Sunday, March 17, 2013
Seattle
We've had some friends visiting from VA, so this Friday we took them to Seattle. We got to do lots of fun things. We walked around the temple first, rode the Ferris wheel and carousel, went to Pikes Place and the gum wall, ate yummy food and cotton candy and got splattered by flying fish juice by the fish throwing guys at Pikes Place. Audrey and Alexis got matching Toms and by the end of the day Alexis was completely tuckered out!
Pt. Defiance
This weekend we decided to take a trip to Pt. Defiance park. Alexis and her friend Audrey threw rocks in the water and we took a ride on the ferry across the water.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Welcome Rylee Ann
Well in the million years since I last updated, we have had another sweet baby girl!! She is now almost a month old and I realized I still haven't wrote down her birth story, so for all who are interested-- here it is!
I found out I was pregnant April 17, 2012 while visiting my family in Virginia. I didn't think I would get pregnant so soon because I had a chemical pregnancy the month before (miscarriage). I tend to know really fast when I'm pregnant because I quickly develop the sense of smell of a dog and get extremely tired. Anyways, I started feeling super tired and smells would bother me, so I ran to Target and bought a test and took it the next morning to see a double pink lines-- I took two just to make sure, and they were both VERY positive, which was comforting because the month before when the test came back positive, it was a faint line. I felt really good until about 6 weeks when I started bleeding, so I became very scared I was miscarrying again, so I went to the doctor who checked my HCG levels, which were normal for where I was at, but he didn't want to do an ultrasound to check for a heartbeat because it was still too early to see a heartbeat. He scheduled an ultrasound for the next week-- and from there it was just a waiting game. I stopped bleeding the night of the doctors appointment, and we went into the ultrasound the next week to see a healthy baby with a strong heartbeat! Phew! She just wanted to give me little scare.
I was sick with this pregnancy, but not as bad as I was with Alexis. I took nausea medicine to keep from throwing up all the time, which made my life a whole lot easier. I also ended up falling on my butt when I was 21 weeks pregnant, which gave me a lot of pain problems for the rest of the pregnancy. I did something to my tailbone, and my right side was up further than my left, so on top of sciatic nerve pain and the tailbone issues, as she got bigger the pain was sometimes so excruciating I couldn't walk. So needless to say I was ready for her to come!!
I was really nervous for her birth and as much as I wanted her to come, just because of everything that happened with Alexis, I was terrified. I didn't want a repeat of being told my baby might not make it. I tested positive for group B strep, which I'm pretty sure is what caused all the problems with Alexis, so I was super nervous, but I was glad it was caught this time so they knew to treat me.
I started having contractions Friday Dec 8 and they got up to 8 minutes apart, then would stop. It kept happening for over a week almost consistently 10 minutes apart. At my 39 weeks appointment on Monday Dec 17 I went in at 1pm. That morning at around 11 the contractions started to get really painful, so I thought for sure something was happening. I got to my appointment and the doctor checked me. I was dilated to a 2 and 70% effaced-- the EXACT same as the week before. I started bawling because I was SO tired and done with being pregnant. I ended up leaving with an induction scheduled for the 20th. I really didn't want to be induced, but I was so desperate at that point. After I left the doctors, we went to Alexis' doctors appointment for her cough that she had for over 2 weeks, and it was there I noticed I would have to stop during contractions and they were consistently 5 minutes apart. I watched them until 6pm and they were still 4-5 minutes apart, so I called L&D where they said to take a bath and see if that would stop them, so I took a warm bath and they moved to 3-4 minutes apart, so we went in. I went in at about 7:30 and they checked me. Of course I was still a 2.. I was so frustrated with my body and was thinking if I was in that much pain and my contractions were consistent, I would end up having a baby on the side of the road because I wouldn't know if I was in labor or not! I walked around the hospital for an hour and climbed 10 flights of stairs and was still only a 2, so they gave me ambien to sleep and sent me home at about 11pm. As we were leaving the hospital I was hurting so bad I couldn't sit down to wait while Adam got the car. I should have just said, lets go back in to L&D, but they had kept telling me I wasn't in labor, so I didn't know what to do. I was having a pushing sensation, but we went home anyway. The ambien was kicking in and it made me super loopy and out of it, but the pain was still so bad I couldn't sleep.
At about 1:30am Adam said, I think we should go back in and I agreed. As we were driving back up to the hospital, there was 4 inches of snow on the freeway and it was still snowing hard. We got there a little after 2am, they checked me and I was dilated to a 6. about 15 minutes later they checked me again and I was a 7. I asked for an epidural, and they gave it to me, which helped the abdominal pain, but I could still feel the pain and pressure. At about 4:30 they checked me because I was feeling like a needed to push and I was completely dilated, however because they needed to finish all the antibiotics (4 hours) they said I needed to wait as long as I could. That was SO hard! I wanted to push, but had to resist the urge. My doctor showed up before I started pushing just to make sure he could get there since it was snowing. He walked in and said, "I told them to keep you here, but they didn't listen, because they said they were too busy." He wasn't very happy about them not keeping me, especially with the snow. I heard later he had an argument with the nurse on the phone about keeping me and her saying they didn't have enough nurses. I guess they made enough when I came in dilated to a 6 only a few hours after being a 2! I started pushing not long after 6 and she came at 6:37am weighing in at 6lbs 8oz and 18 1/4 inches. Despite being sent home originally, Adam and I were amazed at how smoothly and fast the birth went and how laid back everything was. It was very relaxed with only me, Adam, my Aunt part of the time, and the nurse and doctor. When we had Alexis, there were over 20 people in the room, so having it be that calm, was way different for us. I also pushed for over 2 hours with Alexis, so 20 minutes was fast!
We decided to name her Rylee Ann. We had been going between Rylee and Reagan and were leaning towards Reagan because our niece is named Rylee, although I have always wanted to name one of my daughters Rylee and in the end we knew that was her name. She is as sweet as ever! She doesn't like to sleep anywhere but my arms, which has made for some long nights, but I love her so much and am grateful she was sent to us.
My friend Laurel took some sweet newborn pictures, as well as a few with Alexis and a family photo. Here they are!
I found out I was pregnant April 17, 2012 while visiting my family in Virginia. I didn't think I would get pregnant so soon because I had a chemical pregnancy the month before (miscarriage). I tend to know really fast when I'm pregnant because I quickly develop the sense of smell of a dog and get extremely tired. Anyways, I started feeling super tired and smells would bother me, so I ran to Target and bought a test and took it the next morning to see a double pink lines-- I took two just to make sure, and they were both VERY positive, which was comforting because the month before when the test came back positive, it was a faint line. I felt really good until about 6 weeks when I started bleeding, so I became very scared I was miscarrying again, so I went to the doctor who checked my HCG levels, which were normal for where I was at, but he didn't want to do an ultrasound to check for a heartbeat because it was still too early to see a heartbeat. He scheduled an ultrasound for the next week-- and from there it was just a waiting game. I stopped bleeding the night of the doctors appointment, and we went into the ultrasound the next week to see a healthy baby with a strong heartbeat! Phew! She just wanted to give me little scare.
I was sick with this pregnancy, but not as bad as I was with Alexis. I took nausea medicine to keep from throwing up all the time, which made my life a whole lot easier. I also ended up falling on my butt when I was 21 weeks pregnant, which gave me a lot of pain problems for the rest of the pregnancy. I did something to my tailbone, and my right side was up further than my left, so on top of sciatic nerve pain and the tailbone issues, as she got bigger the pain was sometimes so excruciating I couldn't walk. So needless to say I was ready for her to come!!
I was really nervous for her birth and as much as I wanted her to come, just because of everything that happened with Alexis, I was terrified. I didn't want a repeat of being told my baby might not make it. I tested positive for group B strep, which I'm pretty sure is what caused all the problems with Alexis, so I was super nervous, but I was glad it was caught this time so they knew to treat me.
I started having contractions Friday Dec 8 and they got up to 8 minutes apart, then would stop. It kept happening for over a week almost consistently 10 minutes apart. At my 39 weeks appointment on Monday Dec 17 I went in at 1pm. That morning at around 11 the contractions started to get really painful, so I thought for sure something was happening. I got to my appointment and the doctor checked me. I was dilated to a 2 and 70% effaced-- the EXACT same as the week before. I started bawling because I was SO tired and done with being pregnant. I ended up leaving with an induction scheduled for the 20th. I really didn't want to be induced, but I was so desperate at that point. After I left the doctors, we went to Alexis' doctors appointment for her cough that she had for over 2 weeks, and it was there I noticed I would have to stop during contractions and they were consistently 5 minutes apart. I watched them until 6pm and they were still 4-5 minutes apart, so I called L&D where they said to take a bath and see if that would stop them, so I took a warm bath and they moved to 3-4 minutes apart, so we went in. I went in at about 7:30 and they checked me. Of course I was still a 2.. I was so frustrated with my body and was thinking if I was in that much pain and my contractions were consistent, I would end up having a baby on the side of the road because I wouldn't know if I was in labor or not! I walked around the hospital for an hour and climbed 10 flights of stairs and was still only a 2, so they gave me ambien to sleep and sent me home at about 11pm. As we were leaving the hospital I was hurting so bad I couldn't sit down to wait while Adam got the car. I should have just said, lets go back in to L&D, but they had kept telling me I wasn't in labor, so I didn't know what to do. I was having a pushing sensation, but we went home anyway. The ambien was kicking in and it made me super loopy and out of it, but the pain was still so bad I couldn't sleep.
At about 1:30am Adam said, I think we should go back in and I agreed. As we were driving back up to the hospital, there was 4 inches of snow on the freeway and it was still snowing hard. We got there a little after 2am, they checked me and I was dilated to a 6. about 15 minutes later they checked me again and I was a 7. I asked for an epidural, and they gave it to me, which helped the abdominal pain, but I could still feel the pain and pressure. At about 4:30 they checked me because I was feeling like a needed to push and I was completely dilated, however because they needed to finish all the antibiotics (4 hours) they said I needed to wait as long as I could. That was SO hard! I wanted to push, but had to resist the urge. My doctor showed up before I started pushing just to make sure he could get there since it was snowing. He walked in and said, "I told them to keep you here, but they didn't listen, because they said they were too busy." He wasn't very happy about them not keeping me, especially with the snow. I heard later he had an argument with the nurse on the phone about keeping me and her saying they didn't have enough nurses. I guess they made enough when I came in dilated to a 6 only a few hours after being a 2! I started pushing not long after 6 and she came at 6:37am weighing in at 6lbs 8oz and 18 1/4 inches. Despite being sent home originally, Adam and I were amazed at how smoothly and fast the birth went and how laid back everything was. It was very relaxed with only me, Adam, my Aunt part of the time, and the nurse and doctor. When we had Alexis, there were over 20 people in the room, so having it be that calm, was way different for us. I also pushed for over 2 hours with Alexis, so 20 minutes was fast!
We decided to name her Rylee Ann. We had been going between Rylee and Reagan and were leaning towards Reagan because our niece is named Rylee, although I have always wanted to name one of my daughters Rylee and in the end we knew that was her name. She is as sweet as ever! She doesn't like to sleep anywhere but my arms, which has made for some long nights, but I love her so much and am grateful she was sent to us.
My friend Laurel took some sweet newborn pictures, as well as a few with Alexis and a family photo. Here they are!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The latest hullabaloos
Alexis wasn't too happy about having her picture taken. We were bored and decided to take a random trip to Mt. St. Helens, WA, although it was cloudy and pouring rain, so we didn't see much, but it was still fun... at least Adam and I enjoyed it. Alexis... not so much.
Alexis loves baths!
We had a snowstorm and she LOVED it!
Me and my sweet girl!
Just a little glimpse of her awesome personality!
I went to a Mitt Romney rally in Bellevue, WA. That's his motorcade in behind me.
Alexis being a big girl using her fork!
I always go so long in between posts. I always promise to be better at it, yet somehow manage to suck at it. Oh well. Sorry to disappoint. Maybe if I don't say I'll try, it'll be better. :)
Life is so good. 2011 was a rough year, but so far I have loved ever bit of 2012. Hopefully I don't jinx myself now that I said that! :)
My sweet girl is growing so so fast! She's no longer a baby and loves to do everything herself including being a big girl and eating with her fork. She loves baths and asks for them every day, sometimes multiple times a day! She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Everything is Mihee and Minneeee. We are going to visit Disney World this Summer which I am excited for! I can't wait to see how she reacts to seeing Mickey this year. She loved him when she was little, so I don't think it will be any different. Alexis loves to go WEEEEEE as she slides down the stairs backwards, turn all the lights on and off, say "doggie oof oof oof," and "birdie, oof oof oof" (she doesn't quite understand that birds don't bark, but it's still cute. I taught her the sign language for bird, so she likes to do that too when she says bird). She LOVES to say "hi" and bye" and blow kisses to everyone that passes and I get told daily I have a gerber baby! I love it! I know I'm not bias in thinking she's cute... she just is! :) She has a very strong personality and sometimes it exhausts me, but I really do feel SO blessed to have her in my life. I went back and was reading my posts on Alexis' birth and I can't imagine how it would have been losing her.... I still find myself almost having anxiety attacks over the thought of losing her. I know I need to get over it and understand the Lord's will in all things, but for now I am just going to be the over protective mom that I am.
I feel so blessed to be married to Adam! This year will be 3 years. I have a deeper love for him then I ever have, and I am so happy to be with him for eternity. He is so sweet to me and works so hard to provide for our family. He has really proven (not that he needed to, but it's good to be reminded) how much he loves me. Alexis is so in love with him as well, always say "dada" all throughout the day and runs into his arms when he comes home. They are so cute together! I love watching them play and read together (another one of Alexis' favorite things to do! She reads to herself and says AAeee IIIIooooUUUuuuu-we've been working on our vowels :) ).
So I made a goal and I stuck with it! YAY! About 6 months after I had Alexis I noticed my weight was creeping up. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn't eat bread for 8 years, so I when I started eating it again, I ate way too much. I started to get really down on myself. I weighed in at the doctors office at 143lbs, which for a lot of people may not sound like a lot, but for me being only 5'3 and very small boned, it was a lot! I decided to join a gym and start working out and counting calories. It was discouraging at first because initially I wasn't losing, but after about a month I noticed slowly but surely, pound by pound, the weight started coming off. Today I weigh in at 120lbs. Almost to my goal!! I made a goal of 115lbs. I seemed to have stalled at 120, but I know if I keep working at it, I'll get there soon. I just know I feel SO much better, and it's so nice to be able to fit into everything! When I got married and when I got pregnant I weighed 135, so being 120 is great! It feels good to know I can do something and stick to it! It is so liberating! Another thing I have started doing is Scentsy. I loved their products because they made my house smell so good! So I took the plunge and became and independent consultant. So far it's been a little bit of a slow start, but I know it takes time and a lot of hard work. I really hope it works out so I can make a little extra $$.
My website is www.melissagulley.scentsy.us
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Anyways
People are often unreasonable
Forgive Them Anyway
If you are kind, people may accuse you of having selfish ulterior motives
Be Kind Anyway
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies
Succeed Anyway
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you
Be Honest And Sincere Anyway
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight
Create Anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous
Be Happy Anyway
The good you do today, will often be forgotten
Do Good Anyway
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough
Give Your Best Anyway
In the final analysis, it is between you and God
It Was Never Between You And Them Anyway
Mother Teresa
I read that quote on someones blog and I really liked it. We've had several crazy things happen recently and it seemed very applicable.
Alexis turned one on the 4th! I am so happy and proud to be her mom! She just lights up my day! We took her to Chuck-e-cheese and Red Robin where we got some awesome pictures and we threw her a b-day party with our close friends. It was monkey themed so we had monkey cupcakes that my friend Janiel helped me make (she is the cupcake queen!) which were SO cute, but took forever to make (of course totally worth it!), lots of food, bananas for the monkeys, puzzles, toys, and of course Alexis tearing into the cake. It was so funny when she got her cake with the candle because she wanted to touch the fire, but Adam blew it out before she could touch the flame and it scared her really bad so she started crying. It was sad at first, but once we showed her she could eat her cake, she was happy and dug in. I was very grateful for the friends who came and made her party so much fun. We are very blessed to have so many good people in our lives! I would be posting lots of fun pictures, but you will know why I am not when you read my next paragraph.
Monday evening I went to the gym, Costco and to my in-laws for dinner. Adam called me at 8 when he got home and told me the house had been broken into. I didn't know much info other than the window by the door was busted and they reached in and unlocked the door. I was shaken up and immediately left my in-laws to come home. I got home and just like I imagined there was glass everywhere in the front entry, no window, walked into my bedroom that had been ransacked with clothes and drawers everywhere then went into my closet which was even worse than the room. They pulled everything off the shelves, hangars, pulled things out of boxes we had in there, etc. I was most mortified to find my laptop and both my cameras (professional and handheld) missing. I had all of Alexis' pictures and videos from the moment she was born on my laptop and all of her birthday pictures on my camera. I hadn't been able to put them on Facebook yet, so I didn't have any copies or back-up of the birthday pictures. Even then I had over 10,000 pictures and videos, most of which were not on Facebook that were gone all gone. In addition to the cameras and laptop they took, speakers to the computer (which they broke in the process... dummies), Adam's hair trimmer (I don't know what they thought they were taking... maybe a gun from the looks of the case? LOL), an empty fossil wallet, all of my jewelery including a hair comb my grandma gave to me and my young women medallion (except my wedding rings, thank heavens!) and my jewelery box which Adam bought me for my birthday when he was deployed. So far that's all we've noticed gone, but we just barely realized the trimmers were gone when Adam went to cut his hair for work, though, so there might be more missing and we just haven't realized it. I honestly don't care about the material things. If they are that hard up they can take the computers and jewelery and I would just be bummed, but the pictures and videos were SO important to me. I can never replace those memories. I've been checking craigslist and have gone to every pawn shop in the area with a copy of the police report, but still nothing. :( I doubt I ever will, but still pray several times a day to somehow get the pictures and videos back. I don't understand how people can be so cruel. Adam is such a great guy. Even though we were shaken up and upset, he still prayed for the burglars that night as we said our prayers and attempted to sleep. What a perfect example of forgiveness. I think it would be easier for me if I could get over the pictures that meant so much to me, more than any money, laptop, camera, or pieces of jewelery. I grieve in a way for those pictures, if that makes any sense at all. I hope I can fully forgive the people who have hurt us and I'm sure I will, but I know it will take time not to jump every time the house creeks and be reminded of those precious pictures of my sweet baby girl, or to be painfully scared to walk in the house when I come home from running errands. I can be grateful that we are ok and we weren't home.
Forgive Them Anyway
If you are kind, people may accuse you of having selfish ulterior motives
Be Kind Anyway
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies
Succeed Anyway
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you
Be Honest And Sincere Anyway
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight
Create Anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous
Be Happy Anyway
The good you do today, will often be forgotten
Do Good Anyway
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough
Give Your Best Anyway
In the final analysis, it is between you and God
It Was Never Between You And Them Anyway
Mother Teresa
I read that quote on someones blog and I really liked it. We've had several crazy things happen recently and it seemed very applicable.
Alexis turned one on the 4th! I am so happy and proud to be her mom! She just lights up my day! We took her to Chuck-e-cheese and Red Robin where we got some awesome pictures and we threw her a b-day party with our close friends. It was monkey themed so we had monkey cupcakes that my friend Janiel helped me make (she is the cupcake queen!) which were SO cute, but took forever to make (of course totally worth it!), lots of food, bananas for the monkeys, puzzles, toys, and of course Alexis tearing into the cake. It was so funny when she got her cake with the candle because she wanted to touch the fire, but Adam blew it out before she could touch the flame and it scared her really bad so she started crying. It was sad at first, but once we showed her she could eat her cake, she was happy and dug in. I was very grateful for the friends who came and made her party so much fun. We are very blessed to have so many good people in our lives! I would be posting lots of fun pictures, but you will know why I am not when you read my next paragraph.
Monday evening I went to the gym, Costco and to my in-laws for dinner. Adam called me at 8 when he got home and told me the house had been broken into. I didn't know much info other than the window by the door was busted and they reached in and unlocked the door. I was shaken up and immediately left my in-laws to come home. I got home and just like I imagined there was glass everywhere in the front entry, no window, walked into my bedroom that had been ransacked with clothes and drawers everywhere then went into my closet which was even worse than the room. They pulled everything off the shelves, hangars, pulled things out of boxes we had in there, etc. I was most mortified to find my laptop and both my cameras (professional and handheld) missing. I had all of Alexis' pictures and videos from the moment she was born on my laptop and all of her birthday pictures on my camera. I hadn't been able to put them on Facebook yet, so I didn't have any copies or back-up of the birthday pictures. Even then I had over 10,000 pictures and videos, most of which were not on Facebook that were gone all gone. In addition to the cameras and laptop they took, speakers to the computer (which they broke in the process... dummies), Adam's hair trimmer (I don't know what they thought they were taking... maybe a gun from the looks of the case? LOL), an empty fossil wallet, all of my jewelery including a hair comb my grandma gave to me and my young women medallion (except my wedding rings, thank heavens!) and my jewelery box which Adam bought me for my birthday when he was deployed. So far that's all we've noticed gone, but we just barely realized the trimmers were gone when Adam went to cut his hair for work, though, so there might be more missing and we just haven't realized it. I honestly don't care about the material things. If they are that hard up they can take the computers and jewelery and I would just be bummed, but the pictures and videos were SO important to me. I can never replace those memories. I've been checking craigslist and have gone to every pawn shop in the area with a copy of the police report, but still nothing. :( I doubt I ever will, but still pray several times a day to somehow get the pictures and videos back. I don't understand how people can be so cruel. Adam is such a great guy. Even though we were shaken up and upset, he still prayed for the burglars that night as we said our prayers and attempted to sleep. What a perfect example of forgiveness. I think it would be easier for me if I could get over the pictures that meant so much to me, more than any money, laptop, camera, or pieces of jewelery. I grieve in a way for those pictures, if that makes any sense at all. I hope I can fully forgive the people who have hurt us and I'm sure I will, but I know it will take time not to jump every time the house creeks and be reminded of those precious pictures of my sweet baby girl, or to be painfully scared to walk in the house when I come home from running errands. I can be grateful that we are ok and we weren't home.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Finding my place in this world
I'm trying hard to find my place in this crazy world. I recently realized when I was making a mormon.org profile I haven't accomplished much in my life other than having Alexis, and I really want to change that. I don't play the piano, I'm not a runner, I don't bake, I don't have the best body, I don't have a job, I never got straight A's no matter how hard I tried. I'm mediocre in all that I do and never feel like I can compete with others. My goal for this next year is to accomplish something, whether it's being certified to teach a fitness class, or get a job where I can work from home while watching my sweet baby girl.
Ok my rant is over. :) It's been a while since I have updated my blog. We had a busy summer. This is what we've done over the summer-
Ok my rant is over. :) It's been a while since I have updated my blog. We had a busy summer. This is what we've done over the summer-
- Alexis and I went to VA to surprise my family and go to my little brothers eagle court of honor.
- Adam, Alexis and I went to Canada to visit my cousins and Aunt
- We went to FL so Adam could do something for the military and took Disney World.
- This last weekend we went to LA for a Yellow Ribbon Ceremony. Adam and I got tickets to the Doctors TV show, which was fun. I was most excited to see Jillian Michael's, who I love!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Help Alexis win!!
How can you not be in love with this girl?! She is so stinkin' cute and has an amazing personality! Vote for her to win the cover on Parents magazine. You can vote multiple times. Thanks!!
Vote here http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/862345
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