It's a .....

GIRL!!! 

I was in denial at first because I was really hoping for a boy to even things out.  Ethan was a little sad that 

we found out this baby is a girl, but then I had to let him know, he gets to protect her and look out for her.  And when someone is being mean to his little sister he can tell them to be nice.  So I think it'll take some time, but he just might warm up to the idea.  So now, time to bring on the frill and lace again.  It's been a long time since I've had a little girl.  Seeing how my youngest daughter now is 8 and half, and will be 9 by the time this little girl arrives.  Crazy!!  

At least we got to see fingers on one of her hands and her cute little feet and everything looks good so far.   Name choices :  hmmm... we are thinking about Esther as a first name and really liking Rose with that name. = Esther Rose??    (Family names all around!)  According to their estimated weight of the baby she's about 13 oz already so almost a whole pound.  Yay... 

More for myself than anyone else.

So I've been busy working on yearbook pages in photoshop elements for the school my kids attend. We're coming down to the last few days/weeks, and my stress level is starting to PEAK!!

We've got birthday's coming up, volleyball games to attend, hunting for Easter eggs, and dying some as well. Lots of stuff is going on in the next few weeks, not to mention the item that I've been waiting for since, I found out I was expecting baby #6. So that maybe this child can go from being called baby #6 to "my little girl", or "my little boy". That's right I'm halfway through this pregnancy already and I have a list at least two pages long of things that need to be done before the baby arrives.

My anticipation of finding out is so huge right now, that I almost can't stand it. And I know that I'm going to be "hating" myself all day next Wednesday the 27th of April because I scheduled the ultrasound for 4pm that day!!! Did you hear me? I said 4 pm!!!

I did it mainly to accommodate schedules and such, so that the kidlets can all be there as well as my husband. But I know I'm going to be like a kid at Christmas waiting to see what the "big" gift is. Hopefully I'll be kept preoccupied with getting the yearbook finalized (or mostly anyway).

I've been feeling the baby move for almost 7 weeks now, and the movements are getting stronger every day. I can't believe how much movement I feel ALL THE TIME!! This kid is already all over the place in that little space it's in.

I've started a major project of "CLEAN UP THE DESK AND THE AREA AROUND IT" just yesterday, and now I can really see progress. The area underneath where our lovely feet are supposed to go, was cluttered with "CRAP". It's all gone now!! And I cleaned out the floor space where the paper shredder is supposed to go, and plugged it back in after being unusable for the last few months. I know-- huge slacker I am!! The part of the desk where the monitor sits, is now dejunked ... but unfortunately most of that mess just moved to the love seat to be "gone" through tomorrow.

I seriously have visions of a clean home that is spotless, and clutter free... but man oh man, it sure is hard trying to get there!! But hopefully with the new baby coming, and spring here ... I'll have some huge nesting instincts kick in and I can get a huge jump on a lot of the "clutter-free" cleaning that needs to take place. I have so many examples around me, that I just wish I could be like Samantha from Bewitched and twinkle my nose and it's immaculate. But alas, that isn't the life I get to live, so I have to be patient and do I dare say..."long-suffering" in waiting for that to happen.

Emotional pregnancy hormones.... (probably part 1 of many more to come)

I can't believe the roller coaster ride I'm constantly on right now. These darn emotions are almost kicking my tush.

It's crazy how the slightest little thing will make me tear up and start crying. I really don't know why this happens to pregnant women. Or at least I hope it happens to more then just me. But this go around seems to be hardcore with the emotional roller coaster.

I'll hear a phrase, and BAM! I see a picture ... BAM! I am faced with being told that something I thought was right isn't ...Bam!! (Okay I don't like being told I'm not right when I'm not pregnant ... but in a grocery store at 8:30 in the morning..doesn't bode well to help me believe the rest of the day will be okay)

And HELLO, taking a trip to the grocery store doesn't normally bring on the urge to cry. But this morning it did!! Now, I don't want to say "they were right, I was wrong, or the opposite" because seriously, I'm still trying to find out if I really was misinformed. But seriously, these feelings that bring on the tears really are getting me this pregnancy. I've never been this bad before, (Not that it's bad, but it happens so often).

I'm starting to feel the first little flutters over the last few weeks, and now I'm feeling more excited now that we are having another baby. BUT --- I'm still terrified at the same time. I know ...a lot of you are probably saying "what's one more when you already have 5!" That's just it, I have to start over with all the parenting stuff on another child. Maybe there is hope with this little one that I'll actually get it down, and this will be my "perfect child". haha...

So it's nice to hope for! But I know there will still be rough moments, and the moments where I'm at my utter worst and feel like ... crud! But I'm realizing that's okay, I'll do what I can, and the stuff I have no control over, I'm not going to fret about.

But there is so much to do to get ready for this baby --- it's almost overwhelming. But if I can just get through this yearbook project, and then get into May, I think life will start looking a little more hopeful that those "baby tasks" will be able to be done before the baby comes.

I'm getting excited to that the ultrasound is set for the 27th of April so just under three weeks till we can find out what this little one's gender is! It's a special day too, because Kaylee, our oldest, is turning 12 that day!!

Crazy month of APRIL!!

A good Monday Laugh....

Okay I laughed so hard when I read this on a friends blog, so I've copied it and had to post it on my own.  So when I need a good laugh, I can come and re-read this.   Thanks Christina!

 

Thinking of Having Kids? An 11-step Program 

This is one of those email shares that is authorless -- if anyone has a source, please let me know.

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.



Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.



Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.



Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?



Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.



Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.



Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.



Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.



Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.



Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.



Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

My third OB appointment.

I had my third OB appointment last week on Wednesday March 23rd.

I haven't really gained any weight -- which is fine with me, since I started this one about 20 pounds heavier then I wanted to be. My blood pressure was fine ...actually I think they said it was kind of low. And asked if I was having issues with dizziness very often. Of course, I said YES. Because I have had those issues.

We listened to the babies heartbeat and Ethan's expression when he hears it is just so priceless. He really is excited for a new baby to come!

They measured me for the first time this checkup and I measured at 17 when they think I am only 15 weeks along. (That's a story all on it's own) I have self proclaimed my due date to be Sept 6th rather than the Sept 14th date that the early ultrasound gave. So according to that, I was 16 weeks and measuring at 17 isn't such a big deal then.  But who knows, we'll find out more at the next appointment.

So the DR. said that's a big growth. Matter of fact thats a HUGE growth!

But now we have our Ultrasound scheduled for the 27th of April. Which is Kaylee's 12th birthday!

My morning sickness isn't as severe as it was a month ago. I still have issues with nausea but at least it isn't 24/7 as it used to be. And I'm starting to have a little more energy then I did in February.  I still get tired pretty easily though.  And my five kids seriously keep me busy.                                                               

Here are a few pictures that I've taken so far.

6 weeks- a few days after we found out we were expecting.

Taken January 18th, 2011 

This is around 11 weeks. 

Taken February 18th, 2011 

And this is the most recent one taken around 15 weeks. 

Taken March 17th, 2011

How we Found out we were Expecting our 6th baby.

This was typed up back in January but I couldn't post it yet, because we hadn't told our families at that time. But now that the cats out of the bag... here's the "HOW we found out" story of this pregnancy.  

One week I noticed that I was extremely tired, and couldn't seem to stay awake. Didn't think anything of it since I'd just completed or at least tried to complete, a P90x video workout. My living room was clean still from the weekend, and I had time to do the workout.

Afterwards though, I was so sleepy tired. I thought it strange but pushed it aside. I just got a nap and felt better, slightly. But even stranger was the constant falling asleep around 8pm every night when usually I'm up till at least 10:30 or 11:00pm. I was falling asleep like this every night for the rest of the week.

I kept asking myself why in the heck I was so tired?? Well, afterall I was busy with coaching a girls basketball team after school every day intermixed with games and felt that maybe I was just getting burned out from that and needed extra sleep.

Then move onto the end of that week and Chris was reading in "Fit for Life" on the energy section and asked me if I thought I was lacking energy. Well, duh... of course I was!! I was so tired all the time and just couldn't function.

I ended up going on a run, in the car,  to the dollar store that evening and decided to pick "IT" up. You know what I'm talking about. The "IT" that may change your life and the way you feel about where you are in your life.

I had also realized that I hadn't had the visit from every woman's monthly visitor yet and I started getting nervous. For you see... I WAS DONE!! My husband was DONE!! Our kids were at a point where the two of us actually felt like we had some freedoms that we haven't had in a very long time. This was so not in my plan especially not right now.

But, nevertheless, I brought home the test, and was going to just wait till the next morning to take it. But something kept pulling at me to take it then. I take the test then and waited only but a few seconds to see the first line appear..... I was like that is the "Control" line right?? I turned the test device around and realized that the "control" line hadn't been reached yet. But that the line I saw was in fact the TEST line and then a few seconds later there were TWO Lines.... TWO LINES!!! Oh. MY. GOSH!!

I was scared to death to tell my husband because I thought he'd freak and hoping that maybe this test was just a false positive just threw it in the garbage and hoped it was wrong.

I went to church with my family the next day, but all I could think about was this new pretty 'terrifying" situation I was now faced with, and so far only I knew about it. I was crying in church... not the obnoxious out load where everyone knows someone is crying but the more silent but full of tears crying that my husband could tell something was up. He wrote me a note and asked what is wrong. But I looked at him and met his eyes... and I just started crying more. I couldn't bring myself to tell him for about 10 -15 minutes.

Finally I answered him back and said, "You'll hate me! But I think our "accident" is here. I'm sorry!"

He looked at me and with a slight grin on his face said, "Really?" I said, "Yes" (all while tears are running down my face)

I asked him if he was mad at me and he said, No. (Why would he be??)

But he did tell me that just earlier that week he had been thinking that maybe now it was time. And that he just kept putting that feeling off.

From that point on we decided we wouldn't tell anyone unless they started asking. I couldn't last very long without telling "a few" people. So I told someone at school so I had someone from there that "understands" me right now. And I ended up telling a few people at church. So at least now I feel like I can talk with someone and not have to go through this silently.

But the decision is easy now for us, because we know we are done after this baby. That's right I said BABY!!! We're expecting baby #6. And I think I'm still in denial right now ...

My testimony and a little announcement.

Well the cat is out of the bag now!! I've been dying not being able to let it out so publicly.  But these are the way in which we let our parents know.   Now there won't be any holding me back talking about this pregnancy on here from now until the baby comes.  The due date I was given according to an early ultrasound was Sept 14th, but I don't think that's really accurate.  I'm thinking the due date is more like the 6th of Sept.  So I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the next few months bring.  I have had morning sickness or rather the "pregnancy sickness" pretty bad the last 6 weeks, but I think it's finally staring to taper off.  I've been extremely fatigued as well.  But what else can I do, I already have 5 other kids I am already a mother too.... good thing they are a bit older and can help take care of themselves on the days I feel really nasty.  And the poor kids eat a lot of cold cereal for dinner when I'm trying to be really lazy and not put forth much energy.  Oh well, hopefully I'll start getting more energy back, because I have a lot of WORK/STUFF to do before baby comes.  And some major purging of junk to make room for this new little one.  I'll post the story of how we found out another day, but just know things are relatively okay for now.

It's a little lesson in accepting the Lord's plan for us along with his timing, and not just thinking our plan is all that matters.  I'm grateful that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that I know families can be together forever through the priesthood authority that was restored to earth through the prophet Joseph Smith.  As frustrated and as stressed as I may get sometimes or days, my family really is my greatest blessing and joy.  I'm excited that I can be with them after this life as long as I live the way my Heavenly Father wishes me to live, by obeying the commandments and reading my scriptures, by praying and serving those around me.  I believe the Book of Mormon is a correct and true book. For the spirit that I feel while I'm reading the passages within it can not be duplicated any other way. 

I know there is a true prophet called of God on the Earth today, and I support him and his counselors and my other church leaders in their callings and in their service. 


This is part of my testimony and I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.