Bows!

Would you say Clara has a plethora of bows?

Clara got 16 of these babies in the mail today. All of the girls at church order bows from this company and this was my first time. Can't beat $1.75 for a bow!

Update 2

Chris went to see the doctor this morning. After talking with him for 30 seconds, the doctor left the room and came back with a mask on. Not a good sign.

He did a quick nose swab and an in-office test to determine if it was a virus. The doctor came back in without a mask. Very good sign! So, he doesn't have swine flu! Or any other flu for that matter. The doctor was a little surprised (as were we) because all of his symptoms were classic flu symptoms. His body is, however, riddled with infection, which is causing the soreness all over. A couple of shots in the bum and a few prescriptions in hand and he was sent on his merry way.

The doctor was very concerned after he listened to his lungs. He said that they sounded really bad and Chris told him that they felt normal to him. Apparently Chris' normal was very troubling to the doctor so he gave him a new asthma medicine to try.

Hopefully he'll be feeling some relief real soon. I'm just so glad it turned out not to be swine flu. I would've felt terrible had we unknowingly infected anyone. Thanks for your prayers!

Update on the Sickies

I'm still trying to get over my cold. I still have junk in my chest and sinus pressure that's been making it hard to sleep at night. I also noticed my ear is hurting a little today, so I'm pretty sure I'm working on an infection. I only thought I was tired before.

Clara, oddly enough, is still running a low fever off and on. She's still shown no other symptoms and is talkative and playful. She's been such a good girl while Chris and I have been sick.

As for Chris, well he didn't get his illness from me after all. Unfortunately, we're pretty sure he has the flu. He's got headache, fever, body aches, fatigue and no appetite. He's lost 6 pounds in two days.

So we're a sad sight over here but hopefully we'll be on the mend soon. I just pray I don't get the flu right now. I don't think my body can handle it after being sick.

This Week

This week started out great. I got to meet my cousin Rocky's wife Lindsey and their baby, Laney. I've known Lindsey only through our blogs and facebook, so it was nice to put a voice with a face. They came to church with us and then we had Papa's BBQ for lunch. Is it just me or is my face starting to get a little chubby?

Then it only got better when Chris got home at 6:30 am on Monday. He had taken an unexpected 10 day trip to Rio to fix some computer problems they were having down there. He found out on a Thursday that he was leaving on Friday. The hardest part was that Clara and I hadn't even been home for a week, so right as she was settling back in to her routine, it got disrupted again. She was a real booger while he was gone but she's back to her sweet self now that she's got her daddy back.

I had a hair appointment for that morning. I hadn't been feeling great, nor had I slept very well the night before. I had terrible heartburn all night and my stomach was hurting. As we were about to leave for my appointment I got that sick feeling just like I did in Pecos, so I had to lay down for a few minutes. I probably should have cancelled my appointment, but I've needed a haircut for sooooo long, so I went ahead. I was feeling a little shaky for a good portion the day and my stomach kept hurting the whole day. I realized the stomach ache was from the prenatal vitamins that I just resumed taking a couple of nights earlier, so I'm back to my Flintstone's. I thought since I wasn't having morning sickness anymore that I could maybe go back to the prenatals, but apparently not.

I love my haircut and I'll try to take my weekly picture tomorrow so you can see it. It's amazing the difference a few layers makes. It took a lot of the weight off and now my hair is softer and more manageable and doesn't get tangled as easily.

So anyway.... Clara had her first swim lesson right after my hair appointment. I was pleasantly surprised to see she really enjoyed herself. She's a bit scared of getting her face in the water and doesn't like to be splashed, but she had a smile on the whole time. There are up to four in a class, but hers only has one other boy, so I'm really getting my money's worth :) The class runs for two weeks, so we'll see how well she's doing at the end of next week. I'm thinking about putting her in for a second session after this one if she's still enjoying it. In these pictures, she's swimming back to the edge and "floating like a starfish".





I think it was on Monday that I started coughing a bit. I got a sore throat Sunday night and my nose was a little runny, but I just thought it was allergies. Then I coughed some on Tuesday, but still not enough to convince me I was sick. When I couldn't sleep Tuesday night because of all of the coughing, I could no longer deny that I had a cold. My stomach and chest were sore from all the coughing and hadn't slept well, so I decided to take some (midwife approved) medicine last night and only woke up once during the night. It was the first good night's sleep I've had in four or five days, so I've felt much better today.

Good thing, because Chris came home from work sick today. Oopsie. He was sitting with Clara and asked me if she felt hot. I took her temperature and sure enough it was 102. Double oopsie. She's not had any other symptoms though and is playing and not really acting sick, just a little tired, so maybe she won't get it too bad, or maybe it's not even the same thing. I didn't give her anything for the fever and already it's going down, so we shall see.

As for Jake, his surgery was successful and he's recovering now. Thank you so much for your prayers! He's still got a lot of recovery time ahead of him and will be homebound for several weeks after he's released from the hospital to reduce the risk of getting sick. Poor guy (and poor Amy) have already spent a couple of weeks on house arrest before the surgery for the same reason, so keep those prayers coming.

And thanks for the mattress advice. So many choices!! I think we're leaning towards a sleep number bed simply because Chris' idea of a comfortable bed is sleeping on a board. Seriously, those were his words. And me, not so much. I can sleep on just about anything and do fine, but I'm not sure sleeping on a board day in and day out is going to do it for me. Of course I got online and read reviews and there are those that absolutely love their sleep numbers and those that very passionately hate them. Several of the bad reviews were written a couple of years ago and apparently lots of people were opening theirs up and they were filled with mold! Ack! I think it was on older models and they've fixed the problem since then. At least I hope so.

Praying for Jake

Our little friend Jake, who is two, is having his second heart surgery today. Please say a prayer for him and his Mommy and Daddy.

Done

I quit my day job. Well, one of them. Still a stay at home mom, but no longer a stay at home babysitter. It was time. I've had no energy to do anything fun with the kids for a while and no patience either. I've not been a nice babysitter lately so I know they'll enjoy their new one much better. I just haven't had the energy to do much of anything and haven't been getting home until around 7:00 most nights, so this was the right decision. I'm looking forward to spending some one on one time with Clara and getting started on my list of to-do's before baby gets here.

I'm a little worried about how Clara will adjust. She absolutely loves playing with Samantha all day, so we may have a bit of an adjustment period. I guess it's better that it happens now than closer to when the baby gets here. She starts swim lessons next week, so that should help break up our days a bit and give her something to look forward to every day.

I treated Clara and Samantha to a farewell fast food lunch. We stopped by Sonic on the way home from the YMCA and all the kids got a candy sundae and I got them all a little "sorry I'm dumping you" present, you know, so they don't think I hate them and all. Can you tell I'm feeling a little bad? I'm the absolute worst at quitting jobs.

Clara decided it'd be fun to stick her head in the sprinkler when we got home and since I haven't posted random pictures of her in some time, I decided to snap one for the grandma's enjoyment.

Twenty-Two Weeks

I'm about 115 pounds and baby's close to 1 pound and 11 inches long this week. It's tooth buds are forming right about now and if it's a girl (which Clara assures me it is), her ovaries and eggs are developed and the uterus is completely formed.

Same old same old here. Not much energy, but doing well. I've been waking a lot during the night and each time, I wake from a different dream. I don't think I'm getting a whole lot of good sleep because of it. I've finally started feeling some movement on my left side, and lots of movement down really low. The baby is playing lots of games of kick the colon.

I bought bedding for the nursery last week and hope to start getting the baby's room ready soon. I went ahead and bought some gender neutral bedding I liked, because it's the only one I've found so far that I have liked and didn't want it going on clearance. I also splurged today and bought a pair of little footed pajamas at Baby Gap. I need to stay out of stores because that's when I start wishing I could buy some cute clothes.

As far as Clara goes, I don't think it's going to go over well if this is indeed a boy. She's convinced it's a girl and no amount of reasoning with her is going to get her to change her mind. She's going to be quite disappointed if we bring a stinky boy home.

We Need Some Advice

We are in sore need of a new mattress. Chris wakes with a backache every morning on our mattress and has officially moved to the futon (due also in part to me, the person he affectionately calls "the furnace").

So I've started reading up a bit on our options and what all is out there and holy cow, this isn't going to be fun. Any suggestions where we can get knowledgeable salesmen and good prices? A mattress store, furniture store, department store?? Is there any beds out there that you especially like or don't like? Anything we need to keep in mind while shopping? We definitely don't want to go the cheapest route, but aren't interested in spending 5k either. Advise away please.

Twenty-One Weeks

I'm 112 pounds this week and baby is about 3/4 pounds. We're finally talking pounds instead of ounces. It's gone and gotten itself some eyebrows and lids now, too. Apparently this is when I might start getting stretch marks. I made it through Clara's pregnancy without a one, so here's hoping I can do it again.

My hip bones are no longer sticking out. Yay! I'm definitely doing some growing. I fit in my maternity clothes nicely now and actually am filling out my regular clothes better as well. The thing about maternity clothes is, even when I buy the XS, they assume my breasts have grown bigger too, and while mine have a bit, I'm just never going to be voluptuous. I'm excited to be a B cup as a nursing mom. (Sorry to any men that just read that, but this is a pregnancy post.)

I now have to roll over to the side of the bed, swing my legs over and prop myself up in order to get up. No more just jumping out of bed. I'm having some stretching pains and I think I may be having some Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm not entirely sure though because they're not happening over my entire belly. Instead, I'm just having the sensation in small spots. I can't remember if they started out that way with Clara, but I do know that this was right at the same time they started before. It's actually really early to be having them, (28 weeks is more the average), but I read that slender women may feel them earlier.

Still need to do something about my hair! I think it's getting thicker and that's why it's so out of control. I didn't need any more thickness. It did cooperate better for me when I went to Pecos. Maybe the drier air?

This heat is killing me. I can't go and do anything after mid-morning without just dying from the heat. Even getting in the car to run to the store in the heat of the day completely wears me out, I start feeling sick and it takes awhile to recover once I get home.

The Fourth

We got to Ft. Davis on Friday afternoon and went straight for the food. After a nutritious early dinner consisting of corn dogs, hot dogs and tater twists, we were ready to walk around the booths for a while. Clara got her face painted and then she and I grabbed a sno cone and rested under a tree while Bia continued to shop.



Bia's friend had brought her little train to the festival, so we got to take a ride on it. Clara smiled and waved at everyone we passed.

On Saturday morning, we got to ride in the train in the parade. Funny enough, she didn't wave as much during the parade. She was however very interested in throwing candy.

After the parade, we walked around the shops. Bia got all the grand kids something, and this butterfly hat is what Clara picked.

By this time, Clara was getting hot, hungry and cranky (and I was starting to). She pulled her dress up to cool herself off. I told her several times to put it down, and each time she elected not to put it down. I was in no mood to fight her over it, so I took a picture to humiliate her later on instead.

We decided to grab some lunch, but the food lines were soooooo long. There was no way I could stand in them for that long, so, you guessed it, I went and sat in the shade while someone else got food for me. It started thundering and we made it back to the hotel just as it started to pour. We all got a nap in before going over to Uncle Jerry's for dinner and fireworks.

As we waited for the fireworks to start, Clara got really upset and wanted to go home. There was no convincing her those fireworks weren't scary. To be fair, we were very close and they echoed off the mountain, so I think she'd be fine if it weren't for those two factors.

I took her back to the hotel so we could get packed up to leave the next morning at 6:00. The drive home was looong, 12 hours long. It started raining just as I was leaving the hotel, so I was driving through the mountains, in the dark and rain. The rain didn't stop until after I passed Ft. Stockton, so it was slow going for the first 2 hours.

Traffic started to get heavier once I passed Kerrville and then it came to a stop 70 miles out of Houston. I almost rear ended the car in front of me and almost got rear ended myself. We were either stopped or going 10 mph for 2 hours. I listened to the radio hoping to hear what the hold up was, but traffic was flowing nicely in Houston. We just got to a spot where all of a sudden I went from 10 mph to 70. I have no idea what caused the backup and I was extremely thankful that I wasn't driving the old car, which was a standard.

This week has been filled with trying to detox Clara. She's been a little terror, but each day is getting better. Today she woke up when Jessica dropped off Samantha. She came out of her room and had a major meltdown because she didn't get to say goodbye to Jessica. Then she threw a fit because I put Max outside, but she really wanted to pet him. AHHHHH! I need a vacation!

The Vacation Post

Clara and I hit the road for Pecos on Wednesday the 24th. I think I may have underestimated how draining this trip would be on me. On the drive there, Clara and I had trouble coordinating our urination schedules. She inevitably would have to go about 15 miles before a rest stop. I brought her portable potty and bags and was able to reach around and get her all set up, business taken care of and back in her seat without even getting out of my seat. Have I mentioned how much I love my van? (I went ahead and waited until the rest stop to potty.) I think I stopped 4 times for her to use her potty, and each was followed up by a stop for me.

We left at 6:00 am and got to Pecos around 4:00 and we were able to catch a quick rest before church. The next day I was completely drained and spent most of the day resting. That night Clara got to go to her very first West of the Pecos Rodeo. Here she is all decked out in her boots. Daddy got box seat tickets from a friend who wasn't going to be able to attend that night, so we were front and center. The rodeo clown tried to give Clara five, but she apparently isn't a fan of clowns. We almost got pelted with dirt by a bucking horse at one point. It flung dirt in the air and knocked a drink off the ledge of the box next to us.

We got eaten up by mosquitos and it was hot. Clara thoroughly enjoyed the food though. She had popcorn, cotton candy and dipping dots and cried and cried when I wouldn't buy her any more junk food. Brody and Clara were both tuckered out by the end.

We took it easy on Friday. Actually, I didn't even shower that day. I just rested on the couch the whole time. That night, Cody and Tanya came for the night. They were dropping off Bryce and Wyatt for the week and driving to Houston with Grayson. Cody had an appointment at a headache institute there.

They left bright and early on Saturday and we headed back up to the arena to watch Uncle Tim rope a little later. He let all the kids sit on his horse Lobo after he was done roping. Then we went and picked up a kiddie pool for the kids to cool off in.

And just for fun, here's a flashback to Clara's first time on Uncle Tim's horse. Is this Lobo, Linsey?

Sunday morning before church is when I had my little sick episode where I got dizzy and started blacking out. I sent Clara to class with Bia and was able to make it to church once I felt better. After church, we went with Myrt and her bunch to go swimming in Balmorhea. For those that don't know, Balmorhea is a state park that has (I believe) the world's largest spring fed swimming pool. The water is 67 degrees year round and the deep end is 20 feet, and crystal clear, with fish, turtles and stuff. I'm a sissy and I don't go in without water shoes on.

Wyatt screamed when they dipped him in and wouldn't go near the water. Clara enjoyed it, despite the cold, but she didn't last real long. It was overcast and raining in the mountains nearby. The temps would have been perfect otherwise, but when you're trying to convince yourself to stay in 67 degree water, 100+ temps help. You can see Clara's lips are starting to look a little blue in the picture below.

Monday morning we got up early because we had set up a session to get the grandkids pictures taken together in Wink. We were missing Grayson, but we decided to keep the appointment anyway. When we got to the park, they were mowing and the grass was wet, so the kids' feet were nasty. Oh well, we got some cute ones anyway.

I got to see Tim and Linsey's new house and we went to Kermit for some DQ and Alco. Bia had promised a toy to good little children who cooperated during picture time. We went back to Wink and I rested for a bit before heading back to Pecos. (Notice a trend here?)

Tuesday morning started out with thunderstorms early in the morning and it rained until 11:00. They got over 3 inches of rain. Once it let up we let the kids splash in the puddles and play in the sand box. It was a nice break from the heat.

Tuesday night we went over to Myrt's house for dinner and cake to celebrate Mason and Daddy's birthdays and Joe's retirement. We just enjoyed the nice evening and let the kids play outside and pee in the middle of the yard like dogs.

Cody and Tanya returned on Thursday, so we got to visit a little more and play with Grayson. I started getting packed up that night and Friday morning because we were heading to Ft. Davis for the weekend for the festivities. Cody and Tanya decided to go on home since they'd had such a long week.

Vacation Quotes

Here's a sampling of Clara quotes from our trip to Pecos.

- My mom had been outside with the kiddos in Myrt's backyard. She came inside to tell me that Clara stopped what she was doing, went to the middle of the yard, and then proceeded to squat and pee.

Me: "Clara, do you need to go potty?"
Clara: "No, I went pee pee over there."
Me: "Why did you pee pee in the yard?"
Clara: (laughing) "I go pee pee like a dog!"

- Clara brought me the coloring page she did in class on Wednesday night. It was the angel telling Joseph to flee to Egypt with baby Jesus. I pointed to the angel and asked who that was. She said, "That's Jesus. He can fly."

- We left the fireworks display early because Clara was seriously freaking out. On the drive back to the hotel she said, "I gon't like fireworks. I like stores and I like dinners, but I gon't like fireworks."

- At the beginning of our drive home, Clara was cranky. I knew she was tired and not feeling well because of allergies and just needed to get home. She also wasn't thrilled about the long drive. She just kept whining and nothing was helping. I asked her what was wrong. All she could say was "I DON'T KNOW!" I asked her a little bit later and she started crying and said, "I can't say." Poor thing just didn't know what to do with herself.

- As we got about 70 miles outside of Houston, traffic came to a stop. We sat in stop and go 10 mph traffic for 2 hours. Thank goodness Clara slept the first hour and a half. Once she woke, I had a real mature moment and got irritated and yelled at the cars in front of me, whined a little and banged on the steering wheel a bit. Clara said, "They just want to go home like us, Mommy."

Prenatal Appointment- 20 Weeks

I just got back from my appointment with the midwife. I'm 111 pounds and baby's heartrate was fine. The midwife said my uterus was measuring a little small; it's below my belly button in the front. But when she went to find the heartbeat, it was higher up than that on the right side. That's also where I've been feeling lots of movement. I've felt nothing at all on the left side. We'll just check up on it at the next appointment.

The excitement at this appointment had nothing to do with the baby and everything to do with the little 3-1/2 year old hellion I brought along with me. She was being rude, not listening, and getting into things. At one point, before I could say something, the midwife got onto her for hitting the wall with the umbrella. I was so embarrassed. I got onto her too, and the little toot did it again. It's obviously taking some time for Clara to get back into the swing of things since returning home on Sunday. Since she didn't behave at the appointment, she didn't get the sucker that was promised to those that behaved. She's not happy right now as she watches Samantha enjoy her sucker. And she's making it known.

Twenty Weeks

We're halfway there!! Time is really flying by with this pregnancy. I'm 111 pounds and baby is about 10-1/2 ounces and the length of a banana (from head to heel).

I've started feeling quite a bit of movement this past week. When I've gotten back in bed after a middle of the night bathroom run, baby has let me know it's not happy getting woken up and it takes awhile to calm back down. That's ok though, I'm still at the stage where I enjoy feeling for the kicks. Now here in a month or two it's not going to be so much fun.

Last Sunday I had a bout of morning sickness before church. I think I was overheated and I went to put Clara into my mom's truck and I started blacking out. I got really clammy and sweaty and Momma had to help me back into the house. I just hung out on the couch, ate something and cooled down and ended up just missing class.

I also had my first baby related dream. I don't remember much about it, just that I had the baby really early, like 20 weeks early, and got to take it home straight from the hospital. It was teeny tiny and fit in my hands. I kept leaving it places and forgetting about it and after a couple of days I thought to myself "shouldn't they have kept the baby in the hospital for a while?" Weird.