Baby Landen is here! He was born at 1:55 pm and weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. He was 21 inches long and has a set of lungs on him! Such a cutie!!

Finally....a pregnant picture!

Alright, here's the picture of me pregnant. I wanted to get this up before he gets here because I know I won't want to see it after that! :)
This picture was taken on Saturday, September 19, so I was about 37 1/2 weeks along.

48 Hours and Counting

We are less than 48 hours from the big moment! I am getting so anxious! I went to the doctor today and he was proud of me--I haven't lost any weight, but I didn't gain any either which was good news. So, hopefully I am winning the battle with the swelling. My blood pressure was up, but not too worrisome. All in all it was a good visit. We went over the whole process--I am checking in after midnight Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning so that I can get some medicine to help me sleep that night. With Kylie, I stayed awake all night long! I was sooo nervous about the IV, the spinal block, etc knowing that I wasn't going to have contractions distracting me. And I must say I am already anxious about all of that this time again.
But I got some great news about the process this time. Our hospital does an "ambient c-section"....what this means is that the c-section is held in a very relaxed, calm atmosphere. They turn off all of the lights except a flood light on my belly to see to perform the c-section. Then, there are vanilla candles burning. We are able to choose music from an I-Pod to be playing during the birth and the part I am absolutely happy about--Richie can walk in the surgery room from the very beginning with me. He doesn't have to wait until after my spinal block and all of the prep! He can actually hold my hand during the spinal block and hopefully relax me. This is huge because I was stuck 8 times with Kylie because I wouldn't relax! The whole setting sounds so nice and hopefully more enjoyable!

Swift Kick in the Belly

Yesterday when Richie came home for lunch, I met him in the kitchen and gave him a hug. Well, my belly being rather large was up against his belly and Landen decided to kick about that time and Richie felt Landen kick him in the stomach!! Now he knows how the last few months have felt! :)
I am surviving the strict bed rest and trying really hard to be good and stay in bed, but I must say it is SO BORING. I can tell you what comes on TV at every 30 minute increment. Add to the that the fact that I am not sleeping at night, getting up (OK waking up and sitting up in bed) by 6:45 a.m. and it makes for a long, boring, lonely day. But less than 5 days to go! Woo Hoo! I can't wait to meet the little fella.
Last night when I was lying in bed unable to sleep, I was overwhelmed by the thought of what a miracle it is to carry a baby in my belly. Richie had commented on how he didn't know how I dealt with the constant kicking and rolling that Landen does, and I told him I am so used to him that it will actually be sad when he's born and I have to "share" him with everyone else. Right now, it's all me. That's what led me to the whole miracle thought--how God brings us into the world. I love the feeling of a little one growing inside of me. Sure, I am tired, sore, and worn out, but it's such an awesome feeling to know that another human being is living inside of me.

In Trouble

Well, I know how my kids feel when I get on to them now. Because I got in trouble today...by Dr. Bell. I have been home for 2 weeks taking it easy, but I have still managed to do a few things like cook dinner, load the dishwasher, or just sit on the couch with my husband and kids. Well, no more. I gained 10 lbs in a week and had a bad spell Saturday with swelling, headache, blurred vision, and nausea. So, Dr. Bell was really concerned today when I went for my visit. He now told me I can't get out of my bed unless I need to use the restroom or go to the hospital. No couch rest, no chair rest. BEDREST. I am going to go insane. He said if things don't improve, he'll have to take Landen early, so I am going to do my best to stay in bed for the next 8 days. UGH!!

Picture This....

I have been cooking dinnner while at home (that's the extent of my abilities, but I have to have something to look forward to each day or I'll just go crazy). I was watching Paula Deen the other day and she made a French onion soup recipe that looked really good, so I thought I would try it. I went online and got the recipe and it called for 1/4 C white wine, which I don't keep on hand, so I knew I would have to pick it up the next time I was out. So, when I went for my dr appt last week, I stopped at the Liquor Store on the way. Ok, first of all I was paranoid to walk in there and buy an alcoholic beverage at 9 months pregnant, but I decided I would just suck it up and not worry about what the cashier thought. Well, I walked in and immediately began explaining my situation to the guy behind the counter. His face was priceless--I think it scared him more that I was was so adamant that I make sure he understood the wine was for a soup recipe than if I had just walked in and bought my wine. Anyway, so I get home and later that evening I am making the soup when I realize I don't have a corkscrew! So, I got online and found a suggestion on removing the corkscrew by screwing in a regular screw and then using pliers to pull it and the cork out. Normally Richie is home by 4:15, but at this point it was almost 5, the soup was boiling, and the wine needed to be in there 30 minutes earlier to allow plenty of time to "cook off" the alcohol. So, I am getting desperate at this point. In our new house we have granite countertops, so I was scared to try to remove the screw/cork on the counter only to have the bottle slip and break. The floor is tile, so again I didn't know what the best thing would be to do. So, I decided at that point, I would just go outside, sit in the yard, put the bottle under my arm, and try to pull the cork out. Well, we are now in a neighborhood, but we don't have neighbors yet. However, they are building a new house right next door and at any given time, we have about 4-6 workers there all day. Can you imagine the look on these workers' faces if I did this? Luckily, Richie came home at that moment! So, he was able to take out the cork without the embarrassment of his wife on the lawn, 9 months pregnant, with a wine bottle under her arm in a panic to get the cork out quick!

Bed rest, burp rags, and good food!!

The bed rest is going pretty good. I must say I have noticed a big difference in the way I feel since I haven't been working and trying to keep up the Mom load too! Yesterday I went over to Mom's house to just get out a bit and sewed a few burp rags for Landen. They are so cute! It was nice to just get out and do something. I was actually worn out when I got home. We are down to the final countdown. Only 13 more days. I can't believe it's getting so close, yet it still seems so far away!! I am ready....I think. I am ready for him to be here, but I know how absolutely crazy life is going to get. I ran in to a friend yesterday that had her baby about 7 weeks or so ago and she also has two older children and she admitted that life is very chaotic. So, I am a bit scared! But with all that said, I am ready to see the little guy. The kids are pumped too. They are going to skip school and come to the hospital when he's born. I ordered them "Big Brother" and "Big Sister" t-shirts the other day! Landen has a onesie that says "Little Brother" so they are going to all be decked out! :)

Hot Apple Pie!

Last night I had what I would for sure consider a craving. You see we had been at Cheddar's yesterday afternoon and I saw apple pie a la mode on the menu, however I was so full from lunch I couldn't bear to eat anything else. But the apple pie thought stuck with me the rest of the day! So, I decided last night to try and make one. Well, I didn't have any ready-made crusts handy but I had everything else, so I made the whole pie, including the crust, from scratch!! I have wanted to make an apple pie for years, but for some reason it intimidated me. But a pregnancy craving sure calms the nerves and I just decided to go for it. Well, I asked Richie if he liked apple pie (not that I would change my mind about making it even if I was the only one to eat it) and he said he wasn't really fond of it. It was so late last night when it was ready, that I waited until this morning to try it. And I ate 2 pieces. Oh. My. Gosh. It was SO yummy. I told Richie how good it was and he tried a piece and said it was the best apple pie he had every tasted! :)
Tonight we are having tilapia baked in parchment packs with seasoned veggies. It was a Red Lobster favorite of mine, but they won't make it anymore that way (according to the waitress, the cook said it was too much trouble). So, I have come up with my own version and maybe it will satisfy my desire!

Another Baby is Here!

Our friends Jeremy and Catina had their baby last night and we went up to see her today.....Addison is such a cutie! Jeremy was quite the proud Daddy I must say. Addison sneezed a few times and Richie thought that was the cutest thing he had ever seen. I must say Richie is in for some exciting days ahead with Landen (once he gets here!). Babies change so much and everything they do, down to a little sneeze is such a sweet moment. Richie was amazed at how awesome Catina looked this morning--she had her make-up on, her hair down. She didn't even look like she had had a baby last night. I reminded him she didn't have a c-section, because I don't want him to freak out when I look like death warmed over the next day! :) Seriously though, she looked great and was in great spirits. Addison weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and she and Landen were both 4.5 lbs on their ultrasounds at 32 weeks, so I have a feeling Landen will be a big boy for sure now! I say this as I eat my 5th Oreo in about 2 minutes--so I am sure, my diet at this point is helping that out a bit too.
Ok, now I have to rant for a bit. Now before you read my rant, please understand I have the best for everyone in mind. Yesterday, I was driving to Wal-Mart and a gentleman on a motorcycle was behind me. Well, I was proceeding to move to the left lane, but had a funny feeling about the guy on the bike. Let me say that I have spent my fair share of time on a motorcycle and have even been in a motorcycle wreck, so I am a BIG advocate of making sure you are aware of motorcyclist on the road. However, I also feel that when you get on a motorcycle, you have an obligation to be conscious of your surroundings as well. Anyway, I was floored when I put on my blinker to move to the left lane, checked my mirror and was about to change lanes only to have the motorcyclist squeeze between me and the car in the left lane and take off! I promise if I hadn't been watching him, I would've hit him. I was furious--how disrespectful to other drivers and how wreckless he is with his life and mine to drive so carelessly! I told Richie the story and it was weird today because on our way home, we had another guy on a motorcycle drive careless and pull right out in front of us! Note: These were cruiser bikes, not "crotch-rockets". These were also men in their mid-30's, not careless teenagers.

A Face-Lift, a Clean Garage, and some Bed Rest

Wow--what a title! Ok, that's just a quick sum of this post, not some bad surgery gone wrong. First, I have had my blog for nearly four years now and have always wanted a customized personal background/header for my blog, but I just couldn't fathom spending any money on it. Well, I broke down a few days ago and put in an order with an awesome blog designer. The price was right and there were so many ideas to choose from on her blog that I couldn't resist ordering my own. Plus, I decided at this point--I deserve it!! So, in a couple of weeks, you will see a brand new background and header with pictures, etc! YIPPEE!
How did I manage to afford this new blog background? Well, I cleaned out my garages and took a whole truck load of clothing and old toys up to the Growing Kids Sale! I had 100 clothing items (the max they allow or there would've been more), a play kitchen, large easel, and toys of new toys in boxes my kids have never played with! Ok, the blog design is relatively inexpensive, so I will have plenty of money left over, but that was my way of justifying the ability to splurge right now. What's nice too is that my car fits back in to the garage so I don't have to get out in the heat or rain again. Granted, there is still work to be done in the garage, but it is a major improvement. Now if I could just have a garage sale, I could get rid of the furniture in there.
However, the garage sale won't happen any time soon though. Why? Well, I have officially started my maternity leave and am on bed rest for the next 3 weeks until Landen gets here. My poor body just gave out. I was having 2-3 contractions an hour, cramping, you name it, I was experiencing it. My job is relatively easy, but it is still a physical job when you have a 9 month pregnant woman do it. I lift 15 plus pounds, stand in one position for a total of 4 hours a day, and have some walking just to get to and from my doctor's offices. Not to mention the driving--and at this point I am very uncomfortable in a car. Heck, walking to the bathroom at this point is physically demanding. My doctor was just ready to see my sit back and relax at this point because I was overdoing it. Oh yeah--add 2 kids at home on to that list, and I was worn out between work and home!!! So, here's to a few relaxing weeks before the baby gets here--pray I don't go crazy! :) Because I forgot to mention I am not good at sitting still and doing nothing. Especially when I don't have a choice. But I HAVE to!

I got shot!

Dr. Ashcraft (our pediatrician) advised me a few weeks ago to get a flu shot if at all possible--why? Well, because Landen has to be 6 months old before he can get one and since that is pretty much at the very end of flu season, it is not going to help. However, if I get one while I am pregnant, he is passed some of the antibodies and is protected up to 6 months....so I was driving past Walgreen's the other day when I saw a sign that said they had flu shots. I high-tailed it right to the pharmacy desk and asked what I had to do to get one. It was simple--pay $25 and I was hooked up. So, I did it for Landen! It's just a seasonal flu shot, not the H1N1, but hey that's one less flu to worry about.
Meanwhile, I have been fighting allergies/cold and it stinks when you're pregnant. You're already tired and miserable--add not being able to breath and more fatigure and I am pretty much a sloth right now.
4 weeks from today and Landen will be here!!!