Tummy time!

Welcome Home Carter!

Carter came home on December 29th! The day after our 2nd year anniversary! Last week the doctors at the hospital said he would be going home on Wednesday. So on Monday morning, we cleaned, and Chase fixed up the home and baby's room. I went to the hospital to feed him, and the doctor came in and said he is doing well and he can go home!!!!!! I was extremely happy, way nervous, and "oh-my-goodness-real-parenting begins!" We drove home from the hospital and took him to his bed and just stared at our little one. It is amazing how much love multiplies when you have a baby! Chase and I feel that we love him even more now that he is home! The first night of getting up was a little hard, but it is way better than getting up in the wee hours of the morning and pumping. (That's what I had to do while he was in the hospital.) Chase and I love being parents...and we have so much to learn! Life is exciting! We will keep you posted on our little guy!

Getting stronger!

Carter is off the CPAP, off oxygen, and off the feeding tube. He's even in a big-boy crib! We're increasing his feeding slowly and he should be off the IV soon. The nurses are even helping him get into the holiday spirit with a nice Christmas beenie. We're so proud of our little guy!

He sleeps like his dad!

I thought this was a funny picture. He's doing well, and seems to be comfortable. He's actually off the the CPAP now!!! He may have to go back on, but at least he's strong enough for them to try removing it. I'll post a picture without the CPAP later so you can actually see his cute little face.

Look who decided to show up!

Carter decided to show up a little ahead of schedule. Here are just a few pictures because we're pretty tired and pretty busy. In the picture above he's about 3 minutes old. The little red spots on his skin are called...according to the neonatologist..."funky little infant spots." They're already gone, and his color looks great now. The tubes in the pictures below seem a little scary, but he's doing fairly well. He's breathing on his own with just a little help from the CPAP (You can Wiki it to find out how it helps him...excuse my laziness). He was born December 18th at a whopping 5 lbs, 8 oz and 19 inches long. He needs a little more time to put on the finishing touches before we can take him home in a week or two (hopefully).
We promise to post more pictures later!

I Can See The Light!

Hello! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I have 6 more days--that's right...SIX MORE DAYS of taking it easy, laying in bed, and eating cheez-its. What am I going to do in 6 more days you ask?? Well I'm going to PARTY! Then probably have my baby! Hopefully, I'll have some time before I have little Carter. I want to go grocery shopping, run outside, make fudge, do last minuet shopping for Christmas. Chase and I want to buy a car seat! I can not WAIT! I am going a little bit crazy, but 6 days are going to go by so quickly!

My sister Jaime is coming to Arizona from New York for Christmas--and she and her family are going to stay the night at our house! Its going to be easy to party with family around! It's going to be fantastic!

Let's talk Thanksgiving! This year Chase and I decided to do our own thanksgiving...and do it in style---take-out. We were excited to do it, because this will be a great story to tell Carter. We couldn't find a single restaurant that was opened and even KFC was closed! Then we found Black Angus! That's what we got! It was a meal for two! With an appetizer, soup or salad, main dish, and then dessert. It was out of this world!

Chase also worked on our little yard! We now have an AWESOME patio. Chase worked very hard all week. His parents gave him an early birthday present...a new grill! He can't wait to grill something and eat it on our patio. We are looking for some patio furniture...that's next!

So life is wonderful! We are just waiting and getting ready for the arrival of Carter! Enjoy the pictures!

Deep Thoughts From the Girl in Bed...

Everything is going hunky dory! Just peachy! I am now 32 weeks, 4 days--and still pregnant! I have 3 more weeks of bed rest! Let's hear a big "Ooo--HA!" I'm going to make it! I think this is amazing: I've been in bed for 68 days! WOW! That is over 2 months! A few things that I've noticed from being home are...the sun shines most brightly around 3:17pm...and that is also when Ellen is on. I love being back home. I'm allowed to go downstairs once in a while, which is really really nice.


Thanksgiving is coming up, and we are going to dine out--or "in" I guess. We are pretty excited. Chase is off of school for a whole week--which is really exciting! So he's going to work on our little yard, and I'm going to be enjoying the "MAXIMUS." The maximus is what we named our new television that was passed down to us. I think Thanksgiving and 3 weeks of bed rest are going to be wonderful. I've never seen Elvis so big in my life! :)

I've been looking at my pictures that I have on my computer (yes...can you believe it? I have TIME for that!) and I just LOVE posting pictures on the blog, so I'm going to post some from our New York Trip. Chase and I went there last year for Christmas! We had so much fun! My sister lives up there, so we joined her family and my other sister's family for Christmas! Being in bed I open the window to feel the fresh air, and I'm getting really excited for the upcoming holidays and to wear a sweater and drink hot chocolate! Enjoy the pictures!

New PJ's for Christmas

Chase says that sometimes you just gotta grab the bull by the ... I disagree.

P.S. Mr. Chase Thompson/ Halloween

You know when actresses or actors are thanking the people after they recieve an oscar or something, then they get in trouble by the public for forgetting to thank someone.I am guilty of that. I guess I could have mentioned that my husband was at my birthday party too. He was the first one to call and sing to me, "Happy Happy Birthday, Meagan dear." It was very sweet and very cute! All I wanted for my birthday, was "Hocus Pocus," and Chase gave it to me with an hilarious and sweet birthday card! I sure do love that guy!:) After my mother left, Chase and I spent the rest of the day at the hospital eating treats, and watching tv. It was very great!



Chase and I had a wonderful Halloween this year. Chase passed out candy, and he was sooo excited to do that. I was upstairs eating candy, and watching "Hocus Pocus." We didn't carve pumpkins this year, but last year we did and they were rockin'! Mine's on the left, and Chase did the one on the right.

Birthday Blast and Going Home

Hello! I had a birthday in the hospital...and my dear sweet mother came and spent the day with me. My mom was with me twenty three years ago in the hospital, and was with me again in the hospital for my special day! It was so much fun! She came down Tuesday night, and we had a sleep over! She decorated my room with balloons and with birthday signs.

I woke up with her giving me German Pancakes for breakfast (A Lundgreen tradition they are so so good...if you want the recipe, just let me know) And she also gave them to me on a red plate. In my family if it is your birthday, or some special day, you ate off the red plate, meaning: you are special today. So, my mother even brought the red plate for all my meals!

And she also made me wear the princess crown. She tried to make me wear it when she took me on a wheel chair ride, but I just held it in my hands:) It was a great birthday. I had quite alot of visitors, cookies, cards, and MOVIES! I love movies! My sisters gave me "I dream of Jeannie," so I've been hooked on those. After lunch, I got my mint cake dessert! My favorite! Yum yum! And I also ate it on the red plate. It was the best birthday in the hospital, that I can always remember!



On a very, very, exciting note, I was discharged from the hospital, on Wednesday, October 29th. The doctor said that I am doing well, and I am okay to take care of myself at home. I still am on strict bed rest, with bathroom privileges. I take my medicine every 6 hours, and they are stopping my contractions. And baby Carter is definitely growing and doing well. I was in the hospital for 26 days! Wow! They want me on bed rest for at least 5-6 weeks. I'll be 34 or 35 weeks. I LOVE BEING HOME! When the nurse was wheeling me out to Chase's car, (I haven't been in a car since October 3rd.) I wanted to cry for joy. The car ride was wonderful, and the sun, and sky are so beautiful! Just 5 more weeks!

Some More Pictures from the Girl Party...

The first picture is a close up of my beautiful nails. Gracie painted one hand, Mikaela painted the other, and Madison painted my toes! I've never been so pampered in my life! They also took me on a Wheel Chair Ride of my life! They all wanted to push me, and I've never had anybody want to push me. It was great. We played Uno, ate chocolate, and watched "Adventures of Babysitting." It was so much fun! It was hard to see them go! The second picture--my nieces colored it in the car. It says, "We are so glad to see you...finally pregnant!" Because they haven't seen their adorable aunt pregnant! Now they have! It was tons of fun!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

So are you ready for the update!?? I am doing well...and the doctor wants me in the hospital for two more weeks, more like a week and a half, until I am 30 weeks! So I will be home for Thanksgiving! Yes!!! The hospital is becoming more and more like my home, with colorful pictures on my door, and the coolest cards on the planet on my wall. I really am going to miss this place!! Well, may be for 2.5 seconds when I leave. But in reality, I am not hating it. I can push the "button" on my bed whenever I need anything! I just had a birthday, (Ill blog about it once I figure out how to add pictures from the camera to the laptop...) and I got double stuff oreos! And I needed some milk, so I "buzzed" them in to get some milk. It's the best. People feel sorry for me, but I can get anything I want with just a push of a button. I really can't complain! I try not to abuse it, but when you need milk, you need milk...especially with oreos!

My bed is pretty amazing too. I get surround sound system with the speakers to the TV on both sides of the bed, I have the power and the control to turn the lights on and off, and I can change the channel from my bed! And the neatest thing is I can move my bed to any position I want it to be in! My nieces LOVE that button...so turn on "Zip-a-dee-do-dah," and I can have my own Disney land ride right here in the comfort of my own room!

And one of the greatest things about being in the hospital...is how many wonderful visitors I get! I want to thank them for coming and visiting me! Even if its quick hello or not, I am a happy pregnant woman! I am sorry I don't have pictures of everyone who has visited me here, but I have some pictures of my sister Brittany who visited me with my nieces, Mikaela, Madison, Gracie, and little Molly. It was a totally girl party!

Stay! Just A Little Bit Longer...

Chase is in dental school right now, and has four years ahead of him. He is loving every moment of it! He goes to school at 7ish and he is done around 5. My dear sweet husband goes home, makes dinner for himself, and then comes to his second home, the hospital. He has been so wonderful during this time! He is now the homemaker. He does the laundry, grocery shopping, vacuuming, cooking, and cleaning. Ladies...I am sorry he's taken! My knight in shining armor, comes "home" around when I am having dinner about six. We watch T.V., or sometimes I get spoiled and he takes me on a wheel chair ride! (Those are my favorite!) And I get to see the outside world! I love the outside! At home I wasn't getting that, so I love the wheel chair! :)
Well on the weekends, Chase and I have a slumber party! EVERY weekend! I love the weekends! He stays with me ALL DAY--and those are the days when he does my hair!:) Its the best! Chase is my best friend! The first weekend sleep over, he slept on the recliner. And according to Chase, its NOT comfortable. He was sweet enough to suffer through the night to stay with me. This weekend, he found a cot, and we are keeping it in our room...and he slept so much better, well...as good as you can on a cot. On Friday night, was our date night! We had pizza and watched a great movie...I forgot the title. Well, here at the lovely hospital, you can watch movies, and tell the nurses to put it on the TV for you! Then the dvd kept skipping, so they brought out the "portable." Chase and I just thought it was a little portable dvd player. It wasn't. They brought the "portable" TV and dvd/vhs player--on a cart! It was the best! So we had the cot, my bed, and two tvs, we were living it up in style! Then the dreadful Sunday night came, and it was so hard to see him go! I really love that guy!:) But, I know I will see him the next day, and I have something to look forward to! The weekend again!

Hospital Sweet Hospital

I went to the hospital on the 3rd of October. Right when I got there, I already had 13 contractions in an hour!! So here comes the magnesium! They put me on an IV that made me feel very very hot!"Ooh, ooh, ooh, I feel my temperature rising... help me, I'm flaming I must be a hundred and nine..." They turned on the fans, turned down the sheets, and I was out of it. That's what I call Burning Love! The things I do for my son! I was on that medicine for about three days. And the contractions stopped. The nurses took me off of that, and put me on another medication that makes me shake (wha-huh) I'm all shook up! It made me shake, rattle and roll! Hee hee! And it also made me feel like my heart was going to pop out of my chest! I just felt like a helpless old lady trying to keep her peas on her fork just so she can get some nutrition! It was pretty fun. Then they lowered my dosage, and I don't shake as much. Now, I am nothin' but a hound dog! Don't you just love the King???

My doctor came in on Thursday, to see if I was well enough to go home on bed rest. My heart was pounding in my chest (thanks for the medicine) for a chance of some partial freedom at home,( I really missed the DVR) as I waited impatiently for the verdict. The answer: no you are going to stay here. So this will be my home for a while. I do feel safer here with the nurses watching me, and checking my blood pressure, and monitoring my contractions. I just want baby Carter to stay in there as long as possible! So, I will be in the incubator, the hermit, the caterpillar in its cocoon, till its time to spread my wings! Yeah! :) Stay tuned for more hospital stories!

Bed Rest Can Be Fun

My last day of freedom was on September 16, 2008. If I only knew it was my last day I would have gone swimming, run around the block 20 times, gone to Wal-Mart, may be picked up some Panda Express, and stared at the sun.

On that glorious day, my mother and father came up to visit Chase and me. I had an appointment, and they found out my cervix was too short. It was a big shocker, and I am so glad my parents were there when I heard the news that I would be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. One happy thought that went through my mind was, "Yeaaaah I get a break from work at Home Depot cutting blinds!" Thanks, Son! I was planning an early retirement, but not this early. I was happy about it.

Adjusting to the "bed rest thing," was very new to me. I was admitted to the hospital, and I stayed there for 4 days. They were monitoring my contractions and giving me some medicine to calm them down. My parents stayed until Friday, which was nice. I was sent home on strict bed rest with bathroom privileges, and I had to lay on my left or my right side, and try to avoid laying on my back because it causes contractions. I also took the medicine every 6 hours, and drank a lot of water. I was a busy girl!

It was nice being home. My husband gave me cable with DVR. He cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, and gave me a glass of milk whenever I asked for it. I was in heaven! I had friends come by and visit me, "the woman who has been in bed since September 16th." I got ice cream, chocolate covered raisins, (my favorite) lunch, Bahama Bucks, it was good.

Then on October 3, I had another appointment, and found out my cervix was even shorter. To Be Continued....

Bedrest

That's right. I'm on bedrest. Let's chat it up.