Reverse the pictue...and it's Mike and I

Ever since I became pregnant I have become a chronic snorer. I guess it's pretty normal in a pregnancy. It has something to do with higher levels of estrogen during a pregnancy that contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose which can cause you to make more mucus ( I know gross, T.M.I).
Mike would wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me I was snoring (thanks boo). So I went out and bought some of the nose strips and they actually worked. I was wearing them every night and Mike was sleeping. The only problem I had was that the strips were so sticky that when I would take them off in the morning it was starting to peel pieces of my skin off...ouch!! So I decided to switch to the sensitive nose strips and those sucked!!! I would wake up in the morning and it would be stuck in my hair or stuck to my pillow case.

After loosing the battle with the nose strips I decided to buy a humidifier. The humidifier worked like a freakin CHARM!!! I had to fill it up every other night which was annoying but I had finally found something that worked until... I noticed that every time I was getting ready for bed I felt myself having trouble breathing. I was having to use my inhaler every night and sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night grabbing for my puffer. I finally realized that the humidifier caused the condensation to build up on my window and had caused mold to grow around the casing. Mold is pretty much deadly to someone who has asthma and I thought I was dying.

So needless to say I am snoring again and Mike isn't sleeping (sorry Boo). Well, last night when I was fast asleep Mike got me good. He called my cell phone and left me a message of me snoring and had me listen to it this morning. It was BAD!!! I didn't think it was humanly possible to make those kinds of noises. My poor Mikey needs his sleep so I found myself walking into Target this afternoon and buying myself some of those nose strips that rip off my skin so my husband can sleep. I should probably win the Amazing Wife Award for that purchase. Ha Ha!!!

So Pleased to Announce ....

That we are having a GIRL!!! I am so excited to start shopping for my little mamas. These are some things that I have my eye on for her.

I love this guy...Shane Mercado

P.S. I want Beyonces body

Suspense

It's driving me a little crazy knowing that in a couple of weeks we find out if we are having a BOY or a GIRL. I hope our baby doesn't decided to be modest and keep its legs together or crossed. I have had a couple of people tell me that they went in for their ultrasound and their babies decided to keep their sex a secret up until the 8 month. I think that would drive me absolutely nuts.

Jumping Bean

I had a chance to peak into my bell and see Baby Campbell. Wow, baby is getting so big. Dr. Baginski was showing me on the screen where baby's head was and how baby was moving its arm, and the all of a sudden Baby Campbell squatted and jumped, baby kept jumping. The Dr. told me that I had a very active baby. I had never seen anything like that before. I thought that they just kind of laid there and kicked and moved their arms every once in a while. Unfortunately Mike wasn't able to be there because of work so I had my mom come with me. When I saw Baby Campbell jump my mom and I looked at each other in disbelief. I think my face turned a little white because I was in so much shock that my baby was moving around that much. I am so excited to meet our baby. Everyday I fall more in love with him/her. I love our little jumping bean.

Google 411

This is great information...Watch the clip! 1-800-GOOG-411 or 1-800-4664-411. Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone. This is an awesome service from Google and its free...Great when you are on the road.

Mason's 3rd Birthday

Yesterday my sister and I took Mason and Madison to Disneyland for Mason's 3rd Birthday. His actual birthday is today but we thought we'd start celebrating early. We had lunch at Rain Forest Cafe in Down Town Disney and the kids loved it. After lunch we were off to the Happiest Place on Earth. A few weeks ago I was at Disneyland with Mike and I noticed that all the little kids were dressed up in their Halloween costumes, so abuelita (grandma) supplied the $ and I went shopping for their costumes this year. Didn't they look cute? Everyone was pointing, laughing and commenting on how cute they looked. I loved dressing them up.

Swollen Ankle...Not Cute

For the last two nights I have experienced cankle syndrome. It's so weird because it only seems to be my right ankle and only shows up in the evening. I guess what I am experiencing is edema. It's pretty normal and usually occurs in the third trimester but I'm still in my first trimester. I see my Dr. on Wednesday so I will make it a point to ask him about my evening cankle. I hope it's nothing serious.

Love when mom takes me shopping

It's always so nice when my mom takes me shopping. My mom and I have been in Arizona for the last couple of days for a Realtor convention. Today we finally got to take some time out and head on down to the Scottsdale Mall. By the time we left the mall I had a new purse in hand and this amazing diaper bag. Yes, I know its still really early and our baby is the size of a Kidney Bean but how could I say no when my mom offered. It's perfect. I am sure this will be my only diaper bag until the day I stop reproducing. Thanks Mom.

Reassured

It's a reassuring feel to know that if our apartment is ever up in flames Mike will finish playing his Xbox game before he gets up to see why the smoke alarm is piercing our ear drums. Mike is playing call of Duty 4 and I am on my computer when all of a sudden all we hear is this unbearable noise coming from every which direction. Everyone one in our building is spilling out there front door to see what is going on. No one is able to figure out why the alarm is going off in every apartment. Finally after Mike finishes his game and gets dressed he comes outside. While I was outside I saw one of my students from primary, Mathias. He was standing outside with his parents so we decided to walk over to see the fire truck as it was arriving. The firemen checked every apartment and saw that everything was clear. It was a false alarm there was no fire. Few!!! It was kind of a fun experience getting to meet all our neighbors all at once but it stinks that it had to be in a false emergency alarm type of way.

One Year

It's crazy to think that a year ago today our lives were completely changed forever. My step-Dad Daniel was killed in a plan crash, while my mom and him were vacationing in Alaska. Sara and Peter (their good friends) were getting married and wanted them to be there. So they paid for a few of their friends to fly out with them join them on a cruise. My mom and Daniel were always traveling. They worked hard (as business partners) so that they could do what they loved, travel. My mom and Daniel left to Alaska while Mike and I were still in Spain (on our honeymoon). We got back on the the 14th of August and Daniels plan went down on the 16th.
Having fun with their friends, the boat docked, and they all decided that they were going to go on a excursion. They had all signed up to see bears eating salmon as they flew overhead in little planes. As my mom and Daniel were getting ready to go, my mom decided that she didn't care to see bears and that she wanted to go and be part of a city tour so she could do some shopping. Daniel was fine with that decision, they kissed each other goodbye and said that they would meet back on the boat. Daniel was so excited to go on the excursion. He was given the opportunity to fly in a different plane, from the rest of his friends, so that he could sit right next to the pilot. Everyone figured that they would see each other at one of the destination spots that they would be landing at. The excursion ended. Sara, Peter and friends all returned to the boat and started to get ready for the night. Peter went over to my mom's room to see how they were doing because he never saw Daniel that afternoon. My mom told him that he wasn't back yet. She asked him if he had seen him on the excursion and and Peter told her that he never saw him. My mom started to worry. Peter left the room to find out what was going on. He found out that one of the planes that had left the same time his plane had left had crashed. Daniel was on that plane. After Peter told my mom what was going on, Sara, Peter and my mom headed to the hospital. My mom never once thought that his injury's were fatal, she figured he had broken a leg or something along those lines. While they were waiting at the hospital they got more information about the crash. A few people had survived including the pilot. The pilot had said as they were flying back (from another location that they were not supposed to go to) they hit a patch of wind, the wind caused the plane to crash into tall trees, which cause the plain to burst into flames. Some people made it out of the plane but Daniel didn't. There has been on going investigations about the accident because it was the 3rd or 4th one of its kind within 6 months.
It's crazy to think that in one moment your life can be completely turned upside down within the matter of seconds. Needless to say Daniels death has changed our lives in so many ways. I miss him so much! We all do. I never got to tell him thank you for all the things he had done for me and how much I loved him for loving my mom and treating he like a queen. I miss his laugh, and the way he used to yell at the TV when his team was losing. I miss that fact that we could carry on a conversation about the show Laguna Beach and that he was totally into it. I miss his obsessive compulsive ways of keeping everything clean and in its place. There are so many things I miss about him but the most of all is I miss having him around. You will always live with us in our heart and memories. I know that one day we will meet again, and that day will bring so much joy to all of us, but until now I wait for you to come to me in my dreams. Love you and Miss You.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

I'm going to see "Compañía Antonio El Pipa - De Tablao" part of the New World Flamenco Festival, playing at the Irvine Barclay Theater, tomorrow night. I LOVE LOVE everything about Flamenco. The music is AMAZING, the costumes are so BEAUTIFUL and the emotion is so REAL that I'm literally in some sort of trans when I'm watching. Ahhhh...I cant wait!! This production has had excellent reviews from all over Spain and Europe. I know this performance is going to bring back so many fun memories of our Honeymoon in Spain last year. We had such a blast that I wish we were there right now.

P.S. I really want to be a Flamenco dancer or at least take dance lessons.

Lets talk Earthquake....

Today, as most of you know, we had a 5.4 earthquake at around 11:30am. I just want to share with you how I felt as this took place. I was at my mom's house with my mom, my aunt Minerva, Mason and Madison (my sisters babies). My mom had gone to her room to take a shower and Minnie and I were in the TV room playing with the kids. All of a sudden Minnie and I felt the roll and thats when things started rattling. I was closes to Mason so I picked him, Minnie picked up Madison and we ran into the big living room. I started freaking out! The shaking hadn't stopped and the chandelier was swaying back and forth. I asked Minnie, "what do we do?" I told her that we are not supposed to go under the doorway anymore and she told me that she hadn't heard of that before. So we just stood in the open area. My mom runs down the stairs to make sure we were okay. We were fine. The earthquake was over and my nerves got the best of me. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking and it took me a while to calm down. I don't think that kids new what was going on but they new that I was scared. As soon as Minerva put Madison down she started to cry and wanted her to holder right away. I am almost afraid of earthquakes as I am of sharks and that says a lot. To end on a more positive note I really need to get myself and family emergency prepared asap. And I suggest that you guys do too. Take care and be safe.

Our First Wedding Anniversary

Mike and I did it. Some people say that the first year of marriage is the hardest some say it's the best. I say it's a little bit of both. I am so excited for tonight. We have reservations at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. Anybody who is thinking about getting married I say do it. It has been the best year of my life and I wouldn't have change any of it. I love waking up to my Boo every morning even when he takes up the whole bed. I love you Mike Campbell!!!

Arrrn't you glad you came???

Tonight was a big success!! The party was off the plank. Normally I am horrible about keeping surprises, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. I was able to plan Mike’s surprise birthday party. The best part of the surprise is that he had no clue that anything was even planned for him. He thought he was just having dinner with his mom, Jeff and me. Ha ha! I am berry berry sneaky. Thank you to everyone who came on down to Lucille’s to celebrate Mike’s 30th birthday. We had a blast. XOXO

Happy Birthday Boo Bee!!!

Today is Mikey's 30th Birthday. For breakfast I got him a yummy MiMi's Cafe "Honey Bran Muffin" and stuck some candles in it, poured him a glass of O.J. and sang him "Happy Birthday". We weren't able to meet for lunch because he was too busy. However, when he came home I had decorated our living room and had dinner and dessert ready for him. I made rosemary orange chicken and these amazing diced potatoes that had onion, garlic and parsley. We gobbled that all up and then I brought out the sweets. Dessert was a phenomenal Crème Brûlée I made from scratch. Mike was so impressed that I made his favorite dessert and that it came out amazing. I was pretty impressed with myself too. Ha haha ha Happy Birthday Boo!!! I love you.

Disneyland

I was just online looking at The Disneyland site and Disneyland is now open until 12am. That is the best news I have heard all week. I love going to Disneyland...it's kinda my new thing. Hopefully Mike and I can go soon.

On a lighter note....

If you truly know me you would know that I love laughing at other peoples misfortunes. I know it sounds really cruel and unsaint like but I am just being honest. I love watching America's Funniest home video's. It's one of my guilty pleasures. Watching people fall down is probably my favorite misfortune that happens to others. It seems like I can never get enough. I love letting out huge belly laughs while tears roll down my face. Here are a few of my favorite pieces. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Ahhh ha ha ha!!!

Thyroid and Miscarriages...

I have been reading up on thyroid problems and pregnancy. Disease of the thyroid gland is extremely common. In my situation my thyroid doesn't produce enough hormone. When your thyroid is out of wack it can cause complication in a pregnancy. My T4 levels are low ( which is called hypothyroidism) and that probably explains why I have been extremely tired, have experienced weight gain (packing on the lbs.) my increased feelings of anxiety and my really dry skin. I am sadden to think that I played a big role in my miscarriage.

I didn't realize how much your T4 can fluctuate and affect your health. In 2007 I had my TSH tested and I was at a 4.45 and now (as of July 9th) in 2008 I am at a 4.79. You might be asking what is the normal range? Good question. I have been having a hard time finding out what is truly normal. Some sites that I have visited say one thing and the next site says another.

As of early 2006, at most laboratories in the U.S., the official "normal" Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) blood test range runs from approximately .5 to 5.0. [The way they gather this range or normal is by using a] reference range [that] is obtained by taking a large group of people in the population, measuring their TSH levels, and calculating a mean value. Supposedly, these people should be free of thyroid disease. What experts are now coming to understand, however, is that the upper TSH normal range has included people who actually have mild thyroid disease, and their higher TSH levels skewed the standard curve. The new guidelines narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) is now encouraging doctors to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder...

If we use my new and old TSH results with the old guidelines I don't have a problem. If we use the new guidelines from both new and old results I am over the new range of normal. Yesterday,7/16, I went to the Dr. to have a physical completed (everything looks good) and I also had blood work done. They are rechecking my thyroid and cholesterol so that my Dr. can properly diagnose me and treat me with the proper medicine. It will be interesting to hear what he says is the normal range is or what normal range he uses.

Now I want to address why I think I played a big part in my miscarriage. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I stopped taking all of my medication because I didn't want to harm our baby. I was on Lexapro and thyroid medicines. My first Dr. appointment wasn't unit July 14th, so I figured that I would ask the Dr. about the medicines I had stopped taking and he or she would tell me to stop all together,continue or alter the dose. Shortly after finding out I was pregnant I started to experiencing some spotting, some bleeding, heavy bleeding and then spotting again along with lower back pain and lower abdominal cramps. I called the Dr. on the 9th and told them that I need to come in right away. The first thing they did was they gave me a pregnancy test and shockingly it came out negative. What?? I had taken three home pregnancy test that all came out positive, had a blood test done that should my Hcg levels of a women that was 3 to 4 weeks pregnant. I was so sad. My mom was sitting in the room with me when the Dr. told me and I could tell that she was sad too. I don't know why but I didn't let myself cry in front of my mom. I don't think I would have been able to handle seeing my mom cry because I was crying. After receiving my blood work results I spoke with the Dr. that's when she told me that my TSH levels were ate 4.74. I asked her what could have caused the miscarriage and that's when she told me about my thyroid levels being too low. So in a way I blame myself for the miscarriage because I stopped taking my thyroid medicine.

I want to be pregnant....

I'm so ready to start our family. One minute we were starting our family and then the next minute we weren't. I know that things happen for a reason but it still is leaving me kinda sad. I was at the mall on Friday and I kept seeing pregnant women and tiny babies and I have to admit I was a little bit jealous. I know my time will come when H.F. is ready for me to start a family and all I can do is wait patiently.

Guns and Hoses

Today Mike and I watched Jeff play in a softball tournament. It was called "Guns and Hoses" because the players were police officers/District attorneys and firefighters. I thought the name was too cute. Jeff did great!! It was the first time I had ever seen him play. Unfortunately they team got second place. They should have won. They were the better team but they just had some dumb mess ups that cost them the title. We Love Team HEAT!!

Marilyns Birthday

July 8th was Mike's moms birthday. Mike, Jeff and Marilyn all had to work that day so I headed out to party city. Bought some decorations and headed over to Marilyn's house. She told me that once she was off of work she would be heading to Nordstrom, then heading home and then off to a meeting. So I go to her house when she was supposed to be at her meeting, open the front door to find her sitting on the couch. Her meeting had been canaled. I was busted. I had all the decorations in hand. She told me that she wouldn't look while I set up so I agreed to decorate. One of her favorite places in the world to visit is Hawaii and since we couldn't go there I thought I would bring it to her.

Living without TV

June 27th our TV conked out. I turned on the TV when I woke up and saw a green flash on the screen and then the screen went black. The sound worked perfectly but no picture. Living without TV is no joke. I sat there listening to the TV and would occasionally look up to see what was going on but there was just a black wall staring back at me. So Mikey and I headed down to costco and looked around, compared prices, and then headed home without a TV. I thought for sure we were going to get a TV that night but we didn't. I never really realized how much TV we watched until we didn't have one. As soon as we got home...without a TV....Mike researched different TV's for hours. The next morning we woke up early and headed to costco. I am excited to announce that we are proud owners of a Philips flat screen. No more old school big box TV!!!

I need color in my life

Mike and I have lived in our apartment for almost one year and it looks like we just moved in yesterday. I don't like having anyone over because our place is so Blaahh. Our walls are still white just like the day we moved in. I have few cute picture frames around but nothing too exciting.

Now lets talk about our furniture. First off I am very thankful for my sister and Jesse who gave us their old office furniture but theres no color to any of the pieces and it's not really my style. I sound so snobby but I am really not trying to be. Our couch is beige and our dinning, coffee and end tables are a honey brown color. Our poor couch sinks in the middle so I had to go to the fabric store and by stuffing to try and fill the cushions. I have tried a slip cover but the body style of the couch is weird. Its more square than round so the slip covers don't fit well.

My kitchen needs help but not as much as my living room. I will find something I really like and then.....a few months go by and I am over it. I thought I loved my yellow accent pieces in my kitchen and I m not so in love anymore. I thought oh...maybe red. Reds fun, right? well I got a few new red things and I am getting over that too. What am I going to do?? I need some major help. I am decorating challenged. Help!!! SOS!!

TV

Why does Grey's Anatomy get me so emotional? I get way too involved but I can't help it. I am so excited about next Thursday night when the 2 hour season primer of Lost airs.

Missing You

It's been five months now since you've been gone. I think about you a lot. I often see and hear you in my dreams. I catch myself doing double takes as I walk down the street and see someone that looks like you. Things have changed so much in the last five months. I often wonder if you can see what has changed and then I try to guess what you would be thinking. We all miss you so much. My heart aches for you but I try to remind myself that we will be together again. I never had the chance to tell you that I loved you and I loved all that you did for our family. I will do my best to make things work. XOXO