Sunday, September 18, 2011

Baby McAfee... Boy or Girl?!!!

This past week we found out if we are having a boy or girl!! I am assuming it's not a surprise for many people anymore as most people reading this are clicking on from my Facebook site. I was so excited... I felt like a little kid waiting for Christmas, or going to Disney World the next day- hardly able to even sleep!


I had designs for a boy or girl nursery picked and approved by Shaun, and we even decided on names too! Theme for a boys nursery would be aviation with sky blue walls that I would learn to paint clouds onto. Soothing for me, blue for a boy, and aviation for Shaun (who is a private pilot). For a girl, turquoise room with pink Japanese cherry blossoms and white accents. I wanted a unique nursery, not one that every other set of parents could do and as my sister volunteered to make the baby bedding, the sky was the limit!

Names we made harder on ourselves than we needed too. We wanted to carry on our middle names (Alexander for a boy, Lynn or Lynette for a girl), so that was easy. We each had a name for one gender we have loved for years, but instead of settling on them right away, we searched the internet and made a list of all the names we both liked and the meanings. What's in a name? Well, it needs to sound good, mean something awesome, and in our case, not be names that are super popular. Final decision was to go to the names we picked out before we even knew each other: Gabriel (my pick) Alexander or Evelynn (Shaun's pick) Marie. (My middle name was already in the first name, so we choose the best sounding name from one of our grandmothers.)

The big day arrived and we took our video camera to the ultrasound so we could share the moment with family and friends. My youngest brother, a very gifted young man if I do say so myself, said he would edit the video and add music to it for us as we are not the most tech savvy couple you will meet. We couldn't wait to see what he would make for u!

Below is the video- the only thing that wasn't caught on tape was Shaun fist-pumping behind the camera a few seconds after we found out the gender for sure. We hope you enjoy the video as much as we do!



Gabriel Alexander McAfee - It is so amazing being able to pray for him by name, call him by name when talking in conversation, and talking to him. So far Shaun does this more than I do, I need to get moving on it. I cannot wait to practice painting clouds and complete the nursery- so many people have made us feel so loved, volunteering to make blankets, complete bed sets, wall hangings, name frames, quilts, keepsake measuring charts, afgans, baby food cook books, and more! Thank you to all of you who have been excited with us along the way.

Gabriel: "Strong man of God" Alexander: "Defender of men"

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Glorious Second Trimester!!!

  "So how is your second trimester so far?" Innocent question by someone I was making small talk with after telling them that I has just completed my twelfth week of this pregnancy. An innocent question that sent me to google search on my phone as I thought I had another two weeks before that happened. Sure enough, I have officially entered my second trimester almost completely unaware!

  Soooo many different, wonderful and scary, emotions! Second trimester is beginning, that means I have completed 1/3rd of this pregnancy already, and the baby will be here in six months!! I'm so excited to have the baby here, becoming less terrified of the actual labor, and have to prepare myself for the big life changes that are coming our way... ready or not!

  As excited as I am for our family to start growing, I have to admit that I have a grieving process to go through as well. I love the life that Shaun and I have, just the two of us. I cannot wait to see him hold our baby for the first time, or tell him to watch the coffee table corners when they start wrestling in the living room- but I will miss us being just us. I am so grateful that he feels the same way, because part of me feels so selfish admitting it. We (especially Shaun) is always working toward a goal of some kind, but I'm thankful that both of us have been taught, that although it's good to have hopes and work toward your goals, we need to make sure we enjoy each stage of life while it's here. There are a lot of things that will change- I just hope that our relationship grows stronger as we raise kids instead of drifting apart as it seems most couples do.

  So what are some things that have happened since the last post? The nursery furniture is almost all the way stocked, I've dug out the things our mothers saved from Shaun and I as babies, and we had a third ultrasound. The baby did flips, responded to the doctors pokes and pushes against my stomach, and it even made a muscle for Shaun when the doctor was pointing out its little arms! We clearly saw the head, body, arms, legs, umbilical cord, and Shaun even got to see fingers!! The ultrasound to find out the sex is scheduled for Sept 13th (one more month!!) and we have nursery themes ready for either... just waiting to hear the exciting words and we will be purchasing paint in either turquoise & pink or shades of light blue and maybe some yellow? My morning sickness has faded, but isn't totally gone. Shaun has been wonderful through this, either taking on cooking himself, or happily eating leftovers, grilled cheese (my latest craving) and cold cereal on the days I just can't handle cooking. His encouraging words over how I've been making sure I eat have helped my attitude leaps and bounds, while at the same time, he will go out of his way to make sure I get the chocolate doughnut I just had to have. I couldn't ask for a better husband or best friend to go through this with.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

First Ultrasound & Dr. appt ~ 5 Weeks, 6 Days (late post from 6.29.11)

  First ultrasound was today!! I have to admit I was looking forward to the relief of seeing the heartbeat and knowing just how far along I am according to measurements. Busy morning at work, as I am cleaning up the office and getting ready to turn over the position of Event Coordinator for the Scoular Ballroom back to it's rightful holder. Shaun sent me a sweet note on facebook this morning that I never want to loose, so I'll post it here. I am so blessed to have a man who has been so involved with this pregnancy already, and has supported me during some slightly crazy moments already.
  "Today you get to hear your baby's heart and meet the future wonder you have created with me. I cannot imagine being married to a better woman and no one on earth presently has made me more happy than you, by giving me a child."
  Shaun and I took extended lunch breaks and headed over to the doctor's office. I had 32 oz of water in me which had been there for an hour, so I was in a slightly concentrated mood while driving. Shaun tried to lighten the mood for us by making me laugh, and I felt bad, but had to ask him to stop trying to make me laugh; I was barely in control here!

I started getting really chatty from being so uncomfortable, and the technician doing the ultrasound was wonderful and let me use the bathroom as soon as she was finished getting some measurements. Shaun and I stared at the monitor waiting to catch a glimpse of our little wonder, and finally found it. Actually we saw the yoke sack (babies have those?!) and something just under it fluttering away. The technician said that blurry line moving away was the baby and it's little heart. It looked like the heart was as big as the body! She said this is the smallest she has seen a baby, and that if we had come in even a day earlier, we might not have been able to find it at all! She set our due date as February 22, 2012 biased on the measurements. We have one tiny little picture of the baby from the ultrasound. Have to admit, I was slightly disappointed with how small the picture was. Baby McAfee is located between the two little dots under the arrow. 106 beats a minute for it's little heart. Wish so badly there had been video of it.


  Later we had our appointment with Dr. Garnette- who is wonderful! Shaun read our list of questions, which he had doubled in size waiting in the waiting room. My questions were at top and serious. His questions started out with, "Can she have Cheesecake Factory whenever she wants it?" and had just a few real questions in it. I like how he's thinking! He took me out for Cheesecake factory that night ;0)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Moods are in Full Swing! ~ Six Weeks, Six Days

I always thought of life as a pregnant woman as a nine month transition into becoming a mother. Little did I know how fast life would change in the first two months! After discovering that I was truly pregnant, I drove more cautiously than I've driven since I was a new driver. Energetic road trips have become an off-and-on road-naps, cleaning the house has become a day-long process, and even the food lover in me is hiding for cover! Productive hours are planned around activities that can be done from the sitting and laying down position so as to prolong the energetic hours as long as humanly possible. This week the onset of nausea and food aversions have been so extreme that the foodie in me has gone through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, barganing, depression and acceptance) and is finally coping a little better.

For the first time in our marriage, we have the ability to eat organic, and I have been taking advantage of that, learning new, spicy, fun, healthy recipes. Now even the idea of a mild green pepper is asking too much. To look at the bright side of my new picky-spoiled-child tastes, not only am I gaining a new appreciation for Life Cereal and Ramen Noodles, I'm going to be learning a lot more about a whole different type of cooking! Let's call it, healthy comfort food- that is if I can convert these old classics into healthy, bland meals.

Moods are in full swing, as Shaun and I discovered today at Walmart. That we were even voluntarily at a Walmart is a recipe for disaster, as we both hate the place with passion. I've had a rough day in the nauseous department, and could have fallen asleep on the bottom shelf of any isle with a space open enough had I gotten the chance. I had my only burst of energy all day after we completed collecting the grocery items on my list, and I was soooo excited that I told Shaun and he let me take over the cart. Avoiding Walmartins who were cutting me off and running into my cart, we arrived at the auto center (where we intended on checking out as our car had its oil replaced), and my energy and good mood were completely depleted. We couldn't check out there- I felt ready to cry and Shaun was frustrated too. Only his frustration was quickly replaced with concern when a series of miscommunication between the two of us (he still thought I had energy, and I thought he had a bad attitude) caused me to communicate my in-appreciation of his "attitude". Oh brother! The look of shock at how I had taken Shaun's comment was written all over his face, and he held my hand and gave me a shoulder rub while we stood in line behind four full carts. Praise the Lord for a husband who is able to lead from the standpoint of putting my needs ahead of his own at times like this! I apologized for my crazy mood swing, he told me it was okay that he knows it's an emotion filled time, and although he feels concern for me when it happens, he also is slightly entertained by how fast my moods can change. I didn't know that there had been more than one instance of this- ugh!

The forth of July weekend brought back memories of being a little kid. I got to play with my nephew and young cousins all I wanted! I played hard, and then found myself needing a nap all afternoon- stuck on the couch having the little ones come up to me instead of me down to them. Play hard, sleep harder was the game. I'm so glad Shaun could come this year- I really needed his support, love and help. It was endearing to me to watch as Shaun and our nephew Dakota bonded for the first time, especially the last morning we were up north after Dakota climbed up in "A Shun" (translation: Uncle Shaun)'s lap and watched tractors circling in the form of a bike during the "tour de france". My family is so much fun, and I wish we could have stayed longer to see my Aunt Debby more, but I'm glad we got to go as long as we were able to. My mom had a little grandma bag waiting for us when we arrived with goodies for the baby. An adorable giraffe stuffed animal (which was funny because I'd been wanting a giraffe for some reason and couldn't find one), the same brand pacifiers as I had when I was a baby, the softest Winnie the pooh blanket, some toys, and a set of bibs with wonderful sayings like, "But Grandma said I can". My sister gave us a boppy pillow, a diaper cake, and maternity shirt she made herself. I haven't even let myself buy much yet, so it's fun to see my family so excited! Many thanks to Shaun for making sure that the diaper cake made it home in one piece for the nursery which is slowly coming together.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Conquering Changes and Challenges

Life is full of changes and challenges! One of the most important lessons I learned from my parents was to choose my attitude. I'm not saying I always choose the right attitude, but I have seen how very true this is. So many things you have no control over, however people with truly joyful lives are rarely the ones we would find with a perfect situation. What is their secret?! Choosing an attitude of gratitude and humor. Find the silver lining, or just simply determine that a miserable situation will not define you.

Those thought have been running through my head all week long. During Bible study, driving in the car, trying keep things to facts and/or funny when I tell Shaun that things are feeling a little gross instead of whining. I have had two pretty rough days with "morning" sickness, but I am so amazingly excited about this new life that the miserable moments pale in comparison with the joy I feel. I truly want to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy instead of how I've watched others totally miss the miracle of what is happening with their attitude of misery. I don't honestly think I will be grateful when I feel like I can't move another muscle, or that breakfast will make a reappearance at the very thought of peanut butter (ugh, shouldn't have made myself just type that). But I can be grateful of why I feel this way!

The past two weeks is when most babies sex is determined deep inside. It has eyes, holes for a nose, little stubs forming for legs and arms, and it's brain is growing at a rate that is stunning. I feel so connected to this life already, I cannot even explain it! Yesterday I realized my tummy is firming up, and when standing I think I can feel the begining of a little tiny bump starting to form. Tomorrow Shaun and I will go in for the first ultrasound. I cannot wait to hear that little heart beating inside that little jelly-bean sized baby! This truly is a blessed life I live!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Beautiful Life! Four Weeks Along Exactly

This is one beautiful life!! Shaun and I are settling into our home, buying one piece of furniture at a time to complete the look of our new life in Omaha. We still feel that it's a little large for us, but I have a feeling when baby comes that our minds will begin changing.

Shaun is working a lot of overtime on the flood team with the Army Corps (people we should be thankful for, not blaming, by the way. One levee in hundreds breaking down is a pretty good success rate. What if they weren't here for those other hundreds?). I'm working part time front desk at the Pinnacle Fitness Club downtown (I'm bias, but it's the best gym ever), and part time as the Ballroom Coordinator at the Scoular ballroom (which I LOVE!), and starting my own business as a Wedding & Event Planner that I can run from home after the baby comes. Shaun and I are both going back to school this summer with Liberty University Online. It's a busy, beautiful time right now!

Business is made a little more busy by Kayuh, Sitka and Mollie. Mollie and Kayuh are loving the time cuddling when I'm trying to nap before making dinner, and Sitka sticks to my side more than ever. I wonder if dogs can tell when someone is expecting? Hmmm, no clue. Kayuh and Sitka's shedding is driving me crazy lately. Shaun vacuumed one afternoon, and by night we needed to vacuum again- and not because I'm a stickler for clean, but because there were chunks of white hair just from them being inside for a half hour before bed! They are wonderful dogs, always make me feel wanted.

I told Shaun that we were pregnant on June 15th, when I found out for sure. It was such a fluke that I even found out. We had no idea! After going off birth control in October, I've kept packs of pregnancy tests in the house so that before we open a bottle of wine, I can be responsible and make sure. I bought a five pack of tests on clearance at Walgreen's, and wanted to make sure that they would work (why would one pack be on clearance?). First one was blank, so I took another one a few hours later. I was amazed to see a second line at all, but it was sooo faint that I didn't know for sure that it was right. Third test did the same. I took a picture of the test, just in case it was positive, and then tried to sleep. I didn't tell Shaun because I didn't want to get his hopes up. Trying to sleep, I couldn't. I was awake almost all night thinking up creative ways to tell Shaun he was going to be a dad so close to Father's day- all while trying not to get my hopes up. He has been there every other time I've taken a pregnancy test because I always told him before I took one.

All day at work, I was in an amazing mood! No sleep, crummy weather, and I was soooo happy! I had taken a forth test when I woke up to have another really faint second line again. I took the coffee Shaun made me this morning and took a few sips just so he wouldn't wonder what was going on. Worked all day, and decided to get different tests after we went home. I just knew I was pregnant at this point, hardly any doubt, but trying not to believe it until I had another test. Shaun was in a talkative mood on the way home so I let him carry the whole conversation as I was busting to tell him I was about to take a fifth and sixth test. I tried to find an excuse to leave the house without rising Shaun's eyebrows, but he caught on that I was going to go somewhere (guess my actions are predictable!). So he shoed me out of the house, and I grabbed my camera on the way out.

I went to Parable to find a devotional for expectant fathers so I could give it to him on Father's Day- but guess what? They don't exist! But I did find a journal for myself! I remember reading the few pages my mom wrote after finding out she was pregnant with me- it was so precious to me, and I want to have it to look back at. If I found out I wasn't pregnant, then I'd just save it for someday.

Next I went to Costco and got gas and produce (what I told Shaun I was going to get- can't make a liar out of myself!), and made my way quickly to Target. Practically ran to the tests, bypassing the groceries and darting between the cosmetic isles. Lucked out! The most expensive tests that read "pregnant" or "not pregnant" were on sale cheaper than the rest! Tried to be patient while waited in line at the slowest, friendliest checkout lady in the 12 and under "fast" lane. Found the bathroom, opened up the tests, and took two- not thirty seconds later they both read "Pregnant!" I cannot even describe how amazing I felt- yet numb, I couldn't really believe it! I just stood there for a while, totally thrilled and decided to get moving before I started celebrating and made up my mind on how to tell Shaun right away. After all, if I moved fast enough, it would start sinking in just in time to tell him and we could go through that together! I cleaned the tests, walked over to the baby isle and found the cutest baby blankets with little animals on them and took pictures of the tests using the blanket as the backdrop. Walked over to the one hour photo center, and added some captions to the pictures. While waiting for them to print, I picked out a frame, some baby stickers, and put the pieces of my plan together. The lady at the check out figured out that I hadn't told anyone and let me use her counter to put my frame together.

Ran home as fast as I could while being more careful than I possibly ever have been while driving. Wow, that was a fast change! ha, ha! When I got home, Shaun yelled, "Where's the camera? Our bird finished her nest and is inside of it!" I yelled back that I would get some pictures of it, terrified that as he would insist on taking some and find my pictures in the LCD playback. I was thrilled, if he was that excited about possible future baby birds outside our window, this was for sure a good day to tell him. Taking the camera with me, I got changed, grabbed a change of clothes for him and convinced him to go to Olive Garden.

I tested the video camera on the actual camera when I realized I didn't grab the right bag. It worked! Thank goodness! Once there, I told him I had something for him and he needed to not look and walk ahead. I opened the trunk stuffed the frame in my bag, and carefully guarded it. I told him he could have it after we ordered. We ordered, I got a taste of the sample wine because I didn't want him to put the pieces together last minute, and then I got out the camera and was ready to give him gift. He acted a little strange in front of the camera at first and I said "very good" the way he does to Mollie when he smiled as I asked. His surprise was priceless!!! I am so glad it was caught on tape. You can't tell, but I teared up while taping through all my giggles. At the end of the video he asks me to join him on his side of the table and on my way over I asked a waitress to take our picture.

When we finished eating, I couldn't just go home, I needed to do something baby-ish, and Shaun agreed to go to Babies R Us with me! We didn't buy anything, but we had a blast walking around realizing more and more that this was really happening! No wonder I have been so tired and in the bathroom with this crazy blatter in the past few weeks! We can hardly believe it, but we are sooooo excited! All through dinner, Shaun kept saying, "Are you serious! I can't believe this! These things don't happen to guys like me." My favorite was on the walk to the car, "I'm the most blessed man I know!" I've been tired, but really no other side effects other than feeling like I was a little crampy, always in the bathroom, and certain tenderness - but I just thought it was really bad case of PMS coming up. I can't believe it! We called one of his brothers after opening our mail and finding a picture of our beautiful niece, Charlotte. I took one more test in front of Shaun so he could see it with his own two eyes and really have reality set in, and then dug the other tests out of the trash to take a picture because I thought it was really funny that we had taken so many. The first one I took that was blank, now showed positive!

The next day I told a few ladies at work, texted Lauren and did my best not to call my family and blurt the news. I wanted to wait till fathers day or until I would see them in a few weeks. Let me tell you, I work with the best people and have some of the best friends!!

Father's day came and I let Shaun sleep in- a gift he won't have on other fathers day's coming up. Made him breakfast, and reminded him that the infant fighting Sioux hockey jersey he opened when it arrived two days earlier was his first father's day gift (which he took to work with his picture frame I made him, and was amazingly expensive for such a little cute thing). We went to CCC with Brad, Haleigh, and Noah. The topic of the sermon was "Words of Life" and the pastor asked people to tell him words they will never forget that have changed their lives. Shaun yelled out first before anyone else, "I'M PREGNANT!!!" and the crowd was loud with laughter! We told his parents and waited until I could skype mine that night. Shaun's parents were really excited, and when I held up the test that the doctor took to the webcam when telling my parents and brothers, only mom and dad talked- followed by Matt asking what in the heck that thing was, haha! Laurie screamed when she heard; my nephew, Dakota's, response is my favorite so far from family. Laurie told him he was going to have a baby cousin and showed him a picture of me, and he flipped to a picture of him as a baby and said, "Like baby Koda?!" I love that kid!

Shaun took my first profile picture at six weeks today. Still not showing, although I'm getting really good at sticking my tummy out when people ask. I've noticed a lot of people starring at my belly as if they are wishing it to grow over night. Haha! I'm so excited and so very happy. The last three days I have been unreasonably tired all the time, and have started having annoying nausia. So far only one real big battle against being sick. Poor Shaun. I've started progesterone shots as my levels are good, but not best- which Shaun learned how to give me today. I'm really sore for a few days after, but it'll be worth it if the baby is safe. I didn't reach all my body goals for the summer, and now I've accepted that those goals will have to wait. But at least I'll have a picture of my waistline to look fondly back at as I grow- although I'm one of the weird ones who can't wait to sport a baby-bump!
Pregnant ladies everywhere, I have no idea why you have decided to keep exactly how tired you are from making a baby a secret, but WOW! I have so much respect for pregnant ladies with toddlers to run after now. I wake up, and after getting ready for work am ready for a nap! Shaun is amazing, he does so much, and is totally interested and a part of this. He looks at all the updates and talks to friends who are pregnant and who've had babies- thank you ladies for helping my husband understand what I'm going through, because I'm even having a hard time understanding ;0) Today we got our first baby gifts from a lady Shaun works with, Pat. What a sweetheart! Totally made my day when Shaun told me and sent me a picture. Although I should clarify that the burp cloths are disguised as cloth diapers in the pictures, haha. I really don't think I'll have the energy to keep up with cloth diapers.

This is a beautiful life!