Bull Drive

Yesterday when I was pulling into the ranch from my doctor's appointment I noticed some of the cowboys were driving bulls down the fence. I went up to the house and got Avery (and my mom) and we drove back down to where they were at. I love it when Avery gets to see her Daddy work. The cowboys needed to drive the bulls across the highway and into another pasture. This is how it's done...

First, they drive the bulls down the fence line until they get to the gate where they will cross the highway. Casey is 3rd from the left.
Then someone goes out to block traffic (Casey). I know, this does not look that safe, but with this stretch of highway a driver can see for a long way. There is another man farther down to block traffic coming the other way.

Then you just slowly start the bulls across the highway.

You can see trucks stopped on the other side of the bulls. Did you know that in the state of Texas, livestock have the right of way to cars on the road? Interesting, huh?

Close the gates and they are all finished. If they have a considerably large amount of cattle that need to cross, Texas Dept. of Public Safety will come out and officially block the highway until all animals are cleared. Casey thinks I'm silly for blogging about this, but people who don't live on a ranch usually find things like this interesting.... hope you enjoyed it.

12 Week Checkup

Today I went to the OB for my 12 week checkup. The doctor quizzed me on my recent flu symptoms and reassured me that since I am getting better, no complications should arise from the nasty swine flu with my pregnancy. He did a quick measure of my tummy and we listened for the heartbeat. It was nice and strong at 166 bpm. I can't remember what Avery's tiny heartbeat was at 12 weeks so not much to compare it to at this point. I was very relieved to hear that everything looked good and that the baby can not be affected by the flu virus. Although I feel like a bloated cow, surprisingly I had not gained any weight. It must just be redistributing itself around my midsection! The stage before your actual "bump" pops out is not flattering at all as all you who have experienced pregnancy are aware of. Anyways, we are so excited about this little baby knowing the joy that Avery brings to our lives everyday (who, by the way is doing better today as well). Back to the doctor in 4 weeks...

Recovering

Well, Avery and I are recovering from the swine flu slowly but surely. I am feeling better and finally getting my appetite back today, just lacking energy. Avery seems to be taking longer to recover in her tiny body. This morning she woke up with 102 fever and her cough is still strong. The breathing treatments seem to be breaking up the stuff in her chest which is good. She seems to play hard and won't really rest; therefore, after a few hours she crashes and feels awful. I feel that we are both on the road to recovery though. She has always been the best medicine "taker" and had no problem swallowing liquid Tylenol, Zyrtec, or antibiotics. I guess the Tamiflu must tast absolutely horrible because after about 2 doses, we began having to battle her to get the tiny 2 mL down her. Not fun. Then we have to refer to it as the "yucky medicine" vs. the "good medicine" because she is not wanting to take her Tylenol either. I took a few pics today during her pleasant moments. What to do when you are home sick with the flu....

You get to wear your robe around the house as long as you want.
You get to open your cow umbrella in the house and take you baby for walks in the stroller.

You are a pro at taking breathing treatments (while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

You help Nona make brownies for Daddy.

You get to eat as much brownie batter as you want even though you have eaten practically nothing all day long - this has to be the best part!

The Good News & The Bad News

Beware** this is a long post. Well, let's start with the the Good News.... we are expecting another baby in April! We are beyond thrilled, and anxious to see what new blessing God has in store for us. So sorry to all my friends that found out about the pregnancy on my blog rather than in person as we have been quite busy lately. I have another appointment with my doctor this Friday when I will be 12 weeks along. I was going to wait until then to post an actual announcement about the news, but then the "Bad News" occurred so I decided to post the news early. So far everything is looking good. We had an ultrasound at 8 weeks and saw a healthy little baby with a strong heartbeat. I have felt the exact same as I did when pregnant with Avery which leads me to believe it is another girl, but who knows for sure? We will be so happy with just a healthy baby. So far, Avery appears to be excited about the baby, but I don't think she completely understands the whole idea of it.

Now for the Bad News... this weekend I started coughing and just not feeling well. Sunday, Avery began coughing and not wanting to eat. Neither one of us had fever, so I decided it must just be a little virus that we picked up and we stayed at the house all day Sunday and Monday. I felt tired, but was getting little sleep because Aves was coughing and wheezing so much Monday night. I assumed that I was tired and not hungry due to the pregnancy and not to being that sick. Since Avery's breathing got worse last night and more symptoms appeared for both of us, I made her the earliest appointment I could today to see her pediatrician (which was 2:30 p.m. of course). I didn't go to work and felt extremely tired this morning after showering and getting dressed. We got into the doctor's office quickly and the examination began. One nose swab later and we had a diagnosis - H1N1 virus - yep, that's the SWINE FLU! Are you kidding me? All the hand washing, paranoia, and staying home as much as possible went down the drain. To top it off, I have it too!!! AND I'm pregnant. Haven't we all heard how high risk pregnant women are, etc. etc. The pediatrician informed me that the reason pregnant women and children under 5 are such high risk is the possibility that the flu will turn into pneumonia and obviously that is not good. He prescribed Aves Tamiflu and breathing treatments. Since I am pregnant, I can not take anything and just have to get over it. Like I said, I have an OB appointment this Friday and will of course ask a million questions about risks and side effects. Apparently if you get it once, you can not get it again so that is more Good News. I feel sick, but it breaks my heart to see Avery in pain. She won't rest enough and tries to play which runs her down more and then she feels miserable. Poor Casey is just biting his nails in anticipation to see if he starts coming down with it since he has been exposed to both of us all week. My sweet mom is on her way to our house even though I told her not to come because I didn't want her to get sick. She insisted on helping and I am so looking forward to it. All I want to do is lay on the couch for a while. Please say a prayer for us if you have a moment. We will keep everyone updated on our unfortunate virus.

Happy Birthday Chloe

This past weekend, Avery and I drove 2 hours to Childress to celebrate her cousin Chloe's 4th birthday. I have to admit that I did a horrible job at taking pictures, so there are only a few to look at. It was Halloween themed with adorable decorations, party favors, and creepy desserts. Happy birthday Chloe!

Chloe, Avery, Creek in the bounce house.

Monster cupcakes!

Sneaking into the ice and straws. She is so funny and holds the fat decorative straws up to her mouth while screeching... then she tells you that it is a whistle and she is whistling. Funny girl.