Can't think of a title, and Ches is rushing me!

Well, still hanging in there!  We went out last night, had tons to talk about (Ha!), and bought two new books on twins.  I don't just need info on now, and what they look like (for that I can double the pix I see on their development each week), I need to know what to do when they come home!  Seriously.  I read about schedules (and wipe off boards and notebooks), and dark rooms, and feeding two at once (don't know that I can handle that!), and keeping all the other kids happy and attended.  Ches asked me if I was going to read the whole book last night (when I was about half way through one of them!).  I think I am just excited and can't sleep anyway!

We talked about where to put them (pretty important..), and I think we are going to use the office.  We'll move our desks into the back of our room (really too big for just us, and wasted space back there!), but it may mean a new desk for Ches.  He wants to be in the middle, so he can look out the windows when he works, and I don't mind keeping my big desk with hutch, so I can keep all my storage-and stamp sets! : )  We'll use the baby furniture that they've all used, but then Ethan will need a new dresser/chest, as he has all that furniture in his room (except the baby crib, thank goodness!).  We'll need another baby bed, but it's not an immediate need (I need a dark wood, sleigh-style, you know, if you see one, need to get rid of one!).  They don't have to be separated till almost 4 months, so it'll be okay.  I really don't want to buy a new crib, since this will be our last baby (do you say birth? pregnancy? babies?).

Ches is all geared up ready to clean out the attic, the garage, etc.  We still have a storage unit, and I hate to keep it, but it may come in handy!  We still have two double strollers from when Clay and Mary Claire were little together.  We have the Baby Jogger (big wheels, so not mall-friendly, but lose-weight friendly!), and we have a lighter, double umbrella-like stroller (with storage underneath, but not huge).  We did the car seat dilemma today at lunch..we still have Ethan's, but then it won't match if we get a new one. : (  I like matchy.  So, either I'll find a size that is close, and order covers, or I'll get two new ones (highly wasteful).  I'll regift, so don't worry.  I won't let all that plastic be in vain!


Ok, rest of my life...there are other things going on, believe it or not!  We had a birthday party at 10 this morning at Cake Party-so fun!  I took pix, I'll try to get some uploaded soon.  They made their own cupcake or cookie, then decorated little cakes!  They enjoyed it, and after they'd designed something beautiful, they ended up piling miles of squiggly frosting on top to make it the Ultimate Sugar High!  We got her sweet little friend (she really is little and adorable!) a cupcake/cookie frosting set/kit at William Sonoma, and then (I know I should really quit..) we ran to Hobby Lobby this morning, got an apron, and ran home and monogrammed it-so cute!  I don't even know if I took a picture-I'll look!  We decided to go ahead and use the William-Sonoma bag, since it was a cupcake party!  I used pink toile tissue paper, and tied on a wooden spoon with pink gingham ribbon, and used a recipe card (printed in pink ink!) as a gift tag.  So cute!  I know I got a pix of the outside, since we actually made it to the party-early!  If you can believe it! : )


Forgot to mention that Ches took Clay and Ethan to a train show in Rogers-very cool! and got Clay an N-gauge train set (maybe wrong gauge?), then we all met at Chick-Fil-A in Rogers to have lunch.  Have you tried their Chargrilled Chicken and Fruit salad?? It is ssoooo good-really! : )  Try one!  I can't find a picture, or I'd post it.  It was so pretty to look at!


Ok, gotta hurry to the next thing..we are headed to a Blue and Gold banquet for Clay-it's a pizza/cake event for the whole family!

Glad we kept the other van!

I just have to blog, cause I can't Facebook, and I'm all nerves!!  I have some exciting news to share...yep, pregnancy is going well.  We had the ultrasound today, and it's TWINS! : O  We were shocked, shaky, nervous, and generally anxious.  We had thought there was a small possibility (more than four pregnancies, twins in my family, over 35 years old, etc.), but we were still shocked to hear it!  I think we were more excited than anything, but still.  When the doctor left the room, I hugged Ches, and he said he thought we'd have five kids.  When was he going to tell me?

The doctor had showed us the heartbeat, then changed it a little, then said, "Can you see it here, can you see it now, can you see it now?" I kept saying yes, and he said, there are two! and he was switching back and forth. Then he put them on the screen at the same time, and snapped some pictures for us to share.  It was all surreal.  We'd thought a big maybe, but to hear it is something totally different.  I mean after losing two, we were just so anxious to see a viable, healthy heartbeat.  Just seeing it was so reassuring.  More was unreal.  I'll calm down in a little bit, but for now, I'm a little hyper!  ~~Oh-and my doctor actually said, hold on, I have to look for More... as in babies!


Oh--and there are two sacs, which is good.  He tried to check my ovaries for corpus luteum cysts (if there were two, they'd be fraternal), but he couldn't see very well.  He'll check again next time.  There is a better chance for them if it's two sacs.  Ches remembers him saying one placenta, but I heard placentas, so we'll ask next time.  There will be 80 more questions to write down...

Ches drove right to work (we drove separately) to tell his department head.  He'd really like to teach his fall classes online, and he wanted to discuss it some more with her.  I've talked to him twice since he left the office, but I didn't even ask him how it went!  We have a date tonight (thank you, forethought!), so we'll talk more later.  There's so much!


We asked all the very real questions too, we didn't totally lose our minds.  We asked what the chances are of them both making it all the way.  With one (after seeing a heartbeat on ultrasound), it's about 92% chance.  With twins, he said there's an upper 80's percent of them making it.  Us-ever practical.  We just didn't want to tell the kids, then it change.

We also asked him when we should tell the kids.  He said if it was him, he'd go ahead and tell them.  We have another ultrasound to check the progress in 10 days, and he said we could always wait until then.  We had decided to tell them tomorrow -Saturday- since we were going out tonight, but I went ahead and told them after calling Ches.  They were so excited!  I told them that we were going to have a baby, and...there are two!  They both yelled, "Twins!"  I didn't really realize that word was in their vocabulary, or that they'd come up with it on their own, but they are pretty smart.  I'm glad they are excited.  They'd like a boy and a girl..I'll just place that order...  I told them we'll be happy with whatever God chooses for us. : )

Mary Claire did say she hopes I don't get "sick" like I did last time (she doesn't even know about the last time) and lose the baby.  I told her I have waited a while to tell her about this pregnancy and the chances of that happening are pretty small, but my prayer warriors can keep praying!!  Clay piped up and said he's praying for a girl, and I know Mary Claire prays with me -daily- for a girl.  I just want them to know their prayers are answered, no matter what.


Now I know why I've been so tired!  I'll try to rest more, maybe eat more calories? and take better care of myself, although I have been working on it since January.  Mom has requested I stop picking up Ethan so much!  I'll try to come down to his level more.  Is there data for harm?


When I called Ches at work this afternoon, he was on the computer looking up twin stuff.  He's so cute.  I'm glad he's excited, and interested.  I can't imagine a husband not being excited-it'd be sooo hard.


Alright, I must mosey on, and get ready to go on a date!  Keep saying your prayers, as my friend's hcg didn't quite double (but totally went up!), but I want us pregnant together, and I love her dearly.  I want her big and pregnant (hahaha), and I want a baby for her just as much as I do for me!  Extra time on your hands?  Say your prayers! : )  Hugs!

Mad? Just kick it!

Very Brief.  Tired...  Today was so busy!  Ethan had Mother's Day Out, and I had a meeting at Clay's school for a 504 Plan for him.  Just some modifications for his classroom teacher (and language arts teacher).  Then on to deliver girl scout cookies, make a bank deposit, pick up more meter strips for Mary Claire, pick up my Banana Republic clothes, back to Target for a return, then to Wal-Mart for a few more groceries, and finally to pick up Ethan!  I got a lot done!!  Then to the car wash, home, made dinner (beef stew on the stovetop), picked up the kids, took them for drinks at Sonic, took them all to Clay's Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor's appointment (long story, longer appt, not going there-the nurse wanted to know why they were seeing him today!  Umm..because you told me to come back in 6 months?  Do I HAVE to be here?), home to eat, Ethan icky poop, kids baths, some Olympics, and bed.  I'm SO tired!  Did I say that already?

And Ethan fell down (again) off a bar stool.  Ches hates them, wants new ones with backs, but the only ones I like are $300 each, and we have five. : (  Blech.  So, he was mad (yeah, at the bar stools) so he kicked one over after Ethan fell.  So mature.  I got all mad, and we aren't talking so much.  I don't like for the kids to see aggression like that, and he apologized to them.  I get mad, but I don't kick things.  Ugh.  And then he was ultra-calm.  He has the patience of Job, then cracks up.  I think he's mad we haven't already replaced them, maybe he's mad at himself.  And Ethan was up there to get closer to the cake.  What a day.

What a Crock! Pot.

Mary Claire is home from school.  Her ear hurts. : (  She went upstairs to take a nap, and I hope she feels better soon!  I don't know if she'll feel like going to gymnastics today.  I made a roast beef in the crock pot, since I'm usually not home till 5:40 with her, and we are usually starving by then!
I had Mother's Day Out today, and did really well!  I was in and out of the grocery store in almost 30 minutes!  (my record?)  Then, home to brown some beef, cut up carrots and onion for the crock pot, put away groceries, and back out the door.  I had this great coupon for Banana Republic (30% off, only good today!), but when I got there, I realized it was only good from 5-9pm.  Who on Earth gets to shop between those hours?  Talk about limited.  I picked out some stuff that can "grow" with me, and they did a PreSell (took my card info, and will ring it up after 5pm).  I liked one sweater, but they didn't have the color in the right size, so they found it in Fayetteville, which means now I have to go back to both stores!  Maybe since we MiGhT miss gymnastics, I could go there??
Ethan did fine at MDO.  He's been screaming a lot lately for me and Ches.  I think it's a small attachment thing/phase.  I kinda got his mind onto other things (delivering girl scout cookies to the teachers!) so his attention was diverted.  It worked, and I picked him up a little early at the end.  Maybe if he sees I'm the first to be there, he'll be less nervous?  There is no perfect answer, but I need the time alone, and he needs time away from me.

Ps-punctuation matters, don't you think??

Please pray for all ladies you know that are pregnant.  It is not an easy time.  There are all kinds of things to worry about, and anything can happen.  Every day is an accomplishment.  I can understand that it's hard to just enjoy it.  I have friends that need your prayers, so if you have extra time..offer up some prayer! : )  Thank you~

A day of thinking...

I'm so tired, and so I won't make it long.  I always think Sundays are such easy, peasy lazy days.  They aren't.  They involve getting everyone to the same place at the same time in ironed, matching clothes.  That alone, is like Picture Stress!  Yes, some is self-imposed, but it's how I choose to live my life.  Matching.  Ironed.  Imagine the alternative-gross.

And then, I forgot it was Girl Scout World Thinking Day!  Right in the middle of cookie time!  I haven't even given out delivered all my cookies!  What a busy life a girl scout has!  It was overall a good program, but the beginning was a little slow.  It was lots of skits, songs, and presentations (for an hour and a half), then we finally got to travel around with our passports to all the countries.  There were some very creative backboards, give-aways, and great costumes!  I just think we didn't have enough time to read each country's info and time to process.  We kinda herded through like cattle, and when you give a girl a booklet to fill out, you've given her a mission!  Mary Claire was close to tears at the end when she didn't get to travel to all the countries (since we had to work the booth half the time!).  They were closing up, telling us to leave, and she was SO upset she didn't get to go to China (they had awesome stuff for sale for 10 cents-big folded paper things-very cool!).  She did get her name written in Chinese though, she got flags, hair sticks, cookies, toffee, juices, tea, pins, rice, a bracelet, necklace, coffee beans, etc.  Her blood sugar was 399 when we left there!  We'd been giving her insulin, but try counting foods you've never even seen before!  (like sweet potato cookies!)

I posted a few pictures from today, and one from a couple weeks ago-Ethan in the laser tag headset and a gun!  He just came down one morning in it after the kids were gone to school, I guess he planned to play by himself?  He just loves the electronic pow-pow it makes!

I'm still doing well-just really, really tired.  But still thankful.  I gave up Facebook for Lent, but I checked in today for a little while.  It can grab you, and hold on!  I have to turn it off when I go to bed tonight, so I won't start the checking again in the morning.  (Ok, it's closed.)  Alright, sending hugs your way!  G'night!

Italicize, it's good for you!

I have a love-hate relationship with my pillows.  They are feather-filled, and angst-causing.  I don't like synthetic pillows (no, not really biased, I just like to squish and contort my pillow when I sleep-you know, sleep-on-my-face, and cause as many wrinkles as possible, but oh, I sleep well..), so I live with pokey feathers.  The problem is they slowly creep out, and POKE ME!  Ouch.  I just had one stab my back as I sat down to write.  Yes, I'm in bed.  It's Ches' fault.  He got me this great new laptop, and it's so much warmer and cozier in bed.  Except for the pillows.  Err..I mean the feathers!
If you can imagine, there are a few areas of my life that I don't write about, and they got a little haywire today.  So just imagine..if you know all the crazy stuff, imagine what you don't know! : )  Consider yourself lucky!
Other than that, I got lots done.  I finished cleaning my desk, paid bills, and got my tax stuff ready! (this is alone a HUGE accomplishment! I have to tell you, so you'll know.)  I normally don't have much to do with our taxes.  I print out tons of reports and do all the fun chart-making, etc. but Ches does the actual prep work.  But, this year our accountant (yeah, we go back and forth with even having one, but this is our second year with this one, believe me, we need one now!  It gets hairier every year!) and he sent us a packet (small book) full of questions and blanks to fill out, and I did pretty well.  Only had to ask Ches a few questions, but we did it.  What a massive relief.  I have been dreading it, but I can sleep well tonight.
I have figured out (in the desk cleaning) that I have triple-booked appointments this Friday morning, and double booked appointments on March 8th.  I have got to get it together!  My brain is fried. (or boiled?)  Speaking of, I'm eating eggs every day now.  MMmm, good!  Two egg whites, "fried" (in Pam spray) on toast.  Yum.  I know my cereal has 100% of almost 20 vitamins and minerals (Multigrain Cheerios), but eggs are...yummy!  Polka-dotted with pepper like crazy, of course.  Anyway, I've got to make some calls on Monday morning to get all my appts straightened out!  I want to be at ALL of them, but I don't have a brain calendar.  (Note to self: get a brain calendar)
Mary Claire got almost mauled by a pit bull today.  It was not full-grown, maybe 6 or 7 months old, but it jumped up so high, it scratched her neck, and clawed at her shirt, and caused shear panic!  She ran back to Mom's house, cried, and was so scared!  It was okay, and you can't see the marks now, so all better, but so scary!  The sheriff came out to check it out, as they do with all pit bull cases, and long story... If it's out again, they'll take it away, but the lady had it out as soon as he left!  I think she's just pushing her luck.  Sometimes the dogs have the character of their owners (same with parents' children?), and the owners have gotten specific breeds because of their character. (see how I learned how to italicize, and I am not afraid to use it?)  I think pit bull owners want you to stay away, be afraid of them, and aren't so much social people.  Ok, this is totally biased, and yes, it's my opinion.  Take a look at the people you know with pets, and do a little analysis yourself! (such a fun Saturday activity!)
Tomorrow is back to family time.  PRE, church (will he or won't he go to the nursery??), lunch out, deliver some cookies to lucky buyers, and I'm thinking I just may have a meeting at the church tomorrow for Mary Claire's first communion that I just this instant remembered.  Oh, to take it as it comes.  I'm trying!  I've got to use my calendar more. (as much as I use the italics button?)

ps-if you were wondering, Target is STILL sold out of Zhu Zhu pets.  You can still get the tunnels, but oh, so boring if you don't have a little fake hamster to run around inside them.

Commercial Baby = Cleaning Accomplished. Good or Bad?

Every day I think it can't get any busier.  I just like to prove myself wrong so I don't get a big head.  Today the kids were home from school, so we had fun. We got around kinda late, had a big breakfast (eggs, toast, juice, AND cereal-big for us!), then headed out to run some errands.

We went by the church to get new envelopes for the kids-we've been out for a while now.. Then we stopped in and had lunch at Tim's Pizza with Ches, then on to haircuts!  Ethan had promised to be a big boy (and not cry, scream, and generally get hair bits stuck in his tears and snot), but backed down when we got there. : (  I did the Mommy Thing (that makes the other kids jealous) and bribed him with a toy from Target (you know, his FaVoRiTe!), and it worked!!  He was really good, only freaked a couple times, but good.  Then we went to Collier's to pick up more supplies for Mary Claire, then to get some shoes for Clay and Mary Claire (and Ethan picked out those ugly shoes with car pictures on them, and I just Couldn't), then to Target to get the aforementioned Toy.  I had said I'd get the Chuck the Truck, that he wanted from tv, but that fancy toy was $34.99!  I didn't know what I'd said!  It was almost as much as the boys' haircuts.  He held it, but moved onto other things (thank you, God!).  He ended up with a portable-ish fire station, and is very happy with it-even hours later!  Then we moved onto Wal-Mart for groceries and then home for me to crash.

I could take no more.  That was a busy day for my tired bones.  I was even craving a coke from a bottle (ick-no ice or straw!), so I was getting desperate.
I called Ches and he was on his way home, so he said he'd put the groceries away (again, thank you, God!).  The kids played around outside, packed up their stuff, for they were going to GIGI's!  THey were excited, and so excited, they took off with Clay still in his new shoes!  They had to come back, since we knew he'd play outside (and ruin the new shoes, for he's a BoY!).  Then we forgot to take a bunch of Splenda to Mom's for their tea party, so we were running 0-2.

I napped for a little while Ches ran the kids to Mom's house, then we got back in the van to pick up our girl scout cookies.  They're Here!  and they are SO GooD.  I had to open some Samoas (remember, the caramel delites?).  Oh, and you can't eat just one.  Happiness in My Mouth.  Did you remember to order yours!?  Delivery starts tomorrow!  If you need a few more, we have some extras, so order fast.  They only come once a year.  Sound like a girl scout? heehee

My little sweetie is sound asleep in bed-he had a long day too: lots of running, haircut, cookie, puzzles and books.  What a great day!  So, thanks Springdale Schools for this day-cation! : )

Random Information: Ethan's new phrase is: Don't Get Mad, Get Glad!  I have a short video from Ches' phone I'll try to post.  It's so funny!! Especially if you say the word Mad, it comes right out of his mouth.  Gee..think my baby watches too much tv when I'm getting all that cleaning done?

Lent: Give up your sister?

An amazing day!  I didn't get a nap, but made it.  That alone calls for a celebration!  I've been so absolutely exhausted, but today, I made it.  Weirder, I made it because I was cleaning during my lowest point.  I really get into cleaning.  I cleaned my pantry and the pantry in the laundry room-I knew it'd work since I'd get pretty immediate satisfaction, thereby giving me more energy!  Yes, weird, but it words for me!
I vacuumed the entire downstairs and the stairs, washed all my bedding (even the crocodile quilt!), did all the laundry, put it away (biggest shocker), cleaned my bathroom, vacuumed out the refrigerator (you know, the crumby and fruity bits, if yours is perfect, just play along), and got my nails done, made dinner, and read lots of books to Ethan!  Hi-Ya!  (that's a Success Karate Chop!) and then I did flash cards with Clay, and helped Mary Claire write her story summary for the week (too bad it was due today, I'm pretty sure, since they don't have school today, which I didn't remember till bedtime last night).

Well, Lent is officially here.  We went for our ashes Wednesday morning, then took the kids to their schools.  Ethan wanted very much to rub mine off to make me "clean"!  It was hard for him to understand.  Clay didn't mind (but he has bangs on his forehead!), but Mary Claire wanted to rub on hers too.  I get it-it's hard being in a public school with ashes.  No one understands, and they think you have dirt on you (or toner if you are an adult!).  It's funny-as I was out running errands, I could tell who was Catholic (or who'd been to Ash Wednesday services!).  Only in the South are they few and far between!


Anyway, we've been talking with the kids about what they'd like to give up for Lent.  We abstain from something we like, or do extra volunteering, etc. as a "penance".  Clay has finally decided to give up tv in his room.  He wanted to give up only channel 41 (his favorite, Animal Planet), or only DVD's (that he never watches), or his bed, or his room, or his sister (yes, after she wanted to give him up for forty days, haha), but finally he made a decent decision.  Mary Claire gave up gum.  Same thing she gave up last year, but she REALLY loves gum, and chews at least 3-4 pieces a day.  So for her, it's a sacrifice.  She offered to give up brushing her teeth, but we settled on gum, again.  Ches said he was going to bike to work every day (HaHa.).  I told him how lame that was, and he argued how cold it was today.  The priest gave some ideas on Wednesday, and this was one of them.  What Fr. Melnick doesn't realize is that Ches LOVES to ride his bike to work!  So, I said it was Lame-O.  He decided to do extra stuff-coaching baseball, helping at the scout dinner, etc.

I have now decided, after much thought, to give up Facebook-ing.  We get a reprieve on Sundays, so I'll check in, but I think it'll be a good break.


Girl Scout cookies will be here tomorrow evening.  I'll pick up my cookies, then quickly get them out!  Maybe they'll all be out by Monday or Tuesday?  I put tags on them last year with their names, so I'll try to do it again this year...that means I need to make the tags and get them printed tomorrow morning!


Ches wants to take the kids to the Stations of the Cross tomorrow night, and it's right in the middle of the pick-up-the-cookie-time, so I'll have to work out the logistics.  My life is a logistics specialty.


I found out today that an amazing friend is pregnant too!  I am so thrilled.  Really.  It is hard to have all these feeling swirling around, and be doubtful, but excited, and scared for the worst, but really hopeful, and am I too old? and what are the chances? and what will the next few months hold, and now I don't have to do it alone!  All my friends now seem to have bigger kids-not babies.  I do have Sandra, who has precious Rose, that I haven't gotten to hold in two weeks-I need more practice!  It seems like even if you've had three kids, every time is like a first time!  I'm excited and nervous, and I know it'll all come back to me, but still.  I'm just so glad that I have a partner to obsess with!  I'm sure Ches gets tired of all my questions and neurosis, so now I can split the crazy with two people!  Heehee
 

Oh, to be Three..

We got the garage door fixed-sounds so smooth! : )  And the dishwasher is washing, life is better.  The dryer started acting up again, but somehow I made it through 5 loads today-I just bribed it with a clean filter and a promise of no more candy wrappers, tissues, or Valentines.

We gave the kids gift cards for Valentine's day (on Saturday), and spent the day with them letting them shop till they dropped!  They had big plans and had trouble keeping to their gift card amounts.  Clay wanted Mario Kart for his DSi, Mary Claire wanted an American Girl doll (hahahaha!), and Ethan wanted it all.  He picked a Thomas video, and Cars sticker/coloring book, then realized he couldn't buy it all.  He ended up with a car race thing-I'll just have to post a picture, as all car race thingies are similar.  Clay got the game, and we paid the extra since Mary Claire went over with her faux American Girl doll (that she's very happy with and is teaching and feeding and dressing and sleeping with, so cute).  She really wanted a Zhu Zhu pet, but Target only had the ramps and tubes, and no pets!  How fun is that?


Sunday was a nice day since we had kid gifts taken care of-they all had little things to play with!  Mary Claire had a party at PRE, and we took cookies and pretzels in for the kids.  Ethan had been guarding those cookies all week!  He was intent on getting a leftover one as soon as her party was over.  We took them to Jose's for lunch, and then they had cookies.  Mary Claire's blood sugar was proof of her great day.  She hit 413 before dinner!   So bad.  It's hard to have a good holiday-it almost always involves food.


Mom came to watch the kids Sunday night so Ches and I could go out alone.  It was shivery-cold, but so nice to be out.  Ethan cried and cried and made us feel guilty when we were leaving.  He went into the garage, pulled over a case of water bottles, pushed the garage door button, and opened the garage door!  He told us today he was coming to get us, Silly Boy.  We tried to explain that we were long gone.  Heehee, oh, to be three.  He did fine, I think he was just really tired.  We are still in the nap-no nap debate.  It seems that one hour is just enough to get him through the day, but it involves about a half hour of crying when he wakes up (since we have to wake him up with noise, lights, open the blinds, etc.).  If we let him sleep longer, he's up till after 10pm wanting to party.  It's a hard time.

Emotional Maybe?

Ok, something is up with me.  I think I cried at least four times yesterday.  It can be very stress-relieving, but it only left me with a massive headache that caused me more pain.  I drove to Little Rock for MC's appt. no problem, but then.  The traffic at 2pm was unbelievable!  They have torn up 430 going through Financial Parkway/630 and it has caused so much traffic backup and stress!  I had to weasel my way through there, and get to Arkansas Children's Hospital. I don't know why I insisted on taking her back there.  I was convinced it was better care.

We couldn't find the building, since they've TORN UP the road through Children's. I mean, concrete barriers as soon as you turn off 630, and Good Luck finding anything.  I cried again, stressed to the max, my appointment time had passed (by two minutes, so it wasn't the End of the world).  I couldn't get an address-Ches kept giving me a 16 Children's Way, which wasn't in GPS land.  The roads were torn up, so he couldn't map it over the phone.  Just chaos.  I finally kept driving around and found our building.  Then the ladies at the desk didn't want me to check in, they wanted me to use the computers, even though there was a handy clipboard with the peel-off stickers for the patient's name, DOB, etc.  Then we calmed down, read a book she brought, and finally got called back.

We did the usual height, weight, download the blood sugars on the meter, and download (or upload?) the data from her pump, then we had to gather catch capture a urine sample.  Always fun.  I hope they are doing something really important with it besides checking for ketones.  We could've done that with a strip.  Anyway, we waited so long in the room, we finished her chapter book.  Then a new doctor came in, Dr. Lee (my new favorite), and she was so sweet.  I felt like she was understanding even though she wanted to challenge us.  She wants us (believe it or not) to try to check Mary Claire fewer times.  She says she can't tell if it's her bolus ratio (for food) that is a problem of her basal when we check so often.  What?  I told her the same people advocating for fewer checks now are the same girls who trained me (yes, 5.7 years ago..) to check every two hours.  She says things have changed.   Yep, like they changed and told me Mary Claire shouldn't eat every two hours the last time I went down there.  When do we get notified of Changes?  Could there be a form letter that goes out?  I know it'll change again.  Anyway, I told her I'd cut to six times a day, which is a lot less.  We are going to try not to check so much at night.  It'll be hard at first, knowing if she's low, but we will resist.

Then, when we were leaving, they told us there was snow already in Hot Springs and El Dorado, and it was coming!  I thought we had a while, but it was on its way.  We ran back into Barnes and Noble ('nother story, 'nother day) and got the book Mary Claire needed to complete her life, and grabbed some yummy veggies soup and dessert.  We jumped (ok, crawled) back to 430 and headed home.  I kept talking to Ches since 40 was covered with pink (snow), and it was coming up towards 540 (scary way-high bridges, my biggest concern).  I GPS'd a new route up to Harrison on old 65, then west on 412 back home, but it was going to take almost twice as long. : (  By the time we got near 65, Ches said the pink was gone, and the temperatures would hold out above 32 degrees till almost 11pm-plenty of time to get home.  Amazingly, we never saw one snowflake, so it was fine.  I was so thankful for a safe trip.  I was literally on the edge of my seat, and so stressed (nerves, exhaustion?), I just wanted to go home and go to bed.  It was such a long day-physically and emotionally.

Today (I forgot to tell you about my garage door drama-it doesn't work basically), the garage door man is coming to repair/adjust our big garage door to make it WORK.  (or that's my hope)  I've been parking on Ches' side, and I don't know how he's getting the door up and down.  I guess he's doing it the old-fashioned way and raising it by hand?  I wasn't here yesterday, so I missed out.  I hope it is functioning soon, it's so cold for me to get out and punch in the code to open his door.  We don't know where all those button-thingies are since our vans have their own programmable buttons inside.  Handy when they work, not-so-handy when they doors don't work.

Today is Valentine's Day parties at school.  I'm thankful not to be "in charge" of either one.  I can show up and just help.  Clay left his cards at home, so I need to remember to take them in.  He forgot his lunch too, but Ches saw it!  He must have much better things on his mind! : )  All righty, gotta get ready for another repair person.  I hope they do the job, and don't try to upsell.  Ches is already considering remodeling/updating/and a trip to Disney for the kids in July, since we may not make it to the beach in August. : ) 
Ok, now the phone is ringing, and the doorbell just rang.  My day is getting started!

Dishwasher Man Needs Confession

I finally got my dishwasher yesterday.  Finally.  I know-I had to wait a whole 24 hours for it to be delivered, but it's been two weeks of hand washing!  It was a long day, I had to call to see if the man was coming. Twice.  Then he stayed till 6-right through our dinner hour (and the kids were dying to have pancakes!), and Mary Claire had her first reconciliation (confession) and had to be there at 6:30-talk about stress!

About 5:45 when I could see that it was still going to be a while, I called Tim's and ordered a pizza.  There was a mess, and a man, in my kitchen that was impossible to cook around.  Anyway, Ches left with Mary Claire hoping to get her fed first.  Then the man finished up, and asked to check my water pressure. (?)  He checked the one on the outside, and came back to tell me it is 85-90 psi.  (And..?)  And! He told me he wouldn't guarantee his work (installation) if I had water pressure that high.  He said I needed a PRV (pressure reduction valve) on my water.  It'd be $200 to add it to the line by my hot water heater, or twice that to add it to the meter, and he'd probably have to dig it up.  (What?)  Then he told me that Fridgidaire wouldn't warranty the dishwasher with water pressure that high.  Ok, I'll correct him in a moment.  But, I had a kid in the car, and we had to get to Tim's, to get Mary Claire to her first confession, in which I'd be joining her for my not nice thoughts.


Anyway, I didn't think too much about it; I had bigger fish to fry.  We scarfed (I think it should be scarved, but spell check says no, heehee) down some pizza, had 19 bathroom breaks, and I took her to the church.  It went well, only an hour (no! most of it was waiting in line!), and we were home.


Ches had time to look in the Whirlpool manual (told you he was a goofball, or did I..?), and it says for it to work properly, you need 20-120 psi.  Ha.  Longer story shortened, the next day, a Lowe's person called to check on my installation, and I told her the story, and she said he doesn't have the authority (and she said it kinda Mom-like, as in, "How dare he!") to not warranty his work.  If he doesn't sign the warranty, he doesn't get paid.  So, we are warranteed, and all is well.  Too bad we ate out, and didn't have many dishes. : (


I've already taken two days to write this post, so I have to hurry.  Yesterday-blur (including moody, carb-inhaling, whiny, getting everything ready for today..), and today: Little Rock.  We are heading to Arkansas Children's Hospital for Mary Claire's endocrinology appointment.  I didn't realize it was so soon (thought it was April!), until we got the reminder in the mail.  I even called yesterday to see if we could transfer her back to our local endocrinologist (that's a hard word to type-try it!), but they wanted a referral, clinic  notes, etc. and I can't exactly get that if I don't go.  Oh, and their first available appointment is in May.  ACH is about the same.  They tell you that you have to get your A1c checked every 3 months, but they can only get you in every 6.  Doctors.  If you need a new money-making profession, consider endocrinology.  If you have an extra 9 years laying around.


Ok, seriously have to get ready!  Have a good day, and enjoy not being in a car for at least 7 hours! : )

Low Stress = Wrinkly Jammies

The dishwasher debacle may be solved. The repairman was so nice, and we now know what’s wrong. : ) The control board isn’t working, so it has to be replaced: $260. We told him to hold off, while we made a decision.

That decision included some online shopping, review searching, price checking, and a long snowy drive to Lowe’s! Somehow two hours evaporated in there! I looked down and it was a little after one pm! Good grief, I can get lost in any kind of shopping! I think the power to spend was overwhelming. Ches called back after he left for work this morning and told me I could spend whatever I needed to get a good dishwasher. It’s something we use about twice a day! And it needs to work well. I ended up getting a Whirlpool Quiet Partner kinda like what we had in our last house. The only difference is the buttons are up on top of the door, so you can’t see them.

For the two hours we checked out dishwashers, the dryers behind them, played in the car cart (Go, Lowe’s!), took a bathroom break, and Ethan tried out every “tractor”. Twice. I was mainly trying to making a decision. It was so hard. The Maytag and Whirlpool were identical, practically, but the silverware thingie on the Maytag took up valuable bottom rack space, so it was the deciding factor. We’ve had a Whirlpool, and it worked well. I read in the reviews that the WP can make a lot of steam and drip out the vent-scary. I’ll let you know, ToMoRRoW! It’ll be delivered and installed by Tomorrow!!! I can’t wait. Oh, farewall, fair paper products! How I long to hear the clink of silver on porcelain. : ) (or stainless on stoneware, whatever.)

So..my “lowered stress” has been impacting the family. I now don’t stress when the clothes are out of the dryer and sitting in a laundry basket for days. Even five days. Then I run out of baskets for clean clothes. Really. I had to sit and fold three laundry baskets of clothes tonight! (I guess now that the dishwasher is being replaced, my fixation can move on?) I had stacks and stacks! And no, I’m very organized when I pull them out of the dryer, so they weren’t too wrinkly. The undies and socks get slung around, but the t-shirts get folded in half and laid flat. The jammies are a little wrinkly-ish, but just don’t come over for the next week After Hours. You will never even know. : )

I got a new book. Again. I know, but I *heart* books! I got Dr. Oz’s new You Having a Baby, and I’m busy making a chart (if stupid Excel didn’t keep closing down, you wouldn’t have heard from me tonight) on all the vitamins that my Prescribed Vitamin doesn’t even come close to! It’s awful pathetic. The only thing is has enough of is Folic Acid, the minimum of DHA, and Iron (enough to constipate me). So, the chart begins. I’ll have to eat 4000 calories a day to get it all in! Where do they get these recommendations, really? Some are like 3 and 4x the FDA’s guidelines. How do I know? Yep, I googled them! Here. I mean, haven’t you always wondered (or not..) when you read a label and it has 15% of Vitamin A, what is 100%? or exactly how many IU is that? (Now you’re wondering about IU, right?)

Ok, the only other thing on my mind is telling my kids. I want to so bad, but Ches says no. There’s always that chance…and don’t think I forget. I just wish they could share in the joy, even if it was short lived. They are precious, and still praying, and I’d like them to know God has answered a prayer. He listens to us! It’s a great lesson to learn, and by golly, it builds our faith!  Another couple of weeks maybe.  We have an ultrasound on the 26th, so that will make me feel better, and maybe we could tell them after that?

Clean under your bed!

I only have a minute, but it's been so long!  Since Thursday night or something?  My hcg came back fine, at 491, so it doubled plus a little, so everything is fine.

We've cleaned Clay's room from top to bottom, moved his furniture (well..Ches and Clay did, and Mary Claire and Ethan helped push on stuff-so cute!), and unstacked his bunk beds.  It looks so nice in there!  I even have been making his bed every day since it's so easy now! : )
We just need to paint in there now.  It still has the white sheetrock mud that got rubbed on last spring after the ice storm when we had a few things fixed (the holes behind his door handles...), so it looks crappy.  His bathroom needs a good paint job too, and new rugs..I'll work on it.

Our new favorite person is coming today: dishwasher repairman!! : ) We hope he can work miracles! : )  In seven minutes, actually, so I have to go get ready! : )

Who thought of toothbrushes with wheels?

Stupid dishwasher is still broken.  I'm still washing by hand.  I even bought a dish drainer-scary, since it means I'm in the Acceptance Phase.  I haven't had time to call a repairman.  I only remember when I'm washing at 7:40 in the morning, or 6:30 at night.  Ugh.  I even went to the store to buy disposable "dishes", and I forgot to actually BuY them (have to remember the List, or it's not Effective).  I got sidetracked looking for a "car" toothbrush (which they no longer sell at Wal-Mart or Target!).  Ethan's been brushing his teeth with one of Clay's Hot Wheels toothbrushes, and he wants his own, only now I can't find them anywhere!  It's like the zhu zhu pet of our house! Frustrating.  And I like to encourage tooth brushing.


I went back for my hcg testing today, and I took Ethan, (wrongly) thinking it'd only take 10 minutes tops like the past few times.  Wrong.  I waited for 30 minutes before I went to ask what was going on.  The lab is always so fast!  Anyway, he was pretty good (since he had that toothbrush hanging over his head), and we made it.  He wouldn't sit in a separate chair from me while I got blood drawn, so he sat in my lap in my chair with the "faint bar/pad".  We both fit, so it was okay.  I told him he could look away, and he asked me if I was getting a boo-boo, and I said yes.  He watched!  Reminds me of Sissy watching her own blood get drawn last year! Ick!  Kids are too brave.  Anyway, they never called me back, so I don't know how it went.  I'll call in the morning to get an update.  It's hard to expect some information and not get it.


Clay tried the teensy, tiny medicine today, but I don't know if it did anything.  He said he didn't notice anything, but he was moody after school, got mad at Sissy at dinner (post meds), cried about his spelling test (Irregular Plurals including: alumni, parentheses, vertebrae, diagnoses, phenomena, antennae-I mean, why?) and wanted to stay home tomorrow to miss his spelling, math/multiplication, writing, handwriting, etc. tests.  I'd rather him study and have confidence than have fear, but he feels differently, and cried.  It may be the meds, but I still feel sorry for him.  He also picked at his nose and eyes (and the nervous ticking/picking can get worse on meds).  He said it felt like something was in his nose, and he thought he had a black dot (pimple coming up, he said) inside his bottom left eyelid!  I'll see how the next couple of days go.  It'll have to be worth it, or we'll have to try something else.  Being a parent has to be the hardest job.  Your job matters now, and in twenty years.  Everything you do matters.  It goes home with you at night, and you only get out of it what you put in, so it requires all of you. 

(I just found one of the car toothbrushes!)

Note to Self: Get Dishwasher Fixed!

The Jones family is safely home, Yay! : )  It seemed like a longish drive (more than the actual 6 hours since we kept stopping to eat).  There was laundry, well, still is.  And the getting back in the routine!  I made dinner, the kids had baths, we laid out clothes, and packed lunches.  I was so glad they had school-we all needed some change and routine!  They got to see their friends, and Ethan was even excited-he wasn't clingy when I dropped him off-and that always makes me have a great day!

I went back for lab work, again.  It was good.  My hcg was at 183, which seems good.  I will get a progesterone update tomorrow, and more lab work on Thursday.  I guess I'm braver than I ever thought I'd be.  I have gotten so many holes poked in me-I used to hate it, but I don't even fear it for hours in advance like I used to: Progress, I guess.  I'm really tired, but not complaining, for I heed my own advice! : )  heehee  I'm just going to bed early.

Clay is getting in with his doctor tomorrow to get his medicine prescribed.  They called today with a cancellation, so we'll fit it in somehow.  I'm kind of excited.  I'd love for him to maintain focus and increase his self-esteem. He's pretty proud of himself, but he can get really down on himself easily.  We'll see how the next week goes.  Apparently it can require adjusting, so we may go/call frequently till we get it nailed down.  I would love to see him utilize all that crazy knowledge he has!

Well, my dishwasher is really broken.  It wasn't working before we left, but we weren't sure if we'd just overloaded it, or if the dishes were really dirty (even though I prewash/rinse them).  There were little brown things on the tops of some of them.  So, I ran it again, opening it halfway through the cycle.  I poured fresh water on them, closed it, and opened it later, to see more yucky things.  It was like the water (wash cycle, maybe?) wasn't running, but the heating/drying cycles were.  Weird.  So, when we got home we had the dishwasher dishes plus the ones waiting in the sink (cause that's how we operate).  So, they allll had to be washed. : (  Tonight I washed all of today's plus dinner dishes.  It took a long time!  I take that workhorse for granted sometimes!  I will appreciate it more when it's working.  I can't decide if I need a service person to repair it, a plumber to check it, or a new one...I'd really like the double dishwashers, but I think you have to have the cabinets changed.  Not happening.  I can dream, but not really practical.  Anyway, I am willing to wash, but I paid a putter-awayer today.  Only fifty cents, but I'd better get it fixed!

Next Tuesday night we have too much to do.  Clay has a boy scout meeting, Mary Claire has gymnastics (which I'm not happy with-she can do her bridge and cartwheel, and has yet to be moved up!), she has a school musical, and her first confession (Reconciliation Service).  I am not sure how it's all going to play out, but we'll make an effort.  She opted not to have a speaking part (she LOVES to sing, but not in front of people, go figure), so I'm ranking it pretty low.  Reconciliation is first, since she has to go to make her first communion.  She could probably arrange to go another time, but I'd like her to be with her class.  The priest will be prepared to hear young kids, and hopefully patient.  It takes some of them a really  long time to name all the sins they can remember from their whole life!  Boy scouts may get bumped-it's three times a month now, and it's a lot.  He never misses, so we'll see how it plays out.  If (Big IF) Ethan gets a nap, I could take him with me to take Mary Claire...  ahhh, just planning it is a lot!

My friend, Sandra, had her baby!  It is a girl, Rose Eileen, and she is beautiful and just perfect!  I went up there today, because I just couldn't wait.  I always say it, but they are sooo tiny, and for such a short time.  Her sisters came up there when I was getting ready to leave, and they were so sweet.  They loved holding her hands (which seem sooo tiny too!), and I think they were happy it was a girl.  I know they would've been happy with either, but it was precious to see the three of them.  I think when you have all the same sex kids, they are close.  They usually have similar interests, and understand each other.  And Emily has had a baby sister before, so she knows what to expect. : )

Clay was soo small (17 months) when Mary Claire was born, that I don't think he remembers much.  They both remember Ethan, but they were older.  They both adore him, even now, so it was fun for them.  I think babies are a gift you give your family. Fun, sweet memories, even despite all the not-so-fun times.  It's just work, and you create the happiness.  They remember even the smallest things!  I think if you asked the kids what their favorite thing was from our trip to Dallas, they'd probably say the swimming every night! (well, and the all-you-can-eat-breakfast!)