Pinewood Derby

Devanie reminded me (via her blog) that I have not mentioned anything about Mikey's first pinewood derby. The father-son project, due to time constraints and son availability became a mother-aunt-cousin project. Sierra, Devanie, and I ended up finishing the car, based on Mike's design. We did not have time to weight it properly, but he had a good looking car and was able to participate. The finnished product was gold with a white racing stripe. Oh yeah, Isaac did the paint job. It was a really great family activity, eh?

Like Devanie said in her blog, Mikey won his first race only. She knows better than I do, though, because there was a mother-daughter YW activity going on at the same time. I was with Lexi. Emylie couldn't come because of how far away she is and being a weekday.

Blessings

Anastasia and Amelia were blessed on Sunday--sort of. Mike took the one I had out of my arms and said "Is this Anastasia? I hadn't looked, but he is good at telling them apart, so I just glanced and confirmed. He blessed her that she would have a strong testimony and be filled with compassion for others. Then his mom beckoned him to her side of the front-row pew to inform him that he had named the wrong baby. "This is Anastasia," She said handing him the unblessed twin.

"Not anymore" Mike retorted. The congregation had no idea what was happening as Mike moved with a sense of hesitation and confusion and consulted with the bishop. Then he Began the next blessing with the next baby the exact same way as the first, name and all. This child was blessed to be strong in the church and serve throughout her life. After the congregation's hesitant "Amen," Mike retrieved the first baby, to be blessed--Baby B, Amelia--and renamed her with the right name. He did not repeat the blessing, as per (I assume) the bishop's instruction.

Both sets of grandparents were there, except Grandpa Skembo was stuck flying a plane to China. We were also blessed to have Aunt Devanie and her 4 kids present. The grandparets left on Tuesday. Only Devanie remains. Monday we all went shopping at Dillard's Clearance Center, which I have developed quite an affection for. The main thing I like them for is shoes. I am just the right size. They don't have a whole lot of size 6, but they have a bunch of 5 1/2 and lower. My mom scored on the size 4, which you really can't find anywhere else.


Mom bought my shoes (2 pair), Mikes mom bought him 3 shirts and a tie, Devanie bought me a shirt to go with the 2 skirts I bought for myself. Dad bought us lunch at the food court. Mom shoplifted for Devanie. She was anxious to leave, so she took Zack in the stroller that Devanie had been using as a shopping cart. Nobody said a thing about when she went out, and nobody said anything when Devanie strolled back in with it.

Tomorrow Devanie and I are hosting an open house for Cookie Lee. I am exploiting my children as a lure for people to come. I invited them to cuddle my babies.

Pictures compliments of Devanie's Camera

One-handed Blogging

If I am only feeding one baby, I can sit at the desk and use one hand to type. It takes a lot longer,but it is making use of time that I would not otherwise have. My babies are 3 weeks old today. It seems an eternity ago that they were born, but it was only two lifetimes ago. They are growing to the point that they are filling out their newborn outfits. I made a Dr. appointment for them next week so I will have weights and measures.

Devanie is here. We had fun a couple of days ago trying on Cookie Lee Jewelry. Accessorizing is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do... Mike is excited about me being a consultant, given Devanie's success.

I know most of you are aware that Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the LDS church died this week. I absolutely adored that old man., but it was funny when I heard the news, there was no sadness whatsoever. I was more surprised than anything. He seemed to be doing so well at the last conference. There were other general authorities that seemed much worse off than the prophet. I still would not be surprised, though if there was one other vacancy to fill at the April Conference. He has been an amazing leader, but it is clearly time for a new chapter in church history. It will be interesting to see what happens with the next leader (presuably Thomas S. Monson.)

The last paragraph was so long because Anastasia is now sleeping on my chest and I can use both hands, making me less stingy with my words. It is about time for the kids to get home from school.

Weekend

Saturday we mat with a Realtor to see a couple of houses we found online. Only one even had potential. We need more space than we have, we want to be closer to the kids' other houses, and we don't want to pay as much as we are for rent if we can get into a house we can own. Mom has spent a lot of time helping us search while she has been here. Dad has been chauffering her around to various locations so she does not get lost.

After we looked at the houses, mom and dad took us to a breakfast buffet for brunch. Then, sice we were in the neighborhood, we visited one of Mike's friends. Then we went home. it was late afternoon and Mike had to go into work. I tried to get the babies to sleep so I could take a nap, but their restful time is in the morning. So after having a day without a nap, I had a completely sleepless night. Then, of course it was Sunday, and while I am thankful that our services start at 12:30 instead of 8:30, It again made it impossible to get my good sleep. I was heading for another sleepless night, but after Devanie arrived here after 10pm, she and mom got settled, I fed th babies AGAIN and it was nearly 1am, they decided to take the babies and keep them in the living room. The babies slept on Mom and Devanie's chest until 6:30 when everybody had to get up for school and work. I don't know how I would have survived without that.

The kids are excited to have their cousins here. I am excited that the weekend is over and I don't have to go anywhere or do anything I don't want to.

Two Weeks

The twins are two weeks old today. It seems like forever ago that I was in the hospital. The discomfort of pregnancy is a vague memory. Now I have the "discomfort" of little mouths chomping down on my nipples for a total of 8 hours a day and sliced up gut.

My stitches were reinforced with tape, which was taken off at my Dr. Appointment Wednesday. Since then, I have renewed sensitivity. All I do these days is eat, feed, and try to catch up on sleep. Still, it makes me weepy to think how blessed I am. I love to hold and smell and kiss my babies. Years ago, I thought I would not have any more. Now I have two precious, perfect darlings.

Their faces are changing and becoming a little more alike. They do both have matching dimples on their right cheek. Anastasia still spends more time with her eyes open. Today she was looking around, but starting to get a little fussy, so I sang to her. She smiled and listened intently. She did that in the hospital too. My children are my favorite audience. I love it when Andrew or Claire ask me to sing to them.

Mike has been pretty busy at work for the past few days, but when he has a spare second, he is fun to watch with his little girls. I love to see him love on 'em and get excited about their responses to him. They love their daddy.

Go Ahead, Hate Me

My babies are 10 days old. I am now at my pre-pregnancy weight of 110 lbs. I expect that I will still drop down another 7lbs or so. I need to start exercising to help regulate my thyroid and build some muscle density. At least I have room in my stomach now so I can eat like I like to. My ankles look as scrawny as the babies now. It took several days for the swelling to go down, but down it is. It has also taken a lot longer for my stomach to shrink, because it was so distended, but as of today, I don't really look pregnant any more--just poochy.

I had Isaac c-section, and I remember recovery being more painful with him. Maybe that is because I had staples then. They just put me together with string and tape this time. It is really starting to itch. I know that is a good sign, but it's not a good feeling. At least my uterus isn't cramping when I feed the babies anymore.

They are eating fairly well. Sometimes I feed them tandem, but mostly I do it one on one. I was kind of trying t keep them on a similar schedule, but with tiny babies, it really is best to let them do their thing. As they get into a more regular routine, then I can step in and regulate it.

Mom and Dad Skembo were here until Saturday. My parents came in on Friday, so there was a really short overlap, which was actually kind of disappointing because Mike's mom and mine get along so well.

The babies and I had our first outing since coming home from the hospital on Saturday, when we all (Skembos, Lays, babies and kids) went out for brunch at IHOP. I inhaled mine. Later that afternoon, my mom took the kids shopping. She spent today with them as well at the movie theater. Dad was here most of the time. But every time he leaves, he comes back with more groceries. Maybe I won't drop another 7 lbs after all.

One of These Kids is Not Like the Other

I have been trying for a few days to get some distinctive pictures, but the girls won't open their eyes long enough (when I am close to the camera) to give you a good shot, so you are going to have to take my word for it. Anastasia and Amelia are not identical twins.

Grandma Skembo says Anastasia (Left in top picture) has a bigger lower lip and Amelia has a bigger top lip. Anastasia's eyes round out, where Amelia's are deeper set. Anastasia has a receding chin and Amelia has a cleft in her chin.

The way I see it, Anastasia looks more like her dad's side, and Amelia looks more like my side. Either way you look at it, they are precious, perfect princesses. Neither of them have defined eyebrows and the both have short, light lashes. Fortunately they are girls and just around puberty, they will be endowed with Makeup.


The two pictures with the open eyes are Anastasia after her first bath. She is more alert than her sister at this point. Then again, she seems more alert than her other sister as well.

They're Heere

Anastasia Llynn Skembo arrived into the world at 7:56 Am Friday January 11, 2008. She was followed immediately thereafter by Amelia Consuela at 7:57. Anastasia was 6 pounds, 2.7 ounces and 17 1/4 inches long. Amelia was 6 pounds, 3 ounces with a striking additional length of 19 inches. Amelia was the one on the left in my womb who had her feet so much in my ribs. Here is a picture of them in the hospital bed positioned about exactly the way they were for so many months. Anastasia's head is a little pointy because of how low she was in my pelvis.

They had a hard time with nursing because of how early they were born. They slept most of the first day and would not wake up to nurse or suck once they latched on.

Their siblings came to visit a couple of times over the weekend. It has been wonderful to see their excitement and love. It makes us a complete family.

The girls arrived home with Mother late Monday afternoon.

I will keep it short for those with short attention spans. I know you only want to see the pictures anyway.

Last Look

This is what a sexy-hot mother of twins looks like the night before she delivers.

It's Time!

Today is my last pregnant day. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 11th) so that I can be prepped for my 7:30 surgery. I went to the doctor yesterday morning and they talked about checking to see if there had become any openings on the 16th because the last I spoke with them, I wanted to wait another weekend. I told them to just keep the appointment we had. After last weekend, I lost all interest in waiting.

Church was ridiculously uncomfortable. I stood up to bear my testimony and couldn't talk because I couldn't breathe because of a sudden back spasm. The Relief Society President said the bishopric sitting on the stand behind me were really funny the way they panicked. The last hour of church I spent breathing through contractions and trying to keep my leg where it wouldn't puff up out of my shoes. Then I found out that one of the sisters in my ward, who is a Labor and Delivery nurse at the hospital I am going to was scheduled to be in the OR the morning of my c-section. She only works one day a week for half a day, and that is where she happens to be. I figured that was a good enough sign that the babies would be fine.

Mom said MaryAnne and Molly were due on the 27th of Nov. and were born on the 4th. If mine are due on the 29th and come on the 11th, they have still had more time in than mom's kids. I am not looking forward to c-section recovery, having experienced it before, but I am resigned to it.

Mom said she was 60 inches tall and 50 inches around by the end of her pregnancy. I am holding pretty steady around 43 inches in circumference at 62 inches tall. I guess that two more inches in height makes a lot more room so they don't have to poke out so much. And they are certainly using every bit of space they have. I get a foot all the way up in my sternum. It pokes out between the ribs.

Mike and his dad insisted yesterday that I get pampered with a manicure and pedicure. Who am I to resist patriarchal authority? So I have supersoft feet and matching french manicure polish on my toes and fingers--and swollen, ugly pig feet.

I have not packed my hospital bag or anything so far. I feel like I am having the opposite of the nesting urge. I think that's the problem with having unnatural delivery. Your body doesn't give you all those neat preparation cues. Maybe I can make an effort, though.

I got the crib all made up yesterday. It made me cry. I'm so excited to have two little babies in my house. I think there is nothing in the world I love more than an infant. But I am so not ready. It still seems so unreal to me.

When I pass by the mirror, I laugh at myself. Mike keeps using the word caricature. I guess that is appropriate, except that it is my head and legs that are disproportionately tiny.

I am not having the baby on the 16th after all because the hospital will only schedule so many c-sections a day. The doctor went ahead and scheduled me for the 11th, but I am not comfortable with that. I want at least another weekend to have a chance to deliver them normally. I suggested to the receptionist that we could fake an emergency c-section. She smiled over the phone and suggested I talk to the Doctor about that when I see him on the ninth.

Consie arrived last night. Today we have set a wonderfully slow pace for ourselves. We have managed to tidy things up a bit without undue strain. Consie is still recovering from an accident where she broke her neck and arm. She is certainly more functional than I am, at this point.

We are having a good time.

Solo

Happy New Year!

It is 5:15 Am and I have already eaten breakfast, taken my husband to the airport and returned. He will be return in 5 days--unless I call him to change his flight and get his butt back home. Yesterday I took the kids back to Hallsville for the rest of the week. That means I am all alone--except for what's in my belly. Mike's mom should be here tomorrow or Friday.

Now I am going to do what I usually do at this time of day.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz

Birth Day

Mike and I just got done talking with my doctor. Their normal procedure for twins is to deliver them by 38 weeks, 37 being just as good of a choice. I am 36 weeks tomorrow (Tuesday). The doctor is willing, though reluctant, to let me go into natural labor, so he is giving me until the 16th to do it. Otherwise, I am on the books for cesarean delivery the morning of January 16th.

I will be making an effort to stay active and encourage contractions, however, I still have to be semi-cautious because Mike is leaving for DC in 2 days and won't be back until Sunday night. His mom is coming in 3 or 4 days, so that I am not by myself. And yet, I have little expectation that I will actually go into progressive natural labor since only one of my other children was born without a little pitocin to help them along. My doctor will not induce me. If I come in for the c-section dilated to 8, (or any time before) he'll just let me go. Past experience says it takes me a week or two of consistent contractions to progress that far.

In conclusion, you can pretty much mark your calenders that Anastasia and Amelia have a birthday of January 16th.

I'm Done

I had an ultrasound today from an ultrasound specialist. They finally got all the measurements down. According to their calculations, each baby is now about 6 pounds. I am done being careful. I am done taking it easy. It is time for these critters to come out. I am 35 weeks and 2 days. At 36 weeks is when doctors feel completely safe with the delivery of a baby. According to the doctor I saw today, although 40 weeks is full gestation, with twins they take the babies at 38 weeks. Yeah, I am having a contraction right now.

I will be talking to my regular doctor tomorrow to see what he has to say about it. If I can manage to go into labor before that, I won't have to debate with my Doc about whether or not to do a c-section.

You know what's funny? I heard my babies' heartbeats today for the first time. I have seen their hearts beat on the ultrasound, but not heard it. Today they hooked me up to a fetal monitor and I got to listen to their shwop shwop shwop shwop for several minutes. Usually I get the doppler mic on me about the 12th week and get all misty eyed when I hear my baby for the first time. It is then that pregnancy becomes real to me. Of course, when you don't go to the Doc until your 24th week, there are several other reality checks you get without the Dop mic.

You know, I actually did hear the babies heartbeat before. I wasn't sure because before I went to the Doctor, I borrowed a stethoscope from a friend and found one heartbeat on the left side. But I know now it was the baby's heartbeat because it was in exactly the right place. I got a really strong pulse in the center of my belly and today learned that it was the blood pumping through the umbilical cord.

The kids have dinner on the table, so I better go. But not until this next contraction subsides.

Christmas Vacation

No Snow, for Christmas, just showers of love. If you read Mike's blog, it sounds like all we got was movies and video games. The movies were what we got from Thomas and Vickie, who were our exchange family. I had mom and dad, and since they are coming in January, I figured I would give them their gifts to take home. I will probably make them go shopping with me at Bed Bath, etc because it is now Clearance Season, where everything that is on clearance is brought back out of the stock rooms and is marked down an additional 30% off the lowest ticketed price--and you can still use the 20% off coupons on top of that (which is what I would automatically get if I was still an employee, but I am not.)

The girls got dresses and the boys got new suits for church from this awesome store called Syms, to which I had never been, but love. Lots of high quality brand-name clothing and great discounts. I got Mike a robe and a shoeshine kit. I also gave him a promise that we would go back to Syms and get him another suit or two. He only has two and he has to wear a suit to work every day. I like watching my dapper darling go out the door in the morning.

Mike got me a case for my makeup because he hated the one I had. It is big enough and nice enough that I can even put all my new Cookie Lee Jewelry (as well as previously existing accessories in) along with my makeup. So I am now a Cookie Lee consultant, but I have yet to look at my information and imitate getting started.

The kids are all here all week, and I am here with them. I like it. Mike has short workdays this week, but he is working. The boys--get this-- played video games all yesterday while I took the girls shopping. Where do stereotypes come from? How did we fall so easily into them? I left Lexi and Emylie at the Mall while Claire and I exchanged her 18" bike for a 20" bike that would continue to fit her for much longer than the smaller one. There ended up being no price difference either. Since Emylie has a WalMart gift card, she is anxious to go, so we may do that today (depending on how their rooms look by the time I have my Dr. appointment).

Isaac and Emylie both have cell phones now. Isaac is on my plan and Emylie is on her dad's plan. Those little boxes have generated the most excitement for them. I resisted them having a cell phone for a long time, but I am tired of wondering where Isaac is after school. He has no excuse now not to let me know where he is.

Emylie has decided to go back to her dad's for the rest of the school year. She misses her friends. She wanted to go a long time ago, but I made her stick it out a little longer. Splitting parenting necessarily means less control over your children's lives. It is hard, but you have to continue to teach them and trust them to be mature and make their own decisions based on what you have taught. I guess it gives them a chance to mature a little sooner. Good or bad, that's the way it is. I treasure the time I have with them.

Calm Before the Storm

It has been a lovely, quiet weekend, with just Mike and I hanging out together and tying up loose ends before Christmas. We may have one more weekend completely to ourselves before the babies are born, but then never again.

My focus this weekend has been on keeping my activity limited and my feet up, to reduce swelling. In the second trimester I could feel the tension of my skin being stretched as me belly grew. Now I have that same sensation in my feet and ankles. It's really gross.

I have also been working on a little sewing project that has to be completed before Christmas Eve. I can't say more than that at present, because we never know what prying eyes may happen upon my blog.

Tomorrow is my last day of work at Bed Bath and Beyond. I told my store manager I would try to hang on until Christmas, and I have. Everybody says I am doing really well for having twins, and I guess I am. I have gotten to the level now where I am familiar enough with my discomfort that it doesn't bother me so much. I just don't like those moments when I really need to go to the bathroom, and then I get a contraction, and with all that pressure, a child decides they need to adjust themselves. But it only lasts for a couple of minutes.

Mike and I will be going separate ways tomorrow night to pick up kids so that we can have everybody wake up at our house on Christmas morning. We are excited about it. It will be our first Christmas all together. Last year we had to have two separate Christmases.

We had a fairly warm week last week, but we got wind from the north. It is really cold again, and they are saying that there is a chance we could get some snow flurries for Christmas. That is exciting in Texas, for those who may not appreciate it.

Look at the Baby

This is me in Missouri at Thanksgiving, looking every more like Joan Cusack. It was just Mike and I for that trip. Below is a more current picture. It is the profile of Righty. We can't see lefty's face because of the way she is turned.

As you can see, full lips are an inheritance from both sides of the deal. The NP noted that these babies were not small. They are skinny, but they are long, hence the pain in my ribs. Lefty's head is lower, so she will probably be born first. She seems to have a bit more of an aggressive--or at least active--personality

Wuh Wa Wa Wa

Okay, I'm sick of people saying I'm cute, and I don't want to be told "You look really good for having twins." I'm huge, uncomfortable, and in fact, sick. My belly is as big as it was when I delivered my biggest baby (Andrew) but I am still 5lbs under that weight. I want to eat, but I have to eat in smaller portions and I don't have time to graze all day. I have gotten so used to being hungry that I don't even recognize my hunger. I want to take care of my babies, but that requires me standing on my feet a great deal longer to fix something significant for myself and my children. It's not that I don't have food in the house, I just don't have convenience food.

Because of poor nutrition and improper rest, I have a major head and chest cold that is a week old. I never have that problem. I have become glad of my pads when I am seized with violent coughing episodes.

Anyway, I was out for the past week because I had to spend every spare hour doing data entry for the Bishop, who owns a number of dental offices. He just bought another one because the dentist died, but everything was hand-written on ledgers, with no computer files at all. Mike and I put over 1,000 names and basic patient information on an excell sheet in four days, in addition to our full time jobs, and trying to keep our house together--missed on the last, but we tried.

I would love to be involved in Christmas. I am missing it. I want to bake--not just have a couple of buns in the oven. I enjoy shopping. I want my house to look nice. I got my tree up, but it has been partly decorated for a week with the remainder strewn about the living room. All of those things are doable for even a pregnant mother of twins, but not one who is working 8 hours a day, five days a week. Today was really rough, though. I am going to talk to them tomorrow about cutting back what I already have on the schedule, because if I work the full schedule, this will probably be my last week. I would rather just scale back, though.

It looks like I am going to have a few visitors when the babies come. I am excited, and look forward to seeing everybody.

Whew!

Mike had an interview on Friday at 8AM. By 4PM he had a job offer. He accepted, and he starts on Monday! Just when the bank accounts looked hopeless... It will pay an okay base salary and have some commissions as well. I am really not sure what he will be doing, but it has something to do with doing setups for tech companies at events and conventions. Getting a company to go with his services is, I guess, where the commission comes in. Maybe he will post a blog to correct my ignorance.

He has not heard word back from Microsoft, which he interviewed with on Wednesday. I don't know what we would do if we did get an offer from them. Just because of the benefits, we might withdraw from the other company, but taking their offer right now is much wiser than waiting on the unknown.

Are We Done Yet?

I think I have reached term pregnancy size. I am 31 weeks, which means I have at least 7 weeks to grow. I don't know how such things are possible. My trepidation about my ability to support the growth of two babies inside my body keeps me from enjoying the experience I am having. I just don't know how much more uncomfortable things will get. Sleeping is becoming extremely difficult and requires an increasing number of pillows. I hardly slept two nights ago because Lefty was kicking my ribs all night.

I am still working six hours a day, but I am still not as tired when I get home as I was the first trimester. I just hurt more. I have gained 23 lbs and my ankles are swollen. The kids are doing a pretty good job, though of helping out and being aware that I have to do less and they have to do more.

I am at the library, and I need to eat dinner--which means make it. Till next time.

Holiday in Missouri

I am winding up a cozy weekend for adults.  It has just been Mike and I and his mom and dad just enjoying each others' company.  Thursday we just sat around and ate all day.  We watched a couple of Hitchcock movies and a couple of football games.  The Cowboys are having a good year, eh?

Yesterday we tootled around Missouri.  We visited the RLDS (now Community of Christ "Temple" and the neighboring church visitor's center where they had a Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit that ends today.  It was pretty cool.  They also had some water pots and oil lamps (I was surprised how small the lamp were) from the time period.

After that we revisited Liberty Jail.  Since it was just us adults, we had a wonderful discussion with the young sister Missionary who gave us the tour.  At the end of the tour, we stopped to enjoy the Nativity display there at the visitors center.  Local members donated their Nativities from around the world.  There were probably about 50 different sets and works.  Ten of them were from the "Skembos Liberty Stake."  Consie has collected them for years.

Before we did any of that we stopped at Sam's to restock their candy at the Far West Country Store.  They made me ride the fat lady scooter cart.  I really do need to take it easy because these babies have to stay in there for two more months.  This month has gone by fairly quickly, though.  

Today is our last day here.  Tomorrow we leave after Sacrament Meeting so we can get the kids back and get back to work.  Mike has three job interviews lined up for the coming week already.  We'll see.

Pink

I have deleted all of the boy items from my Babies R Us registry. Both of them gave a clear view for the doctor. I have two girls. Doc says there are two separate sacs, but they have thin walls, which leans more toward identical. Of course, I don't expect them to be anything but identical. Doctor says their measurements are totally consistent with the 29 Jan. due date and they are growing equally.

Mike is coping well enough. He had a house full of boys growing up. He is not used to hormones. It will be a good experience for him. I am sure I will get a chance to make another post before the holiday, but I wonder if anyone will read anything before then. Just in case, Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy it. I don't have enough room in my stomach to really enjoy it. If I eat two bites too many, I become reflexively bulimic. The Nurse Practitioner says I just need to have little feasts all day. This Thanksgiving be thankful for the space in your abdominal cavity.

FAQ's

Are you far enough along to find out the babies' sexes? Yes

I am 29 weeks. As long as the baby is positioned well, the sex can be determined at 20 weeks.

Do we want to know the babies' sexes? Yes.

Because we have a nice "bottoms up" situation, it should be pretty easy to determine the sexes at my in-depth ultrasound on Monday. I went to Babies R Us to update my registry today and added multiple sets of both boy and girl clothes. When I find out, I will delete the unnecessary clothing.

Can the doctor tell you if they are they identical or fraternal? Yes and no.

They can only rule out identical if they are male and female, or confirm identical if they are sharing a placenta sac. However, if they are the same sex and in a different sac, we may not even be certain if they are identical or fraternal after they are born. However, I expect that they will be identical, because of family history, and I was certainly not in fertility therapy.

When is the due date? Jan. 29th

All of my other children came two weeks late, so until I knew it was twins, I told people I was due in early February. Realizing that they usually come early, I am now telling people I am due the end of January. However, Mom said she carried the twins to full term and her singles were late like mine. So, rather than have them at 42 weeks, I will have them at 38-40 (January 15th-29th), despite the fact that the majority of twins deliver by 37 weeks.

How long are you going to work? I don't know.
I expect to be on bedrest (on orders, or voluntarily). I may be able to hang in there long enough to be of help up until Christmas Day. If I make it that far, I will certainly stop there. After that, I expect to return to being an at-home mom. There is just no value in working for 8.25/hour when I have a baby to care for. That is enough to pay for daycare and taxes, while still putting us in a higher bracket so that we are sure not to qualify for earned income credit. Not enough families realize those implications.

I will be looking at some dance/music teaching opportunities for a little extra here and there, where I can bring my babies along. Hopefully they will be content babies. I doubt they could be as easy and content as Andrew.

The answer to the unaskable question. Yes, I will be breastfeeding.

Any other questions?

It Takes Two to Make it Out of Sight

It's official. Baby A and baby B are side by side, heads down, which explains why I get so much stinking kicking in my ribs.

I only met with the Nurse Practitioner today, who happens to be the mother of twin boys. Monday I will be having an in-depth ultrasound with the doctor, who is the father of twins. This doctor was recommended to me by a couple of ladies in the ward.

I'm stuck in a 70's sitcom. I've gone from the Brady Bunch to Eight is Enough! I'm excited. Since I work right next door to Babies R Us, I registered there, though I have never been in the store, I did it all online. Feel free to visit babiesrus.com and look up our registry number: 68713835 or you can look it up by searching under Skembo.

Emylie the Artist

This is Emylie's freehand drawing in colored pencil. She did this one from an art instruction book, though this picture did not have instructions, it was inside cover art. She does a lot of other things out of her own brain.

Activity

Monday was a busy day at work. I had contractions every 5 minutes for the last two hours I was there, and another full hour after I got home. I did leave work a little early, and I laid down most of the rest of the evening. I was not feeling well at all, and I was concerned about how much longer I would be able to work.

However, I had kind of the same problem last Monday as well. I think I must be doing too much on the weekends and adding a full day of work to it after that just sets everything off. Yesterday and today were fine. I only had one or two contractions per hour, with none during some hours. Even that would be a source of concern for some, but since I regularly had contractions for a month or two before all of my other babies were born, I only see them as a warning sign to take it a little easier.

Babies were pretty still over the weekend, but there was tons of activity in the middle of all my contractions. The one on the top had been the far more active one for the longest time, but I am getting a lot more movement on the left side now too. Some of the movement is so strong that it moves the rest of my body, like someone bumping against my chair or something. I love feeling the life inside of me. Pregnancy is uncomfortable, but I love it.

Big Transition

Emylie got her certificate of achievement from the Bishop today to advance to Young Women's just before the primary program. Isaac was the only one who did not participate in the primary program today, but next year, only 3 kids will be in it.

Lexi and Emylie both went to YW today after my class. I have one more student who will turn 12 in a month. After January, I will have no students in my class, so I will be able to attend the adult classes. I took Emylie, Lexi, and Isaac to a fireside tonight. I have three children over the age of 12. Three. And two in my belly who will not go to youth activities for a long time. Just strange to think.

It is funny how pals-y Emylie and Lexi have been this weekend. Lexi had a bunch of things going on with her mom on Saturday and Emylie kept asking when she was going to be here. Their friend, Megan was here part of the time, and they all got along fine--including Claire. It was supposed to be the weekend of Emylie's big birthday party, but she wanted to keep it small. Because it was so late before Mikey and Lexi got here, we didn't have cake until 10 pm. The only present there was to open was an MP3 player, but she had gotten the wig and a nice set of leather bound scriptures the week before, so she actually got a REALLY nice birthday.

Claire, the Artist

Emylie has long exhibited artistic talent, to the point of over-shadowing her sister, Claire. However, last month Claire was selected to be part of an art exhibit at the school district office. We did not get a chance to visit the exhibit, and neither did you, however, the school district has teamed up with Artsonia.com to publish the exhibit online.

View Claire's artwork, comment, or join her fan club. Click on her work when get to the gallery. You can also buy prints of her art on greeting cards or T shirts. Proceeds will benefit the school art program.

You can appreciate her work better by taking a closer look at some of the other children's work. Her color saturation and pen strokes are definitely more mature than her schoolmates. The continuity of her border through the color changes adds to the effect as well.

Pain

Monday at work was awful. I kept having pains and contractions. I was concerned that I was going to have to stop working soon. I went home and laid down the rest of the evening. I was not able to sleep at all that night. Nothing was comfortable. Tuesday at work was much better, and I slept well last night, for the most part. I did have a dream that one of my left ribs was broken and sticking out, so I pulled it out like one would an underwire that was malfunctioning. I did wake up to a very sharp pain there.

Mike is on week two of having his car all torn apart. It has consumed him. There is little time for anything else. He has been in a lot of pain for one reason or another; whether its smashed fingers or aching muscles. He is having to take me to and from work so that he has a vehicle to fetch any unexpected parts in while he is working. He thinks he has everything he needs now. He has new tie rods, shocks, breaks, springs, rebuilt calipers, and whatever else attaches to any of those things, plus a new clutch master cylinder. We have probably spent about a thousand dollars in parts, but the labor that we are not paying for would amount to at least another $4,000. Our friends Cash and Scott have contributed to the labor, or Mike would probably have another week of work to do, and he would have had to buy a great many more tools and tidbits. We still need to get an alignment not that all of those components have been replaced, and are in great need of at least 3 new tires.

All of it has been no source of stress for me. Mike is strung out, but I am excited for him. I guess the timing couldn't really be better, since he is out of work. There is no way he could have done all this if he had his job.

Whaddaya think?

I am at 27 weeks, which marks the end of my second trimester, making me (newly) 6 months pregnant. A lady came into BB&B two days ago, who was due 2 days after me, and we were very close in size. She has been to the doctor, and is definitely expecting twins.

Did you know that your chances of having a multiple pregnancy double when you are over 35? I continue to experience significant movement in my belly. I have felt a heel right up at my diaphragm and tickled it. However, I have a really hard time distinguishing what is what. The most dramatic movement occurs on my right side.

If it is twins, one baby is facing out (the one on the right) and the other baby has its back against my belly and its limbs toward my back. It just seems like I am getting nudged from a hundred different directions.


I definitely sense the urgency of seeing a doctor now. I took the day off work yesterday so I could apply for Medicaid. UGH! I had #317. They were on number 269 when I came in. I was there for 3 hours and they were on 279. THEN I find out that I can just leave my filled out application (that I got online and filled out at home) in the box for them to review and they would call me for an appointment in 7-14 days. If I had known that, I would have done it 2 weeks ago just after work. I was expecting to have to sit in a waiting room. If I had stayed and waited the six hour minimum I still would have had to come back for an appointment.

As much as I wanted to stay in a room with mothers talking about Child Protective Services in relation to their addictions and overweight smelly people crowding the chair next to me, I had to get the van back to Mike so he could take the kids out to Matt so that I could get a ride to be at the church by 6:30 for our warm-ups for the 7:30 performance. Yes, I left.

I will not wait 7-14 days, however, until I contact doctors and make an appointment, since Medicaid can be retroactively applied up to 3 months.

Baby just woke up. I love playing with my baby. Where it kicks, I push on the spot with the same rhythm and it pushes back. I have never had a baby respond like that. It is amazing.

By the way, you haven't seen my hair yet. It is 2 months longer than it was. My hair has not been growing very fast, though. I just went 2 weeks without shaving my legs, and it was hardly noticeable.

All Saints Day

All Hallows eve is done. Today used to be the holiday that was focused on. I guess that was when a much higher percentage of the population was Catholic.

Emylie went Trick-or-treating with a couple of friends last night as some sort of princess. Her dad bought her a costume wig, but it is really uncomfortable and she doesn't like it, but her new everyday wig that we ordered showed up yesterday. She is really excited about it. Today she is wearing it to school for the first time. We'll see how the kids at school respond to it today, and how she responds to them.

I walked around the block last night with the other three. The neighbor kid, Vuk and his little sister Ani (short for something-they are Polish or Russian or something) came along with us. Claire was a Gypsi with a black wig. Isaac and Andrew and Vuk were dressed in camo as some sort of military unit. Isaac kept giving drill commands and marched them between the houses.

Somebody "Boo'd" us (ding-dong-ditch) a couple of nights ago, but Mike and I were not here, and before we got back, the kids had eaten all the candy they gave us. So last night, everyone was required to dump out their bags for "inspection." They were told to give us anything they didn't like. After that, we were free to take anything that WE liked from what they had left. The bowl that was left on our porch is now full of things to satisfy adult-only sweet-tooths.

Tomorrow I have the day off because I asked for it, so I am going to go apply for medicaid because I really need to see a doctor. It's not the doctor I need to see, it is what is in my belly that I need to see. I am just barely six months along. I have now passed into the third trimester, but I look like I should deliver in the next three weeks. My fundal measurements continue to be ahead by several weeks, and the activity in my belly continues unabated. Either the child has ADHD already, or they just like playing with each other.

I am having more spurts of sore ribs where the bones and cartilage are stressed by the pressure of baby living and growing there, which I have not experienced before.

Time for work again.

Fall Festival

Last night was the ward fall party. There was an adult costume contest. I went as a pregnant lady, but that is because Mike wasn't going for my couple costume idea of me being Bruce Banner and him being the Hulk. Okay, so we didn't dress up at all because we didn't have a spare minute to do anything.

I did 10 loads of laundry, got groceries, made waffles for breakfast and even made lunch for everybody, made chili for the carnival and cupcakes for the cake walk. Mike was busy taking his car apart. He finally has nearly all the parts and pieces he ordered for rebuilding his brakes, suspension, and drive shaft. It will be out of commission for a few days while he gets all his work done.

Today we began rehearsal for the primary program, but could not run through it in the chapel because another ward was in there. It was just the singles ward. Don't know why they can't skip sacrament meeting for a week or two. Maybe they could have Sacrament meeting at the park. Singles love that kind of stuff. That, or next week when we do our run though the single adults, who miss the opportunity of a primary program could have us "bring the spirit through the hearts of children." Yeah, our practice should be their Sacrament Meeting!

Being our first week of run-through, it was the usual madhouse. It looks like it will be an awful program, but experience tells me that the kids will be fine.

I've been teaching the 11-year-old girls for a year now. That is the longest I have held a calling in a long time. Probably because I don't like it that much. I love my girls--for the most part that literally means "my girls"--but I don't feel like I have put much effort into lessons and preparation. I absolutely loved my calling as the primary choirister, and I only got to do that for 4 months. It was long enough to be part of a killer Primary Presentation.

This is my last week of two choir practices. I have ward choir in 20 minutes. I missed the one before sacrament this morning that would have been a nice warm-up for our ward conference special music, but I did not feel in any way like getting out of bed this morning after all I did yesterday. I have Stake choir tonight at 7, then next week is the cantata, which should be really nice.

I have to leave now.

I have been trying to squeeze as much into my mornings and afternoons as possible, but still not getting anything done that needs to be. I have to talk to the scheduling manager about having a day off next week. I need to apply for medicaid and get a Dr. Appointment.

This week I took Emylie downtown to fit her for a wig. We have gotten to that point. She wasn't sure about it before, but now she is excited. They didn't have what we wanted in the store (meaning something near $100) so I will be ordering one this morning that the company has online, now that it is payday.

That is the last check we will be getting from Mike's previous employer. He has already been contacted about temp work, but when he showed up yesterday, no one else was there.

It is finally cold enough here for long sleeves and jackets in the morning. Short sleeves is still fine in the afternoon. I have yet to turn on the heater, though.

Fun with Hon

Mike got a hairbrain yesterday and decided he had to have cheesecake. His sister has a recipie that he is very familiar with, so he got it and made it. We had fun in the kitchen together. Not laughing, playing fun, just nice to be working side-by-side fun. I was making dinner at the same time he was making dessert.

I didn't get to taste the cheescake until today. I liked it. IT WAS CHEESECAKE, DUH! --Even with forgotten vanilla.

This post has been sitting in my drafts for nearly a week. I guess it's been that long since I posted.

Neck knots

I'm feeling a little tense. I took more than a third of the money I have been saving for our Disney vacation to cover expenses for Mike's car, which is not driving safely at all right now. Fortunately, that is only half of what it would be if he wasn't so skilled at his own labor--or he would not be getting it fixed right now.

Just as my savings is dramatically reduced, Mike's company pulls his contract and we are left, once again, jobless. However, he has an interview today with a company where he is becoming very well-known. I will not give any details because in the past that seemed to jinx things.

If things work out with this company, we will have the medical benefits we so desperately need. If it does not, I am now able to qualify for medicaid, so there is always a positive. In the long run, somehow, there will be more positives than negatives. In the present tense, (there's that word again) I have knots in my neck.

Off to the Races

Yesterday we went with our friend, Cash, his granddaughters, and a few other people to the drag races. Lexi and Mikey had fun for a little while, but then complained about being bored. The boys came back with a bit of a sunburn. That pretty much filled up our day.

When we got home, Mike started working on his talk for today. His topic was Following the Prophet. This is the first time he has been asked to give a talk since he was able to be classed as a youth speaker. He ended up going into work before he was able to finish, so I took dictation for him and helped him with revisions and stuff while he was driving to and from work. We make a good team. It was a great talk and he delivered it well. What I liked best about it, is that it was powerful, succinct, and the meeting ended five minutes early.

I went to choir practice this morning before church, but only the accompanist, director, and one other person showed up. We were not able to go over our special number that we were on the program for, so the other lady and I did an impromptu special musical number of "Come listen to a prophet's voice." We only had enough time before the meeting to decide on the song and give the first verse a shot. It turned out fine, of course.

Now I have to get ready to meet Matt for the kid exchange, get back in time for Isaac to go to the regional youth fireside with President Dahlquist, YM General President, and then to my stake choir practice.

"There is an hour of peace and rest"--somewhere in all that.

Andrew

I missed Isaac's Tuesday game because I was in the hospital with Andrew. It was the last game Isaac will be able to play for three weeks because of his grades. His team won, though, I think, 26-6. That is really impressive. Their first string team lost again. Either they kept the teams more even than the other schools or this school has a really deep skill pool so that there just is not a big difference between Team A and Team B.

Yeah, Andrew and the hospital...Not a big deal really. He has been fighting a bronchial infection for a week or two since fall allergies kicked in. After the weekend at his dad's he was wheezing again. He was complaining that he could not breathe. Since we don't have a doctor yet, I took him to a few different urgent care clinics and Dr. offices trying to find one that takes the military insurance. By the time I found one, all the clinics were closed so I went to the nearest ER that takes it.

The doctor was barely able to diagnose him with pneumonia because he had a "little spot in his left lung." He has not had a fever, except for the mildest that day. He went to school the next morning, though.

Today I had a conference with his teacher, Mr. Wu. He has a really high reading level, which I was pleased with, but, like Claire, it does not translate into successful spelling. The teacher was convinced, though that his writing was below what it should be. It would appear that Andrew has a standard case of Boy Lazy. I mean, I have never called him anything but Andrew, and he has chosen to write Andy on all of his papers because it is easier. The teacher says his sentence structure is ultra simple and does not reflect his abilities.

Of course, he needs more practice in Math. Time to go to work.

Stretched balloon

It seems like it has been a long time since I wrote, but looking at everyone else's blogs, I am at a fine pace. Kim is the best at it this week.

Yesterday we watched both sessions of General Conference. Our friends, Scott and Arren (Peachblossom) came over and watched with us. While the boys went to Preisthood meeting, Arren and I watched HGTV and like channels for the entire evening. We enjoyed it. (You have to kick the guys out if you want the remote.)

As nice as it was, I have a better appreciation for standing on my feet for long hours. Sitting all day just about killed me. My upper back hurt like crazy. There was nothing I could do to get comfortable. Then, when I stood up, the skin of my stomach felt like a fully inflated balloon that someone was still trying to put more air into. The baby had not moved much for two days, apparently because it is going through a growth spurt.

I am so short-waisted that I have, literally, two inches from the top of my hip to the bottom of my ribs. That does not leave a lot of interior room for a baby--therefore, my belly is way out. Besides that, it is trying to grow into my ribs. Yesterday I felt like my sternum was being separated to make room for a baby inside my ribcage. The child, according to week-by-week pregnancy sites, is only one pound. I have at least six more pounds to fit in there.

Despite the discomfort, I love being pregnant. There's something in my tummy. It is alive and it came from God. I am helping Him create it. Time for the last session of Conference.

Strong

Baby is getting so strong! I don't have people feel my belly, all they have to do is watch! My belly jumps.

Isaac had another strong game. They tied it up in the third quarter but they let the other team score in the last 9 seconds of the fourth, so they lost 16-22. Both teams had good defense, hence the low scores. Its funny that this is my blog and there is a weekly football feature.

Emylie and Claire and both expressing a strong interest in joining soccer somewhere. If they do, you will probably hear more about soccer from me that from MaryAnne.

It is nothing like Utah, here. Snow could happen in 3 months. We are having a strong indian summer. Fall comes and goes. I watched the game tonight with my face to the sun--again--in the heat. At least there was a steady breeze. Mike made it because Lexi didn't have a game tonight. It was nice to have him to lean on in the bleacher behind me. He's my strong man. Of course, he had to leave back to work after the game was over. I don't know if I will see him again tonight.

I am going to go help Andrew make some macaroni and cheese.

Today I lounged around in bed a little bit with my husband. Nice. Then I made brunch--bacon, eggs, pancakes. Then I was set to have my husband help me in the garage. He complains that he doesn't have a place to park his car, and he has a window that won't roll up the last inch or two, so I figured he would be motivated. I told him we only needed a half an hour and that I couldn't do it without him because of being in my "delicate condition." He whined like a little crybaby. He had his heart set on something else.

See, Tuesday this week, in case you hadn't heard, was the release of Halo 3. Mike bought it on Thursday at the Microsoft company store for half what everybody else paid because he has a friend who works there. He has had few hours to play because of his work schedule. Rather than getting up to help me, he handed me a second game controller. He taught me the night before how to play, but rather than shooting at him this afternoon, we shot at other things together. I saved his back, he saved mine. It was tender.

All the kids are with us this weekend. (They were watching TV while we were lounging this morning, and they were playing outside while we were killing things.) We took them to the Aquatic Center and let them play at the indoor pool. Then we went to the adjacent park for just a few minutes after that.

There in the park was one of the most elaborate birthday parties for young ones I have ever seen. A mother was dressed as Tinker Bell, and all the girls had fairy wings and skirts, while all of the boys had pirate hats and patches. They were organized on a painted tarp, which they left for a scavenger hunt. They all came back in an orderly fashion and ate pizza to be followed by cake. One of the things they ended up with from the treasure hunt was a "rock" (baked salt dough) filled with a jewel/ treasure. It was nearly inspiring.

Mike had to go into work this evening--again. I at least had a little chance to talk with him about our holiday travel plans. I was looking up hotels and ticket prices last night for our trip to Disney world. When I started planning the trip last year, I had intended to stay at the Disney accomodations. However, we have a friend with a time-share condo in FL, who can't use her week this year, and she offered to let us have the week, so I got my brain around that idea and was told that, as I expected, there were no availabilties for the holidays. That got me looking into other options, though, and the prospects are good--even without doing the priceline, name your price. I am really getting excited about the trip. If I keep saving at the rate I have been we will be able to go without any problem--except for the issue of being 9 months pregnant.

I am typing with my tired, chlorinated eyes closed. I wanted to look into some other planning stuff, but it will have to wait. Goodnight

First Win

Last night was Isaac's third game. The first one was a huge loss. The second one they lost by half as much. This game they won 6-22. I was glad to be there for it. I hate that I have to pay $9 for myself and the kids to get into it, but at least the school covers the full cost of uniforms, etc. I think Mike bought him some cleats and a cup, but that is the only expense besides paying the boosters for the game.

Mike would have been at the game, but he went to Lexi's game an hour away. She is cheerleading. She only has four games that she is cheering for, and this is the second one. I don't know whether or not they won, but I know Lexi did a good job.

I had to rush out of Isaac's game to get to Relief Society. I have not been very good at going to that lately, but I am trying more, and I am glad I did. The kids went to the church with me and played in the gym. One of the ladies complemented me on their unsupervised behavior. She saw them in the hall because she had to take out her crying baby.

Now it is time to make dinner before I have to take Isaac to scouts. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my taxi days.

Two Weeks of Five Days

I am on my second week of five days of work in a row. I had gotten used to having a day or two off in the middle of the week. I really appreciate having time when the kids are not here to get things done. When I work all week that leaves me with no time when the kids are not here. Right now all I have time for is griping at the kids about doing homework and chores.

I guess I have just spent too many years as an at home mom. What I am doing now, though is only so we can go on our family vacation. Once that is over I will go back to being an at home mom. My income won't be missed because it is all going into savings right now. I will miss my discount, but I am saving up 20% off coupons to make up for it. In case you didn't know, we are trained to pay no attention to expiration dates on Bed Bath and Beyond coupons.

There is still a baby growing inside of me. I love that it is there, but I don't pay much attention to the reality of it. I did a baby journal for all of the others--some more than others. Maybe I have not had the reality dose of hearing the heartbeat and seeing the ultrasound to help me get into being pregnant.

Because the baby was so active lately, and I feel like my belly has gotten so huge lately, I was wondering if it might be twins. Mike's mom said it runs in her family every generation, except for hers. However, I was talking to Marianne at church who, herself is a twin, has had her ultrasound because of her own concerns. She is a couple of weeks different from me, and she is about the same size as me. Her ultrasound shows up single. I like the idea of having a double batch for the last one, but raising an only child will be an interesting experience.

Better go make the kids get their work done.

The Invisible Woman

Got this email today, and I thought of myself and a few other people who stop in here now and then.

It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?" "Nobody," he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought,"Oh my goodness, nobody?"

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.

Then I realized, I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was >hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work.
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you
spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." [I thought of the pioneer artisans of the 40- year building of the Salt Lake Temple.]

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great [temples]. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

I broke the 120 lb. mark today! My belly is getting noticeable enough that people are not afraid to ask about my pregnancy. Baby was moving all over the place last night.

I have not had nearly enough sleep lately. I can tell because the solution to everything is: rage about it. Yelling and screaming helps. Especially when there is someone to yell at. I have never been one to take it out on my husband, but my kids--and especially drivers of other cars--get the full blast. Really, I don't like it.

I called T-Mobile about my outrageous phone bill, and rather than yell at the lady, I started the conversation with "I'm in a really bad mood, so don't take it personally." She laughed and it ended up being a really enjoyable conversation. I have gotten a little irritable at my store manager when he has been in a bad mood, but I would never show that face to a customer. It is tragic that my children are the ones who are the outlet for my frustration. But to be honest, they are the source of much of it. However, so is my husband, but I don't go off on him. Why is that?

Oh, and I don't care what you think. I don't even like you any more. This blog is for me, not for anyone else. If you cared, you would make a freaking comment now and then. No, no, don't start now. You have had four posts to make a comment. 0 is the amount of concern I have for your input or opinion. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop commenting on your blog just because you can't take the time for mine. The piddly details of your life are no more interesting than mine. It is all stupid, mundane stuff we talk about, but this is MY life. If it doesn't matter to anyone else, it doesn't have to. It matters to me! Like I said, I'm not doing this for you. It is a record of my life, for my sake because I matter--to ME.

Today should be my day off, but the other girl had her baby last weekend, so I am getting more hours. For the first time I consented to work on a Saturday last weekend . I am working this morning, and I am late to get ready.

Third Blog This Morning

So, apart from Isaac's first football game, which we all went to and watched as a family (Matt even came, as he was in town working that day) and my new dryer, I have a baby in my tummy.

It has been resting for a few days through its growth spurt, but this morning there is a lot of activity. I finally started wearing the maternity clothes that Devanie gave me, but all of the pants are capri length, so I can't wear them to work without looking like a dork in my tennis shoes. IMO, only sandals or dress shoes should be worn with capris--stillettos are questionable depending on how tight the capris are and what message you want to convey.

So, I broke down and bought myself one pair of full-price maternity pants that fit me. I will wear them every day that I work for as long as I work as a pregnant woman. I absolutely love getting a good deal. I hate that there is no such thing as maternity clearance. Maternity clothes are function-driven, not fashion-driven, so there is no selection and no merchandizer motivation to move them out at discount prices. So I have to pay full price for clothes that I can only wear for six months.

I had bought two pair of size 6 jeans a few months ago for under $10 (total) for that in-between phase where maternity just didn't work, but neither did my old pants. The good news is, now that I am in maternity, I can buy at my original size and have all the other proportions where they belong.

Claire stayed home from school yesterday, because she had a bellyache. I usually don't go for that, but I just let her stay. Mike was happy to have an excuse to "work from home." He went in to work as soon as I got home, though, and still put in a full six hours.

It was Wednesday, so I took Isaac to scouts, and for the first time took the girls to Achievement days in this ward since they are with me for the week. They had a great time. I wish I could have Lexi in YW and Mikey in scouts too. Emylie will be in YW in Nov. Maybe we can get her Faith in God completed before then.

I think my washing machine has stopped. Time to go make use of my wonderful dryer.

Old News You Didn't Know

Remember my washer and dryer saga? Mike made the washing machine functional, which was great. I still can't do a full-size load of jeans without a failed spin cycle, but it works well--except for the mysterious leak I discovered when we cleared everything out of the laundry room.

Why did we clear out the laundry room? The 20-year old dryer our home teacher gave us was functional, but it snagged the clothes between the drum and base occasionally and left brown streaks. That was the problem I had with the previous dryer, except that they were much larger black streaks until it swallowed a sock and would not turn anymore. Well, the home-teacher dryer just stopped heating alltogether.

So, two weeks ago, rather than beat a dead horse, we went to the Sears Outlet and found a good deal on a scratch and ding dryer. It is a Kenmore Elite Oasis. The cheapest, bare bones dryer we could buy was $325. It was a no-name, moderate capacity, two-button, tiny opening dryer that had no appeal other than price. For $70 more, we got electronic programming and customizable functions with a mega capacity and huge front-load opening. As it is nearly an $800 dryer, we got it for 50% off. That's the way I roll.

Fall and Football

Did I tell you Isaac signed up for football this year. In 7th and 8th grades if you take athletics, they are able to participate in intramural competitive sports. Isaac got the class this year--which Mike really wanted him to take last year. Because of Mike's encouragement, he has shifted his opinion of the sport and is now developing those skills.

Because of the size of the classes, and the policy of no one getting cut, they have two teams, the A team and the B team. Isaac is a receiver on the B Team. They had their first game on Tuesday. He got a little game time and was able to hold his own. They lost 30-0. Isaac was consoled by the fact that the A Team, which played after his game lost 60-0. I guess our team has a lot of work to do.

Tuesday the weather was perfect for a first football game. The morning started out nearly cold (in relative terms. It actually felt like fall. The rest of the day was very moderate and there was a cool breeze during the game that almost made up for the glaring sun as the bleachers we were on faced directly west. Today is supposed to be back to the 90's, though, so fall is just teasing us.

P.S.

Hey all, Mike has updated his blog again, but it is not merely an update. He is writing a novel and posting it for your pleasure. He will be far more motivated to continue with it if he knows you are anticipating the next installment by posting your comments on what he has written thus far. Click on My Husband Mike on the right.

I Hate School

The kids are enjoying their new school and doing really well. I am happy for them, and I love learning and encourage them to do it. Still, I hate school. Every day there is another note for $5 for this or $10 for that, and we need $15 for another thing. As if my neighbors and landlord don't pay enough taxes to cover that! Just kidding--kind of.

Then there are planners and notes to sign and homework to follow through with and check up on. Then the short time that is left of the evening, after I have taken the time to make a decent dinner, is just enough to exert all my remaining energy to hound the kids about completing their chores. We have time to read scripture and say prayer (usually) and go to bed in order to get the needed full night's sleep. Of course, it wouldn't be any big deal if they would just do their homework, eat their dinner and finish their chores, but they do not.

I have to admit, though, that having the children properly trained to do chores has been a significant relief to me. I do not do dishes--except the weekends when the kids aren't here. It is then I miss them most. It is impossible for one woman to work part time, as I do and maintain a civilized home by herself. But it really is a blessing to have children who are old enough to fully participate in house care and be held responsible for its success (to my standards).

I am most excited with Isaac's progress this year. They gave him Pre-Athletics during 7th period, which qualifies him to participate in whatever competitive sports they are focusing on for the season. Isaac opted to sign up for an additional hour of "P.E." in the form of football practice. Because he is still small (though he has grown so much these past months that his Sunday clothes look funny on him) he is a receiver. There is a fascinating growth in his maturity since school started. His voice is cracking as well.

Since I am falling asleep, I leave you here.

Growing Pains

I did not realize how much space the baby is taking up until today when at work, I got a jab in my ribs. It was a hurt I am very familiar with. The baby was just stretching into new territory. I had to push down on it to make it get out of there. I am sure it will happen many more times, but this was a first. I just hadn't realized it had already grown that much. My belly is sticking out a little, but my U is well past my belly button and up to my ribs. Granted, with as short waisted as I am, it is not hard to reach that height. I am solidly 118 lbs now. In my daily fluctuations I have not gotten over 119.5. My body fat ranges from 19-23%, depending on how hydrated I am.

Time to make dinner

Raging H

I am grumpy. Grumpy, Grumpy, GRUMPY.

And it feels good! Nobody likes being around me, but MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO BE AROUND THEM! (Pause for maniacal laughter followed by a leak of hysterical tears.)

Don't be concerned. It will not harm you.
It's only me pursuing something I'm not sure of...
I chase the bright, illusive butterfly of love.

(More disturbed laughter knowing that so few people will get that joke. It is private--for me.)

My bloodstream is an intricate roller coaster of hormones. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a girl. I remember feeling this out of control when I was pregnant with Claire. I wouldn't be surprised either if it was a boy because that is the only other choice. Isn't it?

I have a wonderful baby growing inside of me. It moves a lot and its movements are getting stronger, though no one wants to keep their hand on my belly long enough to feel it. I am so happy to be pregnant. It is such an amazing, wonderful thing. At 18 weeks people are starting to notice that I am pregnant, but not everyone. We had a ward pool party last night. One of our friends commented on how "perfect" my figure was and was surprised to find out I was pregnant. There was one or two others who had a similar reaction. Me, I feel huge. I think people don't notice my stomach because my bazonkas are getting proportionally huge to my belly growth, so the attention is still higher up. I must say, my new haircut does accentuate my magnificent, slender neck and shoulder line, further drawing attention away from my hips and belly. I look forward to being out of this in-between phase, though, and looking unmistakably pregnant.

Bronco Bash

Last night we went to the middle school Bronco Bash. Mike was not able to go because he had preisthood meeting, but he couldn't go to that because someone was moving in the ward and needed help. He was torn about which to go to. I said something about Brigham Young and "go get the wagons or your religion is vain." But he got a box each of Dots, Mike N Ikes, and Hot Tamales, which the men who went to preisthood did not get.

So I chased four kids around an absolute madhouse. But they enjoyed the bouncies and the velcro wall/suit and watching the dunking booth. There was a band in the cafetorium, but not too many of the kids were into that because it was a bunch of old fat guys.