Tuesday, January 22, 2008

A year ago this week in Seastrunk Family History...

Want to see something crazy?

Here was me a year ago this week...


YIKES! You thought that was bad - now check out the BARE BELLY SHOT!



Oh, SNAP!! I mean, OUCH! That HAD to have hurt, however (fortunately) God has blocked that from my mind, as I do not recall much pain/discomfort. Look back at the above picture: do you notice the lines on my tummy from the sheets/egg crate? Notice they are specifically to my left side - where I was about 20 hours of the day!

You can also see my legs starting to swell and get beet red. This is about the time my blood pressure began to jump...

Let's fast forward about two more weeks...

THIS is why I was so stinkin' HUGE!

Go ahead and say it.... awwwww!! Yes, I know, they were/are cute. ;-)

These are my baby boys in the hospital. Jacob Alan came out at 7 lbs, 12.5 ozs and Caleb Luke came out right behind him at 7 lbs, 2 ozs. If I am doing my math right, that is 14 lbs, 14.5 ozs - almost 15 lbs of JUST baby! Not to mention: two huge, healthy placentas (from what the delivering doc said), lots of blood and other fluid, etc, oh, and the occasional banana split!


Now look at this one. This was me at about 7 weeks. I was excited that I was starting to already "show!"


I look at this silly picture and say to myself, "girlfriend, you didn't even KNOW what showing was yet!!" Jon is in there with me because he agreed that he too could see a very slight "bulge" on my tummy, but that he was "showing" more that me. hehehe

Fun looking back...

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Our Little Peanut!

I think most of you have already heard the news, but I thought I'd go ahead and post a blog about Baby Seastrunk, the newest addition to our quickly growing family!

We found out on December 14th that I am indeed pregnant. I'll admit, I initially FREAKED out, but I am now very excited. I mean, might as well maximize our chaos for a couple of years and then be past the baby stage, right?! This will be the quicker we can go to Disney World and Sea World, and actually out to dinner with minimal craziness/wiping someone else's face, etc, etc.

Jon and I wanted to have one more pregnancy (ideally one more child, but with our family history of twins, we understood that it could be twins yet again), and couldn't pin point a "perfect" time to have him or her... or them! If we waited much longer, we would have jealousy issues, and with our children so far in age, they would therefore have nothing in common at the same time, etc. But how crazy would it be to have three or MORE so close in age...

There was no PERFECT time, so God just made our decision for us! ;-)

I though I would post a little Q&A that I put up on my myspace when people started finding out and asking questions.

So, are you seriously pregnant?
Yuppers – sure am.

Are you kidding?!
No, I am definitely serious. An EPT and later an Equate (Wal-Mart brand) test confirmed it on December 14th and December 18th respectively.

How did this happen?!?! (This is actually asked A LOT!)

I mean, if you seriously need to know the answer to this, go talk to Yo Momma.

How do you feel?
The boys and I had been sick for over a month with the "sinus crud" that everyone seemed to have, so I didn't relate my mild nausea to actually being pregnant. I just thought the nasal drainage... * Well, I'll spare the details of that - if you live in Texas, you already know about the nausea associated with the "sinus crud." *

The past couple of weeks I have felt a bit more queesy and tired, but overall, not too shaby.

Was this planned? (This is our #1 received question!)

YES!! As a matter of fact, this was VERY planned.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14) Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5) I have upheld [you] since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. (Isaiah 46:3)

Now, Jon and I were a little surprised (although not completely), but no doubt God wasn't! ;-) So I guess that mean, YES, Baby S was planned.

If anyone wants to know more about that little "issue," I am happy to talk about it. It's just a little much to put on here, I think.

Are you nervous?
No, I am Super Mommy. Ain't skerd at all! Why would I get nervous by having THREE babies within eighteen months? * note sarcasm * COME ON? Are YOU serious?!

Truth be told – I was initially TERRIFIED and in SHOCK, but since that initial shock has wore off, and I am actually quite excited! When I saw two heartbeats on the monitor when I found out we were having twins, I was initially TERRIFIED and in SHOCK, but raising twins has been FINE. Honestly, it has not been anywhere NEAR as difficult as I had anticipated.

This will be different, but I am confident that I will be able to handle it. Jon and I both just roll with what life gives us!

Are you crazy?!
No, not yet. However, I truly do intend on being that way after going through the following:
  1. Munching on dry Cheerios with my children while sipping hot decaf tea rather than my beloved coffee (hmmm... coffee... already miss you, my friend!). I choose this for breakfast because, quite frankly, Apple Cinnamon flavored "puffs"and dry Cheerios are the only things that sound good in the morning after changing two poopy diapers (both boys are on antibiotics, therefore have gross poopies – and LOTS of them) and wiping two green snotty noses along with my raging hormones.
  2. Having my c-section scar re-opened, just prior to coming home to two 18 month old guys who missed their Mommy terribly and want to immediately run and jump on her lap! (Yes, the boys will be 18 month when 'Baby S' is born.)
  3. Trying to maintain a quite, soothing environment for my breastfeeding infant while I have two hyper little toddlers running through my house, pretending to be cowboys, pirates, jungle animals, or whatever thing there are into that particular week
  4. Singing and rocking a precious baby to sleep while having two potty training boys jumping around, holding their crotches, insisting that they BOTH must use the potty NOW – "it's an emergency!!!"
Well, you get the idea! I think I'll leave it there before my mind begins racing again...

When are you due?
That was actually the million dollar question up until Thursday, January 10th! We had a range: I could be 5 weeks or even 5 months! (Although I was pretty certain that I wasn't 5 months along!) At the doctor, they did a sono that guestimated that I was almost 8 weeks. According to my "missed cycles," I should have been 10 weeks, but, well, let's just say breastfeeding two big, hungry boys for 9 months sure messes with your cycle! Between looking at the size of "Baby S" now and knowing when I got a positive pregnancy test, the doctor is going with August 22, 2008.

How do you know you're NOT having twins again?
Hehehe... We didn't know that for sure until that appointment. One of the FIRST things my dad told me after finding out that am pregnant was "there's at least two in there again," and one of the first things my dear friend, Sarah, yelped out was, "AHHHHH- it's TRIPLETS this time!"

My response? I do know that my God will not give me more than I can handle, and I think having twins back to back that closely would push me off the deep end. Sooo... I am ASSUMED that there was/is one child in there.

Jon and I were pretty nervous still. I mean, maybe God thinks we are Super Saints or something crazy like that. The doctor assured us, however, that he only saw ONE strongly beating heart. But I have heard of babies hiding for a sono, so I still could be a "Super Saint." ( - not likely)

What are you and Jon hoping for?
We were hoping for twin boys again! OK, well, were trying to assume that we are having twin boys again. That way, "when" we have twin boys, we will be overjoyed. BUT, if we have a single girl, we will be elated.

So now what?
I go along with this pregnancy, pray that I do well with it, so that I can continue being a great Mommy to Caleb and Jacob, and keep y'all up-to-date as much as my crazy life allows. If anyone has more questions/comments, please do let me know. I am very open and happy to answer. I go back to the doctor on Thursday, Febrauary 7th.

A little Seastrunk Family trivia for you until next update:

The Ags are UNDEFEATED against the longhorns in football since ALL THREE of our sweet children were in our lives! This makes Jon very happy!! I hope he doesn't get the idea to keep having more and more to keep the record. hehehe

(We didn't know it yet, but are pretty sure 'Baby S' was already conceived at the game this year. I am so thankful we didn't take up my parents' offer to watch the boys while we go celebrate the "W" at the Dixie Chicken. Baby and Beer are NOT compatible – I would have been worrying for 9 months about that!!)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Our 3rd Anniversary!

Jon and I have been married 3 years today - January 15th. What a great three years. So much has happened! Three kids in three years... impressive! Oh, and NO, we do not plan on keeping up that trend!!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Well, it looks like I turned to the "dark side!"

After lurking and actively looking at a couple of blogs for a few weeks now, I decided to give into the hype. We have a family website, but this seems easier to post quick updates and whatnot.

A little about me...

First of all, about my blog name. It's from Psalm 23:5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Basically I have been given way more than I deserve. People always ask "how are you?" My best friend - who also happens to be my husband (yeah, pretty cliche sounding, isn't it?) - began answering that question with "better than I deserve." I like it...

I married Jon on January 15, 2005, and we had two little boys (twins!), Caleb and Jacob on February 4, 2007.

What more to tell? I know... how about a few random things I like?!

  • My family and friends (good friends are merely the family that I chose!)
  • Anything outdoors
  • Starbucks, AKA St. Arbucks (well, when I'm NOT pregnant or breastfeeding!)
  • Music and dancing
  • All things Texan
  • Yoga
  • Animals
  • College football (Gig 'Em Ags!)
  • Pro football (Go Cowboys!)
  • A really, really good glass of wine (well, again, when I am NOT pregnant or breastfeeding)
  • Indian food!
  • Traveling (India, Paris, Colorado...)
  • Laughing
  • Children
  • Acting like a child
  • Ice cream (umm-- especially gelato and plain Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla!)
  • Making people smile
  • Reading
Oh, the list continues! I guess you just need to keep reading... and I need to be diligent about remembering to blog!