Arkansas and beyond

So, we're in Sams in Rapid City yesterday on our last leg of the trip home from Arkansas when Kaden just randomly walks up to the older lady serving samples and says "Last night I threw up in my bed." She was a little taken aback. He never even realized she was serving FOOD (if you know Kaden, that's amazing) No, he was too focused on the fact that he was telling her about throwing up in his bed last night (which was actually at least 2 weeks ago.) I don't know what brought it to his head. I did make him tell her that it was a long time ago and he was better now. She seemed to feel better after that. (Get this sick kid out of here!)

I asked him what his favorite part of the trip was. "Playing trains in the car." Really, kid? Really?? I'm deciding to believe that he thinks "trip" means only the car part. Surely his favorite part of the last 10 days was NOT the car. Or maybe it was and he had a better time than all of us.

It was a great trip! We left early on Friday the 16th. I don't even remember what time. All I remember is getting up and being so tired. I went to take a shower but first got on the scale... I saw 69.2lbs but read it as 169.2. I FREAKED. Oh my word. I mean, I knew I was pregnant and all, but it would be unhealthy to gain that much weight in the ENTIRE pregnancy, much less the first 15 weeks. I got on the scale. Off. Back on. Off.. back on. Finally realized there was no 1. And also put it together that I did NOT weigh only 69.2lbs. WHEW. I got in the shower and made a new rule that I am not allowed on the scale before a reasonable hour in the morning. Also, a mental note to get a new battery.
Anyway, back to the trip. With losing an hour through South Dakota, and eating lunch and dinner in parks along the way, we arrived in Omaha at some friends' house around 7pm. The next day felt longer but was actually like 120 miles shorter... and we made it their around 5pm (if i remember right)
During the stay we shopped, visited with old college friends, made a lot of food, saw a lot of pretty nature including Lost Valley and the hike there, and I got sick. Yep. I have never been able to visit this group of people without being sick at some point. This makes the 4th time... I'm not sure I want to see them again! (kidding!) At first I thought it was just pregnancy, but the longer it went on and the worse it got I realized, nope, I'm sick. I kept taking my nausea pills, which just changed the "bad" I felt. We didn't know if we'd be able to leave on Friday like we planned, but I bucked up and packed up and we left. Miserable car ride. By the end of that day I was pretty much over the sick part, but still felt terrible from the remaining heartburn, and side affects thanks to pregnancy. Poor Luke had to deal with me sick and the kids and drive the whole time...
Saturday we spent the day with yet another college friend. We visited Grace to see all the changes, and basically just hung out since between us there was almost always one kid napping! It was so fun to catch up with old friends and remember life before. (Was there life before kids?) We left around 4:30pm to head to Mitchel SD. I had really wanted to stop at Fazoli's but after being so sick and still feeling somewhat horrible I decided not to bother. That means on this whole trip I made it to Sonic once (on the day i was sick, and didn't drink it all, or even enjoy any of it) and didn't make it to Fazolis. I don't feel as let down as I would have thought if you'd warned me I wouldn't make it.

We're home now. We got home Sunday around 2pm. Unpacked. Put away Sams food. Made dinner, and went to the church business meeting, and I was in bed at like 8:15 (keep in mind it was 9:15pm where I came from!) I was so tired. It was a good trip, but it's always good to be home. Even if there are piles and piles of laundry.

Oh did I mention it poured rain? Most of the time we were there. Oh no, not while we were driving, no, then it was sunny and HOT. It rained while we were there...while back home it was like 73. Hows that for backwards. We commented on the way home how it was weird that in the entire 10 day trip we had not seen ANY snow. Not even a little. We couldn't have planned better for March in our end of the country... Arkansas, however, could have held off on the rain.

Kaden started the vacation with antibiotics for a double ear infection. Having never had one (that I knew of) I didn't realize with ear infections came the possibility of hearing loss. Let's just say for a day or 2 we just thought he was being REALLY rebellious, until we realized he wasn't hearing well. It was amazing how quiet and timid he seemed because of it. We figured out it was because he wasn't hearing almost any of the conversation so he just sat there, lost in his own world. People commented on how he didn't seem as outgoing as we always say he is. Yes, by about day 5 he was back to hearing, and back to his normal talkative, inquisitive self. It was SO sad to see him not hearing.

So there's the nutshell of our vacation. It was affordable and fun...and maybe someday we'll feel like we can afford a cruise or true vacation spot. For now, we'll enjoy what we're doing. Afterall, the grass is always greener where you water it. Oh and I have to mention how WELL Kaden and Kate did in the car. There was virtually no crying (altho, i do remember about 20 minutes from Kate at one point...other than that it was just momentary needs...the crying was easy to end...) They did so well. They never complained or fought getting in the car...and they were mostly nice to each other and me.

Now begins the craziness that is our week. Today I begin physical therapy for my hip/tailbone/who knows what it is pain. I have to miss my Bible Study which just makes me grumpy. Then I need to go to Walmart and have a veggie tray made for a girls night with some friends. We're doing a mystery murder dinner party. It will be fun, even if i do have to dress like a man soccer player (with a pregnant belly?). Not the point. That party's at 6pm. Somewhere in there I am meeting with a lady from church to finalize plans for the Progressive Dinner we're planning for the young couples at church. Oh, and hopefully I'll have a new phone???

Tomorrow I have Roslyn for 6 hours and Bible Study, and hopefully I can be caught up on laundry and make a lasagna for this weekend;s Progressive dinner. That's when i need to do all my little chores, like paying bills, taking care of the pile of mail, and catching up on the phone calls I need to make.

Wednesday I have a playdate/bible study for most of the morning, model ultrasound for the Women's resource center, and dinner by 5pm so we can get the boy to AWANA on time. Maybe during Awana I can get my Walmart shopping done.

Thursday I have Roslyn again for 6 hours and hopefully somewhat of a down day. As down as it can be with an extra kid who crawls now....

Friday is usually my down day, but between the birthday party Kaden is invited to (at these ages, it's moms and siblings too) and getting ready for the Progressive Dinner and Craft Day I think I'll be pretty busy.

Saturday is Craft Day, which I lead at our church, from 9-4pm. Then the Progressive Dinner is sometime that evening (is it bad that I don't know the time?) and we have some friends moving to town, so we'll drop whatever and go help them unpack when we can (which might mean i skip on the dinner, or have kids at craft day!). I'd also like to have prepped a meal so we can have those friends over for dinner a couple times this week as they settle in.

I just hope no one else gets sick... not this week!

i had my second OB appointment today. The dreaded one. (Can I get an AMEN from my mom friends?!) The fun part was I got to have another ultrasound! It is absolutely awe-inspiring (breath-taking, unbelievable, and amazing) how these little babies grow inside us. At my 9(ish) week ultrasound it looked like an oversized lima bean. This is what I'm used to seeing since I've had ultrasounds with each child around 8-9weeks. I hadn't realized I've never had an unltrasound between 9 and 20 weeks...so seeing it at 13 weeks (just THREE weeks later!) how much "it" changed! It looks just like a 20 week baby only miniature! SO adorable. I mean...how cute can you get? At one point the baby put his/her feet toward the monitor so I have the most darling little ultrasound picture of just these teeny tiny footprints. TELL ME AGAIN why we don't save all these babies from the monsters that kill them? Tell me why we don't punish people for even suggesting we kill our precious babies. (end rant) anyway. it was just so amazing and fun. Another memorable moment was when the baby put his/her arm up by his (I'm just gonna call it a him for this post) head and i could see the arm and hand by his head. I truly enjoyed the moments seeing my baby today. I feel so blessed. and SO happy.

"His" heartbeat was down at 152. Now "they say" (who knows who "they" is anyway?) that a high heartbeat is a boy and a low heartbeat is a girl. My Kaden-boy had a low heartbeat and I was always told he must be a SHE... Katelyn-girl always had a high heartbeat and i always was told She must be a "he". So, based on that, we're going with boy this time around. He looked perfect. I still have the cyst, and it has not reduced in size, but it also has not grown in size, so that is a major praise!

The doctor referred me to physical therapy for the "golf ball in my back/tailbone that becomes a tennis ball during pregnancy" (my explanation, not hers). She was amazed that I've had this problem since getting pregnant with Kaden and am just now saying it affects my life. I figure as long as I can manage I'm good...when I stopped being able to bend over to pick up my shampoo...i knew there was more of a problem. She feels I need to do some PT to find the problem, maybe even fix it, so that when I'm 9 months pregnant I won't be bedridden. i think I agree.

I also found out that after my 20 week ultrasound (the infamous BOY or GIRL ultrasound!) I need to have one at 27, 32, and 37 weeks. This is because when I had Kate she had been losing weight and my amniotic fluids were consistantly low and lowering. As in, I measured 3 inches small kind of low. SO, apparently that becomes more common if that has been a problem before. She basically told me not to expect to make it to my due date, and if I did, probably not past. I didn't know whether I should smile right then...but, sometimes it's just nice to hear that you might not have to endure being "late". Today's due date was Sept 12, by the way. I'm not sure what they are officially going with...I've heard the 10th, 14th and now 12th. So I might just stick with the 12th??

I think that's the highlights of my appointment! Next one is just the doplar and measurements (and the dreaded scale) so I'm considering taking Kaden..I wish I'd taken him today to see the baby on ultrasound, but I guess we will have plenty of oppurtunity for that!!!

Kiddos

Lately Kate has been learning at warp speeds. I don't know how to handle it! The other day (like 2 weeks ago) she started insisting that she sit on the potty...all.the.time. It was actually just purely annoying. So I thought, "Can't beat 'em? Join 'em." So, we taught her to go potty while she sat on the toilet. And...here we are 2 weeks later, after having BARELY potty trained (mostly she's just taught herself) and she's dry all day. She only uses a diaper at naps and night. I'm impressed. I'm relieved...I mean, how easy was that? I remember saying that about Kaden... I firmly believe in the "they'll let you know when they're ready" thing.
Some new words in the last month:
cheese- EEESE
Please- EESHZE
My Turn- Dah Doo (while patting her chest with her hand)
Meh Meh - No NO (While pointing to her diaper... sometimes it comes out Mo Mo)
Dog - Daahh
Dad - Dada
Kaden: Day doo
She also has started to make a dog sound, duck sound, and a few more animal sounds. She's quite fond of all D words.

It's so crazy to talk about my almost 2 year old this way. So crazy different. She is soooo smart just like her brother, but they are totally different in how they display their brilliance. She just knows how to do things. No explanation required. Puzzle? easy. Spoon and Fork? Mastered in seconds. She can already put on her shoes and if you let her, her pants (normally backwords.) These are things I had to force her brother to do, at a much older age.

Kids are just sooo different. and so precious. And so, so, so wonderful.

Kadenisms: (I couldn't make these up, people!)

on the way home from walmart, Kaden from the back seat: Oh no! Where did I drop that booger?

I asked Kaden what he liked about AWANA. Number 1 on the list was: snacks 2: craft time 3: surprise box. So i asked what he didn't like: That they don't have trains. (surprise!)

Kaden: "Mom, would you go down and get my green blanket from downstairs? I unheld it."
Mom: "You 'unheld' it? So it's downstairs? I don't think I understand what you mean."
Kaden: "MOM....UNHELD means to DROP something."

Kaden usually offers to lick me after he kisses my cheek. I always respond "no thanks". Today:
Kaden (after a kiss on my cheek): Do you want me to lick you, mom?
Mom : No thanks... I don't need licked.
Kaden: Because your not a lollipop?
(that's one reason, I suppose...)

Kaden was "reading" the 3 little pigs to me. I asked him which house he would build: straw, stick, or brick? He said "I'd build straw, because we don't have BIG BAD WOLVES in Gillette" LOL. logical.

Kaden was helping stir the sloppy joe meat.
Mom: Make sure not to touch the pan, ok?
K: Ok mom. But if I do, I'll just wipe it on my shirt.
so then dad explains that the reason is that he could get burned.
K: It's ok if I get burned. it will be fine.

kaden: mom why are you looking at these pictures?
Mom: they are of mommy's friends. do you want to look at pictures of you now? (normally an instant yes)
Kaden: no, i just want to look at pictures of trains.

Kaden's newest love is the game Memory. We have one that has 3 levels of difficulty. He is now on level 2. It is just adding more cards. He loves it. And he is SO good at it. Of course, it is a THomas the train game, so he loves that too. He has to make sure I know what each engine's name is as we flip them over.

He also loves to cook with me. He's always wanted to, but lately he can actually do it without spilling everything or trying to touch something hot. He thinks its the best thing ever.

It's March 1. We just sent this picture to my families this week. It should arrive at my parents and Luke's parents today and the rest of the family tomorrow. I'm SO nervous! It's weird. Why be nervous? I had no idea I'd be nervous. It's like... just waiting for reactions..and wondering who's going to be THRILLED? who's going to be so mad that we waited this long to tell? who's going to be speechless?... will they all call? Did i have the addresses all right? Oh I hope so.



I mean, it's not like we ever acted like we wanted another kid. We (that's a she-we, I'm not sure this actually applies to Luke) even lied straight out sometimes. Partly because we weren't sure if we actually were going to have a third (why get hopes up?) partly because it's our business (might as well make it surprise!). Anyway... yah.

This is the other pic we sent to just our parents. I just love it. I wish it showed up better. Let's just say Kate was NOT cooperating, and it actually made for a cute progression of pictures. And, in it's own way, makes us wonder what we were thinking.

By the time I post this it will be old news that we are pregnant. I just wrote it today because I wanted to remember how I felt when I sent the pics. US mail has never seemed so slow!

I thought my parents might get it yesterday (some things go overnight to them, you never know). Then my mom started talking to me on facebook and I realized she had no clue. I had about a 45 minute chat with her...the whole time thinking, she's going to know tomorrow. Will she know that's all I was thinking?

I can't believe I've kept quiet for 2 months. Not a peep. I think my belly has given me away more than my mouth. And Kaden's kept quiet. It's like he has no clue the importance of what he knows. He just knows it...and I think he assumes everyone else knows to. No big deal. Altho, one time he almost told my mom that daddy had been cooking dinner lately. That might have been a HUGE give-away!

so, this is goodbye until I post this...whenever that day comes.

just a few of my thoughts this morning.

the randomness in my head: (a truly one thought in one hundred post.)

today 2 duplo blocks made it through the washer AND dryer cyle. They are clean though.

When Kaden says "sorry" to Kate, she cannot accept it without a hug. She will chase him down... (future reference for a VERY future hubby)

When I wash a load of jeans at least 1 pair of Kaden's underwear turn up. Today it was 3 pairs. I should check his jeans...

Kaden hates orange juice. it is the weirdest thing.

I cannot work well without my contacts in. No contacts = lazy. Is everyone with contacts (and fairly decent vision without them) that way?

one of those days...

You know those days when your kids fight all day inspite of all your efforts to maintain peace? Outside time (WITH Mom), trip to the library, suckers...etc.

And you don't really feel good, but why bother telling anyone that?

Then it also happens to be the day you babysit an extra kid for 6 hours.

Also, your not-yet-two-year-old has decided to potty train, so you're on your toes about that, also cleaning up after that...

Then you remember that your hubby isn't gonna be home tonight to take over and do baths/bedtime...

and then you can't find those IMPORTANT papers and search everywhere. (and i mean EVERYWHERE.)

It just seems like the perfect ending to that day would be to FIND THE PAPERS.

Well, it was that day. The kids are in bed now. The house is a disaster since I didn't feel like fighting them with the clean-up routine...the bath is drained but the bath toys are there, ready to surprise the first person in the morning... the kitchen is a wreck because for some reason i decided to make a dinner that required no fewer than FIVE pans at one time. And I still can't find those papers.

I JUST WANNA FIND THEM!!

(ok, getting over it.)

I'm so thankful for my two healthy little rascals...and all the "stuff" we are blessed with (even when I can't find said "stuff") and for a hubby that's almost always home to help in the evening, and for the ability to cook... and for the dishwasher that's running... and for the kids bedtime. Today I'm really thankful for that.

Some of what I never said...

I know I'm pregnant when: (first trimester)

I cut/color my hair totally different than ever before.
Baths are preferred to showers...every time.
I can go to bed at 7pm (6pm if I'm totally honest) and sleep all night. And take naps everyday.
I can't handle anything that remotely resembles ground beef or the smell thereof.
The golf ball that lives in my tailbone grows to the size of a tennis ball, and hurts worse too.
I can no longer drink my diet soda. or any soda...except on random days.
I eat more than 1 serving of pepperoni per week. (Ok, per day sometimes.)

The different: (as opposed to pregnancies with Kaden and Kate)
I can eat eggs! I can even FRY eggs. I can fry an egg AND eat it. Without throwing up. In fact, without FEELING like I'm going to throw up. Weird. I don't know what it means. I mean, if I had 2 boys I'd be sooo sure this was a girl. But I have a girl and a boy... so... what am I having? a boy or a girl..that apparently is ok with eggs.
I can get up out of bed without eating! This is exciting to me. Eating in bed is just ...kind of gross. Especially day after day. I love that I can get up without puking. love.love.love.
Tums is my new best friend. The kind of best friend you love to hate, yet hate to love.
Coffee. YES PLEASE. After like 8:30am. Starbucks? even better.
I think I'm really gonna like this kid.

Some cute things I haven't been allowed to share til today:

When I was about 9 weeks along, I had boxed up some clothes of Kate's she had outgrown and told Luke we were going to give them to a friend for her baby girl. At this time Kaden had not been TOLD we were expecting, but we had talked about it around him some. So he pipes up: "Aren't you going to save any clothes for OUR baby?" It was then I knew I am just lucky if no one finds out until we want them to! He hears/knows more than we want to think he does.

Kaden every morning: "Mom, are you feeling good today?" If mom says "pretty good" (which is the best it gets) then he asks "then i can climb on your stomach?" (because, naturally, that's what he should do if I feel good.) If I say "no, I'm not feeling good" he asks: "Is it going to be several YEARS before you feel good?" (Yes, Kaden, it's going to feel that long.)

When I went to my first OB appointment a friend came over to watch the kids for me. She asked why his mom needed to go to the dr. and he said "Cuz she's not feeling well everyday." Yes... he could have spilled the beans. Maybe he is wise beyond his years?

So far, I can't complain about this pregnancy. I've had my bad days, my good days and my in-between days. But even the bad days have been better than many of the days of my other pregnancies. I credit it to several things: 1- God. I prayed that I would not be able to get pregnant unless He was going to make it survivable. (I trusted Him to know what that meant...) 2- My gallbladder. I no longer have it. The doctors said I would notice a big difference in pregnancy. I was skeptical. No..that's not true. I was beyond skeptical. In fact, I just didn't believe them at all. I think I was wrong- and I'm totally ok with that. 3- the pill. The wonderful amazing nausea pill. I take one every night. If you know me, it's amazing that I remember to take a pill every single day. If I don't take it, I guarantee myself a bad day. (I only had to learn that lesson twice. the first time I thought it might be a fluke. the second time I considered it lesson learned.) If I do take the pill (which i always do), I might still have a bad day, but hey, I can still take 3 more pills! its a different one than I tried with Kate. I was allergic to that one....so it didn't really help at all.

I had my first OB appointment on Feb. 9th. Much earlier than I had hoped. (I guess with #3 I'm just not so excited about these appointments.) When I casually mentioned that I was a twin..and clarified "fraternal" I was immediately escorted to the ultrasound room. There were no twins... but I did find it amusing.(With the other two kids no one seemed to care that I'm a twin... why this time?) I found out we were dead on with the due date. I saw the heartbeat...172 bpm. I also found out I have a cyst on one of my ovaries. This is normal in the first trimester (who knew? apparently you learn something new with each pregnancy) What's not normal was how big it was. She said it wasn't HUGE, but it wasn't small....meaning they need to monitor it. Now, it really shouldn't surprise me. With each pregnancy there has been something to "monitor" (Kaden's was the placenta previa, Kate's was her underdeveloped bladder) both took care of themselves. I have a good track record...here's to hoping the cyst "takes care of itself". It does explain the little bits of pain now and then....although, I hadn't really thought much of it. It is pregnancy afterall.