Blogging from the Hospital

Clark's not even 2 days old yet and it feels like its been forever since I had my c-section. We're having some down time right now so I thought I'd give a quick update. Between doctors, nurses, and visitors we've been slammed the last day & a half. Clark is a beautiful, sweet, and low-key baby so far. We had some breastfeeding issues at first (mostly laziness) but the last 12 hours he's came alive and is eating like a champ. If he's not eating he's sleeping so I've been able to rest some. I'm doing well, just extremely sore. Andy has been great for everyone. He is such a great help, even when I wake him up for 3am feedings. The worst part of all of it all is that Cooper isn't with us. I miss him miserably. He goes stir crazy in the hospital, like any toddler would, so I've only seen him briefly twice since I had Clark. I've been a crying mess without him. He's been having a ball staying with Andy's parents so I know he's in good hands, I just wish he could be with us. He met his little brother for the first time yesterday. The first thing he did was kiss him on the forehead and then he smacked him 3 times. : ) After that he didn't pay him any attention. We should be out tomorrow and whenever I have time I'll write a post on the whole birth/hospital experience!

Exciting News!

This will be short and sweet since I'm running around like a crazy person right now.  I went to the doctor this morning and my blood pressure was up and the protein in my urine had gone up.  Both are signs of preeclampsia so Dr. Emberson said he didn't want to play around anymore.  He told me that if he let me go a few days more I could get very sick like I did with Cooper so Clark is coming tonight!!!!!  I have to be at Parkridge East at 3:30 and my c-section is scheduled for 5:45.  I'm still trying to let it soak in.  Ever since I've been home I've been going between crying every time I look at Cooper (I can't imagine it not being just him anymore) to rushing around packing last minute things up.  Since I'm 38 weeks today we're pretty sure Clark shouldn't have to go to the NICU but I'm sure that all could change quickly if something goes wrong.  Keep us in your prayers, I'm getting very nervous about my delivery and life afterwards!  I still can't believe I'll be holding this sweet, wiggly baby in my arms in a few short hours!  It's going to be amazing to have two wonderful babies in my life!

Oh, this is also the day I picked for delivery in my bets against Andy... crazy that I actually guessed right!  I guess we'll see who wins the rest in a little while!

Pinterest Project Post #2

Over the last week or so I've tried a few more Pinterest recipes.  Andy says he's becoming quite the fan of Pinterest.

1.  Pork chop recipe
http://pinterest.com/pin/105764291219762094/
This was a slow cooker pork chop recipe.  Andy and I love pork chops but I was getting little bored with the way I was cooking them. I love slow cooker recipes because there is so little involved.  I chopped up the potatoes, mixed up the ingredients, and let it cook for 6 hours.  Andy requested fried rice with it but this recipe serves a lot more than it looks like.  Between the pork chops and potatoes you don't need any other food... it's very filling!  The picture shows the pork chops still in whole pieces but mine broke up pretty significantly... I'm not sure why.  It was really good though, I'll keep it in my dinner lineup.

2.  Homemade chocolate chip cookies
http://pinterest.com/pin/105764291219777612/
I've always wanted to try my hand at homemade chocolate chip cookies but I've never been brave enough to.  I found an easy recipe on Pinterest and whipped them up one day when Cooper was napping.  Making the cookie dough was very straight forward and easy.  I don't eat nuts so I left that part of the recipe out.  I also added more chocolate chips then it called for.  The hard part came with the first batch I put in the oven.  I spooned them out of the bowl, like it said, but I had way too much cookie dough.  They turned out huge so I had to cook them longer and therefore they were a little crispier than I like.  It was touch and go for the next few batches and I was finally happy with the consistency/thickness and size of the last couple of batches.  This makes a lot of cookies, especially if you don't make them too big at first.  They were really good and I was proud of my last few batches.

3.  Sausage rolls
http://pinterest.com/pin/105764291219803112/
Andy and I are fans of anything sausage so this was right up my alley.  It sounded very similar to sausage balls I had made before with cream cheese.  I followed the instructions and started rolling the filling up in the crescent rolls.  My suggestion would be to use Pillsbury crescent rolls.  I used cheap ones from Aldi and had a problem keeping them together and from sticking to the pan, even after I sprayed.  I left them in the fridge a little longer then it said to and had a problem with the rolls sticking to my knife when I cut through.  Better crescent rolls would probably help that issue.  I baked them for 15 minutes, decided the rolls weren't brown enough, and cooked them about 5 minutes longer.  The recipe makes quite a few and we ate them all with our pancake dinner.  They were really good and Andy has raved about them ever since!

4.  Ooey gooey cake
http://pinterest.com/pin/105764291219651961/
This was a Paula Dean recipe so I just knew it would be a knockout.  It took me awhile to accumulate all the ingredients but it was fairly simple to make.  Once again, I added more chocolate chips then it called for.  I started out baking it 40 minutes but baked it a little longer because it looked very gooey.  Once I got it out and let it sit it firmed up some and looked delicious.  I tried it later that evening and hated it.  I took a couple of bites and almost threw it out.  Andy tried it and liked it, he said it tasted like heath bars, which I've never had, but I wasn't impressed at all. I don't think I messed up the recipe, I think it just had a different taste then I was expecting.  I won't be making this one again!

Big Brother Date Day

We are quickly approaching the end of our lives as a family of 3.  I've got very mixed feelings about this, mostly bittersweet, but I know all 3 of our lives are going to grow tremendously in beautiful ways with the addition of Clark.  We had been talking about taking Cooper on a special mommy and daddy date before Clark's arrival for several weeks and finally made good on our word on Monday.  Andy had the day off and I was afraid that would be our last free day before I have Clark.  We had all kinds of things in mind to do, the aquarium, Coolidge Park fountains, Warner Park Splash Zone, and a lot of other fun things but since the doctors have significantly reduced my activity level we had to rethink our plans.  We knew we needed somewhere indoors where I could mostly sit back and watch Cooper.  We decided on Pump It Up, a building of inflatables, and headed out. 

Since Cooper is still so small Andy had to get in all the inflatables with him.  I'm not sure who ended up having more fun.  Cooper was a little apprehensive at first but quickly warmed up to it.  By the time we left he was going down slides by himself and running around inside the inflatables like one of the big boys (he liked to stay in the middle of them and smile and Andy and me). I'm so glad we got the opportunity to take him to do something special and fun with just the two of us before his brother arrives.  I know we do a lot with him anyways but I just wanted to set aside some one on one time with him somewhere fun.  I'm sure we'll be making even more of an effort to do special things with him once he's a big brother but it was nice to enjoy some last minute time as a family of 3!

The Latest Clark Update

I went to the doctor this morning bright and early. The minute I saw Dr. Emberson he said he was thrilled I still pregnant. He said he thought of me several times on his trip and wondered if I was acting up for the other doctors. He laughed when he saw my chart and said he couldn't believe the week I had had. My BP was good, I hadn't gained any weight, Clark sounded great, but I still had some protein spilling into my urine. He asked for all the classical signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, some of which I had now and seem of which just keep coming and going. He assured me that if issues keep presenting themselves he's not going to hesitate to take Clark. He told me that our health and safety was much more important than going to 39 or 40 weeks at this point. I was glad to hear this... like I said before, I'm tired of all the trial runs. I go back first thing Friday morning to get checked out and reassess the situation. He'll probably decide to take him Friday because that's the day the youth group is going to White Water and my mom will have all the grand babies and my siblings will be in Atlanta, isn't that the way it always works?

Oh, he did reassure me that if I go into labor in my own that he will come in and whoever is on call won't deliver. He even gave me one of his special cards to give the labor and delivery nurses with specifics to call him ASAP. That put some of my fears to rest! Have I mentioned how much I love my doctor?

The Hospital - My Home Away from Home

Believe it or not, I ended up back in the hospital Saturday night.  We had gone down to Cartersville to see the newest addition to our family, our sweet niece Macy.  She was due two days before Clark but came a bit early this week.  She's a beautiful little thing and is the first girl on either side!  Andy's brother drove his wife, Cooper, and myself down so I wouldn't have to drive that far and we met Andy down there once he got off work.  I was following doctor's orders and taking it easy.  Andy chased Cooper all over the place and I sat back and enjoyed Macy.  Right before we were planning on leaving I wasn't feeling too well and I could tell I was starting to swell again.  Andy's sister is a nurse so I asked her to check my blood pressure.  I really didn't think it would be up but when she checked it it was 142/98 which is high for me.  She checked it two more times and it didn't go down.  I called my doctor's answering service and the midwife on call called me right back.  She told me to lay down and check it about 10 minutes later and if it didn't come down to go to labor and delivery.  We did this for almost an hour and we got it to come down to about 132/78.  I called her back and she had the doctor on call call me.  He told me to come into the hospital because he was there and wanted it monitored.  We jumped in the car and got on the road since we were over an hour away.

Once we got to the hospital it was almost 10pm and Cooper was with us.  Both sets of parents met us there to help with Cooper and to see if I was going to have Clark.  As soon as they hooked me up to the machines my BP started coming down.  I felt ridiculous.  After about 5 readings it was down to normal.  Andy promised the nurses that I wasn't a hypochondriac and they all kept reassuring me that I was doing the right thing by coming in, plus the doctor ordered it.  Everyone (all the nurses and doctors) keeps telling me that I can't play around with my history and that it's always better to be safe than sorry.  I still feel a bit stupid for rushing in each time something happens.  I keep telling myself that the doctor has ordered me to the hospital each time and that I've never just marched in on my own.  Severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome can be a life or death matter if they aren't caught in time and both came on extremely quickly with Cooper.  I know I can't play around with my history but it's still frustrating!  I told Andy I wasn't going back to the hospital until I saw a scalpel and official word that Clark would be coming once I got there.  My doctor is back in the office today so at least now when I call it'll be orders from him and he'll be the one calling all the shots.  I see him first thing Tuesday and I'm hoping to get some answers about where to go from here.  I keep having signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, all at different times, but they aren't coming together at once.  We're just wondering now how long they will let this go on before they take Clark.  I'm getting tired of all the trial runs!

All Because Two People Fell in Love

As most of you know I have a 20 month old and another baby boy on the way.  Incredibly enough, I didn't create these two little men on my own... I had some help.  I fell in love with a wonderful man 5 years ago and the rest is history.  He's turned out to be an amazing husband and father and I couldn't ask for anything more.  We knew we wanted to have a date night before Clark's arrival and with all the little bumps in the pregnancy road this week we figured we'd better go ahead hit the town.  I'm hoping I'll make it through the next few days so we knew this weekend may have been our last chance.

As any parent knows date nights are far and few between with little ones.  I think the last time we went out alone was on our anniversary in May.  We go out a lot with Cooper and have some "stay at home" date nights when he goes to bed.  Once you have children the spontaneity of dates just goes down the drain... that's fine with me though!  I know we could have more date nights because we always have willing sitters, we just prefer to do things where we can take Cooper along.  Now when we do get to go out alone it's even more special.  I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of stay at home date nights once Clark arrives.

We had originally planned on going downtown to eat and walk around (one of my absolute favorite things to do in Chattanooga) but I had been put on strict orders to stay off my feet and out of the heat by the doctor on Friday.  That option was out... plus it was storming.  Andy let me pick where we went so I chose a little restaurant called The Lookout.  It's up on Lookout Mountain in a little town called Cloudland, GA.  It's right at the Alabama line. It was open when I was younger but has just reopened.  We dropped Cooper off at my parent's, drove down through the cove (another one of my favorites), and went to eat.

It's a fancy little place but the food was delicious.  It had a great atmosphere and wasn't expensive.  Once we finished we had a waitress take our picture so we could remember out last date as parents of one.  I meant to tell her to take the picture vertically because I really liked my dress but I forgot!  This could be a recreation of Jonah and the Whale but I'm glad we remembered to take a picture together while I'm still pregnant.  You can tell just how bad my facial swelling has gotten this week... I guess that's one reason why I'm supposed to be taking it easy this weekend!

A Little Wreath for Little Clark

As everyone knows I like to make wreaths.  When Cooper was born my sister made him a beautiful wreath for our hospital door.  It had brightly colored ribbons and a pretty little place to write all his information on.  I refuse to pay for the way overly priced wreaths/ribbons they sell at the hospital and refuse to let any family members buy us one either.  Hospital gift shops know new mommies want something on their door but we've quickly realized we can make wreaths much cuter and much cheaper.

This time around I became a little worried about our wreath situation since I knew he could be coming any day now.  Summer is super busy with her boys so I didn't want to put the task off on her.  I had our wreath from the 4th of July on our door so I pulled it off, took off the fabric (I didn't like it enough to use again next year), and got busy.

This wreath looks a bit crazy but I like it.  I bought some stuff at Walmart to decorate it.  I had originally wanted a little chalkboard to put on the wreath to write Clark's information on but, of course, Walmart didnt' have any.  I ended up buying their smallest dry erase board and some boyish ribbon to wrap around it.  I bought two packs of ribbon thinking that would be plenty but it wasn't.  I definitely needed one more pack, even after I put the dry erase board on.  I wasn't going back out to Walmart to buy more so I improvised the best way I could... I went to the Dollar General and bought a 5x7 frame and hot glued it right beside the white board.  I put some brightly colored tissue paper in the frame and plan on using that part to be able to write on as well.  I just hope it survives until his arrival... it's very heavy and I had to use a ton of glue on both pieces so they'd stay on.  Hopefully nothing will fall off!

37 Week Update

We've made it to 37 week mark!  Clark is now "officially" full term!  Yay!  I went to the doctor this morning with my roots touched up (I woke up at 7:30am to do that), toenails freshly painted in a beautiful baby theme, and my bags packed.  With the way things have gone this week I was just convinced I was going to be sent to the hospital after my visit and not be returning home for awhile.

I had to wait an hour before I was seen.  I had a slight weight increase from Wednesday from added swelling which worried me some but my BP was okay.  I didn't have any protein spill over into my urine this visit so then we just had to wait for the hospital to fax over my lab results from my 24 hour urine test.  Of course, that was supposed to be done first thing yesterday when they got the results but nobody seems to follow up the way they should.  As soon as the results got back to midwife had to rush off and deliver a baby.  Then I had to wait even longer for another doctor to read the results and decide what to do with me.  The results were okay so I've been cleared for the weekend with some strict orders to take it easy.  I wasn't put on bed rest but it was strongly implied that I didn't need to do much and needed to keep my feet up since they were swollen worse today.  I'm fine with that as long as it gets me through to Monday when Dr. Emberson returns!  As of right now they have me seeing him first thing Tuesday morning but are trying to switch my appointment to Monday, which I'd be a lot more comfortable with.  Andy has to work tomorrow so I don't know how well I can relax chasing my little wild man around but hopefully everything will stay calm until Monday!  After that I'm fine with whatever because Clark is full term and Dr. Emberson will be back!

Another LIttle Scare

Sorry... this is lengthy!

Yesterday morning I went to the doctor for my weekly visit.  I was seeing the midwife since my doctor is out of town.  When I got there everything was great.  I had only gained a pound and my BP was 122/77.  I was happy as a lark until they got my urine sample back... it had some protein in it.  That's a huge red flag for preeclampsia.  I immediately began to worry and so did the midwife.  That added to some facial swelling I've been developing, headaches I've been having, and the briskness of my reflexes (all signs of preeclampsia) she decided to send me to the hospital for a CBC and 24 hour urine analysis.

I left crying, called Andy, called my mom, and then headed home for a little while to get ready and love on Cooper.  I just knew this would be my first night away from him so I wanted to squeeze in as much time as I could get with him.  Once I was ready my mom and I left for the hospital.  I had all of our bags because my biggest fear was that Clark would arrive that afternoon.  I knew if my blood work came back with any signs of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome then they would go ahead and take him since I'm almost 37 weeks.  I was also extremely upset that this was happening while Dr. Emberson is out of town... I've been saying this jokingly for weeks now and jinxed myself (just like last time).

Once I got to the hospital they started my urine test and did my blood work.  We just had to wait to find out the results.  A couple of hours later they told me my blood work looked good so they were going to let me finish my urine analysis at home!  I was thrilled and ready to leave but I had to be seen by a doctor first before I could be discharged.  They told me this at 3:30.  I didn't see a doctor until 6:30.  Needless to say my mom and I almost left several times since he was just going to tell me the same things the nurse did.  When I finally saw him he gave me the exact same rundown.  Very frustrating to wait for 3 hours when I could've been at home!

Since we're still not 100% if the preeclampsia is back I'm finishing up the 24 hour urine test at home and taking it back to the hospital around 2pm today.  Since 1:30pm yesterday every time I've gone to the bathroom I have to collect my urine, put it in a hospital jug, and keep it in the fridge.  Lovely!  They'll do labs on it once I take it back and then we'll go from there.  If there are more than 300mg protein in it then that's an official diagnosis and I'll probably be back at the hospital and getting ready for Clark's arrival.  If not, I go back to the doctor first thing tomorrow morning to keep a watch on what's going on.  I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow and a weekend away from having Dr. Emberson back (come to find out he's in Scotland!!!) so I'll be thrilled if we can make it through the weekend.  I'm hoping we can make it a few more weeks so keep us in your prayers!  I'll try to keep everyone updated!

Mexican Mondays

When Andy and I were dating we always had a cheap date night each Monday... Amigo's $.50 tacos.  They've raised their prices to $.75 per taco but that's still pretty good.  The last 3 weeks we've deemed our Mondays Mexican night.  We've done Amigo twice and one of our other favorite Mexican restaurants.  It's nice to not have to cook (the more pregnant I get the less I can want to cook and more I want to eat) and to get out of the house.  With the pregnancy heartburn the Mexican food isn't sitting that well but it's worth it!

I think the plan for next week is to have a Mexican Monday feast at our house.  The only Mexican dish I know how to make is tacos and they aren't very authentic.  Andy's volunteered his cooking skills (he's better in this area of cooking than me) but I need to start looking up some recipes.  If you have a good one let me know!

Photo Friday & 36 Weeks

Happy Friday!  I'm looking forward to this weekend simply because Cooper and I finally get to spend some time with Andy.  He's been working like a dog this week and we miss him!

 We've made it through another week of this pregnancy and are quickly approaching the end.  I can't believe we've made it to 36 weeks but also can't believe I've still got 4 more to go.  That feels like a long time but I know it'll go quickly.  I've been looking into some natural ways to induce labor for when my doctor gets back in town (he's gone all next week) but I know that's frowned upon when you're having a repeat c-section.  I'm pretty sure they don't want me to go into labor on my own.  Oh well, a girl can wish!  I keep trying to think of things we need to do to get ready for Clark but I think we've about done it all.  I wish I had something to keep me busy in his department to make me feel like I'm doing something but I guess keeping him in and letting him bake is doing enough!  People keep telling me I've dropped and I kind of feel like I have.  All of the sudden I can't bend over or move easily because my stomach is in my way.  I can also feel it resting on my legs when I sit down so I guess I have.  Maybe Clark will set his labor in motion on his own and we can just finish up with a c-section!

Cooper had a good and bad week.  He's been eating a lot better for me this week but I know that can change in an instant.  He's eaten a lot more foods for me this week, several that he hasn't eaten in about 2 months, and is eating good portions each meal.  He's also learned how to say "momma!"  It's only taken 19.5 months but I'll take it!  It's so sweet!  Another thing he's learned this week is how to pitch major fits and meltdowns.  If he doesn't get what he wants he screams, cries, throws himself on the floor, and screams some more.  Andy and I feel absolutely clueless on what to do when he does this.  Anything we try to do to discipline him just makes him more upset and if we ignore him he comes up right in our face and cries.  I figured we'd hit the terrible twos right before Clark comes.  If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears... we're pretty clueless!

Sorry this ended up being a long post... here are our photos for the week... enjoy!

 Andy found a black widow nesting on our back porch... scary!

 Giving into his newest obsession, trains.

 He loves his new bubble mower.

 Driving the police cart at Bilo.  I really wish Aldi and Walmart had these!

 He takes his George very seriously!

I bought this little dry erase board a few months ago at a yard sale and could never figure out where to put it.  I settled on an open space right beside our door that goes out to the garage.  My keys hang right beside it so it was the perfect spot.  It comes in handy for shopping lists and errands, especially since I can't seem to remember my own name these days!

My 1st Pinterest Project Post

I've been a very active Pinterest member for almost a year now but have recently become much more obsessed than I have been in the past.  I think it's a combination of insomnia, summer break, and exhaustion that keeps bringing me back to my computer and pinning every day.  I thought it might be fun to have a blog post every week or two about my latest Pinterest finds that I've tested and tried.  Here goes!

I'm guilty of getting into a cooking rut.  I'll have about 5 or 6 good recipes that I switch out each week and that can get a little boring.  I like to keep things I cook very simple with easy to find ingredients.  When I decided to make this dish I already had all the ingredients so it was easy.  It's made in an 8x8 dish and there was no way I was fitting 9 roll-ups into that pan so I used an 8x8 (I fit 6 in there) and another small Pyrex dish.  I was a little nervous about the outcome but it was delicious!  I used more sauce than it called for but it was so creamy (the way I like it).  It was easy to prepare and didn't take too long to cook.  I will definitely be adding this to the rotation!  Follow the link below for the recipe.

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups

pinterest.com/pin/105764291219606365

tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/fudgy-brownie-cookies/  Here is the next link to another recipe I tried.

This pregnancy has turned me into a chocoholic.  I love brownies and I love cookies so this recipe sounded perfect for me!  I had to go out and buy a few things for it but it was worth it.  As I mixed the ingredients I wasn't sure it was going to be a success (and still thought that when I put them on the cookie sheet) but they turned out very good.  They are very rich and mine were a little gooey but that's how Andy and I like them.  It called for fudge brownies and all I had was Ghiradelli brownie mix so it's probably even better if you use the right kind of brownies.  They were a little bit of work but I'll be making them again!

I've got another new recipe I found via Pinterest in the crock pot right now so I'll let everyone know how it turns out in my next Pinterest post!

Weekly Update - 35.5 Weeks

Time for our weekly update!  I had a lot done at the doctor today but not a lot of excitement.  My BP was 121/60 and I'm up to a total weight gain of 21 pounds.  I had the Group B Strep test done and had my cervix checked.  I was dreading this because I only had it done once with Cooper and that was about an hour before his c-section.  It wasn't a very comfortable feeling.  It wasn't too bad though.  I was hoping I'd be dilated a little bit but no such luck!  I also had him check my ears.  I've had a horrible earache since Thursday and it looks like I've got swimmer's ear that's on the verge of turning into an ear infection.  I've got some drops and have to take antibiotics... hopefully it'll start feeling better soon!  Dr. Emberson did an ultrasound and everything looked great!  The first thing he said was "Oh my, he's got a ton of hair!"  Maybe it'll come out dark brown (like my natural color) but I highly doubt it!  The blonde genes seem to rule in this little family.  He's weighing in at 6.1 pounds and the doctor said that was perfect!  He's not too big and not too small, he said he's just the way he likes them.  My fluid levels looked good as well.  He told me to not let anything happen since he's going out of town for the next week and a half.  I assured him I didn't plan on it since I want him to deliver Clark.  I'm glad we're nearing the end of this pregnancy but I definitely want Clark to wait and make his arrival after Dr. Emberson gets back from vacation!

Maternity Photos

I know I showed a small sneak peek of our latest photo session a few weeks ago but I thought I'd share a few of my favorites now that I have them all back.  They turned out great and I can't wait to blow some up and get them on the walls!  All of the pictures are on my Facebook page so you can see them there as well!

Trains & Monkeys, Monkeys & Trains

As Cooper gets older the more I see an obsessive personality coming out in him.  I've noticed that all my nephews have gone through this stage so I'm not too worried about it.  One of the things he's been obsessed with for awhile now is Curious George.  He loves that little monkey.  He dances and laughs every time he hears the theme song.  He sits and watches with such intense attention it amazes me.  Another thing he's recently become obsessed with is trains.  He has a few cousins who are train fanatics so I knew it would just be a matter of time until it rubbed off on him.  I'm trying to make him a "big brother" bag for the hospital with all of his favorite things in it.  I know he's not old enough yet to feel "left out" or realize what's going on when Clark's born but I still want him to feel special and have a little treat at the hospital.  I'm having some trouble getting this bag together though.  Here's why;

Curious George toys, clothes, etc. are so hard to find!  I can't find anything Curious George in stores and there's not a good selection online either.  He has one Curious George shirt and I've never seen him so excited to get dressed.  Once we get it on he runs around saying "Gege" and points to his belly.  It's so cute!  I'm having absolutely no luck finding him any George clothes though.  He also runs around saying "choo choo" all the time now, too.  I can find train things but they cost a fortune!  Walmart and Target usually carry an off brand of trains but every time I've looked I can't find them.  I can only find Thomas.  One Thomas train that's about 2 inches long costs $10.  I just can't justify spending that much on a little train that he'll misplace 5 minutes after we get home.  Also, if you want to start a track, even just a "beginners track" you have to spend at least $25 and it only comes with one train car.  I'm trying to not push trains too much because it's such an expensive little hobby.

The only thing I've found that I think I'm definitely going to buy is a Curious George bag.  I found it on Amazon for $5 and am going to use that as the actual "Big Brother" bag.  I wanted to have some George stuff and some train stuff but I'm quickly running out of time.  If anyone knows of any deals on either let me know... I'm becoming desperate!

Photo Friday & 35 Weeks

Well, we're one week closer to meeting this sweet boy!  I'm starting to get really excited and a bit anxious!  I had a few contractions last night that had me doubled over for several seconds.  Let's just say that I'm thankful I'm having a c-section... those tiny little contractions about knocked me off my feet!  As I mentioned in my last post we moved a sleeper sofa into Clark's room that I didn't like so my mom and I (mostly my mom) moved it into mine and Andy's bedroom and then rearranged the furniture in both bedrooms.  It about killed us both so I'm not surprised I had some contractions.  We had a lazy week so I don't have too many photos but enjoy!

 He's super talented!

 Cool hair thanks to sunscreen!  

 Andy made me these one night for dinner... he knows the way to this pregnant gal's heart.

 Nighttime bible story.

 I can't believe we're getting so close!

35 weeks!

4th of July

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays and today was no exception.  We didn't do anything too elaborate to celebrate but it was nice to be able to spend the day with Andy and our family.

One of Andy's best friends offered us a sleeper sofa, for free, so we went and picked it up this morning.  We've rearranged Clark's room and have put it in there for now so I can sleep with him while breast feeding.  I really don't like the way we've rearranged the room to make room for it but hopefully it won't become a permeant fixture.  In fact, I dislike it so much I'm debating on taking it out before he comes.  I know it'll come in handy for me and everyone else in the house but his room just isn't as cute anymore.

For our 4th of July celebration we went to my cousin's house for swimming and a cookout.  Cooper has been using swimmies the last few times we've swam and he's getting really good at using this them.  He can keep himself up and get around but he keeps drinking gallons of pool water.  That's the only problem we've found with them.  His mouth is too close to the water and he thinks he needs to drink it like a fish.  All of the food and deserts we had were delicious and I must have eaten half my weight in sweets.  I couldn't help it!  Cooper pretty much just ate sweets for dinner but I figured I'd go easy on both of us since it was a holiday.

When we got done swimming we ran Cooper home to give him a bath.  His skin was irritated from the swimmies and his swim diaper so I wanted to get the chlorine and sunscreen off him as soon as we could.  Once we were all cleaned up we headed out to watch fireworks.  I was afraid Cooper would be terrified of them (he's scared of loud noises) but he loved them!  He didn't even say "it's okay" one time to reassure himself.  That's what he says when he's scared.  All in all it was a successful day and a great 4th of July!

Our Weekly Update

I've been lazy with my blog the last few days and I think I've got a good excuse.  Andy's been home with us and it's been so nice having him around.  Chasing a wild toddler around when you're 8.5 months pregnant is so much easier with Daddy at home.  I know people may be getting bored with the weekly Clark updates but I want to have them to go back and look at!

Everything looked great today! My BP was 119/70 and I had only gained a pound! I was thrilled and shocked since I've been eating so much here lately. That puts me at a grand total of 17 pounds at 34.5 weeks. Clark sounded great and Dr. Emberson said I couldn't be doing better. I go back in next week for my "official" before birth ultrasound! It feels so odd and exciting to be getting to do all the things that a normal, healthy pregnant woman gets to do. I know I'm being monitored and watched like a hawk but it's nice to get to experience a "normal" pregnancy... I just hope it stays this way for the next 5 weeks.

Some other things that are happening due to this pregnancy right now-
-I want to eat ALL the time!  My appetite has increased by so much that it's scary!  I've done pretty well so far with self-control and food but it's getting hard!
-My back is hurting... a lot!  It does ok during the day but about 6pm it starts aching and doesn't stop until I go to bed.
-When I go to bed I'm having a hard time breathing due to Clark being up in my lungs (I'm ready for him to drop) and I'm having a lot of congestion, probably a combination of pregnancy and having to use the ceiling fan every night due to the heat.
-Pregnancy insomnia has set in big time! Thank goodness for iPads, iPhones, the Kindle app, and an endless amount of free, cheesy Kindle books. I've gotten a lot of reading done in the last couple of weeks during the middle of the night & early morning hours. I'd rather have all of this though as long as Clark keeps cooking!