Blocks, tea parties, and a nap with Daddy

Wednesday was a very busy day in our home.

First of all, JB didn't get home from Pensacola until almost one in the morning, leaving him understandably fairly useless come the morning.

Six o'clock rolled around, and like clock work, Isaac started chattering on the monitor. With Isaac's chatter comes a very happy dog. Scrubs takes Isaac's chatter as his cue to put his paws up on our bed and start begging me to pet him. If he's on JB's side of the bed, which borders the wall, his tail will start its rhythmic thumping against said wall. We now allow Scrubs to sleep wherever he prefers at night, but no matter what, when Isaac starts chattering, Scrubby comes a running. Isaac is his new alarm clock!

I rolled over to find that JB was not in our bed. Smart man! Why sleep in a bed that means a six o'clock wake up? He had happily bunked next door in the guest room with eye mask and ear plugs in tact with the hopes of getting to sleep in a bit more in the morning.

Wake-up was followed by letting the doggie out, feeding the doggie, letting the baby play, giving baby bottle, feeding baby food, Mommy taking a shower, Baby getting dressed, Mommy getting dressed, packing baby's diaper bag, Mommy eating breakfast . . . you get the idea.

I had to leave at 8:15 to take Isaac to Brittney's house so that I could attend a "Bundles for Babies" class. This is a favorite of new moms on base as you get a lot of free stuff. JB needed sleep and also needed to do some work at the hospital and head over to our insurance company in regards to some Isaac/adoption related issues, so Brittney was the babysitter for the morning. Isaac did get to spend a little bit of time with JB before we left -- they both took a nap together as you can see from the picture below. :) I brought Isaac in to visit him and returned ten minutes later to this image.

The morning at Brittney's included Isaac's first tea party. My boy having tea with his "big sister" Jocelyn. That's a house filled with girls for you. I stole these pics from Brittney's blog so you can see for yourself.

I got home from Brittney's around noon and while Isaac napped, I worked. By 2:30, it was time to leave again. This time we headed to Joia's where Isaac would spend an hour while I participated in my "Mom's in Motion" class. Isaac had a ball at Joia's as well. Here he had a bit more manly experience: blocks. The picture below is courtesy of Joia. She took some other cute ones of him too but they may make our Christmas cards so I won't post them here right now.

My "Mom's in Motion" instructor, Suzy, informed me that I would be transitioning to a more "end of pregnancy" type of work-out. End of pregnancy? Holy cow. Friday I'll be 32 weeks. Time is flying. Suzy also made numerous comments about the basketball I was carrying around in front of me. It does appear that all of my 32 pounds gained has been strategically placed in one central location: my stomach. I really can't believe it can keep growing for another 8 weeks! How big can one basketball get?!

The day didn't end there. I returned home, Isaac went down for another nap, and by 6:45pm we were out the door again. This time we headed to Care Group. I was proud of myself for getting me and baby out of the house for the third time in one day without JB there to help me. I was also proud of Scrubs who spent 2 of the 3 outings in the laundry room instead of his kennel. I think the dog is earning the right to not be kenneled with his good behavior! Way to go Scrubby!

I am looking forward to JB finishing up this rotation next week. We miss having him with us in the evenings! We got to spend some brief time with him this morning before he headed back down to Pensacola for yet another day in the emergency room. Yesterday was fun but quite busy so today, I'll be chilling out at home most of the day. Later this evening Isaac and I are heading over to Joia's for a girls pajama Christmas party. Pics of that to come I promise!

Andrea and Isaac

I just love this picture of my good friend Andrea (2 weeks post-baby!) and Isaac. What a pair of snugglers!

Our little Elf family

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My future

If anyone can picture my future accurately, it is my online friend Amy. She and I originally met on Hannah's prayer online discussion board. We were both married and wanting families. It seemed that neither of us were getting any closer to that goal.

While we moved forward with China, Amy moved forward with a domestic adoption. Twelve months later she had two boys in her home -- a surprise pregnancy for her as well. Just a few hours after I found out I was pregnant, I emailed Amy. I think I wrote something like, "We really have a lot in common Amy." She knew instantly what I meant. I beat her slightly as my boys will be 8-9 months apart, but I think you get the idea of why she understands the road we are taking.

Amy recently took a video of her two boys to illustrate what my future looks like. This makes me smile from ear to ear every time I watch it! Let the adventure begin!

VIDEO OF MY FUTURE

Praise report

Just a quick note to praise the Lord for his great gifts.

As some of you know, my Dad's Mom has been fighting cancer for quite a few months now. It is a difficult cancer (lung and spine) and she is too weak to do chemotherapy.

There is another drug, Tarceva, that has been shown to shrink tumor size in one-third of non-smoking lung cancer women -- my Grama. However, it was incredibly expensive -- much more expensive than the family or my Grama could afford. My Grama qualified to receive this medicine for free based on her income. This is basically a special "gift" from the pharmaceutical company, and she'll get it for one year.

Please pray that my Grama is one of the 1 in 3 women helped by this medication. She is in her mid 80's and many would say "She's lived a good life." She's also lived the last 13 years of that life without my Grampa. But my Grama isn't ready to go yet, and I'm just not ready to let go of her either. We're determined that she's going to get to meet Elijah next year and pray that this medication helps her reach that goal.

The picture at the top is of me, my Grama, and Isaac at the shower the family held for me in August. My Grama held up a picture of my Dad to get "as close to four generations as possible."

Isaac and me: Getting chubby together!

Well Isaac, you and I have done a lot of growing in the last six months! Let's show them all how we have worked hard getting chubby together! (Pay special attention to Isaac's thighs and my belly!) :)

Really hard laughing

I finally got it on video! Our boy really, really laughing!

Happy Birthday Hans!

Even though you are forced to celebrate without us, we hope you and your beautiful wife have a great time celebrating your big day! (This is a photo of Hans -- who doesn't like dogs -- on a trip out to visit us last year.) I think Scrubs won him over to the dog world just a bit. :)

Due next month

As of today, I am due next month. Never thought I'd write those words on this blog. Due next month.

Seriously, is that even possible? First of all, is it even possible that I am actually pregnant? Is it possible that I have made it through nearly an entire pregnancy? And is it possible that we will actually have two babies next month?

Was it only a little over one year ago that I wrote this post: Infertile Moment? Hard to believe that that was in August of last year. In November of 2006, I wrote this post: Comfort for the Barren. In October of 2005, I penned these words: Let my Heart Sit Down. These are just quick examples of the words that were welling in my heart during each of these years . . . of the emotion that was swirling around me as everything I thought for my life was looking like it might not come true.

The questions were endless.

What would I be when I grew up if not a Mom? What would I do everyday for the rest of my life if not a Mom? What would happen to me if something happened to JB? Would I just be alone? How could I possibly hug and love my nieces and nephews born to siblings decades younger than me? How could I celebrate life with friends and family when my own life would never be able to celebrate? How would I ever go to a baby shower, an Easter Egg Hunt, a t-ball game, Disney World, without wondering why I never got a turn to cheer on and hug one of those children? How could I get the pain to go away?

And now, here we are. 2008. December of 2008. December of 2008 and after ten and a half years of marriage and five long years of infertility treatments, we are expecting our second son next month. Elijah is due next month.

So many people told me they knew it would eventually happen for us. In the beginning, I thought that was true. But after no amount of money or years or invasive treatments had proved successful, I started realizing that for me, this may not be something that would ever come true. Could I be okay if I were never a Mom? And if we did adopt, would it be enough to fill that longing in my heart?

I don't even need to answer the second question on this blog. If you've been following our story you know that Isaac is quite enough. JB and I often say that if it were just the three of us -- if we never had another child, Isaac would be enough. Next to JB and my salvation, he's the greatest blessing I could ever ask for. The kid is just awesome. Bundles of laughter and smiles and chubby cheeks everyday.

As for the first question, I don't know. I'm not sure I would have ever quite felt complete not being a Mom, but I like to believe that God would have given me the peace I needed to be okay with that. I also know that if motherhood would have only come through adoption, that form of motherhood would have quenched the longing in my heart. I know that now. Of course, I couldn't know it then.

Over dinner tonight, JB and I spoke about infertility as we reflected on various friends in various phases of their own wait to be parents. We spoke about how painful all those negative attempts were and how we longed to see those we cared about spared from those painful results.

I reflected back on my last major breakdown as an "infertile" woman. I put that in quotes because my evening of uncontrollable sobs came five weeks after Isaac was born -- when I was actually pregnant unaware. It was an emotional day -- spurred on by a program on The Discovery Health Channel I never should have watched. They followed the story of three couples going through IVF treatments, and I watched, helpless, as three couples sat huddled over the phone, waiting for it to ring, praying for good news, and only one of them getting the call they so desperately wanted. I pictured us doing that again in the future, with the seven embryos we had waiting, and it was almost more than I could bear. How could I do that again? I just wanted to be at peace and never go through that again! No more shots and catheters and sleepless nights and mock transfers and waiting for the phone to ring only to hear the words that meant it was all in vain.

Of course, the embryos are still there, but much has changed since that breakdown. For one thing, both Isaac and I have spent the last seven months getting chubbier together. That wasn't what I thought would be happening.

I also didn't think our neighbor across the street, the one with twin daughters, would stop by my house today to see if I needed some "second" baby items. Did I want a second swing? A second high chair? A second bouncy seat? A second high chair? Holy cow! High chair? I never thought of that. JB came home and I asked him if we needed two high chairs. Probably. We probably do. How did everything change so very quickly?

Somehow, I am due next month. And somehow we need two high chairs.

God really does have a great sense of humor, and God really does work in "mysterious ways" we cannot possibly understand, foresee, or fathom. If only we could see where things would lead before we had to make that journey. But we can't. We can only trust. And wait.

Isaac was worth the wait. And I know Elijah will be too. And so will our China daughter. Life is quite an adventure. Who knows where we are headed next!

Jumping on Daddy

Deck the halls

My parents left this morning. I actually just spoke with them on the phone, and unfortunately, they have gotten caught in some pretty nasty post-Thanksgiving-traffic! They are 10.5 hours into their supposed-to-be 9.5 hour drive and still a good hour away from home. How frustrating. In all the times that JB and I have made that trip, we have always had wonderful traffic. I feel so bad for them and hope they don't decide to skip visiting at Christmas because of this bad experience. :(

I was sad to say good bye to my parents but excited to spend the day with my family getting ready for Christmas. We picked up a tree at the BX this morning -- opting for a small tree and just a few decorations around the house. Since Elijah is due so soon after the holidays, I don't want to be overwhelmed with how much we need to do to get the house back in shape right before he is born -- or even after he is born.

It was a great morning. JB got to go on a four mile run with Scrubs. I then took the poor pup on a two mile walk. I also managed to get a nap since I was up at 4am with a side ache I couldn't get to go away. Isaac seemed to really enjoy watching the tree go up, and Scrubs did a good job navigating the rows of lights lining the carpet as JB got everything organized.

My blog has been pretty heavy in photos recently so why stop now? Here's some more pictures of Isaac's first time decorating to celebrate Christ's birth.

Isaac has started becoming interested in more toys. He has also started to get his feelings hurt when a toy is taken away. This box became very popular, and when we tried to take the ornament (in his left hand) from him, he got a little bit upset.

Here's Isaac and Scrubs waiting to watch Wendi decorate the tree.

And here is Wendi, decorating the tree while the boys watch! This is also a glimpse into what I look like at just over 31 weeks and counting. Hard to believe I can do nine more weeks of growing.

Not the best picture of me, but it is a rare ocassion when I can get Scrubs and Isaac in a photo together.

After a bath, Isaac changed clothes. (Well, Daddy actually changed his clothes.) This is a shirt that JB's classmate at Mayo, Nicole, and her new husband, Bay, gave Isaac when he was born. I think this might be the last time he can wear it as his muscles are starting to show through. Needless to say, this will be one shirt that doesn't get given away. I think it'll stay with us for quite some time. How appropriate for the journey that brought us to Isaac. Thanks Bay & Nicole!

Family time

It's been a wonderful visit with my parents! Yesterday (Friday) JB had to go to work in Pensacola. I felt so spoiled having my Mom and Dad here to hang out with me after so many late evenings by myself over the last two weeks. We hung out around the house, went for a walk, took a trip to the bay, and ate [too many] Thanksgiving leftovers. We also watched one of my favorite movies on television: Family Man. Great one to see if you haven't seen it before!

Today was another low-key day at home but this time with JB here to hang out with us. Another walk, another trip to the bay, and more leftovers for everyone started off a great day. Then around lunch time, my Mom and I got pedicures, and for dinner, my parents treated us to a great dinner at Destin Commons where JB could get Sushi, and we could get some great Thai.

I can't believe they are leaving tomorrow morning, but we are already anxiously looking toward Christmas when they will return for some more visiting.

Here's some photos from our evening with my parents. We did take some pictures with Santa too, but since I may use one of those on a Christmas card, I'll refrain from posting them on the blog until the cards go out.

P.S. In other news, yesterday marked my joining Joia in the "single digit weeks remaining" pregnancy club. I am 31 weeks. Only 9 weeks to go. I had a very rough weeks 25-29 with a lot of ligament pain, cramping, and discomfort. At that point, I wasn't sure how I could hang on for 15 more weeks! However, I am blessed to be able to report that things have gotten much better for me. I am feeling awesome. Honestly, this is probably the best I have felt yet! Normally, they say the third trimester can be the worst, but for me, so far, it is been the best. I'm going to keep praying that things continue in this direction. Only (an estimated) 62 days until we meet Elijah, and Isaac becomes a big brother.

Great food; great company

Sometimes the pictures can say it better than I can. Here's some visuals of our Thursday Thanksgiving!

Our gang. From left: Joia, my Dad Georgi, my mom Diane, me, JB, John, and Becky. Not pictured is Philip (who is taking the photo) and Keenan and Isaac who were both taking naps during dinner.

Our great meal including a lamb and turkey. JB did an awesome job on the meal and Joia and Becky contributed some potatoes and broccoli casserole. I am so glad our dog has learned that counter surfing would get him in very serious trouble. He will stretch but will not get up onto the counter, thank goodness! :)

Dessert which includes a peanut butter chocolate pie via Becky, a turtle pumpkin pie via Joia, an apple pie and an apple quince pie via JB, and the most amazing chocolate Oreo "tree" bark! (I love that stuff!)

Isaac with his Thanksgiving meal: Green beans. He really likes them!

My mom and Isaac, bonding over green beans.

Look closely -- there are some green beans on his forehead. :)

My Dad enjoyed all of Thanksgiving -- especially his hourly naps and my t-shirt blanket which is plenty big for him to completely get under.

Becky, Joia, Philip (with Keenan)

Aaaahhh -- this is the life!

Or is this the life? Very content after a very good dinner.

Keenan trying to see the "goggie" (aka scrubs) after dinner. Keenan and Scrubs are big buddies.

Isaac has been infatuated with cups lately. Here's JB giving him a sip of water.

Before bed, Isaac and my Mom did some reading.

Keenan and Isaac in the best picture I could get of two squirming kids.

Isaac again, complete with green beans on the forehead.

Becky with Isaac. That's a new toy Isaac is holding. My Dad and Mom brought it for him. We have no idea what it is -- a satellite? -- but he loves it!

Also, feel free to jump over to Joia's blog for her "rememberances" of the day as well. We had such a wonderful time with our family and friends. What a blessed day and what a wonderful "first Thanksgiving" for our little boy.

Today I'm thankful for . . .

• Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• My parents driving nine hours to spend the holiday with us.
• A wonderful husband who has put up with me for nearly half of my life.
• A beautiful son. The highlight of my days.
• Brianna. Without Bri our little boy would not be alive and would not be in our family. What a gift!
• Our amazing connection of brothers and sisters, parents, and their kids. We are truly blessed with fantastic families, and despite the distance, love and cherish them immensely.
• A wonderful pregnancy and good health.
• My crazy puppy. He drives me bonkers but keeps me young and active . . . and Isaac thinks he's the coolest thing ever.
• Financial and job security.
• Great friends in the different areas we have lived: Kentucky, Minnesota, and now Florida. I'm especially thankful today for Philip, Joia, and Keenan as well as John and Becky who will be spending the day celebrating with us.
• Our country. How blessed we are to live in the United States.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to include some pictures later, and I'll also be sure to link you to Joia's blog where there are sure to be even more pictures!

Lots o' noises

Passing the time, waiting for Grampa and Grama to get here . . .

China Update

While waiting for my parents to get here (I am hoping they come in by 7pm!), I thought I'd provide a little bit of an update on our other adoption . . .

Many people continue to ask us about our China adoption. First of all, yes, we are 100% still committed to this adoption. Our paperwork is done, a large portion of our money has been paid, and we truly have no choice but to wait. The good or bad news (depending on how you look at it) is that the wait time continues to increase steadily.

Currently, the wait time is 33-34 months. This is up from the estimated 24 months that we were aware of when we decided to adopt from China and the nearly 28 months that we were told the wait would be when our dossier was finally logged into China. This means that based on our login month (April 2008) if the wait time were not to increase again, we'd be looking at our daughter joining our family in early 2011.

However, the current trend is that for every month you wait, the wait time increases another 1 to 1.5 months. No one knows for sure how many dossiers have been logged in to China each month. Therefore it is impossible to predict what number we are in line. Even though China saw a huge influx of dossiers, they have continued to process applications at the same speed as when their dossier count was down -- thus the reason for the backlog.

So for now, we wait. I'll be sure you keep you updated, but quite honestly, there isn't much to say except "the wait time is getting longer."

The coolest doctor's office ever!

I remember the orthodontist when I was a kid. It was an old cowboy waiting room with a small area for really little kids to play in. It was pretty nice. It was okay. A bit boring, but good enough. The most exciting spot in the whole room was a board where they hung newspaper articles that their patients were featured in. They were unhappy when I won player of the year for basketball and took a photo without showing my teeth. But they hung the article just the same.

Today I went back to the orthodontist. Not for me. I'm way done with braces! Thank goodness! But for my neighbor Bobbie's kids. Bobbie is better known as "Deuce's mom." Her husband is a colonel and a pilot and they live right on the water with a sprawling backyard bordering the bay. I visit their yard many times a week so that Scrubs and Deuce can play together. It's one of my favorite things to do. No matter how hot it is out, it is cool under the big trees.

Bobbie has four fantastic children. The oldest two daughters had appointments and Bobbie had a base activity she needed to attend. So I took all four of her kids (because her boys can't stay home by themselves) to the orthodontist. You should have seen me in my mini van with her four kids, my Isaac, and my bulging belly. A total soccer mom if you ever saw one.

I walked into what I was told was an orthodontist's office but looked more like a youth group hang out room. The boys instantly took off and headed into a "video game" room! Even brushing your teeth before you got started was a game. Isaac and I sat down on this huge blue couch that I could have easily taken a nap on. Kids were coming in and checking in on a computer. The doctors and techs were walking around, talking to people. There was a contest for a food drive. If you brought food in, you were entered into a drawing. It was way cool!

I want to bring JB there just to show him what a cool office is like. If he ever does open his own practice, he's GOT to get an office like this! I'm sure it pays for itself very quickly with the people that come in! It was awesome.

* * *

In other news . . .

• JB returned to work in Pensacola this evening. We miss him!
• My parents come in tomorrow evening. I miss them! And rumor has it, they miss Isaac a bit too.
• I think I am going to make pancakes for dinner again tonight. I'm getting good at those things.
• I'm incredibly sore from my "Moms in Motion" class yesterday. Taking a week off due to illness really set me back a bit.
• Jodi stopped by today to test Scrubs on his "greeting guests" routine. He actually did pretty well. He managed to stay and lay and not get up (much) until she was comfortably seated on the couch. Good work Scrubby! And thanks Jodi. What a great friend you are!
• JB made his first batch of babyfood this morning. He started with applesauce. Isaac had it for dinner tonight and really seemed to love it.

Wendi goes shopping

Yesterday I did something that I have never done.

I went shopping. For Thanksgiving. By myself. Seriously.

If you don't know me well, you may not know certain things about me. For instance, you may not know that I am not the cooker in our family. I am also not the grocery shopper.

Those activities are primarily reserved for my husband.

I can do minor cooking. Like last night, I made pancakes for dinner since my hubby was too sick to cook. My other favorites include grilled cheese, pizza (the pre-made kind of course), and macaroni and cheese. Oh and I can make a pizza casserole with like four ingredients. Ummm, that's about it I think.

(Thus the reason that the taco ring was a monumental achievement in the life of Wendi and completely blog-worthy.)

Don't get me wrong. I do some grocery shopping. But usually it is the "absolutely necessaries" type of grocery shopping. You know the kind. It's the run-in-and-out-and-get-the-couple-of-things-you-really-need-to-make-it-through-the-rest-of-the-week type of shopping. Usually this list includes things like toilet paper, milk, or eggs.

The major grocery shopping is reserved for my husband. I often go with him, but my job is to push the cart, remind him that we've been there a very long time, and pick out the cereal I like. In Minnesota we had a Super Target. This was fantastic for me. I would go and browse the rest of the store and come back just as my husband was finishing in the produce section. He loves the produce section!

So you can imagine how huge it was for me to not only go and do all the grocery shopping but to go and do the Thanksgiving shopping. JB's illness meant that I, Wendi Kit., was forced to venture into the Commissary yesterday to do . . . gulp . . . THANKSGIVING SHOPPING!

You should have seen how long it took JB to go over his list with me before I left the house. He gave me detailed instructions about what he needed including how to pick out different types of produce.

The instructions also included drawings of the peppers he needed so I would make sure to get the right ones. I kid you not.

We are planning on having my parents, Philip and Joia, and John and Becky over for the big meal. Figuring JB completely recovers, we realized we are running out of time to get our shopping done. Thus, the decision was made that Wendi would make an attempt at the unbelievably busy aisles of the Commissary . . . by herself.

All in all, I did pretty well. They were out of a few things, and I couldn't find a few things, and I forgot a few things. I also gave up on a few things when I remembered I forgot them. (I didn't have the strength to try to go against the flow of traffic and maneuver my way back through aisles I had already passed.) But all in all, I left with a good majority of the things we needed. A quick run to Publix later sealed the deal.

Mission accomplished!

Today, JB stayed home from work. This is the first time, in the 10.5 years we have been married, that I ever remember JB missing a day of work (or school) for illness. Actually it's the first time in the 15.5 years we have been "together" that I remember this happening.


I guess that's proof of how cruddy he is feeling.


He was hopeful that after resting all day Saturday and Sunday, he might be able to get back to work today. But losing Sunday for the delivery cost him valuable rest, and he just could not muster up the strength to go into work today. After a full day on the couch, he is looking much better, and is hopeful that he will be head down to Pensacola tomorrow afternoon to return to the grind.

Our little Isaac is still not as giggly and smiley as usual, but he does seem to be getting back to his good ol' self as well. I, however, am completely back to myself. Actually I can honestly say that I feel better now, at 30 weeks pregnant, than I did in my mid 20's. I really think the Lord has given me a renewed sense of vigor! I really needed a pick-me-up.

All right, time to end this blog and put the pre-made pizza in the oven! Wendi's cooking two nights in a row AND she did Thanksgiving shopping!

Wow.

Random videos

PLAYING WITH NEW DRUMS!

Isaac got these drums when he was first born. He is finally old enough to use them. And he loves them!

BIG DOG WITH FLASHLIGHT!

Believe it or not, Scrubs is still obsessed with the flashlight! Here's JB giving him a bit of a hard time. Poor Scrubs! All he wants to do is play.

SPINNING FEET!

I'm not sure if all babies do this, but Isaac certainly does. He loves to spin his feet, all the time, wherever he is. I caught it on video this morning during breakfast.

FOLLOWING THE PACK LEADER!

Please excuse the abundance of laundry I was working on during the filming of this video. Here is Scrubs, who decided to spend some time following JB everywhere.

In labor!!!

Well folks . . . guess what?!

Okay, sorry. I probably have you all breathing heavy and about to have a heart attack. Don't worry. Labor has nothing to do with me.

Did I scare you?! Ha!

It's not me. But it is one of JB's patients.

JB slept in the guest room last night. He's been sleeping there during this rotation so that he can sleep in longer and not get woken up by baby or dog. He decided to stay there last night too as he is feeling so lousy . . .

At around 4am, the phone rings. I answer it. They are looking for "Dr. K." It's always weird when I hear people put doctor in front of my husband's name. He's just John, silly! But I've gotten more used to it, and at 4am, I don't care what they call him!

I go to the guest room where JB has slept right through his pager going off. No wonder they called the house phone. He says he is feeling better as he pulls his scrubs on, grabs his stethoscope, pets the dog, and heads out the door.

As always, I am happy for the lady who is finally completely her pregnancy journey. I'm also happy that she didn't go into labor on Thanksgiving day. I am a bit bummed as a delivery on your day off is just that -- a delivery on your day off. If someone goes into labor during the work week, you get out of whatever else you are doing to deliver the baby. If they deliver on a day off, you just lose your day off. Oh well.

It'll be a churchless morning for Isaac and myself. I am finally feeling nearly back to myself, but Isaac still has a little ways to go. And JB, if he gets home at any point, has a long way to go before he tries to go back to work tomorrow. Pray for him to get an extra dose of strength!

On the mend . . .

JB got home around 5pm yesterday and was in bed by 6pm. He was awake long enough to help me give Isaac some Tylenol which didn't stay down long at all. Poor little guy! Poor big guy! Good thing I was feeling nearly back to myself. I don't know what would have happened if I would have still been down and out. Somebody has to take care of everyone!

The good news is that after both my boys slept the night away, they are both doing better today. JB is still pretty down and out, but Isaac is nearly back to himself. We were slightly concerned that John might have contracted the flu during his rotation in Pensacola, but a quick test at the hospital today confirmed that was not the case. Praise the Lord for this. Many people "say" they have the flu, but John got the actual flu once. It was horrible! It was during our first year of marriage, and he honestly stayed in bed for nearly two weeks, barely able to move.

And, believe it or not, the one person who I thought wasn't sick, woke me up at 3am this morning. Our dog was throwing up! I honestly nearly laughed out loud when I turned on the light. What a night for Scrubs to get sick. Fortunately his was just the result of too many swallowed bark chips during his playdate at the bay and not some additional illness to concern myself with. What a crew we are!

Hopefully everything will be well behind us by the time my parents come in on Wednesday. We also got good news that JB has Thursday off. We thought we were going to have to celebrate on Saturday due to his schedule so this was a wonderful surprise!

Stay well everyone.

Heading home

Your prayers for our home are definitely coveted right now. I think only Scrubby does not appear to have some sort of illness plaguing him as I write this.

JB had to leave his rotation in Pensacola early as he just felt too ill to continue working. He just called me and is on his way home, five hours early. He said that as soon as he walked in, one of the nurses commented on how bad he looked. She then said that it is quite expected on a pediatric ER rotation. John has not missed a day of work due to illness since we moved here, and I don't remember his missing a day of medical school for an illness either.

Our entire circle of friends is reeling a bit from not feeling well. We actually cancelled the wifia lunch on Wednesday due too many people being down and out.

I also noticed that Isaac is in quite a sweat in his crib. I plan to take his temperature when he wakes up. He is definitely not himself either. Both he and JB had flu shots this past week, and we are wondering if these illnesses may be related to the shot as you can get a little sick from the shot. Either way, we are quite a sight here. Between my two boys being sick and me not feeling well, we are limping along quite pitifully. Hopefully a good weekend of some R & R will bring brighter days come Monday.

Jodi Rocks!

Yesterday, Jodi was busy watching another wifia child, Della, when she stopped by our house -- Della giggling happily in her jogger.

I have long given up calming Scrubs down when Jodi comes to the house. Jodi is his girlfriend, and he is completely unable to refrain from running in between her legs as many times as possible in one minute whenever she comes to the house to visit.

Get this! Jodi knew I wasn't feeling so hot and so she had come by to take Scrubs and Della to the bay together. What an amazing blessing. Scrubs returned a half hour later thoroughly exhausted and ready for a good ol' dog nap! Hurr-ah Jodi!

The fact is, Scrubs' exercise schedule has been greatly warped by the combination of my illness, Isaac's cold, and JB's awkward rotation. While JB really enjoys working in the pediatric ER in Pensacola, the hours have really gotten to him, and subsequently, to us as well. He leaves the house at 11:30am and doesn't get home until well after midnight. By the time he gets to sleep and gets up, we have very little time to spend together. He has unfortunately had to forgo running for the last three days and is planning to catch up this weekend to stay on track for his half-marathon in March.

It's just bad timing for Isaac to have a cold and me to be feeling so crummy. I had my first major "breakdown" of mommy-dom and pregnancy this morning. I was plagued by incredibly bad leg cramps and side aches from this stomach bug last night which left me tossing and turning for most of the night. When Isaac decided to get up at 5:30am, followed closely by his big buddy Scrubby, and I rolled (literally) out of bed, only to get a calf in the back of my thigh that I could not get out, I just lost it. Sigh . . . and then there's the fact that there will be another tiny life to add to this family in just 10 weeks! Whew! One day a time, right?

Happy Birthday Tara

Happy birthday to our good friend Tara (pronounced Tar-uh), whom we met in Minnesota and is currently residing in California delivering babies and seeing sick people all day long while currently in love with some new guy we haven't met and can't approve of until we give our nod of approval (okay, not really) but all the while eating food that really belongs in the garbage can but believing that if she puts it in her stomach it is somehow "saved" from the place where it actually belongs -- the garbage!

Okay, in all seriousness . . . we'll never forget the six weeks we spent with Tara, Ajit, and Kelsey in Nigeria and South Africa! What an adventure. Congrats Tara on successfully navigating another year of life. Hope we can see you soon.

Quick check-in

Hey everyone. Dr. G. thinks that my stomach issues are related to some sort of viral bug -- nothing to do with the pregnancy. I am a little down and out and just trying to lay low. I've cancelled all activities for yesterday and the remainder of the week as I just try to rest and feel better. I'm sure I'll be back up and at 'em in no time. She'll check on me again tomorrow, but for now, nothing to do but wait for this bit of yuckiness to pass. JB was able to join me with Isaac in tow, and we stopped and got Isaac his six month shots while we were there. Man, I hate those big tears.

Isaac is back!

Well folks! It's been awhile since you have heard from me. Mommy thought it was time for another entry from my journal and finally let me get on the computer. So, here I am.

The first thing I want to write about is CARROTS. I think these are my new favorite food. Every time Mommy feeds me carrots, I get very excited, and I make sure to eat all of it so she knows how much I like it.

While we are on the topic of food, I enjoyed my first experiences with pears and prunes. However, I overheard Mommy and Daddy talking, and apparently, they do not plan on sharing those foods with me again for awhile unless I need them. I am not sure what that means, but apparently the fact that Daddy was forced to give me a bath to take care of some "problems" just a few hours after I had the prunes contributed to this discussion. Daddy said he would prefer to not have to deal with that "problem" again for awhile. Not sure what that is all about, but I guess pears and prunes are off the menu for awhile.

My favorite activities have shifted a bit since I last wrote. My swing has really been replaced by my exersaucer and by sitting on the couch (with the footrest pulled up close in case I decide to roll which, by the way, I think is totally overrated) or on the floor to play with my toys. I still sit in my swing sometimes, especially when I am a bit tired.

I don't cry in my crib at all. If it is time to lay down or get up, I just like to talk. What's the point of crying when talking will get my Daddy and Mommy to come visit me just the same? Actually, the only time I cry is when I am on my belly. I hate to be on my belly and wish these folks would quit putting me there. If I am in a cranky mood, hungry, tired, or in stinky pants, I prefer to "growl" ("like a velociraptor," Daddy says) or just yell really loud. Again, crying wears me out so unless I am on my belly, I avoid that activity.

There is still nothing that makes me smile as much as Scrubby. I especially like to sit on Mommy's lap and help her shine the flashlight. Sometimes Mommy asks me to stop kicking her so much during this game, but I can't help it! It's so fun to watch the light and my puppy all at once.

Right now it is early in the morning on Thursday. My Mommy is getting ready to go see her doctor while I hang out with Daddy who got in around midnight from his job for the month in Pensacola. Mommy hasn't felt very well for the last few days and Dr. G. said she would like to check her out and see why her stomach is bothering her. We all think everything is fine, but if you think of it, please pray for my Mommy to feel better. She's been pretty worn out the last few days.

Okay, I think that's all I have to say. Until my next entry folks!

A cold day at the bay

We have had a heck of a time finding hats and gloves for Isaac. Everything is either in baby sizes or in toddler sizes. Isaac is neither. So we finally found this set. It's obviously too big, but it kept him warm during our trip to the bay this morning with Scrubs.

What I wish I would have gotten a picture of was Isaac when the hat spun and the ear piece went in front of his face! Poor little guy!

I'm not the only one upset . . .

Aimee, thanks for sending me this!

Apparently I am not the only person upset about this carseat "fiasco." Take a look at this article by clicking here.

And thanks Mom K. for writing the powers that be. Maybe something will come of all of this!

Daddy's hat

Tuesday morning, it was coooollldddd here. Not Minnesota cold, but pretty stinkin' cold nonetheless. JB was getting ready to brave some just-above-freezing temperatures for his morning run. Isaac thought that trying on Daddy's running hat was just the greatest game ever.

Some photos from Monday

I'm a bit behind on posting photos. Here's a few snaps from Jocelyn's weekly visit. She's such a sweet kid and so easy to watch.

Sigh. I feel like a broken record. "No lick Scrubby, No lick." We know occasional kisses are part of the game, but we are really trying to stop him from thinking that kissing children into oblivion is okay with us. Poor Scrubs. He tries hard but just can't resist! Oh and he does not lick adults -- just kids!

I really don't know what is happening in this picture. Jocelyn decided to a headstand and Scrubs wanted to investigate that she had good form I think.

Here's a cute one of Isaac on the couch -- typical Isaac smile.

And here he is in the middle of a heartfelt laugh!

Bummers, Prayers, Praise, leg cramps, and a schedule change

Not sure how you can put the word "Bummer" in a title with "Prayers" and "Praise" and "leg cramps" and "Schedule change" but, it is, after all, my blog, and I just did it . . . so there! I suppose technically you can put any words you darned well want to together in a blog now can't you? No one says it has to make sense.

However, so that you do not think I have completely lost my mind, I will attempt to connect the topics into one, fairly cohesive, blog. (At least in my own mind it will be fairly cohesive.)

The bummer is that I got an email from Target saying they mistakenly labeled their seats at the ridiculously cheap price that I bought them for. They are $279.00 not $43.00. I am welcome to replace my order at the corrected amount. No. I don't think so. Does anyone else think the ability to change your price is a bit strange? I mean, technically, they could have seen how many people scooped them up and decided that their price should have been higher as an afterthought.

Oh well. Not much I can do about it except say bummer.

Praise is that JB's DOP (duration of pregnancy) patient had her baby during the day yesterday instead of into the evening or early morning or even tomorrow. This is especially amazing since she arrived at the hospital last night showing no signs of labor approaching and was delivered by lunchtime! Praise the Lord for her and for the ability to have a bit of family time last night.

Prayers are for our good friends here on Eglin. They are going in for their IVF harvest this morning! I know how exciting, terrifying, and overwhelming that is. Please stop and say a prayer for them. Pray especially that they will get just the right number of eggs and that just the right number will fertilize and just the right number will survive and grow to meet them on this Earth!

Okay so the leg cramps. First of all I have always been someone who has struggled with leg cramps. From my toes to my knees to my calves to my quads. You name it, I have cramped there. These often come during the night, but many times I am plagued by them during the day as well. If you are a close enough friend, you have probably witnessed my strange hopping and groaning at some point in our relationship. I was warned that these nasty things can occur or get worse in pregnancy. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. I am now cramping throughout the entire night with great gusto! What was once a once a week or maybe every other week occurrence is now a nightly times, like FIFTY, occurrence!

Now I know there is a lot of advice out there for leg cramps, and I appreciate it. But quite honestly, if you suggest it, I guarantee you I have tried it. For me, the only thing that even slightly helps with my cramping is to not have my feet pointed (which means a loose fitting blanket and no sheets.) I eat bananas out the wazoo so this isn't it. I still found myself stumbling around the bedroom at 1:30 in the morning last night with the granddaddy of all cramps -- the dreaded knee cramp. Ugh! Tell me how stretch a knee! Needless to say, between not being able to get comfortable, and waking up nearly every hour with a cramp, I have been a weeeee bit more cranky than usual.

And schedule change describes the new month that awaits us. JB will be working in Pensacola (about 90 minutes from here) Tuesday thru Friday for the next four weeks. He will also be working from 1pm until 10pm. Most people have said this is a good rotation, however, driving 90 minutes one way four times a week, is a bit much, especially at 10:00 at night. We'll flip our family time to the mornings, a luxury of me working from home, and adjust fine, but it will take a bit of getting used to. It wouldn't be a bad thing if JB's last November DOP went during the day one of those days to help him avoid a day of driving. :)

So there you have it. Bummer, prayers, praise, leg cramps, and a schedule change . . . all wrapped into one neat blog!

Mellow cup drinking

Isaac has been a bit under the weather the last few days. He hasn't been cranky, just very mellow with a good bit of a cough. Here is a video of him chillin' with Daddy before church on Sunday morning.

What an answer to prayer!

I have been scouring Craig's List for many weeks now, trying to find a new car seat for Isaac. The one he is in now only goes up to 22 pounds. So . . . time to find a new one as he is pushing 20. However, I soon realized that "toddler" car seats were used for a long time and therefore rarely sold second-hand. The ones that were sold second-hand looked like they had been through a war zone. (And I worry they smelled like that too.) From all we could figure, we were going to have to buy a new car seat for Isaac. And, Elijah would need one within six months as well meaning we were looking at a $400-$600 bill by the time we purchased two seats.

Then last night, I got this email from Joia who passed it along from her family member. Take a look at this deal. (Although, by the time you view this link, the deal may be gone.) This is for a Britax Marathon car seat (one of the best on the market). These are $300 seats, on sale for $43 with free shipping!!! FORTY-THREE DOLLARS!

Needless to say we ordered last night. And forget ordering one seat. We ordered two! You can't pass up on this deal. I am always so blessed when, with patience and prayer, God simply opens the doors and provides you with exactly what you need in his timing. Thanks to Joia and Denise (the mother of triplets!) for bringing this to our attention. Soooo exciting.

Now I just need to focus my prayers on finding a double jogger without a fixed wheel. If he can take care of a car seat, I'm confident this isn't out of his league by any means. :)

P.S. Actually I just checked. The seats are sold out this morning -- already!

It's a record!

Scrubby officially went 2.5 hours out of his crate, in the laundry room, unsupervised, while we went to church this morning. We returned to find everything in its place. Of course, we had moved out the rug, the shoe basket, and the laundry basket, but still! We all know Scrubs is capable of finding anything to get into, and he got into nada! It's only taken 18 months to get to this point! You go Scrubs!

Date night!

Yesterday, JB and I went on a date! While we were gone, Isaac hung out at Clay & Brittney's house with their two adorable daughters: Madison and Jocelyn. We are so blessed that despite the fact that we do not have family here, we have so many wonderful people to babysit for us. We really are blessed to have some "family" away from home.

I love bringing Isaac to Brittney's because, quite honestly, I don't think for one second about his well-being while I am gone. Brittney is amazing with children, and I know he is thoroughly enjoying all the attention his two big "sisters" are lavishing on him. I'm going to be very sad when they leave next summer for their new assignment. Clay is a third year which means summertime will send them on their way . . . away from us! :(

Anyways, Brittney took some photos of the day's activities, and I stole a few from her blog to share with you.

Isaac hanging out with big sister Madison and Doctor Clay while Jocelyn is napping. Look at Madison playing with Isaac's feet. :)

What a cute picture of my chubby boy and a beautiful little girl. Every time we see Madison she seems to get even prettier.

I love this picture! I don't think Jocelyn is too happy with the division of labor here.

Isaac looks like he just loves all this attention from the gorgeous ladies. How much better can it get?!

So what did we do on our night out?!

Well, first we went and saw the new James Bond movie. JB loved it. I, thought it was, well, like all the other Bond movies. It kept my attention and I was interested in what was happening, but I was always a bit confused as to what was actually occurring in the plot. In addition, if you didn't see the Bond before this one, you'll be even more confused than I was. It really carried over from the previous movie.

After the movie, we decided to use our gift certificate to Ruth Chris Steakhouse. We had only been to Ruth Chris once before and that was for a pharmaceutical dinner. (This is where a company comes in and treats you to a meal while they tell you about the drug they hope you'll prescribe to patients.) Normally, spouses cannot attend these meetings, but because I am a medical writer, I am allowed to go. I've been to 3 or 4 of them since we moved here, and they are always an amazing spread! Of course, my retirement from the RLS Foundation in January will mean the end to these opportunities. Bummer!

Well Ruth Chris' was amazing -- even more amazing then our pharm. dinner allowed for. We were seated in a comfy circular booth and were treated to amazing service and even more amazing food. The only bad thing is that our gift certificate required us to spend a minimum amount of money in order to redeem the allotted amount. I thought this minimum would be impossible to reach, but it was reached rapidly and quickly. It is quite a pricey place. Definitely a "very special night" outing and not somewhere we will probably go again for many years to come. We do have one more of these gift certificates, but since it doesn't expire, we'll probably use it when we retire or something! Or after the kids have been put through college. :)

One thing we realized while we were at dinner was how few times we have gone out without Isaac. In fact, this was the first movie (other than a movie we attended with the CareGroup) that we have been to see together since he was born, and only the third time we have been to dinner alone since he was born.

I have always been determined to make sure to take time away from the kids and spend time with my spouse, and we have done this a few times since Isaac was born. But life has been so busy with travelling and JB's work . . . and tiring from a new baby and another new baby on the way . . . that we just haven't done this as often as we would like.

I think the other thing is that Isaac is so good. At the age he is at now, he goes to restaurants, shopping, etc. without causing us any issues so we therefore just don't think ahead to securing a babysitter, despite the fact that we have plenty to choose from. (I really hope all these sitters are as willing to be of service when there is an Isaac x 2 present. That's when we will really need them!)

So anyways, it was a great date night and something we'll have to do again soon. Big kudos to Clay & Brittney for giving us the opportunity to spend some time just the two of us. It was way needed and we came home excited to see our boy and very refreshed.