Bring Your Own Fruit

I can't sing, I know this and so does anyone else who hears me. Except my kids. They love when I sing. This morning I was singing a song to my kids and when I was done, Stasia told me it was beautiful and Anakin said I should sing it up on stage at church,(have no fear, this will NOT happen:) Then he says, "We just won't let anyone bring fruit to throw at you"

I love my kids!!

I've Been...

TAGGED...
by Heidi...

Jobs I've had:
1. Deli girl at Buy-low
2. Waiter at the Tea Room
3. Sandwich artist
4. Mom, teacher and daycare assistant

Places I have lived:
1. Chandler
2. Boonville
3. yeah...
4. that's it

Food I love:
1. Italian Food
2. Mexican food
3. Chinese food
4. Deserts

Websites I visit daily:
1. Yahoo for my mail
2. blogs
3. my bank
4. family fun

Places I'd rather be:
1. BED
2. a warm sunny beach
3. shopping for non-prego clothes
4. BED

Movies I love :
1. Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea
2. Lord Of the Rings
3. The Cutting Edge
4. Harry Potter (all of them) (and about a million more :)

TV shows I watch:

1. House
2. CSI (the original)
3. Dirty Jobs
4. Myth Busters

I tag...
Melissa
Cathy
Tina

I've Been Tagged

By Staci...

Q. Are you Single, Taken, or Flirty?
A. Taken

Q. Are you happy with that?
A. 100%

Q. Do you believe that there are certain circumstances where cheating is OK?
A. No

Q. Have you ever talked about marriage with another person (besides your spouse)?
A. Nope

Q. Would you consider adoption?
A. Yeah

Q. If someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?
A. nope

Q. Do you want someone you can't have?
A. Nope

Q. Do you believe in celebrating anniversaries?
A. Yes

Q. Do you believe that you can change for someone?
A. Yes

Q. Have you ever broken a heart before?
A. Probably

Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Olive Garden

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. 15%

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Pizza

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A: butter, sugar & Cinnamon

Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A: A picture of me and my girls

Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. I gave birth to 4 kids, I don't know if that counts as removing..

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. Yes

Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. maybe

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. I don't know...I like my name

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Black or pink

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. nope

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. God

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. Yes

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A: it is stupid but good

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: Carpet

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A. never

Q. Where is the first place you went this morning?
A: mom's house

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Buy some post prego clothes (I don't remember the last time I bought clothes that weren't maternity) and Go on a date with my hubby

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Veggie Tales

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Yes

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Yeah, I think so

I tag...Jada

Slide Shows

I have 3 slideshows that I made in honor of my Birthday Boy but due to techincal difficuties I can not get them to post...grrr

Love At First Sight

Normally I don’t believe in “love at first sight” but it happened to me eight years ago….

It all started a month after Gabe and I were married. When I found out I was pregnant I was alittle less than thrilled.

I had a very rough pregnancy with morning sickness 24/7 all 9 months.

The first time I felt him move, I was truly convinced there was an alien in my stomach about to burst out. (long story but 100% true)

I went into pre-term labor at 6 months. The doctor put me on medicine to stop the labor but I had contractions daily for the next 3 months. I was on bed rest a lot.

Finally I hit 36 weeks and they said they would no longer stop my labor, I thought the end was in sight. I then discovered I had dysfunctional labor. My body would start to have contractions; they would get stronger and closer together and then several hours later, they would stop.

I was frustrated; I just wanted to meet this booger who had caused me so much trouble. 11 days before my due date, I started having contractions… again.

24 hours and 45 minutes later, Anakin was born. I had him natural (no drugs). The epidural they gave me didn’t take affect so I was able to experience the whole thing, lucky me :)

Gabe knew he was in trouble the moment Anakin was born and I looked up at him and said “That wasn’t too bad…I could do that again”

I fell in love with my little man the moment I saw him. I never knew how deeply you could love someone you just met until that moment.

Anakin has brought me so much joy over the last 8 years. My heart melts every time he gives me a hug or kisses or curls up next to me on the couch or reaches over to hold my hand as we are walking down the street. Sometimes when I look at him, I still see the little baby they placed in my arms so many years ago.

I thank God He trusted me enough to give me such a precious gift

Happy Birthday My Little Man!!

Gabe...what more can I say?

Last year my husband won the Q Excellence Award in his company. this is an award given for outstanding achievements made by the employee. They gave out 10 of these awards last year. These are pictures of the ceremony.

The first one is of Gabe shaking hands with the President of the company.

The second one is of a some of the other award winners.

Now my husband has one goal...to never have a serious picture taken of himself. I am sure that after you look at these pictures you can see for yourself that he is achieving this goal so far :)

Stasia

had her baby root-canal and crown done yesterday. She did so well!! The medicine they put her on took the spazz right out of her. She discovered a fresh supply of her spazz after she had a very good nap. She only complained of it hurting aliitle bit once. When she saw it in the mirror she wasn't too sure she liked it so I told her it was a princess crown for her teeth. She has been fine with it ever since :)

Anakin

had his 4 bottom teeth pulled this morning. He did great!!
He liked the numb feeling, he told me that his chin was asleep. Then he made me feel it so I too could see how funny it felt :)

A post full of randomness

The Weekend
This weekend was pretty nice all the way around. Gabe wanted to go for a walk Saturday so we put Sorsha and Gabrielle in strollers, Stasia on her bike, Anakin on his scooter, Gabe and I on foot and set out for our walk. We walked to Mom and Dad's house. I probably won't be making such an adventurous trip again any time soon. I am not in the best shape (which probably means I should do it more)and that just about tortured me. Not too mention the stress of watching the kids along some pretty busy streets :) The kids did great, I was very proud of Anakin and Stasia!! Sorsha and Gabrielle didn't get fussy or restless once.

I went to Penny's baby shower and it was so cute. I am so very excited to see how God has blessed them. It is just so awesome to see her glowing with her pregnancy :)


A Mouthful Of Problems
Anakin and Stasia both have a rough week awaiting them next week. Anakin has to have 4 of his bottom teeth pulled out. His permanent teeth are coming in and his baby teeth aren't loose at all. Stasia has to have a baby root canal and a crown on one tooth and a filling on another.

Other news
My baby said Mama for the first time last week! I am so thrilled. Anakin and Stasia both said Dada first but Sorsha and Gabrielle both have said Mama first. I feel so special :)
Gabrielle is growing up too fast. She has discovered her hands and feet and plays with them all the time. She bonks herself in the head with toys, coos, squeals and blows raspberries. She also gives kisses and holds up her arms when you walk by her.
Sorsha is also growing up too fast. I can't keep up with all the things she does and says. She is such a joy to our family. She is still giving me a rough time at night though.
And as seems to be the theme lately...Gabe is gone for the week again. He left this morning and will be home Thursday night.

And that sums up my random post of news & happiness :)

TGIF

What a whirlwind of a week!!

The girls had their Well Baby visits last week. Sorsha weighs 20lbs and is doing great! She is advanced in her physical development and very advanced in her social development. For everything else, she is right on target!
Gabrielle weighs 13lbs and is 24in long. She is right on target for everything. She doesn't do anything early or late, just right when she is supposed to.
2 months ago, the doctor didn't like the size, location, or color of Gabrielle's birthmark so he said he was going to look into by her next visit and we might talk about surgery. 2 weeks ago the top of her birthmark has turned from black to gray. Our doctor was very glad to see this! He said this is a very good sign and it should start to collapse on itself and flatten out. He was very surprised to see it had turned gray so soon, normally he doesn't see that happen until the child is 2 years old. I wasn't surprised, there were too many people praying for it to not flatten out early :) I am so thankful she doesn't have to look at having surgery!!

Elle has finally started sleeping through the night, and now Sorsha doesn't. Any suggestions on how to get a 18 month old to sleep through the night?? We moved Sorsha to a toddler bed so now she can get up whenever she wakes up. We have put the baby gate up in front of her door to keep her in her room, but she climbed over the gate...the girl drives me crazy!!

Sometime this month, Gabe will have to go back up to Wisconsin for a week. I am not looking forward to him being gone again :(

We started school this week and so far, it has gone great! I was very worried how it was going to go this year now that I have 2 little ones to work around. I feel much better after this first week. I can take Anakin and Stasia with me when I work at the clinic Thursday,it just works out so well. I love having my kids with me and being able to watch them as they are learning new things. Of course there are the days when I think it would be nice if I just had to worry about the 2 littles while the older 2 would be in school. Then I always think of all the things I would miss out on if they were gone all day.

Well I think this post is almost too long now so I will stop :)

PS...totally random note: only my first 3 kids names show up as misspelled words...what other way would I spell them??

All By Myself...Again

Gabe had to go back to Wisconsin this week. Thankfully, there are no sick kiddos this week. I miss him so much when he isn't here. The kids get restless without him, especially when the trips are so close together.

Sorsha was standing on a chair in the kitchen Sunday night. She leaned forward and tipped it over, she busted her top lip and her nose. I just can't keep up with that girl!! Ugh, I felt awful :( She had "duck lips" for awhile but she is starting to look alittle better this morning.

I am in the process of getting everything ready for Anakin and Stasia to start school. I always start them Sept, I don't like starting in Aug. Anakin is starting Second Grade and Stasia is starting First Grade. They were walking with Sorsha around the house this morning and I was once again hit with how much they have grown up. When did it happen??
Sorsha and Gabrielle have Dr. appointments next week. Sorsha's is her 18 month visit and Gabrielle's is her 4 months. Last week Gabrielle had to get her shots. I hate that soooooo much. They look up at you, so trusting, so innocent...and then, they get stuck by a needle 3 times!! It's horrible!! It breaks my heart every time :(

Well that's all my ramblings for now, gotta get ready for the day :)

My Surprise

was a 1lb box of chocolate covered cherries. It means alot to me that he remembered how much I love them.

We did go on our date Friday evening. We went to Olive Garden, pretty much my favorite place. My food was wonderful, and the company wasn't too bad either :)
Thank you Mom & Dad for watching the kids so we could go out!! You are guys are so awesome, I don't know what I would do without you!!
After we ate, we picked the kids up, went home, put them to bed and then Gabe and I played our WOW game together. It was so nice spending time with him and relaxing :)

Saturday we bombed the house to get rid of our fleas and then we did some much needed yard work around the house, it was starting to look like a jungle.

Sunday we relaxed after church, didn't really do a whole lot. Now all this may seem like a very boring weekend to some, but for me, it is just the way I like it. Staying home and spending time with my family. Ok so bombing the house and the yard work, not so much my favorite thing, but overall it was a very good weekend :)

This morning Sorsha bug woke up at 6:30, the same time she wakes up every day. I go in to get her, and the smell of poo is overwhelming. I look down at her and she has NO DIAPER on!! The poop is EVERYWHERE, all over her, from her hair down to her toes, all over the pack n' play. So after some freaking out, I pick her up and put her in the bathtub. Alittle more freaking out, alot of cleaning, a whole box of baby wipes, and about 30 minutes later she is all clean. I get her out and give her kiss and quickly stuff a toothbrush, with gobbs of toothpaste on it, in her mouth. Just think about it, I'm sure you know why :) Gabe was such a sweety and he cleaned the bed all by himself (and I didn't even have to ask :)

So that sums up my weekend, aren't you glad I shared all that info with you :)

This Evening...

Gabe comes home!! I have missed him so much.

The plague has left our home. As of yesterday the kids and I were able to keep food down. It seems to have passed over Gabrielle, thankfully.
A huge "thank you" to Mom,Dad and Monica for the "care packages" Tuesday!! It was such a huge blessing!! I would have been so lost without you guys!!

Gabe bought me a present, and of course he told me this because he knows it drives me crazy. I LOVE a surprise but I hate being told that I am going to be getting a surprise. It drives me crazy, I MUST know what it is. He says he had to tell me so that I wouldn't check the bank. If I check the bank then I will know what he bought me. UGH...double the torture, now not only do I know I am getting something, but I know if I check the bank I will know what it is. So...hard...not...to...look!! But I made a promise I would be good, so I will not give into the temptation to look at the bank record :) He also told me that I deserve a date after the week I had. I, of course, agreed. Hopefully we will be able to go out tomorrow night. I don't remember the last time he and I went out by ourselves...it might have been the last time I blogged about our date night. Sheesh, that's been awhile.

Anyways, that is all my ramblings for now. Ta~Ta

(can't wait to see what my present is :)

Thank God For Family

I would be lost without mine.
Dad just brought over a "care package" with juice, pedilite, chicken noodle soup and laundry detergent (I used all mine with the sheets and blankets during the night).
Thank you Mom and Dad! I love you!!

The Plague...

has hit us!
Sorsha is still sick. I was up all night changing sheets and blankets, How much can my poor baby take??
At 4:00am Anakin was next. 5:00am it hit me. Stasia says she doesn't feel well but hasn't been sick yet.
She asked me "who is going to take care of us if you are sick??"

My reply "Gabrielle, she is the only one who isn't sick"

Stasia "but she is just baby, she can't do anything. How can she take care of us?"

Me "I guess I will have to take care of us"

Stasia "how can you? You are sick"

She is very worried that I will not be able to take care of them while I am sick...gotta love the vote of confidence :) Please keep Sorsha in your prayers, I am worried the most about her. I don't want her to get dehydrated. Hopefully this will pass quickly and miss Gabrielle completely.

Too Much For One Mommy

This week has every promise of being too much for this one mommy.

Gabe is going to Wisconsin this week, work related trip. The kids and I were up at 6:30 this morning so that I could drive him down to the office, (an overnight bag doesn't fit so well on the bike :) He will come home sometime Thursday. It seems like such a long time from now.

Sorsha started throwing up yesterday. At first I thought it was from being out in the heat all day Saturday, but then I realized she had a virus. She made it all through Sunday night with getting sick and all Monday morning she seemed fine. But right around 11 this afternoon, she started back up and hasn't been able to keep anything down since then. I feel so bad for her, I wish there was something I could do for her. I really am hoping that it doesn't spread to me and the other kiddos. I don't do well with cleaning that mess up and I am the only one here this week so that could prove to be alot of fun...ugh. All day she kept asking for her daddy, it broke my heart to have to keep telling her that daddy was at work. My poor baby.

I had to take Anakin to the dentist today. He has 2 permanent teeth coming in behind his baby teeth on the bottom. The dentist said that he will give Anakin till the first week in Sept to work them loose. If they don't come out by then, then he will pull them. I really hope he can get them loose before then, I would hate for Anakin to have to go through having them pulled.

I have the Mom's CLUB meeting tomorrow night at the clinic. I really enjoy this time with the girls. It is such a blessing to me and I hope it blesses them even more.

My little Elle is crying now so I must hop off to take care of her. Life is never boring around here :)

Babies Babies Everywhere

Today I am doing Heidi's childcare from my house. I thought it would help them out to not have to worry about the childcare today and they can just focus on bringing their kiddos home. My house is pretty full with just my 4 kids but when you add 4 more it is really busting at the seams :) All is going really well so far and the kids are having a blast.
Please keep Larry and Heidi in your prayers as they travel home with their 9 kids. Road trips are hard enough, I can't imagine doing it with 9 kids!!

Finished

So I finally finished the 7th Harry Potter book yesterday. Gabe got to read it first and I had to wait on him. It was so freakin good!! I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bob. Very well written!! For the sake of those who haven't read it, I won't say anymore. Read and enjoy it, it is awesome!!

Mexi-Ranch Chicken

Just for kicks and giggles, I thought I would share this recipe with you :)
The other night, Gabe and Brandon were going to be grilling brats, much to the horror of Dana and I. So I decided to attempt to make Dana and myself a yummy chicken meal. I had something similar at Applebees and I thought I would try to duplicate it to the best of my ability. It turned out so yummy I thought I must share it :)

What you need:

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
Lime Juice
Taco Seasoning
Ranch dressing
Shredded Colby/Monterrey Jack Cheese

Use a fork to poke holes in chicken. Put chicken in a seal-able plastic bag, cover with lime juice and marinade for 4 hours.
Cook the chicken (I had Gabe grill it).
Pour ranch dressing in bowl, sprinkle taco seasoning on top and mix together. You might have to taste to make sure you have a good balance.
Once the chicken is done grilling, brush the ranch mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese. Put the chicken on a baking pan and bake at 350 for 5-10 mins...just enough to melt the cheese.
Serve with Spanish Rice (or whatever you want :) and ENJOY!!

One Day

The other night Stasia was curled up on Gabe's lap and he was singing her "Sunshine" before she went to bed. I was watching them and my eyes began to fill with tears. Sometimes at moments like this I start to think of "THAT" day...

One day Anakin won't curl up next to me on the couch during movie time
One day he won't hold my hand as we walk down the street
One day he won't give me a kiss when I drop him off at a friend's house

One day Stasia won't ask Gabe or I to sing to her at night
One day she won't wake me in the middle of night to make her bad dreams go away
One day she won't curl up in her daddy's lap

One day Sorsha won't get into everything
One day she won't baby talk anymore
One day she won't cry when I leave

One day Gabrielle won't need me to hold her bottle
One day she won't want me to hold her
One day she won't lay her head on my chest just to hear my heartbeat

At these moments I wish I could freeze time so that I never have to face "that" day. But alas, I can't freeze time. So I try to soak up as much of them as I can. It is such a hard thing to explain...I want them to grow up to be wonderful, Godly, healthy adults, but I also want them to stay my babies just alittle longer.

To my babies:

You are my Sunshine
My only Sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You'll never know Dear
How much I love you
Please don't take
My Sunshine away

Minature Golf

Holiday World

Holiday World

Gabe and I took Anakin & Stasia to Holiday World this week. My sister, Laura, and her family were camping at Rudolph Lake. She invited us to come up Monday night to stay with them and then Tuesday we went to Holiday World together. We had so much fun!! Laura and her family were still at Holiday World when we arrived at the park Monday night, so we played miniature golf till they returned.
The only not so good part of our vacation was the pull out bed. OH MY! The mattress was so thin, you could feel every bar in that bed. It was a sore, rough night of sleep, but we survived :) Thank you Laura & Chris for letting us stay with you, we had a blast!!
The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins. Gabe and I had such a great time just being able to relax and spend time with Anakin & Stasia. It was a great day!!

Anakin

made the front page!!
Stacey Franz brought me a copy of the Boonville Jr. League and there on the front page was my little man. Of course my mommy heart swelled with pride and my eyes got all misty. Anakin was very impressed with himself :) All night he kept tell me and anyone else who would listen that he "was in the newspaper" I love my little man and I am very proud of how well he did his first year playing baseball!! I LOVE YOU ANAKIN!!

(I did scan the picture but it wouldn't show up :(

"I Love Chocolate Pudding"

I am sure that's what she would say if she could.

I did give her a spoon but she used her hands to really dig in! My oh my, what a messy bug she can be :)

"Look Mom, A Spider!"

My #1 phobia is spiders.
This morning as I am putting the kids in the van, Anakin says "Wow there is a spider in here". I freeze and ask where, he points to the front seat. There, between the two front seats, is a spider web and a little yellow/brown spider about the size of my pinkie nail. I call Gabe out to show him the web, he likes spider webs...icky! After he comments on how cool it is, he cleans it out for me *shudders*
I finish getting the kids all seat belted in and open my door only to discover another web that is the full size of my door. There is no spider in this web so I clean it out myself (aren't I such a big girl :) *shudder some more*
As I am driving down our street, something flies in my window. Thinking it is a bee or something I look to my left and find myself staring at another yellowish/brown spider, this one is the size of my thumbnail!!! I scream, stop the car, put it in park, grab a magazine and smack the spider out of my van. This is not good enough for me. I am afraid that it just fell on my door and will climb back in on me ( I have had this happen to me and it wasn't a pretty) I get out of the van to make sure it isn't on my door. Door is all clear but I am not convinced that I am safe until I see the vile creature on the street, whereupon I crushed it's body!
I have felt spiders crawling on me ever since *still shuddering*

The story of a toe...

I took Sorsha to Dr. Fletcher today. Thankfully, all is well with her toe although it looks very bad right now. The skin is peeling and the new skin underneath is very pink. The blister area is dried up. The antibiotics seem to be working, very slowly. Dr. Fletcher was not happy with the choice made by the convenient care doctor to not drain her toe when I took her in Friday. He said she would have been spared alot of the swelling and pain if it had been drained that day. But despite the doctor bad choice, she is on her way to recovery and her toe should be back to normal soon :)

Tagged By Perri

1. What is your first and middle name?
Trinity Starr

2.How did you get your name?
My dad wanted a daughter named Trinity since he was 12 years old (kind of a weird thing for a 12 yr old to want if you ask me :) and my mom came up with Starr ( I think drugs were involved)

3.What are your kid's names? How did you decide on your their names?
Anakin Sky, Anastasia Starr, Sorsha Adonai, Gabrielle Arwen.
Anakin Sky is named after Darth Vader from "Star Wars" ( his name before becoming Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker) Gabe likes Star Wars, I wanted a boy with the name Sky and I knew this would be the only way I would get that.
Anastasia is the name of a Russian Princess, her story is very interesting and has always fasinated me. Starr is my middle name and I wanted to share it :)
Sorsha is the name of the Princess in the movie "Willow". Adonai is God's name in Hebrew. While Gabe and I were separated, God promised me He would restore our marriage and we would have another baby. We named her Adonai to remind us always of God's promise kept.
Gabrielle is named after my husband Gabriel. Arwen is the name of the elf Princess from "Lord Of The Rings". (notice the common theme of movie names and Princess names? :)

4.Do you like your name?
Yes!

5.What was the most popular name (according to Social Security) the year you were born? (Click here to find out and then tell us the results!)
Michael & Jennifer

I tag...Heidi

I Need Your Help

I had an idea this morning but I need your help to pull it off.
My friend found out that she is pregnant and I am wanting to give her a present.
The Present:
A book (of sorts) with tips, advice, tricks of the trade of being mom, and "what i wish I knew before..." on pregnancy, labor & delivery, and raising kids (feeding, sleeping, colic, .
What I need from you:
Advice, tips and "what you wish you knew" about the topics above, email ( bratt_chic21@yahoo.com ) your response back to me so I can put it all together. Your help would really mean alot to me!!
Thanks!

P.S. I was going to put your name under the advice or tip you share, if you would rather not be known then just let me know that :)

My Bug And Her Fat Feet

Sorsha has some chubby feet. They are so chubby that shoes won't fit on them. They are too small and I have to stuff her feet in them or they are too big and she trips when she walks in them. Most of the time this doesn't cause too many problems, I just let her go barefoot, she likes that better anyways. But on Memorial day, while we are at Mom & Dad's house, she stubs her toe. Her toenail splits and starts to bleed, we trim the nail and put a band-aid on it. Thursday we notice that her toe is swollen and bright red but she won't let me look at it at all. By that night she is running a fever of 102.4 and the toe is now so swollen that it has split. So I decide that I will take her to Convenient Care Friday (Dr. Fletcher is out of the office on Fridays and so of course that's when she would need to see him :)
Friday when I get her dressed, not only is her toe still swollen, bright red and she still has a fever but now she has a rash on her chest and back...GoodNight!!
I call and cancel my 6 week checkup so I can take her in. And off we go.
Her toe is infected and that is causing the fever and rash so they put her on some antibiotics. Hopefully she will start to feel better soon!! It is so hard for me to see any of my kids sick, it just breaks my heart and I feel so helpless. She is a great patient though. You can tell that she feels awful but she is still my Sunshine-Bug, full of jabber, smiles and cuddles. What a day for my poor baby! I am going to have to find some shoes that will fit to protect those cute, chubby toes.

I am losing my mind...

Yesterday I took my youngest two to their doctor appointments. When I arrive the nurse tells me that their appointment was actually Tuesday at 1 not Wednesday at 1. So I check my apt. book and sure enough I was a whole day late for their apt. They squeezed them in and saw them anyways. All is well with the girls. Sorsha weighs 20lbs 9oz. Gabrielle weighs 9lbs 3oz. Sorsha is short for her age but really advanced socially. Gabrielle is doing great and is right on track. All in all they are 2 very healthy girls :)

Birthmark Update
Dr. Fletcher said Gabrielle's birthmark will continue to grow for the next year and then after she turns 1 it will probably start to shrink down and by 2 it should be very small. He advises to not do the plastic surgery removal until she is 2. I am hoping and praying that we don't have to do the surgery at all. I don't like the thought of my baby going through surgery. He also told me that most of the time these things aren't cancerous, so that is good news :)

100 Random Things About Me: 51-65

51. This is harder than I thought it would be. I had to take a break to think of more random things :)

52. I talk too much and have been told so.

53. I also listen very well and have been told that more than #52 so I guess it works out.

54. I know in 5 years I will want more kids. It is crazy, I know.

55. I cannot count the number of times I have been called weird and crazy in the 26 years I have been alive but I can guarantee that the number will multiply by 10 before I die :)

56. I enjoy being weird, normal is boring.

57. I love chocolate chip cookies when they just come out of the oven, it’s pretty much my favorite thing.

58. I never knew being a mom could hurt so much, and no, I am not talking about labor. It is watching your heart grow outside your body and outgrow you alittle more everyday.

59. I wouldn’t trade being a mom for anything in this world, no matter how much it hurts.

60. I feel sad and depressed right now and I don’t know why.

61. I love curling up on the couch to watch movies with my hubby. It is probably my favorite pastime with him.

62. I often wonder why Gabe married me.

63. Whatever his reason, I am glad he did :)

64. I should be in bed sleeping right now, not writing silly lists…

65. This is probably my most random list of random things yet…Good-night!

I am a horrible blogger!!

I have been too busy to blog much in the past month. This might be a long one so brace yourself. I am going to sum up my month in one post :)

Four kids...what was I thinking???
I have been going crazy this past month trying to keep up with 4 kids. 3 was easy, Sorsha came along and nothing really changed. Now Gabrielle is here and I can't seem to figure out how to get out the door in the time frame I want. No matter how much time I give myself, I still end up leaving about 30 minutes later than I wanted. I haven't tried to do a Wal-Mart trip with all 4 kids by myself and probably won't tackle that adventure for awhile. Will I ever get the hang of this??

My Sunshine Bug...
Sorsha is my sunshine, she lights up my world!! She also drives me crazy. From the time she gets up in the morning till she goes to bed she is on an adventure! She gets into everything, eats everything, climbs on everything. All day I am asking "what do you have in your mouth?"where did you get that?"how did you get up there?"what are you doing in there?" She gets in the cabinets and throws out boxes of crackers, bags of cereal and plastic containers on the floor. While I am cleaning that up, she runs into the living room, empties out the diaper basket and the baby wipes. As I am cleaning that up she runs down to the bathroom and unrolls the toilet paper, throws the shampoo & body wash in the bathtub, plays in the trash, and then puts her bath toys in the toilet. From there she goes back to the kitchen to grab the highchair, first she tries to climb it, it falls over on her, so she drags it around the kitchen, chanting "EAT! EAT!" I love my Bug to death but she is giving me gray hairs!!

My Little Man & Baseball...
If anyone would have ever told me that I would be spending most of my time at a ball field, I would have laughed my butt off. But here I am, getting a very nice farmer's tan from being at the field so much. Anakin told me last year that he wanted to play baseball, but he told me after the cut off date. This year (with Cathy's help) I was able to get him signed up. He loves it!! He isn't the best ball player on his team but he is sooo cute and he plays his little heart out. I am so proud of him!! My heart swells everytime he gets up to bat. The look on his face when he hits the ball is priceless. It has been really good for him, it has helped build his confidence. All in all, I have really enjoyed this!!

My little Princess...
Do kids go through a clingy stage at 6?? Stasia seems to be going through some sort of extra clingy phase or something. Or maybe she isn't getting enough one-on-one attention from me. It is so hard to juggle all their needs, I feel like I am failing some days. Is there really enough of me to go around?? I have gotten off track, back to Stasia...
She told me a few weeks ago that she is going to marry Eli Franz. She says she will never change her mind about him being her boyfriend, (she has told me for the last 2 or 3 years that he is her boyfriend.) I don't know what she will do if Eli gets a girlfriend at school. I really think she might cry. I don't know when she got so serious about him. This wasn't supposed to happen for another 10 years :( I must say that I would be happy if they did start dating in 10ish years. I love Eli so much, he would make a great son-in-law :) But I have lots of time before I have to worry about all that. Kinda got off track again...back to the present :) I think I will plan a girl day for just the 2 of us, I think that would be really good for her!

My little Angel...
Gabrielle and I are still adjusting. She stares at me like she isn't too sure about me yet. Some days I can't help but wonder if she likes me. She is so serious, frowns and grumpy faces are very common with her, smiles are a rare but beautiful thing. Sleep is a faint memory for me. The first 2 weeks I got 2-3 hours of sleep a night, weeks 3-4 she let me get about 3-4 hours of sleep a night and now at 5-6 weeks we are up to 5-6 hours of sleep a night... kinda funny how it has worked out that way. She eats all the time, it is her favorite thing to do. Everyday I am amazed with the love that overflows my heart everytime I look at her. She is so perfect, every inch, every detail, so wonderfully and perfectly made!!

Life in General...
Gabe and I took Anakin and Stasia to "Spiderman 3" in IMAX. They loved it! It was so nice to be able to spend some special time with the 2 of them.
Yesterday we went to the church picnic and kickball game. The kids had so much fun. Stasia and Sorsha played in the sand almost the whole time we were there. They were so dirty!! When we got home, we sprayed them off in the front yard before I would let them in the house. They went straight from the front yard to the bath tub. They looked and smelled much better after their bath :)
Last night Gabe and I went on a much needed date. We ate at Applebees and then saw "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" I enjoyed our date very much. It is nice to get a break from kiddos sometimes.
We are having a cookout at mom and dad's house tomorrow afternoon. They will have their pool open, the kids are looking forward to swimming. I hope Gabe will get in the pool with them, I am not brave enough for a swimsuit yet. The thought frightens me to my very soul :)

Well I think I have blogged enough for one night. I will try to be a better blogger in the future and not go a month in between blogs :)

So Much To Blog...

and so little time.

I have a prayer request. Gabrielle has a birthmark on the top of her head. At first I just thought it was a normal birthmark but it a special one known as a Strawberry Hemangioma. Here is some information on it:

Hemangiomas are tufts of extra blood vessels that commonly occur in children.
Usually, they occur on the surface of the skin (strawberry hemangiomas). Those that are deeper in the skin are sometimes called cavernous hemangiomas. Some are mixed strawberry and cavernous hemangiomas.
Most children with hemangiomas have only one. Many have a few. Rarely, children may have many, both on the skin and in the internal organs. Some have enough extra vascular tissue to cause anemia or platelet problems.
Port wine stains and salmon patches are not hemangiomas.

Hemangiomas are found on at least one in 50 babies. They tend to run in families. Girls are more likely to have hemangiomas than boys. They are also more common in babies with lighter skin coloring. Premature babies are more likely to have hemangiomas than babies born at term.

Strawberry hemangiomas are bright red (or purple), soft, raised, squishy birthmarks with sharp borders. They often start as little red dots surrounded by a pale halo before they grow. They are most common on the head, chest, or upper back.

Most hemangiomas grow rapidly, doubling their size, and then plateau for a while before collapsing and disappearing. When the color becomes dull, or the center appears gray or pinkish-gray, the hemangioma may be entering the slow disappearing phase.

Strawberry hemangiomas are usually not present at birth. Most appear between 3 and 5 weeks, and then grow quickly during the first six months. By the first birthday, most have already peaked in size. Many are gone by age 2 or 3. Most are gone by school age. The great majority are gone without a trace before puberty.

Here are some pictures of what these birthmarks look like as they peak in size:

Please join us in prayer that God will heal this now and stop it from growing any larger. Thank you!

Anakin

Anastasia

Sorsha

Gabrielle

Easter Pics

ok ok I have to admit...these weren't taken on Easter. I wasn't feeling very good on Easter and I never got around to taking pictures of the kids that day. And the weather wasn't all that great either. Sooo...
I recreated Easter this Sunday so I could have some pictures of my beautiful kiddos in their Easter outfits. With the help of borrowed large eggs and Jada behind the camera, we were good to go!

100 Random things About Me: 41-50

Halfway there…

41. I have a vein on the side of my head that pops out when I laugh hard, when I’m really mad or when I am in labor

42. I am a bed-hog. In the first year of our marriage, Gabe ended up on the floor most night because I had pushed him out of the bed while I was sleeping.

43. We gave separate blankets cause I don’t share my blanket very well at all :)

44. I don’t drink after my kids…it grosses me out BIG time!

45. I also don’t share my food with my kids (or anyone else) The way I look at it: I had to share with them for 9 months, they can eat their own food now

46. I love scrap booking, I am not very good at it, but I enjoy it anyways.

47. I love fixing hair; I guess it’s a good think since I have 3 girls now :)

48. I have had several jobs, but none that I love as much as staying home with my babies.

49. I have never been to public school

50. My mom tells me that I have taught her how to relax and enjoy being a parent. I find this hard to believe bacause she has taught me everything I know about being a parent. She is my Supermom hero!

Gabrielle - Friday

Friday was a good day. Gabrielle's swelling and bruising is all gone. She is such a sweet, content baby. And oh my, how that girl can eat :) She puts those bottles away like a pro. She has definitely has won our hearts. Sorsha finally got to meet her new sister. Dana brought her up Friday early afternoon. It was so great to see her, I hadn't seen her since Wednesday night and I was going through Sorsha-Bug withdrawls :) She stayed with us till 5:30 and then Dana took her home. Sorsha gave her new sister a kiss goodbye and talked up a storm. I love to listen to her jabber :)
Visitors:
Susan stopped by in the morning to check in on us. Jada brought Anakin to see us, it was nice to see my little man again. Cathy and her girls dropped by along with my sister, Laura, and her 2 girls and little boy. The 6 kids had alot of playing together. Dana even joined in on their play :) Pastor Aaron and Stacey stopped by in the evening. Mom and Dad also came by with their crew again. I love having such a big, wonderful family and church family! My little Angel has been welcomed with big loving arms, you all have helped make her arrival very special, Thank You!!
Later that evening, as I was staring at Elle's beautiful face (have I mentioned that she is beautiful :) I started to get alittle sad, thinking about this being my last one. I really don't like being pregnant at all. It is very hard on me and I really don't miss it one bit. Sometimes, after much times has passed, I will miss the feeling of the baby being inside me. But not too often or too much do I miss being pregnant. Having a baby though, I love that. Holding my little angel and the feeling of love that consumes me, I could have 20 kids if it wasn't for the whole being pregnant thing. So I am soaking up as much of this as I can cause it has to last me forever.
Saturday:
I miss Anakin, Stasia and Sorsha, it is hard to be away from them. We will be able to come home today, we will be leaving by 2:00. I can't wait to be home with all my kids.
Thank you again for all your love, support and prayers! We love you!!

Welcome Little Angel

This crazy ride all started last year in Sept.
I had just started working at Subway with Jada. After being there for 2 months she noticed some “symptoms” and she asked THAT question…”Are you pregnant??”
Now my Sorsha was only 6 months old, so of course my answer was NO, not possible. I had a good, logical reason for every symptom:
Late period – I had breastfed Sorsha for the first 2 months and had only one period when she was 4 months old. My cycle wasn’t regular yet.
Nausea – I had a touch of the flu bug going around
Peeing often – bladder infection most likely
Clothes not fitting – bloated because I was going to start my period any day now (see late period reason)
I believed these reasons with all my heart. It was just a coincidence that they were all also symptoms of pregnancy. Jada wouldn’t listen to me and my good logic. She insisted that I take a pregnancy test, I told her that I would, if she would leave me alone after it showed that I wasn’t pregnant :) She goes out that day, buys a test and brings it back to work, she just couldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait to prove her wrong so I take the test. Imagine my shock as I watch that first line just pop right up. Not waiting, no thinking about it, it just shows up. I grab the box to make sure I am reading it right (they might have changed it in the last year, you never know) but no, clear as day, 2 lines = Your Pregnant! I walk into the backroom where Jada is eagerly waiting. As I look into her smiling face, I hand her the test and burst into tears. She hugs me like any good sister-in-law would do, laughs like any evil person would do and holds me as I sob and sob. I pull myself together and then it hits me again … I am pregnant. I realize I have to tell Gabe.
I call him, ask if he is sitting down, he isn’t, I mention that it might be a good idea because I had some news. He wants to take it standing up…so I tell him “We are going to have a baby”
“Are you sure??”
“Pretty sure”
“Are you 100% sure?”
I look at the box and say “I am 99.9% sure”
Gabe holds onto that .1% for another 2 weeks until we got to the Dr and hear the heartbeat. That .1% goes flying out the window, we are going to have a baby.
We tell Anakin and Stasia, they are thrilled. Anakin knows we did this for him because since having Sorsha, he kept asking for a brother, he knew that this was going to be it. Stasia doesn’t care what it is, she just knows she gets another baby :)
The months blur together: Ladies’ Retreat, Men’s Retreat, Mud Bowl, Anakin’s 7th birthday, Thanksgiving, doctor appointments, plus all the joys of first trimester of pregnancy.
Finally we get an ultrasound done…It’s A Girl!
That day, all I could think about was Anakin’s face. He cried and cried when I told him. Didn’t I know that he really, really wanted a brother?? Can’t I fit a brother in there with her?? Gabe and I talk to Anakin about his role as a big brother to 3 sisters, how important that is. Also how special he was, being our only son and the oldest. All this made Anakin feel better but he was “still sad” Over the next month he adjusted to the idea of another sister and began to look forward to her arrival along with Staisa.
More blurry months: Christmas, New Years, 8 year anniversary, Stasia’s 6th birthday, Sorsha’s 1st birthday, more doctor appointments than I can keep track of and all the joys of 2nd trimester. The 3rd trimester brought pre-term labor, a lot of back pain and my discomfort grew each day as we axiously awaited the birth of our baby girl (who still didn’t have a name)
Labor:
We woke up at 3:30am, April 19th, Thursday morning and arrive at the hospital at 4:00am to be induced. They don’t have a room for us and they aren’t sure when one will open up so they put us in a small “prep” room. They give me the pill to soften my cervix at 5:00am, this is enough to push me into starting labor. They told me they would start the pitocin at 9:00am so I try to get some rest before that. No rest for the wicked and I guess I have been pretty wicked cause there was no sleep for me. At 9 the nurse tells me that they are “stalling” me until they can get me in a room. I am dialated to 4cm and she gives me “whiff” of pitocin. I know at this point that I am having “back labor” and it is no fun at all. Every contraction sends my back into agony, so they give me a shot of pain medicine to hold me ovet until I can get a room and an epidrual. This helps take the edge of the contractions and I get some sleep.
My nurse comes back at 11:30 to tell me they have a room!! I get in my room at 12:00 and an epidrual at 12:30ish. I am now at 7cm. They break my water at 1:00 and 41 minutes later she is born!!
Gabrielle Arwen Matthews enters the world weighing in at 7lbs 13oz and 19in long!! Her little face was bruised and swollen and she cried a lot that first hour. It broke my heart, I felt so bad for her. She was greeted first by Anakin, who had been pacing the floor all morning waiting for her. He felt much better after seeing her and went home with Mamaw and Papaw to take a very long, much needed nap. Mom and dad were here with their crew: Jed, Zach, Derek, Dixie, Chelsea, Dillion and my neice Jessica. Dana and Brandon were also there with us. Bobby and Penny stopped by and shared their wonderful news with us!! I am so excited for them, we serve such an awesome God!!! Congrats Bobby and Penny, we love you and your family is in our prayers!! Melissa brought Stasia by to see her new sister. Stasia was thrilled to meet her, She had been having fun playing with her friends, so she was not worried like Anakin. Faith and Hope were the perfect distraction for her. Thanks so much Melissa for keeping Stasia!! Ben and Jada came up alittle later, soon followed by Lesley, Jenny, and Christine. Thank you all for coming!!
This morning she is a beautiful rosy color, the bruising and swelling are gone!! My little angel has lots of dark hair, she is very alert and content. She has gained an ounce since she has been born. Overall she is doing great!! I feel much better now that she is in my arms and not in my stomach :)
Thank you all for your prayers!

100 Random Things About Me: 26 - 40

26. Anakin was a honeymoon baby. He was the biggest surprise of my life. I knew I was pregnant because I peed 4x more often than I ever had in my life. I knew he was a boy before we ever had an ultrasound.

27. I got pregnant with Stasia when Ankain was 6 months old. Another surprise but not a big one. I knew the week I got pregnant with her, it took 3 weeks for the test to confirm it. I knew she was girl from the beginning.

28. It took 2 years to get pregnant with Sorsha. I also knew she was girl before the ultrasound.

29. I got pregnant with baby #4 when Sorsha was 4 months old. I thought she was a boy, guess you have to be wrong sometime :) She is the 2^nd biggest surprise of my life.

30. She is also the only baby we didn’t have a name picked out before she was conceived. No time to prepare :)

31. My water has never broke on it’s own.

32. I don’t have a problem with needles, shots or my own blood.

33. But I cry when the kids have to get shots, cringe every time they are stuck with a needle and would probably go berserk if they ever bled more than a Band-Aid could cover.

34. If something unpleasant has to be done and will most likely cause me pain, I would rather do it myself. I don’t like other people being in control of how much pain I am in :)

35. I double pierced my own ears when I was 16 because I was bored.

36. I find imaginary friends scary.

37. I love to sing and dance and will do so when no one is around. I don’t do it as often as I used to because my kids tell on my silly dancing and laugh at me :)

38. I am afraid of saying or doing something stupid in public and embarrassing Gabe.

39. I love doing stupid, silly things around the house that make Gabe look at me and wonder “Dear God why did you give me her??” I will and have embarrassed myself to tears just to get that look.

40. Gabe and my kids look like angels when they are sleeping. They look so sweet and innocent. I, on the other hand, fall apart when I sleep and look 10x worse when I wake up then before I went to bed. Beauty sleep doesn’t happen for me, it has the opposite effect on me.

My 100 Random things about me: 1- 25

My friends keep making these list and I love reading them so I decided to make one myself :)

1. When I was 6yrs old, I broke my ankle. I had a cast that touched my toes and went all the way up to my hip. I had twisted my knee and torn all the tendons and ligaments in between so that is way it was such a huge cast.


2. I had to wear the cast for 2 months and couldn’t wear anything but dresses due to the fact no pants would fit over the cast. This is the main reason I hate dresses to this day.


3. I don’t remember at what age, sometime between 3-5, I wanted to name my future daughter Tree Block. Don’t ask why, I don’t remember the reason, I just really liked the name :)


4. I am the 3rd child out of 10 kids, I love being part of a big family


5. I hate cleaning, I work so hard and 5 minutes later everything looks like it did before.


6. I almost never make my bed, I think it is pointless


7. I love taking hot baths, it is my fix for everything. I take one every night. If I have had a really rough day, I might even take 1 throughout the day and 1 that night. I get much teasing for this but I don’t care :)

8. I love to read and often read while I am taking a bath

9. I say silly things to keep from saying cuss nasties, a couple are “Scooby-doo & Batman too” & “son of a biscuit”

10. My kids have asked me why Scooby-doo and Batman make me so mad :)

11. I love to eat. My next favorite thing is probably sleep.

12. I had horrible nightmares as a child and still have them sometimes.

13. I am afraid of the dark

14. I am Closter-phobic

15. I am terrified of spiders, they are my biggest fear. The size doesn’t matter, if it is a spider I am terrified of it!

16 I am also afraid of heights

17. I love roller coasters, especially if they go upside down

18. I used to drink 5 cups of coffee a day but after I had kids it makes me sick to my stomach so I don’t drink it as much

19. I love Starbucks Mocha latte, it never makes me sick

20. I love Krispy Kreme Donuts, they are the best things I have ever tasted

21. I will never understand the power that McDonalds has over kids, I think they put a drug in their fries or something

22. I love to wear my pjs around the house, I only get dressed in “real” clothes if I have to

23. I think I have a serious addiction to big fluffy pillows and blankies, I have several around my house

24. I hate milk, it makes me sick

25. I love my family so much that it really scares me sometimes

Thank You

Tina for the wonderful bean dip. It is sooooo yummy. Although I have yet to "fart" out the baby, I still enjoyed it very much!! I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful, caring friends! I love you all! Thanks again for the yummy dip Tina, you are awesome!

Praises

I feel the need to brag about how awesome our God is.!!
He has blessed me much more than ever dreamed possible. Daily I look at my family and I am overwhelmed with love for them. My kids are my heart outside of my body. They are all so different, and they bring so much to my world. Gabe is such a wonderful husband and father. Who knew that the weird kid from church camp would turn out to be the love of my life?? I am so proud of him and so thankful for all he does for our family!

Last year was one of the hardest times for us financially. We would struggle every paycheck and never could make ends meet. We had the basics but nothing more and even the basics were a stretch sometimes. We remained faithful with our tithes, even though it was so hard sometimes and God has in turn been more than faithful to us. Last year, mostly the last few months, we were under full attack. All the trouble with our cars and the surprise of a new baby on the way, it seemed like we couldn’t get our heads above the water. But Gabe and I knew that if we were faithful and put our trust in God, He would see us though. I had this peace that this year (2007) would be better for us. I didn’t know how, I just knew God would take care of us, and He has!! We have had money come in the mail and we have been blessed by our church family on more than one occasion. Every time something would happen, God made sure it was covered. Yesterday Gabe was told that he would be getting a raise by the end of the month.

I just can’t believe how much God keeps blessing us. It is nothing that we have done, so we can’t take pride in it. It has all been His hand in our lives!! It is so nice to be His child, I just sit in His lap and He takes care of my family.

How awesome is our God and His boundless love for us!!

Baby Blog - 37 Weeks

I am starting to feel like I live at a doctor office/hospital. With all my appointments and the kids check up visits, plus all the unplanned visits to the ER, I feel like never stepping foot in another waiting room. But alas I have a couple more ahead of me :)
I went to doctor for my 37 week check up, it was a typical good news/bad news visit. But the good news out numbers the bad.
ONLY bit of bad news: I have to wait till the 19 before he will induce me. I will be going in at 4:00am (I guess no one told him I am not a morning person :)
Good News:
* The swelling in my foot is gone, I woke up this morning and I could put my shoes on!! I haven't been able to that all week and it has been very cold for just flip-flops.
* I am down 5lbs. Remember my joke that my 7lb weight gain last week was my foot, guess there was more truth there than I thought.
* The reason for the swelling being gone...The baby finally dropped down in the birth canal!! She had her shoulder there before last night. Sometime in the night she moved around and dropped down :) She is head down and ready to go.
* I have dilated 3cm!! They are hoping that I will have her pretty fast after they induce me. I am hoping I am her pretty fast before then :)
* Baby is doing well and hopefully finding her home more and more uncomfortable each day :)

We are so ready to meet our little angel and welcome her into our big loving family.

Baby Blog - 36 Weeks

YAY…I have made it to 36 weeks!! Baby is doing well, very much out of room but making the best of it. She has found a nice little footrest in my ribcage and my pelvic bone makes a great pillow :) We had an ultrasound of the baby and she looks beautiful, I can’t wait to meet my little angel. She has such chubby cheeks; I can’t wait to kiss them :) I was so caught up in her cuteness that I forgot to ask how big she is, I guess I will have to ask my Dr. next time I see him.
They also did an ultrasound of my right foot. Sunday my right foot started to swell, at first I didn’t think much of it but then I realized it was my right foot only. I thought that was a little odd. Monday it was still very swollen so my OB had them do an ultrasound to make sure there were no blood clots. It came back clear, so all is well with my huge foot. It doesn’t hurt but it is uncomfortable because I can’t bend my ankle due to the swelling and it feels like someone wrapped rubber bands around my toes.
My other BIG news: I gained 7lbs in the last week!!! The doctor didn’t say anything about it so I guess it’s ok…*shrug* I told Gabe the 7lbs all went to my right foot and that is why it is so big :)
I think the 9th is my last appointment before he will induce me; it is hard to believe that the end is really in sight.

What Is Wrong With Me??

This horrible week started last Saturday night. I woke up around 1:30 with an intense pain in my back. It was kinda low and on my right side. I got up, went the bathroom, took some tums for my heartburn and went back to bed. I got up 2 more times because of the great discomfort I was in, then I finally fell asleep. I woke up again at 3:30 with the same thing, no matter which way I laid, I just couldn’t get away from the pain, repeat all the above steps: potty, tums, eventually fall back asleep. Wake up again at 5, really getting tired at this point, repeat all tossing/turning, potty, tums, but sleep never came this time. It was time to get up and get ready for church. I tell Gabe that I am going to stay home and he can take the kids. I don’t know what is wrong with me but I was just in so much pain.
After church we eat lunch and I get sick, so I call my Dr. He says the pain is probably caused by how the baby is laying, put a heating pad on my back and call him in the morning if it’s not better. I ask if it could be anything other than the baby and he says “well it could be your kidneys, gal bladder or back labor, but I don’t think it’s any of those”
OK… whatever, so I try the heating pad, have our family day and try to ignore the intense pain. That night, I woke up around 12ish with no pain at all!! By morning, it’s like I never had any pain at all. All day I am fine so I don’t bother my doctor.
Monday night, (again in the middle of the night) it starts back up. I call the doctor Tuesday morning, he has me come in. I go in, and he says it could be my gal bladder, due to location and intensity of the pain but he really thinks it just in a bind, keep using the heating pad (that doesn’t really help) and I could go see a chiropractor. So I go home. I look symptoms of gal bladder problems:
Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease
* steady, severe pain in the upper abdomen that increases rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to * several hours
* pain in the back between the shoulder blades
* pain under the right shoulder
* nausea or vomiting
* abdominal bloating
* recurring intolerance of fatty foods
* colicb
* belching
* gas
* indigestion

I have 9 out of 10 of these.

Wednesday – no pain until I am on my way to take the kids for annual exams at 2:00.
We get home around 3ish and I get sick, I can’t keep anything down. This last all night, Wednesday night was the longest night ever. I couldn’t even keep down a glass of water and then I start running a low fever.
I call my doctor Thursday morning, I am really getting worried at this point. They tell me there is a virus going around and call in a prescription for Finagrin to help with my nausea and Tylenol 3 to help with the back pain. They tell me my OB is out of the office until Monday. Yay, what fun. I call Dr. Fletcher (he is my family doctor) and ask if he could see me. I explain my symptoms and tell him that I don’t think it’s the baby causing my pain and discomfort so he agrees to see me. I go in to him, answer a bunch of questions, show him where I am feeling the pain, and he tells me that he thinks it’s my gal bladder! So he sends me over to hospital for an ultrasound and blood work. When he gets the results of the ultrasound back, he calls to let me know that it came back with no stones, but he still thinks that is what is wrong with me. If I had passed the stone, then my gal bladder would show up clean. He said he would let me know the results of the blood work when he gets them on Monday. He told me to take the Finagrin so I can keep foods and fluids down. If I start running a fever, can’t keep fluids down or start having pains that don’t go away, I am to into ER immediately.
So that is where I am now. Dr. Fletcher said he has another test he can do that will show him how my gal bladder is working but he won’t do it while I am pregnant.
I have another Dr. appt Monday afternoon, I am hoping they will be able to give me good news. Through this all the baby is doing fine. She has a good, strong heartbeat and is moving around. I am now 36 weeks so it is safe for her to be born at anytime.
Well my meds are really kicking in right now so I am going to go lay down before I pass out in my chair.

Family Day

Yesterday was so beautiful! I just loved the weather!!
I am not a winter person at all, it is very depressing. Everything is dead and gray…bleh.
But spring – fall, now those are wonderful seasons, mostly fall! But anyways, yesterday was perfect weather for me!We took the kids over to Larry and Heidi’s house after church and flew kites. They had such fun! Sorsha even got to fly a kite.
Gabe took the kids for a ride on his new motorcycle up and down the driveway (I wouldn’t let them go on the road :) Sorsha did not get to join the fun on that one :)
Mom and Dad and all their kids were there, along with Lesley, Jenny, Charlene and West. Ben and Jada also came. Ben took the kids for rides on his 4-wheeler. It was great to be outside watching the kids have so much fun. I love my big family!!
Mom and I have come up with some cheap, fun, family days that we can do on the weekends. I am really looking forward to them. I love being outside with my family, enjoying the weather and just being together!!
Next time there will be pics of our family day! There was so many times yesterday I wished I brought my camera :(

Baby Blog - 34 Weeks

Week 34…it just seems to go on forever. I went to the doctor yesterday for my 34-week checkup. The baby’s heartbeat is strong and all seems to be going well for her :)
The doctor is going to induce me around April 16th. My due date is April 27th so it will be about 10 days early. I just have 4 more weeks to go. If I go into labor before that, he isn’t going to do anything to stop it. Is it bad to hope that I go before that??
This month was supposed to be a major growth spurt time for the baby but she didn’t grow much at all. He said I will probably be having another 6lb baby at the end…yay for me!!
Well that is all the baby news I have for now. Hanging in there, one day at a time!

What A Day!!

Yesterday turned out to be a crazy day.
It started off with plans of going to lunch with my friend, going to my Dr appt., and possibly doing a little shopping afterwards.
But nothing happened like it was supposed to.
Gabe stayed home sick with pains in his right side. He woke up Sunday with them and they hadn’t let up at all. Around 9ish I call and schedule a dr. appt for him, (can’t have him dying on me now :)
I leave alittle before 12 to meet Christine for lunch, and the van dies. I have to pull off the side of the road and call Gabe. He says he thinks it’s the battery and he will go by one and bring it out to me. I call Christine to let her know that I will be running late, but I still have hopes of being able to have lunch with her. Gabe arrives with the battery; we (and of course I mean “he”) hook it up and start the van. The battery light still comes on and then we know it’s the alternator…DOH! So we have to drive back to Auto Zone and buy the alternator. I call Christine to let her know I won’t be able to make it for lunch :( The van won’t be up and running in time for my appointment, so I call Dana and see if she wants to take me to the doctor.
Do you ever get the feeling that maybe we just aren’t meant to have a vehicle?? I pass out and total my car, Gabe’s little bug burst into flames and as soon as we get the title on the van, it dies!!The van is now up and running, hopefully it will stay that way :)

Baby Blog

Yesterday was my doctor appt. The baby still has a strong heartbeat and is growing well. I am running out of room (I didn’t need a dr. to tell me that but he did :) What happens when you run out of room?? She is almost in my breastbone, she about 2 more inches. She is so cramped that when she moves sometimes she gets stuck. My doctor said my weight gain is good. I lost 1lb. What the flip?!? How can I be losing weight?? I am huge and the baby gets bigger everyday, but somehow I am losing weight. I don’t understand how that is possible. Dr. Reid said I might be getting a small baby after all, which is good news for me :) Anakin and Stasia are very excited and ask me every day when the baby is going to come out. Anakin swears my belly can’t get any bigger so he knows that it is time for her to come out. Stasia can’t wait to help out with another baby around the house. Sorsha has no clue what is about to her happen in her world. It will be so hard for me to be away from them while I am in the hospital. I try not to think about it because it makes me sad. Well that’s about all the baby news I have for now.

Labor...what fun

I woke up this morning in alot of pain. My back was hurting pretty bad. But hey I am 32 weeks pregnant, so that is to be expected. Around 8:00 is hurting even more, but I brush off again as normal. I do school with the kids and I am really uncomfortable. I can't sit still, I keep moving trying, to find a comfortable position. At 10:00 it has moved to my stomach also. I realize that I am having back labor, so I take my medicine to stop the contractions. An hour later I can feel the side affects of the medicine and I am still in a lot of pain. I go lie down and try to relax. They ease up but don’t fully go away. I call my doctor and he tells me to stay off my feet, take a warm bath, keep taking my medicine and pretty much puts me on bed rest for the rest of the day/night. Oh what joy…bed rest. So that is my current situation. I get to try and relax with 3 kiddos demanding my attentions, a list of things that I need to do, and knowing that I have nothing ready for the baby, no bags packed, no clothes ready, nothing! Hopefully I will be back to my normal self tomorrow, contractionless and able to get stuff done. I really hope I am able to carry this baby till April. Oh yeah and we still don’t have a name for this poor baby, reason #102 I hope I can carry her till April.

Well that’s all my rantings for now. Ta-ta

When did it happen??

When did my kids grow up??
My answer: When I blinked.
Really….it happens that fast. One day they are cute, chubby, ooey-gooey babies and then I blinked. My first baby just went to his first concert. My second baby got her ears pierced over the weekend. My third baby is going to be 1 year old in 4 days. While my heart swells with pride as I watch them grow, it is also breaking.
I can’t believe that I have been a mommy for 7 years. It just seems like yesterday I was meeting my Little Man for the first time. I never believed in love at first sight until that moment. I still see that little squirmy baby when I look at Anakin, he just won’t let me call him “my baby” anymore. I told him he will always be “my little man”, no matter how tall or how old he gets. He is fine with that title for now
My Princess Stasia just turned 6. Gabe and I took her to the mall Friday night for her birthday. She got her ears pierced, she was such a big girl. She didn’t cry or anything. Gabe and I were on the verge of tears for her but she did fine (better than us) J After that we surprised her by taking her to Build-a-Bear. She picked a Hello Kitty “bear” and had a blast making it. She too has made it clear that she is no longer my baby. She said she is a big girl and will be 16 her next birthday, (this was when she turned 5). She is now 6 going on 16. I cry when I watch “Father of the Bride”. The scene the night before her wedding, when she playing basketball with her dad and he has flashbacks of all the years he has had with her, makes me cry like a baby every time. That will be me with Stasia, one day I will have flashbacks of my baby the night before her wedding and I will wonder where all the years have gone.
The hardest thing for me right now is facing the fact that my Sunshine Sorsha will be 1 year old in 4 days. Has it really been a year?? I swear, just the other day she was discovering her hands and those cute, fat little feet. Then I blinked and she was crawling. I blinked again and she is walking across the living room all by herself. Where did the year go??
Soon my fourth baby will be joining us. Then I will blink and they will all be gone and I will be left asking “When did my kids grow up” and I will know, it was when I blinked.