Well, it's been a pretty calm week so far. I went to the dr on monday and learned that I already have immunity to fifth's disease so that truly isn't a worry. While I really wasn't worried at all it is good to hear that this won't be an issue ... once I gave it over I found out that Garrett was actually exposed to hand-foot-mouth disease not fifths. It's funny what the Enemy will bring to you to take your peace - he truly wants us in an uproar and worrying and not living in our Father's will. This pregnancy is rolling right along - I am 24 weeks today and should have some pics to put on here soon. I swear I always look like I gain about 50lbs when pregnant - my entire body gets big but it's for a good cause.

I spoke with Kevin (brother) today and am struggling to keep my big mouth shut. They were due yesterday, but the baby is happily hanging out a little while longer. When I asked him about induction he said how Amy wants to not use an epidural and would prefer to not induce so they are declining it so far (she has talked about fear of labor and the pain and I think this is guiding her decision). I asked him (by the way they are BOTH nurses) if the midwife explained WHY they induce and he said yes - that is to to get the baby here before placental breakdown. I then asked him if he really understood what placental breakdown was - he said he did and then I asked him if he really did (hinting at what happened a little over 2 years ago to his NEPHEW!). I know this is their decision but the midwife wanted to schedule them for induction later this week and they declined - they are going to wait it out at least another week and get close to 42 weeks. I just struggled to keep my mouth shut - it is obvious they have made up their mind and are willing to risk this, and, while I cannot ever understand that, it is their decision. I just said I wanted to give him one piece of advice - for them to keep their eyes on the prize, which is a healthy alive baby, and not the road taken to get there - if they did that they would make all the best decisions. Brother was there with me when my son died - saw what that did to me and is taking this risk anyway ... it is killing me. But as I heard one person say - if you don't have a vote in the decision then dont' bother having an opinion ... so I will work on not having an opinion because it is starting to steal my peace and I can't have that!

I did have one rather embarrassing thing happen last week. We have a bit of a problem with people speeding in our neighborhood, as there are few stop signs and the roads are rather flat and straight. The front part of the neighborhood has sidewalks, but our section doesn't so when we go for nightly walks (me, KP, Garrett and the basset boys - it really is a site) we have to use the street - as does everyone else (there are TONS Of kids in this part of the neighborhood - like almost 30 under the age of 10 on just our street alone). I have been talking with the home owners association and am basically getting the run around - why we can't do anything about it (they're blaming the city) and little offer to help, so I contacted the city about the problem. The man over traffic control assured me he would step up patrolling in our neighborhood based on this call. Well, did he ever! That afternoon I get a knock at my door and it is a policeman - he and another motorcycle officer wanted me to know they were patrolling the area. OK. Well, I thought by patrolling they would ... ooohh i don't konw ... drive around. NO! They parked in my driveway for over an hour! IN my driveway. The look on KP's face when he got home was priceless! I can't decide if that was a "this will shut her up" thing or not. I haven't seen them since and if I don't I will call back and ask that they come out again and this time maybe try patrolling the streets of our neighborhood instead of parking in my driveway - we'll see.

Other than that not much new around here. The baby's room is almost complete, Garrett is doing great! Mom and dad are mom and dad and all seems well on their home front. Kevin's job is still in the air but we are just working on tightening our budget and trusting that we will land where we're supposed to land and not worrying about that at all.

It's another week in the neighborhood -- and maybe this time it won't be with Hoover's finest resting at my house! :)
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Another blood test

Well, I am heading back to the dr's today for a blood test. I took Garrett to Mother's moring out on Thursday and found out that a little boy in his class has fifth's disease. While this isn't a big deal for him it is for me as I am pregnant. I am really pretty calm about it. The deal is that I have about a 50% likelihood of already having been exposed (and therefore have antibodies so no worries) and if I don't then there's about a 10-15% chance that this could cause issues with this new one. What is can do is cause severe anemia (cause bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells and eventually kill the child before birth) but it can be treated with a pretty high success rate but the treatment doesn't sound like fun (in-utero blood transfusions for one). So my blood test today will reveal if I have the antibodies and whether I've been recently exposed. Fortunately, so far Garrett hasn't developed it but it does take up to 2 weeks so we won't know for sure until the end of this week - his communicable time is prior to the rash which is now.

What I am being struck by is how so many things are coming up with this baby right now. It's like the enemy is really trying to get me to lose my peace and freak out and since I just keep praying and believing that all will be well he just keeps trying new tactics. He knows that this is a sensitive area for me and is trying his best to use it against me. So far I am doing what I know to do (pray and recite scripture and believe) and I still have peace so ... so far so good.

Here's to a good outcome on this blood test today!
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I'll post a pic of me pregnant soon - I am really looking the part these days so you'll enjoy it.

Well, I never said I was really that smart ...

Well, what an interesting weekend. It was the first "big" Auburn football game of the season and Kevin was very excited about sitting on his hiney most of saturday and watching football. Since the game didn't come on until about noon we decided to try to knock some stuff off of our ever-present 'to do' list that morning. We decided we could get the stuff in the attic that needed putting there and get the twin bed (and baby stuff) out of the attic for the new nursery. He was grumpy as we were running out of time so I started doing more than I knew I probably should have done and was lifting and moving and stuff like that - we're talking beds, lifting some kind of heavy stuff over my head up into the attic, moving boxes of stuff, etc.

We got it all finished while Garrett was down for his nap and it was just in time for KP to watch the start of his game. And I wasn't feeling right. SOmething was just wrong - I was achey and kind of hurting in my stomach. It felt better when i sat down to feed Garrett so I figured I just 'tweaked' something and we went onto the store and to get lunch. After pushing a cart (and baby) around a store for a while it became apparent that something was wrong and I got scared and we went home. I ended up spending all of saturday on my back. I did call the dr after a couple of hours and she surmised that I probably pulled something (no bleeding, no fluid and no contractions and felt better when I laid down) and I was ordered to bed for all of Saturday and (if I still felt it on sunday) sunday as well.

I will be honest -- that scared the beejeezus out of me. I realized that I really can't do all the things I use to do as I am pregnant and I have to be more careful. I went to the dr on Monday am and everything is fine - I pulled either some ligaments or tendons in my stomach and am to NOT move furniture or lift anything heavier than Garrett anymore. How stupid was that????

To make the weekend more fun Garrett got sick and had the worst cold he's had to date. So while Kevin got to watch football all day he got to do it while on sick-toddler duty with his wife laying on the couch or bed.

At least all's well that ends well I suppose. The spare bedroom/office is finished and looks great and the nursery is starting to come together. Mom came into town on Monday and stayed with Garrett while I went to the dr and we had a great visit. Garrett is starting to feel better (temp only went to 99 yesterday and runny nose is slowing down) so while we didn't go to playgroup today maybe he'll make it to Mother's Morning out tomorrow.

It's just another day in the life ...

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Mother's Morning out

Well, Garrett started Mother's morning out this week - it's on Tuesday/Thursday mornings from 9:30-1:30. Today is his second day, and, while I KNOW this is a good thing, boy is it sooooo hard to walk out of the door while he is crying and reaching for me. They said that he settled down on Tuesday and was fine as long as someone held him and that should help but it's just hard on mommy to leave her little one in distress like that.

Like I said I know this is for the best - for both of us. I know that he is going through a mommy-phase right now and that it's been mommy and Garrett every day for months so this is contributing to his distress. I know that this experience will teach him many things I can't as he is interacting in a group setting and learning that his every whim won't be met the instant he has it (and many other things like sharing, turn taking, etc). And since I am probably about 4 months away from a new addition to the family this is vitally important for him. I also know that him being occupied 2 mornings a week when this baby is newly home will be a true blessing for me as well. I know all of this and this is why he is there but still it breaks my heart to leave him like that.

I am just praying that this eases up ...

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