Rain rain go away....

After what seems like two to three weeks of endless rain and cold, it finally seems to be warming up. We had a rainy memorial day weekend...big surprise! In addition, because of flooding, our phones and internet where down. Which also meant we didn't TV either because we don't have cable we just use the netflix instant view (which only runs if the internet is working). It still was a good weekend! We played board games on Sunday evening and then on Monday we went to the church gym and played line tag (I was even slower than Kes) monkey in the middle and dodge ball. We got Yogi Bear from the red box (which I deemed incredibly stupid and opted to sleep in the recliner during the duration of) and just spent time together. It actually was very nice not to have any outside distractions. Now it is Tuesday and the sun is out (yeah) and life is speeding up and catching up to us again. At least the sun is out!

doctor and dilation goals...

I went in yesterday for my 36 week appointment. I knew she was going to check to see how dilated I was. Now usually, when I get to this point, I usually have a "dilation goal" for myself. However, with my last three children, I typically have been disappointed. So I told myself not to expect anything. So I was delighted to learn, I was dilated 1 centimeter and 30 percent effaced. The baby's head was down and engaged--so the doctor said she thought that would help me dilate more. Now 37 weeks is considered full term--and frankly by that point in your pregnancy you are just ready to have that baby out of your body. So any suggestions to help this process along? :)

Hansel and Gretel...

Levi took the kids minus Bailey to a graduation open house on Saturday. Bailey and I stayed home because we where feeling under the weather. The next day at church, my friend came up to me and said that her sister wanted to "gobble Kes up, she was so cute!" After church, at lunch, I was telling Levi the story in front of the kids. Kes's eyes grew large. She asked to say the prayer over the food. Amongst other things, she prayed, "and please don't let anyone gobble me up!" In her bedtime that night she said, "and please let that mean lady who wants to eat me be far far away!" Maybe I should try to clarify this slang a little for her...poor girl thinks she is the next Gretel...

Random Spring Pictures

So I haven't posted pictures for a long time, and decided that it might be fun to see how much my kids are growing. I am not going to explain any except of the one where Bailey is sleeping. When she saw a pink sleeping mask my sister-in-law gave me for my birthday, she exclaimed, "I've always needed one of those. Can I have it?" Of course how could I resist. She wears it every night! One night Kes had a bit of a cold and was coughing. I came in to find Bailey on the top bunk sound asleep with not only the sleeping mask but also Levi's shooting sound blocking earphones on. I had to take a picure!

kidney stones verses child birth...

On Tuesday I went for a walk and at the end of it my back started hurting...and hurting...and hurting...I chalked it up to the fact that I am very pregnant and out of shape. I thought, I should sit down and rest--but it was a busy day and I didn't have time. By about two in the afternoon I started having contractions too. They where irregular and I wasn't too worried--but my back was still killing me. Finally, I called my doctor and she told me to come in. On the way over I kept thinking...I can't have my baby...it doesn't even have a name yet!
Once I got there, they monitored me for a while and then gave me a shot to stop my contractions--which worked in about an hour. But my back was still killing me! Turns out I was going to deliver something else--a little hard piece of calcium--(actually, I ended up "passing" four stones in total!) Not fun! The biggest piece was literally no bigger than my pinkie nail...yet the pain! I have to say--kidney stones are way worse than having babies!
I spent Tuesday night in the hospital in Miles City on Morphine trying to manage the pain. My urethra was completely blocked and my kidney was swollen and full of fluid--and infected on top of everything else! The next day they sent me to the hospital in Billings because they felt I needed to have a stint surgically inserted and couldn't do it in Miles City. On the way to the hospital my blockage must have moved down because suddenly my pain was manageable. I spent the next day and night in the Billings Hospital and ended up passing three stones that night. The next day when they did an ultrasound on my kidneys they discovered one last small stone in my bladder which I ended up passing last night. I just want to say thank you to all the friends and family who called and sent texts wishing me well. I felt very loved!A special thank you to all the friends who watched our kids and brought in meals--I don't know how we would have done it without you! Bless you! I have to say when I do have my baby now, it will be a walk in the park compared to the kidney stones...