It's a Rough Day...

So I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment at 9 am this morning. AND we were supposed to set a date to induce so we could get this baby here this week. Unfortunately I got a phone call this morning and my doctor has the flu and is most likely out all this week. So where does that leave me?

The truth... I DON'T KNOW.

They tried to reschedule my appointment for Friday or next week some time, but once I explained the situation, I was told that the best they could do was get me in to see one of the midwives who works with his office, and see what she said.
So this afternoon I go in to meet a woman I have never met and hope that she sees fit to help induce me this week.

If not...

well...

I typically don't start labor on my own and I would most likely have to wait until after Labor Day for my doctor to help me.

As you can imagine, my emotions are all over the place. We had such a bad experience when Aaron was born. He was 12 days late and was sick almost immediately following the birth. Even though Aaron was a big baby, (9lbs 4 oz) he was dehydrated at birth (probably from being inside too long) and ran a fever. We brought him home just to rush him back to the hospital for three more days while they ran tests and put him on IV fluids and antibiotics to help him feel better. There is nothing so heart-wrenching as seeing your little baby hooked up to all the monitors and IV lines. I hope to never repeat that experience.

Caleb was 8 days late and Kellie was 7, weighing 9lbs 4 oz and 8 lbs 14 oz. Both had to be induced since I was showing no signs of starting labor on my own.

Which brings me to today. I am now officially overdue with no sign of relief in sight. I just sit here- knowing this baby will come out eventually... and hoping it's sooner rather than later.

I am trying to stay optimistic... and am not too sure I'm succeeding. Hopefully I have better news to report after my appointment this afternoon... (sigh)

Caleb's in Preschool!

"Can we have lunch so we can leave already?"
"I want to go now!"
"When can we go?"
Caleb started Preschool today and was so excited he could barely contain himself.I have been listening to these comments all morning. I guess he just couldn't wait to get out the door!
We got to the school, and after checking him in and helping him find his name tag, the kids were supposed to find a carpet square, pick out a book and read for a few minutes.I was all prepared to stay with him until asked to leave, but he gave Kellie and me a hug and said "Bye, Mom!", so I left. What could I do? I figured that I would rather have him dismiss me, than wonder why I was hanging around and make him nervous. In the parking lot, another mom told me Caleb wasn't too sure about me being gone and started to sniffle after I left, but the teacher went and sat by him and he was fine within just a minute or two. He's growing up so fast...

Baby Countdown

Well, I'm in the final lap. Six days until Junior's due date. Less than a week! I am more than ready to be done and hope he chooses to cooperate soon. Eviction notices have been sent!
Wish us luck and watch for photos... (hopefully this week?) I'll have Matt put some photos up as soon as we have them!

10 years...

Wow. It's been a decade. I have been married for 1/3 of my life. In some ways it's hard to remember what life was like before I met Matt, and in other ways it seems like we should still be considered newlyweds.
Where did the time go?

In 10 years we have:
lived in 2 states, 4 cities, and 8 "houses"
had at least 9 jobs between us
became parents; adding 3 (almost 4!) kids to our family
acquired 3 fish and a dog
had 3 surgeries
2 sets of stitches
visited 7 states as a family
"gone through" 3 computers
switched to digital cameras
watched our kids do the things we swore our kids would never do :)
cooked 1 Thanksgiving turkey on our own
attended 1 funeral of a family member
walked a thousand miles, consoling crabby babies
perfected the art of homemade brownies (actually- that's all Matt...)
had 4 "First Day of Schools"
and been happier than I ever could have hoped for

Here's to 10 years and eternity to look forward to...
(Love you, sweetheart.)

2nd Grade!

Aaron starts 2nd grade today. He was up, dressed, ate breakfast and had his shoes and backpack on by 7:30! We made him wait a few minutes before we left, though. He has been very nervous about a few things all summer. He was worried about the new school uniforms required this year. ( yellow, gray or white shirts...black, navy or tan pants...)
He was also worried that nobody would recognize him in his new glasses. He soon found out today that everyone was in a uniform so that wasn't a big deal, and as his friends recognized him, he was less worried about the glasses, too.
His teacher's name is Miss Williford, and she seems really nice. She even remembered him and greeted him by name. (She's only met him once!)
When we got to his classroom this morning, I was all set to stay with him until class started, but after a minute, he turned to me and told me he was fine and I could go. I guess it's not cool to have your mom hanging around! Here's hoping he has a great first day, followed by an awesome year!

Checked your water lately?

About 2 1/2 years ago I was asked to serve in our Ward at church as the Canning/Emergency Preparedness Specialist. I laughed. I am definitely NOT a specialist... but I set about to learn everything I could about Emergency Food Storage and how to properly store everything. One of the most important things we NEED to have on hand is water. It is recommended to have atleast a 2 week supply. So for months I saved our discarded juice bottles; cleaned, treated and refilled them.
As we were cleaning out the garage this weekend (We had mice! Eeeew!) I saw these bottles and realized that I had not rotated them. You are supposed to rotate and refill about twice a year. I hadn't touched them since I filled them 2 years earlier. (The picture above only shows about 1/2 of the bottles!)
So, as Matt cleaned the garage. I got the kids to help me dump the bottles, and put them into laundry baskets to bring into the house to refill. The kids had a blast! I am SO glad I had help. Here's to being prepared for whatever may come!

Aaron's Last Game

Aaron in the outfield

Aaron as catcher

The RAMS

Aaron and his trophy

Aaron had his last Baseball game today. We have been so pleased with his team this year. his coaches were so patient with these kids and were genuinely supportive of ALL the kids, no matter what their skill level. They were really good about rotating the kids through the various positions, too, so they got a taste of all of them. In the last game Aaron played 2nd base, catcher and outfield. He did great! At the end of the game they got trophies!

Hmmmm.... be careful what you pray for!

So I was sitting in church yesterday, and I have to admit I was only partially listening to the lesson. It's not that the lesson was boring, I've just had a lot on my mind lately, especially since last week was crazy and frustrating, to say the least. Well, I had a moment where a thought popped into my head and my first reaction was "Surely, not! The Lord wouldn't DO that to me!" But as I sat there and listened, I became pretty sure that I was right. Let me explain.

I have been incredibly worried about our baby. Not many people are aware of this, but I miscarried last fall, just a few months before I got pregnant with this baby. I was not very far along, but I think after losing one, I have been more nervous with this pregnancy than with the others. I have been hesitant to believe everything is really okay, even though logically I know this baby is progressing normally, especially since all the tests show that he is fine. Two weeks ago I went in and was told our baby is breech. SCARED ME TO DEATH. There is still a chance he will turn on his own, and the doctor can try to turn him if he is still breech this week, but if we can't get him turned around I am looking at the possibility of a breech delivery (which is a bit more risky) or a C-section.

Neither option sounds all that appealing, to tell you the truth. I don't want to take unnecessary risks with this baby, but the thought of a C-section is terrifying. (I am MORE than a bit squeamish about the thought of major surgery, especially while being awake. I know I wouldn't be able to SEE anything, but I really don't want to HEAR it either! I am that squeamish...) I have been praying for everything to turn out fine and to not be so nervous.

Then the events of last week transpired. Just about everything that could go wrong did. Car problems... kids misbehaving... refrigerator leaking... new floors possibly damaged... mice in the garage (we've caught 5 so far... EEEEW!) you name it... it happened.

As I was sitting there at church, it occurred to me that my prayers had been answered. I have not had time to sit around and obsess and worry about this baby. Our life was kept full and busy and as I sat there thinking about it, I couldn't help but smile. I am pretty sure I never would have asked for all the chaos, but there is no doubt that it was effective in keeping my mind off the troubles at hand!

It really is funny how our prayers are answered sometimes. I'm not sure if I should be grateful for the diversions or not... but I am grateful that I am able to smile about it. Maybe my sense of humor is starting to come back... :)