Growing up

 ready for school

 rode his scooter to school

 with 2 of his friends-Zachary & Noah

His Locker

 
Getting to work!

Talia 4 months

Alaina's 1st field trip---to the zoo to find animals that start with the letter "o"

Well It is official now! I am a mother of an elementary school boy.

With Ky being my first, I have had many overwhelming emotions the past month. First off-I tried to do EVERYTHING possible with him. I had a "fun" list and we were going to complete it all. I guess it seemed like or last chance to be the 3 amigos (really 4 now with Talia.) I probably overdid it. But--I needed those extra memories with my boy. When his first day did come around, I cried when I packed his lunch, I cried when I took his pictures by the tree. I cried much of the walk there (we walk to school) and I cried when I left him in the classroom. And then I went home and cried. Ky--well he did fine. You could tell he was nervous, but he was SO excited too! He rode his scooter to school. (I think he felt like such a big boy to do that.) He put his stuff in his locker (yes locker--my boy has a locker now!) And he sat down and began writing his name like his teacher asked.

It's really amazing how everything just flashes back. Bringing him home from the hospital, taking him apple picking, introducing him to pigs at the State Fair. And now he is no longer that little kid we tote around. He has a life of his own--one in which I won't be involved in. I won't know what is going on for 7 hours of his day. This is a really big change for a Stay at Home Mom.

And yes--you know the moment I pick him up I try to pry all the juicy details from him. And of coure-him being 5--he "doesn't remember." Or the best he can tell you is what he did at recess.

His first couple of days were hard. In fact, Ky told me he was worried that since his teacher only speaks Spanish, she doesn't understand him. (Ky is in a dual immersion program where he is taught in Spanish.) I was glad that I was able to talk to his teacher and him to straighten that out. He is also concerned that some of his classmates don't understand him (the native spanish speakers). I have informed him that they do--but I think it will take him some time to figure that out. Right now he plays with Noah and Zachary (a couple of kids he alreday knew in our neighborhood) and another boy named Keagan.

It is kind of funny--b/c Ky has not looked the part of an elementary kid until a few days ago. I was waiting for him outside and he came running up to me with a BIG grin on his face and holding the shoulder straps on his backpack. That image will be forever engrained in my head. He just looked bigger. He was confident and happy. He was all grown up.

Ky is starting his second full week of school now and thankfully I can see that he is learning. He can count up to 16 already in Spanish and he told me the other day that his backpack was his "mochillo".

Alaina update-

Alaina--wow--let me tell you--this girl cracks  me up.  She LOVES to shop.  NEVER take her into a shoe store--it is a mess.  She whips off her shoes SO fast and then starts trying on shoe after shoe.  She prefers heels and shoes that "sparkle".  Yes at 2 1/2 this girl could walk in heels better than me.  At department stores, she is ALWAYS keeping an eye out for princesses (aka dresses) and of course purses.  She LOVES purses.  She likes to cram all sorts of random toys in her purse and drag it with her.  She is quite an amusing girl!  She also gravitates towards anything princess, which I find interesting since clearly she did not get these interests from me. 

When Ky was getting ready to start school, I told Alaina that she was going to begin "Mommy's Preschool of Love."  She was ecstatic and told many people that she was going to the "School of Lub".  I have started working with her and have been happy to find that she is an eager student.  She sits well and likes to work with me at the table.  I was a bit concerned that with her personality it might be harder to sit, but so far things appear to be working well.

Talia update--
Shortly before we left on vacation, Talia discovered that she could roll. And roll she does. Back and forth and back and forth. She loves her new found mobility. She can also scoot some too. I will leave her for a moment on the floor and come back to find she has moved 1-2 feet.

At 3.5 months, Talia also discovered she could scream...and I mean a shrill scream. It was horrible. Luckily it was only a month long phase as she has appeared to grown out of it--but it was AWFUL at the time. She would scream when she was happy, scream when she was sad, and scream just to hear herself scream.

Talia is by far our most affectionate child.  She slurps on your face and gives you honest kisses.  Now that she is using her hands more, she will actually grab both of your cheeks and pull you forward to give you a kiss.  From birth we have noticed how giving her kisses just seemed to soothe her.  She ESPECIALLY loves daddy kisses.  I do think Daddy has gotten "his girl" (Alaina being mine). 

Well--I still have not figured out my "picture" predicament--(OH! That's a Ky memory too--how he learned the word predicament when he was 3 and was using it all the time....*Sigh*)  Anyway--I loaded manually on blogger--but it takes FOREVER!  I will figure out something.  In the meantime I want to catch up on my blog, so expect me to start backdating some of my entries since I want to catch up.

Frustrated with pictures...

So I have LOTS of pictures I want to share--but I am having problem uploading. GRRR...Remember my new camera? Well, the pictures are SO fabulous they take up too much space! So now I can only load a few before my free storage is gone on picassa. SO if you know of any great free web albums with LOTS of space, let me know...

Here is a picture my friend Crystal took of the kids last week. I especially want to get her photos up since she did such a great job! Look at how Talia has grown!

Guess which kid....

 This is a fun blog!   So everyone thinks Talia looks like Alaina...however I think she looks much more like Kylan...So what do you think?  Below I have grouped similar poses/age pictures of all 3 kids.  Can you figure out which is which?  Answers are revealed below, so scroll slowly.... 

From top to bottom: Talia, Alaina, Ky

Top to bottom: Ky and Talia

From Top to Bottom:  Talia, Alaina, Ky

From top to bottom:  Alaina, Ky, Talia

So, how'd you do?

Heaven Sent Dew...

Makes the grass smell wonderful in the morning.  It makes the earth so much livelier and all seems so magical--it didn't rain and yet the Earth has been renewed...Such an appropriate name for our little girl.

She has definitely renewed our lives and outlook.  She energizes our desire to be better.  She seems so magical and yet we know that God gave her to us.  We are blessed.

This blog covers Talia's first 10 days at home.  Surprisingly they were very easy days at home.  The kids were adjusting well and Talia slept like a champ!  She was doing 4 hour stretches at night.  We were amazed.  She is definitely our best sleeper yet.

Ky & Laina did very well with the initial adjustment of Talia.  They wanted to hold her ALL the time.  We had to actually start telling them "no".  They would ask when it just wasn't convenient and you can only crouch down next to them for so long.

On Saturday (5 days old) Pops & Debi came to visit.  Debi was so happy that she finally got her "I(Talia)n granddaughter.  (Get it--iTALIAn? HA!)  They took Ky & Laina out for the afternoon and also dropped off a bunch of meals.  It was such a blessing to have the afternoon with Rob & Talia.  Talia slept and we went for some burgers.  YUM!  Then afterwards we stopped at a few garage sales.  It was a good time.

Pops & Debi took Alaina & Ky to McD's for lunch and then shopping.  Grandma Debi bought Alaina some silver dress shoes--and she LOVES them.  She wears them all the time!  She calls them her sparkly shoes.  The kids also picked out a bunch of stuff at the Dollar store.  I know they felt LOVED & got some good spoiling--something they don't get much of.  Once they came back to the house G. Debi set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids in the backyard.  (Easter was too wet to have an Easter egg hunt and Ky was disappointed.  G'ma Debi was so thoughtful to do this for him!)  Thanks so much Pops & Debi for giving the kids an unforgettable afternoon. 

I also need to add that Debi had heart surgery later that week.  She went to the hospital on Monday and they doctor's found blockage in her heart.  We are so grateful for the expertise of doctors and God's hand in this situation to keep her safe.  Please keep her in your prayers as she is still recovering and having to deal with changes in lifestyle. 

So  you notice the lots of cute little naked pics of Talia--babies are SO cute and they grow and change SO quick, it is amazing how quick they fill out and turn into this little person.  I really wanted to capture some of those first moments so I don't forget how infants are.  For example, all the wrinkles on the back--that only happens with new babies.  And then their inclination to be in their fetal position.  Talia's legs were (she doesn't do it anymore--too big :( ) crossed in the womb so for the first month she always crossed them.  Their little legs are also very "bowed" looking--but straighten in the first couple of months. 

The red outfit Talia is in is one of the first outfits I bought for Alaina.  I think Alaina wore it once before she outgrew it.  Talia outgrew it by 1 month old.  Looking at her pics though, you can see how it is actually big on her (the pants were falling off) and now 1 month later the shirt is too small and the pants fit fine. 

Back to Talia's first week home.  Monday (Day 7) we all walked together to Kylan's school for Kindergarten introduction.  Ky really enjoyed showing off his baby sister (and still does).  Alaina as well.  They would say (and still say)-"We have a new baby!"  And Alaina adds "her name is Talia Rose."  It is very cute!  So the teachers got to see Ky's new sister.  It was nice to be able to walk Ky around the classroom and show him where things are at and what he can expect.  He seemed to take it all in stride. 

The next day we walked to Culver's for our first family custard outing.  The kids really enjoyed it (of course!)  Rob and I were a bit exasperated by the end.  Ky & Laina were starting to act up and well, we just don't appreciate that behavior.  Since then we have noticed a change (increase) in naughtiness.  I am sure this is just because of the new adjustment in their lives.  Hopefully things will go back to normal soon. 

The next day was windy, but we took a family walk anyway.  I noticed Alaina hanging on to her hair.  I asked her why, and she told me she didn't want her "piggy tails to fly away."  (Very cute).  So yes she hold on to them for much of the walk.  Silly girl!

Well I think that pretty much wraps up Day 10 for Talia.  I should probably also add that as of day 7 she started crying...(in my previous blog I mentioned that she hardly ever cries)  It appears she figured out that the "crying" thing gets her food/held/diaper change--so yeah--she uses that a lot now!  (But not in a colicky way--she really is a good baby.) 

Next blog--MARCH!  (and then another baby update--I gotta keep up with those she is growing SO FAST!)

February 2011

Feb 20011!

Wait a second...it's almost June! What is wrong with me!!!



Well better late than never...and yes more Talia updates & pics soon--I cannot deny you pictures of one of the three most beautiful children ever, and let me tell you she is gorgeous and GROWING like a weed!

So not many pics in February. I did not have a new camera yet and was using the old one so I didn't take many pics.

As far as pregnancy--this was the month I had extra ultrasounds to check on Talia. We were reassured with the first that Talia was fine--however underweight. Then our following ultrasound revealed we had a healthy girl of 4 lbs 11 oz at 32 weeks. (And yes, I asked them to confirm that the baby was a girl every time--even though I had seen it for myself, I was still in somewhat disbelief--after all this is me--I have been around boys my whole life and never imagined I would have one girl let alone two. Also the pregnancy was going so well, it just resembled Ky's much more than Alaina's.

Anyway, at the first ultrasound, I dropped Ky & Laina off with a friend. At that play date, Ky slipped and fell and hurt his arm. When my friend told me about it, I didn't think anything of it. Ky was acting fine. I did look later that day and noticed his wrist was a and he yelled. I looked down and noticed his wrist was still quite swollen. I ended up taking him to urgent care (it was a Saturday)--and wouldn't you know--it was broken. The doc said he had a buckle fracture. Basically the bone was misshaped. They put him in a splint and said he needed to wear it for at least 4 weeks. WOW! Boy didn't I feel like a bad mom. The doc reassured me that even she didn't take her own daughter in for an xray when she hurt her leg once. Several days later they had also discovered it was broken. Well, I did feel a little better.

Ky was such a brave guy. I couldn't go into the xray room since I was pregnant. He went with the nurses and did a great job. It was also somewhat ironic that Nana had also broken some bones in her wrist about the same time. They had matching splints which was rather cute in an odd sort of way. Ky was pretty proud.

Feb was a pretty emotional month for me with the pregnancy scare, the political stuff going on, and then the additional subbing I was doing as well as concern over a close friend who fell ill. Looking back on that month--I am glad it was a short one. I usually dislike the month of February because it feels like it just drag, but the business and stuff I was dealing with made the time fly.

I did find joy in a few things, like buying Alaina and Talia matching sweaters (my first matching gender purchase.) They won't wear them for another year yet, but hey--it's the little things! :) Alaina also was enjoying playing doctor with my tummy. She would often take the stethoscope and listen for the baby's heartbeat. I know she had no idea what was going on, but boy did it melt my heart!

In February, I also started to help out a friend by watching her two foster girls one to two times a week. They were beautiful twin girls--and boy did they touch my heart. Their story was sad, but their smiles were priceless. These little girls brightened everyone's day. They were 7 months old--so it was also nice to introduce Ky & Alaina to what it was like being around babies. Alaina did very well (though she was rough, she was very loving.) Ky was a natural helper. He would feed them bottles, bring them toys and play with them.

Rob and I have talked about fostering in the future and these two girls just drove home the need for loving families to show children such as these what family life should be like. No matter how small of a time you have with them--you do make an impact. Someday in the future (I am talking years--we need our kids to be a bit older before we are ready), I hope that we can also have the opportunity to love some children who need that extra support.

Well--I think that wraps up February. Next March--Isn't that pathetic. I think I will do a Talia update first! She is growing SO FAST! *SIGH* Well, all I can do is to try to treasure each moment as much as possible. I love that girl--she has truly melted my heart (just like Ky & Laina).

Our Talia Rose

I have to say that everything about this pregnancy has surprised me. From the beginning, I was convinced that I was having a boy. Everything with this pregnancy was just reminiscent of Ky's pregnancy. However, when I saw two "little butts" in the 20 week ultrasound--I was given my first warning that "things are not always the way they appear." Towards the end of the pregnancy, I was also feeling that this little one was going to arrive early. My intuition of an early delivery with Ky and an on-time delivery with Alaina had been correct, so I was pretty sure that I would be delivering in my 38th week--once again I was wrong. And finally, I felt this baby was a pretty big baby. I was guessing close to 8 lbs and boy was I surprised to have delivered my smallest baby. Anyways--time to begin Talia Rose's birth story....Hang in there--this will be a long one (after all, I was the best rested with this birth!)

Monday, April 25th (39 weeks) I was scheduled for a c-section at 10 AM with check-in at the hospital at 8. Easter was the day before, and with all the plans made for the holiday and packing the kids overnight bags to stay at Nana's and getting the house in order and things out for Nana--it was just a crazy day.

Rob and I dropped Ky and Alaina off at Nana's Sunday night and had one last meal as "just the 2 of us." By the time we got home, it was already 9 and there was much to be done. I needed to finish packing my bag, sweep the downstairs, do a load of laundry, pull out clothes for the kids for the next few days, and eat & drink. My fast for the surgery began at midnight--and yes I stayed up until midnight making sure I could drink all the water I could and have a small meal to suffice me. So what did I do---start a load of laundry and then Rob and I sat down to watch the rest of "Avatar". Yeah--I had priorities! After all, this might be the last movie we are able to watch for a while! :)

Of course, by the time I got to bed I was exhausted, it was after midnight, and I could not sleep. BLEH. So much for going in well rested. I cried a little- realizing that everything would be changing soon. (This is just how I deal with any change...) And of course ended up moving to the couch downstairs so I could watch my last night of reruns. (This is what I did every night of my pregnancy when I couldn't sleep.)

At 6:45 the next morning, Rob and I were up--and of course running late. Traffic was a bit more than I imagined it would be. We got to the registration desk at 8:30. EEKS! I was really worried they would be mad at me. Well, it turns out we were on time! I was scheduled to come in at 8:30 and the C-section was scheduled for 10:30! WOO! Talk about a close one.

We were taken back to triage, where I got changed into my LOVELY gown and took a few last pictures. From there, the nurse came and got my vitals and asked me all sorts of dumb questions like "Are you pregnant?" "Are you in labor?" I know these questions are protocol--but PUH-LEASE! Aren't some things obvious? And shouldn't they already have this information in the system?

From there it was IV time. UGH! I really don't mind IV's, however, I have an issue with the process that IV's become. I don't like the "let's just stab the patient everywhere and not take her advice on where to put it in" method. My veins move. They are hard to get. With every kid they have ended up having to go in my hand because that is the only place the veins don't move so much. So of course, I recommended that they just put in my hand....Six sticks and 3 nurses later (actually, it isn't just a stick, it's a stick and then probe with the needle until we make large bruise marks and then make you bleed...) they finally took my advice and put it in my hand. BLAH!

For this pregnancy I named my new IV companion "June". I felt it was only appropriate since we would become good friends over the next 24 hours or so. From there the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me. And let me tell you I had the BEST anesthesiologist EVER! I really have an issue with needles being put in my back. When I had to have it done with Ky--the anesthesiologist yelled at me. I was starving after 24 hours of labor and just totally bummed about everything and he yelled at me for moving. The anesthesiologist with Alaina was better-however, he missed. I still remember how he got out of my cord and the weird and painful feeling it left in my side. *Shudder*

This guy was really cool though. First of all he said that Rob could come in the operating room with me to be my support. (This isn't usually allowed.) Secondly, he talked me through it all. Granted, he had to do 2 tries and left some nice bruises, but it was all worth having this guy. And finally this guy took our camera and actually took pictures of Talia being pulled out. (Some of these pictures I am not putting on the slide show since they show parts of me that I would prefer not everyone in the world saw.) Anyway--back to the story...

So off to the operating room we went. First time I had ever walked there on my own. It was really quite weird. I also was able to get a good look at everything that was there. From the other 2 c-sections I don't really remember those details. After I was all numbed up they laid me down. The Docs had put on some nice pop music for themselves (there was no music for Alaina's birth, but I do remember music playing for Ky's). They then began their work. When they began to pull Talia out, she was already crying. The anesthesiologist at this time (11:08 AM) grabbed our camera and snapped several pictures. There were tears from myself as well as Rob. This had been a stressful pregnancy with the ultrasounds, but to finally hear her proved everything was alright. She was BEAUTIFUL.

The nurses whisked her away and Rob followed several minutes later to take more pictures and get her footprints. She weighed in at 7 lbs and 1/2 ounce and was 19 inches long.
I was very alert (not too exhausted) through the whole process of the surgery. Rob came back with our little girl and we watched as she smacked her lips and looked around in bewilderment. Little Talia looked so much like Kylan it was uncanny.

From the operating room, I was taken to recovery where I was able to hold and nurse her. Rob then made the family phone calls. I was kept in the recovery room for several hours. At one point, I had some additional bleeding as it pooled down my legs (okay too much detail..) and my blood pressure dropped a bit, but it was quickly controlled with some additional medication and additional compression bandages. The doctor said that the amount of scar tissue they had cut through on one side was causing the additional bleeding. My pain meds and IV meds were pretty high so I was getting pretty loopy at this point and some of the remainder of the day is fuzzy, but I will fill in as much as I can...
Sidenote: Rob called Debi to let her know that we had a little girl. Debi told Rob "I was sure it was a boy. All your presents are for a boy and I am not taking them back." (This had Rob and I laughing for quite a while!)

Once we were taken to our room, we had some time to bond with our little girl. She received a bath and Rob changed her first diaper. We talked a little bit about the baby's name. My favorite name was Talia and Rob's was Karena. We both liked the middle names Rose and Annaleen. (Annaleen was a name I had come up with--it represented many women family members--Ann from my middle name and Rob's Great Grandma Anna, "leen" from Grandma Arlene and Rob's mom Kathleen as well as "een" from my mom, Maureen.) The only thing was Annaleen just didn't seem to flow as well as Rose did with the two names.

I had issues with the name Karena since I really did not want people shortening it to "Rena". (Makes me think of renal glands--ewww!) I was also foggy headed so I told Rob that we should sleep on it. AND...Rob had picked Alaina's name last time, and I think he made the right choice so I was thinking that perhaps Karena was the way to go and I just needed to sleep on it.

That afternoon, Rob's mom and Jan came with Ky and Alaina and they got to meet their new sister. You could tell that Alaina really did not understand. She was pretty antsy. I imagine seeing me connected to all the tubes and being told to be careful around me was probably a bit scary. Ky, however, quickly took to being a big brother. He was holding Talia and loving every minute of it. We could tell that Nana was disappointed that her granddaughter didn't have a name yet (and even more disappointed the next day when she was still unnamed--though we quickly rectified that...)

We had purchased two toys for the kids from their baby sister to them. Talia gave Ky the much MUCH desired Buzz Lightyear. (He had been asking for it for the last 2 months). And Alaina got "Jesse" from Toy Story. That really helped the mood (Alaina's anyway--Ky was already doing well.) Ky was quite the happy boy as you can see in the pics.

The next day went by quickly as they took me off the IV drugs and the IV. I was also able to get around. I was definitely feeling much better. We chatted briefly about the new baby's name, but had some visitors and so we did not quite finish by the time Nana had arrived with the kids. We had decided at that point that Rose would be her middle name. Rob had also told me he was fine with Talia. At this point he pretty much left the ball in my court as far as deciding the name.

I felt really bad when Nana & G'ma Jan arrived. You could see the disappointment on their faces when we told them we didn't have a name. I then told Rob that if he was sure he was okay with it, I would like to go with my name. Talia Rose Schnake was then named. Whooo...boy did that take a lot of stress off.

Here's a little background on the name Talia. I had first found the name Natalia and really liked it--thinking we would shorten it to Talia as a nickname. Rob however did not like Natalia, but did like Talia. The name Talia made it on our list. Talia is a Hebrew name and means "Heaven sent dew", "little lamb", or "blooming". I LOVE all 3 meanings--however when you put it with Rose you have a "Blooming Rose". How pretty is that?!

That night our little Talia did not eat well. She was rejecting me. I was a little frustrated, but did not think much of it. At midnight the nurses weighed her and she weighed 6 lb 5 oz. They were a little concerned about her large weight loss, lack of wet diapers (she only had 1 that day), and even more concerned that she was not eating well. The next day (the day of my discharge) she did the same thing. I had the lactation consultant in with me several times as well as several different nurses. We would get her to eat, but only briefly.

The pediatrician told me I could leave with Talia, however I needed to be seen by my lactation consultant the next day and/or our pediatrician. I was also told that I should consider supplementing with formula--and this was just not an option I was willing to consider at this time. I had Rob call to set up the appointment. At the last minute our LC said they would see us that night since they did not work the next day.
Let me tell you--seeing an LC is BRUTAL. If you see one with your first child--realize that what they do is NOT how normal nursing should go. They use some pretty drastic measures to make sure your child eats. When we left, Talia had eaten 1.1 oz and I was VERY sore. I told Rob on the drive home, that while I will use some of her measures in nursing, I will not use all unless Talia totally refuses to eat.

Perhaps Talia also did not care for the brutality of the LC, because she began eating again--and well. Throughout the weekend, I nursed her continually and even woke her up to nurse. (She is a very good sleeper--she sleeps 3-4 hours at a time, perhaps longer if I did not wake her up.)

On Friday we took her to the pediatrician and she had gotten her weight up to 6 1/2 lbs. On Monday, May 2nd (her due date), we took her in and she is now back to her birth weight! PHEW! What an AMAZING weight gain after all this. Now I figure I can step back and relax and let her sleep!

So final thoughts on Talia. She is SO SWEET! She doesn't cry much at all and seems so content. And she smiles--seriously she already smiles. She will look at you and you can see she recognizes you and smiles. Amazing! As far as adding her to the family, so far she seems to be an easy baby (knock on wood). Really it is just a matter of Ky & Alaina adjusting at this point, which I am sure they will.

My little Talia is quite amazing though, and I already cannot imagine my life without her. She melts my heart. (Did I mention she is an AWESOME snuggler?!) She has blessed so many people already in her short 7 days of life--and I am not just saying that--God has really used her to help the spirits of several friends of mine that have been really down. I know that God has a special plan for her. And I am SO PRIVILEGED to have been given her to raise.

So the pics...yeah...I am obsessed...expect many more...just like with all my kids!

The newest Schnake has arrived! Video and Pics

I don't have a ton of time right now to write all about her arrival...but I will soon.  For this blog, I figured I would just get some pics and video up.  I will get her story up soon!

Daddy took this video just minutes after Talia Rose was born. You may notice the camera work isn't the greatest--but I think it just shows how Daddy was caught up in the moment. How precious!



This video is about 10 minutes after birth when I got to meet her.



About 2 hours after birth. I am "recovering" and Daddy is bonding with our new daughter.



Two days old and a bumped nose...



Rocking the baby...



And finally, these are pictures that the photographer at the hospital took. Very cute!

http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=020f217e-dc79-4aa1-9ffc-7cb146eb7570

Baby Breaths...

Such an appropriate title in so many ways...

Last night, I was doing my routine "Sitting on the couch with Rob with my shirt pulled up so I could watch the baby move" when I noticed that the part of my stomach where the baby's back was--was moving up and down.  It was like he/she was breathing.  It really was quite eerie.  I showed Rob and then we started to work on trying to figure out what was going on.  I thought that maybe it was my heart rate--but no, my heart rate was different.  I tried moving the baby.  That would disrupt the movement, but a few minutes later it would start up again.  Rob was starting to think I should call the doctor or look it up online.  Three pregnancies and I had never seen anything like this...

So I looked it up online (I know you aren't supposed to self-diagnose--but I didn't think there was anything wrong or to concern a doctor with...)

Sure enough, there are other women out there, close to their due dates who have also noticed this weird rising and falling of their stomachs.  Talking to the doctor they discovered their baby practice breathing--something that you can rarely see outside of an ultrasound.  How neat that I got this "peek"!  My baby is getting ready and this is all just another step in the process that very few know about.  Each pregnancy with each of my children has been so precious and special--and God just continues to make each moment with this one just the same. 

So baby breaths?   Yeah--I have been frustrated that this one has not come yet.  I nested the last 2 weeks.  This week I gave up.  I have NO desire to nest.  I am tired of being up at night because I am uncomfortable or just can't sleep.  I am tired of these "episodes" that make me so sick that I can't function.  I am tired of running "last" errands and planning ahead wondering--will I be able to actually do that?  I am also tired of worrying about being so BORED in the hospital for the FOUR LONG days they will probably try to keep me.  But in the end, I just need to realize that these are just "baby breaths" preparing me for what is to come.  And once the baby comes--there is NO going back. 

So here I am at 4:30 in the morning--once again NOT sleeping--but at least appreciating these last few moments/days before my baby comes.  So for today, I will appreciate my time with him/her finishing up his/her time inside me and know that I won't get this time back.  These baby breaths are all just practice for what is to come.  And I can't wait for that glorious moment in such an appropriate season. 

Jesus gave us new life and soon I will meet the new life he has given us.  Happy Easter everyone!

Baby? Not yet....

Let's see...

I am currently 38 weeks and 2 days. I have a C-Section scheduled this Monday--April 25.

I have been getting asked about updates of where I am at--and yes I am behind on my blog. The last week and a half have been pretty rough. I keep going through these spells of cramps turned to nausea turned to contractions and then they teeter out. In fact--I am at the beginning of a new "episode" right now.

I have predicted from the beginning that this kid would come early (before my c-section time), but I give up. I really have no clue right now. It is funny that I have done so well all pregnancy--and now the last week and a half are just bizarre episodes that leave me wondering "is this it?"

In fact this past Saturday's episode was so convincing that Rob did all the dishes and laundry because he was convinced that the time had come. Hmmm...I guess there is a bright side to these "episodes."

As far as pregnancy updates, my last ultrasound was FABULOUS. The baby had gained weight and at 34 weeks they estimated the baby was 4 lbs 10 ounces and looked PERFECTLY healthy. The baby is also still pretty active and I can watch feet move around my stomach--however quarters are much more crammed. I don't think this baby will be as big as Alaina, but I estimate over 7 1/2 lbs.

Ironically--today--it is snowing. A low pressure system is moving in. This can cause women to go into labor (making their water break.) So we will have to see--but like I said, I have NO IDEA anymore. *I WISH I DID!* 

I have told Rob from the beginning, I REALLY don't want to be in the hospital over Easter--so if this baby comes early, PLEASE do so today or tomorrow, otherwise wait for the scheduled c-section. I really don't want to miss Easter with Ky & Alaina. Though, honestly if the baby does come--it would be the best Easter gift a girl could get.

I think that is really all I have.  I just wanted to do a quick update for those who are asking.  Please pray for a safe delivery of a healthy baby and a quick recovery AND of course I will update once he/she arrives.

A couple of videos....

This video is actually disappointing. I wish I had been quicker with the camera when she was really THROWING a tantrum about going potty...


We got Ky a new mattress for his bed...and I thought--why not move the old one downstairs and let the kids have some fun...

January 2011

With the beginning of a new month, we also began many new things.  Kylan began a karate class at the Y which he attended 2 times a week.  He did very well and really enjoyed the class.  However, we did not enjoy twice the commitment in such cold weather over dinnertime.  I also began a new schedule with NOT working at the Y and then using much of that time to help a good friend in need.  Rob began his LAST class for his MBA.  He is anxious to get it done and is ready to NOT be doing class work anymore.  And Alaina, well she began NOT going potty on the the potty anymore.  Yes--this was a VERY trying time.  We tried everything to get her back on track--we bribed with candy (I mean rewarded), toys, stickers, we ignored--unfortunately when she is ignoring too it doesn't make a difference, we washed her bottom off with cold water, we had her clean it up (and of course she can only do so much before she makes a mess worse!)  Of course all this was happening during the time we received the results of the initial ultrasound.  I was in really rough shape and not dealing well with the situation at all.  Poor Alaina--at least she is back on track now.

Alaina also received her first haircut.  I cut it myself.  I was so worried she was going to lose her baby curls.  And so far she hasn't.  I cut off about 3 inches.  She held really still (helps to have a video on).  I have to say it looks much better as one length!  Kylan also went ice skating for the first time.  He had a lot of fun with Dad and came back and informed me that he fell 26 times!  Ah...I wish I had been there to see...Alaina and I had a girl's day though and did some shopping.  She got a balloon from the mall and was so upset when she lost it.  Luckily I had just bought a treat and it helped to distract her from her loss.

Rob took MLK day off in January and we went for a walk in the Arboretum.  We thought it would be really fun.  Well it turned out to be pretty cold and very snowy.  The kids also got a bit tired of trekking in the snow.  I have to say the best part was watching Alaina fall and then use all her energy to awkwardly stand up with her many layers on.  Daddy helped her out though and carried her much of the remainder of the way.  After our walk we went to Red Robin and enjoyed a yummy meal--however Daddy missed much of it.  He took Alaina & Ky to the bathroom and then spent 20 minutes or so in there aiding Ky...Pottying with kids is always interesting--let me tell you.

When we left Red Robin, Ky's balloon blew away and that started a trail of tears.  I went in and got him another.  Wow!  It is amazing how the loss of a balloon can really turn your day upside down. 

So reminiscing on January and my big kids....

Ky is now a full-fledged reader.  He reads small chapter books, cereal boxes, signs--anything out there.  He is doing FABULOUS!  I am so proud of him.  We covered the 5 food groups in January for his "schooling".  That was a lot of fun and now he can identify what foods belong in what groups.  I was hoping to do a month of international studies in February--and I can tell you that that did not happen...perhaps later...He still LOVES Spanish though and we are really hoping to get him into our school's dual immersion program.  Last week I actually abandoned him at the story as he started babbling his Ky-Spanish to 2 Hispanic men.  It really is just plain embarrassing.

Alaina has become VERY independent and VERY girly.  She knows what she wants and asks for it.  She always wants to wear a princess (aka dress), and puts on heels and clops around the house.  She occasionally will carry a purse if we leave (yeah--seriously--you know she doesn't get this from me...).  She also likes to have input on how her hair is fixed and what barrettes are put in.  She also LOVES to dance--and will often ask for Daddy or I to dance with her.  She has also started making up her own songs.  Yes, I will get that on video soon.  It is VERY CUTE--especially when she is dancing too...With all this girlyness she can hang with the boys quite well--her climbing skills are awesome and she rarely cries.  You know that there is probably blood involved if she is crying. 

So enough about my cute kids---oh wait--that's the purpose of this blog!  HA!  Stay tuned for February...Yes I will try to be more timely...and don't expect much for pics, with my camera mishap we didn't get many pics taken, though I have made up for it in April.

To see and experience is to have your eyes opened to the reality...

I’m taking a mental & physical health day today. If you know me, you know I avoid politics. However, I feel like I can no longer be silent. I am so disheartened by how things have turned here in Wisconsin. Please take the time to read this note from a local Wisconsin “Welfare Queen” (quoting New Jersey Governor Chris Christie). AKA a former Milwuakee Public School Teacher and a current substitute teacher in Madison.


“A great many people, including Ghandi & the Bible, said that the greatness of a country can be measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us. By that measure the USA sucks. As long as we see nothing wrong or immoral about paying obscene salaries to people who can throw a ball or sing a song or act in a movie or run a corporation that produces nothing of real value or worth, while people who educate our children, care for the elderly and disabled, provide childcare for our small children, guard our cities and towns, fight fires are presented to us as the “enemy” and the source of all of what ails us, we descend into a deeper and deeper pit. If people in this country expended half as much energy protesting the fact that multi-millionaires got extended tax breaks, that the gap between the incredibly wealthy and the rest of us continues to widen as they do worrying that teachers and schools, for example, might get a few extra dollars, maybe we’d live in a better, fairer, more just world. I’m not holding my breath for that to happen.” (This by the way is a quote from my beloved Mother-In-Law.)

When I went into teaching years ago, it was because I wanted to make a difference in public education—specifically with children from low-income and poverty situations. I wanted to show them that THEY CAN DO BETTER FOR THEMSELVES. They are NOT stuck in the situation that they were born in. EDUCATION was their way out. And who should know this better than me—afterall, this was my background and where I came from. However, being white, and having middle class families that supported my family gave me an advantage to what many of these inner city kids face.

However, I was not mentally prepared for my first day at a public school in Milwaukee. Instead of taking the time to decorate my classroom, I spent my time duct taping together the students’ books. There was not enough money in the budget to afford to buy new books and these books had to last at LEAST another 2 years. This is really when the reality of the situation hit me. How do I let these kids know that they can do BETTER for themselves, when I can’t even hand them nice books? Is this really showing them the value of an education, or THEIR VALUE?

Day after day of teaching, I would come home weeping for my students. My husband became my confidant. I could tell him about the 14 year old that told me she was pregnant and scared. I could tell him about the student whose mom died and was not sure where he was going to live. I could tell him about the Hmong student that was being forced into an arranged marriage at 14. And I could tell him how guilty I felt for not having enough room for the 38 students in my class. Afterall—budget cuts=increased class size (and that is just one consequence).

The first couple of weeks at school I was lucky. I had 36 desks and only 36 students coming to class. (Of course I asked for more desks—but there was the issue that there were no more desks AND my classroom didn’t have room for anymore desks.) I had to *hope* --yes HOPE that 2 of my students would not come, because I did not have enough seats in my class for them all. I still remember the one day that one of my two “surplus” students actually came to class. It was a student that had been assumed to have dropped out. He showed up late, but he showed up. NOW, more than ever, I NEEDED to show all the compassion I had for this student and try to get him to come back again and stay off the streets.

I had no alternative but to sit this student at my desk in front of the class (facing the class). I didn’t know what else to do. How do you think this student felt? Do you think he wanted to come back being “on display” for the other students? As much as I tried to encourage him throughout that class and afterwards, I never saw him again. I LOST my chance, my opportunity--due to my inexperience, sure, but more importantly due to an overcrowded classroom and lack of taxpayer dollars. And this is a memory that still haunts me today. Where is that boy now? I imagine there is a good chance he is in jail—a place that your tax dollars also pay for. Luckily the jails aren’t getting significant budget cuts, so there should be plenty of money available to jail him. (Personally, I think I would have preferred to invest my tax dollars in his education...)

Currently, I am a substitute teacher in the Madison Public School District. I teach once a week and stay at home with my 2 little ones the other days. I am BLESSED to have this opportunity to afford to stay at home while many cannot and there is not a moment I don’t THANK God that he has provided our family with such a wonderful opportunity.

As a substitute, I have been to most schools in the Madison District. And while the Madison Schools are MUCH nicer than the public schools in Milwaukee, many are rundown buildings with dark lighting and dingy walls. In the past 2 months of teaching, I have been in one class where the window would not close (on a 10 degree day), a middle school where only one sink worked in the restroom, and many schools with broken toilets, stall doors, and sinks, not to mention classrooms with torn and stained carpet or tiles that are missing. (AND yes—in elementary schools the kids sit on this carpet—carpet I would NEVER allow in my home!) And yet we want these children to see how VALUABLE they are and their education is, when we as taxpayers and politicians CLEARLY don’t care about it ourselves.

Taking a step back—why do Madison schools get to be nicer than Milwaukee’s??? Oh that’s right—tax base. Because Madison has a higher taxpayer income the kids get nicer schools. And Milwaukee—well—why do those kids matter anyway. At least that is the visual impression I get as well as any student that attends. Why do you matter?

Teachers are told that we have it easy. Hey- we have 3 months off a year and Christmas & Spring Break. What a breeze of a job! I can tell you of all the private sector jobs I had, teaching was by far the most stressful and I have put MANY more hours into teaching than any other job. I would go into work at 6:30 and leave around 5 PM. Much of my before and after school time was spent working one on one with kids who were struggling as well as contacting parents. I would then come home at night and spend 1-2 more hours working on lesson plans and grading papers. The weekends were an additional 5 hours or so of work. But thank goodness I had my summers off! I mean—how else was I going to take the MANDATORY continuing education classes to keep my certification. Of course teachers have to pay for these courses. That is why you see many teachers working summer jobs at parks and local community centers.

So where do I stand on what has been going on? I am appalled that middle class has been turned against middle class. Our focus should not be on ourselves, but on the most vulnerable. The children in EVERY school district—especially the poorest! The unions have given in to the pay cuts—many of which will DRASTICALLY hurt them and their families. However, they are willing to sacrifice as am I. Our schools CANNOT take anymore budget cuts. Teachers already spend hundreds of their own dollars to supplement their school supplies (YES THEY PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR WHAT OUR TAX DOLLARS FALL SHORT OF!) and now we are looking at not only cutting teacher salaries but school budgets as well. Where does that leave our children?

I am willing to pay for the deficit—out of my own pocket, but not at the expense of public education and public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. These are the people that need this money more than ANY of us AND thus need to be PROTECTED more than any of us! One man in fact already did the math for us. If each adult pays $32 the deficit would be taken care of. I am willing to pay my share as well as the shares of others who cannot afford to do so (i.e. those who collect Medicare and Medicaid.) Please help protect the most vulnerable of our nation. This is not about who has the most money—it is about who NEEDS the money to survive and know that they ARE somebody.

My pastor often tells us that the truth of our heart lies in our pocket books. I think we ALL need to take the time to examine where our money goes. What does the money we spend say about our priorities? And who is really most important? I will NEVER look into the eyes of an impoverished child, or an elderly veteran and tell them, “You are NOT worth the expense.” It is time for us to unite and get our priorities straight. Let’s protect our children NOW and in the future. Please join my family in praying for a resolution that will protect ALL because EVERYONE is WORTH it!

For more info on paying off the deficit--$32/adult visit this site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfsIW6RY8Q

Baby Blessings--another sneak peak

For those who wanted a follow-up, we had our ultrasound last week.  We are happy to report that the doctor is pretty sure that baby Schnake #3 is just fine.  The doctor took a further look at the echo seen on the heart and verified that it was an area of rapid muscle growth.  She said this is very common throughout people's lifetimes and is often seen on ultrasounds of babies--because that is when pictures of the heart are taken. 

It was wonderful seeing our little one again.  The baby was suckling--and even the doctor was in awe of how young our little had already started this.  The baby also yawned and sucked his/her fingers.  The picture above is a 4D picture--the first one we have ever had--and how cool is it to get a sneak peak of your little one in utero. 

I personally thought the baby looked like any other baby and then a friend mentioned how much he/she looked like Ky & Alaina.  So that started me thinking...and I put pics of Alaina & Ky next to the ultrasound and sure enough--that is definitely the same nose! :)  (Just a little smooshed as it's lying against the uterine wall...)

The doc & nurse also verified that yes the baby is indeed a ____.  I was pretty sure the first time I saw the gender--and yup--nothing has changed.  It is kind of reassuring to know we don't need any back-up other gender names and clothing items.  Speaking of which..I am working on gathering what I need.  I also recently started watching a friend's twin baby girls (6 months old!), so I started pulling out all the gear.  I am glad I did too!  It gives the kids time to get used to having the stuff around--and with the girls around, I am also working on showing Alaina how to be gentle with babies.  WOW!  Twins are a lot of work--but DOUBLE the blessing--the smiles, the coos...oh they are too cute!  They just melt your heart!

Anyway back to the pregnancy. So the ultrasound was all good--however the baby's abdomen did measure a little small.  The doc said our little one is thin and they want to keep an eye on it.  So we will be returning for another ultrasound in a month.  As long as the baby grows on a curve they will not worry.  But like I said it is just something to keep an eye on...

Speaking of which...I hardly EVER wake up in the middle of the night hungry.  I just don't have the cravings and such with this one that I did with Ky and Alaina.  Sweets are definitely what I long for, but I don't feel super hungry or anything (kind of disappointing).  Perhaps that is why the baby is thin, however, my weight gain is still unexplained then...hmmm....

Rob and I continue to play tag with this one and enjoy the kicks and turns.  Speaking of which, if I ever want the baby to move, all I need to do is eat chocolate or ice cream--And I am serious!  I can eat other food and the baby does nothing--but there is something with the sweets...

So here I am at week 30.  I see the doc tomorrow and will hopefully start discussing dates for delivery.  I am betting that no plans will be made though until the next ultrasound.  I am sure the baby's growth is vital in determining when they want to do it.  So there's my baby update!  Next blog will be for January!  And hey---maybe I will get it done before March!  HA!

Christmas 2010

Yeah!  Last blog of 2010!  Let's begin...

So Nana stayed with us the night of the 23rd after the ultrasound and Grandma Jan joined us the next morning to celebrate Christmas Eve together.  The kids, of course, kept all of us busy by just being themselves.  They pulled out a lot of card games and read books and Alaina was on the "phone" a lot.

Rob made home made whipped cream for our traditional stuffed fruit french toast Christmas breakfast--and I had fun decorating Ky's face.  Hey--what else should you do with whipped cream! :)  We had a wonderful brunch!  (And it is all the more wonderful when it is a meal that you only have once a year on such a special day!) 

After brunch, Ky was getting very impatient to open the gifts (and what 4 year old wouldn't be?!)  We finally gave into him and let him have at it. Alaina of course followed suit and got into the spirit of things.  Nana & Grandma Jan got Kylan a very cool frog game, and the next hour or so was spent tossing and catching frogs.  (I snoozed briefly--hey I'm growing a child here!) 

It was a nice afternoon and we all had a nice time visiting and appreciating family and its blessings.  Nana & Grandma Jan left in the late afternoon and we all got ready for the Christmas Eve service.  We had put Alaina & Ky down for a late nap (they needed one) and by the time they got up we had 2 crabby kids.  It was quite the ordeal getting them dressed and ready to go (as well as feed them some food.)  I attempted to then get some nice pics of the kids in front of the tree before we left--they actually did better than usual!

The next morning we woke up to Ky working hard on his Cars picture.  I find this picture rather ironic since I have  a picture taken of me when I was 4 on Christmas morning.  I had woken up, got myself dressed and was coloring at the dining room table and that is where my parents found me....now if I can just find that picture. 

While breakfast was heating the kids were excited to open there presents, so we let them start a few.  This year Ky was quite the excited boy.  He was so excited that he had trouble containing himself.  He wanted to open even Alaina's presents, but of course she was NOT about to let that happen.  All in all it was a fun time.  Ky received several CARS toys including a bunch of games from Uncle Adam & Aunt Liz and a book with mini CARS figures from Grandma & Grandpa Vander Heyden--and I just have to add that Ky and Alaina spend a lot of time fighting over Sally....I have tried to find another Sally--but the stores I have been to have been sold out...Well--it's best they learn to share anyway! :)

Alaina got TONS of girly stuff.  Three tutus!  YES 3!  And she loves them all.  She loves to dress up so Rob and I got her various dress-up items.  She received these adorable butterfly wings with skirt & wand from Grandma & Grandpa Vander Heyden as well as a "Mr. Potato Head" Elmo, and lots of dressup shoes.  The girl is set!   When she opened her butterfly towel from U. Adam & A. Liz she spent a lot of time dancing around the house in it saying "I'm a butterfly!" 

Both kids also received personalized ornaments from A. Janice & A. Linda & A. Liz & U. Adam.  Alaina attempted to "eat" the icecream cone ornament from U. Adam & A. Liz.

As far as gifts for Rob and myself--we try to minimize that.  Dates or big other purchases are what we consider gifts for each other.  We both exchanged slippers and another small item.  Rob's big gift will be a new tv in the next several months--and my gift was our beautiful wood floors.  Otherwise just having each other and time together is gift enough!

After our own little family Christmas, we headed out to Rob's Dad's house to celebrate.  It was a very nice relaxing evening.  The kids had a great time playing with their cousin Dominic and then opening presents.  Alaina's favorite gift, by far, was the princess car she received.  Even today she takes that vehicle for spins around the house.  *very cute* 

For New Years Eve we had good friends over for dinner.  Celebrations are limited when you have small kids, but we made the most of it.  I even managed to stay up until midnight this year :)  2010 was definitely a good year--and I know 2011 will only be better as Rob & I continue to watch our kids grow and we meet our new little one.  We are truly blessed with all he has given us.  As far as New Year's resolutions--we don't really do that--however we do have a goal to GIVE MORE every year--and we will continue with that.     

A Christmas Ultrasound...our little bundle of joy

December 23rd was supposed to be a wonderful day--and in the end it was--but it didn't start out well.  We were on our way to ring bells and that was when I realized I had lost my camera.  I ended up dropping Ky & Rob off to ring bells and Alaina and I retraced our steps from the day before and asked our gym if anyone had found our camera.  I was in tears.  How forgetful of me!?  And it isn't like I haven't done this before--seriously...so I have driven off with the phone on the car (we heard it fall though and were able to retrieve it --and surprisingly it wasn't broken.)  And I have driven off with mail on the car...yeah, I am not sure if we found all of it.  It's just one of those things--the kids are out playing and there aren't a lot of safe places to put these items.  So I put them on top of the car where the kids can't reach.  ARGH!  So yeah, I cried.  Rob was very understanding of it all--almost too understanding--I needed to be yelled at.  I loved that camera--not to mention it is how I blog.  ARGH!  Yeah--here it is Feb and I still have yet to take the time looking for a camera.  I will soon enough--before the new baby comes.  And speaking of which...

So after bell ringing we ran home and picked up Rob's mom.  We invited her to come and see the ultrasound and help watch the kids during it...and we doubled that up with celebrating the Christmas the next day with her. 

This ultrasound was a BIG ordeal...First of all, since I was "late" scheduling all my appointments, this ultrasound was being done late.  When I originally called to schedule it, they would not schedule it because the referral had not been received.  I called back and forth between the two clinics AT LEAST 6 TIMES before they sent the referral.  (The clinic would say they sent it, radiology said they did not receive, yadda yadda.)  So I finally had it scheduled and then was called because they wanted to reschedule.  When I called them back they told me it was fine and they didn't need to reschedule me after all.  When we got there, they were not expecting me (of course.)  They said they had called me to reschedule--and of course I informed them that I had called back and they told me I was fine and didn't need to be rescheduled.  ARGH!  (Okay raging hormones and bad morning and you add this...I was VERY angry!)  Not to mention if they rescheduled, I would be "later" than the time frame they had wanted this ultrasound AND Rob's mom had driven out for this.

I think they sensed my anger and frustration so they did accommodate.  One of the techs stayed over her lunch to do our ultrasound--and she did a nice job.  She was very thorough and took a long time.  The baby wasn't the most active, but moved enough to entertain.  It is so neat watching your child yawn and move hands and feet (and yet feel nothing!)  It is funny because I normally think the baby is only awake when I feel him/her--which you then discover is not true.  The baby measured pretty much right on for everything.  Ky, Alaina, and Nana got to come in at the end of the appointment and watch as well.  I think Ky got it and understood what was going on.  Alaina was clueless.  (Who wants to watch black & white fuzz?!)  We had the tech write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope, however I was pretty positive that I saw what gender the baby was in the ultrasound...

When we got home, Rob and I went out for a short "date".  We went to one of our favorite coffee houses (no, I don't drink coffee--but they have good chai's and good hot cocoa).  I told Rob to open the envelope there.  (It was his turn--I opened Alaina's.)  Well-I was correct in what I saw (I should become a sonogram tech!)  because we are having....a boy or girl!  (You didn't think I was really going to tell you did you?)  HA HA!
It would have been nice to keep this pregnancy an ultimate surprise, but I have WAY too much clothing in the basement and I want to start getting rid of the gender clothing we are not having.  I won't be getting rid of it until the baby arrives (just to make sure--since they do occasionally make mistakes.)  But I have already done a big sort and put things aside.  (5 years of boys clothes and 3 years of girls clothes is a LOT of stuff!   Not to mention, I have some bins for Ky & Alaina in bigger sized clothing AND think about how they go through 4 different sizes of clothing in the FIRST year alone! CRAZY--yeah I need some space in my basement.)  And--I wanted to know what I needed to get...If the baby is a boy--we are pretty on-season with Ky's old clothes--however if we have a girl--we are TOTALLY off-season for the first 2 years...since Alaina was a fall baby and this one is spring. 

So pregnancy thus far (it's Feb as I write this.)  I would say this has been the easiest of all my pregnancies as far as sickness and continuing on with day to day life.  If you have talked to me recently, you know that I have had one small thing that the doc mentioned at my last appointment.  It should be nothing--but still as a mom it has me worried.  Basically, they saw something on the ultrasound.  If it is actually there--it is probably no big deal.  Many go away, many babies are born with one and are perfectly fine.  However there is this teeny tiny chance that it could be something.  (And I mean like 0.5% that is how small.)  Since all my other ultrasounds have gone fine and have never had this revealed, it is a stresser.  I honestly wish they had never told me--because it is not worth the stress it has put me through, and no matter what, we would keep the baby so why even mention it.  Even the doc said it is most likely nothing.  However, Rob and I have scheduled a follow-up ultrasound for next week.  We are meeting with a specialist.  Hopefully what they saw is gone!  (And there is also a good chance that the ultrasound machine produced what they saw.)  And if not, at least we will be talking to a specialist who will most likely be able to say yea or nea to any concerns we have.  Please keep us in our prayers for that appointment and for peace in my heart. 

On top of that, I took the diabetes test this past week.  With Alaina's pregnancy I was borderline so I had to come back in for the 3 hour fasting test--and let me tell you it was quite a miserable fasting--and I had Ky with me at the clinic the whole time.  This time I had a plan.  I went in first thing in the morning and I ate NOTHING!  This way I either pass or fail. I did this test on Friday morning and my blood draw was done around 10 AM.  Well you know, no news is good news..so that was what I had hoped for.

The next day I took Ky to the movie "Despicable Me".  The movie was starting late so I looked at my cell phone to see the time and noticed I had a voice message from Friday.  (Always try to reach me on the landline--I am HORRIBLE about checking my cellphone!)  Turns out the clinic had called me within 4 hours of my blood draw and said I needed to call them back ASAP.  Yeah--that pretty much ruined the day for me.  I was panicked--why would the call me back so quick.  I was praying that I was not diabetic.  I also had a thought that it could be my iron count--which I ALWAYS struggle with.  But mostly I was praying it was not diabetes.--ugh....You know I shouldn't have to worry about diabetes, but I think my mom had gestational diabetes with all of us kids and was undiagnosed.  How else did such a tiny woman have 2 10 lb babies and 2 9 lb babies. 

Well, it is Monday now, and I called.  It is all good.  My iron is VERY low.  They told me that I HAVE to get it up.  There would be concern for me and blood loss at this time if I were to have the baby with my iron this low.  So that is good news (really--it is!).  However now I must turn to prune juice or something since the iron supplement AND the prenatal vitamin are not doing it for me.  I eat lots of greens--this has just always been something I have struggled with.  Let's hope I can get it up.

I am at week 28 today. The baby is very entertaining.  I watch him/her move my stomach around and kick various areas.  There is just something so special about having God's creation in you.  Each movement is within me, yet I have no control over it.  I am cherishing this pregnancy as I did the others and am trying hard not to let the past month of upsets get in my way.  I will enjoy this precious time God has given me.  Whew...so that is my baby blog update.  I look forward to sharing real pictures of our new little Schnake in the next couple of months.