The boys' birthday present

I feel like I haven't done many posts lately about the kids, mostly it's been pregnancy. Yesterday I went out and took some pictures of them, just playing. This year for the boys' birthday I wanted to get them something they both could use for a long time. I decided to get the 'steel play dome'. Yup, that's what it's called. Chip and his dad set it up yesterday during the boys' nap time. I figured they could play on this for a long time, it supposedly will hold a lot of kids, you can see it's holding Chip up! I suggested we have a picnic under there and Adam is all for it. This morning when they woke up they wanted to go right out and get on it. We are building ourselves a little play land!

12 days to go

I don't really like either one of these pictures, that is why I posted both I guess. The first one my shirt is all funny and the second one I didn't know Chip was taking it right then in there. Oh well. I realized that this is the last picture of my pregnancy... and more than likely my life. I really don't have too many complaints though. I am slowing down a bit and I can't believe she is going to be here so soon! I have a hunch this next week she will be here but what do I know. Everything is done, I just don't have the swing down from the attic yet but Chip is off the next three days, I am sure it will be done. The next pics I post will probably be of the new baby! :)

Easter

Here are some Easter shots, a little out of order. We went to an Easter egg hunt at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds. It started at 11:00, we got there a little early so we saw the Easter bunny, Van wouldn't go near it. When I got in my car, it said 11:12. Easter egg hunts are fast! The boys liked it though.

I don't think I really have had any cases of the 'pregnancy brain' but Saturday night I realized, I never hard boiled the eggs! Great. So the boys did no Easter egg dying this year. I felt REALLY REALLY bad. I hard boiled them Saturday night and Chip dyed them at like 9:00. It was cute, he got up at 6:00 the next morning and I asked what he was doing and he said, hiding the eggs. He always searched for real eggs. So the boys did that Easter morning and then we went to church, you can see them in their ties. I usually do the Easter meal, I think ever since I have been married but as soon as I found out I was pregnant I told my family I wasn't going to do it this year. My parents and Chip and the boys and I went to my inlaws and Chip's sister's family was down too. We had a very nice day.

Wooden blocks

The Christmas right before Adam turned two, we got him wooden building blocks. This was going to be his main gift that year, and a big wooden barn. I searched high and low for wooden building blocks, they have some in magazines where you order individual blocks in certain sizes, but it can get a little pricey. I knew this was something though that would be played with by all of our children and for a long time so I wanted a good set. I found one in a little children's store made by Melissa and Doug. I almost bought two sets thinking that one wouldn't be enough but the owner told me that it would be. The boys seem to be just fine with the one set.

The past few weeks, the boys have JUST started playing with them. Mostly Adam but he is building building building. Van likes to stack those cylinder ones you can see in the picture above. I like watching them play together with simple things. Today they made a really long fence Adam told me. I remember having a block set when I was younger and I am glad to see the boys like to play with basic toys.

Knitting

I have been knitting a lot lately. The problem I have with knitting is... I HATE to finish a project. I like working on it but the actual finishing part I don't like to do. The weaving in of the edges and the piecing it together part is really very boring. So, the first thing I have there is a bootie. It is pretty much finished. It was really really fast but sort of came out big. The only thing I need to do is put a button on it. I finished the other bootie.... but don't have it put together yet. I keep telling myself, 'Julie, you aren't allowed to work on your other project yet until you weave that bootie together.' But I still do.

The second thing I am working on is a sweater. I have the back done already and I am working on the front which you can see posted. I bought that yarn after my Dr appointment on Friday... and have the back done and that much of the front. For me, this is really really fast. I think it is because it is really really easy and I can work in it while the boys play, if I have to stop mid row, it's not a big deal where when I was doing the blanket or even those booties, I can only knit at night when they sleep. When I bought the yarn the ladies were like, 'BLUE?!?!' You have been doing so much blue in the last few years don't you want.... pink or purple? For some reason I just didn't. So the sweater will be blue with the white flowers and then I am doing the hat white with blue flowers. I have never done the edging.... a picot edge it is called. But I think I can figure it out. Hopefully they will turn out as gloriously as the pictures. :)

36 week ultrasound

Look at those giant lips!!!!! We can thank Daddy for those!



This is a picture of the baby looking straight at you, a vertical shot. Her mouth was open a lot during this ultrasound and she even stuck her tongue out.




OK, here is what happened today. I went for my weekly appointment... and I have gained no weight in the last month! I don't know what is going on, I eat ice cream every night there isn't much I can do about it. Also, I measured small today and I usually measure right on. So the Dr sent me down to get an ultrasound right then and there. The room was full but they took me in anyway and I had stupid Ashley that I had that did the ultrasound the first time and wouldn't tell me what the baby was. She asked if I had any questions and I said, I would like to know about how much she weighs and she said, oh, I can't tell you that. They have told me that before, how much the baby weighs and the Dr said that they would find that out. So I didn't say a word for the rest of the exam. She did the exam in like ten minutes, showed me her face on the screen which like filled up the entire screen, and actually gave me some pictures. This is my favorite one though. When I got home the Dr had called- my fluid is good, the baby is a little under 6 pounds which is good and I have no worries he said. She is head down also and I am a fingertip dilated. So my bet is that she comes a week early or so, just like the boys. We'll see what the Dr says next week.

The to-do list at 36 weeks

I wanted to post the other picture of me wearing the same shirt like I did last time but I can't find it. I think I am almost SMALLER than I was in last post! Or maybe it is just the shirt. Anyway, I am 36 weeks and have 28 days to go. This baby could come tomorrow and I would be ready. I have gotten SO much done in the last few days. Here are some stats on the baby:

-I think she will be awake every night from like 7:30-11:00ish and that will be fine with me. She takes some naps in there sometimes but if she could have an awake period and then sleep at night, that would be TOTALLY awesome.

-She gets hiccups everyday, just like the boys did.

-She has yet to kick me as hard as the boys did. They would take my breath away and hurt sometimes, she doesn't do that.

-The baby email that I get weekly said that she is about 6 pounds now and is gaining an ounce a day. I am sure the ice cream covered in chocolate sauce, M&Ms and bananas each night probably helps.

Here is where we are with the list:

To-do:

-check the batteries for the swings and seats, etc. I haven't done that yet.

-set up the bassinet. I may do that in a few minutes. The bedding is in the dryer, I just need to set it up.

-my bag is sort of packed. I have my clothes and the baby's clothes and the printer and paper for the camera in there as well as my toiletries, I am sort of drawing a blank this time for whatever reason. I will look and see what else I need.

-I have read over half of the Babywise that I wanted to re-read and I feel good about that. The only reason I re-read it the other night is because I left my knitting at my parents by mistake. Now that I have my knitting back, I would rather do that than read.

-set up the changing table. Chip brought that down yesterday for me and I want to wash it and put all the supplies on it that I need.

-get out the car seat and wash it. It is in a garbage bag and I remember washing it before I put it away so we will see how it is. I need to adjust the straps on it for sure though.

Done:

- set up savings account

-finished the baby blanket you can see above. I am working on booties now and have one done.

-painted her room. Adam is in a pink room and will be in one until the bunk beds come the end of May. That's OK though. The baby will be in our room until September anyway.

-washed a bunch of her clothes and bedding and blankets and burp cloths, etc.

-got a 12x12 scrapbook and that is set up ready to go with the pages I made

-ordered and got the letters of her name, you can see above. I found this woman on ebay that my friend recommended and you can send this lady a link to your bedding and she will paint the letters to match. I like the way they came out.

-painted room

-got a bouncy seat but need to assemble it

-got BPA free bottles

-I registered for the hospital and called and made sure they got it as well. With Van they never had the paperwork when I called and checked so I went down there and did it in person. This time, I am good to go.

And that is pretty much it. I can't believe she will be here so soon, not that I am itching to get her out though. One sort of stressful thing is that I found out Chip is going to be on firearms duty again. Not at Albany this time but he will be past the hospital. This isn't really a major thing but it sort of makes me nervous. When he is at the barracks, I can call there and he will get the call immediately. This time, I need to rely on the cell phone (which was fine when he was in Albany) but there is no station number I can call. But my mother in law will need to bring me to the hospital again like she did with Van and Chip will meet me there since it wouldn't make sense for him to pass the hospital over an hour a way, come and get me and then go back down. But if I labor during the night or on the weekend, he will be around anyway. We will see. Friday we see if she has turned yet too. They weren't sure last time. But I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has gone. It sort of makes me a little sad. Adam is sooo excited though. He colored a picture yesterday and said it was for Anna because he loves her. And Van will rub my belly sometimes too and say baby.... and then he also hits it. But that's my Van. Soon soon soon we will be a family of five!!!