No Baby Yet :(

My due date is officially today, but given all the signs I have had since Wednesday night I would have bet money that this baby would have been here by now. Wednesday night I was up most of the night because everytime I would get up to the bathroom or to help one of the kids I would have a serious contraction. They would go away when I would lay back down, but then I would just lay there watching the clock and planning how I was going to orchestrate the day- where the kids would go, calling into work, getting family here, etc. By 6:00 I decided to get up and take a shower see where the contractions were going. They were not regular or as strong as they were in the night so I decided to go to work. Barely made it through the work day and headed home thinking, okay, now this baby surely will come. Went for a walk, a few contractions coming. Got a decent nights sleep and woke up Friday ready to keep track of contractions. Went the the gym to walk and do elliptical to help the contractions continue. My dad and brother, David flew over to visit and go to lunch. Still keeping track of the contractions, but they ended up slowing down as I sat and visited with them for 2 hours. They got to be about 20-25 minutes apart, but then slowed way down. Went for another walk with Grey that evening, but the contractions didn't return. By this time I was getting frustrated. Surely, Saturday would be the day. I woke up Saturday in just a rotten of a mood as I had went to bed with on Friday. Made it through the day though- another trip to the gym, a trip to Walmart (that place on a Saturday should have put me into labor), the kids even went to a friend's house for a couple hours (thanks Anna!). But nothing. The contractions had all but stopped. Today, Sunday, I went to the first half of church and then came home. I have had a few contractions, but nothing to write home about yet. Justin is really wanting the day off from work tomorrow and I would love nothing else than to give that to him. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon and he will give the go ahead for induction either Tuesday or Wednesday. I am going to push for Tuesday. These days of waiting are just so long. And we feel like we need to just get this little guy here to move on the next thing in our life- packing and moving. I feel a little bad that I am not enjoying this last little bit of pregnancy. I just keep complaining about the moment and the fact that I am still uncomfortable and pregnant and not that we are soon going to have a little baby to take care of. Anyways, the next post will be of our little guy being welcomed to the world, hopefully happy and healthy.

And the blessings begin...

Last Thursday we got the blessed phone call that an offer came in for our house. Yes, only 20 days on the market and we got an offer! If that isn't an answer to prayers and fasting, I don't know what is and more solidifies the fact that this is what we are suppose to be doing. Not only that, but we ended up getting our asking price as well! We do have to pay the buyers closing costs, but still! We still can't quite believe that it is for real. I know that it isn't over until it is signed off and turned over (one of the reasons I haven't mentioned it on here yet- haven't wanted to jinx it!), but we are excited nonetheless. The one semi-down side is that they want to close on April 19th which is now just over 5 weeks from now. We decided to not bicker with them about the date and just get to work. I will mean 2 more months without a mortgage and we just want to get the house officially sold and move on. We have already started to box things up and putting our plans together. I will go live with my parents with the kids for a couple months and Justin will stay here and finish out the school year. We haven't figured out where he will stay yet, but we aren't too worried yet about finding something for just the 7 weeks that we will need. The hardest part is that we will be throwing a new baby in the mix at some time in the very near future. My official due date is a week from tomorrow and so far have only been dialated a fingertip. I have two more days of work next week, but I don't even care if I make it though those or not. This last week was pretty hard at work. I am just so much more uncomfortable this time around, even with being so pregnant with Grey in the middle of the hot summer. I feel like my pelvis is about ready to split open all the time and it is rather painful. Maybe the doctor will have some sympathy and we can help things along sooner rather than later...we go back Tuesday afternoon to check everything out again. Stay posted for the arrival of this hopefully sweet little baby boy who will help us with the move by sleeping LOTS!

Update

So a few tidbits of info that has been happening around here. Mainly high stress. Just so much unknown which isn't fun to deal with. Our house is officially on the market and has been for a couple weeks. We had an agent show it yesterday and am hopeful for another showing next week sometime. It is a good house, it just stinks that we are trying to sell it when the market is so bad. Better this year than last I suppose. And it is better that spring is coming which makes people look a little bit more at houses.

My parents got their call! And they will be spending the next three years in.....

St. George, Utah

This was big suprise considering it wasn't even one of the options. It is actually a brand new mission which will be a good challenge for them. My mom especially is thrilled because it is so easy to get to for us to come visit. And very family friendly too. The mission covers a huge portion of Utah too so they will be doing a lot of traveling throughout the southern half of the state.

My pregnancy is zooming by. I went to the doctor today and everything seems to be right on track. He is even going to check my cervix next time and maybe even strip my membranes. I have been having irregular contractions and Justin swears that this baby is going to come early. I have doubts about that, but I have been very wrong about just about everything with this pregnancy so who knows. I want to make it through my last day of work on the 18th (just a couple days before my due date), but maybe it won't be that way. I feel like I have hardly done anything to prepare for this baby to come. We even need to do a little shopping for him as I have realized that having a baby in March is far different clothing-wise than a baby in July. We need a few warmer things! This is me last Sunday at 35 weeks:

Today Grey was being such a ham for the camera today so I will finish with a couple fun pictures of him. Don't mind the gash on his forhead. He had an encounter with the wall and the wall obviously wone. Elliot was at preschool or else I would have gotten her pretty face too. Next time.

Our Announcement

Since I am already pregnant you know that can't be it and those on facebook already know our news. My dad has been called to serve as a mission president (place to be determined) entering the Missionary Training Center with my mom on June 23. This is an announcement enough, but in addition, Justin and I will be moving to Arlington to live in their house and take care of their properties and such for the next 3 years. It has been a tough decision because we have grown to like Ephrata. Justin loves his job at the high school and I have a good job as well and leaving them is scary. We have a house here and friends and are comfortable here. But we both feel like this is the right thing to be doing to serve my parents and to serve the Lord. Plus living 3 years mortgage free will be a nice perk. This has been in the works for a long time (like 13 or 14 months), but just recently could start telling people as it has become official. And now the big task at hand is to sell our house. We have talked with a couple agents and would so rather not have to waste money on their services. We are going to try to spread the word as much as possible, put up a sign with flyers, an ad in the paper and see what happens. We will set a date that we will have to sign with an agent to help us out. We really want to have it sold by the end of the school year, but could even move out sooner if the right person came along. We have had a couple people talk to us about it and one family came to look. We are trying to have faith that since this is what we are suppose to do that the Lord will provide. Another stress is that Justin can't even really start looking for a job until about May because teacher jobs aren't posted until then. There are a lot of schools within about a 30 mile radius though which is a plus. I am excited to be closer to some old friends and fun things to do, not so excited about the weather and traffic. And wherever my parents end up, we will be able to go visit. It will be English speaking so probably state-side, but could be Australia, Canada, London, South Africa to name a few. We will keep everyone posted.

And as for the house, anyone that may know of anyone interested in buying in Ephrata spread the word! Here are a few specs of the house:
Address: 209 Columbia
2100 square feet (1050 ground floor, 1050 finished basement)
3 bedrooms upstairs, 1 non-conforming bedroom and a bonus room downstairs
1.75 bathrooms
Hardwood floors all upstairs except slate tile in kitchen
Corian counter tops and stainless steel appliances (all stay- new 10/06)
Large family room in basement (fully carpeted- new 7/2007)
Large pantry and large laundry room
Single car detached garage
Storage shed in back and fenced backyard (new 5/07)
Asking price still is TBD but around $157,000 if we can go without an agent

Thanks to those already who have helped and supported us with this. Your thoughts and prayers and service are certainly not unnoticed or unappreciated!

More Signing

Grey is now over 18 months and still has yet to really say a word. I think he has said "mom" or "dad" and even "papa" once for grandpa, but not consistently at all. Now I even ask him to say something and he will shake his head no. We have been working lots on the signing though and it is crazy how much he knows and now how quickly he learns new signs. This is a peek at the majority of the signs he knows. I remembered "baby" and "apple" after we finished though and I am sure there are a few others that I forgot as well. The doctor wants us to really work on his vocabulary which I feel like we have, but now anytime I say "Say milk" he gives the sign. And in his world, he is right. He hears just fine and knows what we are talking about and could probably talk, but he is just being stubburn. He will probably one day wake up and say a full sentence and never look back. I am just glad that he is communicating and showing some sign of intelligence.

Our Big Purchase

Since we have been married, there have been several things that I said I would never do. I would never like country music. I would never have a baby sleep in our bed. I would never buy a mini van. Well, I have had to eat my words on everyone of those statements.

Justin and I have been going back and forth for quite awhile about what to do when the baby comes regarding our vehicles. My Highlander may have worked, but it would have been awfully tight with three carseats in the back. The suburban would have been okay too, but is a huge beast. I have been driving it on Mondays to pick up kids for preschool and realized that it is a pain to get the kids in and out of (and was getting worse and worse as my belly was growing). So we decided to bite the bullet and get a van. We had some stipulations though. We wanted a Honda or Toyota just because we figure it will run forever. We wanted leather if we could afford it. And I did not want it sand colored. We went to my parents' house over the long weekend and long story short, ended up coming home in our new van, a 2007 Honda Odyssey, rather than the Highlander.



It actually will hold as many people as the suburban (8). We have taken the middle seat out from between the two bucket seats so that kids can get into the back easier. The back seats collapse into the floor which is very nice for extra cargo space. The back is really deep for cargo too (I would have taken a picture, but it is full of our recycling to take to the recycling center tomorrow). We were able to get the leather which I love (heated seats!!) and the doors open on their own either with my key or with a button by the steering wheel. It only has 40,000 miles too which for a Honda is nothing. I loved my Highlander, but I have very quickly fallen in love with my van. And at least I feel like I can be a "cool van" mom in it!

What gives?!?

So if you have read my blog before or are a good friend, you have probably heard my struggles with getting Grey to sleep in his own bed. As I continued to get bigger and bigger, our bed was getting smaller and smaller and the need to get him out was very pressing. So we agonized for a few weeks and I read everything I could about getting your toddler to sleep in his bed through the night. And all of a sudden, we started doing pretty well. He still wakes a couple times in the night, but just needs a binkie and a love then lays himself right back down. Well, tonight it is 11:41- way past my bedtime- and I am down on the computer while he is crying in his bed. I have been in there 3 times already and he won't stay calmed down. He does okay for a few minutes and then starts crying again. What gives?!? Hopefully this is just a one night thing and that he gets with the program again. We don't need to go back to square one!