I Should Be Folding Laundry

Do you know that I could say this any time, day or night, 365 days a year and it would be TRUE. Ahhhhh, the dark cloud (not the one on the Downy bottle) that constantly hangs over my head. I wonder if my kids will remember always having to dig clothes out of their baskets since their Mom never gets all of the laundry folded. I personally pat myself on the back for coming up with such an ingenious idea. They should be grateful that they only have to dig through their OWN baskets (I separate the clothes into their baskets right out of the dryer), rather than a mountain of the family laundry. And yes.....with seven people, it is indeed a mountain.
Mike started his job today. He says he is going to love the ER. I say I am going to love the pay checks....the first one scheduled to arrive on July 11th. I think I am going to frame it.
We bought a new van on Saturday. Nice, Honda Odyssey with more bells and whistles than we have ever experienced before. The kids are most excited about each having their own vent (with separate climate controls that can be turned off and on by Mom in case there is too much fighting or fidgeting) and overhead light!! Harrison loves the "cold heat" and I have to say that being sick and pregnant, this is by far my favorite feature. I warned the kids at the beginning of summer that we wouldn't be going to far until we got the AC in the other van fixed. The other van is now gone.....with all of it's quirks, hang-ups and problems that have been band-aided for the last year until school was done and we could afford repairs or a new van. The transmission was going.... as in dying going (we were putting fluid in at least twice a week) and started making some serious (scary) noises on our way home from Portland last Thursday. We applied for a loan on Friday, made the purchase on Saturday. ( Don't you love modern technology?) We couldn't get a loan for $2000.00 to fix the transmission, but could get a loan for a new van.
Just for history sake, I want to record all of the problems that we accommodated with our 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. This is not a complaint....it was good to us. We traded it in with 161,000 miles on it.
*Oil leak in the engine, which required a quart every5-6 days.
*Leak in the transmission which required the fluid be replaced at least twice a week. (both of these have resulted on a big dark spot in the drive way.)
*In order for the left blinker to work, you had to turn the hazards on first, put the blinker on, then turn the hazards off.
*We had to push on the trunk really hard with our foot, while pulling on the handle to get it to unlatch. Very tricky and annoying when it's raining and you are trying to load groceries or the stroller.
*Only one of the wiper fluid squirty things worked and it shot very low on the windshield. I don't know how I made it through mud season with that one.
*The engine always made a tick, tick, tick, tick, tick noise that we were afraid to have looked at by our mechanic. Somebody once told us a few years ago that it ( the engine) wouldn't last much longer.
*It had a dent in the passenger side where somebody hit us in the WM parking lot, but didn't leave a note. Since we only carried liability, it didn't get fixed and was starting to rust.
*If it was cold outside the power locks (that was the ONLY thing power on the van) didn't work and I had to go around with the key and unlock all the (3) doors.


By contrast, our new van has....
Key less entry.
Double sliding doors (soooo much easier when getting babies in and out).
CD player.
AC
Power windows and locks.
Anti lock brakes.
Traction control (it will come in very handy this winter).
Zippy...and I mean sports car zippy.....pick up and steering. (even with it full with the family).
Three heating/cooling zones with vents for every passenger.
L.A.T.C.H. (which means no more wrestling car seats into the correct position...very easy).
All the seats recline, even the very back one.
Huge trunk.
Stow away seating (which we will probably never use, but the extra storage space is nice).
Reading lights for every passenger. So nice for those late nights on the road. No more fighting about who gets to be accommodated....the sleeper or the reader?
Great stereo, sound system.
Cruise control.


We just hope we can convert it into an eight passenger come December. If not, we'll be trading it in.
KKS

Don't Mind Me

I am just a sick, irritable pregnant lady with no patience and no desire or motivation to do much of anything. Oh, and did I mention that I hate being pregnant? I feel bad for my kids, they have to put up with me. I feel bad for Mike, too, because he has to pick up the slack, which he does gladly, bless his heart. I find it very difficult to be pleasant when I feel like throwing up all the time. When I do throw up, I feel great for all of five minutes.
This baby was twelve weeks in utero on Saturday so I am looking forward to feeling better soon. I went to the doctor again yesterday. They drew blood for labs, did a pap and the initial pelvic exam. So far, so good. I also got to hear the heart beat. That is always a special moment, to hear that little engine roaring through the Doppler. It made me smile.
As you may have heard, Mike passed his state boards, is licensed and did get a job in the ER at Maine General. This is an answer to our prayers. He will start orientation as soon as he gets clearance from the doctor who did his physical. We're hoping he starts next week.
My favorite four old is no longer four. The happy-snappy, giggly girl had her fifth birthday on the twenty eighth of May. I told her she could be five as long as she stayed this cute. She agreed.
My eyes are burning....maybe I will actually be able to fall asleep before 2:00 tonight.

KKS

Where Am I?

We're still going around in the whirl wind of life. I was sorely mistaken when I thought that life would slow down after Mike was done with school. We have been catching up on things that were on hold for a while. Like dentist and doctor visits, yard work, housework, bike fixing, computer fixing, extended family issues, catching up with old friends, I've been able to rest alot because I have this horrible cold that I am having a hard time getting over and we have all been able to have a few lazy days.

The job hunt remains in full swing. Mike has had many interviews and one offer. The offer is from a hospital in Bangor at Acadia in the adolescent psyche unit. While this is a job he would really like, it's far away and we really want to stay here. If he took the job at Acadia, we would have to move north. He also had an outstanding interview at Maine General today for a position in the E.R. We really hope he gets this one. We could stay in this ward and it would relieve the pressure of an immediate move. He could commute until we move closer to Augusta.



SURPRISE!!! Barring all complications, we will become a family of eight right before Christmas. We found out last week that there is a little person growing in my belly. This makes pregnancy number ten and hopefully baby number six. It doesn't need to be said that this is unexpected and was (supposedly) being prevented. So I like to say that this is our "bonus baby." I had mixed feelings when I found out. I felt blessed but also really scared. I felt that we might eventually have another, but not before x,y and z (eliminated some risk factors) happened and most certainly not in December. I was most afraid that the doctor was going to advise me to terminate. I knew emotionally I could not handle that. So before we went to the doctor we did a whole lot of praying and felt at peace with this pregnancy.

The doctor explained in great detail what the risks were and relieved many of our fears. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had blown it up to be in my head. (I worry soooo much during pregnancy. Seriously, I think I need an anxiety med or something!) He basically said that we were going to worry alot (I don't need any help with that one), monitor me very closely and deal with problems if and when they arise. He did mention termination as an option, but did not advise it. We knew we weren't even going to consider it, because the Lord told us that everything would be fine. But it was great to know that he felt that it was probable that both me and baby would live. What a relief!!!

So, I am right in the middle of the pukey-sick stage. I gag at anything that has a smell stronger than water. I can't have a conversation with someone rocking in a chair, it makes me dizzy and therefor sick. I have to drive (even when Mike is with us) or else I get car sick. I have to breathe through my mouth when changing a poopy diaper so I don't gag. I can't brush my tongue. I have terrible heartburn (I love Pepcid). I am irritable and a rotten mother (just ask my kids). It takes alot of effort to be nice to people (I am asking for forgiveness in advance in case I offend any of you). I take a nap every day. I have to take frequent breaks during menial tasks like unloading the dishwasher. I sleep with a pitcher just in case I spontaneously puke in the night. My boobs hurt. My arm tingles at night. I crave cinnamon. I often feel sensory overload, especially when the kids are all around me, touching me. I feel itchy at night. Oh...and did I mention that I absolutley hate being pregnant? I love the baby, hate being pregnant. I know, I know. I will feel extremely guilty for saying that if I have another misscarriage. I always do. But I really do hate being pregnant. I can't deny it. I am one who writes on the calendar "week 10, week 11, week 12"........and so on, just because I like to know how much I have accomplised so far. For me, not being pregnant at the end of nine months is the best part, the baby is the bonus. So on Saturday I will be eleven weeks. All of my misscarriages have happened between eight and twelve weeks, so I like to think that I am almost "in the clear." There was no indication of a problem at my ultrasound on Monday. So we are praying that all will go well. As much as I complain, I really am thankful for this new life.

KKS