Last night together as a family of 5!

Dave and I wanted to do something fun with the kids on our last night together as the-family-as-we've-known-it-for-the-past-5-years". We discussed bowling, fun parks, movies, dinner out, etc., but we decided to take them shopping where they could each spend the $10 on something they could play with while mom is busy over the next few weeks. They thought that was a great idea. We started with a little family meeting about what having a baby will change in our family: ex. mom being tired and needing more help and the kids doing more for themselves, etc. Then we went on our little outing to Wal-Mart. Kyra and Darci picked Polly Pocket princesses and Littlest Petshops while Mark picked out yet another Transformer. :) These will definitely keep them happy and busy for hours on end. . .which was our intention. We had a fun time looking through all the toys and letting the kids change their minds a million times before deciding on their final purchases. We are all ready for whatever tomorrow brings. If the past is any indication, I'll go in at noon, get an epidural by 1:00, Dr. will show up around 1:30 to break my water, and baby boy will be born around 2:00. We'll see how close to that it all happens. :)

OK, NOW I'M READY!

Read on at your own risk, this post is mainly for me so I can remember the week before my baby was born! :)

Over the past two weeks my kids had been getting fevers on and off. After Mark started coughing pretty bad and his fever came back the third time, I decided to take him to the doctor to make sure nothing was horribly wrong, as I am due to have the baby any day! The doctor said he had "walking" pneumonia! It's very contagious and must be treated. I headed straight to the pharmacy and got him on an antibiotic. The next morning Darci got a fever again. . .no other symptoms, but since she's been around Mark. . .I take her to the doctor that morning. She's diagnosed with the same. This time they give her a dose of steroid and prescribe the antibiotic. So, off to the pharmacy again for her meds. That day Elizabeth, her cousin (who she'd been hanging out with) got a fever and I knew that Kyra had had a fever the week before, so Rachel and I took both of them into the doctor that afternoon to be checked. Elizabeth had pneumonia. Kyra's wasn't for sure, but since she had been sick and she had a bad ear infection that they had to treat with an antibiotic anyway, they prescribed the same antibiotic for them both. So, off to the pharmacy AGAIN! Sheesh, I wanted everyone healthy as fast as possible as I could have my baby anytime! The next day, Friday, I woke up feeling great--which has been the norm. I knew I had a dr. apt. that afternoon and thought there was a small chance she'd check me and tell me I had to have the baby right then! :) Since I wanted the yard work to be done for at least the first week of having the baby, I mowed the front and back, weed whipped and edged the front, and did a little weeding. When I saw my doctor she said I was dilated to 5 or 6 cm and effaced about 85%. She offered to strip my membranes and put me into labor right there, then send me home and she'd wait to hear from the hospital. I chose not to do it because the kids were still on their antibiotics for 3 more days and could possibly be contagious for another day or two. I definitely wanted everyone to be healthy when the baby was born if I had any say in the matter! I had contractions pretty regularly throughout the day and evening, I'm sure it was due to being checked and to the yard work I had done, so I didn't think much of it. Well, I went out with some friends that night and had a great time. But, after I got home I started feeling really yucky. My stomach hurt and I couldn't sleep at all! I tossed and turned ALL night. I wondered if I felt so bad because I was in labor?! Saturday morning I couldn't seem to get out of bed, I was SO tired, and I felt nauseus. It was hard to tell the difference between my stomach ache and the contractions. I continued to feel horrible all day and to have regular contractions. I started to worry that I was going to have the baby while I was feeling so terrible. I knew that if I went to the hospital they wouldn't send me home because I'm already dilated so far. . .but I really didn't want to go in when I was feeling so bad. So, I slept and laid around all day. I wasn't able to eat or drink much. Finally around 8:00 pm I threw-up. Sorry, I know that's possibly TMI, but I felt SO much better after! My stomach still hurt and I was really tired, but I was able to sleep through the night! I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty good. A little tired, but hungry. I ate a little throughout the morning and was able to keep everything down. As the day went on, my contractions slowed down and I felt better and better. I assume now that I was having so many contractions because I was dehydrated and had a fever. Anyway, by yesterday evening I was feeling wonderful again. I know it was Sunday, but I couldn't stop myself from cleaning EVERYTHING! It felt so good to be feeling good again. :) I went to bed a bit early and slept pretty well, therefore I woke up early this morning and I feel GREAT! It's beautiful outside, my kids are finally done with their antibiotics and feeling great, the house is clean, it's going to be hot enough to go to the pool, AND I'm ready to have the baby any time he feels like coming! Whew.

Who is he?

So, we've pulled out each of my kids' first year scrapbooks and have been going through them each night together. It's been really fun reviewing their early years. As we look at the pictures and read what I journaled about them, we've asked ourselves, what is this baby going to be like? Will he have as much hair as Mark had? Will he cry for a full year straight like Kyra did? Will he eat wonderfully (meaning it didn't hurt mom at all) like Darci did? Will he look more like Mark and Darci (who, believe it or not, look very much alike, and who look like Dave's family), or will he have more of the Kyra look (which is from my family--she looks very similar to a few of my nieces)? Will I adjust easily as my kids are older and can take care of themselves in so many ways? Or will it be harder having a baby so much younger than my other kids? Do I really have any idea what I'm in for? Will having a baby in the home feel so natural like the three times before? Will he totally change the dynamic of our family (like Kyra did)? Or will he blend right in with the family we have?  Will he be born without a hitch like my other three, or is he going to throw me for a loop and like, make me push or something?! (Sorry, I know some of you want to kill me right now, but I can be real, right? This is my blog, afterall!) I know he's head down and I'm practically dilated to a 10 and 100% effaced already, but what if he's posterior? Or what if the cord is tight around something and makes it difficult for him to come out?

Well, I suppose it won't be long before all of my questions are answered. Maybe I'll even find time to let you all know.

Just 14 days to go. . .

I can't believe I'm 37 weeks pregnant! I'm scheduled to be induced in just 14 days. I've been having lots of contractions, but I'm pretty sure I'll make it to the induction date because everything was similar with my last two and I made it to that point without going into labor with them (of course, I was 5 years younger then!). A week ago I was dilated 3cm and 80% effaced. I cancelled my apt. today because Dave's sister Sierra was graduating from HS and we wanted to celebrate with her, so I wasn't able to be checked. I wouldn't be surprised if I've dilated another cm or two! I was dilated 6cm with Kyra at this point. Over-all I feel really great. . .other than the sleeping being rough, the lower back pains getting a little intense sometimes, the extra 30 lbs making it a little hard to get up and down, and the heartburn after eating anything!!!

I went out with my sister Kimmy and got another haircut. Dave's concerned that the days of "long hair" are long gone, he may be right because I'm loving the shorter hair, but we'll see. . .maybe after having a little one again I'll just want to pull it back in a ponytail for a couple years. :)  I experienced my first case of KANKLES the other day and did not like it ONE bit! I spent two full days sitting at the computer so I could totally catch up on my scrapbooking (which I did, thank you very much--you can check out my pages on my scrappin' blog) but it resulted in my legs retaining water and getting pretty swollen at the ankles and feet. That has never happened to me. . .it felt weird and looked gross. Needless to say, I will not sit for more than an hour at a time from now on!

I have the crib set up, the camera charged, and the baby clothes and diapers in the baby's room. . .that's all I should need, right? I guess I did tell Dave we should probably splurge and buy either a small swing or a bouncer so I have somewhere to set the baby other than on the floor. But, other than that, I think we're set. The kids are SO excited. Mark is done with school and Kyra has the week off that I'm being induced, so I shouldn't have to work around ANY schedules for a bit. I'm definitely looking forward to the relaxed atmosphere and just spending time with the kids and the baby. I also look forward to having my mom stay with me for a few or more days! I hope all goes as planned. :)

Motherhood. . .

(I actually started this post a few months ago, but haven't come back to it until now. . .yesterday being Mother's Day reminded me of it.)

is a GIFT! The first thing I find myself thanking Heavenly Father for in each of my prayers is the opportunity to have children in this life and for the freedom I’ve had to make the choice to be home with them to teach, serve, and LOVE them every day! I’ve realized that as I talk to friends about various difficult parts of raising children, I always point out that we would really have it no other way, as we would easily choose the problems we’re facing over NOT having our child/children. If I’m having a particularly hard time, I think of my step-mom who lost one of her children in a car accident when he was 6 years old! I know she feels that she would take ANY difficulty in raising him over not having him anymore. Or I think of a good friend who has tried to have children for many years and is not able to. I know she would also trade any difficulty over not being able to be a mother in this life. How difficult it must be for these two and others to watch so many of us take motherhood for granted. Before I got pregnant (8 months ago), I couldn’t believe my baby Darci was over 4 years old and only a year away from kindergarten. . .and I realized how fleeting our time really is with our children! Mark was nearing the end of “playing with toys” and my kids were almost all in school! Could the toy messes really end so soon? Could my time with little ones at home all day really end so soon? Have I done enough? Taught them, loved them and served them enough? I couldn’t believe it! Time had gone WAY too fast. I look back on every minute I’ve had with them and thankfully am grateful for all the time I’ve NOT been away.

If you know me, you know I’ve had my fair share of vacations, girls night outs, etc. It’s not that I haven’t done anything without my kids. I really think that doing things with my sisters and friends on a regular basis is serving my children as they need to have a healthy mother! But, I also know there’s a time and season for everything and soon enough I’ll have plenty of time to do things “for myself”. . .and if I really think about it, I’m not necessarily looking forward to that time. For now, I’m happy to be having a baby in a month and postponing that time a little longer. :)

Pregnancy

I've always enjoyed pregnancy, from the minute I've seen a positive test result to the minute I've given birth to each of my children, I've LOVED being pregnant! And, I've always really missed it after I've had my babies! I enjoy knowing there's a baby growing inside me, then feeling the baby move around, and love knowing that I get to be a mommy to another child! For the most part, I feel great throughout too. Of course I deal with morning sickness for about three months, get heart burn, stretch marks, loose joints, splotchy face, leg cramps, itchy, etc. like everyone else, but, I guess it's never been bad enough to make me not enjoy it. I'm a bit sad that I only have 5 more weeks of this pregnancy and then it will be over!!

I've also always thought that most women enjoyed being pregnant and it was the minority that didn't like it, but during this pregnancy I've come to think I've been wrong. I feel like I've come across way more women who say they DON'T enjoy being pregnant than do! Most agree that "it's worth it" but they'd rather skip the pregnancy if possible. I'm just curious how all my girlfriends feel about this. . .now that I realize it's not such a GREAT experience for most of you! So, PLEASE, do tell!!!

Tums. . .my new best friend!

I'm only 8 weeks away from delivering this little guy. We're so excited, but can't believe how fast time has gone by. Since some of my friends/sisters have commented that I haven't looked pregnant in a picture yet, I decided to post a couple where you can really see my belly. I am DEFINITELY showing and I can DEFINITELY feel it after each meal. . .hence the title of this little post. :) I just can't believe how much fun I'm having being pregnant again. I love feeling him move ALL the time and preparing for another baby in our family. I just turned 36, but I don't feel much older than I did with Mark at 25!