Running errands today

Lyn, Eliot, and I ran around town running errands today. We dropped off library books, visited Golden Temple downtown, and hit Whole Foods. I picked up a henna kit so Lyn can paint a small design on my belly. I also want a henna design on my hand again. Lyn actually does a pretty good job  painting with henna. Whole Foods was carrying Blue Thistles again so I picked some up. We also picked up some gifts for Granny for Mother's Day. I have been meaning to try the BBQ at Whole Foods for a while now and today we did. It wasn't all that great but we were full when we left. Just a regular Thursday..... 

How do you feel?

I feel very uncomfortable. I have come to terms with being pregnant for a few more weeks but I don't feel like I have 4 more weeks till I meet my daughter. I feel like I do when I am about to go into labor. I have been contracting a good bit today. Not enough to send me running to the hospital or break out my birth plan but enough to encourage some nesting. I am really tired and feel like I am in early labor. Other than that I am not showing any signs of real labor. Little girl has changed position. Usually she is either on my right side or my left side. Now she is right in the middle and still head down. I am just taking everything one day at a time.

Almost homemade spaghetti Os...

The kids like spaghetti Os but we don't have them very often. I try to get the organic kind but I just don't like anything so acetic out of a can. (Yes, I am a little concerned about BPA in canned goods.) So my solution was to make some myself. I didn't have the time or energy to make it from scratch so this is what I tried. I started with half a box of ditalini pasta. It was as close as I could come to little pasta Os. I boiled them a little to soften them, drained them, and poured them into the crock pot. I added half of the organic creamy tomato soup and a jar of organic tomato paste. The kids like hotdogs in their Os so I added 4 cut up good quality beef hotdogs. I let them simmer for about an hour and a half to finish cooking the pasta. I ended up adding all of the soup to the mix. It was so yummy. So much better than out of a can. With a grilled cheese sandwich on the side it made for a great easy dinner.

Menstrual cloth stash

Lyn took this picture the other day. As a 13 year old girl she may not appreciate her mother blogging about reusable washable pads used for ones period but she is the one who took the picture. When I got together her gifts to celebrate her first moon time I ordered a few Luna Pads for her to try out. They were  bit expensive and have fancy snaps on them. She likes them OK. Not too long ago I ordered some simple pads of different lengths from a store on Etsy. They work great and seem to be a better quality. And of course they were cheaper. I showed them to my mom and she made some too. The dozen floral pattern ones in the bottom of the picture are the ones she made.

I ordered a small wet / dry bag for Lyn to keep soiled pads in . It is really cute and has two pockets. One for clean dry pads and one for used ones. I am a big fan of reusable cloth for menstruation. They are so much more comfortable than disposable pads. They don't pose the health problems synthetic pads do. And they are so much better for the environment and they are pretty!!!

That's one way to go grocery shopping

Ben needed to get out of the house and everyone else who was home wanted to come too so I headed to the grocery store with 4 kids in tow. There were only 2 seats in the "car buggy" but the 3 little kids all wanted in. Not the safest situation but I let them try it for a few aisles. Even though I am almost 36 weeks pregnant and a bit slower I still like to take the kids out. I know some families rarely take one child to the grocery store let alone four but I like the challenge. How else are they going to learn how to interact with their environment if they aren't allowed to explore it. Of course I wasn't able to get everything I wanted and they wanted to eat something before we paid for it but that is par for the course. I did get milk, snacks, and dinner so I am satisfied. No one got lost and everyone behaved to the best of their ability. I ended up holding Ben because he wanted to get down and run but we left with sanity intact.

Now that's a swimming hole

We went to play and swim at Buck Creek again last Saturday. I met up with a friend and her kids and others. The big kids found a spot with really deep water. I didn't even know the creek got this deep. There is a drop off halfway out and Lyn could barely touch bottom. I think we found our new swimming hole for the summer.

Annika at the doctor

Annika always has her challenges. After visiting her Dad this past weekend she came home with an injury in her mouth. I believe she must have had a seizure while she had a fork or something else in her mouth. I wasn't overly concerned about the actual injury but I wanted it documented since she has a new family doctor. Her throat was a little red and she kept gagging and the nurse couldn't get a swab to check for infection. The doctor gave her an antibiotic prescription anyway. I wasn't too happy about that. I really don't think she has an infection and if she does I don't think it needs an antibiotic yet. I did not let my opinions cloud the appointment at this point though. I was able to get her new insurance referrals for neurology and psychological services. We just have to get to the bottom of her behaviors. As she gets older I worry about her so much. I feel she has reached such a plateau with a lot of skills. I know she is just 10 years old and I can't compare her to other children but that is so hard sometimes.

Getting everything ready for baby girl

My to do list before birth:

* wash baby clothes
* find and wash breastmilk storage bottles
* find and clean breast pump (throw away any old attachments)
* find and wash infant care seat
* collect and wash linen and bedding for baby's "nest" in my bed
* collect diapers and wetbag needed for baby's diaper needs in my room for postpartum
* wash baby sling
* clean out freezer in garage in preparation to store breastmilk

That is about all I can think of right now. Everything else will probably take care of itself. I don't usually pack a bag for the hospital. I wear the clothes home I wore in (unless they are beyond dirty). I don't really need any toiletries unless I stay more than one night. Dad can always bring me something in. Granny gave us an outfit for the baby and we have everything we need to bring her home in. I guess after I wash them I can pack them up. I do plan on packing and taking snacks and drinks in when we go. I didn't do that with Ben's birth and it was over 18 hours or so before I was fed. No new mom should be put through labor, delivery, and post-partum without food and drink other than water from the tap she gets herself. I will be at a different hospital and Dad will be closer so if I have to stay a bit I am sure he can bring me some food.

Such a big boy!

Ben is growing up so fast. In my line of work I meet a lot of children his age that are in a different place developmentally. I forget sometimes that a 27 month old CAN talk a good bit sometimes. Ben is learning new words everyday. He is combining the words he knows in new ways too. Don't get me wrong. He is not way ahead of the game by any means. I am also reminded that some children talk A LOT even before they are 2 years old. Since I have been substituting at a local daycare in a few toddler rooms I have been working with children between the ages of 18 months and 23 months of age. Some of them are right on track, some are a little behind, and one or two talk like 6 year olds. Ben is right in the middle. He can be so funny sometimes. We are so lucky. I know every child is different and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Ben has been such an easy baby. I don't really like using the word "easy" though. But most people understand what I mean. Of course Ben has his regular 2 year old moments that can be challenging don't get me wrong. But he is truly an "easy" baby.... 

Pregnancy update

OK, here is an update. I went to the clinic today. I have officially gained 24 pounds. I declined my iron test. I have always had good iron and it was fine last time. I have not had any bleeding so I figured it wasn't necessary. I did consent to the Group B strep test. Since I was subject to a pelvic exam anyway I asked the nurse to check me. I don't plan on having a lot of checks but I felt like I needed some input. I figured if I was a little dilated my due date may be in a few weeks like my last period aligns with. If everything is tight as a drum maybe my due date aligns more with the ultrasounds. Well, I had no change in my cervix and no hint that I am due to deliver any time soon. Oh well... That is OK. I have a lot to do before little one is here anyway. I am going to change the ticker on the sidebar and just breathe...

So I am now saying my due date is June 6th.....

10 years ago Annika was born

Happy birthday Annika. I can not believe 10 years ago my second daughter and fourth child was born 12 weeks early by an emergency c-section. She weighed 2 pounds and 7 ounces. She did very well in the hospital and came home before her due date. Today she is a slightly floopy 4th grader who makes straight As and can walk on her hands. (Oh, and she has a seizure disorder...) Annika sees the world through her own eyes and sometimes she is totally misunderstood. She is a 2 year old, 7 year old, and now a 10 year old all wrapped up in one. But is my baby really 10?!?