I went in for another NST today, and baby did great - very strong movement and heartbeat! Hooray! We bought ourselves another few days. My next appointment is scheduled for Monday morning. If baby doesn't come over the weekend, I will have my regular appointment with NST, followed by a trip downtown for an ultrasound to check fluid levels, placenta, etc.
After that, things start to get down to the wire. Though, I know a few people who've gone beyond, 42 weeks is pretty widely (though NOT completely!) accepted as the end of pregnancy. Since I've chosen to have a hospital birth with an OB, I guess I've agreed to this (as opposed to a birth center or homebirth - midwives tend to be a bit more flexible with going beyond the 42 weeks). But, I have to say, I NEVER thought that I would have to be even remotely concerned about a pregnancy of mine going too long!
Inductions are really common, and many people opt for them, even before their due date. And most of those have no complications and result in a healthy baby and mom. But, it's just not the experience I want to have. Especially since I've had THREE spontaneous vaginal deliveries! I KNOW my body can do this on its own.
Not only that, and this may sound crazy, but I actually enjoy labor and childbirth. Sure, it's painful, and a little scary. But, it's also exhilarating and empowering, especially when I get to do it the way that I want to. I love my hospital because they are very supportive of allowing women to labor how they want. I've had great experiences there so far. I'm really hoping to have one more great experience.
Even if I end up being induced, hopefully I will have at least given my body enough time to begin the process on its own, and I'll only require the smallest dose of drugs.
And of course, in the end, all I really care about is holding my new baby girl!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
When you have a seven year old brother
So, we have this talking Abby Cadabby doll. Here is an actual conversation that we overheard the other day between Sam and Abby.
Abby: It's fun to learn a new word every day!
Sam: Yeah!
Abby: What word did you learn today?
Sam: Buttcheeks Robot!
Ps. Still pregnant.
Monday, February 23, 2015
We have a winner!
Well, Baby Quattro is the first Franklin baby to officially make it to her due date (and beyond!). I guess, as the youngest, she wanted to make her mark early.
I saw my doctor today, and she had me do another non-stress test, which baby passed with flying colors. Then, I headed to the hospital for an ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid, check the placenta and umbilical cord, and observe baby's movement. Everything looked absolutely perfect!
And now, back to waiting. If she's still not here by Thursday, I'll go back in for another NST. And if she's still not here by the end of next weekend, I'll see my OB again on Monday for a check up and another NST.
I'm not really in a rush, though I am excited to meet her (and have room for my insides again!). But, I'm terrified of the possibility of having to be induced. So, cross your fingers and toes, and anything else you can, that my body kicks things into gear soon!
Here are some photos Jeff took of me on Sunday, at exactly 40 weeks. After all, this is a pretty momentous milestone! And yes, it's been as beautiful outside as it looks, with sunny weather in the mid-upper 50's. (Sorry, friends and family on the east coast and midwest!)
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
The Waiting Game
I have a love-hate relationship with the very end of my pregnancies. I love my pregnant belly. I love feeling the baby kick and wiggle. I love that she's so easy to care for right now - no middle of the night breastfeeding or changing poopy diapers. And, mostly, I love the way I feel. However, it is becoming a bit crowded in there. Important internal organs are smooshed beyond recognition, and often, beyond function. I'm looking forward to being able to climb a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm going to pass out at the end. And OH! to eat a full meal again without suffering from terrible, terrible reflux. And seriously, I cannot wait to take a full sized pee again! Though, this issue is infinitely better than last time around, now that I have my own bathroom and no longer have to trek downstairs in the middle of the night.
And then there's the waiting. It's exciting - wondering when it will happen, what the labor will be like, and how fast things will progress. It's also nerve racking. Will I be able to get a hold of Jeff? Will someone be available to take care of the big kids? Will I make it to the hospital in time??
I had my weekly OB check up today, at 39 weeks 2 days. There's really not much to report. Everything looked perfect! My doctor wants me to come in twice a week for non-stress tests for the remainder of the pregnancy. She didn't have me do one today since I just had one done at the hospital on Saturday:) I have my next regular appointment scheduled for Monday. If I make it, I will be 40 weeks and 1 day, which would be the longest I have ever been pregnant! Just for reference: Marley = 32 weeks, Amelia = 38 weeks 4 days, Samuel = 39 weeks 5 days.
Anyone want to place bets? :)
And then there's the waiting. It's exciting - wondering when it will happen, what the labor will be like, and how fast things will progress. It's also nerve racking. Will I be able to get a hold of Jeff? Will someone be available to take care of the big kids? Will I make it to the hospital in time??
I had my weekly OB check up today, at 39 weeks 2 days. There's really not much to report. Everything looked perfect! My doctor wants me to come in twice a week for non-stress tests for the remainder of the pregnancy. She didn't have me do one today since I just had one done at the hospital on Saturday:) I have my next regular appointment scheduled for Monday. If I make it, I will be 40 weeks and 1 day, which would be the longest I have ever been pregnant! Just for reference: Marley = 32 weeks, Amelia = 38 weeks 4 days, Samuel = 39 weeks 5 days.
Anyone want to place bets? :)
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Happy birthday to me
I'm so glad I wrote that wonderful post about my kids when I did, because their behavior yesterday and today really tested my mommy-patience. I'd have a hard time thinking of anything endearing to say about them today. The last 24 hours have been pretty much non-stop fighting, yelling, whining, and tantrums - and that was just me! Seriously though, I haven't been this exasperated with my children in a long time.
And the award for worst behavior goes to Baby Quattro. She decided to sleep in late today, and not respond to any of my normal tricks of getting her to move around. It was concerning enough for me to call the on-call OB for advice. As I suspected he would, he told me to come in so they could check things out.
My friend, Nancy, rushed over to stay with the kids so Jeff and I could head to the hospital. (Thank you, Nancy!) After over an hour of monitoring, they determined that baby's heart rate and movement were totally fine.
I have to admit that it was nice, at least at first, to have some peace and quiet away from home. But, at the same time, it was kind of depressing to be in L&D and not actually be in labor. Especially knowing that any day now we'll be back for the real deal!
And the award for worst behavior goes to Baby Quattro. She decided to sleep in late today, and not respond to any of my normal tricks of getting her to move around. It was concerning enough for me to call the on-call OB for advice. As I suspected he would, he told me to come in so they could check things out.
My friend, Nancy, rushed over to stay with the kids so Jeff and I could head to the hospital. (Thank you, Nancy!) After over an hour of monitoring, they determined that baby's heart rate and movement were totally fine.
I have to admit that it was nice, at least at first, to have some peace and quiet away from home. But, at the same time, it was kind of depressing to be in L&D and not actually be in labor. Especially knowing that any day now we'll be back for the real deal!
I guess I won't be having a Valentine-Birthday baby, so instead, here's an Amelia quote from way back in the summer after I braided her hair one day.
Amelia: Dad, do you know how to braid?
Jeff: Nope.
Amelia: That's okay, maybe you will learn when you're mom's age.
This is so fitting because Jeff's birthday is exactly one week after mine, so it always feels like I'm older for just one week of the year. He loves to give me a hard time about it, too. So, now I'm kind of hoping baby waits until next week to make her appearance so we can be the same age:)
Amelia: Dad, do you know how to braid?
Jeff: Nope.
Amelia: That's okay, maybe you will learn when you're mom's age.
This is so fitting because Jeff's birthday is exactly one week after mine, so it always feels like I'm older for just one week of the year. He loves to give me a hard time about it, too. So, now I'm kind of hoping baby waits until next week to make her appearance so we can be the same age:)
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
The Fantastic Three
Recently, Jeff noticed a sign hanging in the basement that read, "Property of the Awesome 2". Later, after inquiry about Samuel's inclusion, the sign was replaced with one reading, "Property of the Fantastic 3".
I just love watching these kids together. They don't get along all the time, of course. I wish I could fast forward through the first and last 30 minutes of each day, for example, and maybe the time immediately after school. But, other than those times when the kids are overly tired, hungry, and cranky, they get along amazingly well.
Most days, Sam is the first one up. Every morning he asks, "Where's Mah-wee and My-yah?" On occasion, he even wakes up crying, "I WANT MAH-WEE AND MY-YAH!" I let him climb into bed with me, and we wait until it's time to wake them up for school. Or, if it's the weekend, we wait to hear the sound of them emerging from their room. Then Sam bolts out of bed to greet them with hugs, kisses, and "Let's Play!"
One of the most endearing things is hearing Sam ask, "Who I being?" He knows Marley and Amelia always have some game of pretend going on. He generally doesn't care what the game is, as long as he can be included. And his big siblings almost always oblige. Marley and Amelia are playing Harry and Hermione? Sam can be Ron. Mario and Princess Peach? Sam is Toad. Luke and Leia? He gets to be Yoda. His roles aren't always glamorous. Sometimes he's their child, sometimes their pet. He never seems to mind, though.
I really love that they each have a special kind of relationship with each other. Marley and Amelia are constantly creating elaborate fantasy stories that they act out together. They choose to continue sharing a room, even though they no longer have to. In fact, much of the time, they prefer to sleep in the same bed. We've had to limit the bed-sharing to weekends only, though, because they stay up so late talking and playing.
Amelia and Sam are just as close. All morning, while Marley is at school, they dress up, play with dollies, do puzzles, and read books together. Amelia is a natural care-giver, so there are very few conflicts when it's just the two of them.
And, though there are nearly five years between Marley and Samuel, even they share a unique bond. It's a very stereotypically "brotherly" bond, but a strong bond all the same. They fight with swords and light sabers, they race cars, and build battle ships. While Amelia has shown pretty much zero interest in the video games Marley plays (Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Wars Lego), Sam wants to sit right next to Marley, holding his own controller, and "play", too!
They're even cute when they're misbehaving - especially when they are doing it together. Once Marley and Amelia decided that they wanted to see what would happen if they squirted toothpaste on their hair. All three kids locked themselves in the bathroom, but when it came down to it, the older kids decided that they didn't really want to have toothpaste in their hair. In the end, Sam stood obediently on the bathroom stool while his siblings squeezed the contents of a tube of toothpaste onto his head.
When nothing particularly exciting happened, they began trying to wipe it off with a damp washcloth. Realizing that it wasn't working, they tried to get Samuel to stick his head into the sink so that they could rinse it out. It was at this point that he finally protested. Not knowing what to do next, they came to me for help. I stuck Sam in the shower and charged the big kids for the wasted toothpaste:)
Another time, Samuel showed up with a big black "X" on the back of his shirt. When I asked how that happened, Marley informed me that Sam had done it to himself. He must have realized how improbable this was, because a while later Amelia presented me with a note. It read, "Dear Mom, I actually drew the "X" on Sam's back. From Amelia". I asked Amelia if she knew what the note said, and she replied, "No", and that Marley had written it and told her to deliver it to me (which was obvious since she doesn't really know how to write yet).
I turned the paper over and wrote him a note of my own. It read, "Dear Marley, I know that you wrote on Sam's shirt, and I still love you. Don't worry, the marker is washable and you can help me clean it later." Amelia delivered it, and Marley came up to admit that, yes, it was him all along:)
As I sit here 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant, waiting for our newest addition to arrive, I can't help wondering how she will change our family dynamic. My sister-in-law, Alicia, made a comment on Instagram* about me being creative with the big kids in these final weeks before baby. She's absolutely right! Nesting for me this time around has been a crafting, baking frenzy! I hope the big kids will remember all the fun projects we've done over the last few weeks next month, while I'm busy nursing, changing, and rocking the new baby. In the meantime, at least I know they have each other.
*If you aren't following me on Instagram, you should be!
I just love watching these kids together. They don't get along all the time, of course. I wish I could fast forward through the first and last 30 minutes of each day, for example, and maybe the time immediately after school. But, other than those times when the kids are overly tired, hungry, and cranky, they get along amazingly well.
Most days, Sam is the first one up. Every morning he asks, "Where's Mah-wee and My-yah?" On occasion, he even wakes up crying, "I WANT MAH-WEE AND MY-YAH!" I let him climb into bed with me, and we wait until it's time to wake them up for school. Or, if it's the weekend, we wait to hear the sound of them emerging from their room. Then Sam bolts out of bed to greet them with hugs, kisses, and "Let's Play!"
One of the most endearing things is hearing Sam ask, "Who I being?" He knows Marley and Amelia always have some game of pretend going on. He generally doesn't care what the game is, as long as he can be included. And his big siblings almost always oblige. Marley and Amelia are playing Harry and Hermione? Sam can be Ron. Mario and Princess Peach? Sam is Toad. Luke and Leia? He gets to be Yoda. His roles aren't always glamorous. Sometimes he's their child, sometimes their pet. He never seems to mind, though.
I really love that they each have a special kind of relationship with each other. Marley and Amelia are constantly creating elaborate fantasy stories that they act out together. They choose to continue sharing a room, even though they no longer have to. In fact, much of the time, they prefer to sleep in the same bed. We've had to limit the bed-sharing to weekends only, though, because they stay up so late talking and playing.
Amelia and Sam are just as close. All morning, while Marley is at school, they dress up, play with dollies, do puzzles, and read books together. Amelia is a natural care-giver, so there are very few conflicts when it's just the two of them.
And, though there are nearly five years between Marley and Samuel, even they share a unique bond. It's a very stereotypically "brotherly" bond, but a strong bond all the same. They fight with swords and light sabers, they race cars, and build battle ships. While Amelia has shown pretty much zero interest in the video games Marley plays (Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Wars Lego), Sam wants to sit right next to Marley, holding his own controller, and "play", too!
They're even cute when they're misbehaving - especially when they are doing it together. Once Marley and Amelia decided that they wanted to see what would happen if they squirted toothpaste on their hair. All three kids locked themselves in the bathroom, but when it came down to it, the older kids decided that they didn't really want to have toothpaste in their hair. In the end, Sam stood obediently on the bathroom stool while his siblings squeezed the contents of a tube of toothpaste onto his head.
When nothing particularly exciting happened, they began trying to wipe it off with a damp washcloth. Realizing that it wasn't working, they tried to get Samuel to stick his head into the sink so that they could rinse it out. It was at this point that he finally protested. Not knowing what to do next, they came to me for help. I stuck Sam in the shower and charged the big kids for the wasted toothpaste:)
Another time, Samuel showed up with a big black "X" on the back of his shirt. When I asked how that happened, Marley informed me that Sam had done it to himself. He must have realized how improbable this was, because a while later Amelia presented me with a note. It read, "Dear Mom, I actually drew the "X" on Sam's back. From Amelia". I asked Amelia if she knew what the note said, and she replied, "No", and that Marley had written it and told her to deliver it to me (which was obvious since she doesn't really know how to write yet).
I turned the paper over and wrote him a note of my own. It read, "Dear Marley, I know that you wrote on Sam's shirt, and I still love you. Don't worry, the marker is washable and you can help me clean it later." Amelia delivered it, and Marley came up to admit that, yes, it was him all along:)
As I sit here 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant, waiting for our newest addition to arrive, I can't help wondering how she will change our family dynamic. My sister-in-law, Alicia, made a comment on Instagram* about me being creative with the big kids in these final weeks before baby. She's absolutely right! Nesting for me this time around has been a crafting, baking frenzy! I hope the big kids will remember all the fun projects we've done over the last few weeks next month, while I'm busy nursing, changing, and rocking the new baby. In the meantime, at least I know they have each other.
*If you aren't following me on Instagram, you should be!
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Hi Blog! I've missed you!
Yes, life has been busy. And crazy. And really busy. And super crazy. But, this nonsense has gone on too long! I need to get back in the habit of updating my blog. Recently, I was trying to remember when something happened, so I "looked it up" on the blog. After I found what I was looking for, I got caught up in reading some of the vignettes that I'd written in the past. I realized how much I missed having this place to keep track of our lives. And also how sad it would be to no longer have this to go back to. So, here I am!
Let's begin at the beginning, shall we? I'll try to just hit the highlights, but seriously A LOT has happened. Back in May, we moved! We had been casually looking since Sam was born. We knew we were outgrowing our house, but we LOVED our neighborhood so much. Really, we loved our house, too. It was not an easy decision. Home prices were up, and there wasn't a lot of inventory out there. We looked for a long time without really seeing anything that got us excited. Finally, this house came along, and we jumped on it. We looked at it the first day it was on the market and put our offer in the next day. The sellers accepted our offer right away. We spent the next month suffering from terrible buyers' remorse. Then, we moved in, sold our beloved old house, and had the most relaxing and enjoyable summer in our new home! This has turned out to be the PERFECT house for us!
These pictures are from several months ago, so things look a bit different now, and are only from the main floor. If I'm ever able to get the rest of the house clean, I'll post those pictures, too.
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| Sitting room/library |
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| Another angle of the library |
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| Front room - That's the front door on the left |
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| View from the front door - there's the eating area |
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| Eating nook, kitchen, and french doors to the back yard |
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| View of kitchen from eating nook |
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| Main floor bathroom |
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| Main floor bedroom - currently a guest room |
We thought the new house would be the biggest news of the year, but mid-summer we got another big surprise. We found out we were expecting baby number four!
This pregnancy has just flown by - I'm already in week 37. One of my goals was to announce the pregnancy on the blog BEFORE baby's arrival:)
Things have gone pretty smoothly so far. I finished the last of my progesterone injections last week, which I have been administering myself (ouch!). I was really sick with bronchitis all throughout January, but am finally feeling better!
Unfortunately Jeff, who has been sick since the beginning of December, is still feeling pretty cruddy. He had a terrible case of bronchitis, followed by a sinus infection, and now a sore throat (which is hopefully NOT strep). I think he's taken more sick days for himself in the last two months than he has in all the years he's worked for the UW. Bad timing since we'd like him to use those for his paternity leave. But, oh well, at this point we're just hoping he's feeling better before baby's arrival!
And the big kids? I'm working on another post to update on them. But, they are loving the new house, and are SO very excited to have a new baby sister. Well, Marley and Amelia are - Samuel doesn't really know what he's in for yet:)
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