16 Weeks Tomorrow...!

Tomorrow will mark 16 weeks!
The last month has been an up and down battle of trying to get better and get back to eating and drinking! The first 2 weeks were rough, not easy, and I felt my stomach was put through the spin cycle on high! The medication I'm on is helpful, but I have had some side affects including: a numb mouth, cramping, low blood pressure, and not being able to sleep. However, anything is better than before and being able to eat and drink is the result! I have gained 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks and that's great considering I lost about 12-13lbs and a stone for you in England! Maybe the up-side to having been so ill is that I won't gain that much weight in the end because I lost so much to start out with...we'll see.

This morning, I've just been back from an encouraging appt with my doctor. She was really sweet, which I needed today, and she let Guy and I hear the heart beat of our baby! We haven't been offered this at our scans or by anyone before, but she had the tool in her office and let us hear! Amazing! She said the baby is moving up, showed me where it is on my tummy, and let us hear the baby! It was so exciting for me and weird to hear a human being inside of me with a fast, working heart. It made everything seem so real and not like it's just been some illness I've feverishly invented for myself. It really was fantastic and Guy and I were thrilled to hear our baby for the first time.

12 week scan...

We had our 12 week scan and it was amazing to see how much our baby developed in the time span of 2 weeks! Its head is rounder and it is bigger. He or she was content in "The Thinker" pose which the staff at the hospital found quite funny! I think this baby is a jokester as it has been pretty active on the scans and been a trouble-maker so far with keeping me pretty ill. It was exciting for us to see as he moved around from his thinker pose to others and back again!

The Big News...

So...

We've had some big news... We're Pregnant! We were going to wait to tell until after our 12 weeks scan, but since I've been so ill, its been difficult not to say why. We are very excited! I told Guy the Friday before Father's Day 2010 with a card and in our loft( the same place he proposed to me). He just kept saying "Really, No?, Really, Really, No?!?"

It is great news for us and we are both very happy! The bad news is that I've been pretty ill, abnormally, and last week on July 25Th I had to go into the hospital. I haven't been able to keep anything down, liquids or foods, and my body finally couldn't take it anymore. I was in for 2 days and a night getting better and have been pretty much confined to bed ever since. I have had to call off sick from work as I'm in no condition to be working and I've had to struggle with different medications, blood tests, and generally trying to keep myself well enough to stay out of the hospital. I'm still not really able to eat or drink much, but Guy has been amazing. He has really taken care of me in every way and it has really been touching to see how he has cared for me. I don't think I could have imagined anyone taking better care of me than he has.

The good news is since I did have to go into the hospital, we got an early scan( at about 10 1/2 weeks, normally 12 weeks for the first in the UK). I've posted pictures here so you can see the little one who has been causing all this trouble! In fact, we have decided that it's nick-name for now should be "Trouble"! When these pictures were taken, the baby was very active already kicking,punching, and rolling over!

Adventures of Our First 2 Years!

HI! I have about 20 posts that I started and never finished and published so here goes to a new start and a new pledge to keep up and keep on writing. From now on we will be better about our posts and better about writing.

We just had our 2 year anniversary last month, June 6, 2010. It's been a crazy start since a the day after our wedding we found out that my parent's house flooded and we had to hop in the car early and drive half-way across America from Kansas to Arizona. We ended up repacking for our honeymoon as half of the things I had just moved home from California were wet and ruined. This included my honeymoon clothes!

We went to Maui and had an amazing time! I can't wait to go back someday and I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about Maui for their honeymoon or a relaxing vacation away. It was perfect! Completely relaxing and just what we needed after having the wedding and all the stress of the flood and visas.

Moving to England; I remember waving good-bye to my parents at the airport which was very sad. I knew this time I wasn't returning for awhile and this time it was for a move, not just a few weeks visit. It was a bunch of emotions mixed up in one moment of feeling that I and life had to move forward but part of me wanted to stay just where I was! Guy was great and as we had a few layovers in the States I knew I still had a few last chances to get some of my favorite things before leaving...like Self magazine and Sourpatch Kids...things they don't have in the UK.

It finally came to Chicago...our last stop. They called our plane to board and I had Guy take a picture of me right before I was to give my ticket and step onto the plane. In that moment, I thought, "This is it, here we go!" and we have been going ever since!

The last 2 years have been Great! They have also been difficult and sad,happy and amazing, and challenging and easy all at the same time.

The most recent hurdle we have jumped is that I have just passed the dreaded Citizenship test! I studied hard, took the test, stressed, and then passed! We went for our interview recently and I have been granted my ILR visa. This means I can stay in the UK indefinitely. It is NOT citizenship, which I can apply for in a year(as long as the rules don't change), but I can come and go without any problems now and I won't have to take the citizenship test again since Ive already taken it.

We are both happy that part of the process is finally over and feel good that we don't have to worry about it anymore. Unless, of course, we move to the States and we have to go through it all over again for Guy.

We have had a great time going on country drives and weekends to Wales, traveling to different parts of England, and when its sunny walking around our close by beach town, West Kirby. We've gotten to experience a few festivals for foods, gardening, and music which is a fairly big thing in England. Mom, Dad, and Sean came to visit last summer and we went sight-seeing here in the UK and also went to Rome, Venice, and Paris! Since most countries are so compact in Europe, England is a good place to travel in and out of and to go and explore.

We live in a village not too far from Liverpool(Liverpool actually has many historical connections with America and Ireland). The first time I came to visit Guy when we were dating I asked him if he lived in the country! I was living in LA at the time and I hadn't been in this kind of environment for a long time! On the way to our house it is very picturesque and surrounding our village is English countryside, horses, sheep, etc, however, when you get into our village it is like a smaller version of American suburbia without McDonald's and instead locally owned shops, boutiques, and nice restaurants.

The newest addition to our neighborhood is a Rooster who lives at a house right behind us. He's actually nice to have around as he makes me laugh every time he crows...he sounds as if he's dying! He chooses to crow throughout the day and night, no matter what time it is! Moving from LA, that is the last thing I would have ever expected to hear in my backyard!

American Brit

HI All,

Today is exactly 4 months since we got married! We have been busy moving in and to England, getting unpacked, and finalizing all of our unfinished wedding details. Its been exciting and the time has really flown by so fast.

We thought since we have family and friends all over the world we would make a blog so we could better keep in touch with everyone and have a way to show you pictures, etc of what we are up to. Hopefully now you will be able to get a better idea of all of our attempts to explain where we live, festivals we've been to, events, places, and our basic adventures. We miss everyone so much so it will be nice for you to have some idea of what we are talking about when we say Tellys, Brollies, Wellies, and...well... you get the picture :).