Michael Grady is Here!

So, looking back on what I wrote last on facebook... if you were paying attention, you can tell I was doped up. lol Since then, I've learned that I am allergic to 1 medication generally used for pain after a c-section & I cannot take larger doses of Percocet without falling. Interesting day, but it went pretty well, despite the fact that I beat myself up. lol

  Michael Grady is doing great. He is currently passed out in his little plastic box that hospitals have deemed "the crib." I can't wait to get him home & into his bassinet for the first time. I'm hoping that he'll sleep deeper & much better shortly after. He does fine here. He wakes me up so that he can eat. Other than that, I only wake if he whimpers (which happens occasionally), laughs or mimicks his daddy's laugh, cries to be fed, or cries to be changed. Other than that, he's as quiet as a mouse & very content. Ronny & I are so proud of him. We are very blessed & pray that he remains such a well-behaved infant.

  It's still a little hard to believe that he's here & no longer kick-boxing the insides of my belly. So glad to have him here! More photos will be posted soon

Ready or Not

  Last Wednesday, our prenatal appointment went great. I was a little worried, because the doctor told me that I had gained several pounds too quickly & he was concerned about it. The thyroid medication that he had prescribed to me about 2 months ago was supposed to help me gain weight. Now that it's doing its job, I'm gaining too much. Interesting how some things work too well. Other than that, he said everything looked great & our little man was healthy. I love getting that report. It really makes me feel a lot better.

  Yesterday morning, I woke up & wandered into the living room with one thing on my mind. I walked into the living room & went straight to the pack & play to check on our baby boy. Then I realized he's not here yet! I'm still carrying him & we have about 2 weeks left before we'll get to hold him. I didn't tell Ronny about it right away. Instead, I started his bath water, woke him up, & pulled out his clothes. After I dressed, we ran through McDonald's for breakfast, then went for our prenatal appointment. We learned that I've dilated 2 centimeters!!! Then, yesterday at Ryan's, contractions started in the middle of lunch. I thought it was hilarious, but at the same time, I'm wondering if our little man will stay in there until the date we have set for c-section, November 11th. We have a day & 2 weeks to wait!

  I have had headaches for the past 3 days; today makes 4. My appetite has decreased, but I have to take "potty breaks" a lot more often. My breasts are tender & I have sharp pains in them. Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Nausea comes & goes, but that's not too bad. Michael pushes down really hard & stretches very often. There's more pain from his movements, but when he's moving a lot I know that he's doing okay. I got this, yo. Ha ha

  After waking Little Miss this morning & getting her off to school, I went back to bed for a little while. I dreamed I expelled my mucus plug & my water broke. I woke up slightly panicked, thinking I was having contractions. It was just Michael Grady kicking & moving his legs around, pushing against my sides & belly. Little Monkey. My dreams are exceedingly more vivid & more often about seeing him in person. Oh, I can't wait to hold him!

Sweetness In Starlight

  We finally did it. We now have everything turned in, insurance taken care of, & a few other things done. Now, all I have to do it get a driver's license again! Yay! It's way past time I do that, but there's just been so much going on that I haven't had the time to do it. I shouldn't have any problem getting it done in the next 2 weeks, though. I want to have it by the time the baby is born, in case of emergencies after he gets here.

  I've got a sick little girl at home today. She's really missing being in school, because she's confined to the over-sized chair in the living room & can't get up to play. I've had her wrapped in blankets, eating healthy foods, & watching only educational TV all day. The poor kid is so ready to go back to school! I hate that she isn't feeling well. She caught a super-contagious bug from one of her friends & I'm really not sure how long this is going to last. Her doctor informed me this morning that this mess is lasting, on average, about 4 days. Yippee.

  This baby boy has been moving all day. Ronny had to work today, but his son is apparently looking for him a lot. I miss him, too. I hate the long hours he works, but I know it's what has to be done. I'm so very grateful that his schedule works out so that he gets a few days at home, though. I love spending time with him, no matter what we're doing. We can sit at home & watch TV all day, spend hours in town just walking around, or head out to the woods for a few minutes. No matter what we're doing, when I'm with him, I'm having a good time.

  The Orionids should be visible tonight. (The Orionid meteors, that is.) I'm hoping to have supper cooked when Ronny gets home. The plan is to climb into the bed of his truck & keep each other warm while we spend some time chatting & dreaming together. And, of course... make a wish on a shooting star

All in a Golden Afternoon...as Alice would say.

  It's been a busy afternoon. I've had kids in & out of the house, worked on cleaning the house, spent a few hours looking through hairstyles for a Junior High Homecoming dance, & texting Ronny. It doesn't seem all that busy, but my mind is racing 100 mph. The baby is wiggling & making me jump every several minutes from discomfort, but at the same time, I'm having fun. I just wish Ronny could be home with me.

  It's been a while since I really worked on a dress & this zipper is proving to be very difficult.

Preparing to Be Unprepared

  We have less than 4 weeks to go until delivery. The countdown is currently at 3 weeks, 5 days, but Ronny & I are both convinced that we aren't going to make it quite that far. With everything that I'm feeling, I'm giving it 2 1/2 weeks at most.

  Friday night, we went to the fair for a little while. I wait all year long for a burger from the Alexandria Exchange Club...& Bo's Famous Cotton Candy! After checking out the 4-H entries (arts & crafts) & the barnyard, Ronny & I went for a burger, chili cheese fries, a Coke & a Dr Pepper. We sat in front of the stage & started people-watching while we ate. Just as we were finishing up, the guy on stage finally started playing. Michael went crazy! He kicked & wiggled, the same way he does when Ronny & I are listening to music in the truck. This baby loves music! I can't wait to have him here & play some of the songs that he responds to now.

  We walked the fair grounds for just a little while, then loaded up in the truck & went to WalMart. From that shopping excursion, Ronny & I now have 2 personal care packages (shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.) & I'm getting a better idea of what we need.

Cooking from the Cabinet

  So recently, I've been challenged to come up with totally new recipes from just what I have left in the kitchen cabinets. There wasn't much, but I've been learning to watch what I buy when I go into the store, too.

  I've decided to start a separate blog with some of those recipes to help out other families. I'm currently feeding 3-4 people, which will soon be 4-5 people. With some recipes, I'll post the cost of the meal, but most of these will be made with ingredients that have been left over from other inexpensive meals.

Baby Boy

  Not much time left now! Our baby boy will be here in 4 weeks & 4 days. I'm getting a little more nervous about the c-section, but I'm really looking forward to holding this little boy. Mostly, I'm excited to see him interacting with his daddy. Right now, our little man responds to Ronny's voice & touch. He loves my bath time & his kicks are playful when there's running water anywhere nearby.

  Not much longer to wait. :-)

WARNING : If this blog sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. This is concern & worry.
  So I have a sick little girl at home today. She missed school yesterday because of sore throat, coughing, runny nose, sneezing, & a low grade fever. She's doing better today, but the sneezing is so violent! I'm doing everything I can to keep from getting sick, but I have absolutely NO Lysol in the house (no bleach, either), so I can't really spray to get rid of germs. I'm just hoping that keeping my distance & washing my hands extremely often is enough this time. Thankfully, she's feeling better today, so she's able to do more for herself. We're spending time together, just not touching.
  This is drill weekend, so Ronny's busy. I miss him when he isn't here! He's decided to sacrifice sleep & time at home so that we can afford the rest of the items we need for the baby, the kids' birthday parties (we aren't equipped to have them at home, so we have to do it somewhere else, which means we spend more money), & Christmas gifts for our large & ever-growing family. I don't complain about money (or the lack thereof), because he works constantly & without complaint. Unfortunately, because of the ill-repair of the house we live in, our electricity bill has been outrageous (between $300 & $500 every month since March). We pay more than half of our income to rent & despite the reports I've made to the landlord(s), they have not done any work on the house. Ronny said something to them on Friday about I am good at putting a meal together when it seems that there is nothing in the house. However, last night, we made our last stick-it-out meal. It's surprising how many different meals require milk, butter/margarine, or BOTH. I've recently learned that those are just 2 of the items I take for granted.

Slightly Solitary

  It has been one heck of a mornin'! Kids missing the bus, headaches, waking a hibernating bear, & feeling slightly solitary when the house is empty but for me! In order to tell you about that, though, I have to explain Yesterday Evening...

  Little Miss came home from school with a smile on her face, so I knew she had a good day. I barely had time to ask about it & get a response before she chimed in - "It's time to go swimming!" We came in, took care of school work, & continued to see to other things. About an hour later, we piled up in the truck & headed to my parents' house for dinner & swimming. We were there for hours. By the time we left, Little Miss was worn out. She didn't fall asleep on the way home, but I don't know how she managed to stay awake! As soon as we walked into the house, she brought her stuffed animals to her room & came back for a drink of water & then a potty break. After that, she went straight to bed & passed out.
  Ronny & I had eaten good at mom & dad's. We were full after supper, but we got in the pool for a little while & not long after we climbed out, we were hungry again. While I was getting Little Miss into bed, he was chopping bell pepper, onion, & chicken to make fajitas. The kitchen smelled DELICIOUS (& still does). On Monday night, we had ordered "Paul" on VOD, so we turned it on again while we ate. About halfway through, we shut it down, climbed into bed, & talked for a few minutes. I fell asleep easily.

THIS MORNING...
  I woke up as soon as the alarm clock started buzzing & turned it off. When I woke her up for school, Little Miss was still so tired from last night. I decided to give her 15 minutes to help wake her up. In the meantime, I went to snuggle in my bed in hopes of losing the headache that was nagging at me. Of course, I would be the one to fall asleep & when I opened my eyes again, exactly 30 minutes had passed since the alarm went off. I rolled out of bed, woke her up again, pulled out a clean pair of socks for her (she did the rest), & we talked about why we were both so sleepy. We've come to the conclusion that bedtime should be moved 15 to 30 minutes earlier. Unfortunately, her bus comes early, so we have to compensate for that.
  With full intent of catching the bus in the morning for the first time, she dressed quickly & hurried to the bathroom so I could put her bow in her hair. I was in the middle of brushing it back to put the ponytail holder in when I heard the bus leaving & a neighborhood child crying. Apparently, someone else missed the bus, too. (Poor thing must be kindergarten or first grade, too, because she was really upset about the whole thing. I've learned that older kids usually think it means they get to stay home.) I managed to get the bow in (& it looked cute) & get it all hair-sprayed, & my kid still had time to watch some cartoons while I woke Ronny. He was up & dressed within minutes. . .with little objection to the early hour, thank goodness! He can be a hibernating bear sometimes; if you wake him up too early, you'd best prepare to be growled at. Ha ha. It's hardly ever that bad for me, but if anyone else wakes him, it's a whole different story! I don't blame him, though. He gets only a little more sleep than I do. If not for rough nights due to pregnancy, I'd be fully rested. He, however, would still be tired most of the time.
  After we dropped her at school, we came home to spend some time together before he had to leave for work. It didn't give us long, but he was able to drink a few cups of coffee & really wake up before having to go in. This new schedule is working out well for him. He gets more sleep when he's at home; he rests better, because he sleeps during the darkest hours of the night, for a change; and he's even looking healthier. He said the first 10 hours usually go by very quickly. I'm glad to hear that, because it means he doesn't have much time to be bored. He can't stand not having something to do, unless he's asleep or we're just lounging in bed or on the sofa for a day. Even then, he starts getting stiff & starts daydreaming (usually out loud) about hunting & fishing. That's hunting AND fishing... not one or the other.
  So...for the rest of the day...it's just me & the baby (& this headache that won't go away). Ah, headaches. My ob/gyn tells me that if my headaches get worse or the Tylenol doesn't take care of them I should go into the ER. The ER tells me I should see my ob/gyn. Vicious cycle, vicious cycle, vicious cycle. I think I'll just take my Tylenol, re-hydrate, curl up in my dark room in my cool bed, close my eyes, & rest. Sleep tends to help almost everything. Almost.

I just can't wait for them to come home. I miss them while they're gone!

A Heart FULL of Happiness & A Life Full of Love

  So the mail came today. And some Dingbat sent me an envelope with nothing in it. lol Of course, I received a separate envelope with TWO letters; one explained just what had happened. I CRACKED UP. It's something I'd probably do, too, Tracy. :-) That letter just topped off a perfectly awesome (however, slightly painful) day.


     I'm getting SO EXCITED!!!
  We had an ultrasound appointment this morning at 9:30. Last Wednesday, our doctor told us that my belly is measuring 14" from diaphragm to belly-bottom. This means I'm 4" over where we should be! That's all fine & dandy... except that it's why I'm short of breath & have trouble walking at the same pace & distance that even most pregnant women can handle. Because of all these things, the Doc wanted an ultrasound done to check on our little guy.
  Our U. tech, Lisa, called me back & we started checking out everything that's been going on with baby. It's too hard to measure him, because of his size (poor baby looked so cramped in there today), but Lisa estimated his weight to be 3lb, 2oz . . . which means he's BIG. We had to move him around a little bit to see everything, but he was a good sport & began to move for us a good bit. After the measurements & weight estimation, she said my due date of November 17 is now pretty much obsolete. He is big enough now that the machine says he should be here on November 9: a full 8-day advance! No wonder I'm so tired & out of breath all the time.
  Lisa also did a quick gender verification for us & we were able to see genitalia for the second time. Let's just say you can't miss it. Along with that, she showed us his heartbeat (which looked really good at 140+ bpm while he was resting) & his spine, which looked GREAT. Ronny & I saw his feet, legs, arms, spine, head...

& the best of it all made me cry...

We saw our son's face for the first time.

Above is the first shot we saw. Then... we saw him open his mouth.

He opened & closed his mouth several times... & then he opened his eyes! Ronny grabbed my hand & I immediately started crying. My joy & love exceeded words.

And I don't know how I could have been any happier. Our little boy is as healthy as they can tell, developing well (& quickly), & we were able to see all of that today. My heart is full with a feeling that I can only describe as awe. There isn't a big enough, good enough, strong enough word for what I have. I can only think... "The greatest of these is Love."


P.S. Thank you all for your prayers & encouragement over the past several weeks. I am so happy that I have this news to share with you!

Scheduling Conflicts

  Things are changing in our house this week. Ronny has started his new work schedule, so he & I are on a new sleep schedule. Unfortunately, our unborn son has yet to catch up. He plays at night, keeping me awake, or waking me not long after I manage to fall asleep. Yesterday, the little stinker slept through the day & started moving around 2:00 this morning! I was glad to know that the movement meant he was still okay, but sleep was uneasy.
  I had plenty of energy yesterday & last night, even though I didn't sleep well the night before. I took 2 naps yesterday & managed to get a little bit of the housework done. There's still way too much to do, because everything piled up when I was on bedrest. Ronny took care of a lot of it, but it's hard to work full-time & keep up with the messes of 3 (sometimes 4) people. I'm hoping I can do more & more with this new schedule, once our little guy is settled into being awake & playing more in the mornings & during the day.
  As far as new schedules go, Ronny is loving his new hours so far. I'm hoping that doesn't change. He's had several disappointments over the past six months concerning his job & prospective promotions. He is so overdue for a promotion. I'm hoping he gets one soon...just to make him happy. I'm not concerned about the money or rank or anything else. I just want him happy. The more I think about it, that's part of what love is.

A Star-Studded Night

I absolutely love spending time at home with Ronny & the kids. However, it's just so nice to get away & live in another space for a night or two. His work schedule is so awkward, so odd sometimes, that it makes it hard to really relax at home, even if we're still able to enjoy it. That's why I'm checking the stars (along with http://www.theskyscrapers.org/meteors/) for one night of fun. Thankfully, my parents own several open acres & Ronny owns a truck. I'm expecting I'll be able to get a few blankets & pillows, a picnic basket for drinks & dinner, & a camera, an mp3 player & speakers, then pack up with him & head out to Mama & Daddy's to spend a few hours that night under a beautiful meteor shower. That would be lovely.
And according to the website...I have just long enough to plan it out. The next 2 meteor shows are Octber 8-9 & October 21-22.
I think that's just what we need.

Changes: Work & Home

  It's not easy being sick & pregnant at the same time. I've come down with a cold (or something along the same symptoms) & can't seem to shake it. Sneezing, coughing, waking up in a sweat... I'm fighting this thing, but haven't found anything to help it yet. Our monthly prenatal appointment is tomorrow morning & we should find out how the baby's doing. I'm hoping that this cold, or whatever it is, isn't bothering him as much as it's bothering me. My biggest problems are the all-over body aches & the pain from when I sneeze or cough. He doesn't like either of those much & he lets me know it very quickly.
  On a brighter, unrelated note, tonight is supposed to be Ronny's last night shift. Later on this week, he'll be on a late morning-early night schedule. I'm hoping it will work much better for us than the night shift. I don't rest as well when we're trying to sleep all day. The change in times should really help with the kids' activities, too. Overall, the whole family will benefit from this. All we're waiting on now is the raise that he wants so badly. I'm hoping that isn't too far into the future.
  I really want to go back to school, but I can't do that right away. There are a few things we have to do, first, but I'm hoping I can get started before Christmas. I don't think that's too much to ask of myself. After all, it's something that I should have completed when I had the chance, instead of waiting 6 years. In the meantime, I'd like to find a way to help support our family. Ronny works hard (& I'm so proud of all that he does for us), but I think it would ease our minds if we knew we were able to save a little more & take care of things a little sooner than we're able to now. We're doing okay, but we both worry anyway.
  I can say, however, that we've each been very blessed. I love this man so very much.

  He never asks much of me. He wants a neat house, warm meals, clean clothes, & to hold me in bed each night. Lately, he's only been getting the last 2 of the 3. I haven't been able to keep up with the housework or cook many meals. I don't spend much time on my feet at all, because my ankles swell so much. When I do feel like working, I do as much laundry as possible, so that he has everything he needs for work. I would absolutely LOVEto be in the position to hire a maid for about an hour a week until this pregnancy is over, but I know that won't be happening anytime soon! Still, the only problem I have with that is the fact that Ronny suffers. He goes to work on his scheduled days & spends his off-time doing all the housework. He is amazing. He rarely complains (& when he does, I really don't blame him for it, because I know it would aggravate me to be in his position). I just hope & pray that I can take over these responsibilities shortly after the baby is born. He deserves so much better from me.

One More Cheerio Chaser

I don't know how, but somehow (til now) I've totally missed out on Chasing Cheerios! This mom is amazing! I'm in awe of how she is teaching her children & am looking forward to doing some of these activities with my kids. Not only is this lady creative, but she carries out her teaching strategies in ways that leave me wondering, "How did she ever think of this?"

If you haven't heard of Chasing Cheerios, you've got to check it out. This is the mother/guide/mentor/counselor I aspire to be!

http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/

HOT

  Apparently, it's been my word of the day. I try so hard to ignore the discomfort, but it's a heat that feels like it's literally pressing down on my entire body. When I get too warm, the baby pushes to the surface of my belly, tightening everything. I'm guessing it's his way of getting cooler. It's MY way of gettin' HOT! I've done pretty good, though. I haven't complained TOO much.

  Ronny & I managed to get some things done today. We now have rent completely taken care of for the month - woo hoo! We managed to eat at Ryan's for lunch, which was a nice treat. I love having lunch/supper with him. The conversation is never boring & we're both usually able to really enjoy the meal. I think it's good for us. After Ryan's, we filled the truck's tank (she was running really low) & then swung by GameStop for a few minutes. He's looking for a PSP so that he'll have something to do during the nights he works & while we're in the hospital for Michael's delivery. We don't have much longer! Our baby boy should be here by November 11!
< >< >Tioga Pawn was open when we went for Ronny's appt with the barber. He's found another gun he wants. (Of course.) :-) I don't mind at all. He asked me about it several time a month or so ago & I finally told him that as long as he keeps the spending under $1K, I don't mind! The only other stipulations are that bills are paid & there is food in the house. He works hard, so I think he really deserves to spoil himself with hunting gear (& just about anything else he really wants). He takes great care of the kids & me. I have no complaints. ♥
    The closer it gets to school, the more I want to start on more craft projects. It seems like I have several supplies here, but it's really not that much. Most of what I have is being held until I have the money to buy the rest of the supplies for certain projects. I'm almost out of ribbon, but I don't have the beads I want to add to the hairbows. I'm hoping that Ronny & I can get out Sunday morning & pick up a paper so I can keep an eye on the coupons for craft stuff. I think I'd be able to bring in a little bit of money if I could get some more of the hairbows, pillows, baby blankets, & baby cocoons made! That would be nice! I'd like to save up for an embroidery machine, but a car comes first. With this baby on the way (& our two older kiddos to transport, too), we really need the car (or a cross-over, whichever we find we like more).
  We're both getting more & more excited about Michael's arrival. Sometimes, I don't want to wait until November to hold our little boy, but I want him to be healthy & weighty enough that he doesn't have to spend the first several weeks of his life in the hospital. I want to be able to take him home as soon as he & I feel rested enough. Ronny & I have to buckle down on our baby list. We have a lot of purchases to make before this baby gets here!
    Well, I've got things to do around the house, so I suppose I'd better get off of here. Bummer. :-) &hearts

As Summer Fades

As this summer slows down & begins to fade away, Ginny & I are spending our last days "alone" together. We've had a good five year run! lol She starts kindergarten in the next couple weeks. Ronny & I are trying to get everything in order to get married (paperwork has to be organized when he has a day off) & then the baby will be here in November! It's hectic around here, but I'm trying to enjoy the last little bit of time we have together. Life is changing so quickly around us, but we're enjoying it.

I'm looking forward to November. Dealing with nausea on a daily basis is getting harder to do. I can feel the baby getting heavier. He's pushing on nerves in my back, occasionally causing me to lose use of one of my legs. It's uncomfortable, but interesting at the same time. Bad news...if it keeps up as it is, I'll most likely be on bedrest for most of the remainder of the pregnancy. The GOOD news... our little monkey is, by all accounts from the dr's office, a healthy baby boy. He's a strong one! His kicks are surprising & Ronny's learned that already! :-)