Luckiest Girl in the World

Regardless of my groundhogs day moment every morning when I wake up in the hospital, I am the luckiest girl in the world. I have the most amazing husband. He is so good to me and is doing an exceptional job taking care of me. It has been quite entertaining to send him out to buy me something like a bra (wow...what I would have done to watch that occur...the bra could have fit my head as a hat...I laughed so hard I cried), or trying to explain to him what a velour suit is and how to pick one out (will be witnessing his purchase later tonight). My friends have been beyond anything I can say or describe. Visits, nail paintings, hair cuts, lunch, memory foam matresses pad for Andrew, a nice tv, controversial Christmas decor (hospital rules aren't very giving in the way of Christmas trees) and lots of laughs have made the stay so far seem fairly easy. My doctor and nurses are my saviors and have been so unbelievably good to me. I am sure I provide plenty of entertainment with my guests, make-shift hair salon, etc. Above all else, I have a sweet little busy body in my belly you has minded him parents and stayed put for almost two weeks. Miller, we can't wait to see you but we will wait unit January 25th!! :)

I am sitting here watching 16 and Pregnant...life could be much worse. These poor girls who think babies are easy, their boyfriends will grow up and that it will be easy to graduate and go to college, it is so sad to see when reality hits them. I have been addicted to this show for years and continue to have my addiction in the hospital.

Here are some funny pics from our stay so far:

Camille giving me a fabulous haircut!!

I had to take a wheelchair ride so my newly cut and styled hair could have an outing

Jess came to visit and had no idea what she was going to walk into. Haircuts and Leslie selling her Stella and Dot jewelry, which is super cute. Jessica was able to multitask in my room:)

Shea putting in the newer, nicer tv. We can actually see the screen. Thanks Petersons!

Friends coming to visit.

The Unexpected

You read blogs of pregnant girls, families, and others all the time. Your heart goes out to those who are having some trouble and pray for them and hope it doesn't happen to you. My water broke this Saturday evening with Miller being less than 27 weeks. We were annoyed in the ER when they said we wouldn't be released for an hour after the test results came back fine which makes me laugh so much now because little did we know.:) I was leaking amniotic fluid and was admitted into Willow Creek right away. I will be here for the duration of the pregnancy and we are hoping to keep him cooking for 7 weeks and then the doctors will induce at 34 weeks. My friends, family and husband have been unbelievably supportive and fun. My room is decorated with lots of Christmas cheer and I am never for a lack of conversation as so many friends come visit and keep me company. My friends have been soooo amazing! I have small moments when I start to cry because I am scared for Miller or miss sleeping in bed with Andrew or I miss my students terribly but I know there are so many worse situations in the world. We have always had such a blessed life and that has not changed. Miller is going to be a healthy, strong baby, I can just feel it. We want to thank everyone for all of the prayers, kind thoughts, gifts, meals, etc. Andrew, Miller and I are the luckiest people in the world.

Just a little promotion of Willow Creek: I cannot imagine a nicer facility with better nurses or doctors. I love all my nurses. I love visiting with them and get excited when they are back from their shifts. Dr. Hinton, Dr. Seale, Dr. Patridge and all the doctors from Parkhill have been so informative and helpful. We are certainly in the best hands in Arkansas. The NICU here is also exceptional. We feel very prepared for what might be up ahead.

Here are some pics of what we had been up to before this all happened:

This was the day we went in the hospital in the morning. Bear had her head on my belly. She never really does that. I am a firm believer that dogs have incredible intuition and I think maybe she knew something was going to happen that day.

Andrew putting together Miller's crib

Almost 24 weeks here

My Belly Club kiddos

At Dallas Cowboy Stadium

We had a great weekend with friends in Dallas for the Hog game vs. A&M. It may be the hardest I have laughed in my entire life.

CSC: Dream Big Event

This was last night: my first ride in a wheelchair. It was our "Friday Night Date" We went and toured the NICU and got to take a ride around Willow Creek. It was a beautiful night. Theresa brought Bear up to me today and I got to meet her outside and give her lots of hugs. It was a great day. We had an ultrasound this morning. I have 5 cm of fluid and Miller weights 2 lbs 8 oz. I am so proud of how tough he is! He is happy, healthy and growing.

Love and hugs to everyone. Will probably be posting a lot more, have plenty of time in the hospital to do it:)

Ali

Here's Hoping

1. I hope Miller's crib will be here soon. I can hardly wait for Andrew and I to put it together and to put his finished bumpers in it. Seems very official.

2. Now that I have given my blog a much needed face-lift, I hope I will post more often.

3. I hope I can catch up at work after being sick in bed for two days.

It's the little things, isn't it?

Our Bun in the Oven: Andrew Miller Dolan

I am making myself laugh as I think about how when I originally started this blog that I thought "This will be great, one day when we are pregnant, I will keep everyone updated on how the baby is progressing, nursery decor and other things." Well, now at almost 23 weeks I guess I can get started.

We are so blessed to have a little boy growing in my stomach. I have always wanted to use my maiden name when we got pregnant and if we were having a little boy. When we found out at 16 weeks, we didn't even have to think twice about his name. We also wanted to include Andrew in his name so originally it was going to be Miller Andrew Dolan, but then we realized his initials would be MAD and I just didn't think that was a good idea (Andrew thought it would make him an NFL star). I asked my students who go by their middle name if it bothered them and they said it did not so he is going to be a middle name man and Miller it will be. At our 20 week appointment we were able to see that he is very healthy, happy and was kicking his feet up to touch his forehead. We were laughing so much. He has a little extra fluid in one of his kidneys so we will have another ultrasound in two weeks to make sure the fluid hasn't grown. Dr. Hinton said it was nothing to be alarmed over and we just feel so happy he is doing so well.

Being pregnant is interesting, like an alien takes over your body. You just don't feel like yourself. I am tired all the time and cannot remember anything which has made for some hysterical moments in my classroom. My kids are patient with me and they love the little guy already. They make me laugh as they talk about the progression of my belly growth and oddly enough most pregnancy questions come from my boys. It's very entertaining.

My belly is certainly becoming large and in charge but I am getting used to it. I am trying to stay active: walking, playing tennis, etc. I know I am not going to be the pregnant girl who only gains weight in her belly and you can't tell she is even pregnant from the back, but I am okay with that. I know I will have the ability to lose the weight and the outcome will be well worth-it. I can already picture pushing him in the jogging stroller after school and I will have the summer with him to try to get back into good shape.

His nursery is progressing. My parents were very nice and have painted his room and bathroom. His room is cadet gray and his bathroom is pumpkin custard and grass green. I really love it. We have ordered his crib and I am finishing his bumpers. Sarah and I took this on as a project for our boys and I think it was a great idea. Sarah's are finished and look fabulous! These boys are going to have great rooms. I have his chair and ottoman in a sky blue microsuede and just ordered peekaboo nesting side tables from CB2 for next to the chair. I will post pics as we start really progressing.

We have lots of pregnant friends which is really fun. Lots of girls to share information, questions, etc. I am very excited about the holidays and know it is going to make pregnancy really start to fly by. Hope everyone is well. We are about to head out to Gusano's to watch the Hoggies beat South Carolina. Happy Saturday!

Love and Hugs,

Ali

Shape's Mantra of the Month

As I was reading Shape this weekend, trying to find the

secret to getting a great body with little effort I came across a great

little paragraph in the "Shape Your Life" section:

Mantra of the Month: "I Want What I Have"

It's perfectly natural to desire more - more clothes, more friends,

more money; it's only human. But obsessing over the things you're

lacking can make you feel dissatisfied. This month take a moment to

acknowledge what you do have - anything from your healthy body, which

can carry your through a six-mile run, to your best friend, who's

really more like a sister. Remember that, while life can always get

better, it's fulfilling to appreciate where you are.

I catch myself wanting, wanting, wanting at every turn.

I am constantly trying to remind myself the difference between want

and need but rarely think about all the things I am so blessed with, including

my not perfect, but perfectly healthy body. I am certainly not an expert

advice giver but thought this was too good to not share. I

hope everyone is having a fabulous week.

Love and hugs,

Ali

A Fabulous Weekend: All in Black and White

Last weekend was really great...and it had it's own color theme. Saturday night we threw a party for our friends Stephanie and Jimbo, who are getting married in May. Michelle and Brandon opened up their beautiful home for our Black, White and Bubbly party: black and white attire required. Everyone looked fantastic in their swag (lots of stylish boyfriend blazers), we had delicious food and lots of laughs. I made my friend Camille's hot chicken salad cups and Michelle's mom's sopapilla cheesecake squares. Here are some pics from the evening.

The food table

Koozies are the best party favor! You can never have too many.

Having a drink before our guests arrive.

Stephanie wore a fabulous multi-colored romper.

It's nice to visit with dear high school friends

Stephanie, Anna, Sarah, myself, Theresa

My cute hubby!

The next day was a big tennis day at our household. Andrew had his second match on his FAC 3.0 team. They swept their Shadow Valley opponents 5-0. Later in the day I had my first match!!! I was so nervous; besides dance competition in high school I have never competed in an organized sport. I am the captain of our team (not because of talent, just because I am organized). Our team picked out a sharp black and white Nike outfit, so even if we lost we knew we would look good losing:) Lauren and I played doubles against a good team. We got a late start and were down 1-5 in the first set. My heart was pounding out of my chest but Lauren and I were able to get into a groove and came back 5-5. We eventually lost the first set 7-5 but won the second set 6-4. We were excited but still had to play a tiebreak. We were down in the tiebreak 1-6 but came back and won 11-9. We were so happy!!! Our team won the match and went to Mojitos to celebrate. I am not super great at tennis but I really love it and it has been great for Andrew and I to go out and play together.

Lauren, Mary Lauren and our tennis coach: Bobby

Big winners!

2.0 Bring It!

This weekend we had a nice time in Hot Springs with the family. Our niece and nephew are growing up so quickly!!! This week is going to be full of tennis, spirit buses and Dallas!!! We will be back on the road down to Van Buren for Bulldog Basketball as they enter the state tournament as the 5 seed. I am hoping to see our boys win some games. Then this weekend, some friends and I will be headed to Dallas for Anna's bachlorette party. Hope everyone has a nice, productive week. Love, Ali

Oh my, time flies when it snows outside...

It seems like at least once a week since the first week of January I have a snow day. Don't get me wrong, having a day off is great but after a few times and my summer vacation being shortened slowly and slowly, I can only wish for spring to arrive. We have been busy playing tennis, bumping up the cardio (its nice to see the numbers on the scale go down again), spending time with friends and enjoying the arrival of our new couch (for those who know our now famous Christmas Party Horror Story, it took over 6 weeks to get our new item to lounge upon). Work has been great minus the kids' senioritous. The students and teachers at SHS are all having a good semester in academics, sports, music, etc. I couldn't ask for a better job. I hope everyone is having a happy February.

Love and hugs, Ali

This girl can sleep!

Bear was very over me grading the kids' essay tests.

Snuggling out in the snow.

Bear and Andrew on our snow adventure.

Just wanted to brag on SHS students and their tremendous school spirit. They make me laugh all day long.