A Visit from Baby Parker (and his parents)

This morning we had a visit from Beth, Wil, and Parker. It was the first time Baby Parker's been to our house and Macie was super excited! The kids played a bit and Gavin and Parker kept smiling at each other. They weren't able to stay long because the kids needed a nap and they had errands to run. I'm sure we will have many more cousin play dates in the future!

Beth laid the kids down for this picture and the kids weren't too sure about it! Look at Macie's face!

Happy Father's Day Pops!

Friday night the kids and I picked up Brian at work and headed to Sturgis. We hadn't seen Pops for Father's Day. We had a yummy dinner of fried chicken and sides. Macie and I made some deviled eggs and they were a hit! I was seriously so hungry I ate two whole plates! The kids made Pops a card and we gave him some money that he can spend on anything he wants. I jokingly told him not to spend it all in one place! After dinner, the kids played and got lots of attention. Aunt Katie painted Macie's toes and braided her hair. She even bandaged her up after she fell on the sidewalk. Right before we left, Uncle John and Pops picked up some donuts. They were from a local shop and they were delicious! We changed in the kids into pjs and headed home. Both kids were conked out before we pulled into the driveway!

Uncle John is heading back to school next week. We will miss him!

A Picnic Lunch

Friday was an absolutely beautiful day! The kids and I ate a picnic lunch outside. Both kids LOVE to be outside and Macie would eat out there every meal if I would let her! After lunch, the kids played in the sandbox for a while before nap. What a simple way to enjoy our afternoon!

Gavin has recently started wearing his sunglasses....too cute!

Macie's X-ray

For over a year now, Macie has had some pain in her left arm. If she falls on it or yanks away from us when we are holding her hand, she instantly starts screaming. She often won't move the arm for a period of time. Eventually, everything will go back to normal. We asked Dr. Voyles about it a while ago and he said that it was something with her elbow. It is fairly common and as long as it goes back into place, everything is fine.
Yesterday as I was walking Macie to her room for nap time, she jerked away from me. She instantly started crying and saying that her arm hurt. I wasn't sure at first if she was just saying that or if it was truly hurt. (Yes our 2 year old tries to play us from time to time) I gave her a little bit of Tylenol and she cried herself to sleep. She only slept for about 45 minutes and woke up screaming. I went in to get her and she was clearly beside herself. She wouldn't even move her arm and didn't for another 2 hours. I gave her a little more medicine (I hadn't given her a full dose before) and Allie and I tried to comfort her. She screamed forever and finally we were able to calm her down. I called Dr. V's office and they finally called me at 5:00 to say that Macie needed to have an x-ray done to verify nothing major was wrong. As soon as Brian got home, we got everything ready to go. We dropped off Gavin at my parent's house and we went to the CAM building at St. Mary's. I'm glad that I didn't take Macie by myself because Brian reminded me that I couldn't be in the x-ray room. Macie was all pumped to go to the doctor to get a picture taken of her arm. We promised her a treat when she was done. She wasn't so happy inside the room though! I sat outside the room and heard her screaming like I've never heard before!!! The table was huge, Brian was holding her down, and this huge machine was hovering over her. Talk about traumatizing. I felt embarrassed, heartbroken, and guilty that I couldn't be in there with her. The tech showed her the pictures of her bones and she thought that was pretty cool. She told me she was brave, but I knew better. We still rewarded her with some ice cream.
I got a call from the office today and they said everything was normal in the x-ray. I was grateful for that. If it happens again, we have to give her ibuprofen and wait it out. FUN FUN!

13 Weeks=End of 1st Trimester

As of Sunday, I am officially 13 weeks which marks the end of the first trimester. Woohoo! This trimester has definitely been a roller coaster! I've had strep, bleeding, high blood pressure, and FIVE doctor's appointments! Not to mention the overall exhaustion, nausea, headaches, and heartburn. I'm so thankful to be through it! I do not really want to rush this pregnancy because it is my last, but I also don't want to be miserable. I find it difficult to get out of bed in the mornings and sometimes don't have enough patience. I'm also struggling to settle into a good sleep and up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. Thankfully, I am starting to feel a bit better and was able to accomplish some things today. There are so many things I want to accomplish in the next 6 months, so I hope I can get some energy back!

I am bigger at 13 weeks this time than I was at 20 weeks pregnant with Macie!

Happy Father's Day!!

We had a pretty laid back Father's Day. We gave Brian his present a few weeks early and let him pick out some stuff for his garden. The only other thing he wanted was to drink beer and watch Nascar. He was able to do that and even got a little nap in! I let Brian sleep in until 8 but Macie was really missing him because he had been so busy the three days before. I couldn't hold her off any more! Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well at all and Brian had to step it up a little more than he would have liked. Brian works so hard for our family and he is such a great Daddy to Macie and Gavin. He is always doing whatever is needed (baths, feeding, getting up with them in the mornings) and works 2 jobs to support our family. I have no doubts that he will be just as great with the new baby. We are so blessed to have him in our lives!
After the race, we went over to my parent's house for dinner. We had a delicious dinner and hung out until bedtime. Happy Father's Day Brian, Grandpa, and Pops!

They were holding hands during dinner!

First of many attempts to get a picture with Daddy

We love you Daddy!

Week Recap

We've been busy. It seems like we are always doing something, but I haven't had the time/motivation to blog. I'm still not feeling 100% and not sleeping well, so when I get a chance to sit with my feet up, that is all I want to do! Here are some of the things we've been up to...

Central Library: Last week, Brian and I took the kids down to Central Library. It was Brian's first time there and I hadn't taken the kids since last summer. Macie remembered that there were puzzles and a ship there. That girl has the best memory! At the library she went 100 miles an hour and was thrilled to show everything to her Daddy. It was kind of a last minute trip, so I didn't have my camera with me. The kids and I met Patti, Mitchell, and Maddie there again this week. They had a great time and we even ran into Jamie, Clayton, and Hollis! Macie was a little disappointed because she didn't get to play on the ship. It was way too crowded! I promised her we would go back soon. After going to the library, we ate lunch at McDonalds.

For some reason, Gavin kept climbing into this tub of toys!

Bye, Bye Miss Melissa: On Friday, Gavin had his last physical therapy session. I have to admit this was a bittersweet day for me. While I am thrilled with Gavin's progress and know that he doesn't need physical therapy anymore, I am going to miss seeing Melissa every week. When you spend one hour with someone once a week, you become attached. My kids absolutely LOVED her! Macie and Gavin made her a card and we got her a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. I even got emotional when I told her how grateful we were for everything she's done for Gavin and our family. Gavin will still get developmental therapy once a week. It is nice that we only have to schedule one therapy.

We Own It!: As of Friday, we officially own our Escape. We sent in the last payment! Woohoo! We now own both of our vehicles. The only thing putting a damper on this achievement is the fact that in a few months we will be buying a van.

Macie funny: This afternoon, she pointed out the fact that our couch was dirty. I told her that it was just stained and that we needed to get rid of it and buy a new one. But, we had a lot of other things to spend our money on like the new baby and a new car. She said, "A mini van". The she said, "Hey Mommy, are we getting a Minnie van or a Mickey Van?" I lost it. All this time we were talking about a mini van, I never even thought about the fact she may be thinking about Minnie Mouse. No wonder she was so excited! I then had to break the news to her that Minnie Mouse would not be on the side of our van!

Dress Up Fun: Macie and Gavin had lots of fun with Macie's dress up clothes the other day. Macie was having the best time twirling in her dress. Too cute!

Family Outings: We've been trying to take the kids out without spending too much money. We just like to get out of the house as a family. Besides the library, we went to Rural King (Macie's favorite store) and the mall. Normally only Daddy and Macie go to Rural King, so she wanted to show Gavin and Mommy what all the fuss is about. We got some popcorn, looked at the bunnies, walked around, and Brian bought a few things for the garden. What a great time (wink, wink). I think that store is meant for Daddy and Macie time!

One night we went to the mall. We've never taken the kids to the playground before and turns out Melissa recommends it for Gavin's continued development. Both kids had a blast there! We also rode the carousel. Gavin was thrilled about this, but Macie wasn't so sure once we got on. We sat instead and she really liked it. We also got pretzels (Mommy's favorite) and walked through a few stores. I didn't have my camera with me (notice the trend), but we went back last night to play with Aunt Allie and I took a few pictures. Last night, Gavin was quite the stud! He literally had 5 little girls following him around telling him how cute he was! I think I have my hands full in the future!

Blood pressure Update

I went back to get my blood pressure checked today. I haven't had a headache since Saturday and I've been feeling a bit better, so I was hoping that the numbers would be good. As soon as the nurse took it, she said, "Oh my gosh". I thought...crap, it's high again. But then she quickly added that the medicine must be working because my blood pressure was 122/62. WOOHOO!! She worried that it may have dropped too low, but I told her that was a normal reading for me. I was so happy that I didn't have to up my dose of medicine. I'm almost done with the first trimester of this pregnancy so I'm hoping to make it without any other major issues!

A Visit from Grammie and Pops

This morning Grammie and Pops came for a visit. They don't get to come very often so Macie was super excited! Brian showed off his garden and the kids entertained. We decided to go to lunch at Logans. Macie did really well, but Gavin still wasn't feeling that well. He choked on his food and spit up some and then had a blowout diaper. Boy was that fun to change in the parking lot! After lunch, Grammie and Pops headed home and we stopped by Walmart to pick up milk and a few other things. When we got home, the kids and I took a nap. Brian worked hard in the yard. After naps, we spent the rest of the day hanging out in the backyard. My kind of day!

Happy Birthday Grams B!

Yesterday after naps, we went over to my parent's house to celebrate Grams B's 87th birthday. Gavin wasn't feeling very well, so he took a long nap over there (his 3rd of the day). Macie had a blast! She played with Kaylee, got lots of attention, ate lots of junk, and got filthy! Brian had to leave right after he ate because he had to bartend. Macie made Grams B a card and was so excited to give it to her. Eventually Gavin woke up and joined the party. After he ate a little snack, I put them in their swimsuits so they could play in the water. We planned on just spraying them with the hose and filling a tub with water, but my parent's neighbors offered to bring over a sprinkler. This was a BIG hit! They were even kind enough to send the sprinkler home with us. Macie loved the sprinkler, but Gavin wasn't too sure about it. He didn't like being in the grass or the water in his face. We made a special set up for him on a towel with his own bucket of water. The kids played in the water until everyone left. I took them inside and changed them into pjs. We played inside the rest of the night. I fed them dinner and shortly after it was time to head home. Even though I had plenty of help, I was exhausted by the time I got both kids home and in bed. Luckily, Brian was home by 8:30 and he even picked up some bread sticks!

I'm rubbing off!!

This morning, Brian made over 40 pancakes to freeze! This will make breakfast in the mornings so much easier! Thanks Brian!

Crockpot Recipes

I had some requests for the crockpot recipes I previously blogged about. Enjoy!!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings (We all loved this!!!)

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into cubes or however you want
1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can 14 oz Broth plus enough water to make 2 cups liquid
1 large can of flaky biscuits

Add all of the above except biscuits to crockpot and cook on low all day. 30 minutes before serving, cut each biscuit into 6 pieces and drop each piece into hot juice and immerse in juice. Turn crockpot on high and cook for the 30 minutes. Stir once or twice.

Whole Chicken in the crockpot
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/

Slow Cooker Lasagna
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/slow-cooker-lasagna-114123.aspx

Zoo and More

Yesterday, against my better judgement, I took the kids to the zoo. It was hot, the zoo is very hilly, and pushing a double stroller is not an easy task for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman! I told Macie that the only way we would go is if she promised to stay in the stroller. I didn't want to chase her around the zoo as well. She kept her promise and the kids were really good. We only stayed for about 45 minutes. That is the joy of having a zoo pass because you can go for as long as you want and it doesn't really matter. Before we went, I asked Macie what animals she wanted to see. I figured as long as we hit those, she would be good. She said turtles, rhino, and Donna the hippo. We were able to see all three of those along with several other animals before I just got too hot! The kids both passed out on the way home. I tried to keep them up so that they could eat lunch, but I lost that battle. They both took a two hour nap before eating. Now tell me how I did all of the work and they took the nap! I've been feeling guilty for not doing enough with the kids this summer, so I'm glad I was able to do something with them. We spent the rest of the day inside in the AC!

This morning after Daddy gave Gavin a bath, he took some pictures of him all wrapped up in his towel. He's getting so big but he's still my bundle of joy!

Macies 2.5 Pictures

We went to the State Hospital on Memorial Day to do Macie's 2.5 year pictures. When we told Macie we were going to a park, she got excited because she thought that meant there would be a playground. Daddy had to explain to her that it was a flower park. Now, she always talks about how Aunt Allie took her pictures at the flower park. After we were done with pictures, Allie fell knee deep in a hole in the ground. Macie tells everyone that Aunt Allie fell in a hole at the flower park and said, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

How to make me happy....

NO BLOODWORK TODAY!!!

First Trimester Doctor's Appointment

Yesterday I went to my 11 week or first trimester doctor's appointment with Dr. Crutcher. Even though I've been to the office three times, this was my first time actually seeing Dr. C. I was happy with my weight. I am still down 11 pounds from my Macie pre-pregnancy weight. That is a good place to start! My blood pressure was a whole different issue! I've been having a lot of headaches lately and my dad said that it probably had to do with my blood pressure. I've been worried that it might be up and boy was it! The nurse took it 5 different times on 2 machines and every time was about the same....160/90. EEK! Dr. C started me on lebetalol which is the same medicine I was on when I was pregnant with Macie. The difference is, last time it was only in the 140s so I only had to take 50mg 2x a day. I'm already starting at 100mg 2x a day. I go back next Tuesday just to get my blood pressure checked and if it isn't down, I have to up it to 200mg 2x a day. She didn't want to put me on too high of a dose right off the bat because it can make you light headed. At the end of my pregnancy with Macie, I had to have biophysical profiles every week because of the lebetalol. I didn't think about asking Dr. C about that, so I will talk to her about that next time. Dr. C also asked if I would do a 24 hour urine test. Fun Fun! Not only do I get to collect my pee for 24 hours and store it in the fridge, but I also get to have more blood work when I take it in tomorrow. This pregnancy is going to kill me!

The rest of the appointment went pretty well. I joked around with Dr. C and Nusha (her nurse) that I missed them so I had to come back. Dr. C and I both agreed that in the best interest of my health and the health of future babies, this would be my last baby. This is a hard decision to make, but at the same time I know it is for the best. Having more than 3 c-sections is extremely risky. I always joke that if God wanted me to have more kids, I wouldn't have had c-sections! I am happy to know that I will never have to worry about getting pregnant again. That also gives me more reason to sit back and enjoy this pregnancy as much as I can. I will never again get to experience this.

Dr. C also prescribed me a prenatal. I've always taken over the counter ones before, but now Schnucks offers free prenatals with a prescription, so I thought I may as well take advantage of it. I wasn't able to hear the heartbeat. Dr. C said the machines don't pick it up until 13 weeks or later. But, because I've had two ultrasounds, she said the likelihood of miscarriage was very small. I wanted to hear the heartbeat, but I was OK with that.

I was able to set up all of my appointments for the remainder of the pregnancy (unless they add the biophysical profiles). I was happy that they are all on Tuesdays and mostly in the afternoon so I will have to miss little work. Right now my school schedule has a double plan on Tuesday afternoons so I won't miss much instructional time. I left there with my prescriptions, bag of newly pregnant goodies, and my 24 hour urine materials. My hands were full! I go back to see Dr. C in four weeks and hopefully my blood pressure will be under control by then!

After the appointment, I stopped by Schnucks to pick up my prescriptions. I was there for 45 minutes! I was so glad to get home and I tried to relax the rest of the evening. Brian and I decided it would be best for me to send the kids to Miss Julie today so that I could rest and do the 24 urine thing. I miss spending time with my kids, but I know that I have to relax or it could be really bad for me and the baby. I have so many things I want to do both with the kids and around the house and I feel like I haven't done any of it. This summer isn't starting out how I wanted it to and I hope that doesn't become the trend!

Crockpot Wonders

I am always on the hunt for simple dinner recipes that can be frozen or prepped ahead of time. My reality is that 4-5 pm is the worst hour of my day and I don't have a lot of time to make dinner while entertaining two little ones. It's not going to get any easier come December either! I've heard of people using the crock pot, but I hadn't been able to find simple, low prep recipes. If I have to spend a lot of time in the morning getting everything ready, then it's not worth it to me. Well, I've found a few crock pot recipes lately that are simple and yummy! First, I made a crock pot lasagna with just a few ingredients and you can make it the night before. Then, on Sunday we made a whole chicken in the crock pot. Allie told me that one of our cousins does this and I thought I would give it a try. It was so simple. We literally put the chicken in the crock pot, put some seasoning on it, and left it alone for 7 hours. We were able to make four meals out of it (chicken and dumplings, buffalo chicken dip, shredded bbq chicken, and chicken pot pie). I was also able to make two containers of broth. The chicken and dumpling recipe is also in the crock pot and we are trying that today. I am excited to find simple, cheap recipes. It also makes me feel good to cook for my family.

Brian did a lot of the tough work!