At home with the newest.

I have a very timely baby!  #4 is the first to arrive on her due date.  She did get a little help, as I said earlier I was having pre-labor for a couple of weeks.  Sunday, I started with contractions off and on at 8:30 in the morning and were irregular for the entire day.  Our Mother’s day show was everyone pointing to, “look YOUR contracting”.

Well, went to bed and woke up with stronger contractions every 20 minutes at 12:15 am on Monday.  I had had enough. It hurt and I was not going to be able to go to sleep, so I figured it was time to go and see what was going on.  So we went.  Got there at 3:15 am and found out I was more like 7-8 minutes apart, I just was not feeling them.  Well, things got better with 3-7 minutes apart.  Then a little nap and everything stopped. Ah, this has been my past 2 weeks.  I did progress from 2 cm to 3 cm.

Thankfully, I was scheduled to be induced the following morning.  The Doctor decided to just induce me on Monday, since I was already there.  I was a bit bummed. 

I have been induced for #2 and #3 and HAD to have an epidural with both.  And both times, the epidural did not work perfectly.  #2 required being punctured twice to get it set.  The labor and delivery was enjoyable, but the aftermath was horrible.  I had migraines for about 5 days.  #3’s epidural only worked for my left side of my body and not the other.  So I felt everything!  My husband and I both desired for me not to have another epidural for fear of the dangers and it not being a great success yet.

The induction followed much like the last one; quick, fast and amazingly painful!  Within 3 hours it was done.  I ended up with contractions about 1-2 minutes apart with each contraction opening me another cm.  literally, I went 5 cm, contraction, 6 cm, contraction, 7 cm, contraction, 8cm, contraction, 9cm, contraction, 10 cm.  All of this 2 minutes apart, with no time to relax from the pain.  BECAUSE although I really needed the drugs, I had absolutely no time!  I even asked at 4 cm.  When I hit 10 cm, she was out in 3 minutes. 

WOW!  That was painful!  I mean, I am glad I can join the women of strength who have done it with out drugs, but man, it kind of scared me mentally.  I stand firm that every woman is made as God has intended her to be.  Some of us are blessed for birth, some for pregnancy, and some for none of it.  Well, I am not blessed with the ability to handle pain.   But thankfully, I survived and felt incredibly great within 15-30 minutes.

#4 came out on her due date at 8 lbs and perfect.  I am quickly recovering, even though I am getting the full experience of the forceful cramping of my uterus, her previous home, to shrink.  But besides that We are doing great!  AND HERE SHE IS!

~trish

My baby bump!

What a rough picture!  Here I am at 36 weeks.  I wish I had a picture of today, I am still prego, with 3 days to go until my due date.  I have never been pregnant this long with any of the others.  The funny part, is how more and more relaxed I am, as I am getting closer to the end.

You can see my more recent bump in my hen house post.  How funny!  I do have some appreciation to God that my eyes are in the front of my face than in the back.  I was a bit in shock when I seen pictures of my back.  What a petty thing to think about, but in this pregnancy my milk fat storage is apparently my back and butt.  I like to call it milk fat, since your body stores up fat at the end to have a good burst of milk supply.  I also name it this, so I mentally never own and feel as though I must keep it.

Like a crazy woman, I am making plans for a half marathon.  I have ran a half marathon a couple of years ago and a 15k a couple months after #3.  I have a plan.  Previously, I have walked 14 miles a week for the first 14 weeks.  I did this by getting out 3-4 times a week, walking about 3-4 miles at a time.  By the 14th week, I had all my pregnancy weight gone.  So taking this approach, I plan to start running at whatever distance and how often by how it feels.  I have enough going on, I am not going to over push myself.  SO I hope to get to October and have about 5 miles a week that I am running and a total of 20 miles moved each week. 

I am going to have to pull out some favors and get my groggy head up early to get the miles in.  I feel that it is worth it though.  My time getting the miles in, often releases my stress and clears my head.  Which always helps me to deal with my little ones!

 

Days away from getting started.

~trish

Laundry helpers

Is there a minimum age for laundry?  This is always a well dialoged topic among friends.  This is my 5 1/2 yr old and my 2 yr old, helping me with laundry (generally known as, #1 and #3 within my blog).  I have enlisted fulltime help from them on this job, since in these latter days, I can no longer bend over to get the things in and out of the machine.  So the two of them have been most helpful, along with my son, #2. 

Now let, this Momma have a little pride.  #1 can load the machine and put the detergent in, all by herself!  And she loads the dryer and turns it on also!  This is really, her daddy’s training.  I personally would have never thought to teach her that so early, but he did.  Now this is not something she does everyday or once a week.  But ohh, what a pleasant surprise, when I have asked here to put the basket from the bathroom into the washing machine (especially the days, I did not have to ask 400 times) and to walk out there 20 minutes later to start the machine and realize it is already going.  Better than any Hallmark card!

A little background on my “laundry room”.  I do not have one.  We moved into this house and in the garage was a washing machine hook up in a kinda bathroom set up and the dryer was on another side of a wall that separated the bathroom from the garage.  With this marvelous accommodations, I also received the original double washing tubs.  Like I have said before, my house was built in 1952, we bought it from the 2nd owner, who had lived here for 52 years.  So the “laundry room” was an afterthought.

My washing machine and dryer sits on the back porch (screened in) with the constant shuffle of toys from under my feet.  I enjoy it much better.  At one point, we “temporarily” had them in the kitchen.  I say temp, because my husband considers 3 years temporary to have gone through the trouble of putting them there, to only move them later.  Even though, he only extended the pipes through the wall to get them through the porch.  We have much discussions on “temporary”.

Little things I do want to point out.  See the white 5 gallon bucket, that is my homemade laundry detergent.  Behind the white vinegar, is my 2 year old bottle of ALL that I refill with my homemade brew.

I hope this picture gives you the feeling of comfort in your own laundry room.  Atleast my girls have me a bit more comfortable with their love.

~trish

Sweet Treat Dinner!

Alright, at 9 1/2 months pregnant and exhausted and tired, dinner is getting a little relaxed around here.  So our dinner last night was in a huge thanks to my mom who went to IKEA the night before.  She brought us back 2 packages of their yummy, marvelous cinnamon rolls.  If you have never had one, you must make it a point to have one if you see the huge blue box.  I promise they are in the deli in the first floor, right at the door. So you would not have to go far in.

Now being a “good” mom, I could not just feed my children cinnamon rolls for dinner, so I added some baked apples.

I use an apple slicer toss them in the bowl that I sprayed.  I add butter or country crock, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  I put them in the microwave for about 8-10 minutes.  I do not cover them, but I bet they would be more like cracker barrel’s spiced apples if I did.  I would just pause and mix them several times.

My husband had a good laugh, he wanted to know how butter-sugared apples was the healthy part.  He has a point, but it gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling that I was adding a fruit/vegetable to the meal.

 

The rest of the story!

Well, it was not as if I had only given them sandwiches for lunch and then had this for dinner.  My lunch that I served was left-over fried chicken from Publix.  I made a chicken gravy and poured it over the top of the left-over fried chicken and put it in the oven to warm thoroughly.  I also made a pot of white rice and heated up the left –over green beans.  So We had smothered fried chicken over rice with green beans and dinner rolls.  All I had to make was the rice and gravy, the rest was left overs.  Oh, my husband was in happiness.  The perfect napping kind of food.

 

As I said, we have had a few relaxed meals, thanks to my wonderful husband.  We had a night of fried chicken from Publix (I used the opportunity to pick up a second box, just for the smothered fried chicken).  We had another night, that we did the big soft taco, hard taco, and bean burritos combo for $10.  We had these at the park by the river and it was a wonderful change.  So in these last 2 weeks, things are getting non-normal and yet, being cherished for their charm.

~trish

Days shy of 37 weeks

 

Well, I will be 37 weeks on Monday.  I went to my last appointment, this past Wednesday and found out I was already 50% effaced.   Alright!  I am excited to have a baby that is not going to make me wait too long to see her.  This is so far the quickest that I have progressed for birth.  The last one I was induced and had not dilated or effaced by 39 weeks.

I am keeping up my normal routine, with the exception of not running to the phone when it rings and staying home for the most part.  At home, I am still in full mode, laundry, cooking, picking up here and there, and sewing.

Well, I am hitting the point of being uncomfortable.  This morning the belly is miserable.  Tight all over, pressure, but no contractions yet.  I have only naturally started birth with my first one, my other 2 were induced.

So in many ways, this is still a raw experience, untamed by the multitude.  My experience with the first was Miserably uncomfortable around my back and at my belly button.  What is now known to me as pre-labor contractions with back labor. 

I still remember at the time, sitting at my desk at work wanting to cry, because I just did not feel good/right and no idea why.  I have to laugh, because just understanding what was going on, would have stopped my whining (somewhat).  I had no idea, I was a newbie and I was unsure of it all.  Now, it is a little laugh, my eyes closed, and I quietly breathe.  Knowing each bit of pre-labor contraction is a sign of it coming.  Well I finished that day of pre-labor at the Dr office, saying what is going on, am I in labor?

My answer, ”NO!  Honey, you will know when you are in labor and there will not be a hint of smile on your face.”  (Can you believe after that I still stuck with him all these years and babies!)  I love my doctor even when I am chastised and boy does he have to get onto me now and then.  SO he sent me home, said relax and start your maternity leave today.

That was not much fun!  We had just moved into our first home and everything was in boxes through out the entire house with just a path.  All I had was a glider, a phone, and the mindset that I was too pregnant to do a thing.  Now that is one I have to laugh at now.  So I called every girlfriend I had, to catch up on and spent the day running my mouth.  BY the way, that first home was in the middle of no where.  Look on a Florida map and find the location that has the least amount of roads per square inch and that was where I was at.  It was an hour to WALMART and at least 30 minutes to town for the grocery store.

I couldn’t take it by 3 pm, I was off to my moms.  An hour drive down 1 road.  SO her and I went to a scrapbook class.  Me, being the miserable daughter I know how to be from time to time, taunted her that if she wasn’t nice I would have this baby tonight and not go to my baby shower the next day.  I am sure at the time, the only thing she was doing wrong, was stealing a little of the spotlight from this all about me, soon to be new-mom.

So we ended the evening and I made the long drive home about 10 pm.  That entire day, I felt fine and had no lingering symptoms of the day before.  So no big deal.  Until just after midnight, for the ritual pee journey.  I waddled out of bed, stood up and swish!  I thought I had peed myself and would have left it at that, except I then sat down and went pee.   Being the clever first time prego I was, I realized that if I had peed myself, then I shouldn’t have to still go pee. DING, DING, DING!

Woke the honey, took a shower, and excitedly headed to the hospital 1 1/2 hrs away.  Hence, contractions had not started yet.  Oh, the contractions did start about 20 minutes into the ride and they were BAD!  I was having back labor.  Oh, And I did not take a single birthing class or watch a single movie.  (Too much effort to have the energy after work to deal with any of that.)  So I am screaming.  Note to newbies, the Triage Nurses do not deal well with screamers, especially when you are only 1/2 cm dilated at 2 am.  I was told to go home, Me no way, not without my drugs!  So I was sent to walk.  I hollered through that hospital lobby for almost 4 hours, That was when I made it to 3 whole cm.  I think they fudged it to get me out of there!

After that, 3 hours later, my first born was here.  I am skipping that excitement.  My attitude only got better and I believe my mom left there shaking with fear and shock at the beast that can really come out from my inner-self.  And of course, I did not make the baby shower.

So here I am on baby #4.  Knowing that all cramping and discomfort are a good thing.  Anxiously waiting for a bloody show, and comforting myself that it could happen when My water breaks.  Really, lets just get this show on the road and reminding myself that it still can be next week before it happens.  I am ready for it to happen NOW!  but I am wanting to be patient.

I will have to see where the day brings me.

Take care, and hope for a few good contractions for me.

~trish

Making Diapers

I am back to clothe diapering!  I started going through my stock and realized it would be a good time to start building stock for #4.  I have plenty of newborn disposables, thanks to 2 diaper cakes.  I only have 5 cloth diapers for the 10-22 pound range, I need about 15 to 20.  The diapers I have I got online and cost me about $10 a piece, OUCH!  Although, they were pricey, the diapers recouped their expense within a month.  Well, I need more and I am not willing to invest that much.  So I went blog crawling!  WOW!  There is actually a forum for clothe diaper addicts who sew their own.

I have a couple of spots I have been to and have even downloaded and printed the free patterns, but yesterday I think I found the best sight of all! http://webpages.charter.net/rhamley/diapers/diapertext2.htm

So I set off to make a pair, to see how they would turn out.  For my pattern, I used one I had.  I made a pattern template and cut out a cotton layer and 2 flannel layers and an absorption pad.

Let’s talk cheap, right off the cloth.  The cute lady bugs is some remnant someone gave me, FREE!  The flannel is from a clearance bedding set at walmart, $5. (I will have plenty to make diapers for my household and maybe a few gifts.  The terry cloth is a wore out towel that I had been patching, FREE!  (ohh, I am so happy to find usefulness for these towels, otherwise my husband would hoard them forever.)  Now you will notice the ladybug cotton has a shine.  Well, I found some awesome stuff at JoAnns that is an iron-on vinyl. Whew! I will cloth diaper, but I am not about to deal with pee pee soaking me. 

This is the vinyl iron-on.  It cost $5.99 per yard, I used my 50% coupon and got 3 yards for $2.99/yd.  I am using about 1/3 yd per diaper, so about $1 of vinyl per diaper. Worth it!

Making my pattern was hard at first.  I was trying to get the curves and making myself crazy.  Instead, I measured the length and the widths at each end.  Next, I went to the crouch; measuring the width and where the crouch began from each side.  I used these measurements and drew a straight line to connect the dots.  NO CURVES.  Why?  I figured naturally when I sew, it would turn into a gentle curve, and it did. 

I made the pattern in half, because I couldn’t find enough paper.  I did use my stampin’ up graph paper to make my template.  I also added 1 inch to each measurement for the seam allowance.  Here is what the pattern cut looked like.

So I sandwiched everything like smart mama said to do, but I had a problem.

I was not getting the gathering around the legs.  This could be a big problem, I do not want little poops falling out around the house.  I was thankful, my husband decided to get involved and inspect the example and mine.  I had even attempted to add elastic to the inside with a zig-zag stitch to get more gather, but it seemed as though the elastic could not over power the vinyl strength.  I thought I was doomed for leak control! Then we figured it out and got the seam ripper out!

Instead of zig-zag stitching the entire length of the 1/4 inch elastic at the legs of crouch, I could just stitch the ends and let the middle part be unattached.  So I did and this is what happened!

What a difference!  Me and my husband sat in shock before bed.  It worked!  Now, I know I took the adventure to make something, but sometimes I have no idea if it is going to work.  This is one of those times, I really had no idea.  I still need to add velcro to the front and make the flaps to stick it.  I am going to head to JoAnns today with another 50% coupon to see if they have the softer velcro called Aplix.

Now let me gloat here!  I just love how cute it is!!!!  Look at the other one, pretty plain.  I have a few with cars on them, but nothing very girlie.  I am also excited that I did not have to pay a fortune to buy flannel and because I have so much of it, I plan to use my extra cotton stash to make the outer protective part and give it some cute distinction.  I do believe that the vinyl and this velcro are going to become a staple to my closet.  I am also happy to find a new use for all these little scraps.  Just wait until I make a few pairs of booties!  Ohh, and the flannel inside, is just lovely in texture.

What I am realizing is that I might need to make a few more for the next size up.  #3 is potty training but uses about 5-7 a day and #2 still needs 1 at night.  Well when you have 10 diapers, you are often reverting back to a disposable.  So I think I am going to get on to making the next size up, as soon as they are clean.

Let me know of your experience!  If you are one of my locals and would like to make some, lets get together and I will show you step by step.  I was even imagining race cars and dinosaurs, but I do not have a boy coming.

~trish

I am sorry!

This is really a picture for some good laughs.  I want to say I am sorry to my 3 companions that are with me through thick and thin, pain and joy.  Me, Myself, and I, I am so sorry!  I am moving to the end of this pregnancy and realized I might not have given my closest companions some slack.

This fourth  pregnancy was a rough ride.  I have accused my age, my body, my mind, and soul for my misery.  Through this misery I have openly whined and projected my grief on anyone and everyone! 

Well, God gave me an epiphany during this past week.  I am a little strong headed, so He has to start slow and reveal his purpose to me one strand at a time.  I have a hard time keeping my own chatter to Him quiet, so I can listen to Him.  SO, He showed me.

THAT.  This is one of those years that it was time for my body to have a few problems.  During the last 9 months, I have dealt with 4 sinus infections, a tooth infection that led to a tooth pulled, and a bad fall.  Well, I believe probably everything but the fall, would have happened pregnant or not.

So I realized it was not the pregnancy that made me miserable, it was just that I had a pregnancy during a bad year.  And on top of that, I have not adjusted my mindset that I have 3 kids.  Three kids under 5 when I got pregnant.  Now, somewhere in pure kindness I should have adjusted my thinking and expectation of Me, Myself, and I.

Just as an example of my personal expectation, take a look at the picture.  I had been up 2 hours before the rest of my family.  I am making pancakes and getting the cakes mixed for my son’s birthday.  Each hand is on a different task, as if they are different independent minds.  I am not sure if this is really what God has intended for me, myself or I.  How could I be so inconsiderate.

Me, Myself, and I – I am sorry.  I should have been more considerate of the tasks required to be a wife and mother to 3 children as you took the physical toll of growing another blessing.  I am sorry for not having patience as the weather changes of these past few seasons took a toll on you.  I am sorry for looking for quick and easy solutions that took your focus away from God’s ultimate plan for you, that were not.

I have learned from this, that although I do not feel like our family is large, I think we are on the big size of a medium size family.  In the past 5 years, we have jumped from 1 to 3 kids and soon to be 4, within the same home that we figured we would be in for only a few years.  SO we lived and continued to live as if we were a small family in a “normal” size house.  Well, like it or not we must live as though we are a large family, no matter what size I consider us to be.

My mantra will be: less is more!   I will have several blessings walking around my home, I do not need to fill it with stuff.  So I am reading blogs from women who have many children and I am trying to find any techniques to incorporate in our home that will help us thrive.

I hope you accept my apology as I do better to you, that will ultimately make my family better!

~trish

Getting Ready!

I have been a little missing, but I have been very busy.  At 34 weeks, I woke up having contractions.  Well, this was just what I needed to get things in order.  I am happy to say that the contractions have stopped.  As I was cleaning and washing all the little things that go with a baby, I was struck at the preciousness of her clothes on the line and could not help but share it with you.
This past week has been an absolute blessing for my heart and mind.  #1 had a week off from Pre-K and we were able to feel like we were in our old routine again.  By the end of the week, my longtime passion and desire to homeschool my children had returned.  I have so many reasons to want to, in the beginning it was a large desire to shelter my children until they have grown mature enough to handle the day to day influences that are not always favorable for their moral and character.
Now I have come to understand, that I desire the calmness that comes with not being demanded to be everywhere with everyone, multiple times a day.  The fun and excitement from exploring the things around the house and within our community.  The peace and connection that stays within my young children to be together, through kicking and biting and laughing and playing.
So for the past week, I have been reading and reading, exploring and putting my house in order.  I have found some wonderful thrifty, homemade sites that I can not wait to share with you as I begin newborning again.  We will be back to clothe diapering soon.  I am excited to be back, although a little daunting, it frees up so much money in the budget.  I have found a few website to make diaper covers and I am excited to give them a try.
I am in the countdown of 5 weeks to the due date and by then I should get to go back to my “old self” with energy to do the things I love to do in this home.  So be prepared for a bit more sewing, less bentos (Pre-K ends in 13 days), a lot about baby, and a journal of our homeschooling journey. 
Also, I have been having a wonderful time digital scrapbooking.  I have made a few templates to share with you.  I am also excited that my friend, Tracy Croy, will be starting a digital scrapbook club. 
Have a blessed day!
~trish

The other skirt I made.

Here it is.  I swear I had to thumb through half a dozen pics to get this one.  I think my husband takes great effort to take a bad picture of me.

Angry Prego Strikes Anarchy to the clothes designers!

I can’t take it anymore!  Six years ago the clothes I had were for the most part perfect.  Thanks to the wonderful desire of generosity and sharing, I literally had some one take of with a large collection of the best clothes I had.  Especially, the full panel pants that were only in the belly section. 

No all the designers want these low-riders, no elastic pants.  Well, is it that I have gotten older or is it that I am on my fourth pregnancy that has caused my butt and hips to form one uniform shape, that creates no indention for my clothes to hold onto?  So with the way the clothes are now, you better have an indention at the hips and no pressure under the belly.  Well, I have no indention and a ton of pressure at the bladder so I live with constantly pulling and tugging at my clothes.

Ahhh!  I hate it.  My clothes are pulling at my undies.  I am going crazy!  So I gave up.  Looked through the fabric I just received from a friend and found something pleasant or peasant, as a test run.  Well, here was what I came up with.  I felt a little bit of little house on the prairie.  The shirt fitting under the tummy took the illusion of muumuu dress away. Also, I did pair it up with camisole sweater to give it some shape.

I will say this is first thing in the morning and at my age and this pregnancy, I do not wake up as fresh as a spring chicken anymore.  I am at 33 weeks, so just pass the 8 month mark.  Well I wasn’t sure about how it looked, but I gave it a whirl for the day.  At the end of the day, wow!  How nice was it to not have to tug and pull at my pants all day or try to discreetly fix my undies as my pants make them creep down.

This is a dark color for me.  I am considering tie-dyeing it with bleach.  I am hoping to get a more bohemian feel to it.  I made it a bit larger than my tummy, since I will get a lot bigger in the coming weeks.  I also have plans to take in the elastic after the baby.

So at the end of the day, I made another skirt for tomorrow.  A different look and style altogether.  You will have to wait until later to see it.

~trish

Pregnancy Update – week 28/29

I am so sorry not have shared more with you on this pregnancy. So half a pregnancy later here is how it is going!

I am counting the days down to be finished.  I have had multiple sinus infections and ended up with a tooth infection that kept me miserable and in tears for almost 2 weeks.  It is exhausting and the positive thinking is out the door and is not invited back.  I feel like a wore out thirty something chasing 3 small children as I huff and puff because I can’t catch my breathe.  If I am breathing hard, it probably means that I repositioned myself in my seat.

I can easily say this is the most wearing of all pregnancies.  I  just don’t have it, to do this every day.  I have never been in my third trimester and had the defiance of a 2 year old to physically challenge me at every corner.  I thought I could take them to the park until I realized I couldn’t catch them.  Thank the Lord for another mother to grab #3 from being hit  by someone on a swing, I was waddling as fast as I could.

To my amazement, I am relatively small being my 4th go around.  It seems like she, yes another girl, is hoisted in my lungs and bouncing on my bladder.  So everything, more than a pregnancy typically is, makes me pee.  Her being in my lungs makes an movement breathtaking.  I have already gained about 25 pounds.  I will blame this on my love  to crop.  The last bulk gain came after a 3 day swarm where I sat for 3 straight days and fed every 2 hours. Hmm.

I do have one advantage over those new to be moms.  I may be dragging my purse on the ground as I am screaming for my kids, but they have the unchallenged arms of motherhood.  My 3 children give me my effortless sculpted arms that make most woman burn with envy, even when I am carrying an extra 25 pounds.  Yah, you new moms, you don’t have children wearing you down, and wore out saggy boobs from breast feed, not one to chase and change and feed and put earplugs in to keep your sanity, but I have great looking arms to your flabby ones. I don’t lift weights or go to the gym, No MAMM!  I got kids and lots of ‘em!  Alright I am out of breathe getting on my soap box.  I will probably update you when I am complaining in the last few weeks that I just can’t take it anymore.

I just want to be organized.

I long to have order. I am overwhelmed on where to start. I pick up and then within seconds it is back to where it was, if not worst. I was gone for 3 hours yesterday, 2 of which my family was not home for, and I come back to this!

Really, is this why, there is no reason to the clutter? There are 3 of them. I am tired and prego. and all of them are under foot. Now I started wondering this morning, why bother if they are home. My thought is should I not sweat this ciaos when they are home and to know in the years to come, when they are in school, my house will be as I want it.

Sweating it through the steps.

Alright, not the best title. But I am in hopes when the now occurring morning sickness that has shown its ugly face, that I can get a little walking in. At the 9 week mark, I offically gained 4 pounds. I hate to post this, but I will to keep this honest. I am a big girl, even when I am a size 2. Okay, I was never a size 2. Well, here is the special number, I was 165 lbs when I got pregnant. Now I am at 169 lbs at 9 weeks.

Like a sicko, I know the weight I was at most of all the important times in my life. You ready, I am going to share my deepest know facts to the world.
Met my husband, 182lbs
got engaged, 172lbs
wedding day, 145lbs (10 mos later)
went to work, 150 lbs
Got prego with #1, 160 lbs
delivered #1, 222 lbs
got prego #2, 180 lbs
delivered #2, 212 lbs (wehew! less than #1)
got prego with #3, 160 lbs
deliver #3, 192 lbs
prego with #4, 165 lbs

ahhh, there are all my numbers. Yuk. Can you say, I can gain it and lose it. So I do have a technique for losing it quickly after delivery. I walk. I walk about 4 miles, 3 times a day from the moment I get permission from the doc until 14-16 weeks old. This is the time your body is in natural shed mood. Use it.

So I learned this after #2. Did not use it for #3, because well, could not afford the $900 for a 3 passanger stroller. And I have them so close, everyone was with us everyday. So I lost the weight so much slower after this last one. I did blame it on being over 30!

I have made up my mind and a pack. I will have all this weight off by the time #4 is 1, not only that, I want to be at a healthy lifetime weight by then. So my goal, to only gain 25 lbs or less. I will not eat unhealthy or starve my pregnancy. I am going to start walking after this trimester.

I am a walker and man I can put the distance in. I have done a hat full of 5ks, a 15k, & half marathon. The 15k was 3 months after #3. No I am not a sicko or superwomen. I was passed by 3 pregos and I cried through the pain to finish. I finished walking, not running. I am too dumb and proud to stop.

So here is my gift to you. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ This website will let you have an aerial map anywhere in US and you can track your route and count the miles. This is how I knew that I was going 4 miles at a time.

Remember safety, do not be preddictable, i.e., don't let the preditors be able to preddict your next workout, change it up. Go with a friend if you can. Have lighting and be noticeable. Walk against traffic, so you can see them a jump out of the way, if needed. Let someone know where you are going, i.e., print out several routes and post the one you are using on the fridge.

10 weeks and counting

Well it is time to share the news. I have been missing in action, because I have been spending quality time with my couch at naptime, instead of making or blogging. No, I have not gotten lazy or am in the midst of depression! I am totally prego with #4.

I did not want to announce until I have been to the Dr. I am about 9 weeks and I am due on May 10th. We are really excited, but I think the kids are more. They were wanting twins and I am so releaved that twins are not in God's plan for me. So being on #4, here are a few thoughts to take into account if you have 4 pregnancies in 5 years.

1. I already look 5 months pregnant. So at first, this can be very depressing, I looked dressed and ready for the role of Santa and yet, the baby is only an inch long and the size of a grape. So with all honesty, I know that pudge is just pudge!

However, this happened last time. I blimp up in the first 8 weeks and then it moves to the belly at week 9. I think my husband was getting worried and considered sending me to the prego fat farm. From here the belly will stay put and not grow for the next 4 months and then it will change shape and drop a little as we get through the pregnancy and at the end I will look tiny.

I just have to endure everyone asking "ARE THERE TWINS IN THERE, THEN WHY ARE YOU SO BIG!" And I just show them my other lovely children under 5.

2. I am exhausted. Live with it. Nothing is getting done. I am older than last time. Thank you Lord for letting my children still nap. Alright being older, I will be blaming this on age.

I am napping from 12:30 to 5:30 pm almost everyday and look out if I missed that nap, I am not someone you want to be around or tick off. I might wake up at 4pm but I will not become coherant for another hour or so. The world will spin if I stand up. It is a hazing mind blackening event. The house is somewhat falling apart.

Now this event was stressful at first with the children. They expected that when they were awake, so should I. After a week, they got the picture and have learned to play quietly and have a snack on their own until mom is moving. My snacks for them are the crackers and peanut butter packs. Works well.

For all you puckers, live in envy :), I have only hurled once in all of my pregnancies. I am not a hurler. Slightly nausies from time to time, but no puking. All I do is SLEEP. In the past I have enjoyed the head aches, fatigue, constipation, all day nasuea, heartburn, you name it, just no puking.

My montra through the first trimester is from Michelle Duggar the Queen of pregnancy and delivery, "When I feel bad, it means good things are happening" and my reminder, this too will pass, it is just a season.

So I am counting down the weeks until this trimester ends and I will be revived.

I am a generally energetic mom with energy to amaze even my husband and the ambition to do so. The downfall is depression for me does not come from an event in my life, it comes from overwhelming exhaustion and still trying to meet the demands of daily life. I am know very aware and am learning to pick my energy using carefully and saying enough. My husband has stepped up to the challenge and I have not touched the washer and dryer in a month.

I will be back with you soon and if I am not, I am still sleeping.