Presenting...Owen!

Well, here he is...!!! This is the miracle that has been growing for 8 months inside of me. It was so great to get this ultrasound today. Matt and I were really looking forward to getting to see how much he has changed. It is unbelievable how he went from looking like an alien to a bundle of love that we can't wait to meet. After having the ultrasound it almost makes the waiting even harder. According to his measurements, Owen is already 4 pounds and is still expected to be due May 20th.

Although, that will not be the case according to our doctor. At 35 weeks I will have my blood drawn again to check my liver levels and begin seeing the doctor twice a week for non-stress tests. Ultimately, it would be ideal to not have to be induced because the risk of c-section is higher, but we will do what has to be done. If everything goes as planned, and I don't have any complications or start labor on my own, 38-39 weeks delivery is planned. Which means only 6-7 more weeks! Yikes, but so exciting for us! Tonight Grandma Carol, Grandma Jeannie, and Grandpa Mike stopped by to meet their newest grandson. We also watched the DVD from our ultrasound. So much to look forward to in the future! I am already so proud to show him off. He looks adorable to me, of course. I don't know who he looks like, but it seems that the consensus is Matt. Which of course I think is great, but didn't I have something to do with this???? Such a sleepy guy! He really tried hard to hide from us! Esther (our friend and u/s tech had to really work hard to get him to move his hands and FEET away from his face)!! He is a stinker already, but a flexible one at that.

Owen's Baby Shower---32 weeks

I want to start this post by saying THANK YOU!!! As you can see by the picture, Matt and I are truly blessed by our friends and family. My shower for Owen was amazing and we received so many great gifts. The day really couldn't have been better. From all of the great people who were there, to the good food, the location, and the hard work which went into preparing everything. So a special thank you to our Mom's, Ami, Sarah (yummy blueberries & strawberries, even though I never ate dessert), and all of the Aunt's who helped out. It was truly appreciated.

Now comes the hard part...putting everything away. It literally took two car loads to get everything home and now we have decided we need a bigger house! Just kidding...but some day! The next few weeks are definitely going to be spent organizing and writing thank you cards. I will have say I definitely have my work cut out for me.

I am so thankful for the time and effort that our friends and family put into making some of our gifts very unique. I know we will treasure the gifts forever and I am sure Owen will as well. I know the day ended up rainy, but it was nice to have everyone who traveled from out of town to spend the day with (Ally, Clare, The Guerrero's and Tami)! Also, did anyone notice all of the newborns? Wow, the oldest being 10 weeks and the youngest 7 weeks. Not to mention the amount of pregnant women...Allison (twin boys due in July), Nicole (baby girl due in July, and Becky (baby girl due in August). Phewwwww! Anyone else out there I should know about?!?!?!?

COWBOY BOOTS...LOVE THEM!



MY LITTLE SCOOTER!

March Madness! (31 weeks)

Let me start off by saying March has been a pretty good month for our family. First, for those of you who do not know...Matt was promoted to Vineyard Manager for Cambria Winery. We are very excited and can't wait to see what new opportunities his new title will bring him. On the other hand, he is very nervous about the additional work load and also the responsibility of being a new dad. But let me just say...I know he will do a wonderful job!

With that being said, yesterday I received a phone call from Dr. Callahan. It has been confirmed, I do have cholestasis. Which adds a bit more stress to Matt's life. This means Owen will be here before you know it. Ideally, Dr. Callahan would like to deliver around 38 weeks, which means we only have 7 weeks left. Next Monday we have our appointment and will find out more information at that time. I will definitely update then, especially because we will be having another ultrasound. I am very eager to see what our little guy looks like. Our last glimpse was at 22 weeks, so it will be interesting to see how much he has grown. Along with all of Matt's hard work at work, he has also been working hard to get Owen's nursery together. The crib is put together and the bedding is on. The wall art is hung and now we are just waiting on a few small things to call the job done. I will post pictures as soon as it is complete!

Also, this month we had our second benefit barbecue for Matt's cousin Laney. For those of you who do not know, Matt's cousin Laney has battled the last two years with kidney cancer. Since December, her cancer has returned and she has been fighting so hard! She is one strong and courageous girl! It has been absolutely amazing to see the support her family, friends, and community have given Laney and her family. Please keep Laney in your thoughts and prayers because we know that is what is getting her through this challenging time. We can't wait to see her smiling face again soon!Stay updated on events and news by viewing her website: http://letssupportlaney.com/

Mason, Tanner, and Karter!

Aren't these 3 little guys the cutest! For whatever reason I cannot rotate the picture of Tanner and Mason (just turn your head sideways!). Ally's little guy Karter is in the first picture. According to Ally Karter is pretty much a perfect baby. Her only complaint...he sleeps to much! I could think of worse things. I am so happy for you Ally. I can hardly wait for my shower so I can meet Karter and we can take a picture of the 3 boys together.

Only Mason's third trip to someone else's house and he went to meet his buddy Tanner. Tanner is Ashley's baby and is 4 weeks younger than Mason. Look at the size difference. They were both perfect babies and enjoyed laying next to each other. It has been great watching both of my best friends and my sister being mom's. They are doing such a great job and I hope I can do as well as all of them! Each one of them are experiencing very different newborns.

Third Trimester---28 weeks

Well, we are on the home stretch! Only 10 weeks left at the latest, until we get to meet Owen James! Matt and I can hardly believe how fast our pregnancy has gone. Just a few weeks ago we were counting the weeks away to find out the babies gender. Now, we are quickly trying to prepare the house for our little man. I have been busy organizing our room, while Matt has been prepping the babies room. He has spent the last few days putting up wainscoting, which I have to say turned out great! Good job Dad! Here are a few pictures of the completed, but empty nursery.







Owen weighs just over 2 pounds now and is about 14 inches long! He is a very active guy and according to his dad...he is a cowboy! Matt says that because when he goes to work in the morning he always asks me if Owen is awake. Most days he is, so, Matt figures he must get up early like cowboys do. Great...I have news for him...cowgirls like to sleep in until 7:00.

I have to say other than being diagnosed with cholestasis, my pregnancy has been pretty good. All of that changed last Thursday when I was working at Carol's school. I had this horrible pain in my upper chest, which was all to familiar to me. Yes, you guessed it...STONES! I prayed the pain would go away and that I was just mistaking it for something else (heartburn, indigestion), but I was wrong. I called Matt at lunch crying, which quite honestly I NEVER do. I went home rested during lunch and returned to work. When I got off work, I came home and called the doctor. I went in shortly after, received blood work and a prescription for vicodin. My doctor recommended that I follow up with my gastroenterologist. I called as soon as I walked out the door and the doctor almost immediately called me back. He also knows, just like me, what the pain is that I was describing. I was able to get an appointment to see him the following day, which is pretty fast considering he usually schedules you at least 2 weeks out.

Let's just say I had no problem taking Friday off to make my appointment. By the time dinner rolled around I was starving and the pain had subsided. I choose to take Tylenol versus vicodin. I couldn't stand the thought of my baby getting any, unless it was absolutely necessary. Doctors report Friday: "Oh my god Ashley...it sounds like you have sludge to me." For those of you who do not know what sludge is let me tell you. It is bile, which has began to thicken (muddy like consistency), but passes through the bile duct before forming a stone. Very common during pregnancy do to increased hormone levels. Doctors advice to me, "Ashley you are just one of those patients who produces a lot of bile. If the pain persists call me, but if it passes, just keep moving along." So I guess this is what I have to look forward to the rest of my life...great. Good thing it only comes once in a while!

Next Wednesday we go to our 29 week check up, so I will let you know what the doctor says regarding early delivery. I am hoping he will do an ultrasound and we can get a new 3D of Owen. I can't wait to see how much he has grown! Mom and Dad are getting very anxious to meet him!

Week 25---Cholestasis!

Well, there is an end in sight to all of this itching! Now I know I am not losing my mind, even though I feel like I am. I was diagnosed last week with a condition called Cholestasis. Basically what it is, is a condition in which the bile from the liver is blocked. This is a very uncommon liver disease and usually appears in the third trimester. Only 1 out of 1,000 pregnancies result in this condition and guess who got it...ME! Good news is, we caught it early and now I am being treated with medication. According to my doctor this condition now classifies our pregnancy as high risk. Not to worry, we will be monitored very closely and should have no problems having a safe delivery. Another bright side to this is, we will get to meet Owen somewhere around 37 weeks! Which means more time for me to stay home with him. In the meantime, I am lacking sleep since my itching seems worse at night. I am hoping the medication will soon help to relieve some of the itchiness!

By the way did I mention Matt and I chose a name...Owen James Mahoney!

Babies, Babies, & More Babies

Wow, February sure got started off with a bang. Early Thursday morning I received several texts from my best friend Ashley. It was confirmed...she was in labor. You would not have believed the excitement I felt for her and her husband as they prepared for a long day ahead of them. Tanner James Reed was born on the 3rd! He is a sweet little boy who I can't wait to spend more time with. Ashley and Kevin are great parents and naturals!

One best friends pregnancy down, one more left...but, not for long.

So on Thursday I decided I better spend some time on the phone with Ally, since I never get one of my last sessions in with Ashley. Ally just couldn't understand why her baby wouldn't drop and how Ashley beat her due date by 2 weeks. Frustrated, Ally set out to walk this baby down. To her surprise...she was successful! On Friday morning she was admitted to the hospital and gave birth to Karter Bradley at 12:01 am on Saturday! Yay Ally! Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to meet the little guy, but I have seen pictures and he is adorable! Ally and Kris...I am sure you are doing a wonderful job!

Happy healing to my best friends!

Next up...Kristy Tognazzini! Good luck Kristy and Chris! We can't wait to meet your bundle of joy!