Saturday, July 27, 2013

Of Babies and Cats

Each of the kids is dealing with my being on bedrestin very different ways.  Jesse is enjoying jumping on and faceplanting on the air mattress that we have set up downstairs since I can't go up the stairs.  Jo is actually hanging in there quite well and enjoys sitting in the chair that we have here for 'visitors' while she colors or draws or reads me stories and Elizabeth is doing an excellent job of reversing the roles and taking good care of me...not that this would come as a surprise to anyone, I'm sure.  

Gabriel, however, is a whole 'nother story.  

Gabriel is mommy's boy and he can't understand why all of the sudden mom can't do all the things with him that she used to.  I mean, I look perfectly fine, it's just that I can't do anything.  And that, to him, makes absolutely no sense.  

A friend of mine got us this great little book called 'And Mommy's on Her Side' and it talks about a little bear whose mommy is on bedrest during her pregnancy.  That really seemed to help the kids understand that this is something that really happens in the real world, that they are not the only ones to ever experience this, and that it will, eventually, end.  

Before the book, I would talk to Gabriel about his baby sister being in my tummy and how we have to be careful to keep her safe in there until she is ready to come out.  But he always rejected this.  I mean seriously.  A baby in mom's tummy?  It has been even harder because due to complications, I have not really gotten that big, until really just this last week, so it just plain didn't make sense.

But I think that the book helped make it click.  Today, Gabriel came in and I took his little hand and put it on my tummy.  Here's the account of what transpired:

Me:  Gabriel, look!  Put your hand here and you can feel your little sister inside my tummy!
Gabriel:  Yeah, Mom!  Then you can feel MY tummy!
Me:  Do you feel that little bump?  That's your baby sister.
Gabriel:  Can you feel mine?  Can you feel my little cat in there?  
Me:  Really?  You have a cat in your tummy?
Gabriel:  Yes, but it's really small.  
Me:  Does it hurt sometimes like mommy's baby?
Gabriel:  No, but it makes me sick sometimes and not feel good.  
Me:  That's too bad.  I'm sure it will be better soon.
Gabriel:  Yeah.  My little cat's going to come out and then it will be a big little cat and I won't feel sick anymore. 

Gabriel (running outside to see Jimmy):  Look Daddy!  Can you see?  I have a little cat in my tummy.  But I'm going to be ok soon.

So then, I guess Gabriel's going to carefully grow his little cat while I carefully grow his little sister.  He and Jo were so sweet this morning.  Since they have been pretty much gone at VBS and friends' houses all week, I haven't see them much, so they both spent a long time in my room with me.   Jo in her chair and Gabriel being 'very gentle' on the bed, resting on my pillow with me.  


Here are some of the highlights of my week:

A visit from the kitty...


Doing crossword puzzles with Maggie and Elizabeth...



Mealtime with Daddy Jesse...


And sharing crackers while Jesse gets crumbs and drool all over my pillow!

Monday, July 22, 2013

The Sweeping Saga

I am in a state of conflicting feelings.  On the one hand, I am stressed and disappointed and frustrated that none of the childcare leads that I have followed have come through.

But on the other hand, I am so thankful for everyone who has stepped in the fill the gaps.  This serves to remind me that God is indeed good and he does have this situation well in hand.

The kids had a great time this Sunday after church at a friend's pool, and they have been having fun at VBS and going on playdates with various friends afterward.  It's been good.  They are being entertained in constructive ways and I am getting the opportunity to really rest, which is what I need.

The path that I am currently blazing through the house is from my bed to the bathroom and back.  And that's it.  I'm going to wear a valley in the floorboards with how much I have to go to the bathroom, being pregnant and also drinking vast amounts of fluids to help replace the blood I am loosing.

But that means that the question would be...

What exactly is going ON in the rest of the house?????

We were supposed to have a nanny interview this evening, so I asked Elizabeth to do a bit of a clean up before she got here.  She obediently does what I have asked...picking up the toys and getting ready to sweep.

But then she is standing at the door with a question...



'Uhhhh....Mom?....What happened to the broom?'

Well it looks to me like it's about 2 feet too short.  
How in the world did THAT happen?  And when???


Jesse said he has no idea how it happened and had nothing at all to do with it.  I have my doubts....

But, the chores must go on!  So bent like an old lady, Elizabeth swept the floors.  (Poor girl!)

And....the nanny didn't show.




Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Way It Is...

So I am still on bed rest.

Now, I think that there is often the idea that bed rest means that you are taking a nap in bed...or sitting on the couch watching TV...or knitting baby booties...and eating bon bons...

But that is not MY bed rest.

Oh, no.  MY bed rest is one where I have to be in bed.  All day.  Every day.  For weeks on end.  We don't know yet when (or even if) I will get off bed rest before the baby comes, who is due towards the end of November.

PLUS...not only do I have to stay in bed, I can't even sit up.  I get up to go to the bathroom, and I sit to eat, but other than that, I am completely on my back.  Well, side, to be exact.  So, I am limited to doing only what I can do while lying in bed.

That is difficult when you have 4 kids...heck, that's difficult when you have ONE kid!

Anyway, that's why I haven't been posting on here.  It is hard to use the computer when you are on your back.  Someone did lend me a nook, which is awesome, but extended typing on that is not really that easy.

So, seeing as I can't really be sitting so I can't be on the couch for long periods of time, and I can't go upstairs, so I can't get in my bed, we have had to turn one of the downstairs rooms into a makeshift bedroom.


I am sleeping on an air mattress that someone very kindly lent us, which is much more comfortable than the couch, and they also lent us a 'visitor's chair' so there's somewhere for someone else to sit, too.  Other than that, it's pretty much just boxes and piles of the stuff that we had to move out of the way to fit the bed.  Actually, the room looks much better than it used to since Jimmy worked in it today to get some of the other stuff out of it.  I'd hate to see the shed.  But then again, since I haven't seen anything except the bathroom and this room for a week, it's not likely I'll see it for quite some time.  All I know is that when it's time to find something in there, like winter clothes for the kids, it's going to be quite a chore!

And all those pink things on the floor?  Those are handkerchiefs I cut out of an old ripped sheet.  (Try THAT while lying on your back!)  But, since I can't get up to put them away, Jesse threw them all on the floor, and that's where they still are.  

That being said, I am still looking for a nanny to come in and help us everyday, so if you know anyone who would be qualified, let me know!


Monday, July 15, 2013

Gymnastics!

 I got these awesome huge blocks from Target a few years ago at their after Christmas clearance sale.  They are so fun!  There are 2 inclined planes, one cylinder and one cube.  The kids love them!

Gabriel and Jo are a bit rough on them sometimes, but since they're new to Baby B, he's still getting his footing on them.  He's catching on quickly!



It's fun to put the inclined planes against each other and watch the little ones go up one side and down the other.



Friday, July 12, 2013

Playground!

For some reason (I think it had something to do with Gabriel and the camera spending time together) the camera was taking really weird pictures today, but they were so fun, I can't just not share them!

We were on our way to the playground and we ran into our neighbor Peter and asked him to join us (much to his chagrin, I'm sure.  He was walking home with one of his buddies and there was a pack of girls following behind them...)

But he agreed to join us anyway, and what fun!


...and then there was sand where sand was never meant to be...






Peter, the horse.




Static is a wonderful thing...especially when your hair is long and wispy!


Oh, yeah...looking for trouble...








Totally tubular, Dude!


Thursday, July 11, 2013

I Believe






I believe in little kids
Kinda squirrelly
But they're fun to be around






I believe in bare feet,

Gettin' dirty,
Climbing up and falling down






I believe in quiet time
After lunchin'
Take a load off, lay it down




I believe in snackin'
Munchin' crunchin'
Say a prayer and gather 'round

I believe in playing
Roll the dice!
See who wins!

I believe in stories
Imagination!

Tell a tale and travel far!




And I believe in Jesus
 He loves the littles 
Loves them just the way they are!






Wednesday, July 10, 2013

When Gabriel Gets the Camera....

Although he's not supposed to be using the camera, I knew that Gabriel had been up to something and then I found these on Elizabeth's memory card...





Jesse just laughed at the situation....


...while Baby B went up to investigate...




Then I found these of this weekend where Jo went with my family to see the fireworks.  
Jo was SOOOO tired!







Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Day 8: Feeling Catty...

So, today would be day 8 of bedrest if I were actually ON bedrest.  The first day, I actually stayed in bed.  Then it all went downhill from there.  But I can say that I have been taking it easier and have been trying to get a nap every day.

I'm pretty tired of the whole thing anyway. This is torture!  When this baby comes, I will have stories to tell her about this pregnancy!

I have been staying home, though, and  I can say that I'm not picking  up the babies.  So that counts, right?

The thing is that it is impossible for me to stay in bed.  There is too much to do to keep the house running, and if I am at all alive, then I have to be in it otherwise by the time I resurface, things won't even be recognizable, and so what good is that?  The recovery from that situation would be enough to put me back in bed!

Jo's birthday is this Saturday, too.  I have planned nothing, and no one has gotten her a present.  Elizabeth was supposed to be painting a doll house for her, but since I have been 'down' and not pushing the issue, it hasn't gotten done.  And since it's at my parents' house, it is a pretty good bet that it's not going to get done by Saturday.

And that would be fine except that Jo knows that it's her birthday Saturday, so she will be expecting something.  Luckily, I have a puzzle put away and also a friend of mine let me go through some toys she getting rid of in her move and I found some really cool stuff that I know Jo will love.  Also, one of Jo and Gabriel's friends is having a birthday party on the 13th, so they will get to go to that, so Jo will get to have a fun time somewhere at least.  I will have to make it up to her later after I'm back in full swing.  Maybe I can get Elizabeth to make her a cake, too.

My in-laws came over for the 4th, so we cooked out, and that was a lot of fun!

Corn was shucked...





...shoes were muddied.....





...hotdogs were eaten....

...s'mores were cooked.....









...and eaten...




















and then Jo and Elizabeth and Annie went to my parents' trailer on Solomon's Island with my brother and his wife of 6 weeks.  The most that any one has spent with Jo is one day, and my brother and his wife have never been alone with her.  I have mentioned Jo's issues to my family, so they are well aware of the difficulties she sometimes has, but I don't think they ever really believed me.

Well, they do now.

The thing is that she was over-excited, and then she got to bed late the first night she was there, plus she ate a sugary dye-filled cereal for breakfast (which is a recipe for disaster even in the best of us!) so on Saturday she had a bit of a melt down in the middle of the camp ground.  It was around the time that she should have taken a nap, but since everyone thought that they knew how to handle her, she didn't get her nap and was 'handled' differently than we would have done it at home.  Elizabeth was trying to use the methods we use at home while my brother's wife was trying to calm her and my brother was telling her to leave Jo alone because she was making it worse.  Then someone was saying 'See?  That's what happens when you have kids!' and someone else was saying 'Wait!  One crying kid can't ruin the whole day for everyone' while someone else was asking if they cried would they get all the attention, too.

Jo was worked up, Elizabeth was stressed out over the situation, and a fun time was not had by all at that moment.

Eventually, though, Elizabeth managed to get Jo to calm down, and they went on with their day, but everyone seemed a bit agitated by the experience.  When Elizabeth got home, on Sunday afternoon she was so tired from the stress that she crashed on the living room floor and slept for an hour even with all the kids climbing all over her!

Interestingly enough, Jo has little to no recollection of the incident.  She just talks about the fun she had on the bikes and in the pool and with the other little girl that she met.  She talks about the cereal she ate for breakfast and how funny it was that she got to ride bikes with Aaron and his wife and then they happened to see Grandma and Grandpa riding their bikes, too.

Which personally, is fine with me. I'm glad she had fun.

Here's some pictures of Annie and Elizabeth tubing behind the boat...