Geocaching Stones

I just had this awesome idea...I need to write it down before I forget so here it is..Lol!

I was just reading about Calypso and looking at her name photos when I came across the one from Treasure Beans.  "What a beautiful stone," I thought to myself.  LoL....then I was reading about how you can order then and the photograph them in your own favorite places...Hmmmm.  We dont have the money to order one, but I'm rather crafty...why not make one?  But take it to OUR favorite places?  Now this is just God working all over, people.  I have to tell you about a hobby Landon and I have.....

We are cachers.  We geocache.  It's a high tech hide and seek/treasure hunt game...some of you might have heard of it...if you follow me long enough you will find out I'm obsessed with it.  Recently at the blog highlighted above they ran an article about a couple who took a stuffed sheep and had it's picture taken at every cache they found.  People loved the sheep and couldnt wait until the sheep came to find THEIR geocache.  "Very cool," I thought, "would be a fun thing to do."  No idea what to use, but it was cute.

While I was pregnant with Vanessa we geocached our hearts out.  After she was gone it was our outlet.  We got out of the house and for a few hours it was just us, the road, a GPS, and a cache to find.  On our stats page our most active months EVER of caching are last March through May.  After that there is a real drop where I got really depressed and just mowed the yard.  LoL.  But for a small window of time it was what we did with Vanessa...that was our thing with her.  I have NOTHING else that stands out from that time other than pain....geocaching was my escape.

So back to the stone.  After May I just couldnt cache anymore.  She was gone and it was starting to remind me of her because we had done so much of it.  Lately the bug has hit me again to go out, but that may just be from being cooped up all winter too.  But what if I could take her with me again?  The day of my D and C we went out...yes, I had just had surgery to rip my child from my womb and THAT EVENING I went caching.  I had to get out.  Landon had given her the name Vanessa while I was put under because it means "Butterfly".  That evening he found a butterfly clip thing in a cache...he brought it to me and I bawled.  It has gone with me to each and every cache since then...But the stone...I could make a stone, with her name all pretty and take pictures of that at the caches we find....Nessa may no longer be able to physically cache with us, but our butterfly clip proves that she is still there.  Even the day that she physically left us we were given that reminder.

So why not just take pictures of the butterfly?  Quite frankly it's ugly and had it been of anything else I would have dropped it in the next cache we found, but I cant help but associate butterfly's with Nessa and I just cant drop the dumb thing.  The stone would be so much prettier!  It would do her some justice.

30 weeks

I have posted this twice now and keep deleting instead of posting...I'm smart like that.  LoL!  Any way, here is the 30 week belly pic!  I'm really starting to feel it.  I'm very thankful for this pregnancy, but I'm ready for it to be over now.  I will say, winter pregnancies are much easier than the summer ones.  Ugh. 

Daniel is still pretty active, but just the last few days I can really tell that he's starting to run out of room.  His movements are more jabs and pokes and not quite as often.  It no longer feels like a 3 ring circus in there...more like a disgruntled baby.  LoL!  Not too much longer!

The Wishing Tree

9 Months ago today I laid in the ultrasound room at Dr. H's office and he confirmed our first fears...our little girl was gone.  I was so scared...so hurt...so many things all at once.

Today her name has been added to the 2011 Wishing Tree.  Please check it out and read the little story on the left hand column that tells about the Tree.  It is such a wonderful idea and a great way for our little one's to be remembered.

First Diaper Wash!

First off, I want to thank those of you who were praying for our Luke.  He came home from school yesterday and was my goofy lil man again!  It was so wonderful to hear him laugh again!

Today I was able to wash the dipes out.  I have really been wanting to do this since I got them, but I was good and waited!  We have well water and it doesnt run in very fast...not to mention that from time to time the pipes spit out sediment into the water.  I read you should do the loads on large, but there was NO way the pump or the hot water heater was going to keep up so I pushed it back to a medium.  That really helped!  In the first rinse all my inserts and breast pads turned black from sediment...I was FREAKED out, but it all rinsed out in the wash cycle...thankfully.  I added both lemon juice and vinegar (lemon at the beginning, vinegar in the last rinse) because there were some stains in the diapers that the previous owners could not get out, and the breast pads had NEVER been washed correctly.  Everything came out looking AWESOME!  It was so wonderful to pull those fresh clean dipes out of the dryer and stuff the liners back in.  I think the only thing that would have brought me more joy is if they were out back on a clothes line!  I really love this staying home thing.  I hope and pray that we are able to keep it this way.  I can stay home and cook, clean, do dishes, laundry...work myself to the bone, but in any other setting I am miserable.  I feel like this is truly where I am supposed to be...what I'm supposed to do.  I cant wait until Daniel comes! 

My baby shower is in a few weeks and I will know more about how many more dipes I need.  I'm really hoping to either get some more, or to get some money that we can use towards them.  I have NO problem buying second hand!  Those suckers are expensive and my kids are just going to poop in them any way.  I just keep telling myself that it's more or less free after the first few months....no $20 a week going to the landfill!

Luke

Man, I dont know what has been up with Luke, but I'm at my wits end.  He's fine all day until about 7 or 8pm and then he mopes, cries at the drop of a hat, and just looks like his world is about to end.   He refuses to talk to any one about anything.  Nothing is wrong, nothing is bothering him.  He doesnt know what's wrong.  No, he's excited about the baby.  No, he's not tired.  No, he's not sad.  No, he's not upset.  He will cry at EVERYTHING.  Seriously.  It's bed time, cries.  He needs to put away his book, cries.  Supper is done, cries.  I know he's sort of high strung and he has a tendancy to be anxious, but never like this.  Eventually he will talk...normally to Landon...but he's completely clammed up.

I cant help but wonder if it has something to do with Daniel.  He seems excited about it most of the day, but that is the only I can think of that he would be anxious about.  We are all over our viruses, he's been back in school for going on two weeks, and I've been trying to make sure things are more structured around the house.  That seems to help normally.  He craves structure, always has.  Things got nuts around the holidays with us all being sick, no school, he was back and forth at his dad's.  I hope it's just a mixture of everything and he will be fine in a few days, but this has been going on for a WEEK now.  I'm so frustrated I could cry.  I hate seeing him like this, but I dont know what else to do!  Please pray for him, that whatever is bothering him will resolve itself...or that he will open up to us so we can help him.  Something.  I just want my happy go lucky little boy back.

It's official

I have bronchitis.  At almost 29 weeks pregnant.

I had chronic bronchitis as a kid (cigarette smoke allergy) and it was NEVER this bed.  Wow.  No sleep, feels like there's an elephant on my chest...ugh.  I called Luke's pediatrician since he's still hacking around and they said not to worry...it's more than likely on it's way out.  I was thankful cause I didnt take him to the doctor.  Talk about feeling like the worst mother ever, but I honestly never thought it was bronchitis.  The nurse said his was more than likely just a virus (like I thought) and I had caught that from him...with me being pregnant it pretty much turned straight into this crap.  Lovely.

I also have a family member I would like to bring to your attention...for prayer.  She has Endometriosis and has a really hard time carrying babies.  They have had numerous miscarriages, and normally keep them quite, but I just got word that she has lost another little one.  She has two little girls and is an amazing mother...she's so great with her girls.  I know they really want another...which only makes this that much harder.  I guess the next step they are taking is a fertility specialist.  Please keep this family in your prayers.  I hate to see someone hurt like this...especially such great people and parents.

Happy New Year!

 We are all still alive...all sick, but still here.  Landon came down with this congestion stuff the night we returned from Georgia, passed it to Luke by Christmas eve, and today I seem to officially have it.  Luke is doing the best on the road to recovery.  It seems to be viral and as though it will clear on it's own if given enough time.  I think the reason Landon's has hung on so long is that we didnt know how to treat it at first so his meds have had a harder time playing catch up.  It starts out slow and then just when you think it's clearing up it hits you like a mac truck in the chest.  With Luke we just put him straight on a decongestant, expectorant, suppressant cocktail.  Landon was a little more hit and miss....me, well, there's not much I can take so I'm just really hopped up on Vitamin C.  LoL!  I dont think I have ever ate so much fruit in my life.  I dont feel that bad, just full in my chest.

Even being sick we had a pretty good Christmas.  Luke got a few Wii games, some pj's, undies, legos, helmet for his go cart, clothes, toys...the usual haul. LoL!  I think Landon and I have had more fun with is Epic Mickey game than he has.  Lynsey got him Mater's Tall Tales, which he LOVES.  LoL!  He officially declared her the best Aunt ever upon opening it. 

Today marks  28 weeks...and we are officially in the 3rd trimester!  FINALLY!  He is so much more active too!  Little man is all over the place pretty much all of the time.  We have dubbed him and Luke Thing 1 and Thing 2.  I have a feel that together they are going to give me a run for my money.  LoL!  I cant wait!  Dad and Landon keep making fun of me because I have all of my newborn size clothes in the front room.  Every day I unfold them, lay them out, refold them, restack them, move the piles....we do this a few times each day.  I'm trying really hard to not do laundry and pack hospital bags, but it's getting really hard now that I can say I'm in my 3rd trimester.  Just something about knowing that makes me NEED to be completely prepared at all times to be able to grab them and go.  With Luke I think I packed my bag the week before.  LoL!  I suppose that is the difference between being 18 and unplanned and 25 and some what planned.  LoL.  I know what to expect and I cant wait!  HaHa!  I know the act of Daniel being born will be hard, but I also have a great support team that will be with me this time, and I know how awesome it is to hold and nurse a new born.  I seriously cannot wait!  I think that loosing Vanessa has made a difference too.  I was ready once and it all went down the drain...Now it is really happening and it seems that that anticipation of having her has carried over into the arrival of Daniel.  It's nice to have something concrete to look forward too though :)

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: We go back to the doctor on the 6th so I will know better then...for now we will go with 35 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Of course.

Stretch marks? No new ones since the last time I did this...but there are new ones for Daniel.

Sleep: Insomnia.

Best moment this week: All the kicks and jabs!

Movement: There is a pretty permanent rave going on in there.

Food cravings: Oranges, fried chicken, fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I get motion sick real easy.

Have you started to show yet: I was getting asked if we were shooting for having our baby before the new year...I would just smile and say "No, not till the end of March."  To which I would then be questioned, "Oh, My!  Are you having twins?"  I really am getting tired of the twin thing.

Leakage: Yes
Gender prediction: Boy.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are starting up.  Not too bad though

Belly Button in or out?I really feel bad for my belly button.

Wedding rings on or off? Officially off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody.

Weekly Wisdom: Lotion is your friend.