37 weeks. Why does it seem so long?

Here I am, at 37 weeks. I am dilated. I am having contractions quite often. I am still pregnant. I haven't made much progress since the week before despite taking advantage of some home remedies. Does my body not know HOW to go into labor on its OWN? Is my womb so comfortable that Little Lady K doesn't want to exit? Maybe I am not pregnant-- this is just a strange tumor that moves and kicks and has been growing very quickly?

No, I think K just isn't quite cooked long enough. The size isn't a concern, she will be big enough for any mother to feel comfortable. We just want to make sure the brain and the lungs are developed so we can take her home with us when we go home(Leaving a baby in the NICU must be one of the worst things in the world). By the way, I have mentioned I am a candidate for an "elective induction"- they can not schedule me until the week before the baby is due. So---don't ask. I don't know exactly when she is coming yet. Its kinda like a normal pregnancy with this in the unknown! :o>

Last Saturday (1/24) we met Little Miss Carina and her Mamma Tamara at the zoo. It was cold! We even had some snow fleks(not flakes, but fleks). I was sure with all that walking I would go into labor. That night I did have painful contractions about 5 minutes apart for a few hours. I was exhausted and decided to go to sleep and would wake up with contractions that were strong enough to send me in. I didn't wake up due to strong contractions. I was a bit annoyed.

Nathan and I walked to pick up Leila at school on Thursday because walking is supposed to help bring on labor or at least the exercise is good for me-right? Since I was walking to bring on labor I decided we most definitely need to make the walk a little longer and hit DQ just in case this was last opportunity to eat before I went into labor. The walking did not put me into labor, BUT the PBP sure tasted out of this world.

I do think I am finally *ready* to have her. Her bag is packed. My bag is packed. Jeremy doesn't have a bag, but he will(I am sending him home at night. He needs to be there to ensure bedtime stays routine with the kids and I know he will sleep so much better in his own bed. The kids will sleep better with him home.). I can't wait to come home with another one of these:

Leila and her Mom and Dad

Nathan and his Mom and Dad

The weather has been beautifully sunny and a bit cold(except for Saturday when we saw snow up at the zoo). We also had some foggy days in there, but overall I love the sunny days. I am getting ready for spring as my crocuses were starting to pop out- but they seemed to have been eaten by some animal... not sure about that.

Difference Between Type1 & Type 2

OK- so we are learning in our household all about diabetes.



A quick, harmless, free health screening at Jeremy's work has encouraged both of us to learn more about what this as it may be affecting our family. I thought Jeremy was just being supportive last fall and failing the test because I failed my first gestational diabetes test for this pregnancy. How sweet-- sympathy diabetes. I didn't fail the 4 hour test. Jeremy failed his month long monitoring.



How does a nice tall, slim man in the prime of his life(kind of) have type 2 diabetes? OK, so he isn't super active, he does eat a lot of candy, but over all he is quite healthy. And skinny--no one expects a skinny young dude to have a problem. Funny how we simply assume if you are fat you either already have it, or will have it one day. Its like we figure this disease is simply for those "not taking care of themselves" thru diet and exercise. But this isn't always the case. While lifestyle and weight are definitely factors for diabetes, they are not the only indicator. Family history, ethnicity, blood pressure, weight, age are all factors.

So- what is the difference?

Type 2 is when your body simply isn't efficient at moving sugar out of the blood stream and has become resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn't make enough. This is why blood sugar levels are high. Ways to deal with this is thru diet, exercise, weight loss(Except in Jer's case), and possible medication if you can't get it under control. This in my opinion is the preferred diabetes(ya right) if you have to have one. You have options. You have ways to combat the problem. The ways are lifestyle changes and lifestyle changes for good. You can live with Type 2 and not need medication.



Type 1 means you are just screwed. ha ha. Just kidding. Your body(pancreas actually) simply does not produce insulin or produces too little insulin(Which is a hormone that helps move sugar into your bloodstream letting you run around if you feel like it and process food normally). Type 1 is generally diagnosed by age 40. My prime of life husband is 33. He can stay a couch potato- but will have to give himself a shot(He said I will have to give him the shots, but I am not sure if he was joking or not). He will also need to eat better to control his blood sugars without the use of too much medication. At this point he is not on any injections, but will add yet another pill to his daily regime.



I found thru my research, if a Father has diabetes, he is more likely to pass it onto his children than if a Mother has it(Is this proof that genetically we mothers love our children more?). I have had my suspicions about my little man and plan on taking him to get this looked at since now my children have yet ANOTHER genetic issue to be checked on their medical records. As if various types of cancer, heart problems, and stroke wasn't enough...



Anyways-- Jeremy will be OK. This isn't the end of the world and we live in a time where medical technology is quite advanced and life isn't going to end. Shoot, it shouldn't even change that much except a few pokes here and there. We will take some classes thru the hospital and my focus will be on getting Jeremy the proper nutrition for his new path in life. This coincides nicely with our little one being born as I will be starting back on my weight watchers plan to maintain a healthy weight. Our food we eat is already very healthy, and Jeremy will learn about a little thing called "portion control"- something WW introduced me to and won't be a problem. Little Man will be OK- and I will post an update you once I know anything(post baby most likely).

I am an information junkie and even though I am not happy about dealing with these new challenges in my family, I am excited to become an expert in a new area and can possibly lend support to others in the same situation. So... if you want do something nice for Jeremy, don't bring over cookies- bring over some flowers or offer him some free babysitting. (You can still bring me cookies--I promise NOT to share!)

I love my body pillow... and my friends... and pedicures..

I have to say how much I love my body pillow-- I have forgotten those days in the end of pregnancy when the stomach needs support, your knees need something between them, and your neck just wants to be in alignment. I love you body pillow.

I also love my friends. Jeremy asked me yesterday why so many people love me? I said I have no idea, but I am so thankful I have them. Thank you to my friends. You keep on checking in with me, even though I get very reclusive at the end of my pregnancies and don't reach out nearly as often. Its nice to have such a great support system. I think supporting each other as women with our many different needs and many different strengths is one of the most powerful forces in the world. I love supporting my friends, and I marvel at the support I receive. I can't thank you enough.

Oh-- and I love pedicures. I splurged and got myself one this morning while my kids were playing at a friends house(See how loved I am! Friends take my children just to give me a break! How in the world do I deserve this?). I got a manicure too since it was Chinese new year special for only 10 more dollar. It is my firm belief babies need the red toes to help them know where to go. Every pregnant woman needs someone else to paint her toes a nice bright color. Not only is it good for the baby, but soon we will be able to see our toes again and we want them to be cute don't we? So friends, find yourself pregnant? Don't have the cash for a pedicure. Call me: I will give you one!

Here are my poofy feet. They actually aren't too bad today, but the toenail polish makes them look sooooo much better. I can't wait to be reunited with my cute ankles again.... notice my left foot is way bigger than my right? And she keeps haning out on the right side of my tummy... strange.

36 Weeks-- Only 27 days to GO!

Ever preparing for baby "K". She is so very close to coming I am dreaming about her almost every night. What a special time to ponder my life. I feel that I am in the midst of a miracle right now. What special moments I am experiencing thru feeling life inside of me. After 9 long months I am going to meet my baby. And my friends so will you- I am excited to share this time with you. I am not having a baby shower- not because I wasn't offered one or two, but I would rather celebrate my baby's new life one on one thru visits and friendship. Basically, if you want to see my baby, you need to come spend a bit of time with me. :o)

I went thru the baby clothes I got back Tamara-- most of them were mine-errr-Leila's- I had given her for little Miss Carina and I enjoyed reliving Leila's infancy. Jeremy just wondered why I was playing with baby clothes yet again. I can't believe how much stuff is there-- I think its great. I won't have to do laundry for this little girl for weeks with all this loot! We don't have a dresser for this one, so I am not exactly sure where I am putting all her stuff. But I will figure it out this weekend for sure. I will pack a little bag for her this weekend too.

My doctors appointment went very well. I am dilating and my body is getting ready to get this baby out! I might try some home remedies, but might not. I still have several weeks- she might need a bit more time to bake. But, I decided that my bag most definitely needs packing. So far I only have Jeremy's slippers in my bag. I will not pack for him, but I know slippers will be really nice for his feet in the hospital and he likely wouldn't remember to pack them for himself. I have no idea where my slippers are, what I plan on wearing home, or where all my toiletries are. So, lets hope I don't go into labor tonight since I plan on figuring that all out tomorrow.

When will this baby pop out?

We had quite the weekend of baby preparations. My most favorite questions from my kids are about the baby "popping out". I think its absolutely adorable they have chosen this phrase.

Saturday we went to the Big Brother, Big Sister class at Providence St. V's. The kids were a bit shy at first. Leila brought a doll, and Nathan brought his monkey. They learned how to properly hold a baby(That is not by the ear or toe or hair). They learned they need to wash their hands before holding the baby- and to help them know how long they need to wash hands they simply need to sing "Happy Birthday" to the baby. After snack, a story, and looking at pictures of themselves when they were babies they did a craft and received a certificate. Then we headed off to Carina's 3rd Birthday Party at Chuck-E-Cheeses.

CEC is a very fun place for kids. But strangely I know very few kids who are not terrified of the big mouse. Carina kept herself off the play floor for a big part of the party in fear she might run into him. She finally warmed up to the occasion and we saw her on the Carousel several rides.

After the party we went over to Target where the kids picked out some special presents for their baby. And then we went shopping at Tamara's Garage. She had several items we had loaned her for baby Carina and a ton of clothes. Amazing how our small tiny babies seem to need so much stuff. Of course "need" isn't the right word, but you know what I mean.

My ankles were about 4 times their regular size. I felt like Lafe- one of the men I took care of while care giving. I would help him get up and get dressed in the morning and he had a bad case of edema. I couldn't tie one of his shoes and socks were a major pain to get on his feet were so big. I have old man feet. And my left foot is always bigger than my right. Who knows why. So we got home and I put them up and kept them up the rest of the night.

Jeremy and the Kids put together the crib! Yay! We will keep the crib in our room for the first few months and eventually move her out when I feel ready for the separation. The only problem is how to explain to Ms. Kitty Alli that this is not her crib. I am sure she will figure it out.

So, I received some diapers from some friends(THANKS Marcie and Took!). A few outfits from others(Christy, Amy, Mom, Tamara)- which is fun since I am defiantly not buying clothes, but new clothes are always a treat. I need to go thru the bags of clothes from Tamara to make sure I am set on the small stuff. I still need to get a few things I have loaned out from my sister. I still need to pack my bag for the hospital. I plan on getting most of this done this week and I think we will be ready!

I still have 4.5 weeks until my due date, which is plenty of time. I do generally go early by induction, but who knows what will happen this time. After this week I am hoping to be ready and calm so no matter when she comes, the stress levels will stay low for all of us. I am trying to get a walk in every day-- its been dry but cold. I personally would rather walk in the rain and have it be a bit warmer. Sunday we went up to Jenkins Estates and wandered thru their little forest. After I learn the status of my cervix at my Friday appointment I will look into some more natural methods to get my body ready. Castor Oil not being one of them. But I will try some others- I really want to meet this little girl. :o)

Loud and Non-listening - A Boy Thing

Nathan has catapulted into his 4's. These are terrible, similar to the 2's, but in my opinion worse because I know he knows better. I know he can understand and express himself more clearly. He outright defies me and his Dad. And what is up with the violence? We don't expose him to violence- Bob the Builder isn't very violent- but he hits and turns everything into a "boomer".

I can deal with the defiance. I am getting really good and not yelling as much(They know now when I yell, I REALLY mean it.). I can stay quite composed as I dump his 45 pound body on the bottom step for time out(I keep hoping one of these times it will put me into labor carrying/dragging him down the hall.). I am getting good and counting to ten in my head too(My jaw sometimes hurts because I am clinching it too tight.). I am ignoring the violence except when he actually hurts someone- and I will ask him to use his gentle voice/words/hands when he is getting out of hand.

But I can not deal with the CONSTANT NOISE! I just can't stand the constant sounds and whoops and eeeee's and high pitched noises that come out of that kid! Everything he plays with has a sound that comes out of his mouth. Its always very loud. Can anyone give me a volume control? And raising my voice to meet his only hurts my own ears even move. UGH. I can't wait until I can take Excedrin again. I will say I do enjoy his actual voice. He is has the sweetest sounding voice, asks the sweetest questions, and is utterly adorable when his volume level is around 3.

Definition of a boy: A noise with dirt on it.

Week 34

Down to the home stretch... I am excited and anxious to meet my little girl. I am starting to get things ready, like sweet little clothes, and hopefully the crib up this weekend, and continually preparing my children to the change they are about to face. I am thinking and rethinking all of my plans- when I will feel up to visitors, when to have people come and help me, when to try to do it on my own. I want to set a calendar right now, but obviously I can't do that with the actual date of arrival up in the air. Thankfully I have very flexible friends and family who surround me, but I hate "winging" it. I am planning a trip to Costco next pay day to get some diapers and wipes of course. We haven't purchased those in years! With Leila we had several month supply worth. With Nathan, we had a good amount too. I haven't even though to buy any with this one. Thankfully Coscto just put out a coupon book that included diapers. (If anyone wants to buy me a baby gift, diapers woudl be awesome- and you don't have to make it the Costco size either!) I also will be getting some food so I can make freezer meals like crazy. If I can freeze up a dozen or so meals I will feel fantastic about my preparations to care for my family, while laying around holding my baby and letting my children get thier yearly allotment for TV.

I went in for my doctor appointment. I will go in again in 2 weeks and start seeing her weekly. I am measuring on the bigger side, but am still within normal range(Yes, many of you tell me how good I look, but she is simply spread over a longer torso and taking up every spare inche she can find. Its not unusual to feel toes in my ribs and aches on my pelvic bone at the same time.). Both my Doctor and I think she will be a big one like her brother and sister and I am completely open to an "elective induction" based on size. Both Jeremy and I have talked about how fun it would be to go into labor on my own. How will we know its really it? Would it happen in the middle of the night? Would we be rushing around getting stuff together for our bag? Would I yell at Jeremy on the drive to the hospital?

Since I was induced with both Leila and Nathan we didn't experience the sometimes comical and exciting trip into the hospital. We were able to pack the night before, get up and shower- me put on make up and make sure my hair looked good for the pictures. This was nice. The planner in me really really really liked being able to make sure my tots were taken care of and have family notified ahead of the game. And my induction experiences were not horrible like many women say. In fact, they were great. Leila's took a while, but Nathan's took only a few hours. My body with both Leila and Nathan was ready to- dilated and in Nathans case, already contracting. Maybe this time we can really go in on our own, but I KNOW I WILL NOT TURN DOWN an opprotunity for induction. While my babies were big: 9'1" and 9'5", I am sure I am physically capable of birthing a bigger child. But why test that out? The damage a big baby does to the pelvic wall is significant, and at this point with all the discomforts and other issues I am going thru thanks to this little 5 lb boulder inside of me I will gladly accept an appointment to meet my newest angel. By the way, I get in bed at night and have several painful contractions before I fall asleep-- this is why I worry I won't know if its the real thing or not- I have even woken up with one once or twice. So, I am learning to ignore them since its normal. Maybe in a week or so I should start timing them.

Baby K is cooked pretty much all the way. She is gaining weight and letting her precious brain grow and is getting squished everyday just a little bit more. The acrobatics going on in my tummy are now simply jigs and jives a person would give from a seated position. She is head down and she better not think about changing that position or her momma will have somthing to say to her when she gets out.

We love you baby-- come soon!

December House Madness

So, about a month ago we were looking at some home prices in the greater Newberg area and were amazed at how much they have dropped. Jeremy and I have been dreaming about the day he can commute to work on his bike. Or at least get home in about 5 minutes if I need him to. Last summer we were considering putting our house on the market, but did not for various reasons. We called my dear friend David Policar to help us determine the right price for our house. David and I worked together back at my Celestica/C&D days and we were fast friends. It helps he is completely adorable and silly. It has been nice to see his change in vocation. Going from an inside sales position to a Real Estate Broker is a bit different, but he really knows his stuff, and he is so good and honest. I love his work ethic and am thankful for all the time he has given us.

To not get into too many details, we need to get out of our loan. The loan itself is OK, but the interest rate is quite high having locked in a few years ago when interest rates weren't much to look at(That is what we get for refinancing to an adjustable back when the going was good.). We figured if we could sell our house and have a bit of cash in our pockets that would be cool. The first CMA we looked at seemed we could do that. We cleaned up the house, boxed up clothes and towels and kitchen things we rarely use, but still have a bit more to do. We did a pre-inspection and found some items we need to take care of. David brought some brokers into our home and they reviewed the price we wanted to list it at, and did another CMA, and we determined if we wanted to sell our house quickly(And at this point we did because I would much rather move before she got here than after), we needed to drop it even more. Of course, we set our price on our home and we could go as high or as low as we want. But honestly, if you want to move property you have to be realistic and competitive. Dropping the price meant we would likely need to come up with some cash to make the difference- and that isn't cool. Our 401Ks were hurt with the last downfall and it makes no sense to drain them.

I was depressed. I wanted to move closer to Jeremy's work. We had already talked to a loan guy and knew what we could afford and knew what type of loan we would be getting(It was an USDA loan to encourage us suburbanites to move out to the country- very good loan opportunity if anyone is interested in living in "rural" county.). Not only did I want to move to a bigger home or even the same size home on a bigger lot, I was looking forward to finding myself again. Change can be difficult, but normally I like it. Its exciting to learn new things and figure out a new way of life. I had several things I was worried about in moving: being further away from family, not being in a community with such a great parks and recreation and library system, leaving my friends in my ward who I love and I look forward to them getting to know my newest little one. But overall, I was excited at the opportunity for change.

Since we felt selling was not an optimal option with the pricing situation, we called our mortgage company to revisit our loan. And this is a very interesting option. If anyone is having problems with their loans, please call your existing mortgage company. Ours in particular has hired on teams of loan officers to deal with people like us: needing something new for the change in the market. Our house is loosing value and we are scared we will get in over our heads if it keeps up. The mortgage company will even pay down points to get us a better interest rate- that is how desperate these companies are to keep clients, and have healthy clients in a time when foreclosures are everywhere.

We are still waiting on our mortgage company to get back to us, but at this point- seeing the baby is a month away, I really don't want to list our house and be in the midst of a possible selling/moving shortly after she is born. So, long story short, December was full of anxiety and the unknown. I don't mind change too much, but I do despise the unknown. Just let me know what is the right thing to do... let me make my plan on a super big poster board so I can view everything that will happen.

Today our house is not on the market, but maybe after the baby gets here you will read a post of future change. But at this moment in time, I feel very confident that we are going to stick around for a while. So, you know where to find us. :o)

Fun and Favorite Family Recipes

My sister and I started blogging our favorite and family favorite recipes. Check it out-- we would love to have friends and family add theirs-- just let us know and we can add you to the author list.



I always get annoyed if I don't have a weekly meal plan- and that is about two out of three weeks- around 4:00 because I can never decide what to make for dinner. I am envisioning me being annoyed and then being pleasantly surprised when I remember this blog, logging on, and making a yummy meal hopefully my entire family will eat.



I also have started getting Leila's help with meal planning. She gets a little mad at me when I make a suggestion she doesn't like. I told her she doesn't always get what she wants- mommy can't fix the same three meals over and over or mommy will get so bored she will just get in her car and leave around dinner time-regardless if Daddy is home yet or not. So, Leila helps me also plan the side dishes- a fruit and a veggie. Last week was our first week, and she really enjoyed helping me. She ate the side dishes when she didn't eat the main dish. Like when we had chicken jambalaya(A favorite for Jeremy)-- she didn't eat that, but had a big bowl of peas. Good for Leila- right?



Enjoy your blogging and enjoy your dinner.


http://familyrecipes-meganconser.blogspot.com/

Back to Life

My darling husband is leaving me for work tommorrow. He made it to work during the "Artic Blast" almost every day, but last week the company was shut down, but he was required to work on Friday, which he did from home. I have enjoyed having him home with us. I was able to do what my Doctor told me to do: Lay on the couch and have everyone treat me like the queen of sheeba. He enjoyed being at home almost as much as I enjoyed having him here. He helped out a lot, but he really appreciated his time with our amazing children. Both of them are so special and have such a special relationship with thier Daddy. Leila has Jeremy wrapped around her little finger and enjoyed all the special treatment she got from him(piggy back rides upstairs, the sneaking of candy when Nate and I were in the other room). Nathan likes to challenge Daddy, but thanks to this week spent together as well as special father/son date I think Daddy understands Nathan a bit more and isn't quite so hard on him. But now Jeremy is off to work again and my ability to run upstairs to drop and take a nap the minute I feel the need won't be quite so easy.

SO, life is about to change.

Monday starts school again for Leila- she is more than thrilled. I have enjoyed having her home with me, but she loves her teacher so much that I am excited for her to see her again, as well as getting a short break and having my one on one time with my little man again.
Tuesday we are very lucky to have little man Joseph with us in the morning while my sister keeps on with her nursing pre-reqs. Nathan also has an eye doctor appointment that day.
Thursday we have a play date with my friend Zoe and her boys. The play date is for us moms, luckily our kids seem to get along really well.
Friday I have a doctor appointment.
I know I have a number of small mundane things to do and need to get a list started- should do that tonight just in case tommorrow is a rough morning. And without Jeremy to get up with Nathan who is my early riser, I am sure it won't be the easiest morning.
I know most moms are dealing with the same thing-- so good luck moms! I know I will need it. :o>