Summer vacation time...

This past weekend my brother and his three boys (I'll pause while you get your breath) came for a visit. We decided beforehand that it should be low-key with not quite so many planned activities... you know, just a relaxing time with the family.... which is currently comprised of seven grandchildren, five of which are boys.

It wasn't quiet but it was boat loads of fun...and just a little bit crazy.

And, Rachel was determined to keep up with the big kids as much as possible.

The party began on Thursday evening when we all got together for grilled brats, go-cart rides, baseball games, catching fireflies, and fireworks (not necessarily the kind that can be legally purchased in this state but oh well).

Friday we spent most of the morning at my sister's house and then, while the two youngest kids took their afternoon naps, the older kids were sent to the city pool to cool off. That evening we all went to my nephew's t-ball game and got to cheer him on as he cleared the bases during a home run. Next up... a family hayride followed by grandpa's homemade ice cream and fresh raspberries.

Here's Rachel and her daddy getting ready for the hayride.

And now, the family (all 3.5 of us).

And the cousin photo...at least the best of the bunch anyway.

Yep... this pretty much sums it up. But, really, this is one of my most favorite cousin pictures ever.

Saturday it was hot so I drug our little pool over to my parents' house so the kids could tromp around in it. Our half-hearted instructions to stay out of the pool until after lunch went completely unnoticed and the kids went from just "splashing our hands in the water" to your basic full-out water fight before the burgers were off the grill. After lunch we finally put the kids in swimsuits, pulled up some lawn chairs, and spent the afternoon refilling the pool with fresh water (at one point the pool turned into a giant stew pot and was filled with mud and rocks).

Here's how it started...

Here's how it ended...

And then it was time for a swimsuit...

And a kiss for little Tyler.

Saturday evening we shipped the older kids off to my sister's house so that my niece could be on babysitting duty for the evening. She put a movie in for the boys to watch and I believe they were all snoring by 8:30. The two little munchkins got to spend the night with grandpa and grandma while the siblings and spouses spent an evening enjoying a fabulous meal- which was made even more fabulous when a mix-up by the kitchen shaved almost $40 off the final bill.

Sunday morning we all stuffed ourselves silly at brunch, which was promptly followed by nap time for almost everyone. But the hot afternoon brought with it another trip to the pool and this time everyone got to go...even the two littlest kids. Rachel had never been to the pool before and I wasn't sure how she would like it. To my utter dismay, and pure joy, she absolutely loved it. It was almost a struggle to keep her from wading out to where the water was up to her eyeballs. And yes...it was awkward showing up at the pool in my fat-lady swimming suit outfit thing but oh well....who do I have left to impress, right?

And P.S. if you think I'm posting pictures of that scene you're nuts.

Sunday evening we took the kids to the park for carnival rides and once again, Rachel just had to try to keep up with her older cousins. I thought for sure she would cry on the airplanes or the train but she held it together the entire time, even when she was on the crazy fish ride. The evening was finished with one final taste of grandpa's homemade ice cream and his special popcorn, which was followed very closely with a bath and bedtime. I didn't hear one peep from Rachel after we put her to bed. I suspect she was just as tired as we were.

Here's Rachel, flying with the big kids.

Time for the train ride.

Her most favorite ride of all...the baby elephant. She looked so grown up on that thing.

Man, what a great weekend that was.

But...

Man...I'm so thankful to be at work today where I can just....relax.

Rachel...

Rachel's regular daycare person (whom she just adores by the way) is on vacation today so she's at Jody's house.

Jody is a long-time friend of my sister's- like, I knew her when big bangs were way cool and her and my sister were way cool for having them.

Anyway, she's been a blessing to us and we feel very lucky to have her so close by. We were all prepared for Rachel to cry and be at least a little bit sad when we dropped her off this morning, given that she was in a different house with different kids. But, nope. Nothing. In fact, she told us good-bye and scampered off before we could even open the front door to leave.

Our little gal...what a social butterfly that kid is.

Jody sent me a picture this morning of Rachel playing outside and she seems to be having a fabulous day. Hooray!

I dare to compare...

It finally occurred to me this morning that this pregnancy is nothing like the last one.

Duh...

"Hi Angie, I'm a reality check. Nice to meet you."

Last Time:

I was sick all day every day for the first 24 weeks and again from about 36 weeks until the end.

This Time:

The second trimester began and the all-day "morning sickness" almost disappeared completely.

Last Time:

I owned about 5 shirts, 2 sweaters, and 3 pairs of dress pants from the maternity section. Yes, it was awful.

This Time:

I have been lucky enough to be blessed with two very good friends who not only happen to be my size but also love to shop and are very generous with sharing clothes. THANKS ladies, I couldn't survive without you (you know who you are).

Last Time:

I gave up on wearing makeup because I just couldn't bring myself to take the time to put it on.

This Time:

Not that way at all.

Last Time:

I gained...gulp...an embarrassing and, quite frankly, rather irresponsible 70 pounds.

This Time:

I checked the other day and I am only up about 15 pounds. Hooray for me! Although, I still feel monstrously fat.

Last Time:

It was me, my husband, two fat cats, and a tiny condo.

This Time:

It is me, my husband, two fat cats, a two-year-old, and a house in the country with a garden.

Last Time:

Heartburn all the time.

This Time:

Unfortunately...this hasn't changed. Even water gives me heartburn.

Last Time:

I carried really high (and had a girl)

This Time:

I'm carrying really low and enduring numerous kicks to my belly button. It's a boy.

Last Time:

Work was pretty slow and I'll admit...a bit boring at times.

This Time:

Lunch? Who has time for that?!

Last Time:

Shoes every day.

This Time:

Shoes? I remember those...they are the things you wear when your feet aren't swollen, right?

Last Time:

Due date- January

This Time:

Due date- Ummmmm, it was September 12, then it was September 5, now it's an early c-section around August 7-14 but it could be earlier than that. So....I guess the correct answer is: I have no idea.

Last Time:

Wedding ring quit fitting around 24 weeks.

This Time:

So far so good. It is still on my finger and we're on week 27.

So, in a nut shell, "they"- whoever "they" are- have been correct, again. Every pregnancy is different. Every woman is different. Every baby is different.

But, really the most important thing to keep in mind....

Is that...

It's all a miracle no matter how you look at it.

An exciting, frustrating, terrifying, sickening, painful, fabulous miracle.

The 26-week ultrasound update...

First the good news...the blessing...the "THANK YOU JESUS!" moment...our baby boy is healthy and apparently quite content with curling up in a ball to sleep. It took some extra poking and pushing to get him to wake up and move but we eventually got to see the heart and kidneys and everything else that makes for a healthy baby.

And just to be sure, we checked again and yes, this time I am most certainly convinced that we are having a boy.

Unfortunately the placenta has not corrected and is still too low to allow for a safe delivery. So, it looks like we'll be scheduling our C-section for sometime in early to mid-August instead of closer to the due date of September 5. We have another ultrasound scheduled for early July and after that appointment the doctors will make their final decision on just how soon baby should come.

Yes, this is quite common.

Yes, the doctors are confident that everything will turn out alright.

Yes, I'm still terrified.

I have friends and loved ones (which, really, are the same people) who have gone through much worse than this and come out on the other side so I feel kind of silly for being worried. But still, it's an awful helpless feeling to know that something is coming that I can see (kind of) but not control....like some idiot is playing horror movie music in my head and the little voice in my brain is going crazy with advice. Turn around! Don't open that door! Are you crazy; do you think that hiding under the bed is safe? You know it's coming; why don't you do something?!

One thing is certain though. There is nothing quite like a visit to the hospital to remind me of just how blessed I am:

I have a job.

I have enough sense not to wear pajama pants in public, even if I'm pregnant.

I have good health insurance.

I have a husband who can come with me to my appointments.

I have a husband.

I have a healthy happy home.

I have the ability to give my children a healthy happy home.

I have access to world-renowned health care in my back yard.

I have easy access to one of just a handful of doctors in this state who can preform C-sections.

And perhaps most importantly...

I have a healthy baby growing inside of me.

So right now we're counting our blessings and the weeks until baby comes.

A quick update...

I have no idea if I have been missed or not. I need to post some pictures, tell you what I've been up to, and beg for forgiveness for allowing my blog life to fall apart.

But first, I need to collect my sanity which is lost somewhere between my slightly overwhelming work schedule and my currently crazy busy home life.

Once I can cross that off my list (you know how much I just love to cross things off to-do lists) I'm hoping to find some time to catch up.

In the meantime, tomorrow is our ultrasound to see how the whole placenta situation is looking. I'll try to find a few moments after my appointment to let you all know just how many prayers we'll be needing over the next few months.

But, until then....have a fabulous rest of your day!

Our current life in pictures...

There is always room for Jerry Giraffe.

A little tiny girl with her great big kite.

Time for some help from Daddy...it still ended up in the tallest tree on the farm.

I just had to get a picture of my old-fashioned rose bush this year. BEAU-ti-Ful!

Finally, the front of our house is starting to look like someone is actually taking care of the place. By the way...nope, I'm not a fan of the brown but what can you do when it's just a rental?

One last parting shot of my little Rachel.

I can cry if I want to...

Up until about a week ago I hadn't noticed anything too strange when it comes to my ability (or inability) to control my emotions.

But,

Apparently that has changed. A lot.

I have been crying about everything lately. I cry when I talk to Rachel. I cry when I talk about Rachel. I cry when I talk to my husband. I cry when I talk about my husband. Basically I cry when I talk about anyone or anything that I love. I'm a complete basket case.

I don't remember having this problem the last time I was pregnant, and I can't quite wrap my head around this new thing that I have no control over. It bugs me that I can't just tell myself to toughen up...I tried that and it made me cry. Good Lord!

And the thing that bugs me the most is that I, apparently, still don't look pregnant so to those who have no idea what's going on...I have no excuse for my actions. I need to carry a sign that says, "Why? Because I'm pregnant." That would cover just about everything: why I cry, why I waddle, why I eat strange food, why I complain about the horrible May heat, etc.

Or, maybe I'll just start wearing really tight clothing so my big belly shows and then everyone will, no doubt, know why a walk across the street made me cry.