Moving in the right direction!!

Thanks for checkin in on our blog!!

So here we are, just shy of 32 wks. We have approx 4-6 wks left of this pregnancy and we are FINALLY getting some things accomplished! The double stroller travel system w/ the carseat has arrived. It took forever to find the "perfect" set, but it has been found, purchased and delivered. I LOVE the print of the carseat and its a higher priced one so it fits to 30 lbs and like 32 inches so we can use it longer than the standard carseats. I have yet to get the stroller out of the box but we'll do that today. The pack and play bassinet has been set up, the bassinet in our room is up and ready and the swing has been brought out of storage. I am going to do a major clean up overhaul of the house the next two weeks or so organizing things and tossing alot of junk and then I am hiring a cleaning lady to come in and do the actual cleaning before baby arrives. So many of my friends have cleaning ladies, I just think its going to be the best for us too.

I think nesting has begun. I went to menards to get a light fixture for our existing ceiling fan for the living room yesterday. Brought it home, it didnt fit, went back bought a new ceiling fan. Brought it home, had my FIL try to put it in, wasnt the right one, took it back and bought an even more expensive one LOL and had him put it in. So now i have a new ceiling fan/light fixture in my living room!! I also went and got my eyebrows done, my hair highlighted and cut. I've started going thru Zach's clothes for the new baby, seeing what we have and what we need. I've noticed alot of staining on Zach's sleepers so he must of been pretty spitty at first and I just dont remember it!! Soo looks like I get to go shopping!!!!

I am going to be doing a registry at BabiesRus and at Target JUST because I have received a coupon for a free $10 gift card at BRU if I do a registry and a free $20 gift card if I do one at Target...heck who doesnt like FREE money!!! LOL That will at least get me a set of paci's at BRU LOL and maybe a sleeper or two at Target. Im going to do that this Monday.

If you havent heard because of BP issues and dizziness/passing out spells I have been on no work rest all week. I am going insane!! Needless to say I havent been the best of patients, but I try to sit and chill when I can. I can tell when i've done too much or been on my feet too long. Its the wierdest feeling and so hard to explain what is going on. But I can feel my heartrate pick up and usually feel it in my upper chest, I feel off kilter? dizzy I guess you can say and almost like I am somewhat floating? or feel lighter? When I was driving the other day I had one of these spells and felt like my eyes were going to roll back into my head as I was driving down Military on the winding road to the Middle School w/ the kids in the truck. Not good by no means, so doc said, no work and try to rest and drink lots of fluids as much as possible. I think he forgets how many kids I have in this house! We go back to the dr on Wed so we'll see what he says about it all.

I cant wait to have my body back. It seems like I havent had it back since before I was pg w/ Zach. It seems like Zach's pg and this one has rolled all into one pg. Since I bf Zach and was on my diet I didnt have any "me" time to eat what I want, or not be a milking machine, or anything like that. So it will be nice to get this baby here, and be able to bend at the waist again.

Thanks for checking in on us!! Im thinking of starting a kids blog...a speical place for just the kids' updates, dates of competitions, awards, etc, things like that. I'll send out the link if I ever get it started!!! :)

Take Care!!

The countdown begins??

So as you can see by my ticker up there, we are in the last trimester, the home stretch for this new baby to arrive. I am starting to panic. Like, major panic.

I have no crib for this little new one (Zach is still claiming it), all the clothes are still packed away, we still do not have the rooms 100% switched, my house looks like a twister has hit it (w/ the majority of the disaster from the little twisters that call this house a home). Abbie has gym meets over the next few months, and show choir performances, I am going to work til I can no longer work, and not to meniton Zach and I have been under the weather all week and I have gotten NO sleep all week. I cant win!!

I keep hearing from alot of folks, it will all turn out ok, things will come together, yada yada. Easy for them to say. Zach graced us with his presence 3 weeks early, which if this one follows in his big brother's footsteps would be in approx 7 weeks. 7 WEEKS. To some of you im sure are thinking....hey 7 weeks, that's alot of time. OH no really its not. Not when there is this, that and everything else that needs to be done, bought, cleaned, stored, found, etc. And thanks to the way Zach decided to come into this world (middle of target anyone?) Im sure my mother will not let me 100 ft of a store in my last month or so of pregnancy which means I need to get all my shopping and such done like....Now? Then there is the dr. appts and of course the ever important last hair appt before the big day, the mani's and pedis that HAVE to be done before you are up there in those lovely contraptions with your feet in the drs face. Everything needs to be nice and purty for the big day.

So dont be surprised of here in the home strech I am on here ranting and raving, trying to figure out where to buy the home coming outfit, if I need a new carseat or if Zach's will do, what to name this new Griger, and to find the ever important double stroller that is going to be a MUST have for haul the two little ones in. Oh and I will have to move Zach's carseat in the suburban...where do I put him? I cant put him right next to the new baby...or the new baby will look like a red target sign to Zach and Im sure Zach will have the urge to share every toy with the new baby. So do I move him to the way way back? Usually we save that back seat for the naughty kids (ok not really lol) but it is way out of arms reach and well, I just dont know how Im going to work it. Ohhhhh and what about when I do go into labor??? Who is watching the kids? Who will put Zach to bed when daddy and I am gone? What if I go into labor while Adam is at work, kids are at school......here at home w/ Zach and have to wait for Adam to drive back to town???

Now I am freaking myself out MORE than I was....maybe writing all this down wasnt a good idea....just makes me realize there is SO much more stuff to do then what I thought!!

YIKES!

The Time has Come....

There comes to a point in pregnancy where the pregnant woman (which would be me) comes to the realization that her @ss and thighs have grown to proportions that are unspeakable. I, have came to that point in this pregnancy, and to me it seems a bit early on. Most of my maternity jeans that I have gathered for this pregnancy (mainly wonderful finds at the Omaha goodwills) will not hold all this chub. Now, let me explain, they fit early on in the pregnancy, and I was quite happy as they are a size or two smaller than what I was wearing with Zach's pregnancy. I started out about 20 lbs lighter this time around, so I figured I would not be needing my other maternity clothing that was purchased at the local tent and awning store (ok not really, but you get my point). After Zach I had gathered my maternity clothing, planning on selling them at our annual garage sale, but just couldnt bring my heart in doing so, so I piled them in the back of my closet for "safe keeping". When we got the news that we would be expecting once again, I dug out those little treasures to find them WAY TO BIG for me to wear, the jeans were no way staying up even if there was a belly in there and the shirts looked like I had went to the big and tall store and found things on the clearance rack.

Oh how I wish right now I could remember what I did with those few pairs of "fat pants" that didnt fit a few months ago.....because now as I sit here in a "last year's model" shirt and a pair of normal jeans being held up with a huge piece of elastic fabric (someone must of been in the same boat as me and has designed a product for people to keep their pants up-conviently called the bella band) and my belly being only covered by that piece of fabric because the actual pants are stretched to my hips.

I would really love to find those fat pants and have my belly, @ss and thighs in complete comfort.

Here is a little humor for you all that have a New Years Resolution to get in shape!

Dear Diary, For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other crap too.

THURSDAY: Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes. Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny witch to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY: I hate that witch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the stupid barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY: Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little brat) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

My New "Calling".....

I got to bed at about 12:30 (early for me actually) last night and then Zach woke at 330 wanting to snuggle w/ mama in the chair and have his butt patted back to sleep. MEN. I have pretty much decided its pointless to "crave" all night sleep since we will be starting the whole night thing again in about 12 weeks, so I just get up and deal with it. As I was crawling back into bed, it came to me. My "calling" I guess is how I describe it. I dont know why I didnt think of it sooner.

I am going to start a MSPI support group. I had actually toyed with the idea of writing a book, but, I just dont have all that time and plus, well, I have no idea how or where to start. So I figured a group is the next best thing. I was told last night at work about another poor soul who will be venturing on the MSPI diet so she can nurse her little one. This is the 2nd girl I know of that is in my MOPS group that is having to follow this diet and we are only about a group of 30 ladies. I have came to the conclusion that this diet has got to be the WORST diet imaginable out there. The only possible good outcome of this diet....ok there is two well maybe three....

1. Its the best for your baby, no question about it.
2. The price of formula for a baby with MSPI is OUTRAGOUS. Depending on the type that your ped wants you on, ranges from around $25-$45 per can. This is the normal standard size can, not some economy kind that will last you weeks. This can will last you maybe a few days with a newborn. And as of last insurance WILL NOT cover formula. You may be one of the lucky ones to qualify for WIC or state assistance that will help with the price, but alot of families arent so lucky.
3. Its GREAT on the waistline. I mean, you cant eat a dang thing ya want, so of course the weight will melt off you.

Now since I work at our local hospital, I figured I could probably talk to a few people there to set up a room to use maybe once a month for a meeting. Im pretty sure they hold a diabetes meeting group so why not this ? And, Im sure I could probably talk a few people into being speakers, maybe my ped that has helped me from baby #2 with the whole MSPI issue, maybe the local WIC agency would be willing to come and talk about their services or maybe a La Leache group member, and maybe the hospital's dietician. I myself have quite a story, steming all the way back to baby #2. I will be starting up the MSPI diet myself here at the end of March.

So, there you have it. There is the beginning of my little dream...or calling....however you wish to describe it. Im sure it will take a bit to start, and what we would do at these meetings I have no idea, but......OOOO just came to me and figured I better jot it down so I dont forget. We could have a recipe swap at each meeting that is Milk and Soy free. I guess I'll have to start some type of book of ideas so I dont forget.

So, if you know of anyone who is dealing w/ the same issue pass along that hopefully it will be starting soon and pass along their info to me and I will start some type of mailing list.

Let the fun begin!!!

Zach's 1st Birthday Party!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY LIL BUB!

Well the little man managed to make it to his first birthday. He held his ground w/ his brothers and sisters, made sure the doggies know who's boss, and took down his birthday cake with a few good jabs. The day was wonderful and had a wonderful turnout to celebrate his accomplishments, and his special day. Here is a slideshow above of the party. We all had a great time and we thank all of you who were able to come and celebrate with us. We love you all!