More progress

This morning we got up and went to church which is our normal Sunday morning routine. I taught this morning and had ten kids so stayed pretty busy.

After church Rod and I headed to HD to get more joint compound and paint for the library. We also picked up a rug for the living room and one for the library.

The living room rug will tie the furniture all together and protect the carpet. The one in the library will give the kids something to lay on to read books in there and also cover the ugly yellow tile that eventually will come out.

We picked a light green color for the library (much to Rod's hesitation) and Tyreque painted the entire room. After we get it all put back together I will take pictures. We also hung king sized flat sheets on the two walls that REALLY need to be redrywalled. We haven't had the ability to redo them but the sheets look MUCH better than the blankets I had hanging on the wall before.

Ladaria, Raquel and I got the rest of the pickets put up on the fence and Rod set the bolts for the gate post brackets. Tomorrow we will be able to put the posts in. Then we will be able to measure to make new working gates.

Rod got the hole in the kids bathroom fixed. He had to cut out and replace the drywall but it looks much better than it did. Now the kids bathroom just needs to be painted. That didn't get done today since the joint compound has to dry first.

The water damage in the library (on the ceiling and near the sliding glass door) was fixed yesterday so it got primed today. The ceiling in the library got painted as well today. It's all starting to come together - one piece at a time.

Destini and Brayana folded a bunch of laundry and put it away. Jaleel helped wherever we needed him to go and help.

I was going to cut the molding for the bathroom in the kitchen but have to fix the saw as it wasn't adjusting right. That's ok. I'm tired and I think everyone else is as well.

Progress is being made

We started out with chainlink fence in the front yard. I've been wanting to change it over to wood for a while now. We've planted several things on the front fence. Most of them have died because the fence gets to hot. Two of them have survived and were really starting to intertwine in the fence so I decided that we need to pull the chainlink down. I didn't want to kill the plants by letting them grow another season so I took the fence down. I figured that would commit us to doing it.

It all got removed along with the gates that didn't work right. Amah and Poppa tried to fix the gates everytime they came out but they were not made correctly so there was only so much fixing that could be done. This morning we started out with just the posts. We left them since they are metal and in the concrete.

We went out to get started and realized that we didn't have the right screws to go through the wood and into the metal posts. We also needed more 16 foot 2x4's so we made a trip to HD.

Came home and got started. While Rod and I worked on the fence - Makkiah cleaned his room, Jaleel worked on the back porch, Destini cleaned the living room, Brayana worked on the library, Raquel and Ladaria scrubbed and scraped the ceiling in the bathroom and library so it can be repainted and they cleaned the hall closets, Tyreque worked on the upstairs porch which had been abandoned several months ago. Everyone got a lot accomplished.

After they were done with their jobs they all joined us outside to work on the fence, wrestle, and clean up. Brayana took apart the green swing that someone was going to come pick up but never showed up to get.

By the end of the day we got over halfway done and we ran out of pickets. Ladaria, Raquel and I made a trip to HD to get more pickets while Rod spackled the spots that needed it on the ceilings so that it can get painted. Tomorrow we will finish the fence and hopefully the gates.

New lense

I got a new lense in the mail today.

I went out and took some pictures of the roses out front.

The lense is a macro/wide angle combo lense.

These were taken with the macro lense.

I only took a few but I think they turned out pretty neat.

30 weeks

30 weeks

I don't feel like I'm any bigger than I was before.

Tomorrow I will have officially 9 weeks 6 days left till my due date.

It will be 68 days until my due date!!

My husband is out of the yards and starts his work up schedule.

Between now and June 20th I think he'll be home less than 2 weeks.

My Mom comes into town next week for 10 days.

Then she comes back the same day as Rod in June.

Marsha is on standby baby watch and is ready at a moments notice.

I had my three hour glucose done but haven't heard the results.

As far as I'm concerned - no news is good news.

My next appointment is in two weeks.

I'll get all my preadmission paperwork and I'll start carrying my chart.

Taniyah's Doppler

Taniyah goes with me to my midwife appointments. She gets to listen to the baby when the midwife does the doppler.

Well she is a fast learner and she made her own doppler.

Destini has a barbie cash register with a handheld scanner.

She's started using it to "listen" to bellies.

Here she is talking to her "patient"

Then she turns on the register

Then she makes sure that I can hear that "grumbly tummy"

29 weeks!

I've made it to 29 weeks. One more week and I'm in the single digits as far as weeks go. 77 days until my due date. I found out yesterday that I failed my one hour glucose test so now I have to go back tomorrow and do a three hour. That stuff is SO nasty. I had to do the three hour with Jaleel and I passed. It's the whole fasting for 10-12 hours and then drinking what tasted like 10 pounds of sugar in orange soda that's warm. It is probably one of my least favorite parts of pregnancy. Hopefully I will pass the three hour and be done with it. The cutoff is 134 and mine was 147.

I'm feeling really good. I've gained 14 pounds total with this pregnancy which the midwife says is great. My last appt baby was head down but I think at the moment baby has turned head up. Baby seems to be using my bladder for a trampoline. Good thing I've done lots of kegels!!

Rod's ship left out to sea yesterday after being in the yards for 4 months. So starts the work-up schedule. In and out, out and in. The ship will return in a few days but he has duty so won't be home until the next day. I'd rather have it that way then him having duty the day AFTER he gets in. I'd rather just get it done.

Side fence

We finally got the side fence finished. We got the gates done and installed. Now we can close the gate and Taniyah can't go into the front yard. She has her own play area in the back yard. Now we just need to do the back yard so that she can't go around the back of the house.

So it went from this:

To this:

The weather here is getting nice. The rose bush in front of the girls bedroom has exploded with blooms.

The flowerbeds are starting to fill in with plants from last year. I don't think I will have to add any plants as what is in there should fill in all the empty places.

Third trimester!!!

I'm two-thirds of the way done. Today is the first official day of my third trimester!!

Time is going by so quickly. It seems that I just made it to double digits and now I'm down to 90 days on the official counter to my due date.

I think that we may have finally found a car seat that we like. The colors that are out there tight now are just - YUCK!!

I also started my registries at Target and Babies R Us as I've had people ask me about them. I did them online but haven't yet made it to the store to add to them.

I'm 27 weeks and with Taniyah I was put on modified bedrest at 35 weeks. That's 8 weeks away! I need to get so much stuff accomplished before then in case that happens again! I need more time!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

We got up this morning and headed to Easter Service. I was suprised that we didn't have the normal large crowd. Maybe they went to Sunrise Service. Rod turned off the alarm so we did't make it to that service. It started at 6am.

Then we came home and the kids got their baskets.

Taniyah got Disney's princess and Gabby got SoccerGirl

Makkiah got Scooby skateboard and Jaleel got Fear Factor

Destini got PollyPocket cheerleading stuff and Brayana got SpyGear

The older three kids got solid chocolate bunnies

Tyreque helped Tete dress up in her princess gear. Isn't she cute?!

The boys bedroom-progress

Before we started with their room it was a powder blue. I think the previous owners got a good deal on the paint cause over half the house was powder blue.

We pulled Tyreque's bed out of the closet area and moved it to another area of the room. Makes a lot more room over there.

Then we hung shower curtains up to make the closet look like a closet instead of just haven't closet rods hanging.

We are going to paint the short half wall dark blue to hide fingerprints and we are going to paint circles on the green wall.

This door goes out to the patio and the shower curtain works well for curtains.

26 weeks!

I'm 26 weeks today. I took some pictures but they kept coming out really fuzzy.

One more week and I'm in my third trimester! I'm almost 2/3's of the way done. Technically speaking I probably AM 2/3's of the way done.

I hit officially hit double digits yesterday and now have 98 days left until my due date. Mom will be here in 2 months - YEAH!! Can't wait to see her and Poppa again.

Things are going by so quickly!

Makkiah's CT scan

Makkiah had his CT scan today. His appt was at noon. We got there at 11am as there was no traffic and the tram came just as we parked the van so no waiting for it. We got there much quicker than expected.

I took Tyreque since I knew I wouldn't be able to stay in the room with Mak. They wanted to try to do it without sedation and I was afraid that he might freak out without a familiar face in there with him.

At 11:05 they called us back. Mak climbed up on the table, laid down and said he was scared. The tech was great in explaining everything to Mak and promised to show him his pictures after he was done.

I got to watch the scan from the booth and see the pictures first. It was pretty cool. Tyreque did a great job talking to Makkiah during the scan and Mak did an AWESOME job of laying still and not moving a muscle.

After the scan was done he showed Mak the pictures. He pointed out his teeth, nose and sinuses. Mak thought they were pretty cool.

I knew right away that one sinus did not look like the other and asked the tech about it. His right side is "filled with something" and his left sinus was clear. He said the final report would take 2-3 days. Dr W told me to contact him on Friday morning for the results and plan.

By 11:30 we were downstairs eating lunch at McD. and by noon we were headed back to the tram stop. By 12:10 we were in the van and headed home.

23 weeks!

I had an appt yesterday with the midwife. I've gained 12 pounds so far. Baby's heartrate was in the 130's which she says is "boy range". I think everyone is determined that this is going to be a boy. Guess we'll all find out in about 4 months! Can't believe that time has gone by so quickly. Pretty soon my Mom will be out to visit and then I know that I'm really close!

Potty training success

I think we can officially say that Taniyah is potty trained. We went to the lab on Thursday so I could get some blood drawn. While we were there she told me that she had to "pee" which I thought was funny cause she hadn't been going at home. She wouldn't go there once we went into the bathroom though.

On Friday I decided to leave her diaperless and she did great. Only one accident all day!!

Saturday we went over to Will & Marsha's house. Tete said she had to "pee" but everytime we went into the bathroom she would say "no potty" and cry. After a while she was hysterical, she would say "pee", "no potty", scream "no" when I pulled her panties up or down. I didn't know what the issue was. After about 30 minutes of the ongoing drama I put her on the potty and moved the step stool so she couldn't get down. She FINALLY went pee and then she was fine. I think the big potty was to traumatic for her. The kids and I went to football practice with them (Rod had duty) but stopped on our way to buy a little potty for her. She did great at the hours of football practice with her little potty.

After football the kids went home with Will & Marsha and Tyreque & I went to Ross to get shoes. Tete said she had to "pee" but once she saw that big potty she said "no potty"! She stayed dry all the way home and went potty when we got there.

Then she went with me to pick up Ladaria and the rest of the kids and stayed dry that whole time and all night! Yeah Tete!

She's done great since then, even with trips out to church, Ikea, Lowe's and lunch. We even had a breakthrough yesterday when she went pee on the big potty at Ikea TWICE!! Woohoo! I think maybe some of the "big potties" are just a little TOO big for her comfort!! Maybe she thinks she will be flushed away.

Footballs and gophers?!

The kids and I went to football practice with Will, Marsha and the kids. Marsha is helping to coach this year so I had to go see her skills put into practice.

Yep she's got it down, stand around with the whistle and shout orders.

And guess what? Will's got it down to!!!

Sometimes the kids copied the coaches.

But other times they really did play.

And some of the coaches, well, I think they pretended to play!

Just kidding!!

Then I saw this little guy pretty close to where I was sitting and I decided to get some pictures of him. The first time I saw him he came all the way out of his hole.

Then he disappeared so I put a french fry near his hole. He came out again until Will walked almost on top of him and he closed off his hole and was gone!

21 Weeks 5 Days

Rod took new pictures last night. So here I am at 21 weeks 5 days. Everyone seems to think that this is a boy although I think I'm carrying like I did with Taniyah. I don't know what the old wives tale is about carrying.

I didn't even erase my stretch marks this time. I really don't think that I have very many for this being baby #5.

This morning I woke up with my first leg cramp. That means that sleeping on my back is out the window for the time being. I have my Tums and need to pull out some pillows! I can still sleep on my tummy although I try really hard not to.

Update on Appointment

I had my Fetal Assessment Appointment today. I met with the genetics counselor and then had my ultrasound done. The doctor who did the ultrasound said that the ventricles all looked good. She looked at the feet from all angles and said that they looked good as well. She said that the baby looks PERFECT!! I will have another scan done around 34 weeks to look at the lungs.

The baby had it's hands clasped together and resting on it's cheek. It was really cute but she didn't get a very good picture of it. We also saw the baby yawning.

How I spent my evening!

Mom called to talk after her babies were all in bed for the night. Usually mine go down long after hers do.

So as I'm talking to her and catching up Taniyah came to join me. She got a nap of about 2.5 minutes yesterday so she was tired I guess. She laid across my lap and fell asleep.

Pretty soon Coco came to join us. She either thought that the bottom of my legs were cold or Taniyah needed company. I'm not sure which. She certainly wanted to make sure that her pillow didn't go anywhere though.

So this is how we spent the duration of the phone call. Taniyah finally woke up. I think her legs were scrunched and fell asleep on her. She moved down to the end of the couch and went back to sleep until Rod moved her to her bed. I guess she was really tired.