My Wild Wacky Wonderful World

9 Months Old!

2010-01-20T06:27:00.001-08:00

Blogging Slacker

2009-09-22T06:29:00.001-07:00

I am a bad blogger! I can't seem to find the time anymore to blog and I really wanted to keep things updated on here. Sigh!

Samantha is growing up way too fast! She is sitting up on her own. She doesn't do it for very long esp when she gets too excited and flings herself backwards. She is already trying to scoot. Little bugger! She gets really mad when she can't get anywhere or get to something so she'll push all the way up on her arms and then get her knees underneath her belly and start to rock a bit. I can not believe she is trying this already! Not sure I am ready for her to crawl this soon. I started her back on cereal yesterday. I have very mixed emotions about giving her cereal. On one hand she seems hungrier and wanting to nurse a lot more. On the other, I keep reading that it is highly recommended that you exclusively nurse for the first 6 months. So I am torn on what to do. She'll be 6 months on October 14 so basically she is only 3 weeks away. The Pediatrician told me at her 4 month check-up that she was already acting like a 6 month old and that I should start her on cereal. We tried cereal at 4 months, Samantha didn't really seem to care for it and at that time she wasn't showing any signs of 'hunger' for cereal. Now she is really starting to take interest i what I am eating and most of the time trying to grab it out of my hand. She is also wanting to nurse a lot more than usual. When I gave her cereal yesterday, she absolutely loved it and she figured out how to eat and swallow very quickly. So, like I said, I am torn. I may try it again today and see how she does then go from there.

Life is passing us by.....

2009-09-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy with a new baby around that I haven't had time to blog in months!

Samantha is growing so fast. She is now rolling over which is so cute but also causing issues with her sleeping. She loves to be on her belly but only for about 5 mins. If it is more than that, she starts to scream. The problem is she likes to roll over as soon as you put her on her back. As you can imagine this has been an issue during naps and nighttime. I have spent many sleepless nights rolling her back over. I finally resorted to placing her back in her baby wedge. This seems to be working pretty well as she has started sleeping through the night again.

Now we have to work on her nap time. The last few days she has only been napping 30mins at a time. She isn't real fussy so it is not a big deal for me but I can tell she is still tired. It may have to do with the roofers who are putting up shingles on the patio roof or our other 3 crazy kids who still don't get the fact that they need to be quite when Sam is sleeping. It can get pretty loud in here. Thankfully school starts tomorrow so I can at least eliminate one of those factors.

She also found her tongue and just loves to stick it out all the time. It is pretty stinkin' cute!

All in all, Samantha is a pure blessing from God. She has the best personality and demeanor. She is happy 99% of the time. The kids still dote on her all day and love to play with her! I know that will eventually change but I hope that it never does!

Here are a few recent pictures.....

3 Months Already!?!?

2009-07-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

I can not believe that Samantha is 3 months already! Where oh where does the time go! She is growing up so quickly and I am trying not to take one second for granted. We are so blessed to have her and I am so blessed to be able to spend every second with her. I still enjoy the times when it is just her and I in the mid morning when she is barely awake and nursing. Sometimes she'll open her eyes just for a few seconds and give me that beautiful heart-melting smile. I just love it. I have to admit (secretly of course) that I love that sometimes I am the only one she wants and when she is crying hysterically I am the only one that can calm her.

We took her to get her 3 month pictures this past weekend and she was just a doll. She was such a good girl posing for the camera. She didn't fuss or cry once.
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Samantha Grace's Baptism

2009-07-06T12:10:00.001-07:00

Samantha Grace was Baptized on July 5, 2009! The ceremony was beautiful! We took up 5 pews with family and friends who attended to watch her be baptized! It meant so much to us to have everyone there. The celebration after wards was so much fun also.

We are truly truly blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family who love her!

How Samantha got her name...

2009-06-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

As many know, we were set on the name Grace for the longest time when I was pregnant. I really love the name Grace but for some reason it was just not sitting right with me. Our other three kiddos have longer names that can be shortened and it just seemed like Grace was a bit out of place.

The last few weeks of my pregnancy, I started thinking about the name Grace. I didn't share this with dh because I knew he was pretty much set on the name Grace. I figured I'd end up giving in and naming her Grace anyways so I didn't really put too much effort into looking for other names.

At one of my last midwife appts, I had the pleasure of meeting a new midwife whose name was Sam. I asked her if that was her full name and she told me it was Samantha. I instantly loved it. I really loved the name Sam for a boy but it never dawned on me till that moment that I really loved the name for a girl as well.

Still even with that, I was not 100% convinced until I looked up the meaning of Samantha which is Listener of God. That 'clinched' the deal for me. I've always believed that our baby girl was a precious miracle from God and when I was pregnant with her, she would kick and wiggle throughout every church service almost as if she was dancing to God's word. It just really seemed to all fit for me.

I didn't get the chance to talk to dh about my new name idea since I went into labor a few days later. Imagine dh's surprised when I blurted out that I wanted the name Samantha instead of Grace. Dh only hesitated for a moment and then did the most generous loving thing, he told me if I wanted the name Samantha then that would be her name. We decided to us the name Grace as her middle name since it is such a beautiful name and we both loved it from the start.

And that is how Samantha Grace came to be! A lot of people ask us what we call her. Dh calls her Sami, Sami G or spaghetti pants. I call her stinky butt, kermudgeon, or snuggers but most of the time I call her Samantha.

2009-06-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

KK was trying to 'teach' Samantha how to walk!

As you can see Samantha just adores playing with her big sissy!

On another note, Samantha had her 2 month check up yesterday. She weighs in at 12lbs 8oz.! The doctor said she is growing 'perfectly'.

She is our little 'Spaghetti Pants' as KK and Daddy call her.

Where Does the Time Go!?!?

2009-06-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that Samantha will be 2 months this week. It is so very bittersweet! I love to see her grow and change and explore new things but it just seems to go by way too quickly.

Samantha is starting to smile a lot more when you smile at her. It truly melts my heart. I literally am tearing up just thinking about it now. She also is starting to follow things with her eyes which is great for the other kids who love to interact with her but get upset that she never 'responds' to them. KK loves to sing to her and it is amazing how she can soothe Samantha with her voice.

Nursing her has been the best decision I have made in a very long time. The first few weeks/month was extremely hard and I almost gave up many times. I am so glad I listened to everyone and stuck it out for 1 month. It got so much easier after the first month and Samantha and I have worked out all the kinks. I am still loving those middle of the night feedings. Crazy as it may sound. I am still trying to get over the anxiety of nursing in public. I bought a ring sling which covers her and I completely but I am still a bit uncomfortable nursing in public. I am getting over it a little at a time. I must say I love being able to feed her on demand.

Samantha is not a very good sleeper during the day if there is too much going on. She can be quite nosy and fights her naps. The only up side to that is she usually ends up sleeping 5+ hours at night. Last night she slept from 10pm-4am! It was wonderful!

All in all she is a wonderful joyful loving baby and we are so blessed to have her!

1 Month Stats!

2009-05-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

I took Samantha to her 1 month appt today! The doctor said she looks great and is growing very well. I guess breastfeeding really does agree with her!

Her stats: 10lbs 14oz - 22 3/4". She is in the 88% for weight and the 95% for height!

Our baby is a month old already!

2009-05-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I can not believe our little ms. samantha is 1 month old today! She is growing up way to quickly already.

Happy 1 month little ms. sami g. We love you more than words could ever say!

Acid Reflux, Gas and Nursing

2009-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Little Ms Samantha loves to nurse! She wold be attached to me 24/7 if I allowed her. She used to take a paci and has had a few bottles but now she refuse both of those. She is all about the bbs! Now that being said, she nurses so much that I think it causes her to be extra gassy and have some reflux. I don't think she knows when her stomach is full yet so she tends to over eat. I try to hold her off as long as possible but she is quite demanding when she wants to eat.

The ped put her on Zantac for her acid reflux but I don't notice it makes any difference. Dh thinks she has gas more than anything and I am starting to think he might just be right (but don't tell him that). I think I'm going to try to give her some mylicon right before or right after some feedings to see if that makes any difference.

Even though there are times I feel like my bbs are going to fall off from nursing, I just love breastfeeding her. It is hard to explain why exactly but my favorite time to nurse her is in the middle of the night. I love just staring at her tiny angelic face and feeling her warm belly against my skin. I truly can say I do not mind feeding her in the middle of the night and I think dh enjoys the extra sleep he gets as well. I wasn't able to successfully breastfeed my other three and I am so happy that Samantha took to it so well. I will admit there are times I have thought about giving up esp when she cluster feeds for hours on end but I just think about all those times when it is going well and keep on going.

Breastfeeding definitely seems to agree with her. She was 9lbs 13oz at her last appt which was a week ago!

How Can You Love Someone Else So Much!?!

2009-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

I just am amazed every time I look at Samantha. I know she is our fourth and I know I felt this way with each of our kids but what amazes me is how God allows us to love so deeply and completely all of our children.

Maybe because she is our last or maybe because it took us so long to get to this point or maybe because I worried each and every day I was pregnant that something would go wrong but I can honestly say that I don't mind getting up for those 3am feedings. Holding her in my arms while she nurses in the middle of the night with just the faintest light reflecting on her perfect little face has to be the best feeling in the whole world.

I truly believe that Dh and our other kids are more smitten then they ever thought they would be as well. I love to watch each of them with Samantha. The way Dh worries about her every little wimper or cry, the way our oldest dd always offers to hold her, change her or just sit by her, the way our ds loves to snuggle up next to her and play with her feet, the way our other dd loves to hold her and sing her a song. It just brings so much joy to my heart! It is compeltey and utterly amazing!

Thank you God for blessing us once again!

Samantha Grace - 4 Days Old (04/18/09)!

2009-05-05T08:00:00.001-07:00

Dh has a very close friend from high school who is a professional photographer. She was kind enough to come to our house and take some pictures of Samantha. (She took over 60 pictures and this is only a 'sampling'. ) We think the pictures turned out phenomenal and never would have gotten anything close to these anywhere else.

We are just so in love with little Ms. Samantha. She is such a joy as are all our kids. I am astounded and so thankful to God for blessing our family with another beautiful, loving child!

2009-04-14T11:16:00.001-07:00

SHORT STORY: She was born at 3:15 am on 04/14 weighing in at 8lbs 13 oz and 20" long. I got to the hospital around 11:30pm and started pushing at 3:00am!

LONG STORY:
I went to my 41 week midwife appt at 1pm on 04/13. The midwife could not find my cervix so assumed it was closed. This was a shocker to me and sent me into a tail-spin of emotions. My bp was a bit high so they sent me to triage to be monitored. I was having some contractions but they were not consistent about 10-15 mins apart. They hooked me up to an NST and blood pressure cuff, took blood and a urine sample. Everything came back clean and my bp had come down so they discharged me about 5pm even though my contractions at that time were about 7 mins apart. On my drive home, my contractions started to become 5 mins apart and quite uncomfortable. I got home and took a bath to try to relax assuming this was false labor. By 10pm, my contractions were getting closer together and I was having some red tinged bloody show. I called the midwife and after talking to her and having to pause for contractions while on the phone she told me to come in.

DH and I got to the hospital around 11pm. The midwife checked me and I was 5cm and 100% effaced! I totally did not believe her at first and kept saying, "no way!"

We were admitted to our room at 12am and by then the contractions were very strong causing me to become nauseated, sweaty and shake uncontrollably. I threw my un-medicated birth plan out the window and opted to get an epidural. Luckily it was the middle of the night and slow so the anesthesiologist was there in 15 mins! Once the epi was in, I felt just two more contractions and then was pretty much pain-free.

Around 2:30am, I started to feel quite a bit of pressure in my lower pelvic region and behind. The midwife came to check me and I was complete. They started to scramble to get things ready! I pushed two times through three contractions and out SHE came! They placed her on my belly and I totally lost it. I could not believe she was finally here!

Disappointing 4 hr appt! No progress!

2009-04-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

This appt was by far the most disheartening!

The midwife checked my cervix and said, "I can't even feel your cervix!" WHAT!?!? She said she couldn't 'find' it. Seriously that just threw me for a loop then she proceeded to try for several more mins and came to the conclusion that it was CLOSED! Yes closed after I have been at 1 - 1 1/2 cm for the past few weeks! I just started crying. I mean seriously what has all this discharge, cramping, etc been doing than!?!?

My bp was 142/98 which is quite elevated for me so she took it again at the end of my appt and it was still elevated. She decided to send me to triage to get my bp checked every 15 mins and have an NST. She also wanted me to have a urine test and bloodwork to rule out pre-eclampsia.

I got all hooked up and settled in knowing that I most likely did not have pre-eclampsia. I was having some contractions though and they wanted to see how consistent and strong those were. They were only about 15 mins apart to start but then started to get closer and closer together and really started to get uncomfortable. By the time the test results came back from the urine and bloodwork, my contrax were 7 mins apart but only lasting about 30 secs. They were pretty uncomfortable though and I was surprised when they told me since my urine and bloodwork looked good I was being released to go home! She said my contrax needed to be 60-90 secs long and about 5 mins apart to be considered in labor.

Since I have been home, my contrax are now about 5 mins apart but still only lasting 30 secs. I can not imagine what in the world is going on! These are very uncomfortable and they won't stop no matter what I do. Can they seriously be only BH?

I am just beside myself with all of this! SIGH!

40 Week Appt!

2009-04-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

Met with the midwife today and 'pleaded' my case. She is going to talk to the other midwives and their consulting doctor to see if we can schedule an induction for next week sometime! Now, honestly, I don't want to be induce but I need that end date kwim? I told her if that date comes and I feel like I can go a few more days or another week then we can push it back. Right now I am just overly anxious and extremely tired and so wanting to welcome our precious baby to our amazing family.

She checked my cervix and nothing has changed. She told me to start using EPO every night hoping to get my cervix ripened for the induction which would make them more willing to do one.

I also had an NST done to check the baby. I had a few pretty decent contractions during the test which surprised me. The NST looked perfect she said so we know the baby is doing fine.

Last night I started having some pretty decent contractions but they never turned into anything. I am so praying this is a sign that the baby will be coming soon! Please send some prayers our way that this labor kicks into gear soon!

Your pregnancy is 100% complete!

2009-04-07T13:30:00.001-07:00

That is what my blinkie says in my signature for the expecting club I belong to. Yet here I still sit waiting!

I am so trying not to complain or be anxious because I know this pregnancy is a true blessing from God but each day it gets harder and harder. Everyone thought I would go early since this is my 4th pregnancy and I must have bought into that thinking because even though I knew in my heart I probably wouldn't my head let me believe everyone else.

I have insomnia now coupled with these stabbing headaches, horrible pelvic pain, horrendous heartburn and nausea at night. (Not to mention my recent panic attacks that wake me from the little sleep I do get.) I am an emotional wreck most days esp since finding out that someone on our expecting club gave birth to her baby at 36 1/2 weeks and her daughter was stillborn. It totally freaked me out. I am trying not to have selfish thoughts about it because I can not even begin to imagine her pain and disbelief but it is hard not to think of that possibility. My heart just aches for her and it is so hard to think that was God's plan for them and their precious girl.

Tomorrow I see the midwife for my 40 week appt and am seriosuly going to have a heart-to-heart (and maybe even an emotional breakdown) about waiting it out another 2 weeks. Emotionally I just don't think I can go another 2 weeks. I know everyday I am pregnant is a true blessing and I am not trying to take it for granted one second but my heart and head are in agreement that it is time to welcome our precious blessing into the world.

Mastitis Anyone!?!?!?

2009-04-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that you could get mastitis (breast infection) when you aren't even breastfeeding yet! Well it has happened to me. Wed. afternoon, my right breast was just throbbing and when I looked at it there was a very red streaky spot. I decided to use some warm compresses to see if it helped. It did help the pain but I was still concerned about the red streaky spots so I called the midwife on Thurs. Her first question was if I was running a fever which I have not been. She told me to give it another 24 hours and if the redness was still there to call back Friday morning. It was so I called back Friday morning and they wanted me to come in to be checked.

(I was being a bit selfish about going in because I had finally got around to scheduling a pregnancy massage and spa pedicure Friday afternoon and was worried I'd have to cancel.)

I got there about 10:30 and was seen within 10 mins. The midwife took one quick look and immediately told me it was Mastitis. (I was 99% sure since I had it when breastfeeding our first dd. ) She wanted to consult with the doc though since I had not be running a fever to see if we should start on antibiotics or wait. I sat and waited for about 15 mins and she came back in to tell me they were still waiting to hear back from the doctor. I finally decided to tell her about my other appt since I reallty did not want to have to reschedule or get charged for not showing up. She told me to go ahead and go and they would call me later to let me know what to do!

I have been using warm compresses the past two nights and the redness has gone down. Still no fever so I think we are out of the woods now!

39 Week Appt.

2009-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

I had my 39 week midwife appt today. I talked to the midwife about how long they are planning on letting me go past my due date if that were to occur. She said up to 2 weeks! SIGH! If I am still pregnant at 41 weeks they will do an Non Stress Test and Biophysical to check on the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. If everything looks perfect from those tests they will schedule an induction for the following week (42nd week). If anything looks even slightly off then they will schedule an induction within the next few days.

She checked my cervix and there has been no change. I am still 1cm and long. I know this can change overnight so it doesn't really tell me anything. Babies heartbeat is really good. Still in the high 140's. She also said the head is not engaged yet and she can actually move it around from the top of my belly. I figured as much since it hasn't felt like the baby has dropped any.

I really want to meet our little one but as long as he/she is happy and healthy then I can wait till the time is right!

Last Cheer Competition of the season!

2009-03-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

We survived the last cheer competition of the season. It was a two day competition form 9am-4:30pm each day. It was very long and hard on my back/belly but baby Sybert stayed put and did not decide to make his/her grand entrance which was a big relief.

The girls did amazing, as always. Kaitlyn's squad took first place and National Champions. Gabrielle's squad has had a very tough year and ended up taking last place. The girls tried their best and that is all we can ever ask of them.

38 Week Appt.

2009-03-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like this baby is in for the long haul. Talked to the midwife today about a possible induction due to size and she said they don't typically do an induction based on size since it is just an estimate. I figured as much but had to ask. She also said that if they were to do an induction when the cervix is not favorable there is a greater chance of ending up with a c-section.

I asked her how long after my due date they will let me go and she said about a week. Again it depends on how favorable my cervix is at that point.

I am 1cm, soft but still very high. My blood pressure and weight gain was very good. I am measuring right on for the number of weeks I am now so maybe the baby really isn't as big as the u/s said.

Dh has been so thoughtful and helpful these last few weeks. Poor guy isn't even sleeping in bed with me because he worries he'll keep me awake at night!

I am just so exhausted all the time. Insomnia has set in and the pelvic pain is just getting worse. I knwo the end is in sight and I can endure anything as long as this little one is okay!

37 1/2 week Appt.

2009-03-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Met with a new midwife today. I thought I had met all the midwives in the group but it appears there was one I had not yet met. I am hoping she is not the one on call when I go into labor. I have nothing against her, I just feel like I don't know her. I have met the other midwives several times and know some of them better than others but at least I know the others kwim.

Anyhoo, she proceeded to tell me that they will not induce me due to size. (At first I was fine with that but after thinking about it all weekend I am not so sure now. I mean truly if this baby is 8lbs 7oz already and I do go to full-term then we are talking 10+lbs! I worry about shoulder dystocia more than anything .) She also proceeded to tell me I should be feeling 5 movements/kicks EVERY hour! I told her that was not happening nor did that sound reasonable. She reiterated it so I know I heard her correctly. When I got home and did some research, I found out there are so many different kick count rules that the best thing to do is pick the time when your baby is most active and count from there. You should have about 8 kicks/movements during that time. That makes more sense to me. I am not concerned since this baby does move quite often but not every hour. I mean at 5 kicks every hour then when would the baby sleep!?!?!

I am so very uncomfortable anymore. Moving almost brings me to tears. Sometimes I feel like breaking down and crying but I just hold it back. The pain in my 'who ha' is just horrible and it seems to be getting worse each day. It feels like it is on fire plus like someone is smashing the bones down there. My sweet dh has been sleeping with our ds so I can have the bed all to myself. I feel horrible and guilty about him not sleeping in his own bed but must say it has helped a lot. I am at least getting some sleep every night now.

My next appt is this Wed. I am hoping to get one of my regular midwives so I can talk to her more about this baby's size and the horrible pain.

Growth Ultrasound (37 Weeks)

2009-03-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

I had a growth ultrasound today since I have been measuring about 2 weeks further along and gained a considerable amount of weight in the past two weeks.

First and most importantly, the baby is doing very well and looks great! (He/she even has hair, see pics below!)

Now for the results:

They are guessing the baby's gestational age to be 40w 1d and weight to currently be 8lbs 7oz! YIKES! The midwife did warn me that these types of ultrasounds can be inaccurate with the calculations give or take a pound either way. I go to see the midwives on Friday so will hear what they have to say about the results then.

The tech must have asked me 10 times about Gestational Diabetes, whether I had the test, the results, etc. I told her that actually my sugars were on the lower side of things so the midwife thinks I am hypoglycemic.

The tech was very nice. She asked me how I felt compared to my other pregnancies as far as size and I told her I felt 'huge' but it has been years since my last pregnancy so I really can't compare. She said the way the Mom feels is truly the best calculation and it's no wonder I feel that way!

36 week Appt!

2009-03-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

I gained 8 lbs in 2 weeks! Yes you heard me right! The real issue is I have no idea how! Seriously NO IDEA! I am not eating even close to as much as I was earlier in this pregnancy. Lately I have actually had no appetite. Dh has even commented on how little I have been eating lately.

When I brought this concern up to the midwife, she at first thought maybe it was from swelling but she checked my legs/ankles and didn't notice a lot of swelling at least not enough to explain that much of a weight gain. She then decided to measure me and see if that could explain any of the weight gain. Well I am measuring 3 weeks further ahead! She now thinks that maybe the baby is on the bigger side and/or my fluid level is higher. I am going for a growth ultrasound and fluid level check on Wednesday to see how big the baby is and how much amniotic fluid is in there. I am a bit freaked out by the huge weight gain but all along have been thinking this baby feels bigger and I look bigger than I ever have in any of my other pregnancies. If the baby isn't big and my levels are normal than I have no idea what is going on! Guess I'll find out for sure on Wed.

Busy Weekend

2009-03-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend flew by and I am not even sure what happened to it!

Saturday I took our oldest dd to a babysitter training class. She has been asking me to go to one for two years now but the age requirement was 11-15. Since she is 11 now and we have a baby on the way, I figured it was a good time to get her signed up. She really enjoyed it and seems to have learned a lot. She is going to be such a great helper!

I spent the rest of the day doing laundry. My SIL's got me a cleaning lady for the month of March so she came out Sat afternoon and scrubbed down all our bathrooms! It was wonderful. A bit odd though, I am so not used to having someone else clean my house. I could get used to it though! LOL!

Saturday night our youngest dd invited one of the neighbor girls to sleepover. DH made some great St. Patty's Day milkshakes that were a huge hit!

Sunday my oldest dd and I went to church. We then had just enough time to come home, change clothes and grab our other dd and ds to head to the mall. Our youngest dd was invited to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear. (Dh opted to stay home and work on his 'racing' car.) While dd was at the birthday party, we went to Aeropostale and spent way too much money. Our 11 yo dd just loves that store so I treated her to some new jeans, pjs, sandals, and capri sweats. I also got ds a couple t's. We then headed to Game Stop where I bought our youngest dd and ds a DS game since our oldest dd got all the clothes. It was then time to go pick up our youngest dd from the party. We left the mall intending to head home, since I was exhausted, but I then realized we had not gotten any shoes for our oldest dd or ds so I stopped at Famous Footwear.

We got home about 5:15pm and I had just enough time to grab a small bite to eat before having to head back out to a Cheer Board meeting. The meeting lasted 3 1/2 hours long! Dang we girls can talk!

Needless to say I was beyond exhausted when I finally got home. Of course, with the rain and wind last night, I got hardly any sleep and ended up wide awake at 4am!

I plan on using today wisely and relaxing as much as possible while the kids are at school! I think I might need a nap sometime too! LOL!

Baby Shower

2009-03-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing baby shower thrown for me by my Sister-In-Laws on Sunday. They really did think of everything! I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. The out pouring of love and generosity was amazing. Thank you Everyone! YOU ROCK

(I didn't get a lot of pictures. I was too busy socializing and having fun!)

Maternity Pictures

2009-02-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Belated Valentine's Day "Quiz"

2009-02-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

How long have you been together?
We met in college in 1990 so we have been together for 18 years and married for 14.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We only knew each for a few days. He transferred from another college and ended up rooming with one of my best guy friends.

Who asked who out?
I don't really think there was any asking out. We just started hanging out together and doing stuff with a group of friends.

How old are each of you?
We are both 39.

Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
We are both lucky to each have a brother who lives in the same subdivision as us so we see them both equally.

Do you have any children together?

Yes we have 3 and another one due in April!

What about pets?
No pets. We have tried but two of our kids are allergic to cats and dogs are a lot of work.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
If I had to pick something, I would say his traveling although we have adjusted and it is really not a big deal.

Did you go to the same school?
One of the colleges we both went to was the same (Junior College), but nothing else.

Are you from the same home town?
No.

Who is the smartest?
I would say dh. He is amazingly smart esp when it comes to anything hands-on.

Who is the most sensitive?
That would be me esp now!

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Red Robin and Moe's. Those are the two places we usually alternate between Sunday after church.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
North Carolina. We are hoping to make it to Hawaii in the next few years!

Who has the craziest ex’s?
Probably me.

Who has the worst temper?
Him. He has a bit of a problem with patience.

Who hogs the bed?
Right now me! LOL!

Who is more stubborn?
Oh definitely him!

Who is more jealous?
Neither. We have never had an issue with any kind of jealousy.

Who does the cooking?
Me because the girls have cheer practice 3 days a week and he usually does not get home till after 6.

Who is more social?
I think we are both equally social.

Who is the neat Freak?
Me. But I am not really a neat freak just a lot neater then he is.

Who wakes up earlier?
Oh definitely me. Some days it drives me crazy how late he can sleep!

Where was your first date?
I can not remember! LOL! Probably a movie.

Who has the bigger family?
He does. 3 brothers and a ton of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.

Do you get flowers often?
Not really. Maybe once a year.

How do you spend the holidays?
With family.

How long did it take to get serious?
Just a few days actually. We did have a lot of ups and downs while dating though due to his family.

Who does the laundry?
I do.

Who drives when you are together?
He does.

Is your family still growing?
Yes we are due in April!

Paying it Forward!

2009-02-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

This is copied from my friend Jamie's blog......

My blogging friend Julie, is having a fun little game on her blog. I'm playing along.

So this is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this (my) post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

Strong Winds

2009-02-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here at 3:00am wide awake! We are having wind gusts of over 50 mph and I can not sleep through them. I am such a light sleeper which stinks right now. It always comes in handy for other things esp. having kids but right now I wish I could sleep like dh does! UGH! I am sure I'll hit a wall in about two hours and be dead dog tired. I'll drag myself back to bed and probably fall asleep long enough to get an hour in before the kids have to get up for school. UGH! UGH! Oh and the other thing is, now that I am wide awake, I am HUNGRY! Yeah eating at 3:00am can not be a good thing but heck I would hate to deprive this little one of any substanence. LOL!

31 1/2 week Midwife Appt

2009-02-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

I am so in love with my midwives! I know that sounds a bit odd but they are so nice and helpful and just all encompassing. I revealed to them today that I have been feeling quite anxious about this pregnancy. I have worries and fears that I never had before with my other pregnancies. They were extremely reassuring and comforting. They even offered to bring in the u/s to do a quick check of the baby. They checked the amniotic fluid level, babies heart rate, movement of baby, etc. We could see the baby taking breaths, moving around and the amniotic fluid level was very good which is all a very good sign that the baby is doing quite well. It did help ease my worries and fears a lot.

They even offered me to come every week and get routine non-stress tests if that would make me feel better. I passed on that for now but will certainly keep it in mind!

I haven't gained any more weight since my last appt which is great! I am measuring at 35 cm which is a few weeks ahead of schedule but considering I have decent size babies they are not too concerned right now.

I just think they are such a great group of ladies and so very concerned about you as well as the baby. It is very reassuring! Oh and the baby is still breech. I am praying he/she flips around but as long as he/she is healthy I can endure anything! I thank God every day for another blessing!

Ohio Cheer Competition and Other Musings

2009-02-02T10:12:00.001-08:00

The girls and I traveled to Columbus this weekend for a 2-day cheer competition. They loved staying in a hotel and swimming in the pool although the pool was freezing! They still used it anyways. I swear kids would swim in any kind of water regardless of temperature or color!

Each of our girl's squads took 3rd place. Not too shabby considering our oldest daughter's squad really had a rough performance the first day. They just could not seem to get it together. They had a lot of trips and falls. Our youngest daughter's squad always does very well and we were surprised they didn't take 2nd. The first day of performance is worth 1/3 their total score and the second day is worth 2/3. A squad really has to do poorly on the second day to get 'bumped' to a lower place or exceptionally well to move up. All in all, we are very proud of all the girls. They work so hard and always perform with the greatest facials!

On another note, the baby's room is just about finished! My MIL came over last week and painted the room. We did one wall a deep chocolate brown and the other walls a medium shade of cream. I got new bedding for the queen bed which we have decided to leave in there since we need the extra sleeping for when family and friends come to visit. I, of course, sent one afternoon organizing all the baby clothes, diapers, etc. Now all that is left to do is set up the crib, put the crib bedding on and apply the wall decals. I can not wait till it is finished! I will definitely add some pictures when it is done which I am hoping will be by this weekend!

I just am having a hard time believe there is only about 9 weeks left till we meet our precious God-given baby boy or girl. It just all still seems so surreal to me!

And finally............THE STEELERS WON THEIR 6TH SUPERBOWL! I am so thrilled! It was a very intense action-packed game but in the end they pulled through! WOOOO HOOOO!

29 1/2 Midwife Appt

2009-01-25T15:31:00.001-08:00

Went to my 29 1/2 week midwife appt on Friday. I have been having some headaches and nausea on and off the last few weeks. Plus I wasn't feeling the baby move as much as I had in the last few days. She decided to hook me up to the fetal monitor to get a good baseline of the babies heart rate. She wanted to check to make sure there were no significant fluctuations in the babies heart rate. I was hooked up for about 20 mins and the baseline stayed pretty steady. I could hear the baby move several times but most of the time could not feel him/her unless it was a very strong movement. Of course having an anterior placenta will cause this to happen since that is a cushion between the baby and me. The midwife was very please with the heart rate and it made me feel so much better too.

She thinks the reason for my headaches and nausea is low blood sugar. My Glucose Tolerance Test was 86 after 1 hr without fasting. She said that is pretty quick to absorb sugar and thinks that my body is absorbing sugar too quickly at times causing me to have headaches, nausea, fatigue, shakes, etc. The solution? Eat more often and have a snack before bed. UGH! I just have not been that hungry this pregnancy. I will need to try to 'snack' in between meals and see if that helps any.

On another note, the girls had a cheer competition today. Our youngest and her squad took first place. Our oldest and her squad took 2nd. I just love to watch them perform! It never gets old for me!

3rd Trimester Here We Come!

2009-01-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

YAY! I have been waiting for the third trimester to start since I found out I was pregnant! LOL! This little guy or gal has been moving around like crazy which is so reassuring. As many of you know, I have been a nervous wreck about this pregnancy since day one. I still have so freak-out moments but now that I have hit my third trimester and can feel this little moving a lot more, I have relaxed some.

It is kind of cool how this baby knows when I start to get a little anxious about him/her that he/she starts to really kick and move around as if saying, "I'm really okay Mama!"

God has been so good to us and I do not take one moment for granted with this little miracle I am carrying.

I have moved our youngest dd over to her oldest dd's bedroom this past week. I cleaned out each of their rooms completely and was able to move all her "stuff" over except for 2 dresser drawers full of clothes. Our youngest dd has more drawer space in her old room then her big sister and I can't imagine needing all those drawers for the baby so figured leaving some of her clothes in them would be fine. It took me a good 3-4 days to go through everything, get it all moved and organized. My MIL is coming up next week to paint the room for the baby and I am sure clean out more stuff. Then we will set up the crib and it will officially become the baby's room!

My youngest dd is fine with this and is looking forward to having a "roomate". Our oldest, otoh, not so much but she is such a good kid that I know she'll deal with it for our sakes.

Cheer Competition....Finally!

2009-01-10T15:18:00.001-08:00

We woke to several inches of snow and ice this morning. It would have been fine had we not had to drive 45 mins to a cheer competition! It was expected to get worse as the day went on so that made me very nervous. Dh decided to drive us which was a big relief. He is such a great guy!

We got there around 8:10am and the competition was expected to start at 7:45am but hadn't yet which put everything 1/2 hours behind. We had to sit on hard wooden bleachers. On a 'normal' day, I wouldn't have cared but being 6 months pregnant, it was horrible! After only an hour, I was so uncomfortable. Not to mention we were sitting at the very top and every time I had to go to the bathroom I had to hike up and down 14+ deep steps. I know complain, complain, complain.

The best part of the day is our mini squad (sparkle) won 1st place out of 6 squads. This is the squad our youngest is on. She just was moved up to a flyer and she did amazing!

Our oldest squad had a rough start and lost two hairpieces (3 point deductions each) so they ended up only taking 5th place out of 8. Our dd did amazing as usual. She is always so focused and determined!

We made it home around 3:30pm and had a late lunch. The kids then wanted to go outside to play in the snow so I got them all ready. Then I decided to turn on the fire place, lite some smelly candles, made a hot cocoa and have been watching tv ever since!

To All My Great Mom Friends!

2009-01-05T06:52:00.001-08:00

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England.

Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe.

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.

It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.

And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Chaaaanges

2009-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Dh took all week off and we have been working on all the little things in the house that have needed 'fixed' for the past 1+ years. It has been so wonderful. Dh touched up all the trim and walls, fixed the hardwood that was damaged by a water leak, and has started to re-paint the dining room (which is currently used as a scrapbook/kids play area). We also replaced all the outlet covers in the kitchen (old covers are on the left, new ones on the right)

and I have been replacing all the hardware on the kitchen cabinets (old ones on right, new ones on left). We have been wanting new hardware since we moved in 8 years ago just could not get over how much it would cost since we would have to buy 40 handles but we decided to suck it up and do it!

We are also going to buy a nice desk and bookcase/armoire for the dining room so it looks a lot nice. Here is what it looks like now (excuse all the mess since it is being preped for painting):

The paint color we got is a very pale goldish yellow color. Much milder then what is in there right now!

Dh promises the room will be finished by the end of the week so I can put it back together. Now I have to search for the desk and bookcase!

Kenadie and Cooper

2008-12-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine had her daughter in October. She had a very rough time getting pregnant and had a very hard pregnancy. Her daughter, Kenadie, has been in the hospital for the past 7 weeks. She was born with a hole in her heart, severe jaundice and has not been keeping formula down. She has lost quite a bit of weight.

On Monday Dec. 22 she had surgery to fix the hole in her heart. She has had a few set backs since her surgery. It has been such a long rough road for my friend and her precious baby. Please keep them both in your prayers!

A member on our April 2009 Expecting Club message board had some complications and had to deliver her baby at 24 weeks. His name is Cooper Nicholas. He is doing very well for being born so little. Please keep them both in your prayers!

Have a Blessed and Safe Holiday Season!

2008-12-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.

They were discussing their hopes and dreams.

The first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship! I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. The tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it!

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Crazy Weekend!

2008-12-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend was non-stop!

Our oldest dd and I had to get up at 5am on Saturday morning to get ready for her cheer competition which she had to be at by 7am. I hardly slept the night before since ds has a horrible cough and his asthma has been acting up so he was up a lot in the middle of the night. Our youngest dd competed at the same competition but did not perform until 3pm so dh ended up dropping her and some lunch off around noon. By 4pm, I was exhausted, needless to say, and thankfully it was over so we headed home.

Dh had a ton of performance reviews that were due by 5pm on Sunday and he was still working on them when we got home. I had asked him and our ds to clean the house but they only got as far as dusting. I was in no shape to clean anything so it just had to stay dirty for another day or two.

Sunday we had family pictures at 11am with dh's side of the family; 8 adults and 6 kids. Dh and I inadvertently drove to the wrong mall and ended up being 1/2 hr late. Luckily the family that was expected after us never showed up so we were still able to get the pictures taken. They turned out really nice considering we were rushed through them. It took forever for our families to decided on what pictures to buy and for them to print the pictures so we did not end up leaving the mall till 2:30!

My nephew's piano recital was at 4pm so by the time we go home we only had a 1/2 hour before we had to leave again. After the piano recital, which was very sweet, there was a potluck dinner and we ended up getting home about 7pm. The Steeler game had started at 4:15pm but I had recorded it. It was a great game except my recording cut off the last 10 mins of the game. The Steelers were down by 3 and by the way they were playing, I was pretty sure they had lost. I looked online for the final score and was amazed to find it ended up being 13-9 and they had won! They scored a TD in the last 3:36 mins of the game! I was kind of bummed for awhile that I missed it. I usually make it a point never to miss a game (as my husband can attest I LOVE the Steelers) but made an exception for my nephew's recital. LOL! OH well I am just so happy they won and clinched the division!

Tonight our oldest dd has her band and choir concert and I need to run out to try to find her black flats. Hopefully that will not be an impossible task because I plan on doing some much needed relaxing for most of the day!

(Oh I forgot to mention it was my birthday yesterday! The kids got me some awesome willow tree ornaments and dh got me a gorgeous charm for my pandora bracelet. Besides that we didn't really have time to celebrate it. I did get to spend the entire day with my family though so I am very happy about that!)

23 Week Appt and other musings!

2008-12-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

I had my 23 week appointment on Wed. Everything went very well. I asked the midwife a ton of questions. They are probably all wondering if I actually have kids already or not. I just have so many questions this pregnancy about:

breastfeeding. I wasn't successful with my other 3. I got mastitis with our oldest dd and didn't want her anywhere near my bbs after that and no one bothered to tell me that would actually help. Each of our babes also had a hard time latching on and I think I just gave up too early. I am determined to give it a really good try this time. I even bought a breastpump so wish me luck!
dd at birth. Our oldest dd really wants to be at the birth and I think it would be a once in a lifetime experience for her so I am encouraging it. In order for her to be there she has to attend a child at birth class through the hospital (that is their policy). The class is only offered on Thursdays at 5pm downtown which is 45 mins from us. SIGH! Of course I will figure out a way to make it work.
mild cramping, breech baby, anterior placenta, etc. Yes I am having all of those and I am still freaking out every now and then. It is not as bad as it was early on but sometimes I'll get a pain or the baby won't move for several hours and I start to think maybe something is wrong. Even though I know that is all normal. I know having an anterior placenta doesn't help, I know mild cramping is normal and I know the baby has plenty of time to turn. Just a few things that lay in the back of my head and make me go hmmm at times.

The hb was still in the 150s which is what it has been all along. I have only gained 20 lbs so far this pregnancy which is great considering I gained well over 40 lbs with all of my other three pregnancies. I still have lots of time yet but think I am safe with the total amount of weight I will gain. My next appt is the lovely blood glucose test. I honestly don't remember ever having any issues with drinking the sugary liquid but I have been hearing a lot of horror stories online about people getting extremely sick after drinking it and of course that worries me now. LOL!

On another note, our kids made their first gingerbread house at home this week. They have made them before in school and at Grandma's but we never did one at home. It was a lot of fun and a new tradition we will be adding every year! Here are some pics of their masterpiece:

Target parking lot 'nightmare'!

2008-12-02T06:02:00.001-08:00

Last night I went to Target to exchange the bottles I bought for the BPA-free playtex drop-ins. I dropped our youngest dd at cheer practice and had our other two kids with me.

We parked and walked into Target. I returned the bottles and another item then we headed back to the baby isle. We were back there a good 10 mins when over the loud speaker I hear, "If you own a Nissan Quest please come to customer service." Our oldest said, "Mom is that ours?" I said, "It could be lets go see." The whole time I am walking to the front of the store I kept thinking, "Oh no someone probably hit my car with a cart or something."

I get to the front of the store and the customer lady says that gentlemen there was asking. The gentleman walks over to me and says, "you hit my car!". Which I reply, "what? of course I didn't. I've been in here over 20 mins!" He says, "your front bumper is touching my front bumper. do you want to see a picture? my wife took one with her cellphone." I tell him, "no I can walk outside and see for myself." So I drag my two kids back outside in the freezing cold rainy weather to look. Sure enough our front bumpers are just barely touching. Now I can not be sure his car was even there when I parked so whose to say he did not pull in and tap my bumper. Either way, our bumpers were just barely touching so there was no 'hitting' of cars involved. I tried to explain this to the man but he refused to listen. He goes on to tell me his car is brand new with only 3,000 miles and I could have done internal damage as well! I guess he thought I was some dumb woman he could intimidate but I was having none of that. I proceeded to explain to him that in order to have done internal damage, the cars would have to have some degree of external damage if one hit the other.

I started to walk away thinking this was all nonsense when he says to me, "fine leave, I have your license plate number and I'll just report you as a hit and run!" GREAT! I have no idea if he could do this or not so I tell him I cam going to call the police. I hated calling the police for something so trivial but had no idea what else to do. I surely did not want to have an issue later if this guy could report it as a hit and run. I call the police and they send out a highway safety patrol man. I tell my kids to get into the van since it is freezing outside and figured they did not need to be involved any further.

The police man shows up and I apologize for having to call him but explain that the guy was going to report it as a hit and run if I left. The policeman looks at the two front bumpers and asks the guy to back up his car so he can check for damage. The policeman checks and says there is not one bit of damage, no scratch, no ding, nothing. The gentleman starts in again about internal damage to his parking piston, etc etc etc. The policeman says, "seriously!?!?" and proceeds to tell him almost exactly what I said about the possibility of internal damage when there is no external damage at all.

The gentleman is getting more and more irritated as is the policeman. The policeman explains since the parking lot is private property there is nothing they can do about it esp since there is no damage or injuries. The only thing we can do is exchange insurance information. The gentleman says, "fine just forget it then" and proceeds to walk back to his car. The policeman said he needed someone's name and information for the report which the gentleman replies with, "get hers she is the one who had to call you!"

After the guy left, the policeman said it was obvious he had an attitude and was just trying to prove his point or get something out of nothing. When all was done I was going to just leave but decided to go back in Target since I really did need some things from there. As we were walking back into Target the policeman stopped me to see if I gave that man any of my information which thankfully I did not. The policeman said, "good. I'd be worried he would be the kind to harass you." I thank him and apologize again for having to call him.

SIGH! People! Seriously what was this man thinking! I am not a stupid woman. Had I 'hit' his car, I would have got out of my van looked at both cars, backed my van up and checked to see if there was any damage.

I was so irked. Luckily I kept my cool for my kids sake. Believe me I could have really said a few choice things to that man!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2008-11-29T07:47:00.001-08:00

I WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO WISH EVERYONE A BLESSED AND WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

WE ARE BLESSED EVERYDAY AND THANK GOD DAILY FOR ALL HE HAS GIVEN US!

PSD and PT

2008-11-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

I have been suffering the last month with severe pain in my pubic bone area. It is right in the bones and it aches like someone hauled off an kicked me real good there. I finally mentioned it to my midwife since it was just to the point of being horrible. She said I have Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction which is the result of separation of the symphysis pubis the joint in the very front part of the pelvic bone structure. (There is cartilage that fills the gap in the bones. During pregnancy, hormones such as relaxin soften this cartilage allowing the pelvic bones to be more flexible for delivery. Some women, however, have too much play in the pelvis causing a large gap between the bones. This makes the symphysis pubis area extremely sensitive to touch.) She suggested I go see a Physcial Therapist to get some relief.

I went to the PT on Friday and she discovered that my pelvis is also misaligned. She successfully put my pelvis back in alignment which wasn't too horrible and went over some exercises I can do to help.

Of course I had a lot of running around to do this weekend and I can already tell it has slipped back out again. UGH! I have to go to the PT once a week so I am sure she is going to just have to keep re-aligning my pelvis.

The craziest part is she told me I need to try to keep my legs in simultaneous motion. If I move one one way I need to move the other one with it. Of course that makes it hard to walk! LOL!

My biggest worry as crazy as it sounds is I feel bad for Dh. I can not even being to bear the thought of being intimate right now. Dh is amazing though and said I need to take care of myself and nothing else. God has sure blessed me with an amazing man!

2nd cheer competition

2008-11-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

The girls competed today in their second cheer competition. It was a very long day starting at 8:30am and ending at 5:30pm. Their squads did fantastic again and this time they each took 2nd place! They competed against some very tough squads and did fantastic. They all work so hard each week and it sure shows! We are so proud of them!

It was very hard to get pictures from where we were sitting so I took a few after wards at home.....

19 week appt and 'big' u/s!

2008-11-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had the 'big' u/s today. Dh was so impressed with how much you could see of the baby and how thorough the tech was. DH asked mid-way through if I was sure I didn't want to find out the sex but I stuck to my guns and said NO! LOL! The tech said she's had couples change their mind in the middle of u/s and she always feels guilty telling them because they come in not wanting to know and maybe are just buckling under pressure.

The baby looked great and was moving like crazy. The tech asked us if iI had a cup of sugar beforehand. She was having trouble getting pictures because the baby was moving so much. She went over every single vessel/valve/artery/bone, etc. Each time she kept saying, "that looks great"! It was such a huge relief.

On the down side, I am kind of bumming since the midwife told me today the hospital does not deliver by water birth. They do use hydrotheraphy. Which means I can use the shower and jacuzzi for laboring but can not deliver in the water. The only other place that does a water birth in our area is a free birthing center. Which means I'd have to change midwives and there is no chance of an epidural or any other meds if I changed my mind. I really love the midwives I see and the hospital provides that extra bit of security for me so I will not be changing. Guess I'll just have to stick with the laboring in water and birthing in the bed. :(

Oh on the up side, the placenta is anterior! It was low lying at my 12 week appt so I was concerned that they were going to tell me I had placenta previa. Being anterior explains why I have not been feeling the baby too strongly. I do feel little kicks here and there but nothing big and strong yet.

I attached a copy of the u/s and the u/s report in case anyone was curious.

(Looks like we have another hand/thumb sucker!)

First Cheer Competition

2008-11-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

The girls had their first cheer competition this weekend. Our youngest was so excited about going to her first competition. She could not talk about anything else for days beforehand.

They both did so great! All their squads did fantastic. They stuck everything and were in sync most of the time. It was great for their first competition. Unfortunately the judges must have felt differently because each squad got last place! We were actually shocked. No it is not the Mother in me talking. Our oldest has been competing for 3 years so we know when to admit 'defeat'. There have even been a few times when they have gotten placed higher than I thought they should but this weekend I truly feel like they didn't get placed correctly. It was very disheartening for the girls. Hopefully we will hear from the coaches tonight to see what the judges scored. I am just really curious more than anything. Maybe there was something they saw that we didn't.

Either way, I am so very proud of all the girls. They did a fantastic job!

(Sorry we were too busy videotaping to get any pictures. I will try getting the videos uploaded.)

My Girls

2008-11-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my girls ready for their Friends & Family Show! They put on a show at the gym so anyone who can not make it to competitions can come see them perform.

Their first competition is this Sat.! I am so excited to see how our little one does since this will be her very first competition. She is so excited as well.

We are so proud of both our girls. They have worked really hard at practice getting their routines down and perfecting their tumbling.

I had to also share a picture of my cutie pies all dressed up for Halloween!

Weekend Ramblings

2008-10-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend was crazy busy!

Saturday I took ds to the Learning Center to have him evaluated. He has been having some trouble reading and writing so we thought it would be a good idea to get him some additional help. He wasn't too crazy about going but afterwards he could not stop talking about how much fun he had and when he could go back!

Afterwards I had to drop the girls at cheer practice, run ds back home to get dressed for a Halloween Party, drop him off then get back to pick up the girls. Then I took the girls to a local farm to pick out some pumpkins then we headed home to make 60+ chocolate covered pretzel rods and bread for the girls Friends & Family Cheer Show Sunday night. By the time I was done it was after 8:30pm and I was beyond exhausted.

Sunday morning we all went to church then to lunch afterwards. We got home about 1:30 and had to carve pumpkins. (DH is out of town all week so Sunday afternoon was the only time slot available!) Then we had to be at the gym by 5pm to help set up for the F&F show. The show was from 6:30-8:00pm. The girls did a fantastic job! We are so proud of them!

Needless to say I was extremely exhausted again and tried to go to bed as soon as we got home.

I think all the running around and craziness caused me to be so exhausted that my body was revolting on the sleep issue. I ended up being very nauseated both nights and hardly got any sleep. Luckily last night I fell asleep pretty quickly with no nausea!

That will teach me to not take care of myself and fudgie wudgie!

16 week Midwife Appt!

2008-10-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

I had my 16 week midwife appt today. All went very well! She was able to find the hb immediately. She also said my uterus should be about two fingers below my belly button. When she went to find it, she noticed that my uterus was right at my belly button. She asked if I was having twins! LOL! She is about the 10th person who has said that to me. I told her no, we've had two u/s and they did not see another baby so we are positive there is not another one in there. I told her it is my fourth and could that be why, she agreed that is most likely the reason.

As she was entering things into my chart on the computer I noticed it said placenta previa. Of course this raised some concern so I asked her about it. She said she has no idea why they put that in there this early. Apparently it is quite common to have the placenta below the baby in the first trimester. So she was a bit irritated that they would even put that in the chart. She believes the next u/s will show it has moved up out of the way. It freaked me out at first until I came home and did some research and found that it is true. Apparently a lot of pregnancies start out with the placenta below the baby and then move up out of the way during the 2nd or 3rd trimester. Hopefully it will move up and away soon!

I had to redo my urine test. I mentioned to her I had some very mild cramping when my bladder was full. She said that is pretty common but she wanted to be sure to run the culture just in case there was some bacteria causing that issue. I've had this for the past 10 weeks and it has not gotten any worse so I assume it is just one of those pregnancy side effects.

Our BIG U/S is on Nov 12. Dh has been 'pushing' me about finding out the gender but I have been adament about not wanting to. I made dh promise me we would not find out before I would even tell him the day and time of the U/S! LOL! He admitted that he has now changed his mind and does not want to find out either!

Twilight Freak

2008-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

I started reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (per the suggestion of my dear friend Erin) during our trip to the beach this year in July. I was immediately hooked! I ended up reading New Moon and Eclipse over the next few months. Yes it took me a lot longer then expected. Morning sickness and extreme fatigue made it hard to get through a few pages!

I just started Breaking Dawn Tuesday night. I know some have mixed emotions on this one since the story is told through Bella and Jacob (Bella has been the story teller in all the other books) but I rather enjoy it.

I can not wait to see how it ends and see the Twilight movie in December. I sure hope they make a movie for each of the books and eventually a series show. In the meantime I will get some of my fill from the HBO series True Blood (again another thing my dear friend Erin has hooked me on. Boy is she influential or what!?!?)

Yes I am hooked almost as bad as my dear friend Erin but not quite. Love ya E! ;)

Sick

2008-10-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been such a slacker! I have been fighting a head cold and I finally lost horribly. My head is throbbing, my throat is aching and my nose is alternating between being completely clogged up or draining like crazy. Being pregnant there are only a few things I can take and they are not working. I resorted last night to some nasal spray which I always try to stay away from since it dries my nose out way too much. I was just so exhausted from not sleeping the past two nights I needed to do something. It did work pretty good all night. This morning I am back to the whole miserableness. I am trying to drink more water to hopefully flush this miserable bug out of my system. In the end all that matters is that baby is okay so I will endure!

Free At Last

2008-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was just told today that as of October 17, I will no longer have a job!

I have many mixed emotions about this. I have been contemplating for awhile now about quitting. So many things have changed in my life and with the company I work for and my heart was just not in it anymore.

It is kind of bittersweet for me but I truly believe God had a big hand in this decision!.

My girls

2008-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these pictures of my girls. We have to use hairpieces this year for cheer and they are such a pita.

It took me two days to finally 'master' them. I have to admit though, they look awfully cute on them. Hopefully they will stay in during competitions!

2nd U/S

2008-09-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Went in this morning for my second U/S. Midwife thought I was a lot further along and wanted to make sure. Fudgie Wudgie was moving so much the tech had a hard time getting a hb. He/She already seems cramped in there!

The tech says she would date me at 13.3 wks which is only 5 days further along then I thought. It is unlikely the midwife will change the dd of 04/08 since it is only 5 days difference which is okay by me!

UTI

2008-09-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

No not for me but for our youngest babe. After suffering with a fever for over a week and no other symptoms, I took her to the ped on Friday and told them I wanted her to have a urine test. They finally got back to me this am saying she does have a UTI! UGH! I am just concerned that she has had this UTI now for over a week untreated. I sure hope it has not effected her kidneys permanently. My poor babe!

Weekend Musings

2008-09-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our youngest is finally over her 7 day fever! Yes it lasted for 7 days!

Saturday morning she woke up feeling fine. No fever at all. I figured she was finally over it so decided to let her go to cheer practice and a few other errands with me. She had a birthday party to attend at 4:30 that afternoon too. She seemed to be doing pretty well until we go to the party. She said she was cold (it was 81 degrees out) so I felt her forehead and she was running a fever again! I asked her if she wanted to stay for the party for just a little bit or go home and she wanted to go home. You know a kid does not feel well if she is wanting to skip a birthday party! I called her Dad to come get her since I had a ton of things to do yet (since she was sick and home all week I wasn't able to get out and do any errands). By the time I got home, she was doing so much better. All day yesterday she was fever free!!!! YAY!

Today was her first day back to school. She was so excited to go back to see her teacher and friends.

My son, otoh, has been having terrible Asthma issues this weekend. I thought for sure I'd get a call from the nurse about him but so far nothing. Phew!

I have another U/S tomorrow to check on the baby's size and reconfirm the due date. The midwife seems to believe I am further along then I think. Please keep us in your prayers that everything is fine and the baby is strong and healthy!

Sick Babe

2008-09-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our youngest has been sick for 3 days now with a fever around 103.5 and vomiting. She wasn't even able to keep water down which started to concern me. Early Tuesday morning (3am) she woke moaning. I took her temp and it was 106.1. We tried Motrin and Tylenol, cold washcloths and a lukewarm bath but nothing was bringing it down so off to the ER we went. They checked her ears and throat but everything was normal. The ER doc chalked it up to some kind of SUPER bug virus.

Last night it spiked again to 106.5! Luckily dh and I were able to get it down with Motrin and cold washcloths. She is laying on the couch now and seems to be much better. So far today her fever has remained around 101.

Our poor little babe. She has been so lethargic and miserable the last 3 days. I can not wait till she is back to her spunky free-spirited self!

1st Midwife Appt.

2008-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Went to my midwife appt. today. Things sur have changed there since my last visit 7 yrs ago! They now have 6 midwives as opposed to the 3. Things were much more efficient and smoother then I remember.

The midwife decided to feel my stomach before doing an internal. She said my uterus felt very prominent and she would guess I was more like 12 wks! LOL! Once she did the the internal though she said it probably was more like 10 1/2-11 wks. She said I just have a larger uterus which is great! He He! She then decided to try to find the hb. Warning me that it was early and we might not find it yet. She put the wand on my stromach and said it might take awhile to find one if we did at all. She found my pulse right away and then the next moment found the hb! She was suprised it was that easy! She said it was very strong and was about 161 bpm!

YEAH! She also calmed my fears about my age. She said the majority of Moms who come to their practice are 38 and older and the 'being of advanced maternal age' thing is bogus. ;)

Day After Day

2008-09-12T02:17:00.000-07:00

Dh has been out of town all week and I have been handling things on my own. Not something new, of course, but I haven't had to deal with m/s and pregnancy fatigue before. I really do think pregnancy fatigue is a lot different then regular fatigue. Can't really place why but I just feel like I am in more of a fog when tired and pregnant then just tired. Am I making any sense at all!?!? LOL!

I am so happy it is Friday though. Our neighbors are the portal for Friday Night 'dinners'. They usually cookout hamburgers and hotdogs for anyone who stops over and that is usually at least 20+ people on a Friday night. It is just a great hang out place and a good way to catch up with everyone after a long week. My neighbor, Amy, has decided to cook for tonight and I am going to make two kinds of salad (broccoli salad and cucumber salad). We just want to help out! Besides being in this house all week without kids would usually be anyones dream but it gets to be so monotonous to me so it will give me something different to do this afternoon!

My midwife appt is on Monday and I am so hoping they at least listen for the hb. As many of you know, I am more paranoiod about this pregnancy then my others. Every little pang or pain is making me nervous. ugh!

I have been up since 3:26 am so this is all just the ramblings of a tired sick pregnant lady! ;)

My True Blessings

2008-09-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

Often times we go through the day-to-day struggles of life not realizing how truly blessed we are. Below are some of the things I feeling truly blessed about (in no particular order).....

1. Family and Friends

No matter how crazy, how dramatic things can be I am amazingly blessed to have such a large wonderful loving family and friends. They would drop anything in a second to help. They offer support, love, criticism, encouragement, and kindness every single day of my life.

2. Kids

Not only has God blessed me with three amazing wonderful kids but he has brought into my life some of the most beautiful kids I have ever known. I am truly blessed to be a part of their lives and so thankful that they are a part of mine!

3. Fudgie Wudgie
God has blessed us with a 4th! A surprise, yes but one that was so very much wanted. I thank God every single day for this miracle.

4. My dear dear Husband
He has been my rock my fortress. He is the most amazing Father and husband. His strength and determination are above and beyond anyone I have ever met.

5. My relationship with God

We've had our ups and downs. There have been times when I have questioned his actions and decisions esp when my Mom passed away after a 3 year struggle with cancer. There have been many more times when I have praised him for his strength and patience. Not matter what I say or do he is always there for me with open arms.

Not much to report

2008-09-09T07:06:00.001-07:00

Guess that is a good thing. Morning sickness has come back with a vengeance. My Mom used to always tell me be careful what you wish for. I am sure God is just shaking his head at me by now. LOL!

Saturday I was so sick. Still no throwing up which I am very thankful for but so nauseated I just could not do anything. My poor kiddos. They just look at me with this pitiful look and keep asking me if they can do anything to help. I sure wish they could!

My next appt is Sept 15 with the midwives. I am very excited. Once I see them, I will then decide if I want to make the drive to their office each visit (35 mins) or go with the OB I saw a couple weeks ago who is just 10 mins away. I really had such a great experience with the midwives when I was pregnant with our 3rd and am really leaning towards them. The drive just makes me cringe. The other positive thing about the midwives is they are located in the bottom floor of the hospital so anything that needs to be done can all be done there. Oh and Dh's office is just mins from the hospital so it would be easier for him to meet me at my appts.

Freaking Myself Out Again!

2008-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

So the last two days I have had less nausea. It is still there but not as intense. (I still have the sore bbs and fatigue.) Of course that gets me to thinking maybe something is wrong. My dear friend, Alisha, keeps reminding me that we saw a hb and it was 172 bpm which is great. She also reminds me that once you see such a great hb your chance of having a m/c is a lot lower. I do know all these things but it still makes me worry.

Maybe the short dream I had last night isn't helping. I dreamed that I had this small short sharp pain in my abdomin then next thing you know I am having a u/s done and there is nothing. Just an empty sac. Now I know in reality that is not possible being that we had an u/s and saw a nice baby with a strong hb. I am sure it is just my mind playing tricks on me!

God is probably at his wits end with me. I have been praying the last two days for help with my nausea since it was so bad at nighttime. He is probably thinking, "girl you asked me to help with your nausea and now that I have you are worrying that someting is wrong. What do you want!?!?" LOL!

I know I am just worrying myself silly but it is just so hard not too. (I am thinking of getting one of those dopplers that I can use at home and listen to the hb. I have to do some more research on them to see how well they work and when I can use one.)

My next appt is Sept 15 with the midwifery group. I am pretty sure they will do a u/s and blood work. Speaking of which, I was supposed to get bloodwork done a week ago. Is still have the script and just keep forgetting about it until it is after hours. Maybe I need to make it a point to get it done today so I can relax a bit more.

School Started!

2008-09-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yes school officially started yesterday! It was so about time! LOL! I adore having my kids home and am so thankful that God has blessed us with me being able to be a SAHM but these past two weeks have been crazy. Maybe it is that I am so nauseated and tired any little thing just seems to set me off! The noise and fighting and craziness had just gotten to me and I was finally looking forward to the first day of school.

The kids had an amazing first day and were so happy about their teachers, friends, etc. I am praying this is going to be a good year. We have a 5th, 3rd and 1st grader so homework is going to be a challenge! My 5th grader did inform me that her teacher does not give homework on the weekends so that is a major bonus. She has always had homework on the weekends. I just figured that was the norm nowadays.

Dh has been amazing! I feel so bad for him. I abandon him every night at 8:30pm to go to bed. The nausea really sets in about 9pm and I am just feeling lousy for the next 4-6 hours. Dh has been so understanding and helpful. I am so blessed to have him!

I drained the pool today. We just have one of those easy set up 12'x3' pools so it is very easy to set up and take down. It made me a bit sad though knowing that winter will be coming very soon. I am so not a winter person but maybe fudgie wudgie will keep me warmer this year!

Here is Fudgie Wudgie's first pic!

2008-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Radiologist says fudgie wudgie
has a great hb of
172 bpm!

New due date of
April 8!

Long Fun Weekend!

2008-09-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Wow this weekend was long but lots of fun. Besides the nausea and fatigue that is but like I said before, not complaining! ;)

Saturday I went to get my haircut. Boy did I need it. I was getting so long for me and I am just not one who likes to put too much effort into my hair. I am so the wash and go kind of girl. My stylist talked me into using a flat iron about a year ago. I decided to try it and really liked the results so have added that into my routine. I only have to straighten my hair every other day now that it is short again. I then took the girls to lunch at Perkins since I was starving. I was craving a cheeseburger but was determined to get a salad instead. Well I ended up getting an open-faced turkey sandwich and it was so yummy but little buttercup didn't seem to like it so much. About 20 mins after eating I was very nauseated. The girls each had cheer practice so I dropped them off and went to Barnes and Noble. I decided to look at the baby book section. I got a new what to expect week-by-week. Even though this is my 4th pregnancy, I am feeling new to all of this again since it has been so long. I also got two pregnancy magazines. They make a great magazine called Plum which is for women who are pregnant and over 35. I highly recommend it!

Sunday our oldest dd went to Kennywood with a friend and her family while the rest of us went to our inlaws for a cook-out. It was very nice and relaxing. Lots of great food and great political debate. I am so not into politics so I just sat back and took it all in. LOL!

Monday I did a little shopping with our oldest dd. Got a few things for school and got some great deals on two tops at White House Black Market! Then I just came home and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I even took a short cat nap which is so unlike me!

The nausea has seemed to increase esp. at bedtime. The worst time is between 10pm-4am. I get very little sleep because of it but it is still manageable. Today is our U/S! I am so excited yet very very nervous. Please keep us in your prayers that everything is well! I'll post about it when we get back.

2008-08-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

I have waited so long for this pregnancy that every now and then I will have a 'freak out' moment. One of my dear friend's Alisha knows exactly what I mean. We talked about this all the time during the beginning of her pregnancy (and still do but unfortunately she now has to listen to my craziness).

I slept pretty good and woke without nausea so of course that got me to thinking. Dh noticed something was up and asked me what was wrong and I said "nothing". My 10 yo dd who was sitting on the couch next to me said, "you always say that Mom". He said, "you look kind of sad. Does she need to leave the room so you can tell me?" I said, "no I am just tired as usual."

I was just having these crazy thoughts (funny how he caught on that something wasn't right.) I know there is no real reason to think this way. I just feel pretty good today and that kind of freaks me out. I know most people would be thankful but having m/s kind of made me feel 'safer'. Heck who knows it may reappear within the hour. I did take b6/unisom last night at bedtime and it is supposed to help alleviate m/s so maybe it is working!?!? UGH! I so do not like all this crazy thinking. I never felt this way when pregnant with my other 3! I keep having this thought that what if when we go on Tuesday to see the heartbeat there is nothing there?!? No sac, no baby, no heartbeat. My kids and dh are standing in the room and the tech tells me there is nothing. Sigh!

I am just going through one of my freak out moments. I have them quite often with this pregnancy and I am only in my 7th week! I wonder if it is because I am 38 and we tried so long for this one that I am just more worried and scared then before!?!? I don't really have anything to 'validate' these feelings. (I do have a dear friend who has three beautiful kids and then had her first m/c with their 4th. They did end up getting pregnant again and having a 4th. I just think about that a lot too. It was rather odd, to me, for her to have a m/c on her 4th.)

I just need to take a deep breath and try to relax. I have to remember that God is in control and he will decide what is best for us and the baby. See I feel better already!

1st OB Appt Today!

2008-08-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to my first OB appt this afternoon. I am anxious and scared. I am hoping he tries to hear the HB but think it is still too early to do that. I have never been to this doc before but he comes highly recommended. I used the midwifery practice when pregnant with my last and really loved them. I have an appt with them on Sept 15 then I will decided which direction to go in.

I am having a bit more nausea. It last all day long! It is just that annoying all day queasiness feeling. I have been drinking some Ginger Ale which seems to help some even though it has no real ginger in it! Wonder why it works!?!? Maybe it is all in my head! LOL! I also started taking b6/unisom at bedtime per the midwifes and that seems to help me sleep more and I am waking feeling a bit less nauseated.

The fatigue is starting to set in now and my bbs are a bit sorer. My poor kids. I am trying to have patience with them but it is getting harder. They are so very helpful though! Always eager to do whatever Mom needs to them to do now. Wonder when the novelty of that will wear off!?!? ;)

I am taking all these symptoms as good sings that little buttercup is doing well. Hopefully I'll know more later today!

2008-08-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

Well I guess even the best laid plans don't work out at times.

DH and I planned on telling the kids, his parents, brother and SIL tonight at our house. His parents were coming over and bringing our ds home who had spent the week with them.

Dh's parents were here for about an hour but SIL was not home from work yet so we were just waiting on her. In the mean time, I had to drive dd's friend home. I was in the car driving her home when dh calls to tell me his Mom and Dad went home! WHAT!?!?! (MIL and SIL got into an argument.) DH tried to talk them into staying but they were adament about leaving. UGH!

Okay Plan B...Dh and I decide we are going to tell our kids and then call his parents and then have his brother and SIL come down. I gave each kid their shirt and they flipped them over. They read them out loud and said what does that mean? I looked at them and said, "are you serious!?!?" DS then looks at me and says, "does that mean your having a baby?" I nodded yes and they all completely freaked out. They started jumping up and down and screaming. It was the best!

DH called his parents and said, "well one of the reasons we wanted you to stay so badly tonight is because we wanted to tell you.....were having a baby!" MIL did not believe it. She kept asking if we were serious. She was just overjoyed.

I called my SIL and asked her to come down but she refused. She was so upset about the argument she had with MIL that she was not coming down.

Okay Plan C....the kids and I head up to SIL's (8 houses up from us). The kids had their shirts on and they were standing in the garage. SIL was on the phone with our other SIL. I told her the kids wanted to tell them something and asked her to put the phone on speaker. She said she wanted to tell SIL and I something and asked the kids to go into the house for a bit. (Boy she was not making this easy!) The kids go in the house and she starts telling SIL and I what happened between her and MIL. Meanwhile my kids keep asking if they can come out yet. I finally tell SIL the kids are dying to tell her something and bring them out. They stand in front of her and it takes a few secs for her to catch on. Then her mouth just drops and she freaks out! The kids yell into the phone to my other SIL and she freaks out too!

After that it just went crazy! The kids were running around telling friends and neighbors! LOL! It was awesome! Everyone was shocked and just so happy for us.

And it begins....

2008-08-20T20:23:00.001-07:00

Today has been a day or ups and downs as far as pregnancy symptoms go. One minute I am queasy, tired, bloated, gassy, etc. and the next I feel completely fine. One thing that does remin constant is the constipation. Hey where else could I talk about this and get away with it! LOL!

It is just making me crazy not to mention irritable and in pain. I am going to start increasing my fiber intake slowly. I don't want to over do it and end up on the other end of the spectrum. I never realized how many foods I really enough that are rich in fiber. 1 cup of peas (favorite veggie) are 8.8 grams of fiber that is 3 grams more than broccoli! I love broccoli too and knew it was rich in fiber but had no idea about peas. Bonus! 1 cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber. Again, where have I been!?!? Diggin that too. Looks like I will be off to the store tomorrow to stock up. I am also going to get some fiber rich cereals.

I am getting a little nervous. We decided to tell the kids and family Friday night. I am so excited but anxious about it. I am only 6 1/2 weeks and not out of the danger zone yet so that makes me worry a bit. Plus I am 38 which doesn't help. I am trying hard not to worry about it too much. My first HCG numbers were 42,000 which are really good so I just need to relax and enjoy! It is just hard.

I have waited so many years for this (5 to be exact) that I just worry. That does not mean I wasn't extremely grateful for each of my other pregnancies but I was a lot younger then and I will admit they came easier. It took us over a year to conceive this one and I plan on doing everything in my power to keep this bean safe. I just feel so truly blessed by God. He sure is amazing!

Well What Do You Know......

2008-08-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

DH and I decided not to go through with an IUI. DH was very nervous about it. I was just so tired of all the stress from temping, testing, etc. that I decided just to forego everything. We would not try but would not prevent. I figured God must not have it in his plans for us. That was about two months ago.

This month AF was due around August 4. August 4 came and went and I figured AF was just playing tricks with my head again so I just kept waiting for her. August 9 and still no AF. We'll she sure is stubborn I thought and so was I. I figured she was just going to skip me this month to show how stubborn she could be so I had no plans on testing. Besides we weren't even really trying so what were the chances. I had some nausea and my bbs were sore but I assumed that was because AF had not shown and my hormones were just being wacky.

Sunday August 17 I woke up at 6:30am and decided to test. I figured it was going to be a BFN and then I could just stop thinking about it and move on. Low and behold the second line showed up before I was even off the potty. I was so shocked. I put it on the counter and just watched that second line get darker and darker. I was still just in shock and didn't believe it. I never got a false + before but figured there was always a first, right?

That afternoon I went out for more tests and tested two more times that afternoon. Both showed up BFP right away. I was just beside myself. Could it really be true!?!?

I decided to get a onesie, attach the + test to it and give it to DH that evening. He was in total shock as well. he even teared up a bit. He said, "are you serious!?!?" I said, "as far as I know 3 tests are telling me yes."

Of course I was still trying not to get my hopes up too much. I called my OB Monday morning to schedule my first appt and confirm my results. Their earliest appt was Sept 15! Ugh! Okay well if that is the best they could do then fine. Of course the more the day went on the more anxious I got. No way I could wait that long for a blood test to confirm so I called my family doc (who I have known for 7+ yrs and knew his nurse would help me out) and she ordered me a blood test right away.

The nurse called me this morning and said "well your a little pregnant!" LOL! My numbers are 42,000! Which put me right about 6 weeks. That was what I had figured out as well so it looks like I am right on track!

I am still in total shock. I can not wait to tell our kids! DH is out of town till Thurs night and DS is at his Grandparents till Sat. afternoon. We are gong to wait till he comes home and tell all the kids Sat. night!

I am just so thankful to God that he is allowing us to have another blessing! Just when I had almost given up hope God decided to give it back to us!

On to an IUI

2008-05-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

So it looks like this cycle was a bust again. I am due to O tomorrow and DH is out of town again! We have decided to move on to an IUI since it has been over 13 mos ttc. The RE seems to think there may be a cm issue or motility issue. (Dh's motility tested at 50% so even though that is acceptable it may be too slow for us.) I will be starting on clomid cd1 next cycle to prepare for IUI. Then I will have to use OPKs to test till I get a +. Once I get a + I have to go into the RE to confirm that it is a true positive. Then dh will have to go in and give a sample. next day I will have the IUI done.

I am anxious and scared. Hoping that dh will be in town this time around! Luckily when I am on Clomid my O is much more consistent so I can at least give dh some notice!

Welcome!

2008-05-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog!

I would love to share the ups and downs, ins and outs of our wild wacky wonderful life and hope you will join me on our journey when you can!

As you may know, dh and I have been ttc our 4th child for 13 months now. I never imagined it would take this long. After all we have 3 wonderful children already and it only took a few months to conceive each of them. We have both been through all kinds of testing and everything has come back normal. I tend to believe it is my age that is making this a longer process then usual. I am, after all, nearing 40! I try not to wallow on it too much but can not help but think if we had started ttc a lot sooner than we'd already have another child. Then again, I do truly believe it is God's will and his plan for all things so maybe he has something else in mind. I am trying my hardest to have faith in God and let his plan play out but it sure can be frustrating and heartbreaking every month when AF shows up.

Anywho, this is cycle #14 for us and I am on cd 10. I started temping and testing again this cycle after taking a month off. It is hard getting back into temping and testing. So very easy to forget about doing it every morning. Plus I have such a love hate relationship with my CBEFM. It is already asking me for test strips and I know O will not be happening for at least 6 more days. Of course right about the time dh will be in Alaska! Go figure! Isn't that how it always happens!?!?!