Roman's Room is Almost Finished

I worked on the walls yesterday in Roman's room and I am pretty excited about getting another wall done! We just have some shelves to put up and we should be about done with the wall decorating. It's getting close- can't wait!

30 WEEKS TODAY- WE WENT OUT TO PLAY!

I'm 30 weeks along now... down to the final 10 countdown! I can't believe I'm going to be a Mom soon and Jim is going to be a Dad! How exciting!

Jim and I went out last night and met up with Joash and his wife Elaine who are from Virginia Beach. They were in town for the holidays to see family and friends. We met at Rojo Mexican Bistro in Novi, MI and had a huge table with lots of people and just sat and talked and enjoyed ourselves. We had a really nice time and the food was wonderful. After we left there we decided to try our luck at the casino. I was tired, and knew that luck was not on my side for the night. My feet were hurting, I spilled pop on my new sweater, I accidentally got pen on my new purse, and the casino was really crowded... I will admit I wasn't much fun... but it's one of the last few times going out before I have to worry about someone else, so I tried my best to enjoy myself. Overall, we had a great night out- I hope to do a couple more before my due date! :)

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday full of love and holiday cheer! And I hope Santa brought everyone what they were hoping for. Jim and I traveled to our Mom's houses to exchange gifts and visit that day. It was very nice. I was lucky enough to recieve a spa day from Jim for Christmas! The weekend before the baby shower I get to go get a pedicure, manicure, hair cut and color, eyebrow wax, prenatal massage, and lunch at the spa! We had great weather here and it made traveling so much easier. Merry Christmas!

News About Mike...

Well, Jim's Dad has finally gotten settled in a place that can properly care for him. This past Tuesday, Mike was moved to the Sandusky Veterans Home in Sandusky Ohio. Jim arranged for a Cadillac metro car to transport Mike from the Veterans Hospital in Detroit to our home here in Walbridge. From here, Jim drove them to the Veterans Home where they were met by a very welcoming staff who were more then eager to get Mike settled in his new room. As of right now he is sharing a room with 3 other men. All of which seem to have their own little "mental" quirks. One talks to himself, the other sees things that in our world don't actually exist, and the other one seems loud and a little sickly. On January 2nd he will be moved into a semi-private room where he will have more space to himself, and he is on the list to be eventually moved into his own room. The facility in Sandusky is beautiful and the grounds are kept up very well. He has full access to everything there and they will even shuttle him to stores in the area. There are bird sanctuaries indoors along with an area with peacocks that roam around! The food is amazing, tomorrow for Christmas day the veterans are all having a prime rib dinner. Mike told Jim today that he couldn't complain about how he was being treated there, and when I spoke briefly with Mike on the phone he told me that Jim was treating him like a king and Jim was a prince for treating him so well. January 9th, Mike is going in for his eye surgery to repair the terrible cataract in his left eye, he'll be in Detroit a couple of times for follow up appointments after that. We're hoping the Mike gets the care that he deserves in Sandusky. I'll continue to keep everyone posted on his health and care as it continues to develops.

Happy Birthday Jim!

Yesterday was Jim's birthday... the big 5-1! We didn't get to celebrate much being on a Monday, but I brought home a little teeny cake to enjoy and he opened his gifts. We're hoping to make it up to the casino this weekend or next for dinner and hopefully some Christmas cheer $$$!

Roman's Room...

I worked a little in the baby's room Sunday. I got his letters put up above his crib for his name, and I am so pumped with how the embelishment looks above it all. I can't wait to get the last couple of things ready before he's due!

Baby News...

Well, last week I had to go get blood work done to test for gestational diabetes, which is a pretty normal test now-a-days to have done, especially at this point in any woman's pregnancy. I got a phone call yesterday afternoon that my test came back high! I guess that normal blood sugar levels are considered anything under 130, mine was at 137! So close- yet so far away. So now I have to go back in on December 29th for a 3 hour long test where I have to fast, and then drink this glucose mixture, sit for 3 hours and each hour the nurse comes and draws my blood. Eww. I was pretty disappointed to know that I could have gestational diabetes, but as long as it's caught and treated Roman and I will be fine. I guess from what the nurse over the phone told me is that I could come back normal my next test, but if not I will have to go on a special diet, and test my blood sugar levels after every meal. She also mentioned that if left untreated, it could cause me to have a really big baby! I'm happy with a healthy chunky baby... but no 10 pounders for me please! :) My plan now since I have until the 29th for my test, is to look up recipes and diets for diabetics and if I can eat that way from now until after Roman is born I am hoping to regulate my blood sugar myself so I won't be under the doctors care for it. I'll let you know what happens! Wish me luck!

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS...

I just wanted to let everyone know that I went to a home party at my neighbor Kym's house, and she introduced me to this company called Uppercase Living. I instantly fell in love with the product, and I decided to start selling it myself!

Uppercase Living is a great selection of embelishments and sayings that you can put on almost anything to express yourself. There are sayings for everything from bedrooms to pantry's, for music rooms and even holidays. You can even create your own sayings or create personalized names for you or the family! Check out the my catalog online at the link below:

http://tiffanyhadj.uppercaseliving.net/OnlineCatalog.m

If you find something you'd like, have a question, or would like to have a home party of your own- please contact me!

BABY NEWS:

Just wanted to let everyone know that I went to the doctor yesterday morning. I got my flu shot- hoping to not get sick. And established a pediatrician for Roman once he's born. Everything looks great with the baby- his little heart was beating away and he's moving around like crazy. I am approaching the 28 week mark which pretty much seems to be when I have to keep track of everything, chart the baby's movements, report if I am traveling anyplace and carry copies of my records, blood testing for all kinds of things... and the look out for pre-term labor. My next appointment is January 9th, 2009 and then at that point I have to start going every two weeks until I hit 36 weeks and then it will be every week. At 36 weeks they are going to do another ultrasound to make sure everything is still looking good and to make sure they are on target with his due date since they could be off by a week even with todays technology. It's all very exciting! I bought a highchair yesterday for him from Babies R Us. It was normally $70 marked down to only $39.99 + FREE shipping- how could I resist?! Everything seems to be happening so quickly... before we know it Roman will be here. :)

JIM'S DAD- UPDATE:

I just wanted to leave an update about Jim's Dad. He went in for surgery which was successful to place a pace maker in his chest, however the next day it was found that one of the cables attached to the heart that regulated the beating had come dislodged in his chest and it would be necessary to perform another surgery to reattach the cable. This morning, the second sugery was a success, so Mike seems to be doing well.

He does have some swelling however in his legs that the doctors are concerned about so additional testing is being performed to see what could be causing it. I'll keep everyone updated as time goes on. Thanks!

THE BELLY... 26 WEEKS ALONG...

GETTING BIGGER...
AND BIGGER...26 WEEKS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

CODY & KAYLA AND OUR LAPTOP
HERE'S MOM AND CODY LOOKING AT THE BLACK FRIDAY SALES ADS

THE TABLE IS SET FOR EATING A GOOD MEAL


A PICTURE OF MY YUMMY TURKEY & STUFFING...

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WITH LOTS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE WITH AND A GOOD MEAL THEY WERE ABLE TO ENJOY.

Update On Dad's Health...

I just wanted to give everyone an update on Mike's health. For those who were unaware, Mike has been in the John D. Dingell Veterans Hospital in Detroit for about a week now. Because he was feeling dizzy at times, having trouble seeing, and having some trouble with confusion and being forgetful, Jim got him to the hospital to have him checked out. After examination, the doctors discovered that Mike has mild dementia, severe cataracts that cause him to barely be able to see, and he is in need of a pace maker to correct his irregular heart beat that was causing the dizziness. He is supposed to be going in for surgery to get the pace maker Monday the 1st or Tuesday. From there he will need to get the surgery to clear up his cataracts. The doctors at the hospital have suggested to Jim that Mike needs to go into assisted living from that point, since they are not comfortable with his current living arrangements being in an apartment without proper care. We're praying for a quick and successful recovery and that he continues to get the quality care that he deserves. I'll keep the blog updated with his status as soon as we know more. In the meantime, you can call Loretta or Jim for more info if you'd like.

Baby Update:

Well, that's not exactly true, but I am certainly feeling lots of kicks! I was feeling little flutters and kicks since about 3 1/2 months along, but lately the kicks I am getting are much stronger and when they happen they tend to make me jump a little. Last night, Jim and I were in my RCIA class since I am becoming Catholic, and I knew I needed to use the restroom but I was putting it off- Roman was not having it. I suddenly started getting kicked like crazy and I swear he was aiming for my bladder! I had to make a waddle/run to the restroom. :)

Sleep is becoming a little more difficult I am sleeping with a Boppy maternity pillow that is long and shaped like the number 3. It fits under my head, my stomach and between my knees. Then I put another small pillow under my stomach and one other small pillow under my hips. Getting into bed is certianly a chore- but when positioned correctly I sleep like a rock!

Jim has been my savior. He is so sweet and caring, and I am a very lucky girl to have him as my husband, and father of our son. Not only does he work hard at work, he is always more then willing to come home and do as much as he can around the house, and help me every chance he gets.

My next doctors appointment is December 3rd at 8:30am! I'll keep you updated!

The Basement is Under Construction

This weekend is time for change... time for our once dark and scary basement to undergo a transformation! I could not be more excited that Jim and I are getting our basement partially refinished this weekend! His friend Pat is coming down to get the ball rolling and I am sure that he and Jim will be busy working away all weekend. I on the other hand, due to the vast amount of construction experience I have, I will be supervising the project making sure these guys stay on task. He-he. Really though, I will just be staying out of the way all together since before this past week of discussing drywall I thought that the drywall was just going to be glued somehow to the brick basement walls. - See- that is why I won't be around too much. :) Blonde.

But this should be really nice not only to have as a media room but also a playroom for Roman- and hopefully another brother or sister of his-as they get older!

Kayla Likes to Play With Her Treats:

Here's our crazy dog. She has a liking for bacon flavored treats and sometimes she goes nuts playing with them in the living room. Sometimes she plays longer, but here's a little clip of her:

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like- Nasty Weather Is On It's Way!

Eww! Last night I glanced out the back door and here was the first glimpse of winter for the year. There was some rain earlier and as the night wore on, it turned to ice accumulating on our pergola. I am not looking forward to this in the months to come.

NOVEMBER 4TH ELECTION... & THE WINNER IS:

BARACK OBAMA

Jim & I went to vote last night at about 6:30pm. The voting location is at our church, so we went expecting a huge line- and we were plesantly surprised that we walked right up and voted and went on about our evening. I stayed up a little late watching election coverage on ABC, but it was fun and it was nice to see the increase in voter turn out this election - keeping democracy alive!

The Halloween Party...

The girls eating the great food at the Halloween Party!
The kids playing 'Hot Pumpkin' (like Hot Potato)

It's the Devil- no wait- that's Marcy.

Don, Shea, and John McCain-oops- I mean Lee.

Here's Jim and I. I was the punk rocker babysitter and he was my nerdy boyfriend. :)

We had a lot of fun at the Halloween Party across the street. We didn't get to stay long, but the food was great and it was nice to see our neighbors and the kids. Jim won the contest for best male costume and brought home a trophy!

MORE FROM THE HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:

A quick view of what's to come- a small group walking down the street... we probably saw about 150 kids total and gave out almost all of the $40+ dollars in candy we spent!

The police patrol the neighborhood for the kids and pass out candy along the way... pretty nice thing to do.

Jim on the porch waiting for the trick or treating to start.


Here's the front of the house- waiting for the trick-or-treaters to come and get their candy.

Halloween is a big deal around the neighborhood. In fact tonight we are going to a Halloween party across the street that we are dressing up for. Here's a few photos I took while we sat on our front porch and passed candy out- what a great night for the kids- it was warm and no rain in sight!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

ENOUGH SAID!

HOW COULD ANY WOMAN RESIST?!

HaPpY HaLloWeEn!!!!

Check out Jim on his way to work! Lookin' good!

John McCain In Downtown Sandusky Ohio...

Jim told me yesterday that John McCain is going to be in downtown Sandusky right around the corner from his store. I didn't realize how serious this was- but apparently Secret Service will be on Jim's roof and Jim himself is the only person allowed on the 3rd floor of his building (that was after giving the Secret Service a copy of his drivers license for security purposes) and the streets in town will be completely closed from 11am until 6pm. I guess that makes for a very slow business day in the furniture industry... but I would think it would be kind of fun knowing that Secret Service agents and the FBI were hiding out in my place of employment!

Hugging Her Baby... How Cute:

LARGE...

Jim and I ran to the store last night and picked him up a T-shirt for Halloween. Next thing I know he sticks this sticker on my stomach... and yes folks it's well on it's way there. :)

Decorating...

These are up in Roman's room... Jim's Dad bought these for us awhile ago, so I did some re-painting and they turned out pretty well. They match the room really nicely.

I was looking and looking for some neat pictures to put in Roman's room since we're going with a sports theme in there. And since I really like the vintage sports look I found these vintage Topps tin signs on Ebay. They should look great once their up and the room is ready.

Jim and I decided to buy this new sectional they had at his store. I am in love with it! It certainly beats what we had in there before, and it is so thick and comfortable. And right in the corner sits Kayla in her bed. -She's claimed her spot already!

Went to Westland Sunday

Hope there's enough room in the new apartment for all those clothes Mom...

Say- Cheese!

I went to go see my Mom and brother Cody up in Westland Sunday. I had a great time seeing them, and doing some shopping with Mom for her new apartment she'll be getting soon.

Couldn't Do This Again If I Tried...

I was playing with Kayla's "baby" as we call the little bunny she runs through the house with, and after wrestling it from her grip I threw it across the living room and into the kitchen. After a minute without her returning with the baby I walked in to see what the hold up was, and needless to say I am not sure how I got it wedged in between the cupboard and the dishwasher... but it made for a good photo- especially the helpless look on Kayla's face as she wanted her baby back.

ME- 5 1/2 Months...

Look at the baby bump now!!!
Quick Picture of Jim & I

I had Jim take a picture of me the other day, and one of the both of us. I can't believe that I am already 5 1/2 months pregnant. I know I say that in every post- that I can't believe how quick time is flying- but it's so true.

Going Out Saturday Night...

Jim's best friend Roy had his 50th birthday party this past Saturday night and we drove up to make an appearance at the bar the party was at. We had a nice time, but unfortunately we had to leave a little early- with the extra long drive back home at night, and the fact that I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant and sleep is very valuable to me at this point. It was a great night out though and we were happy to be able to make it!