I dreamed a dream

I dream a lot...weird, stressful, unhelpful dreams. I wish I could dream less. I hope that the heavens don't ever try to contact me through dreams, because I'd probably dismiss what I dreamt and miss the whole opportunity for instruction.

"That being said," (inside joke to Chad) I have to report my dream from last night. I dreamed we were planning a move from Idaho to somewhere in western Washington state. And then I found out I was pregnant on top of it. UGH. I've given away all my baby stuff! I don't enjoy being pregnant. Is the dream a nightmare? Truthfully, I would love to have the beauty of western WA in my backyard again.

So the dream was good and bad. I've dreamt about moving before; we lived about 15 minutes away from here. So you see, dreams do come true! But is that necessarily a good thing?

Another Fallout

It's been 4 1/2 months since Sarah was born. That means it's time again for the shedding-of-the-hair. This is another one of those unpleasantries that comes with pregnancy. My hair is falling out in mass quantities.

I try to get ahead of the problem by giving my head a good brushing before I get in the shower, but I inevitably get tangled in loose hair every time I shampoo. The drain will be complaining soon.

Yesterday I felt like I was constantly finding strands of hair on my clothes. This morning, I've pulled hair from my mouth twice... and just minutes after getting out of the shower. YUCK. It's clean, but it's invasive!

I'm glad this is my last time to enjoy this rite of passage. The only hair that should fall out after this is the frustrated fistfuls I pull out myself!

Less than 24 hours!

The baby will be here soon! I expect it to be born by 8 AM tomorrow morning (or very close). By this time tomorrow, I should be lying in recovery...pleasantly drugged, getting my first real sleep. Or I could be awake a nursing a baby while flat on my back like I did with Joseph. Each situation seems to have its differences.

This morning I have already baked Rebekah's b-day cake (for Sunday) and put the bassinet together. A load of laundry is running and I have a few errands to run. We did a bunch of cleaning last night (I went to be weighing less than I weighed that morning!) and there is just a bit left to do. I have to remember to water the plants. I want to change the sheets on the bed. Somewhere in there I hope to get a nap, though I haven't been able to fall asleep during nap time for the past week. I have a book to read, but may end up taking that to the hospital.

Daniel has pack meeting tonight and will get his first red bead toward his Bear rank (it's really MY bead.) Chad has a PPI with the Stake President while we're there.

My mom will be here this afternoon. I have to wake up around 4 AM to leave by 5 and arrive at the hospital by 5:30.

And there is my "to do" list. Thanks for reading along. :)

Recent Requests

Normally, I'm no good for requests. So I don't want any of you to start getting any ideas. I do not play well with others! ;)

But one person requested a picture of the chicken eating with the kittens. Another requested a view of my big belly (you'll be sorry). So I complied this ONE time!

I couldn't actually get a picture of the bird pecking because he's so darned quick! And I didn't catch it when all six kittens were eating, but this picture should be good enough. You can see he's not a big bird. We don't know if it's a bantam or just young. Time will tell...if he doesn't get eaten!


This is me this morning, right after I vacuumed and swept up by the garage door. (Found lots of earwigs in a backpack left on the floor.) No amount of exertion seems to put me into labor. And I was breathing like a marathon runner after I was done with my 10 minute job! I don't normally do side views of pregnancy. It's not pretty. So get an eyeful while you can...then grab some Tylenol for your eye pain. Joseph was wondering what I was doing in his room, staring at the wall.


I had a request of my own this weekend. The tub was beyond ignoring. I needed assistance and enlisted a 9-year-old boy to help. He had lots of fun, but the tub didn't look much better. (Most of that black around the wall is stained into the caulk. Very pretty and very stubborn. Not even bleach can touch it.) I eventually put a towel in there (so I wouldn't slip all around) and grunted and groaned my way around the tub. That didn't start labor either. So frustrating.

And there you go. You'll be careful to make requests in the future!

A week from today!

Exactly one week from now, I'll be laying in a hospital bed, pleasantly sedated and many pounds lighter! I'll be a mother of 6! (Though not likely any more responsible.)

I'm looking forward to next Thursday for the obvious "new baby" reasons and also because there are so many crazy things going on with me that I want this pregnancy over! I think my body is saying that it's done having this experience as so many new afflictions have come over me. Nothing has been serious (as far as makes a doctor concerned), but I've noticed a big difference between this pregnancy and the first 5.

Now on to the next stage of my life...raising the children to adulthood!

Oh, my aching EVERYTHING!

I feel like boards have been strapped to my sides with elastic cords. I should at least look skinnier!

Joseph has been cutting eye teeth (everyone groan...he's been miserable). He apparently also has a cold because even if every eye tooth were popping out a the same time, I wouldn't expect this much goop. He was reintroduced to the nose sucker yesterday. He started coughing yesterday (sorry, Krissy) and nap time has been a victim of his discomfort.

When Joseph's nap suffers, so does mine. I had taken some Benadryl yesterday and was especially tired. When Joseph choked himself awake, I couldn't let him cry it out as he would likely need several tissues.

So for the past TWO days, I've finished my naps on Joseph's floor. (He stops crying and goes back to sleep when I'm there. I really hoping he doesn't get used to the situation.) Two blankets folded into thirds have nothing over my 3" memory foam pad over a pillow top mattress. I keep telling myself it's a luxury compared to sleeping on a sidewalk (so glad I'm not homeless). It does create some extra weird dreams.

I sleep for a while on one side, flip to the other when I can't take anymore, and then gingerly and with the speed of a giant land tortoise, stand up and drag my pillows out. He didn't sound as congested today. Maybe that means I only have one more day of this?

Forgot

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled out some Schwann's frozen bread dough and set it in the oven to raise. It was our only bread.

This morning Chad reminded me that we hadn't actually cooked it. Nice reminder! I could have used it about 12 hours earlier.

This is what I found in the oven. I can't believe I forgot to bake the bread!


I hope we don't forget to bring the baby home from the hospital.

WE are not pregnant!

Yikes! Does that mean Arlyn had the baby? huh...not quite

You know how sometimes a couple says that "they" are pregnant, when we really know that it's just ONE of them getting fatter, heavier and being kicked from within? I decided last night, about 3 AM, that "WE" are not pregnant.

WE are not losing sleep to the crazy pregnancy insomnia that keeps us tossing and turning in the middle of the night for no real reason. (Some of us are snoring quite loudly to signal that this is really not an equal partnership.)

WE are not having trouble reading half a chapter of scripture out loud without losing breath.

WE are not suffering random burp-coughs (hiccoughs and burps at the same time).

WE are not suffering maddening itchy spots over selections of our body.

WE are not being assaulted from within.

WE are not having difficulty retrieving something from the floor (and forget it if it's on the floor of the van...you have to get out first in hopes of reaching it).

WE are not getting up to use the restroom every 2 hours during the night.

WE are not having trouble breathing through a congested nose.

WE are not going to the doctor every two weeks, soon to be weekly.

WE are not experiencing the joy of peeing into a tiny cup that we can't even hope to see, before every doctor's appointment.

WE are not avoiding the section of the house with stairs because we don't have 15 minutes to recover from the exertion.

WE are not limping around on Michelin Man feet at the end of every day or feeling like we traded in 8 perfectly good fingers for a total of 10 thumbs.

WE ARE expecting a baby. But one of us is expecting a lot more to come (or not come) with it!

All that's happened - the ultra long version

Well, where have I been? It's not been a spa resort or tucked comfortably into bed, I can tell you that! But that would have been nice. We're about 7 weeks into summer. No one has been sold or murdered yet. I commend myself for great restraint in that regard. I can't claim much patience or kindness. A friend told me yesterday that she told her husband, "I think the devil just yelled at your kids." I'm thinking that the devil is in many places this summer. I may have to visit the dentist to have my jaw checked. I've been gritting my teeth so often that I'm sure I have damaged something. Being 7+ months pregnant in July isn't helping.

But speaking of the summer months, we've been really lucky. It didn't even get hot until last week or so. It rained all of June, including some really great thunderstorms. I really like the rain (as long as I'm not trying to do anything outside). We've had about 4 really uncomfortable days. That's pretty good and I've been thankful. This week is supposed to get near 100 degrees. My gratitude may suffer.

And we've discovered something unexpected from the wet month we just had. We have a lot of these. I wish I was referring to the cups or towels, but it's the little guys hanging out on them that have invaded. We have earwigs EVERYWHERE! It's gotten to the point that I just sweep them to the floor. We were setting the table for dinner earlier this week. I dropped one to the floor, then found another one about 5 minutes later. It went to the floor. The next thing we know, there is one sitting on the top of the milk cap, all the way on top of the milk jug! I showered with two of them yesterday. I came in from the garage yesterday and noticed one getting a free ride on my hand. Last night Chad got one off the ceiling of our room. I didn't even know they could travel across the ceiling. Those alien invasion movies have less creatures than we do! I've been wondering if we could get a diaper on a chicken or two and put those birds to work inside the house. (Obviously, I would rather sweep an earwig to the floor than clean up chicken poop.)

We got a few fireworks from a little stand nearby. The kids had fun throwing the snaps. Joseph didn't quite get it, but he tried anyway. We took two nights to light them all, despite the cool weather and pesky breezes. We only had one dud. I still wonder what it was supposed to do.

































Here is what we had to show for our $9 by the time it was all done.















Of course, we didn't get through the event without tears. Isn't that a sad face?














On Saturday, Chad worked on the gates to the fence. The kids were itching to help. I think they actually did...a little.
















I love this little shot of Joseph. He looks so studious. He must be working on the plans for the gates.

And if Daddy is cutting wood, there must be wood scraps. The kids made
"boats" and painted them. We've not actually tried them in the water, but we're really proud of them anyway.


The rain caused us another problem. Well, I feel part of the problem, too. We were outside on the 4th of July. It was a bit of a crazy weather week and there was rain forecast for the evening, but was supposed to clear up in time for the fireworks. As we finished up our fence work (actually, I shouldn't be taking any credit there), the storm clouds came rolling in and the thunder was repetitive. It was 6 PM. I could only think of sitting a long walk from the car with the chance of still getting rained on. And even if didn't rain, the ground would be wet, right? What do we do with the littlest ones who have waited hours for the show and are now cold and wet at dark?

So I came up with an alternative plan. Why don't we go out to eat, rent a movie and eat our firework snacks in a dry basement? It was bit of job convincing everyone to go along with the plan, but we eventually all agreed. After all, they'd been excited about going to the show ALL WEEK LONG! We couldn't find a restaurant open close by, so we ended up driving into Idaho Falls. We were on our way home at 8 PM. Guess what? The sun was shining. I was starting to feel bad. But Chad and I were both feeling we'd rather not go through the effort (for different reasons). We watched our movie and ate the snacks and were in bed sooner than we would have been otherwise. But I felt bad for causing them to miss the fireworks! And then the next morning Rebekah asks me when we're going to go to the fireworks. Aahhhh! She didn't understand. Major guilt for the mommy. I kept telling myself that they'll be fine. They'll eventually forget that we missed them this year and we'll be able to completely avoid therapy. But I still felt guilty. I'm doing a little better now...nearly 2 weeks later.

At least we got some pictures before the night totally bombed. I think this year may be the last year Daniel lets me dress him like everyone else. That's OK. I knew it wouldn't last forever. I would worry about him if he didn't speak up. But we got some cute pictures anyway. This picture of the back of the kids was actually an outtake. Joseph found Nathan's pocket and distracted everyone. I had to snap a shot and I'm glad I wasn't laughing so hard that the picture was blurred. Check out Joseph's grin in the front facing picture. :)


























My dad was up for a visit this last week. The kids had been looking forward to his visit and then they all went out to play. They still enjoyed showing off for him.














And my dad took a picture of Joseph (who didn't run off to play) next to his new little sister.




Unfortunately, the little sister isn't born yet, so you just get a really ugly side view of my very lumpy front. Sorry about the hairs going up on the back of your neck (but not sorry enough to spare you the pic)!


Daniel has been having some pain around his right ear/jaw. It started the last weekend in June, after the kids slept out in the tent with Chad. It took him until Thursday to agree to go to the doctor. The available doctor said it was TMJ. He said it would go away in about a week and to just give him ibuprofen 3 times a day. I called the dentist the next morning. (We had an appointment for Monday to pull a baby tooth and I was wondering if we should wait or try to be seen.) The dentist was unofficially in the office, but would see him if I could get there soon.


Well, we eventually made it, with some effort. The dentist said it wasn't TMJ, but might be some molars coming in - causing problems. He gave him some antibiotics and said he should be feeling better by fireworks (which were the next night). By the time we returned on Monday, nothing was improved. They did a panoramic x-ray and said whatever the problem was, it wasn't dental. He suggested visiting an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. So on the way home, I called back to the original doctors' office and left a message for our favorite/regular doctor to call.


He made room in his schedule for him the next day. It turns out, it was his neck muscles! All this and it was his neck. We were into day 10 of pain and crying and drugs. He worked on him a bit and said to continue the meds for another day or so and he should be better. Yes, he's better, but still waking up at night and asking for medicine. We've emptied 3 different containers of ibuprofen...two of which were brand new. We've started on the 4th. I tried to call the doctor back on Friday and learned he is out of the office until the 20th. Of course.


My good friend is going to be visiting her family in Pocatello next week. She comes from a family of chiropractors. We're going to combine a visit with a trip to the chiropractor. Daniel isn't thrilled, because he knows it's going to hurt. But I think he understands that a little bit of pain will help him get past the long term trouble. At least, that's what I'm hoping for!


This week I've been keeping busy with cleaning out my sewing room and getting the girls moved up there. We moved the bed up on Saturday and finally got the dresser up this morning. All that is left is Rebekah's side of the closet (dresses). I can't believe how much stuff I had crammed into that room. I don't have enough places to put it all, so Craigslist helped me get rid of a few things. I hang on to too much stuff.


Our bedroom has a lot of the stuff and is now feeling quite crowded. I need to get more organized. Six kids and a really big sewing addiction makes this house feel pretty small!


Well, that's a bit of what's been going on since I fell off the blogging wagon. I should have broken up the news, but was sure that it would take time to get back to the computer again. Thanks for making it to the end!

How are you feeling?

I get that question a lot lately. I think (hope) it's because people really want to know and not because I LOOK like I'm feeling miserable.

Truthfully, I'm not miserable. Any misery I'm currently experiencing comes from the kids that are already born, not the one yet to come. (I think Daniel and Leah must have some kind of magical pull toward each other. Too bad it's such an explosion of feelings when they get too close!) But I am getting more and more tired. I've stopped being able to sleep really well at night. It's a combination of heat, stuffy nose, dry throat, bathroom trips, barking dogs and a sort of "beached whale" phenomenon. The baby doesn't move enough to keep me awake, yet. Last night was actually better, but I was so tired, I don't think I could have stayed awake if I'd tried.

The only discomfort during the pregnancy (beside the pregnancy itself and the morning sickness the first 1/2) is a ligament at the front of my belly, just to the side of my naval. When this little part of me gets over-used, it feels like it's on fire and hurts like a bugger. If I try to hold it or rub it, etc., it hurts worse. Only rest and inactivity helps. I first felt this pain when I was healing from having Joseph. So I guess it can be a "coming and going" sort of deal. I expect to feel it as I heal from the delivery this time, too. And then I hope it's gone forever!

I do look forward to the end of my dry, itchy scalp. I've been suffering with that for several months. It's a miracle I haven't made myself bald. I even switched to Head and Shoulders sensitive formula. It didn't help. That's not the only itchy spot, but it's one of the worst. And I'll be glad when I only pee once each time I go to the bathroom. Currently, it's once when I'm meaning to, and once more when I stand up. Sorry for too much info. Pregnancy is not pretty.

I finally cut the baby's blessing gown out this morning. I didn't get too far into my project before the kids found me. Leah looked at the length of the dress and wanted to know just how big this baby was going to be! I had to explain to her that blessing dresses are extra long and showed here where the baby's feet would probably be inside the dress. That made more sense to her, but I think the big dress thing was still kind of weird in her mind.

I had the TV on while I was working. At that point, the only thing I could stand to hear was an old episode of "Friends." Some of you may recall the episode where "Ross" gets too hot in his leather pants and pulls them down to cool off, but then can't get them back on. Then he tries a bunch of stuff to get them to slide back up and ends up quite messy. I looked up at Nathan's face during this part and saw an expression there that I've never seen before. It was something of a bewildered, shocked and unbelieving look. Right on Nathan, I've felt that way about this and many other TV shows...MANY times!

I did get Rebekah's quilt binding sewn on last week. I only have to trim the yarn ties and it's done. I still have to tie the baby's crib blanket. I got a few sets of clothes sorted (thanks for the distraction, Kelli!) and need to get those bins finished up and into the garage. I still have the task of turning the sewing room into a bedroom looming in my mind. But that's months away, so I should just relax and worry about something more imminent!

Our ward choir had a summer picnic this Saturday. We'd originally planned to hold it the 13th, but were rained out and after postponing it twice, we succeeded in having a really good time. The choir is full of AWESOME people. I think it's the best group I've ever experienced in a ward choir. We all get along, we laugh at our mistakes, we welcome new members (and wish we'd get more...are there ever too many tenors and bases?), and just have a really good time together. These are humble, hard working people. I know some of them have joined the choir because they like to sing, but no one has joined thinking they are just what their section needs. And then there are those who don't feel very secure in their ability to sing well, but keep coming anyway. (I think those are my favorites.)

As for our summer, things are pretty much par for the course. We are still reading and doing worksheets, but the furor has died down a bit (thankfully). We haven't had any serious illnesses, but a seemingly disproportionate amount of skinned knees, legs, tummies, arms, hands, heads...considering it's still June. Daniel has been complaining of a sore cheek/ear/jaw since Sat. morning. It's a flighty little pain and has reduced him to tears at least twice. Of course, that is only at bed time and so we've just given him pain killers and sent him to bed. He's getting a tooth pulled next Monday. Can we make him suffer that long? And what if it doesn't even have anything to do with dental issues? I'm pretty sure Joseph had Roseola the first week of June. It took another baby in the ward to clue me in. And here I thought it was all ear infection! Apparently, kids can be cranky about more than one thing at a time. Who knew?

I've got some pictures of the girls on horses for you. Some very nice (and now favorite) people in the ward let them ride them at the end of the picnic Saturday. Somehow, Leah has developed a LOVE for horses. You may be able to see the sheer joy on her face in the photo. She and Rebekah have not stopped talking about the event. It's only the best thing to happen to them this year!

Current State of Random Affairs

So I walk into the living room this morning to find Daniel playing the piano with his big, fat rear end. No wonder that chord was so bad!

Joseph is walking around the house this morning saying, "rrraaahhhh!" Apparently, he doesn't want to learn English, just Tiger.

My doctor isn't the push-over I was hoping for. It looks like the earliest I'm going to be able to have this baby is the 28th or 29th of August (Fri. or Sat.). Unless I can figure out how to make labor start on my own terms. Never have figured that out so far. Any suggestions?

This little birdy has taken up a watchful post here on the fence. Do you think he's spying on us? He was there a long time yesterday, too.

My kids are fighting. Constantly. I don't know if I can be responsible for my actions if it goes on much longer. The two biggest offenders are Daniel and Leah. The two "first borns." They may be the two "first deads."

I have to sew on binding on a blanket for Rebekah's new twin bed she'll get when we shift the toddler bed and crib down to the next kids. I also have to make a blessing gown for the baby.

My house is in a serious state of disorganization. I am suffering a mental breakdown because of it (and because of all the fighting). I need to go through the clothes of at least 4 kids, shuffle through the music CD's the kids have wrecked (and then lock the cupboard), try to get the games to stay in the cupboard when we open it, and figure out HOW IN THE HECK I'm going to pack away most of my sewing room and turn it into a room for the girls.

My house is dirty, too.

The past 3 weeks I have enjoyed watching the kids work around dinner time. One sets the table, one clears, one sweeps. They aren't doing a perfect job, but they are doing something! We had to get a smaller broom and put a tiny handle on it to save the windows and glass doors to the china cupboard. I even made a wheel chart to help us keep track. I'm not sure I like them crawling all over the table to wipe it down. I guess I have to be blind to some things.

Daniel has read over 2600 pages. He needs harder books. Nathan is over 2000, too, but I don't know by how much.

I have never washed any of the windows in this house since we moved in...20 months ago. (A little confession thrown in there for you.)

I am starting to waddle and my belly button is gaining strength. The baby is starting to move in ways that are unpleasant to the mother. Leah is grateful for the baby in about every prayer she offers. Joseph will probably see the baby as an enemy that needs removal. He is a little too attached...and it was quite a literal experience this Sunday as I dropped him off in Nursery. (I'll say it again - those Nursery leaders are saints!)

Some scrapbook pages from the last week.

I think I might be losing my mind

I've heard of pregnant brain, but this is getting ridiculous.

Evidence #1: Last week I taught a sewing lesson and before I left the room, I was sure I turned off the iron and sewing machine. (The week before I forgot to turn the machine off and it was on all day until Chad turned it for me that night. I'm now waiting for the light bulb to burn out on me.) When I was up in the sewing room this Wednesday, I got up to turn the iron on. It was already hot! I was trying to think if I had turned it on when we walked in and not remembered.

(I always turn my curling iron on without thinking about it...it's a habit of the routine.)

I don't think I turned that iron that morning. But I was sure it was off when I left the week before. I even remember thinking about it and assuring myself that I had turned it off. Apparently, I left it on. And was on for an entire week. One more comforting thought...the smoke detector in that room is waiting for a new battery...I took it out sometime last year.

Evidence #2: We've been having lots of rain, so I've been turning the automatic sprinklers on or off depending on need. It didn't rain on Monday (or was it Tuesday?) and I got a chance to mow the lawn. I accidentally mowed it shorter than we usually do, so it was looking a little brown. (Don't try to explain to me that the moisture is still in the ground. My brain is not thinking logically at this point.) So I manually set the sprinklers to run the next morning. Then, when they started over again, I was momentarily confused. Oh yeah, now it's 9 AM and they're SUPPOSED to go off. So I went out to shut the computer off again.

So it's off, right? No sprinklers should be going. We left town yesterday (more about that later) and I was certain that the sprinklers would not run. At 9 this morning I heard the pump to the well turn on. Did someone flush the toilet? A glance out the window tells me the sprinklers are the reason.

I don't get it. I can't keep track of things I'm sure are off and turn out to be on. Maybe I left the car running last night. Maybe I forgot to turn off the shower this morning. Maybe I will get an even worse case of this mind loss thing and forget I have 5 children. Maybe the authorities will find me in some warm resort country, on a white beach, reading a book and letting the water lick my toes, while my kids end up wandering the country roads searching for a sandwich at lunchtime. I hope they have the presence of mind to shut the door when they leave. The flies are getting in.

500...Finally!

Well, the big one is finally here. I'm a little short of my goal, but it's more important to finish (even if it's not the best).

Five hundred posts! I don't think I ever expected to keep up the blogging. It was a slow start. After all, I was a new mommy to baby #4 and my oldest had just started school. Incidentally, going from 3 kids to 4 kids was my hardest adjustment. Adding #5 was hardly a difference. I expect #6 to be the same.

Honestly, if I didn't think some people were enjoying keeping up with our crazy little family, I likely wouldn't continue. I do keep a journal, though that isn't nearly as colorful as my blog. And many of you have been quite encouraging. So I feel like maybe I make a few friends through my blog. I'm a little surprised some of you keep coming back...especially since you don't even know me or my family outside of Blogger. I guess real life does have a bit of comedy in it after all. I'll have to try to notice it more.

It took me 3 1/2 years to blog my way to 500 posts. I don't have any plans to reach 1,000. If I get there, great. If not, it means other things are guiding my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to share most of them and keep the blogging up. I mean, don't we all want to know how Joseph's potty training goes? And Leah starts Kindergarten in the Fall, with Rebekah starting the following year. And of course, we'll want to see the new baby when she starts crawling. But I hope that Joseph starts talking long before any of that. THAT will be a major post!

Now enough sentimentality. Did you want news? It probably does not come as any surprise that Chad's mini van did not win any races at the Pinewood Derby last week. Unless you count coming in last. But it was a winner. It beat out a Rolls Royce for Most Unique. That earned our family a little package of Almond Joys to share. There were some pretty competitive men there that night. We were just there for the fun...lots less stressful. Oh, and the root beer floats. Yummy.

I let Nathan take the pictures, so we've got a lot of pictures that need to be deleted. But it was very difficult to get a picture of the action. ZOOM! Here's a shot of all the cars that were there.

On Saturday, there was a Baby Animal fair. The kids had fun going from baby to baby. Leah touched everything she could get to...including the giant boa(?). It was a little chilly, because we got there early, but we beat the crowds (most important).

We worked in the yard on Saturday. I mowed the lawn. It was the first time this year. What a difference it made! And what a sunburn I had on my arms. (I got a lot of attention for that at church yesterday.) Chad tilled the garden and we planted our small selection of plants. I expect about half will make it. Good old gardening in Eastern Idaho. It froze that night and the next.

Sunday was Mother's Day (as I'm sure you all knew). My kids were not well behaved for the occasion. They made sure I knew I was a mother. I held a short choir practice, despite the holiday. We had a pretty fair turnout. We sing next week - otherwise, I wouldn't be such a task master! But our choir sounds great. It's obvious they are working hard.

Today was my monthly doctor's appointment. We did another sex check on the baby...since the doctor was only 80% sure last month. While he was looking at the screen, he asked me what he'd said it was last time. We both saw something completely different this time. I saw the girl parts before he said anything. (Did you catch my hint a few paragraphs ago?) So I have a beautiful pale blue baby afghan nearly finished. It will be a fun thing to joke about...I guess! He said he'd look in two more months, but I don't see much reason to...it was pretty clear.

And while I was sitting here, ignoring my children's pleas for this and that, Joseph came up to me looking like this! Good thing there aren't any pictures planned.

I hope she likes blue!

I finished crocheting the baby's blessing afghan last week. I noticed my fingers going numb near the end of the project, so I was anxious to get the colored afghan finished before my pregnancy progressed too far. (I make an afghan to use at church while the babies are tiny. Then I pack it away to give to them when they are grown.)

So I was in a bit of dilemma. The baby MAY be a boy, but the doctor wasn't sure enough to get himself into trouble by saying anything definite. I watched the ultrasound video. I sure can see why he would think it could be a boy.

Well, I don't have a lot of patience and finally decided to get a nice, soft blue yarn and get started on that Sunday afghan. I want to get the blanket done before I have too much more numbness in my fingers. (I crocheted TONS of afghans - baby and regular sizes - when I was pregnant with Daniel. The numbness was so bad that I didn't get complete feeling back into my finger tips until months after Daniel was born.) I figured that a very pale blue would still work for a little girl. I mean, really. I LOVE blue. It's not just a boy color!

Then I was at Wal-Mart last night. I have been trying to find a blue flannel that didn't have little pictures all over it - just a calm, simple pattern. I found a gingham type print of dark blue and then chose a navy blue blanket trim. So if this baby ends up really being a girl, I hope she likes blue. If not, it will be a funny story about how she was once 80% boy.

Then again, I bought some pink flannel several months ago that I haven't washed yet. So if I can just hold on until the next ultrasound, and hope for a definite answer, I'll be prepared for either outcome.

I'll post pictures of both afghans when I finish the blue one.

Does it show?

I ran to the grocery store this evening to pick up a few things for dinner and the weekend. The checker ringing up my groceries mentioned that I looked tired.

Could it be the careless pony tail? The complete lack of make-up? The limp bangs that are only slightly curved by 5PM? Or maybe it was the fact that I was holding my head up on the counter. It can't be because I really do look tired. Have I lost my ability to fake it?

Hopeful

The past two days have been surprising; I've had good mornings!

Yesterday, I got through some of the piles in my room that have been growing and weighing on my mind. Today I cleaned up the library and girls' room. I even pulled out the vacuum. I know, it's a shocker.

Now, my hands are shaking and I'm having a hard time typing. But I'm alive and being productive.

One of the reasons I worked so hard this morning is that we've had a library book missing for a few weeks. I hate to lose things that aren't mine. I've looked everywhere for that dumb book, including behind 4 different dressers, in and under beds and in cupboards. I even went through our books one by one. I checked my checked-out books online this morning. Suddenly, the book isn't on my list anymore! It's even listed as checked in! ARGH!

This is not the first time I've been on the hook for a book I'd already returned. This time though it wasn't in the system. I'm wondering if someone else "checked it out" and recently returned it. I can't image it floating around the library for this long. Whatever the reason, I'm glad it's turned up.

It would have been nice to not have to search the nasty boys' room for it when I felt so nasty myself.

In case you're wondering, I'm 13 weeks now. I will start my second trimester on Saturday.

FAT

No, I'm not complaining about my ever-widening waistline. Although, I can understand how you would make that mistake. I've calculated that I won't be able to seriously diet and shed noticeable pounds until after the baby is weaned. I'll be 37. Ugh.

The Fat I am referring to is the stuff that makes food taste good. I learned something interesting when I was pregnant with Leah; I can't eat low fat foods when I'm pregnant. That year I was in the middle of an eDiets crusade and doing quite well. Suddenly, the Lean Cuisine lunches that I had been enjoying for lunch nearly every day became stuck in my throat and I had to stop eating them.

So lately, I've been eating a lot of fatty foods. Just what I need. I wasn't able to shed any of the pregnancy pounds from Joseph, so I'm already in trouble. It's gotten so bad that I had to have Chad buy my a bottle of regular mayo because the light stuff tastes so nasty. It's burritos, ramen noodles and lots of gooey, fat-filled mayo for me! Bring on the Big Macs and fried chicken( just don't cook it around me). Put the heart-healthy stuff away for now. I'll let you know when I'm ready.

Just Checking In

I'm still here. Just thought I'd say a quick hello. We live in an awesome ward. We have people bringing in dinners occasionally...some of them spontaneously. I've read 6 books since Saturday. Until further notice, please address all correspondence, c/o The Couch.

First Look

We got a peek at the baby yesterday. And I am happy to announce that there is only one! It's strange to think that something so tiny (it's all of 3.83 cm from crown to rump) can make me so sick! I thought I was a lot tougher than that. :(

For the ADSR, I created this LO. My one burning question for the moment.


Daniel has a burning question, too. He keeps asking me if the baby is kicking yet.

Pregnancy Curse

I haven't blogged much because I haven't felt like doing anything but sleeping on the couch. I did make it to the doctor last week, and he gave me a prescription for Zofran. It seems to work OK if I take a whole tablet (I could take a 1/2 but it doesn't seem to do anything for me). If I take 2 tablets during the day and a unisom/B6 combo at night, I feel less likely to run to the bathroom. Also, staying still and not talking too much, seems to help a great deal. Chad has been pulling double duty as father and mother. I am so grateful to him.

Another reason I haven't blogged much is because I don't want to irritate everyone with a bunch of "poor me's" and "I have it so bad's." Truthfully, I don't think it should matter what I write, since it's my blog and I don't have to answer to anyone about what I put in it (as long as it isn't illegal or immoral). However, I am not so naive as to think that I have that kind of autonomy.

All this got me thinking of the pregnancy curse. EVERYONE has an opinion about you and your pregnancy (of lack of). When I first got married, it seemed that whether I was pregnant yet or not was at the top of the chatter. It only took us 4 months to get pregnant with Daniel. It felt like we were slacking for even taking that long!

When I got pregnant with Joseph, I heard very loud stretches of silence before the question, "Another one?" And that wasn't from Chad who was working so hard to pay for it all.

With this pregnancy, I've tried not to make a big deal out of it. We'd planned for this one. It's the last one. The kids have been talking about the "new baby" since before Joseph could sit alone. I don't call my family and drone on and on about how bad I feel or how the economy is making it hard to afford anything.

Even so, it's amazing how a short, quiet announcement of a pregnancy starts people talking. Apparently, I'm not supposed to say anything negative about being pregnant because there are others who would really love to be pregnant and can't, so their feelings trump mine. OR, there are people who can't understand people who complain about morning sickness, because they've "been there, done that" and know it's not such a big deal. We apparently are all designed exactly the same and have the same experiences...so we know who the hypochondriacs are! And then there are those who know all about morning sickness because they get sick from the moment of conception until the day of delivery. You can't possibly be as sick as they were! (Yet, I've seen these people during different stages of their pregnancy...a little heartburn or upset stomach isn't quite the same as stomach in your throat, too sick to talk.)

I think I get moderately sick during pregnancy. I have 20-ish really yucky weeks, and then everything is GREAT. Those last few weeks are torture for everyone, I assume. I don't have to be admitted to the hospital, I don't miss weeks of church and I'm usually able to keep my head out of the toilet most of the time. I do wonder how in the world there are so many people on this planet when it feels so bad to be pregnant. Yay to those who don't get really sick...they are helping keep the earth populated!

And it doesn't just stop at morning sickness. Some people don't like kids. Some people don't like certain people to have kids. Some people don't like to see others having more kids than themselves. Honestly, sometimes I am "some people." But these are personal choices! To be made by the persons responsible. We have made no one responsible for our choices, but us. When we move into your house, start eating your food, making you watch our kids and use your money to support them, then you get to say something. When our kids are socially and emotionally dysfunctional and start affecting your family in some negative way, then you get to say something.

But right now, you don't get to say anything. And if it's such a bit deal for you, we won't make you come for a visit.

Now, this is just a general declaration. I'm addressing the world, but you know if you are the "you" I am talking to. I just had some feelings that were building up. Chalk it up to hormones.