May 29, 2018

I'm going to have to start taking it easier. Life is getting more, uh, complicated by the day. On a positive note, I've had no additional sicknesses this week. I am so thankful for that! Also baby boy is doing well and moving up a storm. He's pushing his limit already and he isn't even out yet. I know he has to be running out of room despite my being so rotund. I'm seriously hoping I won't have to wait 6 more weeks to meet him!

My joint pain has taken a turn for the worse. Sunday I barely made it to the car from church. The last couple of mornings I've teared up trying to get out of bed because my body screams at me after resting. Walking and standing yield similar results so there is only the occasional respite when I find just the right sitting position. I found this morning I cannot make a tight fist anymore as my hands are swollen and the  joint in my fingers won't cooperate. It seems like today is the last day I will be wearing my real wedding ring until after baby...that is if I can get it off tonight. We plan on making a Walmart trip tonight so I can get a fake ring in the interim. Due to the heat I'm having to drink even more  to keep my salivary stones in check, which is hard because the water here has started to taste, well, like it does every summer= not good. I've also added heart burn to this super fun mix which intense in the evenings but does not seem to be traced to any particular food. All that to say, please keep me in your prayers. 

Back to happier things. Francis has submitted his dissertation and is now working on his defense. This is the last hurdle before graduation. We still don't know where we will be living in the fall, but we do have a couple of options which I can't go into at present. I can say with relative certainty that we will be here through the summer and that baby will be born here, which gives me some peace of mind to know at least that far out. Francis has been pulling a lot of double duty working full time on graduating only to come home and take care of me and the kids. I know he's exhausted, but he hasn't complained. He's really the best and I'm so blessed to have him. 

The kids have been good for me (mostly) too. I've done my best to preserve their routines so that they can get out their energy and enjoy the summer time. Sometimes that means I have to just sit and watch, but I'm just glad to be there with them. I've been having to lay down for a  little bit in the afternoon so I can regain my strength, and the kids have been pretty good getting along and playing quietly. William has been working on cooking so he "can help more when the baby comes". He's learned to help make many things including mac and cheese all by himself (with supervision of course). He's very proud of his progress. I am too to be honest. Robert is starting to read well. You give him most any three letter word and he can tell you what is says without flinching. I would not be surprised if he is beginning to read short books by his 5th birthday in September. He wants to be like his big brother so he's highly motivated. Hannah has an excellent memory, and there is no fooling her. She is quick to remind me of something I have promised her and have yet to complete. She has recently become quite the Daddy's girl during the day but still prefers me when it's story time at bedtime.

Francis's parents came in town yesterday for lunch and to take some of our furniture that was in our office back to Plano with them. they are beyond gracious to store things for us until we figure out where we are moving. If I had the choice of all the in laws in the world, I'd still pick them. We will be seeing them again this weekend at Splashway Water Parks. I anticipate a lot of sitting for me, but I think the kids will have an amazing time! 

Thank you to everyone who has been praying. It means more than you know. I have one sweet friend in particular who took one look at me on Sunday and told me she was bringing our family dinner tonight. I (REALLY) don't like to ask for help, but I accepted and am so grateful that tonight I don't have to stand and make food. God knew exactly what I needed. Thank you God for friends who care. 

Till next time! 

May 22, 2018

It's been an eventful week. After I finally got a handle on my sinus infection, I managed to get food poisoning. No joke. No idea what I ate but Wednesday night I started to feel weird and then spent the night in the bathroom sleeping on the rug in between episodes. By morning I was beginning to recover but I tried to eat and move very little that day just in case I relapsed. Thankfully by Thursday evening I felt normal again, and no one else was effected. Since I'm on a different diet than the rest of the family, there is no telling which thing I had was the culprit. Francis worked from home on Thursday so I could recover. Not sure I would have made it through the day without him!

Over the weekend we worked hard and managed to get the nursery completed. The closet in there was full to the brim with stuff, so seeing it empty and ready for baby stuff brought a happy tear to my eye. I quickly filled it with all the stuff that was waiting for a home including baby clothes, accouterments, and a chest of baby toys. It looks weird and amazing when I pass by to see the change, and oh so satisfying! The kids are loving the room and keep wandering in there for no particular reason. I hope they get it out of their system because come July there will be an occupant that will be none to happy to be woken by curious siblings.

Sunday morning, our sweet Bible Life (Sunday School) class showered us with diapers, wipes, gifts, and (most importantly) prayer. I'm so thankful for a group of people who love Jesus and and us. We got an adorable stuffed animal and coordinating shirts for all the kids with Big/Lil Brother/sister respectively that are beyond cute! I can't wait to see them in use.

Today we went on the Trail Buddies hike again. It was long and muddy but the kids loved it. It's a catch 22 for me concerning my joints. It hurts to move but if I stop it hurts even more. By the end of the hike I was very tired though and did manage a nap this afternoon. I woke up stiff. I'm glad this is not a permanent situation (at least I hope!). My salivary stones are still an ever present issue too, but this week hasn't been as bad now that I'm doing massage and heat all the time.

Let's see. The kids are all doing well. As long as I get them out of the house at some point during the day, they are pretty good about my need to take it easy. Hannah is starting to sleep more in her own bed overnight. We finished the end table for her room and I think it is helping her not feel like she is going to fall off. The table was mine as a little girl and was built by my grandfather Pop. We repainted it and upholstered it to be pink and purple (Hannah's favorite colors) and it goes perfectly with her new big girl bed. Eventually we will add the matching head board and foot board and the ensemble will be complete!

May 15, 2018

We've been busy yet again. Back on May 4th we got to celebrate Star Wars Day at the local library with coloring, origami, Star Wars books and an appearance by a tie fighter and storm trooper. These people were committed and their costumes looked completely authentic which delighted my kiddos. They felt like they were getting pictures at Disney World: a win for everyone!

Two Saturdays ago was a particularly busy day. With 7 things on the calendar, we narrowed it down to the top 4. We started off by going to Home Depot for their project day. The kids made and painted windmill planters. They turned out very cute! Then we immediately headed to the hospital where baby boy will be born so the kids could attend a sibling class (about how/when to hold baby, rules about taking care of baby, practicing changing and swaddling baby and much more) and we could all get a tour of the facilities. It was a great experience because they even gave the kids a set of scrubs for each of them to keep. We are pretty sure we are delivering in College Station now (that has not always been the case) so I'm glad to now have the lay of the land. We grabbed a quick lunch at Chick-fil-a and headed to our Classical Conversations End of Year party. The host house had a pool, trampoline, obstacle course, fire pit for smores and so much more. The kids particularly loved the pool despite the cold water. We got home in time to have dinner, take a short rest and then continue on to our final stop of the day: the Brazos Civic Orchestra concert. They played a few pieces including a compilation of Star Wars music. As we had just finished studying orchestra in Classical Conversations, it was the perfect field trip. The kids loved identifying all the instruments and seeing them play together. Overall it was a great day! Not sure I'll be able to take all that in again any time soon though, haha.

Last Tuesday we had our CC Field Day. The kids competed in a number of events and had the most fantastic time. William won 2nd in the egg run and Robert won first in the sack race in their respective groups. Most importantly they lost graciously, cheered on their classmates, and had fun. The littlest group (Hannah's) had fun doing whatever they pleased at each station. It was pretty adorable to see them try out things like the three-legged race. We are so blessed to be able to participate in such fun things. I thank God for the wonderful opportunities he had placed in our lives!!

Friday we got to hang out with many friends at Altitude Trampoline Park for Toddler time. Three hours of jumping, ziplines, battle beams, rock climbing, foam pits, and dodge ball will make a kid good and worn out, let me tell you! It was even more fun to be with friends than it would have been to go alone. My heart is truly full. If that wasn't enough, Friday evening was mother-son "Date Knight" at Chick-fil-a. They decorated the restaurant like a castle, we had table side service, a photographer, balloon person, live music, crafts and treats after our food. It was so fun to hang out with my boys an hear their thoughts on life in a relaxed setting. At the same time, Francis and Hannah went and picked out paint for her new head board and night stand (she chose purple) and a new mattress for her big girl bed. Both trips were a success! After the kids were in bed that night, Francis and I began the task of changing the office into a nursery. It's not complete yet, but we've made great progress!

Saturday my in-laws stopped by and helped us move furniture around into the nursery and Hannah's room. We then all met up with Cyndy, Chris and Abby at Blessington Farms outside of Houston. The kids had great fun despite the heat, and afterward we went to an indoor playground and dinner before heading home. That was packed Saturday too, because when we got home, we continued working on the nursery. I'm beginning to think we are nuts. Oh! and baby dropped on Saturday too. He went from being high to where I couldn't breathe to being much lower. I have pictures of before and after which shows just how dramatic a change it was.

Sunday was Mother's Day. Francis got breakfast and I got to open cards, and a gift from my husband and kids. We did church and lunch at Jason's Deli (one of the few "fast" places I can eat at present). We came back and worked on assembling Hannah's big girl bed and moving the crib over to the nursery. It was more work than anticipated, but both Hannah and baby at least have a place to sleep. Hannah also has a new (to her) chest of drawers to go with her princess bed. She loves it and even managed to stay in her own bed all night the first night! We had dinner at Outback Steakhouse to finish off the day, ad Francis surprised me with chocolate covered strawberries so I could cheat on my diet a little but not too much.

Today the kids and I went to Lick Creek Park for their trail buddies story time. Contrary to the promised "short nature walk", we ended up hiking about a mile through the trails of the park. I was exhausted by the end but the kids loved it. They also loved playing at the nature center afterward where I met another mom who is starting homeschooling this coming year. We talked a long time and it was nice to get in some adult conversations today.

My health overall has not been great. My salivary stones start back up during/after each meal so eating is really not fun or enjoyable for the most part. I have to put heat on my neck and massage like crazy to get them to pass so the swelling will go down. At my doctor appointment on Thursday, baby's fluid was back within normal range, but doc wants me to stay on the low carb diet. It's very difficult when many soft foods that would make it easier to eat fall under the carb label. It's a catch 22. Also, my joint pain has kicked in in full force. It it harder and harder to walk, and all of my joints ache. At night when I lay on my side, my hip and/or shoulder come out of joint causing my leg and arm to go numb and be incredibly painful. So I'm not getting sleep. And I'm huge and swollen. This makes for general unpleasantness all the time. The icing on the cake is I'm fighting a sinus infection. I've still got 8 weeks till my due date, and I know the Lord is in control. I just have to keep fighting the good fight while I wait and hope everything returns to normal when this baby is born.

I know there's more, but I've run out of time. Till next time!

May 2, 2018

Things around here have been hopping to say the least. we finished up our Classical Conversations year on the 17th with a fun Super Hero review game and a park play date that afternoon. We had a library day Wednesday and the kids' dentist check ups as well as my 28 week sonogram and check up that Thursday. I passed my glucose test and baby looks as healthy as can be with an estimated weight over 3 lbs. I did however measure as having quite a bit of extra fluid around baby so the doctor put me on a low carb diet. This was devastating news as I was having a food aversion and no pasta or bread limited my menu options even further. Despite wanting to give up then and there, I pressed on. I've been struggling with hormones and being sad quite a lot, but I keep having to look at the light at the end of the tunnel when my body will (hopefully) normalize again. Thursday was rough. I've been being surprisingly good about the new diet, and everyone else had not been impacted. so I'll call that a win. This kid has been kick up a storm, much to the delight of his siblings. Hoping that means that the find is going down to normal levels. We'll see.

Francis has been working tirelessly on his dissertation, but has still managed to be home in the evenings to spend time with the kids. We've resumed our evening walks, which is a double edged sword. They help me stay healthy and get my exercise in, but I have braxton hicks contractions and ligament pain afterward. I'll keep at it as long as my body will let me though. It's worth it to have that family time.

Monday after the grocery store and lunch, we went to the George Bush Library Museum to sign the book honoring Mrs. Barbara Bush. It was nice for the kids to learn about her life (she was buried on site two days before) and they also had a cool exhibit about Da Vinci's inventions that the kids loved. We got some unexpected news while there that Christian had probably gone into labor with her second set of twins. To make matters worse, Chad had had surgery of his own that morning and wasn't supposed to be up or walking, my mom was in Austin, my dad was watching the older twins and Dani and her husband we at work. I hurried home and packed for myself and the kids in about 10 minutes and after a dinner engagement, the kids and I headed straight to Dallas. We arrived just before midnight. Fortunately my Dani and Kevin were able to get the older twins from my dad who got to the hospital about the same time as someone drove Chad there also. Chad made it in time for Christian to have a C-section, and my mom made it back from Austin in time to see the twins shortly after they were born. The were 5lbs 15 oz(Gideon) and 6lbs 15 oz (Timothy). Not bad for being a month early! Anyway, the older twins were already asleep when we got to my parents so I relieved Dani and Kevin (my father had also just arrived) so they could get some sleep. For the next three days I had five kids I was in charge of (with valuable help here and there as it could be spared). Five car seats fit in my car (thank goodness!) which made us able to visit the hospital two days, go get food and visit a place called KidMania where they could run around. All the kids loved meeting the new siblings/cousins, but my kids were especially enthralled. They all three wanted to be holding a baby at all times while we visited. The oohed and ahhed and are so in love (as am I!). Thursday Christian was discharged, so my dad took the older twins home so they could see mom, dad and Sweetie. It was a wild week, but I'm so glad I could be there. Taking care of 5 kids (3 of which are 2 years old) is exhausting, and my body felt it keenly. My neck has been swelling up on and off since December and 6 or so doctors have told me that it is my lymph node. Well Thursday during the day it began to swell even while I was on antibiotics (which is what normally would cure it), so I had to go to urgent care that evening when my dad got home. They changed me to a different antibiotic, which still did no good, and so the kids an I headed home Friday morning back home to College Station.

Saturday I was miserable, being unable to eat as my neck was so swollen, my jaw would barely open. Sunday was the same and I cried when I even thought about food. The only highlight of Sunday was seeing William and Robert get their AWANA awards at their end of year ceremony. I'm so proud of them.

Monday morning I couldn't take it anymore and after much anguish, prayer and tears, I called the doctor nearest to my house, which happened to be an ENT. I just hoped he could give me a different answer than everyone else was giving. They said they could see me in 20 minutes (thank you Jesus!). I rushed over with the kids in tow (thankfully the office was super kid friendly and even had a toy/play room!). The doctor listened attentively and checked me out. "It's not your lymph node," he told me. "You have salivary stones. They are kind of like kidney stones but calcium deposits in your salivary glands." He got his tools and performed a procedure where he dilated the gland and cleared out the fluid. He said it would take a couple of days to go down fully but, I felt near instant relief! I got home and was actually able to eat lunch and I cried tears of joy. I'm happy to report that the gland has gone down more and at least one large stone has passed. I'm doing all I can to help the process along, and I'm hoping to prevent another occurrence. The ENT did agree that it could be pregnancy related due to the timing of the first flare up. I'm hoping this is the case and that this problem will end once I deliver. We shall see. I've gotten much of my energy back (the doctor was shocked at how long I had endured the pain), and I've been able to do things the past couple of days that I have been in far too much pain to do for months.

The kids are doing well. We started Kindergarten for Robert and 2nd Grade for William on Monday. I'm hoping to get as many days in as I can before baby comes and the boys are super excited at present to be in new grades. Hoping the magic keeps up as long as possible. Hannah is currently sitting in my lap telling me what I should be writing. She is a little lady who knows her mind. I love them all!

Dinner is calling. Till next time!