Welcome Maisyn Ariyah!

I was scheduled to be induced on December 10th at 6 a.m.  Not because I was past due, just because my doctor said I could be anytime once I turned 39 weeks.  I know it’s probably frowned upon, however, it was a decision I had discussed and made with Mr. Chaotic.  I was so uncomfortable and just ready to meet my little girl.

I arrived at our hospital at 6 a.m, after hubby made a quick pit stop to McDonald’s for breakfast.  We checked in and were taken up to my delivery room, which I’ve actually delivered in before, twice if I’m not mistaken.  Once in my room I changed into my lovely gown and waited for my nurse to get me hooked up to my IV.  Of course it seemed to take forever, but when she finally did, she explained that there were five or so others that came into deliver as well.  Then there was shift change and a lot more waiting. 

Finally just after 8 a.m. my doctor came in to visit with me and let me know that her nurse practioner would be in to break my water, which happened shortly after 8:30 a.m.  We had decided to break my water before starting pitocin to see if that would help move me along since I had been sitting at 3.5 cm and 75% effaced since 35 weeks.  At first I didn’t feel much water at all and then all of a sudden I felt like I was peeing myself. 

Around 9:15 a.m. I started feeling some slight cramping. 

9:35 a.m. My nurse started pitocin since there didn’t seem to be much progress.  Still just mild cramping.

10:15 a.m. Really big contraction, but didn’t seem like anything major.  Was able to just grin and breathe through it.

10:40 a.m. Nurse came in to see how things were going.  I told her about the one contraction, otherwise just mild cramping.  She asked if I was ready for my epidural.  I told her to give me like 20 minutes since I was just having mild cramping.

11:00 a.m. Nurse came back to tell me that the anesthesiologist was on his way.

11:30 a.m.  Anesthesiologist finished my epidural and told me to take a nap.

11:44 a.m.  Baby girl arrives!!!

Honestly, the time between my epidural and baby’s arrival went so fast I don’t exactly know the details.  I just know that shortly after 11:30, I asked the nurse about my catheter because I really had to go pee.  She got the catheter in me and literally in seconds I started to feel so much pressure.  I told her I really had the feeling I had to poop, which means baby girl was ready to make her way into this world.  They had to call my doctor, who was in surgery just down the hall, to get to my room in time to deliver the baby.

You’d think after having three previous kids I’d be a pro at delivery, but I’m pretty sure it seemed like I was a first time mom.  I just know that all the times before, the nurses would tell me when to breathe or to bear down and give it all I got.  This time though, it didn’t seem like they were giving any assistance in regards to my breathing and pushing.  I was just in so much pain because my epidural didn’t have time to kick in that I forgot the proper technique.  In the end though, I got my baby girl through the birth canal.  I may or may not have screamed out so loudly the entire floor could hear me.

Our daughter, Maisyn Ariyah was born December 10, 2014.  She weighed 9 pounds, 6 oz and was 21.5” long. 

I’ll be back soon with an update on our first two weeks with a newborn.

Until then, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Bumpdate: Almost 39 Weeks

Last I left off, I was not quite 38 weeks.  I had my next weekly appointment on December 8 and baby girl was being quite active.  As my doctor listened to baby’s heartbeat, her rate was in the 210s!  At my previous two appointments, her rate was in the 190s but would drop back to the 160s within a couple minutes.  This time, however, baby girl was not returning to normal.  They hooked me up to the baby monitors to monitor me to make sure she came back down to normal.  They were afraid if she didn’t, she may have an infection and would have to induce me that day, rather than in two days.  It took just over an hour, but baby girl’s heart rate finally dropped back down to the 140s. Phew!  Other than that, everything was good…my weight had mostly stayed the same over the past few weeks as well, which was amazing.  Down a pound, up a pound basically.  My total weight gain for this pregnancy is 29 pounds.  Which in my books is pretty dang good!  However, it was the pre-pregnancy weight gain that caused me some issues so I have lots of work to do once my doctor gives me the all clear.

Bumpdate: Almost 38 Weeks

Don’t laugh!  I’ve been telling you how huge I am, well here’s proof!  I went to my weekly appointment today and I’ll be 38 weeks on Wednesday.  My doctor checked my cervix again today and told me I’m dilated to 3 1/2, almost 4 cm.  She didn’t give me my percent effaced or the baby’s head station.  Or maybe she did but I was in so much pain I wasn’t paying attention.  We went ahead and set up my induction date for next week, just in case I don’t have this little thing between now & then.  I have hubby’s Aunt on stand-by and Talyn helped me get her bedding washed so Aunt Sandy can stay in her room.  

Since I came home from the doctor around noon today, the cramp-iness has gotten horrible.  Like I should be taking Motrin, even though it’s not allowed when pregnant.  The lower back pain is becoming unbearable also.

We’ve been attempting to get our Christmas tree up since Friday.  It was not cooperating though.  I noticed when I plugged it in that 1/2 the lights didn’t turn on.  It sucked because we have a pre-lit tree so it’s not like I could just get a new strand of lights.  Though I was tempted.  We did end up buying new lights and then just taking them off the strand and putting them onto our tree.  I think there were at least 35 or so lights that had burned out.  Talk about frustrating!  Oh well, at least it’s up and the lights are on.  As you can see in the picture above, I decided I’m only doing the bare minimum with my tree this year.  Beaded garland, a few penguin Hallmark ornaments, and the kids’ first Christmas ornaments.  I still need to get the bulbs on and hang our stockings. 

The Elf on the Shelf has arrived at our house!  I was on the ball this year and made myself a list of things I’d like our elf, Mister Elf, to do for the kids.  I have printed a calendar, but am not going to fill it out too far until we have the baby.  I’m just gonna wing it nightly with my list and save the easiest things for hubby or his Aunt to take care of while I’m in the hospital.  When we come home with baby girl, I’ll go ahead and fill in the rest of the calendar with Mister Elf’s antics.  Here he was today on his arrival:

Talk to me:

*Does Elf on the Shelf visit your home?
*Your Christmas tree – real or fake? Pre-lit or not?

Bumpdate: 36 Weeks

Eek!  Four weeks remaining this pregnancy, less if I’m lucky!  Seriously though, where has the time gone?  I know I’ve been complaining the whole time due to how uncomfortable I am, however, I will truly miss being pregnant!  I’ve always enjoyed my pregnancies, but as I’ve gotten older and the more babies I have,  it just keeps getting harder on my body.  Obviously, it doesn’t help that I haven’t exactly been health-kind to my body this time around.  Alrighty, onto the fun stuff:

Total Weight Gained:  Last time I was at 22 lbs from week 8 until then, this time, I’m pretty sure I gained 5 lbs, making my pregnancy weight gain 27 lbs. 

Sleep:  I’m surprisingly getting up less to pee at night, however, I am finding myself with more leg & foot cramps, which I’m super annoyed with. 

Symptoms:  Constantly peeing; leg cramps; and constipation.

Food Cravings:   Peanut M&Ms and I totally blame hubby.

Aversions:  No new aversions from my last update.

Workouts:  Zilch. 

Milestones:  I got the crib raised up to the top notch, sheets & waterproof pads alternated, the bumper put on, and the mobile attached.  I then covered the sheets with the blanket so it doesn’t get all dusty between now & the time she actually uses it.  I also think by far my biggest milestone is that I actually packed my hospital bag! 

Baby Items Purchased:  Bottles, baby memory book, and the cute little owl booties from Amazon.  Seriously so cute!  I wouldn’t go so far as to say we’re doing an “owl theme” necessarily, it’s just that ever since Kinley started preschool we’ve been kind of obsessed with owls!
 

Appointment Update:  Well, at my appointment on Monday my blood pressure was normal again.  I think it helped that the nurse waited to take it until after I had been sitting for a bit and we went through her round of questions.  Yay for normal blood pressure at their office!  Also, she checked me this time and I found out that I am 3 cm dilated and 60% effaced.  People hear this and freak out that I’ll be having this girl any day now, but I’m not worried.  I was dilated the same this early while pregnant with Bode.  Now, we just sit tight and wait patiently. 

The kids are having a hard time waiting patiently.  Every time I finish something for this baby (like the crib), Bode asks “your baby coming out today, Mom?”  Then there’s Kinley.  She is beyond excited for this new little girl to be born.  I was in the process of making soft-soled shoes and Kinley wanted me to hurry up and finish them already.  She even set my machine in place and got everything ready for me to complete the shoes.

Bumpdate: 34 Weeks

Total Weight Gained:  I had my most recent appointment on Monday, November 3 and my weight stayed the same, keeping my total weight at 22 pounds from my 8-week appointment.

Sleep:  I find myself waking up 1-4 times a night to deal with foot or leg cramping, as well as peeing while I’m already up & moving around.  Oh well, I’m pretty much used to it by now.

Symptoms:  Constantly peeing (like literally 5-minutes after each time);  leg cramps;  pelvic pain that feels like I’ve been bruised permanently; and yet again, high blood pressure (but only when I go to my doctor’s appointment.

Food Cravings:  We took the kids trick-or-treating last week and I discovered Snickers-Peanut Butter Squared.  OMG!  So Good!

Aversions:  No new aversions from my last update.

Workouts:  Since I can barely move without wincing, I am pretty immobile.  I did, however, help with yard work on Sunday-as in I mowed the entire thing, and racked up the steps with my FitBit (11,400+).

Milestones:  Most of the baby stuff has been washed and put away, the bassinet has been tucked into the corner of my bedroom, and the car seat is ready to be installed.  I’ve even started sewing the burp cloths.  Three done, three to go!  Go Me!!

Baby Items Purchased:  None.  I do have an ongoing Amazon shopping cart full of bottles, booties, & a memory book waiting for me to just click purchase. 

So, at my most recent appointment, my blood pressure was extremely high – 158/96.  It’s so bizarre because I’ve been taking it every other day at home with a borrowed blood pressure cuff & it’s been completely normal.  My doctor isn’t sure what to think & doesn’t want to miss something that could be going on so had me do another round of blood tests, an in-office urine test, plus another lovely 24-hour urine.  I just got the call this afternoon that all my tests came back normal.  They told me to not overdo it at home and to take my blood pressure daily until my next appointment in two weeks.  I also was told that I was measuring a bit big – 38 weeks instead of 33w5d.  So in 3 weeks they will do an ultrasound to check the size of this little girl.

That’s all from me for this week!

Bumpdate: 32 Weeks

Total Weight Gained:  22 pounds from my 8-week appointment.

Maternity Clothes:  Seriously, I just bought new shirts and I already feel like they are too small!  Ugh!  This is why I should have made more of an effort to keep healthy habits before getting pregnant! 

Sleep:  Still getting up 1-2 times a night to deal with foot or leg cramping, as well as peeing while I’m already up & moving around.

Symptoms:  Stayed the same this month, including the constant peeing (like literally 5-minutes after each time);  leg cramps;  pelvic pain that feels like I’ve been bruised permanently; and high blood pressure (again – this time my doctor wants me to monitor it 3x a week).

Food Cravings: Peanuts & candy corn are a great combo!

Aversions:  I have been saying nothing new here, however I realized that there are some foods I’ve been pushing off to the side.  It’s the green peppers & mushrooms when we order House pizza from our favorite pizza place.

Workouts:  I’ve completely given up on walking unless it has to do with shopping.

Milestones:  We’ve dug out the baby stuff we have from the other kids and brought it all in from outside.  Time to get it washed & put away for baby!

Baby Items Purchased:  Fabric to make a blanket & burp cloths.  Now to find the time to actually make them!

Today is Mr. Chaotic & my 9 year wedding anniversary.  He surprised me when he came home with flowers for me and then we went for dinner, alone, to the Olive Garden.  Here’s a picture of my belly, while sitting at the OG:

I think I’m maxed out and there’s still 8 weeks left!!

Looks like I have some catching up to do…the month is almost over & this is my first post. Oy.  Am I ever going to be able to keep up?

Bumpdate: 28 Weeks

How Big is Baby?!  I get these lovely email updates from thebump.com, so I went into the app to put together this little tidbit about the baby this week.

Total Weight Gained:  18 pounds from my 8-week appointment.

Maternity Clothes:  I am thinking I for sure need to find some larger shirts (or yoga pants with a full panel for the belly!).  Sometimes I feel like my big ol’ belly hangs out (but just when I wear my non-paneled yoga pants!) so the bigger shirts will be a benefit beings I’ve still got 12 weeks left.

Sleep:  I’m not sure this area in pregnancy is ever going to improve.  If I’m not sleeping because I’m up peeing or stretching out a leg cramp, I’m not sleeping because my husband is seriously the world’s worst bed-hog!

Symptoms:  Constant peeing (like literally 5-minutes after each time);  leg cramps;  pelvic pain that feels like I’ve been bruised permanently; and most recently, high blood pressure.

Food Cravings: No new cravings.

Aversions:  Nothing new here either.

Workouts:  I’ve been trying to walk at least twice a week, however, I feel like I’m slowing down my walking partner.  I just am not moving as fast as I used to so it has deterred me from wanting to go out there.  That and the pelvic pain doesn’t help much either.

Milestones:  I passed my glucose test at my recent doctor’s appointment!

Baby Items Purchased:  We found ourselves at our local street fair a couple weeks ago and ended up buying baby girl a minky fleece blanket (pink & gray chevron) and ordered her a winter hat made out owl patterned minky fleece as well (which showed up less than a week later!). 

Gah!  This little stuff is so stinking adorable, I love it!! 

Recent Doctor’s Appointment

So I had my 28-week doctor’s appointment today, even though I’m 2 days away from 28-weeks.  I wasn’t really looking forward to it because I knew it was my glucose test.  I also know that I’ve been drinking/eating sugar like crazy so I thought my odds weren’t in my favor.  Add on top of that, the stress of bringing my almost 3-year old with me at the last minute and I guess that means my stress levels were high.

First thing the nurse did was make me drink my sugary orange drink.  I swear they made the bottles bigger! 

Next thing she did was take my blood pressure.  It came back high at 142/86.  I’ve never had an issue before so the doctor thinks it’s just a fluke reading, however, she wants to make sure I’m not developing preeclampsia and is having me do a 24-hour urine sample.  She also added on a couple of more lab tests since I already had to go for my glucose test. 

While waiting so patiently for my hour to be up to do the blood work today, our clinic offers a class called Healthy Beginnings.  Basically it’s a nurse that talks to you about your pregnancy, labor, & delivery.  The nurse also gives out goodie bags from the different formula companies as well.  Today I may have hit the formula jackpot!  I received two small cans of Enfamil Newborn; a cooler bag with breastfeeding information, an icepack & breastmilk collection bottles, along with a soft touch book for baby; and the adorable turquoise & brown keepsake box filled with ready-to-feed formula and a blow-up boppy type pillow.  The nurse also gave me some travel packets of formula that remind me of Crystal Light, only much larger.  The pink folder is just some paperwork for me to go through and fill out (admittance info & birth plan), along with some pregnancy & parenting magazines.  She was so nice & stuffed it all inside a reusable tote bag!

I looked pretty crazy walking with my overstuffed bagful of goodies and my toddler not far behind me.  I made my way to the lab and gave a couple tubes of blood and a urine sample.  I was finally able to leave the doctor’s office, but not without my brown grocery bag filled with my 24-hour urine supplies.

The nurse from my doctor’s office called and said all of my labs came back normal today (yay! no gestational diabetes!).  There was one thing that was mentioned to me though that I have a low blood platelet count.  Mine was 131 and she said the low end of normal is 150.  Then she throws in there not to worry and that they will recheck my count at 36 weeks.

I’m not too worried as I remember the anesthesiologist telling me I had a low blood platelet count before he gave me my epidural when I delivered Bode three years ago.  Though, I will be honest I have googled it and it makes me nervous.  Cancer is the first thing that pops up, but it does also say that pregnancy can cause it as well.  So no more worrying until they tell me I should!

Talk to Me:
Do you Google medical stuff to self-diagnose, only to wish you hadn’t?

Does your clinic offer samples like mine that make you feel like you’ve hit the jackpot?

This is Why I Don’t Have a Baking Blog

After dropping the girls off at school yesterday and returning home with zero motivation to do anything, except play Candy Crush, I decided I needed to make some chocolate chip cookies.  I found my package of chocolate chips and used the recipe on the back of the bag.  Followed the directions to a T, and this is how they turned out:

As soon as I took them out of the oven and let them cool for a couple minutes, they completely flattened out.  I tried to get them off the pan and they stuck to my spatula.  I happened to be talking to my brilliant sister, Bridget, who told me to add more flour so the dough wasn’t so sticky.  I was a bit leery, but thought it couldn’t hurt.  I started by adding in 1/3 cup, which didn’t help the dough much.  So I added another 1/3 cup of flour and the dough seemed better so I tried baking another batch.  This is how those turned out:

Almost like chocolate chip cookie perfection.  Out of the three dozen that turned out, there are like six left so I know Mr. Chaos enjoys them.  Or maybe it’s just that I don’t bake cookies ever so he feels the need to indulge.

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that turns out every time (and you are willing to share) or are you a cookie baking failure like myself?

Back To School

I was really nervous for Kinley to start Kindergarten this year as she’s always been my more clingy child.  We put her through preschool last year hoping that it would help her transition to Kindergarten better.  Well, it didn’t.

Our morning started out great.  Everybody actually woke up on time and seemed to be in an overall good mood.  We walked to school with the neighbors and as we arrived, the kids were greeted (half a block away) with the local radio station blasting it’s music trying to get kids pumped for the first day of school.  When we got to the school, they had rolled out the red carpet and had balloons lining the sidewalks for the kids.  They had each child stop to take a picture with their ‘first day of school’ frames.  Such a fun first back to school morning. 

Once the fun was over, it was time to tell Kinley we’d see her after school.  That’s when the tears started.  She was hoping I could stay at school with her.  Luckily, her big sister, Talyn, and the neighbor girl, Alexa, were able to help Kinley find her way to her classroom before they had to head to their classroom.  I really wanted to be the one to help her like I did with Talyn back in Kindergarten, however, the school installed a new set of doors that parents aren’t allowed through unless they sign in as a visitor.  Anyways, we cried.  She was just sad because she was going to miss her mommy all day.  I was just sad because she was.

The principal called that afternoon to let me know that Kinley had been having a bit of a rough morning and spent most of it crying.  Talk about breaking my heart.  She also told me that Kinley had lost her tooth while on the playground.  I thought for sure that would have made her happy as she had been hoping to lose it at school.  When we went to the open house, her teacher had seen her wiggly tooth and mentioned they have a tooth chart to put their names on when they lose their teeth.  It was something Kinley was looking forward to.

I went to pick the kids up from school and I asked how everything went.  Talyn & Alexa said good, except that every time they saw Kinley during the day, she was crying.  I asked Kinley why and she just said she missed me.  Talk about breaking a mom’s heart!

Everyday since, Kinley has cried.  Each day it’s becoming less and less.  It’s breaking my heart but I know she is loving school.  She can’t stop talking about school – they did this, this, or that; so-and-so can do such and such; etc.  She is full of stories and smiles when she tells me about her day.  Yet each time I ask why she cries at school, she says she just misses me.

How do I make school easier for her?  She refuses to play on the playground, rather she just stands there with the playground aide and calls herself her assistant.  I’m not sure how talkative she is to the other kids at lunch or in her classroom.  I just know that the tiniest thing sets her off into a frenzy (like when she couldn’t find her orange that she had brought for snack).  Rather than using her words, she starts having a meltdown.  So frustrating!!

That’s it in a nutshell – we’re back to school & Kinley hates it.  Talyn on the other hand is loving it, which makes me very happy.

Bumpdate: 25 Weeks

How far along:  25 weeks (tomorrow)

Total Weight Gained:   Up 14 pounds since my 8 week appointment.

Maternity Clothes:  I found my new jeans at Gap Online.  I had to get two sizes (12 &14) as the 14 is a bit big now, and the 12 probably won’t fit when I’m closer to the end of this pregnancy.

Sleep:   Still sleeping okay, though I have been starting to wake up a couple of times due to leg cramps.  There have also been a couple of insomniac nights that I didn’t fall asleep until 3:30 a.m.!

Symptoms:  My nausea is still at bay due to me taking vitamin B6 + Unisom tablet, which I had to increase to a whole tablet to help with the sleep issues.  The constipation isn’t going away.  I am upping my fruits & veggies, along with my water intake to help with that.  Also, there’s this pain in the vajayjay that just won’t go away.  It feels like someone kicked me and I’m bruised down there.

Food Cravings:  No new cravings for me lately, though my sister did send an entire box of gummy candy, along with some chocolates from Germany, which I can’t keep out of!

Aversions:  Mosquitos! LOL! Ugh, they are so bad here right now.

Workouts:  Still non-existent.  Though school did start today so I will be walking more!!

Milestones:  This little thing is a mover & shaker!  We got to see the baby again on ultrasound so we could do a sex check since the little thing didn’t cooperate the first time.  The punches & kicks were unbelievable, especially because on the screen it looks like it uses the whole body, but when I feel it, it doesn’t feel like punches & kicks.  Weird, right?
 
Baby Items Purchased:  Still none.  The only thing I really need for this baby is a take-me-home from the hospital outfit, a stroller attachment for the carseat, and some fabric to make my own baby blankets & burp cloths.

Gender:  Baby cooperated this time!  We did gender reveal cupcakes for the kids with my in-laws.  We are having another girl! 
 

20 Weeks

How far along:  20 weeks, 2 days

Total Weight Gained:   Up four pounds this time for a total of 9 since my 8 week appointment {which is good because my goal for this pregnancy is to maintain as long as possible since I’m overweight}.  I’m blaming some of the gain on being a little bit constipated.  TMI, I know, but it’s just a pregnancy fact.

Maternity Clothes:  Of course!!  With fall just around the corner, I am on the lookout for some new tops and some jeans.

Sleep:   I’ve been sleeping great, once I actually get myself to bed.  I’m so exhausted on a daily basis, but always get distracted by my electronics at night.

Symptoms:  My nausea is at bay due to me taking vitamin B6 + 1/2 Unisom tablet.  I’m finally able to drink water and eat fruits without wanting to vomit!  Now, I’m just dealing with slight constipation.

Food Cravings:  I have rediscovered Gardetto’s snack mix.  So good.  And it really makes me want to find the mustard pretzels!!

Aversions:  None really as they’ve all kind of subsided for now.

Workouts:  Eh, pretty much non-existent.  We will take short family walks on occasion, but it’s not something I’d consider a workout.  I would like to begin strength training.

Milestones:  I am finally starting to feel this little bugger move. 

Baby Items Purchased:  None.  I was really counting on finding out the gender today so I could order some cute stuff from Zulily.

Gender:  Still unsure!  It’s so frustrating because our whole family was super excited about finding out the gender at our ultrasound today.  However, this little baby decided to keep it’s cute little legs crossed.  Each time the technician would check the bottom, baby wouldn’t spread the legs open so she could take a guess.  So now we wait  f o u r  m o r e  w e e k s.

I had my ultrasound today and it was so incredible to be able to finally see this little stinker moving.  My sister had me a little worried the other day when she said that I should be feeling baby by now.  I just haven’t been feeling much but really wasn’t concerned because when I was pregnant with Talyn, I didn’t feel her move until 22 weeks or so.  Seeing the baby moving, opening it’s little mouth, and the little heart beating on the screen though was a definite reassurance!  It was like this little baby was doing gymnastics in my belly.  I’ll leave you with our adorable ultrasound picture.

More Construction

I've been MIA for no other reason other than the fact that I just plain and simple do not make time to keep up my little ol' blog.  If I'm gonna make it big-time in blog-land, I should probably make more of an attempt to post more often, right?!?  ha.  In the meantime, I would really like to make a few changes around here...again. I sure hope you are having a fantastic summer and will enjoy the last 6 weeks before school starts.

**Please pardon the mess while I attempt a few changes to my blog.**

A Little More Chaos

We’re having a baby!  You see, we haven't been preventing a baby for the past six months, but I wouldn't really say we've been trying either. I mean we have been, but only half-heartedly. It seems we just couldn't connect between the different illnesses running through the family for the entire year so far.  Obviously, we were finally able to make it happen.

We found out on Thursday, April 10 after hubby questioned when Aunt Flo would be making her appearance.  I told him it should have been here the 8th and he insisted I take the one pregnancy test we happened to have on hand.  It's 10:30 p.m., and I'm in the bathroom peeing on my hand in a cup in order to place the test stick in my urine. Cory was so precise with his instructions and was so giddy as he watched the + sign appear {almost immediately}.

A week later we headed out of town for Easter with my extended family.  We had decided prior to going that we weren’t going to tell anybody just yet as we were still so early.  Another reason we had decided to wait to tell the extended family is because we had found out that my cousin was also pregnant {after delivering a stillborn baby a few years ago} and planning to announce it at Easter.  We just didn’t want to take away from her excitement.  While at Easter, we found out that there are babies due in August, September, October, and November.  Plus, two other cousins just had their babies {one had twins!} the two days after Mother’s Day.  Looks like my Grampa will be gaining a bunch of great-grandkids this year!

We ended up telling Mr. Chaotic’s parents one night when we met them for supper.  We had Bode wear his t-shirt in the above photo and they were ecstatic.  We then came home and called my parents in Maryland so we could Skype.  Oops, we ended up waking my mom up as she had to work the next morning.  I truly think she didn’t mind the wake-up call as she had a pretty adorable little guy with a fun announcement talking to her!  Mom & Dad were pretty ecstatic as well!

I thought it would be fun to keep track of this pregnancy by answering a few questions I’ve found when visiting other pregnancy blogs.

How far along:  12 weeks

Total Weight Gained:  2 pounds from my 8 week appointment to my 12 week appointment {which is good because my goal for this pregnancy is to maintain as long as possible since I’m overweight}

Maternity Clothes:  Uh, yeah.  100%.  I don’t even try to squeeze into my non-maternity jeans anymore.

Sleep:  Well, the baby isn’t keeping me up at night.  I have also been lucky in not having to get up to use the bathroom all night long {unless one of the other kids is calling for me}.  The one keeping me up at night is Mr. Chaotic.  He’s quite the bed hog and he snores like crazy. 

Symptoms:  Ugh, the nausea.  It’s not going away.  I cannot eat or drink anything without feeling nauseated.  The thing is though, if I don’t eat, the nausea is so much worse!  It also happens when I drink anything, including water.  My doctor prescribed Zofran, however, it doesn’t seem to be working for me, which is really disappointing as I’ve always heard that it’s a nausea miracle drug.

Food Cravings:  Weeks 6-10 I craved mozzarella cheese sticks.  Right now I really don’t have any specific cravings, maybe just salty foods.

Aversions:  Bode’s stinky diapers, fruit,  and water are just a few.  Oh, and the smell of coffee brewing in my kitchen.

Workouts:  I’ve been trying to get a 30-45 minute walk in daily, but it’s more like 2-3 times a week.

Baby Items Purchased:  I was at JcPenney a few weeks ago and they had a little pouch for the nuk on clearance for under $3.  Our old one is really worn and falling apart.

The Rest of May in Pictures

Seriously, May is over?!  Where in the world did it go?  Literally it seems like we just celebrated Kinley’s birthday.  Yet, here we are at the end of May.  Now that I’m blogging again, I try to remember to take pictures daily.  So, for my last post of May, I’m going to do an end of May recap via pictures.

First up - we joined Talyn’s class on a trip to the zoo.  I think Bode had one too many pictures that day!

I was able to get out for a short walk with the kids and my mother-in-law and had this gorgeous view:

We then came upon the last week of school.  At the very last minute, like 9:30 the night before Kinley’s last day, I decided to put together a quick teacher appreciation gift for the girls’ teachers.  I googled teacher appreciation Hershey bars and came across a super cute printable, but I’m cheap and didn’t want to pay for it.  I decided to open Photoshop and make something similar.


Kinley’s last day was May 22 and Talyn’s last day was May 23.  This picture was taken on Kinley’s last day.
 

When I picked her up from preschool, I almost didn’t recognize her!  The teachers had painted faces.



Oh, and look at my yummy lunch one of the days.  Chicken, bacon, ranch, and lettuce wrapped in a tortilla.  So yummy!

We spent the Memorial Day weekend with my in-laws.  They wanted to have an end of the school year bbq for the kids.  The first picture is of Bode off by himself playing in the dirt.  We were at my sister-in-law’s house and they are working on their landscaping.  He had no care in the world that the other kids were off doing other stuff rather than playing with him.  We were then out at Mr. Chaotic’s parents’ house.  The kids’ favorite thing to do is ride on Papa’s four-wheelers – and the boat too, but I forgot to get a picture.  The view is off their back porch and so peaceful, well, except when the other boats are cruising up and down the river. 


My birthday happened to fall on Memorial Day this year.  We celebrated with lunch at Qdoba.  I was really wanting Chinese, but my favorite place was closed.  What!?  They never close on Christmas…why Memorial Day?  After lunch we came home and Mr. Chaotic mowed the yard.  It was in dire need!  Also, Bode needed his nap.  We then left for supper and went to Bruno’s for taco pizza.  OMG.  The best taco pizza ever!!  After that, we stopped to pick up an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.  Cory and the kids ran in to pick it out while I stayed in the truck.  Got home and they put my candles in it and as soon as Cory lit them, Bode thought it was time for him to blow them out.  His feelings got hurt when we told him Mommy had to blow them out.  When I was done, we relit the candles and gave Bode his chance to blow them out too.  All in all I had a pleasant birthday. 

This past week has went surprisingly good.  I say that only because my daughter’s love to be in each other’s faces twenty-four seven, which in turn leads to me constantly yelling at them to leave each other alone.  We started Tuesday off with a trip to the library.  The kids must have thought we weren’t going to be going back because they overloaded our bag with books.  The library has a 25 book limit so we ended up having to leave two of our books.  If you can believe it, Mr. Bode walked the entire way to and from the library! {It’s 13 blocks one way!}

Mr. Chaotic’s mom had sent back home with us his trucks from when he was a little boy.  I’m not talking a few either.  There are monster trucks, micro machine cars, Hot Wheels cars and the little city, his transformers, and more of his GI Joes.  All circa the 1980s!  This was taken of the three kiddos playing with dad’s old toys.

Last but not least, we have Mr. Bode riding his new Strider balance bike.  We decided we wanted to try one with him to see if they really do work as well as they’re hyped up to work.  He’s not quite sure what to think but really doesn’t mind walking the bike.  He refuses to sit on the seat at this point, but we are just letting him do what he’s comfortable doing.

 
That’s it from me.  The last of my month in pictures.  Now, onto June.

Talk to me:
Did May fly by for you too, or was it just me?
Do you have any summer plans with the kiddos or will you be flying by the seat of your pants like myself?

Kinley’s Birthday and Mother’s Day

This year, I was lucky enough to share Mother’s Day with Kinley’s actual birthday {May 11, 2014}.  We had decided that since we were sharing the day with each other, she could pick where our family ate lunch and I would pick our dinner spot.  She, suprisingly, picked a Chinese buffet {I for sure thought we’d end up at Taco Bell}.  She wanted the one in our mall, but they switched owners and we don’t care for it anymore so we went to a different one.  It was alright.  Not my favorite, but it was her choice.  After lunch, we came home and did presents.  So fun! 

We had found her a Peppa Pig playhouse.  She loves it.  The above collage is of her opening Peppa.  Pure excitement and total satisfaction!  This little girl is obsessed with Peppa Pig.  We currently have 23 episodes on DVR, just in case Peppa’s not on when we happen to turn on the TV.

The first picture is of the actual Peppa Pig playhouse and the second is the Doc McStuffins Operation game that Talyn picked out as the gift from her & Bode.  Peppa’s house came with just Peppa & George, so Mr. Chaotic found more characters, but are waiting on them to arrive.  We had no idea how incredibly hard to find this little Peppa Pig stuff was.  Turns out it’s mostly available over in the UK via eBay.  Also, it’s not cheap!  Seriously though, Mr. Chaotic loves eBay so we have been watching for everything Peppa in hopes of finding a few inexpensive items to add to the collection.

After the birthday excitement, it was time for Bode’s nap.  We just did odds and ends around the house while Mr. Chaotic also napped.  By the time those monkeys woke up it was almost 6 PM!  We ended up just eating dinner here at home as everybody was getting crabby with each other. I was slightly disappointed, but it is what it is.

 

The girls had made little crafts in school for me for Mother’s Day.  Kinley’s class planted grass in a clear plastic cup, grew it, and then when it was time to bring them home, they put decorated faces on the cups.  Of course, I forgot to get a picture.  Talyn’s class made little flower pots with the pretend grassy stuff and then a popsicle stick with a clothespin type flower on it, which they clipped a picture of the student holding a sign that said “Happy Mother’s Day!”  Again, I forgot to take a picture.  Earlier that morning, I had made an Angel Food cake so that was my {massive} treat to myself.

Talk to Me:
Are there any little cartoons that your little ones are obsessed with?
Did you have to treat yourself on Mother’s Day?  Or am I the only one who does that?

Guess Whooo’s Five!…The Party

Over the weekend, we celebrated Kinley’s 5th birthday.  The celebration started on Friday with a Night Owl Pajama Party that included her {girl}friends from preschool.  Check out these darling invitations we crafted:


I happened upon the owl template here way back in March when I first started researching owl-themed birthday parties.  My original plan was to just do a “join us for Kinley’s birthday party” for the wording until I stumbled across this adorable pin, which completely fit perfectly with the type of party we wanted.  I used the font KG Be Still & Know.  I am in love with Kimberly Geswein fonts!  As for the party décor, I chose Owl Blossom from Birthday Express.
                                  
We’ve been experiencing an unusually cold, wet, and windy spring here so I wasn’t sure what the weather was going to be like for our party.  We lucked out and had a mostly sunny day in the 60s with very little wind!  I was ecstatic for the fact that we could do the party mostly outside – everything but watching the movie.  The girls started arriving shortly after 4 and we just played outside.  We have a massive backyard with a swing set, small trampoline, Barbie jeep, 4-wheeler, and a whole slew of balls plus other outside toys.  The kids were set!

(don’t mind the extra bows, balloons, and party hats…I didn’t want to leave the little friends’ faces online)

We ordered pizza and were able to eat that and the cupcakes out on the patio while appreciating the gorgeous day (less mess for me to clean up inside!).  Speaking of cupcakes...did you see the super adorable owl cupcake cake?  I literally saw this on Pinterest a couple of days before I went to order the cake and the pinner had commented that it was from Walmart.  I eagerly went to our Walmart with no luck of finding the same cake or a very helpful bakery employee.  She told me to come back the next day when the cake lady was working.  So I did...and I'm very glad I did.  I showed her the picture on Pinterest and she said they would have no problem doing that, even if they had to use their phones to Google it.  So helpful!  And I thought it was freaking amazing!  The best part - it was $15!!

After cupcakes, we set up the piñata and let the kids each take a turn pulling the strings.  I adore the pull-string piñatas; they are so easy and you don’t have to go hog-wild lashing out at the thing trying to get it to spill the candy!  Each party guest collected so many little frooties tootsie rolls and dum-dum suckers.  After the piñata, we made our way inside so we could start our movie of choice, which was Frozen.  Once inside, we discovered we still had presents to open!  She received some great gifts from her friends.  We were a bit late in starting the movie and making the popcorn, so about an hour into it, the parents had started arriving to pick up the girls.  We sent the girls home with their bag of candy from the piñata, the little box of goodies from Birthday Express, and the adorable owl tumbler from Birthday Express.  We also added a little puncher balloon ball thingy to the box of goodies.  Overall it was a blast for the party girl and her friends!  I don’t think they minded one bit that we barely had any decorations – that would be just a few balloons!

Happy Birthday Sweet Kinley!  We love you very much!!

Spring In North Dakota

When you live in North Dakota, you really never know how to dress your kids for school, what to prep for dinner, or even if you should wash your vehicle.  One day it’s sunshine and 75 degrees, the next it’s raining -or snowing- and barely above 30 degrees.  Mr. Chaotic has been determined to make grilled steak & shrimp for a week, maybe two.  And so he finally just did.  In the rain/snow mix, of course.

Sirloin wrapped filets, New York Strip, shrimp, texas toast, and of course his famous texas toast grilled cheese for the kids.  So delish.  Oh and we also had baked potatoes that I had done up in the oven.  Mmm, my favorite.

While Mr. Chaotic is outside grilling, the kids are outside making a mess of themselves in the puddles.  He even got them to stop and take a picture together.

It had been raining for at least two days straight and last night or early this morning sometime, it decided to turn to snow.  HUGE wet snowflakes coming down like crazy when I woke up this morning.  It’s really hard to see in the picture because of the screen on the window, but the ground was almost covered by 7:30.  Luckily it stopped and was all melted by 11 when we went to pick Kinley up from preschool.

We are all hoping for a little break from the craziness of our weather as we head into May.  I’m pretty sure it’s not unheard of to have a snowstorm in May in North Dakota.

Talk to Me:
   Do you get Spring where you live?
   Which season is your favorite?

Happy National Sibling Day!

I just want to throw a shout out to my siblings today, in honor of National Sibling Day.  One thing you may not know about me is that I have a total of five siblings.  FIVE!  I have three immediate siblings as well as two step-siblings.  When we were all still living at home, it was almost like the Brady Bunch, with three boys and three girls, Mom, & Dad.

Unfortunately though, due to us all being spread out across the United States and/or the world, the last time we were all together for a family picture was probably when I was in high school, practically a hundred years ago. I did come across this most recent picture of us together when we were at my older brother’s wedding in August 2012.  The only one missing was my sister, Renee.  I had to dig back even farther to find one of her from her college graduation in May 2011. 



We’ve all had our ups, downs, and in-between, however, I hope they all know how much I love each and every single one of them!  I truly hope that we will all be able to get together someday once again as obviously we are in dire need of an updated family photo. 

XOXO! XOXO! LOVE TO ALL OF YOU!!!! XOXO! XOXO!