My life is much better now

Ken is home! He was gone for 3 days, home for 4 days, then gone for 6 days. He got home late last night and I'm SO glad.

So I had a doctor appointment on Friday - my first one. She gave me a huge bag of information - lol. She has 3 kids too and was telling me that 3 is a piece of cake. She is so reassuring I just LOVE her. I got a pap smear and blood work - so fun. She said she'd see me in a month, but then she said, "Unless you want to come back earlier...." The she said, "How about you come back in 2 weeks and we'll do an ultrasound?" Oh I LOVE her! Unfortunately I couldn't get an appointment and an u/s on the same day until June 17, but still. I'm excited.

I've been having a great time with Madeleine lately - we've been hanging out for a good hour and a half during John Paul's morning nap - playing outside, reading, doing art projects. One day we spent the entire nap lining up elaborate structures with dominoes and knocking them down. She loved that. I've also taken the kids to a few playgrounds - and our favorite splash park is now open. And we've spent some fun time in Grandma's pool. I can tell I'm going to LOVE summer with these two.

Setting the record straight.

I'm kind of getting over it now, but I was REALLY upset at some comments we got when we announced number 3 was on his/her way. I mean, come ON, number 3?

So here we go.

1. Yes. We know what causes "that." After 3 kids we finally figured it out.

(Excuse the vulgarity but I'm just answering actual questions we got for all the world to see.)

2. No, Ken is not going to start keeping "that thing" in his pants. He did that before we were married. He doesn't have to anymore.

3. Neither our math skills nor our sex ed skills are lacking, thank you very much. In fact we could teach a class. And Bonus, our "trusting in God's plan for our life skills" are doing just fine too.

Everything is good

The ultrasound was great today. The baby is measuring 9 weeks 4 days, and heart rate was 194! That is the highest of any of my babies so far. The bleed is still there, but she said it was fine and would probably get reabsorbed without me even knowing about it. The baby has arms and legs now and was wiggling around. So fun to see that!

I have my first actual doctor's appointment tomorrow (because they couldn't schedule me for an ultrasound tomorrow so I had to go 2 days in a row.) I love my doctor so it should be fun ;)

Ultrasound #2 tomorrow

I'm excited to check in on #3 again, and hopefully the bleed is fixing itself.

I'll try to post pics and/or a video tomorrow.

I am going to have a rough week for a reason I can't mention on here (yet). Please pray for me!

It's not all bad

I've lost 9 lbs in 5 days ;) No end in sight either. I guess this is the only way to lose my post pregnancy John Paul weight from a year ago - oh well!

Luckily my headache is much better, and I didn't even have to take tylenol today. Still really stuffy nose, still throwing up, but what can ya do. If my past pregnancies are any indication, I should only have a few more weeks of this. Unfortunately Ken is leaving me again for 6 days during that time. Not so happy about that. Plus we were supposed to go to Memphis for part of that time but now we can't. Who wants to come stay with me?? hahaha

I've got two knitted projects to work on - hopefully I can power through them and go back to my usual laying on the couch!

Survival mode

I've had a pretty miserable cold for about two weeks now. I figured it would be gone this weekend for sure, and one of my best friends from college was supposed to come tonight and spend the night and hang out with us tomorrow. Unfortunately right when Ken left for a business trip in Sunny Florida (which he so nicely sent me pictures of his ocean view and TWO shower heads), my cold turned into one of the worst sicknesses I can remember. My head hurt SO badly I could barely function, much less take care of everything myself with no husband to help me! The kids were lucky they got fed and bathed. On Thursday evening, every time I moved my head I would get a sharp shooting stabbing pain in my temple. In addition to this my nose and head was completely stuffed up. Not to mention morning sickness on top of all this. Luckily mom mom came to my rescue, coming over in the evening to put Madeleine to bed, and even cooking dinner for the kids and feeding them on Friday night while I laid on her couch. I finally called my ob on Friday morning to see what drugs I could take, because tylenol wasn't cutting it. She said from my description it sounded like I have a sinus infection, so she called me in some antibiotics, which she assured me were safe for everyone involved. I've lost about 6 lbs in 3 days, I feel dehydrated, and I'm SOOOO glad that Ken came home last night! He took care of the kids all morning while I rested.

I think the antibiotics are finally kicking in after 2 days, because although my head is still killing me, the edge is taken off. I'm pretty weak from not being able to eat and throwing up, but, I'm on the mend and hopefully will be in top shape for our road trip to Memphis this weekend ;)

If you're still reading after all this complaining - thanks and sorry about that! I did get to offer up some pretty bad pain and nausea for some big intentions, so hopefully that helped some of my friends.

In happier news, Cathy and Joe FINALLY had baby Drew - 15 days late and after 3 days of labor. He is adorable and perfect ;) Makes me excited - I get to do that in only 31 weeks! haha.

I get to go to another ultrasound on Thursday, because although last Friday they found a healthy baby with a strong heartbeat, I also have a subchorionic bleed like I did with John Paul, so they want to keep an eye on it. My doctor told me not to worry if I start bleeding (I certainly worried last time - I didn't know I had the bleed and ended up in the ER). I'm really glad I asked for the first ultrasound and that I get another one on Thursday.

Thank you!

Thanks so much for all the congratulations and support. We are excited! But more about number 3 later. Let's talk about D's visit to our house last week.
A friend this week said that I was brave (or maybe crazy) to have all these houseguests. I said, Heck, I don't have to entertain any of them! D is one of those friends that I'm just comfortable with - the best kind of friend. She must feel the same way.... ;)

I love love loved meeting baby Lucy! We've been praying for her since before she was conceived, and I got to meet her for the first time. I love her! She is such a sweet baby. I could have held her all week. We tried to get a picture of us, but Lucy was sleeping and John Paul was NOT cooperating...

and apparently Madeleine was picking her nose...

We got to get all the little baby stuff out for Lucy's visit - the cradle, the swing, the baby bathtub, and everyone's favorite.... the bouncy seat.

Everyone's favorite.

And I do mean everyone. If Lucy wasn't in it, someone else was.

Lucy really like Madeleine and John Paul - they're pretty entertaining to watch, I have to say!

John Paul loves his Godmother

The weather cooperated nicely and we got to go on a few walks. This was was just around the neighborhood.
This was when we walked down the Monon trail - I took the kids in the stroller and D carried Lucy in the Baby Bjorn. Can you tell where we went?
We walked down to a really cute candy store, where Madeleine and John Paul got thoroughly spoiled before supper.

Is this picture going to look great in their wedding slide show, or what??

Sorry D, this was my favorite picture that we took this weekend - Hm... what is that Bud going for?

We had such a great time, and thank you D so much for facing your fear of flying - with a baby especially! - and bringing Lucy to us! We love you and had such a great time! And also thank you for coming to my ultrasound (Jenny too) - that really meant a lot to have you there. You guys are the best!

:-)

Brainstorm with me

So I am helping to teach a little class (Parenting 101) at our local home for unwed mothers. My friend who works there says that the moms think that sitting with the kids and watching TV is interacting with them. We're having a meeting tomorrow to discuss what we'll teach. My idea is to give the moms a huge list of fun things to do with their kids, so if they have time they can look at the list and get some ideas. Here is my list so far:

read a book
eat a meal together
go outside and play catch or swing
play a game like Chutes and Ladders or Candyland
do a puzzle together
draw a picture
paint
go to a bookstore or library and read some new books
go on a picnic, even if it's in the backyard
turn on some music and dance and play instruments
tell a story from your childhood
make up a story - and let the kid make up parts
Thumb wrestle
play rock, paper scissors
draw a letter on your child's back and see if they can guess
try on your jewelry together
play I spy
pick a number between 1 and 10
count by 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s 10s
do some nursery rhymes, with or without hand motions
say, "tell me 3 things you did today"
hide something in a hand and have them guess the hand
ask for favorites, tv show, animal, color, movie, thing to do outside
go for a walk together
go get ice cream together
play Simon says
take a class together
go to the nature center at Cool Creek
go on a hike together
stickers
playdoh
get a book at the library on simple crafts for little kids
play hide and seek
let them help you make something in the kitchen
make a paper airplane
find a large cardboard box and make a fort or house
blow bubbles
play in the sprinkler
catch fireflies
color a picture
go to a park
find some ducks and feed them
free movies at Regal in the summer - Tuesdays and Wednesdays
go play at a toy store
bake cookies
make a scrapbook
play freeze tag
write a letter to a family member or friend
create a treasure hunt - leaving things around the house or yard
make and eat a popsicle
fly a kite
create an obstacle course
paint each other's faces
play with water balloons
look for bugs in the yard
play school
play house
do shadow puppets
take turns saying tongue twisters
build stuff with legos or blocks


So what else do you have for me? I know you all have wonderful ideas! Also any other ideas about what to teach at the Parenting 101 class? Most of the moms have infants and young toddlers.

Thanks in advance!

In one week

John Paul went from mostly crawling to mostly walking! He is walking everywhere now, and he is really good at it! I hardly worry about him falling at all. He seems to be really coordinated. It's really interesting to see the difference between the two kids. Madeleine didn't start walking until about 15 months, but she was saying about 100 words at that time. John Paul only says maybe 10 words, (and still mostly Mama and Tee Tat) but he is a super walker at 12 months.

Pray for my friend Cathy - she is 2 days past her due date! :)

Happy Surprise!

Today my friend called me and said that one of my all time favorite priests, Fr. John, was here from Mexico. I was SO excited! I got the kids ready and rushed over. I went to down to Tijuana almost every summer from 1996 - 2005. We stayed with the Sisters - the Missionaries of the Cross, and just do whatever they need. I've done everything from putting a roof on a house, tiling a floor in the school, sorting clothes, visiting families to ask why their kids weren't coming to school, painting classrooms, and I was usually the unofficial translator. I loved this job (back when I was good at Spanish) because I got to go everywhere with everyone. Those summer mission trips are some of my best memories. Fr. John is the closest to a living saint I've ever met. He has worn the same sweater, shirt, pants and shoes ever since I met him. Whenever anyone gives him anything at all, he gives it away. He lives among the poorest of the poor. I want to be like him when I grow up.

He's also in the best shape of any 70 year old man I've ever seen. He plays basketball twice a week and can keep up with the best of the best. He is seriously talented. So one year we all pooled our money and bought him a really nice pair of basketball shoes. I knew he had never had anything like that, at least since he became a missionary priest. He was so excited when he opened it. I thought maybe he would give those away, so we told him we had bought them just for him. And he used them every year I went back :) I will never forget his face when he saw them.

So the last year I went there, 2005, Madre Maria told me that within one year, I'd have a baby. She was right. So I haven't seen Fr. John since he came to Indiana in 2006.

Today he got to meet my kids for the first time. He also blessed our whole family. He looks exactly the same and it was so wonderful to see him.

Quit whining Buddy, don't you know who is holding you?? ;)

God Bless Fr. John!!

Madeleine at the eye doctor

I took Madeleine to a follow up eye doctor appointment today, for her eye muscle problem. It doesn't seem to be getting any better after a year of treatment, so she mentioned that surgery -loosening of her eye muscles, might be needed. We are to continue her treatment for 4 more weeks, then off for 3 weeks, then come back and she'll check her again. I really hope she doesn't need surgery, although the doctor said it was pretty easy, no needles, only takes about 45 minutes, and the only restriction is no swimming for two days.

She really had a great time and even asked if we could go back and get her eyes checked tomorrow!

Bud's birthday party

Here are just a few pictures from the party. I didn't get very many good ones! And I helped him open his presents so I didn't get any of that. Here's my sweet birthday boy:
Toddling around his party.
I bought a birthday cake for everyone else, and got him his own piece of strawberry shortcake from this delicious bakery in town.
He really enjoyed it :)

These Boots are made for

Walking ;)

Buddy has started walking all over the house. It was like something clicked and now he's doing great! He loves to walk right up to Madeleine and give her a hug - and she loves it too! I have to remind her not to lift him up or hug him too rough while he's standing, because he's not all the sturdy yet. However, he's much sturdier than she was when she started walking at 15 months!

We had his one year and her three year doctors appointments today. Madeleine weighs 29 lbs and is 38 inches tall - she's up to the 50th percentile for weight and still in the 75th for height. John Paul weighed almost 20 lbs and was 30 1/2 inches - so 25th percentile for weight and 75th for height.

I had been nervous about going to the doctor for a while, because I've delayed Madeleine's MMR vaccine and I kind of wanted to delay it for one more year. I read in Dr. Sears Vaccine Book that if a child waits till they're 4 for that shot, they only need one dose instead of two. I mentioned that to Dr. J today and he said "Deal!" It was no problem. I was really happy about this.

They both have rashes on their legs, he said they just have "allergic skin" and it's a type of atopic dermatitis or excema, so I have to keep them well moisturized all the time and use some hydrocortizone if it flares up. He asked if M was speaking in 3-4 word sentences!! I almost laughed out loud and told him she was doing that at 18 months. John Paul pointed to a book in the room and said "book!" and Dr. J was really impressed - just from that he said he's ahead of most boys in speech. He also says a few more words, but not as many as M did at this age. But he said that was totally normal - boys usually develop physically sooner (hence the walking) and verbally later.

He said they were both doing great. JP has to come back for a 15 month appointment, but after that only once a year. I love our pediatrician!

He asked about Madeleine's passing out episode - and I told him about her diagnosis of Ketotic hypoglycemia, and that we just have to make sure she eats regularly, and gets protein and some sugar at every meal (sugar like fruit). He said it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make sure we feed John Paul that same way, since he's turning out to be a skinny kid too, and this kind of stuff runs in families.

We hit a few garage sales afterwards and bought a few little things. Madeleine LOVES garage sales. It started raining and I told her we had to go home and she was really sad. I'm happy she loves them because I do too! We'll have some fun shopping experiences this summer I'm sure.

Speaking of garage sales, my friend is having a huge one next weekend to raise money for their adoption. If anyone around here would like the address, please email me. Madeleine is already looking forward to it!

Buddy's birthday

He had a great day yesterday! He got to open a present from Aunt Jenni and Uncle Mike, which was a huge hit with him AND Madeleine :) (They're learning to take turns!)

Also, Grandma and Madeleine set up his present from Grandma and Papa during his morning nap. It was also a huge hit! But we learned that this is a "before bath" activity ONLY. They both got completely covered with sand and water - but had a great time!

Daddy and the Birthday Boy!

I made him one of his favorite dinners - meatloaf, sweet potatoes, artichokes, and for dessert, he got his own slice of chocolate cake. He loved it!

I tried to take a picture of Madeleine and John Paul but this was the best I can get!

So just yesterday, John Paul started walking all over the house! It's like something just clicked. He's walking from room to room, bending down and picking up toys on the floor, and he even walked up and gave Madeleine a hug yesterday! She loved it! Madeleine said yesterday that John Paul was getting to be a big boy and asked if we could have another baby. I told her it was ok for her to ask God if she wanted another baby in our family, since He is the one who decides when families get babies. She asked if we could ask God right now, so we all held hands around the dinner table and Ken asked God if it was His Will, that He'd send us another baby. Madeleine got a HUGE smile on her face. So we will see what happens! I thought it was pretty cool that she was thinking about that.

Happy Birthday John Paul!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We Love YOU!!!!

My handsome boy

My sweet boy turns one tomorrow. In the blink of an eye, he went from this sweet little newborn....

To my wonderful, happy, sweet, funny, food throwing, almost walking, destructive, loud, loving, still likes to cuddle with mama boy.
And this mama thinks he is the most amazing little boy who ever lived.

Fr. John *update with pictures*

My favorite priest from college is leaving campus ministry and getting reassigned, and they're having a going away dinner for him up at my college tonight. I haven't seen him really since I graduated in 2001. Whoa. That was a long time ago. But we are going to head up tonight and I can't wait. I have so many good memories of him!! I got to go on a few Habitat for Humanity trips with him over spring breaks my junior and senior year. One year we went to Pikeville KY and another time Marion SC. We spent the week building houses, and having a fantastic time. Fr. John drove about 10 students down, taught us all how to hammer, make sure the wood was "flush" and "square." He was extremely patient with us and now I feel like I am pretty good at hammering a nail! haha! He also got up early one morning, went to the Piggly Wiggly (you think I'm kidding) and made homemade cinnamon rolls for the 100 people who were sleeping at the church. He was getting his masters degree in Metal Arts at the time, and was making a chain for the incense to be used at the Chrism Mass. He let everyone help and patiently taught us all how to form the wires.

I lived at the Newman Center for 2 years, and those were some of the best years of my life. Fr. John's patience with us in teaching us new things has helped me be a better parent. I think of him and pray for him often, and I'm so excited to see him tonight!

We had a great time at St. Francis tonight! Fr. John sat with us for probably an hour and a half and chatted. It was fantastic. We also saw some old friends from college which was lots of fun. John Paul loved Fr. John.




When we left, he gave them both blessings. We are so lucky to have these wonderful priests in our lives!

My Bud

I cannot believe he'll be ONE in less than a week!!

Seriously, where does the time go? Shouldn't he still be a tiny newborn??

Madeleine and Sew

Hanging out at Borders. Madeleine LOVES her. She's been talking about her and singing about her since she left!

Sew is so great about stepping in and helping - getting them out of the car, feeding, cutting up food, getting drinks, etc. She is like a family member and M can't wait for her to come back!