Please Think Postive Thoughts! !!!UPDATED 5/14/09!!!

*****Update 5/14/09: Shyner dog had a visit to the vet on the 12th (and got a bit spoiled with a picnic in the park with mom and dad!) and was given a clean bill of health- well as clean as our ol' little stinky pooch can get! She will remain on heart medicine for the rest of her little life (and of course it is an animal formulary, not human so we can't get it at WallyWorld!) so that her big heart doesn't have to work so hard. We are fortunate that a completely different illness prompted us to get her to the vet with the coughing and wheezing as the medicine will help her to stay healthy and comfy for whatever time she decides to honor us with her presence! Your positive thoughts worked! ( :





****** Update 5/06/09: Shyner is a priceless dog. Literally. Between two ear surgeries, a few emergency visits, etc., we are VIP's at the vetrinarian's office! Her ultrasound determined that she had an enlarged heart (we always knew she had a big heart!) that was most likely caused by the heart murmur that she has had for years and years. She also had a touch of pnemonia. She is now on three different medicines- an antibiotic, a diuretic and heart medicine and seems to be fine. We were able to get human-equivalents of most of the meds so we could fill them at Wal-Mart (!) and we shopped online to find the other for about $30 less than at the vet's office. She isn't coughing anymore, and seems to be pretty much her old self. So, with a littl luck, a whole lotta love and some divine intervention, hopefully she'll be around to welcome her little sister into the world and watch her grow a few years.





****** Update 4/28/09: Shyner has another 'doctors appointment' tomorrow morning to have an ultrasound done on her heart. At this point she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The medicine that they administered to her yesterday definately helped her breathing improve and she is no longer wheezing & coughing. She actually is acting like her old self, just a bit slower- and still the gas-makin' machine as she was before (we don't call her Stinky for nothin'!). The vet said that if heart medicine is a possibility, she would be with us for awhile still. As long as she isn't in any pain and her quality of life is still good, we're going to keep pulling for her. (Thank goodness for a good tax return!)


I've been absent from the blog world for awhile- it's been busy around our house. Mom is visiting, work is busy, trying to get organized and such. Things are good- in fact we've had another doctors appointment and an ultrasound on Thursday and it was good- those pictures will be updated soon as well. My hiatus will end shortly I promise, but in the meantime, I have a little request.

Please keep our little Shyner in your thoughts- she is very, very sick right now and she could either improve or not. What started out as coughing has progressed to a very sick puppy. The vet has released her into the care of Gramma H so that she can try to get better at home. Although Shyner has lived a nice long and spoiled life, I'm not quite ready to deal with the loss of yet another beloved part of the family. We appreciate it and I'll update you on Shynie and BabyW soon.

Pic of the Day: Best Friends

My 'first born' old girl, Shyner was a stray that I found back in '96- she came running out of a neighborhood and rolled under my car. Despite efforts to find her owners, I never did, so we adopted eachother! I think she was around 1y/o or so, and she was kind of skittish but very sweet. At the time, I lived with a roommate and his dog so she had companionship most of the time. The next year when I moved out on my own to my dad's rental, it was discovered that Shyner suffered from separation anxiety, and since my commute + work + school kept me out of the house most of the time, I decided to get her a 'buddy.' Actually it was a fluke, former roomie above brought to me two kittens- Rusty and Dusty. Shyner thought they were her babies! (Rusty ran away about 8 months after I got him, but Dusty is still alive and well!) Needless to say, Dusty and Shyner are best buds- the cat seems to like her more than us! ( :

Last night we were having 'family time' and this is the result. How cute is this? Shyner's head is resting atop Dusty! I couldn't resist snapping a photo from my cell phone to share.

Is It Pink or Blue for BabyW???

Our neighbor told us about a private Ultrasound place that you could get gender determination done at 17 weeks~ since we were 18 weeks at the time, we decided to call and try to schedule an appointment if the cost was relatively low and if we could get an appointment quickly. (Our formal ultrasound with Kaiser isn't until April 23rd- and I'm a tad on the impatient side!) So, we called on Tuesday and made an appoitment for that Friday and it would only be $65 or the appointment. Those four days dragged by and of course, we had to wait forever in the waiting room! I hopped up (or what resembles that action) on the table and the first thing we hear is a very strong heartbeat of the baby. Well, after that it was a tear-blurred five minutes! I was a crying mess (tears of joy, of course!) and I completely lost it when the technician proclaimed the gender (you must see to believe!!) I was so thrilled that I missed most of the video, so it's really awesome to be able to review the process again, and again, and again.... so, without further delay: Presenting BabyW:




Of course, Mommy has to do a 'play-by-play'

• 0:00 - 0:34/ BabyW heartbeat @ 148bpm- very good (if you look at the frame of the baby above, you can see her moving around a bit.


• 0:34- 0:50/ Good views of the profile- BabyW is putting on quite a show!


• 1:02/ Tech is pointing out her nose


• (NOTE: when the 'video' pauses, they are taking still photos of the baby)


• 1:12/ Looking for a 'hot dog' or a 'hamburger'!


• 1:16 -1:20/ It's the 'money' shot! - The yellow arrow points out the absence of a 'hot dog'- so mommy's intuition was right- BabyW is a Girl!


• 1:37/ Confirming mommy's second guessing- are you sure- and the tech is pointing out the vajayjay.


• 1:43- 1:47/ "There would be a 'hot dog' here if she was not a she...." (I belive this is when Jason finally breathed a sigh or relief that mommy gets her wish and gets a little princess!)


• 2:47/ BabyW's spine- Look, no tail!


• 3:08/ Close up of BabyW- isn't she cute? I think she has my nose! Hopefully Daddy's beautiful blue eyes too!


• 3:17 & 3:27/ "Woohoo, watch me kick Mommy's uterus! This is fun!"


• 4:15 - 4:30/ Noggin shot- oh good, only one head!


• 4:32- 4:36/ Watch on the right screen as BabyW is turning her cute little head to show off and be difficult to measure!


• 4:47/ "Watch me on the left side as I give Mommy another good kick!"


• 4:56/ "See how big I am: 4.08cm, and I'm actually 19 weeks- one week older than they thought! Hopefully I'll make my world debut on September 1st!"

I'm Not a Pregzilla! I'm Not, I'm Not, I'm Not!

Last night I was recounting one of my few hormone-induced (or in this case, hunger) Pregzilla moments for my step-momster, and I had completely forgotten to post it to the blogosphere when it happened. Forgetfulness, that's another pregnancy-related symptom!

Now mind you that this moment happened in around Week 10 at the height of my morning sickness/ insomnia/ fatigue/ pukey stage; and that at that time I was living off of cereal, PB&J sandwiches and fruit smoothies. I woke up at 4 a.m. thinking about food: my trusty box of Sugar Smacks to be exact. (Side note: prior to becoming a Pregnant Chick, I used to follow a relatively lower-carb diet and stuck to the SpecialK with occasional Frosted Wheats- now my cereal is what I lovingly refer to as my kiddie cereal- the sweeter, the better- hence Sugar Smacks!) Although I was thinking about the cereal, it was definitely matter over mind, and I didn't actually go downstairs to go dish me up a bowl. Forward a few hours later to me leaving for work and preparing my little bowl of Sugar Smacks. Where ARE the Sugar Smacks? Did the cereal monster eat the last of it? It usually takes quite a bit to get me upset, but this was definitely on my short list of traumatic events. This is the message I left for DH: "I'm standing in the kitchen looking for my cereal and I know you ate it- why did you have to eat the last of my damn cereal? I've been thinking about it since 4 a.m.!" Okay, so, it was a bit more gruff and you could probably insert another expletive or two. Thank goodness that he didn't pick up the phone, and then again that part of the voicemail cut off.

But I'm still totally upset, so I call mom: "He ate all my *bleepin'* cereal!" No 'good morning' or 'how are you' just ranting about him eating my cereal. I can see her choking back laughter on the other end while she consoles me about this "horrible" situation. So what does Mom get me for Valentine's Day? TWO boxes of Sugar Smacks lovingly wrapped and mailed to me just in time for Cupids Day! LOL. It really is kind of funny now; but poor Jason probably won't eat the last of ANY cereal for the duration of my pregnancy without informing me in very large letters that he has done so! I’ve also promised him to keep these moments to a minimum, and so far half-way through have maintained that.

It's a Boy!

Just kidding- but our newest addition to the family is a boy, just not BabyW!

Okay, so this post is a bit overdue but the week that "Jenxie" arrived was rather hectic in getting ready for the community yard sale and trying to fit 15 weeks worth of pregnancy induced lack of productivity into a few days! So, as you know from an earlier post, sadly our little BooBoo died the first week of March. He was a rather cool cat and I still shed a tear every once in awhile for the little guy. Although I adore Dusty, the senior kitty of the brood, and BooBoo's daddy, he is more like a throw pillow with legs. He sleeps and eats and meows every now and then.... ahhh the life of a cat! So, just a few days after our anniversary I was sitting outside enjoying some early Spring sunshine and reading the paper and I come across a huge ad for Happy Tails, a local feline sanctuary. They were having later hours during their fundraiser, and being familiar with the organization (my friend Jenn used to volunteer there and they adopt out at PetSmart) I wanted to go by and 'see.' Well, this trip resulted in a new addition to the Waggoner family- Mister Jenxamillion. He's a male 3-year old Balinese cat and he's lovely!
The selection process was rather difficult- with 40+ available cats of all shapes, colors and temperaments, we wanted to make sure we picked the perfect one. This organization is a no-cage shelter (except for the sick ones) and is also a no-kill shelter and is pretty cool!
We knew we wanted a male cat, although there were two lovely little females- one called BettyBoop that loved Jason but she was a bit older than we wanted, and another, Chante, that was on the short list until she went psycho on another cat!
Initially, I spied "Milo" because he was beautiful, but with the long hair (allergies!) we kept looking. After 90 minutes of deciding, Milo was the one. When I picked him up at first, he just kind of looked at me and reached out his head to be scratched and then when he got down and there were a few cats fighting around him, he didn't even pay attention. Mellow- cool.
Milo got to have his own room for exactly two days- which is about as long as either Jason or I, or the cat could handle it. He didn't really mind the other animals but was still a bit timid but friendly. (Needless to say, that didn’t last long, Jenx is now curled up at the foot of the bed sleeping!) And he stayed upstairs for the first week, but it’s been exactly two weeks and he’s made himself quite at home. He’s very nocturnal though- he likes to meow and play around 1 a.m. (I guess he’s getting us ready for BabyW!) and wants attention at the same time. He follows you around like a dog and is very talkative (he’s got a great meow!) and loves to be at eye level with you; very relaxed and also likes our other animals (although they are still getting used to him!). His fur is as soft as silk and his beautiful blue eyes are so crossed that it makes you giggle! I have to say that there will never be another kitty like Boo, and Jenxie is not a replacement for but he is doing a pretty good job of filling our hearts already!

Being sick sucks. Being pregnant and sick is beyond horrible!

I am fortunate enough to be a relatively healthy person aside from the usual allergies; however, when I get sick, it's usually a humdinger. I think it's been years since I had a cold that has kept me in bed, so as Murphy's Law dictates, as soon as I'm pregnant and have tons to do I get a viral infection that makes me feel like death warmed over. As first I thought it was allergies as it's that time of year and since all of the trees and flowers are pollenating (hmmm... like me?!) I'm used to living on allergy medicine. Thank goodness it's 'safe' in the second trimester. So, Sunday morning, I take my usual medicine and I'm still not feeling better after a lovely serving of french toast from IHOP, and I crawl into bed until we are going for our picnic. Five hours later, I wake up and a bulldozer has hit me: my nose and eyes are running like a faucet, headache, you name it, although it still feels like allergies on steriods.
For most people, a good dose of Nyquil helps- for Pregnant Chick you can take exactly four things: Tylenol, Sudafed, Robitussin DM, and saline nasal spray. Unfortunately this little cocktail doesn't do the one thing I need it to do and thats knock my arse out so I can sleep it off. Not to mention, I am trying to not take medicine unless absolutely necessary because of BabyW. I did get some decent rest on Sunday and woke up Monday with a fever- not good when you're pregnant. Luckily Tylenol and a cool shower lowers it and I go back to bed and wake up with this dang thing moving into my chest. It's like a shapechanger! I went to the doctor and they said it's a viral infection and should clear up on it's own. Here's the kicker: since I'm pregnant, it takes longer to get better (my body is naturally fighting off the cold to keep BabyW safe) and I'm an afterthought! So, here it is four days later, cold sores have erupted on 3/4 of my mouth and I'm still in bed and have watched most of the Law & Order and CSI recordings off of my DVR! I wish I could say I've gotten in some good reading time, but I don't even have the energy to hold up a magazine or book to enjoy. Okay, so that's the end of my pity party.... I just had to share with the web world how much fun it is to be preggers and sick! I can say that my awesome husband took good care of me and I am feeling a little better today and it's just in time to enjoy a visit from mom for Easter and her birthday!

What Was That?

So, I was standing by the office water cooler, and there’s a bubble…. Wait no, that was my tummy! And actually I was lying in bed, but there was an unmistakable first feeling of movement of BabyW last week. It was quick, but no other explanation… and then the next night I felt it again! The medical term is called ‘quickening’ and according to wikipedia, I can no longer be held responsible for a capital crime. WHAT?!?!
So, as you can imagine, I’ve been waiting and waiting to feel this again…. It’s not like further when you should be doing a ‘kick count’ but, its just such an odd feeling. Anyways, come Wednesday morning, and I’m not talking sunrise… let’s say 3:30 a.m. and BabyW decides she wants to Dance with the Stars- the Conga, to be exact- and simultaneously pop popcorn in there! Since she’s throwing a party, and I love a party, I get to wake up to join her! I can’t help but laugh a little until I look at the clock; and then I realize that these little wake-up calls are now going to be a major part of my life for the next 4-5 years- AT LEAST! And between the little party, my new kitty, and my wonderful husband snoring, I’m up for two hours! Good thing I had some reruns of Cold Case to watch off of the DVR or I would have bought a Snuggie and a GT Express and sold my extra gold for cash!

Oh, and then yesterday my BFF is kind enough to tell me that my little beans’ party time schedule inutero is going to be similar to the schedule that BabyW keeps for the first few months. Gee, thanks, BFF! ( :