Friday, February 27, 2009

Broken Record

Hey guys. I have to admit I don't have much new to report. I feel it's important to blog frequently since I know several of you check in to see what's up with our newest addition to be.

Unfortunately it seems we're in for the long haul. I've even done some basic step aerobics with the Wii Fit and I end up tired and sore but no labor :)

My sweet friend Amy wrote a blog about things she's looking forward to in order to boost her mood and I thought I'd do the same.

-March! Spring! Fresh air. I can't wait for Spring to be sprung.

-My little girl who now is in completely safe territory to be born. She is full term and we are pretty confident we will have a perfectly healthy little girl that will come home and NOT require a NICU stay!!!!

-SUMMER!! The kids have about 4 weeks left of schooling to complete in order to be dismissed for their summer. I intended to be done by my due date but with as stinky as I've been feeling as of late we've taken a brief hiatus. We will finish up and then have a few months off before we start our first year of home schooling 3 kids!! Brennan 3rd, Tanner 2nd and Elijah K!!

-Finding my body within this thick layer of chub. I can't wait to start running again and lose all this excess weight I've found over the last 9 months. Most of all I'm eager to recognize myself when looking into a mirror. Surely the fit health conscience Shannon still resides in there somewhere.

-Camp! Brennan gets to go to camp this summer for a full 3 days as a camper!! Jared is planning on doing Junior High camp and taking the older three while the babies, dogs, and I stay home. We'll go visit I'm sure but for the first time I will not be up there for the week.

There is so much good in our lives and I am so thankful to God for all the endless blessings He showers upon us daily. For as uncomfortable as I am I couldn't be more thankful. Even if I knew 9 months ago I would be this miserable today I would still say "Absolutely YES!!" I feel so blessed by all 5 of our children. Thank you Lord for the family you have gifted us.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Just Hangin'

-At our doctors appointment yesterday he didn't have anything encouraging to say. He said nothing's really changed since Sunday and he'll "see ya next week!" I cried and it really took him by surprise. I had to chuckle at his oh my goodness why are you crying look. Really? As an OBGYN dealing with pregnant woman all day every day I would think a mom ready to pop and be done with it crying would be common place in his office.

-Tomorrow starts week 38.

-I have moments of clarity and sanity when I realize everything is okay and she'll have to come eventually but those are fleeting. The bulk of the time I'm drowning in hormonal soup wallowing in self pity and pessimism. You want to come over? I'm so much fun!!

-Graham has been sitting on my lap (what's left of it) and shouting into my belly button, "Come out wittle gurl." He's eager for a playmate. I think he'll be disappointed when a little raisin that cries a lot comes out verses a two year old.

-I'm really hoping her curtains come in the mail today so I can finish up her room. I'll post a picture or two once her curtains are up so you can see what happens when you have 4 sons and then finally get to indulge in some pink ;)

Monday, February 23, 2009

What I've Learned...

During our dry run to the hospital I learned a few things that will help once it's for "real."

1) Earplugs. Definitely take ear plugs so I can sleep while my husband snores uncomfortably on the chair/bed like concoction in the corner.

2) Pillow. Bring my own pillow from home. Maybe 2 pillows. Anything to make that bed more tolerable.

3) Chap stick. While breathing through contractions and breathing in through the nose out through the mouth my lips are like sandpaper.

4) Fan. While laboring and in intense pain I tend to get hot regardless of the temperature of the room. Jared turned the temp down as far as he could and I was still sweating. I would really like some air moving while I'm "running a marathon."

5) Heating Pad. While this may seem to contradict #4 it is quite necessary. I plan on a natural labor and if Saturday night is in anyway a glimpse of my future I need a heat pad for my back. My back was aching something fierce and the nurse kept bringing me hot blankets to place in the small of my back. It brought sweet relief. I figure a heating pad will give the nurse a break as well as give me constant heat since those blankets cooled off rather quickly.

I'm sure I'll think of more. I made out a "To Do" list when I first started feeling overwhelmed by her impending arrival and out of 20 items I'm down to 3.

My friend Jess came over today. We tagged our vehicles (Due Feb 28) and made 4 meals and froze them for when Jared's on his own.

Her bassinet is ready with laundered blankets and gowns. Our bags are packed and in the car. Her bedroom is complete minus her curtains that should be here any day now (latest ebay purchase). Now all we need is a baby :)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Home

It's 11:30 and we're home after 14 hours of labor and no baby. You're welcome to read Jared's play by play here. The hospital has WiFi so he was able to keep people updated as the night progressed.

I was given 3 different medications to take away the pain so I could sleep since I wasn't progressing fast enough. They were just sure the first one would stop the contractions if it wasn't "true" labor. Hours later I was still contracting every 1-2 minutes. Then they added an IV, gave me a shot in my hip and gave me some IV meds and I passed out cold. Unfortunately the contractions kept on coming, I was just too drugged to care.

Finally at 9:30am ish the contractions started spacing out more and they sent me home. I know she has to come out eventually but Dr. Sheridan told me to expect this for the next couple weeks, or until she gets here. My simple question is how in the world am I to know the difference. Those hurt so bad I couldn't talk through them and it took 3 meds to take the edge off.

Please pray for me and for Anneliese and our whole family. I'll be taking it easy until she gets here so as not to spark another incident like last night. When I take it easy it puts a lot of pressure on Jared when he already has a ton on his plate with church responsibilities.

Come quickly little girl, Mommy's losing it :)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Randomness

-I took the van in this morning to have our flat and one regular tire repaired. 3 hours later I ended up buying a new tire and they couldn't find the leak in the regular tire. The flat wasn't fixable and apparently the guy on the job "is an idiot who shouldn't be on tires." That's what I was told after I wandered through Wal-Mart with 4 kids and 9 mos pregnant for 3 hours. I felt it was urgent to have both repaired and was more than frustrated by the time I left. Oh and instead of placing the new spare tire where it belongs like I asked (under the van) it's sitting behind the back seat. UGH! Don't worry the clerk told me if my regular tire still leaked I could always bring it back.

-Pray for me. I started having severe pelvic pain yesterday. I thought I was uncomfortable before but I was wrong. It's constant and from what I read is a good sign that we'll see our little girl soon but I'll be eager to see what the Doc has to say on Monday.

-We have become quite the sideshow. While out and about several people stop us and ask about the kids ages, the baby, her gender etc. Today an older woman started talking to the boys and told them how they need to help me when Anneliese gets here. Brennan said, "Tanner can't wait and he really wants to help so Eli and I'll just lay back." He was obviously teasing and had a big grin on his face and this 70 year old woman called my son a smart-@#$. No joke! You could've knocked me over with a feather! I tried not to react simply because the boys don't know that word and it didn't seem to phase them. I've been laughing in astonishment off and on ever since.

-On a positive note I found 4 brown 3 button shirts for the boys for $3 a piece. This Easter I want to take the kids to the Picture People and get their picture taken together. I wanted the boys in brown and Anneliese has a beautiful little dress from her NeNe that is brown with pink polka dots. I can't wait!

-24 hours after cleaning the "venturi" on the water softener I had a slimy shower!! That's a good thing :) Our soft water is back and I'm thankful it was a simple fix.

-I like birthdays. I really like my birthday. It's funny because I think this is the first time in 31 (almost 32) years that I haven't given it much thought. It's just days away and all I can think about is when am I going into labor. Who cares about the birthday? Is it growth or just simple distraction. I'll say growth :)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

How Low Can She Go?

Our little girl has dropped even further today. I was pretty crampy all day yesterday and was having some annoying back aches. I kept telling Jared last night something was changing and sure enough this morning I've changed shape again.

My belly is angling down. I'm eager to go in Monday to see what's brewing in there!

News For Pooh

I haven't ever been a fan of Pooh Bear or his cohorts. I had a co-worker that was obsessed and even had Pooh tattooed on her leg.

A couple years ago Elijah was Eeyore for Halloween simply because I found the costume at Good Will cheap and it fit his personality at the time.

I've seen all the "Classic Pooh" merchandise and it's cute I guess but just not for me.

Apparently having Anneliese on the way has changed everything. I am quickly growing really fond of a little pink pig. It all started when my Mom-n-law gave Anneliese some Piglet paraphernalia for Christmas. It's ridiculously soft and soo pink. I love it.

While at the Good Will the other day I found this pajama set and I was smitten:
Apparently having a house of boys brings more Bionicles and legos vs small furry bears with an affinity for honey.

Cool Gadget

I ran to Target early this morning to get Jared some medicine for his sore throat and I quickly walked through the baby isles while I was there. I found the neatest thing! Our changing table is upstairs in Anneliese's room and I'm notorious for changing babies wherever I happen to be. Munchkin came out with this nifty diaper organizer/bag for in the house. It has several nifty little pockets for the thermometer, disposable diaper baggies, powder, lotion, Balmex etc. The diapers go in the middle. My favorite part is with older brothers this will be an easier thing for them to fetch quickly and have everything in it's place when the inevitable breast fed baby blow out occurs :) I'm thinking shower gift!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Up For a Challenge?

Since Jarod A. departure we as a church have been working to "fill his shoes" in a sense. This summer is VBS and in past years either Anita and I or Jarod and I have done music with the kids. The problem is this year Anita is heading up VBS and Jarod is gone.

We are finding that not only with VBS but also on Sunday mornings we are in need of someone who can play the keyboard for worship. It would just help free up Dustin (our current keyboardist and all around music gurue) to do other things and would be a great help for this summer when Dustin will be working.

I'm not real sure how it will work out but here's my plan. I took piano lessons in college and have been reading music since the 4th grade. I play by ear (very little) but understand chord progression and know both bass and treble clefs.

Jared challenged me the other night to learn how to play "chord piano." It's a basic technique of playing the piano using a chords and a combination of piano chord progressions. It may be a while before I'm able to help on Sunday mornings (yikes!) but I may be able to do VBS and have alot of fun with the kids who will be forgiving (I hope). It will help to have the music way in advance and be able to "perfect" a few songs. Practice Practice Practice.

We are fortunate to own a really nice electric piano and there is a ridiculous amount of information online as well as a multitude of UTube videos showing the basics. Right now I think I would better benefit from an actual teacher vs the online variety but we'll see what God provides.

I really feel capable but as I told Jared my only fear is if I'll be any good at it :)

Hard Water?

We are having more water softener woes. I replaced the circuit board to the tune of $150 and we had wonderfully soft water for about 2 weeks.

We started noticing that the water was becoming harder by the day. I started looking things up online and there is a list of things that could possibly be wrong. I just decided to start at the top and work my way through. The first item was to clean the "venturi." I did that yesterday and we noticed that the water was somewhat softer today.

I'll wait another day or two to see if it continues to improve. If not I'll check the next item on the list. The problem is that the repairs get infinitely more complicated. I'm praying that we'll find the problem soon without much more $$ invested.

36 weeks


We start week 37 on Friday! I'm really hoping for a baby in the next 7-10 days. As hopeful as I am I still understand it could easily be longer than that. Tanner and Eli both came towards the end of week 37 so I have reason for hope ;) My prayer is that she comes just as soon as she's ready. We can't wait to meet you little girl!!

Are You a Girl From the 80's?

For those of you who've had daughters for years now this is probably no surprise to you.

There are still Caboodles out there! I was thrilled at the idea of buying my little girl her first Caboodle.

I had a purple caboodle with glitter. For those of you in the dark a caboodle is a tackle box for girls. It's for all things hair and make up related.

After the shower Anneliese became the proud owner of a plethora of hair accessories. She has rubber bands, head bands, barrettes, clips, and even velcro bows. I decided I needed to find something to keep it all in and while at the Good Will I found this adorable little caboodle:



The best part is there is a small panel on the front where you can put pictures or a decoration and it had a plastic cover. The previous owner never took the plastic sheet of protection off of it. So I ran the caboodle through the dishwasher and removed the plastic sheeting and it's like brand new and it only cost $.99!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

301

-This is my 301st post on this blog. Not bad! I'm shocked I've written that much already. Cool beans.

-I actually slept last night. I went to bed around 11 and didn't get up (other than potty breaks) until 9am. That was wonderful. I managed NOT to cry when I realized I left Anneliese's brand new white blanket in the wash and then added jeans. Remember the post about the wonderful set I bought for her to come home in? I purchased some Dreft and decided to launder it all so I could pack a bag. Unfortunately my new washer is really low to the ground and I can't see in it in my condition.

-My belly and body are now round enough that even maternity clothing can't cover this sexy bod. I have resorted to my husband's closet. He's 6'2" so his shirts are nice and long and actually cover my mid drift. He mentioned this morning, "You better have this baby soon because you're starting to dress like a man." Hey, whatever works.

-I'm going to be flying solo Monday-Wednesday. Next week is the Preaching Teaching convention at Ozark and I'm sending my husband away. He's super hesitant but I'll have a Dr's appt. on Monday morning and as long as all looks well and good there's no reason for him to miss out on such a refreshing 3 days. He needs this both proffessionally and emotionally. It's taken some convincing but he's finally agreed. I have friends and my mom who've offered to babysit me while he's away.

-I picked up a jogging stroller for $15 today. I'm really eager to start running again. I found it on Craigslist and I had to go WAY into KCK to get it but it'll work. It's not pretty but after some WD40 and a thourough washing it'll be just fine. A cheap one new is at least $150 so I don't mind some elbow grease in order to save that kind of money.

-A home body. That is one thing I've not been acused of (that and shy). However this morning while I was galavanting all over KCK I had a serious blood sugar issue. I almost passed out in Wal-Mart. I lost vision and was stumbling like a fool. If it hadn't been for a well timed call from my friend Amy there's no telling what would've happened. She talked me through taking some glucous tablets I had in my purse. It may sound weird but if you've not experienced you can't really understand how much it limits basic funcitons. I couldn't think straight, I was emotional and paniked. After 4 tablets and 10 minutes I was back to normal and exhausted. Jared has made a request that I stay home until Anneliese is born. Dragging this big ol' bod and 4 boys around probably isn't the best idea.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Update

I went to the doc this morning. I have to say I was a little disheartened. I have been contracting like crazy and had very little sleep last night due to contractions every 10 minutes (from 9:30p until 11:00a).

After he checked he said I have a "non-laboring cervix." Basically I'm uncomfortable and in pain for no reason. He explained that woman who have had 5+ pregnancies often have an irritable uterus and I should expect to continue to contract until I actually go into "real" labor. I am making no progress.

I don't mind that she's staying put for her health but do I have to be exhausted and sore for no reason? He gave me a prescription that is a muscle relaxer to help me sleep and help my uterus rest at night. I think if I could rest I'd have far fewer emotional breakdowns during the day.

He's still convinced she'll come the first week of March. All I want for my birthday (March 4th) is a daughter :)

A Tribute To our 4th

-Graham turns 3 in just a couple weeks! When asking him what he wanted Jared suggested toys and Graham said, "no shanks." I asked Graham if he wanted new shoes and he said, "Yes!! Shoes!!" I found a pair of Thomas the Tank Engine Crocs (actual Crocs not knock offs) on Ebay. Graham has loved Crocs since he was 1 when Jenny introduced him to his first pair. He's such a unique little boy. Don't most 3 year old boys want shoes for their birthday?

-We have a small basketball that plays the Jayhawk fight song whenever you hit it against something. Graham has been walking around smacking himself in the head with it and singing, "Hay-Hawk Danger!!"

-Graham insists he can see his sister through my belly button. Apparently in the two year old realm a belly button also serves as a portal. He talks to her and even waves at her.

-"Grahamy" has started coming up to all of us and saying, "I wuv you too (fill in the blank)." He'll also randomly say, "I like you." He's quite an affectionate little boy.

-We are officially potty trained. Graham can even "hold it" if necessary. Jared and I knew he'd truly arrived when he went #2 all by himself and we found out about it after the fact. What a big boy!

-Graham has seamlessly transitioned into the big room. He's been sleeping and napping in his big boy bed for weeks now and is doing exceptional. He obviously has issues once in a while with getting out of bed but so far he's been the easiest. We're pretty impressed since we thought the temptation of being in a room with three older brothers would be too much.

-I think having a little sister will be a transition for Graham as well as the other boys but in the last few weeks he has really shown signs that he'll be just fine. He's ready to take on his role as the big brother. He told me today, "Mommy can Anna-weese come out and play train tracks with me? Upstairs, she can play Island of Sodor."

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Yumm!

On Friday night Jared and I went out with some friends to Em Chamas. It's a Brazilian grill and probably our very favorite place in the world to eat. Unfortunately it's ridiculously expensive so we only go when we have gift certificates.

The couple we went with was Chad and Pi. Having Pi along was quite a treat since she is from Brazil. She and Chad knew what everything was and had a lot of information to share. It was a lot of fun. I honestly thought we'd go and eat and be there a hour or so and we ended up heading home after 2 1/2 hours of chatting.

Jared and I tend to dominate conversations and we both desperately try to keep it in check (honestly we really try). Friday night was so nice because we finally met our match! We had a balanced conversation and it was SO pleasant!! Thanks Tash for watching the boys so we could go!

Thanks Chad and Pi for a fun night. We look forward to doing it again soon!

Hangin' In There

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't blogged in a little while. I've had several of you checking in and wondering where I went.

We're still preggers but I've been sick the last couple days. I've spent 90% of the last 36 hours asleep. Apparently when I'm 9 mos and about to pop my immunities are down. Jared had the same cold and he was better by the first evening.

I'm really hoping to be back to normal by tomorrow. I have a dr's appointment tomorrow late morning and then I have some errands to run. Hopefully I won't wear out too quickly. I feel like my time to run around is coming to an end. I have so much I'd like to get done and being ill didn't fit into my schedule :)

The boys and I made cookies this evening. They had a blast and I need a nap :) It's hard to let go and let them make a bit of a mess and have the cookies look weird but it all was okay in the end.

Brennan asked, "Did we do good mom? They taste just like yours!"

Thursday, February 12, 2009

This Is Me...

This is me trying to keep it all together.

Last night we had close to 6 hours of contractions every 5 minutes. By 4 in the morning they started to become a little more sporadic so we stayed home. I called the doc on call and he said to come in but they weren't really hurting to awful bad and I thought, "well if it's the real thing it will only get worse." Since we are self pay I'm really glad we didn't go in.

Unfortunately today I'm exhausted and sore from the contractions. My hot shower didn't stop those bad boys. They've continued today just a little further apart.

Last night's event has put me in panic mode. Do you realize all there is to be done to prepare for this little girl? Let alone a week long hospital stay if she were to come early (we start week 36 tomorrow).

My house is gross, I have laundry coming out my eye balls, there aren't any bags packed for any of us (the boys are heading to grandparents while we're away), bills need to be paid, and I still haven't called the hospital to let them know we're coming and make arrangements for payment. Our car tags are due at the end of the month or our cars will be illegal. I can't seem to get Anneliese's car seat to fit snuggly in the van.

I really do want to have the house stocked with prepared meals for the family. I can't imagine the first few weeks with 5 kids and no sleep is going to be a piece of cake so I want to be as prepared as possible.

We still haven't rearranged our room and put up the co-sleeper. Are you sensing the panic yet? Normally this would be a simple to do list and I would just start checking them off one by one. The problem is I'm exhausted, fatigued, and can't really walk very well plus I spend 90% of my day in the bathroom due to the ballet being performed on my bladder.

I called the Moms (mine and Jared's) and begged for help. Anita is on her way over to help with laundry and house work. My mom is coming on Tuesday to help put the meals together for the freezer. I'm hoping to do some grocery shopping on Sunday while Jared's home with the kids so we have what we need.

I guess I found my overload button. It's more than a little disconcerting for me. I'm a do-er. I accomplish things and find value and confidence in completing tasks. I know things will be fine. I do have a rational side, it's just not in control right now :)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Variety is the Spice of Life

I was looking through the last several posts and realized I'm a bit consumed with our upcoming delivery. I apologize I don't have more to write about. It is pretty much all I think about morning noon and night.

Relief will come dear readers. Please hold on. Soon there will be pictures of our little girl and then our new normal will begin and I will write about things other than my expanding middle (hopefully my shrinking middle will take center stage:)), inability to walk, and emotional break downs.

Thank you for coming back time after time to read my ridiculous ramblings. I noticed we hit 13,000 hits this morning.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Mommy Had a Little Lamb

Jared's playing volleyball tonight and the boys and I were left to our own device. I decided to load them up and enjoy the beautiful night out at the Legends.

We went into the Carter's store to pick out Anneliese's take home outfit. This is a tradition I have done with all our kids. The sad part is that for the last two I've had a partner in crime. Laura A. and I have gone together to get our babies their little outfits and blankies for that first ride home from the hospital. I have to say I welled up a bit.

The boys headed to the back to play with the legos and for the first time I was able to browse the pink section. I found the perfect set.
I LOVE Carter's blankets. This one is subtle and sweet with a really soft lamb in the corner. The layette set has an outfit that can be a sleeper or a gown. It just depends on how you snap it. TOO SMART! It also has a matching bib, socks, and hat. The socks look like little pink Mary Jane's. It all goes together and was all on MAJOR sale. I had a duplicate outfit as a gift at the shower so I took one of them and exchanged it straight across for the whole set! What a deal. I am so excited to have the very outfit her hospital picture will be taken in. OH MY GOODNESS, Is it time yet?!!!

Post Break Down

Yesterday was a rough day. I started out the morning crying to my snoring husband. I guess it was the release after the shower. I have been feeling like I wasn't ready for our little girl and I knew after the shower we'd be stocked and ready to go.

Monday morning I had everything in place and felt the realness of it all sink in. I just had the "I'm over it" emotion wash over me.

Most of the day I cried off and on. I was having trouble walking and apparently Anneliese has descended further down (I didn't think that was possible) and my bathroom breaks are coming every 15-20 minutes. The pressure, awkwardness, and general pain and malaise had taken it's toll.

By 7:30 I was sitting on the couch with tears running down my face and I didn't even know why at that point. I looked over at Jared and said, "I don't feel well, I'm going to go lay down." I fell asleep and slept hard until 11ish. I woke up desperate for the bathroom. I sat with Jared for a little while and took my nightly meds and then headed back to bed not to stir (not counting bathroom breaks) until 9am.

Everything is better today. The sun is shining. I feel rested. I even took Maurey for a short walk today. My sweet Michelle came over for several hours and we just chatted. All of the windows are open and I've slowly been working on laundry.

The break down is over and I'm hoping not to have it return. We are starting week 36 on Friday and meeting our little girl is just around the corner.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Too Fun!

This is why I LOVE gift cards. The following are purchases made from Target. Thank you Jean, Terry, and Alicia.

Our bouncy seat. It's beautiful. There is so much out there that is NEON pink and I thought this was feminine and subtle. I love it!

This is a sweet little jacket I saw and couldn't pass up. It's absolutely adorable and if they had it in my size I would've bought us both one. I can't wait to see her little self all snuggled in this precious jacket.

Thank you again to all of you who have been so generous. This has been a wonderful experience so far and the best is yet to come!

Oh My Goodness Gracious!!!!

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life.

Anneliese's baby shower was at the church and I am humbled and honored at everyone that came and sent gifts. It was the largest shower I've ever seen. There were at least 60-70 people there. HOLY COW! What a blessing.

Anneliese has more clothes than I know what to do with (have no fear I'll figure it out :)). My mother in law and I were talking and we both agree that Alisa did an amazing job. It was so well decorated and organized. It was the nicest shower I've ever attended and it was for my daughter! Thank you so very much!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Calling All Cooks!

I am going to do some major grocery shopping next week and start making freezable dishes for my family. My goal is to have several casserole type dishes that Jared can heat through to help in those first couple weeks after Anneliese gets here.

If you have a family favorite that freezes well please share! I already know I'm going to make a pan of our favorite enchiladas and probably a home made lasagna (I've actually never made lasagna before!). Ooh and some cookies and rolls!

Please keep in mind my husband's aversion to all things green. I have to say on his behalf that he has actually come a LONG way in the last few years. He will eat foods with green peppers, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, potatoes, corn and carrots.

Thanks in advance for your creative yummy help!

Best Intentions

It's such a beautiful day! My house is showing signs of a 9 month pregnant owner, busy Daddy, and 4 little boys. IcK!

I had every intention of opening the windows, scrubbing floors, catching up on laundry and vacuuming up and down all while listening to amazing Christian music. It's 11:24 and I've unloaded the dishwasher. That's it. Well, the windows are open and my music is playing.

I can't even get motivated enough to shower let alone all that manual work. I honestly just want to go back to bed and breathe in the fresh air while I sleep. The boys woke me up at 7 and I couldn't go back to sleep. I laid in bed watching home renovations until 10:30 but finally decided the 4 small children in the house probably need at least some supervision.

The last couple of days have been full of pretty painful contractions and even though they probably aren't doing anything they do take my breath away and make me pretty uncomfortable and tired. Hot showers have been my friend. From what I've read if a hot shower and fluids calm the uterus it's just more Braxton Hicks.

Last night we went a hour every 10 minutes and then when they went to every 7 I hopped in the shower and soaked. When I got out I drank a ton of fluids and then things settled. I'm thankful that they stop but I told Jared in a couple weeks he may have a hard time getting me to bathe :)

Ooh Ahh

I have been going though ITunes creating a list of music to listen to during labor. I had my ipod through out Graham's labor and delivery and it was wonderful.

I really enjoy all kinds of music and I feel it's very important as a Christian to "think on these things" (Phil 4:8). So while I was looking things up Natasha introduced me to a new group. She's a big fan of hip hop and I really am too and so far Toby Mac is the only thing I've found to fill that niche in the Christian realm. Now I have Grits! I don't really get the video but the music rocks and has a wonderful message. My kids are in LOVE with this song.

My Life is Like by Grits:

Friday, February 6, 2009

OK, I'll Throw In My 2 Cents

If you've been anywhere near a T.V. radio, or computer in the last week I'm sure you've heard of the woman in California that gave birth to the octuplets. The news is that she already had 6 children and how dare she have 8 more AND she had the help of an infertility clinic.

I am not surprised but still disgusted at the absolute beating she, her family, and the doctors are getting in the media. I do not know her personal story, financial situation, reasoning etc so I will not pretend to and then comment on it positively or negatively.

There are just a couple things I would like to put out there for thought.

First of all there were 8 fertilized embryos sitting in a clinic that where created out of her eggs. For those of us who believe life begins at fertilization (when the new DNA forms, therefore a new creation begins) there were 8 lives in limbo at the clinic. Knowing that typically 8 embryos would not survive implantation I can understand implanting them simply for the sake that they are life and I wouldn't want to "discard" them. I'd want to give them a chance. Since I am pro-life I can not crucify this woman for the simple fact that I wouldn't have left them frozen either regardless of my family size. My conscience wouldn't allow it.

Another issue is that the media wants it's cake and eat it too. First of all in a society that does not honor marriage why in the world is her marital status being flashed all over the news morning noon and night. It's either important or it's not. They are implying that these children would be better off with a mother and father joined in marriage in the home raising those children as a joint effort. Really?!

Oh, and another issue!! I'm going to call this the Sarah Palin issue. Apparently the leftest media is all about women being strong, self sufficient, powerful, and successful. UNLESS they choose to be all of that in the category of home making. Shouldn't they be congratulating her for taking this on all on her own, without a man. Their titles should read, "Look at the ambition she has. Look at the strength."

Sarah Palin was a feminist dream! She had it all, a successful career and a family. She should have been the poster child for all those in the "You Go Girl" camp. Instead she was bashed for wanting to be Vice President while having young children at home. How dare she.

All this to say, the children are here. They are born and healthy. Why don't we as a society reach out to her and do our best to encourage her. If she does have "issues" like they've implied in the news then she'll need us even more. We need to pray for the family. I want to pray that a church in the area will rise up and support her decision not to "reduce" her pregnancy and offer to help.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

News Flash

I'm pregnant.

I'm large, make that extra large possibly verging on 1x

I am constantly going to the restroom

I can't sleep, yet I'm exhausted

Walking is becoming increasingly more difficult

There is a little girl I am desperate to meet

I feel like I have the flu when I'm actually fine

I no longer can hug my husband unless I resort to the weird side hug you reserve for people you really don't feel comfortable hugging

I cry...a lot

This is officially installment #2 of GIVE ME THE BABY. I actually feel really blessed to have carried 5 children and can't wait to meet my little girl. I love pregnancy...well, I love labor and delivery. I know it's painful but the sheer excitement and anticipation of the outcome is fantastic. As soon as that first labor pain begins I am filled with so much love and joy! It's an experience of a lifetime and I'm ready to have it one last time.

Love It, Need It, Heard It. Thank You Jesus...

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Randomness

-Graham while eating his hot dog and cheetos said, "This is dee-wish-us." Well, I am quite the chef you know.

-I told Graham and Elijah to play in their room while the older kids did school. I shut the door and over heard Eli saying, "this is stupid. I don't want to play in my room. This is stupid." Graham immediately chimed in mimicking his brother's disgust and repeated ,"yes, dis is poopid. Yes, Mommy's poopid." Elijah immediately says, "Mommy is NOT stupid, she's pretty." Graham tried to reiterate his position and Elijah was adamant, "Mommy is NOT STUPID, She's pretty, just pretty!!" Elijah is now my favorite.

-Elijah was bit by the love bug yesterday. While talking to Anita on the phone he told me loved me and hugged and kissed me at least 6 times. How sweet!

-The same Elijah was scolded a few hours later for wiping #2 on his shirt like it was no big deal. I don't want to discuss how the fecal matter found his finger. Let's just say he's a boy and he's gross and leave it at that.

-I failed to mention in the Anneliese update that our pretty little girl already has a head full of hair. They were able to see her luscious locks on the sonogram floating all around her beautiful head. I can't wait to see what color it is!

-Apparently while Grandpa scolded Graham one Sunday morning PaPa used a lot of head nodding trying to get a quiet Graham to agree he was going to behave the rest of the morning. All Graham took from the session was that he could subliminally suggest to others that they too agree with him simply by nodding aggressively. Now whenever Graham wants me to agree he violently nods in hopes my head will follow his lead. It's stinking hilarious.

-I am determined to stop watching birthing stories on TLC and DHC. The main issue is seeing all those mothers holding their new borns and moving onto the next stage of mothering. I'm nearing the end but not close enough to have her without health issues. We start week 35 on Friday so we're at least 2-3 weeks from having a safe delivery. Watching those shows just gives me great desire to hold my baby when otherwise I'm doing fine.

-Tomorrow night Jared and I are heading out on a date to New Theatre. Sonya and Craig gaves us tickets a couple months ago and with a baby on the way we have to use them ASAP. New Theatre has a strict no baby policy regardless of the age of the infant. Since I nurse for the first year and with what showings they had available it was tomorrow or not at all. We love to go and I can't wait to have a nice evening with the world's best husband.

-I went to Home Depot yesterday. Part of my nesting has created the desire to fix all the little things around the house and I needed some supplies. I have sheet rock patching to do upstairs where the boys have ripped their curtain out of the wall multiple times. There is a small wire shelf going up on Jared's side of the closet so he has another surface to lay things. I purchased a bamboo shade for the bathroom so my company no longer feels exposed when they need to use the facilities during cards. Last but definitely not least we are on the search for a bathroom vanity for our main bath. We currently have a pedestal sink and we're all tired of having NO storage or counterspace.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Pampering Before Pampers

Tashy came over tonight and gave me a whole new look!

Jared tells me he thinks I look like Julianne Moore. I think she's pretty so I'll take it :) I feel like I resemble her more when I'm not 9 mos preggers.

While at the ob's office the other day she was gracing the cover of a magazine and I really liked her hair. I feel like my long hair is style-less and just hangs there. I like it long but I would rather it not be so bohemian. I showed Tash the pics and she went Edward Scissor hands on me :)

There was a whole heck of a lot of hair on the floor and to be quite honest I wasn't even nervous. I love the style and how healthy it is. Plus it's ridiculously thick right now and wearing it in a knot on my head 99% of the time gives me a headache.

She also waxed my brows and tonight I'm going to lavish my locks in the beautiful red color Tash picked out to cover up the gray.

The boys are in bed, Jared's at a camp meeting and I'm going to take a hot bath and use a ridiculous amount of lotion and then head to bed with my pretty new hair and watch some home make over shows. Ahhhhh, I need that.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Anneliese 34 weeks

Can you tell what you're looking at? This is an upward view of Anneliese's nose, her precious lips, cheeks, chin and tummy with her left arm bent up towards her left cheek.

Out of 5 kids and countless sonograms this is by far my favorite pic ever. With this one and the one of her sucking her thumb apparently she's quite photogenic.

We had the best appointment. The sonogram was perfect and we got to see all of her. Her face is filling out and her little body is rounding out verses the skeleton that you see in the 20 weeks sonogram.

She is 4 lbs 3 oz. That is on the high end of normal and quite a bit smaller than my 6 lb guess. She seems to be following Brennan and Graham (average size, weight) vs Tanner and Elijah who were both massive.

The contractions I've been having are Braxton Hicks and Dr. Sheridan just reminded me that they will come more often and harder since she's #5. I really felt that was the case but it was SO reassuring to have him confirm all is well.

As far as the "progress" talked about in a previous post, She is apparently "engaged" and that has caused my new discomfort.

After leaving the appointment Jared and I were thinking back on what he said and there didn't seem to be any point of concern. We are so thankful!