DinoRiders

Gran and GranDon have been very helpful these past couple of weeks as they stay with us.  Not only did they get the kids to VBS in the mornings (something Toby would have struggled to do), Gran is diligently working on making a new cover  for Max’s comforter.  He is ‘just not into pirates anymore’.  They went down to the fabric store and  picked out some baseball themed material.

Don has been helpful in doing some of the things that I have been putting off.   He up-righted our bougainvillea which had blown over more than a year ago.  He also cleaned and installed all of the screens for our windows.

Additionally, when they arrived, they brought a gift.  They thought it would be good for the baby in a few years, but the kids (especially Lucy) have really enjoyed riding the rocking dino.  Thanks!

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Lucy on Dino from Matt Theule on Vimeo.

Max on Dino from Matt Theule on Vimeo.

VBS 2010

Gran and GranDon were amazing this past week as they made sure that each morning the kids made it to VBS on time.  This allowed Toby to sleep in.  She isn’t really falling asleep until 2 or 3 in the morning so being able to sleep until 9 or 10 is very helpful.

On Friday of VBS, the kids put on a presentation for the parents that showcases what they have done / what they have learned over the last week.  As you can see from the videos below, Lucy loves being on stage.  Max only tolerates it, but he did a good job this year.

Max at VBS from Matt Theule on Vimeo.

 

Lucy at VBS from Matt Theule on Vimeo.

Opera and Cleaning

The kids were ‘Swiffering’ (those disposable dusting pads to clean hard floors) our downstairs yesterday, each with their own Swiffer, which is one of their regular chores.  They started making up their own song while they worked, which sounded rather like an operetta.  Some of the words I caught were, "We are slaves, and we work for a chubby queen…"

Fun Times Ahead

For the past 6 weeks or so, Toby has been looking towards the 37-week mark as her due date.  Both Max and Lucy were born at 37 weeks, and so Toby had reason to believe that this one would be the same.  Today we hit 38 weeks completed.  This is uncharted territory for Toby. 

She is handling the reduction in mobility pretty well.  Since our bedroom is on the second floor, she plans out everything that she wants to do on the first floor so that she does not need to take any extra trips up the stairs.  We have a small refrigerator in the guest area on the second floor and she has stocked this with all the food stuffs she eats in the middle of the night.

With the baby so big inside of her, and her skin stretched so taut, it is very easy to feel all the wiggles and movements of baby #3 from the outside.  Often we can see that her abdomen has a portruding bump that distorts the usual roundness.  Since the head is down, according to Dr. Green, this must be the baby’s butt / hips that are bulging out.  After her appointment last Tuesday with Dr. Green, Toby was declared to be 85% effaced and 1 cm dialated.  She has another appoint today and I am excited to hear about the changes.

Gran and GranDon arrived in their motorhome last night.  They had driven from Portland in about 3 days.  The motorhome fits just perfectly in the back area.  We have water and power located close to the rig, but apparently the sewage clean out that I installed is too far away from motorhome to be used. 

Last time the kids were here, Gran took them for ice cream everyday.  The kids are especially looking forward to this 3-week stay.  🙂

For Posterity

I wanted to chronicle all the many interesting and challenging physical/medical things I have experienced during this pregnancy.  I have struggled so much with feeling like I am complaining all the time; and have asked God repeatedly to give me joy when I have felt my worst.  This baby that is coming soon will be a grand blessing, and I know all these crazy things will be forgotten, or at least greatly minimized.  But I just gotta write ’em down, since it has been such a different journey than with my other two.

Starting from the beginning of the pregnancy:

  • Intense nausea (for 4 months)
  • Insomnia (the entire time)
  • Ptalysis (excessive bad-tasting spit production, for 4 mo’s)
  • Sciatica (down my left leg, entire time)
  • Low belly aches due to baby sitting very low; needing to wear belly belt almost constantly (starting at 4 mo’s)
  • Intensely painful low cramping/spasms, initially thought to be pre-term labor, later thought to be possible kidney stones (peri-natal hospital visits at 25 and 34 weeks)
  • Very strong Braxton-Hicks (much more than other pregnancies, starting at 7 months)
  • Hips ‘opening’ – such that sometimes my legs don’t quite move where I want them to go (like a pirate with a peg leg, in this last month)
  • Overall feeling that someone traded my body in for a 90 year old body!