An update on the baby-

Today he is 6 pounds 9 ounces. Today I am 36 weeks, four weeks away from my due date. The amniotic fluid is supposed to be 20 cm. Last week my fluid level was 29 and today it was 31. My doctor is going to keep a close eye on the fluid level and the baby's movement. I need to have a stress test on Monday and another one on Thursday then an appointment with my doctor. He will probably be born sometime between March 13 and March 17. I'd really like to have him just come when he wants to, because being started is hard on me. I would really rather just have it happen naturally, but I will do what's best for the baby.

This is my cute brother Scott,

and his cute wife and daughter.

This picture of their little family was taken about a year and a half ago.

The reason I am putting them on my blog is because I love them very much and I am asking for your prayers for them. Scott is leaving today to go to Fort Lewis in Washington state for awhile. There he will receive some training. Kelly is pregnant and will have their son in the middle of April. Scott will not be able to be there for the birth, but he will be able to come home for a few days during the last week of April to bless his boy. Then Scott will leave here and go to Afghanistan for a year. We had a family get-together last night to say our goodbyes and my Dad gave Scott a beautiful blessing. Even though there were 22 children and 14 adults there, the Spirit was strong. Dad blessed Scott that he would be safe, that the vehicles he traveled in would work properly and would provide him and the people he would work with safety. He blessed him that he would be an example to those around him, and that they would know that he represented Christ, and that he might be able to share the Gospel. He blessed Scott that his family would be cared for while he was gone, and that his children would know that he would only be gone for a little while. It was so sweet and special. I was so glad that we were able to be there. I am scared for Scott and for the situation that he is going into, but I have been reassured that he will be safe and watched over while he is there. I love you, Scott. I'm sorry we don't know each other very well. (I am almost 14 years older than Scott, and moved away from home when he was about 5 years old.) Be safe, and know that you are always in our prayers.

Let me tell you a story about a girl named Michelle-

Once upon a time last Monday, this girl named Michelle had a doctor's appointment. Her kids were off track, but it didn't matter because her husband Mike had the day off of work because it was President's Day. He volunteered to stay with the kids so Michelle would not have to take them with her to said appointment. Mike was a little disappointed because Michelle was having an ultrasound that day, and Mike wanted to be there. Then, the phone rang. It was the doctor's office. They needed to cancel ALL the appointments for Monday, and would Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday work best for the replacement appointment. Wednesday was orthodontist appointments, and Thursday was the dreaded MRI, so it would have to be Tuesday. Michelle said that they were all inconvenient, but the nurse said too bad, nothing could be done. So, Tuesday came around and Michelle had to take the kids with her to the doctor's office. They were horrible, but Michelle wasn't surprised. The ultrasound had good news and bad news. The good news - the baby is growing well, has hair, and is six pounds three ounces (on Tuesday). The bad news - there is too much amniotic fluid. They like you to have 20 centimeters, or millimeters, or whatever they use to measure, and there is 29. Not really excessive, but bordering on a lot. The doctor is doing another ultrasound this Tuesday (February 26) and a non-stress test. They will re-measure the fluid level, and if it is increasing then an amniocentesis (I guess that's how it's spelled) will be scheduled to see how well the baby's lungs are developed. As soon as the lungs are developed enough the baby will make an appearance. That could be as soon as two weeks from now. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this part of the story unfolds. Stay tuned.

Now for the scary MRI day. Since Michelle and Aaron had to be to Primary Children's Hospital by 6:30am on Thursday, Michelle took all the kids (except Ben) to stay at Grandma's house on Wednesday night. Ben had school, and Mike had work, so they just got up at the regular time on Thursday and went about their regular days. Michelle, however, didn't want to get the rest of the kids up at 4:00am to get ready and leave so we opted to stay at Grandma's house. After all, her house is only 15 miles or so away from the hospital, and if we stayed there, the rest of the kids could wake up at their normal time and not be monsters for the rest of the day. Grandma had agreed to help us out and take care of the kids while Aaron and Michelle were gone for the day. Unfortunately, nobody slept very well that night. Michelle had to keep waking up to put the blankets back on Aaron because he would roll out of them every time he moved. Kim and Emma kept waking up in the night and talking to each other, so Michelle had to keep telling them to go back to sleep. Finally, 5:15am came around and Michelle and Aaron left for the hospital. It was snowing lightly and it was foggy. Michelle knew where to go, but hadn't been there for quite awhile. She turned too soon, and got a little bit lost. Once they arrived at the hospital, Michelle realized that they couldn't park on the north side of the hospital because her van was too tall to go into the parking terrace. She went to the south side and found a parking spot. By this time they were about ten minutes late, and Michelle was already a bit frazzled. A nurse ushered them back to a room where Aaron was weighed, measured, and had some warming pads put on his arms to make the veins more accessible. Then they put an IV into his arm so they could deliver the medication that would knock him out. The nurses explained to Michelle that they would give Aaron phenobarbital ( or something like that) to knock him out. It's a barbituate and would make him nauseous, and loopy and sleepy for about 24 hours. Then they gave him the medicine and he was out in about 30 seconds. They took him from Michelle and strapped him down onto this narrow table and started moving him into the giant machine. Then they ushered Michelle to the recovery room and left her. After about 30 minutes they brought Aaron to her. He smelled bad. Michelle could smell the medication coming through his skin. He was limp and pale and very lifeless looking. It make Michelle sad. Michelle thought how no child should have to go through these kinds of things. At the other end of the room a bed held a boy who was three and a half, a year older than Aaron. He had just gone through the same thing Aaron had. The difference between these two boys - the other boy had been through this test twice before. He was having an MRI this day to check on two cysts in his brain. These two cysts were giving the little boy migraines so painful that he could hardly do anything but sit in a darkened room. Michelle was very sad for this little boy, and for every other child she saw in the hospital that day. It made Michelle grateful that her children are healthy and strong. After the MRI Aaron slept for another hour and a half. Then the nurses started waking him up. Aaron was very disoriented and couldn't sit up by himself. His eyes were rolling around because his muscles were so weak from the medicine. After about 20 minutes the nurses gave Aaron some apple juice. He guzzled it down and asked for more. You see, Aaron hadn't had anything to eat or drink since about 8:30 on Wednesday night. Aaron didn't throw up so they put him in a wagon and told Michelle to take him home. He couldn't sit up or stand. He could only lay there in the cute red wagon. After about five minutes he threw up. All over himself, the blankets, his coat, and the wagon. The nurses said, " we've unhooked his IV so there is nothing we can do for him. Take him home and let him sleep it off. If he continues to throw up and is becoming dehydrated, take him to the emergency room and they can rehydrate him through an IV. Have a nice day." Well, they didn't say the have a nice day part, but that's what Michelle felt like they were saying. Michelle figured out how to get Aaron out to the car, in his car seat, and back up to Grandma's house without too much problem. They stayed at Grandma's house for a couple more hours. In that time, Aaron threw up four more times. Michelle finally decided to take him home, because he would fall asleep in the car. They all got their things together and loaded up. Sure enough, Aaron was asleep before they got to the end of Grandma's street. He slept in his car seat for another two and a half hours. The nurses at the hospital told Michelle that the effects of the medication would wear off within 24 hours. That was not true. Aaron was wobbly for the rest of the day, and he was mean. He was very combative. He threw things, he hit his sisters with toys, he bit, and he yelled. He had his balance back by the next morning, but he was mean and vicious until after nap time on Saturday. It was NOT pleasant. That I guess was the bad part of the whole ordeal. The good part is that Mike and Michelle found out that there is no medical reason for Aaron to have seizures. All tests came back normal. The doctors said that some kids just react that way when they get a temperature that rises to quickly. He should outgrow it by the time he's four. He just needs to be watched closely when he's sick. Hopefully there will be no more problems. So, for now, all the tests are over.

On a totally different note, Michelle finally got done with the super secret project she was doing for Mike for Valentine's Day. She made a book for him called "The Greatest Love Story Ever Told". It is a book about how Mike and Michelle met, their first date, first kiss, the engagement, pre-wedding trip to Wisconsin, and wedding. It includes the honeymoon, first place they lived, and why Michelle would do it all again. So much love packed into one little book. So much love packed into one life together.

Sunday Ponderings

This week has been exciting, frustrating, and full of surprises. Let me start off by saying that I love tax refunds. It is the time when I get money back from the FEDS and I give each of my children the yearly $1000 kiss of love. Let me also say that it is the poopiest time of year as well because we usually have at least one or 7 huge expenses that seem to sap up the refund faster than you can say "Uncle Sam". I manifested a big stinkin' TV for my family room this year but I might have to postpone this extravagance for a decade or two.
I have been busting my gut to get our basement framed in. I finally finished this task and have begun the joy of re-learning electrical installation, installing heating duct work(which I have never done), and plumbing. My goal has been to spend an hour a night in the dungeon getting some task completed. This week - Phone and Cable wire Pulling!
Work in the staffing industry has been going well. I am having terrific new year as a sales person. We are helping people who really want to work and are willing to work hard and that is the part of my job that I really like.
I have been able to come home to my barefoot and pregnent wife who is never getting any sleep and has a pinched nerve in her leg. She walks around like a gimp because her leg is asleep. I am daily aware of how much this amazing woman puts up with me and the five other juvenile deliquents in this house. Today she was wearing a black dress, and was looking rather fine, and I just had to smile and feel grateful that she put in with me for eternity. I just might make it in the next life because she is there pushing me.
To the frustrating portion of the week, I am daily amazed at the constant attention a 13 year old boy needs to get his homework done. Ben is a great kid with a lot of love in his heart and this week I was about ready to pack him up and send him to Philadelphia to live with Sara. Mom & Dad, forgive me for the pain and suffering I may have caused you in the past.
Also frustrating is the sickness that seems to be every present in our home. I am about ready to take each kid and dunk them in a pool of anti-bacterial fluid and then purge the house with a nice burning.
The smiles this week come from Aaron who graduated to "the big boy bed" and thinks i is just to cool. He also comes and wants to read a book with me all the time. He is quite the smart young man.
Emma also put a smile on my face when we went to get the new mattress for Aaron and she said she is happy to be with me because Dad is fun to be with.
I also got to give a lot of bear hugs this week to each kid. I really liked today's Gospel Doctrine lesson where Lehi speaks of his eternal reward and that he will be encircled about in the arms of the Savior's love. I remember the hugs Grandpa Rex Price would give us and how I felt when I was squeezed by him. I think this is the best thing on the planet and I am glad my kids like to have a tight squeeze with me.
In conclusion, I would like to state my immense dislike for shoveling snow, folding laundry, and cleaning up after sick kids. If I could get these things to a smaller scale, I would be OK with the Change. Things I would like to see increase are passionate kisses with my wife, the overall GPA of my childrens' school work, my patience, and the overall Economic Stimulus Plan. BRING ON THE REFUND CHECKS!!!!!

Sooooooooo,

Here's the deal-

I have no baby, at least for another six weeks or so.

We didn't plan on doing this today, but we found a deal on a mattress and Aaron is SO ready to move out of the crib. He took his last nap in the crib while Mike went and bought the mattress. I got the garage cleaned out a little so we could get to the bed frame and box spring that we had. When Aaron woke up, we took down the crib and put up the "big boy bed".

Aaron is so excited!

5 Things

Here is a list of five things.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Chasing two boys around, ages three and a half and one and one-fourth.

2. Living in a tiny apartment in Salt Lake and getting ready to move to Spokane.

3. Loving my wonderful husband and trying to be a support to him.

4. Trying to figure out who I am.

5. Being excited because I had just lost 35 pounds.

5 things on my to do list today:

1. Quit spending time messing around on the computer.

2. Clean the kitchen.

3. Laundry.

4. Try to figure out how to get all the sick out of my house. I'm getting really tired of everyone being sick.

5. Work on my super secret Valentine for my husband.

5 foods I enjoy:

1. Anything Mexican. Hot and cheesy- yum!

2. Bread.

3. Cinnamon rolls.

4. Chicken Cordon Bleu.

5. Fresh vegetables right from the garden.

(if you don't count the vegetables, I either can't eat or have to have VERY limited portions of all the above foods. I can have all the veggies I want.)

5 bad habits:

1. I am lazy about housework.

2. I sort things by the "pile" method. My good husband hates it.

3. I spend too much time cruising the internet and checking everyone's blogs.

4. I usually only fold laundry when everyone is out of clothes- about once a week, and then it takes 3 hours or so. A good excuse to sit and watch TV or a movie.

5. I sometimes cheat on my diet when it won't show up on my blood sugar levels.

5 of my favorite toys:

1. The computer.

2. Paper.

3. My paper cutter.

4. The TV.

5. Mike.

5 people I tag to do this survey:

1. Sara.

2. Isaac.

3. Kelly.

4. Barbara.

5. Tom (since he's looking for things to keep him busy-besides shoveling snow).