5 More Days???

Well, I have been up lots more the past couple days, and ironically all I have is a sore back... not any more contractions!  I know it's really a good thing- looking like we will make it til 37 weeks!  My doc appointment is tomorrow...

Now that I'm not afraid to pick up my 2-year old, though, we found him a fun seat today:

We also had fun this morning making catapults and shooting each other with starbursts:

And lastly, I forced Kirsha to be in a picture with the boys.  She fought me, but they have to remember their fun times with her this summer!  Cute pic, don't you think?

Being Outside!

This morning, I got up and got dressed in denim shorts.  Then I curled my hair.  (Which took a long time cuz my legs were too weak to stand the whole time and I had to keep sitting down taking breaks.)  Parker saw me and said, "Whoa Mom!  You can get up now?!"  Yeah... but it only lasted about 5 minutes.  The shorts were too uncomfortably tight, and it was so hot I had to put my hair in a ponytail.  Good effort, though, right?

After that, the boys made a "Bicycle Obstacle Course" in the driveway and on the lawn.  I went outside to watch them.  Plopped myself in a camping chair and OH MY GOODNESS!  It felt so good to be outside.  The sun wasn't too hot and the breeze was blowing... I couldn't get myself out of the chair.  Even after they'd all gone in for lunch.  I was just stuck... sitting there... in my own little bit of heaven.

Here is the obstacle course:

Parker kind of reminds me of the bear on Madagascar 3 riding his tiny little bike.  He has a bigger one, but I guess he likes the little one better.  :)

It's HAPPY-DANCE DAY!!!

It's almost UNREAL!  We have made it to 36 weeks, my friends!  I have dreamed of this day now for 87 days.  And it's HERE!  The boys and I did our happy dance in pajamas this morning:

After approximately 73 seconds of dancing, my body reminded me that I'm still pregnant.  I was out of breath and my legs felt like Jell-O.  That's what you get for being completely sedentary for so long... I have a lot of work to do to get back to normal.  But hey!  Who cares?  It's Happy-Dance Day!

Grouchy Old Lady

WOW the last few days are the hardest!  I didn't sleep a wink last night between contractions and dreams that I needed to go to the hospital.  (Was I dreaming?)  If tonight is the same, I will break down and go, hoping that they can stop the contractions for a few more days.  This kiddo can't come QUITE yet.  Isn't it crazy how easy it is to feel grouchy when you physically don't feel good?  Maybe by the time I'm 80 I will know how to overcome that, cuz I'm sure I won't feel good a lot of the time when I'm 80.

And I DON'T want to be a grouchy old lady.

So although I am not the best at always being happy, here is some motivation toward it:

There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”4 The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear.

This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.

The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy.

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

Here are my "beautiful everyday moments" from yesterday:

Parker

Corbin

Daddy & Beckham

I treasure this family of mine!

Getting Excited!

The nursery is ready!!!  

We still need to keep this baby in at LEAST 3 more days, but we are getting ready!  Here was this morning's project:

Taking down the toddler bed and putting up the crib.

Daddy must have really needed to get the boys out of the room for a minute, because this was HIS idea:

And... Corbin recently learned what "photo-bombing" is and thinks it's hilarious.  He was determined to photo-bomb one of my shots:

So, the room for our new little man is ready for him!

Now, we just need prayers and fingers crossed that we can keep him cooking for at least 3 days, but preferably 7-10.  I had TONS of contractions the night before last.  I doubled my meds, but if that hadn't helped, we would have headed to the hospital.  For the life of me, I really really really don't want to go there again until it's truly time for this little guy to come.  But we will do what we have to.  We just want him to be healthy and come home with us!  Can't wait to meet him... :)  

6 Days til 36 & Time for Predictions!

Time to make some guesses on the stats for this baby... The winner gets cookies!  And I make GOOD cookies.  :)  I've been dying to make them- it's been so long!  (I'll even mail them within the country.)

First of all, however, I need to clarify:  I may have been a little misleading with my countdown.  I've had several people ask if I am going to be induced at 36 weeks.  Answer: NOPE.  The reason I am counting down til 36 weeks is because after that point, I won't worry if I go into labor.  Since I began contracting at 24 weeks, we have been trying to PREVENT labor.  The medicine I take every 4 hours is to prevent contractions.  SO, when I say I have 6 more days, what I really mean is that in 6 days, I will feel free to get up and do a happy dance and not worry if labor starts.  However, I will still take it easy and keep taking my medicine until 37 weeks.  So really, who knows how many days of pregnancy I have left?  My literal due date is Aug 25.  I just know I have 6 days left of trying really hard NOT to have a baby yet!

That said, here are my previous stats:

Kid #1:
Born 17 days early
6 lb, 15 oz
19.5 inches long
8:05 am

Kid #2:
Born 22 days early
7 lb 12 oz
20 inches long
3:21 am

Kid #3:
Born 25 days early
8 lb 2 oz
19.5 inches long
5:15 am

So let's hear it!  Guess what this baby's birthday will be, his weight, length, and time he'll be born!  Leave it either on the blog comments or on the Facebook link.  I promise cookies to the winner as soon as I am able to make them.  :)

And here is what may possibly be my last pregnant selfie:

Getting so excited!!!

PS- Yesterday, Parker asked me, "Mom, are you handicapped?"  I laughed at that spontaneous question and then said, "Why would you ask me that?"  He said, "Cuz your belly is big and always hurting."  Well, maybe I am, but it's temporary, thank heavens!  That kid cracks me up.

    

Another Week Down

35 today!  SEVEN more days and I might feel safe to get up and do some dishes.  :)  It feels like the closer we get, the harder it gets.  I just wish there were a way of knowing whether the baby would be healthy enough to come at 36 weeks or not.  I mean, he'd be ok eventually, but obviously, we really don't want him to have to go to NICU at all.  So seven more days of being really strict, and then I guess we just keep going a day at a time after that... I'm trying so hard not to go crazy!

Especially when I see pictures of what my boys did without me yesterday:

I'm sure glad they had a fun day... I'll snap out of my own pity party sooner or later.  :)

Sticky Man

Today was my doctor appointment, and thankfully there was no "Mayhem in the Waiting Room" this time.  My mom just dropped me off since we can't take the little leper boy into the office.  I got to the waiting room, and looked for Sticky Man.  And there he was.  In horrible shape!  One foot had been ripped off, his belly was hanging low, and he looked like his head was about to pop off!

I laughed when the nurse came to get me.  She told me that they had tried to get him down with a foam board (the same one we knocked over last time), but it just ripped him apart and they couldn't get him down.  I also couldn't help but notice the oily stain surrounding him.  Kind of ruined the ceiling tile.  I should probably buy them a new one and have my handy hubby go install it!

The appointment went well.  I've been having more and more contractions, but in just TEN DAYS I will be 36 weeks!!!  My doctor is going out of town next week and gets back exactly the day that I turn 36 weeks, so he told me I have to stay down and wait until then.  Of course, each day I can hang on after that is another day better for the baby, but the minimum goal right now is to make it these next 10 days!  

WARNING- Beckham Has Leprosy

I know, I know.  This is my "positive, uplifting blog," but right now I just feel like crying.  I'm at a breaking point.  And I'm posting it because it's real life.

Beckham had a fever Sunday night.  Monday he woke up with little sores on his chin.  I promise they WERE little, but this is what they look like today:

They spread all over his body.  Started on hands and feet, but escalated up his arms, elbows, legs, and knees... even a huge one on his thigh.  By today they are turning into blisters all over; some have already popped.  Called the doc yesterday and sent him some pictures.  He says hand foot mouth disease.

I just need to vent my stresses and then maybe I will feel a little better.

1)  I let Monday stress me a little too much.  I kept Beckham home and simply wrung my hands that taking care of him and being up and about so much was going to send me into labor.  Seriously.  I gotta calm down.  But that day, I really didn't have other options.

2)  My poor mother.  Being on bed rest is stressful, not only for me, but I feel like it is for EVERYONE.  I have an amazing support system, which I am so thankful for, but I can't shake the guilt when the stress piles on to other people.  Basically, it's all up to my mom for the rest of  the week.  I obviously can't ask other moms with little kids to watch my sick child.  Darin has already taken too much extra time off work.  And as timing would have it, this week is Darin's family's stay-cation (lots of fun family activities planned).  But with 19 grandkids ages 7 and under, I can't send my little hand-foot-mouth-leper running into the midst of them!

In enters my mom... bless her soul.  She got back into town Monday afternoon, and the rest of her entire week is suddenly taken up by helping my little family.  She was here yesterday afternoon helping with Bex and she texted me this morning that she has a little blister on her foot!  WHAT?!  Adults aren't supposed to get this virus...

3)  My other boys.  The drama!  Darin and I clearly don't want them to pick up this virus from little bro, so we have been encouraging hand-washing, not sharing drinks or food, not playing with his toys.  Well, we must have gone overboard and freaked them out because here is what I've been dealing with this morning:
"Agh!  Beckham, stay AWAY from me!" (Beckham breaks into tears from utter rejection.)  "Mom, Beckham is on my bed!!!  Ooohhhhh----- he's TOUCHING my book!"  (Corbin breaks into tears because he is now going to get leprosy from Bex touching the book.)  Beckham drops his sippy cup onto the floor at breakfast and no one will pick it up because, "I don't want to wash my hands AGAIN..."
They are really treating him like a leper, and his little heart is broken.  He can't understand why his brothers suddenly don't love him, why they won't play with him, why they always seem mad at him.  That's the part that is killing me the most.  So I'm trying to un-do the fear I must have instilled in them, but it's not working so well.

Thankfully, as I type and wallow in my sorrows, I have little moments that make me break into laughter... such as Parker walking into my room like this:

  "Mom, I'm an Indian."

Many things bring smiles to each day.

And it is so comforting to remember the big picture.  Linda K. Burton said:

Why does the Lord allow suffering and adversity to come to us in this life? Simply put, it is part of the plan for our growth and progress! We “shouted for joy”6 when we knew we would have the opportunity to come to earth to experience mortality. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught, “Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity.”

Truth be told, I know that things could be so much worse, and I am GRATEFUL that they aren't!!!  I know it's ok to let the tears fall sometimes, but it's so important to keep the big picture in mind.  To remember the love that my Heavenly Father and Savior have for me.  I know that they are aware of everything I go through.  I know that Christ has descended below ALL THINGS and that He will help me endure these minor little challenges that confront me.  He has helped me through nearly 11 weeks of bed rest, and all the struggles and emotions that have come with it.  I know He will never leave me comfortless.    

34 Weeks and Still Cookin!

One more week down!

It kind of feels like the count-down til Christmas.  Normally, I make lists and lists of things to get done before Christmas.  I end up getting everything done ahead of time, and for the last few days I am bored out of my mind, waiting for the big day to arrive.

Yep, I am now bored out of my mind waiting for the big day to arrive.  FOURTEEN more days and then I can get up a little bit and see how many more days I can make it.  I keep trying to think of things I can do from bed... important projects to get done, but I'm not coming up with a whole lot.

We are trying to transition the little guy to sleeping in the same room with his brothers.  It cracks me up every night!  Two-year old gets so excited to sleep in five-year old's bed, he giggles and pesters the five-year old.  Seven year old up on top just groans at his "annoying" brothers who are making it so he can't sleep.  Finally, daddy comes up with a solution:

Brilliant!  Hang a divider.  It helps somewhat, but they still make me laugh each night.  So far, at least, the track record of all 3 boys EVENTUALLY falling asleep is 100%.

We got a new closet organizer set up for the 3-boy room.  Almost complete- just gotta buy one more blue box:

Daddy did that part, but the rest of the closet organizing will have to be done after I get off this bed.

All the other stuff that needs to be done (car seat in, crib set up...) will have to be up to Daddy.  I just can't think of any more essential projects that I can do in the next 14 days.  Gah!

Praying I don't go insane...

72 Days

I can't believe I have not lived "normally" for 72 days.  SEVENTY-TWO DAYS!  That's over 10 weeks... That's a month longer than I was down with my last pregnancy.  I'm so ready to go to the store!  That's all I have to say today.

Mayhem in the Waiting Room

My mom and I took all 3 boys with us today to get my shot.  Whenever we go, she brings a fun little bag of toys to keep them occupied.  People generally laugh with us about the spunk and energy of little boys, and it always comes up that YES, I am having ANOTHER boy.  :)

Today, the "fun little bag of toys" contained some bouncy balls (which we quickly put away), a blue sparkle stick, a top, a pull-back car, and a little sticky man (sticky hands and feet- you put him on the wall and he is supposed to climb down.)

Commotion #1- The bouncy balls.  Yes, they were ALL over the place, so they went in my purse.

Commotion #2- The pull-back car.  It zoomed underneath an easel with a big poster and some flyers on it.  Beckham and Parker went for it at the same time, Beckham emerging victorious with the car, and Parker scrambling out, hitting his head, knocking the poster off the easel and flyers spreading all over the ground!

Commotion #3- The little Sticky Man.  Sheesh- this was a fun one.  Corbin and Parker were taking turns throwing him up onto the wall in the corner.  He'd stick for a minute, do a few turns tumbling down the wall, and then fall.  UNTIL he accidentally got thrown onto the ceiling.  He stuck INCREDIBLY WELL to the ceiling tiles.  Too well...

Corbin started throwing a lanyard at the little man... My mom stood on a chair and tried to knock him down by chucking stuff up there.  Everything we tried just made him more stuck!  The other patients were entertained; nurses began coming out to assess the situation... Before we knew it, the whole staff was involved!  And the HERO who ended up getting Sticky Man off the ceiling???  (Drumroll...)

Dr. Bitner himself!  With a pair of forceps!    

But that's STILL not all.  Apparently, while I was back getting my shot, one of my boys "accidentally" (?) got him stuck up there again.  I came out right after he was flung up onto the tile.  At that point, I made an executive decision that Sticky Man needed to stay where he was.  Imagine the staff's surprise when they discover him up there tomorrow.  Agh!  We'll see if our little friend is still clinging on for dear life next week! 

The Monster Noise

Yesterday a monster noise came to our house.  Turns out it is the blower in the AC/furnace.  But according to my boys, it was every kind of monster you could imagine (including "the monster that makes mommies preg-a-nent.")

Well, we had to turn off the AC for the day, so this morning we had all the windows open and fans going to create a breeze.  When what to our wondering noses should we smell?  A SKUNK!  Perfume drifting through my home... lovely.

It is now 12:30 and reportedly 84 degrees in here.  I might have ice cream for lunch.

A few other things...

1)  WARNING!  If you decide to try shaving cream on your trampoline, be prepared to scrub it with soap and water and scrub brushes.  I THOUGHT the clean-up was easier, but when it all dried, the tramp was white.  So the boys scrubbed it up last night and it looks great.  

2)  WHAT THE?!  I ordered a ClosetMaid 12-cube organizer from Lowe's last week.  My delivery came on Monday.  Check out what I got!:

Yeah... Now what am I supposed to do with this???

3)  WE'RE IN THE TEENS!  18 days to go until I'm 36 weeks!!!  (Want to know how many it's been?  I'll tell ya- 68.  Sixty-eight days so far of no make-up, no jeans, and not even putting on my wedding ring.)  

"Whatever your work may be, endure at the beginning, endure through opposing forces along the way, and endure to the end. Any job must be completed before you can enjoy the result for which you are working."  (Russell M. Nelson) 

Amen.

Shaving Cream Revisited...Success!!

I cheated a little bit today.  I WENT OUTSIDE!!!

I needed some sunshine.  

Plus, I wanted to see how much fun my boys would have on the trampoline with shaving cream!  

See what you think...

I sat in a camping chair and watched them.  Beckham didn't want in on the fun, so he sat with me.

Clean-up was WAY easier than the inside mess from last time!  Kirsha literally just hosed them down.

Then she got out Beckham's awesome Pirate Ship for him so he could have a little water fun too.

And... of course we had to enjoy some Otter-Pops.  

It ALMOST felt like a normal summer day.  Sort of.  Except that I wasn't the one up and running around spraying them with the hose.  But at least I got to watch.  And I got some freckles.  :)

I Only Wear Shoes on Thursdays

Today marks 33 weeks, which means I have three more weeks of this to go!  (At LEAST 3 more weeks, but that is the goal.)

I was on bed rest with my second pregnancy for 3 weeks, and compared to the 6 weeks with my third pregnancy, 3 weeks seemed like a piece of cake.  Before I went on bed rest with this one, I thought that if I ended up with only 3 weeks I would be lucky!  Believe me, I am VERY happy to say that I only have 3 weeks left, but having already been down for 9, I'm getting pretty tired of this.

I find myself counting down in funny ways, just to try to make it not sound so bad.  

3 more weeks means:

* Only 21 more days
* I only have to wash my hair 11 more times
* I only have to take 126 more Nifedipine pills (every 4 hours!)
* Probably 1 more box of tissues
* 7 more rolls of toilet paper
* 4 more progesterone shots
* 2 more actual doctor appointments
* 3 more Thursday lunches that my mom brings in
* my kids get 6 more Grandma days (3 with each Grandma), AND...
* I probably only have to put my shoes on 3 more times before this baby comes!!!

Scratch that last one.  I put them on every Thursday to go get my shot, but I guess I'll have to put them on again when we head to the hospital, so that makes 4.  And if I have to go to the hospital again before he is born, that'll add to the shoe tally.  But let's just hope that doesn't happen, and we'll say 4 is the magical number!  :)

If You Want to Change the World, Start by Making Your Bed

My dad sent me this speech given at The University of Texas commencement by a Navy Seal.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBQLFLei70

The whole speech was awesome, but my favorite line from it was, "If you want to change the world, start by making your bed."  I thought, even right now- If I have to be on bed rest, I'd rather be ON my bed than IN my bed... how much more depressing would it be to stay IN bed all day, rather than sit or lay ON my bed, right?

A couple fun moments from yesterday:

The boys got a little sunburned last week, so I re-introduced them to aloe vera.  I told them what it was called, how it came from a plant, and told them about how I used to have an aloe vera plant and how you can cut the leaves to use what's inside of them!  Parker really liked the stuff.  He just couldn't remember what it was called.  I told him over and over that day, "a-loe-ver-a."  Yesterday, for some reason he started thinking about it again.  He came to me and said, "Mom, you know that saliva stuff?  I mean... that stuff that heals sunburns... what's it called?  Isn't it called saliva???"  Heehee!  I probably should have told him yes and let him run with it!  

Yesterday- the 4th of July- was a blast!  I wanted Beckham to stay awake for the fireworks at night, to see how he would react this year.  I did go out and sit in a camping chair, and although Bex liked the fireworks, he didn't want to get off my lap.  He also couldn't seem to differentiate between "fireWORKS" and "fireTRUCKS."  He kept saying, "firetrucks outside!!  Firetrucks say 'pcshhhhh!'" and showing us fireworks with his hands (like "Sunbeam" hands).  Here is how he sat for most of the show:

He was peeking out from under his hand, but I couldn't get him to put his arm down.

Maybe he'll warm up and try his own sparkler on the 24th.  :)

   

Let Freedom Ring!

The freedom to NOT smile in a picture if you don't want to, dang it all.  And to put fake tattoos smack dab in the middle of your forehead.  And to drench your blue shirt just because you can.  

Let the joy and freedom of being a little boy ring out loud and strong!

It's parade and BBQ day.  The boys are all off to a parade, and later a BBQ at Grandma's.  So, I will just sit here and stare at my happy toenails all day.  (My talented sis-in-law Angie painted them for me.)  I made a deal with my family, though, that they could leave me all day, as long as they came back here and did fireworks in front of our house tonight.  I may just venture out and sit in a camping chair, glad to be a part of the celebration!

Happy Independence Day!

Normally, I Love the Month of June....

...but this year, I say "GOOD RIDDANCE!!!"

I am so happy that it is July!  I just might have a baby this month.  (We are still aiming for the very END of the month, but it could be THIS MONTH!)

Here are a few fun things the boys have been up to...

BUBBLES IN THE RAIN

 CHEERING FOR BRASIL IN THE WORLD CUP

 PARADES AND LOTS OF CANDY

I know they'll do lots of fun stuff without me this month, but I am still welcoming the passing of time with open arms right now.  Patience, patience, patience...