Progress? I Think So!

I am tired just looking at the time lapse of the pictures... I have done so much over the past two months since we found out we are having a little girl when it comes to her room... Next weeks project is the boys room, but that is a whole other project in itself! I must find dinosaur bedding for Camden... I am on a mission!


So, that is what I have been doing over the last couple weeks... and there is still a TON of stuff to do, the dresser needs to be built still, the rest of the wall art needs to go up on the other side of the room, etc.

One day at a time... right?

Dinner with Auntie Liz

Last night we all packed up and headed to Red Robin. I wanted a good cheese burger, so we figured we would go, and then check out the closing sale at Borders downstairs at the Mall. Just as we got to the mall, Will's sister Liz called and wanted to see what we were up to for dinner, so she joined us.

The kids love their Aunt Liz, and had a BLAST with her!

A couple pictures Liz e-mailed me from her iphone...

Gotta love those silly faces!
Ben even gave a funny face!
And of course leave it to daddy to share his french fries! LOL

We had a ton of fun, and good dinner! It is always great to be able to have the kids get together with family, even if it is only for an hour or two out to dinner!

Ultrasound Update

This pregnancy has been so different from my other two, and now in the third trimester with barely 10 weeks left till my daughter is born, I am noticeably smaller, and far more comfortable than I ever was at this stage of pregnancy. So when my midwife asked me almost two weeks ago… “Do you have any concerns?” I brought up my size. Of course my fundal height measurements also confirmed that I was smaller.

Not enough for too much concern, or extreme worry, but we decided to go for an ultrasound. Now, I know that the accuracy of ultrasound in the third trimester is not that great, typically the results can be inaccurate or wrong up to 25% so I was sure to keep that in the back of my mind when I headed for my ultrasound today which would measure my daughter. Which I had them double check the baby was still penis free.

She looked awesome, while small, she is still within the normal growth range. In the 2 pound ball park range, and the 20th % for growth. (Normal is considered 10th % – 50th%)

After the technician was done with the measurements, he went to check everything over with the Doctor at the office before I headed out, like they typically do. The doctor then came in to chat with me about the results of the ultrasound. First she highlighted everything that looked good, or normal.

Then towards the end of the conversation she brought up the concern about the size/circumference of my daughters head. Normal is again considered 10%-50% and while my daughter is measuring in the 20th%, her head circumference is measuring in the 9th%. She assured me repeatedly this was nothing to worry about now. But, I have to go back in three weeks for another ultrasound to check on the progress, and growth of her head again. If there are any worries at that time, then I will have to sit down with my providers to talk about the possibility of growth restriction, which is what this could be a sign of.

I am hoping and praying that over the next three weeks this baby will turn into a giant, and have a huge head next time I go for an ultrasound. But it is hard not to think about it for the next couple weeks knowing that everything could be just fine, or something could be wrong.

Now we wait, and we hope and pray that everything is ok :)

The Dogs...

It seems like the past month, our dogs have lost any ounce of common sense and training they ever had. We went through two new garbage cans because they continue to knock them over no matter what we do... and just lost all their home training.

So I decided it was time to bring back the crates. When we first got Sox as a puppy, we crate trained him. When we would go out, or go to bed for the night, in the crate he went. He would cry, but most puppies do in the beginning. He eventually got used to it.

Then we got Fenway, and didn't opt for a second crate. She would share his some nights by choice, because she always wanted to curl up with him as puppy... but as they got older they just got more interested in things like my couch or a certain corner in the kitchen by the heater.

Yesterday while Ben napped, and Will did some household chores, I took Camden to the pet store, and we got the dogs some new stuff, including a second crate. New mats for the crates, new toys, and of course treats to make the crates "happy places" and not someplace they associate with punishment or bad thoughts.

Fenway hanging out before bedtime after a long play session with the kids.

Sox still has that innocent puppy look in his face that he had as a new little guy too... How sweet does he look there?

Overall, our first night crating the dogs again went AWESOME. No crying dogs, no accidents, no issues what so ever. We got up at 6:30am and went outside, and then I left them out while I went back to sleep till Ben got up about an hourish later.
Again, no accidents, no garbage incidents, and they actually went into their crates on their own with the doors open to sleep. I think this is really going to be the ounce of sanity I need when it comes to the issues we have been having with them.

Never a Dull Moment...

I think my house is simply becoming comical at this point... This morning was... rough to say the least, but amusing... so I could at least keep my sense of humor.

Ben somehow got out of the one piece PJ onesie type thing I had him in, because his newest favorite trick is taking his clothes off and running around naked, literally... no diaper... nothing. Just in the buff. Well this morning in the matter of... maybe 45 second that I went into the kitchen to fill cups for them, he took his outfit off, diaper went with it, and he was on the run... naked.

Luckily for me he ran to their bedroom so I could prep a diaper and some clothes, but not before he was able to pee all over the side of a rubbermaid container I had in there with their spring clothes. Story of my life right? I am always cleaning up some kind of puddle... Pee, juice... whatever else they can come up with...

But anyways... onto other things!
Last night we joined my best friend Kaitlyn, and her husband Chad, and their daughter Kami for dinner out at our fav On the Border. Well, let me re-phrase that one. Kaitlyn & I's fav. I think our husband's simply tolerate it to humor is at this point. Needless to say, 4 adults, and 3 kids was a fun time. I kinda felt bad for our waitress, but I guess it is just par for the course. LOL!
It was a great time!

And today marks 29 weeks. Wow! Time has really flown by in this pregnancy and I am starting to slightly freak out. I have exactly 10 weeks until this baby comes. That means 70 days... And when you put it in terms like that... it is not a lot at all. I am really starting to annoy/bother Will to help me get the nursery finished, especially after my Ikea shopping spree this past week.

I also have really been slacking on my 365 photo project big time. The last update was Wednesday the 15th... so one of my goals is to catch up. If I don't catch up soon, I am never going to catch up. Ever!

Long Week!

Today was a super long week. But it felt SOOOO good to get out of the house repeatedly, even with all my kids in tow!

Wednesday I had my midwife check up, which had been put off for nearly a full month because of the weekly giant snow storms, or ice storms and just nasty winter weather. Everything looked good, baby had a nice strong heartbeat, but my belly is measuring slightly smaller than how far along I am (measuring 26ish weeks when I am almost 29 weeks) and while my midwife isn't too concerned, she ordered an ultrasound to kind of ease my mind, and make sure its nothing.
So Monday afternoon I have to go to Yale for an ultrasound. But my next appointment is with the OB/GYN that will be delivering the baby, and we will be scheduling my c-section. I am not sure how I feel about it all yet, but I have roughly 10 weeks left.

After that, the kids and I headed to DH's work to surprise him on his lunch hour. We have never done that before, and he was SO excited. It was super cute to watch, and all the people there loved the boys. It was a great lunch break.

Then a pit stop at Grandma's house for lunch, and diapers... and finally home. It was an awesome day, oh, and I got paid too which is always a good thing. I really love the blogging gig I have, and it gives me such a sense of accomplishment when payday comes.

Thursday the boys and I picked up my girlfriend Steph, and planned a trip to Ikea. It was a blast, and of course I was able to get the last of the stuff for the nursery, and of course a couple odds and ends I wasn't planning on buying. Isn't that what always happens though?

I posted the list of the goodies I scored on my Momotics Blog... Check it out!

Anyways, the boys even had fun... this is their mini ride around the warehouse of Ikea as Steph and I waited for Will to text me back about an unexpected purchase... I figured I would at least give him a heads up.



Overall, I didn't do too bad, and I don't have ANYTHING left to get. I am done shopping for the nursery.

Anyways, it was really nice to get out of the house for a couple days with the kids, and even better since we hit a record high of 67 degrees yesterday during that Ikea trip.

I am so ready for the winter to be over though. Now I have spring fever!

She is Crafty!

Kinda... LOL!
I am not the most crafty person out there, but I somehow managed to make some really cute hair bows for the baby this past weekend...

Welcome SITS Girls!

I wish I could have gotten this post up earlier but between children, kidney stones, and all things Elwood going on in our lives, I must say I have neglected our blog this past week.

As I write this up, I have a 21 month old spitting juice behind me... cute new trick huh?

Anyways!

A little bit more about us? I also write for Babble.com I am one of their current "Being Pregnant" writers, so take a couple minutes and check out my posts over there, you will love them, I promise!

Welcome ladies and I hope you enjoy our family website :)

Be sure to check out my "popular" blog Momotics!

Camden's Bedtime Story

And then... Mommy Cried

When I was a child, one of my all time favorite movies was The Land Before Time. I had the VHS tape, cups, action figures, all of it. But I never could make it through the movie without bawling my eyes out time after time.

Camden, our oldest has taken a fondness to dinosaurs in the past couple months through this new Nick Jr. show called Dino Dan. Christmas brought dinosaur action figures, a robot T-Rex... all the bells and whistles.

Today Camden decided to look through the DVD shelf, and when he came across the DVD of The Land Before Time, he wanted to watch it, and I knew it was going to be an emotional pregnancy roller coaster for me. Not only because the movie is horribly sad to begin with, but because my life has come full circle. I watched this movie as a child, and now my own 3 year old was insisting we watched the same movie I loved so much. As I put it on he sat down and paid close attention and asked a million questions. He really was getting it. Now all he wants to do is watch the movie I had on repeat as a kid.

It really puts life into perspective!