Yard Work

We are a family that loves to be outside. Whether it be camping, fishing, or just playing in our own backyard, we just love it. However, our yard is not exactly a haven. The deck needs re-built, we need to patch seed the grass, and the swing set area was a nightmare. Nothing a little time, money, and TLC can't fix.

We spent the whole day today, literally morning until night, working on the swing set area. The King rota tilled the entire area. We collected all the grass and weeds and threw it all away. Then we levelled the ground. When it was just soft dirt we put down plastic and then filled the area with gravel. After all the gravel was down, the King bordered the whole area with cedar planks. It looks so good, and definitely so much better. Now the girls will be able to swing without getting muddy and I will be able to watch and not have an anxiety attack looking at all the weeds.

It's amazing how much one day and a lot of work can change things. We also put mulch around all of the rose bushes out front. It makes a huge difference. The whole yard looks so much better. We still have a lot of work to do to get things where we want them, but it's nice to feel like we are making headway.

I will take some more pictures tomorrow when it's light outside, but for now at least you can see the progress!

Playing Catch Up

I have sat down on several different occasions to upload photos and put up an entry with a bit more thought, but each and every time something else came up and I had to run off.

We have been busy with nothing lately. Early in the week we doggy-sat my Mom's Bichon, which the girls absolutely loved. It was a nice refresher as to why we don't have one though. Sugar was wonderfully behaved, but it took a lot of energy to make sure all of her needs were met.

Last week the weather was a dream. I packed away most of the girls winter attire and loaded up their drawers with spring and summer clothes. It was a nice change to seem them in capri pants and short sleeve shirts. They rarely even needed a jacket. We enjoyed this for all of about 1 week when mother nature decided she wasn't finished with us and it snowed again. I had to dig through boxes just to find a few outfits for them. It looks like we have another week before we will even see temps above the 60's.

Today was a county resident appreciation day and several local museums were free for locals. I took the girls to the Dinosaur Museum and they had a great time. They dug for bones, colored, and looked at exhibits. As we left I let them each pick a dinosaur key chain. We stopped off at the library on the way home and checked out some Easter books to read this week. A good day I must say.

I have so many more things to post about but such limited time. We'll see what this weekend has in store for us!

Toddlerhood

Late as it is, today was Midge's 12 month well child check-up. She weighed in at a whopping 19lbs 3ozs. She had to have 3 shots and was none too happy about it. In fact she pretty much cried the whole appointment. Good news is that she is absolutely perfectly healthy. Just as I suspected but it's still nice to hear.

Happy Birthday!

They say it's my birthday...nanananana....Happy Birthday to me...nanananana... A whole 'nother year older. It was a good one, the year and the day really. We spent the day getting the house cleaned up and just hanging out. Then tonight the King made pizzas and he and the girls made me a cookie cake, which is my absolute favorite. We had actually bought the stuff to make brownies at the store this weekend but I got a little overzealous and made and ate them yesterday. I know, 200 mark here I come! Here's to another year!

Boys and Girls

Just out of curiosity I have often wondered how different my life would be if I were expecting our 4th baby boy. When I was at my last doctors appointment there was another lady there with her 6 week old newborn son. She informed me that it was her 4th boy. I told her I was expecting our 4th girl, and we both just kind of laughed.

I think all children have different personalities of course but my girls are very girly. They love all things pink, frilly, and fancy. Even Midge will run her hands against pretty fabric, smile and say, " oohhh pitty." Sure they love to play in the mud, well the older two do, Midge refuses to even get even a little bit dirty. They enjoy camping and fishing and lots of different sports. But ultimately they talk about fashion, cheer leading, dances, make-up, fingernail polish, and all things important to a princesses' very existence.

I wonder what my life will be like when they are teenagers? I am sure boys take it to extremes just the same, only on the other end of the spectrum. There are just some things we'll never know.

Cold 'n Wet

I am so thankful that we didn't wake up to snow this morning. It was predicted but we got lucky. Instead we awoke to the sound of rain splashing on the windows and roof. As much as I wish we were outside and the girls were bike riding and running around I know the rain is really good for the grass, trees, and spring flowers.

What did you Say?

Last night we were finishing up dinner when Tea disappeared for a bit. She re-entered the room holding her hand up in the air covered in the unthinkable. Horrified I questioned her,

Me: Tea, is that poop on your hand?

Tea: Well, it's not chocolate!

I have to say I laughed. As mortifying as the moment was, that was funny.

Doctors Office Nightmare

Today I was scheduled for a routine OB check. It was to be my 21 week check and since no other tests go along with this appointment I figured it would be a good one for the girls to go to . A chance for them to see the Doctor and Nurse again, hear the baby's hearbeat, and just feel a part of the whole experience.

My appointment was at 10 am so I got the girls up a little early, got everyone fed, bathed and ready to go. We got there a little early and the girls enjoyed playing in the toy room they have available in the waiting room. They were really on their best behaviour and even the baby got down to walk around and play. We got called back, I weighed (gained 3 lbs), gave a urine sample, and we all waited in the exam room.

The girls were in awe of the room and kept pointing to things and wanting me to tell them all about what they were and what they were used for. We played this game for a bit and what seemed like a pretty short wait the Doctor came in. He measured my belly and showed the girls with a piece of string about how long our baby is. Then he got out the fetal doppler and asked the girls if they wanted to hear our baby's heartbeat. They nodded eagerly and surrounded the exam table to listen. He put the goo on and we all waited....and waited.....and waited.....

It seemed like forever but it was probably only five minutes or less. He tried every angle, high low, you name it. I could feel my heart racing and wondered what was going on. I racked my brain trying to remember the exact moment I last felt movement. Did I feel normal? Finally the Doctor gave up, told me to relax we could do an ultrasound. I immediately said that I wanted to call my Mom to come pick up the girls. The King was working on the other side of town and couldn't have gotten there quickly.

The Doctor said to hold off and got the nurse to be with the girls who surprisingly were still behaving even though my nerves were shot and every syllable they uttered made the hair on my neck stand up. It took a bit for the ultrasound machine to warm up, but finally it flashed ready. The lights were turned off and the screen was turned so that I could view as well. The baby was obviously sleeping, there was no movement. My heart sank and I was literally trembling. Within seconds he zoomed in on the heart and it was beating!

I felt somewhat like I was in shock. I was ecstatic to see the heart beating and the baby well, but the whole thing just seemed so surreal. The nurse brought the girls over to look. I had trouble finding any enjoyment in the ultrasound due to the state of my nerves at that point. I felt a combination of happy and freaked out at the same time.

We wrapped the appointment up, I loaded the girls, and we left. I shook the whole way home. I still feel a little shaken up. I am confident that everything is fine, I saw the heartbeat myself. I guess it was just a reality check I didn't want. The thought of the girls being there was emotional for me too. I think this is the last appointment they will come to. They left happy, unaware of the scare we had just gotten.

A Meme

I was tagged by Jerri over at A Crack 'n Life for my first ever meme last week. It took me some time, but better late than never right? These are the rules: Put up a post "Real Moms [insert what you do here]", followed by an explanation, a picture, and a "Real Moms. Making ....".

I really had to think about this one. I read some of the others and they were great, which put the pressure on. I thought about everything I do as a mother and what I think makes a "real mom." I finally decided that real Moms love real kids. Let's face it nobody is perfect, Moms, or their kids.

Real Moms love their kids for who they are. They may not love it when their two year old throws herself down on the floor for the millionth time that day because she was told no. Or when their 5 year old somehow managed to get out every toy she owns and strew them all across the bedroom floor way past bedtime. They don't love being up at 2 am rocking the baby who clearly thinks its daytime and is wriggling to get down and play. Real Moms have really bad moments or even days but they love their kids and they trudge on.

A real Mom knows that the same 2 year old that was throwing a fit that morning will later that night crawl into bed and snuggle right into her, allowing her to breathe in the scent of lavender from her hair. The 5 five year old will scrawl "i luv you mom" in crayon with her best penmanship, and the baby will say mama and smile that toothy grin that would melt any heart.

Real Moms envision who their children have the potential to be and are honored to have the opportunity to nurture their individual personalities.

Sneezing

I don't feel all that well today. Allergies I am sure. The pollen is thick and the wind is picking up which makes for a nasty mix. The weather the last couple of days has been heavenly. We have spent a couple of hours outside each day blowing bubbles, swinging, and taking walks with the wagon. Tea and Midge even got a tiny bit of a sunburn yesterday. Today we will hang out in the house, close the windows, and try to keep the allergens out!

Phew!

Little House on the Prairie we are not. So thankfully the dryer was easily fixed. Turns out the heating element went out. Luckily a local appliance shop had a used part that was "practically" new and sold it for less than an arm and a leg. It's amazing the things we take forgranted. When my clothes stopped coming out of the dryer hot and fluffy and exited damp and chilly I panicked. I begged the appliance not to do this to me. Sure I am not as on top of the laundry as I should be, but I could change. I envisioned myself never overloading, always taking the laundry out on the first buzz, and keeping the lint filter sparkly clean.

Now it's back up and running and I can't make any promises. It seems a lot of the promises I made were under extreme duress. I will do my best though, we have a cold front coming through and the idea of my kids new spring clothes shivering on the line is quite the incentive.

Taking things Outside

Ahhhh, fresh air. If your dryer's going to go out you really couldn't pick a better season. Our skivvies weren't blowing in the wind all lonely though, the girls spent much of the day outside blowing bubbles and playing at the park. The good always outweighs the bad.

Why?

Why after running a full cycle are the clothes I put into the dryer this evening still wet and freezing cold? We bought this dryer just over a year ago and while it's certainly not top of the line, isn't that still pretty new? I guess I will be stringin up the clothes line and displaying the families unmentionables for the neighbors and passerby's amusement. Ugghh!

Girls and Dolls

We had a great visit with my brother, sister in-law and their girls. I know, can you really believe all these girls? They enjoyed one anothers company immensely and entertained each others so the adults could relax and chat a little. I know these are times the girls will remember forever!

Can you hear me now?

We need a water proof phone. We had our third casualty of the season last night. Phones do not go in the toilet, they will not survive! I was forced to spend the whole day almost phoneless. We do have a phone on the wall in the dining room but you have to yell so hard into the handset to be heard that the neighbors can easily follow the conversation. I am dead serious, my throat is actually a little sore tonight from the few conversations I tried to have.

Oh well, we shouldn't be needing the phone much in the next few days anyway. We have family in town until Thursday and then more coming in for the weekend. The girls are excited and its a nice way to kick off the Spring. The weather is gorgeous and tomorrow we are supposed to be pushing 80. Ahhhhh we finally made it!

I want it back!

I want my hour back now! It is strange how big of a difference one little hour can make. I can't believe I have to wait clear until November until I see the likes of her again. I've really thought about it and in the fall you don't gain an hour at all, you only get the hour that was so wrongfully ripped from your schedule back. In the meantime we all suffer the jet lag that is daylight savings time.

PIerced Ears

Yesterday I had to go to Wal-Mart to grab a few things and having the wandering mind that I have, ended up getting Midge's ears pierced. It ended up being a lot less dramatic than I thought it would be. The lady who did it was very nice and obviously experienced. Midge really wasn't bothered and only cried a little bit right when it first happened. Chiggie on the other hand ran wildly through the store screaming "that lady has a gun and she just shot my sister." I had to get them some candy just to calm everyone down. Not from the piercing but from Chiggie's episode.



I did get some dirty looks from some bystanders. I just calmly explained to them that I was only getting her ears pierced because the artist at the tattoo parlor we tried refused to put the rose I wanted on her hip. Kidding. Maybe.



We all left in one piece and let me tell you she is adorable! This is the best shot I could get for now. I'll try to get a better pic when she's a little less irritable.

I'm not crying, I have allergies!

My hay fever is awful already this year. Itchy watery eyes, itchy throat, a nose that alternates between stuffed and runny, and lots of sinus pain and pressure. It's a great cover though for my exhaustion and exasperation with the way our nights have been going. I am proud to say that I have held strong though and any screaming I have done has been into my pillow.

Last night I went upstairs waaaaayyyyy past bedtime to find Tea in a bikini rocking in the rocking chair looking at a book. No big deal really except she isn't fully potty trained, her diaper was off, and the chair was wet. Uggghhhh. It's times like these that I want to call my OB and see if there is anyway that I can have my due date changed to January of 2008. But this too shall pass right?

In other news the weather is really perking up. The trees and flowers are budding and Spring is definitely in the air. We have gone for a couple of walks in the girls new wagon this week and they are enjoying the fresh air. Yesterday the city came and did some major trimming to a tree right in front of our house. All the while Chiggie stood on the porch, with the windows open, chanting "don't mess with me or the tree of liberty!" Maybe we have an environmental activist on our hands? At least they are all healthy, and right now trust me I'll take what I can get!

What have I done?

Just to let everyone know Tea is feeling much better. She didn't end up having to go back to the doctor and whatever it is that she came down with seems to be over. On the other hand this crib to a bed thing is killing me. The first night went awesome. They both stayed upstairs, fell asleep at a decent time and I enjoyed my good fortune. Every night since then has gotten progressively worse.

Allow me to clarify. This has nothing to do with them sharing a room. They don't fight and they are sweet to each other. Tea is just exploring the ability to get in and out of bed. To the point of absolute exhaustion. Chiggie just falls asleep amidst it all. I went up a few minutes ago to check on them and Tea was wearing a turtle neck and a wool skirt. Obviously not the pajamas I put her in. "My cold....brrrrrr," she said. Unfortunately nap time is going equally as rotten and she fell asleep this afternoon around 4:30 and slept for a couple of hours so any hope of tonight going well is pretty much shot.

Last night she woke around 2 am crying and saying "my had a good dream." I am assuming she had a bad dream, but she would not stop the crying. I finally brought her down to our bed where she asked to color, for bubble gum, and to play outside. All requests were promptly denied and shortly we were all back in dream land. Please let this phase be short.

Gotcha!

Chiggie has become quite the little prankster lately. She has an obsession with practical joking. I don't really know what brought it on, but she takes sheer joy in her new hobby. So far she has thrown cold water on the King in the shower, put toys down in our bed, and watered down cups of Kool-Aid. I am afraid she is advancing in skill though. Today she asked me where she could find a shovel, a bucket, and the rope her Daddy tied the Christmas tree to the car with. When I asked her why she needed these things she just snickered and said "you'll see." Hmmmmm....maybe I don't want to know.

Update

Poor Tea. Everytime I think she has kicked this nasty bug it sneaks right back up on her. She had a pretty good day up until dinner time when she wouldn't even come to the table. She hadn't eaten much all day so I was disappointed. She continues to drink fluids so I know she is not dehydrated and she hadn't lost any weight at her appointment on Saturday so I try not to worry much about this.

Last night went better than I had even expected. Both girls did fantastic and I am so proud of them. Tea woke at around 5:30 am and came and got into our bed. She felt very warm to the touch so I gave her some medicine and a glass of water. Luckily she fell back asleep until 9 and we all got to sleep in a little. The rest of the day she was pretty active in comparison to the last few days. She laughed and played, really seeming like her old self. Then it snuck back up. She felt warm to the touch again after the rest of us had dinner and sure enough she had a fever.

I gave her a nice bath and we cuddled before bed. Hopefully she will get a good nights rest. Most likely we will be returning to the Ped tomorrow to get this thing figured out.

Everyday Life

If someone was to ask me what I thought the most difficult aspect of parenting is I would have to say the redundancy. In order to maintain some organization and sanity every day consists of mostly the same thing. It's just like school or a job outside of the home. If you slack off for a day or two, or maybe even take an unplanned day off due to illness or just lack of interest you pay a heavy price. Things can build up and get so out of control so fast.

At the end of most days I feel a sense of accomplishment. The kids are all in one piece, the dishes are done, the house is presentable, and sometimes there is even time to relax. The hard thing is it all starts over the next day. New dishes to wash, fresh crumbs on the carpet, a sick kid or two, and errands to run. Sometimes staying focused can be hard. I know the rewards are great and the satisfaction of having happy and healthy kids makes it all worthwhile, but sometimes an exotic vacation sounds pretty nice!

Moving In

Along with administering antibiotics and fever reducers we also spent the day combining Chiggie and Tea's rooms into one. We have talked about it for a long time and decided that if the new baby was a girl than that is what we will do. With the eventual plan being to have two girls in each room leaving one room open as a playroom with a bathroom.

Thanks to my Mom's generous neighbor we also put together a new canopy for Chiggie's bed so that both girls would have one. I am pleased with the results. All that is missing is some new curtains and then the room will be complete. This will be Tea's first night in a bed so wish us luck.

Still Sick

Tea's fever has been coming and going on and off for over a week now. It's never gotten any higher than the 104.5 that I posted about last weekend. On Thursday she was completely fever free, looked a little tired, but we figured she was finally on the mend. She woke up well on Friday and was fine all morning. When she woke up from her nap around 3 it was back up again. She felt very warm against my skin. I gave her some Motrin and she livened up a little. She wasn't much interested in her dinner but she was drinking so we didn't push it.

Later that night I noticed that areas of her skin were starting to blister. Not little tiny chicken pox type blisters, but big blisters. I was mortified and called the Doc on call. She said to bring her in this morning to be evaluated. I took her in around 10:30 and we waited forever to be seen. Apparently everyone in town is dealing with a sick child or two. Finally we saw the Doctor and unfortunately she was as baffled as we are. Tea was given an antibiotic ointment for the open blisters just to prevent them from becoming infected. She wasn't running a fever at the time as I had given her more Motrin when she woke up. We were advised to keep an eye on the blisters, her fever, and if she got worse have the Doctor paged. If she stays the same she will be seen again on Monday, and if she gets better hallelujah!

She seemed in good spirits when we left the office so we went ahead and filled the prescription and grabbed some lunch. Not too long afterwards her fever rose again to 102 axillary and she was in need of more Motrin. This afternoon she is extremely irritable and obviously not feeling well at all. The rash or blisters haven't progressed at all and look a little better actually. It's just so frustrating to see her not feeling well and not really knowing what's wrong. Her throat, ears, and lungs are all clear so it's really baffling. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully she will be feeling better.

In Due Time

My OB office called today and my due date was changed to August 2nd. We really didn't have anything more than a good guess before and after reviewing the sonogram that's what they came up with. If she really comes in August than just our family alone will have May, June, July, and August covered as far as birthdays go. If we have another baby in the future we will have to try for April and then we will be celebrating from February to August!

I have been feeling pretty good lately. I feel a lot of movement, mostly at night. I haven't felt nauseaous in a while and I am so happy to put all of that behind me, for a bit at least. I am starting to wear maternity clothes as much of my regular clothing no longer fits. I haven't been exercising for a while because I had been feeling so awful, but I am considering going back to the club that I had been going to now that I am doing so much better.

After much discussion the King and I decided on a name that we both love. We have decided to keep it a surprise just like we did with the other girls. It's nice to have something to share after the birth when the gender isn't a surprise anymore. We also decided to do some room swapping. We are going to move Tea into Chiggie's room, Midge into Tea's old room, and have Midge's room be a new play/game room. This will help a lot with toy congestion and Tea is needing to transition from her crib anyway. We'll see how it goes but we're all pretty used to change around here!