Better late than never

Sorry about the long delay in writing. We're slowly but surely getting things ready for baby. I've washed the clothes, and the boys and I went through the box with all the bottles and other nursing stuff. Hopefully I still have all the pieces to the breast pump. I'd hate to spend more money on that. There are still many things to get ready. We need to figure out if the swing is still in working condition or if the move and storage has ruined it. I will definately buy a new one if necessary. We'll set up the swing earlier so the boys can practice swinging the baby (doll). I seem to remember that when Thomas was a baby, Matt was always trying to swing him faster than necessary. Doug and I are going to take a hospital tour next week so that we know where we're going when the time comes. I only barely remembered that I need to put together some sort of bag to take with me to the hospital. But I get so worn out, that I just sit in front of a fan or lay down.

I was looking for something to read and I decided to try out The Work and the Glory series. So far it's ok. I really like the fictional aspect of the book. When it comes to the historical facts it's a little weird for me. It seems weird for me to read this story and then have scriptural stuff or historical stuff that is important and sacred to me written in as part of a fictional story. (for those who don't know, The Work and the Glory is a series of books that is a fictional story taking place during the early years of when the Mormon church got started and everything. So it has fictional people mixed in with historical people like Joseph Smith and their experiences and trials). Doug told me to make sure that I don't base my testimony off these books. I'd like to think that I have a stronger testimony than that.

Last week we got to take Thomas to the Dr. He got a little cold, but he was breathing rapidly and he ended up coughing so much that he threw up. At the doctor's office they ended up giving him 2 breathing treatments with a nebulizer. Then we took the nebulizer home and we took turns giving him breathing treatments every 4 hours for the next 24 hours. Thomas is also on steroids to help clear out everything. He is much better. The Dr said that athsma is probably in his future and it would be smart to invest in a nebulizer at home so we are prepared for the winter months and allergy season. Poor little guy.

That is all. Nothing too exciting around here. Things will be a little more chaotic and exciting around here in 5 weeks.

Lions and tigers and...boys, oh my!

Matt came upstairs and handed me this mask. "Here mommy, you can be the elephant"

He said, "Good, now we can eat you!" and ran out of the room. Then the boys entered the room growling and snarling with their masks.

Guess the size, Win a prize

So I have 7 weeks (give or take a few days) left. I feel ready to have a baby right now. I'm exhausted and nothing tastes good. Yeah, I do have things to do to get ready, but I'm so tired I don't know how it's going to get done.

Anyway, for those of you who don't see me on a daily/weekly basis I thought I'd include a preggy photo of me now at 33 weeks. And I thought it would be interesting to compare me at 7 months with me at 9 months with Matt and Thomas. There is such a difference in the two photos with the boys that I have no idea what size child to expect this time. So, just for fun, if you want to guess the size, I'll send you a prize! (probably my favorite chocolate). And as an extra bonus you can even guess the date! The official due date is July 30th.

So here I am at 7 months. Imagine how much bigger I'll get over the next 2 months. Good thing we've already purchased the van, because I have 1 inch of space between my tummy and the steering wheel in the Escort.

Here I am at 9 months with Matt. This is how big I was the day I had him. Funny how everyone told me I was small back then. I guess maybe I really was. Matt was a textbook delivery. He came on time. My body went into labor all by itself. I woke up in the middle of the night and started timing contractions. I took a nice shower, ate a good breakfast, and went to the hospital where he was born 3 1/2 hours later. I was in control of my body, breathed through the pain, didn't have any drugs at all, and I loved it. He was 6 lbs 5 oz.

Here I am at 41-42 weeks

with Thomas. I'm huge. I had to stop driving the last month because I couldn't fit behind the steering wheel. I couldn't reach the faucets on the sinks unless I turned sideways. My body did not go into labor all by itself. I was induced a week 1/2 or so after the due date. We went to the hospital in the morning, got all hooked up to Pictocin, and waited. 6-7 hours later when things started getting painful they checked and I was a 6, and I said "do you think this will be over within an hour?" And they said "no way". Then I said "bring on the Epidural." Doug would point out all the really big contractions on the printout and I was grateful I couldn't feel them. I could, however, feel hunger pains. And of course no one would feed me. That was the hardest part of the whole day. I was starving. Thomas was finally born (he was posterior and again I was glad I couldn't feel the back pain), and the Dr. and nurses was all amazed at how big he was. My Dr. was shocked at the fact that I didn't have gestational diabetes because he was so big. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz.

So there you are. The first two were totally different deliveries and there was a 2 1/2 pound difference. So, any ideas of what to expect with this one? Wish me luck.

As if I need another reason to eat chocolate

So I was at the store the other day and I saw two new Dove candy bars. I was overjoyed!

Dove beautiful is to help promote healthy skin. It "contains smooth milk chocolate, plus skin nourishing vitamins C & E, biotin, zinc, and cocoa flavanols that help hydrate from within to support beautiful-looking skin" Isn' t that Awesome?! I seem to recall being told as a teenager not to eat chocolate because it would make pimples worse. Well, here you go! Now there's another way to feel beautiful!

There is also Dove Vitalize. it "contains rich dark chocolate, plus energy-releasing B vitamins, the natural goodness of cocoa flavanols that help support circulatory health. It also contains plant sterols that help maintain a healthy cholesterol level"

And, as if you need yet another reason to eat chocolate, there has been a study recently about how eating some dark chocolate may help prevent preeclampsia. Read here. Or read this one.

And we all know that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can help your mood. That's why I have a stash in my bedroom. I walk upstairs, eat my chocolate, and take a couple deep breaths and then I can deal with kids again. (And by walking upstairs I also get my exercise!)

It's official

We are now a minivan family. I never thought I would say that. I was always anti-minivan. But we're not here to look cool on the road, and comfort and space is a factor. We found a pretty blue one. It's a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan. And we got it for a really good price. Here's a picture.

Matt and Thomas love it. When the seats are folded down in the floor they can walk around in the back. Thomas said that it was the coolest car EVER. He would know. Just last week Thomas said, "when I get bigger, I'm going to drive a Viper!"

So now we can check one thing off the list for getting ready for baby. At least we can put all our kids in the car at the same time. Now I just have to get used to the size. Maybe you ought to stay off the road for a couple days until I get used to it.

Can't Sleep

It's nearly 1 AM, and I can't sleep. It might have something to do with the nap I took this afternoon, but I doubt it. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm sneezing like crazy. I'm pretty sure it's allergy related. This morning someone sat in front of us at church with powerful perfume/lotion and my nose instantly got irritated. It's been itching all day and now I'm sneezing like crazy. Too bad I haven't worked on my Kegel muscles for the last few years, because it's irritating when I sneeze (if you know what I mean). I could drink some hot cocoa, but that means I'll be up even more with visits to the bathroom. Oh well. I imagine I can sleep in a bit because the boys do very well in the morning without me. Especially because we let them pick out new cereal. They will love to sit in front of cartoons with their boxes of Corn Pops and Froot Loops.

Speaking of which, alot of the cereal boxes are advertising the new Indiana Jones movie. I love Indiana Jones, but I think Harrison Ford is getting a bit old for this. I wish that some movie people would quit while they're ahead instead of trying to make another buck with sequels, or bringing back some character that should have retired long ago. Many sequels bug me. I like originality. I'm particularily irritated with the Pirates of the Carribbean movies. And Spiderman...don't get me started. Of course we own all of these. But I'm pretty sure they're still in their plastic wrap.

Now I'm just rambling. Maybe I'm getting more tired. Perhaps I'll try to go to sleep. Nighty night.

Dirt

"We're trying to see whose dirt sticks the longest."



I asked Matt what he was doing and this was his response. It rained overnight so things are muddy outside. They wanted to go out and I figured they need baths anyway, so why not. They are taking mud balls and throwing them at the shed door in our backyard. Boys need to play in the mud from time to time. Clothes (and boys) can be washed, as well as the shed door. They're having fun and my headache is going away. Works for me.

Guys and Dolls

No this is not about a musical. I don't even like musicals (sorry Nae). This is a story about how little boys play with their baby dolls.

I got the boys a couple dolls at a garage sale recently so they could learn and practice how to be gentle with babies. They surprise me sometimes how nice they can be with babies. So today, in their room, Thomas got out the doll and started to feed it (with a baby bottle). He was very nice and gentle and talking sweetly to the baby. Then Matt got the other one and Thomas fed both of them (of course after he stripped the clothes off of it because "babies come naked") Then they both pretended the babies were stinky and I gave them wipes to "clean" them off. It was all very cute. Then Matt says, "Hey babies, let's find some dinosaurs to take down." Apparently the babies just delcared war on the dinosaurs. It started off with Thomas taking the T-Rex and opening its mouth to eat the babies. Then the Brontosaurus used his long tail to wack the babies off the bed. A stuffed cat decided to step in and protect the babies. Then it was cat versus Stegasaurus. After they fought they did a "high tail" (instead of high five). Finally when it was hopeless for the babies to win the fight, the Triceratops gored the babies in their stomachs with its horns.

I think we have a long way to go in the next two months. What do you think?!

What to "freak out about" when you're expecting

So I thought that maybe I ought to brush up on my reading about labor and delivery. I'm not paying money to take another class when I already did that (5 1/2 years ago). I was reading "What to expect when you're expecting" (which a friend of mine calls "what to freak out about when you're expecting") and thinking about labor. Granted,when I had Matt I didn't think it was that bad. But here I am 5 years later, older, more out of shape, and extremely tired, and I am dreading it this time. In fact I couldn't make it through the chapter because I was feeling ill and already worn out about the whole thing. Hopefully some energy will kick in when I need it, or I may just opt for the Epideral. We'll see. Maybe I'll have a new book to read that will keep me focused and entertained. Who knows. All I do know is that I'm not especially looking forward to it this time. I feel like I need a nap already today and it's only 10 AM. Of couse the lawn people were out mowing at 7 AM this morning which woke me up. And of course this was that day that Thomas slept in until 8:30. Ugh. I did watch a show on classical music in peace and quiet. I think that classical music is a good way to start the day. Maybe I'll do that more often rather than eat Dove Dark.


11:18 PM (12 hours later)
Ok, so tonite I watched a baby delivery show and I cried when the baby was born. Maybe it won't be so bad after all.

Haircut night

Have you ever watched the Pixar short film Boundin'? (shown on the Incredibles DVD) Well, haircut night is kind of like that around here. The boys are happy go lucky, until they are sheared. Then they cry and scream (tears on the face don't really help when there are tiny hairs on their faces). I have to admit, they are getting better. Matt can actually get through without too much fussing and doesn't need the constant treats as a bribe. Of course it took about 2-3 years to get to that point.

Thomas on the other hand, well....let's put it this way: I'm amazed that our neighbors haven't called DCFS when the screaming starts. He has gotten a little better. We no longer have to pin him down to get the lines straight. He is no longer drooling candy out of his mouth (cause we have to bribe him with candy. I still remember the time we gave him chocolate. That was a bad idea.) He no longer cries so much that we think he's going to throw up. We can actually get through the whole process without getting angry. I am getting better at doing it. I can give both of them a haircut within 1/2 hour. Sometimes I wonder how well they would do at a barber shop. My $10 investment of clippers has saved us quite a bit of money by doing it ourselves.

Now the boys are happy playing video games. We always try to do something fun for them as a reward. The suffering is forgotten, and we'll go through all of this again in about 2 months. They always look so grown up after their hair cuts.