a rambling appt update and other stuff too

I had an appointment and ultrasound this morning. I have an appointment on Friday morning too, but it's more of a formality and meeting with one of the many docs more than anything else.

My weight was 296 so up one pound. That's 5 pounds total gained from my initial weight at 291 at 9 weeks. At that point my home scale said 286, which is what I was before becoming pregnant so I'm equating a 5 pound difference between home and doc office. They took my blood sugar, so they have a base level. The appointment was the MFM side of things and they like to have at least ONE on record. My blood pressure was high at 136/88, but it was also one of those automatic things (which recorded high last week too) and those seem to always come out higher than having a person do it. I think it's a little elevated, but it's also hot and muggy here, so retaining water and the headaches are part and parcel of that. I measured at 44 today. 3 weeks ago it was 38. I forgot to ask this past Friday what I was.

Both babies are currently head down and it seems like they are back to back. Jack's head is in my pelvis where it "should" be and Abbey is trying to edge him out, though she is up a bit higher. That certainly explains the recent increase in pelvic pain and pressure! For at least the last week I've had horrid pain my hips and it has felt like someone was driving their head between my hips and pelvis and shoving them apart. Now I understand it is actually SOMEONES and they are both doing it! They may or may not stay both head down. I need to ask on Friday if they'll do an ultrasound if/when I go in in labor to find out where the babies are laying.

Jack's kidney is fine. The dilation is right at where they worry about it being an issue, and it may in fact be a little smaller because he kept moving they weren't able to get a really good look at it. They want me to do kick counts, but it seems like a joke. How do I keep track of which baby is kicking, especially when they are both in what seems to be CONSTANT motion? Jack is weighing in at 4 pounds and Abbey is 4 pounds and 13 oz. I asked about the size difference, especially considering that up until now they have been really close together, and they are still within a close distance so I'm told that there is no worry there. I had to schedule an appt to go back in 4 weeks and have the babies measured again, however there is high doubt that I will still be pregnant then, so I just had her put me on the schedule for whenever and if it looks like I may make it that point, I'll reschedule it because it is currently set for 7:40 in the morning. Yeah right, I already know there is no way I'd make it to that appointment, not that early in the morning!

I'm going to pick up evening primrose oil and start taking that tonight. I'll start doing the vaginal suppositories next week once I hit 34 weeks. It has the added benefit that it helps stabilize my mood so I get that along with softening the very stubborn cervix. With both babies being head down, it'd be a midwife that delivers if I were to go in to active labor on my own. When I asked a couple months ago, I was told it'd be a midwife checking on me the entire time I was in labor anyway and the doc would only make an appearence once I was moved to the O.R. for the delivery and to "catch", which is something I'm very ok with. Now the trick is for my cervix to actually cooperate and open on it's own and put me in to labor. The contractions my body can do, it seems the cervix is the stubborn part of the equation. Once I get to 34 weeks they won't try to stop any labor and once the cervix gets to 4 cm they would keep me as being in active labor and delivering soon.

I reserved and paid for the kids' train tickets to Wisconsin today. They'll be gone from July 7th to August 4th. The come back date can be changed to a later date if we really need to because the babies are born much later (actually making it to July 31st or there abouts) than what the current thinking is. Honestly it'll be nice to have them gone for that long. It will give me one on one time with Izzy. Also things will be a bit more relaxed and less stressful, at least until the babies are born.

We are doing the final prep stuff to get ready. Jason has the next 3 days off (he had today off as well) so we are going to be focusing on getting our regular laundry caught up (so I can start organizing and getting the kids packed up) as well as getting the newborn and 0-3 month clothes and the baby bedding all washed up. On the agenda as well is getting the last bit of the office reorganized and getting one of the moses basket stands (we only have one, the coffee table will work very well as the other) up and reinforced (it's just 2 bars, one at each end of the basket right now, and are not comfortable with it like that). We need to try out where we are going to put the infant seats in the van. I'm thinking the far back and they can go in and out over the top of the back seat, but we'll see how that works. We'll get those installed once the older kids are gone and we no longer need those seats for them. I would like to sew another moses basket cover (the current 2nd one is fleece and I think it will be much too hot) but I don't know if that will get done or not.

The heat is really killing me, but we'll make it work. I need to pick up some box fans for the upstairs. We are on putting ceiling fans in up there, but right now, we have our focus elsewhere. I would like to get those in before the kids come back, or shortly after that. 2 of the lights up there stopped working anyway and they have to be replaced, so we are just going to buy fan/light combos. We know that having those in the 3 main rooms (boys room, girls room, play room) will really help with the air flow and keeping things cooler up there. Shoving box fans in the windows will help as well. They'll bring in the cooler night air and have the added benefit of keeping Izzy from pushing stuff out of the windows.

I'm thinking that is all for now, I'm going to go veg in front of an A/C unit until it's well after dark and then head to Walmart to pick up some much needed stuff, like stuff for my hospital bag that I need. I told the kids I'd make smoothies at 9, and it's almost then, so that MUST get done.

On a side note, no we haven't done the maternity pics yet. We were both just too wiped out after Jason's folks left last friday to do them. We waited until the last minute when I was pregnant with Izzy (it was just over 41 weeks when we did them).Considering Jason has the next few days off so they WILL get done. It'll give him a reason to hide in the cool basement setting stuff up during the day so once the kids go to bed we can do them.

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hope your weeks are as mundane and rather same old as mine seems to be. Try to stay cool in this heat.

Technically the 18th...

Well, it's now technically August 18th. The day I set upon myself to change some serious habits. To try to make life around here a little smoother, a little nicer, a little healthier (at least for myself on that last one). I'm still on Sunday, however as it is now Monday, I'll refer to today (Sunday) as yesterday, kosher?

I asked Jason what his priorities in my trying were. What it is he'd like to see me do in a list, a chore chart. I made a list. A list that I'm going to convert in to an actual chore chart. With designated days of the week and everything. I'll also be making charts for the kids. They need to help too. It can't be just me or just Jason. It really needs to be all of us, even Katy when she is here.

Here's my list:
Kid's bath cleaned up - take care of the cats (litter, food, water) and pick up toys in bathroom
Dishes - stacked, scraped, neat
Laundry - washed, dried, folded, put away
Meals - planned, cooked, served
Playroom and Upstairs Bedrooms - picked up, dirty clothes brought down, beds neatened
Pick up after ourselves - trash, mail, toys, dishes, food
Dining/Living Rooms and Downstairs Bath - picked up, wiped down
Kitchen - clean up, wipe down stove, counters, microwave, sweep, mop up floor
Office and Downstairs Bedroom - pick up, reorganize
Table, Chairs, Couches, Floors, and Windows - wipe down and vacuum as needed
Water and Weed Garden areas - as needed
Lesson Plan for next day
Exercise
Storage Room - organize and sort
EBay/Work at Home option/Wal-Mart work
Personal Projects
Family Time
Computer Time

Ah yes, my computer time comes in dead last. It really does need to. I'd like to get a work at home job that will really replace the Wal-Mart income. I'd like to always be able to be home, to cook at least, if not for all the other good reasons. Anyone have anything where they make a decent amount of consistent income while being at home?

Obviously, not all of those things will be done every day. They'll be split up a bit. Jason said it wasn't so much the washing of dishes he wanted done, just trying to get myself and the kids to keep them a little more organized. Plates and bowls stacked. Everything scraped out. Keeping them as neat as possible, so even the dirty dishes don't look like such a mess.

I may move the exercise up further on to the list, or have it on the chart 5 days a week. Planning the meals will help also. I'd like to be able to get to the point of doing a whole week at a time. That way, on the days I do work, Jason will be able to take a look, get what is needed for the meal (if I haven't made it in advance), and put it all together. I would like to have more stuff set up in the freezer, just pull it out and heat it, however we need a 2nd freezer really to do that for the family our size.

Reorganization is going to be a big thing around here. What do we need? What can be tossed? What can be sold? What can be donated? By reorganizing, it will help keep things picked up and neater.

I will be doing more follow through with the kids. I can't tell them to go do something and then not check up on them and then be angry when it's not done. They are kids, they need supervision and direction. How are they to learn the correct (read MY way) if I'm not there with them, showing them, teaching them?

This week I will be caring for my neice and nephew as well as my kids. Allen and Jessi will be here because my brother is starting a new job, and his training is taking place during the day. From what I understand, on normal occassions, he will be working evenings. So this week will be a little more hectic than usual, but I'm sure we'll all do fine.

That's all for now, it's almost 2:30 in the morning and I really need to head to bed. Jack will be here around 9:30 with the kids. I hope the migraine leaves me as I'm sleeping tonight, or I'll be a grouch tomorrow morning. Prayers and Blessings.