Introducing Gavin Cooper!

So not much has changed since I last updated my blog.... well, other than the fact that SPARKLE ARRIVED!!!! And "sparkle" probably should have been referred to as "Spark" because we had a BOY!! I don't know why I'm writing like this is news to all of you! Most, if not everyone, who reads this already knows that and probably has already met our little guy. But if you haven't heard then first, find a new gossip in your town because you aren't being kept up to date very well and second, let me introduce you. Gavin Cooper was born February 17th at 9:59am via emergency C-section. He weighed 7 lbs 10 oz and was 21 inches long. Here's a quick over view of why we ended up having to have a C-section. I had worked that night prior to delivering him and had been contracting all night. Around 6:15 am as my night was getting ready to end, I put myself on the monitor just to see how close the contractions were and if I was feeling all of them or whether I was really having more. Once I was on the monitor I saw that I was having contractions, but that Gavin's heart rate wasn't reactive. When a heart rate is reactive it means there's a bunch of fluctuations in the HR and that's a good sign telling us the baby is adequately oxygenated. Sometimes when the baby sleeps it looks non-reactive, which is what we thought was going on. So I drank lots of sugary drinks and chewed ice cubes to try and wake the baby up to get a reactive strip. By 7 am he still wasn't reactive and so I was admitted in the labor room for a non reactive strip. I called Jason then and told him he should come in and just hang out with me for awhile until the baby woke up. The doctor and midwife came in around 8:15am and still his heart rate wasn't looking good and was starting to have subtle decelerations which were a sign that he wasn't getting enough oxygen and was getting stressed. The doctor said she didn't like how the baby looked and didn't want to wait and try and induce me naturally, that a c-section would be the best route. So TA-DA! Into the operating room we went. Talk about a weird feeling! You go to work never thinking in a million years that you'd clock out at 7am and be in the OR having your baby 2 hours later! The funny thing was that I'd been taking care of a laboring patient all night and I ended up delivering before her! Thankfully Gavin did great immediately after delivery and came out screaming. Still not really sure what caused the strip to look like that. Maybe because I'd been fighting a cold and then having worked all night it stressed him. But it's a happy ending! He's doing amazing and has totally changed our lives 100% for the better. He had his one month check up last week and already weighs 9 lbs 8 oz. Enjoy the pics!! I'll try and keep updating, but find my free time has decreased dramatically (and I wouldn't change it for anything!!)

My blog is in need of CPR...

It's been so long since I've written that I'm pretty sure my blog has started to collect dust. A quick update since I've last blogged. I had the baby...it's now 4 years old and going to pre-school everyday. I lost LOTS of weight after the baby was born and after getting super buff, I now make a living as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Jason is a professional hockey player for the Hurricaines and we all lived happily ever after!

Alright maybe it hasn't been quite THAT long since updating. Honestly, I'm updating because Jason told me I probably should. I don't know what he thinks I do all day. Doesn't he know I'm working hard? First, I wake up and after kicking my way through the mounds of dirty laundry that has overtaken our bedroom, I get on-line and finish a quick 2-3 hour review of blogspot and facebook to make sure I haven't missed anything that's happened in anyone's life over night. Obviously he doesn't understand what a job that is! Then I eat roughly 4 bowls of cereal and move the 40 dirty dishes out of the sink so I can run water down the kitchen sink drain to try and get rid of the smell of curdled milk/ spoiled meat that develops after neglecting the dishes for 4 weeks. Does Jason know realize how much work it is to move all those dirty dishes out of the sink to just move them back in again? Then, I run upstairs to the computer where I spend another 3 hours on facebook reupdating myself on what may have happened while I was eating breakfast. Next, I take a 5 hour nap to rebuild my strength and then wake up in time to call Jason on his way home and tell him I've been too busy to make supper and that he should probably grab something for us on his way home.....so as you can see I have hardly had time to update my blog since I've been working around the house so much!

Okay so since I'm here I might as well give you a REAL update. I have NOT had the baby, so you'd better go call back those people you quickly dialed to ask why you hadn't heard the news or received invites to any of the baby's 4 birthday parties! I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant and feeling like roughly the size of a Greyhound bus. (I'm also being reminded by friends, coworkers, and family members, that this is, in fact, true...) I had an ultrasound at 30 weeks and at that time they said the baby was already 4lbs. Translation= BIG BABY! Usually babies are closer to 2 lbs at that time. The doctor wants me to have another ultrasound within the next couple of weeks to see how big the baby is now and to decide if I may need to deliver earlier so I don't have a 13 pound toddler!

Here's a self pic of me. My mom had requested one, and since the professional photographer that usually follows me around was in the bathroom, I took one of myself. I find the best way to take pictures is so you're looking down to really accent your double chin. (notice I'm on the phone...probably telling Jason how busy I've been working or placing my take out order!)

Mom, Dad, Jeff and Britta came up for Christmas/ New Years and helped us SO much in getting the baby's room finished. We had so much fun and I think it turned out super cute. Jason just finished staining the dresser and armiore this past weekend and we finally have the room put together!

So, even though I missed blogging a lot of important things these past few months (like my baby shower, pictures of my family up visiting..etc) I have been pretty busy. I'm still feeling great (other than back pain) and I've just been trying to take it easy and enjoy the last bit of my pregnancy. I really DO work (sometimes!)...I'm still working 12 hour nights and in the mean time trying to get everything ready for Sparkle's arrival! I'll try and be more diligent in updating....so please be patient with me!!

Fat and Happy

So I've had a request to "show everyone how fat you've gotten". Although my first thought was to knock this person flat onto the ground and give them a severe beating, I quickly came to my senses and thought "Calm down Christina....he is your husband and the father of your future child and who will change light bulbs if he's in the hospital?....breath.....breath". Haha! If anyone it wasn't Jason, he's learned to walk very delicately around the topic of weight lately. So for those of you who haven't seen me lately, or those of you who are stalking me on-line and need to put a face to a name so that when you kidnap me in Target parking lot, you'll be sure to get the right person....here ya go!

Somewhere around 18 or 20 weeks



Doing the typical pregnant stance at 25 weeks. Not sure why all us

pregnant people feel this is the way to pose in pictures, as if my hands really need to outline where the baby is...just incase you weren't sure!

All in all I've been feeling really good. I had a doctor's visit 2 weeks ago that was interesting. Let me paint you a picture. (Warning: being a nurse I've forgotten what tends to be acceptable topics of conversation and what takes things too far, so read at your own risk) So I go to my monthly check up and first thing they do is give you a cup for a urine sample. Now I'm not sure about anyone else, but for me that usually entails having to strip to just my socks as I haven't quite mastered the art of urine sample collection. Let's just say I've learned to keep a spare change of clothes in my purse! (what? Too much info??) So after struggling to get RE-combobulated (that's the opposite of discombobulated) in a 4x4 bathroom in a short amount of time so as not to draw attention to the fact that I'm inept at urine collection, I exit the bathroom breathing heavy and sweating profusely. Next it's on to my favorite part of the exam, the scale! Once again I try and strip to my socks, but they strongly discourage it since the scale is out in the open. So I stick with tossing my shoes and coat to the side. About 4 people came running full speed at the blood curdling scream I released as I saw what my current weight was. Then, since I was nice and calm having realized I weighed roughly the size of a trailer, they took my blood pressure. Genius! Great timing! I'm sure the reading will be normal! Surprise Surprise.... my blood pressure is high!! So I met with the doctor who said with my weight gain, increased blood pressure, and protein that was in my urine I have the pleasure of going back again in 2 weeks so they can monitor me and see if the protein goes away and if my blood pressure goes down. Here's an idea, maybe you should take my blood pressure first before putting me through the emotional roller coaster of peeing in a cup and weighing myself! I go again the day before Thanksgiving and hopefully things have settled down.

So other than that, I've been feeling really great, Sparkle is kicking up a storm, and we're starting to think about nursery colors and how to decorate the room. We're looking forward to eating a huge Thanksgiving dinner at the Farm and seeing how far this maternity skirt can stretch. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Until next time!

How could they?!!?

Today is a very important day for Americans all across the country. As I awoke to my alarm clock playing stars and stripes and with my American flag firmly gripped in my hand I made my way to my computer with a sense of pride in our country. That is until I saw this headline on MSNBC which caused me to lose all hope in our future: "Twinkies to shrink into 100-calorie snack packs " It goes on "Hostess Twinkies are becoming the latest product remade and repackaged into 100-calorie snack packs, a product some analysts say could do well given that more people are packing their own lunches in the slumping economy. The maker of the golden yellow, creme-filled cake is launching "Twinkie Bites" nationwide in stores on Monday. It's also introducing a snack pack featuring strawberry cupcakes as it extends the 100-calorie pack line originally aimed at women who wanted to snack more sensibly. And while Leavitt notes that the original Twinkie come in at 150 calories, people asked for a lightened version and the company got to work. They didn't want to just shrink the Twinkie, known for its elongated shape, Leavitt said, so they created three, miniature round versions. Leavitt said people enjoy having multiple bites rather than just the one product."

WHAT?!?!? I thought it was election day...not April Fool's day!! Please tell me this is some cruel joke!! I thought we lived in a democracy where all earth-shattering changes were to be voted on by the American people! I didn't vote for this!! Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, has decided that in our slumping economy American's don't want the traditional oblong 150 calorie Twinkie, but instead would rather drown our sorrows in three tiny bite sized "cakes" that total 100 calories! They say they are targeting "women who want to snack more sensibly". Who are these stupid women who are ruining the foundation of our country?? If you want to snack responsibly maybe you should be reaching for a carrot stick and not a pack of twinkies!!!!!! I am a woman who doesn't want to snack responsibly and am sickened that, not only am I being robbed of 50 cream filled calories, but now I have to exercise when I am forced to reach 3 times into a package to eat 3 Twinkie bites?! And did anyone think about how this will work when I'm driving down the road enjoying the goodness known as a Twinkie? Before I could just greedily shove one whole Twinkie into my mouth without ever breaking eye contact from the road or missing a gear as I cruised past multiple gyms on my way to get my McDonald's fix. But now?! Now, I have to attempt to balance a package of 2 more cakes on my lap as I'm "sensibly" shoving the first tiny bite sized cake into my mouth while attempting to shift gears and then having to continually look to down ensure my lap of Twinkies hasn't gotten cream filling all over my clothes or rolled onto the ground and splattered all over my Wendy's take out bag!

The article concludes by saying : "It's not some impostor like some portion control products would be," Leavitt said. "From that standpoint it eats like a Twinkie, it smells like a Twinkie, it tastes like a Twinkie. " Oh really Mr. Leavitt?!?!?! You're probably one of those people who thinks everything tastes like chicken too!! I will know the difference!! As I'm crying and attempting to drown my sorrows in calories...I'LL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE I CAN COUNT!!! THREE IS NOT ONE!!!

What's next?? Ho Hos will become bite sized and just called Hos? Or maybe we should just rename them all together since the name HoHos is quite provocative!!

Goodbye old friend. I need to drown my sorrows....in a carrot stick.

Congratulations Ben and Molly!!

Well it was off to Ohio for the 2nd Watkins' wedding in a month and what a beautiful wedding! Jason, Nancy and I broke the trip up a bit and left Thursday night and drove to Buffalo where we spent the night at the Hilton Garden Inn. After late night (or was it early morning by that time??) McDonald's sundaes and raiding the bathroom of all the little sample size shampoos and lotions it was back on the road and heading toward Strasburg, OH. Once arriving at Strasburg we checked into our hotel and then headed down to help Molly and Ben set up the reception site. That night a bunch of us went and ate at the Amish Door the food was SO good and SO not good for you! "Yes I'll take the fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, ham, and a coronary blockage please!!" Strasburg has a LARGE amish population and it was so cool to see about 10 horse and buggies tied up outside of the restaurant. At one point I must have become Amish struck and I'd decided I wanted to sell my car and start riding around Albany exclusively in a horse and buggy. Who needs more than one horse power? heated leather seats? air conditioner/heater? a radio? seat belts? air bags? Not me!! At this point Jason decided I must be delusional from low blood sugar and he quickly forced me to drink a large glass of OJ. After reminding me that I forget to water my one plant on a regular basis...how would I remember to feed my "automobile" it's grains every day I recovered from my quick bout of insanity it was back to the wedding!! So for this wedding I took the pictures while telling Jason that I would blow his pictures from last wedding out of the water... hence the ENORMOUS amount of pictures! I decided to save you from scrolling through 28 pages of pictures and put them into a slideshow. Enjoy!!

Water, and Weddings, and Birthdays...OH MY!

WARNING: There are A LOT of pictures in this post. So you can either tough it out, or go surf Wikipedia for more useless knowledge. Just don't say you weren't warned!

I think I start most blogs by saying this but "we have been SO busy lately!". We just got back last Sunday from a whirlwind trip to Ohio for Darren and Rebecca's wedding. Knowing that it would take us 10 hours to drive out there, Jason and I decided to break the trip up a bit and make some stops along the way. Since I'd never seen Niagara Falls before, we decided to leave Thursday night and drive the 5 hours north to the Falls. We arrived around midnight and got a hotel room for the night, and then spent most of Friday walking around the Falls. We went on both the American side and the Canadian side to view the Falls. The fun part (sarcasm) was crossing the border patrol. Since I don't have a current passport I had to bring roughly 400 forms of ID to prove how exactly I've become the person I am today. Starting with birth certificate, moving on to marriage license, going to current driver's license, ending with ultrasound within the past 4 weeks proving that in fact I am pregnant and not trying to smuggle large quantities of heroin in my belly across the border. I think it was harder to get back IN to the US than it was to get out. The questions they ask are a bit ridiculous. "Why were you in Canada? How long were you there for? Where are you going now?" I'm glad Jason was answering because my answers wouldn't have been so friendly. I wanted to say to the macho border patrol guy "really?? Have you looked at our economy lately? Have you paid any attention to how much NY taxes are?? Have you heard illegal immigrants are actually leaving the country because things are so down? Why would we be trying to sneak IN!??!" At this point Jason had to put a pillow over my face and explain to the man that I was pregnant, hungry and had to pee (again!) and should therefore be considered mentally unstable and to disregard all I'd said. Luckily we were allowed back into the country and we continued on our way. Here are some pics of the Falls:

(Kids, don't try this at home. Leave it to the 26 year olds who should know better!!)

Rockin' the sweet yellow panchos! P.S. No, I haven't turned into the hunchback, that's the camera bag that's on my back.

So after our time in Niagara, we headed an hour back down to Freedom where we picked up George and then started the 5-6 hour drive to Ohio. Jason and George started rationing what I was allowed to drink because they quickly got tired of hearing "ummm...guys...I kinda have to pee" every hour on the hour! After seeing some of the finest bathrooms along the route, we made it to Ohio at 11:45pm and crashed after a very long day.

The Wedding Day:

Before leaving for the wedding, Jason, George and the kids went for a quick swim at the hotel. And by "swim" I mean J & G swam around and had to practically drag the kids into the water as they were not as excited about the idea as the older "kids" were.

Tears, tears, and more tears

Now it's off to the wedding!

Whew! What we didn't get was a picture of how red Jason's face got as Dana led people in singing happy birthday to him since it was his birthday!! Anyways, it was a beautiful wedding and a fun weekend full of driving. And now I'm off to meet my OLD husband (26!!!) for a lunch of pureed carrots and Ensure! Until next time!!