Pregnancy #1 to #4

I'm 26 weeks now...I think.  I'd have to look up my pregnancy calendar to know for sure.  Who has time for that?  That pretty much sums up this pregnancy.  Poor baby, the only time I think about being pregnant is when I wake up 3 times every night to pee, or when my sciatic nerve keeps me gimping around.  That's the difference in pregnancy #1 and pregnancy #4....you just don't have time to dwell on all the joys of it.  Here are a few things that would have already happened by now...if this was my first go around.


*I would know exactly to the day how far along I am.  I use to count by weeks, now I go by months.
*I would know the sex of the baby.  I mean I would HAVE to know so that I could plan every little detail of the baby's life before it entered the world.  Now, it doesn't matter, the surprise is worth the wait.
*They would have a first AND middle name and we would use it in daily conversation.  Now, we pretty much haven't even discussed what we will name this baby.  I've got like 3 months to worry about that, what's the rush?
*The nursery would be painted, furniture put together and several hundred dollars worth of bedding and decorations would fill the room.  Now, I figure I can always use a pack and play for several months in our room until we figure out where to put this little one.
*There would be new clothes hanging in the baby's closet, already washed in Dreft and ready to be worn.  Now, I hope there are a couple of bags of used clothes in the attic I can grab once we get home from the hospital.  Who cares about washing them...I'm pretty sure they were clean when we stuck them up there?
*I would be working on my birth plan and starting to pack my hospital bag.  Know what my birth plan is now?  To get an epidural as quickly as possible.  Who cares after that as long as the baby comes out healthy?  And I don't think there's anything I will really need at the hospital that I can't send the Hubby to Target for once we check in.  Why stress?
 *I would have already called my doctor at least 20 times to ask if certain things are "normal".  Now, if something weird comes up I first google it and hope there is one other person on the planet that's had the same thing.  Then if I can't find someone, I figure I'll see my doctor in the next couple of weeks and either that thing will be gone, or I'll just ask her about it in person.


It's not that I'm not super excited about this baby, I just don't have time to think about him/her.  I'm in survival mode.  I work.  I am never without at least 2 kids outside of work.  I'm busy.  I'm tired.  I'm just trying to make it to August, get this baby out and then learn how to keep my sanity.  There will be plenty of time once I'm on maternity leave to make my close friends and family get all these pre-baby things wrapped up!  Just kidding...I'll help a little.

Mother's Day Wish

The kids and I went to dinner with my mom tonight and I was grilling her about what she wanted for Mother's Day.  She mentioned she wanted some creepy stone angel bird bath/feeder statue thing.  Sorry mom, I don't buy weird gifts like that, especially if I have to have that thing stare at me while I lounge by your pool.  Shiver.  Anyway, it got me thinking about what the perfect Mother's Day would look like for me.  Let me preface this by saying that I know there are "those moms" out there that say the only thing they want for Mother's Day is to spend it with their kids and just enjoy them.  I'm not one of "those moms".  Although I love my kids dearly, this holiday is a reward for being a good mom and is the perfect opportunity to have some freakin' peace, quiet and relaxation.  Sorry for the Hubby, he married a woman who's love language is both acts of service and gifts.  I told him to think twice before putting that ring on my finger.  Sucker.

I figure I should be nice and actually spend Mother's Day with my family.  Without my little hooligans I wouldn't get the honor of this holiday.  Come Monday, that's when my day would begin.  It would go a little something like this...

6:30- Alarm beeps but the Hubby turns it off and gets the kids up and out the door, letting me sleep in for the first time in years.
8:00- Get my coffee and do a little reading without screaming, tattling and Dora in the background.
9:00- Get ready and head to the spa for a mani/pedi and 2 hour massage.  Then I'd get my hair shampooed an blow dried, just because I loathe doing that.
1:00- Grab lunch somewhere delicious with one of my girlfriends.  This would normally include a couple of glasses of wine, but the alien inside of me prevents that from happening.
2:30- Head to the mall and pick up my new iPhone, because my 3G isn't doing the trick anymore.  Stalk the makeup counters and buy the latest summer must haves.  Then I'll find tons of super cute maternity clothes that all make me look half the size I am, and they will all be on sale as well.
6:00- Grab dinner and a chick flick with another girlfriend.
10:00- Come home to a clean house, sleeping children and a detailed car.  The laundry will be completely washed, dried, folded and put away.  The Hubby will tell me to take a Tylenol PM, that he is sleeping in the spare bed and will get up with the little monster that wakes me up throughout the night, so that I can get some much needed sleep after my long day.

Is that too much to ask?

Mercy

I have been doing my first ever Beth Moore bible study.  It's her latest, James Mercy Triumphs, and it is so stinkin good.  I'm still trying to decide how I feel about James.  He is in your face and he makes me uncomfortable.  Probably because the book of James just might be the most convicting book in the bible.  He states plainly, without any fluff, how we are suppose to live as Christ followers.  I cannot do my homework if I'm having an emotionally, hormonal day.  This bible study is tough because it's hard to hear what we are doing wrong, especially when it comes to our faith. 


We just put our house on the market.  We already found a house we love.  We have someone who wants to lease our house.  We can't seem to negotiate a fair price on the new house.  It's the only house we like on the market.  I would wake up at night stressing about what to do.  I needed a direct answer from God.  I needed God to send an angel to appear in my dreams and tell me exactly what to do with our housing situation. 


Yesterday I woke up and did my bible study homework.  Do you know what it was all about?  Submitting to God in everything.  He knows the well-deliberated plan for your life and how all things must fall into place for you to fulfill your destiny.  So submit to God.  God knows everything about you and every matter concerning you.  Nothing is hidden from His sight.  So submit to God.  Alright, alright, I hear you loud and clear.  Quit being such a control freak, Holly, and submit to God.

Today I woke up feeling a little lighter.  He has a plan.  His plan might be that we live in this house until we die, or he may have change coming for us.  Either way, it's under control.  I'll keep you posted as he reveals his plan to us!

I Was Green

Let me just start by saying that I NEVER get sick.  Ask the Hubby.  It drives him crazy.  That is except when I'm pregnant.  Let's just say that these tiny little babes wreak havoc on my body.  Last Tuesday night the Hubby was up all night with a nasty stomach bug.  Then our oldest got sent home from school for puking.  Then little man had the funkiest diapers you've ever experienced for about 24 hours.  I went to work on Thursday and then met my family in Dallas to celebrate my brother's birthday at The Porch.  Everything was going great until about midnight when the uncontrollable vomit started.  I will not go into any more detail than that, but let's just say that it kept coming every 30 minutes to an hour until there was nothing left in my system.  I was on my death bed.

After several attempts at fluids the next morning, my body was officially in shock.  There was cramping from head to toe and braxton hicks contractions nonstop.  I decided to call my doctor's nurse and ask for advice.  Her advice... go to the hospital and get some IV fluids.  Although that sounded like torture, it was better than dying a slow, dehydrated death at home.

I had to check myself in to triage, which is a place I am pretty familiar with.  After 4 pregnancies, 3 sets of kidney stones, 2 preterm labor pregnancies, and lots of dehydration in the first trimesters, I know the routine in triage.  They stick you in a cubical of walls made out of sheets.  You can hear everything that is going on with everyone around you.  It is uncomfortable and loud, and apparently the people that visit triage have lost their dang pregnant minds.   Most of them come through thinking they are in labor, when they aren't.  They think their water has broken, when it hasn't.  They moan and groan about particular aches and pains and want pain meds to fix them. 


This trip was no different than the rest, and since it was Friday the 13th, all the crazies came out to Baylor.  There was the sweet first time mom that was more upset that she didn't find out the sex of her baby at a routine ultrasound, than the fact that she had a terrible kidney infection.  There was the overly dramatic lady that made horrible noises every time she had a mild contraction.  I know they were mild because she got sent home instead of to labor and delivery.  My favorite was the lady on the other side of the curtain from me that brought all of her children with her.  They were loud.  They played with the curtain separating us the whole time she was there.  They ran back and forth to the bathroom and would yell questions at their mom who was laid up in triage for who knows what?  Finally her family of about 15 people show up and instead of taking the kids to the waiting room, just set up camp in her cubical along with them.  Seriously people?

All that being said, I again had wonderful nurses that took great care of me.  After 7 hours, 2 bags of fluids and 2 doses of anti nausea meds, I felt much better and was released from hell. 

Boy or Girl?

With our first two girls, we found out what we were having before they were born.  On our third, we thought it would be fun to wait.  I was certain that it was another girl and we did not own one boy item the day of his arrival.  In fact, the poor kid slept in a pink nursery until after he turned one.  It drove everyone we knew bananas not knowing what we were having.  Surprisingly, it didn't bother me a bit.  Sono after sono I would just turn my head if the picture started heading south.  It was the most amazing surprise.  I love surprises.  The anticipation was well worth the wait when the doctor held him up and everyone yelled, "It's a boy"!!! 


It cracks me up how so many people think we are absolutely crazy for not finding out.  Everyone wants to know what we are having, and when I tell them we aren't finding out, they look at me like I have a horn on my head.  The next thing they say is, "Well I hope it's a boy so Beckham can have a brother".  Well, he's getting a brother from the other side of the world, so we've got that one covered.  Then they ask if I have a feeling what this one is?  My gut feeling is that it is another boy, but my gut feeling was that Beckham was a girl, and my gut feeling was that Lola was a boy.  Obviously my track record isn't great, and I apparently have zero intuition when it comes to my own body. 


Some days I hope it is another boy because that would make our living situation easy, and because I pretty much think Becks is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Other days I think it would be wonderful to have a baby girl that doesn't destroy everything in her sight and that will actually sit down at dinner and not rub food in her hair.  That sounds really nice most days.  Either way, this baby will fit right into our family like he/she has been here all along.  They will be loved unconditionally and add more joy (and chaos) to our family.


Here goes...What is your prediction?  Leave a comment on the blog with your guess and reason why!

Eventful Day

Well today started out like any other, rushing around getting everyone out the door in time for school, MDO and work.  I went into work for a couple of hours and then left early for lunch at Taco Joint and then my 20 week sonogram appointment with the Hubby.  This appointment makes me a nervous wreck leading up to it.  I just know so many people that got devastating news at their 20 week sono.  Babies that have Trisomy 18, heart defects, Spina Bifida, etc.  I was super relieved when my doctor checked every inch of our wiggly baby and said he/she was perfectly healthy! No, we are not finding out what we are having again.  It was so much fun last time, we can't imagine doing it any other way now.  My doctor says she has a sneaking suspicion, but didn't look to confirm.  It has to be one or the other!

I had checked our weather earlier this morning and knew that we were going to have some storms, but was caught by surprise when we left the doctor and the tornado sirens were going off in Dallas.  This is not a new noise living in Texas, but still makes you stop in your tracks regardless.  The Hubby and I headed back to Rockwall to pick up the little kids, thinking the storm was behind us.  Nope.  As soon as we got in the building, the tornado sirens started going off and the place was put on lock down.  All I could think about was getting back to Sophia's school to pick her up.  I called our sweet neighbor and asked her to grab Sophia for me because I had no idea when they were going to let us out of the building.  My neighbor said that it looked clear there and she would get her, not to worry.


The warnings were eventually lifted and I started home.  About 5 miles from the house the Hubby calls and wants to make sure we are okay because there is a tornado right around us.  What?  I don't even like driving when it is raining, and I really don't like driving when I might get sucked into an air vacuum.  I get home safely and head straight to the neighbors to grab Sophia.  She's not home.  The sirens start going off and the sky is black.  Holy.  Moly.  I run the little kids in, get some kind of supernatural powers, fling a twin mattress over my head and cover the bathtub with the babies in it.  Then my neighbor calls and says the school is on lock down, but she is inside with Sophia.  I'm getting about 100 texts saying there is a tornado right on top of us, but can't dial out or receive calls.  Praying, praying, praying. 


What seemed like 5 hours later, our doorbell rang and it was the neighbor with my big baby!  A few minutes later my dad comes over, then the Hubby makes it home and my mom and cousin come straight from work.  We look for any damage, but can't find a scratch.  Praise the Lord!  Unfortunately, the neighborhood less than a mile up the road was the one all over the news for mass destruction.  Nobody was hurt, but a lot were left homeless.  Keep those families in your prayers!  Sophia seemed very calm over the whole ordeal.  She said she just kept worrying that I was in my car getting hurt by the storms.  Sweet girl.  She also said that she covered her head to protect her brain!  Smart girl.

Tonight I am counting my blessings.  One healthy baby in my tummy, 3 others safe and sound and under one roof.  One on the other side of the world that I pray daily will go unharmed and feel loved.  One Hubby who was a nervous wreck not being able to be here to protect his family during the scary ordeal.  And one God who holds us tight in the palm of his hand.

Lately

If you asked me how I've been doing lately, I would say overall very good.  Besides my very consistent hive problem, I feel great!  The baby seems to be thriving, as I can feel constant tiny kicks and flutters.  I literally feel like the baby is in my hoo hoo.  Probably because my uterus has lost all elasticity and is hanging on for dear life after 4 pregnancies in 7 years.  I wouldn't be surprised if it just fell out with this baby! 

I would also tell you that it never gets old hearing things like, "Are you sure there's just one in there?"  "Wow, you are only 5 months along?"  "You pop out quicker every time."  Sigh...  Seriously people?  I know that I tend to show quicker than others, I know that it appears like I am further along than I am, I know that you might be hoping that there are twins just so I can go more insane, but keep your stinkin' passive aggressive comments to yourself.  I already feel like Shamu, you don't have to state the obvious.  Thank you.

When we decided to adopt, we had tons of encouragement from people and we also had some negative reactions.  Apparently we are a freak show because we are having more than the standard 2 kids?  I get that it isn't for everyone and I try to be nice and positive when I get these negative reactions.  However, my hormonal self tends to take over my rational, patient self.  Sometimes I might respond to a person that goes on and on about how difficult it will be to raise 5 kids, and how it is going to be so expensive, and how there is no way we will be able to afford all that, with an answer like, "well, I am just going to apply for welfare and let your tax dollars pay for all of them".  I may or may not have said that in a hormonal state of bitchiness.  Lord, grant me patience with idiots.


If you asked me how my hooligans are doing, I would say keeping me on my toes!  The girls are going through a very sassy mouthed stage, which is so charming.  cough, cough.  They are crazy opinionated about their clothes, and we have at least one nervous breakdown a week because of it.  They argue all day, but now sleep in the same twin bed at night and giggle way past their bedtime.  They are both hoping this baby is a girl, and think I'm just going to move the crib straight into their bedroom the day this baby is born.  Not a bad idea?  They still think their little brother is king of this castle, and he pretty much is. 

Becks is as busy as ever.  I've decided that boys are aliens.  I am absolutely in love with my little guy, but Oh. My. Word. he is so much work.  I have never met a kid that is busier and more destructive than him.  He has a super sweet spirit and will hold his hands up to you numerous times a day saying, "hugs"?  Melt me.  I ask him where my baby is and he pulls up  my shirt and kisses my tummy.  Sometimes when I ask him this he also pulls up his shirt, so I don't think he gets it?  We are trying to break the pappy/bunkie habit slowly.  Slowly mostly because I love them as much as he does!  Can we say instant plug?  I tell him to go put his bunkiepappy in his bed to go night night and he does.  But he puts them right by the edge so he can easily get to them the next time he is having a craving.  Pardon the poor picture quality, I have pretty much been using my old iPhone for most of my pics lately.

Happy weekend!