. We had the door shut and the last clue led them to a "bedroom with no bed". Well, it didn't have a bed in it until now. We had it all set up with the crib and furniture - bought the mattress just today. Mom walks in with her clue in mind and says, "there's a crib in here!" and I nudge her to go on in so dad can see. And then she gets it and asks if I'm pregnant.

They were very much thrilled to hear the news and somewhat surprised. Dad was for sure. Mom had been suspecting it. So mom enjoyed her present even though she has to wait another 6 months or so for it.

Franklin
______

I made it through my week long training with Kim this past week. I shadowed her at her job Mon-Fri, 8 hours a day, 5 days and I actually got up at 6:20 each morning to do this!!! In case you didn't know, she's a web designer and she showed me a lot of things to help get me up and running to do the same. My goal is to do freelance work and work from home (especially after the kid arrives). I learned a lot and am very glad to be back home in the mountains with the cooler weather. I missed the cats....oh, and I missed Bill too :).

I know you all are dying to see what everything looks like, so I'll go right now and take some pics of the new nursery - which has a ways to go and furniture needs painting - and get those posted for you.

Wednesday's 2nd Visit

My apologies, I've been a little slow at getting this post up.

Wednesday's visit was very reassuring in one aspect and kind of daunting in another. We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! The nurse practitioner said it was 160 beats per minute. It was a little nerve racking that it took a little while to find, but it's there, beating very healthy! My due date was discussed and is officially set at April 10th. We were told not to listen to the advice given from ultrasound techs on when they say the due date should be....

The other part of the visit was discussing the financials. They want to make sure you're going to pay for this! They've got it worked out to a science. You get 13 visits, you pay everything by the 7th month, ultrasounds and lab work are extra...and that doesn't even cover the hospital charges. So, the fun is just beginning!

Bill has been hard at work getting the vintage crib rebuilt/finished. He and his dad have worked long and hard sanding, staining, & gluing. We decided to get new decorative toy pieces to replace the old ones which meant that Bill would have to redrill a hole so the dowel would fit. There was a little boo boo on the drilling which but Mr. Bill in a bit of a self induced frenzy, but I think everything will be OK and soon, we'll look back on the situation and laugh.

We took a trip to the big baby store - Babies R Us - to see what we were in for. I believe all new parents share a mutual feeling of being just a bit overwhelmed by it all, looking at everything for the first time from a new perspective. Not the same one you have when you're just in there "buying a gift for someone". We're starting to get an idea of all the things we need to get and - once again - how much it's all going to cost!

I spent the end of the week working on some last minute church projects and getting ready for my week long trip to Franklin, TN to visit with my friend, Kim. She'll be mentoring me on her work in web design. I'll be going to work with her each day and taking in as much as possible. My goal is to work from home one day, doing freelance projects. Today is the 2nd leg of my trip to get me from Knoxville to Franklin. Right now, I'm sitting at Christy and Andy's house alone waiting for Kim and Brian to wake up from their late night at the UT game. Christy and Andy flew out this morning for a 5 day trip to NYC!

So until I have access to the Internet again, bon voyage!

2nd Appointment....Coming Soon!

Reassurance is just around the corner. My next OB appointment is a day and a half away now. I'm very excited b/c I hear we get to hear the heartbeat. I've naturally been a little worried and concerned since I've been feeling so well and not really pregnant at all. This is the fun one too - where we get to talk about all the financial stuff. Can't wait for that.

Fall is in the air now. Finally the days of 90+ degrees seem to be gone. It's been so nice that we skipped from days on end of the A/C running to ceiling fans and windows up. That's one of the nice things about living in the mountains. Wait, what is that I smell......is that.....a......a skunk!!!! Oh no! Oh well. Too late to put the windows down now. Cooler weather also means I am closer to being able to wear some of the cute colder weather maternity clothes we bought recently.

Scout & Vixen seem to have caught on to the fact that change is on the way. They'll be busy in the coming months sniffing all the new items coming into the house. Some of which is a boppy pillow and front carrier bought this weekend at the Munchkin Market - a upscale rummage sale of sorts held twice a year in Biltmore Village. The cats have been a sore topic of lately so I must tiptoe around their mention.

Guess I'll save all the exciting stuff to post on Wednesday.

Until then....

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge

Bill and I took a nice, relaxing mini-vacation to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge this weekend. Mainly because we had free tickets to Splash Country and this was the last weekend they were open for the year. We got one of those Nissan Altimas for a rental car - no Mustang this time...bummer! One cool feature on the Nissan though, it had one of those push to start/stop buttons instead of a key! Fascinating!

It was a good weekend all and all. One major surprise, there was a rod run happening in Pig Forge! I hadn't been to one there before. Lot's and lots of people and traffic. Would you believe we didn't take a single picture?? We ate at the BullFish Grill the first night. Awesome place to eat and good service.

We put in a whole 5 hours Saturday at Splash Country. It was pretty hot, but that's what you want when you're going to a water park! I did pretty well with energy and the water rides. The only major annoyance was all those trips to the little girls room. But it was important to stay hydrated. I was pretty limited to just the Lazy River and the Wave Pool, but I did manage to make it down the Raging River Rapids. That's the one with the big raft that everyone sits in and you slosh up the walls of the slide as you go down. Trust me, that was plenty adventure for me.

Other than that, Bill allowed me some shopping at Motherhood. I got some cute clothes for the cooler weather. Can't wait to wear them! We also did the usual browsing of the Gatlinburg strip shops, rode the Sky Lift and drove the Nature Trail.

Might I recommend not immersing oneself in another traffic snarl by driving back through Cherokee the same weekend as a rod run and a motorcycle rally. You might just think leaf looking season started early this year.

We made it back all in one piece. I decided to turn in my resignation at my job Monday. I'm going to pursue head-on this thing of web design/freelance work and try to get it to where I can work from home. Please pray for me (and Bill) as we pull all of this together.

Appropriately today, I would like to pause to remember the victims and their families of 9/11.

Labor Day Weekend

I haven't found a whole lot to write about yet as not a lot of big events have been happening, but I'll try to cover the latest.

We have finally located all of the parts to the vintage crib that we will be using. Not all of them are in the same location yet, but we're working on it. This is the same crib that the four Quade boys were in when they were infants. As Bill and Alan were looking for some of the parts in the attic of the shed, the news slipped to some friends of theirs as Sam toted along to "help look for whatever it was they were looking for". I guess these things are bound to happen. Bill and Alan are going to rework the crib slots as they currently don't meet up with safety specifications on spacing.

Bill was hard at work on the past few days on sanding down the dresser and drawers that once stored all of his work clothes and such. This dresser is going to be used in the nursery. Bill is anxious for me to pick out paint colors so that he can get started painting it and the bookcase. Patience, my dear, patience. We're planning on finding out the sex of the baby, but that is still a few weeks away. Then I will be better able to pick out a color scheme.

We finally got part of the landscape lights up around the front of our house on Monday. We've had these lights unopened in the box for almost 6 years! We received them as a wedding present. So it seems we just keep doting the place up a bit as time and money allow.

Other than that, my plate is full with trying to find a decent paying full time job with good benefits. I have some leads, so keep praying!

First Ultrasound

I got to go in for my first ultrasound (of sorts) on Aug 23rd. Bill went with me and I think it was very exciting and more real to see the little blob (you ladies know what I'm talking about). We could see the heart beating, which was measured at 124 beats per minute. Everything looks good at this point. I go in for my 2nd visit on September 19th. The doctors and nurses can't seem to agree on how far along I am, but as of today, I'm somewhere between 7w3d and 7w6d.

Recap

This is primarily going to be about the beginning stages of my first pregnancy. Yes!, I said it! I'm expecting! April 12, 2008 to be exact.

We found out on August 10 - which happens to be the 2 year anniversary of Grandma Quade's death. I confirmed with the dr's on August 13th, which is the day she was buried. Funny what life throws at you.

I only had a short amount of time to prepare a plan on how to tell Bill on the 10th since we made a last minute decision to go to the Chris Isaak concert at Biltmore that evening. My decision was to post a note to the back of the bathroom door with positive test taped to it while Bill took a shower to get ready. I know he was excited, but those of you who know Bill know he isn't the type to jump for joy and go around the house screaming.

Now here's one for my parents - the next day, I went with them to TN to see my grandmother and I already wasn't feeling well, but I had to keep a secret! So now, the secret is out and now you know the real reason I wasn't feeling on top of the world that day. That also explains my unusual hot flashes. I was hotter than Mom! Wow!

It wasn't too long after that when the nausea set in. It hit pretty hard at all times of the day, but lunch was worse. Other than that, I was just starving all the time. The nausea has since subsided (thank goodness) and I've bought some of my first maternity pants to grow into since I can't really wear my normal pants right now. We've had a couple of close run-in's with people we know as we come out of the maternity sections, but so far, no one is the wiser!

Thinking Back

I'm going to try to think back and list what I've been doing in the last few days/weeks and follow up with postings from here on out.

Mainly, this is just record keeping for myself as I haven't yet advertisted this site to any friends or family but when I do, you all will be able to follow along through the stages.