Taking a chance and Trying again - Thursday

It has been a while since I last blogged... Umm, like over 3 months?!?! ::smirk:: I've decided I'm going to try again... A lot has happened since my last publishing... An amazing event has happened which has lead me to try again so I can document this... I'm expecting again... Nothing too amazing about that... LOL!!! Here is my 20 week guess the gender belly shot (with Linebacker sneaking in there too):




However...
I'm expecting TWINS... Yep, right there in that ultrasound PIC you can see TWO heads which are connected to 2 seperate sweet bouncing BOYS! At the time of the ultrasound I was 20 weeks and 6 days... Baby Boy A was 21 weeks and 5 days and Baby Boy B was 21 weeks and 3 days... I bet you weren't 'expecting' that huh? So, our family is now a family of 8... Gender Count of Offspring is 5 Boys to 1 Girl... So, lately I've been filling my hours with eating ::smirk:: and talking with friends about their twin births plus reading online and various books I own what new things I'm to expect this pregnancy... If you have had twins and have recommended reading... Let me know... How do I feel about this news... Well, I have to say I'm still shocked (found out on Monday) but excited... I've decided during Lent to make Friday's internet free so my next posting will have you waiting till Saturday... On the bright side tomorrow is Good Friday and the last Friday of Lent...


In other news... We bought a new minivan (which will be FULL in a few months) 98 Plymouth Grand Voyager Expresso... Engineer is now 10, still in the 4th grade and doing awesome in his program... Monkey is now 7, still in 1st grade and he is doing well also... Princess is still 4 with a birthday coming up this summer and very excited to be FIVE and a Kindergarten this fall... Linebacker is 22 months and into EVERYTHING... I'm planning a trip to the clothing store with a friend of mine to ::gasp:: buy shorts (maternity for now)... Which she assures me will be modest and look good... ::smirk:: She promises to help me find jeans also that fit good/modest plus appropriate for a mom in her 30s without being frumpy after the twins arrive... Of course when I'm ready for jeans (aka willing to give up my maternity wear, hehehe)...


See you all on Holy Saturday...

PS: Don't forget to check me out on FB a.k.a. where I've been hiding the last few months... ::wink::

More To Do Then Ever Before Monday

I thought my life was busy before Linebacker arrived... I was mistaken! Today was phone call day... Oh my... I was calling people and people were calling me... We met a new Respite Worker... She will fill shifts on Mon, Tue and Thurs in June... I look forward to the extra help... She did great today and my oldest really liked her... The highlight of their time together was watching construction way down south... They are widing a road... I have a feeling that will be a regular event when she visits... We are now up to 2 Respite Workers... I scheduled Peanut's 3 year well check and Linebacker's 2 month well check next month... I also updated the 'Prenatal' program offered through my husband's work insurance... If you participate in the program and meet all the requirements (talking to a nurse after every prenatal visit)... At the end with your last phone call to your 'assigned' nurse you give the birth details and they send you a $50 gift card usable any where... How cool is that? I participated with Peanut also... I didn't know about it when expecting Monkey and my husband didn't work there when I was pregnant with our oldest... Today was the first day of ESY (Special Ed Summer School) for my oldest... He had a good morning... Today a friend delivered Breaded Chicken Strips and Cheesy Diced Taters... We still have Lasagna leftover so I froze it... The Lasagna is awesome... Very meaty and we love it that way... All in all it was a good day...

Thirty-Eight Weeks Thursday

Here I am today:

I've had so many you look great pregnant compliments lately... Everyone says I'm 'glowing'... I do feel great! I'm savoring every last moment of this wonderful blessed experience God has given to me and my family... I had an OB check up today... My GBS Test came back NEGATIVE!!!! TBTG!!! Woooo hooo... I am now a good solid 3 cm and 50%... He is has fully dropped and is well engaged into the pelvic area... So, he will definitely be coming out head first... I went to the full serve gas station after my appointment... I ran to the PO to mail an eBay book... I stopped at the $1 store to pick up some sweet snacks since we are out of cookies at the moment... I'm just not up to that right now... The more I do the more contractions I have... We want to keep this guy in here just a little bit longer before he makes his appearance... I need to run to the bank to deposit a check but keep leaving the house without it... Duh! The fence company came and finished the fence today... Cool huh? I will share a PIC later... So, now I can turned my sad, abandon SFG into something beautiful again! I received an email saying my tomatoes and hot peppers are on their way... I can't wait to start working in there... When I was expecting Peanut I teased DH my water would break while I was working out in my garden... I actually went into labor while organizing baby clothes trying to figure what we could use... My water didn't break till minutes before she was born... Maybe that joke will be true with this one... ::smirk:: I really want to catch up with my planting schedule... My husband on his next day off is going to help me add compost to my garden now that the fence is finished... I had my last 'doula' meeting before the birth... We went over my wants and things I don't want... We made sure everyone had the each other's numbers... I found out one of my doulas is expecting #4... How exciting... What a blessing for her and her family... She is about 8 weeks along and in the middle of the lovely 'morning' sickness phase... Look at our new resident who moved into our garage:

Isn't that neat?

Stitches Saturday

Yes, as the title suggests not a pleasant afternoon... I took my oldest out with me and we picked up his RX (we use the pharmacy down the hall from the ER) refill for the month... We then stopped at the store for milk, juice, eggs, and cheese... All the while the weather is horrific... There was a chilly wind with a rain and sleet/snow mix falling... Very miserable to be out in... I come home to my husband in an unpleasant mood... So, I'm running around trying to fix things and the two little ones come around the corner dripping blood... My husband completely loses it... I'm like it's bad enough they are crying and dripping blood... We need to at least try to stay calm... So, over to the sink to figure out where the blood is coming from... All my husband can say is how far behind he is and he can't miss work... I managed to clean up Monkey quickly and band aid him up... Peanut wasn't so easy... I'm trying to stay calm myself, calm Peanut, clean her up so I can fix what ever is wrong and my husband's only 'help' was complaining how could this have happen and if it doesn't stop you are going to have to take her to the doctor... Of course during the whole fiasco I'm catering to the boys lunch needs, helping my husband finish making 'our' lunch, and doing what needs to be done before he heads off to work... Which I didn't even have a chance to eat till almost 4 hours later... She has too small cuts on her fingers... Managed to have one under control but the 2nd just wouldn't quit no matter what I did... I started calling for help from people I knew around town... No one is answering... My husband finally goes out the door saying well call me if there is an 'emergency' and I can't miss work... My reply was don't worry I won't call unless I'm in labor... At that point was just ready to scream... I finally reach one who is quite frazzled herself and informs me it's Confirmation at the Cathedral... I'm like no wonder no one is answering... Finally someone calls back and can take my oldest while I make a trip to the ER... So, everyone bundles up to go out in the 'lovely' weather... I'm fighting off Braxton-Hicks saying you know giving birth is the last thing I need right now! I drop off my oldest and off we go... 2.5 hours later Peanut has two stitches... I receive care instructions and have to go back next Saturday to have them removed... I put a surgical glove over her hand for the ride home... Once home I put a winter mitten on her hand to protect it and remind her not use that hand... I'm saving the glove for bath time... She can wash it but not submerge it in water for any length of time... I ate a huge homemade cheese steak sandwich (lunch) and we all were out for a much needed nap... The braxton-hicks finally disappeared... The house is a disaster (toys every where) but it is going to stay that way... I've had enough excitement for the day and don't plan on going to the hospital for a 3rd time! So, I'm going to eat a huge dinner and take a nice soak in the tub... I'm then headed to bed to call it a day...

Frustrated Friday

I'm not sure what it is but I have the nastiest attitude lately... I'm short tempered and just down right irritated most of the time... I hate it! I don't know what my problem is... I don't like feeling this way... I don't remember feeling this way before the other births either... Despite the high gas prices I took the little ones for a mini road trip on the outskirts of town just to 'get away'... I felt a bit better after that but still a tad grumpy... I ran to the PO and mailed an eBay item... I also used my coupon from JCPenney that expires tomorrow... I bought two outfits for our new little guy... Retail $30+... I payed less then $6... How awesome is that... I still haven't been able to find a receiving blanket I like and that is making me mad... Feel like a clock is ticking for me to find and buy one before he arrives... I don't like feeling like I'm 'late' or going to be 'late'... I did find the perfect 'spring' jacket while out today... I also finally found Peanut a hat... When we all go out we like to wear our various ball caps and Peanut didn't have one... Hers is baby pink with Elmo on it... She has really taken a liking to him lately even though she never watches Sesame Street... She calls him 'el yo'... ::grin:: I probably should pick up some DVDs so she can watch him on the TV or set the VCR for Sesame Street... It comes on before we wake up in the morning... I also bought wipes because we had like 4 and Peanut was stinky... My husband reply was 'well, I'm going to the store tonight after work'... I said 'I don't think so'... I'm supposed to make it 12 hours with 4 wipes... Yea right... Today I met our new respite staff... I'm really excited and they are starting soon... The gal who is going to work Fri/Sat for us said she would fill in the every other Sun till they could find someone to alternate with the other gal who is taking Sat/Sun... How awesome is that! So, all the hours I requested are FILLED!!! We will actually have 18 of the 40 hours of May staffed... I'm psyched! Tonight was the Autism Support Group meeting... We meet once a month during the 'school' year with child care provided and have a few daytime 'family' outings during the summer months like indoor pool party, picnic at the park, etc... They had a Neuropsychologist speak about recent research that has happened, current studies going on, and what is coming up in the near future... We had a bit of Q & A session... It is one of our best meetings we have had... He's been all over the country and came from UC Davis before working here at our local hospital... I wish my husband didn't have to work and could have gone... It was really phenomenal... It was refreshing to listen to and ask questions of someone who has a CLUE! While we have some awesome services considering the size of our area (90K) it helps every now and then to hear someone who is from the 'outside' talk about what is happening in rest of the country and even around the world... Makes me very optimistic about my oldest son's future... Sometimes everything seems to be falling apart and we are powerless to stop it... So, despite my unnecessary sour attitude things are on a positive note...

Thirty Seven Weeks

The food lady came today and talked about how to plan menus, dry milk and potato flakes... Next time she will talk about when produce is in season... Not sure when I will have her come next... Sometime in June since the birth is well could be at any moment... I received a call today from our new respite service... They have 99% of the hours I requested filled... Staff will be starting soon... How exciting huh? We haven't had respite since March 16th when we left the previous company... So, it took about 2 months to switch... Our 'overnight' worker came and met with my oldest ST... He had a serious meltdown and didn't want anything to do with ST... So, it was for the best we discontinued services for now... We talked about many things and added some new pictures for the ST to make for his picture schedule... She just needs to laminate and add velcro on the last list... So, everything is moving right along with that... I ran a few errands... I dropped off formula to the pregnancy crisis center that I received in the mail... I won't need it... I picked up two pack of diapers for new guy... So, we will hopefully make it through the first couple of weeks... I stopped at Sears but they didn't have anything I wanted... I was looking for a receiving blanket to go with the coming home outfit... So, that was annoying... I probably go to Walmart and try to match something from another company... Sears had such a poor baby section... So limited in variety... I also picked up a blanket my husband dropped off at the cleaners last month... Dry cleaners have such odd hours... We had the hardest time arriving before they closed... They all close early on Saturday and aren't open on Sunday... Weekday hours are great if that works with your schedule but difficult if you are 2nd shift weekend person... I've been kind of stressed out lately... I think I will go take a relaxing soak...

Tasty Tuesday

I had my OB check up today... Everything is looking great... They did the GBS Test so I will have the results of that soon... She also checked to see if anything is happening yet... I'm 2-3 cm dilated and 20% effaced... I go every week now till I deliver... I stopped at the store and picked up some new flip flops... My crocs were making my feet sore because my feet are a bit fat from the pregnancy... So, I have nice comfy slip ons till I delivery then I can go back to my crocs... They are also useful for when I have a pedicure... So, I'm all set for summer... We had a big meeting about my oldest that involved the behavioral psychologist 'plan'... It had some good moments and others that were just annoying... The 'overnight' lady came and they did the afternoon routine together... He even napped a little bit at her place... So, that was exciting and a positive step forward to overnights... We had a really good rain storm... My husband put out the last tiny bit of the clean up week stuff... We went to the mall to pay my husband's CC and to the dentist to pay on our bill... We think they may be over charging us so we have a print out now and see if what has been paid for by insurance and what is possibly waiting for insurance to do their job... We seem to pay and pay but never pay it off... Very frustrating... We stopped at the library and Dollar tree... Next we picked up food at the grocery store for me to cook up some new recipes my husband found in some cookbooks we have... I took a late nap before starting on dinner... tonight I made homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan... Doesn't it look delicious:

Here is the recipe... (stay tuned)

Thirty Six Weeks

Today I'm 36 weeks and have 28 or less days to go... I finished my medicine today for Bronchitis... This morning was Peanut's 2-9... We decided that she will attend Special Ed Preschool at the Public School 2 mornings a week adding a 3rd if necessary later... She will have ST only at school without any other adaptions or therapies... I will go back in August and sign her IEP and she will start school... So, right now she will have her bi-weekly private ST continuing till she 'graduates' and her weekly sessions with the EI people till she turns 3... At that time her EI sessions will end and she will only have private ST... Since her delay and qualifying 'disability' is her speech she will continue with private even after she starts school... The best case scenario is she will attend this one year and then stay home the following before attending K in the fall 2010... My oldest saw the psychiatrist today... Everything has been going pretty well so we made no changes and I only gave an extensive update and picked up Rx refills... We won't go back until mid summer unless issues arise... So, that's good too! Peanut had her ST today because her ST is going to a conference tomorrow... We talked about her 2-9 and current progress in her private sessions... Today was a pretty busy day... However the day went smoothly... I made homemade baked chicken nuggets with boneless skinless thigh meat today... I also made several phone calls... Now if I could feel 100% then things would be just perfect... I worked on 1st of the month homesteading paper work... I did a bit with the monthly bills... 15 Appointments/Events completed this week... 3 more to go...

Welcome Back Wednesday

I'm back!!!! Not 100% but well enough I can let you all know what is going on... My oldest was home all day on Friday... My illness continued to worsen so I canceled my oldest psychiatrist appointment... I didn't do but two things... I picked up Blessings car seat... I ran in quick to Walmart to pick out cough syrup for the two little ones who had very mild coughs but needed a little something... I road around and sat in the vehicle with the children while my husband ran in and out of places... My husband's friend (he's the wife of my friend expecting twins #7 & #8) came over they worked on remodeling in the living room... They made quite a bit of progress in the little time they were here... We will pick it back on next weekend... I wrote a little bit about Saturday... I was pretty much just miserable all day and night... I debated going to the doctor decided to wait because of the snow storm...
Sunday I decided enough was enough! I went to the doctor... They sent me up to L&D floor for observation for an hour because I had a headache and was dizzy (who wouldn't be with all that sinus pressure)... Baby and I both checked out fine... So, they released me... I went back downstairs to the ground floor to finish my doctors visit... He diagnosed me with Bronchitis... He gave me some medicine... I stopped at the pharmacy (located in same building) and headed home... My husband took the boys out for errands... Peanut and I took a nap or at least I tried to nap after I was medicated... My husband help me prepare and put homemade sloppy joes in the crock pot... I spent most of the day on the couch recovering... We missed the Potluck and Annual Business meeting for FMCHE... We had all been looking forward to attending...
Monday I took my oldest in to see the eye doctor... That was quite fun... ::sarcasm:: His appointment was almost 2 hours... The end result is he sees perfectly and doesn't need glasses at all... They dilated his eyes (took 20 minutes) and everything... I was impressed with the nurse working with the doctor... She either has worked with children like my oldest or she picked up instantly on our 'language'... She started talking how I talk with I work with my oldest and he is acting out behaviorally... So, I was glad to have someone who seemed to understand... That is the "hardest" part about parenting a child with Autism... Is finding people who REALLY understand what it means... Even other parents of children with Autism don't understand what it is like for another parent because each child can be so different... I know many people when they find out my oldest diagnoses they say things like 'oh that must be hard'... All that is involved is not hard per se... He has been like this for the whole time we known so many things we do we do because it's just the way he is and we don't know any different... It's the lack of having others who you can relate to and truly know what your life is like... Sometimes you feel very alone... It's hard to reach out and tell others about what is really going on because you feel that they would never understand (even though they 'say' they do) until they have experienced it first hand themselves... Peanut had her session while we were gone... I arrived just as she was leaving... My oldest had his last in home ST session... Due to his behavior she can no longer see him until he calms down... He is too much of a liability risk... She will still be available to consult... Tuesday:
I signed paper work for our 'overnight' service... I then stopped at the hardware store... I picked up new handles for the tub... Only to discover there were no screws to attach the new handles and we lost one of the old screws down the drain... So, I will have return that tomorrow... I headed downtown to refill one of my oldest RX... One of them was added at a different time so now I have to go to the pharmacy twice a month until I can move them closer together so they all together being refilled at the same time of the month... I stopped a picked up milk, eggs, cheese and juice because heading home... Monkey had more testing today... He still has another day before he finishes up... We then will meet to discuss the results... Tonight was K orientation night... I had our 'overnight' worker come to observe our family to give her a sense of how our evenings go... While I was at orientation with Monkey and Peanut... She took my oldest recycling... Which is located on the same block at the building I was in... So, she was with him but I near by in case she needed me... Everything went very well... We walked there and back... We made dinner and she had another family to work with so she left...
Today:
I had a meeting this morning with our new respite company... We should have staff up and running real soon... Right now I'm trying to figure out our schedule so they can fill it with staff... They like a concrete schedule vs me calling in a couple week ahead of time and saying oh can I have someone on this day and time... So, that will be a change... Nothing I can't work out though... The 'overnight' worker came today to observe how the after school routine works and observe talk with the OT... It was a really productive 2 hours... She learned a lot about our oldest... She is looking forward to watching him a few hours at her home and overnights will follow as everyone because more comfortable... Peanut had ST and did well... I was busy pick up the house to have it ready for the afternoon since I was out during the morning... So, I didn't really talk with the ST to much today about Peanut and what they are working on... I went back to the hardware store to find out the handles no longer come with handles... So, I bought 12 cents worth of screws... I installed one handle... The other is a bit more difficult... It has some old hardware that is not compatible with the new handles I have to remove... Before I can install the new handle... So, that is something I will need to work on... Tomorrow will be a regular message day... Sorry for the long publishing today... I'm glad to be back...

Thirty Five: Weeks or Days?

Take your pick... Either guess is correct... I am 35 weeks today and have 35 days left... How interesting is that... My friend came over this morning and we met with the food lady... That was fun... She will be back in a couple weeks to help us some more... Today we talked about what we want to learn... We discussed dry milk and potato flakes... Other uses besides drinking and mashed potatoes... We also talked some about beans and ways to add them into foods unnoticed to help them stretch further... ST is still sick so she didn't see my oldest today... I had a meeting with the doulas (I have two now on board) and my friend... We spent almost 2 hours talking about the upcoming labor and birth... We napped late and I recieved an exciting call at the end that woke me up early... #4's carseat is in!!! So, I'm very excited and happy about that... I'm still battling a mild head cold and added a mild cough... Hopefully it won't last too long... I really want to be HEALTHY for a bit before I go into labor... The weather has been roller coastering again with warms and colds... I'm sure we will all be well once it stablizes and is just warm... I'm going to go rest and heal...

Two Days Ahead

I had another OB check up... I'm 34 weeks and 5 days and measuring 35 weeks.. 2 days ahead... My BP was good, Blessing heart rate good, everything looks great... I go back in 2 weeks... My doctor is on vacation next week... I also need to be at least 36 weeks for my GBS test which will happen at my next appointment... Soon I will be down to every week until baby is born... I usually don't make it to too many of those weekly ones... It's like ok see you next week and then we meet in the delivery room a couple days later... ::smirk:: We went on a tour of the local newspaper with our homeschool group... A lot of stairs! Otherwise very interesting and I think the children enjoyed it... Monkey had more screening today... He worked with the Early Childhood Teacher today because the therapist had a meeting they had to attend... We go back to finish next week... Each of them has a small part of screening to do before sharing the final outcomes with me... So, he will see the Teacher, ST, OT and PT all for a tiny bit and be done... I'm interested to see what their 'official' findings will be... We had our meeting with our 'overnight' respite person today... If she likes us as much as we liked her I think things are going to be awesome... I can't wait to start working with her... She is really awesome! I made refried beans for a dish I'm making tomorrow... Otherwise quiet evening...

Garage Sale Saturday

Today we went to our first garage sales of the season... Things went quite well going out all 5.5 of us... I found an adorable jumper for Peanut to wear on 4th July... Maybe sooner if I can't resist putting it on her... I also found a mini pizza cutter handy item to cutting up foods for the children into bit size pieces won't damage a plate like knives... A Pampered Chef item called Measure All Cup... I wanted another one but couldn't see buying it at full price... Just a pain to wash if you use it for more then one item... So, that I'm happy about... My husband picked up several things himself... We stopped at the library and the dollar store... Picked up some more scrunchies for myself and some 'little girl' scrunchies for Peanut... The ones she had were really for an infant/toddler not an almost preschooler... We put a tiny bit of gas in the van... We did some recycling of items that have been laying in the van... We then went in the grocery store... I picked up a few things for some casseroles I found online... I will make one next weekend and share the results and recipe... I would make one for tomorrow morning but I think I'm short on cheese... We are having our first grilling out today... We are making deluxe cheese burgers (mushrooms, cheese, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, pickle, ketchup, mustard and relish), hot dogs and brats... 40 Days or Less till we meet our new little guy...

Thirty-Four

Today I'm officially 34 weeks according to the 'wheel'... This morning I had a meeting with a possible new respite service... We will see how that goes... Also, received a call today about a possible person for our 'overnight' respite... So, it is looking like services may start falling back into place to help us with our oldest and give us some relief/support... I made hamburgers in gravy with fresh mushrooms and golden (skins left on) garlic mashed potatoes... I ran out to pick up some medicine for the little ones who noses are drippy due to the up and down weather we are having... I talked to a friend this morning on the phone who is expecting twins (#7 & 8) and it sounded like she could really use some help... So, I stopped by her home while out running errands during the lunch hour... I brought her mail up to the door from the end of the driveway, took a box she received downstairs and put it away... I did one draining dish tray full of dishes, put another set in the sink to soak and gave her some help preparing lunch for her children... I then had to head back to my family and see how they were doing... This morning after dropping off my oldest did some food shopping/picking up... So, we are well stocked minus fresh meat (have a couple small packages in the freezer)... So, it was a busy day... I was very tired when nap time came and fell almost instantly to sleep after reading an article about 'Natural Family Living'... I called and set up an appointment next week with local college's extension service to help re-learn or do better with budgeting, meal prep (using items I normally wouldn't like powdered milk instead of prepared milk) and pre-planning all to expand my skills and stretch our dollar a bit further since soon we will be a family of SIX on one income... They also have a lady on staff at the extension service who is knowledgeable in home canning and I will be meeting her later on once I have some things to can and I'm settled a bit with #4... I'm really excited about canning but cautious at the same time and think watching/working directly with someone instead of just trying to 'read' and do it as I go is better and safer! I had planned on attending an Autism resource fair at the college but was too tired and did quite a bit today... It was best I didn't over do it... I did too much this morning and felt it so I knew I needed to back off and take it easy...

Went On A Search Wednesday

I was up and drop my oldest off... I then baked some homemade bread for husband to have with his lunch today... The littles ones and I ate eggs, ham and cheese for breakfast... I made mine into a Breakfast Burrito... Yummy!!! We then headed over to my friend's, Krisanna, house so we could do some 'gardening' errands together... While I was out dropping my oldest off the phone had rang and it was the car seat people who I was meeting with tomorrow... Seems now that the car seat I had planned on buying new at a discount isn't going to happen so I went on a search to find one so my mom can send money to help pay for it... 43 days to go (or less) and all of a sudden I'm going to be car seat less! So, I ran into Kmart and they didn't have a car seat but they did have jackets for the two little children... That was awesome... We then headed to the garden center and picked up our Onion Sets... Next it was head to MN to check out the new Walmart... My friend hadn't been there yet... They sell seeds from the company I use... I stopped in Target on the way to check on car seats and walked right by the perfect coat for my oldest... So, spring jacket shopping is DONE!!! Woo hooo!!! Next we went to Walmart... I showed her the seat I don't like that is all 'funny'... ::smirk:: We had to stop at the potty a 2nd time for Monkey... Next we headed to the Garden Center or since this is a 'green' walmart the Outdoors something another they call it... Like changing the color of the Walmart and what it says on the outside changes the store... @@ Like at the 'blue' Walmart it is simply Food Center... At the 'green' Walmart it's Market... They both sell food... Whatever... So, we had a great time looking at the seed display and she picked up what she will need... We looked at hoses, gloves and hand held gardening tools... We found an adorable little set that is a trowel, rake and poker (great for poking holes in soil to plant)... We each bought a set...

She mentioned Baby Depot has an excellent selection of seats and that is where they bought theirs... So, after Walmart we headed there... They had the exact seat I wanted... So, here is the seat we will have in the next week or so... They didn't have any in stock and I have to wait for the rest of money to arrive any way... So, I'm on the waiting list and will have one on hold when they come in... Peanut had ST and my oldest had OT this afternoon... I chatted with a few friends on the phone but otherwise a quiet night...

Forgotten Thursday

I had a very long and busy day with no nap... Now I'm exhausted and had forgotten to blog... The children seem to be on a new schedule where they wake up 1-2 hours earlier then we used to... That is really making me tired before the day even begins... We went to Play Group and I had Peanut's 2-7 meeting... That is the meeting you have when your child is 2 Years and 7 Months to start the transition from Early Intervention into Public Preschool... Next month we will have the 2-9 meeting... Peanut is actually 2 years 8-1/2 months... So the 2-7 is a bit late and the 2-9 will be right on time... We also talked about Monkey... He will finish his testing and it will be decided based on scores if he should attend public preschool or go to K in the fall... I made crock pot pork today... I took a huge pork shoulder... Place it in the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, medium onion quarters and separated, baby carrots, potatoes and misc seasoning my family loves... Add about 2-4 C. of water and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours until pork is done and veggies are tender... Pork should shred easily... Serve over egg noodles... I met with my doula I had with Peanut... I've decided at this birth I'm going to have two doulas and a friend... Each wonderful woman has something special to bring to this birth... I can't imagine one of them not being there... It was good to catch up with her... She had moved out of the area but moved back... We talked about my upcoming birth, SFG, Homesteading, and she set up so I could watch Business of Being Born before she left... I highly recommend this for EVERY woman whether she is in the child rearing years, passed them or has not yet entered them... It is a MUST SEE for ALL women! She also left me the DVD Baby 101 from House of Babies... My doula with Peanut and her husband are in the DVD as a couple particpating in the class... It is set up so you think you are sitting right there interacting with Shari Daniel's in person... Both were totally awesome and I so glad I had the opportunity to view them... I had wanted to purchase these informative resources but the funding wasn't available... So, I'm blessed to have such a good friend to share these with me... I helped my friend, Krisanna, design her SFG for 2008... She started late last year... So, we added some new crops... She is also adding a 2nd box to her garden this year... We are going shopping for the few supplies she needs next week... She is growing 12 different veggies and herb/spices... She will also have room for several flowers... 32 Square Feet is all her garden is taking up... SFG method is really awesome!

WOW Wednesday

I can't believe it's Wednesday... Where has the week gone? Only 50 days left or less till we meet our newest blessing... Today Monkey had a hair cut... Boy did he need it! The Barber also trimmed Peanut's Bangs... Wasn't that nice... So, they both look awesome... Hopefully my husband will be able cut our oldest hair because he needs a cut too! We stopped at the library drop box and tossed in a book... I also made a deposit at the bank... Peanut had ST and did fabulous... My oldest had OT... Since it was nice they worked outside a the picnic bench today... He did very well... I worked on my gardening plan... I hadn't updated it for 2008 or if I had I can't find where I saved it... 1st Available planting date is coming up soon... April 30th for my zone... I was all worried I had missed the date and was behind... So, that was good to know... However now I know a date and my garden isn't any where ready to plant... LOL!!! For those who don't already know I do Square Foot Gardening (SFG)... So, prep really isn't a big deal... It's more clean up from Fall because I was sick with morning sickness and didn't clean up like I should have at the end of season and then it snowed... I was like oh well... ::smirk:: Plus the children have really done a number on it... Especially my oldest... I contacted a Fence company today to see about how much a PERMENANT fence is to put up to keep the children out... Right now we have chicken wire and some thin fencing stakes... Well, it's had a very hard life... Un repairable and needs to be removed... ::sigh:: Just couldn't stand up to my oldest... Didn't have a chance... Hopefully the fence won't kill my budget! I don't need much since I have a small garden (Thanks to the SFG Method) of about 11' x 20'... I don't know what the going rate for fencing is either... We may have to put up our own if it is too much... I really don't want to do that again!

Tons Of Improvement Tuesday

Wow... I can't believe how much better I feel... I felt awful! Today I'm almost 100%... It feels soo good to have improved and feel so good... I really want to enjoy these last few weeks because before I know it my little blessing will have arrived... I had my 32 wk 5 day appointment and I'm measuring 33 weeks... He appears to be head down and heart rate was 140... So, he is doing fantastic... I'm excited to meet him... My other children have been extra snuggily lately... I love all that cuddle time... Soon it will be the children and I snugglin with a little angel... I know they are excited to meet their new sibling... Asking questions about how the baby is going to get out, if it hurts, will it be scary... I've never had any questions asked before from a sibling so this is new... Peanut's newest word is WHY? It's a very high pitch... Why? why? Why? It's soo adorable!!!
Here she is in her 1st ponytail:
We finally both felt well enough to put her hair up again yesterday...

She loves being just like 'Mama'... She touches her ponytail and says 'Mama hair'... ::grin:: She is also modeling one of her new jumpers for spring/summer as well... I'm not sure if she was more excited about her hair or her new jumper... LOL!!! So, today I went out to fill up my empty van... Despite the illness I've still haven't canceled much and still been doing a lot of driving... So, it was reaching that little orange area before you run out completely... I also stopped at the local health food store for some Papaya Enzyme Tabs to help with this lovely heartburn... Eating Papaya works better so far but that is a bit pricey so the Tabs will have to do till it's in 'season' maybe after a few doses it will be more effective... Otherwise picking and dropping off my oldest I didn't really go too many places today... It was my 'quiet' day of the week... I rested and recovered then planned out the rest of my very busy week... It feels good to be back and chatting with you all again...

Last Thursday of March

Where has the month gone... Less then 9 weeks left till we meet our new little guy... We went to EI playgroup... Amazing how much more active my children are from other children... They had a great time... They had an egg hunt for snack time... They found eggs with fruit loops in them... Kool-Aid to drink... Not the healthiest snack... I might offer to bring snack one week or at least bring in the children's cups from the van so they can have water to drink... Scheduled a developemental screening for Monkey... We will see how he scores this time... He was last screened when he was 4ish and didn't qualify... I had a meeting with my doula and my friend, Karla... We are talking about bringing my previous doula on board... It will all depend on her schedule... So, I may have 3 wonderful women supporting me this time... I'm going to be spoiled... LOL!!! We talked about what I might like to try during labor and who will pick me up and bring me to the hospital since my husband will be staying home with the children... My oldest didn't have ST today... Our ST's children didn't have childcare... Her children are out all week for spring break... My oldest had another good day and earned another train... Otherwise it was pretty uneventful day... I have to be up early in the morning and going to call it a night... Relax on the new couch and watch the This Old House Hour I recorded earlier...

Week 31 Wednesday

Another week closer to birth... So, funny I had a dream I gave birth in our living room on our new couch... I finished Ina May's Guide to Childbirth... I'm now reading Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May... I'm learning a lot but it's slow going... We have really been enjoying our new couch... After talking to several people it seems that in order to turn our oldest around and fix things we may have to take a step I really never wanted... It breaks my heart to have to do this... It seems this is the route we have to go though... It really bothers me... However things can't continue the way they are... So, I'm praying for God's strength and grace to make it through when this avoidable choice takes place... I'm going to change subjects now... Peanut is making progress by leaps and bounds in speech... She has almost mastered her beginning N and M sounds... She is still dropping letters off the end of the words so we are starting to focus on that along with other things... We have spent a lot of talk lately with Monkey about being a Kindergartner in the Fall... He has almost mastered the Letter A... We started working on B today... Both children with strep are now done with their antibiotics so that is exciting... I guess that is about all for today... I didn't go any where or do anything except drop off and pick up my oldest... Tomorrow is my busy day for the week... My oldest had his reward of Pizza Hut today... He told me he had Cheese Pizza... He earned train #1 of 5 for his next reward... Wonder what he will decide next...

Week 30 Wednesday

I had a meeting this morning about my oldest... It wasn't what I expected... I just filled out some paper work and now it will be prepared, submitted and then we wait for approval for the new program to start... I was thinking today was giving us the information and how to best use the program... I went to the library to pick up some books I had on hold... Just a little Third Trimester Reading... Ina May's Guide To Childbirth, A Wise Birth by Penny Armstrong and Babies, Breastfeeding and Bonding also by Ina May Gaskin... Both my friend, Karla (mom to 7), who is attending my birth and my doula thought we were meeting tomorrow... I'm like nope next week... I received a phone call today that our couch is in... Now that is exciting... We need to pay it off (only paid a down payment to order) and then we can schedule delivery... So, I will be having a new couch very soon! My oldest had a terrific day today despite his rough beginning to the week... He is one train away from a visit to Pizza Hut... Yum! I also learned the program I enrolled Monkey was approved... That starts next month... Excited about that... I'm feeling pretty good... Having a bit of heartburn but otherwise doing well as my belly continues to go with this special blessing... I'm becoming both anxious and excited for the impending birth of less then 10 weeks... I did some surfing about PA this morning... Monkey's Thomas Night Light came today... Talk about fast shipping!!! WOW! All in all it was a pretty good day...