40 weeks!

Today is the big day! Last night Leah and I took Jacqueline over to Tia's house where she spent last night because she has preschool today. And Leah is going over to my friend Stacy's house. The plan is to be to the hospital around 7:30 to get checked in. Here is my last picture as a mom of 2, a picture with my sweet little Leah Margaret. By the end of today we will have our 3rd baby girl, hopefully named Mckenna "TBD" Reynolds. I'm praying for a quick and relatively painless labor and delivery!

39 weeks

We've made it this far?!! :( It's kind of crazy to think that 6 weeks ago, the doctors and nurses were working to keep her in, and now she won't come out! So, the 4 of us made our way to Boulder once again to see the "baby doctor." BP was same as usual 117/79 and I weighed in at 152 lbs.
I saw Dr. Kerry (don't remember her last name - she's the newest doctor in the practice), and she set us up to come in next Monday, November 8th (aka "my due date), to have my waters broken. I told her that I wasn't feeling as much movement as I have in the past, so after my appointment, she wanted to get me hooked up on the monitor for an NST. Next we got to hear the heartbeat and then Casey and the girls left the room so I could be checked. I am 4 cm dilated - yay! An extra cm this week after 6 weeks of 3 cm readings was really exciting for me! She also stripped my membranes, which hurt a lot compared to last week when Dr. Shimoda stripped them. Now we wait to see if anything happens!
During the NST, the girls watched Cinderella, and I sat in the chair on the monitor for 20 minutes. And, as usual, our little "Tina" was absolutely perfect in every way! She looked good on the monitor the whole time, which is her routine.
So, either we will have a baby this week, or if all else fails, we will have a new baby girl on November 8!

38 weeks

Well, again, it's been another uneventful week. A few contractions here and there, but nothing regular or too painful. Last night was really weird... I slept on my left side most of the night, but a few times when I got up (midnight, 1:15, 2:15, 4:30 - ugh!), my right hip was hurting. Very weird! Mostly I'm just ready for all of this to be over with! I'm ready to meet her already!!
At my appointment, I weighed in at 148, so down a couple pounds from last week, and my blood pressure was 120/60, pretty normal for me.
I saw Mako again this week, and we listened to the heart beat with Casey and the girls in the room - she's in the 140s - and then they left and Mako checked me. Boy was I disappointed! I'm still only at 3! It's been 5 weeks now and no change. Come on Tina, are you serious?!! She also stripped my membranes, which wasn't painful at all, and she thinks she did a good job, so now we wait and see if it does anything to help her along.
I'm not sure if Casey has lots to do at work, or what, but when I told him this, he was like, why now? You still have 2 weeks. But walking into my day care class on Thursday last week, and into Preschool today, they all are like, "You're still waiting?!" So, yeah. Still waiting. Hopefully the stripping of membranes will help me out, but until something happens, we are still playing the waiting game.

37 weeks

Well, nothing exciting this week. I went in to the hospital yesterday morning with contractions, but they turned out to be nothing at all. My nurse checked me (still at 2-3 cm), so at my appointment today, I didn't have Mako check me since I knew it would be useless.
I weighed in at 150 lbs., which was a jump from last week, and my blood pressure was 116/69. We listened to Tina's heartbeat and she was in the 150s, which is much more normal for her than the 120s she was in yesterday when I was in the hospital. I did say something in the hospital about 120s being low and the nurse said it's perfectly normal, but for Tina, it's low! She is almost ALWAYS in the 140s and 150s. There were a few times when I was in for those 4 days that she was in the 130s, but even then, it was the upper 130s. I don't think I ever saw her heart rate go below 136.
I did talk to the doctor about stripping membranes to see if that would help out any, and she said that if I wanted to do it, she would. So now I need to do a little investigating. I know it's hit or miss, so maybe it will help, and maybe it won't. That's about all for this week.... it's been pretty boring! :)

34 vs. 36 weeks

My friend Michelle is super awesome and does these comparison pictures for me. Here are two pictures with identical poses in the same top. The only difference is one is a little closer than the other. So now, you can tell that I haven't really dropped, but my belly is definitely bigger and she has taken to hanging way out front instead of towards the back of my belly.

36 weeks

I am officially off the Procardia!!!! And no more bed rest for me either! Woohoo! I got to take Jacqueline inside to Preschool for the first time in 4 weeks! The last time I was there, I sat in the car while Casey took her in before dropping Leah off at Stacy's on the Wednesday that I was admitted for 4 1/2 days. During Preschool, Leah and I went to Boulder for her monthly appointment with the Language Project, and then wandered around Kohl's to see what they had for fall/winter clothes for Jacqueline before picking her up at 11:15. Then we had lunch and the girls took an early nap because they needed to be awake about 2:30 to leave for Boulder for the Baby Doctor appointment at 3:15.
I weighed in at 145 lbs. and my BP was 118/71. I saw Katherine, the nurse practitioner, and she commented on how I am kind of dehydrated, so I really need to work on drinking more. It's hard when I'm always moving now! I also told her that Tina hasn't been moving as much lately. She said that we are shooting for 10 movements in 2 hours, and if I'm not getting that, I should drink or eat something sugary. Or just sit down for a while with water, and if need be, I can poke and prod. Casey thought this was funny because he suggested doing this and I said no. Next we listened to Tina, and she sounded really good, and Katherine also measured me, and I measured right on at 36 cm. She also told us that with my cervix as thin as it is, there isn't much to dilate, so she doesn't want us going by the 5-1-1 rule (5 minutes apart, 1 minute each, for 1 hour), but once they become regular we "better be finding care for these girls, calling, and coming in." Even if we have to be there through most of the labor, it's better to err on the side of caution because we don't want Casey delivering a baby on the side of the road. I had actually joked with Casey as we were turning into the hospital that he should start carrying a knife to cut the cord if need be and he said I can bite it. Oh my gosh that thought disgusted me! He then said that it is already inside of me, but hello! I didn't eat it to get it in there!
Now it was time to do my internal check, so Casey and the girls went back to the waiting room (I didn't really think it would be appropriate for the girls to be in the room for this), and Katherine stepped out for a couple minutes. The check didn't really bring anything new. She said I'm a "loose" 2 or 3, so she wrote down 3, and I am still 80% effaced. She also said she is sitting fairly high, which she wrote down as the -2 position.
Katherine ended the appointment by saying that she thinks Tina will come at 36 weeks 5 days, which is Friday. That would be nice because Ali and Carl would be here to help take care of the girls, or even be at the hospital if I needed/wanted an extra person.
I know it's best to keep her in as long as possible, but I am really excited and anxious for her to come. I can't wait to meet her, and with all the excitement that I've had in the last 3 weeks, it would be nice for her to grace us with her presence.
I have been experiencing occasional contractions, and I have been experiencing lots of pressure, but they haven't been doing much. Since I am off bed rest, all the movement might make something happen, which is the reason Katherine thinks Tina will come by the end of the week.

35 weeks

Wow! What a week it has been. I haven't done much recently, so I've been pretty bored. I actually got out of the house on Saturday to go to my day care class. I was very good and only got up a couple of times, but boy was it nice to be out of the house!
Well, today is 35 weeks, and I had an appointment in the clinic this afternoon. I left my sample, weighed in at 142 lbs., and my BP was 113/60. Dr. Jamroz measured me and she said I was good, so right on at 35. And then we listened to Baby Tina, who sounded good, but her heartbeat was probably only in the low 130s (she was really slow). Since she was going to do an internal check, my nurse decided that Dr. J could also do my Group B Strep swab (which is usually at 36 weeks). The internal check, that was done because I had a few contractions last night that I actually felt more than just the tightening, came back at 2 cm and 80% effaced - I haven't changed this week, so the bed rest has done it's job! She also told me that I can get up more, but that I shouldn't overdue it. I can also skip my 4 am dose of Procardia, which is exciting because lately I've been up a lot in the night between bathroom runs and taking my meds twice a night. She also said that I can use my judgment during the day and skip a dose or delay it if I am feeling good.
Casey asked if I could get a flu shot (duh! it's highly encouraged, if not mandatory, for pregnant women and families with little babies! :)), and the price through the clinic, but since they weren't sure if insurance was covering the full cost, he is going to get the 4 of us in for an appointment at his work on the 19th.
At the end of the appointment, Dr. J said that she is the doctor on call over the weekend, so if Tina is ready, she'll be there to deliver her. :)
I'm also really excited that Casey's sister, her husband and daughter are coming out on Wednesday the 13th until the 17th. He hasn't been out since 2006, so it will be great for him to be out again and for him to see the new house. Hopefully we will have a baby by then or around then!
My dad said tonight that with my luck, I'll go to term, but please help me God that it won't happen! Hopefully being up more (I've set myself to now being able to go up and down the stairs twice a day for the next few days and then seeing how I feel) will help her to push me over the mark in the next week or so. As soon as 36 weeks hits, I'm going to start walking again. I probably won't walk more than a block or two to begin with, but it would be nice if that helped.
On another note, since I can now get up more, I'll be able to go through all the baby clothes that have been washed and then I can decide what to take to the hospital for her. I can't wait to do a little shopping to buy her a new outfit to come home from the hospital. She needs her own special outfit!
One more thing.... I got a "Fox Box" in the mail today!!! That is what Casey and Jacqueline called it. Thank you so much to Michelle, and Steve for mailing it, for lending me your DS to help me pass the time! I already played Brain Age tonight, and I am very old, but I think part of it is because I was playing with a little Leah bouncing around on the bed next to me and Jacqueline dancing around with Dancing with the Stars. Oh! And I got 5 out of 5 in the Memory Race game, which puts me in 1st place! :)

*As I sit here watching Castle, I can feel my stomach tighten from contractions.... why can't they get painful?!!! Also, I think it would be really cool if my water broke on it's own!

34 weeks

Bed Rest: One week down and two weeks to go. Yay! (okay, not really! Can you sense my sarcasm??) :)
Today Casey and I made our way to Boulder, again, for my appointment. I had a vaginal ultrasound done, and then I saw the doctor. The purpose of the u/s was to see how my cervix length had changed in the last week. The numbers we got today were .6 to .8 or .9 and with fundal presssure, the magic number was .5. Also I am beginning to funnel, which means that things are opening up at the top of my cervix too. Things have changed over this past week! After talking with the doctor, she decided that I won't need an ultrasound next week because we don't know if this change occurred before or after I was contracting every 3-4 minutes on Wednesday, and since it's safe to assume that I will just continue to change, she doesn't think it's extremely important to get the numbers.
My BP was down, which is good, to 110/60 and I weighed in at 139.9, which is up from the 138 that I was at when I left the hospital on Sunday (using the manual scale as opposed to the digital one at the office), but still down from my 142 last week on Wednesday when I went in with the contractions.
My internal check showed no change.... still at 2 cm and 80%, so I haven't changed over the week. Hold on for just a little bit longer baby!
They want me back in next week for just a regular appointment since I have moved from "Antepartum, Brief" to "High Risk OB" in their books.

Home Sweet Home!

I finally got to leave the walls of Room 326!!!! My doctor came in this afternoon, and we talked about things, and she said I could go home. I am on the Procardia every 4 hours and am to be on bed rest. I am currently sitting at the computer, but will find my way back to the couch in a little bit and then up to bed this evening. I can go up and down the stairs one time a day, so either I will stay up for the day or come down in the morning and stay down until I am ready to go up.
I did get the okay to go to my Day Care class on Saturday. It is 6 hours long, but Dr. Shimoda said that as long as I have a good week at home, and pay attention to my body during class, I can go.
My nurse told us that I am having about 4 contractions an hour, but I am not feeling them unless it is about time for the Procardia, and I do sometimes feel tightening, but other than that, they are kind of non-existent to me. She wrote on my discharge papers that I am to call the office if I feel more than 4-6 in an hour, and Casey kind of questioned that, but I told him that I will do that if they are painful.
After Casey and I left, we stopped to pick up Jacqueline from a friend's house. They go to the same church as we do (well, the girls and I, Casey doesn't go to church), and this was Jacqueline's first day of Sunday School, so I thought she needed to go. She then had a play date at their house. My friend said that she wants to plan to do this until I am going back to church because she agrees that Jacqueline needs to go to Sunday School and the girls had so much fun playing together, it is good for both to get together. My friend also gave me a book on learning to knit, along with the needles and some yarn. I'm kind of excited to tackle the book tomorrow and see what I can do. :)
We also stopped at the library and picked up the next two books in my series, as I finished my second one this morning in the hospital, so I will have something else to keep me busy while on bed rest.
The girls were super happy to see me, and I was super happy to see them. It is so good to be home! They are having a hard time understanding that I can't be up getting them food and giving them baths (Leah is throwing a huge fit for my mom as we speak), but it is something they are going to have to learn to deal with.

My twin sister Monica has called me three times today. She had a dream last night that I had baby Tina, so she keeps checking on me. :) Nope, no baby yet! However, I am fairly sure I lost my mucus plug a little before 7 this evening, so who knows... it could be hours, days or weeks!
Tomorrow is 34 weeks. I have an appointment in the office for an ultrasound to check cervical length and then an appointment with the doctor. Hopefully things will not have changed, so I will post when that is over. As for me, I'm off to the couch again, and I'm hoping that Leah settles down soon!

Boring Day

Last night I was woken up every 4 hours for my Procardia. I made it through the night with no Ambien, which will be good since I am going home tomorrow. I did wake up at 5:30, half an hour after I should have had the Procardia, with some pains. I laid in bed until I could read the clock and when I saw Karen was 30 minutes late, I called for it. It really does help me to feel better.
My contractions aren't painful, and the doctor and nurses call it more of "irritability" than contractions. I can feel the tightening, occasionally, and I have started feeling some pressure from Tina. The pressure is not as piercing as it was on Monday when I first started feeling it, but it is definitely a feeling I'm not fond of.
I did say something to Karen last night that I was kind of toying with the idea of a c-section only because then I don't have to feel the stinging pain of the baby's crowning before the final push. However, the recovery from a c-section is much worse, so maybe the burning would be worth it. Well, she said something to my doctor so when she came in today we talked about it. She said she is in the same boat as me (she has three kids - first was vaginal, then a c-section with #2, and the third was a VBAC). She said that I can definitely ward off the burning sensation with an epidural, so I guess that is something to think about. Monica also told me that her recovery from Keegan's birth was better than Laura's (both natural), so I guess I'll wait and see what happens when it's time for Tina to grace us with her presence. If I'm having the back labor I've had in the past, I have a feeling I will go with an epidural, but as always, you never really know until it's time.
I did have an internal check today. I was sitting in the rocking chair and had the pressure down below my belly. It was happening quite often, so my nurse, Jen, decided to have my doctor come in and do an internal check to see if things have changed since I came in Wednesday. I am still at 1-2 cm and 80% effaced, so that makes them happy. I was really skeptical about my internal check, but Jen helped me to relax so much that this was the most pleasant check I have ever had. That really made me feel good, and I made sure to tell her how good it went and that it was all due to her. Now I will have to remember her tips in the future.
Monica asked me last night on the phone when they would actually let Tina come if she wanted to come early. I didn't ask my doctor about it, but I did ask my night nurse Karen, last night and she said that if I came in with my water broken they would let her come. Also, they would let her come if I was having regular, strong contractions and/or dilating regularly.
Karen also told me about a lady who came in at 29 weeks with her water broken, and she spent 5 weeks in the same room I am in. I was really confused because I had heard that if your water breaks, the baby needs to come out in 24 hours. Apparently, that is only the case when your water breaks for a term baby. If the baby is pre-term, they will keep you at bay as long as they can.
Well, today has been really boring. Casey took both girls to swimming lessons, actually swimming with Leah. Yay! That was really exciting for me because we have paid for the lessons, and since I can't be there anymore, he will take her to her next two lessons as well. Jacqueline told me on the phone that she went underwater today, and she was so proud of herself. I really hope we continue to take her because even though she won't be ready to move on (she will probably be at this level for a couple years), she is having a great experience and learning more. Leah, however, probably won't take anymore classes after this session until I am able to take her again.
Casey stayed home today and worked at home. He will come and get me tomorrow, but since nothing exciting has been going on, he decided to stay home and get work done around the house.
I took a nap this afternoon, which was really nice, and I also got to take a bath in the jetted tub in my room and then I took a shower and got all washed up. I just feel so clean and it helps lift my spirits as well.
I had a yummy supper of a chicken sandwich and fresh fruit, and have read most of my book. I have been free of cables most of the day, but am currently hooked up to the contraction monitor and Lisa (my nurse) is running an NST (Non Stress Test) on Tina, who is always doing a great job of keeping her heart rate up and also it goes up and down and doesn't just continually have the same heart rate. She seems to be much more active when she is on the monitor and I can feel her moving so much more.
Part of me just wants her to come now so I can meet her. I'm getting anxious after all that has been happening. We are now in a waiting game.....

Off the Mag, Test out the Procardia

This morning was kind of the same as yesterday morning. I woke up around 5 and then took a little while to go back to sleep. Karen came in and told me that she would try to get me again tonight, and a few minutes later she was followed by Carla, who is the nurse who gave me the bath yesterday. It's nice to see a familiar face! I did fall asleep again, and slept for a while. Breakfast came late, but that's how it is.
At 9 Dr. Shimoda came in. She said they could take me off the Mag, yay! It took a while to feel better, but it all depends on the person when it comes to how fast it wears off. My day was brightened a lot when Jacqueline walked in!! Then Casey and Leah came in behind. They were so cute. Jacqueline kept asking what everything was and why I was in bed, so I did my best to explain to her in her terms what was going on. Leah was super cute too, and was carried in my Casey with her purse. I asked her what was in it and she told me wipes. It turns out Casey had packed her a diaper and wipe in her purse and had her carry it herself. :) They weren't here for an extremely long time, but long enough to make my day and let them see where I have been since I'm not at home.
I also talked to Stacy after Casey dropped off the girls and I was so happy to hear that Leah didn't cry when she was dropped off! She walked in and put her arms up to Stacy and was as happy as can be. Jacqueline walked right in and made herself comfortable on the couch. I'm so glad Jacqueline is so easy going and that Leah has finally warmed up and is happy being away from Casey and me. I don't know if this will just be with Stacy, or if she will go through the separation thing again.
For a while I still had the blurry/double vision, but it did okay. At about 3, Carla had me get out of bed and sit in a chair. I sat for a little bit, and also walked some on my own, and then I laid back on the bed. Carla took out my catheter, which came out without a hassle and didn't even hurt like she said it probably would. I sat in the chair again for a while and read my book, but then I started feeling tired, so I laid in bed and did fall asleep for about an hour and a half. I woke up hot, clammy, and having to pee, so I got up and soon felt much better. I sat in the chair for a little bit, but then I started getting some low belly pain, so Carla had me move back to the bed. :( As much as I am tired of sitting in bed, it is the best position so baby isn't encouraged to put pressure on me.
I had a really good appetite at supper tonight, and remembered to take my Flagyl, and I also got another Colace (stool softener). Carla was so funny! She came in and I told her that I had a bowel movement. She smiled, said "yay!" and clapped a little. It is a big step, as it has been 2 days, but she made me smile. :)
I needed to pee again a while after supper, so I called to see if I could get up on my own. The lady who answered said she would send my nurse in and I was super excited when Karen walked in. I introduced her to Casey, and then she told me I could get up on my own without help and showed me how to hook up my contraction monitor when I came back - not really rocket science, a lot like a computer in that the cords are all color coded with the slot they go in. She let me get up on my own, and then said she would be back later because she had to go help transition a baby that was just born, so that means 4 more today - 2 throughout the day, and 2 right around shift change time.
Casey left just minutes before Dr. Shimoda came in. She asked if my irritability had stopped, and I said yes, and she said she wants me to stay until Sunday just so I can be under observation for an entire day on the Procardia before they send me home. I called Casey while he was on his way to pick up the girls from Stacy's and told him. He is taking Jacqueline, and maybe Leah, to swimming tomorrow, and then Jacqueline has a play date with a friend. Not sure if he will come in since it will be just a quiet day, so we will see. Jacqueline also has a play date after church on Sunday (she is going to church with some friends of ours who go to the same church so she can go to her first day of Sunday School). Then on Monday Casey will be going back to work, I will be on bed rest at home, and my mom will take care of the girls, the house, and bring me anything I need. Casey has 12 days of vacation left, so that means that he is going to have to work as much as he can until Tina comes, and then probably only take a week off so he can also have vacation time to go home for Christmas. He is also working on getting more money put on our flex spending account because he only put $600 on it this year, because we weren't expecting a baby and we had a lot left over last year. You can add more money by working with the company the flex spending is through, and the HR at his work, because we do have a life changing event occurring in our life. We still have two months to pay for at the clinic, and 2 dentist appointments for the girls, plus the Rx I got on Sunday, and all the extra hospital costs that will come up, and we don't have much left on our account.
At one point today I was thinking they can just do a C-section and get this over with, but the recovery is much harder, so I will be preparing to push this little cutie out when she is ready. Not sure if I will go with an epidural, but really, as of right now, it is sounding good. I'll just have to wait and see how things go and if I want to be able to get up and walk during labor. I just don't want the burning sensation when she comes out! :-/
I'm thinking I will try to sleep without the Ambien tonight in prep for going home, and hopefully tomorrow I will spend most of the day out of bed, as my butt is really starting to hurt from sitting in the same position most of the day.

Here's to hoping for a very uneventful night and day tomorrow! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! They really are helping. :)

A day to unwind

I am so glad Stacy took the girls overnight and Casey was able to spend the night. Even though I had a really nice nurse, it was nice not have to call him every time I needed something and Casey was able to help me change positions, get drinks, and just help me to be more comfortable in general.
Today has been better than yesterday. They lowered my Mag from 3.5 g/hr to 2 g/hr. I still felt dizzy and was having double vision/blurred vision, but overall I felt better. My first nurse was Jeannie, whom I had yesterday, and then a little later Kathy came in. She was a familiar face, as she was my nurse when Leah was born! It was nice to actually recognize a face and feel like we had a connection. Casey had brought my camera back with him yesterday so I was able to show her pictures of the girls. Casey was also going home to shower, eat, go in to work for a bit, and stop and see the girls, so I asked him if he would print off the picture of Kathy and Leah from the day she was born.
At about 11:15, I got my second shot of steroids, so tomorrow morning they will take me off the Mag, which means by afternoon I should be out of bed.
I got a bed bath, which felt great, and Karla changed my sheets too, so I felt like a new woman! After she was done, she put lotion on my upper back and on my legs and feet, so it was like a mini massage. I was in heaven, and just overall felt better for the day because I was clean and on clean sheets. It's amazing what those two little things can do to lift your spirits when you are stuck in bed all day with only a few choice positions and really only one view. I am lucky enough to have one of the three rooms facing the mountains, so I do have a beautiful view out my window. Yesterday evening I saw some storm clouds roll in, which were really pretty and this morning I saw a small rainbow in the clouds.
I talked to Stacy, and the girls did well overnight. They slept with her in her bed because Jacqueline thought the guest bed was too high. Neither of them stayed on their pillows through the night (this didn't surprise me) and ended up with their heads in her back by morning. Leah had taken the yogurt container with her to bed!!!! She is my crazy girl! It makes me laugh just thinking about it! She cried a little for me in the morning, but once the day got going, she was fine. She cried a little when Casey stopped by, but then she fell asleep and slept for a good while. My sweet baby girl! She has a hard time adjusting to new things and being away from Casey and me.
My mom is coming tonight on AMTRAK and will be here in the morning. It's nice that she is coming because we will no longer have to rely on friends to watch the girls. Everyone is more than willing to help out, but I don't want to over stay our welcome. It is frustrating that she didn't ask before she booked it because we have care set up through the weekend, but she can be at the house cleaning and doing laundry since I can't do those things.
My night nurse is Karen. She seems really young, but is so sweet! Just like the rest, she is super helpful, but I just feel a nice connection with her. Tonight is her first night back after getting married in Mexico on Friday, and she is a little out of it. We talked for like 45 minutes, which was really fun. I haven't really gotten to chat with someone in person like this since I've been here. She is from Michigan and we both agreed that we really miss the all night thunderstorms of the Midwest. :)
The doctor on-call today is Kerry O'Shea, whom I had not met before. She is really nice, and knows what's going on, which is nice. She didn't really have too much to tell me, as today was kind of just the waiting day to let the steroids kick in so if Tina does decide to come, we will be as ready as we can. She didn't do an internal check, and I'm not sure if I will have one done tomorrow because they don't really want to stir anything up.
I've been drinking a lot of juice, not really much water, but between the fluids going in and what is coming out, I'm doing a good job and staying pretty consistent each hour.
I'm on my own tonight. The girls ate supper at Stacy's and Casey picked them up around 7:30. They called to say goodnight, which made me smile, and it's pretty weird how young Jacqueline sounds on the phone!
I'm getting Ambien again tonight, so hopefully I will sleep well!

**So far, 11 babies have been born since I've been here! (4 babies yesterday, 4 babies overnight, and 3 babies today.)

Oh, what a night. Late December back in '63...

Okay, well, maybe I should say "Oh what a day, late September here in 2010...." :)

I woke up this morning with lots of contractions. Right about 7 I asked Casey to go downstairs and get a Terb for me, and after I took it, I laid in bed for another hour and continued to contract. I called the doctor's office asking to talk to a doctor or nurse. The receptionist asked if my call was urgent and she transferred me right away to Nurse Sharon, who told me to come in right away. I stood up to get dressed and they pretty much stopped. My first thought was, "Should I call them back and tell them that the contractions stopped? I'm supposed to be in bed, so standing up probably shouldn't be the cure." So, I decided against calling back - I got dressed, went downstairs, ate breakfast, and then we left.
The plan for today was that Meryt was going to come up from Aurora with her girls and hang out at the house with me and the girls. Well, since I had to go to the clinic, she stayed in Aurora until Jacqueline was done with preschool and she picked her up and took her back to our house for the rest of the day. Leah was originally going to Stacy's and I never called to tell her about Meryt, so we took Leah there, and then on to Boulder. We got right in to see the doc right away, after Casey dropped me off at the entrance, sit down on a bench, and then after he parked and came in, he took me up in a wheelchair. The nurse took us back, I weighed in at 142.5 and my BP was 110/56, then I peed in a cup. I undressed from the waist down and soon Dr. Price came in. My contractions had started again in the car, mostly in the back, and by the time we got to the office, they were in the front and back. I was dilated to about 2 cm and 80% effaced. Since I have had so much activity in 4 days, she was thinking she wanted me to get the steroid shots that help to mature the baby's lungs. Studies have shown that if the shots are administered after 34 weeks, they aren't affective in a premature baby, so she wanted to get them in me, just in case Tina comes early. So, I was admitted to Labor/Delivery and was told to expect to be here at least 2 nights because the shots have to be administered in the butt 24 hours apart. I got my first one today at 11 am, after they got my contraction monitor and baby monitor in place. Tina was good, but my contractions were coming 3-4 minutes apart. Around 12 I got a Procardia (stronger than the Terb), but it wasn't working, so around 1:30 or 2 they gave me an IV with Magnesium Sulfate (which is the strongest thing they give). I have to be on the Mag for about 48 hours, at least 24 hours after shot number 2 because they need that long to get the shot in place, just in case Tina decides to come soon.
My IV went into my left arm, same place it went in on Sunday, but this time it was really hurting. The Mag is very painful going in, but it was more than that and I couldn't even lift my arm more than 1-2 inches up without it hurting really really bad. I also had to get a catheter because they don't want you up on the Mag because it can make you so disoriented, dizzy, and it can also give you blurry vision or double vision. The catheter was really painful too, and I was just miserable most of the day. I was hot, another side affect, and just out of it. It was a very rough day! They took me all the way up to 3.5 g per hour, which is almost up to the 4 g/hr limit that they have for Mag. By night I was down to about 10 contractions per hour, but I was still in a lot of pain. They moved my IV to my right arm, and it started out hurting as well. I asked for an ice pack because heat wasn't helping, and Jack (my nurse - who I think was our nurse for Jacqueline) asked another nurse to come check it out. Her two recommendations, before she even came in, were ice and upping the gatorade-like substance (minus sugar and flavor) that is also going in, because the Mag is so strong and the other dilutes it some. It was a huge change! My catheter was still really hurting and Jack actually called down to Peds to get a smaller one for me, but we never put it in.
Casey went home for lunch, and when he came back, a nurse practitioner from the NICU came over to talk to us about what goes on over there, just in case Tina comes before 35 weeks. Their rules are that every baby that comes before 35 weeks, even at 34 weeks 6 days, is admitted to the NICU. If she comes before 35 weeks, she is automatically put on a feeding tube because baby's born before 35 weeks haven't learned to nurse, swallow, and breathe at the same time. We would start her on donor milk (my choice - no formula) and then once I was pumping enough, she would get my milk. She might be on oxygen, all sorts of different ways, but they will play it all by ear. Our NICU is different than some in that it has a room for mom and bathroom (a little suite for mom and baby) attached together. Once I am discharged, if she is still there, Casey and I can stay for free as long as she is there free of charge. So that is kind of the low-down on that, but hopefully she will wait another week and a half before she comes.
I feel like I whined and complained a lot, but heat (Jack brought me a fan), the IV pain I had all day, the catheter, the headache, blurry and double vision, just made me miserable. It really sucks, and the nurses know this, and they told me I was actually doing a lot better than many women do.
Casey stayed here on the couch because I have been so miserable and the girls stayed the night at Stacy's. Last I heard they were doing well. Jacqueline took a baby and Leah took a yogurt container with her. What a goof! :)
By bed time, I was on Ambien, which eventually helped me sleep. Hopefully I will feel better in the morning.

Midnight Terb

I was having contractions a little before midnight (late Tuesday/early Wednesday), so I called the doctor on call and talked to Dr. Jamroz. She asked if I had a salty supper, and I said yes (Casey and the girls had gone grocery shopping, so we had a frozen skillet dinner on rice). She told me to take another terb, even though I had just taken one around 10 pm and it had been 2 hours. She also wanted me to drink a liter of water. If I was still having contractions, she wanted me to call back, but I was fine, and was able to go back to sleep.

Home in bed

Today I spent the day in bed. I didn't even go downstairs and I only left the room once, which was a couple minutes ago to talk to Casey. I got to take a bath this morning, because Casey decided I shouldn't stand in the shower because of dr's orders, and I also got a yummy breakfast in bed of Belgian waffles, eggs, and apple juice. I had to prop the plate on my boobs/belly/under my chin as I ate laying down, and we don't have a bed tray. If I'm on bed rest much longer, we are going to have to buy a tray for me. :)
Casey went into work for a couple hours, so he put Sesame Street on for the girls, and then when they were done there, they came up and played and read books with me. Overall, they were really good. An hour and a half or so after he left, Leah had a poopy diaper, and she was getting grumpy, so I called Casey and let him know. He came home about 3o minutes later and worked from home the rest of the day. Leah didn't take another nap, so by the end of the day, she was a little grumpy, but Jacqueline slept for 2 hours and was happy the rest of the afternoon and evening.
I took one Terbutaline in the evening, but overall it was a good day.

33 week appointment - follow-up to hospital admittance

I called the doctor's office this morning, told them I needed to set up an appointment to see Dr. Price (who I saw yesterday), and they asked me what it was in regards to, and I told her I was admitted yesterday for pre-term labor. She asked me my last name, I told her Reynolds, and she stopped for a second and said, "Oh, are you Miranda?" And I told her I was, and she said that they had a note at the desk from Dr. Price that I would be calling, and that I needed to have an ultrasound set up and then I would be seeing Katherine, the nurse practitioner. I was unsure as to why I was going to need an ultrasound, but doctor knows best, so we set up my ultrasound for 1:45, with the appointment afterward.
I spent most of the morning in the computer chair trying to catch up on things. I was supposed to have one of my day care kids, but since I was on bed rest, I had to cancel. Casey took Leah back to Stacy's house (she does in-home day care) and he took Jacqueline to preschool. Bill came to finish the texturing on 3 ceilings and in 1 closet, so now we can paint the basement room and move the guest room down. YAY!
Casey had a meeting at 11, so I took him the Audi, and then got the Highlander and picked up Jacqueline. I talked with her teacher about being on bed rest, and she said that if I was allowed to drive in the future, they could walk her up to the car so I wouldn't have to walk inside.
So Jacqueline and I went home and I made her lunch, met with the alarm guy, which I had to walk all the way downstairs to show him where the main box was, and I ended up on my feet more than I should have been.
After Casey came home and ate, he, Jacqueline, and I loaded in and headed for Boulder. We ended up having Tina as our ultrasound technician, the same one we had at 20 weeks. Once we got in the room she said to me, "So, I really have no idea why we are doing an ultrasound." I responded that I really have no idea either, so we chatted about yesterday and she knew what they wanted. She said they wanted a vaginal ultrasound, so I needed to undress from the waste down and empty my bladder. As I was going into the bathroom I told Jacqueline that this was Tina and she was the same lady who did our ultrasound the last time we had one. Tina remembered us! She said she remembered wondering if we were going to name the baby Tina when she saw that it was a girl. :)
So, with the vaginal ultrasound, she was checking the length of my cervix. Her measurements came back as 1.9 cm and 1.6 cm. and when she put fundal pressure on my belly (pushing on the top to imitate Tina's pressure) she got a reading of .6 cm. We really had no idea what this meant, so when we saw the nurse practitioner she told us that at 20 weeks, my cervix was measuring 3.5 cm. This means that my cervix has shortened a lot, which means that it is opening, and this is not what they want. Oh yeah! I peed in a cup, my weight was 142.5 lbs., and my BP was 110/56. Katherine told me to go home and lay down. I was to lay flat and only get up to go pee. Oh fun times!
After we were done, we were at the desk scheduling an ultrasound to go with my appointment next Monday at 34 weeks, and I remembered that I forgot to ask Katherine a question. She was sitting behind me in the hall, so I asked her what the burning poke of pressure was that was down in my business... something completely new to me and it had just started while sitting in the clinic waiting room. It's Tina putting pressure on me, which is why she wants me at home on my back - in a position that would not encourage her to push on me. She might push anyway, but at least I'm not standing or sitting to give her gravity to help.
Casey took Jacqueline and me home, and he went to work for a couple more hours before picking up Leah for the night. I spent the evening on the couch, but when I sat in a chair for dinner, it hurt, so I ate quickly and then went upstairs and laid in bed the rest of the night.

Pre-term labor

I woke up this morning with contractions. Not really a fun feeling, and something fairly new to me. I laid in bed for a while hoping that they would go away but they didn't, so I got up to get Jacqueline some breakfast. I went downstairs and ate my own breakfast as well, and they still didn't go away, so I decided to try a shower. Back in March when my friend Kari was having contractions before her baby was born, Monica told me that if you take a shower and they go away, they are just Braxton Hicks. So, I showered and in the 25 minutes I was in the bathroom doing my thing, I had 4-5 contractions. They were real! I called the doctor on call and talked with Dr. Price. While on the phone with her, I had to stop talking due to a contraction. She said she was on her way to the hospital, and that she wanted me to come in for observation as well. I shared the news with Casey and he got up to shower. I called my friend Stacy to see if she could watch the girls for us. We all got ready and headed out the door.
As usual, Leah had a hard time with drop-off, but it had to be done, so off Casey and I went to the hospital. I got in to bed and on the monitors, and yes, I was having real contractions. After a vaginal swab and an internal check, I had a sample sent off to the lab for a test (I'll get back to that in a minute), a sample on a screen for microscope viewing, and the check revealed that was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.
I was then given an IV drip to help hydrate me and I got a shot of Trebutaline, which is a muscle relaxer that is supposed to stop contractions. I ended up getting a second shot a little later, and sent home with a prescription to use no closer than every 4-6 hours or as needed.
The sample on the film revealed that I have a vaginal infection and they put me on Flagyl, to be taken twice a day for 7 days with food.
The sample sent to the lab was for a Fetal Fibronectin, which gives an idea of whether a woman will go into labor in the next two weeks. If it comes back negative, accuracy is 97% and if it comes back positive, it's 68%. Mine came back negative.
After about 4 hours, they sent me home with my two prescriptions, and orders of bed rest. I can get up every now and then to change rooms, positions, make myself a sandwich, but can not be on my feet for long... no dishes, no laundry, no supper. Before we picked up the girls, Casey ran into the library and got me a couple books... a girl can only watch so much tv when she's used to taking care of kids and a household. :) I was also told to call the office Monday morning and set up an appointment for early week - by Wednesday at the latest.
I've spent most of the evening on the couch with my book and the occasional visitor laying next to me.

Swimming lessons, last outside supper and an evening walk

Today was the first day of swimming lessons for the girl!. Casey was planning to go with us, but then decided he needed to work on something at home (or someone was coming over to work on something), so he ended up not going with us. Therefore, there are no pictures of me in the water with Leah, but I got a bunch of Jacqueline "swimming." She is in the Preschool Advanced class because there was no more room in the Preschool class. She can do all that they do in the Preschool class, so the lady I registered with said she'd do fine. Hopefully she'll catch on fast. She's the youngest in the class.
I'm going to miss next week's class (on the 18th) because of a day care class I am taking, so Casey will be taking Jacqueline to class. He doesn't want to get in the water with Leah, so she will be missing next week's class and her class on Oct. 2. Hopefully we will continue Jacqueline with lessons, but Leah will have to wait at least a couple more months because we never know when "Tina" will grace us with her presence, and I don't want to pay for Leah and not be able to take her.

Miss Sarah getting to know the kids.

Leah in her suit and towel during Jac's lesson. She loved her lesson too!

Just before they went under water!

And they came up!

Playing with Miss Sarah.

Hanging out on the steps while the other kids have their turns.

Practicing the back float.

Flutter kick with the kick board.

Back float with the kick board.

Reading a good book!

She's all smiles!

Casey found a caterpillar! Jacqueline had a lot of fun with it, but Leah wanted nothing to do with it!

Leah fell asleep in her highchair after lunch. :)

The girls eating dinner outside. Jacqueline wanted to eat outside, so I said sure, but it was chilly! So we may not be having anymore suppers outside. (At least not me!)
We took an evening walk as a family. Hopefully the first of many to help "Tina" find a good position for a good labor and delivery. I hear walking is a good thing, so maybe she'll come early and I won't have to worry about birthdays close together.

Jacqueline's an amateur photographer!

She took this picture this evening of a rainbow behind the house. I was sending her to the garden area with some compost, and she saw this and had a take a picture before she left.

Preschool Open House

I can't believe my baby is already going to preschool! Today we had an Open House, and she starts on Monday. She is definitely ready and can't wait to go on her own. She didn't want us to stay today. :)

Jacqueline is playing with "floam." I've never heard of it, but it really is cool stuff! Leah thought no one would be able to see her if she was wearing her glasses. It was so cute! She was attached to me, and I even had to put her in time out towards the end. I wonder what she will be like when it's her turn? She'll probably be the screaming child who doesn't want momma to leave.

Designing her train car to add to the preschool train.

She found the musical instruments! She had a lot of fun and played really well with one of her classmates.

They had a really yummy and very fun snack to make. They got to hammer! They smashed graham crackers and then added yogurt and frozen fruit. Definitely an idea I brought home with me!

And then the sensory table! Wow, did she have fun! She even went as far as asking her teacher what type of sand it was and where she got it. :)

And Spike.... the class bunny. He's cute and loves to have the kids pet him.

I know she is going to have a great time and learn a lot. I just don't know if I am ready for her to go! Good thing it's only 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours, and I still have Leah to keep me company! :)

Today's feelings/grievances

My boobs itch really bad.
My belly hurt most of the night. Not sure if it was contracting hurt, or just pain from cuddling up close with Casey. I eventually had to move/turn over so my belly was free just in case it was squished.
I'm tired. All I want to do is rest, but with 2 girls, and 2 day care kids, that isn't possible.
I miss Cody more than words can say. I would do anything to give him back to Casey.
My belly itches.
Casey has dealt with the loss really well on the surface, I just wish I knew what was going on inside. He won't talk about it.
I know Cody is in a better place, but it's hard to imagine that it's the best place because he should be with his best friend. His daddy.
I know it isn't healthy, but I keep thinking about what I should have done differently to prevent Cody's death. I should have called him up onto the porch, gone down and stood with him in the grass.... something different than letting him move out of the way on his own. I'm so sorry Cody!!!

Cody

Today our beloved Cody passed away. He was 9 years old, and the best dog anyone could ask for. He was Casey's best friend. The way one ear stood up and the other laid down made him who he was. He was kind and gentle, sweet and loving, and the protector of us all. He loved to cuddle and be close, something Casey instilled in him early on. We bought him a dog bed a few months ago so he wouldn't lay against the bed pillows we set on the floor. He used the bed maybe once or twice and spent the rest of the nights in the middle of the floor. I tripped over him many times, and would get annoyed, but now, I would be happy to trip over him every night just to have him back again. Casey and Cody would sleep together at night (until the bed got too crowded for the three of us), and take naps together on the floor. Cody was Casey's baby. When Cody came home from his surgery a few months ago, Casey spent the whole first night laying with him on the family room floor. Years ago, the pads on Cody's paws got all torn up on a hike we took near Boulder, and Casey carried him up to bed, outside to go to the bathroom, and over to his food and water dishes for a few days until he had healed enough. They were a pair never to be matched.
I can honestly say that I have never been too much of a dog person, but Cody had a way with you. He was so special to us all. There are so many things to say about him and I have no idea how to say them. One of my favorite things about him was how he got so excited when Casey came home from work. Over the last few years I became the one who let him out most of the time (even though I often forgot to let him in), fed him, watered him, but he always pledged his allegiance to Casey, no matter what. Casey loved him like no one could love a dog. They had a relationship that I have never seen between a man and his dog.
Cody was great with the kids, although not in the beginning, he grew to love Jacqueline. He didn't like to be climbed on, but he enjoyed being around them. He often visited the day care kids in the basement and would just lay on the floor to be around people.
I can't help but go over what happened and think about what I should have done, but that will do me no good, as I cannot go back and change anything that I happened.

Cody, you will be in our hearts forever and no dog will ever hold a candle to you. You were perfect in every way!

Braxton Hicks or Real Contraction/Labor?!

I know I still have 10 weeks, but this little lady could decide she wants to come at any time. And with Casey being out of town for work, it freaks me out even more that it could happen now and I wouldn't be ready.
Last night I was having some low belly contractions. Nothing painful, just similar to what I had with Jacqueline when I contracted to 7 cm without even knowing it. So, my big question is.... How do I know if it is BH or Real? I know they say that BH will go away, which did happen because I've had nothing this morning, but with me, it could be hard to tell. I did contract to 7 without even knowing it, and I slept through it, so they aren't unbearable. I can't leave the girls, and it would be weird to take them to the hospital, and I would be driving myself, so really, HOW DO I KNOW?!!!

30 weeks

Today the girls and I spent a couple hours in Boulder. Leah had her appointment with the girls at the CU Language Project, and then I had my 30 week OB appointment. In between, we stopped for a smoothie at the new smoothie place that took the place of Juice Stop - which is where I went every couple weeks on my break when I worked in Boulder 6 years ago. Leah wasn't very cooperative for most of her appointment, which was a little disappointing, but she had a new girl. She had a new girl last month too, so I think that is part of the reason she hasn't performed as well.
My appointment went well. I left my sample right away, and then within a minute or so getting back to the waiting room, the nurse was there to take us back. I weighed in close to 142 pounds. The highest the scale got was 141.9, so I gained less than a pound in 2 weeks, which is making up for the 9 lbs in the previous 4 weeks. :) After I weighed in, we made our way into the exam room with the nurse. My blood pressure was 124/60. And then Eryn came in! She's huge! She has 2 weeks left before her baby is due, so it's a little sad that she will still be on maternity leave when Baby Tina comes, but 2 our 3 isn't bad when you get the doctor on call! She said they will prick my finger in a month to check my iron levels, and next appointment I will sign my VBAC consent form and we will discuss all that goes along with that. And around 36 or 37 weeks, I will have a quick ultrasound in the exam room to check on baby position. I told Eryn that Tina is now on my bladder and she said it feels like the head, but who knows. And, even with the ultrasound to check position, she could turn in the weeks between the ultrasound and the birth. I measured in at 30 cm, right where I should be, and Tina's heartbeat was 140 BPM.
Here are this week's pictures. Enjoy! Casey left last night for Dallas for the week, and I forgot to have him take a picture before he left, so Jacqueline took a TON before she went to bed. She just couldn't get the right picture - either no belly, or not enough, too blurry. Here are a few that I saved:

Jacqueline posed me for this one; I guess she thought I needed something different. She worked on the perfect pose for about 2 hours before we took them - from the minute I told her that she was going to take the picture. :)

This one is pretty good... one of the best ones.

This one was zoomed in too much.

And here is Jacqueline imitating my pose. :)

And we finally got my usual pose, after a lot of takes!

I have set up my appointments through November 1st (39 weeks). They are all on Mondays at 9:45 because appointments at 10:30 and later no longer work.... my baby starts preschool 2 weeks from today! :(

Pregnancy Craving #3

I have a new obsession with orange Jell-O. I've added madarin oranges, and last time I really liked it, but this time I would rather just have the orange Jell-O on it's own. It has become my new bedtime snack, instead of ice cream. It's so yummy!!

Leah amazes me every day!!!

Leah is now 21 months old. She talks really well (much better than Jacqueline did at her age) and sings so many songs! Her list includes:
ABCs (says all of them)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Row Row Row Your Boat (started the end of last week)
Rock-A-By-Baby
Oh Don't You Remember (lullaby that my mom and grandma sing) - started this one today
If You Are Happy and You Know It
The Clean Up Song
Days of the Week

(and maybe a few others that I can't think of!)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Ring Around the Rosies

She knows moon and star for shapes
And she counts to 13!!!!!

Also, something that I find hilarious is that we have blocks up on the window in the kitchen that spell out baby. Leah pointed to them and said "B-A-B." It was so cute!!!

Braxton Hicks???!!

Welcome 29 weeks!!!! :) We have SO MUCH to do in the next 11 weeks!
The girls were sitting down to dinner, Casey was doing a walk-through with Pat, the guy who heads the company that has been working around our house for about 2 weeks now, and I was about to sit down at the table with my plate of food, when..... All of the sudden I got a very bad, full belly cramp. Yes, it was my first Braxton Hicks contraction! No back pain, thank the lord! :) Along with this being my first BH, it was also my first full belly contraction. So, thank you Baby Tina for 2 firsts!!!

Glucose Results

I got a call this morning just before lunch from the OB/GYN's office. Sharon was calling with the results of my test, which came back normal. Yay! No Gestational Diabetes!!!! :)
She also let me know that they checked my iron level, which was a little low, so now I need to start taking an iron supplement. I wasn't very surprised by this because I had to take an additional iron supplement with the other girls as well. So, in a month they will prick my finger at an appointment to check if my iron is back up where it should be.
If it is back where it needs to be, they usually have me stop the supplement, but doesn't that mean my iron level will go back down? Shouldn't I take it until the baby comes? Hmmmm.

Week 28

Today marks the start of week 28, which means I had my last 4 week appointment (next will be in 2 weeks), and I also took the Glucose Tolerance test. After I dropped the girls off at my friend Stacy's house, I drank my orange glucose drink on the way to the Chiropractor. Surprisingly, it tasted much better than I remember it tasting when I was prego with Leah, not quite as sweet - with Jac I had the lemon-lime and that was very sweet!

I got to the hospital about 3 minutes before my hour time limit, so I jumped to the head of the line for blood draws, which was nice. It turns out that I could have drank it about 10 minutes later than I did because my 11 appointment with the OB upstairs ended up being at about 11:15, so I sat in the waiting room up there for about 25 minutes.

My stats were all good. I weighed in at 140, which is a 9 lb. gain in 4 weeks. Wow! :-/ My blood pressure was 112/62 and my belly measured in 29 cm., which doesn't concern the doctor because they have a leeway on either side of 2 cm because the baby could be hanging out in a weird position. I do feel like I have gotten a lot bigger over the last few weeks. My MIL says she thinks I will go in October since I look so big, which would be fine with me, but after Leah being a week late (and who knows when she would have come had I not been induced), I'm not holding my breath. We also listened to Tina's heartbeat, which sounded good for me. Dr. Jamroz didn't tell me what it was, so my guess is that it was normal and nothing to worry about.

Going back in time, Casey felt Tina move for the first time on Friday the 6th as we were driving to Iowa. I sat for a very long time, so she was very active. I love watching her move, and even though this is my third pregnancy, it could never get old!

Possible TMI!!! Stop reading now if you don't want to hear the rest: I was also informed by the nurse that starting next week I will be peeing in a cup at each visit so they can check my proteins. Yippee! That just means I have to remember to drink lots in the morning, so when I get there I have something to leave for them.

Hole in the entryway ceiling

We have three guys here today, tomorrow and probably on Thursday as well who are helping us to make our home more energy-efficient and bring the insulation up to the current standards. Well, the girls and I were eating lunch, when the boss came in and got me from lunch to show me what happened. He prepped me by saying that this doesn't happen very often, but occasionally it does. We walked into the entry, he pointed up, and there was a hole in our ceiling!!!!! Oops! There was a lot of dry wall on the stairs too, but I missed that photo op!

Fun with the Water Globe

I spent most of yesterday and some of today cleaning the Highlander, and Casey dry walled the furnace room in the basement in preparation for the guys coming to make us more energy-efficient on Tuesday. Casey spent some time playing with the girls, and I was able to snap a picture of the three of them playing Hi Ho Cherry-O together.
Casey also inflated the water globe for us. It's a really cool toy, as you can see. All you do is hook the hose up to it, and it's a fun sprinkler to play in. Jacqueline loved it, and Leah liked it too, but she had more fun running away from it.

Firing Snow Pillows

Here is a picture of precious Leah with a shiner on her eye. She got this from Jacqueline, who was carrying chairs around the basement. I was changing a diaper, and all of the sudden Leah was screaming. Our new rule in the basement is that the chairs have to stay on the tile floor around the table. I am hoping to get some plastic chairs for the play area so hopefully things like this won't happen again!

At supper, Jacqueline was asking to fire snow pillows, so we let them stay up late and have s'mores. Here's a crazy girl posing by the fire.

She ran off, saying she wanted me to "take a picture from me!" Lovely face Jacqueline! Such a clown!

She's so beautiful! I love her to pieces!

While we were roasting our snow pillows, I said we should see if Michelle and David want to come out over Labor Day. Jacqueline got all excited (which probably isn't a good thing because I don't think they'll come) and ran off to find sticks that they can use to roast their snow pillows. Here they are! (Keep in mind that ours are probably at least 3 feet long.... it's the thought that counts!)