I will survive...

DH is scheduled for surgery in 3 weeks and will need a total of 3 months to recover. He will have his cast removed 2 days before my due date.

I am having gallbladder attacks (thinks the doc) and am going in for more tests tomorrow.

LJ has nightly rehersals for The. Wiz.ard of O.z. and shows running through July 5th.

EJ is breech and only in the 25% for weight, and I can't figure out how to stop losing weight.

And, the only "vacation" I was going to get has been cancelled due to flooding at the location.

I know, it could be much worse... but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm afraid blogging will most likely have to wait.

My Point of View (PICTURE POST)

8.5 weeks. That's all I have left until my due date. It has gone by ridiculously fast for me and I'm finally to the point that most of the dread has passed.

I have been reading a lot of my favorite blogs lately with a bit of jealousy. I love looking at ultrasound/belly pics and yet, I haven't posted any of my own. So - I figured, what the hell. This was meant to be another volume of my journals, so I'm going to post a couple of pics here and there. And since this whole blog is written from my point of view, that's what you get with the belly shot. =)

I went from this...

Day of transfer (only 2 days into the heparin)

to this -

29 weeks

Granted, that last pic was taken nearly 3 weeks ago, but to tell you the truth... I look the EXACT same! I'm starting to wonder if I will get much bigger than this. With LJ, I never looked much further than about 7 months, so maybe it will be the same this time. (I can still wear my pre-pregnancy clothes if I use a rubber band.)

Everything is going really well. The anemia is under control and I haven't had any side effects from the iron. The only not-so-pleasant thing that I have going on is some adema in my legs/feet. My feet keep getting so puffy that my skin feels like it's on fire, and my legs will actually dent if I push on them. But honestly, it's not horrible. It's only uncomfortable at night, and the rest of the time it gives me a wonderful excuse to stay off my feet. =) I've been drinking more water and trying not to do so much and it really seems to be helping. I only gained 3 pounds at my last appointment (Dr. thinks it's the adema) and I am still 4 lbs. under my pre-pregnancy weight. EJ is estimated at 3 lbs. 7 ounces as of a week and a half ago, and everything looks good. (Except for my feet. LOL)

And finally - the reason I am so very very happy to be doing this:

4D Ultrasound from 4/17/11

She's perfect. She's silly (kicked her Daddy in the head twice today just to say "Happy Father's Day", I'm sure!) and she's exactly what our family has been needing. Her middle name will be "Joy", because there is simply no better way to describe her.

She is worth every. single. tear. that has been shed in the last 8 years. She is worth celebrating. She is worth seeing on this blog, and she is a miracle.

Life is so good right now.

Thoughts for a Friend

My heart is absolutely broken for a dear friend of mine, L. Saturday evening, after settling in for 5 months of in-hospital bedrest, her sweet son Christopher was born still at only 16 weeks.

This family has been through so much in the last year and a half. Although L has a smile on her face, I know that she is struggling (and very rightfully so.)

She and her family are very strong, and have a tremendous amount of faith. Nonetheless, any prayers, good thoughts, or well wishes are very much appreciated for this sweet family. I can't imagine what they are feeling right now. I can only hope that if we can flood them with love and support, their burden may be lessened to some degree. Please keep them in you thoughts. I know that I can't get them out of mine.

Le Sigh

Life is busy. I mean CRAZY busy. Here's why:

1. DH has been slowly moving his office from work to home (and thereby consuming every last bit of free space in my home with LARGE boxes of office equipment... not that there's a lot of free space with all this baby stuff floating around, but still...). It's putting me out of my comfort level at an alarming rate, and I'm going nuts will all of this clutter. I don't do well with change, and this is making me nuts!

2. LJ is wrapping up her softball season with a slew of double headers. Her last games are Wednesday and I'm totally expecting some tears that day (mine!). I have absolutely LOVED watching her games. I will be really sad to see the season end.

3. LJ's last day of school was today. The last 3 weeks have been more than chaotic with all the activities planned. Between the regular school celebrations, and the Spectrum Program's little (and by little I mean all day ginormous) activities, we've been swamped. Zoo, planetarium, Science Center, Spectrum Olympics, chimes concert, decade day, field day, water party, awards ceremony, and economics fair. It's been a bit more than crazy.

4. Yard sale. We are planning a yard sale for next Saturday and it's been a lot of work. We live in a townhouse that is approx. 1200-1300 sq. ft. and we're trying to de-clutter and make room for not only DH's home office, but also the baby. We're also hoping to down-size our 10x10 storage unit by selling a bunch of stuff in there. I cannot express how cluttered my house is right now. I currently have a swing and pack-n-play set up in the middle of my living room - which just happens to be one of the smallest rooms in my home, along with all of DH's office stuff. We're a little squished.

5. Family commitments. Between the in-laws needing lots of help re-landscaping their backyard and my SIL moving and preparing her old house for renters, we've spent a lot of time away from home.

6. Preparations for LJ's next play. Apparently, she's caught the acting bug. She's been begging to audition for a play in a community theater for a long time, but I haven't let her because most of the production dates are during the school year. Plays that last until 10 pm or later on school nights just don't jive with a 3rd grader's sleep requirements, ya know? So, when we heard that our city is doing a production of The Wi.zard of O.z that will run from June 30th-July 5th with all rehearsals on Saturday mornings... well, I couldn't exactly say "no." She auditioned back in April, and was beyond THRILLED to get a role as a munchkin (fitting, no?). We didn't find out until later that it would be my responsibility to make her costume.

Actually, I rather like sewing... especially Halloween costumes. But it's much harder to get into it when it's someone else's idea. And I'm not really loving the idea. Oh, well. LJ's happy so that's all that matters. I am super excited to see the play. Her enthusiasm is contagious! (Oh, and they are having a contest between cast members to see who can sell the most tickets and my girl wants to WIN! She's nothing if not determined!)

So, this is my lame-ass apology for being MIA. I hope to get through the next few weeks alive, and then hopefully we'll get back to our regularly scheduled programming. =)