AAARGH!

Well, we had another pretty productive weekend.  

We started with soccer, and then a quick and hot trip to the fair.  

 

Then we went straight to the house to get some stuff done.  Drywalling, texturing walls, more painting, put up a new door, and even some work out front.  

 

 

 My mom and dad-in-law showed up and helped a lot too.  Even brought and planted some flowers, with help from the kids.

Paige even lost her first tooth while we were there.  She was so excited.

So this week the carpet was supposed to be put in the 17th, 18th, or 19th.  Nobody ever called, so Jess finally called THEM.  After many attempts he finally talked to someone who told him they're coming on the THIRTIETH.  Good thing we ordered it a month before the baby was due, so that we could still have no home until the week before he's due.  That is, assuming he doesn't come early.  I nearly burst into tears when Jess told me.  I think I would have but we were walking into my appointment and I have a talent for not crying in public.  Ha.  I'll do my crying later. 

I guess we'll probably move in this weekend anyway, just without setting up the bedrooms yet.  We're all sleeping in one room at the moment anyway, and at least then I can start getting stuff out of storage that I was hoping to work on before the baby comes.  We'll just set up our big bed in the living room or something.  Ha. 

Head Down Baby!

Well, the carpet won't go in until NEXT week.  I was disappointed, but there's always a silver lining.  More days to paint and get things how I'd really like them.  Jess has been awesome, working so hard every waking moment.  He gets home from work, we eat dinner and head right over to the house and he works until just about time to go back to Grama's and get everyone ready for bed.  We get them to sleep and then I'll do my workout and my exercises to turn this baby head down, while he'll work for the OTHER school (back in OKC) on the computer until 1 or 2 am, if not later.  Then he wakes up and starts over.  It will be nice to get moved in and finish up the projects so he can have a little time to relax, and get some sleep.  (For about a week anyway, then we'll have a newborn, ha.)  I bet Grama will like having a little space again-not to mention her dog back from Aunt Mollie and Uncle Tim's.

Thanks to Uncle Chris the kids now have a game cube that keeps them entertained at the house while Jess is painting or tearing out carpet or whatever.  I was unpacking bathroom stuff over there one night while they played Mario Kart, and Neely found the headbands in the box I had.  She told Cason he was "an gewrl" (The way she pronounces girl is pretty hard to spell out phonetically I just found out) and talked him into wearing a headband too.  He's such a good brother, does whatever she asks(or demands).

He's also still a cute little artist.  He often draws things he knows I like, so rain clouds and snails have been popular lately.

Grammy saw my post about Neely wanting to "peent", so she met us over at the house yesterday with paint and little rollers so the kids could all help her paint a closet.  They all had fun, but Neely especially was so excited.  She talked about it nonstop on the drive over.

Then they planted grass seed out front, so hopefully it'll be looking nice again soon.

I had an appointment today, and this boy is head down!  Either I am crazy and he was never sideways at all, or all the hanging upside down this past week did the trick.  :)  I think it has helped though, because I've felt kicks higher up the last couple of days, but still a little over to the side so I wasn't sure.  I'm so happy and relieved!  I would be very sad to go from planning it drug and intervention free to having to have a C-section!  So please pray that he stays head down. 

The achiness has hit all of a sudden.  I wake up with throbbing femurs and crazy calf cramps.  I'm definitely waddling around and have a tough time getting out of bed.  Pretty much have to roll out, now.  :)  I feel big sometimes, and other times not that big, but my pelvis is definitely aching.  I must look good sized though, because this last week the looks started.  I went into Walmart alone the other night and everywhere I walked heads were turning and obviously staring at me.  I hate being along when that stuff happens, because it's harder to pretend not to notice everyone looking.  Ha.  I got quite a few comments one certain day, so I had to go into Grama's bathroom where the mirror was at the right height for a belly selfie, ha.  The shape makes me laugh.

Baby Shower #4

Tyra threw me a little baby shower this weekend.  I didn't think I'd get one, with it being my fourth baby and everything.  Ha.  I didn't need gifts or anything, but it still makes me a little sad for any of our babies to not get a party.  I'd thought about doing one after he's born, just so people could come and meet him and celebrate him, but then it'll be flu season, and he'll have enough parties in his first few weeks between Halloween and the girls' birthdays.  Anyway, the shower was really nice.  Small, so it was just close friends and family, and fun.  They all had mimosas, and we all had good food and dessert.  Then they gave us lots of really cute little outfits and gifts for him.  Every single outfit was something I LOVED and would have bought myself-some I almost HAD bought.  (Sorry-I'm now going to post pictures of lots of it because I want him to believe that we did have a shower to celebrate him, even though I have no pictures of the actual event-at least none that turned out)

 

 

 

 

I have no idea why I randomly started taking pictures sideways.

We also got some good bath stuff, and things to decorate the room-including this painting by Skye, which I love!

  

I wish the carpet was in so I could set up his room already!

We also got a blessing ring, some stuff for bath time, and a bib and really nice swaddling blankets.

 

Tyra, Veronica, Marcy, Skye, Paige and I went out on the back porch to talk, because it was so nice and cool and cloudy out.  The sky was so pretty.

We stayed out there talking for at least a couple of hours.  It was fun. Thanks everyone!

The next morning, Sunday, I was 36 weeks.  Sometimes I feel like my belly is gigantic, but I don't as much the last couple of days. 

 

I have been worried that this baby is transverse.  None of ours have ever been breech or transverse, and I really want to everything with no interventions again.  I'm starting to do some exercises to encourage him to move head down, I really hope it works.  Pray that he moves down please, I really don't want a c-section.  :(  Mostly just pray that he arrives safe and healthy though.  

I had a serious belly rub in Walmart the other day.  The lady that checked us out came around the counter, and very gently, slowly, and intimately rubbed my belly in circles.  Ha.  I actually don't mind having strangers touch my belly-it's another reminder of being pregnant, so it makes me happy.  This one caught me off guard a tad though, it was SO intimate-a caress in fact. 

Anyway, we went over to the house after church to work again.  I quickly remembered how worthless I am over there at the moment.  Jess was working, I was standing around and trying to keep Neely from stepping on the little tacks left on the strips after pulling up the carpet.  I told Jess I had no idea what to work on and he said I should take a trip to Target and use the money and gift cards we also got from people at the shower.  So Tyra drove down with me and the girls, and Cason stayed with Jess and Chris, and helped move some stuff to the house. 

Neely wore her birthday hat she got at church(it was the first anniversary) the whole time.  I'm used to that stuff now and didn't even really notice until Tyra said something about loving that Neely wore it all day, and all through Target. 

 

Thanks to all those generous folks we got our carseat, some cute Halloween socks,

a cute little Frankenstein outfit, 

and a couple more sleep gowns, which are one of my favorite baby things on Earth.

 

Then we came home and went back to the house.  Jess was back to getting the floors ready for carpet, and I spent my time decorating for Halloween.  Maybe a tad premature but I just don't care.

Working(Jess) and Not Working(Me)

This week we've pretty much gone over to our house every evening as soon as Jess is off, to work on some things.  One night he and my dad got a few of the heavier things from storage, that wouldn't be in the way when the guys come to put in carpet.  Like the fridge and our couch.  It's an Ikea couch, so he had to put it together again.  Neely helped, very seriously, and Paige and Cason made foil outfits for themselves.  I took pictures.

 

A couple of other nights, Jess reluctantly painted.  Don't think he's a big fan of that job.  I don't mind it, but I'm pregnant and all.  The kids got to help one night.  So the next night, when we were running low on paint and Jess told Neely she couldn't help this time, she was NOT happy.  She marched around the room, swinging her arms angrily and saying things like "I want to PEENT!" and "I'm bad!".  Then to prove it she kept trying to touch the light bulb, and sobbed when I'd stop her.  So after a minute or two of this I took her back to Grama's house with me, since I was no help and she was yelling and trying to get into trouble.  She was mad until back at Grama's.  Then she was just sad.  It actually was really sad, she sat at the end of the couch far away from me and Grama, and stared quietly at the wall.  If we said anything to her, she'd just quietly say, in a sad little cracking voice on the verge of tears "I just want to peent."  Eventually she fell asleep.

 

Paige and Cason stayed with Jess, and I picked them up a bit later.  We should get the carpet in later this week sometime(possibly not until early`next week) and if we do we'll be able to really move in this weekend.  Until then, we're still at Grama's.  She always worries that we're uncomfortable because we're all 5 in one room.  We brought a twin mattress over and the boys usually sleep on it, and the girls and I are on the full bed in the room.  Gia takes over Grama's couches at night.  Neely likes to tuck her into a real bed though.

 Speaking of tucking things in, she likes to put all her babies to bed lately.  One afternoon she kept tucking in all the toys and kissing them good night.  Then she would get in her spot and go to "sleep".  Cason came in and got in bed with her babies, and she was not pleased.  She kept telling him to leave.  He smiled over at her and she glared back.

 

 

Cason's been strangely wild for him lately.  He's still his sweet sweet self, but gets in these crazy moods where he just runs around like a wild man, making hilarious faces and sounds, and randomly attacking Jess.  

In first grade, they have a goal to read 100 books.  Or 100 chapters if they're reading chapter books.  They took the first couple of weeks to figure out everyone's reading level and then sent home books for each kid to start with.  Paige got her first one this week, and has been reading it to me.  I'm still amazed by how well she does.  She can read words that I would think would be tough, they're not really pronounced phonetically but she just seems to get it.  This book is good for her, I think, she can read it easily, but once in a while comes across a word that she can read but has to stop and ask me what it means.  She apparently likes to read tucked in between the beds on the floor.

 Neely likes to put on her accessories, especially sunglasses, and then tell me she's "rock style".  Haha.  We had to pick up Alex and Faith one day after school and parked there early.  They were hanging out up front with me and got sunglasses on.  Neely looked at herself in the mirror and then told me "Mama, I wooked at myself and then I was rock style."  Ha!

 I was also blogging about the baby shower on Saturday, and realized this was one heck of a long post, so I'll probably wait and post that tomorrow. 

Artists, Soccer, and a Non-Moving Day

We've had a pretty nice week.  Paige is still happy to be back to school.  We get lots of cute work sent home each day.  While she's gone, the other two have done lots of coloring.

Neely drew a rocket ship "bwasting off".   

Great Grama even joined in.

Saturday Cason had his first soccer game.  He did such a good job, hustling just like at practice.  He looked kind of upset/angry half the time though.  He did fall and get trampled once, so I'm sure that was part of it, but later he told me it was because the other team scored.  Ha!  Apparently he's got a competitive side.

 

He scored at least three goals that I know of.

We had a couple of hours before Paige's game, so she and I had a Starbucks date.  She got a chocolate milk, and I got a decaf pumpkin spice latte, which happily tastes exactly like the regular version.

Then we went home to get ready for her game.  Right before it started the ref informed us she'd have to take her earrings out.  She was freaked out.  She's not supposed to leave them out for a full six months, and she was also scared because at the six week mark we changed her earrings and it was a traumatic experience.  The new ones had shorter posts and a few days later I saw blood on her ear.  She told me it had been hurting for a couple of days, but she hadn't wanted to tell me.  We realized the posts were too short for her ears, and one of the earrings looked almost embedded in the back of her ear, and it was all red and puffy.  :(  It was a hard day of convincing her to let us get them out, clean them, and finally later that night, after lots of tears and a bit of yelling, we got the old pair back in.  Her ears look good again, but she thinks changing her earrings will always be that awful.  So she says she would rather never play soccer again than take her earrings out.  :/

So, her career may be over.  

We were supposed to be in our house this weekend.  The renters asked for an extra day, which we said was okay, since we still had Monday(Labor Day) to move.  So Monday rolls around, and our storage unit is closed for the holiday.  :(  You use a keypad to get in, it's not like they have to be there, but they had it set so the gates wouldn't open.  Lame.  Or I thought so at first.  THEN I realized we could just use the day for painting.  I figured our helpers would bail since we couldn't even move, but instead Chris, Sarah, and Uncle Tim all helped paint!  Not JUST paint, but paint popcorn ceilings.  Sarah painted the baby's room grey for me too! 

It look so good, and the ceilings looks SO much better and cleaner now.  They are awesome, and so is Grama, who watched our kids all day long, with only a few popins from me to check on everyone. 

We're having some carpet put in hopefully on Friday too!  I can't wait.  

Also, 5 weeks left, I was 35 weeks on Sunday.