Over at Momdot right now, the mommy bloggers there are going insane by running a LIVE $500 Toro Stroller Contest right now. So head on over to enter quickly .And if you happen to miss it, just hang out, list your blog for free, read a feature, leave a comment, or join the mommy bloggers forum! MomDot Rocks!
Tried to throw myself into labor over this contest, so I'm bowing out. There's still time for you to win, though, so get over there and WIN!!!!
And I waited 3 1/2 hours for a response, but I finally got one.
Doc says it does sound like I pulled a muscle, so she called in some muscle relaxers. I went and picked them up, but I'll wait until a little closer to bed time before I take it. If nothing else, I should sleep good tonight!
If it's not any better in the morning, I need to call her back and she'll figure out what's going on. Here's hoping this works just fine and I don't have to worry about it anymore.
I'll let you know how I feel in the morning!
I am about at my wits end. This pain in my side is getting worse by the day. I'm thinking that I just pulled a muscle or a ligament, and there's nothing the doctor can do, but by the end of the day, I just want to sit and cry because it hurts so bad.
I know that if I call the doctor, she'll make me come in. It'll waste my time AND her time for her to tell me it's a pulled muscle and there's nothing we can do.
BUT, my next appointment isn't until next Wednesday. That's a whole week before I can talk to her about it.
I just don't know. I don't want to be one of "those" women who complains about every little thing, but I REALLY want this pain to go away.
What do you think? What would you do? Be honest. If I'm acting like a baby, tell me. LOL.
I feel bad that I never posted a belly picture last week, so I asked hubby to grab another shot last night before we left for the movie.
So, here it is, my 35 week belly picture:
Yes, I am huge. Please don't tell me I look like I'm pregnant with twins, or like I'm ready to pop. I hear that every.where.I.go. Seriously. I am PREGNANT with #5. I'm gonna look HUGE. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.
But, there it is. The most recent belly pic. At least I got it up there.
Ok, I need to get myself organized. I have 29 days until this baby is due, and now that I've had my baby shower, I need to keep a list somewhere of the things I still need. I'll just add to this list as I think of things. I'm going to put a link to this post on my blog, JUST for me. I need to keep myself organized, and this way I can mark off things as we get them.Car Seat (infant and convertible)
Stroller
Pack -n- Play
Swing
Burp Cloths
Nursing GownsNursing CoversBibsNursing PadsNursing BrasBreast PumpBottles (Playtex drop ins)Pacifiers (mam)Diaper BagBaby Monitor
Crib & Mattress
High Chair
Exersaucer (not a necessity, but would be nice to have)
Of course it's mostly the big, expensive stuff. Figures. 29 days is not sounding like very long to come up with enough money for all of this stuff.
This baby got SO many clothes. He certainly won't need to worry about having anything to wear! I think he's set for the first few months anyway! :)
We also got lots of diapers and wipes. Tons of baby wash, lotion, baby care items, blankets, onesies, towels, washcloths... Stuff that will really help out.
Mandy (yes, THE Mandy) gave us the most amazing Spiderman Quilt. I'm hoping Gene got a picture of it. If he didn't, I'll snap one and post it soon. I absolutely love it.
Sabrina (aka Mandy's mom) gave us the cutest Spiderman Outfit. I'm taking it to the hospital with us. So stinking cute.
There's still a bunch of stuff we need to get, but we're SO much closer now. I can't express how much this shower helped us out. Our church is full of amazing people.
I'll post the pictures soon. I am really, really hurting tonight, and I just want to go to bed. I'll be calling the doctor first thing in the morning.
My two year old is swearing like a sailor. Not on purpose, mind you, as it's a word that she's never heard from any of us around here.
Let me explain... Lucy is watching the boys play a "Shrek" video game. She's jumping on the couch yelling, "Go, Shrek, Go." Only her little mouth can't form the word "Shrek" properly, and it comes out sounding exactly like the F word.
SIGH. I MUST make sure we don't bring any Shrek toys with us to church.
I'm still really hurting today. The pain in my side has not subsided at all, and my feet a freaking HUGE. They ballooned up bigger than they've been before, and they were already big and swollen before this. I'm planning on spending the rest of the afternoon on my couch, not doing a darn thing until I go back to church tonight.
My baby shower is tonight after church, and I'm really excited about it. I'll post later and let you know how it goes!
Enjoy your Sunday!
Yes, I am shouting. This was, by far, the BEST movie I have seen in a VERY long time. I laughed, I cried, I laughed so hard that I cried, and I cried so hard that I couldn't control it. It was that good. Even hubby came pretty close a time or two.
It was SO nice to get out with friends and see such a good movie. I definitely needed tonight. Couldn't have come at a better time.
I am having an awful pain in my side, though, and I'm not sure why. It started yesterday afternoon. It's a constant pain, never goes away, never fluctuates in the amount of pain it brings, and it's on the left side, just under my ribs. I refused to call the doctor today, because I didn't want to miss the movie, and I can't call tomorrow because I can NOT miss my baby shower, so if it still hurts on Monday, I'll be calling then... if I can make it that long. I feel like such a baby, but it hurts! Hubby thinks I pulled a muscle or something, (no sympathy after 4 pregnancies together), so he just said to suck it up. I'll do my best.
Ok - now I'm off to bed. But, PLEASE go see Fireproof. It is definitely worth every penny.
But, that's ok. I was really hoping to just hang out in my pj's all day today, but my friend Holly said that she had 4 tickets to go see Fireproof tomorrow night. I'd give up PJ day to go pick up tickets to that! :)
Apparently, the only way that our local theater would bring the movie in is if local churches bought out the weekends it was playing. Tell me that's not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard. They'll play any kind of garbage you can think of, but a decent movie, they need petitions and large churches to buy them out. Ridiculous.
Well, Holly's church bought them out for this weekend, using donations from church members. Then they gave out the tickets to members in the church. Holly couldn't use her tickets this weekend, so she offered them to me & hubby. Isn't that SO sweet? I've been wanting to see this movie so badly, and if hubby and I had tried to go tomorrow night without these tickets, we probably wouldn't have gotten in. So, thank heavens for Holly!
I'll let you know what I think of the movie tomorrow night or Sunday - depending on when I get the chance to post. I'm a HUGE Kirk Cameron fan, though, so I may be a little biased. I'll do my best to be honest, though.
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I'm going to do as little as possible tomorrow. I think I deserve it. :)
Is that really too much to ask for?
Last night, Zander was complaining of a sore throat. Jace was still miserable from Tuesday's shots, so I kept both the boys and Lucy home from church. (We were supposed to attend a revival that was being held outdoors. With it getting so chilly after the sun goes down, I thought it best to keep them home.)
Well, this morning, Zander woke up and was feeling much better. Thank heavens. Jace was still grouchy from his shots, but he's been grouchy since he turned 4. About 11:45, he started complaining that his arm was really bothering him. I looked at his arm and it was bright red, swollen, hard as a rock, and hot as fire. The doctor's office is closed for lunch from 11:40 - 2pm (ridiculous, right?), so I gave him some Motrin and waited until 2 to call. They asked me if I could bring him in. Sure. Let me jump on that with 2 little boys running around in their underwear, a little girl stripped down to her diaper, and an 11 year old trying to work on school work. But, we got it in gear, and we were at the doctor's office by 2:20. We sat and waited until they could squeeze us in, and we finally get back to see the doctor.
What do we hear when we see the doctor? "Oh. This is a very normal reaction in some kids when they get their DTaP shot." So, I rushed over there for something they could have told me over the phone? SERIOUSLY?
I was told to put an ice pack on it, and force him to use his arm as much as possible. Getting him to use his arm isn't a problem. The kid broke his arm last summer and used it like it was just fine. Getting him to sit still and put an ice pack on it? So not going to happen.
The motrin seems to be helping him. I think I'll stick with that and PRAY that the effect of these shots wears off soon. Very soon.
One day. Just one day of calm and nothing to do. Is that possible?
A very dear friend, Dawn, was kind enough to grace me with this award:
Here are the rules of the award:
Leave the following message on their post when they pass the award on to their chosen eight blogger buddies.
“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”
But, alas, the last time I gave out awards, not many put them on their blogs. (Sniff, sniff) So, this time, I'm only giving it to one person: Chris (aka Sissy) over at What's in Sissy's Head. She has become such a good friend and I always enjoy reading her blog posts.
Thank you for the award, Dawn! :)
Then you HAVE to check out Handbag Planet. To celebrate their October 15th launch, they will be giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours! It doesn't cost a thing to enter, so get over there and DO IT!!
Personally, I want to win this one:
Of course it has to be the very last one, but I just love it!!
Get over there and enter for yourself. And if you win the giraffe bag, and I don't, please don't tell me! ;)
Good luck!!
It was my turn to go to the doctor today. Since hubby had last night off, he went with me. He'll start going from now on, since we're getting down to the wire.
My regular nurse (the doctor's assistant) wasn't there, and I did not care for the lady I had today - AT ALL. She took my weight (GASP! Up 7 pounds from 2 weeks ago!), I gave a urine sample, she took my temperature... Then, she took my pulse. OH.MY.GOSH. It takes Jessica (the regular nurse) 10 seconds to take my pulse. This woman stood there for the entire minute counting every.single.beat. She took my blood pressure, and then she left the room.
A few minutes later, the doctor came in. I told her that the contractions have started coming strong and steady. She said she wanted to check me, and I told her exactly what she would find: A very tightly closed cervix. She did all the other stuff first.... listened to the heartbeat (in the 140's and just perfect), measured my uterus (right on track), and then she started poking my feet and my legs. I told her that the swelling was ridiculous, and that everything just hurt so badly. She agreed, and said that she could tell the 7 pounds I'd gained was all fluid. She left the room for a minute and then came back in to check my cervix. I told her that I could quote what she was going to say: My cervix is "closed, and still long and thick." She said, "Well, it's definitely closed, but it's VERY soft." Now, that could just be because this is baby #5, and things have been stretched out several times before, but she did say that there is a chance that I could go on my own before the induction date. I'm still not counting on it. I've never dilated past a 2.5 on my own before, even with constant contractions, so I don't see it happening this time.
October 27th is officially the day, though, and I'm pretty sure... no, I'm positive that that will be Parker's birthday. As much as I would LOVE to go all on my own, I honestly would not know what to do if I did! I called Gene at work on Monday night and told him that I was contracting like crazy. His response? "Well, if your water breaks, and it's not just you peeing on yourself, call me." See, we've btdt so many times, I get no sympathy from him at all.
We go back in 2 weeks (so that I'm over 36 weeks) and then it'll be every week until the induction after that.
So, mark your calendars! October 27th it is!
We were driving down to Georgia from Ohio. What a trip that was. We were supposed to leave on the 23rd, but we had too much stuff to fit in the rental truck. We left a ton of stuff in our garage of our house in Ohio. (Which ended up getting broken into and stolen recently. I'm still not over this.)
Once we finally got on the road, we had 2 vehicles: the rental truck and our Honda Odyssey - both of which were packed to the gills. Gene, MIL, and her dog rode in the truck, and I had all of the kids with me in the van. Talk about a LONG drive.
We got about half an hour from MIL's apartment, and the rental truck broke down!!!! We waited for almost 5 hours for a tow truck to come. That was SO much fun with 4 kids - one of which was barely over a year old.
The tow truck hooked the truck up to his, and towed us to MIL's apartment. We unloaded her stuff from the truck, and then he towed us another half an hour to our house. It was CRAZY trying to get the tow truck pulling the truck down our driveway. (Our driveway is about 1/2 a mile long, and about wide enough for our Expedition to fit through. It's got tons of trees along both sides.
He finally got the truck down into our driveway, unhooked it and left. Since it was almost midnight by this time, we unloaded just what we would need to get through the night, and that was it.
It's so hard to believe that it's already been a year since all that happened. It's been such a crazy year - finding out we were pregnant, Gene's job ordeals, Lucy learning to walk, Zander starting school, I got saved, Gene turned his life over to Christ, Ashley got saved..... MAN! So much has happened.
What an amazing year it has been. We're looking forward to many, many more years down here. And, for the record... if I EVER move again, it will be about 100 yards from where we are right now - once we can afford to build. I will never go through that again.
Here are a couple of photos of the rental truck hooked up to the tow truck.. not the best photos, as they were taken with my camera phone in the dark, but at least you know I'm not making this up! :)
Lucy and Jace both had their well visits at the doctor today. Unfortunately, they couldn't put their appointments back to back, so we had to have Lucy's appointment before their lunch break, and then Jace's appointment after it.
When it was Lucy's turn to go back, she bounced back there as excited as could be. She did everything they asked... hopped on the scale, let them measure how tall she was, and even let them take her blood pressure. She was GREAT. The nurses all fawned all over her, and she soaked in every ounce of it. Her appointment went great. She's just fine, and we're going to try some different sleeping arrangements to get her to sleep through the night. I'll probably start them this weekend, so we'll see how it goes.
After her appointment, we went to McDonald's for lunch. Jace and Lucy were SO well behaved. (Ashley and Zander stayed home with Daddy.) They ate lunch and we still had over half an hour to kill, so we went into a little "Personalized Creations" store in town. I love that little shop. Lulu has inherited her mother's love for purses, because she found a little "baby purse" that she promptly put on her shoulder. It was on clearance for $2, so, of course, I bought it for her.
After that, we headed back to the doctor's office for Jace's turn. Jace - my daredevil extraordinaire, becomes VERY shy when people approach him. Totally clams up and buries his head in my leg. He did fine with the scale, the measurement, and the blood pressure, but when he had to read from the eye chart, he would only do it by whispering into my ear what he saw. He acted like that the rest of the time. Wouldn't answer the doctor's questions, nothing. Drove me crazy, because as a mom, you sit there and wonder if the doctor thinks that everything you're telling her is a lie. He ended up getting 4 shots, and those did not go over well. He survived, and I let him pick out what we would have for dinner from the grocery store on our way home.
I am absolutely, positively exhausted, though. I have my doctors appointment in the morning, and hubby will be going with me. I'm going to have her set a date in stone for Parker's induction. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.
For now, I am off to bed... and I'm praying Lucy stays down for at least the next 4 hours so that I can function tomorrow.
That 7 years ago today, I was supposed to be married. I can't begin to imagine how different things would be if that wedding had gone through.
It was supposed to be perfect. His dad and my Daddy were best friends for years and years. His sister and I were very close and I could depend on her for everything.
Well, those of you who know me... I mean really, really know me, know that I'm a brat. Always have been. Still am to this day. The ex just couldn't handle it, and he broke things off in April of that year.
I ended up falling into a severe depression. I went from 130 pounds to less than 100 pounds (at 5'9). I did a lot of things that I'm just not proud of during that time of depression. All over a guy. Stupid, I know. I was just so afraid that no one would ever love me that I fell into this awful pit of despair. After all, I was a single mom with a ton of baggage. Who would want that?
Shortly after our breakup, I started attending a different church. It was there that I met Gene's brother, and ultimately, Gene - the most amazing man on earth.
When Gene and I started dating, I was still at my lowest weight. He was the one that convinced me that I was beautiful, and pulled me out of that depression. He showed me what REAL love is supposed to feel like. I truly believe he saved my life. We're not perfect, but he is exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it.
As I look back, I know that everything was in God's hands... whether I was or not. If Daddy hadn't died, I probably wouldn't have moved back to Ohio when I did, I wouldn't have gotten engaged to the wrong guy, I wouldn't have started a new church, I wouldn't have met Gene, and I wouldn't be as happy as I am right now. I can't imagine what my life would be like if that wedding had happened 7 years ago. So glad I don't have to wonder.
I still struggle with body issues, but honestly? I wouldn't give up my kids or my husband for anything this world has to offer. I'll take my life just as it is.
I had hubby shoot a quick pic before we left for church this morning. I thought I'd be safe, since my hair and makeup was done and I was dressed nicely.
I got home, uploaded the pic, and burst into tears. I LOOK AWFUL. Oh my gosh. I just can't get over it. With all of this swelling, I look like I've gained about 150 pounds on top of what I already was. My face is swollen, my arms and hands are swollen - everything is swollen.
So, he'll either be retaking the photo, or we'll be skipping the 34 week belly pic. I hate that I don't have near as many photographs with this pregnancy, but I just look so awful that I can't stand it. Is that selfish? Probably.... Great. Something else to feel guilty over.
I'll show the pic to hubby when he gets up and see what he thinks. It's really, really bad, though.
I meant to have Gene take a picture, but I've been so busy with Lulu's birthday stuff that I completely forgot. I'll do my best to get one tomorrow.
The swelling is still out of control, and the weather has really cooled off some. I'm hoping that now that ALL the birthdays and anniversaries and everything else this month is behind us, that things will calm down, and the swelling will go down, too.
I've been having a LOT of contractions lately, so I'm going to ask the doctor if she'll check me at my next appointment. NOT that I'll actually be doing anything down there, but wouldn't it be a nice surprise if I could go on my own this time?
Other than that, there's just nothing new around here. I'm having a baby shower at church next Sunday, and I'm looking forward to it. We're getting down to the wire and still have nothing for this baby. At this point, anything will help!
Ok, enough rambling. Gotta remember to get a belly pic tomorrow.....
It is so hard for me to believe that Lucy is 2 today. My baby girl has gone from depending on me for everything to Little Ms. Independent. She is so much like her Mommy, though, that it scares me to death. Sweet, stubborn, sassy.... she gets it all from me.
2 years ago, we went in for our scheduled induction. We arrived at the hospital around 7am and waited for about an hour before they hooked me up to pitocin. Because my previous labors had been so quick after the pitocin, I really thought she'd be out in no time. Gene and I spent HOURS flipping through the channels, watching whatever happened to be on. Around 2:30pm, I finally got the urge to push. Only problem was, the doctor was in the next room delivering another woman's baby. I remember the idiot nurses telling me not to push and to hold the baby in. All I wanted to do was push!! At 2:54, I couldn't hold it any longer. The doctor had arrived just seconds before. Second baby I've had thinking a doctor wouldn't make it in time. (Jace was my other one who decided to come fast!) The little stinker popped out just in time for General Hospital to air that day. She knew what she was waiting for. :)
Since that day, Lulu has been such a blessing to all of us. The boys adore her, and they love the fact that she will do her best to keep right up with them. The things they get her to do.... SIGH. Ashley loves having a little sister, and tries to instill the girly things in Lu's life, even if Lucy wants nothing to do with it!
I always make a big deal of the second birthday. Unfortunately, Gene's paycut has affected us a little worse than we'd hoped, and we won't be going all out for Lulu's birthday. However, I did make her the traditional 2nd Birthday Slideshow. I've done this for each of the kids, and I sit there and cry the entire time I put them together.
I've uploaded the slideshow to my website. If you'd like to see it, you're more than welcome to click here: Lucy's Slideshow. It's a rather large file (as they always are), so it may take several minutes to download. It'll give you a few minutes to grab some Kleenex. ;) The show will automatically start once it's been downloaded. It's an .exe file, but don't worry - I didn't attach any viruses or anything nasty that will harm your computer.
Some people have had issues with the exe file, so here's another way to view it: Lucy's Slideshow viewer - You shouldn't have to download anything to view it this way.
Also, click here to see Lulu's 2 year portraits.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Lulu. I am so glad you are a part of our lives. I love you!
I normally post the funny things my kids say over on the other blog, but since this one is all about me and Ashley, I figured I'd post it here for your enjoyment. I've already got another funny for today on the other blog, courtesy of Jace.
Ashley left her journal sitting on the kitchen table, and I picked it up. There was nothing written on any of the pages, and I asked her why it was empty. She told me that she uses it to write letters to her friends and then rips the pages out. I asked her if she understood the point of a journal, and she said she did, but she wasn't going to write anything in there for fear that I might read it. (Smart girl! ;) )
A few minutes later, she asked me about my first diary, and if my mom and dad read through mine. I said I didn't know if they ever did or not, but if they had, on every page, they would have found the exact same thing:
We were sitting in church last night, and we had a special preacher. EXCELLENT message, and couldn't have come at a better time.
Anyway, in his sermon, he was talking about the teenage boys at his church (ok, ALL teenage boys) and how they are obsessed with girls. He was frustrated, because these boys only seemed interested in the girls with the "Coke Bottle figures." He got so frustrated, in fact, that he told these boys, "You're so interested in these girls with the coke bottle figures. Well, let me tell you..... after 2 or 3 babies, that coke bottle figure will look more like a 2-liter!"
I leaned over to Gene and said, "Man. If that's what 2 or 3 babies will do, I must look like a gallon jug!"
Last night was the first night I've ever heard my husband snort when he laughed.
It's true, though. I went from a size 0 days before our wedding to a size JUMBO. At least I have 4 (almost 5!) beautiful little excuses for looking like a jug of milk. :)
With the WRONG kid! ;)
I ordered the paci-plushie the other day, and it arrived in the mail this afternoon. (Talk about super fast shipping!!!) I opened it up to check it out, and Lucy snatched it right out of my hands. She refuses to let go of it.
She still uses a paci, but when I tried to connect it to her paci, she freaked out. She thought I had taken off the "baby monkey's" paci!
She's still walking around the house, her "baby monkey" wrapped up in a piece of fabric she found, and has it snuggled up in her neck. It's very, very sweet.
So, it's a definite hit around here. I'm just going to have to figure out how to get it away from her so that it'll still be usable for Parker!
I'll try to get a picture soon. I'm just really not doing anything today, but I HAD to tell you all how adorable the paci-plushie is!
And I mean that with every fiber of my being.
After Gene got off work this morning, he headed over to our church to help ready things for next week's Homecoming services. He got home a little after 11 am, and we sat in our room and talked for a few minutes.
He was telling me something about the happenings at the church this morning, and all of a sudden, he gasped. He quickly asked me if I was ok, and said that he had never seen me this swollen. My hands and feet had blown up like balloons. (Think of a latex glove that someone has blown up - that's what my hands looked like.)
I decided then and there that I have done way too much this week. It's been a crazy week, and I haven't had much sit-down-and-relax time. So, I'm taking the rest of today off and I'm not doing a darn thing. I'm even letting hubby make dinner. ;)
It's supposed to be almost 90* here today. I was really hoping that Fall was just around the corner and cooler weather would offer some relief to this swelling. Guess I can't count on that yet.
Hope everyone has a happy weekend. I'm praying for those affected by Hurricane Ike. Stay safe and check in when you can.
I'm off to do nothing......
The doctor asked me today how I would feel about scheduling an induction if I don't go into labor on my own by 39 weeks. I told her it was just fine, and I was actually going to ask her about setting a date.
I really, really, REALLY wanted Parker to be born on 10/31. A Halloween baby would be so much fun! But, alas, my doctor is taking that entire weekend off. She won't be on call or anything. So, if I want her to deliver (which I do!!), it has to be the Monday before my due date. That's the 27th. Which is fine... it's still close enough to Halloween to throw costume birthday parties.
She did say, though, that if I'm dilated to a 3 - 4 after 36 weeks, she'll just go ahead and take me then. I don't forsee that happening (as I've never gotten past a 2.5 on my own), but I told her that was fine, too.
She noticed that I still sound awful, so she checked me over. Sure enough, I *still* have this stupid sinus infection. She said that my throat was just as swollen as could be, and it was no wonder why I am still having a hard time breathing. She prescribed a heavy dose of the Z-pack. Let's hope it kills this crap this time.
I also asked her about the swelling. I was extremely swollen when I went in, and I was finally able to show her my man hands and Flinstone feet. (PERFECT analogy! Thank you!!) She said that the only thing that's going to help me is staying off my feet. Obviously, with 4 kids, that's not going to happen, so I'm just going to have to live with the swelling for the next 7 weeks.
That's about all to report today. I go back in 2 weeks, and hubby will start going with me to the visits.
Not much longer now!!!
Sissy, over at What's in Sissy's Head? was kind enough to bestow this award on my blog. Thank you so much!
Now, I get to pass it on to 7 of my favorite blogs. (Which is hard to do! I'm an avid reader of so many!!)
Here are the rules:
1. The winner of this award can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a comment on the blogs of the people you have nominated as well as the persons blog who nominated you.
6. If the blogger you nominate has already received this award, they don't need to pass it on.
So, here are the 7 from my blogroll that I'm going to pick, and why....
1. Boondock Ramblings - I am sure to get a smile or a giggle every time I stop by here.
2. Danielle's Daily Life - Danielle and I have known each other a LONG time. I love keeping up with her and her family.
3. 3 Kids and Us - Cat cracks me up. AND, I predicted she was having a GIRL! :)
4. There's No Place Like Home - My gosh. I have learned SO much since I started reading this blog! I love her tips and ideas!!
5. Sew Little Time - Amanda has got some amazing talent. I want to be like her!
6. Jewllori by Lori - Lori is sweet as can be, and makes amazing jewelry! We're also due about the same time.
7. Elle Photography - Courtney and I have known each other for a LONG time, too. She has recently gotten into the world of photography and I am SO proud of her. She's doing such a great job!
Stop by and check them out! Leave them some love on their blog, and let me know that you did!
Thanks again, Sissy!! :)
Remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry goes on a date with Man hands? THAT is exactly what I feel like today - and exactly what my hands look like!! This swelling is getting out of control. My hands, feet, arms, and legs are all swollen to absolute capacity.
So, I'm begging YOU for your tips. How do/did you relieve swelling?
Here's what I've tried, so please don't recommend them. They're not doing a thing for me:
1. Propping my feet up. (This actually makes things worse.)
2. Support Hose. (These just make me feel like my circulation is getting cut off.)
3. Spa Socks. (These just leave a nasty indentation around my ankle - or what used to be my ankle!)
4. Cutting out the salt. (I've been really careful about this lately, and it hasn't done me a lick of good.)
5. Drink lots of water. (I drink 60 - 90 ounces a day. I'm getting plenty of water.)
So, aside from those, what else can I try? I am seriously ready to pull my hair out.
Thanks in advance!
I'm a Team Leader on MUIB, and one of my responsibilities is welcoming new members. I LOVE this part of my "job" because I get to see lots of websites that are run by WAHMs.
Today, I welcomed Pamela to the site, and I am SO glad I took a minute to check out her website. She has got THE cutest items on there!
My favorite, though, has to be the Paci Plushies. Aren't they just the cutest things ever?
My favorite is the monkey, of course:
Isn't he adorable? I wish I had some extra $$ lying around. I'd snatch him up in a heartbeat.
I just wanted to share my latest find with ya'll. Head over to Happy Panda and check out everything she has to offer!
Edited to add: I am SOOOOOOOO excited!!! I had several people order banners from me yesterday, and I made enough to purchase this little guy! He should be here in just a few days. I'll let you know once he arrives!
Today, Gene and I celebrate 6 years of marital bliss. Well, ok - at least there has been more bliss than otherwise. :)
I'm gonna get mushy, so if you don't like that, you'd better just skip today's post.
I met Gene in October of 2001. He was actually engaged to another girl, and I was dating his brother. Yes, it's true. His brother and I knew things weren't going to work between us, and things ended pretty mutually.
Things happened, and a few weeks after we met, Gene and his fiance broke up. We started dating right after that, and have been together ever since.
We were engaged in May, 2002 and married that September. It sounds rushed, and maybe to some people it was, but Gene and I both knew we were who God had intended for us.
Our wedding was amazing, despite some of the people who were in it. LOL. It was a gorgeous September day - hot as hell fire, if I remember correctly, but just as beautiful as it could be. Ashley was my Maid of Honor, and did such a great job. We had a special part in the ceremony where we gave Ashley a necklace and prayed together to signify the three of us becoming one family. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. From that day forward, Gene has loved and treated Ashley like his own. You'd never know otherwise. He's been so good to me and her.
Here we are on that day:
Look how young and skinny I was! :)
Here we are 6 years later. We've added 3 - almost 4!! - kids to our crew in those 6 years, and are even happier than the day we got married.
I am so glad that God gave Gene to me. He has been my rock, my comforter, my guide, and my one true love. Since we moved down to Georgia, all that has become even more true. He has also added Spiritual leader to the list and has done a wonderful job of doing so. He adores our kids and is an amazing father. PLUS, he's a really great kisser. ;)
This is the man I get to spend the rest of my life with, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world!
I CANNOT get this off, either!!! She's got it on her face, and both of her hands are blue, as are the boys' hands.
What is it, you ask? Well, I had pulled out some embroidery thread because I was working on the monkey I'm making for Parker. Some of it was blue, and some of it was white. I left the thread on the coffee table and thought nothing of it.... until THIS happened.
Apparently, when the blue thread gets wet, it bleeds. And it stains!!! I have scrubbed so hard and I just can't get this off.
How am I going to explain it when she walks into church tomorrow with a blue face and blue hands?
Guess I'd better start looking for a blue dress to put her in tomorrow morning.
Today would have been my Daddy's 60th birthday. He passed away 10 years ago, just 2 short months before his 50th birthday.
In April 1996, Daddy was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer that is difficult to destroy. After his diagnosis, they gave him 6 weeks to live. He beat the odds and survived as long as he could. On June 1, 1998, he went home to be with Jesus.
Ashley is the only grandchild that Daddy ever got to hold. I'm just thankful he got the opportunity to meet and fall in love with her. It makes me sad to know that my kids will never get to meet my Daddy here on earth, but I pray that we all get to spend an eternity together in heaven some day.
I see so much of my Dad in each of my kids. Zander's love for art, Ashley's passion for math and all things "smart," Jace's sense of humor, and Lucy's spit-fire attitude. They may never know him here, but each of them has a special piece of him.
There are so many times I wish I could pick up the phone and call Daddy to tell him about something the kids did. Some days I think he must just look down from heaven and laugh.... especially when the kids are driving me crazy.
Here's one of my favorite photos that we have of Daddy. He was so sick this day, but Ashley still managed to bring a smile to his face:
I miss you, Daddy. Thanks for all you did for me. I love you!
Sabrina (aka Mandy's Mom) came over this afternoon so that we could work on the church directory. After we finished, she took all 4 of my kids home with her to spend the night.
It has been SO quiet in my house all evening. Gene was home for awhile, so we got to enjoy some alone time. I don't think we've had any real alone time since before Zander was born and Ashley would spend Saturday nights at my moms.
Anyway, after hubby left for work, there was NOTHING on tv, so I decided to sew. Lucy's birthday is coming way too soon, and I had purchased a pattern from Bit of Whimsy to make Lu a puppy.
Here's how she turned out:
She's not perfect, but I think Lu will just adore her. At least we also bought her a baby. That way, she sure to like something we got her! ;)
Thank you, Ms. Sabrina, for the break. I owe you BIG time!!!
MomDot is having another stroller contest. I would REALLY like to win this one (because it's for a double stroller!!), so in order to gain another entry, I have to tell you all about this stroller and get you to enter, too! :)
So, here are the awesome specifics about the stroller:
The Chicco Trevi Twin has a light-weight aluminum frame weighing only 23 lbs. The multi-position, individually reclining seats and adjustable leg supports provide comfort and security with 5-point harnesses. All-wheel suspension and front wheel swivel locks provide a smooth ride. The adjustable, removable canopies, with zip-off back flap for ventilation, window & storage pocket protect from rain, wind and cold. The large baskets provide plenty of storage for all the things your children need. Convenient parent’s cupholder included. The compact, one-hand activated, umbrella style folding, automatic storage latch & carry handle makes travel and storage easy.
I LOVE that it can hold from birth up to 40 pounds. That means, at any given moment, I could tie down strap in Lucy, Jace, OR Zander - whichever is causing the bigger headache - along with baby Parker. And with the 5 point harness, I can ensure that Lucy will STAY PUT!
So, hurry!! Go enter the contest yourself and try to win. If you're a reader and you don't have kids, or your kids are grown and you don't need a stroller, you can enter to win, and send the stroller to me! I'd be just fine with that! ;)
Good luck to all who enter!!
During the night, I was leaking something... it soaked completely through 4 overnight maxi pads. I didn't know if my water had broken, or if I had leaked urine, or what. Because I had nothing to do with the kids, I waited and called the doctor this morning.
She had me come in around 10 am, and she did the test to see if it was amniotic fluid or not. The test came up negative, but she said I had a LOT of discharge, as well as a very relaxed bladder. (Is that ever a good thing? LOL!)
Because I had leaked so much during the night, and because those tests can sometimes be wrong, she sent me to the hospital next door to have my amniotic fluid levels checked.
The u/s tech spent a LOT of time checking the baby, the amount of fluid, everything. It all looks great. Looks like it wasn't my water, just a lot of discharge and a lot of pee. (So embarrassed!) Go figure. Baby #5, and I can't tell when I've peed on myself.
I did get a couple of really good pictures of Parker. I'm not showing one of them, because it's of his little boy parts. And, BOY, there is no mistaking at ALL that he is going to be a BOY! His little turtle showed up plain as day. But, I don't want to be reprimanded for posting porn, or turn on some sicko, so we'll just keep that shot in the baby book! ;) Here are the profile shots we got, though:
He's really looking great. He's growing right on track, and the u/s measurements even gave us the exact same due date of 10/31 - which never happens. So, he couldn't be more perfect.
I think I've embarrassed myself plenty today, though. At least my husband works nights so I don't have to make a fool of myself in front of him too much, though.
Yeesh.
May the next 8 weeks go quickly. PLEASE.
Today, my JJ turned 4. I cannot believe that it was 4 years ago that I was holding him in my arms for the very first time.
His first year was one of the hardest of my life. He was born with a true knot in his cord. The doctors said that if we had waited just one more day, we probably would have lost him.
When he was just a few months old, he developed a severe form of reflux. It would cause him to stop breathing. I will never forget the times I saw my baby turn blue. It was heart wrenching.
Now, here he is. 4 years old and SO full of life. The ultimate little boy. No fear of anything at all. We bought him a shirt for his birthday that says, "I do my own stunts." It suits him perfectly.
So, my little guy has gone from this:
To this:
Happy birthday, JJ! Mommy loves you SO much, and is so lucky to call you my son!
I am extremely frustrated right now, so if I get a little "withcy" just bear with me.
I belong to lots of online groups. It's how I pass "my" time when the kids are in bed. They may be mom sites, crafting sites, bow making sites, or just random places. Just a way to get some grown up communication after being stuck at home with 4 kids all day, every day.
Well, back in May, on one of my bow making groups, I joined a bow swap. Only I didn't join it "officially." Another girl had missed the cut off to join, and sounded like she was really upset. I also noticed a Bible verse in her signature line, so giving her the benefit of the doubt, I told her I would swap with her. The theme for the swap was 4th of July. I sent her 4 different bows, including 2 brand new clippies that I hadn't even introduced on my website yet. I got her address, sent them off to her, got an email 2 days later that she got (and loved) the bows. For the next 2 months, I heard nothing but excuses every few weeks. The last time I heard from her was the end of July. I'm assuming I won't be getting any bows in return.
Another group I belong to is an October Expecting group on CafeMom. Back in June, they had sign ups for a baby shower swap. Because I have NOTHING for this baby, I figured it would be a fun way to get a little something for Parker. So, I went ahead and signed up for it, too. I got my baby shower partner's name, found out what she was having, what theme she was going with for the nursery, etc., etc. I ended up making her a covered travel wipes case in a jungle theme, and sending her a pack of organic cotton onesies that were just too cute to pass up. We decided that I would send her gift to her, and then she would judge the value of the gift and send me something in return. Yeah. Haven't seen anything there, either. The last time I heard from her, was on August 20th, and it was another excuse. I have a feeling I won't be seeing anything from her, either.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand what it's like to be BROKE beyond words. BUT don't sign up for things if you can't follow through. Is that really so hard? Gene and I are not rich. In fact, we can barely survive paycheck to paycheck. But if I commit to something, I follow through, and I do so in a timely manner. I guess it comes from the fact that I care what people think about me. I always have. Sometimes too much.
I signed up for another baby shower (after MUCH debate/thought), and this time we have 3 swap partners. I'm actually hoping this one goes as it should, but I won't be holding my breath. If I get taken advantage of again, than I know it's just me, and I'll never do another swap again. Nothing much else I can do.
Now that I've gotten that out of my system...... I am REALLY swollen today. My hands, nose, and feet are all freaking huge. Back at the beginning of this pregnancy, I bought a cheap $8 wedding ring set from Walmart in a larger size, because I can never wear my actual wedding band throughout any of my pregnancies. (My actual band set is a size 5, the one I bought is a size 9.) The cheap-o one was HUGE at first, so I tied some string around it to keep it on. After some time, it started to not be so big, so I took the string off. This morning, however, I couldn't even get the rings off before I got into the shower. My hands are so swollen that even with twisting, pulling, and trying everything I could think of, the rings are still stuck. It's not that hot here right now, either, so I don't know why it's so bad. Oh, well. Maybe it's stress. I don't have ANY of that, though! ;)
Sorry to complain. I'm down to 60 days, so ya'all only have to put up with the preggy side of me for that much longer. Think we can make it?! ;)
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