After a very long, drawn out process of trying to close on the house, we are finally in our new home!! The closing was a week ago yesterday, and we began moving that afternoon. Wouldn't you know it--the temp was 100 degrees when we began packing up the UHaul! It figures--when we moved to Grayson, it was the coldest day of the year--it was in the teens when the movers arrived and it took them over an hour to get their truck up our steep driveway in Douglasville. Of course, I wasn't even helping during that move--poor Noah had been sick for days, and we ended up at the pediatrician. They went to catheter Noah to test his urine, and he was so dehydrated that they couldn't get anything, so they rushed us to Scottish Rite. After 3 bags of IV fluid, we were released and got home late that Friday night. The movers had gotten everything into the house, but there was a lot to do. Unfortunately, Noah did not get better, and we ended up back at Scottish Rite on Sunday. A month later, Katie got a nasty case of the flu that kept her in bed for literally a week, and at one point, her fever got up to 106 degrees, and I rushed her to the hospital, where she also had some IV fluids. We had a rough start in Grayson, but we truly loved the area and made friends. It was only appropriate for us to move away from that house on the hottest day of the year after moving in on the coldest day of the year. I must admit, I'll take the heat ANY day over the cold. When it's cold, I can't help because I get too cold to move.
The move on Friday took 12 hours. Luck was on our side. UHaul said they had no big trucks for the weekend, and Chris' friends who had volunteered to help us move were all busy, so we were about the call movers when Chris' mom said her friends were willing to help. Chris went to UHaul to get a small truck, and was surprised to find out a large truck had just been returned and we could have it until 9 am on Saturday. Quickly, people began arriving to help us out. The kids went with Chris' parents for the weekend, and suddenly, we had about 10 people helping us out. God was looking out for us. Our next door neighbor in Grayson unexpectedly showed up to help, as well as Chris' co-worker and numerous other friends. We loaded up the truck and came to Dacula to unload it. It took 5 men to get our poor washer up the stairs, but they worked quickly and efficiently. Some people left after the truck was unloaded, but others stayed for another run back to Grayson for another truckload. The UHaul was unpacked for a second time around 3:30 am, and we ended up dropping it back off and stopping at Waffle House for some breakfast. We got to bed just as the sun was rising, and we got up aroundv 10:30 am. Chris had to work, but I went back to the Grayson house because our friends were helping to take the swingset apart and move it for us. We ended up moving for another 12 hours that day, and we had to get a new toilet for the downstairs half bath. Saturday night we went to be around 5 am, so at least the sun wasn't up yet. Chris let me sleep until 1 pm on Sunday, but he couldn't sleep, so he unpacked. We went back to Grayson to clean up the house, and we left it spotless. The bank rep. was so impressed on Monday! He said they would be able to put the house on the market immediately, and he thanked us profusely for keeping the house in such good condition. I had to scrub our new house because, unfortunately, the prior tenants did not care and left the house a filthy mess. I bleached the counters in the kitchen, and scrubs the floors. We had had the carpets dry cleaned and disinfected, and we replaced all of the toilet seats. We have begun replacing the crummy, dirty blinds with fresh plantation blinds, and we have painted the kids' bedrooms and bathroom. My poor kitchen has a really ugly floor, so I am hoping to pick up some hours at Van Adams to save up for a new floor! We will begin painting the family room and kitchen soon, because it desperately needs paint! The house was a fantastic deal, but it will take a lot of paint to get it looking great inside.
Now my stress is different--I'm stressed about making our house a home, which is nicer than worrying about getting the house!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Talkative
As we were driving home from the beach on Saturday, Katie and Aidan began talking--a lot! Soon, though, Noah decided to chime in.
"NIGHT-NIGHT!" he would scream.
"Sleep tight!" I would respond.
"NIGHT-NIGHT!" he would scream again.
This continued for quite some time. Soon, though, he began saying other things, such as Mommy, Daddy, Katie, Aidan, Noah, etc. For the first time that I can remember, he was constantly talking. Maybe it's not much of a conversation to some, but for us, this was huge!
"NIGHT-NIGHT!" he would scream.
"Sleep tight!" I would respond.
"NIGHT-NIGHT!" he would scream again.
This continued for quite some time. Soon, though, he began saying other things, such as Mommy, Daddy, Katie, Aidan, Noah, etc. For the first time that I can remember, he was constantly talking. Maybe it's not much of a conversation to some, but for us, this was huge!
The Potty Wars
Aidan began potty training last summer. We had to work with him diligently to get him to pee in the potty. He became comfortable enough to use his potty seat to pee, but refused to poop. This past winter, we ended up in the hospital because he became so constipated and we thought he was having an appendix attack. This spring, he became comfortable enough to stand when he pees, and, for the most part, he will use any toilet to take care of business, but he is still not potty trained overnight, so he still refuses to poop in the potty. Usually, he will go a week between poops, and by then, he's hurting a lot.
As we packed for Myrtle Beach a little over a week ago, I completely forgot to pack his potty seat for poops. Once we got to the beach house, I wasn't overly concerned because he rarely poops in the potty anyway, and I knew I had plenty of pull-ups for overnight use. We were at the beach on Friday when Aidan began dancing around.
"Aidan, do you need to poop?" I asked him.
"Yes, Mommy. Will you take me back to the beach house?"
"Yes, Aidan, but I expect you to actually poop if we walk all the way back to the house. If you do, I will give you some Coke as a reward."
Our pediatrician has recommend rewarding his pooping in the potty, and usually, at home, I will reward him with something non-food related, but at the beach, my resources were limited. He loves Coke, but it's not something he gets daily. I figured that might motivate him to take care of business. The beach house is enough of a walk from the part of the beach where we play that I did not want to walk all the way back only for him to refuse to potty.
Aidan happily walked back to the house. It was hot and sunny on Friday, and when we got to the house, he went to our bathroom. He was timid about not having a potty seat, but I promised to hold him so that he wouldn't fall in. As I helped him, he quickly took care of business. I was so proud of him!
"Mommy, can I have my Coke now?"
"Of course, Aidan. I am so proud of you!"
As we made our way back to the beach, Aidan boasted to everyone about pooping in the potty. He was in a fantastic mood from that point on.
We began driving home on Saturday, and, once again, Aidan said he needed to poop, but also said it wasn't urgent. When we got back to Grayson, he pooped in the potty again! We were impressed. However, the biggest surprise was yesterday--when he got up yesterday morning, he pooped in the potty for a third day in a row, and his pull-up was clean! Yes! Finally!! Maybe our potty war is finally coming to a close! For some reason, pooping in the potty at Myrtle Beach seemed to erase his fear of pooping in the potty. And for that, I am thrilled beyond words. Maybe he won't be constipated anymore. The past two days, he pooped without being bribed. Instead, he was simply proud of his accomplishment!
As we packed for Myrtle Beach a little over a week ago, I completely forgot to pack his potty seat for poops. Once we got to the beach house, I wasn't overly concerned because he rarely poops in the potty anyway, and I knew I had plenty of pull-ups for overnight use. We were at the beach on Friday when Aidan began dancing around.
"Aidan, do you need to poop?" I asked him.
"Yes, Mommy. Will you take me back to the beach house?"
"Yes, Aidan, but I expect you to actually poop if we walk all the way back to the house. If you do, I will give you some Coke as a reward."
Our pediatrician has recommend rewarding his pooping in the potty, and usually, at home, I will reward him with something non-food related, but at the beach, my resources were limited. He loves Coke, but it's not something he gets daily. I figured that might motivate him to take care of business. The beach house is enough of a walk from the part of the beach where we play that I did not want to walk all the way back only for him to refuse to potty.
Aidan happily walked back to the house. It was hot and sunny on Friday, and when we got to the house, he went to our bathroom. He was timid about not having a potty seat, but I promised to hold him so that he wouldn't fall in. As I helped him, he quickly took care of business. I was so proud of him!
"Mommy, can I have my Coke now?"
"Of course, Aidan. I am so proud of you!"
As we made our way back to the beach, Aidan boasted to everyone about pooping in the potty. He was in a fantastic mood from that point on.
We began driving home on Saturday, and, once again, Aidan said he needed to poop, but also said it wasn't urgent. When we got back to Grayson, he pooped in the potty again! We were impressed. However, the biggest surprise was yesterday--when he got up yesterday morning, he pooped in the potty for a third day in a row, and his pull-up was clean! Yes! Finally!! Maybe our potty war is finally coming to a close! For some reason, pooping in the potty at Myrtle Beach seemed to erase his fear of pooping in the potty. And for that, I am thrilled beyond words. Maybe he won't be constipated anymore. The past two days, he pooped without being bribed. Instead, he was simply proud of his accomplishment!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
"It's like a heat wave!"
Am I the only one who breaks a sweat walking outside for 60 seconds? My goodness, this heat is crazy! It's too hot to go to the park, play on our swingset, or even ride bikes. How in the world can I possibly entertain these children?
I went to IKEA for the first time in December. I met up with several of my Douglasville friends, and it was an interesting experience. Katie was at school, but Aidan and Noah loved playing with the slide, train table, and kitchen. We ate a delish lunch of swedish meatballs, and then my heart dropped. Noah had vanished! Literally! I had turned my back for about 30 seconds, and Noah was nowhere to been seen. My poor pregnant friend was stuck watching the "good" children while the rest of us frantically started running through IKEA. What felt like an eternity later, an employee guided us to Noah, who was running through the showrooms! Immediately, he was strapped into his stroller, and we called it a day!
However, I have decided to try to get better organized when we move, so I wanted to swing by IKEA again. Within the past month, Noah has gotten very good with sitting in his stroller when needed and following directions. Yesterday, we had a playdate at IKEA, and I took all three kids there. I even decided to brave the store without a stroller--nuts, I know! The walk inside the building was easy, and we quickly found our friends in the children's section. All of the children played on the beds and then found the tents, kitchen, and train table. Soon we decided lunch was in order. Katie and Noah had mac and cheese, but Aidan wanted a PB&J, and I had to have the meatballs again. We also had some chocolate cake! The kids played in the play area at the food court, and then we decided to walk the showrooms. This time, Noah stayed with us! In fact, all three kids were on their best behaviors! I was able to find some storage, and it was a very fun (and cool) afternoon.
Today, we met my parents for lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Apparently, the forecast called for near record temps, with readings close to 100*. Luckily, CFA has an indoor playground, so we figured this would be a good option. As soon as we got there, we saw the CFA cow outside waving. I knew that wouldn't last long, and sure enough, the cow came inside. Aidan is terrified of costumed characters, and cries every time we go to Chuck E. Cheese. To everyone's surprise, Aidan ran up and gave the cow a hug! The cow patted Noah on the head, and gave high 5s to everyone. We stayed at CFA for about 2 hours, watching the kids play, playing with the cow, and exchanging the kids' toys for ice cream!
By the time we got home, it was 100*, so I figured it would be a great day to cool off in the kiddie pool. I know about you, but I always think that the pool is too cold, because the hose water is always cold. Today, though, the water warmed up in about 5 minutes, and after a half hour, we had to pull the hose back out and add more cold water to the pool. Katie and Aidan took turns holding the hose and spraying everyone! They made rainbow water--coloring on the pavement with different color chalk and pouring water over the colors, thus creating rainbow water!
After an hour, we took baths and got dressed for bed, even though it was only 5:30 pm. We had dinner, and Noah went to go play in his room. I went to check on him, and he was fast asleep at 6:45 pm! I guess the heat wore him out! I can't wait to see how the kids handle the beach next week!
I went to IKEA for the first time in December. I met up with several of my Douglasville friends, and it was an interesting experience. Katie was at school, but Aidan and Noah loved playing with the slide, train table, and kitchen. We ate a delish lunch of swedish meatballs, and then my heart dropped. Noah had vanished! Literally! I had turned my back for about 30 seconds, and Noah was nowhere to been seen. My poor pregnant friend was stuck watching the "good" children while the rest of us frantically started running through IKEA. What felt like an eternity later, an employee guided us to Noah, who was running through the showrooms! Immediately, he was strapped into his stroller, and we called it a day!
However, I have decided to try to get better organized when we move, so I wanted to swing by IKEA again. Within the past month, Noah has gotten very good with sitting in his stroller when needed and following directions. Yesterday, we had a playdate at IKEA, and I took all three kids there. I even decided to brave the store without a stroller--nuts, I know! The walk inside the building was easy, and we quickly found our friends in the children's section. All of the children played on the beds and then found the tents, kitchen, and train table. Soon we decided lunch was in order. Katie and Noah had mac and cheese, but Aidan wanted a PB&J, and I had to have the meatballs again. We also had some chocolate cake! The kids played in the play area at the food court, and then we decided to walk the showrooms. This time, Noah stayed with us! In fact, all three kids were on their best behaviors! I was able to find some storage, and it was a very fun (and cool) afternoon.
Today, we met my parents for lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Apparently, the forecast called for near record temps, with readings close to 100*. Luckily, CFA has an indoor playground, so we figured this would be a good option. As soon as we got there, we saw the CFA cow outside waving. I knew that wouldn't last long, and sure enough, the cow came inside. Aidan is terrified of costumed characters, and cries every time we go to Chuck E. Cheese. To everyone's surprise, Aidan ran up and gave the cow a hug! The cow patted Noah on the head, and gave high 5s to everyone. We stayed at CFA for about 2 hours, watching the kids play, playing with the cow, and exchanging the kids' toys for ice cream!
By the time we got home, it was 100*, so I figured it would be a great day to cool off in the kiddie pool. I know about you, but I always think that the pool is too cold, because the hose water is always cold. Today, though, the water warmed up in about 5 minutes, and after a half hour, we had to pull the hose back out and add more cold water to the pool. Katie and Aidan took turns holding the hose and spraying everyone! They made rainbow water--coloring on the pavement with different color chalk and pouring water over the colors, thus creating rainbow water!
After an hour, we took baths and got dressed for bed, even though it was only 5:30 pm. We had dinner, and Noah went to go play in his room. I went to check on him, and he was fast asleep at 6:45 pm! I guess the heat wore him out! I can't wait to see how the kids handle the beach next week!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Independence Day!
Our Independence Day did not work out exactly as we had planned. Originally, we had planned to move last week and spend our day at the neighborhood pool, but since that did not happen, we had to come up with some new plans.
Our 4th of July got off to a slow start. I made blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, and we skipped church this week. We decided to go see the house again, so we grabbed some Checkers for lunch, and then we headed to Lowe's. I know--exciting stuff!! Actually, we thought it was kind of exciting. The occupants in the house decided to take the nice plantation blinds and leave us the flimsy, cheap blinds, so we are going to slowly convert all of the blinds. However, since we are going to be painting and fixing up numerous things, we are going to do it one room at a time from here on out. We did, however, decide to go ahead and replace the blinds in the kids' rooms since they tear up the cheap ones too easily. We also got some curtain rods for all of the rooms. We have pretty much decided on color themes for each room, and the kids picked out their own paint colors. I have already purchased a new bathroom set for the kids' bathroom--it's whales! Chris and I also found a new duvet set for our bedroom. Since we plan to stay at this house for awhile, we are redecorating, since I haven't really decorated a house since we left Winder in 2007.
We decided to go to see the fireworks that First Baptist Snellville puts on every year. We have been known to actually participate in the festivities, but more often, we go to Britt Elementary, which is next door to the church, and we have a perfect view of the fireworks without the crowds. We decided to have a tailgate dinner of KFC, and then we went to the school playground. The kids had a blast! Very few people were there, but Aidan's t-ball coach from last year was there, so that was fun catching up with him and his family. Unfortunately, by the time the fireworks were ready to begin, I was not feeling well. I can only eat Hebrew National hot dogs without getting ill, but I had decided to split a chili dog from Checkers with Chris because it sounded so good. I guess those 3 bites didn't agree with me, because my poor stomach was in knots, and I didn't really get to enjoy the fireworks. Noah did enjoy them, though--he kept saying "wow" every time they would burst in the sky! Katie, Aidan, and Noah all enjoyed the fireworks--for the first time ever!! By the time we got home, the kids were exhausted.
On Monday, Chris had the day off, so I went to work in the evening instead, and we took the kids to Lenora Park water park. It's the first time we've been all year, but the kids usually enjoy it. Last year, Noah only went once and couldn't really play because he was still so young, and then he was in the cast the rest of the summer. Aidan didn't really like the water park because he can't swim. I had decided to buy Aidan and Noah some Puddle Jumpers this year. One of my friends has one and gave it a great review, so I did some research online and found out that everyone liked the Puddle Jumpers. They are Coast Guard approved life vests that look like those inflatable swimmies, but they are much safer. Aidan has a fish Puddle Jumper, and Noah's is a turtle. For the first time ever, I was not nervous taking all three kids to the water park. Noah was hilarious--he would slide down the water slide and "dive" into the water, giggling the entire time! Aidan loved the lazy river--he even let go of us to float on his own. Katie put her swimming lessons to good use and practiced keeping herself afloat. After 3 hours, the kids were worn out!
We had a great holiday weekend, and can't wait to head to Myrtle Beach on Saturday!
Our 4th of July got off to a slow start. I made blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, and we skipped church this week. We decided to go see the house again, so we grabbed some Checkers for lunch, and then we headed to Lowe's. I know--exciting stuff!! Actually, we thought it was kind of exciting. The occupants in the house decided to take the nice plantation blinds and leave us the flimsy, cheap blinds, so we are going to slowly convert all of the blinds. However, since we are going to be painting and fixing up numerous things, we are going to do it one room at a time from here on out. We did, however, decide to go ahead and replace the blinds in the kids' rooms since they tear up the cheap ones too easily. We also got some curtain rods for all of the rooms. We have pretty much decided on color themes for each room, and the kids picked out their own paint colors. I have already purchased a new bathroom set for the kids' bathroom--it's whales! Chris and I also found a new duvet set for our bedroom. Since we plan to stay at this house for awhile, we are redecorating, since I haven't really decorated a house since we left Winder in 2007.
We decided to go to see the fireworks that First Baptist Snellville puts on every year. We have been known to actually participate in the festivities, but more often, we go to Britt Elementary, which is next door to the church, and we have a perfect view of the fireworks without the crowds. We decided to have a tailgate dinner of KFC, and then we went to the school playground. The kids had a blast! Very few people were there, but Aidan's t-ball coach from last year was there, so that was fun catching up with him and his family. Unfortunately, by the time the fireworks were ready to begin, I was not feeling well. I can only eat Hebrew National hot dogs without getting ill, but I had decided to split a chili dog from Checkers with Chris because it sounded so good. I guess those 3 bites didn't agree with me, because my poor stomach was in knots, and I didn't really get to enjoy the fireworks. Noah did enjoy them, though--he kept saying "wow" every time they would burst in the sky! Katie, Aidan, and Noah all enjoyed the fireworks--for the first time ever!! By the time we got home, the kids were exhausted.
On Monday, Chris had the day off, so I went to work in the evening instead, and we took the kids to Lenora Park water park. It's the first time we've been all year, but the kids usually enjoy it. Last year, Noah only went once and couldn't really play because he was still so young, and then he was in the cast the rest of the summer. Aidan didn't really like the water park because he can't swim. I had decided to buy Aidan and Noah some Puddle Jumpers this year. One of my friends has one and gave it a great review, so I did some research online and found out that everyone liked the Puddle Jumpers. They are Coast Guard approved life vests that look like those inflatable swimmies, but they are much safer. Aidan has a fish Puddle Jumper, and Noah's is a turtle. For the first time ever, I was not nervous taking all three kids to the water park. Noah was hilarious--he would slide down the water slide and "dive" into the water, giggling the entire time! Aidan loved the lazy river--he even let go of us to float on his own. Katie put her swimming lessons to good use and practiced keeping herself afloat. After 3 hours, the kids were worn out!
We had a great holiday weekend, and can't wait to head to Myrtle Beach on Saturday!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Patience
I am not a very patient person. I really do try to be. I think my kids have taught me a lot about patience, sometimes without even meaning to. I have learned to be calmer when I take all three of them out, and I have learned the things that set them off. When you're pregnant, you have to wait 9 months to meet this amazing person that you have felt grow inside of you for almost a year. Potty training--oh, yes, much patience is needed for that as well!
If I have learned one thing during this process of buying a short sale house, it's that I need to be patient, and that's been a challenge. I have so many ideas for ways to make the house our home that I am eager and want to get started. I feel like a child on Christmas--I can't wait to see my present!
When I wrote my post on Tuesday, I was very bitter, angry, and above all else, disappointed. There is only one other time I have felt that way, and it was in 2005. When Katie was about 18 months old, just after Christmas, Chris and I went to Cherokee, NC. It was our first trip since having Katie that she didn't go with us, but it was a much-needed break. After coming home, I found out I was pregnant and due in October, just after Katie's second birthday. I was so excited! My OB-GYN does not confirm pregnancies until you are at least 6-8 weeks along. The reason for this is that they do a free, early ultrasound to make sure everything is moving along as it should be, and the heart doesn't usually begin beating until around the 5th week of the pregnancy. I went in when I was 8 weeks pregnant. I was having morning sickness and felt very pregnant. When we looked at the ultrasound, though, I knew immediately something was wrong. I couldn't see the flickering of a heartbeat, and the baby wasn't as big as it should've been. I didn't understand--when I had a miscarriage before Katie, my pregnancy symptoms simply vanished and I began bleeding. This time, though, I was ill. I was not bleeding. I knew they had to be wrong, so I refused their advice of scheduling a D&C immediately and asked for another ultrasound and some bloodwork. When the bloodwork came back, I was indeed pregnant--my numbers of HGC were around 75,000, a good number for where I was in the pregnancy. However, my numbers from 2 days later dropped a little, so we had another ultrasound, and the baby was smaller. I felt empty inside. I began crying, and I couldn't stop. Chris knew how upset I was, so we left Katie with his parents and headed out to Biloxi, MS because I wanted to go to a beach. We packed nothing. My crying continued most of the drive, but when we got there, I felt better. We didn't find a hotel room until 3 am, but we ate Whattaburger and talked. We went dancing. Basically, we got away. The next day, we went to the beach and enjoyed the salt air for a bit, then we drove back home. I had my D&C on March 16, and vividly remember watching "The Incredibles" with Chris and Katie that night. However, the worst was yet to come. After my surgery, they tested the pregnancy materials and discovered that I had had a partial molar pregnancy. This means the child had an extra set of genes, but the worst part was that a molar pregnancy, even when removed surgically, could come back and spread like cancer in my uterus. I didn't know how things could get worse, but they did. My dr. recommended not getting pregnant for a year, and I would have tests often to test my HGC levels. Once they hit 0, I would be told to wait 3 more months and then I could try again. My patience was maxed out. Not only would I never meet that child, I wasn't allowed to get pregnant again for a YEAR! That felt like an eternity to me. I knew in my heart God must have a plan, but I felt alone. I started having weekly tests, and my HGC levels dropped drastically after 1 week. By the time it had been a month since my surgery, my levels hit 0. At that time, I was told to wait the 3 months, but then I could try again and not wait the year. After 2 months, I discovered I was pregnant. My doctor wasn't happy, but immediately began tests, and the baby was healthy. At 14 weeks, I began bleeding, and I couldn't stand the thought of another miscarriage. I went to the doctor, and the ultrasound not only revealed a healthy baby, but we found out it was a boy due on Valentine's Day! Aidan was born on Feb. 7, 2006, and was quite healthy. Sometimes I wonder what the other child would've been like, but I know that Aidan was meant to be here instead. He's a loving, sweet boy, and I cannot imagine our family without him.
So, even though I'm disappointed that I'm not in the new house today, as we planned, I know that we will be. Somehow, some way, things will work out, and my patience will be rewarded. We are blessed that Ironstone, the bank that owns our current rental house, has agreed to let us stay indefinately, and we do not pay rent, either. Every month that goes by without rent or mortgage means we are saving that much more money in our account, building up a bigger nest egg. I couldn't see it the other day, but I'm beginning to see the hidden blessing in waiting.
If I have learned one thing during this process of buying a short sale house, it's that I need to be patient, and that's been a challenge. I have so many ideas for ways to make the house our home that I am eager and want to get started. I feel like a child on Christmas--I can't wait to see my present!
When I wrote my post on Tuesday, I was very bitter, angry, and above all else, disappointed. There is only one other time I have felt that way, and it was in 2005. When Katie was about 18 months old, just after Christmas, Chris and I went to Cherokee, NC. It was our first trip since having Katie that she didn't go with us, but it was a much-needed break. After coming home, I found out I was pregnant and due in October, just after Katie's second birthday. I was so excited! My OB-GYN does not confirm pregnancies until you are at least 6-8 weeks along. The reason for this is that they do a free, early ultrasound to make sure everything is moving along as it should be, and the heart doesn't usually begin beating until around the 5th week of the pregnancy. I went in when I was 8 weeks pregnant. I was having morning sickness and felt very pregnant. When we looked at the ultrasound, though, I knew immediately something was wrong. I couldn't see the flickering of a heartbeat, and the baby wasn't as big as it should've been. I didn't understand--when I had a miscarriage before Katie, my pregnancy symptoms simply vanished and I began bleeding. This time, though, I was ill. I was not bleeding. I knew they had to be wrong, so I refused their advice of scheduling a D&C immediately and asked for another ultrasound and some bloodwork. When the bloodwork came back, I was indeed pregnant--my numbers of HGC were around 75,000, a good number for where I was in the pregnancy. However, my numbers from 2 days later dropped a little, so we had another ultrasound, and the baby was smaller. I felt empty inside. I began crying, and I couldn't stop. Chris knew how upset I was, so we left Katie with his parents and headed out to Biloxi, MS because I wanted to go to a beach. We packed nothing. My crying continued most of the drive, but when we got there, I felt better. We didn't find a hotel room until 3 am, but we ate Whattaburger and talked. We went dancing. Basically, we got away. The next day, we went to the beach and enjoyed the salt air for a bit, then we drove back home. I had my D&C on March 16, and vividly remember watching "The Incredibles" with Chris and Katie that night. However, the worst was yet to come. After my surgery, they tested the pregnancy materials and discovered that I had had a partial molar pregnancy. This means the child had an extra set of genes, but the worst part was that a molar pregnancy, even when removed surgically, could come back and spread like cancer in my uterus. I didn't know how things could get worse, but they did. My dr. recommended not getting pregnant for a year, and I would have tests often to test my HGC levels. Once they hit 0, I would be told to wait 3 more months and then I could try again. My patience was maxed out. Not only would I never meet that child, I wasn't allowed to get pregnant again for a YEAR! That felt like an eternity to me. I knew in my heart God must have a plan, but I felt alone. I started having weekly tests, and my HGC levels dropped drastically after 1 week. By the time it had been a month since my surgery, my levels hit 0. At that time, I was told to wait the 3 months, but then I could try again and not wait the year. After 2 months, I discovered I was pregnant. My doctor wasn't happy, but immediately began tests, and the baby was healthy. At 14 weeks, I began bleeding, and I couldn't stand the thought of another miscarriage. I went to the doctor, and the ultrasound not only revealed a healthy baby, but we found out it was a boy due on Valentine's Day! Aidan was born on Feb. 7, 2006, and was quite healthy. Sometimes I wonder what the other child would've been like, but I know that Aidan was meant to be here instead. He's a loving, sweet boy, and I cannot imagine our family without him.
So, even though I'm disappointed that I'm not in the new house today, as we planned, I know that we will be. Somehow, some way, things will work out, and my patience will be rewarded. We are blessed that Ironstone, the bank that owns our current rental house, has agreed to let us stay indefinately, and we do not pay rent, either. Every month that goes by without rent or mortgage means we are saving that much more money in our account, building up a bigger nest egg. I couldn't see it the other day, but I'm beginning to see the hidden blessing in waiting.
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