Great Visit

I had a great visit today at the midwives. Sylvia said everything is running along on course, and baby is doing well. I am 33 weeks today!! I can't believe the time has gone by so fast. It has been such a busy summer, and with the late arrival of fall weather, it is surreal that impending birth is only about 7 weeks away. I see Lisa my 3rd in 2 weeks, and 2 weeks after that Sylvia comes for a home visit. I will be 37 weeks then, and after that point, anything goes! Wow, sometimes I can't believe that by Christmas time our family will be 5!

Grace came down with a nasty virus, and was running a high fever all weekend. So there was some sleep, but mostly broken into a few hours at a time. One night I was up every 4 hours giving her Tylenol, and last night she slept from midnight to about 6:30am, but when she woke she had soiled herself. YUCK! What a thing to deal with at 6:30 in the morning. So needless to say, bedsheets were washed, toddler was washed, and everyone smelled much better after that. Her fever broke, so she is feeling better, but still very tired. She actually went and crawled into bed on her own tonight. I just put her jammies on, kissed her, and let her go.

Angelina and I had 'talk' about the baby's arrival. She really isn't looking forward to it, and when I asked if she would like to go to Cheryl's when the baby 'comes out', she responded with a very definite yes. I was disappointed, but I understand that this is all very hard for her to grasp. So I, with a heavy heart, agreed she could go. But I also reminded her if she changed her mind, she could stay.

So that is really it for me. My comfort level is still good. With the ruff week and weekend past, I've been tired, but my energy is building again, and I feel ready for another 7 weeks.

Have a great week all, and I will post again soon.

Adventures Continue.....

Here is my grumpy girl yesterday morning at 6:15 am. Just as grumpy as mommy!!

And she is this morning, at 7:30ish, feeling much better!

So last night wasn't as bad, and she lasted until 3:45ish am. I heard her pad off to the bathroom on her own, and held my breath hoping she would go back to bed. Nope. After a few minutes I heard her playing with a squeaky book. I waited. A few minutes later I can still here her. OK, so I have to get up. I sit down across from her.
"It's night time. We have have to go back to bed." I tell her.
"Ma ma, pee pee," she says getting off the potty.
"Great," I said.
'But that is not the point," I think to myself
But out loud I say, "You can have a smarties and go back to bed."
She nods her understanding. Off to the kitchen. As I give her her smarties, I notice she's a bit warm. Like Temperature, hot warm. Maybe this explains the last few nightly wanderings. Maybe something is bothering her. I give her some Tylenol, and off to bed.
"And you have to be quiet," I tell her as I slip her into bed, "Or mommy will put you in the playpen." I point to in the corner, so she understands.
She just smiles at me.
I hit the sack, hoping, praying that is the end. Nope. 15-20 minutes, just I am dosing off I hear her voice carrying some off note tune of a song she remembers. Time to follow through.
"Sorry Hunny, you are going to have to sleep in the playpen," I whisper, as I pick her up, her pillow, blanket, and baby.
I gently place her in, put her blanket on, and tell her, "I luv you Grace, have fun."
I know she is safe now, and the mumbled singing doesn't bother me. I didn't hear her after awhile, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
Well, much better. We all woke up at 7:30. Great!! Much better. I will keep working on it. I know she can get through this.

Graces Nightly Adventures

Of course, as it goes, you get over one hurdle and there is another one waiting, right? The potty stuff is done. Hurdle conquered. But now my little monkey has decided that about 1:15 am is a great time to play, and sing, and read stories. But not without several trips to the bathroom. Ok the first 2 nights I struggled through, trying to keep my cool. Yesterday I was very tired and cranky in the morning, but had a mental break though think how lucky I was to have 2 healthy, (beautiful) girls, and be pregnant again! Wow, what a miracle. So I put her to bed bit later last night thinking that might help. Nope. 1:21am I here her little feet pad across the wood floor to my room. "Oh no, not again!" I think to myself. I keep my eyes closed, hoping she thinks I'm asleep and goes back to bed. (Can she even have those complex thoughts?) " Fat chance. I tried that the last 2 nights in a row, why would it work the 3rd night?
"Ma ma!" She sputters around her soother, and hits my hand. "Pee pee," She says as she pats her bum. She's got some books in her other hand, so she has plans.
"Ok, lets go," I say, as I struggle to get up in my large aquard, 8 months pregnant way. Off the the bathroom. I figure I'm here I might as well go myself. I'm pretty sleepy, and have a hard time keeping eyes open. Ok, when we've both finished, I tuck her in to bed, and go off myself, hoping this is the end (just like the last 2 nights.) The sagga begins. For an hour and a half she sings and plays, and I think to myself, 'I'm so lucky to have children. Some people can't.' And I get up 5 -6 times, tuck her in nice, and tell her to go to sleep. The 7th time, (its now 2:51am)I think to myself (as she pads to the bathroom) 'Ahhhhh! This is nuts!!I'm so tired I can't think!'
I go to the bathroom, waddle waddle waddle.
"Grace, if you want to play, you will have to go in the crib," I tell her. "Its night time, time to be sleeping. And its not safe for you to be wondering around playing in the dark."
In she goes, with her pillow, and blanket, and baby.
Ok, she wasn't happy, (but either was I by this time.) She cried for 30 seconds, and quiet. I woke up, unhappily this morning, with head ace. But, I luv my children, and I know I am lucky to have them, and we are going to get through this together.
My plan today, is to make sure she is tired and hope she sleeps though the night. So I had a very unhappy girl up at 6:15am this morning, and she struggled through her nap. But she made it awake. I did put up the playpen in the girls room.
I showed her the playpen, and told her "If you want to sing and play at night time you will have to play in there. Its safe in there for you." She shook her head, no. She is very tired.
Wish me luck, I will post tomorrow with how it goes!

A little disappointed on my Birthday :(

Well my midwife appointment was suppose to be today. But we had to reschedule due to the midwife being at a birth. I understand these things happen, really I do, but it is still disappointing. I always look forward to the apt.s, and I send all the kidz in my care, home early. So we rescheduled for next week, but that means taking more time off, and asking my daycare parents to take time off.....oh well, what can I do?

All in all, its turning out to be a great day. I was pleasantly surprised by Goran, and friends this morning, and Angelina gleefully wished my a happy birthday. I tried to get Gracie to sing to me, but she would here nothing of it.

I am 32 weeks yesterday. I am starting to feel large, and uncomfortable more often then I feel comfortable. I am not walking as often or as far, because honestly, after running after 5 kidz all day I really don't have the energy to walk for and hour. Even the 10 minutes walk to the park with the kidz in the morning, and then home again, seems alot to me right now. But the end is insight!! 8 weeks to go. My tummy is stretching and growing, and the indigestion is becoming more frequent during the day. I keep a bottle of Tums beside the bed...and I really have to take my calcium pills or I get painful leg cramps. But on the upside, Baby is active and busy. Stretching and turning every which way. It feels now like not a few minutes go by without a kick or a roll to remind me of the life inside me!! And that is awesome!

I have now finished 4 wool soakers, and started on my 5th. I received some colored wool for my birthday, so I have started number 5 in a turquoise color with some white striping in it. A friend of mine told me I was doing such a good job I should start selling....we'll see. I think I have enough on my plate for now:) And I also bought some pins! I have some prefolds, which will be handy if I run out of the newborn diapers, so I thought I should have some pins on hand to help hold them nice and snug under the soakers. Goran thought the whole thing was a bit primitive, but I am pretty adamant about using cloth. And I would rather use pins then disposables.

Well I know this is short, but its all I have for now. I will post next week after my midwife apt.

My Woal Soakers

Here are my 2 finished wool soakers!Beside it is one of the infant cloth diapers I bought off a friend who used them for her son. She said they lasted about 3-4 weeks and he out grew them!!




And here is me. I didn't think I had grown that much until I saw the pictures. And I still have 2 months to go!!!

I have now begun my wool soakers. I have 2 completed, and a 3rd on the way. 'They' say you should have 6 in rotation, so that is my goal. But I'm thinking 8, because the 2 I have done I did on smaller needles than what the pattern calls for, and they are very small. But that's ok, I'm really enjoying it. It is a bit addictive, and quite relaxing. And it feels good to make something for the baby. Its different then buying things. This is a much different feeling of satisfaction. I'm doing something to prepare....if that makes any sense. Now I would like to knit a whole wardrobe.....:)

I'm tired and cranky this week. The weather is really getting to me. The air pressure is bothering me, and the heat is a little drawn out at this point. I'm not sleeping to well, and I'm not feeling rested when I wake up. Mostly because I'm hot and sticky, and usually have a head ace. But we are suppose to get some rain today to break the heat, and then I should be feeling much better. Baby is as active as ever!! About 4 pounds, and gaining 1/2 a pound a week until the last 2 weeks now. But as far as that goes, I still feel comfortable in my body, and I am enjoying Baby's movements.

The family is doing well here. Angelina is enjoying preschool. She went to Sunday school this past weekend and loved it just as much. Grace is doing splendid with the potty. Now if I could get her to sleep through the night a bit more often....:) Goran is busy looking for a new car. His car is really had it, and we've decided that we would rather not put any money in it at this point. We were both a bit disappointed on the weekend about it all; he was suppose to go look at a car, and it was sold before he could get there :( Oh well, there will he another one I'm sure.

Well that's it for now. I will post again next week after I see the midwife. I see them every other week now....boy (or girl), time is just flying by...

30 Weeks - The Home Stretch

I am 30 weeks today!!! 1/4 of the way to go!! Baby is definitely getting bigger, and stronger. My research tells me that at this point Baby is generally 3lbs, 12oz or more, and up to 16 - 17 inches in length from head to toe. The other night I was laying in bed, probing my tummy, and I could feel that little foot again. I called Goran over, and had him check it out too. He could definitely make out something as well, but he wondered if it was a knee. Honestly I don't know. Maybe Baby's head up and it was a little fist, punching at me telling me to leave him/her alone so they could get some sleep:)
I am still feeling good. Very busy! My days are calculated to the last minute with daycare and the extra kids, and I am very grateful to hit the pillow at night. The last few evenings on my walk I have feeling that extra pelvic pressure a bit stronger, and I've noticed that when I have to pee, I REALLY HAVE TO PEE! Goran and I have started practising some birthing positions so that when the time comes we both know where to stand/sit, and it feels natural and comfortable. It also helps us feel connected to each other and Baby. Getting up off the floor is getting to be a bit more challenging, after sitting with the kids, and running up the stairs by the 10th time of day is a bit exhausting. The skin on my tummy is REALLY starting to stretch as well. I can feel this, and is not very pleasant. But really all things that go with the territory, and nothing that I certainly can't handle.
My visit with the midwife went super. Baby is head down again!! Yeah! Blood pressure was fine, and my weight was good. Slow and steady gain. I have a goal weight in mind that I don't want to go over, but that is only 6lbs away. But I think as long as I watch what I eat and continue being active, I can do it!! It was sooo nice to see Sylvia!! I haven't seen her since my 13 week apt. so it was very nice to catch up, and 'visit' a bit. Because, really, with a midwife, that's what its like. We talked about if the baby does go breach, but I am still pretty determined to do it at home. I know it can be a very serious thing but because of the way Grace came out, my pelvis is well proven, and there is no doubt on my part or the midwives part that I could push out a breach baby. But it appears at this time, that Baby knows the way out, and is going to co-operate.

Grace is doing splendid with the potty! Really, she gets it, and tells me, and accidents can now we counted by the week instead of by the day. I had to buy her some 2 piece PJ's. All I had were some one piece ones that have a zipper or buttons, and she peed 2 mornings in row with those on. So I went and got 2 pieces and it stopped. I think it was a bit of a mental thing. I think she worried how she would get them off, and then just couldn't hold it. But, happily now the problem is solved. Although, she won't sit on the big toilet and I have to drag that potty with me everywhere I go, if I'm going to gone for more then 3 hours.....but I guess one thing at a time. Not to many 21 months old are really 'potty trained'.

Angelina continues to grow and change as well. Her growth is a little more suttal at this age, but non the less, I pick it up. Her imagination is really coming out. I can here this as she plays with her friends. We have this toy crocodile thing. Angelina pretends its a pet, and she lets the other children 'taking care of it'. She takes it for walks, and asks grown ups (mostly me, or other parents picking up) if they would like to 'pet it'. Funny kidz!!

Well thats really it for me. I will post again soon, with some pics of the growing little one, and the other 2 girls!

First day of Preschool

So off she went, with a smile on her face. I was missing one daycare child today, so the walk was quick. We got there, she turned to me, waved, and went through the door. Never looked back. So afterwards, like any mother, I asked her, "How was your morning? Did you have fun?"

"Yep," she said

"Well, did you do circle today?"

"Yep," she replied as we walked.

"What did you talk about?" I continued to probe her.

"I don't remember," she shrugged.

WHAT!!! I'm paying $10.00 a day for 'I don't remember?'

Ok, ok, lets try again.

"Did you talk about bumble bees?"

"No!" she laughed. "Leaves." Short and simple.

"Well, what do they do?"I asked.

"Fall off the trees," she giggled like little girls do. At this point we met her friends and she was off. So I didn't get much out off her. But then at lunch time, all she could talk about was the little girl she played with, and she didn't play with the boys, but Jemma and Payten weren't there. (They were friends in last years class.) And on and on....but nothing educational, it was just about friends ect. But then I guess that's why she's going. The social aspect of it all. I did mention to the teacher that she is missing JK, and could they work on her name with her. She said absolutely, and then asked, "And when are you due?"

"Uhh?"I actually had to stop and think a minute. First what is she talking about? Oh yes, the baby, and then, the date? Oh yes November 26th.

Honestly, I am so busy, I really don't have time to sit and think about Baby. I know he/she is there. Baby is moving and my belly is large, but really, I feel good. I'm up and down alot, and walking with the kids every day, my body feels great. And Baby is busy, but I feel more comfortable then when I was pregnant with both the girls.

That's really it for now. I will post next week after I see Sylvia. Have a great weekend.