So, no baby yet....even though I had regular contractions for about 12-14 hours yesterday. 12 min apart, then 10 min apart and even up to 5 min apart during the wee morning hours. But, they never got intense, so no baby yet. :) The experience definitely got Brad and I inspired, though, to finish a few things up and get even more prepared. It really could be anytime now, and it's so exciting. Contractions are coming, Christmas shopping is pretty much finished, baby's room is set up, and only a few baby items need to be brought up from the basement and cleaned. I'll let you know when baby comes.....yippeee!
I feel like blogging, so I'd better take advantage of that while I have a little time. Some things going on here lately....
Mallory turned 4 last month, and we celebrated at the park with family. Two days before her birthday she informed me that she wanted a Dora cake. Well, I wasn't up to finding a cake pan and doing it myself, so for the first time ever I ordered a birthday cake. It was yummy, and I still made cupcakes to make sure we had enough for everyone. She had a good time, and is very excited to be four. Below is a picture of her with Bethany and their 2nd cousin, Tyler.
Last week, Mallory started back at her Montessori preschool. She was very excited and it's been nice for me, too. :) Bethany started soccer practices a couple of weeks ago, and piano started back up. We are definitely busy again after our relaxing summer.
I had to make her pose for this one to compare to last year.
This is what motivated her to pose for above photo....
Ready for practice....
Yesterday I had another ultrasound to check on the position of baby's placenta. I was pretty worried because I could tell the baby was resting its head against the placenta and was head down. The ultrasound tech did an internal ultrasound, too, to get more exact measurements from cervix to placenta. Just as I was telling Brad that I thought it was still too low, the doctor walked in and said, "you're good. we're out of the danger zone. now, it will keep growing higher." I told her I noticed it was still low, but she explained that the measurement for too close is 1.5 cm and mine was now 1.8 cm which was good. So, .3 cm seems pretty tiny to me, but I don't know what my measurement was last time, so as long as it had grown away from the cervix at all that is good news. Can you say 'relief'? I felt so much relief. When I looked at Brad I could tell that he did, too. Prayers have been answered. I'm now looking forward to hopefully a non-csection birth, but you know how labor is.....unpredictable. I'll just focus on trusting in my Heavenly Father and His plan for baby and me.
*Also, I'm getting super excited to squeeze this baby.....I could tell from the last ultrasound to this one that his/her cheeks were fuller and it kept playing with its hands and feet and moving its mouth. It's so fun to watch your baby's face and movements (that I could feel while I watched)....it made me feel even more connected to our little bundle.
*oh, yeah.....under 100 days now!! Wootwoot!
She couldn't hide her real feelings in this one, could she? :)
I've had some things on my mind lately. Sometimes I don't share them because I'm not sure if it's appropriate, or I don't want it to sound like I'm being overly dramatic, or I figure it is probably boring. But, tonight...I feel like sharing.
I have been known to have a temper. It flared up this evening. I'm ashamed to admit it. I have this super-sensitive button when it comes to my cooking. I don't know why. I've had it for around 3-4 years now. I don't cook very often. I'm made fun of for it, and I feel embarrassed that I don't do better for my family -- that is one of my roles as mother, right? I deal with it, and sometimes I do better than others. Brad never comments or complains. (that, without a doubt, has saved him from my wrath :) Tonight, though, Bethany got grumpy with me when I served broccoli with her mac and cheese. How dare I?? She pretty much only eats chicken nuggets, fries, mac and cheese, microwaved hot dogs, and sometimes steak. Green beans, cucumbers, and corn are the only veggies, and corn doesn't really count. Well, when I saw her disapproval I asked her if my cooking was not good enough for her. (leading question, I know.) She said yes, then went on to say that she likes Grandma Judy's cooking better. I mean, yay for my mom, but ouch for me. I lectured her good, I left the room and was really mad and hurt, I came back and told her she better eat it all, etc., etc. I had both girls upset, and we sat there eating our mac and broccoli with tears and silence. How silly, right? I hope I never react like that again. The last thing I want my kids to remember about me in 20 years is how scary their mommy used to get when she was mad. Ugh.
When I had my ultrasound last week....wow, only last week - it seems like a month ago....Brad and I thought everything was awesome. The tech was the best ever. She took like 40 minutes measuring, taking pics, explaining things, and showing me the baby's face over and over. It was so cute because Baby would open and close its mouth and move its tongue around. It was just so cool. Then, I went to the bathroom afterwards to empty my bladder, of course, and the doctor met me in the hall on my way back. She said, "the placenta is too close to your cervix" and I immediately got scared. I knew the diagnosis before she said it, placenta previa. I got tears in my eyes and kept thinking about a dear friend of mine who went through the worst case scenario a couple of years ago when she had to have an emergency c-section and her sweet baby did not make it. When I got emotional I explained to the doctor about my friend, and she wanted to know more. She told me that it was very rare for that to happen, and that 85 % of her patients with this carry to full term and the previa corrects itself. They'll check by ultrasound in another month of so, and more often if needed. I'm on pelvic rest which is stressful for other reasons. (If that's TMI, sorry.) That's the only change in my lifestyle she has prescribed. We're okay if I don't start bleeding in the next 15 weeks, and I'll have a c-section if it doesn't correct itself. (also freaking me out because I haven't had one before.) After the first day, I calmed down. I have no control over this. We just keep praying for the baby and for all to be well. My pregnancy seems to be moving in slow motion now because I'm waiting to find out if the placenta grows to higher ground, so to speak. It's our time to focus on faith and positive thinking.
On a lighter note, I'm getting the feeling that this baby is a boy, and it's not based on anything logical, probably. I physically cannot get through 2-3 hours without a protein boost. I don't want chocolate, which is completely weird for me. A friend did her crystal thing over my belly and declared "boy." And, I checked the Chinese calendar which also said "boy". Why am I doing this when I say I don't want to know the gender yet? Why should it even matter? I don't know. Curious to see if these methods turn out to be accurate, I think.
Okay, first off -- pregnancy sickness has finally worn off, just in time for vacation. Wootwoot! I felt pretty good for the long car rides, mini-golf and many other activities. I LOVE the 2nd trimester. Everyone keeps asking what we are having, and the answer is......whatever God sent us!! We don't find out the gender before it's born, and although it is tempting I decided to stick with the tradition. I mean what does it really change?? My nursery stuff will be the same stuff I've used before which is neutral, I have neutral newborn clothes, the walls are green in the nursery, and I just have to make sure we have a name for boy and girl. I can depend 100% on what I find out at birth, and the ultrasound tech can get it wrong sometimes. (Right, Rebecca?:) I really like the surprise at the end. Brad would have found out this time, though, if I hadn't preferred to wait. I think I'll stay strong through future ultrasounds. :) Summer will be over soon for the school kids, so we're preparing for second grade. And although I wish I was more like my super go-get-it-done friends, I am relaxing as often as possible. So, many projects are waiting for me around the house. Maybe I'll get some done before baby??
Bethany
Mallory
Aunt Heather with Jaxson and Mallory
Throwing rocks was fun for the younger ones
Here is Hannah....4 yrs old now.
Melanie and Mallory cuddling for movie night
Bethany finished 1st Grade this week. She did very well this year, and is super excited to be a 2nd grader now. Reading and math are favorites of hers, and PE and music, of course. I tried to take the traditional picture in front of our door, but her eyes were red and didn't fix right. Oh, well. 
Mallory's last day of Montessori ....for this year anyway.
Owner/director/teacher - Ginny (retiring), New Director/teacher - Pam, and Denise in background.
These teachers are amazing, so patient, and loving. We're very glad that Mallory got to go to this school, and will for the next two years.
You may have noticed the new little widget to the right......yes, we are having a baby. I found out in mid April. As is usual for us, the news was shocking, even more so this time but I don't know why. I have felt like there would be another baby for us someday, but I don't think I was expecting it to happen right now. Though, the timing is great. Mallory will be 4 by the time new Baby Bennett arrives, and we found out last time that it is a great age difference. And, we'll all have a very special, early Christmas gift. :) We are excited, and I'm looking forward to the next phase of pregnancy. The last five weeks or so have been very slow and yucky for my body, my poor husband and kids have been dealing with 1st trimester mommy. I've hit the 12 week mark. I must say, Brad has been outstanding...taking on the dishes, laundry, cleaning, outside work, extra parenting duty plus his own job and normal responsibilities. He has made all the difference in me keeping my sanity. I'll have my 1st ultrasound next week, and after a conversation I had with my mom a while back, Brad and I are looking forward to confirmation that there is one little blessing in there, and not a twin shocker. ;) I told her that I've had every 1st trimester symptom in the book this time, and she said her third, and twins pregnancy, was like that..very different. hmmmm.....of course, we'll take what the Lord gives us, but I'd feel more confident with what I'm used to - one at a time. :)
impromptu "tea" party after school
going to daddy's bball tournament
last time they bundled up for snowplay 2010 (yay!)I know it's been forever since I blogged. Sorry. I seem to be pretty busy lately.
The fever has broken!! I know, you don't know what I'm talking about. Mallory and I have been stuck at home since Sunday. ( well, I went to church while Brad stayed at home with her.) She hadn't left the house since Saturday because she suddenly came down with double ear infections. Luckily, we played our pediatricians' team in basketball that day and they took us to their office to check her out. She was crying pretty much non-stop. Anyway, since that day she has had a fever and terrible nights and lethargic days and it has been awful to witness as a mommy. One of her ear drums was on the verge of rupturing...it may have, I don't know. She has been in terrible pain. This was a first for us -- Bethany had them a lot as a 1-2 yr old but they were never this bad.
I was reminded this week of how fortunate I am to have healthy children. As hard as it was for me to see Mallory in pain, I have nothing greater to compare it to, and for that I'm grateful. Friends of ours have lost children, suffered through their children's cancer, and had unimaginable trials involving their children. How blessed we've been....
So, no fever today!! Yay! We went to WalMart for groceries and to the park after school pickup and then on a walk this evening after dinner. Wonderful weather, healthy children, and exercise...it can't get much better than that.
The sun has been shining for the last 6 days, and I'm loving it! There is just something about sunshine (vitamin D, maybe?) that boosts my energy, lifts my mood, and makes my days more productive. Mallory and I were able to walk around a downtown city block without snow boots today. The sidewalks now have enough room for people to walk on dry cement, although there are still mountains of snow piled up along the edges of every street, parking lot, etc. I'm going to soak up as much of this as I can until the rain starts tomorrow. :(
Another great thing about today -- I was able to eat out for lunch and have this very yummy white chili, (only 1 pt. WW) and half of the turkey sandwich, on whole grain bread w/ lettuce and mayo, with cranberry mayo spread (very lightly applied) and NOT feel guilty about eating out. Yay! I've been trying to watch what I'm taking in and have started using the Wii fitness programs regularly. I feel good, though I don't intend to weigh myself for at least another week or so.
To quote one of my kids' books, (CareBears), "Happy Sunshiny Day!".
Winter, that is..... I've always disliked when people complain about the weather. I mean, really, of all the things to get upset about it's one of the things we have absolutely no control over. It's winter, so it snows, and it's icy and we're stuck indoors a lot. Today was the day that I realized I've been spiraling into the winter blues. So, tomorrow it's my goal to do something to snap out of it. Get motivated to stay busy enough to not even think about it....we'll see how that goes. :) Hope you're all getting along okay with winter.
Brad called me today after he'd taken the girls to school to share a story about Mallory. He said that he had her stand on the sidewalk while he walked Bethany around to get in the car. When he came back for her, he picked her up and she started patting his back and said, "I love you Daddy." Then she shocked him with this: "Daddy, those birds are freaking me out." He was so startled, so he asked, "What?" She said, " You know, don't you see them? Those birds are freaking me out." (the black birds hang around for winter) He and I shared a good laugh when he told me about it. Neither of us had ever heard her use that phrase before, but, yeah....she probably learned it from me, as did Bethany. Oh, well...it's not a bad word in my book. (Although the women who play for the Pembroke ward basketball team would beg to differ....when I used it during a basketball game several years ago, the whole bench started screaming at me for using foul language. Me?! In a church game?! Puhlease. I turned to them and said, "freaking is not a bad word." So there. ;)
