Busy week...

I am trying to get as much as I can accomplished this week....than baby can come next weekend, lol. We have dental, vision, prenatal, wic & ortho appts, plus Awana on Wed night where I am working in the nursery. We are also planning on having Jesse's dad over for dinner on Tues night (joy!). Then my sister comes on Wed (real joy:)), late, and will be here for 5 days. I am getting bigger, have had several people comment on that...baby is growing but I haven't gained any weight, which is good at this point. It is supposed to be a beautiful week in the lower to mid-70's. Jesse would normally get Tues and Wed off and then report for the night shift Thurs eve but has to go in on Wed due to a "shut-down" day where everyone has to come in and do maintenance stuff. So he will have a grueling week.

Alicia's 11th Birthday

Sat, the 27th. We didn't do much, Jesse worked but brought home pizza from Caseys which was delicious! I took her with me when I went to the bank and got her a slushee at the gas station. Today, the 28th, we had a little party after church with family (Grandma, Lori, Debi and cousins, plus two friends from church). Jesse is working today, too. We had more pizza, cake, veggies, etc. and everyone had fun playing together. Jesse's mom's sister had just lost her husband to cancer and they were all headed to a viewing in SC after the party and then the funeral is Monday. I am not going to either, I don't really know them well. I can't find my camera but Debi took some pics so hopefully will email them to me. Alicia is putting her birthday money toward an American Doll, which we have ordered...I am helping her out with it as they are pricey! Hope she had a Happy Birthday!!

Think Stephen King is scary....

yeah, he is fiction....check out the "Once Again the Wolf is at the Door" post on the Joel's Trumpet website.....joelstrumpet.com

Need to be telling as many people as we can about the gospel, praying for our Nation and hanging on tight...it's going to be a wild ride.

38w 4d appt

I grew another 1.5 cm which is great...babies hb is really good, averaging 140. She didn't check me at my request...I hate to be checked and it doesn't mean anything anyway. I have walked around at 3cm for weeks in past pregnancies. I got a flu shot and again she reminded me about the signs of labor, lol. They didn't have the results of the u/s which I was disappointed about, but they will call me if there are any issues. Otherwise she told me to drink lots of water because I had some protein in my urine. That's it in a nutshell!! I got groceries and household stuff and Pamida and came home. It is very warm today...feels like summer again, but I see farmers everywhere gearing up for harvest.

Exhausting day...

Colton, Carlina, Julia and I went with our homeschool group on a field trip this morning. We toured the ANG base (185th Air Refueling Wing) . It was really interesting, we got to be inside one of the planes and see the spot where the boom operators (people who operate the refueling boom) actually lay down and do their job. There are 8 planes that operate from the base and 300 full time personnel.

This evening we had our Awana kick-off at the park. Thomas ran around like a little maniac and wore himself out. Garrett had stayed with Grandma all day and she brought him to the kick-off. He is in Cubbies this year. After getting home, eating and having his bath he fell asleep in less than a minute. Katie is in Sparks, Alicia in T&T, Julia in Trek. Colton and Carlina will go to Youth Group on Wed. nights.

I am worn out and so thankful that I get to stay home tomorrow!!!

Ultrasound update

Baby looks good, right on target according to the sonographer. The radiologist will read the pictures and send them on to the doctor and I will hear for sure on Friday. She estimated baby to be about 7lbs (plus .5 one way or the other)...I know how those in-utero weight guesses go, though. Cervix is closed and fluid looks okay....I go in Friday for 38w4d checkup:)

Roller Skating

Alicia decided that she wanted to go roller skating for her 11th birthday, so we went on Sunday after church. Next week is her actual birthday but Jesse is going to "shift"hours and wouldn't be around, so we decided to go ahead and do it. We went roller skating in a cool town known for it's castles...yep, castles in Iowa...check this out http://www.idagroveia.com/Resources/pages/aboutig_castles.html

The skating rink also looks like a castle on the outside and is decorated like one on the inside. Everyone had a good time. Jesse and I didn't skate, neither did Thomas or Garrett (Colton didn't come)...it was Katie's first time and she was really frustrated and didn't stay out too long. The other girls all did good. Julia is an excellent skater, she used to go with her friend in Florida all of the time. Alicia and Carlina are both improving. We also went with Jesse's 2 sisters, bil and 3 nieces.

Speaking of shift, Jesse will now be working 3 7 hour days, 2 days off, 3 7 hour nights, 2 days off, 4 7 hour days, 2 days off and 4 7 hour nights...there is also 8 days off between that somewhere. We will really need to adjust to that new schedule!

Garrett's saying of the day...

Garrett went with Colton and Jesse to help bale hay and was sitting on the bales as they worked....he said "all this hard work is making me thirsty." Colton said..."What work are you doing?". Garrett said "Sitting, complaining, doing nothing and getting no drinks....(he was holding the water jug)". When they finished he said "A job well done!".

More musings...antibiotics, carseat...etc.

I started antibiotics for a uti on Wed...shortly after I started to feel kind of low. I found a link on the net that antibiotics are linked to depression...weird!!! I have to stay on them for 10 days and hopefully I will feel better after that. I don't feel that terrible, just not normal. I think it might be linked to my weirdly low blood pressure on Friday, too. Who knows?

Good news....we found a stroller/infant seat combo for cheap! It is not a double stroller but will work anyway. We have an umbrella stroller for Thomas. It was one that someone had returned to the store and then on clearance for $136...plus an extra 20% off on Saturday...so we paid $108 for the set. It is an Evenflo Embrace 5. I am excited about having new stuff!! Someone had given me a used infant seat but it didn't have a base and smelled of smoke.

Jesse and Colton went to help a church member bale hay today and then we are headed over to his sister Debi's house to celebrate her dd's 19th birthday. Sarah graduated from HS in May and is going to college at USD. She also has wedding plans for May! Sarah was just a baby when Jesse and I got married, I feel old!!!

Appt update

I am 37w 4d today! The great news was that I tested negative for GBS! Hooray! Other news, is that I am still measuring small and she wants to have another ultrasound done next week. I am really not concerned at this point. I have measured small with past pregnancies (Carlina, Julia and Alicia) and they were just smaller babies....Carlina and Julia both 6'11" and Alicia 6'13". Plus they were all late (11 days past due for the first two and Alicia was 4 days overdue). I figure this little one will not be very large either and will probably want to come late as well. I guess I don't mind too much, but it is just one more 40 mile round trip to make. Baby's heartrate was good and she was impressed at my low blood pressure...the nurse thought I must be lightheaded to have it so low, lol. After the appointment I went out and ate a Big Mac...wonder what that did to my blood pressure?!

CUTE!

Gasp...isn't this just the cutest outfit you have ever seen???!! And it's all yours for the bargain price of $80 from Gymboree...I love to look at their website, but can't imagine spending this much money on a baby outfit!

Kids say the funniest things..

I was helping Garrett get his socks on yesterday and he said " I'm so glad I'm a little boy so that you can help me!". When I woke him up yesterday he said "It's not morning yet! I just went to sleep a minute ago!"....kids do sleep so soundly, wish I still slept like that!!

Katie was telling us how the planet Pluto was shot out of the sky because her teacher last year told her it wasn't considered a planet anymore...she just figured they got rid of it, lol:)

Brothers....

Poor Thomas has mosquito bites all over his face and one particularly nasty one on the bridge of his nose! Garrett and Thomas have been enjoying this beautiful warm weather lately, but the mosquitos can take a hike! They have been awful!

Jesse's 41st

A few pictures of Jesse's 41st birthday party on Friday, Sept 12th....Julia made 41 cupcakes for the occasion and Colton made a delicious potato soup. Jesse really wanted a gift certificate to the dentist for a whitening job for his bday but alas, didn't get it!lol He was surrounded by adoring children and his 3 nieces who oohed and ahhed as he opened his gifts. Alicia especially enjoyed the chocolate cupcakes and dreamed of her birthday coming up in a few weeks.

School...

School is going along for everyone and we seem to be in some sort of a routine...of course the new baby will throw everything into new chaos and make life really interesting. Thomas was born in June, so I wasn't dealing with school back when he was born...a perk of having a summer baby!

Colton-16 is obsessed with politics and tries to keep up with what is going on...he is also constantly animating with pivot on the computer. He works on his schoolwork in his room and comes out to eat or bother the girls occasionally. He is supposed to be doing SAT prep but I don't think he has done much.

Carlina-14 has been doing good...her nemesis is math but she seems to be doing okay. I am using Saxon for her this year. Next year will be Teaching Textbooks like Colton (he's doing geometry). She always has a book or works on the computer alot, writing her stories.

Julia-12 doesn't like school very much, she would rather converse with her (Florida) friends on the computer. She has done a bit of reading this year, more than the beginning of last year. She is really good about helping with the dog and just likes to be outside, riding her bike or making movies. She is very talented at making movies, they are really good.

Alicia-11 really likes 5th grade and is determined to stay in MVAO and go to Middle School next year. She has flip-flopped to so many schools...1 year in Bronson, 1 year in Columbia (Orlando), 2 years homeschooled, 1 year in Oviedo, FL and now in Maple Valley. She seems to have made some friends. Her trouble is organization and procrastination...she really struggles with this! Both Julia and Alicia have made friends in church which has really been nice.

Katie-7 is doing much better with her reading and spelling. She is reading on grade level now and amazes me that she never gets frustrated (even though she still struggles) and tries very hard. Her handwriting is improving, too. She says she may want to be homeschooled next year, we will see how she feels at the end of the year. They go to the library every day and we read the books she gets at night, she loves it.

Garrett-4 loves preschool He goes 3 days a week and is really having fun. Right now he is nuts about I Spy books and always brings those home from the library. He is really good at finding all of the little hidden pictures.

Pitocin

I really don't want the nasty stuff. I know my poor tired uterus doesn't want it either. With baby number 8 it could actually be harmful for me, although they slow the induction process down the more babies you have had. That said, I am praying for a natural, on-time, pain free (hey, you can ask!) labor! My last two labors have been induced with pitocin...Thomas at 10 days past due. I didn't have a single contraction until they actually got the pit going. Plus it necessitates an epidural for me. I have had 3 epi's and all have worked but there is always a risk. I truly admire those who have inductions without drugs...to me it is pain beyond compare (as I found out while waiting for my epi on pit). I am starting to have a few more bh contractions...so maybe there is hope for me yet. The earliest I have ever gone on my own was 2 days before my due date with Katie. I would love to have this little one on that time schedule...but she will be unique and make her own schedule (or the doctor will make one for her!).

Hiccups

Baby has the hiccups right now. It there anything more precious? The days are getting short and soon I will not have her all to myself. I won't have that silly sensation of little frogs in my tummy.

Morning peace...

I have been trying to get up with Jesse in the mornings. He gets up between 5 and 5:30. I can talk to him for a bit and see him off. A few times I went back to bed for an hour, but felt terrible getting up later. It is so quiet and peaceful before anyone gets up. Of course, the dog and 2 cats bug me, but if I can get them fed and the dog out to potty, things settle down. I can eat a leisurely breakfast, write on my blog, pray or meditate, read etc. Once 7am hits, it is full blown chaos getting everyone going. I am enjoying that hour to myself. Soon I will have a newborn to tend to and things will be different but I will enjoy that new dynamic, too.

One cool night..

The leaves on the tree across the street turned yellow after one cool night! It is gorgeous and this doesn't do it justice!

Silly girls...

Katie and Julia clowning around!

Haircut

Garrett had a head full of unruly hair. Tuesday before school I could not get his hair to lay flat...thus, time for a haircut! He usually hates them, but Daddy did the honors and he wasn't sad or even too wiggly! He always looks so grown up when his hair goes...but it is so easy now and I don't have to worry about bedhead in preschool. The "in-between" pictures caused lots of giggles...

Random pictures...

Bickering

I'm tired of the bickering. It always seems to accelerate around meal time. All I ask for is some peace, but seldom seems I get it. Colton and Julia are the two that fight the most. Colton will never admit that he is ever wrong and Julia knows just how to push his buttons. It is exhausting and seems never-ending. I have tried many methods but haven't found the perfect solution. I am trying to teach respect and selflessness. When a person has those, resolving conflicts are easy. Both Julia and Colton are Christians and I try to emphasize emulating their Lord, Jesus. I really need to pray more about it... with them and for them so we can have a peaceful household.

36 week picture

5 weeks *max* to go!! I was just telling Jesse last night that this little one is a bit more mellow than Thomas. Thomas kicked me to pieces the last few months of pregnancy; so far I haven't had complaints about that. Thomas was definitely my most active baby followed very closely by Julia. Both were little football players in my womb. I am feeling really good...just minor fatigue and m/s. I've had one big BH, but otherwise nothing in that department.

Sno-balls

Do you like these things? It is either love or hate for most...I happen to love them! I just ate an orange one (for Halloween, of course) and reveled in it's coconutty-chocolately-creamy-marshmallowey flavor. Here is their wonderful history . It might just make you want to run out and buy a couple yourself!

Food

Do all families revolve around food? My big kids are obsessed with it...always cooking and eating! Colton made a stirfry last night for dinner....chicken, sesame dressing, soy sauce, red pepper, broccoli with angel hair pasta. Really good. Julia is always counting down the minutes until lunch time. Right now she is cooking rice. I really have to be on my toes about meals...I try to plan, it doesn't always work out...sometimes they eat it before I can make the ingredients into a meal. I need to use my crockpot more. We have taken to making frozen bread, too. It is cheap and really good.

Gratefulness

I love this article on Above Rubies. How many times do I go through the day without thanking God for His wonderful blessings? We have so many things to be thankful for, some of them seem small but...I am grateful for my indoor bathroom and hot running water. I am in the strict minority of people who have that in the world. I am thankful for an abundant supply of food. I have a vehicle that gets me places (with lots of prayer!). Thank you God for blessing me today! Help me to have an everlasting attitude of gratitude!

Crying at the eye doctor...

That was me as I waited for my son and daughter to get their eye's checked...I was reading True Christmas Miracles by Karen Kingsbury. Those darn hormones! I had to throw the book down and hunker behind an outdated people magazine to avoid glances of suspicion from the 2 elderly ladies who were discussing the weather.

Thank you, Joy!

I am so thrilled that someone other than my mom (no offense, mom!) is reading my humble and mundane blog...Joy has given me this wonderful award!

The rules of the award are:

1.The winner can put the award on his/her blog

2.Link the person you received the award from

3.Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4.Put links of those blogs on yours

5.Leave a message on the blogs of those you nominated

Here are some terrific blogs that I try to keep up with:

1. Making It Up as I Go Along

A candid and humorous blog from an amazing mom of 4 who also happens to be my sister!

2. Welcome to Chaos

Debbie manages a full time job and 5 kids!

3. Glenda Girl's Tinted World

Glenda takes the most spectacular pictures, you have to see her blog to believe it.

Exhaustion and m/s

The m/s continues to haunt my last weeks...I was so sick all morning, but felt better this afternoon. I really don't have too much to complain about...I don't have major aches and pains. My legs look really bad but actually don't hurt terribly. If I get a nap, I have pretty good energy in the evening. You won't catch me "spinning" like Nicole Kidman was a day before her baby was born, but I go on a walk each evening. I am so thankful to never have been put on bedrest...I feel for those who suffer through that. I do think my uterus is very forgetful....the last two pregnancies it has forgotten how to go into labor on its own. No BH's or anything! So far nothing this time either, so that is a bad sign. I need to start gulping that raspberry leaf tea.

Julia, Alicia and Katie all had dentist appointments this afternoon. They all have a return appointment. Julia has a small hole beneath a filling, Alicia has to have 2 baby teeth removed and Katie has 4 cavities. Poor Katie, she just has bad teeth like her mother!

Tomorrow Ollie gets snipped. Poor doggy, doesn't know what he is in for! I have to take him in at 8am and pick him up in the afternoon.