Scare

Well, I had a scare yesterday. The doctor called me at 10:40 a.m. and said that he wanted to see me regarding the results of my blood tests and could he see me at 11 a.m. Did you get that . . . 11 a.m.??? in 20 minutes!?!!! To say that I was scared was an understatement. I have been worried about this pregnancy anyway and for him to say that he needed to see me right away scared me. Then as I was on my way out the door, he called back and said that the specialist he was going to get me in to see at the end of September well he wanted me to go see him on Friday!!! He had the receptionist over there squeeze me in.

When I got the doctor, he said that some of the blood work wasn't done and that due to my complicated obstetrical history, he wanted the specialist to follow my case. The blood test results he did have back were fine.

So there was NOTHING to panic about. I am glad he didn't check my blood pressure when I got there, because it would have been on percolate, I swear! Oh well, everything is fine so far and now I get to be followed by a specialist.

And just to make you smile, here is a pic of my littlest baby at the moment.

More Summer Fun at the Park

Thoughts on City life

Funny thing about moving to a main street in the city, you get used to seeing lights and sirens going past your window all the time. You get used to having to close the windows when the traffic noise gets too much. I will be glad though when our lease is up and we can move to a quieter street that I feel safer with the kids. I would love to take our toddlers out and let them run around, but I really only feel safe doing that at the park on the other side of town. They are too fast and this street is too busy to take any chances.

I do like living in the city though. I like the conveniences, I like the events, I like the park, I like the people. I really like that in April my fourth child will be born where 2 of my other children were.

Six Weeks

I am six weeks pregnant now. So that is halfway through the first trimester and I am thrilled for that anyway. I am not taking belly pics yet, although my pants are getting too tight already. I guess that is bound to happen with my fourth baby. I am feeling pretty well, tired as all get out and just nauseas enough to reassure me that there really is a beautiful little baby growing in there. Princess Belle keeps asking me if I think it is a boy or a girl and gets frustrated when I say I don't know yet. She is so excited, it is cute. I haven't told Princess Magpie or Princess Snifflefritz yet. I wonder when I should

Quiet

I am feeling particularly pregnant today, sick, tired and headachey. I am NOT at all complaining, but it does make it rather difficult to concentrate on my computer screen enough to post, so this is a short but sweet post.

I will say that I love that when I am sick and taking it easy on the couch (well other than the whole cooking, cleaning, caring for three kids and growing a new person thing other than that) I do love when my girls all come up at random times and climb up on me for cuddles and snuggles and kisses and tickles and just to tell me they love me. Being a mom is a pretty fabulous job sometimes.

The good news is . . .

The good news is . . . I am sick again. LOL I am so glad to be suffering from morning sickness. I feel more confident in this pregnancy when I feel sick. I worry a lot about this pregnancy and when I feel symptoms, I can relax about it.

Here's something kinda cool

I found that I am enjoying spending time with Princess Belle in a whole new way as she gets older. I am still her mom and I can still put on my mom hat and be firm when I want to but I invite to go out with me places because it is just fun to go out and do big girl things with her. I started out planning it as Mommy and Me dates, but the more we did that, the more I just wanted to spend time with her when the babies are napping because she is a cool kid and I like her and like getting to know her on a different level. It is hard to explain but it is a lovely perk to discover about the fact that she is growing up WAY to fast.

More thought

I mentioned before how hurt and offended I was when people seem to be upset that I am pregnant with my fourth child. I guess the the reason it bothers me so much is that I have lost a baby in the past and I am spending my first trimester terrified that something could happen to this baby I love and want so much. This baby is so little and yet is so loved and so important to me and it brings out the momma bear in me to think that anyone could view this pregnancy and this baby as anything other than the blessing I feel like it is.

Sigh - people

I will never understand why some people can't just view a happily married, happily pregnant mom as a good thing. Why people feel the need to tell us how happy they will be when we get "fixed" so that we can't have kids anymore is offensive to me, even in gest. I am THRILLED to be pregnant. I have three happy, healthy, well-cared for girls and this fourth baby will be just as happy and well cared for. That is all anyone else needs to know. I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does.

Marvelous Monday

I took Princess Belle out for a surprise today. I had heard that Sears was doing free makeovers so I took her in and we both got makeovers. She isn't allowed to wear makeup usually but the little bit they put on her made her feel beautiful and special and she was thrilled with her mommy and me moment. Afterwards, we went to Dairy Queen where I had a coupon to get her a free ice cream. So how about that, makeovers and ice cream and didn't cost me a cent!


It is funny but when I am pregnant, I am grateful for being sick. I spent two days this week without morning sickness. While I enjoyed being sick, I worried about the change, I worried about the lack of symptoms. So when it came back today with full force, I was grateful. I was so glad!

I don't understand

I don't understand why some people who want to go out prefer to stay home rather than take their kids places (not counting people with no vehicle who have to use public transportation, I can see how that would limit you). I certainly go out more with my kids than I did when I was single. I see things through their eyes. I want them to have experiences, and I enjoy their fun. I am a person who HATES crowds, but for my kids I go outside my comfort zone and take them fun places even if they are crowded. And, I have never regretted doing those things. I have had people tell me that they wouldn't go because they can't handle their kids in public. I know a single mother with a 7 year old and a 5 year old who can't EVER take care of the two kids by herself. She has never tried to do it. It baffles me. I take care of my 3 by myself all the time and I see no reason why taking care of my 4 (come April 2012) would be beyond me. My kids are fun, they make me happy, they make me have more fun, they make me laugh, and the make me feel loved.

1st appointment

I went to my first doctor's appt today. He is anxious to get me to a specialist as soon as possible, by the end of next month for sure. I am glad that is taking my previous gestational history and my age into account and I really like the specialist that he is sending me to (I met him when I was in the hospital having my previous babies). So my appt went well, my weight hasn't changed, my blood pressure is okay right now and we will see the rest when he gets the results from all the tests I took today.

Park

It was a fun day today. We took the kids to the park and had a picnic. We meant to take them to the splash park too, but bonehead, preggo brain that I am, I forgot the bag that I had so carefully packed with towels and swimsuits and the like. But it was fun anyway. I did notice that this pregnancy is making me more tired though because when I got home, I would have given a lot of money to take a five minute nap.

Wordless Wednesday - Does this look like a big sister to you?

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Spying through the trees

I sometimes like to peek out the window and spy on Princess Belle playing with the little girl who lives next door. They are just so cute together. Here are some pics I took while spying on them. The trees partially blocks the shots, but you can see that they are dancing together in the yard.

Good Days

I am feeling great today. I have been having morning sickness (every time I eat sickness) the last couple of days, but knowing that I am pregnant makes me glad to be sick. To me it means that the hormones are strong. It was actually the sickness that made me decide to test. I was going to wait until AF was late, but I figured if the hormones were making me sick, something should show up on a test, and I was right!!! So Yay, Baby Number 4 is on the way!

I have been telling people that I am pregnant. It is funny because a lot of people are NOT enthusiastic when you tell them you are expecting your fourth baby. They don't know why you would want one, but I don't care. I am THRILLED! I wanted this a lot and so did Prince Charming.

On a sweet note, the first thing Princess Belle said when she woke up was, "I am so excited!"

Secret Revealed

I have mentioned that I have a secret that I have been dying to share with you. The truth is that Prince Charming and I have been trying to have a fourth and final baby. I have been thinking about it a lot. I am 39 years old and I have PCOS and even though I was doing everything I can to help the process along, it did take 5 whole years to conceive Princess Magpie and I was worried it was going to take that long again and at my age, I can't wait that long. I wanted to share my worries with you guys, to tell you the ups and downs of the process, but Prince Charming asked me to wait. So, I did.

Well today is my 1oth wedding anniversary and today I found out that I am having another baby. I am thrilled. I was so excited that when I took a pic of the test, it came out blurry from my shaking hands. I told Princess Belle and the next thing I knew she was outside in our yard, dancing and yelling for all the neighbors to hear "I'm going to be a big sister!" (we will overlook for the moment that she already is 2 times over LOL) Later, after I came home from my anniversary dinner, I told her I was going to treat her to an ice cream at Dairy Queen in the next couple of days as a treat for helping the sitter, she asked if we could go shopping to buy things for the new baby! Isn't she sweet??

Oh and not to be forgotten, on our anniversary dinner, Prince Charming asked me to renew our wedding vows. I LOVE him so much. The awesome waiter found out we were celebrating and gave us free cake for dessert.

The Great Sleep Experiment

Since last night the girls stayed up all night until 6:30 this morning, I am trying something new in an effort to get some sleep. Today, I let the girls sleep as late as they wanted to. Then, I skipped their nap and let them go to bed at their regular time. I hope this works because this is rough going for kids that are 3 years and 19 months.

Good Movie

I just watched Life as We Know It. It was a wonderful movie. I have never spent so much time sobbing in a comedy. It was one of those touching, heartwarming movies that I just really enjoy sometimes. Prince Charming came out halfway through and watched the rest of it with me and even he wiped away a manly tear at the end.

I made coconut tea biscuits today. They were really good. Princess Belle brought some out to her friend, then she brought over her friend's teenage sister and gave her one, then her little brother. LOL and the best part is later they all came back over and asked for another one each!

Cold

Ugh, that mean old cold-monster has attacked me AGAIN! I hate being the sick mommy who is miserable while taking care of my girls.

On the other hand, my girls were all particularly squishy and cuddly and adorable today, so that is good medicine anyway.

Sleep

My children have suddenly switched their schedules and this bleery-eyed person hacking away at the keyboard is the result. For some reason, they insist on sleeping all day (as in I get them up and they go off and hide and go back to sleep, and then get up for a while and do the same thing again in the afternoon). So, when they go to bed, they sleep for a few hours and then are up until 3 -4 in the morning. What a weird, odd schedule and I am completely baffled as to how to keep them awake during the day and how to get them to sleep all night.

And a sidenote, that god-awful gel stuff they put in diapers these days. That must be made of some kind of super-sticky substance but it does NOT come off of baby mattresses and baby skin!!!! Thank God we are going back to cloth diapers!!

Failure and yummy recipe

Just so you know, I utterly failed in my attempt to give up coffee. I drink one cup of regular coffee every morning for breakfast and then decaf all the rest of the day. I wanted to give it up, I tried to give it up, but I couldn't. I will try again in the future.

Supper for my family last night was a GINORMOUS hit! It was bacon cheeseburger pasta and it was devoured by everyone from toddlers to daddy.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

3 cups uncooked pasta
1 lb ground beef
6 strips bacon, diced (I used 1/2 a pack
2 can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup of pasta sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (I probably used extra as at the minute I mixed some through the pasta and put some on top to melt)

Cook pasta according to directions on packages. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard drippings. Drain pasta; add to skillet. Add soup, beef and bacon, stir and heat through. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with BBQ sauce and mustard if desired.

Agatha

We have decided to put our van Agatha back on the road with a few repairs. We are hoping to hobble along as best we can until early next year when it will be easier for us to replace her. We have had her off the road for a week now and I have to tell you, I HATE being without a vehicle. I am spoiled. I don't like it anymore and I find myself avoiding going places that involve taking the bus. So keep your fingers crossed it doesn't cost too much to just get the basic get-her-on-the-road repairs done.

Princess Magpie

I am thinking that my sweet, cuddly, funny Princess Magpie is insecure about her place in our family. She is usually sweet to her little sister, caring for her, helping with her, playing with her and trying to help when she cries. But once in a while, she shows aggression towards her. I am thinking that it is because she is jealous. She has always shown signs of being jealous, needing to be hugged when her sister is, needing the same attention her sister gets and I always try to accommodate her needs. I think that because her baby sister is such an easy-going pleasant child and Princess Magpie while sweet and funny and cuddly, can at times be more difficult, she is feeling an extra need. It is hard, because she is only three and can't put her needs into words very clearly, but I am going to put an extra effort into loving on her a little and see if that helps.

Bedtime

It is funny but all my girls like going to bed. I often look around at night and a 1/2 hour before their bedtime, they have put themselves to bed and closed their door. I love walking in with a bedtime drink for them and seeing them climb up on their beds excitedly and cover themselves up. Seeing my 19 month old excitedly putting herself to bed and pushing everything off her bed that she doesn't want to be on their just makes me smile. I LOVE my girls even putting them to bed makes me smile.

Invented recipe

They have been working on our roads for the last few weeks and I haven't been able to get our of my driveway. I have been putting off getting groceries until it was cleared out. Well, yesterday I decided we really needed me to get out and get some groceries and wouldn't you know, I walked down the road and realized that it was a civic holiday and the grocery store was closed. So I went home and got creative for our supper. Prince Charming LOVED it and told me to mark it down. I made a double batch as he had a friend over and I wanted to have lots, but this is how I would make it:

Heovos Rancheros Strata Casserole

1 cup salsa
1 small can corn
1/2 package bacon
bread cubed (enough to put a good layer in my roaster)
6 eggs
grated Cheese

I fried the bacon and then mixed all the ingredients except the cheese in greased a roasting pan. Bake at 350 degress for about 1/2 hour. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Put it in the oven and leave it in until the cheese is melted. This was a huge hit with my whole family.

Wordless Wednesday - More Scrapbooking

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Just a note!

I swear I am gluing someone's diaper to their hiney if they don't stop taking it off soon!

Hercules Hercules

Apparently my 3 year old thinks she is Hercules. She keeps taking the mattress off of her sisters bed and tipping the entire bed up on its end!!!! How she is managing this is beyond me, but I am soon going to nail the bed to the floor or something. I swear these girls find new and interesting ways of scaring me every day!