Baby Penny

So we had our baby, as I'm sure most of you know from Facebook. Here is our story....assuming the kids are kind enough to let me get through it. Sunday night I went to bed and woke up around Midnight and was having a few random strong contractions. So I wandered around the house for a couple of hours wondering what was happening. I finally woke Preston up around 2:30 and told him I thought I was in labour. Now, if this were my first baby, I probably would have waited. There was no rhythm to the contractions and there were strong ones and weak ones. But, since my last labour went fast, I was worried about it going too fast and I was having some really strong contractions that I had to breath through, but again they were very random. Finally I said lets go. I don't think Preston was thrilled becuase I forsaw a long wait at the hospital, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Anyways, we got there and I was 4-5cm so they put me in a room and put me on antibiotics becuase I was positive for strep B this time. It was good we went early becuase if you don't get the antibiotics atleast 4 hours before you deliver, they want to keep you and the baby for 48 hours! Anyways, the contractions slowed and seemed to have stopped for an hour. Frusterating, but good to let the antibiotics do their thing. After 4 hours, they broke my water. It didn't feel like things were progressing after that. I was still having the odd strong contraction every 15 minutes and some 'fake' contractions the nurse called it. I had her 1 1/2 hours after they broke my water. I never really had regular contractions. I had 2 contractions that were 6 minutes apart and then I felt with the next one like I could push. She said I was 10 cm so I started to push..and she came out. Pretty lame labour but I'm not complaining:) ANyways, when she was born, they put her on my and she wasn't crying. She was a good colour but she started to turn purple pretty quickly becuase she had a lot of fluid in her lungs and couldn't breathe so they took her over to the table and sucked out the fluid and put her on oxygen for a minute. Because of that, they had to do a few extra tests on her while we were in the hospital. They also had trouble controling my bleeding afterwards so they put me on oxytocin and then shoved some sort of medicine up my butt to help my uterus contract. They pushed on my stomach so hard to help get the clots out...it was worse than the labour. The rest of my hospital stay was pretty uneventful. I went home the next day to a brand new house with movers here and everything everywhere so I started bawling when I got here. Then an hour later, the RS showed up to help unpack stuff. it was pretty overwhelming. Anyways, we are 3 weeks old now and she slept 4 hours straight last night...so we are getting a little more sleep.

Here we are

So we are in Calgary and it has been a really interesting week. I have been sleeping worse than I have in a long time. I'm trying not to count the little hours I am sleeping every night anymore....it doesn't help things. I bought us a house. It is in Okotoks. Preston hasn't seen it yet. I am nervous for that incase he hates it. He has seen photos, but it is never the same. We have certainly learned that. I spend a lot of time on the phone between lawyers, agents, moving companies and utilities etc. I hate the phone. I also spend a lot fo time driving. The kids started school last week in Okotoks and we are living in North Calgary for the next few weeks. 3 hours of driving a day! I hate that too. Tomorrow we are going to hang out at Kamilles in Okotoks so then I will only have to drive 1.5 hours. The kids have been keeping me busy too. Even though we are at grandmas, I am trying to do most of the child tending myself and without Preston it is getting tiring. I need someone to complain too. And I am 37 weeks this week! I hope I go early this time. Like next week, when my mom is here (she is driving my van out here)and Preston gets here. Two grandmas and a daddy all in the same house....I'd get lots of rest:) Shows over...kids have to go to bed. More later.

This was Aug 23

o most of you have heard by now that we are moving back to Calgary...well, Okotoks. Close enough. We are leaving next week. Adleine is already there and I will have been an entire week without her by the time I get there with the other kids. We miss her so much, but at the same time it has been sooo relaxing. I didn't relize how much time I have to give her everyday and how hard she is on my 36 week pregnant body. Preston will be driving out with Jordan on Sept 5th to join us. Jordan will be joining us for a bit hoping to get a good job. He's been struggling here to find one. You may have heard rumors as to why we are leaving. The common one, that my parents are passing around, is taht I hate everyone here:) Let me clarify. If you ask Preston, he will say we aer moving back because of PST, preperty taxes, and his hourly wage. I will tell you, it is becuase he misses his family nad his best friend. It is probably a little bit of both. Preston didn't really make the decision for us to go at this time though. He kept talking about how he wanted to go back 'at some point' and I said 'lets go now' I don't want to keep uprooting the kids now that they are in school. I an very torn between my desire to stay here in a town I like, around my family, and being in Calgary with all the kids cousins and stuff. That is where my family gets confused that I hate everyone. I wont lie, that it is a perk, that in Calgary I have a mother-in-law who can babysit when I need her to, cousins for the kids to play with, and family gatherings are geared more towards the kids, not shutting up the kids:) My siblings just haven't reached that part of their lives yet....but it is not my reason for moving! Anyways, that's the story. My only fear is having this baby on the airplane:)

I wonder....

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I am going to manage 4 kids. I mean, I try not to think of it really, but when I do I just try and tell myself that lots of people do it and make it through. Then I wonder. Do they have help? What do they let go of? Do they neglect certain things? Are they really good at listening to their kids scram when they can't tend to them? I'm not good at any of those things. I try and stay relaxed and say the kids will be fine but I end up getting them or I sit there exhuasted stareing at the mess so frsuterated that it is there and not having the energy to clean it up. I can't mentally let it go it just sits there in my head bugging me until I do it...which may not be for a while so that is a long time to hold on to frusteration. Some people are just so relaxed...or smart enough not to have 4 kids in 6 years. I know I`ll get through it, but as I get more tired in this pregnacy, the 3 I have have really taken their toll on me. I hired someone last week to mow the lawn and a lady to clean the house. I mean, we are also showing the home right now which is a huge added pressure. I guess if i didn`t feel the need to keep the house clean, I would feel much more relaxed. I just need someone I can get to do silly little things that sit there in my head. Right now, I`m thinking I should go to the store tonight to get a few things. Do I need toÉ No. I can totally do without those items....but i want them. I`m such a head case.

June

Well, I love to post pics of Adeline becuase she is so darn cute, but I often forget the others are cute too...well, to me anyways:)
And they have had some milestones recently too. Kayla can pump herself on a swing. A big 'yay' for me because I don't like standing there pushing her. Adeline likes to play in the sand/gravel, so I need to be right beside her making sure she is not eating it. She can also swim very well and will do sommersaults under the water. Clayton is not as confident to do that yet, but he has other strengths. He's been playing t-ball and though he is not that good, he is always there to back his teammates up. He will be playing 3rd base and a ball will be hit down the 1st base line, and he'll run for it anyways. Sometimes the other kids aren;t paying attention and he will actually be the first one to it! I don't think we will do t-ball next summer though. A lot of down time and the kids get antsy. They need to keep running at this age. Maybe soccer next year.
I am so glad that my mom has a pool and we have a hottub. The kids and Preston have been able to spend a lot of time together since being in Ontario. It's sometimes hard to create daddy/child activites...that they both enjoy(Preston struggles with getting down and playing kids games and stuff) but they all enjoy swimming. The would hop through the snow to get to the hottub in the winter(I refused) But they ahve been able to play and spend time together a lot. I went in the hottub with them tonight with Adeline(who also love the water) but they were splashing and having fun and I was just getting grouchy, so I got out. So, I'm glad the kids and Preston have their 'bond' and I am happy to leave them alone with it.
I'm still pregnant and hating it:) Not the baby, just the pregnancy. However, I am not having any problems...just bigger, uglier veins in my legs than last time. People keep telling me I am not gaining as much with this one though and I'm beginning to wonder just how fat I looked with Adeline. 14 more weeks. Adeline went to sleep tonight without too much screaming so hopefully we are on our way to happier evenings. I need to do what I can to free my arms for this new baby, so going to bed on her own is becoming more important.
I got rid of my 3 callings at church...for a new one. I am the enrichement councellor! Yay fun! I love planning activites. I'm not always excellent with frilly details, but I'll have help. I'm just happy to be out of primary...sorry kids:)

Baby names

Preston read bits of my blog for the first time yesterday and he saw some of your ideas on "P" names. So, he wanted to post the ones he likes and get some comments. Not that he really cares what peoples opinions are, but he would have fun reading your HONEST opinions. We haven't names her yet, and we have 16 weeks to go, so please, be brutal

Petra - is his number one so far. I don't like it.

Pepper - we both thought it was 'cute' but would be an exellent name to make fun of...and reminds me of a little dog. Lori and Debbie hate it.

Piper - help me make Preston realize it is not a boys name.

Thanks!

Too much

I am taking a class right now with CLayton at the hospital to help me be a more organized mom and help him better relate socially in school. I guess he has the odd outburst. I've never thought of him as a trouble kid, and his teacher says she has no problem handling him, she is just worried he will have toruble making friends as the years go on. So, we are taking a class, which I am finding a tad frusterating...since Preston is not. SO I come home all 'enlightened' on how to have a successful home and well adjusted children, and Preston ruins it with his dominant "I'm the parent, your the child' attitude. So, I have to tell him everthing I learn, hoping he is listening, and then correct him when he starts barking at them or teasing them?? ANyways, so I just made routine charts. I have to admit I am a bit of a nag, no help from the kids, so this hopefully will eliminate me from the situation. Our first chart is BEDTIME. I laminated it and it has 4 velcro stickies for toilet, teeth, washing hands and face and pyjamas. They get to move them to the "Done" velcro strip which is followed by a little red arrow that shows them they are ready for snack. So far, they have done great. They like to be independant but they get distracted if I just leave it to them. Hopefully they will feel like they have a goal now...and I can stop yelling. I also have a 3 strike chart for Kayla because she is a really mouthy, disobedient pain in the butt these days. So, 3 strikes and it's early bed. She has 1 today...so far. I'd like to make a 'clean room' chart. Preston likes to ask them to clean their rooms and then leave but a messy room is hard for them to process. They need to do it one task at a time so I want to make a velcro strip with 'pick up garbage' 'dirty clothes in hamper' 'make bed' 'toys on shelf' 'clean clotehs in drawers' for them to work with. We'll see how this all turns out as the weeks go on. We're taking the kids swimming today at my moms and then heading to Lobsterfest for a buffet of lobster(roastbeef for me) A night out!!