I need to take pics!!
Pics of my house. Pics of my kids. Pics of my belly. Next time? Maybe?
We love the house. We love the space, the backyard, the smell, the newness, the opportunity to make it ours. I love that there are cows behind our home and that sometimes I wake up to their "moo's." I feel like I have purpose again, and I'm feeling more like the me I want to be.
I don't know how long it will last, but the kids have a sense of ownership that motivates them to make their beds each morning and keep their rooms clean. I know it probably won't last forever, but for now I am loving it.
The house is about 95% unpacked/organized. There are a few rooms that will take a while to be finished (for example, the media room is my last priority but Joe is anxious to get something in there, so hopefully it will usable fairly soon). I will feel like we are completely moved in when we hang pictures up downstairs, but it's surprisingly difficult to put holes in new walls, plus I am waiting on a few pieces of furniture before I commit to those holes. Come visit, though, and I'll give you a tour!
We had our fourth real ER/urgent care visit over the weekend. I guess that's not too bad considering we've been parents for 31 accumulative years (11+9+7+4). Madison and I went summer clothes shopping on Saturday and we were about 10 minutes away from home when Joe called and told us to meet him at an Urgent Care. Apparently Ammon had jumped on Grant's back, Grant shrugged him off, and Ammon hit his head on his bed's footboard. Logan held his hand over Ammon's bloody noggin and found Joe, who was busy organizing the garage. Joe hates blood, but I hear he handled it all suprisingly well. Long story short, Ammon ended up with 3 staples in his head.
And now for a baby update. I have been feeling like this baby is going to come soon--of course I could be completely wrong. Sunday night I was having strong enough contractions to wake me up for 2 hours in the middle of the night. They were 7 minutes apart. I woke Joe up and cried to him that we needed the baby to wait a few more weeks. He gave me a blessing and I was able to fall back asleep. I have felt better the last few days, perhaps because I have been trying to rest more and drink more fluids. Next week I will be 36 weeks, which means another ultrasound, a strep b swab, and hopefully more information about how big the baby is and how ready my body is to have a baby.
I'm feeling.....
Like I need to savor every moment of these last few weeks of pregnancy.
Good. I think this has been my easiest pregnancy.
Tired. I feel good, but tired. My body doesn't like to bend over, walk up stairs, wash dishes. My body apparently doesn't like to sleep all night. I need to pee every few hours, my calves and even my thighs cramp up and I end up leaping out of bed to try to walk out the cramps.
Excited. I pulled out a baby doll for Ammon. We diapered, clothed, and swaddled him (the doll), and I showed Ammon how to hold a baby. Pretty soon there will be a real baby to hold, snuggle, and love!
What will he look like? Will he have hair like Ammon and Madi? I'm measuring small, and I always do--will he be smaller than the others, or will he continue our trend and weigh more than the others (Ammon was 8 lbs 13 oz)?
A friend asked me what my least favorite part of pregnancy was. I had to think about it for a minute because even though there are some miserable things about pregnancy, for the most part I think that growing a human is a pretty amazing thing. But I hate maternity pants. They never fit right and they are not flattering. (Also I dislike being hot at night, but Joe and a friend installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom yesterday, so my quality of life--and hopefully my sleep--will greatly improve!) So as much as I love this pregnant belly and the kicking of life inside of me, I do look forward to getting back into my summer clothes and sleeping better--if only for a few hours in between feeding the baby, that is.
Things I need to write about: my sister and niece came to visit and we all had a wonderful two weeks with them. I wish they lived closer! We went shopping and talked late into the night; she helped me make freezer meals and sat with my kids while they practiced the piano. Sisters are wonderful! (Poor Madi!) She and a very dear friend threw me a baby shower--yes a baby shower for a fifth baby and the fourth boy! I felt very loved and spoiled, and I'm grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing women!
So much to prepare for, so much to look forward to, and so much excitement as we continue to organize the new house and welcome a new baby. Life is good.
