Sam's Birth Story Part 2

Continuing the story... if you missed part one you can find it here. 
I left you all hanging that my nurse checked me and said I was 100% effaced and almost a 7.

(3:30-3:55) I was really surprised and thought "I'm almost there!" I felt some pressure um... down below.... and figured that the baby was just moving down and I still had a couple hours left. Right about then my doctor came in to check me even though the nurse had just done so a few minutes before. He said I was 6-7 cm dilated, 100% effaced and baby was at a 0 station (which means her head was engaged in my pelvis- moving on down). He asked if I had felt any pressure and I told him just a couple times and he asked if I was feeling a lot of contractions... which I actually wasn't. He took a look at the contraction sheet and said they were "on top of one another" and said things would move really quickly once I was past a 7, but still said "around dinner".

A few minutes after he left the room I started feeling pressure with every contraction. During this our friend, Holly, was asking for directions to the hospital and Tim handed me my phone because he "couldn't figure out how to text on it". (3:52pm) So during the breaks I got between contractions I managed to text her directions. First the pressure was bearable and I just breathed through it. After five or so minutes (and Tim getting increasingly anxious because I was death gripping the bed rails) I told him to call the nurse cause I really felt like pushing.

(3:55-4:13) The nurse came in very quickly and checked me and said I was ready to push... only I couldn't just yet because she had to get the bed adjusted (the end flips down or something) and my doc was paged. She moved really fast and and at one point told me to try "choo choo" breathing which I tried, but I don't think that lasted long. My nurse did make the comment that the doc better hurry up or she'd be delivering the baby and said, "it wouldn't be my first... or my last". Right then my doc came in, got positioned and my feet were put in the stirrups. I remembering thinking it was all happening so fast and hoping that I could push effectively. I started pushing and they had to remind me to hold my breath while I pushed (which I really had to concentrate on because I had just been breathing out with the contractions to NOT push). I pushed a few times (effective pushing!) and Sam crowned and with another big push her head was out. I heard my doc say something about the cord around her neck and I sort of just stopped and he told me I couldn't stop, that I needed to pull my legs to my chest and push as hard as I could cause we had to get her out. To me it felt like everyone else was in slow motion because my legs were numb and they had slipped in the stirrups and it seemed like Tim and the nurse were just standing looking at me. (They were great, but I just didn't give them a chance to help apparently.) I grabbed my legs and pulled them up (still don't know how I managed to do this on my own) and pushed like never before. I remember thinking this was the hardest I had ever pushed and that I couldn't do it anymore, but obviously I had to keep going.
 (4:13) With one more push she was out. She had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and tightly and then once around her leg. The doc got the cord unwrapped and got her to cry and then grabbed the cord and gave it a squeeze to get more blood into her (that was really weird and apparently looked gross, too). The nurse put Sam on my chest and kept rubbing her with a blanket to get her to cry more. I thought she looked really dark until I realized she was purple from the cord being so tight around her. 

 After a few minutes she was looking much better, although her hands and feet were very pale for quite a while. They gave us about 30 minutes or so with her until a nurse from the nursery came in to weigh and measure her. (Her apgars, if anyone cares, were 8/9.) I think this is the first time that someone from the nursery hasn't been there during delivery and I thought it was really nice to just have my nurse, my doctor and Tim with me.

Sam's first night was interesting. Apparently she was used to the noise of her siblings and so whenever our room was quite she would wake up and fuss. She mainly slept in our arms and with the noise of the TV and her daddy talking her to sleep. She is still great sleeping through the regular noise around the house and has gotten used to it being quiet at night (although we turn on the noise machine for a few minutes when we lay her down).

  6 days old

She is an amazing baby and we are all so in love with her.

Sam's Birth Story: Part One

*If you cringe at the words "dilation" and "effacement" or just don't care for the lovely details of giving birth, please feel free to skip this post.

The days leading up to my due date I had several episodes of false labor (and it was driving me nuts). I was sort of worried that when I was in real labor that I would be doubting myself and not make it to the hospital that is an hour away (on a good day). Also, there was the little hick up of having a kid in school that would need to get home and two kids that would be with me if labor started between 6am and 6pm. Thankfully my mom was on high alert (calling every morning to check on me) and was my go to person to call in the event of labor starting while Tim was at work.

Since there was no baby on Wednesday (12-12) I called the doctor's office and scheduled my 40 week appointment for Friday. Wednesday afternoon and evening I had a ton of contractions and as soon as they got between 7 and 12 minutes apart they stopped. Thursday I had a few random, more intense contractions, but I was really discouraging labor to start by being as lazy as possible because the 13th is my niece's birthday and honestly I just didn't want my girl to have to share a birthday with someone close to her. (I know it sounds selfish.)

So, on Friday I took D to school with the intention to see him at the bus stop in the afternoon. I headed to my mom's house because for the past three appointments she had decided I didn't need to go alone because, "what if I went into labor?!" I had packed everything up that wasn't already in our bags and was prepared to have a baby (although I thought being prepared would lead to heading back home- jinxing things, if you will). 

(10:45-11:45am)
 The doc came in and looked me in disbelief because he thought for sure I would not make it my due date since I was so close when he saw me the prior Thursday during my trip to labor & delivery for false labor. He examined me and said I was about 5 cm dilated and 60% effaced and baby had moved down to a -2 station (I had progressed since the hospital trip). Basically I was a ticking time bomb for labor to start. He gave me the option to head to the hospital and have my water broken or to wait things out. I called Tim (I was so nervous- I honestly had not expected the option of having a baby that day) and we agreed that we would go in only if my doctor would be able to deliver and he wasn't on call for the weekend. It turns out my doc would NOT be on call over the weekend (but a really good doctor would be) and that if I chose to go in my doctor would definitely be there for me on Friday. I decided that I'd much rather have my doctor deliver than someone I'd never met before and we made our way over to the hospital.

(12pm)
I was so nervous on the way there. Tim actually beat us to the hospital and I jumped out at the hospital entrance, told the kids goodbye, gave my mom some hasty last minute instructions and we were on our way to labor and delivery. On our way up Tim called the school, church and anyone else that needed to be informed... my head was spinning as I was realizing that I was definitely going to have a baby that day and I was kind of worried about how things would go.

(12-1:00pm)
Our nurse was awesome. She joked with us, we discussed ridiculous birth plans, rolled our eyes at the weirdos that she sometimes deals with and basically made us feel comfortable and in good hands. She got me hooked up to an IV (which at some point blew out my vein and my forearm swelled up and really freaked me out) and gave me 2 bags of fluids (I think) before she started pitocin at 1:00. (Although I was kind of hoping they wouldn't give me pitocin due to the terrible contractions it causes they didn't have to give me much.)

(1-2pm)
According to my text messages (yeah, I texted up until push time) my contractions started picking up and getting stronger just 25 minutes after getting the pitocin. Around 1:45 my doctor came in and checked me and I was dilated between 5 & 6 and I don't remember effacement. He asked how I was and I was still laughing and being myself (which always seems to surprise him) and I told him I was feeling more contractions and they were getting stronger. He decided to break my water and said that I would feel the contractions even more (um, yeah, like as soon as he was done they started getting painful instead of just being an intense tightness). He predicted we'd have a baby around dinner time (I assumed this would be around 6 pm and I was wondering how I would make it that long because I was starving and could only have ice and water). While he was breaking my water I told my nurse I wanted the epidural. I was warned the anesthesiologist was very precise and took his time so I needed to ask for it before I thought I would need it.

(2-3:30)
I think it was about 2:30 when my epidural was placed and it was perfect timing because I was having to breathe through the contractions while getting it. My nurse was great and was asking about which players were my favorite on our football teams and I was totally blank and couldn't think of a single NFL player. I know I apologized because I just couldn't focus on anything. She laughed and said it didn't really matter that she was just trying to distract me from the contractions. Anyhow, it got done and started working, but it was lighter than my other epidurals have been (I did have the nifty push button). Eventually I stopped feeling the pain of the contractions and remember that my legs were not completely numb (they just felt like they were asleep) so whenever Tim would touch my leg it really bothered me and for the first time with my labors I didn't want to be touched. I did like holding his hand though. I felt pretty good at this point. My nurse came back in to check me and I was "almost a 7" (dilated) and 100% effaced. I thought that things were moving pretty quickly and figured 2 1/2 more hours until I'd see my baby was a pretty good guess.

Okay, well I have to leave you hanging for now. Rose "can't sleep" so we're going to watch some Clifford and chill on the couch until Sam wakes up from her nap. Can't leave you without a couple of pictures though!

She's Here!

Samantha Jane 

Arrived Friday, December 14 at 4:13 in the afternoon.

7 pounds & 9 ounces

19 1/2 inches long

We are back home and doing well. 

More pictures and maybe a little story coming soon.

ignore this (pregnant lady brain explosion)

I'm just sitting here at my dining room table looking at kitchen faucets, cabinet hardware and flooring. Oh, did you think I might be gazing at a newborn? I wish.

Anyhow, today is my niece's birthday and maybe this is selfish, but I don't want my baby to have to share a birthday with her cousin... so she can remain cozy until midnight. This weekend is really not that great with the timing either. Tim and D are participating in our church's Christmas play Pageant (apparently there is a big difference) on Sunday and it would mildly inconvenience some people to have to replace "Benjamin" at the last minute. Although I hope they have at least considered that this might have to happen. D is singing ONE whole song with the children's choir and let me say he is a very talented ventriloquist, but would really be missed.

I scheduled a checkup for tomorrow (even though last week my doc said there would be no need). I am not sure what to expect. Will I be asked to schedule an induction since tomorrow is my due date? How does one decide a good day for birthing? Oh, wait a second... I do that on a daily basis. Okay, today is not a good day baby, wait until tomorrow. Or, this is the perfect time little girl! I'll do some jumping jacks for good measure. The past few afternoon & evenings I've been timing contractions that eventually just stop and so now I'm very skeptical of any contractions and worry about actually knowing when I should head to the hospital when the real thing is happening. I believe this is called "prodromal labor" or false labor. In about 2 hours I'll probably start tracking some contractions only to have them disappear by 8pm. (This is so different than my other pregnancies and makes me feel a little bit crazy.)

Last night I ate almost an entire fresh pineapple by myself (I don't encourage this as my tongue was really sensitive/irritated afterwards) and made pizza with extra basil and lots of jalapenos. Nothing but some heartburn (which I knew would happen). I am not in the circle of pregnant women who take castor oil to get things started. That is gross and I'm not that desperate. I am beginning to think that this baby is just trying to be considerate and wait until the 21st to come because that's D's last day of school before winter break. I wouldn't have to worry about him getting to school or driving or anything really if she waited until then.

I know she'll come when she's ready and I actually don't mind waiting a little bit longer because all the kitchen stuff I mentioned? It would be cool if it were done before she arrived. It's just the "false" labor that is irritating. And finally being mentally ready for her and now she's just hanging out like she has all the time in the world. I bet she's just worried about her hair looking good. Honestly, I'll never be able to protect her/shelter her like I am now. She's cozy and happy (? I assume) and once she's born I'll just be fighting against the world for her to stay close to me..... And this is how we know I'm super pregnant-hormonal. I'm not a sappy person so I have to go hang the clothes up before I start bawling my eyes out. So ridiculous. Hope everyone has a cheerful day! I'm going to have a peppermint patty now.

39 weeks

Today is Tuesday, so I'm 39 weeks + 4 days. I figured there is no point in being serious about these bump pictures anymore since I'm only getting bigger. And the baby is only getting bigger, too. Mostly it's the baby- not me.

Pretty sweet picture, yes?

I'm actually feeling pretty good and the heartburn seems to have backed down over the last few days. Each day that I show up to drop D off at school I get the "you're still here!?" look and questions. I found out that I've been added to the teachers' prayer list (they have devotions in the morning).

I haven't been having any consistent contractions or anything to make me believe labor is in my near future. It'll happen when it happens... or as my mom said this morning, "Well, I guess she'll be born on her birthday." Hmm, I guess she will be, but what day is that?

I don't think I have anything else left to say about being pregnant right now... I will say that I'm making this white chili for supper (in the crock pot) and it smells awesome. Now I have to dash out the door and pick up D.

Still here

and still very pregnant. We did have a false alarm Thursday night and went up to Labor and Delivery only to be sent home at 2am. I was afraid that would happen, but better safe than sorry. I was having contractions 4-6 minutes apart... they just weren't doing anything productive. My doctor reluctantly sent me home and told me to skip my appointment Friday morning and not worry about scheduling one for this week. (I'm calling on Wednesday if I don't have a baby by then.) Oh, and the nurses were really nice about the whole thing. Friday and Saturday I pretty much thought I was going crazy waiting. I have never felt like that at the end of a pregnancy before and I really don't ever want to feel that way again. Not to mention that we put everyone on alert and then all weekend Tim was fielding text messages and calls about our status. Definitely not doing that next time until I am for sure admitted and getting the epidural.

Now for the exciting news... D has his first loose tooth! It is so wiggly and I can't believe how excited we are about it. He had been very quiet all day yesterday and then finally revealed to Tim his tooth was loose (I think he was really nervous about it). Anyhow I need to let the tooth fairy know that she needs to be prepared to drop off a gift of some kind... anyone know how to get in touch with her?

I'm going to do some grocery shopping and just go on with life as usual. That's really the only way to stay sane right now. I would post a 39 week picture, but my camera is in the car right now... maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Adios for now.

random

So... this is officially the longest I have been pregnant. I am not complaining! Honestly I know I have been so lucky to not ever have to see my due date pass without having a baby already, but yesterday I was so anxious for her arrival. Today I am content again with whenever she's ready. (Although I am very uncomfortable and delightfully irritable.)

Enough about that already. I started my Christmas shopping today. We spent a chunk of our time meandering around in the Christmas section at the store and I started getting that itch to decorate. I wanted to buy new ornaments and garland and lights and have a real tree.... I figure it's really just nesting and kept it to 3 ornaments; one for each of the kids. It just hit me that I should have bought one for the baby. Oh well. Plenty of time for that. Anyhow, my family draws names for Christmas and this year we have my brother and my dad to buy for. We also get a handy little list of things they want so I think it's going to be pretty easy. One asked for socks and the other wants honey roasted cashews.

I ordered the boys' big presents today which is really nice to have checked off the list. I'll need to get a couple of things for their stockings and I have Rose's present already stashed away. I really don't know what else to get them...

I guess that's it for now. I think I'm going to re-organize my hospital bag.

wordless wednesday

I think I'm ready now

Last night I got really antsy and I hadn't been feeling myself all day, but here I am with baby still kicking my ribs. I had a lot of back pain which makes me a little bit nervous that this girl is face up. Rose was face up, but my labor did not seem any more painful than the others and I don't remember having any "back labor".

I think I may be nesting. Or maybe I just decided to be a productive grown up today. I have swept and mopped the floors, cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, washed and dried the kitchen & bath rugs, made sure the kids' bag is packed, put away almost all of the laundry (except some socks and pjs), cleared off most of the junk that accumulates on the piano... Supper is in the crock pot (chicken & dumplings) and I have a strawberry cake baking.

Just waiting now....

38 weeks

+ 3days.

It's funny to me how everyone is starting to get so anxious about my impending labor. I was asked yesterday if it was true that I had a contraction (rumors)... No! It could be any day now (the other 3 kiddos were all about 10 days early). 

The heartburn is still hanging around and I can no longer even have a sip of juice without setting it off. I've been drinking lots of milk instead. And water. As far as cravings I really wanted cookies last week, but didn't bake any so it sort of went away. I don't think I've been having many cravings lately. Little Lady still feels like she's residing in my ribs, especially while riding in a car and the lower back/hip pain is back. 

Early on I predicted we'd meet this girl on December 4th, but I am leaning more towards the 7th now. I also think she'll be around 7 pounds 8 ounces. If you want to leave a guess in the comments please do! It will be fun to see if anyone's guess is right.

That's all for now as I am sort of in nesting mode and trying to make sure everything is in order around here. Happy Monday!!

37 weeks

was actually last Friday, but I am finally able to post a picture today. 

and a few other pics...

top left: the mustang statue & 3 lil' Texans
top right: kids running up the steps... preggers couldn't keep up
bottom left: The Fearless 3 & saber tooth tiger
bottom right: preggers poses next to massive oak tree (did not make her look smaller) while offspring try to climb (they were terribly unsuccessful... obviously related to chimps)

Happy Wednesday to you!

Make Ahead Meals

Yesterday it hit me that this could possibly be the last week I have pre- (4th)baby. (I tend to have my babies 10 days early.) Although I had all the baby stuff "ready" it wasn't organized at all... just sitting in a corner in my room. So, I organized, cleaned, washed lots and lots of laundry, started packing the kiddo's overnight bag and started wondering what happened to all those freezer meals I wanted to make. Oh, I never made any! Well, that has to change.

Last night I made spaghetti and doubled the amount of sauce so I could freeze half of it. Half a meal in the freezer! Here's what else I plan on making (if you are interested):

Muffins
Made a batch this morning- I omitted the chocolate chips (for certain people) and used cinnamon chips, a dash of nutmeg and pumpkin spice- they taste great! Yes, this recipe uses sour cream and I have used yogurt in it's place before with no problem. They are delicious.

Cafe Rio Chicken I made this for the first time last week and Tim thought it was amazing. I doubled the recipe so I can freeze half and make dinner with it tonight. I'm thinking it would be good for chicken enchiladas; we used it for tacos last week.

Mini Bisquick Quiches I'll be making these tomorrow. I like that I can freeze them and just pull out however many we want to eat instead of making an entire quiche that may not get eaten- picky children.

Broccoli Cheese Soup I've had broccoli cheese soup three times in my life- sad, I know. Anyhow, I'm going to try this out and hope it rocks.

Roast
Making a roast is not difficult. I just throw a 3-4 pound roast in the crock pot with salt and pepper and about a cup of beef broth. Set the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours and that's it! You can toss some baby carrots in there about half way through cooking and make some mashed potatoes and boom! Meal made with minimal effort, but tastes awesome.

Stuffed Pasta Shells
I made these a few weeks ago and the boys told me that they could eat them every night. Here's what you need: 27-30 jumbo pasta shells, cooked (or boiled, whatever). A large container of small curd cottage cheese, an egg, half a cup of frozen chopped spinach, basil to taste, a handful of mozzarella. Mix all that together and then spoon inside shells. Top with your favorite pasta sauce and generously cover with mozzarella. Bake at 350 until bubbly. *This fed our family of hearty eaters with leftovers*

White Chicken Enchiladas These are good! Not spicy, but obviously you can add whatever you want to make them spicier. I will probably freeze it with the sauce (I know, it says not to, but I'm a rebel) because I don't want to have to think about anything besides pulling out a meal and popping it in the oven when I'm surviving on 3 hours of sleep.

Chili and cornbread muffins
My recipe is pretty simple and sorry, I rarely measure any ingredients. 1 pound ground meat, chopped onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, tomato sauce + beef broth or water. I usually just add the spices until it smells right.

I will most likely make and freeze some waffles or pancakes, too. If I think of anything else I'll update this post, but I think for now this list will work well.

last week

Once again blogger won't let me upload pictures so you'll have to use your imagination.
I pretty much abandoned the blog last week so here's what's been going on. First of all, Rose is doing much better. Two trips to the doctor, a chest x-ray, two prescriptions and a nebulizer to get her better, but at least we didn't have to take her to the ER or spend any time in the hospital. (The doc we saw on our first visit gave us instructions to take her straight to the children's hospital if her breathing worsened over night. Thankfully it didn't; it was much better that evening.) So, she's finishing up her medicines and hasn't needed the nebulizer in a few days (yay!!), but over the weekend D started his cough-cough-coughing once again. I hate seeing my kids sick. Plus, it's tiring for all of us.

Thanksgiving was nice. My brother in law made a smoked turkey that was so, so good. I didn't really overindulge. I wanted to, but being super pregnant I can only eat a little bit at a time before I feel stuffed.

Friday we went to the museum like we did last year. We made it through a bit quicker this year, partly because we knew where the cool stuff was and partly because the kids walked faster. I also had Tim take my 37 week preggo picture- you can imagine it looked about the same as the 36 week one. After the museum we went to Maudie's for lunch (just like last year) where I did eat until I was stuffed. I did not regret it at all. In fact, I didn't even get heartburn.

Saturday the kids and I spent the day lounging around while Tim worked on house stuff. It was a very successful day. Yesterday I gritted my teeth and went grocery shopping (it was definitely crowded, but not as terrible as I thought it'd be). D wasn't feeling great, but around 3 in the afternoon we loaded up and headed to the back stock tank where we got real country-fied and took turns shooting our pellet gun. If only blogger would let me upload the pics, they are really awesome.

Today D is still feeling less than awesome so he's home from school (although we are going to get his school work later) and I am diving in to cleaning. This baby could come any day now and I want everything to be organized before she does. Okay so I gotta get things going or it'll never get done!

just a quick update

So D has this whole week off for Thanksgiving break. When I was in school I believe we only got off Wednesday- Friday so, it's kind of awesome that he gets an entire week off. Yesterday we did our final grocery shopping trip prior to turkey day and the stores were already insane. It was so crowded and people were not as polite as usual, but I managed to not get caught up in the rush everyone seemed to be in. I even bought doughnuts since the kids were being fairly well behaved (we ate them afterwards while we waited in line for super cheap gas).

D and Ry spent most of the day outside riding their bikes and I repeatedly loaded and emptied the washer and dryer. (Now I need to put all that laundry away.) I also made a pie for Tim's work's t-day lunch that is today.

Today I'm cleaning up and then taking Rose to the doctor since she isn't feeling well. Last night was miserable, but even when she was obviously feeling terrible she managed to give me lots of big smiles. She's got a cough and "noisy breathing" which will almost always prompt us to visit the doctor. A cough and runny nose I handle just fine, but wheezing or grunty breathing makes me paranoid about it becoming pneumonia. Of course all the doctor's offices are busy since kids are on school break and it's a great time to get checkups done, but after talking to a nurse she found us an afternoon appointment. Hopefully we'll have her feeling better soon and I'll update tomorrow.

adios friends.

36 Weeks

 It's hard to believe I'm only 4 weeks away from my due date.... especially considering I've never made it past 38 & 1/2 weeks. Every once in a while if I look at the calendar or really think about the time I have left to get prepared I sort of freak out a little.

Even though I'm getting uncomfortable carrying this little lady I am totally okay if she wants to hang in there until due date or even later. (I know, it sounds crazy!) The fact is, we are trying to get a major project completed before she gets here. If she comes early I doubt we will be done, but give us 4-6 weeks and I think everything will be ready. (It's a house project, okay? I'm sorry I'm keeping everyone in the dark about it! It's a little nerve racking.) Even if she does come early, it will all work out fine, it would just be nice to have the house stuff completed and out of the way.

Only half a smile because it's very windy outside and it's cold(ish).

On we go with actual pregnancy details. Yesterday I had an appointment... the not highly anticipated 36 week appointment (let's just say it was not just a weight and blood pressure check- more invasive). Anyhow! I didn't gain any poundage which shocked both me and my doctor (I've never not gained for an appointment), but there were no concerns about that. The nurse commented that I was "really looking pregnant" and I thanked her (I don't know why) and said that I was feeling really pregnant which made her laugh and have to retake my blood pressure.

The little rib jabber is still head down (and had better stay that way) and still in a pretty high station. Progression? Yes. (Not gonna go into detail here, ladies you probably know what I'm referring to.)  I am to see the doc in two weeks because unfortunately they will not be hosting a Thanksgiving party for all the preggy ladies next Thursday. At that appointment I will be one day shy of 38 weeks. (I bet I will have gained some weight at that checkup no thanks to pumpkin cheesecake.)

Still having lots of flamage which has caused me to wake up in the middle of the night and chug some milk and I waddle unless I'm in public and then I suck it up and walk normal. I think? I may have waddled through Target yesterday I really don't know. Oh, and a new one- snoring. I slept decently last night, but Tim claims I snored all night and he didn't sleep. I said "no way" and "now you know how it feels". (Love you Honey!)

I feel like I have rambled enough and it's time to hit the publish button and walk away. So I will do that. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

been up to nothing.

I'm here. I just don't have a lot to say I guess.... so here's some things from this week- list form, of course.

1. I am really tired. 
2. I had two swigs of orange juice (yeah, straight out the jug) which made my esophagus immediately catch fire. 
3. I probably ate 2 dozen peanut butter chip cookies by myself over the course of 48 hours.
4. We (I mean Tim) put up a new shower head last night and it is glorious. 
5. I have made wonderful dinners all week except for today. I didn't get my act together this morning to make stew in the crock pot so now I have to figure something out. Fast. 
6. I am having a good hair day!
7. Another bump update coming tomorrow. Prepare yourselves for an underwhelming post. 
8. The kids have been playing outside until dark (or after) which is really nice.
9. The receptionist at my doctor's office thinks my kids are so well behaved. I think so too, most of the time, but it's always nice to hear it from someone else. 
10.  I want a chocolate shake and some french fries. The fries are to dip in the shake. Stop shaking your head, it's a wonderful combination. 

That's gonna have to be it for now. I am ready to fall asleep and it's not even 5pm yet. Also, my kids are throwing things at each other so I have to go prevent an ER visit. adios. 

35 Weeks + Packing the Hospital Bag

It's time to pack up that hospital bag! I've got five weeks left until my due date...

(smuggling an out of season watermelon while gazing into the distance... no one will even notice)

Nothing really exciting going on this week. Heartburn is now a 24/7 joy and I have been sleeping like a baby- up every two hours. Enough about the bliss of the third trimester....

And now on to what I've packed for our little trip to the hospital where we shall have a baby. (To my male readers- please skip this and go watch some football highlights. Okaythanksbye.)

For Mama

Lip balm
hair ties & brush
Shampoo & Conditioner (or dry shampoo)
Body wash
Deoderant
Toothbrush and paste
2 pairs of comfy, no skid socks (& possibly flip flops for the shower)
Yoga (lounge) pants
1-2 nursing tank tops
Lightweight cardigan or wrap
Undies that you care nothing about (the hospital usually provides mesh undies that are excellent)
Lanolin or equivalent (I'm taking this one - I didn't care for the pure lanolin last time around.)
Nursing pads
Phone & charger
Camera with memory card and fully charged battery
Maxi pads (the hospital usually provides these, but just in case pack some of your own- ginormous sized- you'll need them at home anyhow)
Mascara (I've never packed any makeup, but it won't hurt to have it in case I want to look nice for guests. Guests? I mean visitors, of course.)
Face cleansing wipes (before you're able to get up to shower at least you can freshen your sweaty forehead)

For Baby

Car seat (it's frowned upon if you don't have one)
Newborn "scratch mittens" (or if you're being super frugal a pair of socks will also work)
Swaddling blanket (the hospital has them, but I always thought they felt rough)
Hat (you'll probably get a standard issue pink & blue knit from the hospital)
Heavier weight blanket to use on the way home (over baby in car seat since it'll be December)
Burp cloths (I use pre-fold cloth diapers most of the time)
2 sleepers (newborn and 0-3 size) to go home in
Socks
Hairbrush (just in case baby shows up with a generous amount of hair)

The hospital will usually supply diapers and wipes, but go ahead a pack some of your own (you never know).

I have never packed snacks, reading material, my own pillow or my boppy. My hospital has been generous with the amount of pillows they give me and unlike a lot of places (apparently) they are usually fluffy and not flat. Obviously you can throw one of yours in the car (make sure you put a colorful pillowcase on it) and if the pillows at your hospital are sub par you can have someone bring it in to you.

If you anticipate a lot of visitors pack an extra bag (like a reusable shopping bag that won't take up a lot of room) because many visitors will bring a little gift and it's much easier to put it all in one bag than to have to handle 10 gift bags. Whoever is shlepping the stuff to the car will thank you. Also! You might get to take home a lot of hospital provided things that have already been opened (like diapers). Ask your nurse if you are allowed to take stuff if you feel weird doing that. My nurses usually opened up the drawers on the bassinet and threw stuff at us to take home because they couldn't re use anything that had been opened.

When I look in my bag it seems very... sparse. Maybe that's because the bag itself is so big. It's good though, because I can throw any last minute things in there that I think I'll need (maybe some stuff for Tim). I hope this is helpful to anyone that stumbles across this. Experienced Mamas feel free to add to the list in the comment section the items you found essential or the things that were useless. And good luck to all you expecting moms- you look beautiful! 

So Random

This week has been b-u-s-y! Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment, it was D's birthday and we had to truck it to our polling place to vote. Yesterday I took the kids to chapel (they did good), we met my mom in town so I could help her pick out some presents for D and then it was grocery shopping time. Yesterday I was thankful for my crock pot. I made shredded bbq chicken and all the kids liked it (it never ceases to amaze me when they ask for seconds at supper). The recipe is super simple- I used frozen chicken breasts (1-2 lbs) and poured half a jar of bbq sauce on top and set the crock pot to high for 5 hours. When 6pm rolled around I took out the chicken and it was really easy to pull apart/shred with two forks and I whipped up some mac & cheese for our side. We did add more bbq sauce to our sandwiches.

I've been living off of leftover spinach and cheese stuffed pasta shells since Tuesday night. They are so good! I also ate way more than my fair share of cupcakes this week. Oops.

I am finishing packing my hospital bag (still need a few items) and then I'll post that for those of you that are interested. (I'm sure there are many of you waiting on the edge of your seat for that one!)

Tonight my family is having a triple birthday party for D, my little sis and my dad (their birthdays are all in a row). I got in touch with my very limited crafty-mom side by taking a brown paper shopping bag and having Ry and Rose paint it so I could turn it into wrapping paper. I even went as far as cutting an aging apple in half so they could stamp stars (do you know about the star inside the apple?) but that didn't work out quite well. Well, the painting was great, the apple stamping was not. And now I need to sweep and throw the towels in the dryer so I can be done for the day.
Alrighty... adios.

What we have here is

 the most awesome 6 year old I know


and the cupcakes he shared with his class.

(If you look closely you can see the "I Voted" sticker on D's shirt- yep he voted at school today.)

Happy birthday to my Big D.

Sunday Afternoon

Tomorrow is D's 6th birthday and we decided to let him pick out his present this year. Much to his surprise we ended up in the bike aisle instead of the grocery section of the store.

He could barely contain his excitement upon seeing ALL! THE! BICYCLES! Then he starting asking us "Can I please get a bike?!" over and over and over....


We almost got this green one, but ended up with....

this awesome bright orange bike. (This one is a much better fit.) Look at that kid's face. He was SO happy!

Ry already has his eye on a bike for when he turns 5 (every time we enter a store all he talks about is his birthday- even at the grocery store). Rose is telling everyone she is getting a pink bicycle on her birthday. They are so cute.

 

I think he will remember this birthday for a long time. 

ten happy things friday

one
Homemade cinnamon rolls.

two
The hot orange juice remedy for sore throats that was passed down from Tim's grandma.

three
Onion rings from Sonic.

four
Rose is hilarious. She just walked over to me, put her hands on her hips (I've never seen her do this) and asked if she could have some oatmeal now. Last night when I was putting her in bed, for the second time, she asked if I would come back "to-mah-yo" and wake her up and then told me "adios".

five
We received our first two issues of National Geographic Kids magazine this week. The boys love stealing our NG to look at the pictures, watching Nature, Nova and anything like that on PBS, so I know they will enjoy their very own NG magazine.

six
Cocoa in my coffee with half & half. So good.

seven
I think I have everything for the baby except one thing that isn't even a necessity (a cute hat). 

eight
Glad it's Friday.

nine
Got to see our friends yesterday that we haven't seen in sooooo long! (Stop moving so far away you guys.)

ten
34 weeks today... we're getting so close to due date time!

wednesday already?

Based on my lack of posting you'd think I've been so busy, but I haven't been. Not more than the usual, I guess. Sadly, I don't even remember what I did Monday besides grocery shopping and that's not a fond memory anyhow. Yesterday I made 5 pans of cinnamon rolls and promptly ate half of one before anyone could stop me. I had to make sure they were good! (I did get heartburn from eating too many so... actions have consequences, blah blah blah.)

This morning was the usual hustle and bustle to school with some mommy bravery on the side as I didn't throw a pull up on Rose... she is a "big girl" now. Recently she has really impressed us and I think it's time she gets her certificate of success and promotion to undies full time. Sadly, for those of you thinking of potty training your kiddo, I don't have any super awesome secrets to share. I gave myself 9 months (basically we wanted her potty trained by the time the baby was born), she was "ready", able to communicate (seriously, I feel this is a major factor in potty training) and I was ready (another major factor). We took it one failure or success at a time.

Tonight we're going to our church's festival with Cinderella, Iron Man and Optimus Prime. (Rose was going to be a unicorn, but unfortunately that costume was a tad bit too small. Thanks to Uncle E for the cool costumes, that was a great surprise!) I hope everyone has a fun night! Happy whatever it is you're celebrating! I've got to make some worms (spaghetti) for dinner now.

33 weeks

Tomorrow I'm 33 weeks, not that I think 12 hours is really going to make a difference here.

I feel like this baby is huge. This girl is frequently hitting my ribs and making me wince with her very painful jabs. She is head down (and has been for a while) and growing nicely. Apparently she weighs four pounds and I am gaining (supposed to be, anyhow) a pound a week.... half a pound goes to her and half a pound is "water retention" that goes to me.

I've been slowing down on my eating everything in sight routine. I just don't feel as hungry anymore, although there are certainly times when I feel famished. No particular cravings to mention, but I do find myself gulping cranberry grape juice any chance I get. Heartburn loves me. Interesting little fact about that.... old wives tale that heartburn during pregnancy was a sure sign that the baby would be born with a nice head of hair has been scientifically proven. I read that article and instantly thought back on my previous pregnancies and I have concluded that it is indeed true. I didn't have much heartburn with my first and he was not completely bald, but close to it. My second and third I could not go to bed without taking tums first and eventually backed off eating trigger foods. With this one it has been bad for quite a while and I have tried my best to not eat anything after 4pm that will set off the flames (I miss salsa). I hypothesize that this baby girl will have lots of hair.

Nesting has not picked up any. I am still slowly packing my hospital bag and I think I'm about done with that. Next month I plan on making some freezer meals so that I'm not forcing everyone to eat pasta or cold cereal for supper for a couple of weeks after the baby is born. Any suggestions for me? I plan on throwing in some ready for the crock pot meals, too (stew, potato soup, honey bourbon chicken).

That about wraps up this little journal entry. I thought about making a pumpkin cake today, but it might be too late for that. Whatever, I'm making it anyway. Adios my good friends.

p.s. happy birthday to my very sweet mother-in-law!

back to normal

D went back to school today and seeing all the kids in his class run up and greet him was so cute this morning. The first thing he did was give his teacher a big hug; I am so thankful that he likes her so much. (He's feeling better and just has a cough that wants to hang around.)

My other two munchkins and I headed out to do some shopping and hit up all three home improvement stores in town. I was expecting to stop only at Home Depot, but unfortunately their restrooms were under construction (Rose had to go potty) and I couldn't find the caulk I was looking for. So... across the highway to Lowe's we rolled. I found one part of my caulk (I needed two kinds) and thankfully their restrooms were open, as well as very clean. One more stop and I found what I hope is the right caulk and we were on our way home. We also went to the grocery store and found some ready to bake gingerbread cookies that I'm about to pop in the oven. Mmm... can't wait!

Happy Wednesday!

what was monday

I read something a few weeks ago that went something like this, "We make plans and God laughs." Yeah, that was yesterday. Yesterday I was going to go shopping by myself, go to my checkup and then come home rested and refreshed. Unfortunately D woke up with a low grade fever and cough that couldn't be ignored. I decided he wouldn't be going to school and then upon further evaluation thought he might need to see the doctor. The doc had two appointments... one coincided with my own appointment and the other gave us 15 seconds to get on the road and maybe make it in time. I managed to already have plans for Ry and Rose to visit their Pappy G (my awesome father in law) so they went on their way and I went mine. I also stopped panicking and being flustered with the situation because, really, things were working out fairly well.

D's doc diagnosed him with the start of an ear infection, congestion and a little case of bronchitis. I knew it was bad when I heard D wheeze with every breath he took for the doc. He has his very own inhaler now. Awesome.

After that we went to Chik-fil-A and ate lunch, Target (where I sped through throwing things in my cart that I desperately needed) and then to my appointment. I was early. I chatted with the doctor and asked him (since it's trendy and all) if I needed to write a birth plan. He laughed and asked if I really thought I needed one. Then he said all the nurses cringe when they get handed one and he throws them away anyhow. I felt relieved; I didn't want to write one anyway. He mentioned that this might be my biggest baby... then after looking at my worried expression said, "Probably not 9 or 10 pounds... around 8." Ry holds the record for my biggest baby at 7.15 and I remember that being a breeze. (Apparently I feel really confident 7ish weeks away from my due date.)

D stayed home today since he was still coughing every 5 seconds this morning. We stopped by the school and picked up his missed work which he has already finished today. It's nap time now so I am going to try to get something done, but it seems almost impossible as I am needed every 23 seconds.

ten happy things friday

one
cooler weather

two
pumpkin pie creamer (finally found it!!)

three
Something we've been working on for a while is finally going to be possible! It kind of feels like a dream coming true.

four
golden grahams

five
tiny baby socks

six
nice people

seven
the way Rose insists on kissing D on the nose when we drop him off at school

eight
love hearing Ry strike up conversations with everyone he meets

nine
I like that D rarely lets me forget to pray in the mornings and that he gives me so many hugs

ten
new nail polish

ten happy things friday

one
My sister got me some really cool earrings!

two
Our public library has preschool story time on Wednesday mornings and I'm planning on taking Ry and Rose next week. I'm nervous, but we'll see how it turns out.

three
The kindergarten- 3rd grade choir is singing in church on Sunday. So... D is singing on Sunday!

four
I managed to get pulled over by a trooper on my 3 minute drive to the bus stop on Tuesday and got out with a warning (thank goodness).

five
We had breakfast for dinner last night and it made me happy.

six
I started packing my hospital bag this morning. So far I have a burp cloth and swaddling blanket for the baby and a wrap/ sweater for me. Totally prepared. (Nothing else is packed because I got distracted. So typical.)

seven
I signed us up to work the kindergarten booth (for a half hour) during the school/church fall festival. I'm pretty sure we can manage clipping some prizes on to a "fishing pole" for 30 minutes.

eight
I'm 31 weeks today so roughly 7- 8 weeks to go if I stick to this little trend:
Baby #1 @ 38weeks 4 days, Babe #2 @ 38 weeks 2 days and Bambina (#3) @ 38 weeks 3 days

nine
I'm making chili tonight. It's not chili weather. At all.

ten
The boys ran up to me a few nights ago while we were outside and claimed that they had seen a snake. I looked and never found it and then Tim looked and still nothing. I figured the snake had escaped and was a tiny bit skeptical of the whole thing.... This afternoon I see something that looks a lot like a snake in the kids outside play room. Turns out they were telling the truth. I'm also really proud of them for following the rules of seeing a snake: RUN AWAY.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Tuesday Tidbits

I have a little bit of the nesting bug today (as soon as I type this out I'm sure it will disappear) and thought I would sit down and take a little break. I have done so much laundry today in the effort to make sure all the baskets/hampers are empty when this baby arrives, because who wants three baskets of laundry waiting for them when they get home from the hospital? Not me. So... I really have to keep up with it now.

Yesterday I was gone most of the day grocery shopping, dropping the kids off at my mom's and getting a checkup. The baby is growing wonderfully, especially with the steady diet of cookies that I've been on (the scale didn't hold anything back). That has to stop, though, so I made this potato soup yesterday for supper. I cut the recipe in half and it was more than enough and delicious. I will definitely be making it again and again. It's really budget friendly. As in less than a $1/serving by my completely accurate calculations.

I better get back to managing what's still left to clean up.... the kitchen has been sorely neglected today. More exciting things tomorrow. Maybe.

ten happy things friday

one
breakfast tacos
(You mean I started out with food right off the bat? Crazy.)

two
I'm head over heels with reese's pieces.

three
30 weeks today. What?!

four
Parks and Rec last night. Did anyone watch? I laughed so hard when the city councilman was eating his lunch (same thing everyday for 50 years... caesar salad, extra dressing, extra croutons & extra anchovies) because what have I been packing Tim for lunch (almost) everyday for the past couple of months? Salad. Extra dressing, extra croutons. Maybe it's only funny to me.

five
Once a week I wash my hair by mixing baking soda with my shampoo and then I rinse it out (my hair is left squeaky- squeaky clean) then I do a rinse with vinegar (make sure the baking soda shampoo is completely rinsed out.) which leaves my hair super soft and then I rinse that out with cool water. I don't have to wash my hair for at least four days after I do this. (Do NOT let the vinegar get on your face- it burns. I know, I know.)

six
Cold front (or cool front, whatever) is coming through tomorrow. The high will be 76. (It's supposed to be 66 on Sunday.... don't know if I totally believe that.)

seven
I have a lot of pictures of Roxanne (and family) that I'm going to share soon.

eight
Bragging on D... we got his report card this week and he is one of the top 3 readers in his class. He is also extremely well mannered and considerate. We are so very proud of him!

nine
I used Grandma's cookie dough recipe the past few times I made cookies. Really, it's a great recipe... my secret is to double the vanilla extract. Oh, not a secret anymore.

ten
It's a 3 day weekend for D. Tim still has to go to work on Monday and I have a doctor's appointment that day so... we still have to get out of our pajamas. But not until noon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Try, at least. 

streaming live from preggo brain

My blogging has been lacking lately. When I have time to write I find myself obsessively researching hospital bag packing lists and what I still need for the baby and reading birth stories.... as if I haven't done this 3 times already. I really need to chill out. And when I'm not stressing about that stuff I'm stressing about managing everything I do with a newborn. Everything I do.... um, mainly just making sure we are all presentable to drop D off at school. Yesterday I saw a mom at school with two preschoolers and a newborn. They were all dressed and they were on time. It gave me hope that I can do it, too. It sounds sort of ridiculous when I say it out loud (like I did to Tim yesterday and writing it here), but I've been in a pretty good groove with these three so I'm just praying this little girl is a cooperative team player and takes it easy on her mama. 

I read a lot of posts on message boards and blogs that the mom-to-be is saying how she wants to have the baby early (well, full term- 37 weeks) instead of later (due date or later). I was sure with D that I would go past due, but he came 10 days early. With Ry I wanted him out! I waddled around dilated for 3 weeks and he came before his due date, too. When I was pregnant with Rose I just knew she was coming before her due date and I predicted the date (I was right!) ten days early again. This time around I find myself in no hurry for the baby to arrive. Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited about her and I can't wait to have her here in my arms instead of kicking me in the ribs, but I feel much more relaxed that she'll come when she's ready. I probably won't be forcing spicy foods and fresh pineapple down my throat and all the other things women do to speed up labor starting. I did it once before and I don't regret it, but I was in such a hurry that I don't want to do that again. (Talk to me again in about 8 weeks, I might change my mind.)

I'm preparing for a baby in eight-ish weeks in case she follows her siblings and wants to be "early", too. I'm predicting that she'll be long (at least 20 1/2 in), I'm not sure about weight... maybe around 7 pounds 6 ounces (random or what?). That seems to be about the middle of road with mine being from 6.15 -7.15. And although we are pretty much all Monday babies (except Ry- Sunday) I'm thinking a Friday for this girl.

Well, I'm stopping myself before this goes on forever. I promised a kid or three that I would make cookies today so I better get on that while I have the time. The grocery store didn't have reese's peanut butter chips... like I even care. (I care. A lot. It was quite the let down, but no worries I found the little reese's pieces candies to put in the cookies. Not obsessed.)

tiny tuesday

I made a batch of pumpkin cookies using a recipe that is simply a boxed cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. (Recipe here.) I left out the chocolate chips because I didn't want them and also I didn't have any. They are okay. They are super cakey (imagine that), light and airy and moist. I think they would make great mini muffins, but I'm enjoying them with a glass a milk right now and not regretting making them.

Now I have to figure out what to make for supper. And referee the kids apparently. Have a nice afternoon/evening!

ten happy things friday

one
I washed all the new baby's (newborn sized) clothes this week and they are hanging in my closet. She's going to be in our room for a while until she's (mostly) sleeping through the night so it makes sense to have her clothes there, too. Anyhow, having her clothes there makes me even more excited to meet her!

two
Vanilla ice cream with crushed pretzels and reese's peanut butter cups.

three
I really like my new jeans that aren't maternity (just a few million sizes bigger than pre preggo size). They are so comfortable.

four
Nap time is already over?! Rose took a much needed nap today (sort of seemed short, though).

five
The way Rose talks. It's adorable.

six
I think heavy cream is way better than regular milk in coffee.

seven
I've had a pretty good week.

eight
This morning D's teacher complimented him about his good manners. She said he always waits his turn to speak and is the most polite, always saying please, thank you and you're welcome. (Totally a "we're doing something right!" parenting moment.)

nine
Dinners this week have been so good!

ten
Ready to have some cake tonight for my Opa's birthday!

Almost like Lions and Tigers and Bears- Oh my!

Our friend Carson has a game camera set up at the back of our place. We checked out the pictures on it last night and I thought I'd share what the camera caught.

First, there are a few deer that we've been watching for months now and you'll get to see the older one- Sam Elliot (yes, they get named). Secondly, there are a lot of wild hogs (terrible creatures) that come through and tear up things. They get huge. The one you will see has been named... Mr. Balls. (I didn't name him.) Then we see a family of racoons, I counted nine on one of the pictures. They climb the legs of the feeder and hang upside down trying to get to the feed. They climb on the camera, too.
Ah, but let's see the pictures!

Sam Elliot

Mr. Balls

Roxanne (I did name her)

The racoons crack me up and I will probably do a post with just them sometime soon.

I've saved the best for last. Here's a rare sight- a bobcat. (At least it wasn't that damn mountain lion.)

This was the last picture on the card, taken yesterday morning. I saw it and promptly flipped out. It's a big bobcat, too. The boys absolutely went crazy with their questions. Watch out Roxanne.

This morning on the way to school we saw a coyote run across the road and into a field. D was so excited because he saw it, too (the kids rarely get to see coyotes, but they do hear them a lot). He couldn't wait to tell all his friends at school about the bobcat and coyote.

And that, my friends, is part of this life in the country. I think it's a lot of fun.

P.S. I think we came up with a name for the bobcat last night, but I can't remember... any suggestions? Maybe Bert?

Who's Birthday Is It?

On the menu:
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, homemade cream gravy (maybe a vegetable if I get crazy)
Homemade peach cobbler & Blue Bell ice cream

Inside the gift bag:
Impulse purchases made this morning

It's Tim's birthday.



I got all crazy and bought that for you on itunes (last week and I forgot and never told you... until now.)

Ich liebe dich and happy birthday.

Little Lady

Daddy's girl steals his favorite chair every day. She's "belaxing".

(Relaxing for those of you who don't speak toddler.)

She's also giving me "the look" because I'm standing in front of her cartoons (Daniel Tiger).

28 weeks

To be technical I'm actually 28 weeks 3 days. And we all love that pretty picture, don't we?

I guess now that I'm in the third trimester my body decided it was time to loosen up. If you've been pregnant before then you know I'm referring to the relaxin hormone that makes all your joints... relax! Basically my hips are falling apart preparing for the arrival of this child. My lower back is in a constant state of "ouch" that is only relieved by laying (lying?) down. I asked the doctor last week if there was anything I could do about my back pain and he suggested a support band for my growing belly. (I laughed.) He also told me that this little baby was going to triple in size over the next three months. Oh, right, I knew that. But it's not the baby! It's my joints! I feel so old. My second pregnancy was the most painful on my body, but this one is well on it's way to taking that title. And now I will end my complaining. Can I have a cookie?

Am I craving anything lately? Not really. I am slightly obsessed with all things pumpkin, but I think that is due to the Season of Pumpkin and not pregnancy. I had a pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin pancakes this weekend. Totally normal. (This child might be orange when she's born.) Mainly, if it's edible I will probably eat it. Unless it's jelly or raisins... or jello. Gross times three.

Still on an emotional roller coaster, which is Tim's favorite! Just kidding, but that guy is seriously so patient with my random crying and moodiness. I am baking him a cake this weekend (mostly due to his birthday).

Baby girl is between 2 and 3 pounds now, likes to jab at my ribs and roll over or turn, I don't know, but it's uncomfortable. Braxton Hicks contractions are abundant, especially if I get up really fast or have to carry or hold Rose more than 10 minutes.

The baby does have a name, but don't worry, I'm not sharing it until the big arrival post. I'm seeing the doc every two weeks now and I have an awesome goal of not gaining more than a pound a week. I don't know if that's even realistic. Especially with 7 birthdays, Halloween and Thanksgiving between now and due day. Laughable.

That's all for this update. I'm off to indulge in a salad now. (My fav!) Everyone else needs to have a piece of cake for me. Oh, and I passed the glucose test, just got that call from the nurse. Happy dance.

ten happy things friday

one
This morning I had a little impulse to get things organized so I washed, sorted and put away 3 loads of laundry. Now I am moving on to figuring out where to stash the baby clothes I was loaned and try a different shoe organizing system. I feel like a sort of accomplished something.

two
My appointment went well yesterday and I got to hear our little girl's heartbeat again. I'm 28 weeks today.... time is really flying by!

three
The cool air in the mornings this week.

four
Sort of proud that I haven't had ice cream in 2 or 3 weeks.

five
I love these new pants I got from Old Navy. They are either "lounge" pants or yoga pants, but they are so comfortable.

six
I'm craving something sweet so I think I'm going to make a couple loaves of pumpkin bread. One for me and one for everyone else to share.

seven
Reeses peanut butter chips (the kind you put in cookies).

eight
Just a couple more hours until Tim is home and the weekend officially begins.

nine
The apple strudel I had for breakfast yesterday.

ten
Chocolate cake. (Only I don't have any, but it is good stuff.)

well, it's Wednesday

Trying on baby shoes

My sister in law gave me some baby clothes and shoes yesterday. Just in time, too, as I was thisclose to loading an online shopping cart after I counted the 4 body suits and 4 sleepers I purchased a few months ago and having a mild panic attack about the clothing situation. Seeing as how I only have about 12 weeks left to the due date (and I have never made it to a due date yet, so I'm aiming to be ready two weeks early) I am starting to get a hint of the nesting instinct. Just a hint.

Tomorrow I get to do the very fun glucose test at the doctor's office. Thankfully my doctor has never made me drink the orange syrupy stuff that I've always heard about. Instead of doing that I get to fast all night long and then arrive early at the office have some blood drawn and then I am sent off to eat a high sugar breakfast before getting my blood taken again. It's the only time that it's very much okay and encouraged to eat a giant cinnamon roll or doughnuts or pancakes with lots of syrup. After that I am back to my well balanced diet of cookies, pumpkin muffins and cheerios  scrambled eggs, salads and lean meats. Sounds so appealing doesn't it?

There's not much else to say. I am about to go pick up my big kindergartener and then make supper. Oh, we survived chapel today. Barely, but we did and it felt like success.
Wiedersehen!

slimmed down weekend

We had a good weekend. There were redbox movies on Friday night; The Ghost and The Darkness, Hunger Games and The Lorax. I couldn't even stay in the room while The Lorax was playing, but it was for the kids and honestly, I don't think they really cared for it either. The other two movies were more to my liking.

Saturday Tim got up early and went dove hunting with some of his friends. Rose woke up at about the same time the door shut behind him so I was essentially up then, too, since I never fell back to sleep. We went to Tim's parents' house to watch football and the kids fell asleep on their couch... I think maybe I "rested my eyes" for a few minutes.

Sunday we woke early and I was excited about meeting our little Sunday school class.... The kids are fun; there were only 5 this week. I've already got the activity for next week ready!

Today I'm trying so hard to get things done around here, but a sinus headache seems like a good excuse to only do minimal work. And to make chicken and dumplings. Better post tomorrow? We hope so.

ten happy things friday

one
Today I'm 27 weeks and entering the third (and final) trimester of this pregnancy. Where has the time gone?

two
Pumpkin bread. I made a loaf yesterday afternoon and this morning we finished it at breakfast. It is SO good!

three
A little cool front came through and dropped the temps down into the 80s and brought some much needed rain.

four
D is going on his first field trip today to the public library to listen to a Texas author read a book (I assume a book that they wrote). Field trips are so much fun.

five
On the menu this coming week I'm making chicken and dumplings and chili (that will probably end up on frito pies).

six
The first bite of a doughnut.

seven
Metallic Mango nail lacquer. Or as I like to call it, Burnt Orange nail polish... close enough anyhow, depends on the lighting.

eight
I'm going to bake a lot this weekend. Maybe. I'm at least going to bake some cookies and we'll probably have pumpkin waffles or pancakes for breakfast.

nine
I wonder if I asked nicely enough if someone would make me a cappuccino this weekend? (Totally looking at you, Tim.)

ten
I made a lot of smoothies this week with my new Ninja blender that my mom got me (she claims it makes life easier). I like it a lot.

Y'all have a good weekend!

always exciting

We'll start with our weekend. Saturday night, after playing and running around all day, D suddenly decided it was time to tell us his ear was hurting "really bad". And he "couldn't hear" out of it. OH. This was after 8pm as I was shuttling him into the shower.... So I made him take a shower and then I gave him some children's advil, heated a sock full of rice and attempted to "make it better". I've never had an ear infection and until then none of the kids had ever had one, so I didn't really know what to do besides consult Dr. Google and my pediatric wellness books' symptom charts. I asked D how long his ear had been hurting and he said very matter of factly, "Since I woke up." I don't know why he waited ALL day to say something.

Sunday morning he slept later than everyone. We were already eating breakfast before Tim went and woke him up and then D just sat at the table staring at his pancakes. I took his temperature and he said his ear was still hurting... So one phone call to the after hours nurse line and we had us an appointment for a Sunday afternoon doctor visit. To add to our awesome morning it was our first Sunday as Sunday school teachers and I had to stay home with D. Tim had to go alone and spent the whole time trying to learn kids' names. I felt really terrible I wasn't able to help, but I couldn't really do anything about our situation; I just hope next weekend is better. Anyhow, D has a middle ear infection and is feeling better now that we have our antibiotics and prescription ear drops (that he hates).

Monday rolled around and D went to school while I went to town to visit the bank. Actually I called my mom and we ended up going together and we got to see my dad at work.

My dad is a custom home builder so it's always fun seeing him at work and what awesome things he is doing. The kids wanted to stay and be helpers, but I think they are a little too young to actually be helpful at this point.

Well, I am heading back out the door to help my mom design invitations for my Opa's surprise birthday party at the end of the month. Then I have to come home and make tortillas for taco night.Once you make homemade tortillas it's really hard to go back to buying the mass produced kind.

Adios!

food all the time

I'm so glad blogger is letting me post a picture! It's about time. This is from Sunday when the boys were out dove hunting. (They were really just observers.) Also, this picture has nothing to do with this post.

I really want to make some pumpkin bread, but since the mercury is still stuck in the triple digits I am waiting ever so patiently until Saturday when the high is only supposed to be 92. That's practically sweater weather! Juuuussst kidding.

Speaking of food, I made this Honey (Bourbon) Chicken on Monday and I am becoming slightly obsessed with when I will make it again. I want it right now, but I'm making stew tonight and I don't have enough honey or any chicken, so I can't make it now anyhow. What would I do different with this recipe? Make more. You could probably use close to 2 pounds of chicken (I used 1.5) since I ended up with lots of sauce (I poured it over some green beans at lunch the next day). I didn't sprinkle any sesame seeds on it and I didn't add any red pepper flakes since the kids were eating. When I first read the recipe I almost discarded it because it called for a whole cup of honey! Have you bought honey lately? It's not cheap. Anyhow I almost didn't use a whole cup, but I tasted the glaze before I added it to the crock pot and ended up making it a cup. So, just follow the recipe. (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.) And... no, there's no bourbon in the recipe, but I read through a lot of comments from that post and someone said it originated on Bourbon Street in Louisiana. I'm sure if you really wanted to make it with bourbon you could have a few sips while you were waiting for it to cook in the crock pot. I'm giving this recipe a million stars.

That's all for now. I need to find a snack so I can replenish my energy and finish making supper. Basically, I just said I have to eat so I can make something to eat. Stop judging, I'm pregnant- best excuse ever!