Bobner update..

I had another OB appointment yesterday. Nothing big to report. My BP was 118/62, his heartbeat was apx. 140 and I measured appropriately for his gestation. I brought up my concern again about the Braxton Hicks contractions that I've been enduring. Dr. B. wasn't overly concerned but did give me the option to have another ultrasound to ensure/reassure that I wasn't experiencing another placental abruption. As was hoped for, everything looked well. I was amazed to see the difference in size from my last ultrasound.. I'm growing a giant!

I was able to schedule my c-section for April 8th, so mark your calendars! We opted for this date for several reasons... As many of you know, this is my 8th pregnancy, so the 8th was symbolic of that. April, the 4th month, is symbolic of this little guy being my 4th living child. I'm not big on symbolism, but it seemed to be the deciding factor in this situation. (it also happens to be my niece's birthday and the day after my uncle's birthday)

My next appointment is in two weeks, then weekly after that!! I think I might actually be having another kid or something?!

Sledding

The weather has been a challenge this year but today was a beautiful, sunny day. Ben had the great idea of taking the kids sledding. We tried to keep it a surprise, but it was impossible given we'd be dressed in winter garb toting sleds.

We gathered up our pants, boots, mits, hats, and jackets and piled in the van. Being 33 weeks pregnant, I didn't foresee myself going down any hills, so I escaped the house wearing jeans.

Since this would be Alex's first official sledding adventure, we knew it would be a blast, not only for him but Isaac (and the rest of us) too! It didn't take Alex long to make his way down the hill, again and again. His smiles and laughter were proof of the thrill he was enduring.

Isaac's face was the perfect reminder of the joy this simple family activity truly was, excellent idea Ben, thank you!

We all managed to make at least one trip down the hill, including myself! (check out the pictures below!!)

When it was time to go, we all loaded our stuff in the van and shared some hot chocolate on our way home.

Sledding 2/24/08

Note to self: Kids get really tired and fall asleep early after being outside having loads of fun. :)

Thanks Annie... ouch!

So, my lovely pooch made another escape today. It all started when Alex was helping me unload the van from our Sam's Club shopping trip. He had just brought a box of something in the house and was coming back out the door when Annie bolted. I was at the end of the side walk and thought I could grab her before she ran past me. I stepped toward her and was able to get my hands on her but only the tip of one finger in her collar.

Note to self: One finger in the collar of a fleeting German Shepard isn't a good thing, avoid at all cost.

As Annie ran past me, the one finger I had in her collar, my pinky, wasn't enough to stop her and it let go.. literally. I knew in that moment that my finger was broken. After the groceries were unloaded and put away I called Ben about coming home so I could go to the doctor. It wasn't long after that when a passer-by stopped in the road to play with a crazy wandering German Shepard... Me being me, I couldn't let some stranger take my big dumb dog, so I poked my head out the door and told him that she wouldn't come in. Thankfully, he was able to coax her out of the road and returned her to me with little effort.

After a long trip to the walk-in clinic, my suspicions were confirmed - my finger is indeed broken. For up to six weeks, I will be sporting a lovely splint while my finger heals. I just hope my finger returns to its original shape and color!

(By the way, I'm still not talking to the dog either!)

The day after V-day.

Valentine's day has come and gone and we all survived! The kids all ended up with lots of valentines and each enjoyed sharing their goodies with each other, at least the written ones. I opted not to attend the MOMS Club Valentine's party so we missed out on a fun lunch with tons of friends, but were able to come home after my OB appointment and relax. (I even got a nap in!)

Alex had to decorate a container to receive valentines in for school. With little enthusiasm for any sort of project, I convinced him to color some cute print outs from the internet. He selected a few cute pictures and colored them very well. We then cut out the pictures and glued them to an ice cream bucket, two on the bucket, one on top. I then cut out a small slot for his preschool friends to drop their valentines in. The idea was pretty simple but it turned out cute, even if one of the bird feet fell off before the day was done.

Serenity's week of parties went well. Her dance class shared goodies and it turns out that by the time we got home, she only had 3 pieces of candy left. Her school party sounds like it was a lot of fun. A bunch of crazy, "love struck" 4th graders sounds like a HUGE head ache to me, but who am I to judge.

I decided to be very simple with my valentines this year. I woke up early and made the kids Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls with pink frosting. Later, I baked a double layer, heart-shaped strawberry cake with strawberry icing. For a change, I went with the strawberry cake instead of the chocolate on chocolate that is the favorite of everyone else in the house. For Ben, I purchased a large box of candy that I told him we could share. My romantic side has been squashed by Braxton Hicks contractions and lots of rib pain.. sorry dear!

What was the highlight of your V-day? A special dinner? A lovely box of jewelry?

Valentine's Day is coming...

Life is always full of challenges and today was no different.

1. I thought it would be fun to make Valentines with my kids, something we've done a few times over the years. I had mentally prepared myself for a "project" with the kids. To my surprise, both Serenity and Alex decided they didn't want to make anything, at all.. not even the Valentines boxes to put their boring, store bought Valentines in.

2. I ran through a list of parties my kids will be attending for Valentine's this year and found myself a bit overwhelmed.. Serenity -class room party: 16 students + classroom teacher, music teacher and PE teacher, not to mention the friends in other classrooms; -dance class: 12 students + the teacher. Alex -preschool party: 18 students + 2 teachers; -MOMS Club party: amount to be determined, 14 thus far, with 5 potentials. Isaac - MOMS Club party: sorry bud.. you'll have to share with Alex this year, unless I feel ultra handy with the pen. These are just the parties.. they'll each want to get something for each other and Ben and me. My kids are so loving and helping them understand this crazy holiday is always fun, even if I don't get to do it the way I want to.

3. As with every holiday, I find myself searching for the perfect gift for Ben. This Valentines is a bit different... I don't find myself running out to actually purchase a gift. Does this mean that I've moved past the joy of giving in our relationship? Does it mean that I've stopped caring? Does it mean that I've lost my mind? Does it mean that I've run out of ideas? I think it's a bit of everything, not to mention being pregnant for the 8th time, living a constant drama fest from the inside out! Whatever I end up getting him, I'm sure he'll feel the love. ;)

My pregnant body has turned against me..

Or, should I say Bobner has turned into super stretchy baby? He doesn't seem to enjoy the cozy haven my body has surrounded him with. As an act of rebelling, he reminds me regularly that he's cramped in the small space, more-so than any of the other kids ever did. He tends to rest very little throughout the day, especially if I'm eating and if I take a shower, yikes! Look out stretch-marks, here he comes! It's scary to think that at birth he could be a brute like Alex was, 9 lbs. 6 oz. just doesn't seem very pleasant, especially after having Isaac at 5 lbs. 15 oz. (don't get me wrong, the added weeks of growth are vital) As it is, I find myself wondering what God has in store for birthing this little guy my body is hosting...

Cancelation

Today was no different than the average mid-winter Saturday... a few things planned for the day but nothing too crazy. It's always nice to have something planned, that way I know that the world is still going around, and maybe I might get a chance to enjoy it.

Our region of the world is quite frigid this time of year so it's never out of the possibilities that the weather will dictate what our lives will be like at any given moment... why would today be any different?!

When I woke this morning the wind was blowing wildly and I could barely see the trees across the street because of the blowing snow. I let the dog out, and 3 minutes later, she can in looking quite aged.. she had gone from her normal dark colors to being completely white with snow! Of course she proceeded to shake all the snow off.. on me! Thanks Annie.

As the morning progressed I checked with the appropriate places, internet, radio, directly calling people, to see if the day was a bust. As it turns out, it is! So, now a jammie day has commenced, and I sit here with little to do. Ben woke up at 8:50 to take Serenity to basketball at 9:00, it was canceled. It's 10:00 now and he has been napping on the couch for 45 minutes now. The 25 minutes of his morning were used to pet the dog, eat a muffin and have some juice. How lucky am I?!

The one event I was looking forward to for a few weeks has also been rescheduled.. No Cookie Lee Jewelry Open House for me today. :(

Dare I say I may even contemplate income taxes as the highlight of my day? Yikes, I've lost it.