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Derek is truly Super Dad.  Carrying 40lbs of toddler on your shoulders in the hot Texas summer isn't for everyone...but he doesn't complain.  I love that guy. 

PS...isn't this picture pretty?  This is where we live.  Not always the ideal temperature, but beautiful nonetheless. 

BREECHy Keen

That's right, my friends...this baby is BREECH.  Apparently there is a reason why I seem to be carrying this baby so much differently than my first and why there seems to be a much sharper pain associated with this little one's kicks and jabs...the baby is upside down and doing a perpetual "high kick"!  Doesn't sound comfortable to me...  Our baby is currently in the "Incomplete Breech" position.  The ultrasound tech said that the least likely to turn around are the babies who are in the "Frank Breech" position.  So we need baby to move the legs DOWN, not up.  If the baby extends the other leg up then it will be in the "Frank Breech" position, move the other leg down and will be "Complete Breech"...you get the picture. 


I have to admit, in our ultrasound today it was kind of cute seeing the baby's cute little footsie all nestled up against the cheek.  HOWEVER, it doesn't feel so cute when the baby extends the other leg directly into my bladder/cervix.  I sense that the poor little thing is just trying to figure out how to get OUT of this very precarious situation it seems to have gotten itself into.  Trying to stretch out a bit, if you will.  Hurts just like the dickens, let me tell ya!  I do hope the baby finds a way to turn right side up (err, down?) though...we are still really hoping for a VBAC.  The good news is that during my ultrasound the baby wasn't actually as big as my doctor predicted by measuring my fundal height (aka...big old belly)  At the time of the ultrasound I was 31 weeks and 1 day and the baby measured at about 32 weeks and 4 days.  Not too far off, especially when you consider that ultrasounds can be a little skewed.  Hopefully this baby stays on target as far as size and then we can just work on getting him or her flipped around!  I have another ultrasound scheduled for 36 weeks.


I have been instructed to "stick my butt up in the air" as much as possible (highly attractive...I know.) to try to get the baby to turn.  SO, you might catch me pulling one of these numbers for the next 8 weeks or so...

This sounds about as comfortable to me as my baby doing scissor kicks to my insides...

But hey, we'll give it a shot!!  Wish us luck!!  Turn, Baby, TURN!!!


*Images courtesy of umm.edu and yogayippie.blogspot.com 

The Man That Was Meant For Me

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Four years ago, I became MRS. Hulsey.  Probably the best choice I ever made...

I married my best friend...the man that was meant for me.

He has loved me, even when I am most UNlovable.  He has made me happy when I am sad.  He has made me laugh when I want to cry.  He takes care of me and he is the most amazing Father to our children (even though baby number two is still in the womb!)  I am blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined!

I love you, Derek.  SO, SO much.  You are the most incredible man.  Thank you for giving me four years of knowing that I found the one that I was meant to love.  xoxoxo

Mr. and Mrs. Hulsey! 

*That first picture is beautiful, isn't it??  That was our first married kiss...right up there in front of everyone.  What you don't see is that it was RIDICULOUSLY hot outside and as I gazed into my new husband's eyes right before this picture was taken, I noticed a large drop of sweat coming down to the tip of Derek's nose...and wouldn't you know...the pastor said "You may kiss your bride!" and he did...just after the drop of sweat from his nose landed right smack in my MOUTH!!  Ahh, Thank God my immediate thought was "There are probably somewhere close to a 100 cameras pointed at your right now...LOCK IT UP!" Otherwise our "first kiss" picture may have shown me spitting and wiping my mouth!! haha!  A fun story to tell :) 

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BONUS PICTURE:

This is one of my favorite photos from our wedding.  Growing up, I never really had a Dad.  As a little girl I often wondered "who will give me away when I get married?"  Then I met Derek.  I was very stressed about the impending "giving-away-of-the-bride" as I had not managed to come up with a Dad in the time leading up to my wedding.  Derek suggested "I will come down the aisle and get you...and walk with you."  (There I go tearing up again!)  So, as you can see, I agreed (whilst crying...shocking, I know) and this picture captures the look on Derek's face when he walked down the aisle to rescue his bride :)  He still looks at me like this.  I love this man!! 

Oh, the horror...

Have I ever mentioned that we live (literally) in the middle of a hay field?  Well, we do.  When you live in the middle of such a thing as a hay field...you are bound to run into "critters" from time to time (or every single day...whatever.)  So just imagine with me, if you will, walking out of your house into your garage and seeing THIS:

OH....MY....

SERIOUSLY!??!

This, my friends, is what is called a "Wolf Spider" and this one just happens to be carrying a big old load of BABY Wolf Spiders on her back.  I think I just threw up a little bit.  My dashing husband saved me from the beasts*, but it is safe to say that we need to make a run to Walmart for a new can of Raid.

By the way, it just so happens that when we discovered this monster spider we were on our way outside to "handle" an armadillo that was tearing up our backyard.  Yep...critters, I tell you!  CRITTERS EVERYWHERE!!  I don't know if I was meant for the country life.  Just in case you missed it, the little "flashy light" things you see on the spiders back are the wee-beady-eyes of her demon spawn.  BLAH! 



*Yes PLURAL...because even BABY spiders are despicable.  

The "BORE"th of July (A Brief History Lesson)

The 4th of July was always a pretty big deal in my family.  Growing up we had a ton of fun doing things like setting off illegal fireworks in my grandparents' backyard and bringing a wagon full of picnic food and cold beverages down to the waterfront to watch the stunning pyrotechnics put on by the city.  Sometimes we went camping, sometimes we had a big BBQ in the park...whatever we did, there were a LOT of us and it was awesome.  Fast forward to my first Independence Day that I was actually independent of my family and that's where it gets ugly.  I just had a series of awful, horribly lonely, painfully boring 4th of July's...one. year. after. the. other.  Ugh!  The first actual "BORE"th of July (to be called by that name) though, was in the summer of 2005.

It was in Lynchburg, VA.  When you're in a college town during the summer it is fairly desolate (or at least compared to the school year)  My friend Kirsten and I had just moved in to our town house off campus (our other roomies were not back yet!) and we were forced to find our own fun and have a "party for two" on this particular red, white, and blue day.  Let me just say...typically we weren't  too shabby at creating our own awesome fun, but for some reason we both had a case of the "grumpy" that day and we were finding it difficult to snap out of it.    I remember scouring the internet for something, anything, fun to do.  I came up with nothing.  We even got in my car and just decided to (literally) flip a coin and make right or left turns according to the will of the gods of "heads or tails"...I'm pretty sure that quickly lead us to a dead end (literally) in some neighborhood and we went back home grumpier than when we had started.  Upon more searching and refusal to let this be a fourth of July flop, I discovered there was a fireworks display at Smith Mountain Lake (a little bit of a drive, but worth it in our eyes...we needed a pick me up!)  So off we went.  We even made a totally sweet "BORE"th of July CD compilation which included the "Star Spangled Banner" by Kiss (heck yes.) and a reading of the Declaration of Independence set to patriotic music to get us really fired up!  (Oh, and don't forget Lee Greenwood's classic..."Proud to Be an American")  It was great.  We were getting pumped up against all odds.  The closer we got to the lake though, we realized "it looks a little deserted...where IS everyone??"  We stopped at a little welcome center for the state park and I hopped out to ask where the fireworks were going to be...get this..."The fireworks were yesterday, ma'am."

...........................................................Wait.  WHAT?  Who has fireworks on July THIRD??  It like, hey...lets celebrate dependence by doing stuff on the day PRIOR to our declaring independence!!  HOORAY DEPENDENCE DAY!!  Let Slavery Ring!!...you get my point.*

I started to chuckle maniacally and slowly walked out to the car where an anxious Kirsten awaited.  I then screamed and yelled and drove off honking my horn and cursing the most BORING holiday ever!!!  Oh...and then I got a speeding ticket in the state park.  By the time we made it back home we had decided in an effort to give this wretched day some kind of redeeming value we would go to the movies and see "Bewitched" with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell...but guess what??  We got lost and missed the movie show time.  AWESOME.

So, you see, I came to expect the humdrum-ness (and almost comical misfortune) of Independence Day.  I assumed that my future "4th's" would always be "BORE"th's...and I was right....for a while, anyway.  My husband hasn't had July 4th off in a really LONG time.  Mostly these holidays were spent lazing about...nothing to report, nothing exciting.  This year was a little bit of that (which, lets be honest...was a welcome treat for this pregnant lady) but then we went to a little celebration that our church was having.  There was music, bouncy houses for the kids, burgers and dogs...and...FIREWORKS! (No fireworks last year due to a statewide drought and burn ban!  Didn't want to catch ourselves on fire...) We brought our lawn chairs and sat in the heat and ate homemade ice cream to wash down our chili dogs.  I couldn't help but think "just like the good ol' days..." and although it was just the three of us and some church friends...it was great.  Just because my 4th of July's aren't as BIG as they used to be doesn't mean they can't be awesome.  Here's hoping that this is the first year of breaking the "BORE"th of July curse and embracing my little family while it is still little and our little holidays while they are not hectic.  Maybe someday Derek and I will be the crazy grandparents with all of the illegal fireworks for the young'ns :)  Just try and stop me, BOREth of July...I dare you!! 

My sweet boy having a cupcake with ultra patriotic blue frosting.  Also, cheetos dipped in ketchup.  Seriously.  What is it with kids and ketchup??  GROSS.

I love my family.  Aren't my fellas handsome??  Last 4th of July as a family of three...wowsers.

"Hi.  I'm cute."

The fireworks were loud, but so pretty! 

*ok fine...so 07/04/2005 was a Monday and the kind people of Smith Mountain Lake most likely assumed that more people would be there on a Sunday...but still.  The fourth is the fourth.  Clearly our founding fathers didn't say "Hey guys, you know what...lets switch this up a bit for "convenience" sake."  (and yes...I'm aware that if you want to be all "historically accurate" the actual declaration was drawn up before the 4th and wasn't even signed by everyone until sometime in like August or something...bla bla bla...whatever.  It's the 4th of July!!

28 Weeks and a Silly Survey!

Total weight gain: Five pounds up now.  Let the good times roll! 

Maternity clothes? Obviously.  This belly isn't getting any smaller!  Some of the tops I have are still pretty baggy, but that means that they are more comfy and you know what??  That is basically ALL I care about at this point.  By the way...the pants with the "under the belly" band??  No, thank you.  SO uncomfortable!!  It's "full panel" maternity pants for this girl from here on out!!  

Stretch marks? I found this "recipe" for a homemade sugar scrub on pinterest and I have been using it on my whole body and it makes me so soft!  It also seems to help in the stretch mark department because it is sugar mixed with oil.  Derek says it makes me smell like candy :)   

Sleep: I toss and turn a lot.  I try to take naps when I can and my very sweet husband tries to let me sleep in sometimes, although it is difficult because a certain two-and-a-half year old who shall remain nameless is usually wanting my attention.

Best moment this week: Brennan feeling the baby move, A LOT.  He gets so silly and tries to talk to the baby in my belly.    

Miss Anything?  Walking like a normal person.  The "waddle" is just NOT cute. 

Movement: Oh yes.  Ninja baby!  We can now SEE my belly move from the outside regularly and sometimes these little "jabs" from the babe are painful!  

Food cravings: Still Tacos and Mexican food.  Also...we started buying tomatoes from the little farm stand here in town and can I just say...FRESH tomatoes are pretty much the best thing ever??  Oh, and ice cream.  Naturally. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much.  Heartburn is a bummer though. 

Gender: No clue.  I go back and forth on thinking I know what gender this baby is...which equals: I really have no idea!  I am so excited to meet this baby though and give him or her a name! 

Labor Signs: Still with the Braxton Hicks...ugh.  I'm over it.  Also lots of hip/pelvis/tailbone pain.  Lovely.

Symptoms: Super tired, intermittent heartburn, but no more tooth/jaw pain lately...thank goodness!! 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely OUT.  Holy Moly.  

Wedding rings on or off? ON!  I only swell when I go outside in the blazing Texas heat for too long.  

Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy :)  I'm so sorry for anyone who suffers through my random crankiness...I try to keep it in check, really I do. 

Looking forward to: My next doctors appointment!  Friday the 13th...ooooooooooo!