I have come to realize just how dependent I am upon the wonderful and magical world that is the internet.  I have several people that I keep up with (whether or not they themselves are aware of it) by facebook and blogs posts.  I was recently asked if I liked living in the South.  For me, that is a loaded question.  I actually really don’t care for the South as a geographic region.  It’s too hot, the bugs are like mutants, and the society has real issues when it comes to racism and bigotry.  There is one thing that will keep me here forever though: my friends, most of whom are members of the Holmes Road Church of Christ.  I don’t think I could ever leave them.  I sure hope they don’t ever leave me, either.

The church just celebrated it’s 50th anniversary.  We saw people that we’ve not seen in quite awhile, including A.J. and Erica Johnson.  I am delighted to have a photo of myself and Erica with her sweet boy, Ethan.  In the background is our youth minister, Cameron.  There were many that we didn’t know and some with whom we were merely acquainted and are now fast friends.  It was a wonderful time.  It was said that the event was like getting to go to heaven without having to die. 

Holmes Road is most definitely a unique family, both in its makeup and in its love.  I am so proud and blessed to be a member and look very forward to the 60th anniversary celebration!!

And life rolls on –

I have just put Jackson to bed (he is now 5 months old).  It seems one or two posts per year is the norm for me.  I’ve had a calgon sort of day today.  Off of work, which means I worked harder and didn’t get paid for it.

I am about to, hopefully, be acquiring a second job.  I am excited about it and also apprehensive at the same time.  Like a lot of others, we are not making ends meet.  Matt could deliver pizza and be gone most nights of the week and bring home a pittance or I could work one night a week at a clinic and bring home an extra $500 per  month.  So, wish me luck (and miraculous rejuvenation when I do sleep)!!

Today is December 30th.  I feel good.  Much better than I thought I would when I had tried to imagine myself at this point.  Jackson was born by c-section 48 hours ago.  It’s been a fatiguing two days, but I’ve handled the surgery and, so far, recovery much better than I did nearly 4 years ago with Rebekah.  Jackson is very good at nursing and has stimulated the production of milk earlier than either of the girls did.  I am relieved that the feedings through the night last night seemed to have produced better results for him than on the first night since he’s getting the real deal now! 

Thanks to all of you who have called and visited us as we are being cared for in the hospital.  We are doing well and I am beginning to wonder if we might be discharged as early as today.  I wouldn’t mind staying one more night just to be able to send the baby off to the nursery between feedings and get as much rest as I can. 

I will put some pictures on here when I get home.

Ok, I’ve been tagged (Matt told me about this, Nicole) and so the following is my response.

Four things I did today:

1) Went to Yankee Candle to see what they had for Christmas since they always mark it down so much after and spent   $34.  My purchases were worth nearly $70 so it was a good thing!

2) Went to Wal-mart (the evil empire) and traded the diapers that will be too small for my amazon son for other things.

3) Went for a 30 minute walk around our neighborhood in an attempt to throw myself into labor which resulted only in an incredible back ache.

4) Got my hair cut — something I just knew would be done AFTER my son was born but since he still has not come I could no longer stand the shagginess of my ‘do.

Four things on my to-do list:

1) Have a baby

2) Have a baby

3) Have a baby

4) Have a baby

Four of my guiltiest pleasures:

1) pedicures

2) sending Bekah to daycare on my days off during the week every 3 weeks

3) checking all my networking accounts on the internet at work

4) though not guilty, definitely a pleasure (that is, most of the time — just not now): my husband’s body

Four random facts about me:

1) I’m 9 months pregnant

2) I have a herniated disc in my back which makes the pregnancy just peachy

3) My son is estimated to be about 9 and a half pounds already

4) My husband gave me syphillis for Christmas (a stuffed microbe in my stocking, that is).

I’m supposed to tag four people, but I’m not sure I know of four people that read this blog.  Since Nicole has already done it I only have one:

Matt

As sit in my bed, upon doctors orders for, hopefully, the last time in my life, I am compelled to write about an observation that is a curiosity to me.  I have been on bed rest for nearly 6 weeks as my doctor and I attempt to give my unborn son every chance to be born fully developed and healthy.  This means that, naturally, I’ve spent a good deal of time on the internet trying to remain informed about the world around me.  I have noticed that we all seem to surf the net, send mail, and check up on one another during the work week as if our very lives depend upon it.  When we are supposed to be working hard and giving our all to our employers we make time to look at yahoo, facebook, myspace, and etc.  Over the weekend, however, when we have a good deal more time there is a definite slump in internet traffic — that is, on the sites that I frequent.  Why is it that we cram so much internet time into our already busy day during the week and barely say hello to our dearest friends and loved ones when we actually have time to chat??

On another note:  I am beseeching anyone who reads this in the next few days to pray fervently that my son will choose to make his debut by Wed the 31st.  At that point I will offically be half way through my maternity leave and will have exactly 6 weeks left to recover from childbirth.  I have a c-section scheduled the following week on Tue the 6th, but would really like that extra week.  I hate the thought of putting my child into daycare at 5 weeks and going back to work before my body is really ready.  Unfortunately, I will have no choice in the matter as I have to be back on a certain day in order to be sure that my job is still waiting for me.

I’ve been to the doctor today and all is well still.  Baby was feisty as ever when the doctor was trying to hear his heartbeat.  I’ve changed just a little but nothing unusual for a 3rd baby at 34 weeks.  My doctor feels fairly confident that I’ll go two more weeks (sigh . . .) which is good news for Jackson.  He is very low and pretty much engaged in my pelvis and for that reason I’m quite uncomfortable.  Thankfully, being on bed rest, I can be horizontal most of the time and relieve that pressure.

I’m thankful for the prayers that must be going up for me to be patient and accepting of the situation because although I’m beginning to really wish for the end of this I am also very content and not unhappy to be home bound and required to stay off my feet.  Going to the doctor today was pretty tiring and quite a challenge so I know I’m right where I need to be.

We are also very thankful for our church family who have pulled out all the stops to help us keep this baby cooking.  We’ve had meals delivered to us this week, our house has been cleaned last week and an offer for the next cleaning extended, we’ve had people come and get our girls in order to take some pressure off of Matt, and lots of offers to run errands and do anything else we can think of.  We’ve also had our yard taken care of for us.  I know this is God working through others and I am so humbled that He would do so much for my family.  I know He cares for each one of us right down to baby Jackson and is using our church family to show His love for us.  A special thank you to my mother-in-law, Pam, who was here 3 days this week and “righted the ship” as Matt says.

Well, last night makes our fourth trip to the hospital for this pregnancy and I’m just 33 weeks.  I have been having a lot of preterm contractions, hence all the hospital visits.  I’ve told Matt we’ll pay for the delivery of 2 or 3 children by the time this kid comes out.  I had taken an oral dose of the medicine terbutalene at home in an effort to stop the contractions, to no avail.  So at the hospital they gave me a bag of fluid really fast and a shot in the arm of the same medicine.  It didn’t work, so I had the unmistakable pleasure of a second shot in the arm of this wonderful drug.  It causes false labor to stop but the side effects include elevated heart rate (for me as high as 140 beats per minute) and pretty intense tremors.  It also makes the baby think it’s time for jazzercise.  Anyway, after the second shot the contractions were coming at 10 minute intervals and they gave me two hydrocodone (to relax me — oh yeah!) and sent me home.  I was awakened by contractions 3 times in the night but made it through and now I am sitting in bed using Matt’s laptop and feeling them start up again. 

I was checked by the doctor last night and found to be about 40% effaced and beginning to dilate.  Matt says maybe a week.  For the baby’s sake I hope it’s longer but we shall see . . .

Wow!  It’s been 5 months since I’ve posted.  It has something to do with the fact that I didn’t know my password.  Now that I have successfully changed it we’ll see if I’m any better at posting (I seriously doubt it . . .)

I am nearly at the 33 week mark and am on bedrest now because I’ve been having contractions frequently.  We’re hoping to make it to 34 weeks, at least, and 36 would be better for little Jackson’s sake.  I’m resting as much as possible, but of course life still happens.  I took Rebekah to the minor med this morning and learned that she has strep throat, as I suspected.  My kids are going to be passing it back and forth, I fear.  Rachel was treated for it 1 month ago.

For now, I’m just sleeping, eating, baby building, and working on Rebekah’s christmas stocking — a cross stitch project that I started a year ago.  Rachel’s took 5 years so I’ve got a long time left in order to beat or miss my record.

Well,  it’s been another 6 weeks or so since I posted last.  I am so tired all the time that I have thoughts of little else besides dinner and bed when I’m at home.  Though I look forward immensely to this child growing inside of me I am thankful that this will be the last rodeo for me.  I have wanted this third pregnancy for about two years now and I am questioning my sanity a bit!!  I will be having a second ultrasound next Thursday the 3rd of July — the baby will be at 12 weeks gestation.  I am excited.  It is completely formed now and just needing to grow . . . a lot!

We are without a director and a manager at work now.  What jobs that could be divied up were and I am resposible for ordering supplies for the whole lab.  It’s a daunting task.  I will be putting in a requisition tomorrow to pay an invoice for $38,000 worth of blood products for the blood bank — this is just for May and it was a short month!!  It’s a great resposibility and it’s a great thing that I have no authorization to spend money.  The CFO of the hospital is going over everything I do!!

We had a wonderful visit with our friends in Mobile — Andy and Clara.  Thank the Lord that Andy is a medical doctor, too, because you know we can’t have a vacation without a mishap of some kind.  Bekah took a dive off their sofa and cracked her head open on their coffee table.  It really isn’t too bad a cut at all but it bled like crazy.  Bekah, Momma, and Rachel all cried and Dr. Andy assured us that she would heal without the aid of stitches.  He went to the drug store and bought Bekah some fast acting, chewable tylenol tablets and some butterfly bandages to encourage the wound to close.  She was jumping on a bed 10 minutes after taking the tylenol.  My girl child that is a boy at heart . . .

Well, it’s been too long, I know. I am battling a hectic schedule and fatigue. Last week I accompanied Matt on a business trip to Las Vegas. It was a vacation for me. I had been looking forward to it for several months — no kids, no agenda, just rest. The night before we left I had a very bad time all night long with gut trouble. I worked a half day last Tuesday and then at 2:15pm we flew out of Memphis. I noticed that I was nauseated during the flights and that I was dizzy when we were walking around airports. As the week went on I became more and more dizzy and began to be very fatigued. On Friday I figured I needed to mention my symptoms to my doctor (I had an appointment today) to see if he thought testing would be in order. Then it hit me: this is how I felt with my second child. I had a pregnancy test in the bathroom at home. When we arrived home Saturday night, after saying hello to my children I retreated to the bathroom. The pink line was most definitely there. I will be giving birth to our third child sometime in January!! But for now, I’m ready for bed . . .I look forward to having more energy!!