Last day of pre-school (plus update)

Best Friends!

Caelan has really enjoyed pre-school this year, which is a big deal because last year he always told me that he didn't like school. He has learned how to write his name and do some simple math, grown some plants from seed and perfected his painting skills. Caelan mostly just plays with his sister and her friends, but I am glad that he loves her so much. He is shy and has a hard time separating from his family in group situations, but he is becoming more confident and is really the one that is the most out-going within the house. He loves to laugh and make jokes, loves to gives hugs and loves to be tickled. His teachers describe him as very caring to the other children, often giving compliments to others and comforting them when they are sad. Caelan's favorite word is "super", but he also loves to yell "boring" when he doesn't want to do something. Caelan is currently 40 pounds and wears size 5 clothing. He loves the color blue, hates riding his bike, loves swimming and goes to bed easily at the end of the day. Caelan has said that all he wants to be when he grows up is a Dad. We are so proud of you Dudey!

Ashlyn has always loved school, but she has developed such a confidence this year that is amazing. She has a best friend at school(that is not her brother), knows how to write her name and has really progressed in her drawing skills. Her favorite things to draw are people, butterflies and flowers. She loves to dance and wants to be a ballerina when she grows up. She still loves pink, loves to ride her bike, loves to eat fruit and vegetables and has finally grown out of her Dora obsession. Ashlyn currently weighs 34 pounds and wears size 5. She is the same height as her brother, but is very thin. She is devastated that she still has to ride in a full car seat, while her brother and sister are big enough to ride in booster seats. We have loved watching her grow and develop into such a confident girl. We love you Ashlyn!

Ashlyn's hair cut

Ashlyn decided a few weeks ago that it would be a good idea to give herself a hair cut.  Her beautiful long blonde locks were cut into a stylish mullet, which she was very proud of.

 Mommy wasn't too happy.  :(

Here is her final haircut.  She was thrilled to have such short hair (which totally shocked me)!  Once the bangs grow to be all one length, I think we will keep the style.  She told me she hopes it never grows, plus we are no longer fighting the hairbrush each morning.

31 weeks

Tomorrow I will officially be 31 weeks pregnant. That means I have been on strict bed rest for 7 weeks now (with another 2 weeks of modified bed rest). Phew! This is hard work! I am so deconditioned these days that I need a nap after a quick 5 minute shower. My desire is so strong to get up and walk around, but I realize as soon as I stand up that I don't have any energy and must return to bed immediately. It is exhausting doing nothing! I am worried about what will happen after the birth of this baby. I know I will be quite debilitated, especially since I will likely have a c-section and will have 3 other kids at home on summer holidays. It will not be easy. It is kind of funny to me that I am working so hard at not going into early labor, only to plan a surgery to remove the baby from my body when it is ready. I am not allowed to labor due to a previous vertical incision on my uterus. Hopefully my body will co-operate this time! I had another ultrasound this afternoon due to the heart conduction issues the baby has been having. Baby is growing well, with an estimated weight of 1800 grams. My cervix is still closed and holding at around 1.5 cm. Everything looked healthy again today, which we are so thankful for. Baby is sitting very low in the pelvis this week, but hanging in there! There is a huge developmental milestone at 32 weeks, so I am looking forward to passing that next goal. I continue to get NSTs done every week with the home care nurses and am being very compliant with my doctors orders...doing everything possible to have a term baby! Only God knows the exact date of this baby's birth and I am confident in His plan for this little one.

28 weeks and counting

We passed a huge developmental milestone this week for baby....28 weeks! Next stop, 32 weeks. I have no doubt I will make it there. In fact, I feel like I will even make it to full term! The baby had another echocardiogram this week due to more skipped beats and a rate of only 80bpm. Once again, I was told that the heart anatomy is beautiful and it is likely a conduction problem that the baby will grow out of. Baby's heart will be monitored weekly to make sure the rate doesn't drop below 60 or above 180. The baby continues to grow well, with an estimated weight of 1500 grams this week, or the 95th percentile. My cervix has remained stable since I have been horizontal for the past month, so I am to continue with strict bed rest for the next 4-6 weeks. I did get special permission to attend Ashlyn and Caelan's pre-school graduation party at the end the month, as long as I am sitting while I am there and go straight home. So thankful I don't have to miss that one!

I am certainly learning a lesson about giving up control and letting other people help. I have witnessed my youngest daughter go to school with her pajamas on under her clothes and cut her own hair short while being allowed to play with scissors unsupervised. My oldest daughter seems to cry a lot more and has become very clingy to me at bedtime. My son blissfully carries on without a care in the world, but does not want to listen to Daddy's instructions. Johnny has been amazing at keeping the household running. He is still working full-time, but has managed to take me back and forth to the hospital, get the kids to all their sporting events, keep everyone clean and fed, keep the house tidy and the laundry done. He is super-dad in my mind. The only thing he can't seem to find time to do is sleep!

We received a great gift of a Molly Maid cleaning from my friends at work, so I am looking forward to giving Johnny a break from cleaning....at least for a week. We have also been blessed with meals for the family and child care for the kids from our friends, family and neighbors. All have been greatly appreciated. Next ultrasound is in two weeks. Until then, I will continue to stay in bed!