Shotguns and Four-Year-Olds

What? You don't let your preschooler play hunting games? Well, I used to be a really good parent. No violent games, no pacifiers, always dressed in clean clothes, never eating cookies for breakfast. I could do it all. That was, of course, before I actually HAD kids. My, oh my, how things change. So here's the latest example. Ryan sweet talked me into buying this crazy video game that plugs into the TV called "Deer Huntin' 3". I think he loves it almost as much as me and maybe, just maybe, as much as chocolate milk. It has this shotgun that you have to pump and pull the trigger, after you take the safety off naturally, to shoot deer, bears, and elk. Here's the kicker...he's really good! Once he got his dad to give him a turn *grin* he started blasting everything away in sight. He's convinced he's a real hunter now and even has big plans on bagging a deer with Daddy this year, so when he asked to call Granddad the other night, I figured he wanted to tell him about how many he shot. Instead, here's the one-sided version of the conversation I heard:

Ryan--"Hi Granddad!"

pause

Ryan--"Did you buy me a gun for Christmas yet?"

pause

Ryan--"Yeah, a GUN."

pause

Ryan--"OK, bye!"

I don't know what Bob actually told him. This might be the most exciting Christmas we've ever had in this family!!!

Update and New Baby Pictures

So here's the scoop...I had a good checkup with the OB. Positives: blood pressure was great, no protein in my urine, cervix is completely closed. Negatives: belly measures 31 weeks, should be 32, I feel yucky, and I'm having atypical signs of preeclampsia. Good times, right? She agreed with the bedrest plans that the perinatologist put in place. She said as long as baby is happy (heart rate normal, growth "acceptable", moving enough) then he/she stays put. She was pleased that baby's estimated weight was 3lbs 15 ozs on Tuesday. So we'll just have to really stick with the plans as they are (boring!) and see what Monday's sonogram shows. It's crazy...all of this waiting, me somehow hanging on to finding out the sex...sounds like I'm really patient doesn't it? The truth is I'm probably one of the least patient, most "need-to-know" persons I know. Patience...it is certainly not my finest virtue. I guess it's a growing experience. I do feel scared and nervous, I want this to all be over...I just really need to know that my baby will be okay. I can hardly stand the unknown. The tears well up just thinking about it all. SO, for now it's deep breaths and one day at a time. That's the best I can do, right?

In case you were wondering about the new baby pictures...no, they aren't from today's appointment. No, they aren't from Tuesday's appointment. They aren't of the baby inside me at all. They are of our other new little bundle of love. About four weeks ago, before we knew any of this "low fluid" business was brewing, we bought a PUPPY! She is a beautiful lab from a breeder in Tennessee and she's still with her mommy. We'll be, um, actually John will be going to the airport to meet her and bring her home on the 22nd of this month. We kind of figured we'd do this like a band-aid and just rip it off. New puppy and new baby at the same time...sorta like having twins. Well, now that I'm down and out it will all prove to be a little more challenging than originally planned. Oh well, at least is will give the boys a new distraction besides asking why I can't play chase or race car driver. So without further delay, here is our new little girl...

Day One...Check!

Well, I survived my first day of partial bedrest. Can you get a bedsore in less than 6 hours? Good grief, my hips and butt are already killing me from not moving around enough. They get stiff and when I do get up to walk, I sorta have that "old dog" saunter...and it takes me about 15 minutes to go 15 feet away. Oh well. I even slept pretty well last night. I have an OB appointment this morning so I'll update you later on what she says. I have some really funny pictures of the boys with their newest toy AND some other news that will confirm any doubts that you might have had...WE ARE CRAZY!

Check back soon...well, after 2pm EST...

Not Good News...

Ugh, so much for my fluid level improving with some extra fluids and rest. At my appointment yesterday, not only was it lower than two weeks ago but it's low enough that now I've been put on partial bedrest. YUCK! From 1pm until bedtime I have to be off of my feet. So, we'll go back Monday afternoon for another gander after 6 days of torture, er, um...resting. The plan is that if it is stable or has improved then I'll be on this partial bedrest for the duration of the pregnancy. If it is lower but not critical, I'll be put on complete bedrest. Argh! If it goes down after that, the perinatologist said he'll put me in the hospital until delivery to monitor the baby. When the fluid gets too low, the baby can begin to suffer from small growth and go into distress pretty quickly. I was so shocked/scared/upset when he told me all of this yesterday I completely forgot to ask WHY he thinks this may be happening. He did tell me that my placenta looks fine now, which I guess is a common culprit if it starts to poop out.

SO, for now, I'm very lucky to have such great friends and family that have already stepped up to help out with Ryan and Tanner. Friends here are taking the boys after school for the rest of the week and not bringing them home until 6:30 (when John will be home) and my awesome mother-in-law is coming in Sunday and staying all week to play, feed, and drive the kids around where they need to go. That will give me a chance to get a steady game plan together for the rest of the pregnancy based on what we learn on Monday's appointment. Everyone one here wants to help and I'm so grateful! Between helping keep the boy's lives semi-normal to bringing food, I know we'll get through these next few weeks just fine. I'm doing my best to have faith, trust God, and stay calm!

Here are a few pictures of my sweet boys! They are such a delight! I'll keep you posted on how things are developing!

Comedy Break

Ryan--"knock, knock!"

Me--"who's there?"

Ryan--"Peanut Head."

Me--"Peanut Head who?"

Ryan--"Peanut Head with a diaper rash at the rodeo!!!"

Ryan and Tanner--uncontrollable laughter accompanied by rolling around on the floor.

Me--I don't get it, but I do love it!!!

Perinatologist Update

I saw Dr. Korotkin this morning and the baby looks fine. My amniotic fluid has gotten low since my last appointment two weeks ago. He is (fairly) certain that it is related to me just getting over the respiratory infection and told me to rest as much as possible (ha!) and drink an obscene amount of water. He'll see me again in two weeks. He assured me that there is nothing to get alarmed about now but we will watch it closely. He anticipates it will be normal at the next appointment. I have an OB appt this Friday so we'll see what she has to say. Here are the stats from this morning:

baby measures-- 30 weeks 1 day
baby's estimated weight--3 lbs 4 ozs
blood pressure-- 110/78
my weight--159 (35 pounds gained, yikes!)

I am feeling rather big these days. I haven't gained as much weight as I had with Ryan at this point but I've gained the same amount that I did in total with Tanner. What are you gonna do? I find myself gazing at women who are in shape. They probably think I have a girl crush or something. Maybe I do in a way...I'm looking forward to having my body back but trying to enjoy this pregnancy, as much as that's possible for me. Have you seen the video for Saving Abel's song "Addicted"? I really like that song but I like the girl in it even better! I want to look like that again! (warning**the song and video are racey...please don't watch it if you are easily embarassed or if you are my mother-in-law!)

I sure love my kids but, man oh man, I don't love being pregnant!

I made these pictures today. Sorry for the hat...my doctor's appointment was at 8am and I had to take both of the boys with me (John had an early meeting). We all looked a bit weary but we were on time! My hands are officially "that swollen" and I can't get my wedding rings on anymore. The pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel is in full force and my hands and wrists are either tingling or completely numb all of the time now.

I guess I could have waited until that water spot on my shirt had dried to make the picture. Oh well!

Decorations Galore

Have I ever mentioned my obsession with holiday decorations? It's pretty extensive. I had a lot all by myself, then I had more when we moved to Paris with none (had to fix that!), then moved to NYC with none (I did have a enough storage!), and then I inherited all of my mother's decorations (where do you think I got this gene?). So, add all of that up and you have one really decorated house. The kids love it. My friends here like it...their kids can enjoy it and they don't have to put it all out or put any of it away. All together, I have 8 large storage boxes full of Halloween stuff. Only 2 for Thanksgiving. I honestly went to the basement to try to count the Christmas boxes...I can only see 12 but there are more behind them. We may or may not see much of that stuff this year. I'm not sure if it will get put away before Spring Break since the baby will be born the week of Christmas. I think John wants to have a party, so I may have to get it out...couldn't dream of having people over and not have the house all done up!

Happy Halloween

Random Stuff

I'm slowly learning how to use our new Nikon D60. It is quite an upgrade from the point and shoot we've been using. White balance, aperature, shutter speed...it's like a new language. Here are a few attempts at using some tricks. I know...not very impressive. This should serve as a good baseline for my skills now. I have lots of ideas for pics to make but the battery is dead and I have no idea where the charger is. John is still in San Diego and he can't remember where it is either. So, no new pics until he gets home tomorrow night. I promise to make a baby belly picture and post it soon, so please quit harassing me (you know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourselves!). I'm going to a Mom's Night Out with some friends tonight. Surprise, I'm the designated driver! Fine by me...we'll have a good time. Well, I'm off to rest with Ryan for a bit. Happy Thursday everyone!

Tag Along

I saw this over at Brittany's blog and decided to play along, too! Thanks for the invite!
The rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 7 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag.

Here are 7 things you (probably) don't know about me:

1. I love candles and almost always have one lit anytime I'm home.
2. I love Jo Malone perfumes and skin care stuff. If you aren't familiar with them...they ROCK!
3. I really don't like ceiling fans. No real explanation, they just bug me.
4. Any snake, no matter how big or small, sends me running for the hills screaming at the top of my lungs.
5. I have worked out about 4 times this entire pregnancy...so not like me! I will have a lot to do after the baby is born!
6. I still think of my mom and miss her everyday, even though she's been gone for three and a half years.
7. I'm SO glad that this is the last presidential debate on TV tonight! Good grief, I'm sick of these two going on, and on, and on! Earmarks, scalpel vs. hatchet, Iraq vs. Afghanastan...who is this Joe the Plumber!? I'm going to watch the Food Network!

I tag anyone who reads this and wants to play along! Leave a comment and I'll visit your blog to read yours!

Wordless Wednesday

n

Tidbits From Tuesday...

Just because it feels good to blog again, I thought I would share one of today's more memorable statements! As always, it was funny...at least to me. If you haven't checked in for a while, I posted yesterday with some other pics of the boys. Enjoy!

After emptying two Target bags out onto the floor, Ryan asks "what is all of this?". I reply "it's baby girl clothes and blankets in case the new baby is a girl, so she'll have something to wear". Ryan begins opening one of the boxes so I stopped him. He asked why he couldn't open it. I said "what if the new baby is a boy and we don't need pink blankets and gowns?". After a brief pause, Ryan flatly says "I guess we'll just have to wait until it hatches".

Speaking of hatching, my c-section is scheduled for December 22nd at noon. Hopefully this little one will stay put until then...unlike his older brother Tanner who created excitement by showing up four weeks early.

Have a nice evening!

Bad, Bad Blogger!

Let's see...can I still type? Seemingly so. Can I be witty and entertaining? TBD. Are my kids still adorable and perfect? Oh my, my, my...YES!

I've had the worst respiratory infection for almost a month now. Looks like I'm on the road to recovery. Of all things, I've had Pertussis. That's right...whooping cough. Obviously my titer is low and somehow I got it. I've finished up my latest round of antibiotics and have a few more days to quit coughing before my OB puts my on steroids. Gee, I guess I haven't gained ENOUGH weight already, so what the hay, right? The perinatologist says the baby is fine. It actually gets upset when I have a huge coughing fit and it kicks the #$%^! out of me. I'm pretty sure we are both sick of it and want it to stop NOW!


Ryan is loving pre-K and baseball! He's doing well in both. What can I say? He is too much for words.


Tanner turned two this past Sunday. *sniff, sniff* He's a tenacious little man who loves to eat and give hugs to me, John, and Ryan. He likes his class at school but would rather be at the park eating dirt. Yes, he eats dirt. And I let him. What do you want me to do? He'll quit one of these days...I hope.


I promise to fill you in on some of our funnier events in the recent past. We have a bunch coming up, too...so thanks for checking in and I hope you come back soon!



xoxo,
kel

Why, Oh Why?

Here is the question:

Why is it that after a full day, no nap, clean pj's, books, new diaper, and full belly from dinner is Tanner still awake in his bed S.C.R.E.A.M.I.N.G. bloody murder? This kid is developing a penchant for nightlife after the rock solid 8:00pm bedtime he and his brother have always known. I must admit I'm stumped. He's been doing this at bedtime for a week or so now. John and I have been letting him get back up and play for another 30 minutes or so and I'm going to bet that we've helped create the monster that is going bonkers down the hall right now. Well, school starts Monday and this has to stop, so I guess it's time to break out the tough love and let him cry it out. Sounds like he's thrown his pacifier across the room from the volume of his protests now, so maybe I'll go peek. Maybe I'll just finish this post and by then he'll be asleep.



Ryan has been on a roll lately with the comedy. Tonight as we were coming upstairs to go to bed I casually mentioned that my legs hurt and that I was tired. Ryan, ahead of me on the stairs, flatly replys, without even turning around to look at me, "speak for yourself". Um, can I see some ID because the last time I checked, you were only 4 years old? He's tired tonight but quite happy to hit the hay because John left for his annual fishing trip to Alaska this morning and Ryan gets to fill in the empty place on Daddy's side of our bed. He's sound asleep over there despite the Olympics on TV and his brother's continued rampage. Wish I could sleep like that. Perhaps if I had run around all day long, almost nonstop except for the time I was firmly strapped into my carseat, I would be feeling too pooped to participate also. All day long Ryan had this monotone, robot voice that he insisted on speaking to me with. Me-"would you like some milk?".
Ryan-"Yes.Please.May.I.Have.Some.Milk.And.Also.Some.Space.Cheese.Or.Maybe.A.Cookie."
Me-"What are you doing with my purse?". Ryan-"This.Is.Not.A.Purse.This.Is.My.Space.Control.Ship.And.I'm.Leaving.This.Planet.And.Going.Somewhere.That.Has.Cookies."
Me-"Did you wash your hands after you went potty?". Ryan-"I.Don't.Have.Hands.I.Have.Tentacles.And.Yes.I.Washed.Them."

I'm sure you're getting the idea. Hopefully I'll have Ryan back tomorrow and Robo-Ryan will have stayed on the planet with all of the cookies.



So aside from all of that fun today, the long awaited, much anticipated remodel in John's office and office bathroom began today! Yippee. I made some before pictures earlier but haven't been back in there with the camera since they ripped down all of the paneling, shoe molding, baseboards, and crown molding. They will be back with the electrician in the morning to do something. If he told me what, I don't remember. Just let me know when I can decorate! That's what I really care about. I'll post some pictures tomorrow night.

Baby #3 has been busy. Perhaps he or she has been inspired by the likes of Shawn Johnson or Michael Phelps. Whatever the motivation, this kid has some energy to burn! I think there must be a disco ball inside my uterus because it certainly seems like the party is goin' on from about 8pm until 8am. Seriously, I love it. My last peri visit went well. I go to the OB next Monday and back to the peri in 2 weeks. Because I'm old, have hypothyroidism, and high blood pressure, I get to see my baby on the sono screen every four weeks throughout the pregnancy. So far so good.



Well, Tanner has either choked to death on his own tears or he gave up and fell asleep. I'll go check.

Phew. He's asleep. And breathing. And soaking wet with sweat. Poor little dude! Tomorrow I'm taking the boys up to a miniature animal farm/petting zoo for a little field trip. I'm tired of the zoo, aquarium, and our own back yard. Time for a change of scenery. So, with that, I bid you goodnight in the lingual stylings of my oldest, red headed son:

Have.A.Good.Night.And.Check.Back.Soon.For.More.Space.Stories.Before.School.Starts.Monday!!!

Gotta love these crazy kids!!!

Request From a Sweet Family

The family over at My Charming Kids blog needs our thoughts and prayers now. The mom is 24 weeks pregnant with their fourth child and the baby, a little boy they have named Stellan, is in severe heart failure and dysrhythmias. Her doctors seem wonderful and have tried multiple things and run many tests but there is no "easy" answer for why this has happened and the medicines are semi helping the baby but causing major heart problems for the mom. I don't know these people, I only read their blog. They seem like such a happy family and I just feel compelled to help them and ask your help for them. Please include them in your thoughts and prayers as the next 48 hours will be tell tale for them. If things don't turn around by then, there will be nothing more the doctors can do to try to save baby Stellan. Please visit their blog here and remember them as you give thanks for the things you have in life...especially if you have healthy children! Thanks!

Holy Cow, It's HOT!

Well, I just got the bright idea to finish up my outside to-do list this morning while the boys are at camp. I have to pat myself on the back; I got it all done! I hung the boys new swing on the playset (um, that's the one I bought them for Christmas!), filled in dirt on my new shrubs that are seemingly going to live, pulled out the dead snapdragons from the pots on the upper deck, and dragged out the leaf blower and cleaned the deck and furniture out there. Can I just tell you that I am the brightest shade of red I have ever seen! Good thing this isn't a scratch-n-sniff blog. You'd be very unhappy. Oh well. I got it done.

I'm FINALLY feeling free from the nausea and those pregnancy naps that grab you in a head lock and force you to lay down and close your eyes. I've also started feeling the baby move and I LOVE it! One of my favorite things. It's really faint but I'm certain that's what it is. We are cruising past the 18 week mile-marker this week. We go for the "big" sono (20 week) not this coming Monday, but the next. I'll update then. Ryan is super excited to be going to Granny Lin and Granddad's house this Saturday and staying for a week. It will be interesting to see how he and Tanner do apart. They have never really been apart except for a few hours here and there.

We are still learning how to use our new camera, but here are a few amateur shots of the boys being rowdy last Friday night!

We're Back....

but without any pictures to prove it. I never found the camera battery and the one John picked up at Wolf's wouldn't work with the stupid camera. So a whole week of fun, s'mores, and more with no pictures. So sad! The good news is that I have managed to get John excited about getting a new SRL Nikon camera. Yippee! If you know John at all, then you'll know this new toy will require a few more weeks of research, spreadsheets with the different features for the different models, and shopping around at different stores. He is a CPA after all. :) So, hopefully we'll have a great new camera and some adorable new pics of my growing boys up very soon. I'll keep you posted!

We had a great trip to Colorado! The boys LOVED everything about it (except the shower...the water pressure is irregular and Ryan said it was "spitting" on him). We did a lot of fishing, bug collecting, and just hanging out. The boys were so filthy at the end of every day; it was quite a sight. Oh well, my mom always said that when kids are dirty that's the proof they had fun. Well good grief! Mine had more fun than the law allows! We made it home on Monday and the boys started back to their camp yesterday. They are having a blast there. John is working hard and is actually out of town tonight because he has an early morning meeting with a client in Augusta. I'm feeling okay. Still having lots of nausea and fatigue. I thought it was easing up but no dice. Hopefully soon I'll be feeling better. I'm ready!

Hope everyone is doing well! Keep in touch and check back for those pics from the new camera!!! :)