I choose this!

I was reading this article the other day and came across this quote...

For young Mormon women, who face immense cultural pressure to stay home with children rather than pursue a career, blogging about their adventures in homemaking becomes a sort of creative outlet, a way of contributing to the larger world beyond the home.
-Emily Henderson

I started thinking about why I stay home with my kids. Do I do it because I feel like others will look down on me if I don't? Do I do it because I don' want a "real" job? Do I do it because I feel pressure to do it?

While I don't debate the idea that there is a lot of "cultural pressure" to be a stay-at-home mom, I have to say "pressure" isn't the reason I choose it.

I choose to be home with my kids because when I have thought about all the other things I could do (and I think about things a lot) I always come back to the fact that my kids need me.

They need me to make them breakfast. They need me to take them to swimming lessons. They need me to help them get bathed and dressed. They need me to read books to them. They need me to teach them to eat healthy things. They need me to teach them to be kind. They need me to give them some consistency in their lives.

While I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who are a better mother than I am, I can't get over the fact that these kids have been entrusted to ME. I'm their mommy. I have a love for them that no one else could duplicate. I can't even duplicate it for other people's kids (though I feel a little embarrassed to admit that).

Really, when I think deeply about it, I realize I need them. They teach me things I would struggle to learn without them. I learn things that help me to be more like my Savior Jesus Christ.

Here's a few more photos of the cute kids in my life... minus Jeff. He's usually at school when I get the camera out. :) There's also a few shots of Gracie showing off her designer diapers. You don't just get pictures, but a report of the first week of cloth diapering... you'll have to go down to the end to read up on that because these kids need to be the first thing you see when you come to this blog.


Here's the report. I started out using these on both Nate and Gracie. I soon decided to potty train Nate. It only took one poopy diaper to make me decide on that. (Almost) three year old poop us way worse than new baby poop. I'm sorry for using the word "poop" so much, but let's be honest, that is my life these days. :)

So Nate is now in potty training mode (and using disposable during naps). Gracie uses cloth all day but we use a disposable at night. I'm not sure why. I think there's a part of me that thinks she might sleep longer if she has a super absorbency disposable diaper. So far, she still only sleeps for six hours at night (I know I shouldn't complain, it could be worse, but I just want to sleep more).

Here's what I have to say about diapering Gracie. It's easy. Especially since I made some cloth wipes (with homemade solution). The reason this makes it easier is because now I don't have to worry about what to do with a handful of poopy (there it is a gain) wipes when I change her diaper. Now I just change her the way I would with disposable, but it's all cloth. I toss it all in my wetbag and it's done.

Washing isn't too tricky either. Run my diapers and wipes through a rinse cycle then add soap and do a wash cycle with hot water. Dry the inserts and hang the covers. Done. Not too big of a deal at all.

I have had moments of thinking, "Why am I doing this?" But that was mostly after dealing with Nate's yucky diaper and I haven't really felt that way since then.

Gracie has only leaked once and it was more because I put the diaper on wrong than it was because the diaper failed. In fact, she hasn't had any blowouts with these, and she has some pretty explosive poops (last one, I promise).

That's the report thus far. I'll keep you updated on how things go over time. But for now... so far, so good.

I'm out,
Sadie

Gracie's Smiles

Because some of you think there isn't enough Gracie on here... :) He she is, fresh after a bath and full of smiles. She melts my heart on a daily basis. :)

They Came!!!

I've been tracking my package of cloth diapers for a week... they seemed to disappear a few times... and then they made it to my door!

I was so excited to see the package sitting on my doorstep when we got back from a race that we ran/biked in this morning. So happy!

So, here's what I can tell you so far. I expected that since the diapers were 1/3 of the cost of other similar diapers that they might be of lesser quality. NOT so! They are AWESOME! Not only are they cute fabrics that make my little girl look super cute, but they have extra snaps for the perfect fit. So far, I'm very happy with them. I'll keep the reviews coming and keep you informed on how we are getting along. I'll try and take some pictures of my sweet baby in her new digs. "Try" being the key word. :)

Over and out,
Sadie

Not here yet

I know you are all just waiting and anticipating the next cloth diaper post... but you'll just have to wait. Mostly because I have to wait. My diapers started in Shanghai then went to New Jersey... and then they disappeared. I'm hoping they reappear on my front porch within the next few days. Probably some punk kid saw how cool they were and decided to steal them... I should have used the missionary technique and had the lady put a picture of the Savior on the package so it would reach me unscathed.

Size Matters

One might ask, how often do I have to buy a new size of cloth diapers... like when I buy disposable, I can choose from size N, 1, 2, 3, 4... how do I do that with cloth?

The nice thing about the new generation of CDs is that you only have to buy once. They have a new way of snapping and folding that makes it so all you do to make a size 1 diaper is snap a few snaps. You want size 4 for your ginormous baby? All you have do do is undo a few snaps. Pretty simple. Just the way I like it.


Best,
Sadie

The first step

I'm starting on a new adventure. One that means I'll be using cloth diapers. I'll document how things go here on my blog, because my friend Christine asked me to. So, if you're the type who prefers birth stories... I'm sorry. You'll only be getting diaper stories for a while.

So today I did two things to take a step forward in the cloth diaper (CD) experience.

First, I went to the fabric store and bought fabric, zippers, and thread to sew up some wet bags. These bags are used to put "wet" (aka, stinky, poopy, yucky) diapers in until you wash them. It is designed to hold in the smells and fluids. Naturally, you use cute fabric for such a bag to make you more optimistic about its contents.

You make these by doing one layer of a waterproof fabric (I used PUL from Jo Anne's) and another layer of the said, cute fabric. My friend recommended I make four bags. Two big "at home" bags and two small "travel" bags. You'll have one that is in the wash and one that is in use... theoretically...

I'll be working on sewing this today... after I blog, feed Gracie, and get the boys down for naps.

Second, I actually ordered my diapers! I did some research yesterday before making my purchase today and I learned a few things. There are MANY different options out there as far as the "system" you use.

Here's a few types...

"All in one" -these are a cover that has a pocket in it that you insert a liner into. These diapers you use once and wash the whole thing when you're done.

"liner and cover" - these are designed to reuse the cover for several diaper changes and inserting new liners each change.

Brands that are said to be "the best" are Fuzibunz, Flip, and Bum Genius. They are SUPER expensive initially, but over time they are worth it. I found an off brand that is supposed to be as good as Bum Genius. They are an "all in one". Instead of paying $265 for a twelve pack... I paid $78 for a 12 pack, with an additional 12 inserts. Cha-ching!!! I'll let you know if it was worth it. If you want to find out for yourself, check out sunbabydiapers.com :)

Until next time...

Sadie

Cloth Diapers

So, I know this is going to shock many of you, but I'm seriously considering buying cloth diapers. I'm also going to stop shaving my legs, grow my hair out really long, start driving a 1960's VW van, and eat granola that I've made for every meal...

Okay, so not all of that. But I really am thinking I might do the whole cloth diaper thing. I'm still not sure what's gotten into me. I've NEVER had a desire to depart from my beloved disposable diapers. Okay, beloved might be a bit of an exaggeration. Still, it's never been something I've been remotely interested in doing, but I'm suddenly super excited about the idea.

My friend showed me the ones she's been using with her little girl and I think it might be a great way to save money as well as get in touch with my deep hippy self. The ones I'm looking at are the cheapest I've seen so far. If you feel the urge to check them out, they're at sunbabydiapers.com

If I decide to actually do it, and not just research it online, I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Blue Bell Fun Run

Last weekend I ran in the Blue Bell Fun Run. There were two big reasons why I wanted to run this race.

1. I wanted to have a reason to start exercising as soon as possible after I had baby Gracie.

2. There's all you can eat ice cream at the end.

Interestingly enough, I learned two things from running in this race. I'll share them with you.

1. When I was pregnant with Jeff I got sick in the beginning and didn't exercise one bit. Once I got to feeling better, I was so stuck in not doing anything, that I just continued with the trend. After I had the baby, things went back to normal pretty easily and quickly (with regard to weight, not my sleep).

When I was pregnant with Nate I wasn't sick one bit. But, we were broke and I didn't have a car to leave the house... so I sat around. I again, didn't exercise one bit. After he was born, things went back to normal pretty quickly and easily (with regard to sleep, but not with the weight). I had to work very hard for many months to get back into shape.

When I was pregnant with Gracie, I was determined not to have another pregnancy that kept me from being fit. In fact, I made Scott promise before we got pregnant that he would make sure I exercised every day. The first three months I was WAY too sick to do that. I was lucky to get out of bed at all, let alone do anything other than make my way to the couch. However, once I got past that stage I did my very best to be active. Once Gracie was born, I did my best to become active again as quickly as possible. I didn't want to waste any time getting into bad habits of becoming sedentary.

Back to the race...I didn't really "prepare" much for this race. I didn't run more than a few times. I did play basketball and walk, which I think helped. I fully anticipated that I would take 45 minutes to complete this race. And now... what I learned...

Our bodies are capable of more than we give them credit for. If we simply put one foot in front of the other, we will get somewhere, and it isn't nearly as hard as our minds try to tell us it will be.

2. I also learned that after running a 5K, you can't eat nearly as much ice cream as you think you can... so eat more before the race.

Thoughts on having a girl

Here she is just thinking of what to tell me next!

I know I've mentioned this before, but I am so happy that we have a little girl in the family!

Sure, I love the clothes... LOVE the clothes. She looks so beautiful in pink. But it's more than that. It has more to do with dreaming about the days when we'll sit and talk about girl things. How she'll come home from dates and tell me all about how it went, what they ate, if she thought he was a nice boy or not...

It has more to do with talking than anything else. I love to talk. Most girls love to talk... and most boys, they just don't get it. For any who know my husband, might know that he isn't one to talk and talk and talk. In fact, he actually likes alone time (crazy, I know). He's a trooper, though, and since marrying me has learned to talk more, and has had much less alone time that he would probably like. When I asked him how he felt about it, he said knew new that was something he would have to give up if he married me. :)

So, while I absolutely love to talk to my husband, I wonder if he is secretly just as happy as I am that I'll have someone to talk to... other than him. Don't get me wrong, my boys can talk too, but there's just something about girl-talk that can't be replaced.

Scott's Marathon

This weekend we took a little trip to Beaumont Texas. One place I can safely say we will never live. It's like the Newark of Texas. However, we will remember it as the place that Scott completed his first marathon! He did a great job. The boys (and girl) and I are so proud of him.

He had a lot stacked up against him... like not being able to train for ten days due to a fever, having a new born baby girl keep him up much of the night most nights, and having that same baby girl wake him up at 4 am on race day and not letting him go back to sleep.

Through it all, Scott didn't complain. He diligently ran in the early mornings or late nights even when it was hard. He worked so hard to make his running schedule easy on our family.

The boys loved cheering for Daddy, but I think they liked jumping in the jump house more. They ran around and were just plain silly most of the morning. We hope that Scott's example of making exercise a part of his life will inspire our children to also be healthy.

Congrats, honey, for doing such a great job! We love you and think it's so cool that we have a marathoner in the house!

Gracie Beth Goddard

Here's grandma and the boys... and girl. :) Still getting used to that. Gracie doesn't look her best in this picture, so there's another one below that shows how adorable she can be.

Here's a picture of my mom with Gracie girl... she came to spend two whole weeks with us and it was so nice to have her here.

Why we named her the way we did...

Gracie... is just a name we really liked.

Beth... is my grandmother's first name. I grew up living close to her, and she taught me a lot of really important lessons in life. She taught me how to plant flowers, make dumplings, and feed baby lambs. She was an example of one who lives the gospel in plain and simple ways. There was nothing flashy about this woman. When she died, they pulled out her jewelry and discovered most of it could have been purchased at a dollar store. She just didn't put much into worldly treasures. She was quick witted, and quick to laugh. She was just a great woman, and that's why we named our baby girl after her.

Goddard... that's our last name and it's just tradition to give your child the same last name her parents have... :)

The birth of Gracie

Quick disclaimer: If you don't like birth stories, you should probably not read this post. I love them, and I want this written down for my own record... so here it goes. :)

Three weeks till due date: 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced, baby at 0 station
Two weeks till due date: 3 cm dilated, 70% effaced, baby at 0 station
One week till due date: 3 to 4 cm dilated, 70% effaced, baby at 0 station
The morning of my due date: 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced, baby very low (ie, +1 station)

On February 22 I woke up at about 4 am feeling some Braxton Hicks that were a little more convincing than any previous ones I had experienced. They weren't coming very often so I didn't worry about it much. I woke up and took a shower, getting ready for my doctor's appointment. At my appointment the doctor talked a little bit about getting induced, and I told him I was pretty sure today was the day, so he let it go... but wanted me to call him later to let me know if I had changed my mind. He was concerned that the baby was getting pretty big and didn't want me to have to worry about the possibility of having a c-section.

My contractions had more or less stopped, so Scott went to school. My mom, Nate, my friend and I all went for a little walk at about 9:30 am. I felt pretty good, and only had very minor contractions every 20 minutes or so. They didn't even make me stop walking. We walked about a mile and half. Then, Nate was tired of walking... and my back and sciatic nerve were too. My friend had recently had her baby and we talked about how this must be the putter labor. I thought, okay, I guess things will go nice and slow this time around.

I was still having a few contractions throughout the morning, and they were starting to get a little stronger and a little closer together... so I called Scott and told him it would be nice to have him home with me... just in case things started to speed up. He got home at about noon.

By the time Scott got home I was having a contraction about every 12 minutes. They weren't really painful and I would just breath through them without too much stress. I decided I wanted to have a distraction so we played our new favorite card game, Dominion, for several hours. My contractions slowly went from 12 minutes, to 8 minutes, to 6 minutes... and then to 4 minutes apart. By about 4:30 pm they were up to 4 minutes apart... but sometimes more and sometimes less. They only lasted about 30 seconds... so I was still not sure how "real" this all was.

Scott and I decided to go for a walk to see if that would change things at all. We went to the park and walked about a mile... but my contractions were getting much closer together... still not too strong. By this time they were sometimes as little as 2 minutes apart. I thought it might be a good idea to head back home...

When we got home, we decided that these contractions were getting pretty close together and it might be nice to think about when we would go to the hospital. So, we gathered up our little family and had a prayer, and drove the 1.1 miles down the road to the hospital.

On the ride there, they started to slow down, and I wasn't sure if we were possibly going too soon. Things really weren't painful at this point. I just had to focus a little bit and breath through them.

I should mention in here that Scott and I had decided to try for a natural birth this time around. After Nate's birth, I thought, you know, I think I can probably do this... We had both been reading the Bradley Method books (Scott's was the edition with no pictures). From everything I was reading, I was pretty confident I could do it, but I wasn't completely committed to it.

Okay, so back at the hospital. We get in our room and it seems that my contractions have pretty much stopped. "Oh, man... we came too early" were my thoughts. I got into my gown, they put in the hep lock (an alternative to being attached to an IV pole) and the nurse checked me to see what I was dilated to, this is really what I was waiting to hear... and I was at a 5. I was a little surprised that I wasn't dilated any bigger, but that's okay. We'll take it... we're half way there, right?

We got settled in at about 6 pm. Then things started to pick up. I wanted to walk around, because that seemed to be the position that was the easiest on my body. So, I paced around our room for a few contractions, and then all of a sudden they started getting really intense and really close together. Like every 2 minutes, only this time... I was feeling some pretty good "pressure".

I quickly went from pacing the room during the contraction to doing some kind of squatting-bum shaking dance on the side of the bed. That pressure I had been feeling earlier suddenly manifest itself on my tailbone and it felt like it a semi was driving back and forth over it. Somehow, the squatting-bum dance seemed to help. After about seven (maybe more, maybe less) of these and the thoughts that I was only at a 5... I told Scott I was going to wimp out and ask for the epidural. I felt so bad about it. He of course didn't put any pressure on me one way or another (seriously glad this guy is my eternal birth coach). It was about 7 pm by this time.

He went and told the nurse that (after ten minutes) my birth plan had changed and I wanted that epidural after all. They called for the anesthesiologist... and he took his dear sweet time. I asked the nurse to check me again, just in case things had progressed and I decided (again to change the birth plan) and not get the epidural after all. She checked and I was at an 8. This is the magic number that if you pass, you can't get an epidural.

It was at about this time that I started REALLY feeling it. Up till this point I could breath through the pain and somehow make it though. Now, they were so super intense. They wanted me to stay in bed so they could monitor me and all that jazz... I tried to most of the time, but a few times I jumped off the bed to do my new break moves. This was right before the epidural guy was going to put in the good stuff. He chewed me out a little bit and told me I had to hold very still and after I had the epidural in I couldn't pull any of those jumping-out-of-bed shenanigans.

He got to work and put the epidural in (and somehow I stayed sitting on the edge of the bed grabbing a hold of Scott's head in sort-of a headlock move. He said I could squeeze as hard as I wanted... and I did. I hesitate to put this in, but there was one point where Scott's ear was close to my mouth, and I almost bit him... not because I was mad at him, but because it was near my mouth and I probably should have had a stick to bite on like the movies. Thankfully, I decided to forgo the whole Mike Tyson thing and leave my poor sweetheart's ear alone.

The thought that the epidural was in and all would be well is the only thing that got me through the next ten minutes. I kept hoping things would stop hurting... but they didn't. It turns out, he missed whatever he was supposed to hit. Now that I had the epidural in, I had to stay in my bed... and I was determined to be a better patient. I would try and follow the rules. I was on my hand and knees doing my very best to imitate a moose's mating call. (I saw this comparison on another blog birth story and it just fits, so there's my giving credit where credit is due). I don't think I was "screaming" per say, but some might describe it that way. I was just breathing really heavy and sounds happened to be coming out too... or something like that.

At about 7:45 pm my moose imitation turned into me holding onto the back of the bed squatting and then... I wanted to push... so I did. I gave up on being a good patient. My poor nurse, I didn't like her much, but I didn't really make her job very easy either. She started frantically yelling to the Doctor, "She's pushing, she's pushing" (in a sort of, I can't make her stop, tone) and Scott said, "Good job, honey, you're doing great" (Love that guy).

The doctor asked what I was dilated to, and she informed him that she hadn't been able to really check me because I wouldn't lay on the bed long enough for her to see... again, I was not your ideal patient...

My doctor, who for the record, was awesome through everything asked if he could check me.. and I guess because I liked him better, I was obedient. I laid down just long enough for him to check me and then he said I could push if I wanted to. And my fondness for the guy grew.

I didn't waste any time. I pushed as hard as I could. I think maybe 5 times. The doctor knew I really didn't want an episiotomy so when I saw him glance at the scissors and kind of hesitate, I think I yelled at him to do it and get this baby out. Scott doesn't remember this part, so it could have just been in my head... I hope the moose call was also in my head...

After that, I pushed as hard as I could and out came the baby. They held her up and I could barely see part of the baby, and I called out, "It's a boy?!?"... No, it was a beautiful, healthy, baby girl with a full head of hair. They put her right up on my stomach and I loved her instantly. She cried and cried... and I loved to hear it. I couldn't believe how happy I was that she was a girl and that she was here. I knew I would have liked a girl, but over the past few days I've realized that I wanted her more than I let myself believe.

She was born at 7:55 pm weighing 8 lbs 7 oz, after only being in the hospital for about two hours. And to think I was worried that we had come too soon. My doctor had to stitch me up for a while, and had to use Novocaine since the epidural didn't work. It wasn't as bad as I had worried it would be. He did a great job, and I have to say, I have had the best recovery yet out of my three babies.

Scott and I were smitten with her from the beginning, and it is only growing. The boys love her too, and are practicing being "very soft".

That night I didn't sleep much. At about two in the morning I was laying awake in my bed thinking, "Wow, Heavenly Father has blessed me with the most wonderful little family I could possibly dream of having". At that moment, all I wanted to do was all be together, just our little family, and never leave each others sides. It is a wonderful, beautiful plan our Heavenly Father has prepared for us, and I'm thankful that I have a knowledge of it.

Serving

It often turns out that as a mother of young children, most of the service I render... is to those small children.

Today, I had the opportunity to serve someone other than my children. A lady who I visit teach needed some help, and I was able to do it. Not only was I able to help her out today, but we were able to talk about feeling the Spirit. It lifted me.

There really is so much happiness to be found in doing (even the small things, as was my case) good for others. I'm thankful for the visiting teaching program that gives us opportunities to watch over and care for each other.

Often, I feel like I'm a sheep being taken care of, but today I got to be a little bit of a shepherd. And it was good.

The waiting game

Well, we've entered that stage of pregnancy I like to call the waiting game. Things are ready to go, now all we can do is wait. This is also the phase of pregnancy that makes me feel little bit like a walking-time-bomb. I feel like I could go off at any moment. I blame this all on Jeff. He surprised us a month earlier than his due date, so now I'm in this phase a little longer than I think "normal" people. I just never know if I'm going to go early again or not.

I've been feeling GREAT these last few weeks. Since about seven months I've really struggled with sciatica. It has made it very hard to sleep and even walk at times... however, the last two weeks I've been feeling like a new person in that regard. I still have sciatic pain, but it's not to the point that I can't sleep at night.

In fact, the past couple of days I've forgone swimming (the only thing I've been able to do the past four months) and actually worked out a on the elliptical machine and the bike. It has felt great and afterwords, I can still walk! I think it's all because the baby is so low now, that she can't hit my sciatic nerve as much... at least, that's my theory.

We still don't really know if we are having a girl or a boy. We have thought all along that it is a girl... worse morning sickness and stuff like that. However, we have never had that confirmed with an ultrasound. They just can't see enough to tell us one way or another. I'm even less sure now that it's a girl because a friend of mine who had her ultrasound at the same place as me just found out what they said was definitely a girl, is actually a boy.

To be honest, it's kind of fun not really knowing for sure. I feel like when we are in labor, it will be even that much more exciting. Not to mention a little motivating.

Speaking of labor... I'm planning on going natural. If things go as smoothly as they did with Nate, I think it will be doable. I do, however, have a backup plan in place, just in case things are longer and more intense... similar to Jeff's birth. Scott and I have been "practicing" how we will get through contractions. I love to practice, because the book says he has to rub my back for me. :) It's been great. I've discovered that there is no one else I would rather be my coach than my Scotty. He's great. I kind of like him... a lot. :)

That's all for now...
Sadie

Things are looking up!

Nate has slept two nights in a row without waking up coughing. He is also smiling and laughing again. I feel like we've got our little man back.

Jeff has his surgery scheduled for Thursday morning. As long as baby doesn't come before then, I think we'll be okay. Let's be honest, we'll be okay no matter what. Life has a way of working out.

So, thanks all for your thoughts, prayers, worry, and encouragement. I'll try not to be such a whiner in the future. :)

On another positive note, we've narrowed our name ideas down to about 20. The one we think will probably not work out... Carmaplane Cornair... That one came from an idea Scott had. We both say the first thing that comes to our minds and we combine them to make a name. I said caramel corn, and Scott said airplane. I don't think we'll use that method again, it didn't prove to be very productive.

How did you come up with your names for your kids?

Doctor's appointments

My poor boys. Generally they are the most healthy energetic kids on the planet, but I've been to more doctor's appointments in the last week than I can even remember... one of them my own. I "could go any time", as my doctor puts it. I'm dilated to a one and 50% effaced (for anyone who likes numbers).

Here's the scoop on Jeff...

Scott and I started noticing that he was always talking super loud. He would also as us to repeat ourselves all the time and would sometimes ask us to "say it louder". We decided we should probably get his hearing tested. After an appointment with the audiologist, we learned that Jeff had fluid behind his eardrums that was causing him to have a tough time hearing. He said other than the fluid, Jeff's hearing wasn't compromised.

Thankful.

He sent a report to our pediatrician who then referred us to an ENT. At the appointment with the ENT he looked in Jeff's ears and told me that not only was there fluid in there, but it had been there long enough that it was now more like glue. He kept asking if anyone had looked inside the kids ears in the last six months... and yes, they had. He asked how many ear infections he had had... and I told him none to my knowledge. Apparently, I was wrong. The ENT wants us to get tubes put in his ears, and possibly get his adenoids out too. Not too bad.

Here's the scoop on Nate

A few weeks ago Nate started coughing, and had a fever for a few days. No big deal... I gave him some Motrin to bring down his fever and let him sleep all he wanted for a few days.

Fast forward two weeks. He still has a cough, only now he coughs ALL NIGHT LONG and vomits up gunk. I decide that this thing isn't going to "just run it's course" so I take him to the Doctor. She listens to his lungs and says that he is wheezing. She gives him a treatment with a nebulizer in her office to see if it helps... she feels it does so we get a prescription for Albuterol, a nebulizer, and an antibiotic because he also has an ear infection.

Fast forward three days. He's not getting any better, in fact, he seems to be getting worse. He throws up regularly now. Scott takes him back into the doctor and comes home with a pharmacy. Steroids, a different med for the nebulizer, a decongestant, and a laxative (that he'll take for the next month or longer... he's not doing so well on his regularity despite giving him prune juice).

The kid is on five different meds now and still doesn't seem to be getting any better. We've purchased a humidifier and propped up his bed so his head is elevated. He still has his three a.m. cough/vomit session each night and is super cranky all day long.

Today I started thinking about why his body isn't beating this thing, and my mind started to run away with me. I almost started sobbing thinking that he must have some kind of cancer or something. Mostly, I'm just exhausted and worried about this little guy. Baby number three will be here anytime now, and I hope by then Nate will be a healthy happy little man again.

Thanks for listening. I just needed to "let it all out". I think this blog is mostly for me. Sorry about that. I just use it as a place to put my thoughts and worries out there so they aren't pent up in my head. Not that there aren't plenty of people out there who listen to my sob stories when I have them, it's just nice to write them down too.

Thanks again.
Sadie

Rock Climbing

Scott and our friend Mike decided to take their boys rock climbing at the A&M climbing gym. I just can't get over how cute they all look. Scott said Jeff was a little hesitant, but seemed to enjoy it. We'll have to keep going so he can start to like it as much as Scott and I do. :)

It's been a while

I haven't blogged in quite a while. We celebrated a wonderful Christmas holiday together as a family in Texas. This marks the 4th year in a row that we've celebrated on our own, and to be honest... we like it. I'm sure we would love being with a bunch of family too, but we've grown to like our special morning with just us.

Scott has been home with us for the past three weeks and it has been wonderful! We love having dad home. He's been working a little bit over the break, but mostly we get him. We get him for one more week. It'll be sad to see him off to full-time student/employee status again, but it's good to get back into the "normal" schedule again. Scott has also started teaching more piano lessons. He now has five students. It's a nice way to supplement the income. We've committed to save enough for a three month emergency fund, so this is a nice help.

I'm still teaching ESL to adults two nights a week. I love it. My students are awesome, and it's great to help them make progress in their language skills. My stomach is starting to look like a basketball, which means we're getting closer to the big day we welcome baby number three. We think it's a girl, but we're prepared for a surprise since the radiologist wasn't positive. In preparation, we've been making room for her. We gutted the boys closet and put in lots and lots of shelves and drawers. This made it so we could get rid of a bookshelf and a desk in our room. Now I'll have room for a chair (preferably a cushy rocking one) to nurse baby in at night. I'm happy I won't have to go downstairs in the middle of the night.

The boys are great! Of course there's plenty of tantrums, crying, screaming, fighting, and time outs... but that's just part of life and we work through it. :) There's also a lot of laughing, playing, asking questions, reading books, eating, and just plain having fun. I love my boys. They've been sick with colds for the past week and that means I get snuggle time that otherwise, doesn't happen. They just move too much. While I don't like to see them sick, I like cuddling with my boys.

And, that's the news on us. We love each other and are happy. That's the general overview.

Yoga and Swimming

Well, over Thanksgiving weekend I decided it was probably time to retire my basketball shoes for a while. I've been struggling with sciatica quite a bit, and it culminated to the point that I was having a hard time even walking... so, I've changed things up a bit. Now, instead of basketball and running, I'm doing yoga and swimming.

I called up a friend and asked her to be my swimming buddy, thus ensuring that I actually go when I plan to go. So far, it has been absolutely wonderful! I feel like swimming is one thing I can actually do without really feeling pregnant. I feel weightless and normal again. I love it! I can actually push myself when I swim without much prego-effect.

So, even though I haven't been able to run the entire pregnancy, I'm happy to report that I'm still staying active... which was my biggest goal when we decided to have another baby.