a few new things...

Casey got Jayda and me a ticket to fly to my mom's for Christmas! I'm excited but kinda scared. I've always been afraid of heights, and when I flew down to see Casey during my spring break I felt pretty okay with it... but now I will have Jayda with me. She's 3.5 months old, and I'm kinda worried about how she'll handle it. I know they say to have babies suck on their pacis or have a bottle/nurse during take off, but it's the hour and a half that I'm more worried about. What do I do when she starts fussing and won't calm down?

I'm also gonna miss Casey a ton... Jayda and I are flying out on the 13th (pretty late... we'll get to Chicago at about 9) and we'll be gone 16 days... We'll be back to Nashville early on the 29th because Jayda's 4 month appointment is the 30th.


On another note:

I'm closer to starting school!!! I've applied, gotten my FAFSA in, gotten my transcripts requested as well as my vaccination records requested. I should be able to register next week, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping they won't ask me to come in and meet with an advisor, because I'll be gone for almost 3 weeks!

On a sad note:

When Casey and I were headed home from WIC and from dropping off a couple papers at the college, we got stopped by a funeral succession. It seemed to have triggered memories of my friend that passed away in 09.. And the fact that her birthday was the 5th doesn't help anything. I wanted to break down and cry during and after the succession went through the intersection we were at. It made me remember her funeral, the ride to the cemetery, and then the grieving process afterwards. I was probably depressed for a while after Jackie died.. I felt it. It felt like there was no reason for me to be here anymore... and I don't know why. Jackie and I had lost contact after a while, and I talked to her twice in the 3 months before she died. I found out about her death when a friend of ours texted me and asked if I got the email from Sheryl (Jackie's mom) saying she was very sick and her heart just gave up. It seemed to have pulled our little group together, but then life tore us apart again. The only two I talk to on a semi-regular basis are Shane and Whittney.... I talk to Jason occasionally.

But after being fine for so long, I think seeing anything that has to do with a funeral will set me off. I don't know why. Some days I want to relapse into my little state of depression but I can't now that I have Jayda. I honestly don't know what to do about this one.

I think I'm done for now... I'm going to try to keep this updated in the upcoming weeks as I do school and be mommy and lose weight.

- Andie

A little update

Jayda is 2 1/2 months old now. She's developing so well!! She smile, tries to talk and laugh, holds her head up a lot, and we think she's starting to teeth. I'm so glad that I didn't start school in August like I had originally planned, because I'd have missed all of this. I'm also glad that Casey isn't working with dude anymore... I feel like that was stressing our relationship because I felt like I was doing it all by myself because Casey was always at work and when he wasn't he was tired. 


There really isn't much to post right now... Jayda is sleeping on me so it's kinda hard to sit here and type this up.


Ta-ta for now!


- Andie

A fb thing that deserved to be shared

Had to share this from a friend - When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his Biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides... a burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!" You know, life is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. So...please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burned one will do just fine! And please pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did! Life is too short to wake up with regrets... Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't. ENJOY LIFE NOW - IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE!

Jayda's birth story

Monday night I only got about 3-4 hours of sleep or so. I was anxious, excited and really nervous because I didn't know what was gonna happen. Casey and I got to the hospital at about 5:30 and I got signed in and everything and they started me on oxytocin (I think) to induce my labor. Every time my dr would check me, I wasn't dilated but we were hoping I'd start dilating soon. Come bout noon or so, my contractions were about 1-2 minutes apart, some were intense according to the monitor (I didn't feel most of them), and I wasn't dilating. My OB said he wanted to do a c-section because of my blood pressure going up and down, and he thought that she was either a reall big baby or my pelvic bone was too small that she wouldn't come out vaginally on her own.

I was reluctant, but I agreed. Not like I really could have said no, because of the blood pressure and the toxmia, but I really wanted my baby out so I could cuddle her. I got prepped, and I got my spinal (which is the most amazing thing ever created. lol), and with Casey holding my hand my OB opened me up and got Jayda out. He was having a pretty hard time to get her out... I can only imagine what a vaginal birth would have been like!! Casey took a few pictures of her and got to take her back to the nursery while I got stitched and stapled and cleaned up. I got rolled back into the L&D room I was in, and got to hold my gorgeous little girl. She was 6 lbs, 15 oz and 19 inches long. We tried breastfeeding, and it worked great! She nursed for nearly 30 minutes on one side, and then went to sleep. Sadly I was either too drugged up to nurse her or I was too sore to sit up, so I just had Casey give her the little bottles. I kinda regret it now, because she's not latching real well, but I'm hoping once my milk comes in she'll latch.. I'm pumping and giving her the colostrum that I'm getting out.

Casey's done such a wonderful job with her.. You wouldn't have guessed that he'd never really been around babies! He got to change her first diaper, gave her her first bottle (but I win because I got to feed her first lol), and they've bonded so well. He's taken great care of her since I've been too in pain to get out of bed.

I had a bit of a scare Tuesday night.. I guess it's normal that even with a c-section that you bleed.. I passed two really big blood clots and they kinda freaked us out. Apparently it was so much that the nurses were really worried... it was "too much" at one time, I think one said. They kept track of me all throughout the night, and gave me stuff to cramp up and hopefully get my uterus to soften up (I think. I might have gotten it mixed up) and to kinda "relax" the bleeding.. like make it not so much at once. Now it's kinda like period bleeding, which doesn't make me worry so much anymore. I really don't miss that lol.

After that, I was just sore from the incision and after my little bleeding episode they put me flat on my back and raised my legs/butt up to try to get the blood to go the other way. Kinda doesn't make sense to me, and it sucked after a few hours because my back started hurting real bad. I've not laid on my back since before I got pregnant. 

Jayda and I are home now. My blood pressure finally started to go down but when I go in Monday to get my staples taken out my blood pressure is going to be checked then too. Jayda needs to be checked again for jaundice in the morning, but I was too out of it to remember to call them before they closed so I gotta call them as soon as they open tomorrow. Casey just picked up my pain medication and I'm feeling it kick in a little bit, which is a relief. I've been out of bed walking most of the day and it's finally starting to hit me.

I know I've skipped a few things,, but I'm so tired and kinda drugged up right now I don't really care lol. 

Gonna go cuddle my baby a little bit and feed her again. Or maybe Casey will. lol. 

- Andie

Mehh.. in labor

So I came in today at 6 am. I got signed in, hooked up and got started on pitocin within the first hour. Now, almost 3 hours later, my contractions are about two minutes apart. I'm still not dilated so my Dr couldn't break my water... I'm really praying that I'll start contracting soon and won't have to have a c-section.

Jayda's birth story, part 1.

I'm 38 weeks 1 day pregnant with little miss Jayda-bug. At my 35 week appointment, I wasn't dilated but my cervix was starting to soften. I went back in two weeks later at 37 weeks, and same thing... I hadn't progressed at all. I go in today (38 weeks 1 day) and my blood pressure was 146/118. The nurse had me lay on my left side and she went to check the protein level in my urine. When she came back, she said it was really high and checked my BP again. 140/110. The second number should never be above 100. My OB came in, checked me, and said I hadn't dilated at all. Still. I guess I have early signs of toxemia, and he decided that tomorrow morning I be at labor and delivery at 6 am. From what he was saying, we're inducing.

I've wanted Jayda to just be here, but I didn't picture it like this. The look on Casey's face was just like "... what?" We're kinda scurrying around getting last minute stuff ready. He doesn't feel good and I kind of don't either.. but I'm fighting it. I'm not to drink or eat anything after midnight, which really sucks because my heartburn gets really bad at night and tums has made me sick lately.

I suppose we'll see how all this goes!

- Andie

Chicken Enchilada recipe

Chicken Enchiladas
prep: 20 minutes
total: 40 minutes
makes 4 servings, 2 enchiladas each


2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
4 oz (1/2 of 8 oz pkg) Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup taco bell home originals thick n chunky salsa, divided
8 taco bell home originals flour tortillas
1/4 lb (4 oz) Velveeta pasteurized prepared cheese product, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tbsp milk


Preheat oven to 350. Mix chicken, green bell pepper, cream cheese and 1/4 cup of the salsa in sauce pan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.

Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Place Velveeta in small sauce pan. Add milk; cook on low heat until Velveeta is completely melted, stirring frequently. Pour over enchiladas; cover with foil.


Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of salsa.




** if you don't use the pepper, put salsa in the Velveeta and milk mixture and also the chicken mixture, and use a little more than in the recipe. It works just the same!

dreaming about baby

So most every time I dream about Jayda, I dream of her birth. Very few times I dreamt of her older. But this one is very odd..

I lost a good friend almost 2 years ago. She was only 18, she would have been 19 the following December. She caught the H1N1, but at the time they said it was pneumonia (sp?). She died from it.. She was sick on and off all summer and on September 25th 2009 her heart couldn't take it anymore and gave up. I still have issues with it from time to time, but I'm being able to handle it better. ANYWAYS (had to give a background),, in my dream she ended up not dying... she had to do it to protect her friends and family from something bad. Then she looked at my huge preggo belly and said "it's time" and then bam.. my water broke.

Next thing in the dream was I was taking Jayda home. I didn't see/feel the labor, or the days following in the hospital. It was like I blacked out in the dream. I looked at my daughter and asked all sorts of questions.. How was my labor, did I handle the pain well, did I get to hold her after, etc. And then I realized... she was in a little boy's outfit. I went off.. I had an outfit planned (and I still do.. I have two actually lol and possibly another if we can buy it), and why was she not in the outfit. Koda looked at Casey and they both kinda shrugged. "Because this outfit was there."

I'm truely amazed at my dreams.. one night it's about drinking Smirnoff Green Apple, the next pancakes and hashbrowns (which I still want, btw) and then this. My other birth dreams, I never go through the actual labor.. it goes from water breaking to holding her in my arms or bringing her home.