The Best Christmas Present Ever!

Today we received the best Christmas present we could have asked for (other than the birth of our Savior). We got an offer on our house in Florida! If all goes well, we will close on it December 30th. We will be able to handle the closing by mail. Although it would have been nice to have to go back to Florida to visit our friends. Oh well, some other time.

Photo Shoot

Here's a sampling of pictures from our family Christmas photo shoot.

Saturday Smiles

Maddie's starting to smile and coo quite a lot now. It's so fun just to watch her. She flails her arms and kicks her legs. She also likes to stick her tongue out (especially when she's hungry) and make kissy faces. Sometimes she even copies me when I do it. She hasn't turned over yet, but she's trying.

We're really looking forward to our trip to Michigan for Christmas. It will be Madison's first plane ride.

First Snowfall & Apartment Tour

It was 70 degrees yesterday. Today it is SNOWING!!!!!

Shnuggly Girl

Here's Madison wearing her new warm & wooly coat on Sunday. She didn't need it today as it was 70 degrees and sunny. She will need it again tomorrow as it is only supposed to be 40 degrees.

We're Here!

Well, we made it here safe and sound (with a few hiccups along the way). First off, everyone has gotten sick with a cold. I had it on Saturday before we left. Bryan got it while on the road. We're starting to feel better, though. My mom & I (and Madison) had a fairly smooth trip. Maddie traveled really well. She is really the perfect age because she still sleeps most of the time. Had she been a little older, the 3-day trip might have been more difficult. It was a beautiful drive (especially through TN). All the leaves were changed. Bryan and his dad didn't have such an easy time, though. First off, we had to get a 2nd truck because not everything fit in the first one. Bryan got a few scratches on his classic truck while loading it on the trailer. While filling up the trucks with gas (before even leaving town), Bryan's dad accidently ran over the gas pump and ripped off the bottom skirting of the big truck. This delayed their departure by a half a day to get it fixed. At least they didn't have to change out the truck and have to deal with unloading and loading. Bryan started to get real sick on their second day, but they still managed to drive all the way from Atlanta to St. Louis. Bryan wanted to push on but they decided to stay the night just past St. Louis. But in the middle of the night, someone siphoned the gas out of one of the trucks. They had just filled up before stopping and it cost almost $100 per truck to fill up. The drive from St. Louis to Kansas City is only about a 3-1/2 hour drive, but on Wednesday, a front came through and it was quite windy. They finally made it here around noon on Wednesday. We had some local high school kids (football players) help us unload. It only took about 3 hours to unload both trucks (compared to the day and a half to load them). We spent most of the day yesterday unpacking and getting settled in. We're almost there. That's the plan for today as well and we should be able to sleep there tonight. The apartment is really nice. It's brand new, never been lived in. It's slightly smaller than our house, but it has a lot more storage space. It's only about a mile from Bryan's parents' house. It feels good to be here. I'm slowly learning my way around town, though I really just need to know how to get to church, my in-laws, the grocery store, and Target. I'm also slowly adjusting back to the colder weather. It's been nice during the day. But it gets really chilly once the sun goes down and the wind blows. It's supposed to warm up through the weekend (70 on Sunday) but we're supposed to be getting a big storm right before Thanksgiving. It will either be really cold and light snow, or slightly warmer and raining. Welcome back to the Midwest!

Moving Day

Tomorrow is moving day. My mom and I will be driving my car with Madison. Bryan will be leaving with the moving truck on Monday. I'm a little sad to be leaving, but excited too.

2 Month Checkup

Madison had her 2 month checkup today. She's 8 lb, 13 oz and 20-1/2 inches long! She also had her shots today. Needless to say that she didn't like that too much. Two shots in each leg. I held her tiny hand the whole time. She looked at me the whole time as if to be saying, "Mommy, why are you letting them hurt me." I assured her that it was to keep her from getting sick. She stopped crying as soon as they were done and I held her close to comfort her. Now I'll have to find her a new doctor in Kansas City.

Family Update

Here's a little update on what's been going on with our family over the past couple weeks (some of which you may already know about).

Two weeks ago, Bryan was laid off from his job. Since then, we have been making plans to move back North. Bryan had already been sending resumes and interviewing with several firms. The past few weeks have been somewhat stressful with putting the house on the market, waiting for job offers, wondering where we would be going. Just last week, Bryan had received an offer from a firm in Kansas City. We made arrangements to move this coming weekend so he can start work on the 19th. I'm really looking forward to being back in the Midwest. It will be nice being close to family. We will be renting an apartment that's less than a mile from Bryan's parents' house. I even missed the cooler weather, to a certain degree. Though, it's just starting to get nice down here. But, of course, I will miss all my great friends that I've made over the past 5 years. This year has been quite a year for changes. I got married, had a baby, and now we're moving. But it's all good.

I was really worried when Bryan came home in the middle of the day and told me he had been let go. But it has really been quite a blessing in disguise. He was not happy at his job. But the biggest blessing is all the time he's been able to spend with Madison. That never would have happened otherwise.

Pretty Girl

Happy Halloween

Here's our little Peanut M&M on her first Halloween.

Wedding Video

Since tomorrow is our 4 month anniversary (that's not the real reason, but just a coincidence), let's travel back in time to reminisce our beautiful wedding.

Madison Pictures

Here are a few pictures of my beautiful baby girl.

Maddie's New Swing

We've discovered lately that Madison likes to move. She likes to be rocked or bounced. As soon as you stop and lay her down, she starts crying. So last night we went to Target and bought her a swing. It is quite a swing with varying speeds and music. We got this particular one because it was the only one that had a plug. All the others ran on batteries. But most importantly, Maddie loves it.

Date Night

With my parents in town this weekend, Bryan and I were able to get out for our first date night since Madison was born. We had a lot of fun. We went miniature golfing at Disney's Fantasia Gardens courses. Bryan beat me by one stroke on the easy course. We tied on the much more difficult Fairways Course. This one was really cool. It was a true miniature golf course with fairways, sand traps, and flags in the holes. Afterwards, we went to this mongolian barbeque place in Lakeland and watched the Kansas football game. It was nice to get away for a few hours, but it was also nice to come home. I missed my sweet girl.

To Sleep Or Not To Sleep...

...That is the question. This is another one of Bryan's photo op ideas. But speaking of sleep. Madison slept for 5 hours last night! She slept from about 12:30 to 5:30. I'm hoping she'll do it again tonight. Just so you know, she's not really holding a skull. I added it with Photoshop.

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

As Madison and I were taking a walk this afternoon, I realized that today is the first day of the 2007 Tampa Bay 3-Day. Obviously I didn't participate this year. I would like to do it next year, though. I've already started training. Today we walked about a mile around our neighborhood. Only 59 more to go! But I've got a year to get ready.

Which One?

Which one is Madison and which one is the doll? Great Uncle Larry & Great Aunt Kay sent this Madame Alexander doll to Madison today. This is her first of which I'm sure will be many baby dolls. I should probably try and dig up some of my dolls. I think they're all in the loft of the barn.

Due Date

Today was my actual due date to give birth to Madison. As you can see, she's grown about 3 inches (unofficially). I'm not sure of her weight, but if you extrapolate her rate of weight gain from a few weeks ago, she should be well over 6 lbs by now. She's still eating very well. She's eating about 3 oz at a time. She's still on the 3 hour schedule but she sometimes goes longer.

Tuckered Out

Madison was exhausted after our walk this afternoon, even though Mommy did all the work.

One Month Old

Madison Marie is one month old today! My how time flies. She wore this outfit when she came home from the hospital. Now it actually fits her (though still a little big).

Rub A Dub Dub...

...Maddie's in the tub! As you can see, she loves it oh so much :) Actually, this is the first time she didn't scream her head off (but she did cry and fuss a bit). Maybe she's starting to like it a bit more

Afternoon Rest

I guess I was a little spoiled those first few weeks when Madison slept all the time. Now she's beginning to throw a few fussy fits now and then. Here's a picture of one of her quiet moments this afternoon. Gotta go. She's waking up.

Big Girl

Maddie went back to the doctor today for a weight check. She weighed a whopping 5 pounds 2 ounces!

On My Own

This new mommy is completely on her own when it comes to caring for Madison. All our houseguests have gone home. Even Bryan had to go out of town (he'll be back tonight, though). But so far everything has gone fine. Madison is so even tempered. She sleeps most of the time and only wakes up when she's hungry or if she needs a diaper change (which is quite often). I really appreciate all the help I've had over the past 2 weeks. But it is nice to have the house to ourselves again and to prove to ourselves that we can do this.

Dressed In Her Sunday Best

Madison went to church today. She behaved pretty well, but got hungry in the middle which made her a bit fussy. But I was prepared with a bottle for her. As expected, she attracted quite a bit of attention.

First Doctor Visit

Madison went to the pediatrician yesterday for her first checkup. She did really well. She's already back up to her birth weight (plus an ounce). He said she was one of the healthiest premies that he's seen. She even took her first steps (with assistance of course). The doctor held her upright and Madison naturally moved her legs like she was walking. It was amazing. Too bad we didn't have it on video. Madison does have a little diaper rash and the doctor gave us a prescription ointment for it, so hopefully it will clear up in a couple days. After the doctor, we all went out for a Grammy-Mommy-Daughter lunch. Maddie didn't eat much, though :) It's starting to get a little easier as we settle into a routine. Madison sleeps most of the day and wakes up when she's hungry, which is every 3 hours, almost exactly. She's starting to breast feed a little better, but I still give her a bottle of either pumped milk or formula just to make sure she's getting enough to eat. She is just so precious. I love her so much.

We're All Home!

Madison Marie Helman

Born September 7, 2007

8:57 am

4 Lb 8 Oz

17 Inches Long

Last Thursday morning, I was just going to my doctor for a routine checkup. My blood pressure had risen considerably and my protein levels were "off the chart". The nurse took my blood pressure 3 times and even had someone else listen just to be sure. They continued with the regular examination by checking Maddie's heartbeat and measuring my uterus. The doctor came in and did a cervical examination and I was already 1 cm dialated. She told me that she was sending me to the hospital. The baby is going to be born either today or tomorrow. Now I started getting really anxious. I'm not ready yet. I haven't practiced Lamaze. I don't have a bag packed. I called Bryan's cell, but he didn't answer. I called his work number, but his voicemail picked up. I asked the receptionist to find him. I told her that I was his wife and it was an emergency. He was in the middle of a meeting. I told him what the doctor said and to meet me at the hospital as soon as possible. When I arrived at the hospital (which was literally across the street) my blood pressure had risen even higher. Gee, I wonder why. Do you think I was a little nervous? I went to the Triage area of the hospital where they hooked me up to a bunch of wires and monitors and took my blood pressure every 15 minutes. The nurse asked if I had any family here. I said, "no, but my husband is on his way, and here he is!" as he walked in the room. I also tried calling my mom and some of my local friends. After an hour or two in Triage, they put me in a hospital gown, hooked me up to an IV and started me on this Magnesium Sulphate medication (Mag for short) to bring my blood pressure down. It worked a little too well, though. My pressure came down so fast that I nearly passed out. After I stablized, they wheeled me up to the Labor & Delivery room. This was the nicest hospital room I had ever seen. There was a huge wall of windows. Even the bathroom had granite countertops. It looked like a hotel. The anesthesiologist hooked my up for the epidural, but didn't start the medication yet. At 2:00 they started to induce labor. The baby didn't like this very much. Her heartrate dropped. After it came back up, they started again. This time, she tolerated it. I started feeling contractions almost instantly. My mom called back and said that she was hopping on the first available flight to Orlando. From then on, it was just a bunch of waiting. Several of my friends had come to visit. I was able to watch the Tiger game on WGN (they pulled off a nice win in the 9th inning). The doctors continued to check my blood pressure every fifteen minutes. My mom and Sonia arrived around 8:00. By now, the contactions had begun to get a lot stronger, so I asked for the epidural. It may have been a bit premature, but at least I was able to rest and relax through the night, to a certain degree that is. I didn't get much sleep that night with the blood pressure machine going off every 15 minutes and the nurses coming in to check on me. I was also starving because I hadn't eaten anything since the night before. I had planned on getting breakfast after my dr. appointment. They wouldn't let me eat or drink anything at the hospital in case I would have had to go into emergency surgury. By morning, my contractions were still irregular (every 4-6 minutes) and I was still only dialated 1-2 cm. Apparently the drug they were using to keep my blood pressure under control was counteracting the drug which induces labor. By 8:00 I was being prepped for surgery and Madison entered this world at 8:57. I nearly slept through the procedure because I was so exhausted. It was really weird because I could feel them tugging and pulling, but no pain, and knowing that my body was cut open and they were taking things in and out. Of course I couldn't see anything. Bryan held my hand the whole time. Just as they were about to take the baby out, they told Bryan he could stand up and watch. And he did (without passing out). He watched them clean her up and weigh her. Once she was all clean and bundled up, they placed her on my chest and the doctor took our first family photo. I couldn't help but cry. They quickly took her away to the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and then closed me up. I was then taken to the post-op recovery area. I was finally able to eat, but the medication made me nauseous and I hardly kept anything down. Bryan brought me pictures of Madison, including ones if him feeding her for the first time. By 5:00 I was finally able to go up to a real room, but on the way we stopped to see Madison. She was so tiny. She was in an incubator hooked up to a bunch of tubes and wires. My post-delivery room (Room 8308) was nice too, but quite a bit smaller. There was a nice view, though. You could see all the way from downtown to the airport. It was also facinating to watch the helicoptors coming and going from the adjacent hospital. I was pretty much out of it that first day from all the medications and sheer exhaustion. My blood pressure was still a little high. On saturday, I felt 1000 times better. My blood pressure had gone down to normal. Maddie was doing better, too. They took her out of the incubator. The doctors had even considered letting me go a day early (Sunday instead of the intended Monday), but overnight, my blood pressure skyrocketed back up, but I felt fine. By Sunday, Madison was completely off Oxygen and her feeding tube. I started pumping so she could have breastmilk instead of formula. I even got to try breastfeeding her. She latched on right away, but didn't take to it quite as well as a bottle.

After a week in the hospital, the entire Helman Family was able to come home on Wednesday! Madison recovered extremely well despite being forced to be born by C-Section 5 weeks early. She's been eating very well. She eats 1-2 oz of breastmilk or formula every 3-4 hours. She hasn't quite taken to breastfeeding too well yet, but I'm content with pumping and giving it to her in a bottle. This way, I also know exactly how much she's getting. She's beginning to sleep a little better. She doesn't like sleeping in her bassinet a whole lot. She'd rather lay on Mommy's chest or on the bed right next to her. I go to the doctor on Monday to get a checkup on my blood pressure. I've been taking medication to keep it under control.

Pregnancy Update

If you've read my mom's blog, you've heard that my doctor has diagnosed me with preeclampsia, also known as toxemia. Basically it is high blood pressure during pregnancy. No one really knows what causes it and it will go away as soon as the baby is born. While it is a very serious condition, as long as I take it easy and do what my doctor says, Maddie & I will be just fine. My doctor has ordered me to go on bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. Yesterday was my last day of work. While I don't necessarily have to stay in bed 24/7, I do have to stay off my feet as much as possible and keep them elevated. No cooking or cleaning. I also need to drink lots of water. I will have to go to the hospital twice a week for a non stress test. This may sound like a dream come true (especially for me) to be ordered to lay around and do nothing. But I do have the feeling that even I will get bored after a few days and I still have 6 weeks to go. I do, however, have alist of things I can still do. I can get caught up on my IDP paperwork. I can pick out pictures for our wedding album. I can read parenting books. I've also been working on a portfolio for Bryan.

I'm really looking forward to my parents' visit this weekend. They can help get the nursery ready, since I won't be able to do anything. I'll also be having a baby shower this weekend. I see no reason to cancel or postpone it. I'll try to keep you updated with any developments. For now, just keep us in your prayers.

Belly Picture

After SEVERAL requests, I finally have a belly picture. Here I am today at 32 weeks. That means I have only 8 weeks to go, just under 2 months! Everything is going well. Madison continues to move and stretch her little arms and legs.

Ultrasound

I almost didn't get an ultrasound today. First, I went straight to the office where they do the ulrasounds just like last time. I had been there before. I knew where to go. We must have had the first appointment of the day because there was no one else in the waiting room. I go to the receptionist and she tells me that I have to go to the admissions desk to get registered. I couldn't find the referral that my doctor had given me. They said that they wouldn't see me without it (even though I didn't have one the last 2 times I was there) and would have to reschedule. I called my doctor's office but no one answered. We left the hospital and drove to my doctor's office (though we could have walked since it's right across the street). As we got there, the nurses had JUST walked in the door. I go in and tell them my situation, and they right me up a new one. We go back to the hospital hoping that they'll still see us. This time I go straight to the admissions desk. They'll still see us. The receptionist gives us a beeper (just like the ones at crowded restaurants) and we take a seat. About 2 mintues later it goes off and we are greeted by a man who takes us to an office to get all my insurance info. After all that is said and done, he escorts us to the Fetal Diagnostics office (where I originally went). We take our seat and the man gives my paperwork to the receptionist there. After about 5 minutes, they call me up to fill out more paperwork. I do that and take a seat. They finally call us for the ultrasound, but couldn't locate my file because of the different name. They find my file and we finally get the ultrasound underway. I love this part! It took away any frustration I had with the hospital logistics. They took a lot of pictures and measurments (though they only gave me a handful - but on a CD which was nice). It was cool to see how she is growing. The doctor did seem somewhat concerned that Madison is measuring a little on the small side. He'd like to see me again in about 5 weeks.

Pictures Are Up!

Pictures Are Coming!

I just talked with my photographer. She is mailing me a CD of our wedding pictures today. I will probably be uploading them on Shutterfly over the weekend. I will let you know when they are up and ready for viewing/ordering.

New Identity (Part II)

Today I went to the Social Security office to get my name changed. What an afternoon! I left the office around noon. I stopped at Mama B's to get lunch. I knew I'd have to wait, so I figured I might as well eat while I'm waiting. I found the Federal Building, but I couldn't figure out where to park. After driving around a couple blocks, I find a space in the lot accross the street. Of course it's metered parking so I'm scrounging to find some change. I have enough for about 2 hours (it's nearly 1:00 by now). I grab everything I need and cross the street. When I get up to the front door, there is a sign that says "NO CELLPHONES". So I have to go back to the car and leave my cell phone there. I returned to the Federal Building and got through security. I walked down the hall to the S.S. office and there's another sign, "NO FOOD OR DRINK". GRRR! I stuffed my sandwich in my bag, took a few big sips from my drink and threw the rest away. I walked into a room with like a hundred people waiting. I asked the security guy where to sign in. He points to a computer in the corner of the room and tells me that it's broken, but the other security guard is fixing it. The guy fixes the machine and asks me what I'm there for. I tell him that I'm just changing my name. He hands me a slip of paper with a number on it, E179, and I take a seat. Shortly after I'm seated, the first security guard starts calling out numbers, "E143, E144, E145." Some people get up and go into another room off to the side. I think to myself, "not bad. This won't take long at all." About 15 minutes later, he calls out the next series of 3 or 4 numbers. About every 15-20 minutes, he calls out a few more numbers. "E174, E175, E176." I'm so close. I should be in the next set. About 10 minutes after he called this set, you wouldn't believe what happened next. The fire alarm went off!! Everyone starts evacuating the building. I found a nice shady spot accross the street, but it was still HOT! While I'm sitting outside, I figure I might as well start eating my lunch. I only had enough time to eat the potato chips, though. The fire department showed up right away and soon they let us go back in (employees first, of course). I finally get back inside the building and have to go through security again. This time, the x-ray machine flagged my bag as having an electronic device inside. It was my iPod and they let me go. I took an empty seat. It wasn't long before my number was called. I quickly got up and was escorted to this side room where, guess what, I had to wait in line. While I was waiting, the guard starts asking people individually whether or not they were born in the United States. The first 3 people that responded "yes" (myself included) were escorted to another back room where they had previously been calling to people who had made appointments (I didn't know you could do that). We take a seat and wait some more. FINALLY, one of the employees asked who's next. "ME, ME, ME!" She takes me to her desk. I looked at the clock. It's now 3:30. If you've done the math, you know that my meter has run out. I take a seat and hand the woman my application, driver's license, and marriage certificate. The woman was like, "I'm not too familiar with doing name changes." She had to ask for help from one of the other employees. She finally gets everything inputted into the computer and I get a receipt. I grab all my documents, give a small smile and thank you, and dash out of there. I race to my car, praying that I don't have a parking ticket. Praise the Lord, NO TICKET!!! Finally something goes right today. I head back to the office. It's now about 4:00. I just lost 4 hours of work that I have to make up (or take out of my vacation). I finally get to eat my sandwhich though (which is now soggy from all the dressing that they put on it). In case you're wondering, yes, I could have taken care of this through the mail. But I would have had to send original documents, not photocopies. So for fear of not having them returned and the illegality to drive without my driver's license, I had to take care of this in person. But it's done now, or so I think. I'll know for sure when I get my new card in the mail.

New Identity

Our certified marriage license arrived in the mail on Thursday so on Friday, I spent my entire lunch hour (and then some) at the DMV to get my new driver's license. When I arrived, they were serving number 30 and my ticket said I80. Of course on first glance, it thought the letter I was the number 1. I was relieved that there were only 50 people in front of my instead of 150! Though, it actually went somewhat quickly. About half of those 50 people had either left or weren't paying attention when their number was called, so they got skipped over. So after an hour and $15 later, I got my new driver's license stating my new name and new address. Now I get the dubious task of changing my name for my bank accounts and insurace policies. I need to apply for a new social security card and change my marital status on my W-2 (I might as well go ahead and add Madison as a dependent while I'm at it).

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Today marks 37 years of marriage for my parents (and 11 days for me). I have written in the past about how they have been a great model for marriage and how I hoped that one day I would have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. Well that day finally came, and I pray that Bryan & I can live up to such a great model. Congratulations! May God continue to bless your marriage. Happy Anniversary!

Back To Life

Well, the honeymoon is over and it's back to the real world, back to work, and the back to the ho-hum of daily life. But now I don't have to go home to an empty house.

It was a really nice trip. We spent the first 3 days in the Lake of the Ozarks at the Tan-Tar-A Resort. It was an older resort and a little run down, but we had a nice view from our room. We had a wall of windows which overlooked the lake. It was very relaxing. We walked around up and down hills, layed out by the pool, and took a boat tour of the lake.

We spent the rest of the week with my new in-laws. Bryan showed me all over Kansas City, we saw a nice little fireworks display, we toured the art museum, and drove out to the University of Kansas. Another highlight of the trip was all the food. We had all our meals paid for at the resort. Bryan's mom made breakfast every morning. We had some good Kansas City barbeque.

We got back around 11:00 this morning and rested most of the day. Now Bryan is mowing the lawn (which is 3 feet high) and I'm about to head to the grocery store to get some food for this week. Tonight's menu - beef stroganoff (from scratch). Wish me luck :)

The New Mrs. Helman

Well, it finally happened. I'm MARRIED! I'm not sure that reality has fully sunk in yet. I don't really feel all that different. Everything went so smoothly despite the rain and the florist getting robbed. The weekend went by so fast. I wish I could have been able to spend more time with everyone that made the trip down. I hope everyone had a good time. I did! Most of it is still a bit of a blur, though. I can't wait to see the pictures! Tomorrow we leave for our honeymoon at the Tan-Ta-Ra Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks in southern Missouri.

I'm listening to the Tiger game. Ernie Harwell is the guest annoucer on ESPN tonight. It's nice to hear the Voice of the Tigers once again.

3 Days!

Three days to go. The families start arriving today. There's a part of me that is so ready for all the hoopla to be over with. I'm so glad we decided not to wait.

Last Week of "Singledom"

In 5 days I will become Mrs. Amy Lynn Helman. I suppose I'll have to change the name of my blog. I'll worry about that after we get back from the honeymoon. I've started practicing signing my new name, but it feels a little weird. Last minute preparations are going well. My mom's been here since Thursday and we've turned my apartment into Wedding HQ. Bryan was away in KC for 4 days this weekend celebrating his last few days of bachelorhood with all his buddies. My friends threw me a bridal shower on Saturday. In the evening, we went to Downtown Disney for my bachelorette festivities. The plan was to have dinner then go dancing at Pleasure Island. But some of my friends had to leave early, and I was really tired. So we just stuck with dinner and then walked around for a little bit. I kind of felt like a party pooper, but it didn't make a lot of sense to pay that kind of money for just an hour or two. We're going to plan on going out this Thursday night.

After church on Thurday, Becky invited us over to go swimming at the pool in her condo complex. Bryan had gotten back around noon, but since he had such an early flight and only got about 3 hours of sleep, I told him to just go to bed and I'll catch up with him later in the day. It was a perfect day at the pool. I was able to work on my tan so I don't look too pale in my big white dress. When I finally walked in the door, Bryan came running to me with the biggest smile on his face. I missed him so much.

I'm not nervous about this weekend. I'm more in a state of disbelief. There were many times when I thought this day would never come, and now it's actually here. I'm so happy and ready to spend the rest of my life with Bryan. I love him so much.

Engagement Photos

Follow the link in the title for our engagement photos on shutterfly.com. I will post our wedding photos there as well.

10 Days and Counting

I will be married in just 10 days! It hardly seems real, almost like a dream (a very good one). I keep thinking that at any moment I'm going to wake up to find that none of this is happening. We went to get our marriage license today. I thought (or hoped) that we'd be in and out of there in like a half-hour but it was more like an hour. They gave us this handbook which we were required to read about all the Florida laws pertaining to divorce, alimony, child support, etc. It was quite depressing. After it was all said and done, we are now one signature away from being married. We actually got a $30 discount on the license for taking premarital counseling. But since the counseling cost $200, we really didn't save any money. Even if we weren't required to take the counseling sessions in order to get married at Trinity or aware of any discount, we still would have done it. We both believe in the importance of it. Because the dealings at the courthouse took so long, I missed my dentist appointment for a root canal (boo hoo). They had to reschedule for August (that was the earliest I could get in).

In baby news, tomorrow I have my 24 week appointment. I'm sure it will just be another routine appointment. Madison has been moving around like CRAZY the past several weeks! She's going to be an active one, which I suppose is a good thing. At first it was really cool when I could feel the kicks. One time she kicked so hard I could see it. It was really freaky. But now it's getting a little annoying especially when I'm trying to sleep or when she kicks on my bladder. I suppose that's all for now.

All Moved

This past weekend I moved out of my apartment and into Bryan's house, I mean OUR house. I'm not quite settled with unpacking. Also this weekend, Bryan finished up the cake. I think you'll all be quite impressed. It looks great. I love the fact that we made it ourselves.

Good Game

It sounds like I missed a really good game last night. And they were on ESPN, too. Bryan called and told me that they were on but had just ended and that Verlander had thrown a no-hitter. I didn't even turn on my TV last night. I couldn't even find the remote. But it's probably for the best as I was in the other room packing away. How did I get so much stuff?! I've still got a lot to do before this weekend.

Monday Already?!

What happened to the weekend? I can't believe it's Monday aready. It was another jam packed weekend. Friday night we drove out toward Cocoa to watch the shuttle launch. Traffic was really bad (of course) so we didn't quite make it. It was a clear sky, so we could still see it really good. But we were about a quarter mile from a REALLY good viewing spot when we pulled over to watch it go up. Not wanting to fight the traffic heading back, we decided to keep heading toward the coast and eat dinner. Jon & Becky, & the Barnes family went too (they drove separately) so we met them for dinner. Even though we had a nice leisurlly dinner (and I got to see the end of the Tiger game) we still had to fight traffic. We didn't get home until almost midnight.

We slept in on Saturday and spent most of the day doing chores. We went out to dinner and ran errands in the evening. After dinner, Bryan started baking the cake for the wedding and I attempted to make icing roses. We almost finished before running out of cake mix.

Sunday morning we got up early to have our engagement photo taken. Then we went to church and back home to finish the cake. In the evening we went to dinner at Macaroni Grill and then to see Ocean's 13. Amy's Review: Better than the second one, but not as good as the first.

Now it's Monday again and back to work.

Follow Up

I just got back from my follow up sonogram (I'll post the pictures later - they didn't take quite as many this time). The doctor said that everything still looked very good. Madison was actually measuring about 3 days BIG. She weighs 1 pound and they said she was quite long! She was kicking a little bit and I could also see that she had the hiccups. I won't go again for about 3 months.

Happy Birthday, Seth!

A BIG happy birthday to my favorite nephew! OK, so he's my ONLY nephew. I remember getting the call 365 days ago (like it was yesterday) that Seth Thomas Patterson had entered the world. It's amazing to see how much he has changed and grown in his first year. God's many blessings to you for many more years to come. I love you and I miss you so much.

Scatter Brain

I don't know how, but I totally forgot about my doctor appointment this morning. Instead, I got up and went to work as usual (even a little early). But I was sitting at my computer, looking at my timesheet. I was looking at how much extra time I had this week to make up for my appointment. Then I realized that my appointment was today! I looked at the clock and it was 9:30 (I was scheduled for 9:20). I called their office and asked if I could still come in or if I should reschedule. They said I could still come. It was a typical checkup: unrine sample, weight, blood pressure, fetal heartbeat, etc. The nurse had a hard time getting a good listen of the heartbeat. Madison was moving around too much. I've definitely been feeling her move inside me, especially in the last week or so. It's pretty cool. Everything has been going so smoothly. I have an ultrasound next week.

20 Weeks

Today I am at 20 weeks in my pregnancy. That means, it's the halfway point! I've still been feeling great. I've started to feel Madison moving around inside. It feels really weird, but cool. I have my checkup tomorrow.

(from babyfit.com)

...in Week 20

Your Body If your doctor hasn’t already measured your tummy, now is the time. Although the size of every uterus (and every baby) is different, most women measure around 8 inches (20 cm), from the top of the pubic area to top of the uterus. You will continue to grow about half an inch (15 cm) per week for a while. If your measurement is much larger, it could mean your pregnancy is farther along than expected—or that you are carrying twins! If it’s much smaller, it may indicate your baby is not growing as expected, or that your pregnancy is at an earlier stage. Either way, most women will have an ultrasound at this time to determine how their pregnancy is going, and to find out the sex of the baby.


YOUR BABY THIS WEEK...Week 20
Congratulations—you’re almost halfway there! Celebrate by talking to your baby since she can hear you now. Your Baby: Weighing in at about 9 ounces (.25 kg) and measuring over 6 inches (15 cm) long, your baby is aware of all kinds of sounds, from the beating of your heart and growling of your tummy, to songs on the radio and the buzzing of your alarm clock. If you feel a “bounce” in your tummy when you hear a loud noise, it’s because your baby hears it too! This is the start of your baby's active phase. You'll feel every twist, turn, and wiggle. You may also hear your baby’s heartbeat through a stethoscope, and it’s probably faster than you expect—120 to 160 beats per minute.

Wedding Update

I've picked up my dress (I still need to get it altered, though). I've ordered the bridesmaids' dresses. Invitations went out in the mail today. Tonight we have our first premarital counseling session. Tomorrow, we're meeting with the DJ. All the BIG stuff is pretty much taken care of. The rest is just little details.

Coming Together

Everything is falling right into place for my wedding on June 30th. It's so COOL! Planning a wedding in 2 months is the way to go. I've booked the church & the reception location. My friends have been very helpful. Our photographer is a friend of Kerri's and Becky gave me the name of a couple DJs. I got my dress (but I'm not going to tell you what it looks like other than to say that it is white). Invitations will be assembled this weekend. Mom is taking care of the flowers. Bryan actually offered to bake the cake. If he's serious about it, I say go for it! Everything else is just a bunch of small little details that don't really matter.

Plan, Plan, Plan

With my mom in town this weekend, we got a lot of planning done, both for the wedding and for the baby. We went browsing for a wedding dress, I got some maternity clothes, and we started our baby registry. I'm so glad that mom was with us for that. She helped us decide on the things that we really need and and what we don't need.

IT'S A GIRL!

Meet Madison Marie Helman!