To Do To Do

Days are all full to the max each day with all kinds of things. Feed baby, get breakfast for everyone (usually one armed), eat (with one arm) while holding baby, get school going for both girls, straighten kitchen and maybe squeeze in dishes (at times with one arm) while holding baby, send Keirah on to make her bed and straighten her room as she finishes school first, teach Aliyah's new math concept for the day, followed by Language, and everything else. By the time we get to writing and spelling, I am usually hoping to be able to put Noelliah down for as long as she will allow. If so, then I hurriedly put on make-up and get hair fixed. She may or may not wake up before that is over. Continue by getting Keirah's clothes out and Aliyah's, check on Aliyah's school progress and see if she needs help.

Next, work on other odd items that need done...address birth announcements, change a diaper, feed the baby, dust the furniture, check the mail, work on the checkbook, help with bed-making if Keirah had trouble, if she allows put the baby down to sleep, go put out yard patch and water the patch that has already been put out, write thank-you's, and then realize we are starving. Aliyah will have finished her school work so get them ready and then figure out lunch. Make a trip to the post office to get stamps for those birth announcements, mail them, drop something off, come home.

Realize the afternoon is half-way over and feed the baby again while the girls play and I sit and chill while the baby eats. Next, we go on a walk and make a stop at grandma's house. After visiting awhile, we head home so that we can work on bicycle riding with Aliyah. We haven't been faithful at the bike practice just because it wasn't exactly an activity that worked well with me being pregnant and daddy not home most evenings. So, I am determined now that it will get done. We had 15 minutes before dark to work. I hate that it gets dark so quickly because we always have so much to do that involves outdoors. It was probably like a 3 ring circus now that I think about it. Keirah riding her bike around, while I hold the baby in the sling, and help Aliyah and try to help her realize that she CAN do this. She starts to make great progress and I feel so excited! I'm further determined that we will work on this every night.

Darkness is upon us so it is time to head indoors. Time for Noelliah to eat again and just in time for me to sit and watch Biggest Loser. WOW--watching that show makes me never want to eat anything naughty again. We finish that and move onto the baths for the girls. At this point of the night, Noelliah is very for sure that she wants to be held. I assist the girls as much as possible and make sure they don't forget to wash everything. Brush teeth, get dressed, let me brush your hair...you get the idea. It's almost 9 and that starts the "nightly cry routine". It started around 9:30. She wants to be held constantly and even then still cries. Aliyah wanted to help out so she "babysat" while I took a bath. It was nice to have her sing to Noelliah and talk sweetly to her. After that, it was baby bath time. Okay, with that finished, eating time again for baby. By this point, I am more than ready for daddy to get home and be back up for mom. This is the point of the day that I am exhausted and ready to totally pass out. There are different things that need done each day, but this was my yesterday.

Oh yeah, I'm excited to report that Aliyah is riding her bike. The only thing that needs work is the starting off. I'm so proud of her!! The other thing that is funny lately is Aliyah and her desire to earn $$. We allowed her to pick out something special at a local store after the baby was born. Of all things, she picks out this American Girl book called "A Smart Girl's Guide to Money". Okay, she has been reading it A LOT. She doesn't have anything that she is earning for at this point, just for her piggy bank. I gave her $2 for her "babysitting" last night. Keirah got $2 as well for being a great gopher and getting everything needed. The money was promptly stuffed into both of their banks. Grandma H. said she is going to give Aliyah $2 for learning to ride her bike. She is really enjoying this "earning" money thing. She loves to swiffer, help with dishes, etc...Believe me...I won't have any problem figuring out chores for her to do to earn cash.

Growth Spurt

I think Noelliah is on a growth spurt. She can't seem to get enough to eat even though I feed her seemingly constantly. If she has too much formula, it comes back out. We shall see how much she weighs on Thursday at her doctor appointment.

For now, she is losing some hair =(. I love the soft baby black hair. She still loves to be cuddled and I love to snuggle and cuddle with her. This time is going way too fast! We are busy busy busy. The girls are doing school each and every day and there's that stuff called laundry, dishes, and stuff! There isn't ever enough time when Josh is off to get it all done. The weather is nice and we are walking again and loving it. I carry her while we walk and she sleeps.

People have been so nice bringing us food. The hardest days are the long days where Josh is at work. It is nice to have those meals. I am learning tasks one armed again, but cooking isn't probably a great idea one armed--ha!

The oldest sister has been helpful in holding her while if I need to get something done quickly. Keirah is helpful when it comes to tasks around the house like putting groceries away, organizing, getting diapers, and getting laundry from the dryer and putting laundry away.

Each day, I am struck at how blessed we are with these gorgeous and wonderful gifts from God! I love my husband and I love our girls!! So thankful for all of them!!!

2 weeks!

It's hardto believe that Noelliah is 2 weeks today. Where is the time going? Yesterday, my neighbor came over and took some pictures. They turned out cute. Her dimples even showed in one of them =). We love her so much!
Oh yeah, this is my 400th post! Insignificant, but I noticed when I logged in.

It cooled off today and rained. We spent a family night at home watching a movie and just being all together.

We are excited because our church has its first service in the new facility. We outgrew the previous building and parking was very crowded (if you could get a spot). So, tomorrow is our first time to church as a family of five and it should be a wonderful service! The girls have been asking why we haven't gone.

Well, we need to get to sleep!

Happy 2 weeks baby girl!

Tired-Like

So, I'm pretty tired. It seems that Noelliah may have a touch of colic. She cries at the same time each night and is hard to console. It starts after 9ish and continues for an hour or two (although I couldn't tell you how long actually). Our nights are sometimes decent and sometimes not as in the sleep dept. Last night was a not-so-decent. Of course, there aren't naps but I love being able to love on her and hold her. She likes...OR LOVES being held a LOT! That's fine too. I am learning how to do house stuff one handed again.

Funny thing is...she sleeps best when we take off in the car and go somewhere OR if I put her in the sling.

Anyway, I could use a good 30 min. nap but daddy is at work so that's not happening today or tomorrow. I think we will go for a walk soon. Maybe that will help give me energy.

Chaney gets his claws removed tomorrow morning. He has an overnight stay with the vet. We did not tell Aliyah choosing rather to let her realize he is gone. She had a lot of reasons she didn't want him declawed when we mentioned it before baby was born. At this point though, it needs done. He likes to hang on the door on the porch so he can see us and we don't need anymore screens ruined if the window is down. He is having issue with playing the 6th fiddle since baby is here.

Looking forward to a chance nap...maybe if I'm lucky =).

Blessed & Overwhelmed by it

Today was something else...in a good way. First and foremost, grandma went to the oncologist about her PET scan. The results were all good. She only has to go bi-annually unless she starts feeling differently. That in itself made a great day. We were supposed to stay away from grandma's due to the radiation from the PET scan. Pregnant women/infants aren't supposed to be around them for a couple of days. We got to visit her today and she is now walking with a cane and very well. She got to hold Noelliah much to her delight.

People both family and friends have been so kind and sweet. They are overwhelming us with generosity and acts of kindness. Sweet surprises have come in packages for the girls. Today was like Christmas for them. They have been busy for hours just playing. A friend from church came over today to bring a meal. Not only did she bring a meal for tonight, but she brought soup for me to eat for lunches as well as fruit and all kinds of other great stuff and a cute outfit for the baby.

We had a near disaster with Ping & Pong tonight. Aliyah was sobbing because her frog container was knocked over with no water. Chaney had been in her room unattended. We figured he had eaten them for a snack. Upon closer examination (after major tears and sobbing), Josh discovered two (living) frogs under the rocks. Aliyah had run outside and was down on the ground where Tufsey is buried sobbing about pets. Who knows how many neighbors heard that. She was so relieved and happy that they were alive. Oddly enough, Chaney is scheduled for declawing on Thursday and we had done that before this happened. If I haven't mentioned it before, she is animal CRAZY!

I hope these people know how blessed and appreciative we are for their kindness. It overwhelms me and makes me teary.

Brevity

I've posted before about cherishing those we love, and that very thought hit again today.

Josh called to say that one of his former co-workers passed away from cancer last night. Josh worked with both her and her husband. Her husband was his boss for several years. They got married the same year we did, had their first child the same year we did etc...

We saw them just two weeks ago today and she had started treatments again and was very tired. She had been cancer free for several months, had a clean scan in May and then in July was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer because it had spread to her liver.

She is in a better place in a cancer free, pain free heaven, but I can't help but hurt for her children and her husband.

Cherish those you love and enjoy each and every moment that you can! Life is too short to focus on the negative! Give your children and your spouse some love today!

updating needed!

WOW! I need to update pictures and info on here! Since I downloaded a ton of pics yesterday, maybe I can update this today between feeding, cuddling, and schooling. At least I can check off birth announcements and Shutterfly book off my to do list!

September Changes

The girls have been wanting to go on a walk and are wondering why it has been so long. In reality, it has only been like 9 days or so, but in childhood, that equals forever. With Josh working all weekend, the days have become quite long and lonesome at times. I couldn't wait to get back to our nightly walks to be honest so today, I decided it would be time.

I put Noelliah in the sling as she is sure to sleep there. We started the familiar route albeit a little slower than usual. As we walked, I couldn't help but notice all of the changes in the 9 short days it had been since we last walked. Trees are beginning to change, leaves are now dotting the ground, the locust hum has silenced and turned into the pleasant cricket sound, the air is different, and it was even quieter than usual.

Not only have things changed outside, but in our family as well. The last time we walked, I was wondering when Noelliah would join our family. I think it was a bit hotter and more dry. Now, we walk along the 4 of us girls. Well, Noelliah rides the rest of us walk. Last Sunday, we had just gotten out of the hospital. Now, we have been home for one week as a family of five. We finished the walk at a shorter point than usual only because I am sure I shouldn't have been vacuuming today. It was nice to go again and breathe the fresh air. Oh yeah, something else that has changed...it is getting dark so much earlier now and I am not a fan of that!

9/18/10

Noelliah is one week old today!! What have we been up to?? Cuddling, kissing, feeding, loving, listening, watching, holding, snuggling our little girl! She is soo tiny even though pictures may lead you to believe otherwise. She's a little sweet doll baby!

It is hard to believe we have 3 little girls now, but we absolutely love it! Aliyah and Keirah are big helpers. Today, I took the age old advice to sleep when baby sleeps and it was a nice nap. Aliyah and Keirah retreated to their closet to play their little games with their animals and dolls and whatever other treasures are there. I love that they will do that and be entertained for literally hours.

We attempted to visit the Pumpkin Festival parade today, however they cancelled the parade due to rain/lightning. Baby was all snuggled up in her sling and warm as ever. She slept the whole time.

Aside from keeping up with laundry and dishes and housecleaning, I am working or trying to work my brain to come up with something creative in the way of taking Noelliah's pictures for birth announcements. Yeah, we are still in the "working on" phase. I did take some pictures today and I remembered to share her hospital pic link finally... http://www.our365.com/newbornportraits/babydetail.aspx?birthid=32d9270e-5604-4538-b6a1-c3cae474382f&babyid=affff2c5-f972-4fc3-a8c8-069297686ecf

Go visit it!
It is weird now, because I don't really have people's email addresses anymore since anytime you need to connect with someone, you can pretty much text them or send a message on Facebook. I thought about it and I probably only know less than 5 email addresses of people.

I have also kept busy with the girl's homeschooling. We haven't missed any days yet! I'm glad for a day off today!

In case I didn't share, Noelliah has two dimples which we have seen as she smiles in her sleep. Aliyah also has 2 and Keirah has one. Noelliah has rolled over from front to back probably 3 times and she is pretty strong at holding her head up or pushing herself back from you if she is up against your chest. All I can say is that the girls prayed for a baby sister that was healthy and strong and their prayers were answered.

Well, I need to tidy up a few things, figure out something to eat, and throw in a load of laundry...while she sleeps. We are in babymooning land here and not wanting to miss a second of these newborn days!!

Last Week

...at this time, we were on our way to the hospital with me hoping I wouldn't get sent home and that we would make it in time. Where does the time go? That means that baby girl is one week old...slow down!! Everything has just flown by! We are sleepy, but it is totally worth the sacrifice of sleep. We love her so much. She's a sweetie and a cuddler!

She's Here...the adventure begins!

Well, it turns out...that feeling I had was right. We went to dinner that evening at Chili's and I figured I would make it another day or so. We came home and jumped into some things that needed finished...dishes, laundry, vacuuming, Aliyah's schoolwork. I took a break and talked on the phone still feeling like it would be a day or so away. I got up to get ready for bed and it had started raining. I took a bath and started feeling like the back pain and lower abdominal pain started to pick up.

I had Keirah go get Josh and I told him I was going to get some stuff ready to go and get ready and dressed again. I had two reservations...being sent home from the hospital OR not making it to the hospital on time. We called my mom and told her to be on high alert. She decided to come over to spend the night. As I was getting ready, things began picking up even more...to the tune of every 3-5 minutes. This all happened over 15-20 minutes. Aliyah was beyond excited and was hopping around. I got love from both girls before heading out. We decided to take off. My thought was if everything stopped we would turn around and head back. Josh assured me that they wouldn't send me home and it was real. We headed out in the rain while each of us made a call or two. It was almost 11 pm I think. It seemed like we got to stop at some extra red lights (go figure). The contactions began to intensify. I had to remind Josh to speed up a bit since he was kind of going LESS than the speed limit. I was so happy to see the lights of the hospital...semi-deserted due to the late hour.

We got out and took nothing inside except for my purse and the paper from my doctor's office that I had been instructed to take. We walked up to the doors and they were all locked...oh boy! So, there we stood with me having contractions that were pretty intense just hoping to get inside. There wasn't anyone inside the large lobby. Josh picked up the phone to get the doors opened. It rang for what seemed forever and finally someone picked up. He explained and the doors magically opened. I remember the elevator ride up...me bent over in pain. We got up to the floor and Josh told them we were there to have a baby. I often wonder how often people just walk in and say such because both times we have done that they have seemed kind of surprised considering it is the maternity floor. They put me in a room and excused themselves quickly as there was a delivery going on across the hall.

So, here I am sitting on the bed while across the hall is some lady who evidently didn't do any pain meds (our guess). She was moaning, groaning, screaming and all things imaginable. It was disturbing to me as I was in pain myself and that wasn't helping. We turned on the television to drown out the strange noise. Fortunately, it ended and I was writhing in pain. It hit me then that I was in back labor which I vividly remembered having with Aliyah. The LD nurse came back and started getting things going for me...meaning getting all of the info and other trivial things. She asked me my pain level and I told her 10...it was! They asked if I planned on having an epidural which I told them YES! Before I could have that, they had to draw blood, more questions, and forms to sign. The blood draw didn't go so great pain-wise since I apparently hadn't had enough water. I don't give blood very well--small veins or something. Add to that, the contractions were every 2 minutes and VERY intense. My phone was basically dead so no updates for anyone. They hooked me up to the monitors and confirmed what I told them about the 2 minute apart contractions. The blood pressure was a little elevated--go figure based on the pain.

At first check, I was at 3 and was 80-90 effaced. My water broke and then I was at a 4-5. After what seemed like ages, the lady came in to do the epidural. I hoped to be able to sit still...it was hard but I got it. I think it was around 12:30 or 1 when that happened. My left leg started tingling rather quickly, although they had to come back a few minutes later to add more. Pretty soon, the mid-wife on call came in. We talked and she said that it was going to be a pretty quick delivery. Time was flying by and it was probably 2 or 2:30. The epidural definitely helped. Around 3 am, the midwife came in again and sat down to talk and say they were calling a person from another hospital to do suctioning when she was born due to the meconium that was present when the water broke. Apparently, with the lateness (earliness) of the hour, they had to get a person to come in for this. She wasn't worried about it as it is common. As we sat there, she (midwife) told us that she grew up in the same city as we did. In my mind, I figured we would find a connection somewhere since we have lived here our entire lives. She asked what schools we attended and told us that she attended a private Catholic hs. Well, I figured that there was a good chance that she and Josh may have gone to the same elementary/middle school. Josh was pretty drowsy as he had worked the early shift the day before and had been up almost 24 hours straight. Anyway, in the next sentence she said that she went to the school. I looked at her and told her that Josh went there too. She asked him how old he was and then it all clicked for both of them. Yep...Josh and our doctor went to school together from kindergarten through 8th grade. We all had a good laugh about all of that. She said it made her day. I thought it was great because of all of the docs that I had seen, I saw her the most and so this seemed really comfortable. She (doc) checked again and I was fully dialated and effaced.

Anyway, the special suctioning person arrived from the other hospital and they were ready to go. I wonder really if it would have all gone faster if the hospital hadn't been busy that night and it hadn't been the middle of the night. The LD crew were lively and funny and it was so pleasant. She wanted me to do a "trial" push I guess. Once we did that for a few seconds, doc said she was getting dressed which all happened in like 15 seconds it seemed. They said fast, but I didn't have a clue how fast. We did a push and another and mid-way through one of them I almost felt nauseous and was coughing. Really, I just needed some breaths and all was fine. Next push...not long and there she was...3:45 am. I heard her start crying right away and they held her up. I didn't think she looked very large. I couldn't believe it happened so fast! I got to hold her and love on her for the next hour or more. After that, daddy went to the nursery to do bath, weight, and all of that good stuff. He was gone awhile. Finally, the nurse came back a little over an hour later to tell me her weight...7 lbs. 1 oz. and 19 inches long!

We were so excited! Not much sleep save about 30 minutes for me and then I was starving for breakfast. We ordered breakfast and I ate/scarfed that right up.

I was so impressed with the midwife. She did a great job of explaining everything and taking care of us. It was the best delivery I've had.
The hospital was so full, that I had to stay in the birthing room until way later on Saturday when they had 7 mommies/babies leave. Normally, this hospital doesn't have near that many at once. All rooms are private and that's great if you ask me. Ironically, once we got to our room, it was the same one we were in when Keirah was born =). We got discharged on Sunday which was awesome...rather than Monday. The beds are just not comfortable. I wanted my own bed and I knew my back would feel better at home in my own bed and I was right =).

More later on our adventures! Typing is difficult while holding a baby! We are loving her and cherishing each and every moment as they go way too fast!!

I've Got a Feeling...

...based on today's events that we will be meeting baby girl very soon! My guess is by Sunday...maybe sooner! Josh is outside mowing as the daylight quickly fades. The last load of laundry is drying and there is a load waiting to be folded. We will wrap up a few things here tonight and possibly visit the festival tomorrow...based on whether or not we are heading to the hospital.

Can't wait to let y'all know!

6 days or so...

At this point, we are 6 days from due date. My mindset now is...what's a few more days? Finally, last night I got a good night's sleep last night. It really helps a lot at this point. Yesterday was a more "miserable" day. I was dragging and kind of uncomfortable.

I never imagined it would be this far into September to be honest, but oh well! I like to stay busy because otherwise...what else would I do?? Still working, still walking, still doing yardwork, still crossing off the to-do's, still shopping, still garage sale-ing etc...

We went to a few sales in a nearby town. We found an awesome sale in a nice sub. I found 3 lovely urns for my flowers, a new pair of Sketchers for my mom, and several Gymboree outfits for Aliyah as well as a coat. It was exciting. I love sales where the clothing all smells and looks lovely. That is the case at this sale!

We got some good news about grandma today. She visited the oncologist. She said that the amount of cancer found in the bone was very minute. At this point (we will know more after the PET scan), they do not foresee even any treatments being necessary aside from 6 month checks. It is certainly an answer to prayer. Our girls have been praying each night (although they don't know exactly what they are praying for).

The girls received a lovely suprise/gift today. Thanks to Aunt Juju and Uncle Randy, they now have a cute little horse tire swing. They are about to burst! Not only do they love to swing, but Aliyah has wanted a tire swing for literally years and she is crazy about horses! My parent's neighbors have a tire swing and Aliyah loves it and she can't get enough of it. I can foresee hours of tire swinging! Thanks so much for being so thoughtful. They were beyond excited as the pictures show. The horse is named Princess. I'm sure this will give them years of fun!!!

The girls and I enjoyed a pleasant walk. This weather has been perfect by my definition. The humidity is gone, there is a breeze, and crickets are chirping rather than the howl of locusts! I am looking forward to the weekend because hopefully we will get to go to the Marigold Festival and have a baby too!!

Lovely

Yesterday was absolutely lovely! Keirah had a wonderful day to celebrate! She got to take a fun boat ride, visit with family, open some gifts, eat pizza, and play! We had a wonderful afternoon visiting with aunts/uncles/cousins and playing! Keirah was mostly in her shy and quiet mode, but she did have fun. No swimming for her, but her sister sure enjoyed all of that! It really felt like Josh had the full day off even though he didn't, but the afternoon and evening were so relaxing and delightful!

She chose Monical's for dinner. We ate and then followed up with birthday gifts. Grandma got out for her first outing since breaking her hip (well aside from visiting the doctor last week). They joined us for dinner and we were happy to see them eating normally again. Both of them have been eating very little it seems. This is the most grandma has eaten in weeks. They came over to our house to watch Keirah open her gifts and grandma even ate half of a cupcake! It was good for them to get out of their house.

Keirah got to enjoy having her own Leapster. Aliyah has had one for ages, but Keirah really needed her own. We didn't hear much from Kiki the rest of the evening. Well, not much from Aliyah last night either as she was busy reading books.

I'm up early again. Not that I couldn't use some sleep, but I awoke with a splitting headache and wasn't comfortable. Today makes 39 weeks, and I am daily wishing for the day to arrive! She will have her own birthday now since we have passed the August birthdays and not Keirah's Sept. birthday. Oh yeah, can't wait to spill the name soon too!

Thanks to all our family that we got to spend time with today! It was absolutely wonderful!

Birthday & Labor Day

I am sitting here in what we call our "ocean room" while the breeze and the morning light pour in just enjoying the stillness. It is a holiday so few are up and about. Josh has been gone to work for over an hour now and the girls are sleeping. The cat--who knows--he's probably wishing he were inside the house. My bowl of Cheerios is history, and here I sit.

Little Keirah is 4 years old today! In some ways I can't believe it, but in others I totally can. She is so "mature" and attentive to things. Keirah is our cuddler. If you sit on the couch, chances are she is right there beside you with her arms clutching yours or her head leaning on your arm. She loves dolls and always has, and she is very motherly. She saves up kisses and will tell you just how many she has in her mouth for you at a given time. Keirah tells us that she has 3 nicknames: Kyrah (ki-ruh), Keekster Barber, and Kiki. She most commonly is called Kiki by all of us. Kyrah stemmed from someone's mispronunciation of her name, but obviously it didn't seem to bother her. Since day number one, she has been blessed by a big sister who loves her! They may have their moments where Keirah "squawks" at Aliyah, but truth be told...Keirah can't bear the idea of even being in her room without Aliyah at night. They have been sharing a room since day number one as well.

The summer before Keirah was born, we put an upstairs addition on our house. When she was born, it wasn't completed yet. So, at that point they had to share a room. A few months later when it was, Aliyah didn't want to be away from her sister. They still continue wanting to share a room. They play in the walk-in closet for hours with horses, dolls, stuffed animals, and toys. Aliyah is constantly reading books to Keirah, and yes they goof around as well.

We feel so incredibly blessed with our blue-eyed darker haired girl. We never imagined that we would end up with a blue-eyed girl. Dark hair...well that's is obvious, but blue eyes...wow. Aliyah once introduced her sister as this, "this is Keirah, isn't she a beauty". I must say...she is!

What else, well Keirah has a knack for organizing like none other. She will take everything out of say a cabinet or whatever and totally organize it as good as an adult! She doesn't like any help with the chore either. She is a helper in all sense of the word and can always be counted upon. A lot of times while I water the flowers, Keirah is right there ready to help. If I pull weeds, she starts pulling as well.

Keirah Reaghan, we love you more than words and we hope you have a most wonderful 4th birthday and a wonderful coming year!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY!!

Chillin'

Josh went back to work today after his week of vacation. Since this is now a "closed time" for vacations at work for Josh, I definitely hoped to not go into labor today and kind of not tomorrow. Today because it is a long (weekend pay) shift and tomorrow mostly because it is Kiki's birthday and we want her to have her own birthday--not to mention tomorrow is holiday pay. Tuesday would be great baby girl--daddy is off!

So, since we wait I try to keep occupied with other things or simply rest. Sleeping at night doesn't always come easy these days with all of the trips to the bathroom. The weather certainly does make it pleasant though! For the first time in a week, I got a nap today! It was nice and needed.

We went to church this morning. My theory was that if anything happened, the hospital was literally down the street, whereas it is much further than if I were at home. Of course, nothing happened =). We ate lunch and then went to pick up food for grandpa and grandma's lunch. We visited with them for awhile and spent time outside. The girls used the watering can to water grandma's flowers.

Well, not much on my agenda for today. Aliyah is working on school. I know it is Sunday, however we took the day off on Friday since daddy was home and I wanted them to have some fun. Since we are home without much to do, we will get it done! I have some flowers that need a watering and little walking to do. After that, it is safe to say that I made it through Josh's first day back.

Tomorrow, we have Keirah's presents (from us) to give to her and my mom saved a present back for her. We are having cupcakes and will take her to dinner of her choosing after daddy is off work. I can't believe that she is 4!! She is so excited to be a big sister!

Enjoy the gorgeous Sunday!

What do ya do?

...when you are waiting for baby? In no particular order:

--Sleep restlessly and wake for hours on end during the night.
--wipe down every ledge and nook/cranny you can imagine.
--find odd things to do like clean the ceiling of the porch (Josh graciously did this).
--take your family member's clothing directly from them as they get ready for bed so there aren't any clothes unwashed.
--wash doors/windows a hundred times over.
--clean out the refrigerator over and over.
--organize and clean closets.
--make sure checkbook is up to date.
--paint things that need touched up.
--try to take a nap only to have your head trying to think up things that must need done.
--water the yard.
--sit outside and enjoy the weather.
--go on long walks.
--go out to eat.
--check Facebook.
--organize the girl's room and purge a few things.
--organize the girl's shoe drawers--throw away some and pass down the others.
--organize girl's drawers.
--devise some landscaping that needs done like a few more bushes removed and ivy removed from the foundation. I detest our ivy and am not a fan of bushes...reasons...ivy goes out of control quickly which I don't like, and the bushes are too much maintenance and I hate when they look scraggly.
--feel contractions here and there.
--sit and talk about when you think the big event will arrive.
--do school with the girls.
--go to work.
--clean floors--over and over.
--get bottles ready (boil & wash)
--organize kitchen cabinets.
--pull weeds outside.
--organize paperwork at the house.
--water flowers.
--watch a bit of tv.
--write on your blog every now and then.
--wonder when...
--do dishes as soon as anything hits the sink.
--clean window coverings.
--read.
--prop feet up every now and then.
--wonder some more.
--visit the doctor.
--go to the grocery store.
--dust whatever you can think of...
--write.
--enjoy each other's company.
--enjoy the little kicks and movements.
--eat--while you still can!
--listen to the crickets-the iconic sound of summer.
and then hope you haven't forgotten anything before baby arrives!

Waiting Game

So, now we play the waiting game. It doesn't appear that baby girl will make an appearance during Josh's vacation. We went to the 38 week sono today. She weighs around 7 pounds. Depending on when she is born, she may be around Keirah's birth weight, but who knows. Aliyah was 5-6 and Keirah was 7-11. I asked the lady if she had hair and she couldn't see any. A lot of the sono was in 4-D, however she had her arm in front of her face, so despite many tries we didn't get the full face.

For Josh, this has been one of his most "odd" vacations ever. Normally on vacation he is beyond busy with projects or we are gone. We would normally go to Chicago to the beach for Labor Day weekend, but not this time. We eagerly await baby girl. You go to sleep wondering if it will come tonight or tomorrow each night. Will she be born before or after Keirah's birthday? Anyway, Josh has spent his vacation pretty much at home. He has finished off the to-do list and done homeschooling with the girls this week.

I must say that I am looking forward to new clothes and shrinking in size! My maternity wardrobe is getting boring to me.

Today, we checked into getting Chaney declawed. There is a vet in town that removes them with a laser. When we mentioned it, Aliyah started crying. She then came up with this argument as to why we should not. She is a major animal LOVER! She is afraid that if he gets outside, he wouldn't have any way to defend himself in a fight with a racoon or another cat. This is because my mom's neighbor has a cat that got into a fight with a racoon. This really worries her--A LOT. We told her that he is an indoor cat and this should not occur.
We cut through tonight going from one part of town to another and when she saw her cousin's house, she shouted "hello" to all of their dogs and guinea pig. Yep...animal lover she is!! Josh says she will be some volunteer or veterinarian. I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Anyway, so we wait...and I'm kinda getting impatient.