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And we’re back…(34 week update included)

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This has been one crazy week.

Let’s start with getting a call late Monday night from my sister.  My parents were leaving the driving range and my mom fell in the parking lot and broke her left leg just below the knee cap.  Not only did she break it, but she broke both the bones.  I was told she would have a CAT scan the following morning to see if she would need surgery.  The doctor and dad (who has coached for 40 years and seen his share of broken bones) didn’t feel that it was bad enough to need surgery.

On Tuesday morning though, they found, via the scan, that she did indeed need surgery.  She had chipped off a piece of the bone.  But, they had to wait until the swelling went down.

Now, we live almost three hours away but through coordination with my sister, came up with a plan for me to travel on the weekend and she would go up for the surgery (Mark’s schedule and the kids’ schedules kept me from going up for the surgery).  Surgery was slated for Thursday, if the swelling went down.

Wednesday, I got up to do my normal routine, and then realized that it wasn’t going to be normal.  I could barely move and felt just plain awful.  Got breakfast made and commanded the children to eat while I laid down on the couch.  I believe I must have had a touch of a stomach bug because after much sleep and a few trips to the bathroom (sorry for all that information…but it just adds to the story), I felt better…at least enough to converse with Mark.

By Wednesday, also, they had finally figured out the right dosage to give my mom so her pain was manageable and she was finally able to sleep a little on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Now yesterday, Thursday, rolls around with a little bit of queasiness and weakness…but I was able to sit up, through school, and take the kids to piano lessons.

I laid down with Josiah during naptime and right before my doctor’s appointment (regular 34 week check up) and notice that there’s a reflection outside the window, which opens to the back of the yard.  And the reflection keeps moving.  I thought that was quite odd but didn’t think much of it (probably the swing moving by the breeze or something).  I also noticed that our A/C wasn’t running.  Hmmm…that’s really odd considering it’s 95 degrees outside and our designated 75 degree temp is not staying 75 degrees.

So, after Josiah’s asleep, I got my 5 minute nap and I get up to go the bathroom and hear water running.  How odd, sense everyone is inside and no one was near running water.  I peeked out my bedroom window and see an a/c man around our unit.  I stepped out the door, tried to get his attention but he didn’t hear me.

Then I thought, well, maybe Mark called them (although we’d never used them before) and asked them to come and just forgot to tell me (as crazy of a week as it’s been).  Stepped back in, called Mark and confirmed that I wasn’t insane, and that he had not called them.

I stepped back outside (with large dog in tow) and finally got the gentleman’s attention and asked him what he was doing.  He told me the address he was supposed to be at and I confirmed that was our address but that we had not asked them to come out.

“Yea,” he said, “I thought it was kind of strange I didn’t see any of our stickers on there.  But they told me this address and that there was a dog but it would be put up and that no one would be home.”

He then called the office and confirmed it was a different house number, but same street.  Hilarious!  And, he was pretty much finished with the cleaning when I “caught” him.  I tried to pay him for his work but he told me not to worry about it.  I felt so bad that he was working in that heat and then had to go and really work.  Not sure what all he did but it looks great and he said it needed it.

And then, as he was leaving, Sunny barked.

All that to bring us to my 34 week check up.  Everything looked great!  Considering that I felt horrible the day before, this was good news.  I think I may have gained one pound in six weeks.  Not bad, I say.  Not only that but I measured two weeks smaller which means I’m not “packing it on” like everyone thinks.  He felt that because of my height (although I also thinking having five babies helps) I’m more stretched out.  Baby is healthy and happy and that end that’s sticking out making me look half pregnant is his rear as we had thought.  Because I have a well worn uterus, there is still a possibility of a flip…but we’ll deal with that if the time comes.  We discussed that I wanted to do an epidural  free delivery and he was god with that.  Then I brought up the “i” word.  And, of course, he was really generous and we all agreed if there was no medical problems then waiting until I was close to 41 weeks would be fine before scheduling the induction.  He also said he would “help me along” when it got closer and I’m all for that!  I would schedule it for right at 41 weeks but he’s scheduled to leave for Alaska that Thursday and we’ve scheduled Ace’s birthday party for that Saturday so it would be best to do it that Monday or Tuesday if I don’t go into labor on my own.  So pray that I do!!!  But not before we get Super Grandmere up here to help!

And then, when we got home, the not so great news was that my meal I had prepped and cooked (so I thought) in the morning was not indeed cooked.  The chicken was raw.  And it was pushing 6 o’clock.  Off we went to Great Wraps, where kids eat free with every adult meal purchased.  We begged and pleaded coerced our friends Tracy and Kevin to come with us so we could get all our kids meals free (it’s great when their little one isn’t old enough to get a meal).  And the nice guy working there (who remembered we had come in another time…that was like two months ago), gave us free fries for the kids.

I’m getting so much free stuff, the lottery almost (and I do mean almost…but definitely not) is sounding good!

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The Not So Good News

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I did fail the one hour glucose test.  So a few weeks ago, I started checking my sugar levels twice a day.  Today, I got to go see Dr. J and go over my numbers.  I thought they looked great…especially my after meal numbers.  The problem was with the numbers after fasting all night.  Those were borderline high.  Because of that, and because my diet really is pretty good (minus the icees), Dr. J opted to put me on a medicine at night.  Here’s the mystery to me though.  A couple of nights ago, I had ice cream and red velvet cake (not a slap of healthy in sight) and my numbers in the morning were the lowest they’ve been.  I’ve noticed that when I eat ice cream at night my numbers tend to be lower…am I on to something here that could be beneficial for pregnant ladies everywhere???  I think doctors should order a study to see if ice cream at night helps lower blood sugar in the morning…I’ll be the first to volunteer.

And now some lighter news…
Mark met me at the doctor’s office to entertain the kids while I was waiting on and seeing Dr. J.  There’s a great little playground between the office and hospital so they were thrilled to be there.  Aside from Ace suffering a traumatic fall which seemed to only hurt when he spied what he thought might be blood on his arm…it was a good time.  Mark relayed the following story to me…

Liam was hanging on a piece of equipment and two moms had come in with their kids.  Mark eavesdropped on their conversation with Liam.

Mom:  Are you a monkey?

Liam:  Yes ma’am.  My mommy says I am.  She tells me “Monkey, monkey!  Who’s my monkey?”

I need to be really careful what I teach them!  But that is our special song and it’s fun to share it with him…usually he’s swinging (I mean swinging) from my arm when we sing it.

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Bryant, BJ or Bry

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Little BJ, by far the youngest of the bunch…since he’s still about negative 10 weeks old.  He’s a strong little boy…from making it through some unsure times (me being diagnosed with low progesterone…him sharing space with a blood clot for a few weeks)…to showing off his kicking ability starting at around 16 weeks.  I have not doubt he’s going to be a strong little one from the moment we meet him.  All I can say about his personality is that he’s full force go at it gusto most of the day and sleeps pretty well at night (unless I wake up or move…then all bets are off for a few minutes).  He’s already treasured and loved and adored by his brothers and sisters (well, at least the one sister who knows what’s going on).

We are getting excited, as each day draws us nearer to meeting our newest member.  He is, like all our children, a sweet blessing from God. 

*Photography by Kimberly S. Busby Photography…she did some creative editing on this one…and it looks great!*
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Busy Day-Bryant Update

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It’s been a busy day and I’m just now getting to update. 

I had my 28 week appointment.  Now, if you’ve followed the past two blogging pregnancies, then you know that means two things. 

Glucose tolerance test. 

Rhogam shot. 

The first is what all us incubating mamas have to go through.  Since I “flunked” the one hour test with Ceili Rain, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll not pass this time.  At least that’s how I think.  I talked to Dr. J about what to do if I fail.  He went over the rules and regulations I’ll need to follow to monitor my glucose level so I won’t have to go in for the three hour.  I’m not kidding when I say I almost passed out from the fasting part of the test.  Mark can attest to that.  He met me at the door after it and I believe I must have looked pretty white because he sent me to lay down pretty quickly.

Next, up was the rhogam shot for all us mamas who have a negative blood type.  Since Mark is a positive blood type, if my blood mixes with a positive baby, it could mean some serious problems with the baby.  God has blessed us, so far, that the shot has been effective in keeping me from becoming “sensitized” to my baby’s positive blood (and so far, all our kids are positives)…which would not mean a problem for the current baby but future babies.  The rhogam shot is what helps, should the baby’s blood, during pregnancy or birth, become mixed with my blood.  So, at 28 weeks and then after a delivery (or a miscarriage), I have to get “the shot.” 

Now, if I could get a penny for every time a nurse or administration person looked at me and commented sweetly, “Ohhh, is this your first.”  I’d have been able to pay for supper in pennies.  (not really…but it seems like it).  And if I could have had a video camera, when I sweetly replied, “No, this is my sixth.”  Just to capture their faces…that would have been priceless.

Aside from that…Dr. J still ranks high on the coolness factor because I don’t have to go in for another six weeks!  I think he must read my blog and know of the adoration our family heaps on him!  But seriously, it’s not just that but that we know what to look for, we’ve “been there/done that.”  And this pregnancy (aside from the first trimester) has been “uneventful.”  It’s nice that he’s not treating my pregnancy like a “medical disorder” and trusting us and my body to do what it’s got to do.  So, at my next appointment, I’ll only have a little ways to go…and that’s when I’ll inform him of the no “i” word approach!  We’ll see how he handles that one!

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Curls??? Seriously???

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So, I’ve been pregnant, well at the end of this pregnancy, a total of 56 months (counting our miscarriage).  And never have I gotten what I have now.

Look closely, my dear friends and you will not see the straight fluffy thick hair that has once graced my head…nope…it’s been exchanged for some curls and LOTS of waves!  And none of that has been chemically altered (okay, the color has but not the waves and curls).

Yep, you can say I’m pretty pumped to be sporting my new lively volume lifting do.  See, I have a sister who has the funnest spiralest springy curls…and she and her husband passed those on to my beautiful niece and nephew as well.  I’ve always envied her cute set of  curls.

When I was in seventh grade and she was in ninth, we went to have our hair permed (the thing to do in the late eightie/early nineties).  I had visions of sweet spirals abounding from my head.  But alas, all I got was a little bit of wave that fell out.  Not too far after that, my Nana, got another perm for me (having been her who allowed me/paid for my first perm).  Again, not much result except a little bit of burnt hair that had to be cut shoulder length and turned out to be a nice do for me.  But my sister, with her delicate fine hair…had curls abounding and, at that time, the “big hair” that every girl tried to achieve with as much Aqua Net as they could talk their mother into purchasing.  While walking into the bathroom when she was fixing her hair might have required a chemical mask…it was still pretty cool that she had the “in” hair…while I dealt with the dull straight hair.

Do you need a tissue for my sad tale???  I hold no grudges against my sibling and love her hair…she still gets those bouncy curls, although she straightens them more often than not now (or did last time I saw)…but she has options to what she can do with her hair.  My options were…pull up, put down, and occasionally, flip out, flip under.

But now, dear readers who can’t believe I’ve written this much on the thickness of my head hair, now, I’m in the game…I’ve got options too!  Or I will, if I can figure out how to style/tame this mop on my head!  I noticed spirals popping up near my ears a few weeks ago…and then noticed that there was no way I could get my hair to just dry straight.  And when I didn’t put anything at all on my hair, well, that led to a bigger than life eighties hair do that is not in style right now.  So…trusty Facebook to the rescue, I left a comment on my status that I needed advice on curl boosting products and several friends gave me tips on what to try with my hair.  I honestly didn’t think any curl boosting products would work.

But they did!
And while there is a fine line between wavy and out of control to some bouncy curls and lots of wave…I’m getting the hang of this new do and hope it sticks around after Mr. Bryant makes his debut!
And to prove that my hair is was straight and really thick…here’s a picture from February:
So the poof and wave were starting but not quite there yet!
The only thing I’m worried about is that my mom said she got wavy/curly hair when she was pregnant with me.  Is that a sign of things to come with dear Bryant?  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
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Craftiness at work…stand back please!

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With a new little boy coming in July…comes a new set of logistical challenges…sleeping arrangements…clothing arrangements…van seating arrangements, etc.

Last month, we focused on the clothes arrangements.  I found a used, run down chest of drawers for Josiah and Bryant to share and we purchased it and brought it home.

This is part of the “Before.”  As usual, I forgot to get a good before.  The knobs were coming off and the off-white paint was peeling.

I put the boys to work sanding it down one afternoon.  That lasted through almost all the drawers before they lost interest and waited on me to finish what I was doing so they could paint.

I used four shades of blue.  Lest you think I spent a ton of money on that.  Lowes (and I’m sure Home Depot does too) has these extra small sample cans of paint that you can purchase for $3).  So, I bought four of those and used the brown “Cloak & Dagger” that Mark had used on the steps to the bonus room.

Here’s the result:

This should hold the boys clothes for at least three to four years along with the other dresser in their room.  I’ll get a picture of the room/dressers after we work on the sleeping arrangements.

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The “I” Word is Forbidden

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We’re about 16 weeks out from my due date and I thought I’d share what I’ve told Mark and will tell Dr. J when we get a little closer…the “I” word will not be spoken this time.  By “I,” I mean induction.  Of my past five pregnancies, I have been induced for all of them.  Two of them, were necessary by my standards (Zoe was low fluid…I mean a trickle when he broke my water and I had PUPPS (WARNING:  There’s a graphic picture of what PUPPS looks like on this link) with Josiah…he was only a week early anyway…and he was BIG).  The others were logistical conveniences for us and our kids. 

I would really prefer to wait on God to prepare and have little Bryant come when he’s ready.  And so, early on, I told Mark that an induction would not be up for discussion unless I deem it necessary. i.e. I get PUPPS again. 

I get so jealous of friends who say they woke up and their water broke and they went to the hospital.  I would love to experience that for once.  And since we are uncertain if God will bless us with more children (who will grow in my belly), then I want this to be the time.

And yes, I do not want an epidural again if I don’t need it (meaning, if I don’t have to have a c-section).

So, for prayers:

1.  I don’t get PUPPS.  It is soooo uncomfortable and painful.  And while Dr. J doesn’t believe the statistics, info/research on the web shows it is more likely to be present in women who are carrying boys.  I had it with Josiah but did not get it with Ceili Rain.
2.  That I am able to go into labor (at term) on my own and that I’ll know what’s going on.
3.  If I do go into labor, that the kids will have someone to stay with them/somewhere to go.  One set of our three friends (that don’t mind us imposing on them with lots of little children) is deserting us because the US Army said go.  That leaves two other friends with small children who we may have to inconvenience until grandparents can arrive.
4.  Mr. Bryant cooperates, turns and does all he’s supposed to do so that I can have an epidural-free (and drug-free…they gave me something for pain after birth, at my approval, and I couldn’t hold my head up for an hour…it was horrible) labor and delivery (for a cheap and quick recovery) without the need of a c-section.
5.  That I can wait and have others who are supportive and encouraging as we wait.

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These Kids Amaze Me

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Some quirks from my kids the past couple of months…

***
Tuesday, we got new carpet installed in our bonus room (which is the school room, play room, library, craft room, and pile on daddy room).  After it was installed, Mark loaded up Ace for a trip to the “man” store to purchase some things to help finish off the room.  I asked him to get paint a shade darker than what was on my paint sample and handed it to him.  I needed a darker paint to paint the two steps that go down into the bonus room.  Ace and Mark came back soooo excited about this paint.  Only it’s two shades darker.  Because it was called “Cloak & Dagger.”  Not exactly how I choose paint.  I still have yet to see the color and I’m wondering if there is a reason for that.

***
When Bryant showed us he was a “he” and not a “she.”  The sonographer scanned up to his face.  He had his hand by his head and waved it back and forth to us.  No joke.  Not sure we got it on video but it was absolutely adorable.  Our kids do crazy things when they get on camera…like Ceili Rain sucking her toes on the ultrasound.  I love it when Mark gets to feel the first kicks.

***
Bryant also decided that since we got to see him, he’d also let us “feel” him.  I’ve been feeling him move for about two to three weeks now, but of course, it’s been my own little kick fest party.  Last night, as we got ready for bed, I told Mark that he was having a little dance going on and I could feel it with my hands.  Mark then was able to feel him.  I actually think he was kicking and punching.  I think his personality is going to fit very well into our little Characters.

***
As our friend, Scott, was helping us move furniture in and out of the playroom after (he also helped us before the furniture install).  Liam woke up from his nap and came down to the bonus room.

“Uh, Mr. Scott.  Did you know we have Cooties?”

Fortunately, he had the Cooties game in his hands so there was little need for explanation there.

***

Zoe’s memory is just a little scary…

Sitting at lunch discussing nutrition with her brothers (no joke) she spouts out that you need 2000 calories per day to maintain a healthy diet.

Liam’s eating part of a Three Musketeers bar (yes, I know it’s healthy) she says, “It’s a Three Musketeers bar.  A lighter way to enjoy chocolate!”

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And here comes…

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Well, we went a day early to the ultrasound.  Apparently, not exercising and then going full force can cause a muscle to pull (in my leg) which can lead me to worry about a blood clot…just a muscle pull though.  Dr. J said that spinning would be great for me to do…umm, except it hurts my rear…

But I guess you don’t really care about my exercise woes…I guess you all want to know what we’re having.

Well, it’s a healthy baby.

But, I guess you might want to know whether the baby is a healthy boy or girl huh?

First, you have to look at the cutie feet…

Aren’t they precious?!  (Let me just say we were less than thrilled with the attitude nor abilities of our ultrasound tech…I guess because we’ve had so many u/s we’ve seen better)
Oh, so you still want to know if the baby is a boy or girl…
Well…
It’s a boy!!!
Bryant Judah will be making his debut into the Bunch of Characters this summer.
So, why Bryant Judah???  I know we said we’d use Ian as a middle name but it just didn’t flow.  This has been the hardest name to pick out…I’m glad we had at least 16 weeks to decide on something…actually, I know we had longer but I like to be able to call the baby a name as soon as possible…so game on.
Mark felt that he wanted a namesake this time.  We stumbled on Bryant which means  “son of Brian.”  Brian is Mark’s middle name so the namesake was taken care of.  Ian, like I said, just didn’t work.  We tossed around Silas as a middle name or first but if you try to say Silas and ‘Siah in the same sentence, it just doesn’t work.  And, if you put Silas as a middle name…well, you can figure out the initials.  We also tried Malachai as a middle name, which is pretty cool…but then figure out the initials there.
So, I found Judah while searching for a hip/cool middle name and it fit.  Judah means “praise.”
So, Bryant Judah means…Son of Brian (which means high/noble) Praise.  Pretty cool, huh???
And, because my doctor rocks, he said I don’t have to come back in for another seven weeks.  AND, he told me that if I fail my glucose one hour then we could talk about doing the glucometer and that he never had a problem with that…in fact, he has had several moms who request that.  I said he rocks, didn’t I?! 
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