STILL coughing. If I didn't know better, I would say this was pneumonia....or TB. But, it is not...it just FEELS that way. LOL. Antibiotics are looming in the near future if this does not clear up by my next appointment on February 5th. I have had it since before Christmas, so I have certainly given it time.

I experienced my 39th birthday yesterday! Only one more year to be thirtysomthing. We actually celebrated it on Sunday, because last night was a cub scout pack meeting and a church council meeting for Bill. All my boys went shopping on Sunday, so I had a few hours to myself. They bought a chocolate truffle cake and Bill grilled some pork chops for dinner. I had requested some books etc. for my b-day, but, after dinner, the kids pushed a big box down the hall and inside was a vent-free gas fireplace insert! The plumber installed it yesterday, and now I can light a fire whenever I want! It is great. Very realistic, and it really puts out some heat! Much more than a regular log fire. It heats the living room and den!! I can remove it whenever we want a real log fire, so I can have the best of both worlds! It was a wonderfully thoughtful present, as Bill knows how much I love using the fireplace. The house I grew up in had a HUGE, stone fireplace in it and my Dad used to load it up with great big logs, and we would have the most awesome, warm fires roaring in it all winter. It is such a great memory for me, and I want to share it with my kids. But this fireplace is only half the size of the big, stone one back home, and it doesn't draft very well. So, unless the conditions are just right outside (wind etc), we get back draft and puffs of smoke into the house, and the smell does not go away very easily. So, this is a great compromise. I look forward to snuggling up to it this March with our newborn!!!

The contractor called and will not be able to get her this month. Urgh! He is hoping to be able to do it in February, but is not even sure about that. The job he is doing right now for the city had some big setbacks, so that is why the delay. I am so frustrated. I just don't want a construction zone in here when I bring the baby home! Oh well. We are all set up in our room for the baby, so we really don't need the room just yet. I was just hoping to get one more thing x'ed off the list before her arrival.

Bill painted the trim in the hall this weekend while it poured rain outside. And I mean poured. We woke up early in the morning on Saturday to a small drip, drip coming down from the bathroom cabinet near the ceiling. We went upstairs and there was a tiny leak in the roof. We put a pan under it, and will see what happens with the next rain. It is not surprising to us, as the roof is slate and was put on in 1957!! We have tons of spare shingles to patch it with, so it is not a big deal. Just one more thing to add to the "old house project" list.

Brag alert!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cory,(9) made highest honors this quarter in school!!! We are so proud of him. He missed it last quarter because he got a 93 in one of his classes. 94 or above qualifies for highest honors. This quarter, most of his grades were 97 or above, with only one 94. He really loves school, and it seems to come so easy to him. He takes after his Dad for sure (he graduated in the top 3% at UTMB) and both of his grandfathers. I hope he continues to love learning. That is the most important thing to me......for him to enjoy it and WANT to learn more and more.

Quinn is in a cast again. He has corrected clubfoot, so this is something we will do on and off during growth spurts while he is young. He had an ortho appointment last week, and all is well with his foot, but the doc wanted to stretch out his Achilles because it was getting a bit tight. He will have this cast on until the 3rd, then they will put another one on for one more week. After that, we will see. He takes it all in stride, and gets around really well. The first day was rough, because it is a heavy cast, and he could not walk on it until it dried.....and I forgot the stroller. Duh. So, I had to carry him back and forth to the car all day. 2 year old + plaster cast = one heavy little dude. Whew. The 2 hour ride home from San Antonio was rough too......the cast is heavy, and they positioned his foot to give a good heal stretch, which made it ache a bit. So I had to stop about 4 times to prop it on a pillow in his car seat. The pillow kept falling, and Quinn would cry, I would stop and prop it, and so on and so on. I was REALLY glad to get him home and on the couch. I am just thankful that surgery is not looming in our future with his foot. I'll take a cast any day! His doctor is so conservative and I love him for it! He corrected Quinn's foot non-surgically through physical therapy manipulations called the French Physiotherapy Method. He has a beautiful, healthy foot thanks to Dr. Wilkins and his wonderful physical therapist!

On to week 32 of this pregnancy!! I pray that February goes by quickly!! 9 more weeks left until my due date. Only 7 more weeks and I will be at the point where I delivered Cody and Quinn! She will come when she is ready, though. I have to tell you that Patience is the theme of this pregnancy!!!!!!!!!

Well, I ended up going to the doctor the day after my last post, and he went ahead and checked my cervix. It was high, firm and closed, so those were not effective contractions, thank God. He agreed with the afternoon rest and to keep hydrated. I have not had another episode of ctx since the 7th. They have slacked off considerably, and are just like normal Braxton Hicks now. Not sure what triggered them, but I suspect it had something to do with the baby's position and being very busy over the holidays.

I am still coughing! Have had this one since before Christmas and it is still hanging on. I hate coughing like this when I am pregnant!! It really wears me out. Amelia seems to be doing fine though. She is very active, and the kids have really been enjoying her belly gymnastics! I can put their hands on my belly, and they can feel her moving. Last night I was sitting on the couch and Cody (6) was watching her make big bulges in my belly and pushing them back in with his hand. He would laugh and laugh! He talks to her a lot, and says good night to her every evening. Cory(9)enjoys "belly watching" too when Amelia is in a feisty mood. He smiles his gorgeous smile and wants to touch her and feel her moving. Quinn (3) is totally not interested in seeing my belly move. He just doesn't have the patience to wait and watch. I am sure she will snag his attention a bit more after she is born.....especially when she takes His Majesty's spot in our bed. Yikes, I am hoping he takes it all in stride.

Bill will bring the bassinet down from the attic this afternoon. I was hoping he would get it down yesterday, but the evening slipped away and we never got it done. I am anxious to get it down and air it out. This will be the last time we will use it, as I think Amelia will be our last baby. I so enjoy having babies, so it will be hard to close that door of our life. We are not planning anything permanent, so never say never, but Bill is 46 and I will be 39 in a few days, so I think our ages play into this decision in a big way. Bill says if we had started having our kids earlier, age would not have played as big a part in our family size. We waited 4 years after our marriage to start our family, and I think we are so blessed to have 4 children come out of our lives together. Our lives have been intertwined for 16 years now and married for 13 years of that time. I feel like I have always known him. There is a song that reminds me of our relationship and one of the verses says; "The way we work together is what sets our love apart, so closely that we can't tell where I end and where you start". He is an extension of myself and when I am with him, I feel complete.

So, we will bring the bassinet down from the attic one last time, closing a chapter of our lives together, and with Amelia, opening another.


"Something That We Do"

I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
I still believe the words we said
Forever will ring true
Love is certain, love is kind
Love is yours and love is mine
But it isn't somethin' that we find
It's somethin' that we do
It's holdin' tight, lettin' go
It's flyin' high and layin' low
Let your strongest feelin' show
And your weekness too
It's a little and alot to ask
An endless and a welcome task
Love isn't somethin' that we have
It's somethin' that we do

Chorus:
We helped to make each other all that we can be
Though we can find our strength and inspiration independently
The way we work together is what sets our love apart
So closely that we can't tell where I end and where you start
It gives me heart rememberin' how
We started with a simple vow
There's so much to look back on now
Still it feels brand new
We're on a road that has no end
And each day we begin again
Love's not just somethin' that we're in
It's somethin' that we do

Chorus

Love is wide, love is long
Love is deep and love is strong
Love is why I love this song
And I hope you love it too
I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
Love isn't just those words we said
It's somethin' that we do
There's no request too big or small
We give ourselves, we give our all
Love isn't someplace that we fall
It's somethin' that we do

Water, water, water. I am drinking so much these days, I slosh when I walk. I have been having bouts of Braxton Hicks contractions that are pretty intense.....some very worrisome. Water and rest seem to help after a few hours. I always have BH with my pregnancies, usually they start around 18 weeks, but never this much. Maybe the difference is having 3 kids and staying busy. Whatever it is, I am trying hard to minimize activity in my life to prevent them. I had a bout of them yesterday afternoon that had me in tears with worry. So, I halted everything and got horizontal from around 2pm-8:30pm. They eased up during the evening, and are gone this morning. Whew. I am anxious to see this little girl, but not THAT anxious!!! 28 weeks is way too early! For that reason, I will be making mandatory horizontal time in the afternoons for 3 hours or so. Hopefully that will do the trick. I know that if I had called the doctor yesterday, he would have sent me to L&D for a non-stress test, fluids, and probably some mag or brethine after they saw the ctx. I don't want to panic if these are just normal BH preparing my uterus for labor. I checked my cervix (remember, I am an L&D nurse), and it was so high and posterior, I couldn't even get to it, which is where we want it. I will go in if need be, but for now I think it is just time to start making "chill time" a priority!

Bill finished the dining room!! Or should I say, the den. The wood walls are sanded and glossed, trim is all painted, and the molding is all in place now!! We dismantled the never used dining room table, and converted the room into a wonderful family room. My mom got us a leather couch for Christmas/my birthday, and we moved the T.V. and book shelves in there. It is sooooo warm and cozy! It is exactly how I pictured it! We call it the cave and we LIVE in that room now. It is right off of the kitchen, so I can keep an eye on the kiddos while cooking. It also affords some privacy, as I can close all the French doors and have a place to go and "hide" from visitors etc. It will be a perfect postpartum/nursing retreat area!!! The old "den" is now the living room and computer center. It looks wonderful too, and we still use it frequently. The house feels so much larger now with more useful space!!! Will post some pictures on the babies website.

I am trying to slowly get all the baby stuff together. I seem to have most everything I need, except a bouncy seat. My MIL said she would pick one up for me. We still do not have a room for this baby, so she will be bunking with us for a while!! We always co-sleep, so this is not a problem for us. We have a bassinet that was originally made by my grandmother, then restored by my mother due to some aging damage. It is so beautiful.......all lace and satin. We use it for naps and such for the first 3-4 months, so no need to assemble the crib just yet.

I am officially 28 weeks now! I consider myself in the "10 week countdown", as I have had the last 2 kiddos at 38 weeks. But, every pregnancy is different, so we will see!!!