...And Yet Another Week Has Gone By

Yes it has been another week and still no Chloe. At least not on the outside though she makes me very aware of her presence on the inside. I went to the doctor this morning. She said that I'm almost 3 cm. dilated and her words were "and your cervix is ready". She gave me the option of going ahead and inducing this week but I told her I'd like to hold off another week and let her try to come on her own. This is going to sound a little silly but I kind of want the experience of the anticipation of going on my own. So, any day now or... next week.

Time to record a few things that Emma has said lately....

I was trying to get a picture to go on here and well.. I looked at the picture and of course looked bigger in it than I wanted to so I told Adam, "I think I'm going to change shirts". And here is mine and Emma's interaction:
Emma: Oh, you're fine the way you are
Me: Oh ok, I guess I'll just leave this shirt on then.
Emma: Well, I didn't mean you look fine. I meant um (stammers a little)
Me: laughs, well what exactly did you mean Emma
Emma: (stammers some more) Um, You're a great momma!
Now how is that for a politician in the making.

And then yesterday, she was talking to her preschool teacher at church (whom she adores). Adam walked up and said, "What are you doing talking to Mrs. Maidens? You don't love her". Emma touches Mrs. Maidens on the arm and says, "He's just being silly".

And last but definitely not least.... The other day she says to me, "Mom, you know what my favorite thing about you is"? I say, "What's that" She says, "You loving me".
I think that's my favorite thing about me too :)

Love from Above

Still Cooking

Went to the dr. yesterday. I'm 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I'm still not really feeling anything so it doesn't seem like anything is happening to me but, supposedly, that is the best way for it to happen. Then I'll just ease into labor and not have much pain at all. That will quite a switch from last time. My guess is that she'll come next week. Why? Well, this week, our friend Matt is here and could be with Emma if it happened in the middle of the night and then my mom is coming on the 29th. So, I think it just stands to reason that it would happen when we would have to scramble in the middle of the night to get someone to our house. Either way, I'm sure it'll be ok. I'm feeling really well actually so I'm not that anxious. It would be nice if she hung in there until my mom gets here. When I was at the doctor yesterday, the receptionist said, "well you're all belly aren't you". That was nice. I told her, "yeah it's been nice, I carried my first pregnancy in my ankles". I can tell a little in my face but I can still see my ankle bones so this is a good thing.

I have our bags packed and though the nursery isn't totally complete, it is close enough. I have some paintings and stuff to go on the wall that are coming so once I get it all together, I'll post pictures. We have the camera packed and Adam will take his laptop when the time comes so we should be able to get some pictures up pretty quickly after Miss Chloe makes her debut.

Love from Above,
Dana

It's the Final Count Down

Just wanted to make a short post saying that I went to the dr. yesterday and I'm 1 almost 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I don't guess that really means anything as I've known people who have stayed dilated for weeks but it does mean that something is happening. I'll try to make a post with some pictures and stuff soon but I just wanted to get that out there in case I disappear for a while.
Love from Above,
Dana

We've officially crossed the bridge to being old and dorky

I'm sure that you're already thought that we were old and dorky but I have to tell you, we've hit another plateau. I told you last week that Adam's Jeep bit the dust. Well, after swearing for many years that he'd never drive a minivan, we decided that buying a minivan was the most practical decision for us at this point. I will clarify that the minivan will be my vehicle and Adam will now be driving the Accord. But I will also include that Adam did in fact test drive the minivan. So, we bought a Honda Odyssey. It's very nice and we got a good deal on it and I'm sure it's going to be a great fit for our growing family.

But here's the best part.... We were getting ready this morning to go shop for a minivan. Adam had gotten ready before me so I got out of the shower, and got dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a brown shirt. I walk into the spare bedroom only to find Adam also in a brown shirt. I also need to tell you that we've given people permission to shoot us if we ever dress to match. So I look at Adam and say, "I'm not changing, my wardrobe is limited". Before Adam has a chance to change, in walks Emma who says, "Oh, I want to wear a brown shirt too". Now, I think that I can be clever so I say, "I don't think you have a brown shirt". Emma says, "I have a brown tank top". She hasn't worn it since last summer but it was still in there. So, yes, we went shopping for a minivan in matching clothes. I want this down on record because when Emma is a teenager and is embarrassed by her dorky parents, you guys are my witnesses, she started it.

Love from Above,
Dana

Pics I took of Emma

I'm trying to get Emma's four year pictures. This still isn't what I had in mind. It was way to hot. All of them are starting to look the same to me. I have to figure out something new. We'll try again another day! Hopefully a cooler one.

What happens to a pregnant stomach

I hope you guys can handle a medical pencil drawing of a naked girl. I just had to show you what's happening to my stomach. No wonder I have heartburn. I knew that my stomach was squeezed but I didn't know it actually changed positions. I found this picture in this little anatomy book of Emma's. That's right, we went to a book store and I told her she could pick one book out the children's section and she picked an anatomy book. She's either going to be a doctor or an anatomy teacher. We're hoping for doctor. Anyway, just wanted to share this new found information.

My Little Pity Party

Ok, I'm going to whine. And I mean whine like a baby. I know that people don't want to hear people whine and that's why I'm writing it on my blog instead of telling you about it therefore, if you sit here and read it, it's your responsibility not mine. For now, this is my mode of therapy. Read at your own risk.

It's been one of those years.... I've heard my parents talk about them, I remember them happening for them when I was a child. We were definitely due one and blessed that we haven't really had one until now but still, no one ever wants to see them come. Anyway, one of those years of tons and tons of extra expenses. In Dec. 2006, we paid off Adam's Jeep achieving our long held goal of being debt free except for our house. We achieved it.... And one day, we'll achieve it again.

So weve been swimming in hospital bills because Emma was sick and in the hospital in March and I'm pregnant. Which, when we had Emma we didn't have maternity insurance so that wasn't fun either. We made it through that. I know we'll make it this time. This could possibly make for a good mastercard commercial but I will go ahead and tell you that credit cards are EVIL. But regardless this is how 2007 has gone so far.

Cost of pregnancy--- $1000 deductible plus 20%
Cost of child being in hospital--- $1000 deductible plus 20%
Removal of rotten tree in yard--- $200 (and that was a pretty good deal)
Car Repairs---- $1000
Broken computer--- a lap top attached to a monitor that overheats every few days.
Cost of Gas--- Who knows but it's broken all of us
--- and then there are a few other little mishaps that I'm either too embarrassed to write about or won't write about to protect some other sad soul that total I'm guessing around $2000

Ok, all of this was until last week.... Then, Adam's Jeep started making a funny noise and we took it to the shop. Verdict... It needs a new motor. Yep, that's right a new motor. Well, since it has 175,000 miles on it. You know what that means? New car payment. We found this all out on Wed. and then guess what happened last night? My washing machine broke. Calgon, take me away!! I'm thinking about going ahead and taking a sledge hammer to anything that is still working and getting it over with.

Oh, btw, it's 4:30 a.m.

Cost of good nights sleep--- Priceless

I know God has something really really good coming for us. Satan is trying hard to stop something!

Love from Above,
Dana

Connections Mission Trip

If you're curious about where we've been this week. Check out the youth blog at www.gcym.blogspot.com

Love from Above

Emma's Birthday Party

My mom and my sister came to visit this past weekend. We had a nice time but as always, the time went too quickly and we tried to pack way too much in that small amount of time. We had Emma's birthday party while they were here. We had it at the park. The weather was beautiful and it came off well, thanks to my mom and sister's help. I was so glad to have them here. It's so difficult for me to try to pull something like that off by myself.

On Sunday evening, after we got done with Revolution with the teenagers, we went down to city park. There was a carnival there. For those of you that are from here, thanks for the warning.... Apparently, this is where the prime of Parkersburg congregate. For those of you that teased us about moving to WV. This is what you were teasing about. But, despite the intresting company that we had, we still let Emma ride the kiddie rides. Only those low to the ground because I was pretty sure that they could fall apart at any minute... And of course, she had a wonderful time.

I had a dr. appointment on July 5th. Chloe had hiccups when she was trying to listen to the heartbeat. That was pretty fun. I had gained two pounds which is the recommended lb. per week. I think that is bringing me to about 15lbs. all together so far. My blood pressure was good and no protein in my urine (I'm sure you wanted to know that) so, so far, not pre eclampsia like last time. Thank God for that. I'm not sleeping real good which I don't really understand because I'm not feeling very uncomfortable. But, I'm not that good of a sleeper anyway so maybe I'm just getting ready for those long nights when she gets here. The dr. said that starting at 39 weeks, if my cervix is favorable, she will give me the option of inducing. That will be August 22nd. Mom is planning on flying in on August the 28th. So, if it looks like I'm ready and I mean really ready, we might induce after that. If, she doesn't come on her own before then. It's getting close!!

We are doing a local mission trip with the teenagers this coming week. We are putting a VBS type day camp thing on for housing development that the church continuously works with. After we get done with that, I have to get busy on getting Chloe's room finished and quick! Well, I guess that's it for now.

Love from Above!

Emma's Birthday

Emma turned four on June 19th. I'm going to hold my emotions about how bittersweet it is that she's growing so quickly. If you feel the need to hear that, scroll down and read my thoughts from her third birthday and know that it's only intensified by another year. My mom and sister are coming up this weekend so we're waiting on them for a birthday party. So on her birthday, we made a trip to Columbus. We scheduled a 3D ultrasound that evening and made plans to go to the zoo. Well, it turned out to be very fortunate that it rained because instead of going to the zoo, we went to Libby Lu's and at this point, she will take a princess makeover over the zoo any day. So, as you can see from the pictures, she was a princess for the day and we had a very fun time. We had intended on getting the restaurant to bring her a cake out but being a princess is very hard work and she slept through dinner so... We stopped at about 10 o'clock and bought a cake on our way back into town and had cake at about 11 pm. Because of course, you can't have a birthday without a cake. I'm about to go and let the pictures do the talking but before I do, I want to tell one little story about our nice little day.

As I said before, she got a little nap so she was awake pretty late that night. After we got home, we ate the cake and then sat down to watch the dvd of Chloe's ultrasound before we went to bed. So we were watching it and I noticed that Emma was cuddling up to me and looking kind of sad. So, fully anticipating the jealousy that's coming, I cuddled her up to me and started rubbing her back. And when the dvd went off, this is what she said, "but Chloe is all alone in there by herself". Now I'm sure that the jealousy is still coming. Don't think that I think I've gotten off that easy, but wasn't that sweet. So I reassured her that Chloe was perfectly cozy and that she felt like I was holding her all the time and I'm still bracing myself for when the jealousy actually does hit. These are wonderful moments.

The ultrasound was quite amazing. Modern technology is something. We think that Chloe looks like Emma. I was glad to see that she had chubby little cheeks. I was afraid that she was going to look frail because of me being so sick in the beginning but as everyone told me she would, she took what she needed. I think seeing her that way made me long to hold her more. It made her seem so much more real as if my protruding belly isn't real evidence enough.... I'm trying not to want to rush things and savor the moment but I have to say, I'm much more comfortable in mommy mode that big pregnant girl mode.

When I went to the doctor on the 21st, I had gained 3 more pounds. I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable. My back is beginning to hurt a little. But, I can still wear my rings so no swelling. And if you saw me when I was pregnant with Emma, no Nutty Professor feet so, so far so good. And still, it still beats the first trimester, hand over fist. Don't think I've forgotten.

This week was workcamp. Over 500 teenagers painted 40 houses in the Mid Ohio Valley. Adam spent the night at OVU every night and every morning some strange man came in and took a shower at our house. We're glad to have him back home. We kind of missed him. Just a little ;). Well, I'll go for now. Pictures from our fun weekend with Nonna and Aunt Denise coming soon!!

Love from Above,
Dana