Come Out, Come Out!

Caution: This post is mainly about pregnancy related stuff, so if you wanna skip the gory details, just skip this post.

Well, I had another doc appointment yesterday, as well as, an NST. The NST went well. This little girl is as happy as can be in there. She moved and had a nice strong heartbeat. That appointment went really fast since she cooperated and they got the numbers and proof they needed that she was just fine. I had about an hour to kill before my doc's appointment, so I went to Starbucks. I had a Mocha and a chocolate crossaint. Of course, chocolate leaked out all over my shirt.

My doc appointment went well too. He said I have lost a total of 8 pounds. So, I weigh eight pounds less that I did before I got pregnant. I lost 5 pounds since last week. I have no idea how this is possible because I have not been following my diet nor have I been monitoring my sugars. As far as I can tell, I have eaten more this week that I have any week all through the pregnancy. They have been weighing me on the same scale, so it isn't a factor of the scales being off.

I also had another vaginal exam. He poked around in there pretty good and said that it may cause me to go into labor (it sometimes happens), but wouldn't you know it, not a darn thing. She is still snug as a bug in there. I am now 90% effaced, at -2 station and 4 cm dilated! He had me set an appointment for Friday morning (Kevin's birthday). If I have progressed to 5 cm, he is going to admit me to the hospital and break my water. Technically he is not supposed to induce me, but I think he can sense my frustration. He said that when he admits me, he will just tell them I am showing signs of delivery and then go from there. So, we may have two kids with the same birth date. Kevin insists this is fine for him.

Well, off to do laundry and to get the house tidy before we head to the hospital. Dad is coming over to start spending the nights here in case I do go into labor before Friday. Mom seems to think that it will happen before Friday.

I have to still pack our overnight bag and get the baby's bassinette together. I can't find the mattress for the bassinette. I wonder where it can be???

All is Well

Easter was really nice. Hectic, but nice. The kids enjoyed the entire weekend.

Maria and the kids came on Thursday night. On Thursday, the cleaners came and the house looked really nice. Friday we all ran errands for the upcoming party this weekend. We went to CostCo and were amazed how crowded the place. I really hate going to CostCo when it is crowded. We ordered the cake and had to go back on Saturday to pick it up.

Friday night we had a birthday dinner for Kaela. We ate off Disney Princess plates and she opened up some of her gifts. She said she wanted corn and carrots for her birthday dinner. We did have carrots and I made salmon and rice. The kids didn't really eat their dinner but really enjoyed the cupcakes we got and the ice cream. Oh well, we couldn't deny them he cupcakes, so we didn't really push the eating dinner part. Doesn't hurt to do that once and awhile. After dinner she opened up her presents. She got lots of really cute clothes and toys and books. She said she had a good birthday.

Saturday was a hang around the house day too. Maria and I did sneak out of the house for a short while and Keith watched all five kids. He said that that was no big deal and the kids were perfect angels for him. Saturday night, Keith and I got to go out for a few hours. Maria stayed home to watch the kids. We just went out to Denny's and sat and talked for a while.

Sunday was Easter and the kid's birthday party. My parents and sister came up early that morning and helped to get the house cleaned up and to do the cooking. Before the party, the kids got dressed in their Easter clothes and took pictures. Guests started showing up right around 1pm. We had a big turn out. I hadn't expected so many people to actually show up since they were all driving from over an hour away. They all hit really bad traffic. There usually is traffic, but I think it was especially heavy since it was Easter. My family and friends were so nice to have come.

We had two Easter egg hunts. One for the "older" kids (all aged 3-5) and the younger kids (two and under). That worked out well and everyone got a bunch of eggs (we had over 130 of them!). They also made pencil toppers and Easter rabbit necklaces. I had some really cute goodie bags for the kids and they all really seemed to like them. They were filled with Easter toys and candy. I bought a lot of stuff from the Oriental Trading company and the goodie bags and crafts ended up costing less than $2 per child which I thought was a good deal.

Maria and the kids left with Ris earlier and me and the kids go the house cleaned. It doesn't even look like we had guests for five days and that we had a big party yesterday. Maybe it is the nesting factor and an indication that the baby may be on her way. I am really getting frustrated that she hasn't been born. Kevin came early and I knew well before hand when Kaela and Kyle were coming. I am just Miss Impatient and can't wait. I am now 38 weeks pregnant. Gosh, I hope she doesn't come late!

Well, I do have a doc's appointment tomorrow. Maybe we will know better tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. Bye for now!

Easter 2005

Easter 2005

Here are the kids for their Easter picture. I didn't have anything fancy for them to wear because I hadn't intended on going to church this year. Kaela and Ellie wore the same dress. I bought them last year thinking they would wear them this year.

The Birthday Kids

Kevin and Kaela enjoying their Cake

I didn't think to take solo pictures of the kids at their party. So, I don't have very many of the "posed" pictures that I like. But, here is one of the kids eating their cake. It was a great party. The egg hunt was successful as was the crafts the kids did. My sisters and parents helped so much in running the party. It was a great time.

Me and the Kids at Jenna's Party

Me and the Kids at Jenna's Party

Not the best picture of the kids. They don't look like they are having a good time. Here we are waiting for a few games and songs and then birthday cake. The kids don't like to participate in the songs and little games they play at parties. I ask them if they want to do it and try to get them to do it, but I don't really push it. I remember being little and not wanting to do them either.

Let's See. What's Up Over Here?

Wow! I can't believe Michaela will be three on Friday and Kevin will be five just a week later. Time is flying by. We went t Jenna's birthday party yesterday. The kids had a lot of fun. The place were the party was held was a really fun place. They had dress up costumes and a huge play place with big slides and tunnels, a ball pit, obstacles to climb over and through and a lot of kitchen play stuff. Kyle had fun roaming around playing with all the younger kid stuff. Michaela was pretty adventurous and went into the tunnels and climb up and down the obstacles all by herself. Kevin was every where running this way and that. It was an enclosed area, so I wasn't worried about any of them running off. I basically just listened for crying, which there wasn't any of, except when it was time to go and Kevin (yes, Kevin) cried because he didn't want to leave.

I am anxiously waiting for the baby to be born. I would like the baby to be born on Saturday. That would be neat. It would be the day after Kaela's birthday and on Grandma's birthday (by the way Mom, we have something for you, but I haven't mailed it yet!). The kids' party is on Sunday, but I figure if we are in the hospital, everyone else can handle the party without us.

Well, Keith has decided to sell his Kayak. We listed our top carrier on Craigslist.com and sold it fairly quickly at a good price. We got our money's worth I'd say. Well, this morning I listed Keith's kayak and we already have someone interested in it. I'm kind of sad that he decided to sell it. It was with us on our very first date (he had it strapped to the top of his pick up). I know he really enjoyed using it and hasn't gone out on the water in forever. He says that when he is ready to go out again, we will consider getting him a sit in kayak instead.

The cleaners are coming tomorrow and in the evening Maria and the kids are driving in from up north. It is supposed to be raining, but she isn't too worried about it. She has a little all wheel drive Subaru. They will be here until Monday. It should be fun. It always is!

Friday is another NST and then Tuesday is another appointment with the doc. The blood sugars are doing really well and they haven't upped my insulin like they thought they would. Survivor is on tonight and an all new ER is on tomorrow night. Amazing Race was on last night. Rob and Amber are really getting on my nerves. They are just so cocky. It makes them unbearable as people. I am just rambling. So, I think I shall go. Buh Bye!

Almost a Week Has Passed

Oh My! The time is really flying at super sonic speed. And, since I haven't written in a while, I can't seem to remember what has been going on! We are getting ready for the baby. I built the bassinette and tonight we are thinking about moving Kyle out of our room and into the kids' room. We are going to see how that all goes. Last night he woke up from all the noise I was making (will tell you about it in the next paragraph or so). So, he slept in our bed. A King sized bed shrinks to a really small sliver when you have a kid in it with you. He had to sleep perpendicular to both me and Keith. He also had to keep checking to see if I was awake. He kept putting both hands on me and I would wake to his face just inches from mine. He finally settled in about 4:30 or so. By this time, Keith and I had moved to either edge of the bed and Kyle had the entire middle section.

Skip over this paragraph if you have a weak stomach.... I am not sure what happened last night with me, but I woke with a start because I guess I was barfing. It was nothing like I had ever experienced, but fluid (am assuming all the soda I had consumed before bed) rushed up my throat and up into my nose. Ouch! I had never had such a thing happen. I ran to the bathroom and tried to flush out my nose and throat from the horrible acid taste. I had never had anything shoot up my nose like that before. It was very unpleasant. Kyle woke from my nose blowing (according to Kevin and Kaela, it sounds like a trumpet). I tried to be more quiet and waited for Kyle to stop crying before I went back to bed, but he just kept crying. So I picked him up.

I had had a lot of Coke because Keith and I got to go out, and I just indulged on the Coke. We went out to dinner at the new teriyaki place that opened up down the street and then we went to Toys R Us to get the kids' birthday presents. But, with it being a Sunday, it was closed at 7pm. So we went to WalMart and being extremely disappointed, headed to Target instead. We ended up getting Kevin a Power Ranger's tee shirt, a green baseball cap (with an army insignia on it), and some army legos (not real legos, but they are supposed to be compatible). We got Kaela four new coloring books, her own set of 48 crayons, fairy princess pjs, and Hello Kitty stickers. We were happy with what we got and ended up not spending a ton of money.

Let's see. Yesterday Keith took Kevin and Kaela to the park while Kyle napped. I worked on my client stuff. After the park, they went to Dairy Queen and they brought me back a small Oreo blizzard. Yum! The kids had so much fun with Keith. In the morning, Keith got his hair cut and then went to the grocery store to buy us lunch. He bought breakfast food thinking we'd enjoy breakfast for lunch, but while he was gone, we ate. So, we are saving the stuff for another day. He also came home with some beautiful flowers for me. He is so sweet.

I did have another appointment today. Everything looks good and I have lost a total of three pounds. I haven't dilated any more than last week, but I have effaced a bit more. He said that the painful contractions I experienced all weekend ( a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10) were a result of my cervix effacing. This hospital doesn't usually induce, unless it is medically necessary, and they don't do it until you reach 39 weeks. So, I probably won't be induced. Darn! I hope she hurries and shows her pretty little face. I want her out...

Keith's department is throwing him a luncheon on Friday to celebrate the baby. Keith isn't looking forward to it as he hates to have that kind of attention. I think it is very nice that they want to do that for him.

The kids are getting excited about their birthdays and the party. Did I say that Kaela picked out Disney princess plates and Kevin picked out Spiderman plates? They probably won't have cakes on their birthdays. I think we will do cupcakes.

Kyle is grunting and trying to verbalize more. He still says Daddeeee. More and more it sounds like he is actually saying words. I thought he said Mac & cheese. Ris thought he said chair. But, he is really verbal and points. He also does tons of hand gestures (gee, I wonder where that comes from?). He puts his hands up when he wants to say "Where is it?" or "Where'd it go?" He puts his hands up to his mouth (with his mouth in the "Oh" form) when he drops something or does something to warrant an "Oh!". He also uses "Uh Oh" in context. And wow he can run fast. I can't keep up with his pace. His little legs can go a million miles and hour!

Kaela, is well, Kaela. Back to the crying and sensitive girl. But then she is also being all smiley and lovey. You'd think the girl was a Gemini. She has started dressing herself and slipping on her own shoes, but still refuses to use the potty. Oh well, someday. All weekend she was coming up to me and Keith and giving kisses for no reason. She is so cute. She definitely knows the tilt your head and look really cute method of getting things she wants. It works more so on Keith than me. But, she is hard to resist.

Kevin is doing well. He is getting tall. He now wants to be a Blue Angel pilot. He loves jets and is getting really into the planets again. Still loves the Army. We had to explain to him that the Blue Angels were Navy. He wants to play soccer this summer. There is a Spring league that starts in early April, but we don't have the time for that right now. Kevin says, "Mama, if my team loses, I will still have fun." I think that is a great attitude. We are trying to instill in him that even if you try your hardest, you can't always win. The important thing is to do your best and have fun doing it. I think he is getting it.

Tomorrow we are headed south for Jenna's 5th birthday party. I'll tell you about it later.

Well, I guess I should start dinner. Chicken curry tonight. Yum!

Goodnight.

A Quick Update

Well, my appointment went well yesterday. I had one today too.

My Doc appointment was good. He doesn't seem to think that this baby will be born in March. He is thinking April 1st. Kevin says he doesn't mind sharing his birthday. Isn't that nice? I personally want the baby to be born now. I can't wait two - three weeks! The house is still in disarray, but my body aches! I could barely walk on the weekend (but only had trouble at night for some reason). It was a terrible pain in the groin area. I think it was my joints loosening. The doctor says I am progressing along just fine. My cervix has started to thin and dilate. TMI, I know.

My NST went fine too. She moved around like crazy today and she is as happy as can be.

I'm tried, as usual. I may just curl up with Kyle on the couch... *Yawn*

My Sleepy Boy

See what happens when you get up at the crack of dawn? It is only 10:00am and Kyle already fell back asleep. He got up this morning with the sun barely coming up. He is so tried; he didn't even crawl up on the couch to nap. He just bent over and is sleep standing! But doesn't he look so cute?!

Where do the Days go?

Well, my last entry I exclaimed that it was already Wednesday. Now, I have to exclaim that I can't believe it is Sunday night. Time is really flying by. We didn't send Paul anything for his birthday, but we had ever good intention. So Paul, if you are reading this, Happy Belated Birthday!

I'm not sure I can even remember what has been going on. Let's see...

Thursday TV night. But, ER was not on, so it wasn't the Best of TV nights. We did have fun with Survivor and the Apprentice though. Keith had been tried this week from working late and stuff and I have been tired from well, being pregnant and having this baby suck the life force out of me. So, we have been going to bed early. The kids are getting up around 7 these days, sometimes even as early as 6:30. *Yawn*

Friday. Had a Non stress Test. It was a different nurse this time and she kept me on the monitor a little longer than my regular nurse, so that made Keith a tad bit late. Julie came over that afternoon and hung out with us until earlier this morning.

Saturday Julie and I went out to lunch, watched a movie and went shopping. Then we came home and just hung out. It was a nice visit. The kids were all over Auntie Julie, especially Kyle. Kevin and Kaela made sure she saw all their toys and special treasures. Julie was so sweet, she changed diapers and clothes and gave the kids breakfast without me asking her to. She just did it out of the kindness of her heart, even though she was here as a guest. That is a great friend!

Today. Well, our typical Sunday. Big plans, but it ended up being a lazy day. We just hung out with the kids. It was a bit overcast and gloomy, but still a nice day. Keith was going to take the kids to the park, but it was a bit chilly.

Tomorow I have a regular doc appointment. Mom and Dad are coming up to watch the kids and then we will probably go out to lunch or something. I finally made the invitations for the kids' birthday party. They are going out tomorrow.

Well, kids are fine as usual. Kevin has been saying "No" to my requests, but in the end will do them. Kaela has been really good this week and has been acting really girlie. She has been wanting to wear her dresses and have her hair put up. Then she smiles and uses this really cute voice when she wants something. Kyle, well, I am convinced that he is going to be a trouble maker. He has been bugging Kevin to no end. He has been teasing me with different things and is pushing my buttons to see what he can get away with. He loves to grab the kids' toys and run. He will do it with anything really, from food from the cupboard to the stuff under the bathroom sink. He grabs it, runs and laughs the entire time. Ah, kids.

Well, we are starting to slightly freak out. The baby can be here within the next 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. We need to put the bassinette together, get newborn diapers, buy new baby bottles (the ones we have now are Kevin's originals and we are thinking to buy some new ones). I saw a really cute going home outfit for the baby at Target, but with all the hand-me-downs, I didn't want to spend $13 on an outfit. It was so cute though. Keith said I should just get it if I love it that much.

Okay, I am looking to have a busy week. So, I apologize in advance if I don't update for a few days. See ya!

Bad bad bad! But chocolate cake is yummy!

Okay, I am so SICK of this diet. It really can't be called that because I am not following it. I am basically eating only proteins all day long. Not anything near the balanced diet that my dietitian planned out for me. But, anything that has even a hint of carbs makes my blood sugar skyrocket. I am basically fooling the numbers in that I eat proteins, wait an hour, take the sugar reading. It is usually low and perfectly in range. Then I immediately snarf down something yummy - today's indulgence, a HUGE slice of chocolate lover's delight cake from CostCo and a glass of milk. I am only fooling myself and getting the "good" numbers because I don't want the doc to increase my insulin intake. *sigh* I just want to have the baby now, but I guess 35 1/2 weeks is too early.

It's Already Wednesday???

Wow, time is really flying! It is already Wednesday. The week is half done.

We've been busy doing nothing in particular. Monday and Tuesday Maria, Ellie and Colin were here for a visit.

Dad and Ris ended up coming on Monday and we all ate the huge amounts of leftovers from Sunday. Dad and Ris stayed until the evening so Keith and I could go on a hospital tour. The tour was interesting and there were some vendors there. All the vendors gave out door prizes.

When we got there, we were amazed at how many people were there for the tour. It occupied two conference rooms and we estimated that there were about 120 people there. The coordinator said that this was a smaller crowd and that there were usually about 100 more people. They do the tours once a month. They talked a little about the hospital and what to do when you thought you were in labor. They also commented that they send a lot of people home because they are not progressing. Basically they said that if you are not dilated to at least 4, they will send you home. (This may be TMI, so skip this if you want) When they said this, I leaned over to Keith and told him that I am already at 4 cm. He said that we should just go up to labor and deliver and have the baby.

After the instruction portion, they showed a slide show of the facility and then we broke up into smaller groups of about 15 and went on tours of the actual labor and delivery floor. They have 24 labor and deliver suites. They let you recoup for a few hours and then send you back down to the first floor for your post partum recovery. The suites aren't as big as the ones in Washington and the recovery rooms are tiny. But, they say the beds are really comfy.

After the tour, we went back down to the conference rooms. That's when the vendors had their door prize drawings. There really was a lot of stuff given away. We did end up winning something. We got some pretty cute Thank You cards.

Let's see. Tuesday. Well, yesterday we went to Target. I got the kids' their plates for their birthday dinners. Kevin picked Spiderman (on clearance) and Kaela picked Disney Princesses (not on clearance). All her other favorites (Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, Hello Kitty, Care Bears) were on clearance, but of course she picked the ones that weren't. They are excited about their birthdays. What kid isn't?

Well, today is a cleaning day. I have all the kids' toys in the blue room still and I am trying to get those organized. It is a slow going project and I may just have to keep that room shut when the cleaners get here tomorrow. Maria pointed out that one of the benefits of having a housecleaning service is that it helps to keep the house tidy. I like to have the house uncluttered as possible so that they can do a thorough cleaning.

Well, that is it for now. Goodbye!

The Weekend

Well, this is my third attempt to post. Hmmm. Let's see if I can finally finish.

Friday. The day started off with doctor's appointments. Ris came up to watch the kids. I had a Non Stress Test (my twice weekly - Tuesdays and Fridays). Then, I had a ultrasound. The baby is doing well. She is definitely a She. The doc pointed out her female parts. She is also running around 5 pounds 9 ounces right now which according to statistics is right were she should be. While I was waiting for the ultrasound appointment, Ris called me to tell me that my insulin had fallen out of the fridge and broke. So, after the ultrasound and before my next appointment (regular every other week doc appointment), I went down to the pharmacy for a refill. Well, it was too early for my regular refill, so insurance would not cover it. Apparently some insurance plans will replace lost, damaged or stolen prescriptions, but unfortunately, not ours. I had to pay retail price. It wasn't that bad. I was stressed out because the pharmacy, when I initially filled the prescription, submitted a claim to insurance for $181. So, I thought that the insulin would be costing me that much. But, since I paid cash, it was just under $45. No wonder insurance is not affordable. The pharmacy gets compensated $181 for a $45 bottle of insulin? Why is that???

The doctor's appointment went well. Nothing worth noting. In and out as always. Baby is fine.

Saturday. Well, I had to go back to CostCo on Saturday. Keith invited his coworkers and their families over for a barbecue for Sunday. Well, I told him Sunday would be fine, but what was I thinking??? We got the house clean and the backyard and we had to go out and get more groceries. So, off to CostCo I went for barbecue stuff. I also bought flowers. I like their roses there. Keith watched the kids as I went to CostCo. Who wants to bring all those kids to CostCo on a Saturday? Before going to CostCo, I treated myself to lunch and to Joann's. At Joann's, I bought *surprise* more fabric. 40% off clearance prices. I didn't buy the 100% cottons like I usually do. I bought some polyester blends which were much heavier. I want to try my hand at a "crazy quilt". Saturday night we watch Ju-On. The Japanese version of the Grudge. Keith and I liked the American version of the Grudge much better. Keith went to bed shortly after that, but I stayed up a bit longer to shake the "freaked out" effect of the movie. And Keith had made me an espresso during the movie so I was wide awake from that.

Sunday. The barbecue went well. We have a TON of left over food, which is okay because Maria and the kids are in the area (Dan is teaching a class) and they are coming over to spend the day with us. Dad and Ris are driving up here too. So, we can eat all the yummy leftovers. It was nice to meet Keith's boss and his wife and kids. All the kids played really well together. Keith's boss' older son was a bit bored because all the kids were younger (their youngest is 5). So, the five and youngers played and had lots of fun. But, there was a SpoungeBob Squarepants video to keep the older one occupied. Kevin ended up watching it, even though he said that at first he didn't want to watch.

So, that is our weekend. Tonight there is a National Geographic Special on. In The Womb. Looks interesting. I'll probably report on it later. Nothing new with the kids. I trimmed their hair yesterday. Kevin really does look more handsome with the short hair. I want to grow Kaela's hair out, but she keeps asking me to cut it shorter. Kyle is cute as always.

Feeling Better

Augh, I finally got the cold that has been making the rounds. I started feeling yuck on Tuesday. Yesterday was the worst. But, I woke this morning feeling not so bad. To top it off, the baby wasn't moving much and it freaked me out a little bit. Today I have more energy. Yesterday and on Tuesday, I spent a lot of time on the couch trying to get some sleep. I haven't been staying up late and I think that helped to fight this thing too. Tuesday night I got up every hour and a half to two hours to "use the facilities". Last night I only got up twice.

Kevin and Kaela didn't get this round of runny nose, but Kyle sure did. He likes to use his shirt sleeve to wipe his nose. Ewwwww!

What else to report? We got more rain last night. Ummm. Not much is going on.

The kids are doing fine. Kaela has become a snail herder. She has been collecting snails in a container and putting in dirt rocks and leaves (for food). Kevin helps her, although he doesn't like to touch the snails. Kaela is the zookeeper and Kevin is the scientist (as in the Zoo Tycoon game). This basically means Kaela tends to the animals and Kevin observes them.

Kyle is become quite a handful. He will tear through the drawers and cabinets and empty them as fast as he can. He does it quietly so that I don't even realize he is doing anything until I find him doing these things (I usually go looking for him because he is so quiet). Yesterday he got into my nail polish and had them all lined up in a row. I usually have them in a small box under the bathroom sink. Keith thought that Kyle's lining up the bottles and curiosity are a signs of his intelligence.

Kevin has become weepy. He starts to cry over little things and it is driving me bonkers. He started crying to day because Kaela wanted to watch Dora the Explorer and he didn't. I told him he could pick a show after Dora was done. He wanted to watch his pick now. Yesterday he cried because he wanted string cheese for lunch and not the macaroni and cheese I was making. Little things like that are making him cry. We seem to think it may be his frustration of having to deal with the things Kyle does to him. He was quick to tears for a spell when Kaela did things to him and couldn't/wouldn't retaliate. He is so good to them. He is so caring and gentle with them and would never think about hurting them purposely.

Well, today we are headed to Costco. We desperately need toilet paper. Tomorrow I have a non-stress test, an ultrasound and my regular doctor's appointment. Tonight is TV night, always something to look forward to.