Beth's Arrival

Here is the first installment of my "Catch-Up" blogging. While I am sure you would all like to see detailed posts on the progress of our house renovations, yard improvement, etc., I assume that the first thing you'll want to hear about is the New Baby.

 

 

 

This is a picture of me at 38 weeks. To preserve the memory, I want to note a few things.

 

 

1. I am normally 5' 7 3/4" tall. During pregnancy I tend to shrink an inch or two. It is pretty weird! The height loss returns by the time my baby is 3 months old.

 

2. All of the baby books, pregnancy websites, and doctors' offices recommend that a woman gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. With all six of my pregnancies, I have put on between 50 and 65 pounds. My final weight during this pregnancy was 208 lbs.

 

3. My hair was driving me nuts by the seventh month. The front parts kept getting in my eyes. When the back touched my neck, I got so hot and had problems breathing. I kept it in a ponytail most of the time, just so I could breathe properly. One day was particularly hard. I was ready to just get rid of it all! I was planning on a haircut like this...

The only reason that it didn't happen is that during pregnancy I get motion sick easily. And that bad day with my hair was also a bad day for me motion-wise. I was getting nauseous from walking. There was no way that I would survive a car ride. And so my long hair stayed.

 

And yes, I do see that my hair is down in the first picture of this post. And yes, having my hair down in that picture does look contradictory. What you need to know is that I took my hair out of its ponytail so that Hubby could take a picture to document my big, preggo belly and the length my hair had grown. As soon the picture was taken, I threw my hair back up into a ponytail so that I could breathe.

 

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Since I have a history of having big babies, my doctor suggested that I be induced a week early to keep this baby's size down a bit. I do not like inductions. I much prefer to go into labor on my own and told my OB as much. Hubby agreed with my assessment with one caveat. He asked that if I didn't have the baby by Week 39 that I be induced. The reason? He was going to be out of town on business for most of Week 39. He didn't want to miss the birth. I didn't want him to miss the birth either. Hubby has the important task of distracting me from the pain of contractions by telling me stories. Lots of stories.

So we set up a tentative induction appointment. 

After Weeks 37 and 38 passed with no baby the tentative appointment became a for-sure appointment.

It worked out fine. The appointment was on a Sunday afternoon. The same Sunday as our Ward's Primary Program. I was happy that to attend the program. I love watching the children sing and bear their sweet testimonies. This year Anne, Joe, and Cakes participated. They all did a great job!

My parents came out to see the Primary Program then watch the Grands while Hubby and I went for the induction. My Mom snapped this picture just before we left for Church.  It's the last picture of our family with five kids. The next family picture will have SIX Children!!!

 

 

Birth stories are quite personal, so I'm not going to share many details here. The details I am willing to share are:

 

1. Miss Beth was born in her amniotic sack. The nurse said it is very rare and considered lucky.

 

2. She was born at exactly 11:00 am.

 

3. She weighed 8 lbs, 12.1 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. She has lots of dark brown hair and gray-blue eyes.

 

4. Hubby didn't cut her umbilical cord. He cut every other child's umbilical cord. The reason he didn't get to do it this time was that a nurse delivered our sweet baby girl and kind of freaked out. And the other nurses were kind of freaking out about how fast Miss Beth came and had to hurry to get stuff ready and in all their rushing about, they bypassed Hubby and me completely. They didn't even hold her up so I could see her! They just whisked her away!

 

I didn't even know if the babe was for sure a girl. I had to ask. My doctors and midwives in the past make a big deal about holding the baby up so the Momma can see the babe and announcing "You have a BOY!" or "You have a GIRL!" And nobody did that. They were to busy trying to get the medical trays ready.

 

All I can say to that is, I told you all that I go fast! I told you to get ready. I told you the baby was coming. You chose to ignore me. You implied I was being melodramatic.  You kept telling me that it didn't matter if this was my sixth child because every labor & delivery is different so I really didn't know what was going to happen and that you knew how labor really progresses since you'd been a nurse for so many years. Give me a break!!

 

There were many other problems, but I don't want to get into those. Enough ranting and complaining. Let's move on to happy things. :)

 

 

Hubby took this picture shortly after birth.

This picture was taken later that day. Miss Beth is BEAUTIFUL! She has dimples in both cheeks. We know this because she started smiling on her first day of life. :)

 

 

In the evening, Hubby brought the kids to see their new little Sister. Cakes and Joe got to hold her first. They were quite enamored with her. :)

 

 

Anne held her next.

 

Then Rose's turn.

 

 

Jim came in the room and headed straight for me. He looked at his new Sister, but didn't want to hold her. He just wanted to snuggle up next to me. That dear boy missed his Momma and was so happy to see me. :)

 

 

(I don't like pictures taken of me in the days after I give birth because I look so haggard and drawn. I don't usually let Hubby take any of me. But I had to have one of Jim all snuggled up next to me. I adore that sweet little boy.)

We are thrilled to have this newest addition to our family! Welcome, Welcome Miss Beth! We love you dearly!

 

One last note, Beth and I were discharged from the hospital the day after her birth. Hubby took us home, spent about an hour getting us settled in, then left for his business trip. He was gone for the next three days. Yowsers, that was tough. My parents stayed long enough to get all the kids tucked into bed, but then they had to leave too. Fortunately for me I have two fantastic daughters! Anne and Rose took turns staying home from school to help take care of Jim and Cakes while I recovered from labor & delivery. Those two girls are turning into lovely Young Women.

Bravo, Mr. President. Bravo!

As I was reading the news of the day, I came across this article:


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/7/us-redefines-rape-count-more-people-victims/


President Obama and Vice President Biden are helping our country to take a step forward in the fight against violent crimes! The Associated Press reports:


"The Obama administration says it is expanding the FBI's more than eight-decade-old definition of rape to reflect a better understanding of the crime and to broaden protections."


I have seen the devastating impact that rape can have on an individual. I've worked with women who have been raped, been friends with women who were sexually abused as children. The way that a girl or woman starts to define themselves by that horrific event in their life. And the bitterness and self-loathing that can occur when the responsibility for the crime is pushed back on them or when the crime is not taken seriously.


Throughout history, the punishment for rape has varied greatly.  Some rapists have been viewed simply as playboys, whose charms women just can't refuse. The thought-process here is that the woman wanted it.


Other times, rape is viewed as a proposal. Remember that terrible book I read...Tess of the D'Ubervilles?? Tess was supposed to marry her rapist. What a frightening prospect!!


In many Greek stories, the woman raped was faulted. Think of the story of Zeus and Europa. Their relationship started with a rape. But it's okay because he is a god?? And she went on to have his children??  Because being raped by a god and getting pregnant makes rape a perfectly fine activity??
In another Greek story, a god, Poseidon, comes upon a beautiful mortal woman worshiping in the temple of Athena. The woman is so beautiful that he cannot help himself and immediately ravishes her...In the Temple! Athena, the Virgin Goddess, is furious that her temple has been desecrated with sex. But does she go after her uncle? Does she blame him? Nope. She blames the girl, punishing her by turning her beautiful long hair into writhing snakes. Yep. Poor Medusa was raped and instead of being comforted, her hair was turned into snakes and any guy who looked at her was turned to stone. Serves her right for being so beautiful...GAG!


Dinah's story in the Old Testament follows Tess's pattern of proposal. Dinah's, daughter of Leah and Jacob, sister to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, rapist thought to marry her. Her story is found in Genesis chapters 33 and 34. While her father seemed willing to go along with the marriage idea, her brothers had different plans. You can read the story yourself. The main point here is that the rapist is actually punished in this story...And quite extremely at that! 


(By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this scripture study's insight into that story. Much food for thought.)


Early America viewed rape similar to Levi and Simeon. It was a crime that ought to be punished. I could honestly go on and on as the examples and variety of consequences are plentiful throughout history. But the topic is quite painful for many people, and I don't want to draw out this terrible thing.


What I want is to state emphatically that rape is not something the victim wanted. It is not, and never should be seen as, a proposal to marriage. And it is not the fault of the victim.


The article gives details of how the definition is being revised and expanded:


"The revised definition covers any gender of victim or attacker and includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age. Physical resistance is not required."


This revision by the FBI is HUGE!!!


Many states have taken great strides in the past decades to broaden their definitions of rape. They have expanded their protection of the girls, women, boys, and men who fall victim to this heinous crime. They have made the punishments more severe for the perpetrators. Their efforts have led to a decrease the incidence of rape.


I am so pleased that President Obama and his administration are updating their definition. It has been a long time coming and is a positive step forward in the fight against this atrocious crime. Bravo, Mr. President! Bravo!!

Autumn Catch-Up, Part 1

Autumn is drawing to a close and I am feeling motivated to catch-up this blog.  So be prepared for picture overload in:

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Blast Off!!!

 Prof. X guarding the tubes

Hubby has wanted to do a "float down" on the Colorado River since we moved to town in 2008. We go to the river frequently to play and swim, but never just float down. It took a bit of work for Hubby to convince me that all ten members of our family should participate. 

A gal from Hubby's office loaned us a bunch of tubes. We went the last Friday of September, leaving as soon as Hubby got home from work. 

Joe, Miss Nita, Prof. X, Anne (love that pose!) & Cakes 

Long story short: It is a dumb idea to start a float down at 6:30 pm with kids who are afraid of the dark. Factor in that water gets colder as it gets darker and that river-bank-trees look super-spooky in the moonlight and yeah...it was not the best idea. :(  

But look how happy we were to start. Haha!

 Missionaries scarfing lunch

We signed up to feed the missionaries on the Saturday of General Conference. They asked if they could come for lunch instead. We said sure. We decided to make fancy sandwiches. Saturday morning the missionaries called, asking if they could bring another pair with them. We said sure. They called back a few minutes later, could they bring another pair? Sure! we said. We ended up with eight missionaries for lunch. It was hilarious! I jokingly told them they were lucky we are used to feeding so many people. The Sisters gave us this note of apology.  Hilarious!!!

Autumn brought new bikes for a few family members. Since I broke my tailbone twice in the last few years, I had decided not to ride a bike again. I gave my fantastic bike to Rose as soon as she was tall enough to ride it. She was thrilled to get that bike. She has been eyeing it since she was six! I have been happily walking since. 


Hubby decided a year ago that I needed to get over it and start riding again. I told him the desire to not ride a bike ever again was not out of fear. This was not a "fall off the horse and get right back on" situation. It was a physical thing. My tailbone did not like me riding a bike. 


Well, we celebrated out 14th anniversary this year and Hubby bought me a bike. He justified it by the fact that I was finally able to sit through our whole church meeting without my tailbone dying. He said that proved my rump was healed. :P~~ to him!  Haha! It is a very pretty bike though and it begged me to ride it and you can't tell a bike that is begging you to ride it that you will not, in fact, be riding it because that will make your pretty new bike cry. True story. The bike cried until I rode it. And it turns out Hubby was right. My tailbone is doing better. Of course, the padded seat helped quite a bit.


Hubby took us to the park for a family bike ride at the conclusion of General Conference. 

Miss S, Miss Nita, and Me! 

Anne has grown several inches over the last year and a half. Her old bike was a few sizes to small for her. She was thrilled to pick out her a new bike. She chose a beach cruiser. FUN!

Anne cruising around on her new bike

Joe's bike was too small too! It is crazy how much my kids have been growing lately. They have all experienced amazing growth spurts this year.

Joe posing on his new bike 

After riding bikes, we played! 

Jim enjoying the swings. He insisted on sitting in this giant swing. He was quite offended when Hubby placed him in a baby swing. Goofy kid. :) 

Cakes and Joe posing on top of a giant rock 

Jim trying to fly a plane 

Prof. X, Miss Nita, & Anne trying to see who barfs first 

Our ward had a kickball-picnic party in early October. One of the ward buildings in town has a softball field, so we headed down there for an evening of fun. There were several families who came to participate. 

Anne climbing an outfield tree 

Running for the ball 

The very next day, Joe turned EIGHT!!! How exciting! Since we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this meant two things for the dear boy...Baptism & Cub Scouts.  Hooray!

Joe-It's Great to be Eight! 

Close up of my darling boy 

On your birthday you get to pick your favorite foods for breakfast, dinner, and dessert. These were Joe's requests:


Breakfast = French toast, sausage, milk
Dinner = Green chili chicken enchiladas, salad, refried beans
Dessert = Cheesecake and sherbert


The dessert choice was hilarious. Joe is expanding his horizons and trying new things. Instead of choosing his favorite dessert, he chose cheesecake and sherbert because he had never had them before! He told me he wanted to start out this year trying new things. That's fine by me. I l-o-v-e cheesecake!

Joe's birthday dessert 

The following Wednesday, Joe started Cub Scouts. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I adore the Cub Scout program. It is one of my favorite places to serve, if not THE favorite.  I am so excited that my little guy gets to participate in this great program. 


I couldn't decide which picture of my boy in his uniform I liked better, so I put them both in. Mother's prerogative. ;)

Joe in his spiffy uniform   

This picture makes me happy and sad at the same time!

Happy because look how adorable my boy is.

Sad because look how big he has gotten! My little boy is growing up so fast!!!

And as you may have noticed, Joe got braces. Anne got some too. That's right people...I have two kids in braces at the same time. 

Joe started out with spacers to make room for an RPI. Rose had one when she was about his age, but that orthodontist called it "an appliance".

Joe's Spacey Smile

An inside peak at his spacers

The orthodontist only kept the RPI in for a few weeks. Then he put braces on my boy. He is using the Damon System which uses wires and braces to stretch and reform the mouth in a more natural way. I watched a video on the process. It is quite amazing! I'm sure glad that my kids won't have to go through an orthodontic ordeal like their Dad did. For a look at Joe in his braces, see the above Cub Scout pictures.

The orthodontist started Anne out with braces. He's using the Damon System with her too. Poor Anne's teeth are trying to grow in sideways (facing her tongue) instead of straight down. The orthodontist started with braces on the upper teeth only. He is going to add lower braces in a couple of weeks.

Head shot of Anne's braces

 Close-up of Anne's braces

See how her teeth are turning in? Our lovely orthodontist is going to fix that.

Look for Autumn Catch-Up, Part 2 in the near future. :)

Score!!

A few weeks ago, while reading a fun blog, I was introduced to Bountiful Baskets. I've heard the name before, but didn't know how to join or if their was a group in my area. The blog included a link that I followed to get mucho information. After scoping out the site, I registered for an account and put in an order. What did I get??

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For a mere $15 I got:

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1 Cantaloupe

1 pint Blueberries

5 Navel Oranges

8 Peaches

1 Large Bag of Green Grapes

7 Bananas

1 Bunch of White Asparagus

1 Head Romaine Lettuce

2 Green Bell Peppers

12 oz. Cherry Tomatoes

7 Ears of Corn

2 Yellow Squash

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SCORE!!!

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And all of it was fresh and fabulous! Not everything was immediately ripe, which was perfect for our family. We were able to eat the ripe fruits and vegetables the first few days giving the other items the chance to ripen to perfection.

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This was so great.

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They also had "additions" available. For $20 I got 12 pints of blueberries. PINTS! In my local grocery store, 1 pint of blueberries runs $4 or more. I also added a bread order. Five loaves of whole wheat, handmade bread for $10. I was quite nervous about the whole process. I thought for sure there was a type on the screen, or that the food quality would be poor. But No. Everything was great. The blueberries were fresh and fabulous. The bread was great too.

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Everything was so yummy and the whole experience was wonderful. I showed up an hour before pick-up time to volunteer. It was such fun. A truck arrived with boxes of the fruits and vegetables. Two rows of seventy baskets were lined up on the sidewalk. The volunteers took the boxes and divided the fruits and veggies among the baskets. When I told my kids about the experience, they quickly asked to accompany me the next time...if I went again. Haha! After such a great experience and after receiving so much quality food for such a great price, how could I not go again! :)

My New Baby

My baby boy has finally arrived!

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The birth details:
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1) He was born three days after his due date.
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2) He weighed in at 10 pounds even.
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3) He was 22 1/2 inches long. That is one tall guy! He had a Dr. appointment this morning and they say he has already grown a 1/4 inch more. Yowser!
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4) He is perfect and lovely in every way.
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5) I chose a beautiful name for him, with a tiny bit of help from Hubby. I would tell you, but that's not how this blog works. My kids have pseudonyms here. My new baby's blog name is Jim.
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And now for some pictures:
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Thirty Minutes Old

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10 Hours Old ~ Thinking things over

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13 Hours Old ~ Top of the Mornin' to Ya!

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37 Hours Old & Home from the Hospital

Random Update

I haven't updated for a while. I have put posts up, but they're mostly about Lost. And while my life does slightly revolve around that show, it mostly revolves around my darling children and dear husband. So...in no particular order and with absolutely no pictures, here is an update from the Blue Family:

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1) Spring Break was this past week. For my elementary kids it continues into this week. Miss Q, the lucky high schooler, goes back tomorrow. Wednesday she gets to take the Math AIMS test. Keep her in your prayers!

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2) This past week was also Fair Week. I was going to take the kids myself, but since I was rear-ended Hubby got to spend Wednesday with me instead of going to work. He was supposed to make sure that I took it easy. Poor guy. I drug his cute fanny to the Fair with the kids. Then I sauntered from exhibit to exhibit while he chased the little people around. It was very nice...For Me! ;)

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3) Miss Q entered a painting into the Fine Arts category. She won a third place ribbon. She was shocked. Somehow she didn't make the connection between entering a fair and being judged. She'd never won a ribbon before and was ecstatic!

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4) Rose entered a bag into the Home Economics category. She won a first place ribbon. I think it was the french seams, grommets, and sturdy handle that won the judges over. She made the bag herself, with me just giving the occasional instruction.

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5) Anne entered a skirt into the Home Economics category. She won a first place ribbon. She loves this skirt and wears it often. She was worried that the judges would realize she had worn it and that it wasn't new. Gasp!! I told her that if it was clean the judges would never know. She also worried that those judges would try to sell her skirt to someone else. (In Miss Q's category they sell their stuff.) The judges themselves assured her that the Home Ec category sells nothing. The exact quote: "We spend way too much time making these things to just sell them off like that." Anne is happy to have a blue ribbon and is greatly relieved to have her skirt back in her hands.

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6) I entered the Snow White costume I made last summer for Into the Woods. It won a first place ribbon. The fair judges don't give out just one First place, one Second place, and one Third place. They can give as many of each ribbon as they want. The places are determined by the quality of the work. I was quite pleased that my work earned a blue ribbon.

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7) I also entered a cross-stitch sampler I had made. I was confused when I first saw the ribbon on this one...it was purple. But it said "Outstanding" so I figured it was alright. Turns out, purple is better than blue. Who knew?! I won an award from the town's EGA chapter, Embroidery Guild of America. The award was Ten Dollars cash. How exciting!

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8) We had an earthquake on Easter Sunday. I was kind of ticked by it. I was having some pretty hard contractions that had started to get closer together. Then the ground started shaking and the contractions stopped. Oh well. The quake lasted about a minute or two. The epicenter was many mile away from us. No damage was done. There were several aftershocks during the remainder of the day.

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One of my neighbors wants to move out of here now. The quake really scared her. With what I know of tectonic plates and the earth's shifting movements, an earthquake could happen anywhere. I would much rather deal with a little shaking than some other natural disasters...

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9) I was officially cleared to have this baby any time last Monday. I had another appointment today. I am dilated to 2-3 cm. Which means NOTHING! I have been dilated to 3+ for weeks before I've given birth. I really wish there was an accurate indicator that would tell me when this babe is coming. It would be so much more convenient for me. Haha! Listen to me whine. Sorry about that. I have everything prepared for my kids and for the two Fosters. Babysitters in place, respite plans in place, bags packed. Now I just need some regular contractions 5 - 7 minutes apart or my water to break. ;)

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10) Conference freaked me out. The Saturday sessions were fine, but Sunday morning was NOT! We listened to conference over the internet and I didn't catch the name of the man who gave this particular talk, but...he really freaked me out! He gave a lovely talk about how we shouldn't take offense even when horrible things happen to us. I'm sure that in a few months I will look on this talk as one of my favorites. I have often talked about this very subject in lessons I have given in Sacrament.

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The problem I have with his talk is that he kept talking about women who died in childbirth!!! Aaaaahhh!!!! And the babies died too! After he started talking about the second woman dying, I screamed for Hubby to turn the blasted thing off!!! It was not a very good example to set for my kids, but COME ON! This whole pregnancy I have been extremely worried about either myself or my child dying. Hubby has done his best to reassure me that we'll be okay, but I'm still nervous about stuff.

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Luckily, the man's talk ended a few minutes after my outburst. I kind of zoned out after that, trying to get a grip on myself. I came back when the Prophet began to speak. Holy Guacamole!! That dear man, whom I love and sustain with all my heart, started talking about dying too! He spoke of how it was alright and how we would be together again someday. And I just couldn't take it. I don't want to be together someday with my family. I want to be together NOW. I do not want to die. I do not want my babe to die. Again, I'm sure I will look back on this talk in a few months and really appreciate his words. But as my dear Prophet was speaking, I was praying that his talk would end and end soon. Gah!

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The afternoon session was a bust for me because I just kept replaying the first speaker's and the Prophet's words about death and wondering if it was an omen...a warning to me to get myself ready. Hubby has done his best to tell me I'm crazy and am not going to die. I am trying really hard to believe him. Too bad my hormonal state with this pregnancy is a worried mess. Last pregnancy I was just grouchy about everything. Little things would irritate me greatly. I think I would rather be grouchy and irritable than paranoid and worried. :(

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11) I finally have some of my South African souvenirs out on display. They have been sitting in my memory box since my Grandparents returned from their mission back in 1987. Now they are on display in my kitchen. I will take pictures and post them at some point. Just not today.

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Well, that's all I can think of right now. All the Blue's are happy and healthy. We are just counting down to the baby's arrival. Tomorrow marks 15 days to Zero. Wish me luck...Oh! And if I do die, make sure to tell my kids how much I loved them. Hubby already knows how much I love him, but little kids tend to forget and my kids are just little enough that some of them might not remember at all.

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Did I mention that I am slightly paranoid and worried???

Baptizing Anne!

This December our dear Anne-girl turned Eight years old! Anne had a great birthday filled with family, friends, cupcakes, and presents. However, the best part of her birthday celebrations occurred ten days after her actual birthday. Anne was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had been looking forward to her baptism the whole year and was thrilled the time was finally here!

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Anne's Sweet Smile

(she wore the baptism dress that I and my sisters all wore. my Mom made it using lace leftover from making her wedding dress.)

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Anne's not afraid to show her true feelings. She's pretty stoked about her baptism!

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Aunt Mermaid braided Anne's hair so it wouldn't float to the top. Anne insisted on pigtails.

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Profile of Anne

(please note the earrings. they stayed in the whole afternoon!!)

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Anne & Her Dad are ready to go!

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Even though we took many precautions, we had to baptize Anne twice. One witness (my Dad) said she was fine, but the other witness (my brother-in-law) said her foot popped up. So Hubby baptized her again, just to be sure. Anne was laughing all through the second baptism. She was excited that she would have a good story to tell. Goofy kid!

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Newest Member of our Ward with her adoring parents

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Anne and her gal-pals .
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My Sweet Anne-girl in her Confirmation dress

Big Girls DO Cry!

Especially when they're pregnant!

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I am not someone who cries a lot. In fact, it is rarity for me to cry at all. Even when I'm pregnant and my hormones are raging, it is more likely that I will get grouchy with a short-fuse or start laughing like a maniac.

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But not last night.

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I was so happy. I was teaching a class at JoAnn's. The mini-quilt coaster class. Hubby decided that he and the girls didn't need to attend Annie practice. I had planned on taking the boys to a local drop-in babysitting place. With Hubby staying home, I could leave the boys home saving me money and drive time. I left the house happy. Turned on NPR to get an update on the news and got about two miles from my home before I was pulled over by a police officer.

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The officer, after freaking out because I got out of my car (my driver's side window won't roll down); refusing to tell me why he stopped me until I had given him my license, registration and my insurance; and being a bit condescending, informed me that I hadn't come to a complete stop before I turned right on a red light.

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I was floored!!! I told him that Yes! I did stop. Whatever, he didn't even seem to acknowledge my response. He'd already started walking to his vehicle. All my extra time for getting to JoAnn's to teach my class went out the window as he took his sweet time filling out a ticket. I kept looking at the clock. My class started at 6:00 pm. When the clock hit 5:50 the injustice of it all hit me and I started bawling. Not crying. Not weeping. Full on bawling.

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I was being charged with something I hadn't done. The guy was taking his sweet time writing a ticket. He was a bit rude when I was pulling out the registration and insurance info. He was making me late for class. And on top of it all, I would have to pay a stupid fine! For something I didn't do! And it's Christmas time. And Anne's turning eight this year. All of my extra money is going towards presents for those two events. I bawled even harder.

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When the clock hit 5:55, I got my cell phone out, called Hubby, and asked him to call JoAnn's to let them know I'd be late. Hubby freaked out!! He knows I never cry and he couldn't quite understand what I was saying. He thought I was in an accident. I explained what happened, hung up, and kept waiting.

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The officer finally came back to my door. He explained the ticket and my options and then asked me to sign the ticket. I was sitting in my car, he held the clipboard at my elbow. I tried to take the clipboard so I could sign, he wouldn't let the stupid thing go!!! I had to climb back out of my car just to sign the ticket because he wouldn't let go of the clipboard. Seriously! Did he think I would steal his clipboard? I mean, the guy still had my driver's license. And my car was turned off. I had to climb out of the car to sign the ticket, which was difficult because he didn't move out of my way, so I only had a little bit of space to maneuver in.

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And he kept telling me that I had run the light. Umm, no, I sure didn't. It was like a preschool fight! Ya-huh. Na-uh. Ya-huh, Na-uh. Obviously I wasn't going to agree with him, but he just couldn't let it go. I finally told him (through my tears) that I was not going to agree with him. He stated once more that I did not stop completely. Holy Cow! Talk about beating a dead horse. And he didn't even seem to care that he made a pregnant lady cry. Which of course, made me cry harder.

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Anyhoo, I did make it to class and was able to teach without falling apart anymore. But as soon as I was back in my car, I started crying again. And I have been so sad ever since. Hubby has tried to cheer me up, but nothing seems to be working. Which makes me even sadder!!

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I have an attorney in my family. I haven't ever used him before. I talked to him last night and this morning. He is going to take care of the ticket for me. He is a very nice man. But I'm still sad.

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I tried reading funny stories on-line this morning, but nothing worked. The last (and only) time I was like this was when I was pregnant with Cakes...and the sadness lasted for a whole week! I sure hope it doesn't last that long this time. I'm writing this all out here, hoping that a little venting will help me feel better. And now I'm going to go try to find something good to eat, because that usually makes me happy. Wish me luck. :(

The Big Reveal...

Hubby made it to the appointment yesterday. So no back rubs on demand or yummy dinners out for me. Oh well. He'd probably have been too busy to do any of that anyways. At least for another month. However this does mean that I can tell anyone and everyone what we're having.

Drum Roll Please...

We are having a Boy!!

How fun is that! I just laughed and laughed when I found out. Then I kept saying "What am I going to do with three boys???"

Of course I have no names in mind for a boy. Not a single one. The kids have been shouting out names to me. Joe's suggestion was the most interesting. He thinks we should name the baby "I" because that is the shortest word and it's easy to spell. If it was a girl he thought we should name her "A". Crazy!

In Which I Update...

The Mother-in-Law...

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Is recovering wonderfully. The surgeon removed most of the tumor in surgery and only had to remove a teeny bit of brain. There is a smidgen of the tumor left, but it will be wiped out with Chemo and radiation. The tumor was a very aggressive cancerous kind. My Mother-in-law is a champ. She had her surgery Friday and is already up and walking around. She is completely coherent and still has her memory in tact. She gets to go home tomorrow.

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While she was in the hospital, her hubby painted their room and put wood flooring throughout their house. Ha ha. That man kept himself busy so he wouldn't miss his wife so much. ;)

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I think I'm going to buy my Mother-in-law this pin. She'd get a big kick out of it.

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The Foster Child...

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Poor Miss Q. We are torturing her soundly. Since she has been with us she has visited an Endodontist for a root canal, an Orthodontist to get braces, and an Oral Surgeon to have three of her upper teeth removed. When she came to us she was on pain meds because her mouth hurt so much. Poor girl. We've been trying to get things better for her, but first we have to torture her. And the torture will continue next week.

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She is going back to the Oral Surgeon to have two more teeth removed. This time at a hospital.

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Here's the part where we feel sorry for me. The Oral Surgeon who will accept her insurance...he's a three hour drive away. Last time Hubby took two days off work and drove her down. This time it's my turn. I get to load up my other four kiddos and drive and drive. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm pregnant. And the magic 12 week date has come and gone without me feeling much better. Oh well. That's why they invented saltine crackers. ;)

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This trip to the oral surgeon should be the last bit of torture. Then she just has to deal with braces for a couple of years. Fortunately, our Orthodontist is local.

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Costumes...

I am sewing costumes again. Nope, not for Halloween and not for my kids. I am helping with costumes for a local production of "Forever Plaid". I thought I would be one of many helpers. Nope. I am one of two. But I got the easy part...all be it time consuming. The other lady is sewing plaid jackets. Do you know what a bear it is to try and match plaid seams together?? It is horrid! I am responsible for white tuxedo jackets, white tuxedo shirts, black tuxedo pants, plaid bow ties, plaid cumberbunds, plaid suspenders, plaid pocket squares, white pocket squares, tartan sash, and shoes. I think that's it...

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Anyhoo, the directors wanted all those items MADE!!! Aaaaahhh!!! Luckily, I have a few brains left in my head. I started looking online and found a great dealer of cheap, used tuxes and accessories. I just had to make adjustments to the items. I shouldn't say just. I spent a full day fixing the tuxedo shirts and the white jackets so the matched. One jackets collar had to be completely reworked. Fortunately it was all handwork. Why fortunately? Well, because my prego body decided it wasn't enough to attack my stomach. My head needed some attention too. I did all the handwork laying flat on my back on the couch. I just held the jacket up over my belly and sewed away.

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I still have to get the pants hemmed. I just received them Saturday and have a fitting scheduled for tonight with the "Plaids". The bow-ties are sewn. All that is left are the other plaid items. But those have to wait until I get the scraps and leftovers from the plaid jackets.

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As for my own children, they will be wearing costumes from previous years. All except Joe. I don't have any boy costumes his size. With everything else we have going on, the Hubby and I will probably just don our matching Hawaiian outfits and call it a day.

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The Baby...

Can I just say that the number FIVE sounds so weird to me. I just keep saying it over and over in my head. Five. Five. Five. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I will be a mother to Five children.

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The baby is healthy. My doctor did an ultrasound at my last appointment. When I looked at the monitor I thought the doc's hand must be shaking because the image was so jumpy. But no. It was my baby. That kid was all over the place. The funniest thing was that the kid is using my uterus like a trampoline. The kid would bend his/her little legs then push off from the side. He/She would go sailing across the uterus, then settle back into place like a feather drifting down. It was funny to watch...for now. I sure hope that kid settles down before he/she gets much bigger. I've had jumpy, active babies in utero before. They are very uncomfortable to play host to...

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This is a picture of the babe getting ready to jump. I still can't decide if I think the babe is a boy or a girl. But since I usually get it wrong anyways, I guess my prediction doesn't matter much.
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