38 Weeks

It was not my intention to post this picture on my blog. But when I saw Anna in the shot, I just had to share. Originally, I had Eric take the picture to send to my sister-in-law - who was teeny tiny with both her pregnancies and just can't believe how huge my belly is. So anyway, after Eric took the picture I noticed that Anna had jumped in the shot and was sticking her little belly out as far as she could.

So there you have it, my huge belly at 38 weeks - and my little Anna Banana trying to be just like her mommy. :-)

One week from today our little dude will be here!!! :-D

Waiting...

...not so patiently. So, this baby is not due until Dec. 15. My c-section is scheduled for Dec. 10. It has become obvious that neither of those dates bear any relevance anymore. On Monday, I was having regular contractions all day - not strong ones, but regular. I had an appointment yesterday and I am already dilated 2 cm (this after being on bedrest for 2 weeks!) and the baby is still engaged at zero station. This morning, I lost my mucous plug. This little dude is ready. However, it is not in the "standard of care" to schedule a c-section before 39 weeks at Kaiser. In order for them to take the baby, I have to be contracting every 4-5 mins and dilated to at least 3 cm. So I basically have to go into labor before they will do anything. Not cool. The best part about scheduling a c-section is that there is no labor, there is no waiting and wondering. You just know. I've been spoiled, I know. So, I guess the good news is, the last two weeks of bedrest worked as far as getting us to 36 weeks safely. But now that we are safely here, I just wanna get it over with! I have no doubt that this baby is STRONG...I have the bruised ribs to prove it. Of course, I want him to be ready and healthy, etc. But the "unknown" is making me crazy! Not to mention that my doctor is going out of town this weekend, so if I do end up going into real labor then, she won't be able to be the one to do the surgery! Grrr. Anyway, this is just me being whiney. Keep is in your prayers, bless me with patience and bless this baby with strength - and let's do this already! ;-)

Enjoying the Silence

Last Wednesday, I woke up feeling "funny". I was at exactly 34 weeks pregnant and I was pretty sure I was going into labor. I had the strangest (and excruciatingly painful) feeling in my right leg...like a contraction going from my pelvis through my hip and all the way down the front of my leg. But no contractions in the usual places. I was also feeling a LOT of pressure - like the baby was trying to get out...Anyway, I went to the doctor and had a Non-Stress Test (NST) which is just a monitor placed on the belly to see if there are any contractions. I had one contraction in a 25 minute period, and my cervix was not at all dilated. But we did find that the baby had dropped down to "zero station" - which means that he is ready to come out. Here's a picture to show you what that means...click the picture to make it bigger.



So zero station is like...that baby is knock-knock-knockin' on the door...ready to come out! (+1 means the baby is on the way out!) He was apparently sitting right on a nerve that was causing the pain in my leg. Thankfully, he moved the next day and that pain went away. However, the discmfort of having him so low is still very much present. Anyway, my doctor did not put me on bedrest "officially" but did say that I need to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as possible.

Sooo, I had friends take the girls for me that day while I was at the doctor, came home from the doctor and found two of those friends cleaning my house, making my dinner, doing my laundry, and just basically making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Our church has a lovely program for women called the Relief Society. My friend contacted the relief society and asked for some help for me - watching the girls, bringing dinner, etc. So I have had wonderful women coming and taking Anna for me while Haylie is at school, and even getting Haylie after school and giving me the entire day to myself. I have been able to literally stay in bed all day and do my best to keep this baby happy inside my body! I am sooo grateful for all the help I've been given. It amazes me just how willing people are to help - at a moment's notice.

So we've got to keep this little dude in at least until the 17th of this month - but preferably longer. My doc did say that due to his position at this time, he probably will come early. Our c-section is scheduled December 10th...but we'll see!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me - I am truly blessed - and enjoying the silence!!! And for your viewing pleasure (haha!) here's a shot of me at 34 weeks.

Calling all Mommies

I need some help! I've never had a baby swing before...and we are definitely getting one for this baby. I've been doing some research online and found these adorable little portable swings that sit lower to the ground than the traditional swings. I like the idea that they are smaller and take up less space, and that I can also travel with it easily. But I am worried about the Anna-mal having better access to the baby that way. I mean, I can't totally protect the baby from her in a full-size swing either, but it seems that having it lower to the ground would make it even more tempting/accessible to Miss Anna. Has anybody had one of these smaller swings and if so, can you tell me about it? Pros? Cons? Any information would be fabulous. Leave a comment here or on Facebook please!!!

Here are some pictures that show the difference...the first one is full size, the second one is "portable".

Even The Little Prayers Get Answered

Yesterday at Haylie's soccer game, she lost her tooth. And by "lost", I mean...it fell out of her mouth and into the grass on the field and got lost. She comes running to me in the middle of the game crying (and bloody-mouthed) because she can't find her tooth. So I did my best to comfort her and told her that we'd look for the tooth after the game. I was thinking "How in the world are we going to find a teeny tiny tooth on that big field?" Well, Eric was coaching so he knew the general area where she was when it fell out, so after the game we went out there and started searching. I really wish I had my camera with me because then some of the other kids started helping us look, and their parents too! So there are a big bunch of us canvassing the ground for this tiny tooth. It seemed pretty hopeless - like the proverbial needle in the haystack! Haylie really likes to keep her teeth, as you can see from this post. She was so upset and the only thing I could think was to say a little prayer. I know that prayers are answered, but gotta admit that I was thinking - it's just a tooth - is He really going to help us? So anyway, as we're searching, the next team is getting on the field and getting ready for their game. We had to go. So I told Haylie that she could write a note to the tooth fairy saying she lost her tooth and that the tooth fairy would understand. We start to walk off the field and out of the blue, Haylie looks down and says, "There it is!" Sure enough, it was just sitting right on top of the grass in plain sight just in front of her. The other parents were all shocked - especially that she had been the one to find it. So my friend Lori, whose son is on the team and is in my ward at church, says to Haylie, "Did you say a little prayer?" I looked at her and said, "I did!" And then both of us started to get a little teary-eyed just thinking about how amazing it is that Heavenly Father would answer such a teeny, seemingly insignificant prayer. He knows each of us, and what is important to us. He knows that it was important to this little 5-year-old to have her tooth. And important to this Mommy to make her little girl happy. So say your prayers...He IS listening. ;-)

It's Not Too Late!!

I love how they send you the preview of what your child's school picture looked like and tell you it's not too late to order. I mean, yes, she's adorable cuz she's my kid and I love her...but I'm not paying $42.75 for this...



I think she was focusing on showing the gap where she lost her tooth - and trying really hard to be brave while some stranger took her picture. So, there's always Spring pictures, right? ;-)

Breast Cancer Awareness

So last night I had a dream in which I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In my dream I remember feeling helpless and hopeless - feeling like there was no way I could do it, and wanting to give up before it even began.. So instead of posting on Facebook where I keep my purse to "raise breast cancer awareness", I thought I'd share this post instead. While my dream was not real, I felt for an iota of a minute, what many women have felt when receiving a cancer diagnosis. I just want to say that I love and admire those women and wish them many many years of health and happiness. I was planning to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this year, but this pregnancy is going to prevent me from doing so...but I will set my sights on next year.

Oh Boy!

We have already received boxes and boxes of hand-me-down boy clothing for our baby boy, who will be joining us on December 10! So I finally mustered up the strength to sort through the boxes yesterday and organize all the clothes into sizes. Holy moly, I can't believe how much there is! A big thank you to my sister-in-law Rachel, my friends Erin B. and Monica, and my sweet neighbor Trini who also gave us that cute bassinet!! This is going to be one adorably dressed little dude!


Not sure if you can see but there is also a storage bin under those bags that is also full of clothes! Love it!!

Little Picasso

Anna's latest:

Notice the notebook right there? You know, the notebook I bought for her to color in? Nah - carpet is more fun. The one thing I can say is that I am grateful I bought the Crayola Washable Markers!!! A little bit of carpet spot cleaner and a damp cloth and I was able to get it up pretty easily.

*Crayola did not pay me for this advertisement*

Haylie's First Soccer Game

Eric was really excited to sign Haylie up for soccer this year. She is on a team with a bunch of her friends from kindergarten and they are so cute! Most of the practices have been pretty hilarious - and we wondered if an actual game was even going to be possible...but they really stepped up! Eric is the assistant coach - so he gets to be out there on the field with the kids the whole time.



Haylie throwing the ball in


Nice action shot - Haylie is not shy on the field, that's for sure

She actually scored 3 goals!

Chillin' with the team in the shade (it was HOT out there today!)

Hair Cuts

Haylie asked me the other day if she could get her hair cut - and I had actually been thinking that I wanted to get Anna's hair cut as well. So I called a friend who has a little salon in her home.


Haylie didn't want me to take her picture...doesn't she look sassy??


Anna looks a little sad here, but really she was sooo relaxed from having her hair combed and cut, she actually looked like she might fall asleep right there in the chair! She did sooo well for her very first haircut!

The finished product:

Code Yellow

Code Yellow: The code they announce over the intercom in Target when a child is missing. How do I know this? I had the lovely experience of telling a Target employee that my child was missing this morning. I went in to Target to buy one thing...ONE THING!! Anna wanted to ride in the big ginormous cart and I said no because we were going to go in, buy my iron pills (just found out I'm anemic), and leave. So she put on her best pouty face and walked with me towards the pharmacy. Then stopped. I told her to come with me, counted to 3, then walked towards her to make her come and she took off. Well, I'm not moving so quickly these days - 7 months pregnant and experiencing a lot of pain in my c-section incision site (from previous c-sections). The scar tissue has to stretch as the baby grows and it is very painful. I literally cannot run after her. So I waddle myself in the direction she went - thinking that she would realize Mom is not around, get scared and come back. Nope. She was gone. Now I'm starting to panic. I called Eric and immediately started crying while telling him I can't find Anna. He said to go find an employee and tell them that I can't find her. Hello embarrassing. Well, I found someone right then, she got her walky-talky and announced CODE YELLOW. She told me that when they say that, somebody will immediately block the exits so that nobody can leave the store. I gave her a description and it took probably 1 minute or less for them to find her...guess where? Yup - the toy section. She was carrying a Polly Pocket toy and completely oblivious to the fact that she had scared the snot out of me. Actually I'm not sure I was as scared as I was embarrassed. Here I am hobbling around pregnant with my 3rd child and I can't even seem to control #2. Sheesh. Needless to say, she did not get her Polly Pocket that she so independently shopped for. I got my iron pills and got the heck out of there. I had to be somewhere right then, but as soon as I was finished there, I went straight to Kmart (didn't want to return to the "scene of the crime") and bought a harness/leash for her. She has officially lost any freedom she had previously enjoyed (abused).

She doesn't seem too upset about it yet...but we'll see...

So, if you see me hobbling around with my child attached to a leash, you'll know why. It had to be done. Guess maybe next time I'll say yes to the giant cart...

WWE-G and Floating Heads

Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment - Girls

Last night I heard lots of giggling outside and went out to find the girls having a wrestling match. They took turns tackling each other to the ground. It was very cute and it didn't even end in tears (as these games often do!) I love it when they find ways to play "nicely" together.
;-)

The girls got to pick out a toy at the dollar store and they picked glow stick glasses...

Here is a shot with no flash...floating heads!!!

I love these girlies.

How To Dispose of A Useless Piano

Eric went out with a bunch of guys from church and shot the you-know-what out of it. It was a little depressing for me since that was my very first piano, but I was grateful that we didn't have to pay anyone to come and haul it away for us!

Adding to my Resume: Tooth Fairy

Haylie lost her very first tooth today! It has been loose for about 2 weeks now and I have been begging her to let me pull it out, but she refused. It was literally hanging by a thread when she got home from school today. I made her a bagel with cream cheese for lunch and she was eating it outside when all of a sudden she comes running into the house. "Mommy, Mommy, my tooth just fell out all by itself!!!" She was eating her bagel and the tooth got stuck in it - and she felt it crunch!

I have never seen such a look of pure excitement. She immediately wanted to call Eric and tell him to come home so he could see her tooth. She also wanted to write a note to the tooth fairy and ask her if she could keep her tooth (she saw that on one of her cartoons). I am very excited to play Tooth Fairy tonight and leave a little something under her pillow. And by a little something, I mean like, a quarter. I can't believe the amount of money kids get these days! I mean, to each is own, but let's set the bar low for tooth #1, eh? ;-)

It's probably just me, but I swear she aged a few years with that little gap!!

Her note to the tooth fairy - so cute!

And of course, Anna wanted to get in on the toothy action...nice.

I Spy...

I know I've been posting a lot about Anna lately - but she and I have been spending a lot more time together with Haylie in school. Last night, Anna was apparently not tired at bedtime. So she kept getting up and collecting things around the house to take to bed with her. In this picture, you will notice: a stroller, a flashlight, a baby doll, a stuffed frog, a coin bank full of coins, a pencil, a pad of paper that you cannot see, a band-aid on her ankle because she apparently had an ouchy, and her entire collection of silky blankets. Reminds me of an I Spy book. :-)











And, because she's just too cute...had to post these pics as well:


I found this Jumperoo at a yard sale and have it sitting in the garage waiting for baby. Any chance she gets, Anna climbs on in and makes herself comfortable. She says "I sit baby's" meaning "I sit in baby's toy."

She wanted me to roll her hair in these rollers. She thought that was pretty cool.

Spotlight on Anna

Well...I almost had a heart attack today at my friend Sue's house. I was picking Haylie up from her piano lesson and talking to Sue - the girls were playing with Sue's daughter - or so I thought. Out of the blue, Anna comes into the living room and shows me her fingers - all caked with nail polish. I thought for sure we were going to find nail polish spilled all over her carpets and I thought I just might die. THANKFULLY, and I don't know HOW she managed, but there was just one little drop on the computer desk where she was painting. She had 6 or 7 bottles of polish opened and not a single one spilled out. PHEW!

She peeled some of the paint off before I got the picture...but she had it on THICK - all around the tips of her fingers...



Here's my little angel after having put soap in her hair and posing adorably for the camera:

Every once in a while, she surprises me and does something really sweet and cute...she loves to sit on my lap while I sew and "help" me. (Although, I am running out of lap these days...)


She's developed a love for books and I love that she loves them! But she likes to pull them ALL off the shelf, then read...

And here she is - the picture of innocence, right?

I do love my little Anna. She keeps me on my toes and I'm sure she's giving me gray hairs, but I can't help but love that little face.

My Funny Girl

Today at lunch Haylie was cracking me up. She was eating an "everything bagel" with cream cheese. She pointed at the sesame seeds and asked me what they were. I said, "They're sesame seeds" - and she replied, "Oh, so we can grow more bagels?" Love it!

Then I was telling her that she starts kindergarten in 3 days. She met her teacher, Mrs. Mayfield, earlier in the week. So every once in a while I'll ask her what her teacher's name is so she'll know it on the first day of school. Today I asked what her and she said "Mrs. Gardenfield". Ha! I think she put kindergarten and Mayfield together and came up with Mrs. Gardenfield. SO CUTE! She is beyond excited for school to start, as am I. I think Anna will really benefit from some one-on-one time with me. And Haylie has lots of her little preschool friends in her class and they are going to have so much fun! Hooray!

Rough Week

I wanted to write a little something today to express my gratitude for awesome friends. I have had an icky week and in the last couple days my friends have really lifted me up and helped me overcome once again.

So the last time I reported anything about my depression, I had gotten off the Cymbalta and was feeling fine (around Jan 2009). Well, about 6 months after I got off the Cymbalta it started to creep back in. Poor Eric took the brunt of it that time. He encouraged me to go to the doctor and get back on the medication. So when I went back, I asked for another anti-depressant that didn't cost so darn much..and my doc put me on Effexor. (This was around July 2009) Loved it! Things were really getting back on track again. So, fast forward to January 2010, I switched to Kaiser due to the ridiculous rates that Blue Cross was trying to charge us. It is Kaiser policy to have a patient meet with a psychiatrist in order to be prescribed anti-depressants. So I met with Dr. Groot and he gave me some interesting statistics. I don't remember the exact stats but he said that once a person has one "episode" of depression, the are X% more likely to have another. And once a person has had two episodes, the likelihood of another is even higher, and so forth. That is when I decided that if I have to be on an anti-depressant for the rest of my life, then so be it. I'd rather be happy than deal with this roller-coaster ride. The problem is strictly hormonal - and if my body has trouble regulating hormones, then I need to do whatever is necessary to get them on track.

Alright, so around the same time we switched to Kaiser, we decided that we wanted to start thinking about having another baby. So Dr. Groot switched me to Zoloft which is on the list of approved meds for pregnancy. I've been on it since January, got pregnant in March and everything's been going great. Well, last weekend I slacked off and forgot to take my pill for about 3 days in a row. On the 3rd day, I was talking to my mom and saying that I kept forgetting to take my pill, but that I was feeling okay - hmm...maybe baby hormones are helping regulate me...haha...nope. Day 4 I remembered to take a pill, but was beginning to feel pretty down. My patience left me, Anna was getting on my very last nerve and I was so very tired and irritable. Trying to keep up with Anna's inquisitiveness (is that a word?) has become a full time job and I'm just. so. tired. Yesterday I called my friend Monica just to say hello and have some adult conversation and totally lost it. Break. Down. She was fabulous and "talked me off the ledge" so to speak. She has 4 kids of her own and had some really great suggestions which I've put into practice today and things are going a lot better! So I had also mentioned on Facebook yesterday that I was having a rough day - and if anyone wanted a 2 1/2 year old, they were welcome to come and get her. Well, my sweet friend Stefanie showed up on my doorstep and whisked the kids away so I could get some rest. Then she invited us to dinner as well! What a treat! So to top it off, I had an appointment this morning and my friend Jennifer D. took my girls to the park for a playgroup while I went to the appt. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but all these things have lifted me so much - and made me (once again) realize just how lucky I am.

I'm so grateful for my faith, for modern medicine (!), for my extremely supportive husband, and the amazing friends I am so lucky to have. *HUGS*

Dr. Dolittle??

Eric and I would like to formally request that from now on you refer to us as Drs. Dolittle. It has come to our attention that animals have a way of finding us when they need help. First, it was the box turtle that was cruising down the street in front of Eric's work. Then it was the chick who appeared in our back yard and started the Metler family chicken craze. Now, well, now it is this:



That, my friends, is a red-eared slider. "Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs." (Wikipedia) Ummm, I found this guy in our front yard on the cement in front of the gate to our back yard. Nowhere near WATER! He was pretty dried up and his shell looks a little beat up, but I think he's going to be okay. But seriously people, what are the odds that this water turtle would show up in front of our house - you know, the people who love turtles??? I'm tellin' ya...it's the Dr. Dolittle thing. We're not sure yet if we're going to keep this guy - so if you think you might be interested, let me know...

Big News

Several months ago, Haylie had told her primary teachers that she was going to have a baby brother...I had to publish a blog to squash the rumors. I heard that today she told her teachers once again that she was going to have a baby brother...they weren't sure if they should believe her or not...

We're expecting Metler baby #3 this December. Here's the little peanut...

Haylie is really really hoping it's a boy...as we all are...but we won't know for a couple more months...

Eaglecam

I posted this link on Facebook already - but if there are any of you who have not seen it yet, you must click here. It is a live webcam with an up-close and personal view of a bald eagle nest located on Hornby Island which is up in Canada (British Columbia). The nest had 2 eggs in it, one of which hatched on Wednesday the 28th. Still waiting for the other to hatch. I am sort of a wildlife fanatic, so I truly cannot get enough of these eagles! You can watch them feed the little eaglet, usually the mama sits on the nest but every once in a while, she squawks and in comes the male to give her a break. He feeds the baby, and does all the same chores as the mama. For me, this is more addicting than a soap opera. ;-) If you want more info about the eagles and the people responsible for putting up the camera, etc, click here.

Enjoy!

Haylie is 5!

Haylie's birthday this year was a 3-day extravaganza! It's really fun because the Clovis Rodeo parade always falls on the weekend of Haylie's birthday - so it has been a tradition to go to the parade Saturday morning. This year, we rode our bikes along the trail and it was so nice not to have to find a parking spot! We also stopped and got donuts on the way. Yum.



That afternoon, my mom and I took Haylie out to buy some things with the birthday money Grandma Jane gave her. While we were gone, Eric assembled Haylie's new big girl bike. She was soooo excited to get a big girl bike.



Here she is waiting for cake on Sunday (her actual birthday). She looks so big and grown up!



This is a good snapshot of her gifts. She also got a drawing board/easel from Ikea with chalkboard on one side and whiteboard on the other...that has been a big hit.


Monday she got to have a little party at preschool. I made cupcakes and Haylie got to choose 5 friends to sit with her at the birthday table. She chose Anna to be one of her 5...so sweet!

Happy birthday big girl! We love you!