I should really update more often...

Hey y'all! Sorry it has been so long since I have updated! I wish I could say it's because I have been SOO busy, but it is actually quite the opposite. Life has been slow rolling lately, and it is much appreciated at our household.

So what's been new...update on health and baby.

Update #1: Health:

Most preggo's suffer from nausea, morning sickness, etc. etc. Well, not me. Lucky, yes. Unlucky, also yes.  As you all know, I have been diagnosed with a vascular tumor in the right side of my mandible (jaw).  On any given day, I look like I have a wad (sp?) of chewing tobacco in my mouth. FYI, it's not. Just the tumor :). About 3 weeks ago, the oral surgeon injected the tumor with a steroid in hopes that it will start to shrink. I'm crossing my fingers. It looks the same and feels the same, but I'll remain hopeful.  Also, about 3 weeks ago I was hospitalized with a run in with kidney stones.  NOT FUN.  If you have ever had them, I am sorry, you feel my pain.  If you haven't, I pray you never get them.  I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy! Unfortunately, when you are expecting, there isn't much you can do to treat the stones.  I was admitted to the hospital for one night because I became dehydrated from being so sick from pain.  I had to be given fluids and meds for the nausea/pain.  I slept for about 15 of the 16 hours I was there. Unfortunately, due to the slight coma (jk) I was in, I missed Kim K's big wedding. Darn, I'm sure it will come one every other Saturday from now until eternity.  Enough about me, let's talk baby.

Update #2: Baby Girl

Kinley (that's her name if you didn't already know) is becoming much more active each day.  I have been able to feel her move since about 18 or 19 weeks. I am 24 weeks 4 days now, and what started as a little bump here and there has become a near constant, woah girl! I can't wait until she is big enough to stretch out so we can actually tell what she is pressing out with.  Most people have asked me about her nursery.  Is it ready? Ha, NO. Not even close.  We have finally decided on a crib and ordered it last week! YAY, so 8-12 weeks and my baby girl will have a bed.  Other than that, we haven't done much.  Ryan and I are hardcore procrastinators. Poor Kinley, I hope she gets her grandparents genes! Freddy (soon to be Pap) and Susan (soon to be Mae Mae or May May?) have been working on Kinley's toy chest. I picked out a picture I liked and Mr. Freddy is making one similar for her. Special and one of a kind! I can't wait to see it! Maybe, just maybe, this weekend...or the next.... we will work on the nursery :)  

Her crib! I can't wait for it to arrive!!

Oh yes, also Ryan's grandmother has also been making her curtains! As soon as we get them and up them up I will post pictures!
I think that's all I can come up with as far as updating! Much love and God bless!!

Liz

The reveal............

As you all probably know by now, it's a GIRL! Yay! I hope I included everyone on the mass text! Anyway, I must say, the buildup for the reveal party was SOO worth the wait! The party was soo great, thanks to my absolutely amazing in-laws! They had smoked ribs, augratin potato casserole, coleslaw, baked beans, and rolls of course.  The food was great, and the company was great!

After dinner and a little socializing we decided to play a few games.  First, everyone that came had to sign in on a blue and pink sign that said if you thought it was a boy or a girl.  Most of the men voted boy, and lots of the ladies voted girl.  Gregory, Ryan's first cousin was the only guy who voted girl! Ha, anyway the vote ruled TEAM BLUE.  The next game was an Old Wives Tale game, where Susan asked Ryan and me about 10 questions ranging from what I have craved, to my clumsiness, and how I even picked up a key on command.  This game too scored TEAM BLUE (6 to 5 though).  Then, finally, it was time for the cake cutting.  My heart started pounding and my palms where sweating. I felt like I was about to perform on stage or something!! It was quite funny.  So there Ryan and I stood, just like we did after saying I do, with the cake knife in our hands. Once we cut into it, I could barely feel my legs.  I just started screaming like a freshmen on sorority bid day!!! So did Mrs. Susan though!! I just wish someone had us on video!! We were jumping around screaming like little girls in disbelief!!  The inside of the cake was undeniably hot pink!! I fell to the ground knife in hand and all.  I just couldn't even stand up!! Everyone rushed over to see the inside and started hugging and crying.  It was absolutely the most amazing moment of my life!! Having to wait the extra 12 days made the reveal that much more special.

Of course we would have been excited for either a boy or a girl, but now this little bean is no longer an it, it's our baby GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, it's still so surreal to me!!

Pics from last night.

Before.....

My Reaction! (crazy)

PROOF!

Up close...

Last night was absolutely PERFECT.................

The clock is ticking at the rate of a snail's pace.....

Maybe it's just me, but this week has seemed to last an eternity! Maybe it is because I have two BIG news announcments this week.  Or maybe it is because one of my doctors that usually works on Wendnesday's worked on Tuesday this week and threw me off.  Whatever the reason is, I feel like I keep asking, "Is it Friday yet??"

First big announcement of the week, my biopsy results, and phewwww it's not cancer! However, it is a Central Giant Cell Tumor. Blah. Sounds silly if you ask me.  What this is, is a tumor that typically grows in longs bones like the humerous or femur. They don't really know what causes them, but it could be hyperparathyroidism (which can cause calcium deficiencies or over production), or it could be something else.  The current plan of action is to continue to see the oral surgeon every three to four weeks and keep the tumor open (this is a PAIN when it comes to eating) until the baby is born. He is hoping that the tumor will shrink enough to make the surgery easier.  After the baby is born, he will take me to surgery, remove the tumor, apply liquid nitrogen to the remaining bone, and fill the area with bone graft.  Blah, blah, blah! I am hoping for a miracle (similar to Brother John's for those of you who know what I mean) so maybe after the baby is born it will be TINY?!

Anyway, enough about me, let's talk about baby! If I got a dollar for everytime someone asked me what the gender was, well...I wouldn't be rich, but I definately would have all my lunches paid for this week. Ha, so we will find out Saturday night! Woohooo, FINALLY! In all reality, I think that time is ticking twice as slow as usual is because I absolutely cannot get the daydreams out of my mind! I keep seeing visions of Ryan and I cutting the cake! :) This gives me such a GIDDY feeling, it's unreal!
While I cannot tell you what it is, or what the baby's name will be, I can tell you initials.  :) K.P. for girl or boy! This gives me the most giddy feeling of all! Because as soon as we see that cake, this baby will be our baby, K______ Puckett!

Oh yeah, clear the road friends, Sunday (after the Sunday school social) I'M GOING SHOPPING!!!! I've been waiting on this day for.....oohh about 14 weeks!!! Team Pink or Team Blue? We will soon find out!

Playing catchup!

So it's been a while since I have updated, so I will try and play catch up.  We have been soo busy from visiting sick relatives, to dentist appointments, OB checkups, vacations, etc, but I think we are starting to settle down for the rest of the summer. If you work in the health care industry you have heard the phrase, "bad comes in 3's or 7's." This has been our luck here lately.  In the past month I have lost a close relative (miss you already Aunt Pat!), I've been diagnosed with a tumor like growth inside my lower right jaw, and Ryan's grandmother has been hospitilized (thankfully getting better each day). 
I was very close to my Aunt Pat, as she and her husband took care of my brother and I a lot growing up.  She was 84 and recently had surgery to remove several lesions on her intestines. She was in the hospital for 22 days before she left us to meet Jesus. Thankfully, she is no longer suffering. and I know she is happier there!
At my routine dental check-up, my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon to take a look at a bulge in my lower jaw bone back where the wisdom teeth are/or were located.  Upon his exam and panoramic x-ray, he found that the growth had not only taken over much of the bone mass, but had also grown out of the bone.  I took a pic of the x-ray with my cell phone! The large dark circle behind the molars...yea thats the one...Totally not supposed to be there...

He wasn't sure what, how, or why, so he scheduled me for a biopsy.  I had the biopsy done yesterday under local anesthetic.  I must say, that was pretty miserable.  I definately needed a sedative! Unfortunately, little baby Puckett say's otherwise, so I endured the grueling procedure that felt like I was having dental surgery with a pair of pliers! I am surprised I didn't pass out! I go back in a week for my post-op visit and hopefully by then he will have received the lab reports.  If it's benign, I can wait until the baby is born for treatment, and if it's not...well we will just have to find out what we will do then!
So now for some good news, Tuesday I went to the OB for my 2nd trimester check up and anatomy scan! Every think looked great on the sonogram.  They were able to tell the sex of the baby, but of course they didn't tell me.  The technologist was quite funny! She sealed the envelope with the answer in it so I couldn't cheat. Not that I wanted to! I don't want to spoil the surprise! We will find next Saturday, the 30th. AHH! Can't wait! I'm adding a couple of the US pics.  It's hard to believe this little baby is 4.5 inches long! So tiny, but it has a little face!

What to expect, when you're expecting...

What did I expect? Morning sickness! I mean, who doesn't worry about getting sick everyday for weeks. I sure did! Especially since my best friend Meagan had the WORST cause of MS! Poor thing was sick until 22 weeks! I must say, I am forever thankful I have not have to experience any of that.  I am of the lucky minority of women who do not have morning sickness along with many other pregnancy symptoms.  In fact,  I have been more than lucky!  Other than requiring a nap most afternoons from 3:00ish-4:00ish (ok maybe 5:00ish),  I have had a nearly symptom free experience so far! My doctor recommended the book "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" for our prenatal knowledge.  So far it's kept me in line.  I do miss my cheeses though.  Having to avoid feta cheese and queso dip from mexican restaurants pretty much sucks! It's funny, before I was expecting I would eat whatever I wanted regardless of the nutritional content.  Now, I find myself thinking 'Have I had enough dairy today?' or 'Maybe I should get something with veggies?' or even 'O wow, that brownie looks gooood!' (I have never really been fond of brownies before.) Oh yeah, I definately miss coffee too!

In less than three weeks, Ryan and I will have the answer to the big question! We will find out the sex of the baby on July 19th! Bad news though, we aren't going to find out at the doctor's office.  We are going to have a gender reveal party at my in-laws house.  So, it may be another week or so until we can tell everyone.  If you don't know what a gender reveal party is,  I will tell you.  The ultrasound tech puts GIRL or BOY in an envelope and seals it.  We are going to take the envelope to a local bakery where they are going to bake a white cake and dye the batter either baby blue or pastel pink!  They then cover it with white icing.  So when you cut in the cake, VIOLA!(sp?) You find out the sex of the baby!! YAY! I can't wait.  I have not spent one dollar on the baby yet and I can't hardly stand it!!

Where to begin...

Before Ryan and I were even married, we dreamed of having children.  We played the name game, picking out names we thought of and matching them with his last name to see if it had a "ring" to it.  We thought about who he or she would be most like...would they have his common sense, my lack of it, his ability to make or fix anything, my love of shopping, my eyes, his hair, etc.  I have dreamed of being a mom my entire life, however, I never truely thought about it really happening.  That may not make sense, but that's how I feel right now. I'm still slightly in shock that God has planned for us to begin our family. Ryan and I always said we weren't going to rush into having kids, but low and behold, God's plan was different than ours. Nine months after "I do" and we are counting down nine month's until parenthood. Everyone has said we would know when we were ready, and it's true.  In April, Ryan and I decided it was time.  So soon you may wonder? We don't.

April 26, 2011 was the day my life changed, forever.  That day, I became a mommy.  Well, at least that was the day I realized I was a mommy.  I have heard that some people have that innate feeling they are expecting, while others have no clue.  Well, I had that innate feeling. On April 26, I received the confirmation, not an official one from a doctor, but you get the point.  On May 24, Ryan and I got to see our little sprout for the first time on the ultrasound, and I must say that was incredible.  I never have been so tickled about anything in my life.  In fact, when the ultrasound tech was showing us the heartbeat, I couldn't contain my giggles! I was so excited to know that it was all real, and there was a little life in there! 

Now, as we begin this blog, I am 14 weeks and some days pregnant. A few people know the news, but we have not been broadcasting it by any means.  I guess that comes next, telling the world....