My Life the Book!

Several people have told me I need to write a book about having four boys and living with 5 guys. Oh, the testosterone!!! Maybe I should. Maybe it will start with the year plus of blogs!! I have always wanted to write a book. Hmmmmm??

How the Boys Took The News

Isaac and Bryce went (Isaac was sick today so could not go to school) with us but did not pay attention to the sonogram. We told them and Isaac was excited, since he was the only one that wanted a boy! Bryce - confused!! He keeps calling HIM Elizabeth Grace!! We keep trying to explain to him that we are having a boy and he is fine, just forgets quickly!

Caleb - WOW!! I told him when he got in the car and he yelled at me the whole way home. He kept asking why I kept having BOYS!! I told him to talk to his father about it!!

Isaac, just a few minutes ago, was sitting on the couch in a quiet living room. All of a sudden he starts singing "I am having a baby boy! I am having a baby boy!!"

Baby Boy

This is a great shot. For those who don't know what you are looking at, the side of his face is at the left hand side. He is looking up and you can see his nose, mouth, etc. His hand is at his mouth (not sure if he is sucking his thumb or just holding it there). There is one leg up and one leg down. The leg that is up, you can see his foot.

In this picture you can see his side face profile again. Along the bottom side of the baby, you can see his spine.











They said the baby looked healthy and great. Their only concern was that I was measuring 2 weeks ahead of where I should be. This could be because my uterus is stretched from having four pregnancies or because I am having a BIG baby!

My concern is that if it is because my uterus is stretched, they should have been able to pick that up on previous ultrasounds. If it is that I am having a big baby, the dr said I will probably have to deliver early (safe and healthy early!).

They are just going to have to monitor and see how things go. THe good news is that at this point there is no signs of placenta previa (which I had with Bryce).

For now - the search for that perfect boy name (that we have not already used) is on!!!

And the Search Is On...

For the perfect BOY name. That is right - we found out today that we are having boy number FOUR!!! He is healthy and everything looks good though. Hopefully he won't have some kind of complex from being called her and Elizabeth Grace all this time!!

SURPRISE!!!!!

Yeah...So I Told A Small Lie!!

I knew all along my ultrasound was today, but the only way to surprise anyone in this family sometimes is to lie. Kids - you should NEVER lie. Do what I say not what I do!!!

This way I did not "tell" anyone first so no one can be mad (although I am sure you all are mad at me for lying!!). I put it on the blog and it is whoever gets on and reads it first!

Growing Up

Here is a sign that Caleb is growing up: yesterday we went to the grocery store. I told him he could pick out whatever cake he wanted. His choice: a strawberry swirl cheesecake (which was very good).

Bryce and Food

Bryce must be going through a growth spurt, which means I am glad I have still not spent a lot on winter clothes and what I have bought (shirts anyway) I have tried to buy a little big. He will not stop eating. I am fixing to have to find a way to put up a baby gate to the kitchen (which he would probably climb over) or put a lock on the refrigerator and pantry.

He has gotten to where he can move chairs in the kitchen - silently!! Half the time you don't even know he is in there unless you walk in on him. I continuously catch him walking around with lunchmeat - not just one piece at a time though, usually 5 or more at one time. He rips into the package though, so when I go in to make a sandwich the lunchmeat is all dried out.

He has gone from one extreme - not eating - to the complete opposite - eating me out of house and home!!!

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY CALEB!!

Too Soon!

For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember that last year Isaac had a "girlfriend" named Ashley at school. Towards the end of last year, he was saying they were not friends anymore.

Earlier this year when I would go to pick up Isaac, the two of them who go huddle up and whisper something to each other and both walk away with smiles. Today, he informed me that he "loved Ashley" again.

Isn't it early for these on-again-off-again relationships?

Holiday Spirit-itis!

These days I am trying to stay busy - but not busy to the point of being worn out. Just busy to keep my mind off things! I am just itching to decorate for Christmas. I don't know if it is nesting instinct or just excited about decorating!

It started a couple of weeks ago. Last year we got all new stockings and a tree skirt that match. I was kind of upset that I would most likely not be able to find another stocking that matched what I bought last year (for the baby). I was very excited when I walked into Target right after Halloween and they were stocking Christmas. I decided to walk through, just to see what they had. Imagine my surprise when they had the stocking. So, of course, I bought it right then!

I got home and realized that I had also gotten stocking holders last year. The ones I bought are silver and spell out SANTA. I was wanting to find a silver Santa to get for the new stocking, but can't find one anywhere! I finally settled on a silver snowflake.

I know we will not have the baby here this year, but I really wanted to get the stocking while they still had it. I really like the stockings and tree skirt and would like to hang on to it for awhile.

The rest of the year is going to be crazy busy. Usually we decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I think I will start this weekend with the inside house decorations. Then when we get back into town next week we will do outside and the tree. Unfortunately, the decorations are all in tubs in the attic - which I can't get by myself in my current state! So I will have to wait until Paul gets home Saturday.

Would You Ever...

Show up on a strangers door step and ask them to start picking your children up from school?

Would you show up on a strangers door step and ask them to start picking your children up from school without even asking your name?

Anxiousness

I am getting more and more anxious about finding out the gender of the baby. I want to know so bad!! I keep trying to tell myself that as bad as I want to know, the baby will probably not cooperate. I think I am as prepared as I am ever going to be to be told that we are having another boy, but at this point, I just want to know.

I am having an even harder time sleeping. I have not been sleeping well lately because I am a stomach sleeper and, well, that is not working out! My shoulders are staying sore from sleeping on them. I have tried to sleep on my back some, which is also not recommended, but it hurts and makes me have to get up for bathroom breaks even more. Add on top of this the fact that everytime I do wake up, my mind starts wandering about the baby!!

I don't remember ever being this anxious about any of the other pregnancies!!

BIG MONEY

Bryce (remember he is only 3) has a habit of asking for "big money." If we see one of those fun charity coin collectors where you drop the money and it spins and spins until it drops in the hole, he yells "I need big money! I need big money!"

This morning he found one of their little wallets and came running in saying he needed big money for his wallet. His older brothers don't even ask like that or that often (they just ask for "stuff" instead!).

CAUTION: RANTING TO FOLLOW

I AM SO SICK OF PUSHY SOLICITORS!!

First off, I am on a NO SOLICITING LIST! No one is suppose to be coming to my door selling things. It is done through the city and is suppose to be like the Do Not Call List.

Second, DO NOT come to my door and try to pressure me to buy whatever you are selling by telling me what my neighbors bought - I DON't CARE!!

I had a guy come to my door just now selling some kind of cleaner. He told me it was so much better than Shout on clothes and that it does all of this other stuff and it is non-toxic (even drank some to proof it - NASTY). He asked what stain I have a problem getting out and I told him that Shout has always worked well for me.

He asked what my toughest cleaning problem was. I said stains in the carpet. He said show me your toughest carpet stain. Now, I don't even answer my door for these people without my phone with 911 dialed to where all I have to do is push call, so I am DEFINENTLY NOT inviting you into my house.

I told him I was not interested and he got mad "In me or in the product?" He threw me off guard at first. You are going to get mad at me because I won't invite a man more than twice my size that is a complete stranger into my house that I am alone in with my young son. My response: "Quite frankly I am not interested in you or your product." and I threw his brochure out the door as I slammed it in his face.

I am not sure if this is worse or ties with the reason I put us on the no soliciting list. I had a lady come over selling something (don't remember what!). I told her I had two kids in the bath tub and did not have time to talk. She got mad and told me I was not even old enough to have two kids and that it was too early for them to be in the bath (it was about 6:30pm). About that time, two naked boys came walking into the living room. I said I needed to get them in their pajamas and she said it was too early for them to go to bed - at which point - I SLAMMED THE DOOR IN HER FACE!!

Moral: If you are going to go to peoples doors trying to sell something - be prepared to be turned away, and don't be rude when you are turned away.

Birthday

Caleb is getting harder and harder to shop for. He is in that "between" age where he does not want toys, but he is not quite old enough or responsible enough for a lot in the electronics department, which is where he wants us to shop from! The other thing he is into is R/C cars and planes, but we have SOOOOO many R/C's in this house already I don't really have a place for anymore!

His big birthday present came in today. Daddy ordered him a digital camera with a docking station so he can easily print out his photos. Caleb has been using Daddy's 35 mm from when he was young, but he always left it laying around when he was done taking pictures. In this house if something gets left laying around, little hands get a hold of it and it is a toss-up whether it will survive.

I don't think we ever even got a chance to get a roll of film to the store to get developed. It usually got pulled out of the camera before we could finish the roll! We thought getting him a digital camera would keep that from happening again, and maybe with the case (which the 35mm did not have), docking station, etc. on top of the fact that it is HIS - he will be a little more responsible with it.

Hopefully, this will encourage him to work on his blog again, he can use all the help typing that he can get! He won't be opening that gift until Saturday because Daddy is out of town until then. He does have one other gift that he will get to open Friday.

Now for Christmas....

LoveYou Babe

While I sit here and post, my wonderful husband is SEWING! The zipper on his suitcase broke, thanks to the airlines. He refuses to use my pink and white polka dot suitcase for some reason, so he is trying to sew the zipper on his.

I just wanted to tell him thank you for all the help this weekend. He did A LOT of cleaning (including the bathroom!!!) Saturday. Then today he let me take a nap while the boys did, but when the boys got up, he took them outside so I could continue to sleep.

What a great somewhat relaxing weekend to give me before I become a single mother for a week! It will help a lot.

I love you and appreciate your help!!

Something Seriously Wrong

What kind of person craves raw potatoes over chocolate? I tried to eat a chocolate candy bar the other night and had to spit out the first bite I took. I don't like chocolate! SERIOUSLY? What is wrong with me?

Hopefully, this is yet another sign that we are having a girl. I CRAVED chocolate with the boys and with this pregnancy I want potatoes and watermelon (not necessarily at the same time). Watermelon - a bit out of season and EXPENSIVE to buy right now when you can find it!

Favorites

The baby, boy or girl, already LOVES his or her Daddy. He/she does not move a whole lot yet, but when I lay down in the evening and first thing in the morning, all Daddy has to do is put his hand on my belly and the baby starts moving like crazy. Paul has actually gotten to feel the baby a couple of times already.

What is really funny is that after the baby moves for a little while I can feel this tightening pressure on my belly under Daddy's hand and Daddy comments that my tummy has gotten really hard. It feels like a baby is snuggling into his/her Daddy's palm. T.he wierd part - he/she only does this for Daddy. I can put my hand on my belly all day and the baby does not move for me.

I am so glad that we are both already feeling him/her. I know it really makes things become real! With this pregnancy things have felt real to me since day one because of all of the morning sickness and etc., but Daddy just gets to watch Mommy sick. Now he can interact with the baby, which obviously the baby likes!

DIAPERS

Today, one of the mothers of a child at Isaac's school brought me 140 newborn diapers! They were left overs from her 2 year old that she has had sitting around and when she found out I was pregnant, gave them to me. Can't turn down FREE DIAPERS!!!

Zoo Expansion

Caleb, for his birthday (yes it is early), is expanding our zoo to include an insect portion. Paul thought he was "ready" for an ant farm. This one is cool because it is made with gel, so you don't have to feed the ants - they get all the nutrients they need from the gel. It also lights up so you can see what they are doing better. Paul gave it to him tonight so now they are going to go look for ants for it.

We will see how this goes. He does love bugs, but I have a feeling, with all the little hands in the house, we will have free-roaming ants!!