a summertime staple

I can't do a whole lot right now, but one thing I can still do is watch my kids have fun in the yard. The girls were delighted to get some bubbles for their birthday, so they decided to break them out the other night while we were hanging out in the back yard. 

What is it about bubbles that make them so awesome?  It makes no difference how old you are . . . they are so fun to play with! I even made the girls give me a turn with the wand! It was fun to see the girls take off after the run-a-way bubbles, giggling and screaming as they caught up to them and popped them with a clap of their hands.

 

I can only hope the good weather continues, so we can get out in the yard as much as possible.  You can't understand how much it helps to get out of the house . . . even if it's only a couple of steps out :)

party time and a surprise

We had a very busy and exciting weekend! This was a weekend to celebrate. We were so sick and tired of nerve-racking news around here that we were ready to cut loose and have some fun.


First things first - we celebrated the third and seventh birthdays of Claire and Ella with a big backyard BBQ.  We asked our good friend Jerry, the grill master, to come and help us feed our big extended family as well as some close friends. He grilled 11 pounds of the most delicious pulled pork we had ever had! Of course the weather didn't cooperate, so we couldn't get all of the (many, many) kids outside, but it was still a great party!

the Grill Master, working on the dogs

just a few of the cousins and friends

ummmm, cupcakes!

One of the main events of the party was the big Gender Reveal.  As you probably know, we had our ultrasound a little over a week ago, but we had the tech write down the answer in an envelope, and I gave it to my friend Nicole.  She created a fun and dramatic way to find out whether we had a he or a she . . . it is something that we'll never forget.

I am so excited right there, I was about ready to wet my pants! The color of the baloons will tell the story!

my first reaction - elation and shock!

Carl's first reaction - "WHOA!"

Other reactions of our guests :) These uncles and aunts look pretty happy too!

Boppa and Grandma Barb with us via Skype get to see all the action. My sister Ali was also on the phone with Nanny (my mom) who had to work all weekend. No one wanted to miss out on the big news :)

We couldn't be more excited about our news.  Carl and I really suspected that it was a girl (just look at our track record), and it would have been fun to add another sister to our mix.  But we can't deny that we both wanted to get a taste of what it would be like to have some "blue" in the house.  We are all so very excited!

A big thanks goes out to all of our friends and family that helped us pull off this party! It was so fun to get everyone together!

PS - please forgive the random photo/caption placements....blogger was being really weird today and I couldn't figure it out :)

BIG mama

WARNING: this is going to be a traditional, "I am big and pregnant" post.

Yes, I understand that I am pregnant, and growing a person inside me. And yes, this is the 4th time I have been through this . . . but I swear, I seem to forget the "huge" feelings in between all of my (many) pregnancies. This pregnancy has obviously been the most challenging - with all of the of feelings of anxiety and worry mixed in with all of the good and exciting feelings. So, in order to get out of the gloom-and-doom stage, I figured I would share some funny stories about my "bigness".

1. A few weeks ago, I was sitting on my favorite beach chair in our backyard as Claire was playing in her playhouse. My enjoyment of the beautiful afternoon was soon interrupted by the noise of ripping. Yes . . . in just a few seconds, my a$$ was on ground, because my beloved chair could no longer support my growing frame! Maybe the funniest part was that I didn't get up for a few minutes. I just sat there . . . . in disbelief that this had actually happened. I had in fact, broken a chair . . . and I was only 19 weeks! I looked up to the heavens and said, "Really? I could have done without that today!"

2. I was laying in bed one night, when I came to the awful realization that the time had come. I had been avoiding it for a couple of weeks, but I just couldn't stand the uncomfortable feeling anymore . . . it was time to buy bigger underwear. A few days later, I unfolded my new pair of unmentionables and was in awe of it's sheer mass. Could these actually fit? And the answer, my friends, was yes :( I am sure by my third trimester, I will be able to fly my underwear on the flagpole at the local Perkins.

3. Almost every day Ella tells me how "HUGE" my tummy is getting. I don't mind it in the least. "There's a human being in there", I tell myself. But Clarie, on the other hand, tells me almost everyday how big my butt is . . . I'm not kidding. Perceptive little bugger, she is.

4. This one's not so funny, but share-able nonetheless. Almost every night, Carl scoops himself up a big bowl of ice cream and proceeds to eat it (sometimes with a side of cake) right in front of me. There has been a night or two when I join him and have a bowl . . . however, I can count how many times I have done this on one hand. But Carl refuses to gain any weight from it. In fact, he seems to be losing a few pounds! How is this possible?? It's just not fair.

I have wonderful friends telling me, "I don't know what you're talking about. You look great!", and I am very thankful for those lies. But the fact of the matter is, I am pregnant with my 4th child, I have been on modified bed rest since 11 weeks, and I am hungry all the time. With my extensive studies in Human Kinetics, Biomechanics, Exercise Science and Health & Nutrition, I understand what is happening:

Pregnancy eating + a lot of sitting/laying around = BIG mama

It's not me (specifically), it's simply science. I am just going to have to get over it.

Stay tuned. I am still in my second trimester. The stories are bound to get better.

BIG day!

Yesterday was a day for the books...in both great and not-so-great ways. Since I always like to end on a positive note, we'll start with the bad news first...

I had my level II ultrasound and consulted with a Perinatologist. They found that I do indeed have Placenta Acreta...but we found out that my placenta was further in bedded than they first thought, so I actually have Placenta Increata with possible Placenta Percreta. So at this point the best case scenario is that I make it until 32 weeks with no other bleeding episodes. I would then be admitted into Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis and deliver the baby at no later than 34 weeks. At the time of delivery, I would have a hysterectomy and possibly more surgery depending upon what else my placenta decides to attach to (like my bladder...). Since the baby would be six weeks early, he/she would have to stay at least two weeks in the NICU. But on a positive note, I would be delivering at the BEST maternal hospital and the baby would be in the BEST NICU in the state! AND the baby looked great on the ultra sound! :) So not all news was bad yesterday. Carl and I have also decided to find out the gender of the baby. We had the tech write it down and seal it in an envelope. We are having a birthday BBQ for both Claire and Ella next weekend where we (and all our guests) will find out whether we have a He or a She! It was fun to be surprised in the delivery room, but we figured this baby has already given us enough surprises, so we have decided we would rather be prepared for something! :)

Yesterday was also a fantastic day! Yesterday, our little Claire-Bear turned 3 years old!! We couldn't be more proud of her or love her anymore than we already do. Because time seems to fly by pretty quickly around here, I got this idea for a photo off http://www.pinterest.com and loved it because it showcases everything that Claire "loves" at this stage in her life.

Happy Birthday Claire!!