Thursday-A Good Day!

So, Wednesday was this rotten, awful, horrible day. Apparently Lindsay and I are on the same cycle of bad days. That is not a good combination. We already tend to have the typical mother/daughter conflicts--more on that later--so the last thing we need is to both be having a bad (hormonal??) day on the SAME day. Everything anyone did made her cry and everything EVERYone did made me want to yell. And scowl. And stomp. So, there is Lindsay, crying away about everything which only made me angrier. Tears make me uncomfortable on the best of days. I don't like to cry-and will do everything in my power to stop it. In myself and others.

But Wednesday...brought many tears to our house. And everything about pregnancy was miserable. Every part of my body below my rib cage hurt. And ached. And I thought, "How will I make it through 8 more weeks of this?"

But the dawn comes in the morning, right?

Thursday was far from perfect, but was so much better. In comparison it seemed like a Utopia! Even physically I felt like I could do this for 8 more weeks (7 1/2 now, but who's counting?)
When we didn't accomplish every single school assignment that I had wanted to accomplish it just didn't seem to matter that much.

I am trying something new-not doing very well at it, but hey...you gotta practice to do something well, right? I'm trying to change some attitudes I have in my heart. I got my inspiration from Michelle Duggar. She must be doing something right. So, here's my goal: to smile more than I frown (scowl). Mainly in regards to my children. My children are a gift from God. But I don't often reflect that in the way I act with them. Instead I become this drill sargeant that wants things done "10 minutes ago". They are children. Yes, they need to obey and do what I say (promptly) but I also am their mom. If they are showing "'tude" to me on a regular basis (sarcasm and just plain ugliness) they are probably living what they've learned. Ooops. (There's one negative about homeschooling ;) You can't blame it anyone else! LOL) So, if I want them to be nicer to each other (more positive and not condemning...then I prob'ly need to model that behavior!!! **DING DING** <--that's the "right answer bell"!

So, my goals for the remainder of this week and all of next week (a little at a time...I am human) are:
1. Smile more than I frown/scowl.
2. Say more positive things than negative. Even if it means stretching and searching out positives. It won't hurt me and it will help the kids immensely!

Each and Every Day

Right now, each and every day is a struggle to do the things I need to be doing. What I'd really rather do is lay around and nurse my aching hips and back. But, the show must go on and since I'm the ringmaster of this circus/show...so must I.

I got to have an ultrasound of the baby last Friday and he's doing well. All of google's dire reasons for excess amniotic fluid don't appear to apply to us or our baby. He is, however...big! I was not surprised. He should be "around" 3 pounds but is instead weighing in at about 4 pounds. I know that there is some room for error, but I think less so at 30 weeks than at 36-38 weeks. So, I'm sure that they're not too far off. Taking all 3 kids with me to the ultrasound appointment was...interesting. (In the interest of trying to be positive). Lindsay sat and was enthralled by the whole thing. Totally interested in the baby and what is going on (but she's a 9 year old girl-I wasn't surprised!). Jared and Haley? Took one look at the baby on the screen and then were DONE. Great. So, they rough-housed and fought and played. Knowing mom was trapped on that table with jelly all over my belly...what was I going to do? We made it through it though and I think it was good for them to see the baby again (first time in 12 weeks). Seems as if all is well. I just have a little extra fluid and a big baby!

My house is not showing my need to "nest" at this point. I really want to but by the time I finish with schooling the children (which is a must obviously) I have nothing left. I can barely drag myself in to cook dinner for my family. This is tough. I must say, Michelle Duggar is some kind of woman....

I Have a Reason!!!

So, for all of you complete strangers (and some acquaintances) who insist on asking me if there is only one baby in my belly or if we're really sure on the due date or just like to comment on how absolutely huge I am...
I went to the doctor today and when she was measuring my belly with her little tape measure, she said I am measuring 34 weeks pregnant. Ok, this would not be that big of a deal, except I'm only 29 weeks pregnant. I had her redo the measurement thinking the way I was laying on her table had surely skewed the measurement. Nope. 34 weeks.
The good news? She thinks this is prob'ly mostly extra fluid. The bad news about that? That horrible glucose test I did today (ok, drinking the stuff isn't really that bad, it's the jittery, nauseated feeling that comes afterward) might just show us the reason for the excess amniotic fluid I'm carrying around! Yikes! So, if I eat salt I swell up like a blow fish...if I can't eat sugar or carbs and have to watch all that stuff...what am I going to eat? Don't forget, pregnant women should not eat lunch meat. Hmmm.

Baby is doing well, jumping around in there-or should I say swimming!? I don't have to go back for 3 weeks, so that's a good sign. And as for the results of my testing...they'll call if I "fail" it, so no news is good news, right? :) Candy anyone?

I did have a little faith in humanity restored again. I had my heart set on a Breakfast taco from Taco Cabana after I left the dr (needed some "real" food to combat that nothing but sugar to eat all day) but got there at 11:15. The breakfast menu is good until 11. I told the guy in the speaker thing..."uh oh, I don't know what to order...I was going to have a breakfast taco but I'm 15 minutes late" and he said "I'll make it for ya, what do you want?" So nice! :) He could've been hard nosed 0about it! And add a strawberry smoothie to that...

28 weeks...about 10 to go!

But who's counting? ;)




I've also included some pictures of why it's so much fun to homeschool. :) We may put in the blood sweat and tears but we also get to reap the benefits...namely, a trip to Marble Slab Creamery today where we got to sample the goods--ICE CREAM made right there in the store.

School Room!

So, last night we moved almost all of our school stuff out of the house, got other stuff (that I've been doing without...) out of the garage and started setting up our school room. I've debated posting pictures of it yet because it's not "done" and perfect. (Need to get flooring in and finish decorating-oh and get the kids some chairs that will work for long term) But you know, life is too short to worry about "perfect". So, I will post the pictures of what we have for now. The only problem we've found is that our a/c unit (a window unit) is not cooling very effectively. The bad thing is it's hard to know if it's the unit or that it's so hot outside anyways OR could it be because I'm full of pregnancy hormones that make me sweat to death in a deep freeze!? That's the million dollar question.
So, here goes!






(obviously, the pictures at the bottom are "before" pics of what that part of our garage looked like)
Now, please remember, we are not all the way finished. THere is stuff to hang, stuff to organize...all of that. :) But, we're so excited...in fact, the pictures I took of the school room here where the kids are hard at work at their countertop/desk space?? It was 8pm! They wanted to be doing that! I'm sure the new will wear off and they'll complain once again, but for now I have willing, excited pupils! Yay!

I'm so Excited...

My school room is just about done!!! My dad (and husband) have been working hard this weekend to get it move-in ready! It will still have a few little finishing-touches needed but will be ready that we can move our stuff OFF OF THE KITCHEN TABLE!!! And, I will be able to use the cabinet we use for school stuff for...DISHES! Yay! I've been plotting what to put into said cabinet for, oh about a year. I"m putting all baking pans/implements in there. And darn it, it's time to get down to nesting! :) I have about 2 1/2 months to go before Nathan makes his appearance here in our world and I have done no real nesting. It's beginning to get me panicked. Oh, and the children's books that are always all over my kitchen floor (b/c Haley loves to pull them out of the shelves and yet, for some strange reason, does not love to put them back) will be gone from the kitchen too! :) **Nathan is excited about this. I know because he is kicking me**

Before, our school room was just 1/2 of our garage. Being used for...no, not the car or something silly like that, but a place to store JUNK. A place to allow us to accumulate JUNK. Now, we have only a 1 car garage and it will take some work, but I will need to keep junk accumulation to a minimum. (I did it before when we had a 1 car garage-in our favorite ever house!) Now, that half of the garage is a laundry room and school room. Yep, my laundry is still in the same place, but BUT it will be air conditioned! and have flooring! And be painted!! Oh, and a place to plug in our little chest freezer that has sat forlornly among the junk (unplugged) for about 5 years because we had no plug-in for it! My dad also had an electrician come out and put lights and electrical sockets in our garage! I didn't do a great job of doing before pictures because it just looked like "nothing"-just a dark garage with a bunch of garbage scattered about...but I definitely will have after pictures! :)

My next post will be after pictures! :)

Baths

Last night I was giving Haley her bath (because for some reason she screams the whole time her daddy does it lately-and it seemed easier to me to do it myself than to listen to them "fight") and that hot water looked oh-so-inviting as I was having a very achy day. So, I decided to join her. The only thing is, that is not a pregnant sized bath-tub for 1! Wanna know how I found out? When I sat in it. I did fit-barely. Then, Lindsay comes in and says "Woah mom, you put a lot of water in there". Uhhhh. No. It wasn't that full-until AFTER I got in. So, I had to talk to her about the science of displacement. All the while the two year old was attempting to bathe me-by THROWING cupfuls of water at my upper body! LOL This is a good life...not always an easy one, but a good one! Aren't you thankful there are no pictures to go with this post??

Oh, and I had a little discussion about "Nafan" with Haley too. About how he would cry when he needed something and when he was hungry he would cry for me..."what will we feed him Haley?" At this point she looks at me (this gargantuan bath taker over) and says "Ummmm, ba ba's?" Nope! Sorry dear Haley...not the answer. LOL So, we talked about boo-boos and milk (boo boo is her word-I didn't tell her to call them that) and she says she will change his diapers and clean his "body" (bottom)...This could be a very interesting year 2010! Stay tuned!

**Thanks Meredith for your kind words and offers of support! Much appreciated! :)