Is it in the water?

During my pregnancy there have been three other friends from church who were also pregnant. We were all due within 2 - 3 weeks of each other and it was fun to see all of the big bellies around. People would say "don't drink the water". Typically our church does have a continuing list of "expectant Moms" to pray for and it seems that as soon as one family announces a pregnancy, another is soon to follow.

At the beginning of October we took a picture of the four of us and as soon as we all have our babies we will do a follow-up. My friend K started things off having her ninth baby, a boy, 3 weeks early. Another friend, C, has complicated pregnancies related to RH with the baby having a couple blood transfusions in-utero and so was set to deliver this week at 35 weeks. She had a c-section on Monday and had a baby boy. (He will be in the NICU for at least a week). Now L, who was due before all of us was a week overdue but ended up delivering a baby boy on Monday night. With mine there will be three new babies this week! So, what do you think I might have??? I am starting to lean toward a BOY!  (Only 2 more days!!)

L, C, Me, and K the first week in October. An unseasonably warm day! We should have taken side-views. :) I was pregnant with L and K with Missy Blue also. C and I have had four pregnancies together.

Behold, children are a gift from the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.
~Psalm 127:3~

Pregnancy Update

Yesterday I had my last Doctor appointment before my c-section. We had both been a little concerned as it seemed that I had "real" contractions early Tuesday morning. I was so uncomfortable in my back and legs and there was a pattern to them at 8 minutes apart that I got up to start packing my bag. Thankfully getting up and moving around helped, lengthening the time between contractions and I was able to go back to sleep. Nothing more happened this week other than my normal and fairly frequent "practice" contractions.

My main concern has been that I would go into labor and have to rush to the hospital for a c-section. I have never thought of it in past pregnancies so I am not sure why I worried this time. Anyway, I am only dilated a fingertip and my cervix is still far back. The baby's head is right there which is why I am so uncomfortable walking and have a lot of pressure. But the doctor is fairly confident that I will not go into labor before next Friday.

Unfortunately my c-section is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. which means I need to go the morning with no food in addition to the fact that I have plenty of time for my mind to start worrying.

The boys have been counting down the days all month and George announced this morning that we only have 7 more to go! So soon I will be holding my little one and we are very excited!

Me with my "pumpkin" last week at the pumpkin farm.

A sideview taken that evening after a dinner we attended. I was 37 weeks at that time.

Feeling Very Pampered

For my birthday a few months back my Mom suggested to my husband that they all chip in for a gift card to a high-end spa in the area for a prenatal massage. I was shocked when I opened the card and of course cried at the thought of being pampered so and at the thoughtfulness of the gift. My sister had been there before for a pedicure with a group of friends and suggested that we go together and relax in the spa first before having our individual treatments.

Although our time was short it was so nice! We wandered around this beautiful place a bit taking everything in since I had never been but then took a short dip in the pool complete with waterfall. We ordered smoothies and then headed to the rooftop deck complete with fireplace and a nice view and relaxed in the whirlpool. (It wasn't too hot but I did manage to kind of float with my belly out of the water to be safe.) It was a quiet evening and so we had the area to ourselves.

After about an hour we went our separate ways, my sister to her pedicure and me to my 50 minute massage. While it wasn't exactly relaxing trying to maneuver myself onto a special pillow, the massage was very nice and I could have stayed at the spa so much longer. What a fun time to spend with my sister! We have plans to go again in spring and take Mom with us.

Thank you Mom for the idea and to all of you who had a part in this special gift!

 

Here is the pool with waterfall at the end. They have relaxing chairs all throughout. There was also a small whirlpool in our locker room area.

Here we are in our robes out in the lobby area. We also had special sandals to wear.

Lessons learned

I am once in awhile amazed at the lessons I learn from my children. This week George reminded me of how we need to always speak with kindness.

In preparation for Missy Blue's birthday my Mom mentioned that she had bought a small doll for her to take along to church. The other day I was at the store along with my Mom and sister and two of my boys and saw the doll that she had bought there. I didn't think it was cute in anyway and so said, "Is this the doll you bought? It is so ugly!" My Mom didn't make anything of it and I didn't think more about it.

On the way home from the store George asked why I had told Grandma that the doll she bought was ugly. "Because it is", I said. He continued on, explaining to me that if Grandma took the time to buy something, I should not say it is ugly. He wanted to make sure that when Missy Blue opened that gift that I would not say another word about it. Needless to say, I knew he was right. While I know my Mom well and can say just about anything to her, it wasn't speaking with kindness nor was it a good example to the children. I did call my Mom to ask forgiveness for my rude comment and as I had known, it didn't bother her. But yet, it was a necessary call.

Thank You George for your gentle reminder!

Missy Blue Turns Two!

Happy Birthday to my little girl!

When I was first pregnant with Missy Blue we wondered if we would have a girl this time. An ultrasound indeed confirmed that our fifth child would be a girl. I was excited thinking about being able to dress her up, do her hair, and have tea parties together, all the things that most boys do not care for. (Although, my boys would probably enjoy a tea party with me.)

Missy Blue at 3 months

I have enjoyed these past two years and continue to be amazed at just how different girls can be. Missy is naturally very nurturing and will comfort anyone who is crying by rubbing their back or arm so gently. She enjoys carrying her dolls around the house and yesterday carried a diaper along with her with an attempt to change the doll. After watching four boys string dolls from their feet and whip them around or tackle them to the ground, I found this to be a refreshing change.  

We also see quite a different temperament which isn't always the most pleasant. Of course Missy turns that right around and will also be a little charmer, especially to her brothers. She will follow them around and is not content unless she is where they are. At times it is as if they are at her beck and call.

We are still waiting for Missy's vocabulary to develop but know that as soon as she really starts talking it will never stop. Her favorite word of course is "Daddy". "Where Daddy go? Gawh?" is the phrase we hear throughout the day.

What a joy and delight she brings to our family. I look forward to watching Missy grow and become a little lady.

Family Vacation/Reunion

The rest of the story...  The next portion of our trip we combined into a vacation along with a family reunion on my husband's side the weekend following the race. We haven't taken a "real" vacation in quite awhile so this was a treat and we were all really excited! My in-laws were with us and we all camped outside of St. Louis. If you haven't been there, St. Louis is a wonderful place to take a family as there are so many things to do and many are free which is the way we planned our days. Many of the trips were also educational. The weather was wonderful, in the 80's each day and not too humid either. There was time to just relax at the campground as well as evenings visiting family.

We were so thankful to visit with my husband's Aunt Pat! The weekend we were racing she was in a terrible accident that when looking at the pictures and hearing the accounts should have claimed her life. She was driving behind a log truck that turned over, spilling logs which piled on top of her car, crushing the car. Miraculously God spared her life and while she sustained broken ribs and vertebra she is only in a temporary brace and is getting around great!

Our children enjoyed getting to know this side of the family and wished that we all lived closer. Enjoy some pictures of our trip. I added some to the slide show also as I couldn't choose.

Building an arch at the Science Center. It was harder than it looked and it definitely helps to have a tall person to hold both sides and another to put the final blocks on.

We had a picnic lunch at Turtle Park which is a small park with large statues of turtles. The kids loved climbing around on them!

This was in Meramec Caverns. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it being that I am somewhat claustrophobic but there was plenty of space in these caves and it was really beautiful in some areas.

This was taken at Grant's Farm which we really enjoyed. The name is taken from Ulysses S. Grant who farmed a portion of that land and his first home is there. It is home to over 1000 animals and it so family-oriented. The Budweiser Clydesdale Stables are also located here and we enjoyed seeing those amazing horses.

Taken at the St. Louis Zoo. The zoo is always a fun place and free! Our favorite exhibit was the penguin house which was also a refreshing (or rather cold) place to be on a hot day.

The Children's Garden inside the Botanical Gardens. We all LOVED it here! It is based on Lewis and Clark and Tom Sawyer and there is too much there to describe. My husband especially enjoyed playing with the "locks system" moving boats from one side of the stream to the other by navigating the locks.

Our family reunion. My husband's aunt that I mentioned is center in the white shirt. We had a great time and the boys continue to ask when we will see them again.

Last Race of the Season

We returned yesterday from a 10-day trip to Missouri. It was my husband's last race of the season combined with a family vacation and family reunion. We had a wonderful time! I am going to split this into two posts, first talking about the race (for those of you interested).

Flying through the air off a jump past the grandstand.

My husband's goal at the beginning of the season was obviously to come in 1st overall having been just 3 points shy of being class champion last season. That goal was soon deflated as things did not go as well as planned and he ran into numerous difficulties. At one point he was 12th in the points and reset the goal of coming in at least 5th overall in the end.

This weekend was what he was looking for. He finished both races in the top three. Saturday he had us (his Mom, me, and George) a little nervous when we saw smoke coming out the back of the car for the entire race. We held our breath thinking he may not finish but he surprised us with a 3rd place finish. It was an exciting weekend as we were at a first-rate facility and the Speed Channel was there interviewing each winning driver. George and Tank were able to go on stage with him but I couldn't get the other boys there in time. (I am moving a little slower these days). He fixed the smoking issue which was something to do with the power steering. The next day's race he finished in second and finished out the season in 4th place in the Super Buggy Class. We are very proud of him!!

Daddy being interviewed by an "ESPN Speed Freak" with Tank and George holding the check.

The drive down to Wheatland, Missouri was 13 hours overall and we broke it into a two-day trip. We are very thankful for the motorhome as the children are able to play, snack, take bathroom breaks, nap, as needed. It was nice for me to be able to get up and walk around or put my feet up for awhile as they were quite swollen by the end.

The weather was so hot and humid which while being normal for Missouri supposedly isn't typical weather for the end of September. Usually we camp out at the racetrack  meaning pit-toilets and no power for air-conditioning but this time there was a "campground" of sorts right off the track in a grassy area where we could have power and unlimited water. This was another thing to be thankful for as after a hot day of racing we were able to cool off in the motorhome and also take a nice shower. The children were a mess by the end of the weekend but that is nothing new. The boys seem to gravitate toward any dirt they can possibly find. Once in awhile they completely change color with the coating of dirt they form. While for the most part Missy Blue is very girly, I cannot even keep her from following those boys into the dirt.

Vacation portion of trip -- to be continued...

The older boys playing in Daddy's car.
The boys motorhome bedroom. Missy blue sleeps up front on a drop down table and Pete also sleeps up front on the fold down couch. Re-Pete is hiding on the bottom bunk as he doesn't always care to have his picture taken.
Daddy with Missy Blue after an exciting race weekend.