I actually finished!

I have done some knitting in the past. But I always tend to NOT finish what I start! I get discouraged or bored with the project before I get done with it. But since we are expecting a new baby in the early winter I have suddenly regained an interest in knitting and sewing. I have finished some new diapers for the new baby and I have finished this:



The bulk of it actually only took me a week of on and off knitting. The grafting, weaving and last four inches of one leg sat unfinished for a couple weeks because that is the most boring part! But I finally picked it up this week and finished it.
So now Abbie (Abbey, Abby who knows how we will spell it!) has one pair of wool longies to her name. I am going to be starting another pair this week sometime with some girly colors. Hopefully I wil have it done sooner!

It's a.....

I had my ultrasound today. While I was very hesitant to get one I went ahead and did it. Last year when I was pregnant with Josiah (at this same exact time I might add!) I had my regular and routine ultrasound at 18 weeks. We were so excited to be able to find out what he was. It was pretty uneventful and we left that appointment with the info that our baby was a boy and was measuring almost two weeks ahead of schedule...

Four days later the midwife called me to tell me that our baby had several subchorionic cysts and an increased nuchal fold... Both of which might have pointed to a Down's Syndrome baby. We both mourned that day... I think my eyes were so swollen I could hardly see... and too make matters worse we had to go and face the whole family at my parents 25th wedding anniversary party! It was so awesome how much support we got that night. Not one person asked us if we were going to abort... THAT WASN'T AN OPTION. While we did get that comment by a couple of people it wasn't on that day.

Two weeks later I went in for a level II ultrasound where we found out the cysts were still there but the nuchal fold was gone... Also he was still measuring big! The perinatologist told me that it didn't point to Down Syndrome but to Trisomy 18 which was usually fatal to the baby. I left there upset but even more determined to see this to the end. After much prayer on my part I finally got a peace that I nor anyone else could understand. I didn't worry about it anymore... I knew deep in my heart that he was going to be fine...

The day he was born the thought crossed my mind that there might be something wrong... but at that same time the midwife came over to me and told me he looked great and had no signs of either of those two conditions. To this day I still believe that Josiah is my special child. For any of you that read his birth story you know that we had chosen the name Josiah before we even knew he was a boy and later, after his birth, found out that it meant "Jehovah heals".... I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt!

It was with mixed emotions that I went to my ultrasound today... Very hesitant at what we would find out. According to the technician every thing looked great. The baby was very cooperative and showed its face numerous times... At one point we caught it yawning... it was SO cute!! When the time came the tech asked me if I wanted to know the sex if she was able to see it.... The baby wasn't shy and she showed me in between the legs...

Unmistakably a..... Girl!! We are having a little girl!! I was so sure that it was a girl that I wasn't surprised when she told me it was a girl. I asked her how sure she was that it was a girl... She said it was pretty obvious.... So I am convinced!

As I was walking out she told me I wouldn't have to come back unless I needed a followup. I told her I knew because I had had to do it last summer with my son when we found out about his cysts and nuchal fold. She looked at me and lowered her voice then said "Well I am not supposed to tell you this... but everything looks fine and I didn't see any of that!"

So please welcome our new little one! A girl who will be named

Abbie Lynne

A new Emma-ism

Emma's new favorite thing to do.....

"Mommy I want to go to Chopper..."

Price Chopper is a grocery store in our area.... We went to one the other day and hadn't been to one in a couple of months. What is up with that??? How did she remember that? As soon as we pulled in to the parking lot she had a cow and started shouting:

"I want to go to Chopper, I want to go to Chopper, I want to go to Chopper...."

Then when we left she got upset and then the next day we got in the car and said:

"We go to Chopper mommy... okay?"

And now today... she is sitting on the couch and saying:

"Mommy we go to Chopper tomorrow okay???"

Hmm.... a foodie in the making?

Stupid Blogger.... among other things.

It seems that every time that I get online to post some pics of the family, that is exactly when Blogger decides to have a brainfart and not allow me to upload pics... Doing some research online this seems to be pretty common with Blogger... Hence... STUPID BLOGGER.... Who cares if it is free?? It is completely unreliable and really causes me NOT to want to blog! I would like to be able to do what I want to do when I have the time to do it! Not when Blogger deems it okay!

Anyways... due to the fact that I am really mad at Blogger I will not be posting pics today... Just some updates.

Josiah is now dragging himself everywhere... um... I like them better when they stay where you put them! No seriously.. he is really moving therefore EVERYTHING goes in his mouth... Guess it is time to baby proof again... *sigh*. He also seems to have inherited his daddy's temper... Darn! I just really hope one of my poor children gets by unscathed! When I mentioned this to Pete he just got a smirk on his face, laughed and said "Sorry!"

Emma is still not potty trained... It's. Getting. Old. At what point do they finally think... Oh! I think I will use the potty!? But if nothing else at least she has proven bright in other areas... we have comments quite often that she talks quite fluently for a two year old... I don't really have any other kids to really compare her to so I don't usually say much when I do hear this... the doctor's just told me she was normal.

Both of the kids have decided lately that it is fun to wake mom up at night! Who knows why.... Emma's favorite thing to do is come into our room at night and stare at me until I wake up... CREEPY! It is usually for something crazy... A drink or a blanket... Last night it was because she wanted to watch cartoons!! What??!! I walk her back to her room and pray every night that she won't wake Si up...

I had my appointment today... I am 17 weeks and 2 days. We heard the heartbeat and all is well... The midwife is still convinced there is only one in there! I sure hope so!! The baby is moving like crazy all the time now and making its presence known every day a few times a day now. It is nice to have the reassurance that he/she is still there and kicking... literally! Next Tuesday is the big day! We will find out if Bean is a girl baby or a boy baby... So far we only have a girl's name picked out.... We did have a boy's name picked out but Pete changed his mind. So instead of arguing over another boy name we are going to wait and see if it even deserves discussion!

I have been very reluctant of my blog... I just want to apologize and try to be better... I am starting to feel better now that I am well into the second trimester... I am hoping life will be on an upswing here soon!

Today:
17wk 2ds
Heartbeat: Normal and strong
Weight gain: 2 lbs total
Movement: Quite active!

(PS... when Blogger decides to play nice I will post some pics...)

The baby has made it's presence known

I have been feeling little taps and such for about 2-3 weeks but I would always dismiss it as gas because it just wasn't "obvious" as it was with my other two pregnancies! But last Friday I was sitting in a chair with my abdomen all scrunched up because I was leaning over and I felt a pretty big kick that surprised me! It was a movement that made me think " That was definitely the baby!"

Since Friday I haven't felt anything consistent... just little jabs here and there... but now that I know that it really is the baby I am able to distinguish the movements much easier.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks Pete will be able to enjoy the movement as well... We are still on the countdown till the ultrasound which will probably be in two weeks or so. Bean will then have an identity!

Just another day in Emma's world

Today I was sitting on the couch trying to figure out some knitting and Emma comes into the room from the direction of her bathroom...

"Mmm, mommy, that tastes good!!!" She says smacking her lips and wiping her hands.

Oh great now what... I go into the bathroom and discovered that she had helped herself to a taste of the liquid hand soap.... Guess we won't be able to use that as a threat in the future for a potty mouth since she seems to enjoy the taste of it!

Look Mommy, I bee-you-tiful!

So I am sitting at the table enjoying the last little bit of dinner and Emma comes in then kitchen... prancing about...

"Look mommy! I bee-you-tiful!"

"Oh really.... why is that?"

"I put lotion on my face!"

"Oh... well where is the lotion?"

"In der." Pointing to absolutely nothing in the other room.

"Well, could you get the lotion and show it to mommy?"

"Okay!" Said as she is running in the direction of the bathroom.

She comes back in the kitchen.

"Here mommy!"

She hands me the soap bottle from the bathtub and then runs off... I sigh and go back to what I am doing... to many of these things have happened today and quite frankly I am tired...

She comes running in and hands me the bottle of shampoo... "Here mommy! You look bee-you-tiful too!"

Thanks Emma... I'll get right on that...

Well if nothing else it was good for a laugh...

(At least it wasn't like last night's conversation that went something like this "Look mommy! So pretty!!" she says as she wipes Desitin on her face and hands...)

We're still alive!

I never meant for a month to go by between posts!!

We had a incredibly long and eventful month though! The day after my last post Pete was admitted to the hospital for the fluid around his heart that had returned. We were told that it would just be for observation and pain management! But the next day a different cardiologist came in and told Pete he had to have surgery that day. So after waiting all day he went in at almost five and had the fluid around his heart drained. He spent that night in the ICU then another 5 days on the cardiac care floor. It was a long week. I spent every day at the hospital and farmed the kids out to various family members. He came home after a week in the hospital.

A day after we got home Pete started making plans to leave that night to go out to his parents in Indiana since he was going to be out for another couple of weeks. But our plans got foiled when major flooding covered th NYS Thruway for miles and miles and there was no way to get west! But we were finally able to leave the next day... exactly a week after Pete's surgery. We stayed out there for week seeing family and going to parks and the zoo. Pics will follow soon when I find time!!

Then after we got home and Pete was going into his fourth week out of work we decided to occupy the time by helping out at VBS at church.

Yesterday was Pete's first day back to work... and a bad day to do it!! It was 96 degrees outside!! He made it most of the night. I told him after being out for a month and being sick and having surgery it would take time to build his stamina back up!

So another month has gone by and Josiah is seven months old now... creeping ever closer to the birth of his little sibling... Emma is still no closer to being potty trained and I am still pregnant!

Stay tuned because hopefully we will be back to our normally scheduled programing!

A note from the sidelines

Please stay tuned for a few words from my hubby!

Some people ofton wonder why this website is here for the open public to read...Well, let me explain why I feel that this website is tthere for everyone to read. My wife is awesome, she goes above and beyond what a wife should ever have to do. She has given me two wonderful children and a “little bean” on the way. She is taking care of all the household chores, even the ones I hate...(You know the commodes!) OnlyGod knows what I have done to allow me to have her as my wife!!! So the reason she does this is because she is home alone with a 2 year old and 6 month old.. what conversations do you think she has?? Yes, no, don’t do that, do this and do that. She does not get a chance to ever talk to anyone else during the day. Especially when I leave the house at noon and do not get home until the wee hours of the morning! So I think that it is a chance to catch up on her saneness trying to take care of everything. As for personal stuff on here, so what if other people read it..there is some devout readers who read it and pray for the situation at hand...Do we ask for it..no, but God laid it on their hearts to take the time out and read the blog. So I think that sometimes it is necessary to tell others about what is going on..both for family and public. So in regards to what people think about this blog, My wife is going to do this for family and those who have talked to my wife on a regular basis. If there is some else new that is just passing through please take a look..there is a lot that you will be able to relate to! For those prayer warriors out there...( you know who you are) Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your thoughts and prayers.
~Pete

Happy Half Birthday 'Siah!

Josiah is officially six months old... so that makes half a year!



It has been a fast six months that is for sure! Josiah is finally sleeping all night... Around ten to twelve hours but he still doesn't nap very well. If he would nap it would be heavenly! But all in good time... all in good time.

Two months ago we started solids. His current favorite is bananas or any combination with bananas in it. He used to eat carrots... but now he just spits them out. We have tried every flavor so far except for green beans and those nasty meats! He LOVES his lunch and dinner. Pretty soon I plan to start him on his third meal of the day.

Josiah also found out 6 weeks ago that he is going to be a big brother! Bean will be gracing us with his/her presences and presenting Josiah with his offical title of "BB" that's "big brother" for those who aren't in the know... *wink*

Yesterday Josiah discovered that he can scoot backwards. He starts at one side of the room and ends up on the other! And then just today he found out he could blow razzberries... TOO CUTE!

His current favorite person is MOMMY. He is definitely a momma's boy. But that is okay with me. Our time together will be short before the baby comes so I am going to enjoy every moment that we have. Anytime that anyone holds him he constantly keeps one eye on mommy. Daddy is an okay substitute... but not for long!

He is also quite fond of his "Sissy" She is just about the only one that can make him giggle!

I am sure the next couple of months will go just as fast. And before we know it we will be celebrating his one year birthday!

It's almost gone.

I am finally starting to feel better. I can actually eat without gagging. But the nausea is still there and I have to be careful what I do eat.

I am currently still exhausted because Josiah doesn't reliably nap for very long in the afternoon. But I am slowly starting to feel more energy and was able to do all the laundry today and change and wash everyone's sheets today. I also managed to make lunch today.

Emma has been gone for the past two days. Her honorary Aunt Linda took her to spend two nights at her house. I have called to check on her a few times and according to Linda she doesn't even miss me! Sniff... Oh well... At least I got a nice break from taking care of a two year old and trying to corral her defiance. Although I find it amusing if not annoying that she only shows her true colors around me and me only.

The midwife called me today and told me everything looked great with the ultrasound and that she was sticking with the due date of January 14th. But we all know that it really doesn't matter for me! I just hope little Bean chooses to make his/her appearance in time for a nice little tax deduction.

Currently:

9wks 3 days.
Still feeling sick and tired. But improving!
No kicks yet. But counting down the days!
Hoping for another girl.

Only one!

Well we found out today that there is only one baby in there! Thank God! I think I would have gone insane if I had found out I was having twins or something!

And the hearbeat was great! 167! The baby was moving its arms around... so cute!

I am just happy everything is okay with the baby so far.

Next milestone: Movement!

Guess what I am doing!

Typing a post on my new laptop!

I have wanted a laptop forever and since our stupid computer kept crashing and getting tons of viruses and spyware and such, we decided it was time to get a new one. So we chose to get a Mac.... you've seen the commercials with the poor little pc guy who is sick and the mac guy who isn't? Well that is our aim.... No more viruses... and in the long run we will have a computer that lasts a lot longer.

We chose to go with a laptop just due to the lack of space in our house. Now it will be nice not to have a computer sitting on a counter somewher. We can take it out and sit anywhere. Not to mention we can take it with us everywhere which is always a plus.

Hopefully in the next couple of months we will be getting a wireless router so that we can also go on the net wherever we want. Currently we have found that the internet cord from our cable company ended up being long enough that we just plugged in while sitting on the bed... How comfy. Now if I ever get put on bedrest I will be all set!

Now just to learn how to use a mac and I will be all set!

It's Official!

Since blogger is finally back up I can post about my first OB appointment!!

I went to see my midwife yesterday for my first visit... It's official! I am pregnant and due on January 14, 2007. Just 11 days later than what Josiah's due date was this past January.

I had to do the routine pee in the cup. But beforehand the nurse was standing in the bathroom door looking at my chart... she sighs and says
"Did you just take a test at home and not here??"

"Why yes," I say " Three, in fact. You don't think they could have all been wrong do you?? Or the fact that maybe Aunt Flo hasn't visited in two months means anything important do you??"

No... I didn't really say that... But she really did ask me that... You would think that since this is my 4 pregnancy that I might just happen to know when I am pregnant!

Anyways on to the better stuff. The midwife asked me if I was okay with being pregnant yet. I told her it would take some time but I would get used to it. Then we talked about the dreaded labor and delivery! I am so scared to go through that again. I just don't want this one to get stuck like Josiah did! When I voiced my fear she told me not to worry... I could fit a 12 pound baby through there if the shoulders were narrower than Josiah's.

Uh... I might be crazy... but who wants to put 12 pounds through "there" ??
I certainly don't! So we shall just keep our fingers crossed that the baby will stay small!

On Monday I have an ultrasound to check the dates and see the heartbeat... and hopefully, according to the midwife, I will become a little more attached to the idea if I see the baby... I sure hope so cause I am still reeling at the fact that I am going to have two babies only a year apart.... God help me!

Okay... so as it stands.

8 weeks 4 days (five days today!)
No heartbeat yet because it is still early to hear it through the doppler.
Lost 8 pounds so far (I like the weight loss... but seriously do I need to starve?? I hope I feel better soon!)

Update to follow after the Monday ultrasound

It's about stinkin' time!

Yesterday I caved and called the midwife to beg for some medicine for the nausea. They said sure! So last night I picked the medicine up and took one. I felt much better. But then I fell into a very deep sleep. Well darn! That work for during the day when I have to take care of the kids.... Lot of good that does!

When the pharmacist said it may cause some drowsiness I figured it couldn't be much worse than how I feel already with the fatigue of first trimester... I was wrong.

So I guess this will be a night time med and it will help me get through till morning when I can start off the morning right... with food! And curb the nausea before it even happens.

Four weeks and counting till the second trimester and the relief from being sick! I can't wait!! I can't believe that it has come this quickly. Before I know it the due date will be here.... Holy Cow... three kids... it's gonna be a mad house around here!

Firetruck, Daddy!

Pete stopped in at the local volunteer fire department today. He wants to join.
After a month of applications, reference checking and all that kind of good stuff he should find out by the beginning of July if he will be a new "Firetruck Man" (That is what Emma calls them.)

While we were waiting for him to get out of the firehouse Emma wanted to know where daddy was. So I told her that he was in talking to the firetruck man. She got all excited and wanted to know if she could see the firetrucks!

Turns out that if and when Pete is voted in he will able to let Emma come and see the firetrucks... at least that is what the chief told him today.

Someday Pete would like to possibly make a career out of this. They will provide all the training for their facilities. When the time comes he will check into making it a full time job.

He's really excited so I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Bye Ray-chul

Is it a bad thing when your 2 year old daughter says: "Bye Ray-chul." when the commercials come on during Rachel Ray's 30 minutes meals??

Maybe I should curb my Rachel Ray obsession!

Hello my old friend....

Morning sickness is back with a vengence!

With Emma it was so bad that I ended up with an IV! With Josiah?? Nothing... With Bean?? Oh it's bad, people! I think we could be well on our way to a repeat of Emma... I wonder if that means it's a girl??!

Yesterday we went on a lovely picinic with some other young couples from our church. Emma got to play with her favorite friend, Maddie. Josiah got to play with his friend (read: baby the same age) Autumn.

I got to eat lots of good food! At least I thought it was good food! We had burgers, potato salad, strawberry shortcake and watermelon. I thought I was doing good having sampled all these foods. I was thinking what good fortune I was having with all this food set in front of me, I didn't have to worry about what I would eat. Because since I feel sick all the time, when left to my own devices, I don't eat. But if the food is readily available I eat!

I did good! Didn't eat as much as everyone else but certainly more than I have been eating. We went on a nice walk, played in the creek (Emma loved it!) and just sat around and talked.

Since it was REALLY hot out we didn't do much moving around other than what was absolutely necessary. By 6pm we were ready to go home. Our house felt like an oven compared to being in the woods all afternoon.

We had a really nice day... and it would have been better if I hadn't had to sit at the great white throne all night to pay for all that food I ate... I think I will go back to eating nothing... it works MUCH better.

So far I have lost 5 pounds... still have 5 weeks left in the first trimester!

Batten down the hatches!!!!

Emma has hit the terrible twos!!

But first I need to clear something up... did I spell batten right?? Cause here is what Webster's says:

1bat·ten Pronunciation: 'ba-t&nFunction: verbInflected Form(s): bat·tened; bat·ten·ing /'bat-ni[ng], 'ba-t&n-i[ng]/Etymology: probably from Old Norse batna to improve; akin to Old English betera betterintransitive senses a : to grow fat b : to feed gluttonously2 : to grow prosperous especially at the expense of another -- usually used with ontransitive senses : FATTEN

I mean if you look at that definition batten down the hatches doesn't sound right...

Okay enough English for one day... Emma has seriously gone off the deep end.. She has become very defiant! She will sit and stare at me deliberately and do whatever I just told her not to do!!! She also runs off in the middle of stores if you let go for even a split second! We have tried all kinds of punishments... NOT WORKING!

My only hope is that she will be almost through the terrible twos when Bean is born. Oh and it would appear that Josiah may be our soft hearted one. He startles at everything! He cries when he hears loud noises and he has to keep mommy in sight at all times!

Today proved to be trying... Emma was into everything! And unfortunately morning sickness (which is NOT just in the morning) is rearing its ugly head pretty bad here. It is getting almost as bad as it was with Emma. Although I must say a big slice of pizza sounds good right now!

Tomorrow is another day.....

Wanna play a game??

It's a guessing game....

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what this might be??


Wait... what was that??? You want to know what a stick with two lines on it is???

Well... I'll tell ya! It would be a positive sign that we (meaning the adults) will be outnumbered by the end of this year. Yup... another curtain climber is on it's way. Why don't we call him/her, Bean.

Now before you drop all your pearls of wisdom on us whether it be by comment, email or phone I would like to say something. Pete and I were surprised to say the least... this was not in our plans. We were using various methods of protection which obviously did not work. So this in no way is a reflection on our level of responsibility... we have been married for going on 4 years and we DO know how to prevent pregnancy. God intervened with our method and still allowed Bean to be created. Pete and I are both firm believers that God makes NO mistakes. He will provide financially, physically and emotionally. Someone smart once said "If God brings you to it, God will get you through it."

So before you sit back and pass judgement on how we should have done something differently or try to give us your unsolicited advice (which we all know is close to bursting out of your mouths!) why don't you take a second look at how Pete and I feel.

We had both believed that we were done. We had been discussing our options and had come to a decision and had executed said decision two days before we found out our news. God has other plans for us. I believe Bean is going to prove to be someone special.

So PLEASE don't remind us of facts that are already glaring us in the face concerning our finances and lives. Instead try to remember all things happen for a reason...

And if Pete and I have accepted it... couldn't you??