Sacramento

Right after Father's Day, I took the girls down with me to Sacramento so we could be there for my sister's baby shower.  It was too bad Ryan had to work, we would have loved to have had him with us.  But it was still nice to go down and just have some girl time. :)

We spent a lot of time with my family, the cousins all had a great time together, especially Rori and Jared.



On my first day, I lined up a couple of visits with some good friends of mine.  The first one was with Heather and her new baby, Jake.  Cadi was lovin' on him big time! lol



Then that afternoon, we met up with my good friend, Sarah and her kids at a fun little park.  The kids wore their swimsuits so they could play in the sprinklers while the moms visited in the shade.  It was so good to see them!



It was really hot there for us.  I know it was nothing like what it will be later this summer, but we're just not used to that kind of heat anymore!  Their nice weather was what we usually have for highs, so we loved that my sister had a pool for us to play in when it just got too hot. ;)



We made sure to visit with Ryan's parents while we were there, too.  We had lunch with them one day, then they took the girls for a full day of fun and an overnight stay with Grandma and Grandpa.  I don't have pics from their time alone with them, but I have pics from our visit for lunch.  After lunch we visited a little in their backyard. 



Acadia went around taking pictures of their garden, some of them turned out really nice!  Good job, Cadi!



But of course, the big reason why were were in Sacramento was for Ruth's baby shower!  We had a lot of fun!  Debi planned it and it was perfect!  First of all, the theme was "Strawberries"... YUM!  Here's the spread (it was a luncheon)...



As guests arrived, Esther greeted them at the door and welcomed them to the shower:



Instead of games, we had an activity where everyone could decorate a onesie or bib for baby Naomi.  Esther started us off and showed us how it worked.



So here are the rest of us...



And of course all the gifts!!!



And here is some of what I gave her...



It was a really good visit and I'm glad I was able to be there for the shower.  We can't wait to meet little Naomi!!!

It's late.

Actually, it's early but I haven't gone to bed yet, so I'm up way too late.
And I just typed up a post and then the screen changed without warning and lost it all. Twice. not cool.

I'm in Sacramento. The girls and I came down to attend my sister's baby shower. I miss Ryan.

It's hot here.

The kids are having fun playing together. Rori and Jared are super cute - they hold hands and give each other random hugs.

Cadi gets to have an overnighter with my sister tomorrow night. She likes that special one-on-one time.

I never like to be away from Ryan. He's my best friend. I get enough of a break when I go out for GNOs or weekend getaways - and those are breaks I need as a mom, not as a wife. I love being with Ryan and hope I never want a break from him.

I miss my bed. Rori misses her's too. She cried tonight because she wanted to sleep in her room... but she fell asleep pretty fast, so she must not have minded too much.

It's fun to see family and friends. I was able to visit with a couple of friends I haven't seen in awhile, for one of them, it had been years. I wish I could see them more.

The theme for my sister's shower is 'strawberries'. It is really hard to find strawberry wrapping paper or gift bags.

We're going to the farmer's market tomorrow. I've never been.

I'm hungry. That could be because dinner was 7 hours ago.

I'm tired, but never sleep well without Ryan.

Did I mention that I miss him? I do.

When was the last time you saw a miracle?

After last week, I have been reminded that everytime I look at my daughters, I am seeing miracles.  :)

But let me share with you my friend's little miracle.  I am just so happy and inspired by them!  If you want to read something that will make you smile, read Stacey's blog about Scarlett.  I think it's neat that Stacey still has her ticker on the top of her blog.  A week ago, she went into labor and was hospitalized.  They stopped her labor for a couple of days but on Thursday, Nov 1st, her water broke and it was time for Scarlett to arrive, at only 29 weeks pregnant.  Scary, I know!  But this story has a happy ending, so go read about her and see her beautiful pics, I'm sure they will inspire you, just like they inspire me. :)

Doctor Visit

Today was Aurora's two week check-up! Wow, time is flying fast!

Her stats: 7lbs 8.2 oz, 20 inches long. For weight, she is in the 25%, just like Acadia was. For height, she is 25-50%, Acadia was between 75-90% for height. It is fun to see the similarities and differences between them.

We had to have the yucky PKU test done... and Rori and I decided that we are not putting the nurse on our Christmas card list. Too much "ouchy" pain. :( But Rori did take it well. She still didn't cry a whole lot. She is such a good baby. But she sure didn't like it. :S

Because Cadi is such a good helper, she got to choose a sticker at the doctor's office. We then went over to get Rori's birth certificate. They were out at lunch, so we filled out the form and paid the fee... it should be in the mail today or tomorrow and we'll have it early next week. :)

I have so much to do in the next week! I think it's funny that I am so surprised at how little I can accomplish in a day. You'd think this was my first time having a baby! I guess you conveniently forget all the "inconveniences" a baby brings. How every couple of hours I'm forced to sit down for 30 minutes MINIMUM to feed her, then there are the constant diaper changes, and don't forget some cuddle time... That doesn't leave much time to get some good work done. But slowly, I'm making progress. :)

Happy Birthday!

Okay, I promise not to do this every week...But...

Aurora is one week old today! I can't believe it's been a week already. And at the same time, I can't remember NOT having her here... Okay, I do remember it, but I can hardly remember what it felt like not to have her in our family. She belongs here so well and we all love her so much!

She and I are both doing well. It is amazing to think about just what my body did one week ago. I was in a lot of pain for several days afterwards, but I'm starting to heal and I'm not on the heavy meds anymore. :D She is adjusting well to life in this crazy world. She still sleeps well, eats well, and rarely cries. Yep, we're pretty spoiled here. And I am anxious to see if that changes... lol.

It is fun to see the differences in Acadia and Aurora. Acadia screamed through her bath in the hospital, but was fine with them at home.... Aurora didn't make a sound during her hospital bath, but she has cried during her baths at home. Acadia had a hard time going back to sleep after feedings at night, but Aurora never has a hard time sleeping, lol. I'm sure there will be plenty more differences as they continue to grow. :)

We sure do enjoy having Aurora here. And I'm so grateful to have Acadia too. She is a great helper and it's so nice to have a big girl here to help me enjoy our baby girl. :D

The long awaited post with lots of pictures!

I realize that I am probably just a tad biased, but I truly believe that I have one of the most perfect babies ever! 

Aurora Louise was born Friday, July 28 at 1:59 pm (PST).  She weighs 7 lb 6 oz and is 19 inches long.  She has red hair and blue eyes, though I believe her hair is a little darker than Acadia's was... maybe she will be more auburn?  We'll see. 

We went in to the hospital Friday morning to be induced.  It turns out that by that time, I had developed a mild case of pre-eclampsia.  However, it was not enough to need to be medicated and my doctor was not worried.  We just made sure to monitor my blood pressure and Aurora's heart beat.  I was started on Pit by 8:30 am... I was already dialated to a 4 but she was still pretty high up. There was some concern that  she might not drop with the contractions the pit induced.  But after a couple of hours thinking nothing was happening, we found out that sure enough, things were moving along. :)  By 11:15 am I was in active labor and starting to wonder how long I wanted to wait for my beloved drugs, lol.  Things were progressing fast and it wasn't long before I was sure I was ready for some relief.  I had my epidural a little after noon and from then on... it was lovely! (Funny how that works *wink*)

My doctor broke my water but since Aurora was still a little high up, she didn't expect a whole lot of action right away.  She headed back to the clinic to take care of some other work until I was closer.  (Thankfully the clinic is just across the street from the birth center.)  I am so glad for the epidural because everthing really happened quite fast from then on... I was having contractions right on top of each other and Aurora came down pretty fast.  The nurse had to call back my doctor and I had to "hold in" Aurora for about 15 minutes until the doctor was back and they were all set to deliver.  Btw, it is NOT fun to try to "hold in" a baby that is ready to come out!  Again... THANK GOODNESS for the epirdual!!!  But once we were all set, I was able to push and Aurora didn't waste anytime coming.  I think I pushed for about 10 minutes and there she was!
 
With Acadia there were more concerns and when she was born, they weren't able to put her right on me.  That was okay - I wanted her to be healthy, so I waited from across the room to hear her take her first breath and cry.  But with Aurora, they immediately placed her on my stomach and I was able to look into her eyes and watch her take her first breath.  Wow.  She barely let out a couple of "wah"s, but it was enough to know that she was okay.  That is the most I've heard her cry at one time since!  From then on, she just quietly looked around, mostly at me (*proud mommy smiles*) and she even ate a little right away. 

My mom, who had been with us the whole time, left to go get Acadia so she could come meet her little sister.  We asked the nurse to wait to give Aurora a bath until Cadi was there to watch (per Cadi's request) so, they just took that time to get her footprints done, weigh and measure her, etc. 

When Acadia arrived, she made a beeline straight to Aurora and held her little hand and said, "She's so adorable!"  Acadia looked so happy!  Soon after, the nurse asked Acadia if she could not only watch, but HELP give Aurora's first bath!  That was really cool for Cadi!  Acadia loves to watch the home video of when she was born and she thinks it is so funny that she cried during the whole bath... so she was really looking forward to seeing Aurora cry... But Aurora didn't cry at all!  She made a little fuss when she was taken out, but that was it!  Cadi still enjoyed the experience. ;)

So far, Aurora has been a very quiet, easy baby!  She simply has not cried.  And she is an excellent sleeper!  She has slept most of the two nights she's been here for, waking only long enough to barely eat, then fall back to sleep (while eating).  She eats well when I can manage to wake her long enough to feed her.  I wonder how long this will last?  But so far, nothing has changed.  When she wakes up, instead of crying, she just makes little noises, then waits patiently for me to get her up, change her, and feed her. 

I was given the option of staying another night in the hospital, but I felt that I would be fine going home, as long as my doctor prescribed some meds I was taking for pain - which she did.  So last night, we all came home.  Today everyone is at church while Aurora and I stay home.  With how much she sleeps, I was able to upload our pics... so I'm going to share a few with you. :)

Meet Aurora...

This is a "before" shot:



Immediately after delivery:



With my doctor:



Daddy/Daughter moment:



Acadia meets her little sister for the first time:





Group Photo:



Sisters:



Ryan and his "Squeaker" (Because Aurora doesn't cry, but will occasionally let out a squeak, he has been calling her Squeaker.)...



Cadi kisses for Aurora:



Grandma and her newest grandchild:



Cadi gets to help with the bath!



Aurora's first visitor, my good friend, Amber:



Aurora doing what she does best:



On Day 2... Yep, she's still adorable!



Getting ready to come home:



A thoughtful homecoming from our friends:



To view all of the pictures, visit our Photobucket account, just click on the sub-albums for each day.

My last day as a mother off one.

In about 12 hours I will be induced and after what I hope to be a fairly short labor and delivery (HA!), we will be holding our new baby! I am ready! I am tired and sore and now that my mom is here, (well, she's less than an hour away) I feel like it is safe to go into labor!

I have never been good at being able to tell how a baby has been sitting, on me or anyone else... But I am feeling pretty sure she has dropped. I just feel SO MUCH pressure! It is quite uncomfortable. I spent most of the day sitting. It just hurts too much to be up and moving. This whole day I've just been telling myself, "One more day..." lol

We are very excited to meet Aurora. We wonder what she will look like, what kind of personality will she have... will she sleep through the night? lol  Acadia is anxious - she is hoping to be able to come to the hospital immediately after the birth, in enough time to see her first bath. She loves watching the video from her own birth day and when she had her first bath. She thinks it is funny that she cried through the whole thing and I think she wants to see if Aurora does too. lol

I can't guarantee when I'll be able to post next, I will try to have my mom or Ryan post the announcement after she is born... hopefully with pictures too! :)
Stay tuned... :)

I have a picture!

Today I had to go in for another blood pressure check and nonstress test.  The bp was good but we had troubles getting Aurora to cooperate so they sent me to the birthing center for an ultrasound.  It was awesome! :)

First of all, this is 100% positively a girl! lol

Secondly, she has a ton of hair!  And she is a thumb sucker!!!



That's a scan of the pic, so it isn't super good... but you should get the idea. lol  It's a close up profile of her sucking her thumb. :)

They also think she's going to be about 7 1/2 pounds - like Cadi was - that sounds good to me! :)

So far, everything looks good and we are on for the induction on Friday... unless I go into labor on my own! :)

Okay, I take it back...

Alternative Blog Title: Someone Please Take This Bag of Twizzlers Away From Me!

I do, I take it back... Being on bedrest STINKS!!! Especially when all your on-line friends decide they'd rather spend time with their families instead of being on-line! Come on people! What's more important? Enjoying a weekend with your hubby and/or kid(s) or sitting around on-line just to keep me company??? I ask you, Where are your priorities???

If I wasn't on bedrest, we would go to the Pioneer Day activity at the church tonight. Acadia was looking forward to it... but there is just no way! I am actually wondering if there will be lots of no shows because the heat is pretty bad and it is supposed to be outside. :S

This morning, Acadia came into the room with a bag of Twizzlers and asked if I wanted some. We had Twizzlers? I didn't know we had some!!! I opened that bag so fast and started munchin', lol. Yesterday, in one of my on-line chat sessions, I had been talking about red vines and I started craving them... Acadia was heaven-sent! Too bad she was about 18 hours late... but that's okay, Better late than never!

But now, I've gone through half the bag and I'm thinking... I probably shouldn't have so many Twizzlers in one sitting...

Test results are in...

I went in for my blood pressure check and non stress test this morning. My BP is down!!! That is good news! The only bad side of it is that I won't be getting induced today or this weekend. But, we're healthy and that is more important! :D

So, my doctor tried to schedule me in for an induction on Wednesday... the hospital is booked. :( So we got me down for Friday instead. If I don't go into labor befrore then, I go in on Friday morning!!! :D I will definitely have my July baby! This is good news!

Yesterday I had some serious contractions. I even called the birthing center because one lasted for over 20 minutes! But they said that as long as I was feeling the baby move it was okay... which I was. :) But I was still having contractions and they were only 5 minutes apart. I had Ryan leave work just a tad early, but by the time he got home they were almost completely stopped. :(

And that's where they stayed.

My doctor will be out of town for the next few days so if i do go into labor, I will have to have a different doctor. I'm not TOO worried about that, I really like my doctor but I really want to have this baby too! lol So, I'm still kind of hoping I go into labor soon. We will see...

And in the meantime, I'm still on bedrest since that seems to be working. It's super hot here, but thanks to A/C I'm doing okay. I go back in for another blood pressure check and non stress test on Monday and I see a doctor on Tuesday for a regular check up. And that... is my update! : )

Still waiting...

The lab results came back today and everything is normal. They were checking liver and kidney I guess... Tomorrow morning I will go into the doctor's office to have my blood pressure checked and we'll do a non stress test too. Depending on how that goes, we'll see if I get induced this weekend or not.

In the meantime... Bedrest is not that bad when you've got an A/C blowing right on you and you've got a laptop with internet connection and a ton of friends who selflessly chat with you all day long! lol I have had some contractions today. I had about an hour of them this afternoon and even as I type, I'm having more. They are getting stronger... but I'm not sure how consistent they are yet. So, who knows... I could be going in tonight... ???
It's just the waiting game for now... :)

Be careful what you wish for.

Today I saw my doctor. I do want to have this baby and I would like to be induced soon if she doesn't come on her own. But I do want her and I to be healthy!!!

My blood pressure has shot up and we are starting to worry about Pre-Eclampsia again. :( I would prefer NOT to have pre-eclampsia again. But, the good news is IF I do, it will be like it was with Cadi - I'm full term, she should be healthy... it will just be a pain. Because I am at 38 1/2 weeks, my doctor still hesitates to induce me unless it is necessary. So we did some lab work today and we will know by tomorrow how that turned out. It is likely that I will be induced on Friday. However, if the lab results are still okay, I will be going in Friday morning for a non-stress test and to retake my blood pressure. Again, we will re-evaluate and decide whether to induce at that point or not. If the answer is "not", I will be checked again after a couple more days... The latest I will go before getting induced is Wednesday.

My doctor says it's a balancing act... She wants to wait til I hit 39 weeks if possible because even these final couple of days are really good for the baby. (BTW, she says this baby feels like she won't be any bigger than Cadi was - 7 lbs 8 oz.) But she doesn't want to have me develop pre-eclampsia. So, she has put me on bedrest from now until the delivery. If that will keep my blood pressure down enough to let me wait until next week, she feels that is ideal. However, if I need to be induced there shouldn't be REAL cause for concern.

I was happy to learn that I am dialated some more. I'm just shy of a 3. :) That is good news for me! But no more walking or cleaning or anything else to try to help myself along with that.

Overall, I feel good. And now we play the waiting game... :)

Overdue

No, not the baby... She's still technically not due yet. Though I've decided her due date is more of a deadline!

Nah, I'm just overdue on updating. But I have an update!

This morning I woke up and wanted to see the weather forcast, so I turned on the news. Just as the shuttle was landing, I started getting contractions. Not the normal Braxton Hicks, these were low and painful! And they were coming about 3-5 minutes apart. I didn't really assume it would continue, but I did warn Ryan since he was off to cover a co-worker's shift today. After an hour of these contractions, I decided to get up and take a shower. Of course, they slowed WAY down... and eventually stopped. I wasn't surprised.

So, Cadi and I decided to take advantage of the cool morning to go on a power walk. The whole way I had a tight tummy (normal for my walks) and near the end, I had a couple contractions. When we got home and I was able to sit down, I had a few more... but again, they've slowed way down and could very well be done completely right now.

This is all fine with me. I have mixed feelings about going into labor RIGHT NOW.

Pros:

•The b-day would be July 17... exactly one month after Cadi's... that would be cool.
•The weather is supposed to warm up by the end of the week... pushing 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday!!! I SO do not want to be preggers in that if I don't have to!
•Ryan doesn't go back to work until Thursday. My mom could decide between coming up right away or waiting until next week. Depending on what she would choose, Ryan would either go to work like normal on Thursday (if she were here) and then take next week off, or the opposite.
•I really wouldn't mind having this kid soon.

Cons:

•Ryan has a mid-term tonight and two labs tomorrow, plus at least one project due. If I have her today or tomorrow, we would most likely have to kiss this term good-bye and eat several hundreds of dollars... :(
•That's pretty much it. Well, of course there is still more we COULD do to get ready... but really, we're ready. As ready as we need to be.

So, either way. If nothing else, these contractions will HOPEFULLY help me along and when I see my Dr. on Wednesday I will be dialated a little more. :)

We're in the final stretch...

Now that I am officially "full term", being 37 weeks along, I have decided to take matters into my own hands.

This morning Acadia, the dog, and I went for a power walk. It was short, but it was quick paced and by the time we got home, we were short of breath and my tummy was tight. Just like what happened when I power walked while preggers with Cadi. This is good. I don't necessarily need to induce labor yet, but I want my body getting ready for labor. I want to be dialated and/or effaced at least a little when my doctor checks me on Wednesday!

Ryan and I have been discussing what dates we would choose if we were given permission to be induced. And ideally, at this point, it would be Wednesday, July 19. But we'll see what my doctor says. That is just what we want for OUR calendar! It's not necessarily up to us.

Last night I woke up at 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep. This was frustrating since I have not been getting much sleep at all lately. I'm averaging about 6 hours a night. :S Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up and do some work in the nursery. I had made a few purchases on Saturday so I put things away, organized some other things, hung the wall hangings over the crib, etc. I've begun filling out my pre-registration forms and birthing plan. I'm pretty much packed. I'm going to select 3 or 4 outfits and let Cadi decide which one the baby should wear home. She'll like that. I also need to pack a 24 hour pack for Cadi so no matter when we need to take her to a sitter, she will have appropriate clothes and things to have with her.
I did manage to get back to sleep around 5 am and slept until 8... I ended up with 7 hours of sleep last night - hey, it's an improvement! lol

Another thing, I've been losing weight. Not a lot. And not on purpose. But I hear that is normal for the end of the pregnancy. So, I guess it's just another sign that we are very close to the end now! :D

We are all so excited!!! Though, while she's excited, Acadia is also feeling sad about my hospital stay. The only thing that makes it sound "okay" is if Grandma is here while I'm in the hospital. (Which would be possible if I'm induced... but if I'm not, then that could be hard to manage.) She is so dramatic about it. "I won't see you at all for 2 whole days!!!" Even though I have told her I will likely not even be gone for 2 whole days AND she can come visit me whenever she wants for however long she wants! (The hospital visiting hours are not really limited, which is nice.) But she just likes the drama and so... it continues. lol

I should be "nesting" and getting my house clean... good stuff like that. But at the moment it isn't happening. Maybe a little later. The weather is being so nice to me. We warmed up a tad over the weekend - I think we even reached 90... but now we're back down to 70s and should stay cool like this all week. I can't believe my luck! I did not expect to have such nice weather for so long! And I'm not complaining! I'm so grateful!!! So, with this cool weather, I should be able to do more. We'll see if that actually happens, lol.

Time's just tick, tick, tickin' away!

Have you noticed? Did you see? Why don't you take a little look at the top of this page...
I'M ON THE LAST BOX ON MY TICKER!!!

Can you believe that?!? I'm in my 9th month!!! At any point, I could have a new baby. Well, not at this moment, because I haven't gone into labor yet. But at any moment I could go into labor!!!

This week I've started working on stuff that I had just kind of let wait...

I purchased the last of the big items. I started packing my hospital bag. I have the essentials, I do have a few more items to add. I also need to pack the diaper bag and write up my birthing plan. I really should decide what kind of announcements I want to do. I have no clue for now. But for the most part, I'm pretty much ready to go have a baby if she decides it's time to come.

I'm hoping she'll wait a couple of weeks though. But only a couple. lol

Long time no post

I don't have a really good reason for not posting... just not much to post about. So, this may be random... Maybe I should make it an official "random" post... nah, I'm feeling too lazy to go change the title.

•It's been hot. Really hot. We broke records here. Before this year, there had only been 3 days when it had reached 100 degrees in the month of June. Well, we've almost doubled that. We just had two days of 100+ degree temps. And I'll just say... We survived! Yay!!! The A/C is so nice! It doesn't cool the whole house, but it does cool the family room well and that's where we spend our time.

•Cadi started swimming lessons yesterday, again. Ryan had to take her because I had a Dr. appt. It was his first time making it to a swimming lesson. Hopefully he'll get to go to a couple more next week. Cadi likes swimming lessons and keeps getting more and more confident. She's not using her goggles as much - which is a big improvement! She likes her teachers and trusts them and that makes learning so much easier for her.

•My Dr. appt went well. I have been having the normal nasty side effects that usually come at the end of the pregnancy. Swollen feet (the heat hasn't helped), pregnancy rash, contractions, heartburn, etc. The rash has been one of the most annoying things so she gave me some suggestions on how to get through. I've got lotion with aloe now and I'm using a mosturizing body wash instead of soap in the shower. When it's really bad, mostly at night, I'm taking Benadryl. Last night was much better and I feel a lot better knowing I can at least lessen the itch.

•From now until Earendil comes, I'll be seeing my doctor weekly. We're in that final month! In 2 weeks, I start my self-inducing tactics. Power walks, bowling, the driving range, etc. Then in another week, I'll add foot/ankle/calf massages. I REALLY want to have this baby in July! Can you tell? lol

•I have always had a problem with flip flops. The thing that goes between your toes always hurts me. However, I am unable to fit in any of my shoes. Well, there is one pair of sandals I can squeeze into, but that's it. So yesterday while I was at the store buying my Benadryl, I also bought my first pairs of flip flops! I am so excited! First of all, they are shoes that fit! Secondly, I am hopeful that I will get used to flip flops during this period of time and then I can continue wearing them just for fun! :)

•Acadia calls me Preggo. Seriously, she does. But I think it's cute and I let her.

•I have spoken on the phone with one of my on-line friends. We've dubbed our on-line friends "vfriends" (for virtual friends). But now that we've spoken on the phone, we aren't just vfriends, we're real friends! She's super cool and I hope someday to meet her in person. We've got some other vfriends that we hope to meet too.

•Ryan started classes this week. He's got a 3 hour lecture two times a week plus a 3 hour lab once a week. Then on top of that, he's taking an on-line class. Both of the classes will be ending about mid-August. Which means that the final projects and studying for the finals will all take place right around the time we have a new baby in our home... who planned the timing on this?

Okay, I think that is it for now. I won't wait so long before I post again!

Going, Going, Gone!

•The school year is almost over, there are less than two weeks left! I can't believe how fast time flies. I know some moms don't exactly look forward to the summer vacation. In some ways I feel the same. I will miss the free time I have to get errands done while Cadi's in school. But I am still definitely looking forward to school being out! I am looking forward to relaxing her bedtime (so she can see Ryan everyday!), SLEEPING IN (!!!), working with Cadi on things that will help us get ready for the baby (I'm planning on teaching her some new chores to help me out.), Acadia's big birthday surprise, and of course... Eärendil coming!


•Friday night we had an activity at church. It was a pretty informal activity, pizza and games. The games were pretty much relay games for the kids and only took a small portion of the night. Most of the night was pizza and visiting. But another big portion of it was a Silent Auction that the YW held to earn money for Girl's Camp. It was a bit of a last minute thing, but all things considered, it went really well. The YW either brought things to be auctioned or had coupons for services to be auctioned. (Babysitting, baked goods, homemade jewelry, house cleaning, tutoring, etc.) We invited ward members to contribute some service to be auctioned off too, proceeds to go to the YW, of course. We had yardwork, handyman work, computer services, sewn items, etc. The auction was successful. The YW who perform(ed) services get the money from those services, the things donated by ward members went into a pot to be divided between whoever needs help earning $. We've decided to make it an annual event because as it builds each year, we think it will be a good experience for the ward to find ways to offer services to eachother and help our YW at the same time.

•Ryan donated a DELICIOUS Turtle Cheesecake. He's made it before and it is by far my favorite of all his baking creations! I did bid on it, but was outbid in the end. I'm glad I was outbid because that means that the girls got more money - plus, I can order one from the chef myself. He also donated a coupon for "Any dessert of your choice". The same family won both of those auctions. It's the bishop's family.

•There were desserts that were not apart of the auction that were left over on Friday night. We brought home a whole chocolate cake. There is only one piece left. Sad.

•My shoe selection is dwindling. I am down to just 2 or 3 pairs of shoes that fit comfortably now that my ankles and feet are in a constant swollen state.

•When I sold my extra stamps and craft supplies I ended up with a very nice sum of money to pay for the nursery and baby items we would need. That sum of money is nearly gone. I still have a few things I want to buy. Good thing Ryan's working an extra few days this week. ; )

•OxyClean for laundry really works! I had a nice, plump, juicy, red strawberry this morning. It was a little "too" juicy, I got some on my white shirt. I wasn't home at the time and so it was a couple of hours before I was able to treat it. When I got home, I sprayed it with Oxyclean and put it in the wash. Stain's gone! Yay, I'm so glad; I really like that shirt!

•Every couple years or so, something happens and there is a "mass exodus" of sorts. Our ward experienced it two years ago and this summer looks like there may be another. I have several young women in my class threatening to move (I say it as if this is there choice or in their control at all, lol.), and there are several families in our ward that have and are moving soon. Change happens, I know. But it's sad to see friends move. : (

•I've managed to hold onto a small stash of Girl Scout Cookies from earlier in the year. How they've survived this long is beyond me. They are even sitting right there in the pantry, in plain sight! But, now I've been craving them. I just finished my last box of Samoas. : (

•Where did the day go? I had a presidency this morning, but this afternoon has just flown by! Now my time is "gone" and I need to go make dinner.

Warning: I've got some complaining to do!

And I feel bad about it. I really should not complain. What do I have to complain about? Sure, I have some unpleasant things annoying me right now, but they are all due to a pretty healthy pregnancy… I should NOT complain. And yet…

It is 3:30 am and I have been up for about an hour. I just can’t sleep. Seems to be a pattern lately. Thankfully, I don’t have much going on today so I can take a nap in the afternoon.

I feel sick. I’m not sick. But I feel sick. I did not have this happen with Acadia , but for some reason my nausea is returning here in the final trimester. Fortunately, it is only at night and in the mornings and it is not severe, just an annoyance that hangs over me and my tummy.

My feet and ankles are starting to swell. I had this problem while in Reno and California a month ago, but when we got home it stopped. (Even on the 90 degree days we had a couple weeks back, I did not have problems.) However, despite the nice, cool temps this week, my ankles have swollen for the last two days. I find that interesting. I think that my body just looked at the calendar and said, “Yep, we’re in the final two months, time to start the last of the symptoms. Feet, do your stuff!” So, even though it’s not hot and I haven’t been on my feet that much, my ankles are thick and painful. Fortunately, I have been able to stay off of my feet lately and soaking in cold water helps.

I am always hot. Unfortunately, not the good-looking “hot” (Cause that wouldn’t be so bad, lol. Never been accused of that before…), no, I’m just plain hot. I find myself slowing down in the freezer section of the grocery store, sleeping with the fan on (even though it has been cool lately), not wearing a jacket (even in rainstorms), etc. Fortunately, it has been cool and I do have an air conditioner for when it really does get hot!

No matter what I eat or drink, I get heartburn. This is something that was a major nuisance with Cadi and I have NOT been looking forward to it. I had so many Tums when I was expecting Cadi that in the last 7 years I still cannot stand them! They taste fine, it’s the chalkiness that I can’t handle. Fortunately, they make Tums Smoothies now. A friend told me they taste like candy and she loves them. I have tried them… I wouldn’t say “candy”, but significantly better than the regular Tums. (And they have a cocoa and crème flavor now.)

Braxton Hicks. Ugh. I do not remember having any with Cadi. But I have been having them for a couple of weeks now. Nothing that I should be concerned about, and they aren’t too painful – yet (lol), but they can be uncomfortable. I get them several times a day, every day. I am hoping this means that my body is preparing itself for the delivery and that will make it go smoother when the time comes. I hope!

My back is sore – always. When I am sitting, standing, lying down… doesn’t matter. Fortunately, sitting with a pillow behind me helps a lot. I have not mastered the laying down part – which could be why I haven’t been sleeping well the last several nights.

I am always tired. I’m guessing the not being able to sleep at night and being in constant discomfort might have something to do with it, lol. I keep telling myself, ‘You have no time to be tired now, you’re going to be running on next to no sleep once the baby is born – get your rest while you still can!’ But it just doesn’t work. I take a nap and wake up tired. I think I’m just going to have to learn how to live ‘tired’ for the next few months. Fortunately, Cadi is old enough that whenever I want a nap I can take one – she can take care of herself for the most part.

So you see, I have all these unpleasant things bugging me nonstop. But every single one of them is due to this pregnancy and so I can’t complain. It really is a blessing and I should be grateful that I am healthy enough that I can handle these annoyances in order to have another baby. I am grateful for that. And I’m grateful that Ryan and Acadia have been patient with me.

Just two more months... Maybe a little less!

Tip of the Day:

Do NOT eat a brownie just before going to sleep!

So, last night Cadi and I had dinner with Beckie, Amber, and their family. We brought the dessert, brownies with vanilla ice cream and chocolate and caramel syrups... Mmmm. Later that night when Ryan had gotten home from the gym and I was going to bed, he suggested having some. (He reasons that since he had just worked out, his metabolism was high and he could eat "whatever he wanted". Yeah, okay Babe. lol) So, we had some brownie, ice cream and yummy toppings...

Then we went to bed and I had the oddest dream. It was weird. All of a sudden, I was having my baby. And I remember thinking it happened so fast. I closed my eyes (to rest or to work through a contraction or something) when I opened them, my baby was born! Simple as that! (Wish it could REALLY be that simple! lol) Next thing I know, I'm walking in the hospital with Cadi and the baby. But the baby is a boy and he looks just like Jared (my nephew)... how he looks NOW, at 7 months old. lol (This is the second time I've "seen" my baby in a dream and both times, it was Jared... weird. lol) I remember saying to the baby, "You sure are big!" And then I remember immediately thinking, 'But delivery was so easy!' At this point, I also noticed that I was thin again! LOL

So, we got to my bed, which was out in the hall... (????) and I asked Ryan about the delivery. Did I black out? No. Did I scream out in pain at all? No. What happened? You had the baby. (Uh, thanks for that info Babe.) I was so confused at why I didn't remember the delivery at all. Ryan was taking Cadi home and I got "comfy" in my hospital bed, complete with a rack thingy that pulled out over me so I couldn't roll around and fall out of bed. Again... (????) And I thought, 'I can FINALLY sleep in whatever position I want!' Except of course, I couldn't because the rail had me in pretty snug.

And that was my dream.

So, I woke up this morning. And for reasons that I will explain later, I had another brownie. (Don't judge me!!! Trust me, wait til my post later today...) And then went back to sleep because I had a couple of hours before needing to get up. This time I had a downright ODD and kind of nightmarish dream! Have you ever had the "naked in public dream"? I have NEVER had it - til this morning!!! And to make it worse - I was naked while pregnant! Ugh.

Yeah, I am not getting into details, but that was horrible! I felt SO .... EWWWW!!!! People could see me! People I knew, people I barely knew, people I didn't know! And people kept looking at me and telling me how big I was getting! Oh, it was so bad!

So, the moral of the story is... do NOT eat brownies right before going to sleep! And if you must, make sure it is with ice cream and yummy toppings because at least then the dream will only be "Odd" and not "Odd and Nightmarish"!

Cadi's Big News

I was really hoping that Acadia would blog about this herself, but let's be realistic: We got home to learn that her friends just got a new kitten AND a trampoline! As soon as her homework is done, I'll be lucky to see her again by dinnertime! lol I guess she'll be on her allergy meds a bit more conisistently now that there's a cat in a house she frequently plays at. : /

But... To the big news! On Sunday, while sitting in church, Acadia felt the baby move for the first time! I had been trying for weeks to have her feel a kick, but every time I put her hand on my tummy, Earendil stopped. :( This time, she was really moving and so I got Cadi and sure enough, Earendil cooperated and Acadia just beamed! "It feels rumbly, Mommy!"

That's right, I've got a "rumbly in my tumbly". lol

Also, big Cadi news: She has her first loose tooth! That's right, she is turning 7 in one month and is just now getting her first loose tooth! (I keep telling her this is good - INFLATION! lol) It should come out soon, though she tends to baby it and will probably take a little longer than it would if she were wiggling it more and using it to eat apples and carrots. lol

So, exciting times for Cadi. However, you'll have to take my word for it since she is too preoccupied to blog it herself. ;)