It's Halloween

The kids have been looking forward to today for days. They've been looking forward to dressing up as soccer zombies...I'll see if I can snag a pic that Andy took of them (I stole this pic from Andy's blog as it seems to be the only one we have)...and going to a friends house for a Halloween party. There's always lots of good food to eat and tons of kids. They do a hayride through the neighborhood making periodic stops to hop off and swarm the houses for treats. I wasn't going to go because of Kearsyn but Andy talked me into going which I'm glad he did as I had a good time. Once the kids left to go trick or treating, it was me, Andy and Mary (whose house the party was at). We sat outside chatting while waiting for trick or treaters to come by. It was a beautiful evening although it did start to get a little bit chilly although Mary had built a nice fire in their fire pit. I was a little nervous about Bekah going trick or treating...one of the other moms kept an eye on her while on the hayride as their wasn't room for Andy to go since the trailer was so packed with kids...as Andy scared her half to death when he put on his scary mask at home. He came walking out of the hallway with it on and she about fell over herself trying to climb behind me to get away him all the while screaming her head off...poor thing. There was no need to worry, though, as she was apparantly really into trick or treating and didn't mind going up to the houses to get the candy.

I made another attempt at making the peanut butter chocolate chip cake today...at the request of Andy to take to the Halloween party. I guess the last one wasn't too bad but I did remember to add the butter this time. LOL It was definitely better than the first time although it was still a little dry. I think I add too much flour...will have to try less next time.

Stitchingwise, I've been working on the mini rr I have. I only have one more color to stitch and then it will be done. Hopefully I'll get it finished up by the weekend although I'm not pushing myself. Then I'm going to stitch on the next release of the Halloween Gameboard Mystery Sampler.

I finally finished reading the Visitation which prompted another trip to the library for more books. That's always a frustrating adventure since our library never has what I want to read. I was able to find a couple of books which will hopefully be pretty good and am about halfway through the first one, Stitches in Time.

We met with the lady from the Infants and Toddlers program today. She just does the paperwork and went over general information for Bekah. She said that two other people from their staff should be getting in contact with us in the next week or so to do a more thorough evaluation...one will just focus on Bekah's speak and the other will look at all areas of Bekah's development.

Today's My Birthday

That was then.............................................................This is now

Amazing what 40 years can do. =)

Ahhh, Sleep...

Last night was much better. Kearsyn actually behaved herself and I was able to get some sleep in between feedings. I did get a little confused at one point, though. I generally turn the tv on when I get up to nurse just so there's some noise for me to focus on. I did that around 4 this morning and was flipping through the guide looking for something that might catch my interest. Problem was, half the channels were working off the new time and half were still working off the old time so the guide didn't necessarily match what was showing on the screen. I knew I was tired but I was beginning to think I couldn't read a simple online guide until it finally dawned on me what was going on. Glad I won't have that problem tonight. And I'm hoping that tonight will be another good night so wish me luck. =)

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 195

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Costume :: Halloween
   
2. Beg :: Grovel
   
3. Hottie :: Girl
   
4. Celebrity :: Famous
   
5. Saturday :: Weekend
   
6. Buckle :: Belt
   
7. Doorbell :: Ring
   
8. Rude :: Mean
   
9. Absence :: Missing
   
10. Hyper :: Sugar
    

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Sleep

I think I've forgotten what this word means as I haven't been experiencing it much lately so I had to look it up just to refresh my memory. Webster defines sleep as:

1 : the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored

What exactly qualifies as a natural periodic suspension of consciousness?? And I sure haven't had my body's powers restored lately. Usually I can get a 1 1/2 - 2 hours sleep in between feedings but they've become less and less frequent over the past few nights with last night being the worst so far. Kearsyn started fussing around 11pmish and I didn't get to go back to bed until 5:15am. And that would have only lasted for 15 minutes because she was up fussing again at 5:30. Thankfully, Andy knew that I was at the end of my rope at that point...maybe it was the fact that when she started making noise I immediately hid under my pillow and covers but maybe he had some other clues to help him out. LOL...as he got up and took care of her so I was actually able to get a couple of hours sleep. Of course that ended when the rest of the kiddos got up...things were good until they finished breakfast at which point they all went to clean up rooms and it sounded like a herd of elephants walking over my head....our bedroom is underneath their rooms. Let me tell you, kids do not know how to walk quietly anywhere...they are constantly stomping around. I'm sure they aren't intending to do that but that's definitely the way it sounds...especially to a sleep deprived mom. Let's hope that tonight is a better night but I'm not counting on it. As a fall back measure, I've made some brownies so at least I can comfort myself throughout the night. ;)

Kenzie and Connor had their first choir concert of the season and from the way Andy described it was a nightmare as far as getting everything set up for them. And the weather was less than ideal for an outdoor concert...overcast and chilly and as luck would have it, as soon as they were done singing and ready to leave, the clouds went away and the sun came out.

I've been trying to finish up reading the book I'm currently reading but it seems to be very slow going...not because the book is bad...just because there's usually a baby in my arms that then interrupts the turning of pages and such...especially when said baby needs to burp and won't. I've also been trying to work on the mini rr I have and that is also slow going since it seems that everytime I pull it out Kearsyn picks that moment to wake up. I have managed to get most of the outside border done but that's taken me about 3 days to do. Luckily, this piece isn't due out til the end of next month so I should be able to get it done by then although at the rate I'm going I think I'll have to become a member of the SSC. LOL

Whew, the wind today/tonight has just been incredible. I'm surprised the twins are actually sleeping right now because they hate the wind. Usually it whistles around their room and scares them so they are usually up and in either Kenzie or Alex/Connor's room. Unfortunately, tonight those three are sleeping over at a friends house so if the boys wake up, they won't be able to find comfort from their older siblings. Let's hope they stay asleep.

And it's now time for me to end this post as Kearsyn just decided to wake up....and so my night begins...Oh and just to add insult to injury, since we turn the clocks back tonight, that will just give me an extra hour to be up with the baby. ;)

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Theme: Safe

This is a picture of Tyler at one of his t-ball games last year. As you can see, he made it to base safely and he's quite happy about it. =)


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Friday Feast #117 - 10/27/06

Appetizer
Create a new candle scent.
Honeysuckle delight (have no idea if they already make honeysuckle scented candles)

Soup
Name one way you show affection to others.
Hug them.

Salad
What is your favorite writing instrument?
Mechanical pencil

Main Course
If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online, from which site would you buy?
Probably Amazon.com or a cross stitch site

Dessert
Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be?
No, since I have a newborn, I'll be staying at home with her. But then again, I don't normally dress up even when we don't have a newborn. ;)


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Quilt for Kearsyn

The wonderful ladies at the CrossStitchCrazy Board made this beautiful quilt for Kearsyn. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends even though most of them I've never in real life. Thank you ladies for making this special quilt that Kearsyn will be able to treasure always.

SBQ: Halloween Edition

This weeks SBQ was suggested by Carol and is:

If you were to come across a sampler chart that caught your eye and
appealed to you, would you or would you not stitch it if it had a
morbid or "creepy" saying on it? If not, why?

I think it would depend on how morbid or creepy the saying was. If it's a Halloween type creepy, then yes, I would definitely stitch it as I love Halloween designs but if it was some saying that was just digustingly morbid then no, I probably wouldn't stitch the saying but I would probably still the design as long as the two could be separated.

Infants and Toddlers Program

This is the program that works with developmentally delayed children agges Birth thru age 2 in our area. Child Find (which I posted about the other day) starts at age 3. These guys are quick. I called Monday after getting back from the drs and left a message for the person in charge. She called me back yesterday, asked a few preliminary questions, and set up a meeting for Tuesday, 10/31 for an initial evaluation. This is to go over all aspects of Bekah, not just her speech...that will be done by a speech therapist in a separate appt. Today I get a big package of paperwork in the mail that needs to be filled out prior to the visit on Tuesday. They sure do ask a lot of questions....anything from when did your child first roll over to does your child like being cuddled. Will be interesting to see the outcome of this first meeting.

Due Date

Today was supposed to be my due date for Kearsyn but she had other plans so instead of having a newborn today, I have an alert 15 day old. Isn't she a cutie?

As much as I love her being here, I am missing being pregnant...probably shouldn't say that within reading distance of Andy. LOL There's just something about about a new life moving around inside of you. Funny how you forget about how uncomfortable you are at the end. Guess that's why we end up doing this more than once.

CWO - In "Other" Words 10/24/06

"Has someone seen the life I planned?
It seems it's been misplaced
I've looked in every corner
It's lost without a trace..."
~ Beth Moore~
From the poem: "The Life I Planned "

Thinking back to when I was a child, I don't think I could have ever forseen that I'd be where I am today. When I was heading off to college, I didn't have any idea of what I wanted out of life. Some people know what they want to be when they grow up from the time they are small...I didn't have a clue. I knew that I liked working with numbers so I majored in math at college figuring that when I graduated that I'd get a job putting that math ability to use. The one thing that I knew for sure that I didn't want to do was be a teacher...my dad was a math teacher and while he loved it, I always knew that it wouldn't be the right path for me. When I graduated, I was offered an entry level job for an insurance company. I figured I'd stay there for a few years, get some experience and then move on. Well, 17 yrs later, I'm still at the same company and without my job there, we wouldn't have half of what we have today. I always knew that I'd get married and have kids but I don't think I could have ever foreseen having 7 kids in my future or that my husband would be end up being a SAHD or and that we would homeschool our children. So how did we get to where we are? By the grace of God because He's had his hand in everything that has happened to us along the way...from the jobs that my DH and I got, to the daycare we chose for the kids, to the last house we ended up buying. Everything has worked out according to His plan and I'm excited to see what he has in store for us in the future. So, while I may not have ever had a clear plan as to what my future might have held, looking back I can see that His hand was with us every step of the way leading us to where we are today.

Drs Appts

Both Bekah and Kearsyn had drs appts today...Bekah for her 2yr check up and Kearsyn for her 2wk check up. Kearsyn's doing great! No more jaundice, weighs 8lbs 7oz...up almost a pound from last week...and is 19 3/4in long. She's grown over an inch since she was born. What a big girl she is. =) The only issue we are currently having is with some diaper rash, which I've never had with a newborn breastfeed baby before. It all seemed to have started when I was sick the other week...Kearsyn got a touch of it which caused her have really loose stools which in turned gave her two ulcers on her bottom. After trying a number of different diaper rash medicines, I finally resorted to plain old vaseline and wouldn't you know that it did the trick and cleared her ulcers up. Should have saved my $10 on the butt paste and just gone with the vaseline from the start. Now we are just trying to keep her well protected so that it doesn't happen again. I'd forgotten how many diapers a newborn goes through...seems like that's all we do is change her. For once we actually have a child that can use newborn diapers but we didn't stock up on that size diaper since our kiddos are usually too big for them so we've made a couple of trips to the store for more already. LOL At the rate she is growing we should be able to use more package of them before she's too big for them.

Bekah's checkup was pretty good. She weighs 29lbs and is 33in tall, 75th percentile all around. The dr is a little concerned about her not stringing any words together yet. She understands everything you tell/ask her to do, she just won't say much of anything. She does say mine when her siblings try to take something of hers so that's a good developmental milestone that the dr looked for. He was also happy that she knew all her body parts...actually exceeded in the amount she should know at this age. He recommended that we talk to the Child Find people in our area about having her evaluated for her language skills. I tried calling today and it turns out that for her age the program is done out of the health department. They will make a home visit to determine where she is developmentally and then depending on what they find, they'll make a recommendation on what program she should be in. I'm still up in the air about this...I'm not sure if there's really something wrong or just the fact that she's got 5 older siblings that give her everything without her needing to ask is the reason she doesn't talk much. What's funny is she will imitate any animal sound that you make. Ask her what a cat says, she'll say meow....what a dog says, arf arf...what a cow says, mooooo. But ask her to say cat she'll just looks at you and smiles. The person that runs the infant and toddler program wasn't in when I called so I left a message. We'll see what she has to say when she calls back.

I'm really hoping that tonight is a better night. After a rough weekend with Andy being gone with Kenzie for the softball tournament, Kearsyn decided that she did not want to sleep last night. I'm not sure why...she was just cranky. Everytime I'd go to lay her down, she'd wake up flailing her little arms around. She's been a pretty good sleeper...considering she's up to eat every two hours...but generally when I'd lay her down, she stays down until it is time to eat again. So needless to say I was pretty tired today and I had to make the trip to the drs in the morning. Ugh! Thankfully I was able to get a nap in after we got back and had lunch. That helped tremendously so I should be okay if she decides to be up again tonight but I'm still hoping for a more restful night tonight.

I decided to do some baking yesterday and here's a pic of my rendition of the Peanut Butter Cake that Margaret posted about the other day. I couldn't make it as a bundt cake as we don't have a bundt pan but it seemed to work pretty well in the 9x13 pan that I used. It would have been better if I had remembered to put the butter in it. I'd put the butter in the microwave to soften it up and then forgot to take it out. Oops! LOL

Same Stuff, Different Day

Kenzie has another early softball game today and the other kiddos have early CCD classes so that means another early morning for me. Ugh! Thankfully Andy was able to drop the kids off at their classes as he was leaving to take Kenzie to her game so at least I didn't have to have Kearsyn and Bekah ready and out of the house quite so early. That bought me about an hour so I was actually able to take a shower...something that has turned into a novelty these days. LOL Alex's class ends a half hour later than everyone elses so we ate some donuts and talked while waiting for him. Everyone had to come look at Kearsyn. They all commented on how much she looks like everyone else. There's definitely no denying that she is related to the other kids. LOL Not planning on doing much at all today other than some laundry as it seems to have multiplied here lately. Then I'm sure Connor will be watching football games this afternoon so I'll probably watch some with him. Not sure when Kenzie and Andy will be home...depends on whether her team wins or not...if they win, they keep playing...if they lose, they come home. I think they have the potential to play three games today if they win them all although the chances of that happening are pretty slim. But at least she's having fun.

Update on Kenzie's first game - they ended up losing...and by the slaughter rule, poor things...so no more games today. I'm sure Andy will give more details when he gets back. For now, he's off to take Kenzie around Salisbury and show her the places we used to hang out at while we went to college there...like the Salisbury Zoo and the city park (adjacent to the zoo).

Unconcious Mutterings

Week 194

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Stuff :: Things
   
2. Block :: Wooden
   
3. Ingredient :: Lettuce
   
4. Flagrant :: Shameful
   
5. Dandruff :: White
   
6. Betty :: Wilma
   
7. Tide :: Detergent
   
8. Judges :: Court
   
9. Take it easy :: Relax
   
10. Chef :: Hubby

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Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Theme: Dreaming

This is a picture of our twins when they were about 3 yrs old. They weren't feeling good this day and as you can see one has already drifted off to dreamland while the other looks like he is going to be there any second.


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So Far, So Good

After an extremely sleepless night thanks to my newest daughter (luv ya sweetie!!), I was actually able to get Alex, the twins, Bekah and Kearsyn all over to the park by 7:45 so Alex made it to his game on time. Yay! After dropping Alex off, I then came home so Bekah could eat breakfast and to feed Kearsyn before having to head back to the field for the twins 11am game. Things were going well until I get a frantic phone call from Alex at 9:30 saying that I needed to bring his stopwatch and whistle over to the field so he could ref his game. Grr! Now you tell me why a child that knows he's going to be ref'ing games all day couldn't remember to stick those two important items in his backpack when we left this morning. So that meant I had to pack everybody back into the van and head back to the park...luckily it's only a 10 minute drive but it's still a pita to have to load everyone in, just to come home again, unload then and then load them back up less than an hour later to head back to the field. Oh well, what are you gonna do? Even after making the unexpected extra trip, I still managed to get the twins to their game on time...then Bekah, Kearsyn and I hung out for the hour that they played. It's a beautiful day but a little chilly so I kept Kearsyn in the van while Bekah ran back and forth between the van and the volleyball courts (located right next to the field that the twins were playing on). We're back home and now I'm waiting for Kearsyn to wake up so I can feed her...hope she gets up soon cause it's starting to get a bit painful...and waiting for Alex to call to say he's done ref'ing for the day. With my luck he'll call when I'm in the middle of feeding Kearsyn. Well, turns out I was close...I was just getting ready to wake Kearsyn up to feed her when Alex called to say he was done.

Kenzie, Connor and Andy are in Salisbury now and Kenzie's second game should be starting right about now. They didn't do so well in their first game but they are a young team so it'll take some time. Final outcome of the games is 2 losses, 1 win. I haven't heard all the details yet but Kenzie did let me know that she stole home in the third game. Yay!

I've done a bit of stitching over the last couple of days. I'm currently working on PS Winter Seasons although it's not holding much appeal for me at the moment. I might switch to something else although after looking over my other wip's nothing is catching my attention right now so I guess I'll just stick with the PS one until Holly's mini rr arrives. That one should be a quick a stitch...the theme is superheros...and then it will be on it's way home. What a quick rr this one was. And for all you enablers reading out there...I'm not starting any new projects at the moment so don't even try to talk me in to one. LOL

Recently Read Books

Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber: Every Thursday at eight, four women meet for breakfast — and to talk. To tell their stories, recount their sorrows and their joys. To offer each other encouragement and unstinting support.

Clare has just been through a devastating divorce. She's driven by anger and revenge . . . until she learns something about her ex-husband that forces her to look deep inside for the forgiveness and compassion she's rejected — and for the person she used to be.

Elizabeth is widowed, in her late fifties, a successful professional — a woman who's determined not to waste another second of her life. And if that life should include romantic possibilities — well, why not?

Karen is in her twenties, the years for taking risks, testing your dreams. Her dream is to be an actor. So what if her parents think she should be more like her sister, the very respectable Victoria?

Julia is turning forty this year. Her husband's career is established, her kids are finally in their teens and she's just started her own business. Everything's going according to plan — until she gets pregnant.

The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis: This is book 3 of Abram’s Daughters Before she can be courted, tragedy befalls Leah, forcing her to choose between her happiness and her family. This powerful family saga features four Amish courting-age sisters growing up in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1940s. Life in Gobbler’s Knob was all Leah Ebersol ever wanted until her older sister Sadie abandoned faith and family, leaving Leah no choice but to believe the worst, that Sadie—and her own beloved Jonas—had betrayed her. Now, two years later, Leah still misses both Sadie and Jonas keenly. Because of her sister’s shunning, she cannot contact either of them but hears through the grapevine that they are married. Loyal neighbor Gid is still biding his time, but on the verge of accepting his courting invitation, tragedy befalls the Ebersols and Leah must again choose between her own happiness and her family. Mary Ruth dreams of becoming a teacher, but it has gotten pushed to the back of her thinking when a nice young Amish boy comes courting. Twin Hannah yearns for her sister to attend baptismal classes with her, but Mary Ruth is not ready to take her vows.

The Prodigal by Beverly Lewis: In Book 4 of Abram's Daughters, an alarming secret is brought to light. Truth can be thorny, even heartbreaking, yet Leah is required to make another difficult choice. Will this secret of secrets bring further sorrow for Leah, Sadie and the Ebersol family? Never would this family, especially Leah, have expected the return of one more prodigal….

Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber: Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, a struggling farming community, is dying. But its citizens won't give up on the town where generations have lived, loved, raised families, worked hard, and died. When Savannah-born Lindsay Snyder decides to accept the teaching position in Buffalo Valley, she brings a breath of fresh air with her. Lindsay is trying to escape a stalled romance and learn more about her family, especially her grandmother Gina, who lived her entire life in the tiny town. Buffalo Valley has its share of characters, including Hassie Knight, the matriarch of this small community; Buffalo Bob Carr, the ex-biker who won the local watering hole in a poker game; and Gage Sinclair, the handsome farmer whose roots are deeply planted in the fertile soil of this North Dakota village. But Gage refuses to believe that Lindsay will find any reason to stay so far from the bright lights of the big city she recently called home. And Lindsay despairs that Gage will never comprehend that she has the best reason to remain--love, for him.

The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis: Book 1 of Annie's People. The Preacher's Daughter begins a remarkable journey of heartache and homespun delight. Paradise, Pennsylvania, is likened to a little slice of heaven on earth...but for Annie Zook--the preacher's eldest daughter--it seems like a dead-end street. She is expected to join the Amish church, but at 20 she is "still deciding." Because of the strict rules that guide the Plain community, she must continually squelch her artistic passion, although it has become her solace.

and the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers: In the Old Testament, God called his people to action with the blast of the shofar, a ram's horn. God still calls his people today. In this relevant and timely contemporary novel, dynamic young preacher Paul Hudson is committed to building his church--but at what cost? As Paul's zeal and ambition build, he loses sight of the One who called him. As Paul and those around him struggle to discern what it truly means to live out their faith, they must ultimately choose between their own will or God's plan.

I really, really enjoyed this last book. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author assuming that our lame library has any more.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Test Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be my first attempt to see if I can get everyone where they need to be on time since having the baby. Andy has to leave with Kenzie at 5:30am tomorrow to get her to her softball tournament in Salisbury. As you can probably guess, they have a ridiculously early first game. As a result, that leaves me home with the rest of the kiddos and their soccer games. First soccer game is at 8am for Alex. Ugh! I'm usually somewhat awake at that point but not in any shape to be up and out of the house and at a field by then. The next one is at 11am (I think) for the twins. And in between, I believe Alex has a couple of games to ref. Connor's game got cancelled, thank goodness. Now what are the chances that everyone knows where their soccer uniforms, socks, cleats, shin guards and water jugs are. Let's just pray that Kearsyn and Bekah are good girls tomorrow and that I'm able to pass the test. =)

Today is my sister's birthday. Happy birthday, sis! She's one of 4 family b'days this month. First there's Bekah, then Kearsyn, then Von and finally mine at the end of the month. And they're all very easy to remember...5th, 10th, 20th & 30th. I can see that October will not be a good dieting month. LOL

Friday Feast #116 - 10/19/06

These are leftovers from the 10/15/2004 Feast. The Chef is busy and tired. Thanks for playing!

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?
Right now it's water since I'm currently nursing a new baby girl but generally it's Pepsi.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.
calculator, an acrylic rose plaque that my DH gave to me as a present a long time ago, and a notebook

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?
I'd say I'm a 9 overall.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?
Gosh, I haven't a clue

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?
Being around too many people stresses me out big time. Cross stitching calms me down. I find the rhythm of the needle going through the fabric to be very soothing.

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What's Most Important to Me

This is my 100th post and since I know I could never come up with 100 things about me, I thought I would post what is most important to me and who my life revolves around. Even though they drive me crazy at times, I can't imagine life without them. Luv you all bunches!

SBQ - Which Way?

This weeks SBQ was suggested by Vash and is:

Which way do you stitch, i.e. do you stitch /// followed by \\\ on top, or the other way around \\\ followed by ///? Are you left- or right-handed and do you think that this affects the way that you stitch?

I always stitch /// then \\\. I'm right handed but I don't think that has affected the direction that my final stitch goes. I can stitch both ways, just prefer the way it looks with the top stitch going \\\.

Busy weekend

Although we didn't go anywhere, other than to the dr for Kearsyn Saturday morning (I'll get to that later), we had lots of company coming over to see Kearsyn. My SIL and her family came over Saturday and spent the afternoon with us. We don't get to see them all that often...especially my BIL because he works side jobs on the weekends...so it was nice to spend some time with them. The kids are especially happy when they come visit because that means they get to play with their two cousins. On Sunday, my sister came over, as well as, my mom, dad and good friend of the family. My sister is a hoot because you'd think after all the kiddos I've had she'd feel comfortable holding them when they're this little but they still make her nervous. LOL

We took Kearsyn in Saturday morning for a weight check. She weighed in at 7lbs 5oz which totally surprized me since she weighed 7lbs 6oz when she was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and she'd been eating a ton since then. Even the dr was a little surpised and commented that maybe their scale was measuring differently than the one in the hospital. She was also a little concerned about Kearsyn's jaundice so she sent us off the hospital to get a bili test done. Her bili #'s were 10.2 when we left the hospital on Thursday and were 13 when we had it retested on Saturday...both within normal range for her age. And don't even ask hubby how he felt about having the test done...we really won't go there. ;) I took her back to the drs for another weight check today just to make sure she was gaining weight and she is now up to 7lbs 9oz, 1oz shy of her birth weight, so she's doing great! She's still a little jaundiced but with the way she's eating and gaining weight and her alertness level going up, it's nothing to worry about. If she were to become lethargic before her next appt (which is next Monday, 10/23) and she still looks jaundiced, then I'm to call them to have her bili levels rechecked but I'm expecting to have to do that. We'll also have Bekah's 2yr checkup done that day as well. Easier to do them together than making a special trip back for Bekah.

Kearsyn is much more alert now than she was just a couple of days again. She looks up at you with the biggest blue eyes that you know can't really see you yet. She's constantly blinking as if she's trying to bring things in to focus. Here's a pic of her gorgeous wide open eyes. =)



Bekah just loves her little sister. She is constantly giving her kisses and hugs. Here's a picture of her with Kearsyn. You just can't beat that smile she has.




I haven't done any stitching since Kearsyn was born but I'm hoping to get back to it soon. I did receive my Single Theme RR in the mail today...you gotta love unexpected stitchy mail. I'd forgotten how much I liked the fabric that I chose to stitch this piece on...all the browns and blues in the piece. Thanks to all the laies that stitched on this piece. Everyone did a wonderful job.

I believe that's all the updates I have for now. I think it's going to be a long night. Everytime I go to lay Kearsyn down she wakes up fussing. Wonder if there will be ay good shows on tonight...highly doubtful.

Kearsyn Lynn's Birth Story 10/10/2006

Tuesday, October 10, 2006...here's a short synopsis in pictures of how the day went...
8am --------------------------------- 9:30am ------------------------------ 3:36pm


I have to say, I was a little cranky this morning because I just knew I was going to go see the dr and he was going to tell me there was no change in things and send me home. With that in mind, I'd stuck some cross stitch mailing in the car figuring I could mail the items on the way back home. DH, on the other hand, insisted that we drop of the item he had to deliver before we left for the appt. Hmm, guess he knew something I didn't. We get to the drs office a little before 9 and you know it's bad when all the office staff looks at you with a quizzical look on their faces. Finally the receptionist asks if we had an appt for this morning and I explain that the dr has had me coming in early on Tuesdays (prior to when he normally sees patients in the morning) because of the contractions I'd been having. Turns out the dr was over at the hospital (which means you walk across the street from the office) for a c-section. First bad sign of the morning. They called over to see if he had started yet...turns out he hadn't...so they put me back in a room and he walked over and check me out. Before he actually checked my cervix, he was commenting on how busy things were over at the hospital. Second bad sign of the morning. I'm starting to get a little depressed at this point. He checks my cervix and finds that it's progressed a little...so I'm now at 4 instead of the 3 1/2 that I've been at for the last two weeks. We started talking about when to delivery this little one and he asked if he could get us in today would we want to go for it. Well of course we said yes. LOL So he goes out to make a call to labor & delivery trying to sell that I needed to be induced today. I don't think it took much more than him saying that it was my 7th child and I was 4 cm for the head nurse to agree. We then head across the street to get checked in with the promise from the dr that he would be there shortly to break my water which happened about 9:30. We were taking bets on how long it would be before she'd arrive...dr was hoping she wouldn't arrive between 1-1:30 as he was going to be tied up with another c-section. And then we waited...and waited...and waited and getting pretty bored. I was having contractions but nothing to really speak of so the nurse checks me and finds that I haven't progressed any so at 2pm we get the pitocin going to help things along a bit. Took maybe about 20 minutes to start feeling some more intense contractions but you couldn't really tell because they weren't registering on the monitor very well. The only way you could tell that I was having one, other than me saying so, was that the baby's heartrate was dropping some during them. I then moved to my right side (chose that side because that's were everyone was sitting...inlaws and hubby...so I could still talk to them) but after awhile that wasn't helping with her dropping heartrate so I had to switch to my left side. And at that point, I really didn't care if I was involved in whatever conversation they were having as the contractions were pretty intense at this point...but still weren't registering on the monitor. Very strange. Somewhere around 3:15 the nurse asks if I want any stadol to help with the pain although she does caution that if I'm too far along at that point that I won't be able to get anything because it would affect the baby's breathing taking it that close to delivery. Gets the okay from the dr for the drug, then checks my cervix and I'm at 9 1/2cm. Hmm, guess that's my third bad sign of the day...no drugs for me...and I remember thinking that this delivery is really going to hurt. The nurse pages the dr to come over and asks for another nurse to come into the room to help until the dr gets there. At this point my body decides to take over as this little one has decided that it's time to come out...dr or no dr. I can remember the nurse saying that the baby wouldn't be there yet as I still had a little bit farther to progress. Then she was asking me to breathe and not push...hmm, yeah, like that really works. So from the time they paged the dr at 3:35pm to the time he arrived 3:37pm, little Kearsyn was born at 3:36pm. Now we'd joked throughout this pregnancy of not needing a dr to delivery this one because we'd done it so many times but we weren't actually serious about it...at least I wasn't. LOL The nurse did a wonderful job of helping me with the delivery. And the dr was funny when he did arrive...trying to figure out how that had transpired so quickly. So things didn't go as I thought they would have for this delivery but everything worked out just right in the end with us giving birth to a beautiful baby girl weighing in at 7lbs 10oz and 18 1/2in long.

Kearsyn

For those of you who don't have the occasion to visit my blog or our family web site, here's Kearsyn: http://andyandvickisplace.com/baby/

--Andy

A Relaxing Weekend

or as relaxing as it can be with 6 kiddos running around but at least they were running around at home and not between different soccer fields. My inlaws came over Saturday morning and that's always good for getting the kids wound up. Other than doing a little laundry, I basically didn't do anything this weekend. Andy, Bekah and I did take a walk along the river on Sunday while the rest of the kids were with friends. It was a beautiful day for a walk but man did my legs and hip hurt by the time we got back. Was trying to see if I could entice the little to want to come out...I think she's been in there long enough at this point. ;-) I have another drs appt tomorrow morning so we'll see if anything is going on but I'm not counting on it. She is getting incredibly uncomfortable though...has her feet wedged up under my rib cage at this point. At least I'm hoping it's feet cause if it's anything other than that we're in trouble.

Was a long night last night...started with Taylor waking me up at 1am. Took him coming down to our bedroom twice for me to figure out what was wrong with him...needless to say I wasn't very coherent at that time of the morning. Turns out he had an upset stomach. Finally got him settled down about 2 hrs later and then Bekah decides to wake up screaming. She had one of her nightmares...poor thing. So after all that, I didn't end up getting to bed until after 4am. I was a tired little puppy today...especially when I was trying to get some work done. I was just about to log off from work in the early aftenoon to go take a nap when one of my coworkers IM'd me with a problem so I had to help her figure that out. So that meant no nap, but at least I got most of my work hours in today. Let's hope that the kiddos all sleep tonight otherwise I'm going to be even grumpier than I am right now.

I've been stitching quite a bit lately. Finished up a fish mini rr. I did the two little fish towards the top in the tank on the left and also the fish in the right hand tank. This is going to be such a cute rr when it's finished. I've also been working on the Halloween Mystery GameBoard Sampler. I completed all the boxes last night...now to wait for the next installment to come out. Not sure what I'm going to work on next. I don't feel like working on Mother's Bliss right now so I'll have to dig through my other wip's to see what catches my interest.

And just for the fun of it, here's a picture of Bekah being goofy. =)

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Theme: Sleeping

Kids can sleep in any position, can't they? This is a picture of Connor, our second oldest, when he was a little tyke.

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A Change in Plans

Due to all the rain we've had last night and today everything scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed...no soccer games, no soccer pictures and no softball tournament. So we all get to stay at home and just relax. My inlaws will be coming over since they haven't seen Bekah for her birthday yet. I'm hoping to get some sleep tonight so I won't be quite as grumpy tomorrow...was up pretty much around the clock last night and that makes for a very long night and a long day.

Friday Feast #114 - 10/6/06

Appetizer
Name a song you know by heart.
Umm, the ABC song. LOL (I spend alot of time around kiddos. LOL)

Soup
What will you absolutely not do in front of another person?
Fart

Salad
How often do you use mouthwash and what kind do you like?
Never so there aren't any that I like.

Main Course
Finish this sentence: I am embarrassed when...
too many people focus their attention on me. I absolutely hate being the center of attention.

Dessert
What was the last food you craved?
A King Cone...a giant nutty buddy ice cream cone (preggo craving and DH wouldn't go out and get me one) :(

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Two

That's how old our youngest is today. Hard to believe two years ago today she was just starting out in this world as a helpless little infant and today she is an independant two year old. She is such a little person, it's amazing. I love the way she will walk up to you and give you a big kiss and wrap her arms around you for a big hug. Or reaches for your hand as we are walking across the yard. I love the way she lays her head on my belly or snuggles in my arm when I'm reading her a book. Or the way she cocks her head to the side as if she's trying to see her new baby sister through my belly. She's such a sweetie and I can't imagine life without her. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

37 Weeks and Counting

So far so good. We are 37 wks today and the munchkin is still staying put although I think now she might be getting a little too comfortable. Dr says she is still head down but really floaty in there...so no pressure whatsoever on the cervix...and with her head kind of off to the side a little. As long as she doesn't decide to turn transverse she's welcome to stay where she is...at least until this weekend is past. The last thing I need to have happen is to go into labor with Andy and Kenzie down in Salisbury at a softball tournament. I guess working from home has been a good thing. I gained 2 lbs this week to bring me to a total of 42lbs for this pregnancy. Ack! At least my blood pressure was back down today...the last two visits it's been elevated but I think that had more to do with the possibility of her coming early. I think that's about all the news I have on the babe. Next appt is next Tuesday so we'll what that brings.

Our First Baby...

...chicky baby that is. The very first one hatched this morning to an audience of Kenzie, Taylor, Tyler and Alex. You see a pic of him here. We've since had one more hatch and a few others that are trying.

Updating to add that we now have 5 baby chicks that have hatched today. Almost all the remaining have been pecked through. Will be interesting to see how many hatch overnight and throughout the day tomorrow.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Theme: Comfy

This picture of my DH and our youngest daughter was taken a couple of years ago when she was about a month. She's looking pretty comfy to me. =)


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