Introducing...Mara Kate!

The way I was figuring it, today would have warranted a post in anticipation of Mara's scheduled birthday party early tomorrow morning.  But as it turns out, I got a quick lesson in who is in charge...and if I can just cut to the chase, it isn't me. 

Last Thursday afternoon, I headed to my normal doctor's appointment and prepared for the usual non stress test and uneventful report about how I wasn't anywhere close to being in labor.  It was really OK.  If I had imposed any deadlines on this baby, it was to get here before the clock struck midnight on Dec 31st- for the purposes of health insurance deductibles and tax deductions.  And once that deadline came and went, I was really OK with waiting until the 11th.  In our normal chit chat before my appointment really got going, I mentioned to Dr. Miller that I was pretty proud of myself- because even with a little cheating over the New Year's holiday, my blood sugar numbers were surprisingly good.  I knew immediately I had been a bit too free with my bragging, as he said that could actually be a sign of a problem with my placenta.  So he sent me to the hospital for a stat ultrasound to check on the a baby and get a good look at what might be going on.  Being that this isn't my first rodeo, I was even so bold as to call Jason on the way back upstairs while carrying my report, to tell him that I was pretty sure we were OK since we had an 8 out of a possible 8 on the biophysical profile.  A good nonstress test added two more to give us the same 10/10 we had seen a few weeks earlier.  However, Dr. Miller had also placed a call to the lab and was told by the technician that my placenta was a hard grade 3, meaning aging and beyond the condition it ought to be in for 39 weeks.  And so, he asked us what plans we had for the evening.  And before I knew it, I was on my way home to pack the remainder of my hospital bag and say goodbye to the kids.  We were delivering between 8-8:30, as soon as the anesthesia team would allow me to have my spinal after having had my snack of an apple with some peanut butter around 2:30.

It all happened so fast, really, that I didn't have time for what was likely to have been a whole lot of worrying about what could happen.  Instead, before we knew it, they were wheeling me back to the OR on the labor and delivery floor (never knew there was one of those up there!) and I was being prepped for surgery.  We had a terrific anesthesia team who delivered the best spinal I've experienced.  In stark contrast to Lauren's delivery where I was on the edge of screaming "timies" the whole time because I was close to being able to feel what was happening.  As it turned out, as soon as my spinal was placed and they spun me around to lay me down on the operating table, my water broke.  Dr. Miller exclaimed, "Well, what do you know about that?" and then indicated that maybe it was a sign that we were meant to be there that night anyway.

Our sweet baby girl made her entrance into the world at exactly 9:00 pm.  She was 6 lb 10 oz and 20" long.  At first glance (and keep in mind that I was laying down with a plethora of drugs in my system) I wasn't sure there was a resemblance between her and the other kids, but that quickly changed when I sat up and actually looked at her.  She is an almost identical copy of Joshua and Lauren, but most especially Lauren.  If we aren't careful to mark baby pictures, I'm not sure we'll really know who is who in a few years when I forget who wore which outfit or sat in which bouncy seat.  Because of the late night surprise delivery, I didn't have to go to the recovery room like I normally would have on our 7:00 am delivery time, so as soon as they were done with me in the OR, I was taken directly back to my room on the post partum floor, where Jason, our nurses and baby Mara were waiting for me.  I got to hold her and nurse her right away, something I never got to do with the others, and I loved it.  I even got to watch her first bath and be a part of all of the stuff that I have missed in the past while I was waiting to feel my feet again.

Perhaps my favorite moment in Mara's delivery story came the next morning when Jason brought the kids to the hospital to meet their baby sister.  They were so smitten with her- loving her and smiling and wanting to hold her as much as they could.  Lauren was obviously in love immediately.  And Joshua, who had shown little interest when Lauren was born, was very intrigued and stepped into his role as the big brother so sweetly.  Jason even said he had wanted to wear his nice sweater when he got dressed that morning because he wanted to look nice for me.  I had been so worried about him the night before.  Our resident worrier (wonder who he takes after there?), he was obviously shaken at the surprise news that I needed to go to the hospital on Thursday night.  We had been talking about it, but even he knew that it was not as scheduled.  When we walked out the door, he was on the verge of tears, as was I.  I was so pleased to see how well he had rebounded and how relieved he was that both his baby sister and I were just fine.

We stayed at the hospital until Saturday early in the afternoon when I had officially had enough of that and decided that I could either be sore at the hospital or at home with my family, and opted for the latter.  Jason had sent me a picture of Joshua and Lauren playing at home, and when I burst into tears at how much I missed them, I knew it was time to go.  Dr. Miller and Lewisburg Pediatrics gave us the all clear and we were quickly packing our belongings to get out of there.  My mom was kind enough to offer to stay with us on Saturday night to help Jason with the kids, so I placed myself on the couch and took to the business of feeding Mara and resting as much as I could.  Mom was a lifesaver- and I think we all really enjoyed having Nana here to share in Mara's coming home day/night.

The kids have done so well.  Lauren has had a few moments, but in all honesty, she's good for a few "moments" on a normal day.  Joshua returned to school yesterday wearing his "Big Brother" shirt and was so proud.  Mara has been a wonderful baby so far, other than a little feeding issue we're having over the past 24-48 hours.  She is on a complete nursing strike after having nursed like a champ from late Friday evening on.  As jaundice begins to set in, our ability to wait it out and let her work it out on her own are dwindling, which is causing supply issues and other stresses.  It's deja vu all over again just like when Joshua was born, and although I am quite disappointed and feeling a bit of a breastfeeding failure at the moment, I'm trying to focus on the blessing of this sweet baby girl and not so much on what my expectations for how everything was going to go once we got home were.  We haven't given up, but I am definitely on the edge of needing to make a decision as the pumping I'm doing is already having a major negative impact on my supply.  But, if you want the bright side, she sleeps like a dream, never cries, and is the cuddliest baby ever.  And I'm so in love.

I have to say, as well, that I am super blessed to have Jason home with us through the delivery and this whole week.  He has been an absolute champ with the kids- putting them both to bed, getting them up and dressed, dropping off and picking up at school, carrying laundry up and down and running countless errands and dealing with things that are nowhere close to as organized as we usually like.  But so far, being a family of 5 feels exactly right- like Mara is the final piece of our family that we have been waiting for.  

Enjoy a few pictures from her birthday and the days following...   

The Dugan's Rockin New Years Eve

At about 9:30 on New Years Eve, I said to Jason that it wasn't looking good for our 2011 tax deduction, nor for our 2011 health insurance deductible to apply to the birth of the new baby.  My next fear was that something would start happening and we'd be the first baby born in 2012, earning us a front page photo on the newspaper that I'm sure would have been less than attractive.  Thankfully, baby girl is still tucked safely inside my tummy and appears to be compliant enough to hold out the remaining 7 days until her scheduled birthday party.

We hadn't planned much for New Years Eve- just a quiet night at home.  I hadn't even gone so far as to make special snacks or anything like that for the kids, just having had enough time in the kitchen during Christmas prep.  So after a day of running around doing errands, we tucked in at home.  Joshua was intrigued by the idea of New Years Eve and seemed thrilled when I explained it as a night that he could stay up as late as he wanted to see if he could make it to watch the ball drop at midnight.  He was poised and ready to tackle the challenge and talked all evening about it.

 Until...

At 9:15 after getting his tub and bringing his sleeping bag and pillow downstairs to be comfy while he waited, his sweet little eyes couldn't stay open a second longer.  And he and Bear drifted off to dreamland.  This sweet boy has my same narcoleptic tendencies.  He can go from wide awake to completely zonked in less than a minute.  (If only he'd been that way as a newborn!)

Lauren, on the other hand, (our resident night owl) kept going until about 10:30, eating Oreos and watching Dora in the playroom.  Her night time routine continues to intrigue me, but she seems to like some alone time to decompress before bed.  She wants her snack, her blanket and her milk and a show to watch.  But she'll declare when she's ready for bed, and then usually goes to sleep pretty quickly once she's ready.

If I'm being honest, I should report that I, also, fell victim to the idea of sleep around 11:15 when I went to bed.  Poor Jason- spent midnight by himself in the living room while the rest of us were snoring away.  I hope that doesn't make me a bad wife.

New Years Day and the day after were chore days around the house with some cooking, laundry, washing of all the miniature pink things in the baby's drawers and closet, cleaning/restocking diaper bags, washing some bottles just in case, hanging a few pictures, etc.  The kids played and played, at one point even using the ottoman as some sort of a hideout.  When they're playing nicely, we try not to interrupt them, even if they're climbing inside of our furniture.  As long as everyone is happy, so are we!

We are now t-minus 1 week until the new baby's arrival.  At one point this morning I stopped dead in my tracks and said to the girls in the office that at this time next week, I'll be holding the baby, hopefully enjoying that feeling of falling in love all over again.  I can hardly believe it, but am so very excited to get the opportunity to do this again.  Seriously, how blessed can we get?  I have what should be my last doctor's appointment and non-stress test tomorrow, and as long as everything looks good, I suspect we'll be on course to meet the final Dugan early on Wednesday morning.  I will be 39 weeks tomorrow, and if my doctor had operating privileges on any day other than Wednesday, I'm pretty sure we'd have her here earlier, but at this point I'm just hoping the baby cooperates with my Type A self and stays put until Wednesday morning.  Although I realize full well that the Lord has a sense of humor and reserves the right to teach me a lesson about Who is really in charge at any given moment. 

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy New Year.  What a fun one 2012 is going to be!

Christmas!

This was a different kind of Christmas for us for sure.  The plan was that, because we had done our Lewistown celebration last week, we were going to tuck in at home without the stress of holiday travel on the actual holiday weekend.  As much as I struggled with not being in Lewistown with our family on Christmas Eve, I was really liking the idea of not needing to pack up, load up, and then undo it all when we returned late on Christmas Eve as we have in years past.

It's funny how things work out sometimes, because if that hadn't been our original plan, it certainly would have been once things unravelled at our house late last week.

Joshua ended up being the member of our family who needed a holiday trip to the doctor's office.  For anyone keeping score, we've been to Lewisburg Pediatrics on the days either before or after most of the major holidays in 2011.  Normally it's Lauren who is the culprit, but the goopy, bright red eye that he woke up with on Saturday morning was an obvious issue.  And, although I haven't attended medical school, even I knew he had pinkeye.  Sadly, the doctor's office felt it necessary to collect their $75 to write us the prescription for the drops he needed.  They also advised that we were under quarantine for 48 hours, which pretty much eliminated the few activities we were planning for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day--- church.  I was sad, but we decided we'd make the best of it and tuck in at home without the pressure of having to go anywhere.

Once again-- good move.  Because I was the next one struck.  I cannot honestly recall the last time I have been as sick as I was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (and Monday and Tuesday and today...and I have a feeling I'm in for it for a while yet) with what started as a head cold.  (The same one that had us in the doctor's office with the kids the past two weeks.  Seriously....I'm counting on catching a break here at some point.  And hopefully soon!)  Despite my begging, I was told by the OB and the second opinion I sought at the pharmacy that there is no over the counter remedy that I could safely try to relieve any of the congestion.  So, given my 37 week pregnant self, I was told to suck it up, put on my big girl panties and suffer through.  Which is what I did.  Suffer.

The good news is that the kids had an absolute blast on Christmas.  They were sweet, well behaved, patient and had a wonderful time with all of the things that Santa brought for them.  I only wish I was feeling a little better to be able to enjoy it even more.  But we did snap some pictures...

Now that they're a little  older, we started hiding the Christmas pickle on the tree on Christmas Eve for them to look for.  They looked and looked until they finally found it.  And Joshua emerged victorious and claimed the $5 prize.  Wonder how long we'll get away with a $5 price tag for the winner?  I don't know how inflation affects these things- nor the tooth fairy, but we've yet to get to that stage.

Bless Joshua's little heart, he was wide awake at 6:00 ready to come downstairs.  Lauren and I had had an awful night, so there was no way I was waking her up that early, so we had to stall him.  Talk about tough work.  We did let him open his stocking and pick one gift, which luckily was something we could play for a while until it was in the safe range to wake up Lauren without being met by a grouchy bear.  It didn't take them both long to dig in to their piles!

One of Joshua's favorite gifts was a pretend office set.  It has been set up one of our end tables since the moment he opened it.  He absolutely loves to pretend things, and if you give him tools to use to make it even more realistic, he just couldn't be happier.  This little set came with a laptop, checks, post its, a stapler, an "I'm the Boss" coffee cup, a name badge and a few other things.  It was fun watching him having a good time with it.

Lauren was very intrigued with her doll house and got right to work setting up all the rooms and putting everyone in their places.  Her first order of business was to get the bathroom functional.  She said sister had to use the potty.  Cracked me up- but obviously, her recent potty training experience has that as an A1 priority in her mind.  And I love it!  We are still going strong with the potty stuff and we're so proud of her!

This was the scene after all of the paper was cleared away.  They both claimed spots on the floor and played for hours.  It was fun to see them having so much fun.

Later in the afternoon Grandma and Grandpa arrived to exchange gits with the kids.  Joshua loved this Batman costume and has had it on quite a bit since he got it.  They also picked out an apron for Lauren that she has really liked to wear.  There must be something about our kids and costumes--- they just love getting dressed up and pretending.  For Lauren, I think the thrill is mostly the rise she gets out of people making a fuss over how cute she looks. 

Sunday evening was more of the same.  We had a ham dinner, just the 4 of us, and got early tubs and tucked in after a long day. 

Monday was exciting too as we were looking forward to Nana, Pap, Aunt Libby, Uncle Zig and Brooke coming for a visit to celebrate together.  We had piles of gifts for everyone and were planning to heat up Nana's leftovers from their Christmas dinner for the annual post-holiday waffle supper.  (All of our favorite!)  It was a great day despite the fact that I still felt pretty lousy, but watching the kids rip into their gifts and squeal when they found something they liked was a real treat.  We were so grateful for all of the packing that went into getting everything here from Lewistown.  It may have been much easier for us to do the travelling, but we were thankful not to have had to this time.

Yesterday I was finally able to get to a doctor to find out what I have been plagued with, and was told I had a nasty sinus infection.  So thankfully, I'm on day 2 of a z-pack praying for some relief soon.  I was also advised to take some Sudafed for my congestion until the antibiotic does its thing.  Which made me want to smack the nurse at the OB office as well as the pharmacist at Walmart who said I had no options.  I guess it's not really recommended to take anything, but at this stage, getting rest and being able to provide oxygen to my unborn daughter is paramount to any questionable risks of the medicine.  And so, I have taken two doses and can report at least a little bit of air flow through my nose at the current time.  Baby steps, folks, but I'm praying for some relief soon.  Either that or that a Mack truck will come barrelling through and put me out of my misery.

So now that Christmas is over, we're getting into full baby swing now.  The nursery is cleaned up and ready to go.  My only major chore left to do there is to wash the load of newborn clothes so that things are fresh and ready to wear.  My next doctor's appointment is tomorrow afternoon with a non-stress test to make sure all still appears well.  Movement of the baby has definitely slowed down, and practice contractions have picked up big time, so I can feel that it's getting close.  I just hope we beat her to the punch with a scheduled delivery, but I also would prefer to be recovered from this plague before I'm trying to recover from a c-section on top of the world's worst head cold.  But stay tuned.  It's getting exciting now.

We hope that everyone had a healthier holiday than we did, and that you were able to spend lots of time with those you love.  I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already and we're able to embark on a brand new year within a few days.  I love the newness of this time of the year, and I can only imagine that welcoming a brand new life into our family is going to intensify the feelings of renewal that I love so much.  Wishing you all blessings as we round out 2011!

And so it begins!

I feel like Christmas has already begun, and I so love this time of the year.  Ever since I was a kid, I claimed that Christmas Eve was my favorite day of the year.  I'm sure that as a small child, Santa's arrival and the onslaught of presents was a big part of that, but over the years, I realized that it was the people I was with that made it really special.  So, as we've grown and moved and had babies and inlaws and miles between our homes, even when the date of the gathering has had to change, it's still my favorite day of the year.  This past Saturday was no exception.  I absolutely loved seeing kids getting excited about spending the day with their cousins.  We don't get everyone together nearly often enough, but I still knew they would have a blast together.  And they surely did!

We are set for a quiet Christmas Eve (quiet in terms of no travelling, because I'm sure it'll be anything but quiet at our house) and then a homebound Christmas Day/Day After with family in Turbotville.  I had to laugh as I was travelling down 522 on Saturday morning with the kids in the back of the van.  The thought occurred to me that this would be the last trip to Lewistown with only two children in the van.  The next time we do it, we'll be loaded up with all three, and knowing my luck, 2 of them will be screaming their heads off.  I can hardly wait.  (Sarcasm totally intended!)

As the weeks fly by, the double anticipation is really something. It's kind of hard to describe.  While all of our focus right now is on getting ready for Christmas- cookies baked for school parties, presents loaded into the van to be smuggled into the basement, last minute errands run, meal plans set and cooking started for the weekend, etc.- there's this looming question mark of whether the baby is going to hold off for our schedule or dictate one of her very own.  And anyone who has spent more than 34 seconds in my presence and knows the control freak that I am knows that, even as much joking as I've been doing about a 2011 tax deduction and a 2011 health insurance deductible, I wouldn't exactly be graceful about a surprise middle-of-the-night delivery.  Although, with God's sense of humor, I know it's a distinct possibility, particularly since my c-section is scheduled for the literal day before my original due date.  However, on all accounts from last week's biophysical profile and non stress test, the baby looks awesome.  She is between 5.5-6 lb and they don't anticipate her to get much bigger than 7-7.5 before delivery.  She scored 10/10 on the biophysical profile, an indicator of her health apparently, and really showed off on the non stress test with tons of activity and great heartrate patterns.  My numbers look better this pregnancy than they have in either of the other two and it seems we are all systems go for riding out the rest of this roller coaster ride.  But.......and there's always a but.......they still always warn me that at this point, anything can change on a dime, and anything can happen in a heartbeat.  Comforting.  Especially when you pride yourself on planning every nanosecond of your life.  I'm taking this as a lesson in reality that is about to hit me square between the eyes when I suddenly become the mother of three.

And so....we wait.  For Christmas.  For the miracle of Christmas that always amazes me- in how real and profoundly the message of God's packaging of our salvation in the perfect, most unexpected way feels when I allow myself time to really reflect on it.  For the looks on the faces of our two most precious blessings when they see the treasures they have waiting for them under the tree.  And for the most amazing gift that is headed our way in just a short time- the face of our third blessing.  There is so much to look forward to.  I don't know if my heart can hold this much joy.  But I can't wait to find out what it feels like.

I'll leave you with some pictures of the weekend's festivities in Lewistown.



 Getting 5 children to look at the same spot at the same time = mission impossible.

 Joshua and Lauren wasted no time digging into their gifts!  And they love them!

 That is what I call a mess of Richards! 

 Although rotated incorrectly, please turn your head to see what a disaster this photo attempt was.  Joshua could not be more bored.  Anna was making silly faces.  Lauren is dazed and confused about what we're even trying to do.  Brooke was about to split.  The only one who cooperated was Ridge.  Bless his sweet little heart.  These were all of Grandma's great-grandchildren, minus Jordan and Olivia in Tennessee.  What a crew.

 My generation of cousins.  I especially like that the flash didn't work on this, so you can't really see how big my 36 week belly is.  Yikes.

Pap read the kids "Twas the Night Before Christmas" which used to be a family tradition.  I only wish I could scan in a photo of what it used to look like when we were kids-- all of us sitting nicely in our Christmas dresses around Pap on the floor, listening intently.  In this frame, at least Lauren was listening.  But make no mistake, she headed for the hills only moments later.  The kids kind of listened, but it was a funny contrast to the memories I have as a kid.  Let's just say, my generation still listened intently!

Brace Yourselves...

I have for you today what could possibly be the most unexciting post of all time.  While time has clearly been racing by in recent days (which quickly turn to weeks!), there hasn't been much blog worthy stuff to write about.  But in the spirit of trying to keep things up to date, as well as remember what has been going on, I plug away with what may be a very boring update.

Let's see...

We visited Santa at the American Heritage Crafters Winter Festival a few weeks ago.  Joshua loved it.  Lauren...wouldn't have a thing to do with him or his elves.  The closest she got was to walk up and snatch a mini candy cane or six from the basket.  We did get a photoof Joshua, but it didn't fulfill my wish of a picture of both kids on Santa's lap.  On a positive note, there was no line, so we didn't waste a huge portion of a Saturday morning for this epic Christmas fail.

We have celebrated two office Christmas parties in recent weeks.  One was at a local Amish family's home that works as a restaurant as well.  Talk about a cultural experience!  Turbotville is heavily populated with Amish people, so much so that I feel in the minority most times that I visit the local grocery store and find that my Sienna minivan is the only non-buggy, non-horse driven mode of transportation in the parking lot.  But since living here, I've heard much about this restaurant and the yummy food.  It did not disappoint.  Later last week we celebrated with Jason's team at  Ciro's.  We had fun, but if I can wallow for just one moment, going there just isn't the same when you can't eat pasta...or tiramisu.  I've already placed my order for Chicken Marsala and tiramisu to be delivered to the hospital as my first meal post-delivery when (hopefully) this diabetes nonsense is long gone.

After the Ciro's party, Joshua took a turn into the sick department, which left me begging for a break from the all-too-frequent-lately trips to Lewisburg Pediatrics.  But there was no denying his ear infection given the fever and all of the crying.  So, after spending most of  Friday dealing with two major house fire claims, we were able to get him looked at.  Sure enough- ear infection.  Gladly, with some antibiotic, he perked up quickly and has been on the mend ever since.

Because he was feeling so much better, we stuck with our plan to head to Lewistown on Saturday/Sunday to give Daddy some quiet time at the house to prepare for his test next Monday.  It was a whirlwind trip, but I somehow felt like I owed the kids their time with Nana and Pap that they missed  when we had to high tail it home after Thanksgiving.  It was a very low key trip-- nothing really planned, but we had lots of time to just play together and have fun.  The kids giggled-- and just listening to that for even a second made it worth the work to gather up our stuff, throw it in the van and travel the hour+ to get there.  We did end up going out to the park in town to walk around a Christmas lights display on Saturday night.  It was too cold for our original idea of taking the gang to Hershey for Candy Lane, so we improvised and made out just fine.  The kids enjoyed some ice cream after we returned back to Nana's house.

We have having a great time with Clocky, our assigned elf from the North Pole.  Ever since Thanksgiving weekend, he has been showing up in a different spot in our house every morning.  We're told he flies back to report to Santa how the kids are behaving each day.  The first words out of Joshua's mouth every morning have something to do with where Clocky landed today, and he immediately sets off on a search for him.  I appreciate the enthusiasm Clocky has sparked in getting Joshua up and out of bed in the morning to get ready for school.  As I've found myself dragging a little more each day, I appreciate any boost I can get in motivating the kids to cooperate!  The highlight so far has been that Clocky even left Joshua a "get well" note last week when he wasn't feeling so well.  Joshua carried that note around with him for days, reading it over and over again.  Christmas magic with kids is just about the best thing...EVER!  At this point, Lauren isn't quite sure what to make of Clocky, but she does appreciate his hiding spots each day.  Usually she'll find him after waking up and then giggle and say, "That silly Clocky!"

Upon our return home from Lewistown, the kids were pleasantly surprised to find a big box that had been left for them from a really sweet couple from our church.  They apparently were looking for a home for their reindeer and thought we might be able to get some enjoyment out of it.  My Dad assured me that they were just trying to unload it on someone and saw a sucker in me.  Perhaps that's true, but the kids really have had fun with it.  I had to really chuckle when in true Joshua fashion, he pulled up in his sleigh on Monday afternoon.  Thankfully, for the sake of a photo, he let his sister jump in for a quick ride.

Early this week, Lauren and Grandma both joined the sick club, leaving me at home with the kids on Monday.  It may have been a blessing with as rotten as Lauren was feeling, but we still had some time for some silliness with costumes.  Thankfully they are both feeling much better, and the rest of the week seems to be going according to schedule.  For now.  

Today, I have my weekly appointment with the doctor to check on the baby.  They're doing an ultrasound to check growth and to make sure she's doing OK with the gestational diabetes issues.  Then I have another non stress test and then my regular appointment with the doctor.  So, I guess I'll pack a bag and plan to be there for the duration this afternoon.  All of that will take sweet forever.  But, tomorrow I will be 36 weeks, so I guess that means things are getting pretty serious.  It's so hard to believe that in a matter of weeks, we'll be welcoming a new baby into the family and starting to figure out what it's like to be a family of 5.  I'm not sure we're ready, but we certainly are excited and feeling blessed beyond measure.

I'll try to update on the doctor's appointment tomorrow if there's anything more interesting than all of this!

Since we last spoke...

So much has happened since the last time I took the time to post.  Life seems to be moving along at a furious pace these days.  I get the distinct feeling that it isn't likely to slow down very soon either.  So we're buckled up for whatever is heading our way, I guess.

I'm not quite sure where to start, so I guess I will let the camera dictate what comes first in this post.  I have had a goal of having the nursery all put together for the new baby before Thanksgiving.  And given the fact that we are starting from scratch on this nursery (since our other nursery furniture is still in good use in Lauren's room), it was a tall order.  We finally decided on the furniture and got it ordered, and were thrilled to have it delivered (and assembled...that was Jason's favorite part) by the kind delivery people.  To say I am in love with it is an understatement.  With Lauren, I steered away from all of the pinks and purples, and went with her ladybug theme.  I still love her room, but this time, I have been magnetically drawn to all things pink and purple, and the nursery certainly reflects that.  It has since transformed into a lavender heaven in there, with the bedding and a few accessories ready to finish up the decor.  We finally found a rocker that will work and managed to get it home just before the holiday.  I know from our previous experience that I will be spending many hours in that room, in that particular chair, so I'm happy that it is in place.  The kids and I have been working on a few little art projects for the walls, but now that the lavender gingham curtains are hung, that's really all that remains of the work that needs to be done in the nursery. The picture below is a "before" with the furniture just having been delivered.  I'll post an "after" soon.

Joshua and I had a chance to attend his Thanksgiving party at school on the day before Thanksgiving.  We had a great time making Indian vests, Pilgrim hats and even making our own butter that the kids shook and shook until it churned itself into butter.  We had some special Thanksgiving songs and snacks, too.  The picture below is of all the kids and their creations.  I had to laugh at Joshua's creativity.  As the other kids were just cutting random shapes and gluing them onto their vests in no particular order (this was their instruction from the teacher- just to have fun and go to town with any shapes and any design they wanted), Joshua insisted on turning his vest into a depiction of the story they had just heard about the first Thanksgiving. 

After the party was over, both of the kids were literally off the walls excited about our trip to Nana and Pap's that afternoon.  It had been a few months since we had been there for a visit, and I had promised 3 nights to stay there to play.  I wasn't sure how we were going to last from 11:00 after school until 4:00 when Jason was scheduled to get home from work so we coudl leave.  At one point around 3:00, Joshua asked if I would call Daddy and ask him to drive separately to meet us there because he couldn't wait one second longer to go.  Luckily, it takes me sweet forever to get things packed up to go away these days, so I was able to busy the three of us with little jobs that passed the time before Jason arrived home.  And bless Joshua's heart, no sooner had Jason cleared the doorway and his coat was on and he was headed for the van.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at home with everyone.  Mom and Dad outdid themselves once again with a delicious meal.  With the inclusion of a walk around the development, I was even able to eat a few things that aren't looked upon favorably for the gestational diabetes diet.  The kids were having a great time playing and everything was going great until...

Lauren woke up from her nap SCREAMING bloody murder, kicking her legs and pulling at her ears saying they hurt.  And by the way she was screaming, there was no question that this was an ear infection.  I can usually set my watch by her getting an ear infection following a cold, and this one came right on time- just with the added complication of the fact that it's a national holiday and there are no doctors or pharmacies open to get her any help.  So I dosed her heavily with Tylenol and we decided that we would make the return trek home to get her to the doctor on Friday.  The kids were disappointed to miss out on a whole day of play time with Brooke, and time with Nana and Pap and Aunt Libby, but there really was nothing else that we could do.  One peek in that ear and the doctor told us it was a bad one- she was surprised it hadn't ruptured.  And so we left with a script for some antibiotic, and a warning that on Lauren's next visit for an ear problem, we'll get the special prize of a referral to the ENT for some tubes.  And yes, I am freaked out at the idea of it.  But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

So we spent the rest of our holiday weekend decking the halls at our house.  Joshua was a huge help decorating the tree.

And when we called for Lauren to come and help us put the ornaments on, this is what we found in the playroom.  Poor baby had had it. 

With the tree in place, we decided that Sunday would be a good opportunity for an attempt at getting a cooperative picture of the two kids for our Christmas cards.  I leave you with this sneak peek of them dancing like chickens when I asked them to stand still and smile.  And that, my friends, is why I started early with these attempts.  I guess you'll have to wait and see if we got even one usable picture of both of them cooperating.

I can't believe I nearly forgot to add in a small little Christmas miracle that arrived a few weeks early.  The week of Thanksgiving, Lauren decided that she was ready to be done with diapers, and within about 48 hours, was potty trained.  I'm not claiming total victory at this point, because there are still accidents occasionally, but for the most part, she has figured out how it all works and knows when she needs to go.  I have joked ever since finding out about the new baby coming that I only one want baby in diapers at a time.  The just over two years between Lauren and the newest baby, though, didn't bode well for my dream coming true.  But it appears that, with the exception of a night time diaper, Miss Lauren has delivered.  We are so proud of her. 

It seems the calendar is filling up awfully quickly with parties and dinners and events and Santa visits and everything else that I absolutely love about the holiday season.  Add to that that I am dealing with weekly doctor's appointments now for the baby, non stress tests every week and ultrasouds pretty regularly to keep an eye on the littlest one, and we've got quite a full calendar book these days.  I don't know whether it's normal holiday hustle and bustle or whether the nesting of the final weeks of pregnancy is really starting to hit me, but I'm approaching panic level about getting things done for Christmas.  Everything that I decide I need to do is prefaced with "just in case" and is usually followed by "something happens and the baby comes early".   I guess it's my way of trying to impose some kind of artificial control over something I have absolutely none over.  Discussions have happened lately about when it's too early to put the baby seat in the van, and when we should have a bag packed for the hospital and what our Plan B looks like if this baby is to decide she prefers to name the date of her arrival as opposed to us giving her eviction papers.  All of that points to the fact that the time is drawing near.  And we are beyond excited.  Even these two.

I'll try not to make it so long for the next post.  But stay tuned.  There aren't too many dull moments around here.

A change of scenery...

The goal in our house this past weekend was to keep quiet so that Daddy could do some serious studying.  He has a big exam coming up next week and needs some time to pound the information into his head.  Suffice it to say that there are two small children, one dog and one Mommy who don't always make that easy.  Not on purpose, of course, but it's just par for the course with our crew.  So despite the fact that I wasn't feeling particularly energetic, the kids and I took off for a few adventures on Saturday to give Daddy the time that he needed.

We all could use a change of scenery. 

We started off at the library.  I feel like a horrible mother, but I believe Lauren hasn't been there since I had her there in the carrier the winter after she was born.  And for anyone keeping track, we're talking well over a year and a half.  Joshua still loves to read, but our collection has grown at home to the point of a small library, so frequent trips aren't necessary.  But they both had a blast picking out a stack of books to read, and we've been enjoying them in the evenings after tubs.

After that, we headed to Subway and got some lunch.  To my kids, Subway=major treat, so they loved it and gobbled up their sandwiches.  Then we headed to the park.

I don't know why I always come up with this idea at the same time as half of the free world, but let's just say we weren't the only ones soaking up the fall sunshine and relatively warm temperatures at the park.  But the kids were running and climbing and sliding and squealing and generally having a ball.  So much so that we were there for 2+ hours without so much as a single tear, temper tantrum or bad listening episode.  Perhaps because I had told them in no uncertain terms that any of those would result in an immediate end to their park experience.  I'll have to remember how well that worked.

Once we returned, it was Penn State football time and nearly supper time, so we tucked in for the afternoon and evening at home.  Daddy was sick of studying anyway.  Which is good because all manner of silliness ensued.  Nana had picked out some dress up costumes for Joshua's birthday, and they were a huge hit!  One is a doctor's coat and the other is a chef's outfit.  They both use them and switch out the parts and turn them into all sorts of things.  Here was Lauren's get-up at one point.  She makes me laugh so hard!

And I love her look in this one.  As in, "Josh, you're strange."  These two are something else for certain.

It has been a wild week.  I have a few new ultrasound pictures of the new baby that were taken on Tuesday, so I'll hope to share them tomorrow.  With less than 9 weeks to go, things are kicking into high preparation gear in baby land.

More soon!

Trick or Treat

 A very tough Wolverine (check out those blades!) and a very sweet Owl!

For Joshua, Halloween is right up there with Christmas in terms of his favorite holidays.  It all started a few years ago when we rented the movie, Mickey Mouse: House of Villains, and it has been a fascination ever since for him.  To say he was excited about going Trick or Treating was quite an understatement yesterday.  He absolutely loves to pretend, so the opportunity to dress up in costume and "be" a character for the evening is his favorite!

Lauren did great last night, following Joshua and keeping up as well as her little legs would allow.  This was her first "real" Trick or Treating experience, since last year she was in the wagon, covered up in blankets and really unable to eat most of her treats.  She really seemed to have a good time.  Every time we'd leave a house, she'd say "I love trick or treating!"  She did a good job saying "thank you" and only tripped and dumped her candy bucket once.  (With Lauren, this is major success!  She is her mother's daughter in the coordination department.)

We headed to the church for Trunk or Treat, and the kids seemed to really enjoy seeing everyone there.  If only we were able to participate, but with the kids being as little as they are, I think we'll just have to wait until they're a little older to be able to juggle multi-tasking on Trick or Treat night.  It took both Jason and I to manage the process last evening.  And with one of us being 29 weeks pregnant, I wasn't a whole lot of help in carrying a tired toddler whose legs couldn't go anymore!  But I could hold Wolverine's hands, I mean blades, and enjoyed that very much.  After the church, we wandered back down Greenbriar Drive thinking we might see a few old neighbors.  Sadly, none of them had their lights on, but we did go door to door a few places.  We even stopped at our old house, but sadly, missed Sophia (Joshua's favorite friend from school).  It was a little bizarre to be walking up the driveway and chatting on the front porch, but we've become great friends with the new family who moved into our house (go to the same church, kids are in class and Awana together, share an anniversary, etc.) so I have really enjoyed connecting that way.  It's so funny how life turns out sometimes.

We headed back to Turbotville and stopped at a few houses on our street.  Some of the neighbors had been so sweet to think of Joshua and said they had some special "safe" treats for him, so we wanted to be sure to stop there.  I am beyond grateful for those who go out of their way to think of him and his allergy issues at times like Halloween- such a tough holiday for a peanut allergic kid.  But Joshua handles these situations with such maturity, far beyond his five years.  He knows that I need to search his candy and pull out anything that is unsafe, but that I always replace each piece with something that is OK for him.  This little project requires pretty good scouring of all of the candy bags at the stores, so that I know for sure which pieces aren't safe (most aren't labeled individually).  And yes, it does pose a danger to even have him touching the Reeses cups and Snickers bars incase there is resiude on the wrappers.  But this is one of those times that I use my best caution with him, without making him live in a bubble.  We wash hands when we return from being out, and I say a prayer that the Lord will protect him.  And He does.  I shouldn't be surprised, but amazingly, even though 99% of the Halloween candy that is on the shelves is unsafe for him, over half of his loot was perfectly fine.  And that does a Mama's heart good to be able to just let him dig in without feeling like he got the "second best" stuff from me. 

It was a great Halloween!  And now, we welcome November!  Each page that I pull off of the calendar is one less we have to wait to meet the baby girl who rolls and kicks with such strength in my tummy.  I absolutely cannot wait to see what these next few months hold as we anxiously await her arrival.