Finally Here!

 At long last, Andrew James was born at 4:47 AM Friday, Nov. 30.  He was 9 pounds, 2 ounces, and 22 1/2 inches long.  Observant folk may point out that we already have an "A" name, which violates our naming rules.  Not to worry!  We're calling him Drew!  Bob has been reading God's Smuggler, the biography of Brother Andrew, who has been instrumental in smuggling in so many Bibles to restricted areas of the world for so many years, and he was inspired by the man. 

 Now, for the rest of the birth story . . . I spent forever on hold Thursday afternoon with L&D, but eventually someone told me to come in at 5:30.  Bob and I left at 4:30, and we stopped by the Bethesda McDonalds where I ate a double hamburger plus some fries before we actually went into the hospital.  Of course, not long after I was admitted, they decided to do a blood sugar stick on me . . . whoops!  My numbers were 160, LOL.  Fortunately I confessed up to what I had eaten right before going upstairs, and they decided to wait a little bit and test again.  My numbers were fine then.

They finally actually got the pitocin started around 8:00, so I knew it was going to be a long night.  When the doctor examined me, before they started the pit, I was 4 cm dilated, but still just 50% effaced.  The baby was still moving around a ton, so clearly he wasn't engaged.  The doctor said she wouldn't break my water until he was further down, since she didn't want to risk cord prolapse.  Because the baby was so active, it was hard to keep him on the monitor, but they insisted he be on it, since I was having pit.  So I spent my time trying all these different things and various positions, but I was limited by having to chase the baby around with the monitor thing on my tummy. 

They started the pit at 2 and kept upping it, but I was hardly even feeling the contractions, so I knew they weren't doing a darn thing.  And sure enough, at 10:00 when the doctor checked me, I was still at 4 cm, 50% effaced.  Bob took a nap, and I finished reading a murder mystery, plus a Reader's Digest while changing positions regularly, rocking on the birthing ball, etc.  But the contractions continued to not be painful at all, the baby continued to not move down, and I just got tired!

Eventually they upped the pitocin all the way to 18, where they felt like I was in a good, albeit non-painful, labor pattern.  Eventually the baby moved down enough where the doctor felt he was "well-applied" to my cervix, so she broke my water around 2:00 AM.  I am sure if she had broken my water earlier, things would have happened more quickly.  That is what I remember about Jonathan's labor--he was also high, but the doctor broke my water after just a few hours, so the total labor was not too long.  Anyhow, things became a little more painful after that, but really the contractions weren't too bad until 4:00 or so.  But although the contractions hurt, and I was having these double-peaking contractions that just never seemed to end, I still wasn't feeling much pressure or anything, so I was worried that I still had a long ways to go.  I started thinking that maybe I would get an epidural this time--I was so tired, these contractions were so intense, and I felt like I still had a long ways to go.  I was feeling like I was heading into transition because I was feeling shaky and hot, then cold, but when the doctor examined me at about 4:15, I was only 6 cm dilated . . . and still just 50% effaced.  So then I really started thinking seriously about the epidural.  I've never had one, and I was quite curious as to whether it would really ease these intense, double-peaked contractions.  The only way I was getting through them was intense concentration and relaxation on my part, and intense counter-pressure in the small of my back and against my top hip by Bob (I was on my right side at that point).  I didn't know how much longer Bob would be able to keep up the pressure either!  But then the baby's heartrate started decelerating.  They decided it was because of the massive dose of pit I was getting, which was making my contractions so strong, so they cut the pit off and gave me an oxygen mask.  They also said an epidural would be good for me, so they called the anesthesiologist, but before he got there, they put a fetal heart monitor on the baby's head, so they could better track his heartrate.  So I had several very uncomfortable contractions on my back while they got all that hooked up, and then the wire didn't work, so they had to replace it.  It was a little after 4:30, and the doctor confirmed that I was still just at 6 cm, 50% effaced.  Finally they finished up all the fetal monitor stuff, and I rolled onto my left side . . . where I promptly had another contraction and felt a strong urge to push.

"Ummm, I don't know why, but I'm pushing!!" I cried out, so the doctor rushed over to examine me again, and what do you know--I was complete!  I pushed for about 5 minutes, and Drew was born at 4:47!  I could tell he was big, as in over 9 pounds, but I could also tell he was nowhere as big as Micah, LOL.  I had to push about 15 minutes to get Micah out!  It is still not easy to push out a 9 pound baby though.  Hard work, even if not a long time of pushing 

So all of a sudden it was over, which was stunning to me.  I know people like my friend Christine dilate really quickly, but that has never been my experience in the slightest, and this labor was just so slow that I never in a million years expected such a speedy end!  I thought it would all drag on for hours more!  I was so relieved though.  I was really running out of energy, motivation, and everything. 

The bad thing was that the long labor, plus all the pitocin, combined to make my uterus not clamp up very effectively, which was something I worried about, since that had happened with Grace as well.  If you have had a baby, you probably know all about fundal massage, which is very uncomfortable.  Well, this time I had not one, not two, but 3 doctors reach their entires hands inside me and scoop out clots and junk from my uterus--an internal uterine sweep--and each of the 3 did it at least twice--all while pressing down on the fundus from the outside as well.  Let me tell you, THAT was so painful.  By the time the 2nd doctor had done it once, I actually had to have some fentanyl in my IV to take the edge off.  I don't know if it really helped though--just made me a bit woozy.  Oh my goodness, it was painful!  I also was the lucky recipient of cytotec rectal suppositories, plus a shot in the thigh of methergen, all to help my uterus clamp up better.  All that took until about 7:00, and it really wiped me out.  My uterus and pelvis are still sorer than usual from all the manipulation.  It was rough! 

Finally we were able to go to our room, and I was able to eat breakfast.  Then we dozed around all morning until my parents brought all the kids to visit at lunch.  They were all so excited to meet their new baby brother!  Micah was carried in by Luke, and as soon as he saw me, he burst into tears and clung to Luke!  LOL, my face was all puffy from all the IV stuff, plus I don't think he really expected to find me in this strange place, so he was quite suspicious of this imposter!  He eventually got over it and got on the bed to snuggle with me.  He was also very fascinated by this new baby!

Drew and I are both doing fine.  He's gotten the hang of nursing, and my milk is coming in.  We got to come home this afternoon, much to the delight of Drew's siblings, who all clamor to hold him at every opportunity.  I'm hoping Drew will cooperate and let me get a little bit of sleep tonight, but I am not holding my breath, LOL.  If there has been one thing true about Drew so far, it is that he has not been cooperative with my plans!  But I am still so tired.  Luke and Caleb were our only other night births.  It seems so much harder to recover from night births, after a full, busy day, than day births (esp. when you aren't in labor the night before).  Tomorrow Bob and I have to make the trek back to Bethesa to get Drew weighed, since he went home before 48 hours.  They would have let us come back Monday, but then traffic and parking are worse, so Sunday is actually a better day! 

I'm so thankful my parents are here to help with all the other kids and their running around.  Today they got Jonathan to basketball practice and Luke to a basketball scrimmage, and tomorrow they are taking all the kids to church, then getting Nathan to a scrimmage and Caleb to a practice!

So that's the story--different from all the others!  I'm off to nurse again, and then hopefully go to bed to get some rest!

No Room at the Inn

I called L&D this morning at 7:30, and what do you know--they don't have any room for me.  Sigh.  Bethesda doesn't technically start inductions until 7:00 PM, but the doctor was hoping I could get in earlier since I don't need my cervix softened and all that stuff, just a bit of pit to get things going.  I'll call back around lunchtime, but the nurse this morning was not hopeful and encouraging, so it looks more likely that this baby will be born tomorrow, a day I totally wanted to avoid.  Although there is the very real chance that they won't have room for me tonight either, and then they'll just move the induction to some other day.  Whee!

I am trying to be encouraged by Day 29 of the Thirty-One Days of Praise book I pray through in the mornings.  "Thank you that I can give myself up to be led by you . . . that I can go forth praising and at rest, letting you manage me and my day . . . that I can joyfully depend on You throughout the day, expecting You to guide, to enlighten, to reprove, to teach, to use, and to do in me and with me what You desire . . . that I can count upon Your working in me and through me as a fact, totally apart from sight and feeling . . . that I can go forth praising and at rest, believing You and obeying You and ceasing from the burden of trying to manage myself without Your wisdom and power.  Thank you that I can throw the whole weight of my anxieties on You, for I am Your personal concern."

And now I must decide if I want to take yet another walk, or do my "Perfect Pregnancy Workout" DVD one more time.  Then school, a quick trip to Sam's for more soy milk . . . life goes on.

Big Day Tomorrow

I went on what is hopefully my last forced march around the neighborhood this pregnancy, and I ate my last (small) bowl of chocolate ice cream.  I'll call labor and delivery tomorrow around 7:30 to see when they want me to come in.  This will be my 3rd induction where I haven't been already 5 cm dilated.  I will definitely admit to being nervous.  The thing about having had a lot of babies is that, well, I pretty much know how this is going to feel!  The baby could be very uncooperative, as he has been so far, and refuse to move down, making this induction take a long time, and that is what I really dread.  That, and pushing.  I hate pushing!  And just the thought that he might be 10 pounds or more like Micah is certainly reason to dread the whole thing! 

I never really had any more measureable contractions last night or today, so I expect that I haven't progressed any more than the 2 cm I was yesterday.  I printed off a ton of stuff from the spinningbabies website so I have plenty of techniques to try once the pitocin starts that will hopefully help him move down and me progress.  I will let you know if anything actually works, LOL.  My hope is to eventually become a doula, after I'm done having kids an homeschooling no longer takes up so much of my time.  Reading so much about optimal fetal positioning this time around has really been incredibly worthwhile and educational--I really do think it will help me become a better doula.  Now let's see if I can doula myself into a good labor, LOL.

I definitely appreciate your prayers for a safe, smooth, uncomplicated labor and delivery!

(Small) Progress

I had another OB appointment this afternoon.  It was supposed to be at 1:20, but a guy from the front desk called and left a message yesterday saying they had to cancel my appointment, and I needed to call back to reschedule.  So I called back, and the man said they had a 2:40 slot for this afternoon, so he was putting me in there.  Okay, fine, whatever . . . that worked better for Bob anyway, who was metro-ing over from the Pentagon to meet me there. 

So I showed up at 2:40 this afternoon, and the lady at the desk looked quizzically at me.  "What time did you say your appointment was?"  Hmmm . . . this is not my fault, LOL!  Long story short, the guy had not actually entered my name in the slot, although I overheard a different lady at the front desk telling someone she was there when he was talking with me, so he must have just messed up.  Well, I was assured that I would indeed be seen, since I was due, and that was all I cared about! 

I saw the same doctor I saw 2 appointments ago.  This time I am all of 2 cm dilated, although still just 50% effaced.  She said the baby was lower, although still not totally pressing against my cervix.  But my cervix was low enough that she could at least strip my membranes, so that was good.  I had felt that my pelvis was achier this morning, and last night I actually had a few Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I've had a few contractions tonight as well, although they still don't seem like they are really meaning business, and I certainly haven't had anything like bloody show or anything.

She scheduled me for an induction Thursday.  I will call at 7:30 AM to see what time they want me to come in.  I really am praying that I will make some more progress by then, although clearly this baby is not one to cooperate with my plans and wishes!  I really, really do not want another long, drawn out induction, like the one I had with Grace.  So in the meantime, I will continue with all the exercise, plus the spinning babies techniques.  I will be QUITE happy to be done with all that in just a few more days!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Well, we had a really nice Thanksgiving weekend.  The only thing lacking was a new baby.  We went over to the L's house for Thanksgiving dinner, along with a bunch of other people.  It was tons of fun, and the food was delicious!  Since it was a potluck, we only had to bring mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cran-apple-pear sauce, and sweet chex mix.  And my mom and I had spent Tuesday doing the cooking, so all we had to do Thursday morning was heat the mashed potatoes (we used the Pioneer Woman's make-ahead mashed potato recipe--with 15 pounds of potatoes, LOL), and put the sweet potato casserole together and heat it up.  Easy!

Thanksgiving Day had absolutely beautiful weather, so as soon as we were finished eating, Bob and I went on a long walk with Zachary L. and his new wife Karynn (we went to their wedding in St. Louis in August--where Micah did his famous microwave trick).  It was nice to walk in such beautiful weather, with such fun company, and in a different neighborhood than our own!  I am so sick of walking around our neighborhood at this point!  I must have taken hundreds of walks this pregnancy alone, LOL.  A change of scenery was VERY welcome!  And walking meant that my numbers were great, even after a meal with lots of carbs!  I ate a lot of turkey, and a spoonful of other things, LOL.

Of course, since we didn't make the turkey, we didn't have any turkey left-overs, although we did have some mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a little bit of sweet potatoes left.  So Friday Mom and I made a turkey of our own, and we recreated Thanksgiving dinner again!  Yum!  I made a turkey pot pie with the dark meat Saturday, and we've been eating the white meat for sandwiches.  It was only a 17 pound turkey, so we didn't have tons of leftover meat!

Friday morning we also got an email from Nathan's football coach that he was nominating Nathan as the county youth football player of the year.  This was exciting, but he also needed some more information, like Nathan's gpa, and a list of volunteer and extra-curricular activities, by Saturday or Sunday.  I thought I had been really organized the end of last year with his grades, but when I looked back at that folder on the computer, it turns out there were a few gaping holes, both for last year and even for the first quarter this year!  So I spent time Friday getting organized and also making lists of activities.  Christine said it was a good thing I wasn't at the hospital, because it would have been hard to compile everything there!  I guess so, but now I'm done, and the baby still isn't here . . .  Anyhow, we won't hear anything until February, but it was a great honor just to be nominated--and it is nice validation for a homeschooler of leadership, character, and athletic ability!

Saturday the menfolk (Bob, my dad, Nathan, and Luke) headed back over to the McC's house, where they had also been Friday, helping the McC's hang drywall after their latest flood.  My dad conducted a little workshop, with a lot of hands-on experience for everyone, LOL.  Good skills for the boys to know!

Sunday I was incredibly crabby, due to the fact that I was still quite pregnant, but with no signs of progress.  Nothing fits anymore--pants roll down and shirts ride up.  I went ahead to church, where I answered people very shortly about my lack of progress.  Next Sunday I am definitely staying home!  I am not in the mood to be social!  We did put up the Christmas tree and the Christmas decorations Sunday afternoon while Micah was napping.  The nice thing is that the boys can do most of the stuff, even bringing everything upstairs including the tree, and setting it up!  When Micah got up and saw everything for the first time, he was completely amazed, LOL.  "Oooohh . . . . woah . . . .. ooooooh" he kept saying in wonder!  So cute!  Now we are trying to keep him from touching all the ornaments.

And now--we're back to a somewhat normal routine--still with no baby and no signs of one coming soon.  The boys did school today, Nathan is getting ready to head to his Spanish III class in a few minutes, and tomorrow will be TNT and Rivendell, although I'm not teaching anything.  I have another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon, where they can tell me that still nothing is happening, grrrrrr.  It will be interesting to see what they suggest.  I imagine they will want to schedule an induction probably for next week--but my dad is actually flying back to Ohio next week for a week, so it is definitely not a good time for me to be in the hospital having a baby.  The boys have places to go, like co-ops, 4 different basketball practices on 4 different nights, Civil Air Patrol, etc., and my mom can't get everyone everyone and deal with the little ones too!  Gah--I can't believe this baby is being so uncooperative!!!   PLEASE pray that this baby will come by this weekend!

Waiting . . .

Monday I ran a ton of little errands, and my parents arrived safely from Ohio.  Yesterday we spent the day doing our part of the cooking for the Thanksgiving dinner we're eating over at the L's house.  I got my bag sort of packed.  I washed a load of baby clothes.  I worked some on the biology syllabus for this next semester.  Things are pretty much ready around here.

Unfortunately, Baby #9 has not received that memo.  At my appointment this morning, I was basically unchanged from last week--still a (soft) 1 cm, cervix very high, about 50% effaced.  And the baby is still on that right side, not pressing down on the cervix, just floating around.  "He seems quite happy in there," said the doctor.  Yes, well . . . I am not happy for him to stay in there.  I don't think I have ever been this far along and been so little dilated!  What we are looking at is a December baby, which is incredibly disappointing to Caleb, who has been so looking forward to finally having a "birthday buddy" of his own.  All the rest of our birthdays are between February and June, while he hangs out all by himself in November.  Nothing like feeling like a huge disappointment to one of your other children, one who actually DID put me into labor on his own, right before his due date, with no issues or problems, no less.  Grrrrrr.  At least December avoids the anniversary of Jennifer's death. 

And of course, an overdue baby means an even bigger baby for me.  The doctors seem to think that is simply not going to be an issue, but you know what?  I have big babies--even when people don't think the babies are big.  As one of the small minority who has pushed out a 10 1/2 pound baby, as well as two over-9-pounders, all with no pain medicine at all, I would just like to say I do not want to do that again.  Sigh.  The doctor said he didn't recommend even thinking about an induction now, since it's so obvious the baby isn't ready, and I have to completely agree.  This reminds me (again) of Grace's birth story, where she wasn't ready and it was not my favorite birthing experience.  And with her I was at least 3 cm dilated!  But she was very high, took forever to move down, and wasn't in a good position when she did, such that she had shoulder dystocia. 

This is also reminding me of Jonathan.  He was due mid-May--around the 18th, I think.  His birthday is June 2--my first induction.  He was also "very comfortable" in there, way up high, not moving down.   I never dreamed I would have a June baby when I was due in mid-May!  Those last 2 weeks were some of the most discouraging of my life, as I chased around 3 other little kids (Nathan, the oldest, was 5).

I know a lot more about birthing, and about optimal fetal positioning now, though.  I've read up on Spinning Babies about "oblique lying babies" (where the head is off to the side, in the hip), and I've been doing their suggestions.  Unfortunately, however, nothing is working, obviously.  I have learned even more though--it is such a  fascinating website!  For example, when I had Nathan, I stalled out at 9 cm.  I had a lip on one side which just wouldn't dilate.  Eventually (after Pitocin), the AF midwife had me lay on my back and push while she held my cervix out of the way.  I never had any urge to push, and the whole thing was incredibly difficult, but Nathan was born after about 2 hours of pushing.  Looking back, I am amazed that I avoided a c-section, and I am sure that if a doctor had been attending me, I probably would have gotten one.  Wow--that would have changed things!  Anyhow, I was reading on the site last night, and one part was talking about how to do a "side-lying release".  It said this move was indicated in labor when the uterus is contracting strongly, but progress stalls at 6, 7, or even 8 or 9 cm.  The uterus just can't bring the baby down evenly.  Huh!  In another place it even talked about how lying on your back and pushing, while uncomfortable, can get the baby to tip into the pelvis in a better way and avoid a c-section!  Who knew?!  The sad thing is that no one had any suggestions for me, other than pitocin--no changes of position, no "side-lying release move" or anything. 

I would say that most causes of labor that is slow to progress or even slow to start  are badly-positioned babies.  But that doesn't answer the question of why, if I know this and am trying these techniques, they are not working for me?!  Frustrating!  So now I have added weird positioning exercises to my twice daily routine of pregnancy exercise DVDs and forced marches around the neighborhood.  Whee!  The fun just keeps coming!  But not the baby . . . and I can't even eat cookies or chocolate to distract myself.  My next appointment is Tuesday at 1:20.  Although the doctor said, "Well, I'm sure you'll start progressing any day now", I am not so hopeful.  Unless something changes with the baby (and there's no indication that is going to happen), I doubt anything will change, even in a week. 

Belly Shots

I have not actually taken any belly shots so far this pregnancy, so this afternoon, after church and before running off to our small group meeting, I asked Bob to document this pregnancy with a picture!

I'm carrying like all the others--a big basketball out in front.  Sometimes people tell me I look low, like I've dropped--but I've looked this way for awhile now, nothing new!  I just carry low.  And I look big, too.  The doctor was funny on Friday--I had told her I was expecting a 9 pound baby, since Caleb and Jonathan were both 9 pounds.  She felt around and said she didn't think this one was 9 pounds.  I'd be VERY surprised if he wasn't though (pleasantly surprised, LOL).  Maybe if I go into labor in the next day or 2--not if I wait another week and a half!

 

Yesterday!

Yesterday was a very busy day!  I had an OB appointment in the morning.  Bob took the day off, so we drove to Bethesda for that.  The doctor was very nice.  She did check me, and not too much is going on.  I'm soft but only a cm dilated.  That's not too surprising, since I really haven't had too many contractions.  The doctor said the baby's head is not centered in my pelvis--it's off to the right, in a "false" pelvis.  That is not surprising either.  My babies like the right side, and I always have problems with the round ligaments on that side.  After I had Micah, the nurses kept exclaiming about how lopsided my uterus was when they were doing the fundal massage!  Anyhow, I wonder if this isn't a reason why I haven't been going into labor by myself these past several babies--they get comfortable in their off-center place, and then they never really push on the cervix enough to get regular contractions started.  Now, my cervix does end up dilating, but maybe it just does that out of habit, LOL.  I just don't go into labor.  I've been crawling around today, doing pelvic rocking and figure 8's, but I don't feel anything different like the baby shifting or anything, so that is discouraging.  And I reread my posts up to Grace's birth (May 1, 2007), and I was reminded about how I ended up being induced with her (due to the paranoid civilian doctor).  That was only a few days early--about 5--but she was not in a good position, and she took forever to descend.  Consequently it was a very long labor (9 hours--which is forever for a 6th baby!), and my uterus didn't clamp up right away after it.  Also, she had shoulder dystocia.  All in all, not my favorite labor experience, and one I don't care to repeat, so I guess it is better to wait for the week after Thanksgiving, with all its negative emotions, than try anything next week. 

I was very happy, however, that the doctor was able to get me an appointment next Wednesday.  I was so worried that this would be my last appointment before the week of my due date.  Hopefully I'll be a little more dilated next week, and they can at least strip my membranes.   So we'll see what these next few days bring.  I'm definitely at the point where I feel like I'll be pregnant forever, especially with not many Braxton-Hicks contractions either.  At least my parents are coming on Monday!  Hooray for Grandma and Grandpa!  Everyone is MOST excited to see them!

So anyhow, after the appointment, Bob and I drove to BD's Mongolian Grill, which is just down the street from the base.  Except that it isn't there anymore!  We always enjoy eating there, and we've gone right after being disharged with both Faith and Micah.  I guess we'll have to find a new tradition!  Yesterday we were starving, so we went a few doors down to Subway, which was tasty and cheap.  But not necessarily a place I would make a special trip to with a brand newborn baby, LOL.

Then Bob and I headed to Fort Meyer to make one last trip to the commissary.  I just went the end of October, so it really hasn't been very long, but I wanted to get a turkey and a ham for the time with my parents.  Plus, we can always use more cereal!  It's fun to go with Bob--stuff seems to jump into the cart, LOL.  The commissary was very crowded, though, which made it all the more tiring.

We got home, everyone helped unload, I cooked up 21 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken to use in casseroles and soups, and Bob made hotdogs for dinner.  THEN it was time for me to be off to Christine's house, where she was hosting a baby shower for me!  I hadn't been sure I really wanted one, but she insisted, and she told me to think of people that I just don't get to spend enough time talking with but that I really enjoy.  Well, that was easy enough, and there ended up being 9 of us there.  It was SO much fun!  I had a WONDERFUL time!  The food was delicious, the conversation was great, and it was just so very nice!  Those of you who couldn't make it, like Lynnea, Amy P., and Christine B., were sorely missed--you missed a great time!    We laughed our way through the evening, and I didn't get home until after 10:00!  And the ladies got me tons of diapers and even a frozen meal!

Funny story--I brought in all the gift bags and set them down in the family room.  Jonathan walked in.

Jonathan:  "Where did all these presents come from?"
Me:  "The baby shower--they're gifts for the new baby!"
Jonathan:  "Oh--the shower was for YOU?!"

LOL!  I guess he's used to me going off to all these baby showers at church and never imagined one would be for me!  So funny!

And that was the wonderful end to a long and tiring day!  I waddled off to bed, so thankful for the good friends I have here!  They are all such blessings to me!!

BREAK!!

I'm on break!  I'm on break!  Oh, happy day!   On Tuesday I taught my last biology, life science, and memory work classes until Jan. 8!  And today we had our last lab period!!

For biology I am giving the boys a bunch of assignments over this long break, since I don't want them to forget all their hard-earned knowledge.  They have some practice AP essay questions, some practice genetics and Hardy-Weinburg problems, 2 virtual labs to do on the computer, a mid-term exam, and several chapters to read in their biology book.  We are through the hardest sections, I think, so the challenge when we return will be to keep all the biochemistry/molecular biology stuff fresh in their minds with lots of review.  I do need to work on the syllabus for the remainder of the school year--that is the last thing hanging over my head.  There are a ton of chapters in the book that are not emphasized any more (the "march through the phyla" chapters), and I need to spend some more time figuring out what in there is important, and what can be safely skipped over. 

It is just such a nice feeling to be done, even if it is temporarily.  Like I can take a breath and look around! 

Now, the rest of Rivendell is not done.  We're off next week for Thanksgiving, but then there will be 3 more weeks of classes before Christmas.  The day will be shorter without the science and memory work classes, however, so that will be nice.  The elementary co-op is doing a fine arts unit those 3 weeks, which will culminate in a little Christmas musical on Dec. 11.  The kids have already been working on the songs and lines, so we have been faithfully listening to the CD each and every day.  Rivendell is going to meet on Monday that week so that the older boys can watch their younger siblings perform on Tuesday.  And then we'll all be off for Christmas! 

Another OB Appointment

I'm over 37 weeks along now, and I had another appointment this morning.  Everything looks just fine, and the doctor was very happy with my blood sugar numbers.  She did surprise me, however, by saying that well-controlled gestational diabetes is the same as not having diabetes at all, so they aren't planning to induce me or anything before 40 weeks (my official due date is Nov. 28).  This was a surprise, because with Faith, they did not want me to go past 40 weeks at all, even though everything was well-controlled then too.

It wouldn't really matter, except for a couple of things.  First, I have big babies.  I did not have GD with Caleb and Jonathan, and they were 9# 5oz and 9# 6oz respectively.  So I am expecting at least a 9 pounder here.  Anna and Grace were not GD babies, and they were 8# 11oz and 8#13 oz, and Faith, who was a GD baby, was 8# 10oz--right in line with the other girls' weights.  Anyhow, all those numbers to say I am not interested in going much over 40 weeks!

Second, my due date is just terrible timing, really.  You may not remember what I was posting about last year at the end of November/beginning of December, but I have personal reasons for not wanting to deliver Nov. 26-30.  So in my mind, I have been thinking of my due date as more "right after Thanksgiving", and not that in last week of November.  But really, with Thanksgiving there is no way to schedule anything except that last week of November, and I really don't want to go into December, for fear of having another big baby.  Nine pounders are one thing, but Micah was 10# 8oz--and I definitely do not fancy pushing out another one his size again!!

I have another appointment next Friday.  The doctor today said they would do an exam and see what things were looking like at that point, although I'm not seeing her next week, so really who knows what this next person will do, LOL.  Then I am going to attempt to schedule another appointment like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, although it is tricky to schedule one so soon, since I have to see a doctor, not a nurse-prationer or midwife, and appointments fill up quickly.  If I could, though, that woul give me one more exam (and hopefully a membrane-stripping), and if I was dilated, then maybe Bob and I would go into L&D sometime Thanksgiving weekend, like we did with Micah, and if they weren't busy, they would probably give me a little bit of pit and put me into active labor.  So we'll see how all that works out.

The thing is, I really don't have any hope of going into labor on my own, much less early.  I did go into labor on my own with Faith 2 days before the scheduled induction at 40 weeks (and we barely made it to the hospital), but otherwise, the last person I went into labor with on my own was Caleb, #3.  Jonathan, #4, was 2 weeks overdue before I was induced with him!   There are no tricks that put me into labor, LOL.  And my water NEVER breaks on its own!

So I am just continuing my routine and hoping for the best.  I'm still exercising twice a day most days, which takes a huge chunk of time and makes me really tired.  I do one of my pregnancy workout videos in the morning, and usually Bob and I take a 40 minute walk after dinner.  All the exercise does keep my blood sugar numbers low, I've only gained a pound of weight in the last 8 weeks since I was diagnosed, and I sleep well and don't struggle with constipation, LOL.  Silver lining . . .  I have a chiropractic appointment scheduled for next Wednesday--I want to be well-aligned so the baby can be in a good position.  I'm also taking my daily regimen of supplements.  I'm up to 4 evening primrose oil capsules a day (promotes cervical softening and dilation), 6 raspberry leaf extract capsules (uterine toning and effective contractions), 4 alfalfa pills (prevents hemorrhaging), and the usual prenatal vitamin and fish oil pills.  Hopefully the evening primrose oil in particular will be effective.

In general, I feel pretty good, although I am starting to feel these last few weeks of pregnancy.  But to be honest, I'm so busy with co-op and everything else, that it's not like I have time to sit and stew in my discomfort, LOL.  We have one more week of Rivendell before Thanksgiving break, so I just have to get through the  classes on Tuesday, plus lab on Thursday, and then I'll be home free!!  And this past weekend, we really picked up, in part because of the moms' meeting I hosted on Sunday, but also because Wednesday afternoon a lady from church, along with 2 helpers, thoroughly cleaned our house!  It looks sooo good--they did such a fantastic job!  Now I feel like I can really relax, since everything is so clean, although it will be a struggle to maintain it, with all these little (and big) messmakers around.  I also got out the baby boy clothes.  We're closer to being ready!

Allergy Appointment

As mentioned in my last post, Micah had an allergy appointment at Bethesda on Monday.  He definitely reacts to milk (hives around the mouth), and a few weeks ago (maybe back in September?) he ate a cashew that the girls left out and broke out in hives all over his mouth and trunk.  The milk reactions go away fairly quickly and without me needing to give him anything, unless it is actual real milk that he drank because unnamed parties forgot to take their cereal bowls off the table *cough*.  Then I give him a bit of liquid benedryl, and that reaction clears up right away too. I gave benedryl for the cashew, and the hives cleared right up.  He never had any sort of wheezing or anything, so that was good.  But at his last well-baby appointment, the doctor gave me a referral to the allergy clinic.  Anyway, we have been avoiding milk and nuts! 

The appointment was at 1:15, and I should have guessed how long it would take when we had to park on the 8th floor of the parking garage (the top floor), and there was only one elevator working!  I ended up carrying Micah and the stroller down all 8 flights of stairs, since I realized it was going to take approximately forever waiting for the elevator.  Actually, I didn't do it all by myself--I had a ton of offers from kind gentlemen to help, and one guy brought the stroller down a few flights (until I felt bad for him and told him I would just catch the elevator at floor 4--but that was taking forever, so I launched out again), and another guy carried it down the last 2.  Anyhow--a bad omen, LOL. 

One thing that took so long is that since Bethesda is a teaching hospital, we actually saw not 1, not 2, but 3 doctors!  They were all extremely nice, but it does add up!  They decided to do a skin test for casien (a milk protein), milk (with all the proteins), cashews, and peanuts.  I had been giving Micah peanut butter at the beginning of the summer, and he didn't seem to be reacting, but then as the summer wore on, he just got progressively itchier, and his eczema flared up.  I couldn't tell if this was related to the peanut butter or not, but I decided to go back to sun butter anyway.  But that's why they were testing for it.

Micah was a pro throught he testing, most likely due to him having a lollipop to suck on, LOL.  Nothing popped up like Caleb gets--humongous wheals almost instantly--but Micah definitely got wheals for the whole milk and the cashews.  Not the peanut one though, and not the casein, although that is pretty meaningless--we still have to avoid milk!  After we talked to all the doctors again about those results, they sent us off to have some blood drawn for a RAST test.  There they tested for other tree nuts, along with some other stuff.  Some ladies from the pediatrics clinic did the blood draw, and let me just say they were amazing!  Micah didn't like having the rubber tourniquet thing around his arm, but they got the vein on the first try, filled up 3 vials with no problems, and got out of there in a jiffy!  In fact, with both the skin test and the blood draw, Micah behaved considerably better than other members of the family who have had these same things done at older ages *cough*.  It was a 2 lollipop-bag of fruit snacks-bag of teddy grahams afternoon though, LOL. 

The second doctor said he'd call in 2-3 weeks, whenever he gets the blood results back.  I was just glad to get the appointment out of the way before the baby is born!

The only problem with the appointment taking so long is that Nathan was supposed to have his Spanish III class at 3:00 at the McC's house.  Whoops!  And I was in a place where I got no cell coverage, so although he tried to call several times, I could never actually talk to him, and I couldn't make any outgoing calls.  Eventually, when we moved to the blood draw room, I got a small signal and he was able to get through.  By then it was 3:10 (and I obviously hadn't even left yet, LOL), so I told him to call Christine and see if she could come get him.  As soon as I hung up with him, Christine called, wondering where he was, so she headed over to pick him up, thankfully.  I'm so glad we live close by!  The clock was broken in the exam room where we were, and I just lost track of time, as I doled out snack after snack and tried to keep Micah entertained, LOL.  When we finally could leave, the traffic was bad, so we didn't actually get home until 4:30--time to pick up Nathan!  Whew--that was a long day, especially with Rivendell the next day!  But we made it.  The appointment didn't give any real new information, but it is good to have everything documented.  I'm still hoping that since Micah doesn't have as violent a reaction to milk as Caleb did, that he will outgrow his milk allergy a lot earlier than Caleb--like at age 2 instead of age 9!  Anna outgrew her milk allergy at 2, so there is precedent.  In the meantime, I am back in the milk avoidance routine, sign.  It was a lovely 2 year break though!

Happy Birthday, Caleb!!

Well, I'm a little bit behind!  Caleb had his 11th birthday on Monday!  Mondays are really busy days for us, as we are doing last-minute things for Rivendell on Tuesday, but we managed to squeeze in some celebrating.  Caleb wanted chicken salad on croissants for his birthday lunch.  I got the croissants on Sunday from Sams, but I didn't get the chicken salad made up.  I had to leave at 12:00 to take Micah to Bethesda for an allergy appointment, so I made up the dressing but Caleb had to cut up the chicken, celery and grapes for his own birthday lunch.  Good thing he likes cooking!

Micha's appointment took forever, but finally it was done, I rushed home, then rushed over to the McC's house to pick up Nathan from his Spanish III class, and then rushed back home to make his birthdya dinner.  Caleb really loves this sausage roll, which is sausage mixed with some other things in a puff pastry sheet shell.  The recipe calls for one puff pastry sheet and 1/2 pound of sausage.  We are now up to quadrupling the recipe, LOL--4 puff pastry sheets and 2 pounds of sausage.  Finally we had a bit left over!

After dinner we ate ice cream and opened presents.  Caleb got a short-sleeve underarmor-type shirt, which he's been wanting, as well as an Avengers t-shirt.  He also got the new VeggieTale movie, The League of Incredible Vegetables, which everyone has enjoyed. He also got a little Star Wars lego set.

Now you notice I didn't say anything about cake.  I knew a cake was going to be hard--I didn't have any time, and besides, I have gestational diabetes and can't eat any of it anyway!  But Sunday night I hosted the moms from our elementary co-op at our house for a spaghetti dinner.  This meant we spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday afternoon furiously cleaning the main floor of our house, which had somehow gotten incredibly cluttered, if you can imagine.  We did stuff we usually don't do for Rivendell, like clean off the hearth, and move piles of books from the floor and various tables onto actual bookshelves.   Exhausting! 

For the actual dinner I made 2 crockpots of spaghetti sauce.  I didn't know how much we would need, especially since I was feeding my family as well.  We would have been okay with just one crockpot, but we would have had no leftovers (some of which I froze.  Yay!).  I made too many noodles, though.  We only needed 6 pounds, not 8.  The other moms, of which there were 22, brought salads, bread, drinks, and desserts.

We had a great meeting, but no one ate the desserts!  And the moms didn't want to take them home . . . so we were the beneficiaries of 2 plates of cookies, a lemon bundt cake, a pan of pumpkin spice bars with yummy cream cheese frosting, and a ton of cupcakes, covered with sprinkles!  Perfect!  So Caleb got cupcakes for his birthday, as well as a smorgasbord of of desserts to choose from, just for variety!  Nathan asked if we could have a moms' meeting the night before his birthday so that he would also have a huge selection of desserts at his disposal!  At Rivendell the next day I declared open season on all the desserts, so they were all gone by the end of the day, LOL. 

I still owe Caleb a birthday cake though.  I had told him he could decorate one himself however he wanted, although he still hadn't decided on what exactly he wanted his cake to be, so maybe it is just fine to postpone!  The important thing is that now Caleb is 11 years old!  Happy birthday, Caleb!!

Being Prepared

We weathered Hurricane Sandy just fine!  It was windy and rainy, but the only neighborhood casualty I could see on my walk yesterday was a street sign.  The boys were disappointed that our power never went out.  We were definitely prepared for an outage this time, after our big outage in June!  We had tons of flashlights at the ready, I did loads and loads of laundry, the dishwasher was run, as was the garbage disposal, I made muffins, we finished and printed out everything we needed for Rivendell . . . but the power stayed on.  Oh well!  We went ahead and slept down in the basement Monday night.  Our house is surrounded by big trees, and we didn't want to take any chances.  It was much more pleasant sleeping down there now than back in June--the temperature was pleasant, the air was circulating, and we could run our noisemakers, so everyone slept well!

We ended up moving Rivendell to today (Wednesday) instead of Tuesday anyway, which turned out to be a God-thing.  The McC's basement flooded again, which they discovered at 3:30 AM, so they spent the rest of the night bailing water and trying to clean up.  They could not have done a day at Rivendell--they were exhausted!

For us, it was really nice to have an unplanned day off.  We still did a short day of school for Caleb and Jonathan mainly, but then in the afternoon we were able to get all that laundry folded and put away, so I am feeling on top of laundry for the first time in, oh, I don't know, months probably. 

Also, we have had the bright idea to switch the girls room and Caleb and Jonathan's room around.  Caleb and Jonathan's room has a bunk bed with a double bed on bottom and a twin bed on top, while the girls have single bunk beds with a pull-out trundle underneath.  We had been thinking about where Micah could go, once the new baby (still nameless if you are wondering) needs the crib.  We have other cribs, but we are running out of room space to put a second crib!  So if Caleb and Jonathan move into the girls room, then Micah could sleep on the trundle bed.  I don't think he would do very well, sleeping with someone on a double bed!

But changing rooms involves a lot of logistics, and I simply haven't had time to even start.  Yesterday I was able to get a little bit more organized in both rooms, giving me hope that this move may actually get accomplished in the near future, as opposed to months away, LOL.  All 5 affected kids are very excited about the impending changes, and they don't understand why I haven't just dropped everything else to make it happen!

Speaking of being prepared, on Sunday Pastor Mike talked about how everyone was so concerned about buying batteries and being prepared for the coming storm, but we really need to be prepared for death and judgment, since that will happen for everyone.  That point was driven home late Sunday night.  I have followed the blog mommylife for several years now.  The author, Barbara Curtis, was a mother of 12, 4 of them with Down's syndrome (3 adopted).  She got political around election times, but she posted frequently and always had interesting perspectives in many different areas.  Well, Sunday night I got an email from my homeschool loop that said she had suffered a massive stroke and was not expected to regain consciousness.  Indeed, she died Tuesday.  What a complete shock!  However, she was prepared for this event--I know she placed her confidance in the blood of Christ to cover her sins, and I will see her in heaven.  I am so sad for her family right now, though, and I will really miss reading her posts. 

"This Day is Called . . ."

I'm sure you all know that today, Oct. 25, is the Feast of St. Crispin, and are all celebrating accordingly!  We memorized this speech last year in memory work, and it is such a rousing one!  We recited it today during our memory work review.  (The part we memorized starts at about 1:10 in the video.)  Here's what we memorized--watch Kenneth Branagh say it, and get your blood pumping!

This day is called the Feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day and comes safe home
Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall see this day and live t' old age
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours
And say, "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian."
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words —
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester —
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.

This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered,
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition.

And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day.

Curly Girl Faith

"There was a little girl,

Who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good,

She was very good indeed,

But when she was bad she was horrid."

 

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

 

 

Ultrasound!

I had another ultrasound this morning.  I'm a little over 34 weeks now, and my other ultrasound was wa back in June, when I was only 17 weeks along.  Then the tech said my placenta was low-lying, and I needed another ultrasound at 32 weeks to make sure it had moved.  But the doctor said I had to have this ultrasound in the radiology department, and this was the soonest appointment.

Bob was able to take off work today, so he went with me, making the drive and the appointment so much more fun!  And it's always nice to see the baby!  I had to lay down pretty flat, which was amazingly uncomfortable.  Toward the end, the tech was trying to estimate his weight, and she needed to measure his femur, but the baby was really moving around.   I was just praying he would settle down long enough for her to measure him so I could get up!  Finally she got what she was looking for, and I could sit up.  I had a major round ligament cramp though.  I think one reason the baby was so wiggly and active was because he didn't like me being on my back!

Everything looked just fine though.  The lady asked me when they told me my placenta was low, because it was certainly out of the way now!  I think my theory about having such an early ultrasound (I've not had one that early that wasn't purely a dating ultrasound) was correct.  Whatever the cause, I am just rejoicing that I don't have to plan for a c-section now!  Thank you, Lord!

For what it's worth, the baby is measuring right on.  The weight she came up with is 5 pounds, 4 ounces, which could be exactly right, but I really don't put much stock in weight estimations from ultrasounds.  They are wildly off way too many times!    In fact, I had an ultrasound with Anna 2 weeks before she was born because the (civilian) doctor was worried about her being too big.  That ultrasound was a big waste of time, as far as I was concerned!  She was too big to really see anything, and they estimated her size as 7 pounds, 10 ounces, give or take 18 ounces.  What a huge margin of error, making the results meaningless!  Anna was 8 pounds 11 ounces at birth, 2 weeks later.

After our romantic date in the low-lit ultrasound room, Bob and I continued the fun by driving straight over to the Ft. Myer commissary--you can't say Bob doesn't ever take me anywhere expensive on dates!  We managed to keep the cost under $900 (barely!), and now we are stocked up for a good while.  I will have to go back again in November to get a turkey.  I didn't want a huge bird taking up all my freezer space for a month!  It was fun to have Bob be my "helper" instead of one of the boys this time, LOL.  And I know all the boys were relieved that they were off the hook for going!

Now I'm exhausted, so after I work on some biology, it will be off to bed for me!  Nathan is taking the PSAT tomorrow, so I know he would appreciate any prayers!  I can't believe it's time to start all this pre-college stuff . . . The weird thing is starting all this pre-college stuff AND thinking about delivering another baby in just a few short weeks!

OB Appointment

Yesterday I had an OB appointment, the first one since I started checking my blood sugar numbers 3 weeks ago.  Things have been going fairly well, as far as the gestational diabetes goes.  I've settled into a routine.  It's definitely easier the second time around!  I always eat the same thing for breakfast (1/2 c. bran flakes, milk, and a hard-boiled egg), and I eat similar things each day for lunch (usually a turkey/cheese/spinach sandwich, or a spinach salad with chicken and walnuts, or occasionally chicken salad with spinach and a few crackers--I usually eat a piece of fruit too).  I don't have any problems with these meals.  Dinner is a little bit harder, just because there's more variety.  A lot of the quick meals I have are carb-heavy, and I have had a few high readings after dinner, but not too many.  They want me to keep my after-mealtime numbers under 120, and I've had a few over--my highest was 136 once. 

Surprisingly, the number I've been having the most trouble with has been my fasting number, which I take first thing in the morning, before I have eaten anything.  They want it to be under 95, and usually my number is between 95 and 99--so not terribly high, but still . . . I went back and checked my numbers from when I was pregnant with Faith (because I am just that anal, and amazingly I could still find where all that stuff was), and I never had any trouble with my fasting number, no matter what I ate at night for my snack before bed.  The numbers were always around 89.  I was pregnant with Faith 4 years ago, and I guess I am just that much more insulin-resistant now.  Anyhow, I have been experimenting with what snack gives me the best fasting numbers.  I know what doesn't work--any sort of cookie or anything, even if I have some protein with it!  I've tried a bunch of different things, but what seems to work best, interestingly enough, is a 1/2 cup of a good (high fat) chocolate ice cream, and then I also eat a slice of turkey for protein.  When I do that, my numbers are usually around 93--still higher than with Faith, but better than with any other "healthier" snack I have tried.  Hey--I'm just reporting on the results of the experiment here--but I'm willing to eat a little bit of ice cream each night if that is what I have to do!

But back to the appointment--I was wondering what the doctor would say about my higher fasting levels (since I didn't start trying the ice cream until a few nights ago--although that is what I usually had as my snack/reward for getting through the day when I was pregnant with Faith as well), but she wasn't concerned at all.  She said everything was going well, I'm measuring right on, and she was happy to hear about all my exercising (twice a day most days--over an hour a day!).  She said she hopes she doesn't have to put me on any sort of medicine, because that automatically puts me into a different category of GD mom--"category 2"--and that means they monitor more closely (non-stress tests and so on), and they induce a week early.  I'd be happy to go into labor a week early, but I'd rather not be induced that early, and I definitely don't want to have to make the drive to Bethesda any more often than I already have to, so I also hope I can control this GD again with just diet and exercise!

Next Friday is my follow-up ultrasound to see if my placenta has moved away from my cervix.  I have been praying it has!!  This ultrasound will be done in radiology, instead of in the prenatal assessment center.  Then I will have my next OB appointment the following Friday.  Fridays are a good day for me to make the trek, so I'm glad it's working out to have all these appointments on Fridays!

So everything is going well.  I am still really loving the maternity belt I bought from Amazon.  I don't think I could do all the walking and exercising I've been doing without it.  I have definitely had a lot less round ligament pain this time than I did with Micah.  Today I worked at a kids' consignment sale, and I was on my feet, running around for 3 1/2 hours.  I was so thankful for the extra support of the belt!  This baby is so active at night--I think it will be a challenge to get his days and nights straightened out once he is born!  But I'm so busy during the day.  It's not until I lay down to sleep at night that he starts really moving around in there!  We've made a little progress on possible names, but honestly, there hasn't been that much time to talk about it!  The kids have all voiced their opinions.  This is where I remind them that this is not a democracy, LOL. 

Just a little over 6 weeks to go!

18 Months!

Micah had his 18 month well-baby check-up on Wednesday, so he and I made the trek out to Bethesda.  He is indeed a well baby!  He is now 25 pounds, 7 ounces, which puts him at about the 50th percentile--a huge number for us!  But the real shocker was that his height was in the 86th percentile!  We have NEVER had anyone remotely on the "tall" side, but evidently Micah's size at birth wasn't just a fluke, and he actually does have some of the "big" genes from our families that just have hidden themselves for the other 7 kids! 

Micah is off the charts as far his fine and gross motor skills as well.  He runs, jumps, climbs (everything), uses a fork and spoon well, throws and kicks a ball, and pretty much does whatever he can to imitate any and all of his older siblings. 

Except in the area of talking.  He says about 8 words total (not even each day, LOL), and while he understands what we tell him, he doesn't seem to see any real need of using words to communicate back to us.  But none of my kids said much before the age of 2, so I'm not worried, and neither was the doctor.  Saying 8 words is within the realm of normal for 18 months!  (Here are some of his words:  Mama, Dada, ball (and here he will even differentiate--football, basketball--those are different), banana, blanket, diaper . . . hmm, there are 2 more, but I can't think of them right now . . . )  He does say a lot of sounds (like "woof") and things like "Peekaboo" and "Oops".  Still--not real verbal.  Definitely a man of action, LOL.

Micah's favorite place to be is outside with his brothers and sisters.  He gets his jacket and shoes when they start heading out in the afternoon.  He loves playing with any of the multitudinous balls in the garage.  Lately he's started putting on one of the girls' bicycle helmets (he's partial to a dark pink princess one, LOL) and trying to ride one of the scooters that has 3 wheels.  The girls are trying to teach him to pedal the tricycle, but he hasn't been real interested in that.

Inside, Micah loves playing with whatever Faith is playing with, LOL.  Already he knows how to push people's buttons!  He also likes to build Duplo towers, put things in the little wagon we have and drag that around the house, unloading random things in random places (like we need anymore help with that, LOL), and also hold a babydoll.  He's so cute with the doll, but he is absolutely uncooperative whenever I try to take a picture of him with one!  Still, hopefully he'll be a good big brother, since that day is drawing ever nearer!  He is not always that gentle, so I will really have to watch him!

That's a quick update on Micah!

Some Mild Monday Panicking

I woke up Monday morning feeling very stressed and overwhelmed as I thought about the upcoming week.  I had spent a lot of time Sunday night trying to work out how I was going to teach AP labs that we don't have the equipment for, and was just feeling very inadequate at dealing with the whole biology thing in general.  And when I go to bed thinking about something, then it's hard to turn my brain off, so all those worries roiled around in there the whole night, plus I added on to them my worries about planning this space field trip to the Udvar-Hazy Museum for our elementary co-op in March that for some reason I agreed to be in charge of, as well as minor things like Micah's left tennis shoe was missing, and I need to register the boys for basketball.  Whew!  Restless night of sleep, to say the least!

But God was good--I usually am reading through Ruth Myers' 31 Days of Praise in the morning, and on October 1st, it was really timely.  Here's a short excerpt--

My heart rejoices in You, Lord, for You are my strong shelter in times of trouble and danger and stress, my hiding place to whom I may continually resort . . . I praise you for Your love and Your wisdom . . . You act on my behalf, accomplishing what concerns me and fulfilling your purpose for me as I call on You . . .

It was all really encouraging to me.  For our character time in school, we've been reading Created For Work by Bob Shultz (HIGHLY recommend this and his other book, Boyhood and Beyond).  Well, the chapter we read on Monday dealt with "difficulty".  Here's the quote at the beginning:  "First a thing is impossible, then it's difficult, then it's done."  That is so true!  He talks about accepting the challenge of difficult jobs because those are the jobs that develop our muscles, minds, and spirits.  "Without a challenge, there is little or no growth."  Definitely timely for someone who is struggling with the seemingly impossible task of teaching AP biology, dredging up rusty knowledge from almost 20 years ago, all while expecting her 9th baby and dealing with gestational diabetes, plus continuing to homeschool everyone else!

And the Lord provided help in other areas this week as well.  I worked out a bit at least how lab this week was going to go--I spent the time teaching the boys how to do a chi-squared test for data, and then we did several example problems using experimental data.  This seems to be an important area of concentration, since a lot of the AP labs want this kind of data analysis done, so I think it was time well-spent.  I've spent time searching for online virtual labs for gel electrophoresis (using actual DNA--we'll do one just using dye on a homemade gel slab, but it won't be quite the same) and other lab techniques for the next 2 weeks, which will be helpful.  I still think the lab portion is our weakest link, due to lack of resources, but oh well.  Oh, and I found a tremendous AP biology resource online--Cheryl Massengale's Biology Junction.  If you scroll down the page a bit and click on the "AP Biology" link, then she has a wealth of helpful information and links!  That has already been very helpful, especially some of the past essay questions.  The boys will be doing a lot of those for practice when we take our long winter (baby!) break between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I was also able to get in contact with educational people at Udvar-Hazy to ask my questions.  One big problem is that for their learning labs, they don't have much at all for the 1st/2nd graders, and none of what they do have involves space.  But we'll be finishing up a 5 week unit on space with this field trip, so we definitely need a space-related learning experience for all the levels.  The teacher in charge over there emailed me back this morning to say they could bring back one of their old labs for the 1st/2nd graders about satellites, both natural and man-made.  Woo-hoo!  So I filled out the online form, and hopefully I'll hear back from someone in the next few days to work out the times.  We're not out of the woods yet, as far as planning, because with 3 groups of kids doing learning labs, we're going to have to take 2 hours--and what will the K kids and the second half of the older kids do for the second hour?  We'll see . . .  I really wish I hadn't taken this thing on, LOL.  I really don't need anything extra to worry about right now, much less working out a field trip for 100 kids!  Difficulties . . . challenges . .  they're good . . . that's what I keep telling myself, LOL.

So now we're practically at the end of the week, and I've almost gotten through it.  But there are still plenty of challenges in the weeks and months ahead! 

Diabetes "Class"

This morning I left home at 7:30 to get to Bethesda for my 9:00 gestational diabetes orientation class.  This time it was a little different than it was back when I was pregnant with Faith.  Then I went for an entire afternoon, and a whole class of us were talked to by a nurse first, who explained how the testing worked, and then by a nutritionist, who told us how to meal-plan, and what to eat when. 

This morning, there were only 2 of us, and the nurse led us off to a small conference room.  She passed out the folders of info, and then started talking about how we would need to make an appointment with the nutritionist as well, since she was just a nurse and couldn't really help us with meal-planning.  She gave us the phone number, which I dutifully wrote down, and then she got the bright idea that she could call even today and see if we could get in and talk to the lady.  So she asked which we would rather do--try for today, or call ourselves and make a different appointment.  The other lady was quiet, so I spoke up, "Umm, well, this is my 9th baby, and my 2nd with gestational diabetes, and I still have all my information from the last time the dietician talked with me.  I've already been testing my numbers for a week, and things are fine . . . so I really don't want to have to talk to the dietician at all . . ."

The nurse looked at me, shocked ("Your 9th baby?!"), and asked me a few more questions to make sure I actually had my monitor set up and was doing everything I should be doing.  Then she looked at me with a puzzled look and said, "Who on earth made you come here today?!  I'll just note that you were here, but you don't have to stay!"  Woo-hoo!!  That was what I was hoping for! 

I did have to go back down to the actual OB clinic.  I'm testing my blood sugar 4 times a day, but the nurse-practitioner who put in the prescription wrote it for only a jar of 50 test strips (with 3 refills).  You can't get refills until about 10 days before the end of the month, because the provider is supposed to be writing the prescription to last a month.  Soo, I'll wait while you all do the math . . . but 50 strips, testing 4 times a day, means that bottle will last me about 12 days since I started testing last Wednesday.  And the N-P also didn't give a prescription for a big box of lancets, but rather for a box containing 25 lancets plus an extra poker-thing that the lancets go in (you already get one of those, plus 12 lancets, with the actual meter);  So--35 lancets, 4 times a day--that's less than 9 days!  I've been reusing the lancets, which is a big no-no.

So I went down to talk to the lady at the desk to see if I could speak to the clinic attending doctor and get a new prescription.  She took my ID card and disappeared off in the back with it, eventually poking her head back around to ask if I just needed the strips and lancets, or if I also needed medicine.  I never actually talked to a doctor, but she came back and told me the presciption was entered in, and I could go to the pharmacy to pick it up.  Yay!

But when I picked up the prescription, I was dismayed to find that once again, I only got 1 box of 50 (but with 6 refills this time, LOL).  Can doctors not do simple math?!?  Well, that will get me to my next appointment, which is Oct. 12, and then I will have to speak very slowly and clearly and explain that if I am testing 4 times a day for 30 days, then I need 120 test strips at a time!  I did get a big box of 200 lancets, so I'm good to go there for awhile.

My numbers in general have been really great (they're supposed to be under 105 when I wake up, and under 120 two hours after a meal).  I've had pretty much no troubles keeping them low--until Monday and Tuesday.  I think it is the stress of co-op!  I did have one odd thing happen.  This morning, right after I talked to the OB front desk (which made me nervous), it was time to test, since it was 2 hours after my breakfast.  I had eaten my usual breakfast of 1/2 c. bran flakes, milk, and a hard-boiled egg.  This pretty much always gives me a blood sugar reading of around 97.  I NEVER have problems with breakfast!  So I test, and my number comes up as 138!!  I was flabber-gasted!  But I was still feeling flustered from trying to explain everything to the desk lady, so I decided to just sit for a minute and relax, and then test again.  So I sat, breathed deeply, looked around, relaxed--for about a minute.  I had tested originally at 9:25, and so at 9:27 I retested.  My number this time?  100.  What in the world?!  There's no way my levels are actually fluctuating 38 points in 2 minutes, but what could it be?  Who knows?!  It did make me wonder if the high number I got after lunch on Tuesday (right before life science, when I realized I had completely forgotten to email notes to Celia for class, which made me flustered) would have been different if I had relaxed for a minute before testing!   Weird.

I've ramped up my exercising again.  It's been hard to fit it in, but I've been exercising for about 40 minutes in the morning after breakfast, and Bob and I have been taking a 40 minute walk almost every night after dinner.  That maternity support belt I bought from Amazon a few weeks ago has been WONDERFUL.  It has made such a difference in how comfortable I am with all the walking!  We'll see how long I can keep all that exercise up, though.  It's very disruptive to the day, especially the morning time.  Anna and Grace are definitely not getting very much time spent on their schooling, although sometimes I do stuff with Anna in the evenings.  But I'm so tired by the time evening rolls around (no time for naps in the afternoon--must do more school or run errands/get people to appointments!), and that is also when I have to work on biology prep, which is taking a lot of brain power.  Oh well--less than 9 more weeks!  We're in single digits!

Cell Phone Saga Update

You may recall that back in the beginning of August, we went to a wedding in St. Louis, and Micah made a name for himself by microwaving our cell phones (nickname of his alter ego, courtesy of his Uncle Terry:  "Chef Micah-wave").  So since then Bob's been using the boys' phone, friends of ours gave us their old phone to replace the boys' phone (thanks again, Steve and Jenny!!), and I've kept using mine, which has limped along.  It definitely was no longer "smart" in the sense that pretty much all it could easily do was make and receive calls, and even then I never used my contact list, because it was impossible to back out of it.  So I kept it on "dialer" and only dialed numbers I knew, LOL.  And I never checked messages either!  But I could make calls, and the boys and Bob could call me (pretty much the only people who call me on my cell, LOL), so things were good.

The funny thing is that I really wasn't happy with the phone since we got it back in March (it was a Droid Bionic).  I had problems from the get-go when it wouldn't access the internet, even on the vaunted "4G network" of Verizon.  Also it would randomly turn itself onto airplane mode frequently, and I would have no idea, so I would miss calls because I wouldn't think to check that my phone was actually in the mood to receive calls.  Sometimes I would be unable to access my voicemail for weeks at a time.  And it would start taking longer and longer to answer.  Eventually the delay would be about 10 seconds, so people would hang up, while I was frantically saying, "Hello!  Hello . . .  hello? . . . HELLO!! . . . "  Soooo annoying.  I would take it in to Costco, and the nice guy in the cell phone booth would take out stuff and put stuff back in, reset everything to factory settings, etc., and things would be normal for a few days before it would gradually go back to its old tricks. I also dropped it out of the diaper bag while getting out of the big van back in May, and the top left corner of the screen was all cracked--again, the touchscreen kept working, but it certainly looked worse for wear after only a few months!

I have to say, microwaving cured all the technical problems!!  The phone never ONCE turned itself onto airplane mode during August and September!  I guess it considered itself warned, LOL.  I do have to add that while I don't really recommend microwaving as a fix for whatever ails your cell phone processor, Micah would be glad to volunteer to do the microwaving, should you choose that route.

Anyhow, the problem was that we still had to pay for a smartphone each month, even though we didn't actually have a "smart" phone.  The solution we came up with was to get a new phone and add an extra line.  We bought another cheap dump phone off Amazon to actually take the new number, and we decided to get . . . an iphone, since everyone we know with one really loves it. 

Bob went to the Verizon store at 6:00 on Friday (second person there--he could have slept even later, although people did start trickling into line after him, and by 8:00 there was a good-sized line).  So he walked out with an iphone 5 (Nathan:  "YOU got an IPHONE 5?!  We never get anything new!!").  The phone wasn't activated until yesterday, and then, in slightly ominous fashion, the activation didn't work right, so I couldn't call anyone or connect to the network . . .  We took it back to the Verizon store yesterday afternoon, and the nice lady there reset something and it started working.  I'm beginning to think the problem is me!!  Cell phones sense that I don't know what I'm doing, like a horse with a new rider, and proceed to cause mischief or something . . . 

So far, the phone seems nice.  I'm sure I am not the right person to fully appreciate all its so-called wonders, LOL.  It makes and receives calls (now, anyway), AND the "home" button works!!  So if anyone has any great suggestions for what this phone should be doing for me to make my life easier, please let me know!  I did enter a ton of things onto the calendar, so now hopefully I won't again make the mistake of scheduling an OB appointment for 1:00 at Bethesda on the same day where I had previously scheduled dentist appointments for 7 kids starting at 10:00, and an orthodontist appointment for Jonathan at 1:30.  Oops!  (OB appt. got moved, LOL.)

One thing we are hoping to use a lot is the camera.  Our camera broke at WSS, so we've been using our very old digital camera, the one we got before Anna was born.  It's kind of a pain to get the pictures off the camera onto the computer, though.  We're hoping that is easier with the pictures on the iphone.  It will be nice to not have to always remember to take a separate camera everywhere we want to take pictures, especially when the new baby comes (less than 10 weeks!!). 

So now we can really say we have joined the 21st century, I guess!

Pregnancy Update

Now I'm 29 weeks and a few days. This morning I took my 3-hour glucose test bright and early at Bethesda.  I left at 6:40 and was able to start the test at 7:45, so I made good time.  One thing that really frustrated me when I took the test with Faith was that I had to have my blood drawn first for a fasting number, then wait until those results got back, and THEN I could drink the nasty glucola stuff and start the test.  That took like an extra 40 minutes!  But this time they still drew for a fasting number, but I could drink the stuff right away, so that was much nicer.  I was back home around 11:40. At least I got some biology done!

They should call Monday, I expect.  I have an old glucose monitor, plus some old test strips, and I have been monitoring my levels occasionally after meals.  They have been either on the high side of normal (after breakfast and lunch), or just higher than they should be (dinner), even with exercising, so I am sure I have gestational diabetes again.  The only thing that could potentially be off is that the monitor/test strips are several years old, and I can't make sure the monitor is calibrated, because the testing solution was way old and gave wayyyyy wonky readings when I tried test strips with it.  But still, I'm expecting a call on Monday.  And I'm okay with it, I guess.  What I really don't want to do is sit through the 3 hour nutritional orientation thing again!!  Oh well.  I just hope those aren't offered only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons or something.

I also called and scheduled my follow-up ultrasound today.  It's going to be at 10:30 on Oct. 19.  I'll be over 34 weeks then, and the doctors wanted it to be around 32 weeks, but oh well.  They were actually the ones who messed things up!  You may not remember, but when I had my regular ultrasound (which was early--I was only 17 weeks), my placenta was over my cervix some, so the tech told me I need to have a follow-up ultrasound to see if it moved.  She told me to call at 26 weeks to schedule the ultrasound for 32 weeks.  So I called a few times.  They never answered, but the message said to leave your name, sponser's last 4, etc. and they would call right back.  But they never did.  So I went to my appointment on Monday, where the nurse practitioner I was seeing told me I needed to schedule this ultrasound!  I told her I'd been trying, but no one ever called me back. She said that was because there wasn't actually an order in the system.  Someone thought they would just do a quick ultrasound in the exam room, instead of an ultrasound over at prenatal assessment, but when they ran that by the head doc, he said, no, she needs to have a formal ultrasound done, down in the regular radiology department!  So the lady put in the order after my appointment, but it had to go through Tricare (?), and I couldn't call until now.  And Oct. 19 is the first available slot.  Originally I was really not terribly concerned--I assumed the placenta would move--but when the doctor said I needed a formal scan, I will admit to being a trifle more concerned now!  We'll see what happens, I guess.  No sense worrying about what you can't do anything about!

As far as physical symptoms go, I have already started having the pubic pain that is always so bad for me at the end of pregnancy.  I just carry so low, and my abdominal muscles are shot after all these pregnancies (and big babies, LOL)!  I found this maternity belt on Amazon.  It got good reviews and wasn't too expensive, so I ordered it, and it arrived Wednesday.  I love it!  It's not too big, so it's comfortable to wear.  I especially have been wearing it when I stand up a lot, and when I exercise, and it really has been helping suppport my poor low belly.  The pubic pain is much less, which gives me hope for the remaining 10 or 11 weeks! 

"Old" Mom

I was reading a thread on the Well Trained Mind forums a few days ago where someone was talking about how she felt like an "old mom".  She meant that since her oldest was in college and her youngest was 7, she couldn't relate to the moms with only young kids anymore, and she felt really old.  Well, I'm obviously not there right now--I can relate plenty well to new moms and moms with only young kids!  But I am still feeling a difference though.

I got an email Monday morning about something we were supposed to have for all our kids Tuesday monring for our elementary co-op.  I missed half the kick-off moms' meeting last Tuesday, since I had to run back here and teach biology, so obviously I missed that announcement.  We didn't have that supply (1/4 inch binders for all 4 elementary kids) just lying around, so you know what I did? Nothing.  Well, I found folders, but I definitely didn't run to a bunch of stores that may or may not have had school supplies left to see if I could track down small binders.  I can no longer organize my life around my elementary kids.  I used to, though!  TNT was the only thing we had going on some weeks, and I could totally plan my life around it!  Now it is pretty much one of the last things on my priority list, LOL.  I feel old and jaded. 

Another thing I've been thinking about is how I have a totally different frame of mind, as far as how I go about dealing with babies and their stuff, than someone who is just having a new baby.  I put my babies to sleep on their tummies if they're happier that way (so far all have been, LOL), I use crib bumpers, and you won't be able to pry my drop-side cribs (yes, cribS--we have 2 of them, plus actually a third, if we could just find the hardware!) out of my hands!  I don't rear-face until 2 or 12 or 22 or whatever the new recommendation-du-jour is (rear-facing carseats don't fit well in a big van, especially one where 10 or 11 of the seats are filled!), I don't cut up my baby's food into tiny pieces once they get a bunch of teeth (happens before a year for us, LOL), and I don't have a child-proofed house anymore.  I guess what you realize, as you go through wave upon wave of "danger! danger!" articles in magazines like "Parenting", is that life is dangerous.  And there is always some new recommendation to throw away/stop/burn/whatever something you've always thought of as just fine, or something that you think your child is well-capable of doing.  And you can either live in a constant state of fear, wondering if what you are doing is the next hugely avoidable danger, or you can just live your life, making the best decisions you can that take into account the entire family, realizing that you can never mitigate all possible danger and you will likely make yourself insane if you try to.  I'm not saying I'm not careful--I think I am.  But I don't obsess.  There's no time!  In fact, I don't even have time to read all those alarmist parenting magazines, so most of the time I'm out of the loop on what I'm supposed to be worried about in the first place!  But thinking about all that makes me feel like a fuddy-duddy.  Hardly anyone that grows up with Micah or this new baby will have used a crib bumper!  Weird!

One last thing I've been thinking about is playdates.  I used to live for these.  Adult conversation!  New playmates and toys for the kids!  Now I have to make a conscious effort to schedule a playdate, and to be honest, if it doesn't happen in the summer, it probably isn't going to happen.  I just don't have time most weeks to be able to just sit and chat, much as I would LOVE to.  (Big exception:  talking to first-time moms about labor/childbirth and the newborn stage.  I LOVE doing this, and I definitely make time for those conversations!!)  Now, I can babysit your kids, especially if they'll just play with my kids, so I can still get my own stuff done!  But I'm also not lacking for adult conversation anymore.  I have great chats with Nathan and Luke, and even Caleb and Jonathan!  I feel like I'm being stretched and challenged mentally with this AP biology.  It's just . . . different now, then when I only had littles.  Makes me feel old!

So it's definitely odd to be spanning 2 extremes--dealing with high school stuff (I need to register Nathan to take the PSAT in October, and to figure out driver's ed, since he can get his learner's permit after Christmas) and thinking about giving birth and nursing again, while keeping all my other plates spinning.  I'm not an old OR a young mom!  I'm just a busy mom, LOL.

Catching Up

I know, I know--it's been forever since I posted anything!  Several people have commented on it.  I truly have been very, very busy.  This biology thing is taking up tons of time for me to be prepared!  And if on some evening, I am not doing biology (a rarity, for sure), then I am just so tired that I don't feel like I can coherently compose my thoughts to post.

So, what have we been doing, besides biology.  Well, for one thing football is once again in full swing for Nathan and Luke.  For the month of August, that meant practices for both of them every weeknight from 6:00-8:00 in 2 different locations.  Now that school has started, they are down to 3 nights a week, but Tuesday and Wednesday they both have practice, so we have the same time traveling issue we had during August. 

Another thing we spent a good week on was attempting to prune back our ginormous willow oak tree in the front yard.  Branches were starting to touch our roof and were way overhanging the road, so Bob bought a new loper-thing that reached 16 ft., and we got to work.  For 3 consecutive trash days, we filled both big rolling trash containers, plus had a bunch of 4 ft. bundles.  The morning after our first big trimming attempt, Nathan and I were bundling branches, and our neighbor across the street came out.  He asked if we were cutting down a tree in our back yard, LOL.   We told him it was all from the tree in the front yard, and he just said, "Woah . . . that is a big tree . . . "  All our work and you couldn't even tell we'd done a thing!

Here are the size of our "bundles".  We must have had 20 bundles total.  We trimmed a ton of branches!  The trimming was kind of fun (and scary, steadying the ladder as Bob reached and reached . . .), but the picking up and bundling was horrible.  My poor aching back!!  And my legs and arms looked like I had been whipped for a serious offence, LOL.  I think we were all quite grateful to be done with that chore for awhile!

Now that is the last picture that will be posted on the blog for awhile, because we discovered this past weekend, while we were at a wonderful retreat at White Sulphur Springs, that our camera is broken!  Something is wrong with the lens, and it won't come out when we turn the camera on.  We had problems a few weeks ago getting it to go back in, but when it is stuck in, there is no way to pull it out.  Oh well.  So unfortunately no pictures of the weekend at WSS.  It was really, really fun, although again, during pretty much all the free time, I had my nose buried in the biology book.  The speaker spoke on reconciliation and peacemaking.  I am hopeful that what he shared will bear fruit for the boys and thier relationships, especially.   It was really good!  And it was so fun to see old friends from Wright-Pat, plus my parents.  I think this weekend had the best mix of families/kids.  There were a TON of kids of all ages, so all our kids were just running around, doing fun things with friends.  It was great!

And then on Tuesday, Rivendell started, so now we're up and going in full swing.  That means I am now teaching 3 classes, although life science and memory work don't take up even a fraction of the prep time that biology takes.  I think it is going to be a great year for the boys--now if we moms can just get through it too, LOL.  I told someone, "If I can just make it to the end of May . . ."  Of course, May is a long ways off . . . and I'll be nursing a new baby too by then . . . Yes, I think it's going to be a long year! 

Speaking of new babies, I failed my 28 week 1-hour glucose test, so I have to schedule the 3 hour one.  I'll probably do that the end of next week.  I am seriously panicking at the thought of keeping track of times to check my blood, portion sizes, balanced snacks, etc.  I definitely am feeling like I can't handle one more thing, but that is how I felt when I was pregnant with Faith as well, so I am sure I will in fact have gestational diabetes.  Somehow I'll deal with that too, but right now I am simply not seeing how I'll be able to control it with diet and exercise, like I did with Faith.  I do not have the extra time to exercise after pretty much every meal, like I did with her.  It's just not there.  It takes too much time to work with Caleb, Jonathan, Anna, and Grace, as well as do the biology.  So I am trying to prepare myself that I'll probably have to go on pills. 

So now you're all caught up with our busy-yet-not-exciting life!