the swelling has begun. water retention. i had hoped that it wouldn't. i knew that it would. 20+ pounds of water weight with each of the kids at the end. about a week ago i started feeling it in my hands. then, when i could no longer close my jaw completely, that's when i knew. i was doomed. i'm seeing the doctor every week now, to monitor my blood pressure. so far so good.
there is a part of me that is ready NOW. but i have two kids outside the womb to consider as well. and for their sake i need to hold out until uncle jake and auntie rose get here to be with them while we are gone.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
odd is so good
alaythia's singing has really taken off in the last week. she LOVES to sing and she is picking up new songs everywhere. she seems to have a natural talent for it too. she recognizes that the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle are the same melody and when she's done with the ABC's she heads straight into Twinkle.
this is her new favorite song, 'God is so good.' but she says it 'odd is so good.' and at the end, she says, 'to you' instead of 'to me'. it's too cute to correct.
this is her new favorite song, 'God is so good.' but she says it 'odd is so good.' and at the end, she says, 'to you' instead of 'to me'. it's too cute to correct.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
random pictures
the kids are sick. yesterday the best place to be seemed to be our bed. all snuggled up together, blankets everywhere. we read some books and then turned to some shows to keep us occupied. sophia was into it too. i could see alaythia's head bouncing with each kick.
the color is kind of weird, but it's a good one of the kids giving kisses to their sister.
remember the 4th of july party that turned inside because of a storm? well it stopped just long enough at dessert time for the kids to head outside to eat some cupcakes. this is the crew that plays outside together everyday. this is minus two newborns. it's craziness now!
and here they all are in the kids bedroom, where they spent most of the night. they did pretty good in there considering how many of them there were.Tuesday, July 21, 2009
the most important chain
we set up sophia's bed this past weekend. i felt like i needed some visual things to help me prepare mentally. alaythia LOVES it. she acknowledges it every time she goes by it. yesterday i found her alone in the room, picking up all the clothes and looking at all the 'things' that are in the bed waiting for sophia. she is so ready, asking me almost every day, 'sophia coming soon?' i am grateful for her excitement. she's gotten unusually clingy to me in the past few weeks, but i think when sophia comes, our biggest problem will be making sure alaythia gives sophia some room.
we made a chain for sophia today. by far the most important chain we've ever made. that's the ONE nice thing about a c-section, you have a day.
i'll admit, i did it for the kids. chains help them with time frame. but if i'm honest, it freaked me out. the visual kicked me in the butt a bit.
only 35 days until sophia arrives.
we made a chain for sophia today. by far the most important chain we've ever made. that's the ONE nice thing about a c-section, you have a day.
i'll admit, i did it for the kids. chains help them with time frame. but if i'm honest, it freaked me out. the visual kicked me in the butt a bit.
only 35 days until sophia arrives.
matthew and marriage
yesterday matt took his turn turning the big 3-0. we had a fabulous day of celebrating, from the moment he woke up. at one point in the day he said it had been a perfect birthday and that he had gotten everything he could have asked for. things like: books, coffee maker, an amazon kindle, gift certificates to starbucks, mcdonalds and taco bell. what more does a boy need? i was thankful that he turned 30, for now, the 'old' jokes can stop. and i'm glad he knows what it feels like. it's a little discombobulating. i'm not glad he felt it, just glad he's in it with me. as i counted his gray hairs last night, i said to him, the best thing about growing old, is that we get to grow old together.
today we're celebrating 8 years of marriage.
over the past several months i have been thinking hard about marriage. i'm not doubting my marriage at all. in fact, my thoughts stem from wanting to STAY married and have a happy, healthy marriage.
this is what i know to be true today. i love matthew more today than i did 8 years ago. he is more worthy of honor and respect than i ever could have imagined. he loves me sacrificially, he out serves me and supports me in every way. i live a full, rich life with him. i would follow him wherever he went. i trust him completely and know that i am safe with him. he is raising children, our children, to be lovers of God. he invests, teaches, and loves them to that end. and they are flourishing in the security of a father's love. he is willing to work hard for me. through challenges, frustrations and not seeing eye to eye. he's unwilling to ignore it and just let it be. he invests when it's hard to look at me, let alone love me.
and today more than ever i am excited to continue to write our story.
today we're celebrating 8 years of marriage.
over the past several months i have been thinking hard about marriage. i'm not doubting my marriage at all. in fact, my thoughts stem from wanting to STAY married and have a happy, healthy marriage.
this is what i know to be true today. i love matthew more today than i did 8 years ago. he is more worthy of honor and respect than i ever could have imagined. he loves me sacrificially, he out serves me and supports me in every way. i live a full, rich life with him. i would follow him wherever he went. i trust him completely and know that i am safe with him. he is raising children, our children, to be lovers of God. he invests, teaches, and loves them to that end. and they are flourishing in the security of a father's love. he is willing to work hard for me. through challenges, frustrations and not seeing eye to eye. he's unwilling to ignore it and just let it be. he invests when it's hard to look at me, let alone love me.
and today more than ever i am excited to continue to write our story.
Friday, July 17, 2009
gaping and the pool
i've reached that point. i knew i would. i told all my friends to expect it. i no longer see people looking at my face when i walk near them, their eyes immediately go to my stomach. i can see what they're thinking. 'my word, how is that woman standing!' or 'she must be ready to pop.' and then they realize they're staring and quickly turn away. but they can't help looking at the freak show just one more time, i see them dart back again to try to take in the monstrosity.
no people. i'm no where near. i still have over 5 weeks to go...and that's early.
the comments have started too. in public last week a woman stared and then said, 'are you having twins?!' 'no', i say with a smile, 'i'm just short, it has no where to go but out.' i don't feel like revealing, to this complete stranger, that my children also come out weighing as much as 4 month olds. church too...in passing a woman said to me last week, 'oh, you've dropped! it will be any day now!' i smile and nod, knowing that again, i have so long to go and, no, i just carry my babies low.
the gaping, the stares. it's part of the territory for me. but it also means i'm getting close. don't get me wrong, i'm not complaining. i'm thankful for the gift, so very thankful. and i wouldn't trade it. but the comments and stares must at least be acknowledged.
-----
i'm not sure how i got through two previous pregnancies with out one. actually, with isaiah, i had access to one, and just never used it. for shame!
twice this week alone, (and the week is not through), i went to the pool. women, i'm telling you, to have the ability to feel weightless at this point in pregnancy...that is truly priceless. to be able to relax every muscle in your body at the same time. at this point!?
and it's worth it. worth squeezing it all into a suit. it's worth the discomfort of knowing what you must look like as you walk from the locker room to the water. but oh, the bliss.
the only bad part is stepping out of the water and realizing you do indeed weigh 600 pounds, and for the other 23 hours of the day, you must carry it around.
no people. i'm no where near. i still have over 5 weeks to go...and that's early.
the comments have started too. in public last week a woman stared and then said, 'are you having twins?!' 'no', i say with a smile, 'i'm just short, it has no where to go but out.' i don't feel like revealing, to this complete stranger, that my children also come out weighing as much as 4 month olds. church too...in passing a woman said to me last week, 'oh, you've dropped! it will be any day now!' i smile and nod, knowing that again, i have so long to go and, no, i just carry my babies low.
the gaping, the stares. it's part of the territory for me. but it also means i'm getting close. don't get me wrong, i'm not complaining. i'm thankful for the gift, so very thankful. and i wouldn't trade it. but the comments and stares must at least be acknowledged.
-----
i'm not sure how i got through two previous pregnancies with out one. actually, with isaiah, i had access to one, and just never used it. for shame!
twice this week alone, (and the week is not through), i went to the pool. women, i'm telling you, to have the ability to feel weightless at this point in pregnancy...that is truly priceless. to be able to relax every muscle in your body at the same time. at this point!?
and it's worth it. worth squeezing it all into a suit. it's worth the discomfort of knowing what you must look like as you walk from the locker room to the water. but oh, the bliss.
the only bad part is stepping out of the water and realizing you do indeed weigh 600 pounds, and for the other 23 hours of the day, you must carry it around.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
dear blog
i know it's been a while. please don't think that it's because i've been ignoring you. in fact, it's quite the opposite. i have thought about you a lot and even written posts for you in my head.
posts about our flight home and how it was the worst we've ever had. how just about everything went wrong, from getting on the plane late, to leaky diapers, to leaving every last kid movie we own on our first flight and not realizing it until the second flight.
posts about how i was nervous about coming home. after being with family for so long and with 'our people' so much, i was nervous about how it would feel. the post that exists in my head says how easy its been. how nice, and not lonely at all.
posts about our 4th of july celebration and how a block party turned inside because of a rain storm. just 3 days after getting home from our 3 week trip we hosted 35 people in our 1000 sqft home. no joke!
posts about sophia's birthday being scheduled for august 25th. t-minus 6 weeks from today! yikes!
posts about how at dinner one night isaiah turned on his teaching voice for alaythia. he said, 'alaythia did you know God is bigger than our house?' she replied, 'that's right!' he would state another fact about God and she would say, 'that's right!'. the post talks about how matt and i sat inbetween them and witnessed it, almost in tears.
and a post for today...that matt is now a latin teacher at a classical school here in louisville. he had an interview last week and had to teach a module today. after the module, they offered him the job. we are feeling overwhelmed, blessed and even more like we belong here in l-ville. it's a part time job teaching latin 3 & 4 for some jr. high and mostly high school kids. there are so many blessings that come with this job, one being little zay man will also go to this classical school when the time comes. we're all pretty much on cloud nine, thanking God for his abundance in our lives.
so please dear blog, don't think you are forgotten. life just seems to be rolling by so fast. i promise from now on, to do my best to type out the posts that roll around in my head.
posts about our flight home and how it was the worst we've ever had. how just about everything went wrong, from getting on the plane late, to leaky diapers, to leaving every last kid movie we own on our first flight and not realizing it until the second flight.
posts about how i was nervous about coming home. after being with family for so long and with 'our people' so much, i was nervous about how it would feel. the post that exists in my head says how easy its been. how nice, and not lonely at all.
posts about our 4th of july celebration and how a block party turned inside because of a rain storm. just 3 days after getting home from our 3 week trip we hosted 35 people in our 1000 sqft home. no joke!
posts about sophia's birthday being scheduled for august 25th. t-minus 6 weeks from today! yikes!
posts about how at dinner one night isaiah turned on his teaching voice for alaythia. he said, 'alaythia did you know God is bigger than our house?' she replied, 'that's right!' he would state another fact about God and she would say, 'that's right!'. the post talks about how matt and i sat inbetween them and witnessed it, almost in tears.
and a post for today...that matt is now a latin teacher at a classical school here in louisville. he had an interview last week and had to teach a module today. after the module, they offered him the job. we are feeling overwhelmed, blessed and even more like we belong here in l-ville. it's a part time job teaching latin 3 & 4 for some jr. high and mostly high school kids. there are so many blessings that come with this job, one being little zay man will also go to this classical school when the time comes. we're all pretty much on cloud nine, thanking God for his abundance in our lives.
so please dear blog, don't think you are forgotten. life just seems to be rolling by so fast. i promise from now on, to do my best to type out the posts that roll around in my head.
Friday, July 3, 2009
300 & a show
this is the 300th post on this blog. just thought i should acknowledge that.
the cousins have crossed into a new phase. doing shows. i must have done dozens of shows a day when i was a kid. one of my favorite things while at my grandma's house was to stand on her wood deck, that was several steps higher than the rest of the backyard. then grab the nozzle she used to water, it was long and hooked at the end, the PERFECT microphone. countless hours doing shows for any captive (or not so captive) audience.
i must say that i'm thrilled that my kids have started giving 'shows'. my favorite part about this video is alaythia moving to a new part of the stage when she starts to get crowded. then taking it up a notch, even bending for emphasis. american idol anyone? isaiah and caleb both had brooms, one was serving as a guitar and one as a drum.
the cousins have crossed into a new phase. doing shows. i must have done dozens of shows a day when i was a kid. one of my favorite things while at my grandma's house was to stand on her wood deck, that was several steps higher than the rest of the backyard. then grab the nozzle she used to water, it was long and hooked at the end, the PERFECT microphone. countless hours doing shows for any captive (or not so captive) audience.
i must say that i'm thrilled that my kids have started giving 'shows'. my favorite part about this video is alaythia moving to a new part of the stage when she starts to get crowded. then taking it up a notch, even bending for emphasis. american idol anyone? isaiah and caleb both had brooms, one was serving as a guitar and one as a drum.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
generational skateboard
for those of you reading this blog from the college years, you might remember this skateboard. i used it for a while, didn't ride it a ton, but occasionally. when jake arrived at school, he took it back from me and used it much more than i did. jake and rose have memories of riding it all the way across campus together.
well, it was the best investment jake ever made...that long board skateboard, with the monster wheels. the kids found it one day, and the skateboard lives on to the next generation.
more
playing pickle.
cool dudes.
swing swing.
snuggle time in between playing in the fountain.
going on a bike ride with grandpa.
splish splash.sacramento leg
being gone for 3 weeks on vacation...where do you even begin? i think i'll let the pictures and videos do the talking.
the next three shots are taken on the santa cruz board walk. this is the crew that went on the ride.
crazy hair girl.
kid cups were hard to come by. one night alaythia got her bed time milk in a coffee cup. 'daddy like you!'
chuck e cheese. they have these cool ticket munchers now. zay man turning them in to see what loot he can get.
cheers!
cookie baking.
isaiah played a lot of Wii...we had to even it out with some worksheets.
playing drums with uncle A is a usual occurrence, and has been since birth it seems. but we stepped it up a notch this trip. uncle A is teaching drum lessons now, and isaiah got his first lesson one morning.
uncle matt and isaiah were Wii buddies. uncle matt even made isaiah his own Wii man so he didn't have to be someone else.
fearless. she had no problem touching it, then putting it in her hand. even showing it some love.
you have no idea how hard we worked for this picture of the cousins!
poser. but so beautiful.
swing me daddy!
the next three shots are taken on the santa cruz board walk. this is the crew that went on the ride.
my son is coming down that HUGE drop. uncle andrew with his arms up, isaiah in the middle and daddy in the back.
after the drop...surprisingly, all smiles.
after the drop...surprisingly, all smiles.
uncle andrew showing the kids the ropes at the boardwalk.
crazy hair girl.
isaiah went bowling for the first time. bowling shoes are typically gross and ugly. but look at these! so cute.
kid cups were hard to come by. one night alaythia got her bed time milk in a coffee cup. 'daddy like you!'
chuck e cheese. they have these cool ticket munchers now. zay man turning them in to see what loot he can get.
cheers!
cookie baking.
isaiah played a lot of Wii...we had to even it out with some worksheets.
playing drums with uncle A is a usual occurrence, and has been since birth it seems. but we stepped it up a notch this trip. uncle A is teaching drum lessons now, and isaiah got his first lesson one morning.
uncle matt and isaiah were Wii buddies. uncle matt even made isaiah his own Wii man so he didn't have to be someone else.
fearless. she had no problem touching it, then putting it in her hand. even showing it some love.
you have no idea how hard we worked for this picture of the cousins!
poser. but so beautiful.
matt's mom loves pictures. i saw a great opportunity to make the siblings squirm. so i generously pointed out how cute of a picture it would be if they all got in there. it was a win-win for me. linda was grateful for the picture, and i was the irritating older sister!
swing me daddy!
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