appointment day

this morning my princess buttercup had her 2 month check up with our family doctor.  i say "family doctor", but i kinda mean our pediatrician.  only he's not a pediatrician, he's a family physician DO.  so, i call him our family doctor because everyone in our family who visits a doctor, visits him.  he's great.  he's new to us and we really really like him.  he's not a pill pusher.  he's a healthy pusher.  that's kinda (in a nutshell) what a DO is. 
anyway, here's reason 5 million 2 hundred 6 thousand 983 why i like him:  he makes me wanna brag about my babies. 
as a parent, i try to be modest about my babes.  i'm a realist after all.  i know how annoying it is to hear parents that think there is nothing wrong with their children and that they are the best ever, blah blah blah.  so i try not to be like that.  in fact, if anything, i try to pretend that there's nothing really special about my kiddos.  they're exactly who and what God created them to be... that's nothing more or less than any other baby or kid in the world.  and really, if anyone really knew or believed this, it should be a believing doctor who has kids of his own and sees dozens of kids and babies every day.  and perhaps this is why i like our family doctor so much. 
he knows how special each kid is and makes a big deal about that.
here's our "big deal" about how special buttercup is:

1. she's 12 pounds.  right on the money.  she looks great, feels great, and has gained 2 and almost 3 pounds since she was born.  this isn't anything spectacular or unheard of, but it's a good thing.  she's healthy.  she's healthy being supplemented for all her energy and activities by just my good ol' homemade breast milk.  (that's where i get to be proud.)
2. she sleeps ALL THE WAY through the night.  every night.  she's been doing this for quite some time... pertineer 2 months.  she eats her last meal of the day anywhere from 7:00 to 9:45pm.  she goes to sleep around 9ish, but is always asleep by 10pm.  and she wakes up around 5am.  sometimes 4, but it's getting closer to 5-6 the older she gets.  that's a good amount of sleep time, but it's an even "better" amount of time to go without eating.  (which is where i'm proud again... that's the milk that i'm making that sustains her for that whole time!)
3. she's starting to talk.  now i'm not talking about words and such... YET... but oh  mylanta she is the most adorable little thing ever when she gets on her little talkin' streak. [insert video of buttercup babble here] she just jabbers and jabbers...  coooo, ehhhhhhr, cooooooo, ahhhhhhhhh... with great big smiles and the most intense "adult-like looks" across her face.  (that's what everyone calls them.  adult-like looks.  they're just her expressions.  she's VERY VERY expressive and alert.)  the dr. said that a lot of the 2 month olds that he sees are just still laying there.  talking is normal for this age, but laughing usually doesn't come for another month or two.  ...she laughs.  she talks, she listens, AND she laughs.  it's adorable!
4. lastly, the dr rolled her on her tummy to see how strong she was.  she not only pushed her head up to a ...oh i dunno 45 degree?... but also she started moving her legs as if she were crawling (trying to get them under her body).  he was flat shocked.  it was the second time i've seen her do it, so i was just tickled happy.  (i was shocked the first time which was a day or so ago.)

she's 23-1/4 inches long.  she's grown 2 inches in 2 months.  both her height and her weight are in the 75th percentile.  i don't really care about those stats, but if you do... there they are for ya.  our dr. gave me the update i was hoping to hear, "your girl's an infant genius!"  :) :) :) :)

wolfie had her orthopedic appointment for her foot this afternoon.  here's what we found out there:

1. she's not healed completely.  (bummer.  that's what we were praying for.)
2. the fracture isn't very bad and perhaps not even not all the way through (it's so tiny, it's kinda hard to tell for sure).
3. she doesn't need surgery.
4. she possibly could be healed in 4 weeks.
5. she is to stay in the boot, putting weight on it as long as it doesn't hurt, using crutches as long as it hurts or until she can walk without pain with the boot... 
6. she can go swimming.

she was bummed at the first point... but was overjoyed to hear that it might only take another 4 weeks!!!

and now tomorrow morning at the butt-crack of dawn we have 4 dental appointments.  i might not update you all with them.  but then again, maybe i will.  you'll just have to wait and find out. 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

the aftermath of the game...

on tuesday, wolfie got to bring her best friend to martial arts with her.  she was so excited.  so was the best friend.  i dropped them both off and otter pop picked them up.
they came home and wolfie CRAWLED in the door.  apparently she rolled her ankle while they were WARMING UP...  it was pretty swollen and sore.  she was icing it.  i gave her some ibuprofen.  she stayed the rest of the evening on the couch with it elevated and ice on it.  otter pop went out to a store and rented some crutches for her because she wanted to go to school the next day, it being the last week.  plus it was "middle school mayhem" and field day... so she couldn't miss that!!!  (even though it wasn't like she'd be able to participate much!!!!  when a teenager gets something in their head, ya can't do much to change it.)
so when she went to school.  i called the dr.  i was advised that when she came home from school, if it were still swollen and sore, to take her to an urgent care center to get an x-ray.  so that was in the plans... after the rest of the plans...
so, the aftermath of the jones' game went like this:
we came home and sophie came to our home too so that i wouldn't have to take ALL the kids to the urgent care center.  i looked up the closest urgent care center location and saw that they were all closed.  the closest one to us stayed open until 8 and it was, low and behold 8:08!
so, we went to the emergency room.  got it x-rayed, and found out she has a fifth metatarsal avulsion fracture resulting from ankle sprain.  she got a boot to wear at all times and was advised to use the crutches also as to not bear weight on that foot.  also, we were referred to an orthopedist for an followup appointment and further management. 
she is devastated.  i don't know what this will mean for our summer or her dreams of becoming a ninja.  we left the hospital at about 11...  and then i was finally able to eat dinner. 
it was quite a day!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

41 week 1 day ... buttercup is here!

whether stripping my membranes did it or not, no one will ever know, but buttercup has arrived.  let me tell you about my part in bringing her into this world:
after my dr's appointment on thursday i was having contractions and cramps on and off, but really painful.  i went to bed that night hoping to simmer them down.  it didn't work.  i woke up at 12:26 with horrible cramping (i say cramping because that's the feeling.  what i was experiencing was contractions.  they were faithfully waving every 3 minutes.)  i jolted awake because beyond the pain, i was wet.  it felt like the pillow i stuck between my legs was soaked.  i jerked out of bed like i hadn't been able to do in approximately 4 months.  i put my hand down to feel the bed and sure enough it was soaked too.  i hobbled quickly to the bathroom.  i peed and peed and peed, but it all felt like pee, so i waited for my pee to stop to see if i'd keep leaking out...  i finally stopped peeing, and nothing else was dripping out. 
hmmm... i hollered to wake my hubby a bit so he could tell me if the bed was really wet or not.  --i've "soaked" the bed in sweat before, where it feels soaking wet to me, but then when i go to lay back down, everything was bone dry.  anyway, he roused enough to answer my question that the bed wasn't wet at all.  so, maybe i was wrong.  praise God.  i was really ticked at the dr. for stripping my membranes at this point!!!  but, good.  maybe my water didn't break.  phew. 
now, stop here if you don't want TMI.  skip to the end.
so, i wiped... and came out with a TON of cervical fluid.  i'm talking my "mucus plug" or my "bloody show".  it was disgusting... that is what had soaked my panties and apparently was running down my legs on the way to the potty.  gross.  but as soon as i started cleaning it up, i remember it happening when i was in the hospital trying to naturally labor with starboy.  so what did this mean?  it meant that those cramps i was having were indeed dilating my cervix and now it was dilated enough that my mucus plug had unplugged. 
it also told me that i was experiencing stage one labor. 
i knew this because my birth coach, otter pop, and i have been reading and studying dr. bradley's book "the husband-coached childbirth" (or something like that).  what i should do, to be as natural as possible during stage one, is pretty much fake-sleep.  fake-sleep is my vocab for 6 steps in the bradley method, but it pretty much completely describes what it entails.  (lay down on the side as one would naturally in the deepest most relaxing part of sleep -also called the running position-.  mouth breathing through the abdomen.  eyes closed.  and 2 more i can't think of.)  anyway, this fake-sleep should help to relax my body so that the contractions can do what they're supposed to do. 
so, i cleaned myself up and then went back to bed.  or i tried.  i was too excited though.  i couldn't sleep at all, and after an hour and a half decided that maybe i was in the put-put stage of phase one.  so, i put-putted around... got on facebook, and posted my status, " today MIGHT be the day... we're still waiting to see. but i have been awake (and WIDE AWAKE) for the past hour and a half... and i don't feel "normal" anymore! --although i still could say i do feel "fine" this minute."  i dinked off for another thirty minutes and then went back to bed.  i fell asleep at about 2:30 or 40.  kinda.
i kept contracting fairly regularly -although not every 3 minutes anymore- all morning long.  as the kids got up around 6:30, they had spread out to every 10 minutes.  my husband told the kids to pretend like everything was normal, but to go on throughout the morning without me because i was in labor.  binkins came back to me and said, "i hope your day gets better mommy and that you stop hurting so bad.  daddy said you were in labor."  i asked her if she knew what labor meant.  she looked at me, kinda puzzled and replied, "yeah.  it means you're working really hard!"  :)  (of course she knew what labor meant!!!)  i love her.  i love my kids.  i love my husband. 
we called otter's mom early so that she wouldn't even have to go into work, she could just come right over.  but she couldn't.  but she was still over before the big kids left for school... so that worked out.  she even brought doughnuts, which totally helped the kids get their chores done lightning fast! 
otter pop drove them all (sophie included) to school to help explain the picking up of jones (that'd have to be done at noon) at the same time.  i had written down the instructions... but hands-on learning is always more helpful. 
before they left he drew me a bath, so i soaked while they were gone and when they returned, sophie just took the littles to her house so that i could labor in peace.  we stuck in a movie, or turned on the tv... i'm not sure which because it really was just a background distraction...  i fake-slept while the contractions got harder and more painful by the minute.  around 11 they were painful enough that i really really had to concentrate on relaxing through them and by about 11:30 or 45 even through the relaxation they were bringing me to tears. 
at 12:15 otter pop had a dental appointment to take measurements and pick up his new partial.  it was supposed to only take about 10 minutes -at most- so he rushed off (at 12:14).  at about 12:30 a wonderful God-sent neighbor-friend dropped in on me.  i had had 3 contractions between 12:14, when pops left, and 12:30, when she arrived.  she asked how they were progressing and i told her they were only every 10 minutes, but were really picking up intensity.  she asked how long they were lasting and i told her i wasn't paying attention to that as much as i was just trying to get through them, so she said she'd start keeping track.  well, all of a sudden they started rushing in.  12:36, 12:38, 12:41, 12:44...  they were very intense!  my friend was rather concerned as she was watching me die right before her eyes.  it was about 12:45 when otter pop arrived back home and said friend and i told him that we'd better head to the hospital. 
he packed the car and i called the birth photographer.  i was really scared because what i had realized in the past about 3 hours, that when i got up (like, to go to the bathroom), or even just sit upright, the contractions would not only intensify by 100%, but also would speed up by 100%.  in between the 11-12 o'clock hour, the speed -when i was sitting up- was pretty much piggy-backed to where it was just one contraction on top the other on top the other... 
i sat up to get ready to get out to the car, and told otter pop that i'd better go potty first.  i hobbled to the pot and tried to relax myself when i felt the urge to push...  i got really scared and told otter that we needed to go, NOW.  of course he was waiting on me... so i wiped and got up (with my hubby's help) and went another few steps before i decided i should stop at the other bathroom and empty myself again before the car ride.  did i mention that i was scared?  because i wasn't.  i was petrified! 
we made it out to the car, back up, and drove about 50 ft. before i reminded him that i'd need my purse.  so we backed up, got the purse, and then sped off to the hospital. 
my wonderful loving husband pushed on his hazard lights and sped all the way to the hospital, passing [at least] 2 cops, and running only one red light.  we arrived and got rushed up and admitted to labor & delivery at 1:36.  at that time i was dilated to a 7.  i informed me that my birth plan was just a joke and that if they really wanted to save my life, they'd have to give me an epidural as quick as possible.  well, someone must've been listening because by some miracle the anesthesisist (sp?) was in my room waiting for the nurses to put in hep-lock iv.  then, the other miracle, was that he was able to administer the epidural while i was in the laying position!  (the miracle in that act is that if he couldn't have done that, i'm sure that i would be paralyzed or dead from trying to get it inserted while sitting up with those contractions piggy-backing with the highest intensity possible!)  anyway, the epidural was administered by 2pm and by 2:12 i felt tremendous relief.  sigh.  i COULD do this!  i didn't have to die. 
my water broke during a check of my cervix and a light green color was detected.  :(  this meant that i might not be able to hold my sweet blessing right away.  however, my husband was catching... so i wasn't devastated...  :)
at about 3:45 we got notice that my dr was on her way over.  at 3:52 my dr checked me and confirmed that i was complete (at 10 cm dilated and 100% effaced and at station 0) and ready to start pushing.  as they tore down the bed, i started to feel the urges.  i had 3-4 contractions, pushed 3 times each contraction, and had my sweet buttercup on my tummy at 4:08pm. 
am i disappointed that i chose to not have this baby naturally?  absolutely not.  i didn't choose meds... i chose life!
buttercup was born, friday, march 23, 2012 at 4:08pm, weighed in at a mere 9 pounds and 5.2 ounces.  her head circumference was 14 inches.  she looks balder than a q-ball... but she has a thick head of short, fine, blond hair.  her nose is great big, smashed all fat, and long.  she has fingers and toes of a 2-year-old, but placed on newborn hands and feet.  they're not at all fat... but they're SURE long!  when she was born, her little cheeks were so chunky and pinch-able... but 24 hours later, she's all unswollen and back down to normal.  no fat rolls on her arms or legs anymore.  :(   she's a beautiful little gal!  i'm completely blessed to introduce you to her:



Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

my birth plan (read on at your own risk)

what's my birth plan look like? 

well, it looks a lot like the below one with more info (such as names and stuff that was left out for our privacy).  i also cut off the top, which states our family name's birth plan, our dr's name, and both otter pop's and my name. 

We have put together a simple birth plan so that you can know our wishes in this birthing experience at [hospital of our choice].  What we’d like, is for this experience to go smooth and leave us with an awesome memory.  We would prefer to have a more natural-centered childbirth and would appreciate having our nurse support us with this goal.  I TOTALLY understand that I will need to be flexible in my wishes if something unexpected happens.

I have an issue with my heart (PSVT), that when it starts pumping, it just keeps going faster and faster until it isn’t doing anything because it’s pumping so fast.  I have been seeing [insert cardiologist's name here] this pregnancy because it has been triggered a lot.  I am currently taking .5mg of Digoxin each evening.  I met with [cardiologist] last on March 6 and she was confident that I shouldn’t have any troubles in labor or delivery.  However, she is available if we need her. 

Before delivery, and during my laboring, I would really like a lot of freedom.  I would like to try and think that I could possibly be comfortable in my labor.  Purposely I am going to stay at home for as much of my labor process as possible because I don’t want to be tied to my bed.  Whether the freedom is me snacking, or walking around, or dancing, or whatever, I would appreciate being given this freedom.  I would like to use oil and warm compresses in the vaginal area before birth, to help soften and ready the tissues.  Hopefully that might decrease my need for an episiotomy.

I would prefer that my labor NOT be forced, nor “improved”, nor speeded up by the use of Pitocin.  Also, I would ask that my membranes be left alone.  Please refrain from artificially rupturing of the membranes at any time during my pregnancy.  I believe they will rupture when they’re ready to and that that process will help assist in a quicker delivery.  Instead, I would rather use natural methods to assist (nipple stimulation, pressure points, massage, etc.).  Along those lines, I would like to avoid using pain medication and an epidural.  IF the decision is changed and I am given an epidural, I would appreciate the consideration of NOT being given a precautionary dose of Ephedra just in case my blood pressure drops.  It triggers my heart to start pumping… and then we’ll have another issue! 

I would like to use whatever position that I find most comfortable to give birth in (on my side, squatting, on my hands and knees, etc.) and would also like my husband the opportunity to assist in the delivery, if the situation is right.  He would like to cut the umbilical cord.

We are so excited to meet this little girl!!!!!!  Directly after the delivery, I would love to have my daughter laid directly on my skin so that we can bond, first off, and so that she can be warmed with my skin to her skin.  I would love to hold her and snuggle her and have some bonding time before she is taken to have her stats charted.  Please inform us of any procedure that is needed for our baby. 

Lastly, we have a photographer [insert photographer's name here] that is scheduled to come document this sweet baby girl’s entrance into this world.  She plans on being unnoticed and as out-of-the-way as possible, but I really want her to be able to document as much as she can.  Please let her know if she is in the way and where she can be so that she’s not in your way but still able to take part in this amazing miracle. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider my wishes.

Physician Reviewed______________________________________________  Date__________

my dr is great enough to allow me the birth that i wish.  she has been practicing long enough that she WANTS her patients to have a happy memory and is willing (unlike a slew of other ob's) to release the amount of control she could have... to help her patients be happy. 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

ketchup

i have some catching up to do here in blog land.  it's quiet time though, so what better to do?! 
first is yesterday's post about last week's family fun adventure (using up the last of my downloaded pictures), then this one, and lastly: my monday menu post.
first, i'll start off with something that i learned.  i got an email today that stated march is National Peanut Month.  so, i agree with them that it's the perfect time to share amazing recipes using peanut butter.  whether your sweet tooth is craving brownies, bars, or cookies there's sure to be something in this peanutty list you'll love.  or maybe it isn't a sweet tooth at all, and you can share some yummy healthy meals with peanut butter added!  (even though all of these listed don't look like links... they are.  don't be afraid.)

1. Bake Not, Worry Not, Peanut Butter Bars — So easy! Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge — Just want to eat it all
3. Classic No Bake Peanut Butter Bon Bons — Love
4. Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies — Perfect combo
5. Mouthwatering Peanut Butter Cookies —  So freaking good 
6. Double Peanut Butter Cake — Peanut Butter lovers unite!
7. Easy 15-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge — Scrumptious
8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie — Yummy!
9. Grandma's Classic Peanut Butter Cookies — Favorite 
10. Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie —  So simple
11. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies — Classic taste
12. No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls — Truly the best!
13. Amish Peanut Butter — Old fashioned 
14. No-Fail Bake Sale Peanut Butter Cookies — The best
15. Perfect No Bake Peanut Butter Balls — A favorite

and now onto something else:  my thoughts.

otter pop left for his last business trip of this winter yesterday morning.  he's only one time zone away this time and thankfully he's getting home thursday night (friday early morning) instead of friday night (early saturday morning), like the others.  i got really nervous last night that i might go into labor during the night.  no symptoms or signs... just going off of murphy's law.  but then i remembered that my brother and sister-in-law said they'd be in town 'till wednesday, so that calmed my nerves.  when i called my sister-in-law, (i'll call her "nicole") right before bed to remind her to be on call and answer her phone in the middle of the night, she informed me that they're leaving town today (monday) instead...  eek!  so i hope murphy is lawfully wrong this week and that i don't have the baby while her daddy is out of town!  i don't think i will, but man this girl feels HUGE. 

this pregnancy reminds me a lot of my pregnancy with binkins.  of course i'm about 20-30 pounds heavier and almost a decade older (give or take), but i guess the span between starboy and buttercup was enough for me to build back some "normality" to my abdomen.  there is absolutely NOTHING between my skin and my huge uterus.  i can see EVERY SINGLE MOVE she makes and i'm starting to get deformed because she's growing so big that i'm not as round as i am bumpy with her little shoulders and heels and elbows and whatever else she sticks out of her "circle" home. 

she's funny too, that she really plops on over to the side when i lay down.  when i get back up, i have this big lump over to the side of me... it takes her a while to get back to the center.  or, it hurts to roll over to the other side while she takes her time to adjust to the move. 

also, a difference with her and the others is that she's reaching all the way up to my ribs.  i've heard other pregnant women talk about getting kicked in the ribs, but never experienced it personally.  i think my torso must be long enough that my others have had plenty of room staying away from most of my skeletal system.  well, buttercup will every once in a while pry a little boney something up under my rib cage.  it DOES hurt!  (they weren't kidding!)  and i'm really glad my others left me alone up there!!!  on the flip side, she also will sick something boney down by my pelvic bones and try to tickle me.  THAT feels weird too!!!  i'm just wondering how long this girl actually is!  either she's gonna be about 24-25in. long... or she's just a real active mover and stretcher. 

i wonder what she's gonna look like.  i wonder if she'll have lots of hair like boo and starboy did when they were born.  i wonder if she'll have binkins and jones' ears or ones more like starboy and boo's.  i wonder if she's going to have cute little feet like jones.  i hope she's sweet like my others...  <3  i'm wondering all these things, but really i'm not ready yet.  so, i hope she stays put for a few more weeks! 

i decided that i hope she's born the last week or march, or in april.  that's when i'll be ready for her.  also, i'm completely terrified of labor and delivery.  i'm trying to learn everything i can about how to relax and be calm and relax my body so that she can come out nice and natural ---like how God created me to do it. 

these are all my current thoughts... or a lot of them, at least.  since otter pop's not here, i'll share them with you.  also, i'm wondering what we'll call the little girl. 

gratituesday : time together

i don't know how i missed yesterday was tuesday.  i don't know how it's already wednesday!  oh!  yes, i do... it's 'cause otter pop had sunday monday off, but actually took monday off too.  usually his mondays are scheduled full with appointments, classes, and other work. 
i love time together.  especially with him.
today though, i have binkins and jones home from school hanging out with boo, starboy, and i.  they're sick... but i sure love our time together. 
i love each of our kiddos and their different personalities.  really... i LOVE them!  they're so unique and sweet and fun and it's great to spend time with them. 
i'm thankful for this time together, even if it's 'cause of sick germs!  thank you, Lord, for blessing me with 5 wonderful children.  thank you for giving me this precious time with them.  cuddling, taking care of, and nursing them to well health...

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

37 weeks

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: i LOST 4 pounds since the last appointment (LAST WEEK!).  so, part of it was my shoes... but the rest... yeah, i'm all skinny now.  ;) 
Maternity clothes? i guess i could start trying them on... 
Stretch marks? not any new ones that i've noticed.
Sleep:  it's on and off.  half the week i slept like an angel.  the other half of the week i didn't sleep.  i really need lots of pillows... that's the deciding factor.  if i loose my pillows during the night... my sleep is woken.
Best moment this week: well, weirdly enough... it was probably passing my kidney stone.
Miss Anything? hm.  what do i miss this week?  my sister.
Movement: oh yeah.  still LOTS of movement!    
Food cravingacts:  i would like a bowl of ice cream each night.  but i've been declining.  yogart is my replacement. 
Anything making you queasy or sick:  the pain of a kidney stone...
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: not much.  i guess the "contractions" from last week, were kidney ouches.  
Symptoms: a little heartburn, a few small contractions every day, lots of pain from her movin' body, a little lower back and crotch and hips pain (mostly after sitting for a while.  or laying), a little swolen feet (barely)... but nothin' worth complaining about. 
Belly Button in or out? out
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy.
Looking forward to: each day.  

picture courtesy boo.  (i'm glad i reminded her to make sure my face was showing)

 

her heartrate was about 135-140 today.  she was totally snoozin'.  i was measuring right at 37 weeks.  1-1.5cm dialated. 
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

what went on this past week?

well, a lot.
monday and tuesday were normal days.  but wednesday ended up as a horrid day.  here's an un-brief synopsis:  i went out in the morning expecting to get all my few errands completed before i had to pick jones from school at noon.  otter pop called and asked me to get the oil changed while i was out. 

so, i got to sears with boo and starboy.  got out.  and waited and waited and waited for the guy to stop talking with the other customer.  there weren't any cars in the garage.  they were just having one of those man talks where the one guy was trying to prove his knowledge to the other guy.  i'm sure you've heard of those??? 

we waited for about 20 minutes (yes, i'm serious) and then they finished.  by that time, i knew i wouldn't have enough time to get it done by the time i'd have to leave, so i asked if i could schedule an appointment for after i picked up jones.  well, no, they only did drive-ins...  but it would only take 30-45 minutes.  i advised him to please not get busy and i'd be right back.

well, he didn't listen to me.  i picked jones up, grabbed the kids something to eat, and dropped the car off.  at that time i was told it'd be about an hour.  but that was ok, i still had my errands from the morning that had to get put off so i could wait in line to be told that i could come back.  so, we went and wasted an hour and got my errands completed.  we doddled back to sears, wasting as much time as possible because i still hadn't been called, even though it was a good hour... maybe even another half too. 

i got to the counter and asked if we were ready and he said, yes, they were just backing it up.  so that was perfect!  i waited at the counter while he took a decade of minutes to get the paperwork together... and then another few more decades of minutes while he did something else... 

the kids were really doing well.  i had told them to sit down by the counter and wait patiently for me (and the guy).  they were having a hard time standing... and then they were having a hard time sitting and not laying... they (and i) were EXHAUSTED!

so then starboy ran off.  and i couldn't catch him.  and then i couldn't find him.  and no one had seen him...  and i started to panic.  i had left jones and boo at the counter so i could find starboy... and i had looked EVERYWHERE and couldn't imagine how NO ONE had seen him.  so i didn't even know what to do as i was running back to the counter to get jones and boo to help. 

and then someone found him.  -he was trying to get out the door.-  phew.  AND it looked like the guy was back at the counter ready for me. 

there's a bit more of waiting that we still had to do, but it's not important.  it was just ridiculous.  it was nearly 3pm by the time we got home. 

it was just too much for me to handle. 

i'm a patient person.  it was just too much.  as i was driving home, i was so ... emotional ... the kids were asking if i was mad... but i wasn't mad.  i just wasn't happy.  so i started crying. 

pregnancy is so weird. 

it wasn't a such horrible day.  i just felt like it was.  at about 4, i went to the school to help binkins' girl scout troop finish up their ireland thinking day booth stuff.  and came home for dinner that must've made itself somehow...  ???  i sent the kids and i went to bed at 6:20, right after dinner.  and fell fast asleep.  and so did they.

thursday was much better, but still busy.  i had a dr's appointment in the morning and a massage in the afternoon.  i spent after-massage hanging out with my friend's house who had graciously watched my three little units.  i got home about 4:30 and realized i needed to make dinner.  so i started that, then met otter pop at the men's warehouse to get him a suit for the father-daughter ball on sunday.  i was pretty much gone ALL DAY LONG!  which is very rare for me.  very rare.  although, now, it was pretty much two days in a row!
thursday night though i really didn't sleep.  i felt like i was being kicked and poked and prodded and abused (in the back) ALL NIGHT LONG!  poor otter pop didn't sleep much either because i kept pushing him away imagining that it was him kicking me...  we woke up friday morning grumpy!  when i rolled over, the pain went to my belly and i realized it must have been back labor i was feeling because it totally turned into front labor (regular contractions).  they were hard and they were persistant, but not really regular.  i took a bath and some tylenol and laid back down.  they subsided a bit, but i started getting a very sharp cervical pain, in my cervix area.  oh my lands, i was sure that buttercup was trying to push her head out and take her first breath...  oh my lands, it hurt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO badly!  i pretty much just wanted to sit on the pot, which to me, meant i was starting labor.  my stool was soft and the pain escelated so much that i started to throw up also... 
i called the dr. and they advised i come to the hospital so that labor and delivery could check me out.  so, we went.  and by the time i got there i wasn't having contractions anymore, just the cervical pain.  they did the routine checks and sent me back home.  i continued to have the cervical pain all throughout the day and night and next morning. 
saturday afternoon, after taking a little nap, i peed out a rock. 
...aparently i have kidney stones! 
the rest of the weekend went well.  the "sharp cervical pain" subsided.  i had a great day today.  i woke up rested, lounged around most of the morning, got my menu built, went grocery shopping, did up my girls to look beautiful, and sent them on a date with their father.  then, i made a delicious sundried tomato sauce, poured it over fettucini and chicken.  wow.  it was amazing!  and so was my sweet masculine company that shared the meal with me.  they liked it too! 
anyway, the day is done now, and i'm off to bed. 
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

years gone by

i found a great blog (a friend of a friend through a friend, or something like that) and loved the idea.  i'm modeling this one after that one, but it won't be the same because i don't even know the girl, so don't worry about plagiarism.
also, i'll see what i can do as far as pictures go...  *note to self, this post would rock-a-diddle if it had pictures!*

last year:  i turned the age that every woman wants to be for the rest of her life.  29.  it was a great year, but i'm looking forward to my 30s... i mean, everyone else has been in their 30s for YEARS it seems!!!

2 years ago: i had a new (3-mo-old is still new, right?) baby boy to snuggle with.  he wasn't very little, but he was such a sweet snuggler.

3 years ago: i helped my little sister plan her wedding.  attended that wedding and witnessed a wonderful thing.

4 years ago:  i was about to have a precious bundle of girl born to me!  she looked different than the others and had a head full of dark beautiful hair! 

the birth though, isn't one of my favorite memories... 
i wanted to go natural but we lived two hours away from my ob.  a week early, one of the drs talked us into being induced because it was february in northwester usa.  weather's unpredictable.  roads are unpredictable.  babies are even more unpredictable in regards to their arrivals!  so, knowing i was going to be induced i decided i'd be firm in everything else.  no breaking water.  no epidural.  etc. 
two hours after arriving, i tell the dr. that was working that day (different than the one i had discussed my induction with the day before) my decisions and he says firmly, "do you want to have this baby or not?!"  well, that should have given me a clue as to what i was going to be dealing with [him] all day. 
it was NOT my birth plan, it was all HIS.  and when it came down to the baby being pushed out he had just laid down to take a nap... so, needless to say, he was NOT HAPPY when i decided to have the baby that day!  after delivering my sweet bundle of goodness he immediately started stitching me up.  and then i decided to deliver the placenta (because it was time).  well, unfortunately he had stitched enough up that the placenta "popped" out.  it busted blood and gore and grossness ALL OVER HIM (and most of the room)!!!!  i felt horrible.  he looked like he could've killed me if there wouldn't have been so many witnesses.  i apologized all over myself.  i was so embarrassed. 

as i look back, i should have replied, "nope, i'd like to keep this baby IN ME!" to his first question of the morning.  if that didn't work out for me, i really should've kicked him at some point or the other and demanded a dr that had some either compassion or sleep catch my baby!

but anyway, off of that memory and on to the next year.  5 years ago we lived in a lovely little two-bedroom/one bathroom duplex in a tree-infested side of town.  there was shade galore and parks scattered on every corner.  our backyard was this forest-kid-wonderland.  it was small, but an amazing imagination-growing chapel!  almost all of our neighbors had kids and dogs.  and kids and dogs ran amuck in our little circle/culdesac.  it was a great home.  ... i miss a lot about it!

6 years ago, my hubby was nearing the end of his academics in aircraft and propulsion.  i was pregnant and expecing my first son.  later in that year, he was born.  he was cute.  he looked just like the first one, except with different parts.  my smart hubby had his final exam (of some sort, i think it may have been an oral test or something like that.  anyway, it was a huge deal) the same day the little dude was born.  he had to stay in school for another week so that he could reschedule.  we lived in a teeny tiny town in idaho.  it was one of those towns where everyone knows everyone else and their business.  however, it was also amazingly refreshing in a nice-ness.  there was a reservoir just about a mile from where we called home.  there were trains that came through every hour (day and night).  the tracks were in between us and the reservoir.  the trains would literally shake our windows (again i'll reiterate day and night).  again we were surrounded by others with kids.  lots and lots of kids.  if i could give one complaint, it would be those kids.  but i won't.  i'll just leave it as an amazing refreshing in a nice-ness town. 

7 years ago... well, i just posted that post earlier this month.

8 years ago we lived in a different town.  in a different situation.  on a different street.  i had 3 grandparents living.  i had a great job that had just changed owners.  i was a newly wed.  life was good.  really really good.  simple.  steady.  and good.  very very different that the life i have now (not that the life i have now is bad.  no, it's great!  just very different in 8 short years.)

9 years ago i got engaged.  i also got married and became a mom (all in two small words) and pregnant.  that was a big year! 

10 years ago is when i met my mr.  it was march/april 10.  i also graduated from college.

i'm skipping year ten because although it was a great year in a great town with an awesome roommate and millions of changes happening, it's worth skipping.

11 years ago was that tenth year i was just referring about, so i'll forgo it too. 

12 years ago i was getting ready to graduate from high school.  i had a great school and a great time doing it.  but i was soooooo ready to get out and away.  i graduated and was out within a month.  i moved to a camp in paradise and learned a whole new way of life.  i grew up.  all in one summer.

about 13 years ago, i had my first "real" boyfriend.  the kind that takes you out on dates and stuff.  that was a big deal back then. 

and about 16 years ago, my first kiss.  it's stupid now, but it wasn't so stupid then.  (*yeah, i don't have a picture of that!)

18 years ago i made my first team.  in 7th grade, i made the girl's basketball team.  it was awesome.  it was what i wanted to spend the rest of my schooling doing (playing sports).  unfortunately, it was also the last team i ever made.  apparently size does matter.  :(  that still breaks my heart to this day.  it also really irks me that we now live in a big enough town that they start kids trying out for some sports as young as 2nd and 3rd grade. 

20 years ago, there was a huge snow storm where i lived with my two older brothers and one younger sister.  my parents lived with us.  my father farmed and my mom worked a town away as a nurse.  the snow was so deep on our road, that we had to park down at the corner mile-road and walk home (uphill both ways).  the snow drifts were so high, one could only see the snowplow coming through from the huge blast of snow he'd throw above and out into the snow fields.  it wasn't the regular snowplow either.  we had to have the national state of emergency snowplow guy.  we missed so many days of school that year, that they had to lengthen the school day for the rest of the year (once school resumed).  it was worth it though.  we had so much fun sliding down snowdrifts out in our yard/field/driveway.  it was like there was a ski hill just outside our door!  ---only we didn't ski.  it didn't have any lifts.  no one paid us to use it.  etc. etc. etc.---

so that means that about 25 years ago i started school.  i remember riding the bus and being so nervous.  i remember practicing my teacher's name over and over, so if something happened i could just say i was supposed to go to mrs. ostermeier's class.  nothing happened.  everything was fine. 

i met my best friend and did well in school.  recess was filled with running from boys.  25 years is a really long time ago... but i still can remember some things and my emotions fairly well. 

30 years ago, i was born.  happy birthday!


Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

32 weeks

again, questionaire:

How far along? 32 Weeks 
Total weight gain: so i'm up another 3 pounds...  boo.  that's because of some homemade cookies that have been around this past week. 
Maternity clothes? yeah.  this answer will NOT be changing for a while.
Stretch marks? same ol' same ol'
Sleep: not good!  i've always been a good sleeper... this is different.  or, i should say that i really don't remember sleep being affected so much with my other babes.  it's not just tossing and turning... i'll wake up at 1,3, 5am...  last night i woke up at 1 and had to move out to the couch.  yeah... not good!
Best moment this week: we got dumped with snow yesterday.  i went out with jones and boo and built two snowmen.  in all my largeness, i was down on my hands and knees rolling balls of snow and lifting them atop eachother.  it was glorious!!
Miss Anything? i am missing lots of things, but really want to enjoy this pregnancy rather than complain of all my aches and pains.  it's REALLY uncomfortable to put on snowboots with a big belly in your way!
Movement: lots of big movements and lots of kicking and adjusting.  she's pretty predictable and you can make her move around just by rubbing my belly most of the time.  she's likes to stick out here and there.  oh, and hiccups... :)  i love her!
Food cravings: still craving sweets... and i went on a baking spree... so pretty much have been eating lots of cookies.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope, nothing other than the flu...
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Not at all.
Symptoms: Heartburn (the sugar makes it WORSE.  note to self... don't eat sugar!), lots of pelvic pain this week, lower back aches at the end of each day, sore lower abdomen (like below my lump, but above my crotch... maybe the downswope of my lump.)  tired/exhaustion...
Belly Button in or out? it hasn't gone back in...
Wedding rings on or off? still off.  :(  maybe i'll get a new band for my birthday...
Happy or Moody most of the time: we got sick and now i'm congested with a little sore throat... i'd like to think this is why i've been a little short tempered. 
Looking forward to: another 3-day weekend!!!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

our weekend, in letter format

i wrote this email to my brother this morning and thought it was informative enough to share details with all my faithful readers...
dear readers,

we spent the weekend sick.  starboy threw up friday morning and was sick all day only wanting to cuddle up and die (he had diarhea too). 

he couldn't keep anything down but soda crackers and sweet water.  his energy picked up a smidgen that evening, but i could still tell he wasn't feeling great.  on saturday, he seemed fine and he didn't throw up that night.  he still had vicious diarhea, but he had energy and smiles.  i took jones and boo to lowe's to participate in their "build and grow" projects they put on (look it up if you have a lowe's near you).  we were ALMOST done when jones said he had to barf and then proceeded to do so... slowly.  thankfully he was slow enough at it that i put the bag from the project under him and there was only a small few drips on the floor and his coat.  we went home and he didn't seem to  lack energy for the rest of the day... or appetite.  he also didn't have diarhea, but i made him lay down and keep his germs to himself. 

that night at dinner (which we all ate a little of), boo shared her eating utensil with starboy.  i was afraid i'd be up all night with her.  however, her bed is so big, she's been known to barf, roll over, and then go back to sleep.  binkins went to stay with nana for the weekend (to celebrate her 7th year of living), so when i woke at 1am to go to the pot and barf, i then went in to check on boo.  she was fine.  however, wolfie popped up and grumbled, "i don't feel too well."  i told her to rush to the toilet because it came on really fast with me.  she said it was just a bad headache, so i got her some ibuprophen and sent her back to the bed.  she reassured me that she wasn't upset to the stomach at all, so i kept the puke bucket all to myself.  at 2pm i had to get up again for the other end... i took the bucket with me and used them both.  finally i went back to sleep but i felt really lousy (i'm talking REALLY LOUSY = no energy, nausiated with the runs, and crappy) all day.  starboy still had the runs and by day 3 pretty much knew that if he felt even a little toot, that he needed to run to the toilet.  unfortunately for me because i couldn't run and i felt like throwing up or pooping everytime i SAW the toilet (which was about every 5 minutes all day long with starboy's toots.)

nobody else seemed to be sick, so when sophie called to bring binkins home and pick wolfie up for some community service i arranged for some friends to come get binkins so she wouldn't have to be exposed at all.  [if you've caught on to the pattern though, i'm going to start the next sentence with a "however".]  HOWEVER, as she exited sophie's car, her cheeks were full.  she burst into the house and ran straight to the pot to barf her little brains out as well.  she felt like crud the rest of the day as i started feeling an itty bit better each hour.  she ended off her night with the bucket beside her, slowly filling it in her slumber.  :(

yesterday went well.  we all were feeling MUCH better and didn't have any puking episodes.  in fact, starboy even had a solid bowel.  i was feeling like there was a light at then end of our tunnel of sickness.  [wait for it...] HOWEVER, after putting the boys to bed, about a half hour later, otter pop called me into the boys' room because starboy had barf ALL OVER HIM and his pillow, and a blanket! 

sigh.

so we got him all cleaned up and sheets changed and areas disinfected and air freshened... and put both the boys back to bed.  nothing else happened last night.  everyone seems fine today, including starboy.  the kids all went to school but i called and told the teacher i wouldn't be volunteering because (of course) my babysitter didn't want a kid who barfed just last night over infecting her kids.  i, personally, think he just filled his little tummy too full with dinner (after it had shrunk up all weekend long) and then when he laid down it made his little tummy mad.  BUT, if i were her, i wouldn't want him over at my house either.  puking sucks.  his diarhea is gone though for sure.  he's not lacking energy or anything.  i think he's fine.  and the lady that i babysit for is fine with her kids coming over... so that's my plan for the day.  i also have to make a snack for binkin's girl scouts meeting tomorrow.  btw, are you interested in any gs cookies?!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

reflection

2011 was an awesome year for us.  it is great to reflect over it and see God's blessings, miracles, and hand working in our life over and over... month after month.
in january, aleemay turned 6 and i started my last year of my 20s.  we were blessed in many ways including receiving a new (to us van) as a gift and sold our old one for $500 (blessing someone else).  we were involved in a couple self-enrichment classes, and a bible study too.  God was faithful in providing ways to support us financial even through a slow motorcycle-mechanic-season.
in february, boo turned 3.  God continued to provide for us, especially in that we got our taxes back.  we started a rigorous cleaning routine and got some good deep-cleaning done in our home.  also, not most importantly, but most excitingly... i introduced my youngest child to the potty (in great success.  -for that month.)
in march, we ended some things and started new ones... we started getting ready for spring, starting with some little boy haircuts, and ended with a great week of spring break.  my one babysitting job ended abruptly, but was replaced with another the very exact day.  God is good.
in april, we focused a lot on our blessings, the weather started looking like spring, we celebrated Christ's resurrection, and read quite a bit more than normal. 
in may, i really slowed down my blog.  otter pop and i (separately) were able to go to the school and give aleemay's class a little "who's your parent orientation".  i taught them some wonderful parts of being a mom, read them a story, and then taught them all how to fold and diaper a baby.  otter pop brought them a motorcycle and showed them the different parts and stuff.  the girls wrapped up their school year and practiced lots on their end-of-the-year talent show.  otter pop and i also started our summer softball league. 
in june, the girls finished school and my other babysitting job ended, we started a summer routine, wolfie started piano lessons and jones turned 5.  we went on an awesome road trip, just around our little area but up in the mountains a bit... for history, but it ended up being more just for scenery.  the little kids also had their first vacation bible school (pandamania), which ended up being a highlight of the summer!  also, God allowed us a miracle when otter pop and i made a little sweet baby girl inside my uterus to spend the next 10 months growing and developing. 
in july, we watched some beautiful fireworks, from the back deck of our wonderful friends' house (while they were out of town), went up to the mountain-lake-town of my dreams (and many memories), attended another VBS, and spent some good time with some of otter pop's family that came to visit.  on the 16th, sophie (nana) took a good hard fell, broke her wrist, and had a pretty bad head injury as well.  on the 18th, otter pop got t-boned as he was test driving a motorcycle.  both of these events slowed up the plans for the rest of our summer.  july was also the month that boo decided to see what scissors would do to her beautiful head of hair... :(  that was really sad!
in august, i tried to schedule some posts for the blog, so that it wouldn't be neglected completely.  i added a few that i've been faithful to (fairly faithful), and some that i haven't.  we started the month with our last vacation bible school of the summer (learning and studying the lord's prayer).  we traded in our free van for one that wasn't so free and then took a trip to visit some family in a boardering state.  we spent almost a whole week there and made some great memories.  God blessed us with a very great summer break, and provided in great ways for our needs to be met.  the girls AND jones started school.
in september, we adjusted to the new school routine rather well, and i started a new bible study. 
in october, i started watching 3 kiddos in the afternoon (m,tu, and w) from 12-5ish.  i also starteded trading babysitting so that i could volunteer at the kids' school every other week.  i saw the cardiologist for the first time and was put on a 30-day moniter.  on the 31st, starboy turned 2 and we found out our little miracle inside was female. 
november was a busy month.  binkins had several birthday parties to attend, i had a wonderful women's retreat to attend, and on the 13th, wolfie celebrated her golden birthday (turning 13).  the kids all (except starboy) had dental exams, binkins had an eye exam and was prescribed glasses again, i got some maternity shirts.  i was put on some medication to help with my heart episodes and we finished the month off by visiting some local botanical gardens to see some extraordinary beautiful christmas lights with sophie (nana)'s work. 
december continued the business, but in a jesus-was-born-excited kind of way.  otter pop and i had a fun date with a couple from his work, we met with some school representatives to discuss jones, and had a few dr's appointments of my own.  otter pop visited the dentist and had some oral surgery done to help fix up his mouth a bit.  later in the month he went back and had some cavities filled.  he's spent the majority of december in oral pain!!!  after celebrating Christ's birth at home on the morning of christmas, we traveled a couple hours away to unite with my parents and siblings (and their families).  we met a niece and nephew (cousins) and we had a great time, took some family pictures (LOTS of family pictures), ate, and played a few games.  otter pop took some vacation days to end this wonderful year and get some things done that can't be done while he's working full time. 
2011 has been one of the best years of my life and i'm excited to see what God has in store for us for 2012.  God is faithful.  we don't know the extent of His plan, but i can trust that He will take care of us and love us no matter what.  those things carry me through day to day and year to year.  i pray that you can trust Him in the same way and place your life in His loving and caring hands.  may you have a happy and healthy new year!!!
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."