Hospital Stay #2 and Thanksgiving

In case you didn’t know, I’ve landed myself back into the hospital. I’ve been here since Tuesday. I could have made a Blog update sooner, but I’ve been lazy. So let me fill you on Hospital Stay #2.

Tuesday: I was readmitted because at my doctor appointment I had dilated to a 3. Since my friends Emily and Jenn were going out of town for Thanksgiving, and the doctor knew that I was worried about going into labor he decided to admit me because I kept having contractions. He figured it would be less stressful for me if anything happened if I was just in the hospital.

Wednesday: I started having contractions again. They were 4-5 minutes apart. The doctor checked me, and I was dilating so they gave me more medicine and made me drink a ton of water. I also turned “34 weeks”. This means that if I did happen to have Mason I could deliver him here at this hospital instead of having to be transported to the hospital in Greenville.

Thursday:  (Thanksgiving!) I was worried that my water might have broke (I won’t go into all the details). They did a test and I wasn’t leaking amniotic fluid which was good, but I did lose my mucus plug.

Friday: (Today!) Today has been pretty uneventful. My blood pressure was really low this morning, so they couldn’t give me my medicine to keep contractions under control. This turned out to be fine because I did not contract at all today. For some reason I’ve been extremely tired today. All I’ve wanted to do is sleep. I guess I better take the opportunity to rest all I can now, since it probably won’t be long until Mason here!

Now that you are updated on the hospital stay, let me update you on life…

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. I have yet to make a Thanksgiving dinner for my family. This year, a member from the church signed up to bring my family an entire meal. Words cannot describe how thankful I was to have such an amazing meal. This might sound cliché, but this past month I’ve really taken the time to reflect on all the many blessing in my life. And, WOW, let me tell you, I’ve discovered I have more blessings in my life than I can even count. I’m so gracious for all that Heavenly Father has blessed me and my family with. I have felt the spirit in my home so strongly this past month. I’ve also felt closer to my Heavenly Father, my husband, my family and my friends.

Daniel and Allen brought Thanksgiving dinner to the hospital. Here are some pictures:

Here is the yummy meal that was prepared for us!

Here is Allen being silly. He is pretending to be asleep.

Mommy and Allen

Love!

Daddy and Allen watching TV!

After we ate, we watched Beauty and The Beast.

Sitting here making this blog update has made think back to the first Thanksgiving Daniel and I spent together. Our first Thanksgiving together we spent in Raleigh, North Carolina. At the last minute, he decided to fly me from Santa Cruz, CA to NC to spend the holiday with him. We ate Thanksgiving dinner at a buffet. We probably would have had McDonald’s, but it was closed. So, we opted to eat turkey. The next day (BLACK FRIDAY!) We decided to go the mall and “look” at rings. Later that night we went ice skating and he proposed to me. Here are some pictures!

Our first Thanksgiving together! I love how our outfits match!

Daniel asked me to marry him the day after Thanksgiving 2007. See the ring box in the picture?

I love this picture. Daniel with is hand on the ring box (it is in his coat pocket!)

Well, now that I’m done updating and reminiscing, I guess I will end this and try to get some rest. I wonder how much longer until Mason comes? Guesses anyone? I’m going to say sometime next week…either the 2^nd or maybe the 6^th. I don’t know why, but they sound like good Mason days to me.  

Hospital Stay #1

After my appointment yesterday, the doctor felt it would be best if I got a steriod shot to keep me from hving early labor and to make Mason's lungs develop faster. My cervix is all the thinned out, and I'm 1cm dilated. I decided being admitted would be the best option. This morning, the doctor gave the option of going home tonight around 6pm after the next dose of steriods. Since I have another appointment Tuesday, I took him up on his offer because I would much rather spend the next few days at home. Why? Not because I want to be in my own bed, shower in my own shower, or watch my own tv, but because I really miss Daniel and Allen. You'd think I would be able to handle a night away from them especialy since Daniel and I just spent a whole year away from each other. However, I had a really hard time with it. I missed my boys so much. I missed hearing Sesame Street playing on the TV. I missed hearing Allen's sweet voice say "mommy, mommy, mommy!" I missed hearing Daniel type loudly on his keyboard while playing computer game. I missed Daniel talking to Mason before bed time, and I missed jumping up at 6am when Daniel's alarm goes off. I wonder if they missed me too?

This morning Allen got to go to work with Daddy. I can't wait to hear all about their adventures!

Oh, and I got some more 3D pictures of Mason! Emily went with me to my appointment. It was fun for both of us to see him. I think he looks more like Daniel from these pictures.

UPDATE (As of 7:11PM)

I was discharged from the hospital. Thank goodness. I've been home for a couple of hours now. It feels nice to be back. I got two rounds of steroid shots in hopes to speed the development of Mason's lungs and slow down my early labor. Keep your fingers that all goes well, and Mason doesn't come until the first week of December!  

Thanks to everyone who called me or wrote on my Facebook. It was so nice to have people to talk to! :)

Life Continues

I should be updating this everyday because I seem to have nothing but a lot of time on my hands now that I’ve been on bed rest. However, I just feel so unmotivated. Yet, there is something inside of me that is so anxious because I can think of a ton of things I could be doing. For instance, I could be writing our Christmas cards, working on the DVD I’m making of Allen’s past year, reading, watching movies, scrapbooking…the list could go on and on. But what am I doing? Nothing. I’m just so tired.

Even though I feel like time has stopped for me, life is still carrying on as normal. Allow me to update you…

Allen has been growing so much the past month. He went from “18 months” clothes to “2T” in a matter of six weeks! He also grew out of his size 7 shoes. He is now wearing size 8. Since I couldn’t take him shopping for new shoes, Emily took him for me. Oh, which reminds me, allow me to introduce Emily.

Emily:

I met Emily not long after Daniel deployed in 2009. We were introduced by some mutual friends. I remember it quit vividly. I had invited my friends over to do Tae-Bo and eat breakfast with me. They called and asked if they could bring along their friend. I was thinking, “Great, this is going to be weird meeting someone and doing Tae-Bo with them”. Have you ever just met someone and instantly you just “clicked”? Well, that is how my friendship with Emily began. We just clicked. She is one of my best friends, and I truly feel like she has to be long lost family or someone that I’ve grown-up with and known since birth. I couldn’t ask for more selfless, honest, or loyal friend. I really do believe that God sends us people we are meant to be friends with. And she is defiantly someone that I’ve been truly blessed to have in my life. Oh, let me tell you a little bit about her…She is from New York. Whenever you first meet her you might have a hard time understanding her because of how fast she talks. Ha, I love her accent. I think it has faded a little. At first it took me awhile to follow what she was saying especially when we talked on the phone. No worries, I can understand her with no problems now. She is very athletic. She was on both the Marine Corps Volleyball Team and Marine Corps Basketball Team. Yes, she is a Marine! I’m so proud of her. Not only because she is my friend, but because she knows what she wants in life and is passionate about it. I admire he willpower and desire to serve our country with pride.

Me and Emily a couple of months ago when we took Allen outside to play in the rain!

Now that you’ve met Emily, on with my update…

Emily took Allen to Target to find shoes. She sent me pictures of their outing together…

Here is Allen trying on a Santa hat. How adorable?

After Target, Emily took him to the pet store. Here he is looking at birds. He also loved seeing the kittens.

At Target Emily bought Allen popcorn. Here he is informing her that he will not be sharing the popcorn with her. 

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Emily bought Allen popcorn from Target and he did NOT want to share his snack. He has been going through the famous “MINE” stage that every two-year-old goes through. It has been really fun for all of us. (Please, know that I’m staying that sarcastically).

I guess being two is also the age where little kids discover even more how to make a mess. Allen decided to put his popcorn in his water bottle…and then see what it would be like if he dumped the popcorn on the floor.

Here is Allen making a mess in Emily's car.

I think overall, Emily and Allen had a wonderful time on their adventure to buy shoes. Allen picked out a black and red pair that light up and blink whenever he takes a step. They are very cool.

During the morning from 8:30-11:30, Allen goes over to my friend Jenn’s house. Jenn has a little girl that is almost a year. Her name is Lyla. Allen calls her “Lala”. Allow me to introduce them to you…

Jennifer and Lyla:

Jennifer and I met on Facebook. I know that might sound creepy. But, let me explain. About a month or so after I moved to Cherry Point, I joined a group on Facebook for Marine Wives. On there, Jennifer had made a post about how she was a new Marine Wife and was getting ready to move to Cherry Point and was curious if anyone could tell her more about what it was like there. I messaged her, and accepted her friend request only to find out that we had much more in common than just being Marine Wives. Jenn is also a member of the church I go to. So, not only could I tell her about what Cherry Point was like, but I also informed members of my ward that she would be moving soon. I hope this made her transition to Cherry Point easier. She ended up moving across the street from me. I feel like I’ve known her forever. Again, I feel like people are placed in our lives for a reason, and she is one of them! Allen calls her “Gee”. She has a sweet little girl named Lyla “LaLa”. She is also expecting another little girl about a month or so after my due date. Jenn is from Pennsylvania. She is very smart. I like to talk to her about things and she helps me see things differently. I say “things” and it makes it sound like conversation topics are vague, but trust me they aren’t. I say “things” because our conversation topics can be so broad and specific at the same time. I know, I’m making no sense…moving on… She is very much like a big sister to me. I've always admire her faith and strong testimony she has.

Here is Jenn and Lyla! I took this picture at Atlantic Beach awhile back.

Now that you’ve met Jenn and Lya, on with my update…

I think Allen going over to Jenn’s has been good for him, because he has been forced to share things. Or at least try to. I’m kind of worried how he will react will Mason and having to share his things and share attention.  At least time with Lyla is a good practice. They are really cute together. Whenever I would watch them, I would always enjoy watching Allen crawl down the hall and her chase after him. I love hearing them giggle.  Whenever Allen is at Jenn’s I try to force myself to take a nap. Normally I can never fall asleep, so I end up playing Freecell on my phone. It has to be one of my favorite card games. I know, I’m a nerd.

After Daniel gets home with Allen around 11:30 we have lunch, and I normally sit in the living room with Daniel and Allen for awhile. At 12:30-1:00 Allen goes down for a nap and Daniel goes back to work. Daniel tries to make it home by 2:30-3:00 when Allen finally wakes up from his nap. 

Here is a picture of Allen napping. He decided that sleeping with all of his toys was better than sleeping in his bed.

I want to take a moment and tell everyone how amazing Daniel has been the last couple of weeks. Since we both realized how serious this bed rest thing is, he has been so good at taking care of the house, Allen, and me. He makes sure everything is clean. I think he does the dishes more often than I do. He always sweeps the floors every night, and he makes sure to pick up all of Allen’s toys. He has been cooking us dinner, making sure I have enough water in my water cup, and at night he gives me a back rub before I go to bed. I’m just so proud of him. I know how demanding I can be, and I know how busy Allen is, so I can only imagine how exhausted he is by the end of the day. I’ve been trying to tell him how much I truly appreciate all he does, because I don’t want him to feel like all his actions go unnoticed. I really hope he does understand just how grateful I am for him.

The Marine Corps Birthday was this past week. Here is my Marine and Marine Jr.

The Marine Corps Birthday was this past week. Here is my Marine and Marine Jr.

The weather here has been amazing. Calm down, I haven’t been leaving my bed. I have been opening my bedroom window a lot though. I love the crisp fall air. I did go outside and sit with Allen for a little while this weekend. I was going a little crazy just sitting inside. I sat with him while he colored on the pavement with sidewalk chalk. We had lots of fun. Here are some pictures..

Hm, what else has been going on? The ladies from church have been taking turns bringing us meals. I can not even express how thankful I am for the people who have signed up to do this. It really has helped us tremendously. I was really worried about being on bed rest because I did not know how my household would function. Not that I didn't think Daniel could handle it, but because I'm the mother and wife, and I feel so strongly about taking charge of cleaning and preparing meals for my family. But with the help of members from the church, my friends, and Daniel taking care of everything, I have really felt at peace. So, thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! I'm really amazed at how much love, unity and peace I feel in my home. I can't wait until I have Mason, so I can start helping out around my house and helping out others again! I feel like that is one big lesson I've learned this past month--to be grateful for those that help out and how important it is to help others, because we really can make a difference. 

 I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I’m very anxious to see what the doctor has to say about Mason. Keep your fingers crossed that I will be having him soon. I can’t wait to meet him!

Well, that is the update! Life is pretty simple, sweet, and blissful. 

Mason Update!

I had a blog update I was going to post after I added updates from my doctor’s visit today. However, after my appointment today, I think I’m going to dedicate this post to being just a Mason update.

Bed rest…what does that mean? Resting in bed all day? Yeah. Bed rest means I’m only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and shower. I guess I really didn’t grasp the concept of how serious bed rest is, until today. I have too much amniotic fluid around Mason. I know this can send me into premature labor because of the added pressure, but I didn’t know how serious this could be for me or him. The doctor I normally see, I like very much. He tells me the relevant information I need to know without making me worry about things that may or may not happen. I saw a different doctor today, and she told me some information about what could happen that now has me worried. When there is too much pressure or contractions persist I might be at risk for a placenta abruption. Sounds scary, huh? Well, I decided to google what exactly this meant in detail. For those of you who would like to know here is a link:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_placental-abruption_1425791.bc

Also, here is a link with information on too much amniotic fluid:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_excessive-amniotic-fluid-hydramnios-or-polyhydramnios_1200199.bc

Now that I’m completely worried…

On a lighter note, Daniel has been wonderful tonight. He has cleaned the house, cooked dinner, and done laundry. I’m very thankful to have a husband that is willing to take care of his sons and wife.

Since I’m on strict bed rest, I’m going to try to update my blog daily. Bye for now.

Greetings, Bloggers!

Well, I’ve decided to start blogging. I think this will be a good thing, because I know I have family that will enjoy reading the daily activities that take place in Allen’s World. I also think this will be a great way for me to express myself. I have always kept a journal until recently. One of my friends suggested that I get my blog printed every year. I think that is a fantastic idea. I love technology. I love the idea of blogging. I guess it is the new and modern way to not only stay connected but to keep a journal of events. Enough of my blabbing…

With my first post, I think I will introduce some key “characters” in my life that I will be blogging about.

First, allow me to introduce myself.

 My name is Ashley Hernandez. I am married to my best friend, Daniel Hernandez. Life has been very adventurous for us lately. We have been married for almost three years. However, most of that time has been spent away from each other instead of together. Daniel is in the Marine Corps, and has been deployed 18 months out of marriage. The past 8 months has been the longest time we’ve spent together. It has been challenging because I’ve been pregnant with our second baby, so I haven’t been the easiest to get along with. When I am not worn out from growing our next child and chasing after our two-year-old, I am working on online classes through Columbia College, taking pictures, baking, reading, playing Freecell, talking on the phone, or spending time with friends.

Meet Daniel:

Daniel is my husband. He is in the Marine Corps. He is a picky eater. He likes to play computer games. Does that cover it? Yeah. He is a very simple guy. I appreciate his simple outlook on life, and his ability to be a loyal and honest husband. Every day I discover something about him that makes me love him a little more.  I admire his bond with Allen. There really is a special bond that takes place between a father and a son. Daniel and Allen have that special bond. Daniel also enjoys making others laugh, reading news, and listening to music.  

Meet Allen:

If you were to ask Daniel and I what is the most important thing in our lives I know we would both answer: Allen. Allen is the center of our world, and he knows it! Allen loves to watch Sesame Street, dance, play with his train set, “read’ books, draw, play outside, and give lots of hugs and kisses. He turned 2 on October 22^nd. I can’t believe he is already two! It doesn’t seem possible to me. He is a very smart, inquisitive, quirky, and lovable two-year-old. One of my favorite things he does right now is say “thank-you, mommy” for everything. He is so polite. He thanks me for making him breakfast, washing his hair, changing his diaper, buckling him in his car seat…everything! It tickles me every time he says it, because if I don’t reply with “You’re welcome, Allen” he will repeat himself even louder. He has so much personality. I hope people that read my blog will be able to get a feel for how much personality Allen has from the “adventures” I will be blogging about.

Meet Mason:

Mason is our second child. He is currently still cooking! I can’t wait to meet him! I will admit, I am a little worried to see how Allen will react. Especially since Allen’s nickname for Daniel is “MY Daddy”. Mason’s due date is December 29^th, 2010. However, I think we will be meeting him before then! He is measuring big. He is estimated to be 9 pounds if I go to my due date. I’ve already started dilating, so I’m hoping he will wait until at least 37 weeks to be born. Maybe he will be only 7 pounds at 37 weeks? I can only hope! Mason is most active during the evening. He enjoys listening to Daniel’s voice, and he craves McDonald's!

I think this is a good introduction of “characters” for my first post. I will introduce more as I go along. As for now, I’m going to end my first post. Feel free to leave suggestions for future posts! I look forward to Blogging!