William & Erik updates

I'm still smiling about Erik and Anna's participation in their school Christmas programs last  week. Jamieson and I were not known for enthusiastic participation in public performance as little kids (read: shy) and Erik was once a wallflower in big groups. No longer. He bravely joined his class on stage for songs and Bible recitation for Thursday's school worship service at Immanuel. Anna did the same for the preschool worship service last Saturday. Both had the words well memorized and stayed with their groups without incident. Both services were beautiful. I can only imagine how pleased God is to hear the voices of children in worship, especially this time of year. Anna is our little singer and dancer below. Erik is in the second video, the shepherd in light brown behind the microphone. It's not the greatest video, and you don't get to see later in the program when he was intrigued by the tinsel halo of the angel next to him, but I just like it for the nice singing and the amazing sight of 25 kindergartners calmly in one place! 

William: 4 months

As for William, it wasn't my imagination, this little boy is growing like a weed. William had his 4-month check up Thursday morning. He's at 16 pounds and 26 inches, putting him in the 75th percentile all around. Somehow that translates to only 9-month sized clothes fitting him these days. He's a healthy guy, thankfully. I had to suppress a giggle when the doctor said we would talk about reading to baby at the 6-month checkup. I may not be on top of all child-development tasks, but that one we have solidly under control. 

Erik had his 6-year check up this morning. Our original big guy, he's in the 75th, almost 80th percentile for height. In weight, he's in the 25th percentile, which is where he's been for years. There were no health concerns. The doctor asked how Anna is doing, as well, to which I could only say our biggest problem was keeping the sling on her. Since it was only there to help her manage any pain, the doctor had no restrictions for her activities. So, here were are, a week before Christmas with everything I could want: a happy, healthy family. We are so very, very blessed. 

Never a dull moment

If anyone has any suggestions on how to keep my eyes on all three children simultaneously 24-hours a day, please share. I'm considering investing in sizable quantities of bubble wrap and developing a child-sized hamster ball. The mom-in-close-proximity approach is apparently insufficient to keep them safe.

Yesterday, Anna fell. I wish I could provide further details. Although I was just a few feet away, I wasn't looking at her at that moment, so I don't know exactly what happened. She apparently slipped on ice after school. There were no cuts, bruises, bumps or blood, but she has been crying off and on since it happened. Unfortunately, getting a straight answer about what hurts is always a challenge, so she told me she had pain in her head, hair, neck, ears, teeth, arm, heart, finger and toe. There has been no fever and most of the time she's been behaving like her normal self. When she needs to get dressed or climb into her chair for dinner, though, the tears flow. Yet, eating a cupcake or pointing at Christmas ornaments haven't created problems. After mentally going back and forth about if there was a real issue or a minor bruise, I decided to take her into the doctor this morning. The result: she has a "mid-clavicle fracture" on the right side. She needs to wear a sling for a week and go back for another x-ray in four weeks. As broken bones go, the doctor suggested it wasn't too bad. The break was minor and should heal itself quickly. Sigh. This was Anna's third set of x-rays in her three short years. By now, we are well aware of the short cut to the radiology department.

I had a sneaking suspicion early on in her life that Anna would be our Calamity Jane. She's so very determined to keep up with her big brother and his friends. This fall really isn't anyone's fault. The school had the walks salted. I was nearby. She wasn't running, for once. Still, she fell and has a broken bone. How can I not feel terrible? On the other hand, are we supposed to head straight home after school every single day and skip five minutes of me talking to other moms and the kids "socializing" with their friends? We parents, especially we stay-at-home moms, are commanded by media voices not to be "helicopter parents" lest the kids fail to learn self-sufficiency. I didn't hover and this is what we get: a charming, and resented, Snoopy sling. It isn't the end of the world, of course. It could have been a far worse injury and I'm sure we have other medical adventures ahead of us. Erik isn't slowing down, Anna is barely letting this event keep her down and William wants in on the action just as soon as he can scoot.

The boys have been less dramatic in their accomplishments this week. (This week? It's only Tuesday.) William has slept from about 7:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. two nights in a row. Delightful! Erik has his first loose tooth, so we may need to summon the services of the tooth fairy before Christmas. And let's hope that's all the drama we see for the rest of the year.

The Olsen boys: eating and partying

William tries cereal for the first time

After several weeks of staring at us at dinner and mimicking chewing motions, William was finally introduced to the world of solid food this week. He has had the standard watered down rice cereal in milk during dinner time. The first few bites earned a puzzled look, although no spitting it out. After that, he opened up like a baby bird and demanded more and more. Really, I think he's thinking whatever we're having looks more appealing, but he seems pleased to at least be doing some eating during dinner and not just watching the rest of us.

Since William won't be a full four months until the end of the week, this is one of those moments that showcases the difference between the third baby and the first. With Erik, I was determined to hold out on feeding him any solid food until six months because that's what the baby books said I should do and I was going to do things right! (Grandmas across the world, of course, fervently believe that a baby should be feed early and often, no matter what the "experts" say.) I think Erik finally got started between five and six months. Anna got her first real dinner around five months. Honestly, William probably could have handled solid food at least two weeks ago. I mentioned to someone that we were about ready to start him even though he wasn't quite four months. She asked what our doctor suggested, to which I responded, "I really don't care." It took me three tries to really, truly believe that we know our babies best.

For the record, I've also cracked open those free samples of formula for William's dining pleasure. I would prefer to always, always go the beverage by mom approach, but sometimes he's hungry and I'm busy. I've reluctantly accepted that no harm will befall him from drinking "powdered milk." There's no small amount of ego involved in feeding children sometimes.

And in other first news, I cut William's fingernails today. Not that he hasn't needed it many, many times before. This, however, was probably only the second or third time in six years of parenthood that I trimmed finger nails. That is Daddy's job! (And I have terrible eyesight and an extreme fear of hurting tiny fingers.) Except that tonight they were really, really sharp and both baby and mom needed them to be a lot less dangerous before bedtime. There was no screaming or shedding of blood on either side.

Erik: Dec. 11, 2005

And in other kid news, Erik turned six earlier this week, which is absolutely unbelievable. How he went so quickly from a tiny little thing to the tall, clever and exasperating bundle of energy that he is today seems astonishing. I could write a book on how it feels to be his mom. It's the most amazing, exhausting, frustrating, and exhilarating experience I could imagine. So many days, I feel completely undone -- worthless as a mom and better off going back to work anywhere so some more competent person could deal with my children. On the other hand, when Jamieson and I recently looked through old pictures, the ones from before December 2005 seemed so empty. There were a ridiculous number of dog pictures and some shots of places we visited, but nothing of the endless smiles and goofiness we've collected the past six years. I can only trust that God knows why he put such feisty, independent children in the care of such a stubborn, perfectionist mother and pray that we will get through the difficult days and treasure the good ones. Children are a blessing. Believe it or not, I love being a mom.

Erik and the present that Anna chose for him: a roaring lion!

More great 3-year old observations

Anna: My tummy hurts.
Me: What would make your tummy feel better?
Anna: My tummy is hungry, but not for lunch. Some of your cake would make me feel better.

What makes this so classic is that I clearly remember when I was small telling my parents, "My dinner is full but my dessert is empty." Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Or rather, the sweet tooth doesn't stray far from the cake.

The busy, busy life of a three-year old

It's a shame I don't get a chance to write down half the quirky things my kids say, but here's one that's stuck with me this week:

Me: Anna, did you play with the castle in the nursery?

Anna: Yes. 

Me: Did you play with the kitchen toys?

Anna: Yes. 

Me: Did you play with the dolls. 

Anna: No, I didn't have time. 

Since she was in the church nursery for about two hours Wednesday while I had a Bible class, I can only imagine how riveting the other toys must have been! Even better, today she announced that at school, "I played with the dolls today. I had time!" Good time management today, what with the Thanksgiving festivities and all! 

William update: 2 months

William at 2 months

It's been a busy couple of days for William (and all of us). Despite my misgivings about taking three kids and a dog north, my Wisconsin-native husband suggested spending our Columbus Day weekend in his home state. Grandma and Grandpa were willing to put up with our traveling circus for two days while we all enjoyed possibly the best fall Wisconsin weather ever. We enjoyed a brief hike at Devil's Lake. (The big kids enjoyed scrambling up the boulders along the Tumbled Rocks trail. Someday they're going to want to go much higher, I'm afraid!) William enjoyed the view from his baby carrier, and eventually convinced me to turn him facing out, which he will like better than his previous view of my chin. The kids also spent some quality time in grandma and grandpa's backyard "maze" and entertaining, or being entertained by Max. Surprisingly, William slept very well while we were there and traveled pretty well during the long car rides. How is it that traveling with a full van was easier than those first painful trips with a certain oldest child? 

Erik & Anna at Devil's Lake

As always, getting back into the routine after a few days away was a little rough. We had some crabby little people yesterday morning. Back to school day today was good for everyone. 

While Erik was at school, William and Anna had the misfortune of going to the doctor's office. William needed a check up and, while we were there, I volunteered Anna for her flu shot. She was very brave. William yelped, but recovered well. I believe during our weekend Grandpa may have refered to the young William as a "moose." Um, yep. He tipped the scales at 13 pounds, 8 ounces today. That puts him in the 95th percentile. No wonder my back hurts these days! The doctor said everything looked good. He goes back at four months. 

For myself, I'm trying to get ready for my mothers' club's craft show this Saturday. Come visit us! 

Apple Time

We can't little the little guy get all the blog attention. Here are some pictures of the big kids at the orchard this past weekend. It was a perfect weekend for apple picking!

Turns out, the kids aren't that big after all. 

Apple!

This was pretty much dinner Saturday night. 

So tasty it needed concentration. 

William Tell? 

Duck racing

Joyful bouncing on the giant pillow. (Where can I get one for my yard?)

Bye!

William update: 1 month

Tummy time - he's starting to roll over when he's mad

At the orchard: "What do you mean I can't eat the apple?"

William has passed the one-month mark already. After not quite getting back to birth weight at the two-week check-up, our "little" boy made up for lost time in the past two weeks. He weighed in at 10 pounds, 11 ounces and measured up at 23.3 inches. That confirms what we suspected -- he is bigger ever day! William is already wearing 6-month sized outfits because he's just too long for the infant things. Getting him into his car seat and co-sleeper are tight fits, too. The doctor declared him perfect and, after he grinned at her and held up his head so strongly, said he was acting like a two month old. He's just trying to keep up with his brother and sister, but he's definitely beginning to smile, coo and watch us intently. No, he's not sleeping particularly long stretches at night, but, after a snack, he does go back to sleep easily. We have consistent evening fussy periods, so I'm not getting anything done in the evening, but he's so predictable about it, that I can't complain to much. Most nights, a he just wants to eat and snuggle, which is easy enough. He is a delight.

There hasn't been much time to write lately. Honestly, there hasn't been much time to do anything lately, except for feeding, dressing, and driving small people. Oh, well, the dust will keep, right? For now, a few pictures will have to do! 

William takes a rare crib nap yesterday. 

I'm going to assume William was having a growth spurt day since he wanted to eat  ALL DAY LONG! 

Stand back world, Anna is in charge!
(Note how nicely the pink camo sandals -- Thanks, Isabella! --
match with her new pink Marine shirt -- Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa.)

Erik, not posing for the camera

Erik, definitely posing for the camera and
Anna in her beloved tutu. (Again, thanks, Isabella!)

William's birth story

Our sweet baby William is a whole week old today. Already it seems like he's always been here. Before his big day becomes too much of a memory, here are some reflections on the busy week behind us.

The day before William's arrival was Anna's third birthday. We celebrated with a special breakfast muffin (candles!), presents and a lunch out at Two Toots in Glen Ellyn.  Grandma and Grandpa Olsen came for dinner and then both kids went home with them for a sleep over. That gave me and Jamieson a chance to take an after-dinner walk -- the one thing I miss most about life before kids. Before heading to bed, our bags were packed and ready for the big day ahead.

Induction was scheduled for 6 a.m. Since I don't think I slept much past 4:30, I had the chance to spend a few beautiful, solitary early morning minutes on our deck at dawn. I can assure you, William was born on an absolutely perfect Summer day.

Minutes old

The first part of the morning was emotionally rough. The first nurse to take my blood pressure summed it up as she looked at the numbers: "You really don't want to be here, do you?" I most certainly did not. When the next nurse came in and announced she was ready to get the Pitocin started, I fell apart. (With Erik, I'd tried for a natural birth. Several hours into that exhausting experience, I asked for an epidural. While that was helpful, the Pitocin I was also given several hours after that ushered in a rather unpleasant experience. Till Erik arrived, of course!) So, it took a conversation with the doctor to explain his plan before I was comfortable proceeding. Everything made sense once spelled out. It would have been nice if I'd had a chance to talk with that doctor before delivery day, though! Since I was already being induced, and already exhausted and emotional, I decided to go straight for the epidural, too, due to my Pitocin fear. That turned out to be a brilliant choice. I felt every contraction, but as pressure rather than pain. It was the easiest birth I can imagine. Probably not more than two hours after getting everything started, I realized that when the contractions came, William's heartbeat beeps disappeared from the monitor. I asked Jamieson to call the nurse, who determined that I was ready to deliver. Speedy! She told me not to push since she still needed to get various equipment set up in the room. When the doctor and nurse were ready, it couldn't have taken more than few pushes before William was in my arms. Anna had arrived very quickly, too, so the doctor and nurses expected me to go quickly. I didn't expect it to go so easily, though. All my fears that too much medical intervention would be bad for baby evaporated once he arrived. He scored 9s on his Apgar tests (the typical blue hands and feet kept him from the perfect score). He had no problem eating right away and was very, very alert.

William met his brother and sister later in the day when Grandma and Grandpa brought them to visit. Both seemed genuinely excited. When Anna was born, Erik was definitely nervous. This time he had a very proud big brother smile. Anna just wanted to hug the cute baby right away and has been an eager helper ever since. Jamieson and I agree that William looks very much like Erik with more and darker hair, although not as much hair as Anna had!

In the incubator (Aviator glasses are a good look, no?)

The second day in the hospital was difficult again. It started well when the pediatrician declared William to be in fine shape and offered to send us home early. The doctor who delivered him said it was our choice. That was a surprise option, since I had assumed we would be at the hospital for two full days, but once I started thinking about it, heading home seemed like where I wanted to be. So the rest of the day was busy trying to get everything done. Grandma and Grandpa Grosz came to meet William and had just a few minutes with him between his various checkups, screenings, circumcision, and hospital photographs. By late afternoon, I was still waiting the final okay to get out, when a nurse called the nursery for me to check on the status of things and heard that William had elevated bilirubin levels and would need photo therapy. We'd already been told William was healthy, we were being treated as if we were going home, and when Anna had similarly "high" levels, she was just sent home to sit in a sunny window and come in for a blood test at her next checkup, so this news came as a shock. William needed to spend the night in an incubator and while I was nursing him, I had a biliblanket to hold next to his body. It was a difficult night.

Proud big sister and her little brother

Fortunately, the lights did the trick and we were really ready to go home by Friday morning. The big kids were happy to have everyone home. Callie seemed puzzled that we were bringing another little creature into the house. After the stresses of being in the hospital, it was so good to be home with our complete, healthy family.

So, here we are, a week later. William is a great baby. He's into cluster feeding, which gets exhausting for me, but eating is what he needs to do. On Monday, he had his first office check up and did fine. There were no jaundice concerns. The doctor simply wanted to see him regain his birth weight by the time he comes in for the two-week check up. So it's dinner every three hours or less round the clock till then. I'm not worried. He enjoys a good meal. Today, he seems to have a plugged tear duct in one eye, but Anna had the same issue, so we will just keep it clean and massaged till it clears up. While there's no way to minimize how exhausting it is to be home with a newborn and his two active siblings, at least the infant care issues aren't as scary as they were the first time around. We know he's growing and we know he will get stronger and more personable as time goes on. He's already a strong, pleasant little guy. We have been richly blessed. God is good.

Welcome, William!

William looking at Daddy, just minutes old.

William smiles for Mommy. 

The big kids love their new brother. 

The Olsen Family, August 10, 2011

Hello, World. I'm William!

Introducing William Jamieson, born August 10. 

Our "little" guy was 8 pounds 14 ounces 

and 22 inches long. 

Baby update: 40 weeks ... yes, 40 weeks

Baby apparently didn't get the message that today is his due date. So, here we are at 40 weeks. Lesson to be learned, please don't tell an expectant mom that you are sure she will go early because when that doesn't happen, it's just depressing.

Anyway, I had yet another checkup today. Baby is perfectly fine. He's still "breathing" well, still super wiggly and still has plenty of water in his swimming pool. I, however, apparently have slightly elevated blood pressure. It's not dangerously high. (Honestly, I attribute it to the chocolate I ate before the checkup to ensure a happy, squirming baby.) The doctor said that if I was at 38 weeks, it would be fine to just keep monitoring it. Since I'm now overdue, he wasn't willing to give baby till the end of the week, though. Since Anna's birthday is tomorrow, he was willing to wait until Wednesday. So, we are now scheduled for an induction bright and early Wednesday morning. Unless, of course, Baby finally figures out where the door is tonight or tomorrow.

I'm not thrilled with the scheduled induction thing. It seems absurd that a third baby would need to be helped along in such a way. To be honest, it really feels like a failure on my part that some aspect of my body isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing. I know I should just be grateful that everyone is healthy, but I can't deny my control freak nature. It annoys me that something that I'm supposed to manage has to be controlled by other people.

Part of the frustration is that Anna's birthday is tomorrow and I haven't been able to plan a good birthday celebration for her. Even now, we're telling the kids what to expect for tomorrow and Wednesday, but it's certainly possible that those plans will get changed at the last minute. (It would also be nice if Erik would stop saying things like "It's not your birthday yet, Anna," "You can't open your presents today," and "You don't get to have kids over.") Oh, well. Like it or not, this week we all learn a lesson in flexibility.

So, 48 hours from now, one way or another, there will be a new baby in the family. Keep us all in your prayers and we will update everyone as soon as we can.

Baby update: 39 weeks

Here's a picture of our little man from yesterday. Yet again, it was hard to get a good picture since he's always hiding behind his hands. I'm trying to figure out if he was winking at us or managed to give himself a black eye. (The real answer is that it's just a shadowy picture.)

Baby had the same tests yesterday that we did the past two weeks and passed them again with no problem. The doctor says he looks like a beautiful baby. She thinks it's unlikely that I will make my appointment next Monday. Every indication is that he's getting ready to meet us sometime soon. Of course, we thought that for a few weeks before Anna put in her appearance, so it's certainly no guarantee. So, he could show up today. He could be a tease and hang out for another week yet.

Whenever Baby decides to arrive, we are ready. Over the weekend, Jamieson hung up some pictures on the nursery walls and a nightlight suitable for late-night diaper changes. Our main goal is to get Jamieson healthy. He's fighting a rather nasty sinus infection now. Sunday morning, we let him sleep while the rest of us went to church. Nothing like being as pregnant as I am with two bouncy preschoolers to get me plenty of sympathetic looks and doors held open.

The older kids are going absolutely stir crazy with being stuck inside during this summer heat. I just can't endure spending much time outside these days, so they're stuck in with me. On the occasions when we do get outside for a bit, my fair-skinned children turn red within minutes, so they don't fair much better with the humidity than I do. Fall and school days can't come soon enough for them.

It will be interesting to see how the kids react when Baby finally arrives. Erik's current concern is about the crying. He asked how much time Baby and I would be in the hospital. I said it would be two or three days, assuming everyone was healthy. He said we should stay three days because he doesn't want Baby's crying to wake him up. Anna just wants to hold the cute baby. I'm sure she will be frustrated with being dethroned from her role as the youngest. Some days it seems the closer she gets to three, the more she acts like a two-year old. Again, it will be good for them to have school soon. As I update our August and September calendar with all the back-to-school activities, I find it challenging to think that I have to haul a newborn along, too. When Erik was born, Jamieson and I pretty much sequestered ourselves for a few weeks as we tried to figure out what to do with the tiny little person we now had. That didn't happen with Anna and it certainly won't happen this time!

Right this moment, I have a traumatized little dog hiding under my chair. When the kids are getting ready for bed or napping, Callie searches for them and has even been known to nap on Anna's bed with her. (Erik isn't as much of a dog person, it seems.) The rest of the day, Callie spends trying to get out of the way of the stampede. It's tough to be a 10-pound elderly dog around this crew. It's probably not her first choice for a relaxing home, but she's certainly good for us when we slow down enough to snuggle with her.

Baby update: 38 weeks

Baby Olsen, July 25, 2011 (squishing his own nose) 

Here's the latest peek at our little guy. Since he had his fists up against his face, this is the best view we could get, but it's still fun to see. Look at those chubby cheeks! I'm having ultrasound weekly now to keep an eye on how Baby is doing. ("Advanced maternal age," you know.) So far, he's doing great. The ultrasound is for a "biophysical profile" that looks at various characteristics, including movement, breathing, muscle tone and amniotic fluid. He got an 8 out of 8 points both last week and this morning. He also did fine with his "non-stress test" which is just listening to his heart beat and making sure it picks up when he moves. Believe me, he moves! Aside from me being incredibly bored by having to sit in an empty room waiting for enough little lines to be recorded on a sheet of paper, it's certainly nice to know that he's doing well. The doctor doesn't expect him to make his grand entrance for at least another week, so I probably have time to still get pictures on the nursery wall and birthday presents for a certain big sister who will be turning 3 in two weeks.

At this point, I'm pretty much sick of being pregnant. It's hot. I'm pumpkin shaped. I'm tired of heartburn, sleeplessness and conversations about my physique. On the other hand, I'm more than happy to take another week or two to get ready for Baby. There's always some other baby shirt or blanket that really ought to get washed before he uses it. There are more than enough pages in Erik and Anna's sadly out-of-date baby books that need to be completed. My grand plans of stocking the freezer with meals haven't even begun to materialize. Oh yeah, and I hate labor. HATE labor. No getting around that one. Plus there's that year of sleepless nights on the other side of delivery. (Dear Medical Community, the irony of the "back to sleep" campaign is that implies that a baby on his back will sleep. Not in this house.) It's a mixed bag. I can't wait to snuggle the little guy, but I'm happy to wait till he's good and ready. I would, of course, appreciate if we could avoid any more 100-degree days between now and whenever his birthday will be. That would make the waiting a lot more pleasant!

One more thing, yes, he does have a name. It's his middle name that's up in the air, but the list isn't too long. Since you already know that he's a he and he's a cute little thing, you'll just have to be patient on the name issue until there are some additional statistics to go with it!

My kids are awesome

 My kids are awesome. I know I complain far too much about how overly-energetic they are and how they are always, always testing limits. Both true. On the other hand, out in the real world, they are amazing.

This morning, Anna had her 3-year old checkup, which I scheduled a month early in case Baby Brother decides to take up all our time in a few weeks. Erik came along because we generally travel in a pack. With the help of God's gift to mothers, i.e. the Sesame Street podcast on the iTouch, he was the most patient non-patient ever. Anna followed directions splendidly standing and sitting and what have you to get weighed, measured, and generally evaluated. Height and weight and all that was fine. There were just two little things...

In the course of going over the school physical forms, the doctor noted that Anna had never been tested for lead. Since we live in a pre-1978 house, that's relevant. So, we were directed to get her blood drawn before heading home. The lab for such things is in the same building in the doctor's office, which should have made it easy. Unfortunately a) the lab was having computer problems and b) we were all too well-behaved for anyone to notice we had been waiting for AN HOUR. By the time we did get in for the main event, the ladies working there were astonished that I had had two kids in the waiting room for all that time and they didn't even notice. Fortunately, the basket of books my kids had never seen before was all they needed to keep occupied. I'm sure the other folks waiting were equally enthralled by my multiple readings of Olive, the Other Reindeer, or bored enough to be very quiet while I read. Oddly quiet. Eek. Anyway, once Anna was up for her turn, she couldn't have been a better patient. She sat on my lap and calmly put up with the experience without a peep. Did I mention they were drawing her blood. No problem at all. Acutally, it was Erik, who himself stoically endured all his 5-year old shots without a whimper a few months ago, said he was scared and looked like he was about to burst into tears. Guess we was nervous for his sister, which means he really does like her. Yea!!!

Unfortunately, we need to put all this good behavior to further testing tomorrow. Listening to Anna's lungs, the doctor heard a heart murmur and wants an EKG done to see if it's a developmental issue or a medical problem. I'm trying not to worry because at about the same age Erik had a heartbeat irregularity and went through the same procedure. Nothing abnormal turned up. Besides, this weekend our own little Anna offered this bit of wisdom: I happened to say "I'm sad" in conversation and she said, "Don't worry, Mommy. Jesus is always with us." Gulp. I don't deserve these kids.

Erik at the 4th of July parade.
 (I'm not really sure what he's doing.)

Well, keep us and our various medical issues in your prayers. We will keep you posted.

Baby update: 34 weeks

Not much to report in babyland this week. I had a check up this morning. From the nurse's point of view, it was probably eventful in that I acted like I was going to pass out when she was listening for Baby's heartbeat. Anytime I lay on my back or even lean back with my feet up, I feel ill. So, that got me a nice cold cup of water and a sucker. The doctor blamed the way Baby is sitting, but didn't seem concerned. Otherwise, everything else is fine. In fact, everything is so unremarkable and so little is being done at these check-ups that it almost seems like a waste of time. Better to be an unexciting case than have oodles of questions and problems, of course, so don't mind my griping.

Jamieson has just taken the "big kids" to Grandma and Grandpa O's house for an overnight. So I'm going to take the opportunity to tidy up a bit (and have it stay picked up for a few hours!) and then have some real quiet time of my own this afternoon. Tonight, Jamieson and I will head out for an anniversary dinner at a restaurant without a kids' meal!

Happy Independence Day!

Beautiful baby update: 32 weeks

Here's the latest peek at our beautiful baby boy. Isn't the picture amazing? Look at those alert, open eyes! We had a checkup today and all is well. He was busy wiggling, waving, yawning, sucking his thumb, and generally showing off. He's about 4 pounds, 10 ounces. The ultrasound tech said he would probably arrive at 8 pounds, depending on unpredictable growth spurts. The doctor said 7 pounds. Either way, both said he looked great. He also has just a tiny bit of hair at this point. (So, we're expecting peach fuzz like Erik had instead of Anna's crazy, spiky do.)

We will get a few more glimpses at our little guy before we get to hold him. Due to my advanced age (even the doctors' roll their eyes at this label) there will be weekly ultrasounds during the last month of the pregnancy -- the biophysical profile.

The whole family came along for the appointment today. Erik and Anna behaved very well and enjoyed getting a look at their brother. Anna was wondering if he was coming out yet, though, and Erik turned toward the assortment of kids' books in the room once he'd had a good look at Baby's face. They also enjoy every opportunity to see the fish in the waiting room since Nemo appears to be one of them.

Since this was a middle of the day appointment, Jamieson took the day off and used the morning to paint Baby's room. It was a painfully boring white. Now, it's a cheerful shade of light green. So is the side of Erik's face. He helped Dad a bit. Perhaps the green distracts from the bug bites on the other side!

As if the baby activities weren't enough to fill our day, we had several other things going on. The kids had their last session of swimming lessons this morning. Anna was proud of her participation certificate. Erik was also pleased with his report card. Unfortunately, the instructors thought his name was "Lucas." (He mentioned that they were calling him that earlier in the week, but never worked up the nerve to correct them. So much my boy.) This afternoon, Erik had a birthday party for a friend and Anna and Daddy went out for dinner on their own. I've been up since roughly 4:30 a.m. when the birds decided to serenade us right outside the window. After attempting to sleep for awhile, I gave up, got up and took a walk. So, now everyone is completely exhausted, but it was a very good day. Praise God for little miracles of all sizes!

Baby Boy playing peek-a-boo -- arm in front of his face

Zoo triumphs and tribulations

Erik and Anna near Chris Kratt, and that was good enough!

In the past month, Erik and Anna have developed an obsession with the PBS kids' show Wild Kratts. It's sort of educational, as TV goes. They do get introduced to new animals and their characteristics with each episode, but it's probably more appealing because it's the most superhero-like show the kids see. For all they know, TVs only broadcast PBS Kids. 

So, last week, they were very excited to notice a commercial at the end of the show announcing the Kratt brothers appearance at Brookfield Zoo. Since we have a membership and Sunday was such a beautiful day, we decided there was no harm in trying to get a peek at their favorite TV stars. After church, we packed up a lunch and headed down the highway. Since my kids are hardly alone in their obsession with all things Kratt, we were well aware the zoo would be crowded. Jamieson predicted it would probably be like seeing the Beatles for preschoolers. Yup. 

Even aware of the likelihood of teeming masses of families, the Brookfield Zoo is beginning to loose our love a bit because of its parking lot issues. Last time we were there was another beautiful day. Unfortunately, almost everyone in the park noticed an impending storm approaching and attempted to leave the lot simultaneously. There was ONE lane open to exit. No traffic guidance, no emergency gate opened, just one stinkin' open lane and hundreds of hurried minivans. Grr. 

Sunday, not any better. Not in the least. First Avenue moved at a crawl to get IN to the lot, which wasn't very surprising. The traffic volume wasn't our problem. (Problem: people who zoom up on everyone's left and try to merge in front of more patient drivers right in front of the zoo entrance. Did you fail the lining up portion of the kindergarten curriculum??!!)  All the gates were open and extra employees were helping cars move through the line. Once money was paid, though, it was chaos. There were, maybe, three college kids in the whole lot vaguely directing vehicles. All standard spaces had been taken and people were resorting to creative parking styles. We kept wondering if the zoo is even aware of how many parking spots they have, or if they care. Ironically, by creeping ALL the way around the lot, we somehow ended up with rock star parking near the main entrance thanks to a family leaving who had the decency to give us a head's up that they would take awhile to load (not a problem) and waving away other drivers who approached the spot. Bless them. So, Brookfield Zoo, unless you're in cahoots with Metra, would you please get a handle on your parking situation, because it is appalling. 

Once we were in, we had enough time to get over to the West Mall where the Kratts would be doing a performance at 1. We were probably in the middle of the pack. Good enough seats if you're an adult; frustrating seats if you're a kid. Once it sunk in that we weren't going to get any closer to seeing their heroes, the kids waffled between wanting to stay in case the guys ran by again, and wanting to get out of the crowd to see real animals. (If I had a super power, it would be the magical ability to become one of those extroverts who feed off the energy of a group. Sadly, I have super introvert power, in which more than three people in my space at any one time makes me want to run away and hide. Sigh.) 

Basically, we saw enough of the Kratt brothers from a distance for the kids to feel like they saw them. We avoided the crazy, crazy line of people waiting for autographs. (Does an autograph matter when you can't yet read?) Then wandered the zoo thinking yet again that the kids would be happier at the neighborhood park and/or the pet store. I love the Brookfield Zoo, but I can't help but feel that the sensory overload for the kids isn't quite the fulfilling family experience we would like it to be. The kids want to literally run from one area to another. We grown-ups get stressed trying to keep an eye on them. They get irritated that we aren't seeing EVERY animal. The good thing about having a membership is that there's less pressure to see every part of the park since there's always another day to see another creature. Yet, based on the amount of love the kids have for the ducks -- the ducks! -- we parent folks are wondering if it's worth the drive. 

Here's what we have discovered at the zoo: the kids really like swimming things. At each visit, they never miss a chance to see the seals, sea lions and dolphins. Instead of darting from place to place, at those pools, the kids do stick around awhile to really enjoy the animals. Why? Maybe that's a less crowded area where they can get a clear view. Maybe they respect animals that love water as much as they do. Maybe watching the water is soothing for their over-stimulated selves. Not sure. Since Anna kept telling the ducks to go into their pond, maybe the water fascination is key. Anyway, the zoo certainly isn't a waste of time, especially on a beautiful day. It does, however, help us clarify what the kids really like and what they really need to have a good time. Answer: space to run and something interesting to watch. Fortunately, that's easy to find closer to home. 

Checking out the bison

Have pity on a pregnant mom and help a great cause!

As most of you know, in late 2008 my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She responded well to treatment, surgery and chemotherapy, and has been cancer free for two-and-a-half years. Praise God! Because Anna was an infant while Mom was going through treatment three hours away, there was little I could do to help her and Dad at the time. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to say yes when a friend asked me to join her Relay for Life team in support of the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society works to help people avoid cancer, heal from cancer, and find cures for cancer. The society’s Relay for Life of Kane County will be held June 24-25 in Geneva, Illinois.  At Relay, teams of people will camp out at Elfstrom Stadium and take turns walking or running around a track. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the overnight event. That’s where I’ll be and that’s why I need your help.

I know everyone keeps a close eye on their budgets. We all have bills to pay and our preferred charities to support. So, while this is a request for a donation in support of my participation in the Relay for Life, I understand if other commitments keep you from doing so. However, if you do have a few dollars to you could contribute toward the efforts of the American Cancer Society’s work, I would consider it a tribute to the most amazing woman I know, my mom. She faced cancer without complaint and continues to serve her family and community in so many ways. She is an inspiration!

(For what it’s worth, your support would also do wonders toward motivating me as I waddle around the tract at eight months pregnant. Think of the amusement value for the other participants!)

If you’d like to contribute, you can access donation information at  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11IL?px=19065558&pg=personal&fr_id=30727  Thank you for taking the time to consider supporting this effort. Thank you even more for your support of our family in so many ways.

Baby update: 30 weeks

All is well in baby land. I had a check up this morning and there were no concerns. Well, I continue to be concerned with my impressive weight gain, but the doctor says I'm skinny. Love her! My blood pressure was a bit high, but we agreed that having my morning espresso just before the appointment probably bumped it up a bit. Baby's heart rate was easily found and thumping along at 138. My belly size is measuring just right for this point in the pregnancy. My next appointment will be in two weeks and will include an ultrasound. There will be a few extra tests toward the final month due to my "advanced maternal age." Grr. I'll be properly annoyed by those later, but I chose not to think about it today. So, for the time being, all is well. 

Baby is in near-constant motion. I'd love to know what he really thinks about the sounds that make him wiggle so much. For example, the organ at church last night set him into a fit of dancing. Was that a happy dance or would he prefer a little less noise? Around here, that's not likely to happen what with the older kids perfecting their wild animal noises lately. Enjoy, little guy!

While I'm on the topic of babies, I might as well mention how completely confused I am by maternity clothes. Really, it shouldn't be too complicated and, of course, I should have something as basic as clothing figured out by this point in my mom career. Still, I don't know what's going on with maternity pants. Half the ones I own have a mysterious, impractical loop on the side. Is supposed to be a drawstring? A suspender? Not a clue. It's just there to itch, near as I can tell. Other pants have adjustable snaps and buttons that refuse to stay in place. Could you put buttons on a pumpkin and have them stay put? It doesn't make a crabby day go any better when I spend much of it fighting with my garments. So, my one pair of extra large, elastic waist shorts from the non-momma side of Target will be my wardrobe staple of choice this summer. Sigh. As long as I'm not still wearing them next summer! 

Let the fretting begin

As of Monday, I will be 30 weeks along with this pregnancy. It will also be almost June, the month I keep deferring to, as in "No need to get that baby stuff in order till June." Now it's anybody's guess if Little Guy will show up early, late, or on time, which would be August 8, but there's no arguing with the fact that we are certainly nearing his arrival. And that means it's time for the big freak out to begin.

This week it hit me, or I let myself realize, that I need to go through the whole birth experience yet again. I have two kids. I knew what I was getting myself in to. Mercifully, walking out of a hospital with a healthy infant tends to blunt the unpleasant memories of the hours before the bundle of joy arrives. Unfortunately, middle of the night thoughts in the weeks leading up to doing it again reminds me how much I don't enjoy this aspect of motherhood. In fact, "hate" is not too strong a word.

Obviously, it's the rare woman who raves about how wonderful childbirth was. Usually stories range from pride in what the body can accomplish in extreme circumstances to pride in having a spectacular tale of woe to share. I had one long labor and one relatively short one. To me they were unpleasant, but not dramatic enough for true labor story glory. Yet, they were icky enough from my point of view to make me dread going through it again.

I like to prepare for situations. I read, I research, I analyze my options. For something as unpredictable as childbirth, preparing has it's limitations, which is truly maddening (although an accurate preparation for parenthood as a whole). What I wanted when we were getting ready to have Erik was the natural childbirth experience. I'm not anti-doctor or anti-medicine. I vaccinate my kids and myself. I call the doctor's office when I have a question about their health. I can only endure a migraine so long before I'm reaching for a prescription. I have concerns, though, when such a new, fragile life is part of the equation. Getting to be born with as few medications and stress-inducing procedures as possible seems like a good plan. Turns out, I'm not the mom to provide that, though. I tried. I failed.

As I was skimming through childbirth information last week, it occurred to me that it was foolish for me to ever think that someone of my personality could relax my way through childbirth. We did the right classes, but practicing relaxing? Ha! Didn't happen. I don't relax by clearing my mind, focusing on my breathing, and all that. If I'm stressed, I need to do something -- a walk, a run, clean a closet, read a book. But to just be? My brain turns off for nothing. I don't even nap unless I'm sick. There are just too many things I'd rather be doing. So, I had hardly mastered the art of calm when Erik decided to come into the world. (Too bad, because now that he's here, I could really use it!) He took his sweet time and my exhausted body asked for the drugs I'd resisted after all and they still didn't do much good. Anna arrived in speedy fashion and I, not believing a baby could possibly be born in less time than her poky brother, tried yet a different medical approach. Nope, not much more pleasant.

Again, it's not that I think there's something wrong with modern childbirth. I just read Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank by Randi Hutter Epstein.  I'm beyond glad that I live at this point in history and not even just a few decades ago. My worries about getting through childbirth have to do with control issues and not, thank God, fears for my life. My problem is trust. I haven't had the same doctor see me through all my pregnancies. For various reasons, I see someone new almost every time I'm at the doctor's office. I don't doubt that the folks I'm dealing with share my desire to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. I do wonder if they share my approach to getting there and, if not, I don't see the same person often enough to hear why they do things the way they do. Sure, I'm glad that the nearest hospital is not unlike a spa in decor and amenities. I do wonder, though, if the folks working there can see past their policies and procedures to respect the individuals before them. Either there's no time to explain why hospitals do what they do or I was too out of it to understand, but my memories of labor involve being scared and confused. Not fun. Not fun, at all.

So, this is what I fret about these days. In a way it's like the bride worrying about the wedding and forgetting to prepare for the actual marriage beyond the big day. On the other hand, I've just written off my three-kid life as completely crazy. There's no possibility of order or calm. I'm just hoping the kids all grow up enjoying each others' company somewhat. For me, though, I really wish I could feel at peace with the uncertainty of the whole thing. I wish I felt like it was okay to want to do things in my own way and okay to feel nervous that that's unlikely to happen. I wish I didn't feel like I am disappointing everyone when I don't slap on a happy face and blather on about how excited I am about the changes in our house and how open I am to whatever the doctors feel is necessary. Happy happens when Anna hugs my belly or Erik brags about having two boys in the house with just one sister. It most certainly doesn't happen on command.

The lesson here could be that control freaks shouldn't become parents. I'm hoping it's really that there's a great deal of patience and flexibility that God wishes I'd learn and He's using the children as my teachers. I'm incredibly stubborn, so it's likely going to take their entire lifetimes for me to even begin to get it. My apologies, kids. Just know that Mom was just trying to get things started right for you in her own rigid, obstinate way.

Eating our way across the state line

If my tummy is looking a little bigger this week, it may not be entirely due to Baby Octopus' ever-increasing weight. It would be mine. Conveniently, I have an entire state to blame: Wisconsin. Jamieson and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary at the end of June, but decided to bump up a celebratory weekend because a) our go-to baby sitters, Grandma & Grandpa O have just returned from a long vacation and we needed to get OUT and b) I've done a summer pregnancy before and learned that my desire to do much more than sit in the basement and whimper is minimal. It was now or never.

We chose a quick weekend in Milwaukee, Jamieson's beloved college town. Remarkably, we decided to go somewhere, picked a destination and made the journey all within a week's time. That's as impulsive as things get around here. 

Every time a journey requires a stay of more than three hours, I need to pack the troops like we're going on an epic, cross-country adventure. No one respects this, of course, until someone needs something that, most of the time I have, remembered: favorite pillow, spare socks, flashlight, emergency snack, etc. Usually, I pack too many clothes but this family attracts stains as if we were filming a laundry commercial at all times. Salsa, ketchup and mud puddles see our white clothes and fly toward our fibers. Sure, I could dress everyone in all black, but the Pink Princess, Erik the Red and their grandparents would not be pleased by the gloomy look, so heavy suitcases it is.

So, with children and pup happily left with grandparents, Mom and Dad fled north to eat our way up the Interstate. First stop: Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha. Sadly, the grungy, old 1947 building has recently been replaced by a shiny, new store. They've gone crazy with the castle theme -- arches! turrets! knights! -- so it's more castle than ever, but it's not the roadside stop everyone has been making for lo these many decades. Oh, well, it's all about the cheese and the curds were yummy as ever. No time to have lunch there because Jamieson was set on dining at Kopp's Frozen Custard. On what was the most beautiful day of the year so far, we enjoyed their enormous burgers sitting outside in the subterranean oasis created for happy diners. Custard flavor o' the day: a mint and chocolate chip grasshopper concoction. Joy! Fortunately, dinner reservations were set for 8, so we had time to relax a bit.

After a nap and a stroll around the newest Marquette buildings, we headed out for dinner at Karl Ratzsch's. Perhaps it's ironic that my sister, brother and their families were finishing up dinner just as we came in for ours, but it is quite possibly the best German food in North America and we are all, quite possibly, the best eaters in North America, so the real question is: Why didn't I see more relations there? Jamieson feasted on the Rouladen. I made my way through their Black Forest Schnitzel. Our hotel room did not have a fridge so we had no choice but to clean our plates! No one will ever accuse a German restaurant of being a health-conscious choice, but in terms of the pure joy of eating what better choice could we make?

Even though I declared I would never eat again, breakfast time found us happily stuffing our faces again. Miss Katie's Diner, just off of Marquette's campus, was a perfect place to start the day. Not to loose the German eating theme, pictures of Helmut Kohl's visit there are featured all over the restaurant. From there, we perused Old World Third Street, not eating anything this time, but doing a bit of shopping at Usingers, Spice House and the Wisconsin Cheese Mart. Our trip ended by wandering up and down Brady Street and stopping in for cookies and bread ("lunch") at Peter Sciortino's Bakery. By this time, the skies were threatening rain and we were full, so it was time to bid farewell to Wisconsin. A few miles down the road, we made another rest stop at the cheese castle, picking up Sprecher sodas for the ride home.

Back in the flatlands, we found children who had been equally well fed by Grandma and Grandpa and no clear answer as to how it is that there are any skinny people in Wisconsin. The menus for our week here at home? Salads and fruit!

A rare non-food Milwaukee moment: visiting the Bronze Fonz!

Train Day

Enjoying a cabin on an Amtrak train

Erik has been obsessed with trains since he was a toddler. I assumed this was a passing phase, but he really could care less about dinosaurs, sports that don't involve water, or most superheros. Trains, however, are eternal. Today we decided to take Metra into Chicago for National Train Day. We've taken any number of train rides at parks and train museums and a few shorter suburb-to-suburb Metra rides. This was the first excursion all the way into the city. Since the kids had been up a bit late last night as Daddy finished up Erik's bed, they weren't on their best behavior this morning, and I was hesitant to subject other train riders to their antics. I also thought, maybe a long, boring train ride would put an end to the train love. Not so. If anything, a greater love of train was kindled today. For Anna, it was a long ride and the ridiculous noise level in Union Station's great hall was a bit overwhelming, but she did fine for her two-year old self. She really enjoyed touring the Amtrak train. All those reclining seats and cozy cabins! For Erik, the whole day was a hit. Erik smiles all the time, but often it's a mischievous, I'm-up-to-something" smile. Today's smile was a non-stop, all's-well-with-the-world smile. We started at the end of the line and missed the express, so the ride in was well over an hour. For Erik, that was time to relish being in the train, going past other trains, passing crossings with flashing signals, crossing switcher tracks, identifying train cars and generally enjoying the sites. Since I don't ride the train more than a few times each year, it's a fun treat. To watch Erik enjoy it, though, it was the most fun I've had in quite awhile.

Coloring train cookies with food-safe markers
(in a color choice of black or red, Erik's favorite color)  

 

On the way home: A very happy rail fan 

At the station, there were all sorts of train-related activities. Of course, the kids liked the model train lay out. There was a K-9 police dog that briefly caught their attention. Walking through real train cars was slow going but fun. There were kids' crafts, including cookies to decorate with food-safe markers. (Must find for next birthday party!!!) But the ride home was even better than the stuff on display, especially since Erik and Dad spent the last leg of the journey watching from the upper deck. (Anna was fast asleep.) At home, the goodie bag extended the day's fun as Erik poured over an activity book, a poster and a 3-D paper train engine. (As always, Anna just wants to play with whatever Erik has.) The only thing about the day that had me completely confused was the small maracas that were handed out to the kids. Better than those train whistles, though! It was a good day.

A girl can only take so much fun!