a wee little list

So laugh if you will, but this is the list of things I have to do before baby arrives. It's a little much and I'm not feeling the nesting energy yet. Maybe posting this will give me some motivation?

1-Pack a hospital bag... nursing bra CHECK!, comfy jammies CHECK, extra pillow, a few baby outfits, pictures of the kids (this really helps me in labor), snacks for Matt, slippers, toiletries, post baby outfit, a good book or two, list of phone numbers, camera, bowl of treats for visitors. Any other ideas???

2-Move dressers around, so baby gets the one that works for a changing table. CHECK!

3-Sort out kids clothes--summer clothes and too small ones in the attic, winter hand-me-downs down from the attic and put away, stained or ruined ones in a goodwill bag. CHECK!

4-Get baby gear and baby clothes down from the attic and set up/put away. CHECK!

5-Wash co-sleeper and dry in the sun. Set it up in our room. CHECK!

6-Put big rubbermaid tubs in my room in the attic. CHECK!

7-Finish Christmas shopping for the kids.

8-Deep clean the floors, bathroom CHECK!, and the kitchen. It's not pretty right now.

9-Make a childcare plan for labor/hospital stay.

10-Make a few double-batch meals so I can freeze half for later. This way whoever gets the kids can at least feed them.

11-Work with kids to make Halloween costumes... check American Thrift Store for deals??

12-Write thank yous for baby shower gifts.

13-Stock up on basic grocery items.

14-Vote early.

15-Buy a baby book.

16-Buy an inexpensive umbrella stroller with decent wheels. CHECK!

17-Stock up on nursing pads, pick up a few passies and nursing bras. CHECK!

I think I want this one...

Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Maternity Bra

(Click on the link to see a picture. It seems wrong to post a pic of a lady in a bra. know what I mean?)

microfiber
no underwire
optional cups
no seams across the front
really nice plastic clips
they're full figure version is supposed to be the best
AND I've never met someone who wore it and didn't rave about it, unlike the rest of the bras I've heard mixed opinions on


the problem? a whopping $47 price tag! yeesh. Maybe I'll buy just one and wear it to til it shreds??

thinking through details before baby comes... ladies only please

To those of you who have an opinion on such things...

What kind of nursing bra do you prefer? Do you even use one? I've never found one I liked.

I know I had a few more questions, but my mind is blank...

more good news :)

Geneticist appointment yesterday--all clear! No Marfan here!

And holy cow, 42 days left! I need to get to work...

very good news

I had my cardiologist appointment today to review the echocardiogram and the heart monitor results. Dr. Mutter said that although he did notice a heart rate of 155 and several other things (PVCs, and some other acronyms I didn't recognize), my tachycardia was "sinus tachycardia", which in my condition was normal. He also described what they were screening for in the echo and said that they didn't find anything abnormal. After explaining all of this, he literally said, "Honey, you need to chill out and I wouldn't worry about your kids." In a nut shell, he doesn't think I have Marfan's Syndrome, which means he doesn't think the kids do either. I still have a geneticist appointment next week, and I suppose it's possible for her to be concerned still, but I'm not. I'm really encouraged and so very relieved. Thanks to those of you who were praying for us!

So I'm not just crazy...

Check out this story from the Times Free Press. Evidently, there IS an unusually large number of yellow jackets this year.

for Darla

the rest of the story... ;)

Yesterday, after only 3 hours of sleep, Clara was doing really well and she held down everything that I gave her. Pregnant mommy wasn't doing so well, but I don't know if I caught a touch of what the kids had or if I was just suffering from the lack of sleep. Today we're all feeling great. Janie could still get it, so we're still quarantined, at least until I'm pretty confident that we won't get anyone else sick. In the meantime, chicken soup is on the menu over here, as well as anything else that won't look nasty coming up again. Peace and sleep to the rest of you mommies out there who are sick with sick kiddos. There seem to be quite a few of us.

the bucket and washrag are out

It appears to be that time of year again. We've got a stomach virus. First Dana got it, who handled it well, only throwing up twice and obediently resting for the rest of the day. Then, last night, two days later, Clara Joy got it pretty bad. She threw up every five minutes from 10:15pm to about 2:30am, then about every ten minutes for half an hour, and finally she fell asleep around 3am, only throwing up twice after that. It was horrible to watch. Nothing feels more helpless than pleading with God to heal your child, when you know full well that he could say "no", or "not yet". Last night she really suffered, but God's grace was pretty evident in the fact that she handled it so well, and (strangely) so did Matt and I. Usually, when something like this happens, there's a lot of crying and our tempers run short, especially in the wee hours. What was very evident last night was that Matt and I worked well together and Clara was very calm. There wasn't even much mess, which is mostly due to her expert handling of the bucket. God was very tangibly with us and we're thankful for that.

no news is good news so far

I had my big appointment yesterday. I don't really know anything, but they did the echocardiogram and an EKG, and I got to talk with the cardiologist for a few minutes. He decided to put me on a heart monitor for 24 hours to check out the racing heart issue and I'm supposed to see him in two weeks to discuss all of this. The good thing is that if they thought I was in danger, I don't think they would have allowed me to wait two weeks to find out results. So, unless I hear from them in the next few days, I'm going to assume everything looks fine. No news is good news. In the meantime, I get to wear this snazzy getup...

you're probably sick of looking at my brother's head shot

I keep starting posts and leaving them unfinished. It's so sad, but rather than wait for the time that won't come, I'm just going to post a quick catch up entry. Sorry for the lack of detail.



Dana turned 6 on August 22nd, leaving Matt and I feeling sentimental and so proud. Those of you who know him know why. From the first minute we held him and gazed into his face, we knew we'd been given an amazing gift. He's certainly not perfect, but there's no one like him, no one at all. Praise God for another year with our little man.





Dana and Janie just started to play soccer and they're both doing well. The league is very low pressure, with only practices once a week and no games. So far, the smiles outweigh the complaints and they both are learning a lot.



My mom, Clara Joy, and I took a trip up to Kentucky to visit my Aunt Sally this Labor Day. It was a pretty special trip in more ways than one. Clara really got a kick out of traveling with just Mommy and Grami, but I realized pretty quickly that Clara is more work without the older two around. A bored Clara Joy is a very naughty Clara Joy...

No news on the Marfan front. I have the long awaited echocardiogram on Monday, which I'm a bit apprehensive about. I've been dealing with some pretty high resting heart rates, which I have been told is normal. They feel pretty extreme though (133 bpm sitting in a chair, shortness of breath), so we'll see what the cardiologist says. If he's not worried, then I won't worry. I shouldn't waste time worrying anyway, at least that's what I keep telling myself. Dana had his six year check up on Friday and I got a chance to discuss the Marfan thing with our favorite doctor, Dr. Spraggins. Thankfully, she knew a good amount about Marfan. She was obviously concerned, but it's so comforting to know that she's well-informed and contributing to the discussion. I trust her opinion more than most doctors, because she's so balanced and she knows my kids so very well. If any of you are hunting for a pediatrician, I highly recommend her. She's an incredibly talented, godly doctor... such a blessing.