Looking on the bright side

OK...so my MIL may or may not move in, and we have no vacation next week, but I am going to post all the GOOD things :)

1. I am finally feeling better...I hope it lasts, but I will totally take it for now!

2. Guess who just ordered the first group of cloth diapers? Me me me!!! I am trying out a bunch of things, prefolds, all in ones and fitteds...I am even being super brave and getting a few fleece and wool longies. My plan...get a few things at a time and then when the baby comes, see what we like best and invest in more of those. There are a million choices, so I know something will work...and even the hubby is on board!

3. Gues who hasn't ordered any maternity clothes? Yep...me again! So far I don't need them, although a few shirts may be needed in the next month...but my pants and skirts are all working for me, pays to lose a ton of weight before getting pregnant.

4. My pantry is super stocked...that always makes me happy. It also makes it easy to make dinner.

5. We got the swing and bassinet down and while both need a good cleaning, they are good to go.

6. I am thinking of going to my mom's after easter, and then I am going to make her teach me to use the sewing machine...while she is teaching me I am going to get her to help me make a bunch of pants for the baby and if it is a girl, a few jumpers.

7. Since we aren't going away, I have a little extra cash to put towards baby gear and I can get what I want.

8. It is almost garden season...for us this means we have food for the summer and some to put away for winter, delicious, home grown, organic food.

9. My ultrasound is on Friday and the first thing i want to know is that the baby is a-ok, the second thing is if it is a boy or girl.

10. My whole house is clean...well there is laundry, but other wise we are in a good place.

11. My two weeks off will give me ample time to paint the family room :)


This is just a sampling, so I should be thankful not sad!

Do the gods just hate me????

OK...so it has been a crummy run. Last week was the fun trip to the ER...now I think the sinus thing is finally moving out and in place my wisdom tooth is killing me! Back to the dentist I guess to see the oral surgeon so he can rip it out of my face while I am still awake! Then yesterday I called the resort that we were supposed to head to in a week to check the reservation, etc. I cannot explain to you how excited I was about this trip. We had been waiting over a year to go to this place, it was all prepaid and it is a timeshare so the accommodations are super comfy. We cannot go anywhere for a long time with the baby coming, so we needed this trip, hell I NEEDED this trip! All moms know that the only way you can catch any notion of a break is to get away from home.

So when I am talking to the people, we find out that the whole place is under construction, and there is only internet in the lobby...which I would have to drive to...multiple times per day.....since I WORK from home and work when we are away. So now we can't go, I can't miss an entire week while classes are going on! Usually it is such a blessing to work my job, no set hours and no set location, I have worked from the beach, Disney, etc and never had an issue...but now we are trapped at home. It was my spring break from PT school and the hubby took off, the kids were getting to take a week off of school and now they are very sad, we all are. The trip will still get taken, but not for a few years when we will use the points to go to Disney with all FOUR kids. Damn resort :(

So now we have all this time off and no where to go...except now the hubby thinks we should go up to NY for the weekend to help push his mother along. Umm..fun? I would be happy to go if it meant we could do something remotely fun, like take the kids to the city, but I am sure I will get trapped in the yucky house cleaning and packing. Argh, not what I had planned for a vacation :(

On the bright side, we got down the bassinet and the swing and both look to be in decent condition. I am on the hunt for a replacement swing pad, ours is almost 7 years old, but worse comes to worse ole' Nana will be making one.

The big evaluation

I took Gray today for a speech evaluation. It seems that lots of folks were concerned with his pronunciation, which I agree could use some work. So in we went, and out we came. It seems he scored above age for all skills and on level for pronunciation. The evaluator did note that while he can pronounce words well alone, he does have some trouble in conversation. The evaluator believes it will work itself out as long as we keep encouraging proper pronunciation. They are going to see if they can give us some exercises, but it seems he is just a late bloomer...whew!

Ah the stress of it all...and a glimmer of sunshine

See, here is the thing..I stress about money even when we have it. Right now we are a-ok and still I am worried. I worry that something will come up, some crazy expense or big huge mess. I know that we have back up and that if something terrible happened, we could get help...but still I worry. I guess the upside to that is that I am being pretty cautious with the money we do have. We have the trip coming up in just over a week, but we have a kitchen in the house and I will be able to feed the kids most of their meals there. We have a few outings planned, nothing crazy and nothing too expensive. The gas and boarding the dog should be the biggest expenses.

On the bright side, I went to Wegman's for the first time today, and I fell in love. Not only is the store beautiful and filled with so many wonderful items, but they have a great organic section and the prices were fantastic. I know I can get a list for Wegman's and think I will get one sooner rather than later...it will be worth it.

A super fun trip to the ER

Last night the pain in my face became so bad that I couldn't see, I was having a hard time breathing, was sick to my stomach and had a hard time standing. I was supposed to give an exam, but needed to go to the hospital and was very concerned that the racing heart was going to cause me issues with my heart condition or hurt the baby. Ryan and the kids drove me and it was so packed with sick people that I wouldn't let the kids come in for fear that would catch something. Ryan went to Emily's with the kids, they had supper and she helped them pass the time (thanks Em!) and then Ryan took the kids home. Meanwhile I sat in the waiting room for a few hours, went to triage, had blodd drawn and then went back to the waiting room. Then I saw a nurse and a Physician's Assistant who after poking me and telling me my blood work was OK with the exception of bad anemia and low potassium, they were discharging me! Before I could say anything, she was gone and then Emily showed up. I was so upset since they never even checked on why I was in pain, or if the baby was OK! She came, then a new really crazy nurse named Judy came in and we told her we were really upset about not seeing a doctor given how sick I have been and the fact that an ongoing infection is dangerous when you have a heart condition.

The nurse went and explained to the PA who came in and was appalled that we wanted to see a real doctor that she wasn't good enough! Needless to say, the doctor came in and was very nice, we expressed our concerns and he moved on it. They checked the baby's heartbeat, which he said they should have done from the start, and sent me for a facial x-ray. He also snuck in a portable ultrasound and tried to find the baby...he is out of practice but there were a few glimpses of he/she bouncing about. The ended up saying it is just a sinus infection and gave me a new antibiotic, new pain meds and a nasal spary. Fingers crossed this third round knocks it out.

Hey...who wants to hear more complaining?????

Sorry, but I have more to share. I swear I am not usually a whiner, and I have been preggers three other times, but this one is just sucky. I have felt like crap since the day I got pregnant, between morning sickness, two..YES TWO rounds of the stomach flu, a the evil sinus/tooth/face infection that still is lingering and the inability to eat...I am miserable. When I say I can't eat, I mean I REALLY can't eat...like less than what a normal person snacks on a day on most days. This is leading me to feel very tired and weak and it makes me worry about how the baby is doing. I am heading to Richmond to see a doc tomorrow and I hope he can make me feel a little better. Maybe I will be eating again soon, although it stinks that I have to waste the one day I planned to stay home all day and clean.

Calling all cloth diapering mamas

I am losing my mind!

I want to try a few different things, and know that we may use disposables sometimes as well and will have a stash of Earth's Best on hand. Here is my issue, how do you know what works with a new one? I am planning on about 10 covers, 36 prefolds, 12 all in ones and 4-5 fitted. I want to know what works and what doesn't. I can see using prefolds and covers at home when the baby is really small, then relying more on pockets and fitted with covers when we are out or the baby is bigger. I am so lost!

Busy little bees

We have been a busy bunch! Last night Ryan and I had a nice night out to dinner with the Fallon's at the Melting Pot. It was a fun time, good company and food, and I was wiped when we came home! Then today Haven and I had Thinking Day for Brownies, and while the event was pretty small overall the girls had fun and all the moms were chatting and enjoying themselves as well. Then we came home and headed out to the store. We went to Circuit City to see what was left, alas not much, however we still managed to spend a ton! Then over to the unfinished wood store where we bought a new television stand, desk and end table. Once the family room is painted and the new curtains are up, we will stain the furniture and put the room together, and I am so excited!

Now I need to write a paper and do some grading. Kids are having leftover turkey for dinner...hopefully we will make a dent in it!

My (current) baby

Grayson is totally his mama's boy. He loves me wholly and I him...and he is always the first to hug and kiss me and defend and protect me. The last few months he has not been sleeping well, waking up crying most nights by 9:30. Since Ryan works nights, I allow Gray to sleep with me. We have always been cosleepers, when they are born they sleep with us and the are welcome to stay as long as the want. Gray and Brittan started sleeping in their own beds around 18 months and both slept well...Haven on the other hand only started sleeping through the night in her room last year. Since Gray was sick last year and was in the hospital, he has never slept the same. It makes Ryan crazy, but I know that he needs it. Plus I get a few special morning snuggles!

Woohooo

Yeah for tax returns!!! We got our state today after a little hoopla, but it is here and I am happy. Federal should be in the end of the week or early next week, and I am super excited. We have no big plans for the tax return, although a small amount will go to the new furniture in the family room, but that is pretty minimal. A small amount will pay for the summer CSA which keeps us in veggies all summer long, and another small portion will go to our garden this summer. Other than that, no big plans. I do need to gather some baby supplies, not too much stuff, being #4 and all this mama is pretty relaxed about the gear and I am hoping to borrow a bunch from a very sweet little Gracie who just turned 1!

So onwards into a new year:)

Tempurpedic

My boy makes me laugh. Last night I came home from class around 11 and he was up. The sitter said he was having a rough night and missed us. So when I went to bed, he came with me. I was watching TV and I thought he was sleeping when he rolled over. This was the conversation:

Gray "Did you know there is a place called Tempurpedic?

Me "Um, did you say Tempurpedic?"

Gray "Yes, you know Tempurpedic...you sleep there"

Me (laughing) "Oh, ok."

Gray "This bed" (pointing to my bed)"Has metal springs and they add to our pain"

Me (now laughing really hard) "So what is the Tempurpedic made out of?"

Gray "I don't know. It is magic and you can make handprints in it!"

I am not sure where he saw the commercial enough times to MEMORIZE it! Maybe he is an advertising genius :)

I hate the state

I want my tax refund and I want it now! They approved it on the 11th and they STILL have my money,and to make matters worse....now they are sending me a check and not direct depositing it! Damn state.

I was planning to roast a turkey today and was looking forward to a warm house that smells like Thanksgiving...but the turkey was still a bit frozen even after sitting in the fridge for 4 days, so it will now have to wait until Thursday. I guess we will have to have chili which the husband has been requesting. At least I got the fire made so we will be warm and I am debating making a cake just to occupy my mind a bit...oh never mind I have to work!

Vacations...Babies..Money....ARGH

It is weird to be feeling poor and planning vacations! It is always this way, so I needn't be surprised, but it is still odd.

BREAKING NEWS: Hubby just got a HUGE bonus and a nice raise...wooohoooo!

OK, so this summer we are limited on travel as the baby is due in the middle of July and I won't be able to travel much once the kids are out of school. We will, however, head to Sesame Place for Gray's birthday and stay one night. Even though the baby will only be a few weeks old, we should be able to do that park without too many problems.

Next summer we are trying to plan another trip with the Fallons. Hopefully we will book a beach house this summer in the OBX so we are all set for next year. The best part about traveling with the Fallons is that they understand what it is like to have a brood of kids, and we just go and have fun. Last summer we rented a four bedroom house and no one used the fourth bedroom, so we are looking at three bedroom houses for next year. So long as there are two bunk beds and some other place for kids to crash like a loft or game room, we are all set. The baby will room with Ryan and I and hopefully will be old enough to allow he and I some quiet time sitting out on the deck. Then we can enjoy the beach and the joys of relaxation.

Oh how I wish summer was already here!

Hair!

Let me preface this with...I am a HUGE fan of musicals and two of my all time faves are Hair and Godspell.

OK, so today I decided I wanted to go to NY, stay the night and see a show with the hubby. Besides having to find someone to stay with the kids on a Friday night, I need to decide what show. Then I saw Hair was playing....and hotels are reasonable....and now I NEED to get an overnight sitter so we can leave one Friday morning and come back Saturday evening. What a joy it would be to head to NY just the two of us, stay in the hotel..alone. Eat a nice dinner out and then enjoy a leisurely breakfast...maybe even in bed! Oh what a glorious dream...I am going to have to beg my mom to come :)

A time to plan

Spring is creeping up on us and around here that means planning. We start planning the gardens, the flowers, the tasks that we must do each spring and summer...and let me tell you, there is always a lot!

We have been on the fence about chickens for a few years, and we finally decided that this year we would get on building the coop and run. Then, if we find some older pullets, we will get them, otherwise next year we will order baby chicks. The farm had extra pullets for sale last year, so that would be ideal, they are older and closer to laying, and I don't have to mess with raising baby chicks along with being preggers and having to do the spring workload.

One big item on the agenda, besides the coop, is to get the seed order placed. We are going to try heirloom seeds this year, and I am hoping they will be fruitful. Ryan also needs to get the garden prepped and the grow station up so we can start the seeds next month. Often we wait too long to plant in the ground, this year we will use the biodegradable mulch material to raise the ground temp, and plant early. I also need to get the soaker hoses to weave through the garden and I may install a barrel at the top of the hill to collect rainwater we can use with the soakers.

Spring is such an exciting time for us...I can't wait to get started!

Adventures in Cooking

I am always ready to try something new that will fill my kids bellies and save me a little time. I hate them eating cereal for breakfast on school days, especially in winter, but oatmeal takes a little while to make. I also like to make my own oatmeal combos using dried fruits to make it exciting. Last night I decided to try and make oatmeal in my crockpot overnight. Some people had problems with theirs burning and recommended cooking on warm...it did not work here. When I got up it was still soupy. I turned the heat up and somehow we managed to save the oatmeal and the kids are enjoying it as we speak. Today's concoction includes oats, of course, chopped dried figs, raisins, dried blueberries and dried apples. It was sweetened with some pure maple syrup and there is a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on top. I love that my kids are such great eaters!

Happy Valentines!

I know it is a Hallmark holiday and all...but who can resist an opportunity to share with those you love just how much they mean to you?

Our day started well. Last night Ryan and I set up the dining room with balloons, Valentines decorations and goodies for the kids. I made them pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and threw some fresh strawberry sauce on top. The girls are now playing at the neighbors and then all the kids will come back for a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (hey its red!) followed by cupcakes.

We have had a nice, pleasant day...what more could I want?

So here is to wishing you all have nice days with the ones you love....doesn't it fill your heart to know they are there for the ordinary and extraordinary moments?

FInding the truth in it all

The last few weeks have been hard to say the least...but that is how life goes right? There are moments when it becomes clear how far you have come. This week I was saying that less than nine years ago my dreams were quite different. When Haven was born, all I wanted was my own home,and where we live, that was a townhouse. I wanted one so badly, but it never seemed to be a reality, yet when she was a mere 3 weeks old, we signed on our first home. It was a brand new townhome, under construction, and we were simply over the moon! While pining for that house, the only other two things I wanted in the world was a minivan (!) and to be able to be home with my baby. I got my minivan just before Brittan was born just two years later, and traded that van in a few years ago for my Trailblazer that I LOVE. I also did stay home, work part time and then full time again for a few years. Now, as I head into having baby #4 I am shocked at how different our world is. We have a nice home with plenty of room for us..having sold the townhome five years ago when we moved here. I have a car that will fit us all and has all the comforts...although I am not sure where we will put luggage when we travel :) I work from home with the exception of the two classes I teach on campus...which is more than I could have imagined. I cannot wait to see where we are in another 9 years!

A bowl of slop

I don't eat much for breakfast most days, if anything at all. That being said, lately I just don't eat much period....this could be why I am losing weight during my pregnancy, but I just not hungry most days. However, I am VERY excited that that the whole tribe is going out to dinner tonight...a rare treat for everyone and I have been craving a certain dish that I am thrilled to be having tonight...plus no cooking :)

This morning I woke up FAMISHED! Nothing has been sounding good lately, but this morning I wanted a bowl of slop. What, pray tell, is a bowl of slop? It is a yummy breakfast that isn't pretty to look at but is so good. Here is what I do, I take a small onion and grate it on a box grater...it will make you cry. Then I take a potato, skin on and washed, and grate it too. Throw both in the cast iron skillet with a plop of butter and let it cook, stirring often. You need the potatoes to get cooked so don't cook too fast, but when they are almost done, you want to crisp things up a bit. You can also add the meat of your choice or peppers, tomatoes, etc. I had a slice of leftover cooked bacon I diced up and threw in. Next I took an egg and scrambled it in a cup, and diced up some montarey jack cheese....any kind you like will work. Threw that together, cooked it with the onion, potato and bacon, salt and pepper and put it in a bowl with some diced tomatoes. Oh my gosh...not pretty to look at but so yummy, filling and comforting!

A taste of spring

We have had a warm few days here in Virginia, and after a winter that set in early this year with bitter cold in October, we enjoyed the break! While I know spring is a ways off, the sunshine, cool breezes and general change has lifted everyone's spirits.

Ryan and I love late winter/early spring as it is the start of garden planning. We learn a little more each year as we find ways to make our hilly, shady, difficult land fruitful. The addition of the large garden last year has helped, and we have some plans to add some growing areas this spring. Living in suburbia, even with almost an acre of land, can make homesteading difficult to say the least. The bulk of our property is either very steep, wooded or prone to flooding, which means we need to be creative. Our goals of moving are on hold due to the economy so we make this world work for us!

We are going to try some heirloom seeds this year, and if they go well, we will collect the seeds and save them for next year. In the big garden we will grow two kinds of pole beans, green and purple and will hopefully end up with plenty canned and frozen for winter. We will also have two kinds of cucumbers, eating and pickling, two kinds of tomatoes, yellow pear and plum, green and red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, acorn and butternut squash. The berry patch has strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The patio area will have the leaf lettuces and herbs and the front garden will have the onions, garlic, carrots and parsnips. We also have two pear trees that had great production last year but we lost all of our fruit to the wildlife, so they will be netted this year. In addition we will plant three apple trees so we will have fruit in the next few years.

We supplement our home growing with a membership in a local CSA which provides us a ton of fresh food and a nice variety of everything from asian melons to kale. We pick strawberries by the flat and I can most as strawberry jam and strawberry topping with some being stored in the freezer for baking. Another local farm has blueberries we can pick, we get those by the bucket and they become jam or are frozen for pancakes, waffles or muffins. Pumpkins are picked up following Halloween, and while not as sweet as hubbard squash, they make a great cheap and tasty alternative in muffins and breads. Finally, we are lucky enough to live in apple country, so we pick apples in season. Last year it was 120 lbs that were processed into applesauce, apple butter, apple pie filling, diced apples and dried apples. Next year we need closer to 200 lbs as we are already out of applesauce and diced apples and dangerously low on all others!

2 am really bites

This jaw pain in the middle of the night game is really crappy and I have had enough. I am one who can get by on very limited amounts of sleep...it is what allows me to get so much done and still function, but even I can't keep up with this!

Almost every night for two weeks I am up between 1 and 2 am for hours! Hell on Monday night, I came home from work and never went to sleep because as soon as I laid down to..BOOM PAIN! So I have lost an entire night..the WHOLE night...not even 10 minutes of sleep, plus all of the nights where I only get 3-4 hours. I am really quite over this.

I began the new antibiotic, I need to take it every 8 hours, not very convenient given sometimes that falls on a time I *should* be sleeping, but I will try anything because I am desperate.

So here I sit, just swigged back a new pain pill, and hope that I can fall back asleep in the next hour so I can get 4 hours of sleep. Damn pain...GO AWAY!

Updates and schedules

Cardiologist appointment scheduled for April-new doc, claims to be easy going....we will see.

Hematologist appointment scheduled for March so I don't bleed to death...good plan.

OB sonogram, the super fun one, scheduled for March 6th.....very excited.

OB appointment scheduled for St. Patty's day....the corned beef and cabbage will have to start late that day, and well, no beer for me, green or otherwise.

Dentist says pain is NOT due to dental work needed, just a raging infection. New antibiotics and pain meds. This kid will be an addict before he/she is born.

Dentist appointment next week for check up.

Rescheduling consult with oral surgeon re wisdom tooth...sick of the doctor and dentist.

This is just through the first week of April :)

OB Update

I was a bit nervous today as I was seeing my actual doc and not the midwife....and well, I kind of scared him a few times with my other pregnancies. It was a great visit, he was so excited we were back and that Grayson was there and he made sure to have Gray listen to the heartbeat of "his" baby! He also recommended anew cardiologist who he thinks will be a positive not a negative in my care and he gave my the script for my big ultrasound. That will happen March 6th and I am sooooo excited!!

The up side

The up side to not sleeping is I can get a jump on my day. I am making the kids a nice hot breakfast, cinnamon rolls, bacon and eggs...get their day started well. I always feel bad that they get cereal most mornings, and would like to start setting up the crockpot with oatmeal to cook overnight, but I haven't been brave enough. Before the kids get up, I am hoping to have moved some laundry, wipe down the bathroom and get going on the dishes. This will make the day better when I crash later.

Late to bed early to rise

No sleep for the weary here. I am very tired of feeling crappy and in pain and would like to get back to my regularly scheduled posts about work and kids and school and vacuuming...but alas,I can't. Another long day yesterday and no sleep last night thanks to the throbbing in my mouth. On the bright side, the kids will get a nice hot breakfast! On the down side, I feel like shit.

I see the OB at 1...that should be pretty standard except I haven't been taking enough iron due to the plague. I then see the dentist at 6 and I am not even sure he will be able to do anything tonight and tomorrow I have to teach. I need this pain to go away, it now hurts worse than when before I had the root canal :(

So here I sit....it willbe another long day with lots to do and I will do it as I should. I am tired of complaining and would really like to feel better, because this is about the worst thing I have ever gone through and it is a painful and lonely place to be.

Terrible and awful

I am overwhelmed...VERY overwhelmed. I counted that last week between the two jobs and school I put in 90 hours! That is nuts. I have been crying most of the morning due to a combo of still feeling shitty/tooth pain/technology at PT school/FT school general work/life as a whole.

I am getting stuff done, but it is at the expense of me getting any time to rest or relax. This has got to end! Tomorrow I have an OB appointment AND a dentist appointment. I also have a paper to write, grading to do and general upkeep. Right now I just finished course checks, emails and getting gray and feeding him. I am off to do dishes, prep paperwork for tonight, eat something, clean up the house and start dinner. Then off to campus, home to check in with work and finish my evaluation. The day will end around 1 am :(

OK, that is all the blogging time I have for today!

Long time no post

I wish I could say I have just been busy, and while I have, not in a good way. I have had work and work and school and kids, but that pesky sinus infection wouldn't stop hurting so I headed to the dentist to see if that was the issue. Now the dentist happily gave me a root canal while I was trapped in the chair and assured me that I needed a wisdom tooth pulled, but didn't feel that was where the excruciating pain was coming from. So last night,after the root canal I went to bed thinking I would be pain free.....ah, nope! About a half hour after falling asleep it was back, in my ear,throbbing and pounding. Downstairs I came hysterical to the point of just bawling. Poor Ryan didn't know what to do, I mean I am a crybaby and all, but rarely do I cry from pain. Nothing made it feel better and I was pretty sure we were heading to the ER. I then tried an old homeopathic remedy my mom used when we were kids and put a few drops of warm olive oil in the ear. After the oil and a half hour of being upright, the pain subsided and I was able to sleep for about 7 hours! How weird is that! I am hoping this goes away soon, I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy as it is my last, and I have felt crappy for months. At least I get to see the OB on Tuesday and I can hear the baby's heartbeat and get my script for the big ultrasound!

Green and gray

Shhh...I am blogging at PT school, class doesn't begin for 45 mins.

So today we had the awards ceremony for Haven and she won the Courage Award. Brittan's awards were canceled due to the weather yesterday and will be held on Friday, she is winning the Good Behavior Award:)

While waiting to the ceremony to begin, I was looking through some of our videos and was amazed at how different the yard looks when it is green. I mean I KNOW it looks different, but it was strange to be able to see a side by side comparison. In the summer it is so lush and parts look like the rainforest. Can we tell I am getting ready for Winter to end? I love winter if there is snow, but not the grayness of it all!

Snow delays

Ah, the joy of parenting in Virginia, s dusting of snow leads to a delay in school opening. The kids are being great, just really loud and crazy and a bit distracting. I am anxious to see the girls off, and for Emily to return so we can go to lunch, I am hungry.

Class last night was, shall we day, interesting. The projector worked, but would only show the background image of my laptop! Not helpful.

Hopefully today I will get some grading down and start on my paper that is due tomorrow. This class is exhausting, and I really wish there was a break, but alas, there isn't. I am ready to be done with school, just under two years and I will be!

They tell me

that the projector in my room should be working. I am not sure whether I should trust them or not, I think I will bring my ID and be prepared to head over there to get the portable one, just in case. Now if only the meters lasted for longer than 2 hours,I could feed the meter at 7, go to class and be back by 9! Now I will need to walk clear across campus, but at least I won't need to drag more than my laptop!

shouldn't be blogging

I have a ton to do before leaving for class tonight! I need to dust the family room, do the dishes, vacuum the house, switch the laundry and generally straighten up. I also have to make dinner, but that will be easy since I am just making ravioli on my way out the door. Not to mention I need to gather my gear for tonight!

At least once I leave, come home, write a paper and go to bed, I have a relatively quiet day tomorrow...except for having to go to school for Britt's award. This week is stressing me out and it is only Monday!

So sleepy yet awake

I hate Monday through Wednesday, that is my busy part of work. See Monday I need to do course checks, and they take a long time and are a bit of a pain. Then I need to get ready for work, then go to work, then most nights I need to come home and work on or finish a paper. Tuesdays are OK, sometimes we run errands. Wednesdays I have to work in the afternoon, and I have grades due, so I work, come home, and grade. But on Thursday I do almost nothing.....I do my regular work, sometimes write a paper, but it is quiet around here from Thursday -Monday. Now if only I could feel well enough to get my house in order!

Joys of starting over

I am so excited to be adding a new baby to our family I can barely contain myself most days. This child is very, very wanted and was a long time waiting and wanting. I have always wanted four children, but after having my other three so close together, I just couldn't have another one two years after Gray was born. So I worked hard on getting healthy, and on getting my career to a place where adding another child would be easier that in previous times. Then I had to convince Ryan who was content with our family....but obviously he was swayed :)

Being that my youngest will be almost 5 when the new babe is born, this is a whole new adventure. It feels so indulgent, having children who can do most things for themselves, and I am really trying to enjoy the whole process this time around. I really like being pregnant, even when it makes me pukey and sore, I love the idea of what is going on inside and what a miracle it all is. I love when we get to the stage where I can feel the baby moving all the time, I have felt a few small flutters, but I love the big kicks, rolls and hiccups.

The other positive this time around is that I can learn from the past and make choices based upon my experience. I know what items I will use, sling, bouncer, swing...so those will be dusted off or borrowed or bought. I have my old pouch sling from when I had Brittan, and I also used it with Gray. I love that sling, and will use it again, but I am planning to add a wrap sling as well so I can get more use out it, I remember with Gray I wanted something to help when he was 17 months old and not walking!

I also plan to cloth diaper, although my husband is a bit wary. He has agreed to go with me to a seminar to learn more, and I think it will be fine. I like the all in one, one size diapers, they are just like disposables but better for the environment and baby bottoms. I am a realist and know that this may not work for us when the time comes, and I may need to use disposables some of the time as well....for those I will use Earth's Best.

Lastly comes feeding...any men reading may wish to switch blogs now.

I breastfed all my kids, but struggled with Britt and Gray. With Haven it was a breeze and she thrived. I weaned her at 7 months as I had switched her caregiver and couldn't nurse her midday like I had been,she would have easily made it the year. Britt's delivery was horrible and I was very sick afterwards so we had a rough start. She did ok, but we always had to supplement. Add to that that I had a crazy two year old running amok, so it was hard to find the time to dedicate to nursing her as needed. With Gray, he was a great nurser, but my supply was low and now I had a two year old and a four year old, so I had even less time!

This time I get two months paid off from work, so I can dedicate myself to the baby. I will be heading back to PT school about 6 weeks after the new babe comes, but being that I only teach two days a week, I will have stored away enough to cover those few bottles. I want it to work, and work well, this time.

So now I am just enjoying the what ifs of this stage. In about 5 weeks we will know the gender of the baby and the real fun can begin. I cannot wait to start digging through the gear to see what we have and what we need, and then I am off with Em to shop shop shop!