Can We Be Done Yet?

Well, by Thursday me and the kids were over the flu, but Lincoln started in. Then Lincoln got better...or so we thought. Now he's back at it again and his joints hurt as of this afternoon. We are thinking that this might be a little odd so I think I am making him go to the doctor tomorrow...just to make sure. Rather be safe than sorry.

We're at 33 weeks today! 7 more to go or as I keep saying...5-7. She has a new position. She figured out how to 'wrap' her little body around my front and kick (or punch) my left side. They say that you should sleep on your left side when you can...well when I do it, now I'm afraid that I am going to hurt her so I sleep sitting up now. I have noticed that sitting up I can breath better and get out of bed easier all night. A sure sign of the 'home stretch"!

Next Tuesday, the 3rd of April, Luke has Kindergarten Round-up. Wow. The next step to getting me to believe that my first born is actually entering the school system. Feels very weird and I am sure that it'll be even more weird in the late summer when we are getting school clothes and supplies and going to an open house to meet his teacher and figure out what bus to get on...and so on. Ashlyn still had a year before she goes to preschool. I am not entering her into the 3-year old preschool. It costs way too much to go to preschool. We're waiting until she's 4.

Wow, it's late again. I need to get to bed. I dread going to bed now because of how uncomfortable I am now. I know...quit complaining!!!!!!

Flu - Day 5

So...the kids had the flu into Tuesday even though I thought they were fine. We left them with Uncle Clinton and Aunt Bonnie Monday for our class and Ashlyn was still sick...poor, pregnant Bonnie having to deal with that. I guess it's good practice for the days she'll have more than one child in the house. :) Luke went to school Tuesday just fine though. Tuesday afternoon, I started in. Mine lasted all day Wednesday and today I was still a little weak because I didn't want to eat much. (Note: try not to skip meals when you are 8 months pregnant...it's not smart) Lincoln started in last night. He was doing a little better tonight, but still hadn't had much to eat. I am hoping by tomorrow night we are all OK and that'll be the end until next year. Here's to hoping.

As for that Labor & Delivery Review Class we went to Monday...I learned nothing new and there was nothing said that I didn't remember. Glad we went. (sarcasm...in case you couldn't tell) I did get to visit my friend Stacie and her new baby boy so it wasn't a totally wasted trip. On April 11th I have my 36 week check-up which is a big one...it means that I start going every week!! Those are great because then you know it's coming to an end. I do understand that it's a little ways off, but it's a great thing to look forward to. I cannot wait until I am holding that baby in my arms! (It means that she won't be kicking my organs anymore) :)

6-8 Weeks & Day 2 of Flu

Pregnancy...6-8 weeks left! I am praying for 6. It is hard for me to imagine that I will get bigger in the next 2 months. I feel like I can't stretch anymore. I also feel like if this baby grows anymore and makes me carry on more weight that I am going to need a wheel chair. Can't go there...this house is too old and the doorways too narrow to accommodate that. :) Seriously though...I can't believe that I will grow more than I have.

I've been home all day today with the kids. Ashlyn just now at almost 4:00pm is looking better. She was afraid to eat so I finally had to bribe her. Now she looks good. At least I have gotten caught up on washing baby clothes and cleaning upstairs. The extra hour of sleep I got this morning was great too. I am just now starting to get tired again though. No chance of an early bedtime tonight...we have Labor & Delivery Review Class at Red Wing Hospital. YAY!

Kids are calling for me...Gotta go.

So much for that...

Remember those flu shots that we thought we needed to get the kids? Why are they tossing their cookies all over the place today??? Ashlyn started at 12:30 this morning and Luke started in at 6 this morning. She went until about 3 or so and Luke...still going (it's almost 8). Lincoln is playing in a basketball tournament this weekend and me...well, I got about 3 hours of sleep last night (2 of those being the hours before Ashlyn got sick) and I was up at 5 yesterday morning so I am a little tired today. I am happy for Lincoln that he is getting to do his own thing this weekend, but I am secretly hoping that his day goes short and they come home (well, I do want them to win though). I really need to lay in my bed and sleep or this week is going to really be bad...my in-laws are going out-of-town which means I'll be running around more than usual between the farm, church & school. I'm getting too pregnant to be doing all that in one day without wearing myself out easily.

One of my best girlfriends had a baby boy at 3:15 yesterday morning. I can't wait to meet him. They haven't totally decided on the name yet, but she'll be there a couple more days. They have a 2 year old boy too. It was a little bit of a surprise...she wasn't due to have a c-section until Tuesday...even the most planned events can be surprises! I'm next in my group of friends to have a baby! I can't wait.

Well, my daughter now wants to "take a bath and get dressed on..." and my other kid has to get sick...the joys of motherhood!

31 Weeks...and counting.

It was suggested by someone that I should put a picture up of myself
being really pregnant, so here it is.

We Got Out Again

Well, we were able to get out and play on Friday afternoon right before lunch. It was a beautiful day. I figured I better get the kids out there before everything melts away. It had been so windy up until Friday. We made some snowmen (which the kids proceeded to destroy with branches) and we slid down our little hills on our butts. That, apparently, was way more fun than a sled. We spent about 45 minutes out there and then ate lunch. Hopefully we can get out there again before everything is gone. We'll see.

I'm 31 weeks pregnant today. Such a short time to go but yet so far away. We've been having issues with Ashlyn lately (I mean more so than usual for those who know her) and now I am a little nervous for the baby to get here. I am still looking forward to my vacation in the hospital though. That sounds so sad.

Why are curtains so expensive? JC Penney's had a huge curtain sale this weekend. I went to check it out. Sale???? Whatever. I found a lot I loved, but it would have cost me $720 to cover 6 windows, 3 in each room (living & dining) and that wasn't even including the hardware. $720...that was the sale price. That isn't a sale to me. Maybe I'll just put blankets up in the windows. That's cheaper. We have plenty of blankets around here. It's like trying to find crib bedding. Why does a crib bedding set of 4 (sheet, skirt, quilt, bumper) have to cost more than $100? Some sets are $500 alone. It shouldn't cost more to put bedding on a crib than it does to put bedding on a queen bed. Does it really cost that much to make something so small? That should be a crime. Alright, I'm done now. :)

Time for bed. I hate Monday's...OK, weekdays.

America Voted...and they aren't my 'Idol's'

I watched American Idol tonight. Now, I didn't watch the girls last night, but whoever didn't vote enough for the one woman and one man that should have stayed...I am not happy with them. I hope that someone important was watching and give those 2 the best break they could have. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And another thing, my favorite show, Grey's Anatomy...I am really sick of the re-runs. Just when they start new episodes they start in again with re-runs. It's getting old. I'm a little bitter because now that I am forcing myself to sit and watch TV at night I can't seem to find a show that isn't a re-run lately.

Why am I making myself sit down??? Because I have noticed that if I run myself to thin in a day (and I do this everyday, every week) I start having pains like contractions. If I settle down, I feel better. A no-brainer, but I will be bringing it up at my appointment next week. I may want to get this baby out, but she's not ready yet...not for another 7-10 weeks. (still hoping for 7) My other 2 pregnancies were so much easier...I don't get this.

On that note, it's after 11 and I need to go to bed. 'Nite!

My First Baby Is 5

"Wow, another monster truck!"

"Make a wish"

"Yeah, I'm five..."

My first baby is 5 now. He had a great birthday yesterday. He owns more monster trucks than he needs to, but he has an addiction and, well....you gotta be able to rely on family to enable it. We're enablers...I know. He also got a couple games, a Darth Vader (sp?) mask, some clothes and some money. We're going to the mall on Saturday so he can buy...Monster Trucks. Figures. We had a nice dinner at grandma & grandpa Sjoquist's house for grandma's and Luke's birthdays. Kindergarten, watch out, here comes Luke!

Just 'Cuz...

I got this picture in an e-mail and just thought it was kinda neat.

Photo Of Us

This is our little family...photo was taken 7-8-06 at Clinton & Bonnie's Wedding


This is a photo of the all us Sjoquist's...7-8-06, same wedding. Everyone is married now.

10 More Weeks.....

...medically anyway! I am hoping to have this baby in more like 7-8 weeks, but we'll see I guess. In about 7 weeks I am going to see what I can do to start that labor process. :) Everyone I tell that to thinks I am wrong, but they aren't me right now.

I wonder how may parents out there know what I am truly talking about when I say, "My kids had way too many clothes." I cleared out the kids' dressers to their current sizes. I then proceeded to take all the paper grocery bags that I have, haul them up to my bedroom and marked everyone with a sharpie by size. I then started tossing clothes in them. Boys on one side of the room and girls on the other. Once that was done, I then made my husband haul in all the rubbermaid totes of clothes from the garage. I went through every one, marked more bags and sorted. I only have two boxes left now to haul in from the garage. I also have a very crowded bedroom full of bags of clothes. Not one girl newborn outfit is going to work for this little girl because all Ashlyn's stuff was for winter. Figures. Oh-well. Nothing wrong with a baby wearing onsies all summer. :) I am planning on eBaying all the boy stuff with the exception of MN sports team outfits. It'll be a pain, but I don't have the storage space for it all. This sorting experience has made me see that they both had way too many clothes (at least I didn't buy more than half of them). Hand-me-downs are great until you have to store them, but man they save $$$$$. :)

Well, we finally got the kids outside on Saturday afternoon, but it's been so windy that they didn't spend more than 30 minutes out there. I wish the wind would just go away so we could get out there and make some snowmen. I included some pictures of the kids sliding on the big hill we have in the driveway. When you don't have natural hills you make 'em with skid loaders. :)

Daddy helping Ashlyn down the hill.


Daddy helping Luke down.


Daddy making a path down the hill to make it easier. What a dad.