Cliche

No pictures to go with this one. I feel like a completely and utter cliche right now. It is 3:39 am and Stephen and I just got back from the hospital. I had been having contractions regularly for an hour and a half after calling the doctor and asking what I needed to be at before we needed to head in.. 45-50 seconds each about 10 minutes apart.. I know there is still room for improvement there so I called him back since he had said to call again when they were 30-45 seconds long and more regular. He sleepily (grumpily?) told me to go on into the hospital and "get checked out". I swear to you as soon as I stood up and started getting things together the dang contractions slowed down again.. by the time Heather (aka Saint Heather the Life Saver) got here close to 1am to watch the sleeping beauties they were practically non-existent. Rule follower that I am, I still felt like we should go in and get checked out. It never really picked back up that much and after being there for a couple of hours I asked if we could please go home and the nurse called the doc and he said yes.... go home. Ye olde cervix is closed up pretty tight.. shortened apparently.. but still closed. Only 50% effaced.. whatever the heck that means. Here is the suck part... these contractions hurt. They are apparently working on getting things going but it seems dealing with them since 4am yesterday was not enough time for my dear old body to get a move on. Not that I am bitter about it or anything. Bro-ther. So... waiting.... and trying to figure out how the heck I am going to get any rest with these things coming in waves every 10-15 minutes. Really hoping Tylenol PM does more right now than it has in the past.....SIGH.

Yesterday.. and then.. Today

Stephen stayed home yesterday because I really needed a break and he is pretty much just spinning his wheels at school right now.. waiting for the official end date. It rained in the morning so it was perfect weather for puddle jumping ladies.












I have been having so many Braxton Hicks contractions this week that I was pretty worn out by Friday. So the break was just perfect. I was actually a little disappointed that as I slept and relaxed around the house, I didn't have very many BH at all. I had sort of been hoping this meant that I would go into labor relatively soon.

Then I woke up at 4 this morning (not unusual in the least).. with some serious pains. Very different than what I had been having all week, which was just tightness and pressure. I stayed in bed through about 5 or so before deciding to head downstairs for a change of position, a snack and a drink to see if that changed anything.. it didn't. I called the OB about 3 hours later and she confirmed that I was in "early labor" and didn't need to come in until "the pain is so bad you can't talk through it" and "they are occurring at regular intervals of 5-7 minutes for at least an hour". So here I sit with my still irregular contractions.. waiting until I am in agony before I call in the reserves to watch the girls and head to the hospital. Mary was miraculously able to get an upgraded train ticket and will be here tomorrow morning at 8am. So really if baby waits until tomorrow after Mary gets here to get serious about her arrival it wouldn't be that bad. Since I never went into labor with the girls this whole thing is new to me. It's hard to tell what is going on with some of these contractions because I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so I am used to talking and even working through excruciating migraines. Still.. they say you know when it's the real deal so.. I am trusting that I will know. Anyway.. just wanted to let everyone out there know what is going on over here.. keep us in your prayers!

All for me...

..because she knows me. Ellen might be the only person that knows that the main thing I have craved ever since I was preggo with the girls was and is Watergate Salad. If you aren't from the south your probably have no idea what this is or why anyone would want to eat what might look a bit like the cooks special treat from that movie Earnest Goes to Camp (come on I know ya'll saw that one back in the day.. "Eeeeeewwwwwwwwww!"). It is fruity.. it is sweet.. is has marshmallows and was a staple at every church picnic/covered dish I attended growing up. I have never made it even though I was craving it. I just tried to stick to my apples and carrots.. so glad that she was kind enough to indulge me since I clearly have problems doing that for myself. Thanks BFF :)

Baby Stuff

Margot is too cool for this crowd.



Poor Ada loves her bathing suit but it's always "too tight" or "not working". In reality it is actually loose on her (as bathing suits go).. but she has her Daddy and Grammy's sensibilities so.. most things are too tight or "not working". This is our biggest battle lately.. shoes being a particular struggle. She tries so hard to hang in there and eventually win her battle with such things as stitching around the toe of her sandal. I am proud of her efforts.. just a little tired of the screaming and fighting sessions it takes to get her there.. but nevertheless we forge ahead.



Doncha just wanna kiss that little cheek? Margot is definitely our entertainer.. among other things.

So I am now in my 37th week. I went to the OB yesterday and things still look great. I am starting to get a little puffy.. and that is uncomfortable. Even my doctor said I looked a little more puffy than normal. I lost 4 pounds in the last week though.. what?!?! Who knows. My body is nutty. The main issue with the puffy stuff is my legs.. standing makes them ache and throb.. but at least that doesn't really get going until the end of the day. I just need to take it easy .. ha! The doc I saw yesterday is our buddy who has twin girls and a singleton girl of his own so he laughed out loud when he said that to me. At least he knows how silly that sounds. Right now I can't complain though. The girls are playing "Emmie and Kiley".. this is a new one. They are pretending to be two of their friends and calling each other by said names. Currently Emmie (Margot) is brushing Kiley's (Ada) teeth with a pillow. My kids are.... special.

No sign that this baby will come early. In fact he said he was perfectly comfortable with waiting 7-10 days after my due date for me to go into labor on my own so I can VBAC. I should feel lucky that my doctors are so supportive of this option since so many are not. Still.. the lazy and exhausted part of me wants them to tell me to schedule another C-Section. If I am honest with myself though, I don't feel good about this option as an elective procedure this time. Last time I was so worried about Margot being breech and had no peace about a vaginal breech delivery that I was absolutely certain I wanted a C-Section. This time I really have a gut feeling that I will eventually go into labor and that VBAC is the way to go. Of course I am fine with a C if it comes to that in the end, but as of now my gut says.. VBAC. I find that my gut instinct is normally a pretty good judge of these things and when I ignore it.. I get into trouble.

I am so stinkin' tired today. Everyday really. Who is surprised by that though? Every morning I get up thinking "Today is the day I will tie up all the loose ends around the house. I CAN DO THIS. I CAN do the laundry! I CAN vacuum the crumb covered floor! I CAN pack my bag for the hospital and finish the list of tips for those who might be keeping the kids!" and then I waddle downstairs for breakfast... and then sit down on the couch. And stay there for at least an hour. Time waster! Just don't feel like moving and she is buried so deep down in my pelvis that it is actually pretty painful to walk up and down and bend over to collect stray toys and all that jazz.. so today after my wasted time.. I am wasting more by telling you guys about how I waste my time these days. Really can't wait for Stephen to be done with school. That will make a huge difference.. too bad he's not done until the day before she is due. Sigh. How about this.. can't wait for Mary to get here on the 25th!!! That is if baby hasn't made her appearance before then.

Ok. Off to make beds and pack that doggone hospital bag!

Happy Mommy Day

...just a few of my favorites from days already gone too fast..

Strawberries!!!!!

75 degrees and sunny.. perfect day for our first trip to pick strawberries. It did rain some yesterday but thankfully it didn't seem to affect the flavor of the strawberries.. maybe they didn't get any of our rain. They are as sweet as sugar.






Ada found the biggest "daddy strawberry" of the morning.



Margot was very focused on finding "baby berries".



The fun lasted about 25 or 30 minutes.. and that might be a generous guess but they were both super great little girls and stayed in their row and didn't have a melt down and really had a great time. Too bad we can't do this every Saturday :)

Good Start to the Day..

Pretty sure they watched this at least 12 times this morning. Then we moved on to Gloria videos :)

23 and 36

So here we are.. she at 23 weeks and I at 36. Her's a miraculous surprise, mine some awesome divine planning. Her's another boy.. mine.. another girl. 3 boys and 3 girls. Never would have thought we would ever live in the same city much less be pregnant at the same time.



I am not fond of pictures of myself at the end of pregnancy. Who is really? I feel huge.. I look huge.. I am huge. I have a thing about being huge. I don't care for it. It's for a good cause I know.. but I can't wait to get back to my regular wardrobe, selfish and vain as that sounds and is.



Still who could resist capturing this moment in time ?

She took me for a Mexican feast and a DELUXE pedicure ;) Hey big spender. I sprang for two hot fudge sundaes at McD's.

Meanwhile our wonder hubbies took care of the little ones. Stephen told me the cutest story about the girls that I just have to share.

They have been getting much better at sharing lately.. particularly food. Just the other day Ada sweetly fed Margot bites of her own chocolate chip cookie after Margot had eaten all of her own and was crying for more.

Stephen took them to a softball game in the neighborhood yesterday and brought along a couple of lolly pops (DumDums) as a treat(bribe?) for the wagon ride over there. He chose two flavors that would be pink, watermelon and cherry. But when he opened the watermelon it was white. Blerg. Ada was fine for a minute.. until she saw Margot's lovely pink cherry lolly. Then she didn't want her's anymore. She started to fuss and get upset.. we have some seriously emotional and moody girls. Stephen asked Margot if she would share hers with Ada.. "Mmmmm sure!" came the reply. She held it out for her to take a lick. Ada wanted to hold it.. that was crossing a line. So the lick wasn't enough for Ada.. Stephen asked if Ada could have a bite of it (?!). Margot considered and then agreeably bit off a piece and handed it to Ada. Still not satisfied Ada continued to protest.. yeah he could have just let her scream it out.. you know how much fun that is. Instead Stephen asked one more time.. "Margot, would you just trade with Ada?" "Sure!".. and that sweet baby gave her pink lolly to her sister. Of course it doesn't always go this well but it's those moments that make your heart swell. Watching your child's little personality bloom in front of your eyes.. and it's a pretty bloom.

I am pretty sure if I calculated the amount of time we spend putting out fires and fights and trying to contain attitudes and doling out discipline for bad behavior it would far outweigh the moments of peaceful play and sweet sisterly love. Still for some reason those 5 minutes of precious cooperative play make it possible to bear the other stuff. It makes it all feel worthwhile.

Four Minutes

Our favorite game to play these days is "Mommy Margot and Baby Ada". This can go on for quite awhile. I can't really blame Ada though.. sitting in a vibrating bouncy seat must be quite relaxing.

The most peaceful room in our home..

We are ready for her arrival... I, for one, and more than stinkin' ready. Holy moly I am so tired of being pregnant. I feel like all I do is complain but seriously.. just over this whole thing. I was about to have the girls by this point with them.. and I could spend all day sleeping and eating and putting my feet up.. this chasing the girls around all day and trying to keep my house together so I can keep my sanity is for the .. I would say birds but it's really for those folks that want really big families or something.. I am so excited that we are having 3.. 3 is a good number in my book.

For the time being I try to escape to my happy place whenever I can. The baby's room is my happy place. How could it not be?! Look at the beautiful quilt that Grammy Mary made for our little lady. You simply can't look at it without smiling.



The return of the comfy rocker doesn't hurt either.



Neither do Stephen's precious silhouettes framed in up-cycled frames from Mom.



And then there is the crazy coincidence that my friend Cheri hand knitted a blanket for baby that happens to be the exact same colors as the quilt that Mary made. I mean look at that!!! I never told Cheri anything about colors and Mary and she never spoke. Cheri said she just knew I like vintage stuff so she chose colors that looked vintage.. amazing.

Now I am going to take these cranky kids outdoors and attempt to wear them out. Is it really only 10:30 ....? Sigh.

Monday Morning.. might wanna turn your volume down..

Lest anyone be misled into thinking that our days are filled with smiling girls awash in sunshine... we are most definitely well on our way to being 3 year olds..

it was oh so heavenly..

..after two pieces each for our family and more shared with neighbors this was all that was left.. and it will be gone as soon as dinner has been consumed.. I think I already need a do-over..




.. and tonight's experiment .. stuffed shells...