It's been a while...

Yes, I know. I know.

It's been a while since I've posted anything! It's also been a while since I've:

...slept for more than 2 hours at a time.

...seen my feet when standing up.

...not had to visit the bathroom every hour.

...not waddled like a duck.

...not spent countless hours debating over baby boy names and agonizing over not having one picked already!

...not craved pumpkin something-or-other.

...vacuumed under my bed. (Yeah, the nesting instinct must be kicking in because that dust under there is just driving me mad but I can't move my bed by myself! ARGH!)

...not been overly-cranky with my kids, especially when they seem to want to fight with each other. all. day. long. every. single. day.

HOWEVER---

There are only 11 more days until my due date!

Then life will get really interesting, I'm sure!

So if you don't hear from me in the next couple weeks, it's most likely because I'm cleaning like a mad woman. Or can't waddle all the way to the computer before having to turn around and head back to the bathroom to pee. Or the kids' fighting has finally landed me a stay in the psych ward.

...Or my bed fell on me while I was trying to vacuum up that annoying dust under there.

A Bunch of This and That

Where to start?

I've decided to do a casserole-style post today since I have lots to share and don't feel like doing 5 separate posts. So I'm just going to combine everything here and hope it doesn't leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth. :)

Speaking of mouths... Ethan lost another tooth a little over a week ago. It didn't happen without tears, drama, and a couple phone calls to Nana, though. Here he is after all the above-mentioned was over:

The kids spent the afternoon playing outside:

The girls made Ethan's soccer goal into a tent and had fun hiding inside and pulling up grass.

Seth pitched some balls for Ethan to hit. (Pardon the poor photo quality, no time to Photoshop!)

Kibby loves to be tickled while swinging, evidently.

Little Ruby!

Ruby loves her dollies. In fact, she loves all things BABY lately.

However, MY baby is growing up. Soon to be two years old. How did that happen?! Here she is, sporting all of her hair in pigtails (ponytails?) for the first time. (Yes, I know they are crooked! She kept looking around the room while I was putting them in.)

More proof that she loves her dollies. Everyday she pats my tummy and says "Baby!" She also loves to see pictures of babies on the computer, or TV, or on billboards, or in real life... she has been nearly obsessed with babies lately. I'm hoping her affection continues and she'll be nice to her baby brother. Who is due to make his arrival in approximately FIVE WEEKS! He will be one of her birthday presents, most likely, as my due date is the day after Ruby's birthday.

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Switching gears...

Kibby had her Speech / Language evaluation yesterday. I was amazed at how uninhibited she was through it all. At first she didn't want to go in the room, and sat down on the floor, crying "No I don't want to!" Of course this may have been influenced by her hearing the doctor talk about how the hall was quiet at the moment, but they had had a bunch of kids in for shots earlier and it was a big old cry-fest... JUST what Kibby wanted to hear. I had to try to convince her that she wasn't there to get shots, only to play and talk with the doctor...

Once Kibby settled in to play with some toys at the table, things went better. Sort of. She surprised me with how assertive she was being. In fact, it was a little embarrassing at times! She has a hard time focusing on what she is being asked, so the doctor was trying to get her to answer some questions and then reward her with a toy to play with. Well, that has never worked well for Kibby. She just fixates on the toy and cries for it, saying "I want it! I want the ____!" She was being so demanding and trying to grab the toys... I couldn't believe it. She was acting exactly like she does at home. Which isn't necessarily bad... just embarrassing, like I said. The only good thing about it is that the doctor got to see her true colors! The real Kibby.

The doctor did manage to get the evaluation done, but I wonder if it took longer than most. I'll never know. I did get some more insight on her language issues, though. I don't have the report yet (they'll mail it to me) so this will be vague until I have the report to look at, but she said Kibby does have a definite delay. She is partly at a 2-year-old level, and partly at a 3-year-old level for her communication. I can't remember which specific part was which, but I'll clarify in a future post. Sorry.

We talked about autism a little bit, and how it could be hard to diagnose, since it may be hard to tell what is just a result of her speech delay and what could be autism. When I mentioned her lack of imaginative play and social interaction, she said that is what she meant... is it autism or is it just because she doesn't have the communication skills to play at her peers' level yet? Which is something I've wondered, but it was good to hear a professional voice it as well. She mentioned that the Early Childhood Special Education (people) may end up diagnosing her as on the spectrum, and that wouldn't hurt because it would get her help, however, it would also label her. What she said seemed a little bit contradictory to what the social worker told us a couple of weeks ago... The social worker said the Early Childhood program had staff that would do an in-depth evaluation (more so than what was attempted at her pre-K screening / check-in in August). However, the Speech / Language therapist said they have a checklist-type diagnostic system, and that she may end up being diagnosed as autistic "more easily" by that system. So I don't know if they were both talking about the same program or not. There seems to be different programs all under the same "Early Childhood" umbrella.

At any rate, the next step is for me to contact the program on the referral paper (one of the Early Childhood programs) and have them evaluate whether she qualifies for the program. The Speech / Language therapist said that I should show them her report when they evaluate her, so hopefully I will have that by the time of the eval. We are also still waiting for an appointment to be set up for Kibby to see the Developmental Pediatrician. Which could take up to a couple of months, I'm told.

So, that's been life lately. Appointments for Kibby. Appointments for me. Preparing for Baby. Trying not to stress over all of life's little trials and just enjoy our blessings.

And looking forward to MOPS starting up again on Thursday! I've missed it over the Summer.

And my stomach has missed the yummy MOPS breakfasts. :P

Cousins

Okay, I know lots of bloggers post less in the Summer because they are busier and all. I guess I would fit into that category. Somewhat. It's Summer, and we're busier than normal, but too busy to blog? Hm, well...

I can honestly blame some of my lack of posts to our internet issues, but that's only for the past month. (Issues now resolved, yay!)

But, instead of trying to figure out why I've been so absent, how about I just actually write a post, huh? :)

I wanted to share pictures of the kids at the local (small) zoo, but that won't be in this post. Neither will you see pics of my kids at a few other various fun events... They are still in my sister-in-law's camera. And she's on vacation. At Yellowstone.

And I'm not jealous at all.

I do however have pics of last week when Seth's sister and her family visited from out East. It was a fun week that went by too fast. The kids got to meet their cousins for the first time. Here are a few shots:

The Birthday Girl with Kibby

Just before their long drive home.

At MOA

Cha Cha!

Awww... Ruby kisses.

So what have the kids been up to? Quickly, here's a run-down:

Ruby's been busy trying to learn all her cousins' names. Kibby's been busy... being Kibby. (More on that in a future post, but I will say that I finally set up her Early Childhood Screening appointment for later this month!)

And Ethan? Well, he's bored. Or at least that's what I hear about 20 times a day. I think it will be good for September to come and school to start up again. The routine will be good for him.

And me? I think I'm starting "nesting" already. Just under 3 months to go, and I've been sorting baby and kids' clothes, arranging beds, and rethinking furniture and sleeping arrangements. We still don't have a name for the baby, either. Seth and I need to sit down and discuss that some day, huh?

You know, in all our FREE TIME. Or should I say, free time when the kids are quiet enough for us to actually have a conversation beyond "has Kibby gone potty lately?" or "well, if you don't want pizza again for dinner what DO you want?" or "who drew that picture on the wall with brown crayon?"

Because I don't want to name the baby "T-Bone". (Suggestion by cousin Isaiah, age 10.)
Or "Max". (Suggestion by Ethan, age 7. Because then we'd have a Max AND a Ruby. You know, like those rabbits on that one show. Or in those books. Or whatever.)

No T-Bone. No Max. Anyone else have any name suggestions?

Thinking back

My internet has been pretty hit-or-miss lately, due to a problem with our router, so I haven't been able to connect with my laptop much to blog. Since it's been so long since I've posted anything, I was wondering what I could post in place of all the pics waiting to load to the laptop.

Lately I've been thinking how strange it will seem to have a baby boy again. Ethan just turned seven last month, so it's been a while. Since then we've had our girls, Kaliyan and Ruby. I admit I've gotten used to pink around here! Ethan loves his sisters dearly, but he is excited to have a brother finally. (He used to tell us that he didn't want a baby brother ever, because he loves Kibby and Ruby too much. We had to laugh when we realized he thought he'd have to trade one of them for a baby brother! We assured him it didn't work that way.) :)

So, I've been searching through bins of old baby clothes, trying to find anything remotely "boy" that I might have kept. There wasn't much! A friend of mine had a garage sale last September and I sold a lot of my stuff there. Thankfully, our bassinet and exersaucer didn't sell, so I still have those things. And lots of pink clothes. :)

Then last month when I was visiting my sister in WI, she hauls out this large bin of baby boy clothes from a friend of ours who has 2 boys and is not having any more kids... Perfect! I sorted through and came home with a big bag of NON-PINK clothes! Not all of it is newborn - sized, so I still have a bit of shopping to do, but it's a start, and every bit helps. (Thanks, Carrie!)

And, looking back, as I've been doing a lot of lately... I came across this picture that I thought I'd share. Guess who! (Hint, I'm the one in the pink, not the baby!)

Did you guess correctly?

Okay, so I think I've let the FOUR people who've guessed on my previous post wait long enough. :)

Ethan ran home from the bus stop on Thursday, and, out of breath, asked me if he was getting a little brother or sister. I told him to sit down and I'd tell him. He asked me why I had my camera, and I told him I wanted to take a picture of his reaction, since Daddy was still at work and wouldn't see first hand.

So, I told him we were having...

a baby!


...and this was his reaction!

(and although the picture doesn't talk, he also said, "Mo-o-o-ommy!!!" in an exasperated tone.)

But, his expression changed a bit when I said...

...it's a BOY! You're finally getting your brother!

So there you have it! You know, for the few of you who have waited and wondered. Mystery solved! You can now all sleep much better at night. (I know, I know. You're so very welcome.)

I have to share a funny moment during the ultrasound. Or maybe you won't find it funny. Maybe I just found it funny because I was there, and I heard my husband's tone of voice and saw his face when he said this. (Those of you who know him in real life can probably picture this!) When the technician was looking for the gender, and told us he saw a turtle, Seth leaned in closer and said, "But why is there two of them?!" I looked at Seth. He was completely serious - which made me and the technician laugh. Which made it hard for the tech to get a clear picture due to my belly shaking... but he tried to explain the white and dark lines of the 2D image we were looking at, and that there was in fact, only ONE "turtle". To be honest, I didn't hear all of what he said, I was too busy laughing. I remember he DID say he's never seen a baby with 2 of them yet.

I thanked Seth for the nightmares I'm sure to have now...

Hamburger or Turtle?

Well hello there! Yes, I know, it's been a while once again. I've been fighting a nasty cold, including some major chest congestion with sore sinuses, ears and throat... I hope none of you get this particular cold (but since you're just reading this from afar, you're probably not going to catch it from me, at least!)

So do I have anything newsworthy to share? Hm, I just might!

Today was my anatomy ultrasound! I am 18 weeks, and I am happy to report that everything looked fine and dandy with the baby! Whew! It's always a relief to hear that at this point, everything appears healthy. I think I've been more anxious with each baby I've had, and always seem to rest easier after the ultrasound.

The technician we had was the same one we had with Kibby. I remembered that when we asked to find out the baby's gender, he explained to us that for girls they look for 3 lines, or a "hamburger", and for boys they look for the "turtle". I found that amusing, and he used the same references today when we asked him to try to discover this baby's gender.

Any guesses? Did he see a hamburger or a turtle?

I'd tell you now, but I think it would only be fair and right to let my family know first, before announcing here... You know, don't want any hard feelings. ;)

I promise I will make the announcement within a day or two, but until then, leave me a comment with your guess! Come on, you have a 50/50 shot of being right!

"Baby Mango"

I'm Still Alive! I Promise!

Hey there everyone! I'm back!

Ok, so I didn't really go anywhere. I only took a looooong blogging break without really meaning to. It just happened. There have been plenty of times over the past couple of weeks where I have sat down to write a post only to be interrupted by some urgent request that *can't wait*.


You know, like dirty diapers.


And then yesterday I had every intention of writing a new post and really wanted to add pictures, but I wasted all my time looking for the USB cable for my camera to upload the latest... I still haven't found the cable. That's what happens when you clean your house, you know.


So, this post really SHOULD be about two things. (The two things that I meant to post about in the last few weeks but didn't.) They are:


Ethan lost his first tooth. Finally. He will be 7 in three months, and I think he was starting to believe he would never lose any! His adult tooth had already broke the surface behind his baby tooth, and so we told him to just keep wiggling the baby tooth to get it out! He finally resorted to using dental floss to hook under it and pry it out. I couldn't watch. I told him that my dad used to tie a string to my loose tooth and the other end of the string was tied to a doorknob. Then he would slam the door and out popped the tooth. (Very quickly but not always painlessly.) Ethan decided to NOT try that way. Can't imagine why...


He now has a second tooth that is loose, right next to the other one that just came out (bottom middle) and of course when I looked this morning I saw the adult tooth already through behind this one, too. So he is wiggling again. The tooth fairy brought him a dollar for his first tooth, and he was so excited that he wanted to take it to school to show his friends. I said no. I told him they've all seen a dollar before and I didn't want it stolen.


We'll see what the tooth fairy gives for a second tooth. It won't be long now!


The second thing I wanted to post was pictures of the girls eating my homemade chocolate chip cookies. I realized that both girls had their very first one at 16 months each, and I wanted to post pictures of each of them eating their first cookie! But I cannot find the picture of Kibby, and I cannot find my cable to upload the pic of Ruby. But I WILL find them! And post them at a later time. Along with the picture of Ethan's lost tooth. And by then I'll have another pic of him with his second tooth out. :)

Of course both of these things really should have been posted a long time ago. So that today, I could just post about the main reason I've been largely absent on the blogger / facebook / twitter scene lately... I've been spending a lot of time lying on the couch. Bone tired. Fighting nausea. Yes, morning sickness to be more precise. Yes, the kind of sickness that accompanies a pregnancy.


Surprised? I sure was! We were certainly happy with our three blessings we already had, and decided that we were done... Well, it would seem that God has other plans for our family. (I'll share more on this later. My couch is calling me again.) However, I wanted to tell you all that we are expecting another little addition to our family in October.


Ethan is hoping for a baby brother this time. :)