We're Expanding By Two Feet!

It's been a LONG while since I have written anything on this blog and for good reason. We have had a LOT going on! We just recently announced on Facebook our BIG news!

Right now I am 18 weeks along and so far everything has been going amazing! I have not had any morning sickness or very many food aversions, both of which I am very thankful! Every now and then I get cravings for certain food but it varies each day. I want to use this blog to update on the progress of our baby boy and also mine as well. But first, here is one of our baby's first pictures (he already doesn't want to listen to us!):

HOW IS THE BABY?

Baby is doing very well! He is measuring normal each time we have a doctor's visit. From the other pictures we have seen he seems to have very large feet! Which I suppose runs in the family! His heart rate on 8/6/2012 was 153bpm. 

HOW IS MOM?

I am doing well also! I have started having some back pain but that is expected. What I'm mostly using this section for is updates on my AIH. A lot of times it has been thought that people with certain autoimmune issues can go into remission during pregnancy because pregnancy naturally suppresses your immune system. At first my liver enzyme levels were fairly high - 10x the normal level. My liver doctor currently has me on 20mg of prednisone. For a couple weeks in there I was on 30mg in order to help reduce the liver enzyme count. I was going back for blood draws every 2-3 weeks, but thankfully the last time I went in my liver enzymes were almost back down to NORMAL! Now I don't have to go back for a whole month! Very exciting news for me. Now I'm just praying that the next time I go in the liver enzymes will be exactly where they need to be so please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!

For now I am going to watch the Olympics. GO TEAM USA! & have a great night!

Workout Plan

Ah! It seems like it has been forever since I have written a blog! Let's just say that no news is GOOD news! I've been feeling great! =D Here's a little of what's been going on:

Somehow I've found some new motivation to get in shape. Tired of walking up 4 flights of stairs to go to work everyday and being out of breath. Let's get moving! Not sure if you have heard of Pinterest or not, but it has a lot of awesome workout plans for both beginners and the advanced. (Along with a lot of other amazing things... you should check it out and follow me! - Pinterest ). Here's something I've just started doing...

May not seem like a lot, but if you do it enough times you can definitely start feeling it! Easy, at-home workout for anyone that wants to start getting into more shape. Good thing about it - as you go along you can add more reps and burn more calories! =D

Another fun thing that I've discovered in the past few months - Paint the Towne! You should also check out their website - Paint the Towne. There are so many awesome paintings to paint! She takes private parties as well as long as you have 5+ people. & no worries, you don't have to be Picasso to paint here! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Here's a picture of our last painting - Moon Birds:

 It's fun and relaxing, plus you have YOUR OWN outstanding artwork to put on your wall at home! =D

Hope that everyone is having a great 2012!

A Couple Holiday Videos

I know I may be a little late on these, but here are a couple videos from Thanksgiving and Christmas 2011.

Thanksgiving Football Game

The Boys Christmas

Party in the USA - NYE 2011 The Oscars
Click here to view a video from NYE 2011. Lol. Party in the USA!

Happy New Year!

With the new year now here, many of us like to take the time to reflect on what the past year has offered to us. We update our Facebook, Twitter, & Blogs with pictures and memories of good times and maybe even some of the more trying/challenging times that we have either overcome or are still continuing to work through. And well, I guess this blog post isn't any different than just that, however this is my story of 2011...

The year started out like any other. We were in Evansville, IN celebrating with a few of our friends.

Not long after, we made the long trip back to Kansas to start our new year. Thinking 2011 would be normal just like any other, we had NO IDEA what was actually in store for us. During the end of Feb/beginning of March I started not feeling right. I didn't really think anything of it, just thought perhaps I needed to eat more healthy foods or something along those lines. So I went on with life as normal. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary on March 27...

If you have read my blogs before, you know that this was right around the time when I started experiencing jaundice and had to go to the emergency room. From there I had many different doctors appointments, blood draws, radiology tests, and finally a liver biopsy to determine what was actually going on with my body. In May 2011 I was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis. And just in case you haven't read one of my blogs before, AIH is not contagious, it's not due to something I 'contracted' in any unsanitary way, it's just something that unfortunately happens for unknown reasons. My immune system basically thinks my liver is something threatening to my body and tries to attack it. The POSITIVE part of this is that everything was caught early, of which I am very thankful. Even though this may have been what I would like to consider a challenging part of the year, there were definitely may more highs than lows. Here are a few pictures just to show a few of them:

We saw Kenny Chesney in concert!

Visited the Mule Deer Museum in Kansas City.

Saw a VICTORY at the Royals game!

Our friends came to visit us out in Wichita!

Visited the largest Bass Pro Shop located in Springfield, MO!

Surprised my Dad for his birthday and we to our first COLTS game!

 I was MOH in my best friend's wedding - Oct 15, 2011!

Last but not least, JEREMY SHOT HIS FIRST DEER!

As you can see with just these few pictures, our year was pretty amazing. I'm very much looking forward to what 2012 will bring. As of right now, my AIH is in control. My last blood work in December showed that all of my levels are great. I just have to go back every three months to make sure they continue that way. Hoping to be off of medicines soon. Also, towards the end of 2011 I've started doing a little more photography. It is definitely on of my passions. Although nothing is official yet, I would like to start a local business sometime in the near future... just something I can do in the evenings/weekends to help others capture their memories also! More to come on this sometime soon! Until then I hope that everyone has an awesome 2012!