Just Over 9 Weeks from Now...

I will be a Mommy of Multiples. That means More than One Baby Born at the Same Time. I guess that technically, I am currently a Mommy of Multiples, however that is when they will make their appearence OUTSIDE of my womb.

I received the call this morning from the hospital that the c-section is scheduled for July 31 at 10 in the morning. I have to be there at 8. Good lord, they want me there early!

Honestly, based on my personal history, I really DO think I will still be pregnant that morning. The doc seems to think otherwise. So does Jason's family. I just point out that EVERY child that I have birthed has been LATE (it's a family thing obviously, my dad or brother can't tell time either) and the last four had to be kicked out! This time, the doc is going in after them! :-D

My mom is requesting the day off of work. She wants to be there, though I'm not sure WHY. It seems out of character for her. I won't tell her no. I don't know if Jason's family will come up for the day and hang out at our house and then come up to the hospital before heading south or what. James and Jayden will either be going to Linda's around week 34 (the 1st week of July) or I'll have them go around week 37 (the 3rd week of July). That way they aren't there TOO long. Week 34 will only happen if it actually looks like my body is attempting to kick the babies out on it's own before the scheduled date.

The c-section will be how the babies great the world, no matter if I go in to labor on my own (and I am still sitting here chuckling behind my hand at that notion) or it happens on schedule. Would anyone like to take bets as to whether these babies are going to stay "stuck" in until forced out or not? What would make them so different from their older sibs?

I have had some people say "Oh, they'll be BIG and that will make your body want to go in to labor". Um, I had a 10 pound baby, vaginally. It took TWO WHOLE DAYS to get him to come out. Pitocin for TWO WHOLE DAYS. And cytotec at the night of the first day, and being sent home for a day in the middle as well. He didn't want to budge. There was so much fluid that when the midwife broke my water, it came out for FIVE WHOLE MINUTES. I am not exaggerating. Trust me, this uterus is like Fort Knox. Once it's got a hold of what it is supposed to, it keeps holding on until forced to let go. Not to mention the whole "unfavorable cervix" that I have as well.

I digress, but don't I always? So the next 9 weeks will be a flurry of activity with moments of sitting here wondering what the hell is going to happen next.

We are still at the point of "almost done" with the office. Jason brought all the boxes downstairs today. He got tired of them being on the dining room table, which is where he had piled them when he was doing the majority of the painting of the room. I'm not too hard pressed to go through them right now. It will be a slow process once the babies have arrived.

I'm slowly working on getting the kids clothes reorganized. I had them completely clean out their dressers yesterday. Only to find out that they basically had nothing that fit them any more. At least nothing currently in their dressers. Their stuff is either in the dirty clothes, or doesn't exist. I went to a consignment shop and got the three younger ones about 3 outfits (shirt and shorts) a piece. I've also been doing some eBay shopping. And working ChaCha to get the money to help pay for that! Why does it seem that they always outgrow their clothes all at the same time? Couldn't they stagger it just a bit so it'd be a little friendlier on the pocket book instead of the all out onslaught all at once? I bought a couple pair of capris for Katy on eBay, and I'll pick up a couple of t-shirts. Otherwise, the majority of her purchases will have to wait until she is here. It's too hard to know what will actually fit her and what won't.

All of the clothes that no longer fit need to be cleaned, if they aren't, folded, sorted, and stored. I'm trying to organize as I store them, so that as the kids go up in size, I'll be able to look at the 30 gallon plastic tubs and read "Boys size 3T" or "Big girls size 10/12, 14/16, juniors size 1,3, S, M". It will certainly make finding the bigger size easier. James and Katy will continue to get "new" (which could mean honestly new from the store, or gently used from eBay and consignment shops) because they are the oldest of each sex. With pre-treating, bleach baths, and good storage, the clothes will easily last through 2 more kids. Being home schooled certainly has it's advantages there, little to no peer pressure to have the new and latest things! Once the twins are done with the stuff, I'll list it on eBay, take it to consignment, or find others to give it away to.

Once the clothes are clean, sorted, folded, and organized in tubs, those tubs will go to the basement. We need to start getting used to having things go down there for storage so that we can slowly clean out the storage room upstairs so that WHEN James needs it as a bedroom, it will be available. I actually need to go through there in the next few days (while it's reasonably cool outside) and pull out clothes (yes MORE). I'm rather certain I have things in there that will fit Jayden now (left over from Katy) and quite possibly have some stuff left over from James. I used to give all of James' clothes to my nephew Allen. I stopped that when both boys ended up in the same size at the same time. I'm not sure why I stopped sending along Jayden's clothes to Jessi, but it was at around size 4. So until then, Abbey will be getting new clothes of her own.

Thankfully, the twins will be fully clothed for the first 3-4 months of their lives. I have a few newborn size outfits, and plenty of 0-3, 3-6, and 6-9 month stuff. The 3-6 stuff is late summer (which can still be pretty warm here) and early fall clothes and the 6-9 is definately more for late fall and winter use.

I guess the only things we really need to be ready when they come home are the boucy seats and a Boppy Pillow, that is aside from stocking up on diapers, wipes, bottles, and liners. We even have a HUGE bottle of laundry soap, and I know I have a box of unscented dryer sheets upstairs in the storage room. I wasn't planning on getting a Boppy Pillow, but I decided that it would earn it's keep and be rather handy while trying to feed both babies at the same time.

I do have more pics to post. I still haven't gotten the ones up from Easter. We went to my mom's for Memorial Day and we have pics of the kids playing there. I also have some from playing outside in the sprinkler yesterday. Of coarse it started raining shortly after we put it out. I knew that rain was in the forecast, I just didn't realize that all it took was the sprinkler to bring it on! If I had known that, I would have done it earlier in the because it was HUMID. It's still too early in the season to put in the a/c units. The nights are staying too cool for it. I'm thinking the last week of June/first week of July Jason will be bringing those up from the basement.

We are still trying to figure out what to do about the windows upstairs. I need to find some bars for the windows, affordable ones. Izzy loves to push the screens out so he can then throw anything he can get his hands on out the window as well. Obviously, that is NOT OK. There is a serious risk of him falling out of the window. I'd like to get 2 smaller a/c units and put them downstairs and take one of our bigger ones and put it upstairs. That would eliminate the need to have the windows open, but only while it was HOT out. For times like this, I don't know. Izzy pushes the screens out downstairs too. It looks like the toy boxes puked out of our windows and front door. We are at a loss as to how to keep him from partaking in this VERY annoying habit. I had one person suggest taking his toys away. That doesn't work! He throws out whatever is closest. If the hole isn't big enough, he makes it BIGGER so what he has will fit! Unfortunately, locking him in the closet or covering him with duct tape is not a viable option. :-P

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I'm going to try to sleep on the couch tonight. I just have not been able to comfortable in bed. Jason makes a great pillow, but he keeps moving around, which I understand. Propping myself up on blankets and pillows only does so much to help. I end up waking up every couple of hours and then taking a while to fall back asleep. It is annoying to say the least.

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hopw that your week is uneventful!

Ooh, What Pretty Flowers!

I KNOW I'm a dork because I always post pics of the flowers that I grow. Jason doesn't understand why I bust my butt to grow them and why I'm so disappointed when they don't grow. I have finally found a way to tell him why. Simply put, he collects coins. I don't know why, I don't understand it, but it's what he likes. It's the same thing with my growing things. That's our compromise.

So now I'm sharing my pretty things with you. We didn't do a veggie garden this year. I'm having a hard time just getting the flowers in. It's hard to dig in the ground and be focused on that while a certain rambunctious 3 year old is ALSO outside. Thankfully Katy Beth is here this weekend so she is earning computer time by minding that 3 year old while I dig and plant. Jason has Tuesday and Wednesday off this week, so I'll be able to get stuff accomplished on those days as well.

These are my first irises. Is that even spelled correctly? What is the plural of iris? Ah, it doesn't matter that much. These are from the bulbs my dad gave me when we moved in 2 years ago. They didn't bloom last year, though they did get leaves. I also have lillies that are getting ready to bloom. I don't remember what KIND of lillies they are however. I suppose I'll figure that out when they show themselves! I like that these irises are yellow and white and not the "usual" purple that a lot of people have. I do believe they are called "Dutch Iris" and why my dad got them for me, us being of strong dutch decent and all of that.

Another note before the flower pics. I dug up my lilacs, roots and all. They weren't sprouting any leaves. However, it DOES look like they were trying to get new root sprouts, so I brought them inside, plunked them in a vase of water. It's been a couple of days and I'm seeing root sprouts on at least one of them! I may have viable lilacs next spring! WhooHoo!

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hope your days are filled with lots of beautiful things as well.

Doctor Appointment

Well, I met with a different doc. He'll be the one to do the c-section, at least the SCHEDULED one. He doesn't think I'll make it much beyond 36 weeks, though I have to wonder. I've read where LOTS of mommies that are pregnant with twins have made it WELL past 36 weeks. So we'll see.

The c-section is tenatively scheduled for the 31st of July. That should tickle my mom's fancy. That is my grandpa's birthday, the same grandpa that I happen to be naming Jack after. That is pretty much exactly 10 weeks from now. Am I ready? Um, yes and no. We have stuff for the babies. If they were born tomorrow and could come home the same day, we'd be o.k. The room isn't finished painting yet. All of their clothes need to be washed. We do have the 2 car seats. I haven't picked up the bouncy seats yet. It seemed like my sister was wanting to do that, though I'm not sure. So I have to figure out a nice way to ask her if she is going to, without sounding like it is what I'm expecting. Honestly, I'd rather do it myself.

The babies are growing like weeds. Doctor Rodriguez thinks that the babies will just keep growing at the pace they are now. Abbey is 2 pounds 15 oz and Jack is 3 pounds 2 oz. They are also each measuring a couple of days ahead, which is fine, especially considering they'll be born before 40 weeks. They are also both breech now, and it seems as though they both have the cord wrapped around their necks. Both good reasons for a c-section. The doctor was also concerned that IF they both went head down, and I were to be induced, with the combination of the two of them and how big they'll be, there is a great risk for uterine rupture. He agrees with me in saying that they will come out somewhere between 6 and 7 pounds each. He said it wouldn't surprise him if they weighed AT LEAST 7 (meaning possibly a little more) when they are born, if they make it to 38 weeks. That would be at least 14 pounds of baby alone, not to mention the weight of all the fluid and placentas. That would be a great deal of stress on my uterus and why he thinks my uterus will go on strike somewhere between 35 and 36 weeks. He said I'll be one of those women who stands up and I'll have fluid running down my leg and show up in the hospital with a towel between my legs trying to maintain the mess!

Because of the babies being breech (and it seems they may not turn back around because they are running out of room, right now, it's like ONE full term baby is in there), the cords around their necks, and the possibility of them getting TOO big, once I am 32 weeks along (my birthday ironically, I'll be 32 weeks on my 32nd birthday), I get to start going in weekly for check up appointments. He wants me to have scans twice a week, but he didn't write it out like that, and if it becomes a necessity, I'm sure it can be corrected. Does anyone have a cot I can borrow to just set up in the lobby? I DO find it amusing that a concern is for the babies to be too BIG, usually the concern is just the opposite with having them too SMALL and being born too early.

I like this doctor MUCH better than the one I saw the first time. He is very personable and humorous. He was shocked that I don't want anything done to my tubes even though he'll have me all cut open anyway. Both Jason and I agree that HE will be doing the permanent solution. Which is going to have to be rescheduled, because it is currently scheduled for when I am 36 weeks a 2 days. With it being a free procedure (I'll explain how in a minute) it makes sense for him to have it done. I've spoken with many many women who have had tubals done in some form and they have ALL had some kind of issues with it. Some as minor as just feeling a pain there once a month when the body tries to ovulate to having their entire cycles thrown out of whack. That is something I just don't want to go through. The procedure for Jason is free because he is going through Planned Parenthood to have it done. They do a sliding scale fee, based on your income and family size. Apparently they deem that he really should have it done (hehe) and we really can't afford it, or something like that. He's going to reschedule it for some time in August considering we KNOW the babies will be here in July.

I need to get a hold of Linda, the kids' grandma, and find out what she would like to do. I don't want to send them to her when I hit 35 weeks and then the babies not come until the scheduled date of the section. I know I won't be able to take them to her. There is NO way I could get approval from the doc to do that! I know I'll be pushing it to bring Katy Beth home the first week of July. I'll make sure to have Jason with me on that trip, just to be on the safe side. Now that Jason is working, I really think we'll be able to pay for the tickets for Linda to come get the kids, but I'm not sure WHEN she would want to do that.

I also need to make sure that I have some rather local people available to take care of the kids until Audra (and I'm assuming his mom and possibly the male members of the family as well) can get here. I have people lined up for at night, but not during the day. I'll figure it out. I have some family I can ask. I need the back up, just in case it goes as the doc says it will, and I go earlier than planned.

I suppose that is all for now. I have people asking for belly pics, so I asked Jason if he could do some, maybe while we are at my mom's on Monday. I hope everyone has a nice, calm, and uneventful holiday weekend. Prayers and blessings!

Jason Got a Job!

It really isn't much, but in this economy, it's better than nothing, which is what we were working with! He started at Wal-Mart today. He's working at a different one than I did. He'll be working in the pet/paper goods/chemicals dept. With the way this store is set up (it's not a super center yet, though they are going to expand) they are all in the same area. It's part time and minimum wage, but it's a job. He'll also be able to keep part of his unemployment, thankfully, so that will REALLY help make ends meet! Oh, and I get a discount card again, woohoo!!! Trust me, while 10% may not seem like much, when feeding and clothing a family of 8 (which is what we basically are now, even before the twins are born) it will help SO much!

We got a new computer. We TOTALLY fried our cpu in the old one. I need to make sure I'm taking the side off the new one about once a month and taking the Can O Air (hehe, reminds me of "Spaceballs") to it. We also moved it to across the room so it isn't directly in front of a heating vent, so that should help keep the dust intake down as well.

We don't have all the pics and stuff installed on the new system, so it'll be a bit before I can do some catchup posts that way. I have stuff from Easter, the last time Katy visited, my sister's wedding, things like that that I want to put up. So keep your eye out for those, I'll be postdating them, but I'll put a blurb in about them so you know to go looking!

I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow. I meet with a "real" doc on Friday. I'm going to talk to him about scheduling a c-section. I think with the difficulties I have with going in to labor (it took 2 days to get Izzy to come out and he was born at almost 42 weeks exactly!) and the fact that they'll only induce if both babies are head down, I really think a c-section would be the best way to go about the delivery of these babies. I'll be asking about scheduling a c-section.

Other than all of that, life goes on like normal around here. Prayers and blessings everyone, I hope your week is rather uneventful, at least in a negative way.

I'm not dead, but my comp is

That basically sums it up right there. I was using it last Friday and the comp went in to sleep mode or something. It became VERY nonoperational. It is at my bro's house right now, who happened to build it for me, and he said that hopefully he will know what is wrong with it no later than Friday, possibly tomorrow. Then I get to figure out how to pay to fix what is wrong. Let's hope it's nothing too serious!

Prayers and blessings everyone, I hope all of the stuff you need to run your day to day lives stays up and running!

From a Crying Diva

"What did I do wrong?"
"You are crying and blubbering and carrying on over tied strings on your dress. It's ridiculous and you need to stop. Is it really that important?"
"Mmmmhmmmmm" (wah wah cry blubber)
"Will the world stop turning because your strings are tied?"
"Mmmmmhmmmm" (wah wah cry blubber whine blubber tear tear)
"Really? The WORLD WILL STOP TURNING?"
"yeaaaaahhhhhuuuuussssssss" (wah cry blubber whine cry tear tear blubber sniff sniff)
"Uh yeah"