A Rising Star

Saturday Morning we picked up Grandmum from the train station. Yea for Grandmum! The plan for that day was to let her rest up some and then we were to go the Christmas musical at church -- Two From Galilee. A synopsis: This musical is an interpretation of the love between Mary and Joseph--their life, love and conflict. Ensnared in family conflicts, a hostile world and by an awesome responsibility, they fight for their one true love and to fulfill their dreams. But trust is shaken and love questioned, revealing a family's shame and a husband's doubt until the couple realizes that it is not all about finding true love but about life's purpose and calling.



That afternoon we got a call from a gal at church. It was one of the cast members from the musical -- Mary to be exact. She starts out by saying that I can say no if I want to, so I have to laugh. She then goes on to say that the little boy they had used for Jesus (and another baby part) had gotten sick and couldn't continue his role. She was wondering if we would be willing to let them use Holly for the part(s)!

Well the plan was to go see the musical that night anyway...

So I said yes... how could a proud mommy resist? She reassured me that the blankets were being washed and that only three people would be holding her, and that they would be using hand sanitizer. I was very reassured! ... and this is my third child, I'm a bit more relaxed about some things.

We got to church later then I had wanted... her next feeding time was due to be right at the start of the musical... when they needed a baby, so I had wanted to feed her before they started. Well, we tried to feed her... she decided that a snack was all she wanted.

She was needed for most of the first act, and I had decided to stay back stage with her (which means that I need to get a hold of the video at some point). Holly slept like ... like a baby... only it more like she was in a coma HAHA. Since she had only snacked before her big debut, my chest (her source of food) felt like it was going to absolutely explode.

During intermission, I recruited Steve to the back of the auditorium to help me to get Holly to latch and eat. She finally did, and I am sure that we both felt better.

I knew the cue to take Holly back to the back stage so that she would 'enter' at the right time, and I knew that it was going to be soon... I may not have seen the musical, but I have read the account :) Then I hear it, the sound from Holly that says 'change me NOW'... I didn't really have time, but I thought I would try. So I run up to where Steve, Susan and the girls are sitting and grab a diaper and the wipes and start heading out the auditorium. That's when I hear it, my cue to go backstage... I wonder if I have time to change her...

When I got back there, the 'stage hand' says I have a min or two before Jesus is born. I actually contemplate changing her diaper before she has to be on stage... then I realize that she usually screams like a banshee whenever her diaper is changed (bum is warm, wipes are cold...). So I opt to not change the girl, but boy does it smell (not too badly, breastmilk poopies don't stink badly). SO the hand off is complete, and since she will be on stage through to the end, I head back to 'my' seat.

So there you have it! At all of five days old Holly made her stage debut as Jesus.

.... and when all was said and done, I changed the little comatose girl's diaper... she didn't even wake up :)

A long and overdue update

So I’ve been told that I need to update this thing. And I have said it myself, that it has been way too long since I posted anything… so in an attempt to bring this up to date I will run though what has happened since Aug...

******************************************************

In September all four of us (plus the one in the belly) ventured to the state of Connecticut once again for my cousin Rachel’s wedding. The event was fabulous! The girls LOVED being flower girls and I have to admit I didn’t look too different from the rest of the bridesmaids... save for the huge belly. You can view some of our pictures form that weekend HERE. The first ones are from the aquarium that is close to where the wedding was (Mystic).

The most adventurous part of the whole weekend, though, was NOT wedding related. We had just checked into our hotel and I had decided that I was hungry and wanted to find food... and there was a little issue of we still needed to get the happy couple a gift (oops). So we ventured to a nearby mall. As I was trying to pull into a parking spot, we heard an ominous CrUnCh! Upon investigation, we saw that our front driver side tire was perpendicular to the rest of the van. After many tears and phone calls and some time in the food court and some incredible acts of God (no lie – too many to list, but some include: my aunts AAA covering the tow, and the security guard being incredibly helpful and offering more help), the van was towed to the opposite side of the mall where there was a SEARS auto center. So after spending the next day (Saturday) squished into the rental car of the Maid of Honor (she definitely earned her title...), finding out what we had broken (at this moment I can’t recall...), and paying WAY too much for it, we got our van back :) and it seems to be working fine now.

*********************************************************

Also in September, Faith Started Kindergarten...

Mom sent the outfits for the girls, they looked cute wearing the same thing :)

... and we went to the baby shower of a friend that I used to work with at the restaurant...

Lark, Shiela (pregnant with Marissa), me (about 27 weeks)

**********************************************************

In October we celebrated Megan turning four! I still can’t believe that she is that old. Grandpa came to visit and she had a very quaint (just the five of us) “party” at Friendly’s (one of our favorite restaurants! ... and I may have a job there when I am ready to go back to work LOL). Here are a few pictures from that.

*********************************************************

There was “trunk-or-Treat” at church, the day after Megan’s birthday. I had never experienced anything like this, but it was a lot of fun and the girls are still working on candy from the event. If you’ve never heard of such a thing... what it is, is people from the church take their vehicles (at the church) and decorate them with a theme and hand out candy from their car. So all we had to do was walk around the church parking lot like we were trick-or-treating. Like I said, lots of fun... here are a few pictures of some of the vehicles:

nativity scene

"I Love Lucy" doing Vitametavegimin :) (One of my fav's)

Mater (from the movie 'Cars') - this was one of my favorite cars

the big fish from the account of Jonah :)

*********************************************************

In November, (or slightly before) we started getting calls from the preschool that Faith went to (Head Start) that we thought Megan was going to just go to next year... Well a state budget finally passed (one of the reasons she wouldn’t have gone this year) and because most of the already four year olds had found a different preschool to attend, there was room for Megan. So In Nov, she started preschool!

Some pictures from her first day:

I did not realize till just now that she wore the same thing on the first day of Faith's school...

With Miss Dale during school

outside on the playground.

********************************************************

Over the last few months I have done some sewing beyond baby doll clothing, so here are some of my recent creations

a shirt for me (non maternity pattern, but it fits right now :))

A dress for Megan's birthday

Christmas gift for Steve's cousin

I have a few more things in the works, I just have to actually pull out the sewing machine and put it away every time I want to sew now, because where I had the machine before was where we needed to put the Christmas tree. I will gladly move stuff for that. I love our tree


...and we even have one outside with a small train village

*******************************************************

On the baby front...

I have reached 38 weeks plus... I am VERY uncomfortable! This is the longest I have ever been pregnant for... it is also the first time we have made it to the month I am due in (Faith was due in April born in March and Megan was due in Nov born in Oct)

My last couple of OB appointments have proved to be very interesting. At my 36 week apt (35w6d) they did the group B strep test that is done every pregnancy. It came back negative :). And they checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated already. The next week’s apt I was at still at 3cm 80% effaced. At my 38 week apt I was at 4cm. With Megan, at 38 weeks I was 6cm before I knew anything, and wasn’t feeling any contractions (in AZ they went ahead and induced me then). This OB has said that they don’t do anything to speed labor along till 39 weeks (I think that wold be this next apt tomorrow at 38w5d), but I am becoming very impatient. I can feel a few contractions, but I have a high pain threshold and only feel them when they are strong (they are not very painful yet though).

I did wake up this morning to what felt like menstrual cramp pain, but it was continuous and didn’t correlate to any of the contractions that I was feeling... I thought I was going to be calling the OB, but the contrax have fizzled out and I am just feeling a dull pain now... hopefully something happens really soon. Another apt is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday).

Here are a few of may last belly pictures:

30 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks

I am hoping my last one... 38 weeks

19 weeks and counting

How far along? 19weeks 1day

Total weight gain/loss: up about 12 lbs so far, as per the home, scale at night

Maternity clothes? No change..

Stretch marks? Only the ones from Faith and Megan yet.. but I have begun to lotion as often as I can remember with the “Palmer’s” stuff

Sleep: OK this week.. I have had a couple of days where my RLS has acted up and that keeps m awake

Best moment this week: Seeing the little one on the ultrasound (pictures below)

Movement: about 5 out of 7 days total. It’s so neat feeling, barely there, but definitely baby!

Food cravings: Just about anything you mention! It all sounds good! I have noticed, though, that cheese is really good and green beans are really good.. things that I can’t get too much of (at least they are not junk :))

Any mood swings? My temper fuse is really short these days.. according to some other pregnant women I have talked to, this is normal.. not something I remember form Faith and Megan though

Labor Signs: None yet! Thank the LORD!

Belly Button in or out? In, so far :) is has gotten tighter though, I have noticed (looking in the mirror) that I can’t see inside it as much as before LOL

Wedding rings on or off? No change..

What I miss: Bras that fit!

What I am looking forward to: (not pg related..) the MOPS steering team mtg this week, and the visit from the nurse through the maternity program at the OB I see. I will see her one or two more times before the baby is born and about 6 times after the baby is born. She will check the baby’s weight and make sure that baby is eating all right, things like that

Bought anything for baby? Pattern for a Boppy cover...

Weekly Wisdom: IDK...

Milestones: She can grasp this week. Research suggests that she may be able to hear voices now (she'll definitely know who her sister's are). Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Prayer Requests: energy, and less of a temper...

Some pictures (if you click on them, they will go full sized):

Yep!! It's ANOTHER girl... poor Steve

A profile view, with her arm/hand up by her face :)

A view of her feet

As of our ultrasound this week, she weighed about 9oz. Her placenta is right in the front of my belly (which means that feeling her is going to take longer and not be as hard (on the outside))... however I have felt her from the inside kicking my stomach... Everything looks good and she looks to be healthy, which is such a blessing!

17 weeks and counting

So here's a sort of weekly survey that I found (and altered a bit) to let everyone know what going on this past week in this pregnancy :)

How far along? 17weeks 2days

Total weight gain/loss: up about 7 lbs so far (though I think the Dr’s scale weighs heaver then my scale at home

Maternity clothes? Most of the time now... I do wear an occasional T-shirt if I’m not in a mood for preggo fashion. I’ve been in maternity pants since about 10 weeks. I can still wear somewhat normal PJ’s as most of them have elastic waistbands

Stretch marks? Only the ones from Faith and Megan yet...

Sleep: Good this week.. I had better knock on some wood, as they could take a turn for the not so good again any time. I have been having a glass of milk or hot coca (I know it’s summer, but it’s good) at bedtime which seems to help

Best moment this week: Watching fireworks at Lakemont with Steve and the girls and feeling the baby move while watching them.

Movement: about 5 out of 7 days total. It’s so neat feeling, barely there, but definitely baby!

Food cravings: Just about anything you mention! It all sounds good!

Any mood swings? Oh my goodness, I’ve had a couple of doozies of days this week. Total bad moods all day. Not good when I am supposed to be a happy smiley person at work!

Labor Signs: None yet! Thank the LORD!

Belly Button in or out? In, so far :) But it never did ‘pop’ out with either one of the girls

Wedding rings on or off? Still on for the most part, I think I have taken them off to sleep once so far, but it was a really hot night

What I miss: when Steve makes chili dogs, he will usually give me one :) Now he wont :(

What I am looking forward to: Appointment this week YEA! And hearing the heartbeat.. AND traveling to Rachel’s bridal shower (and no work). I am super excited to go!

Bought anything for baby? I actually bought a Boppy off of CraigsList this week... It’s blue, I’m hoping that I don’t have to make a pink cover :)

Weekly Wisdom: *warning* this is going to be a bit of a rant about my day at work yesterday (Sat)* When a pregnant woman has been standing since 9:30, in a bad mood, holding pee since about 12:30, and is jealous that everyone else got to go home early DON’T make her stay till 4:30, after she was supposed to get off at 4:00 and make her do “just one more thing” OH I WAS SO MAD!

Milestones: From Baby Center: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his/her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and s/he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. S/he can move her joints, and his/her sweat glands are starting to develop. AND according to Just Mommies: Fine hair called lanugo is starting to appear, and baby's fingerprints and toeprints are forming.

Prayer requests: If you feel so inclined to pray for us, I am going to let you in on concerns for us this week:
appointment this week, that things continue to look good;
travel mercies, that sitting that long doesn't create many problems... a few weeks back when we went to Pittsburgh, evidently I came home with a pinched nerve (all better now, but...);
good sleep