What will I do with myself for the next 10 weeks????

Well, the garage sale went well. Nathan returned form his buisness trip, and Maddleyn still loves school. She now can say her full name and address! It's so cute to hear it! The girls leave in the morning for PA to visit their grandparents while we go to DC for 5 days. Nathan has a buisness trip and I am tagging along with him. I will probably be visitn gthe National Archives as well as some of the Smithsonians while he is at his confrence. I am also supposed to meet up with my best friend from College, Alicia, who is expecting her first little girl in Dec. But, this trip might get more complicated after our Dr visit today.

Well, we went to the OB today. It was my regualar check up, but I have been having more contractions, even through the progesterone shots. So, he said flat out that I am doing too much. Even though there is no dialation or thinning of the cervix yet, I am having way to many contractions for 22 weeks. His point was that we are not even to the viability point of 24 weeks yet, let alone anywhere close to delivering a healthy baby. So, he put me on partial bedrest. Basically I will be allowed up an hour in the morning and and hour in the afternoon to do whatever needs done around the house and then it's back on the couch for me. My first thought was...you're kidding??? I have two toddlers and a hubby who travels all the time? No way is that possible? But, my doctor scolded me and basically said you have already had one preterm baby at 36 weeks with problems...it's not worth risking/fooling around with these contractions especially at 22 weeks. He said that he wants me to be in bed until at least 32 weeks.....thats 10 more weeks...and then we would talk. He said a 32 weeker is still a tiny baby but much better than a 22 weeker. So, now Nathan and I are trying to figure out how to manage all of this with him traveling so much and two little girls who need constant attention. Yes, someone can come and help out during the days, but what about when they leave and before they come in the morning? Do I chases kids? We could go and stay with family, but I HATE the thought of uprooting our lives and home for the next AT LEAST 10 weeks? I mean the help would be great, but I really hate the thought of living in another person's home for the next 10 weeks basically loosing all routine we have, and just before the baby comes. Just when we think life is falling into a routine with Maddleyn's school, story hour, Nathan's trips, my ebay stuff, potty training Emma, and the baby on the way......we get a curve ball. So, now what??? Basically the woman in me got a slap in the face today. I am a control freak...do it all yourself...independent kinda person who now has to be on bed rest. This should be definitely a learning experience...or shall we say a test of my will and faith!

Oh yeah, still no name? Maybe it is a boy and that's why we can't choose?

My Little Preschooler!

Well we my baby is now a homeschooler! She started preschool yesterday and LOVES it! She was so cute! After finishing her work for the day she says..."But I wan tto do school again!" I told her we woudl have to wait until tomorrow! Cute huh? She really does pick up things fast thoguh! Just like her daddy!

Not too much to report today. Nathan is off on another campaign trip for the next three days. I am leaving in the morning for my parents' house for a couple of days. We are going to be having a garage sale there on Thur and Fri. Oh, a couple of friends had thier babies last night! Congrats Adavee and Kirsten! Welcome babies Lydia Jane and Lillie Ann! Such cute names! Now if baby #3 only had a name...huh! Nathan says it will come...but not yet! She is still just baby #3 for now!

So where was I?

I was in class that morning at Lee, just a normal Tuesday/Thursday schedual. After class I went to the sidewalk outside of my class' building to wait for Nathan. It was where we always met after class so we could walk to chapel together. I remember him running up and saying have you heard? I was like what??? He then told me that there had been a plane fly into a building in NYC. I remember him telling someothere people and me saying honey, why don't you find out if it's true before you tell everyone. We then walked into chapel and found some seats. Nathan told me that he had been in class with a girl who heard it all on the radio on her way to school that morning. I remember pre-chapel was just like always, everyone was laughing, meeting up with friends, and such. Nothing different than always. Then there was this girl who got up on stage before everyone and said does no one know what is going on? She continued on about all those poor people and thier families and how we should be more respectful and not be goofing off. The problem was that no one had any clue what was happening outside of Lee that morning. We had all gotten up, gone to class, adn now waiting for chapel, just like everyone else. I remember that during chapel they had told us the news and then shortly afterwards they turned on the huge screen projectors in the audorium to the news. We all just stood there, not leaving for class yet, kinda in this blur. I remember them playing the replay clip of the first plane hitting the towers and it was surreal. I remember thinking it looks no different than an action movie clip? Are we as a society that numbed out that it did not horrify me to see that plane crashing in to that building. To me it wasn't real, just a story on the news. The USA couldn't be attacked? We were invincible! But yet, we weren't. Those were real people who had real families and real lives. It wasn't just a movie, it was something happening before our eyes that would change our lives forever.

They say each generation has it's big event. My mom's was when Kennedy got shot. My grandmother had 2, Pearl Harbor and the great depression. See after each of these events, our lives as Americans changed forever. Not always a bad change, but it would never be the same again. You see the first hint of a change in our lives was that Nathan had just returned from his basic training for the Army National Guard. As soon as he found out he called his unit to see what he had to do. He was told that they were on standby and that he was not to leave the state? But the National Guard was a one-weekend-a-month-pay-for-college-sandbag-tornado-clean-up kinda job? They don't do terrorists attacks do they? Little did we know that they did and that this new war on terror would end up taking Nathan half way around the world hunting for men capable of doing things such as another 911. Another change in our lives was that we are no longer bullet proof. We now have to be on our guard protecting ourselves from that evil that wants to hurt and destroy everything we know as good. I for one am totally for this even if it includes giving up some of my so-called civil liberties such as taking a coffee on an airplane, having my bags x-rayed and possibly even opened, having the possibility of someone listening in on a phone call of mine (not that they would though because it's only those who have a HISTORY OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES), or even going through a metal detector to enter a government building. I say, hey if it keeps my family and I safe, you're more than welcome to imposse on us! Many people think we are still living in a pre-911 world...we're not. The game has changed and now we have to defend the goal line from the enemy, not just always be on offence in their half of the endzone. On that Tuesday morning they brought the game to us here. When Nathan is asked if he thinks we should still be in Iraq or if he should have gone, he always says the same thing.......I would much rather spend 18 months away from my family in Iraq then for the war to come here to my girls.

It's a ????????

Well as you can probably tell by the photos, yesterday was the day to find out what we are getting for baby #3! We had our ultrasound yesterday...

and......

the nurse said.....

that we.....

should probably .......

buy P-I-N-K!!!!!!


Yep, it's a girl! Man were we surprised! I think just about everyone who knows us was expecting a boy! Not this time! So we are going to be the proud parents of 3 girls! WOW! We were so surprised that I spent this afternoon sorting through boys clothes to put on ebay and retuning a few outfits to Children's Place. Ok, so maybe we were jumping the gun a bit, but hey what's the chances that we would have a girl 3 times in a row? HaHa!

Maddelyn was not too happy! She actually cried when we told her! See, she wanted a girl originally, but then she realized that all her little friends at church have baby brothers. She says she already has a sister so she wanted a boy. When we told her, all she kept saying was "But I wanted a boy baby!...again and again! Poor thing. She was not happy until I told her that everyone we knew who was pregnant was also getting girl babies, so she was ok with that. My little girl is such the conformist! She has to be like everyone else!

Fall is Here and Emma Loves the Potty!!!

We had a wonderful time camping last weekend, eventhough it rained. Yes, typical fall weather...cool...and wet! Friday evenin we spent in the camper watching movies, but the girls did not mind that at all. Saturday morning we got up and went to Amish Country. We did some shopping at Lehman's hardwear store and a bulk food store and then had lunch at he little resteraunt we always go to in Kidron. We all had hamloaf...YUM! That is the only place I ever get it and I love hamloaf! Saturady afternoon Nathan came in and we spent the afternoon outside. I was muddy but not raining. It was nice to sit around the fire! It started raing Saturday night, but that did not stop us! We took a walk with umbrellas! My dad wire tied a HUGE golf umbrella onto the wagon and to the girls had their own tent! (Emma's newest word is brella.) Sunday was beautiful! My grandparents came down for the day and we celebrated my grandma's birthday with a cake. Nathan and Maddelyn really worked on riding her bike as well. My brother also came down for the day and spent the night with us. Monday was goregous, but of course that was the day we packed up and came home! That evening we had some friends over for a cook out and then a movie. What a nice holiday weekend.

**Note - I have cute pictures of camping, but blogger wont let me load them up??? I'll try again later.

Yesterady my mom took Maddelyn back to Willard, and Nathan was busy all day trying to meet a deadline, so it was just Emma and I. I figured that was a good day to try the ....learn to potty in one day method. So, we did. She did not get it quite a swell as Maddelyn did when we did it with her, but Maddelyn was 2 1/2 when we did her. Emma went three times in a row in the potty with no accidents! Well, after abotu two hours she had had enough potting and needed a nap...as did I! So we had to take a time out. After naps she was dry, but would not go for me. She ended up having an accident, as well as another one before bed? So I have no idea how it went....but I do know...she loves the potty!!!!!

Well, today is the day......we go for our ultrasound today to try to see what we are having! I will try to get some pictures, but I am not sure if they will let me or not. I'll be on later tonight or in the morning to let you all know...pink or blue??????

Bubbles Galore!

I am getting ready to head out the door for camping, but I thought I would leave you with a few pictures of the girls blowing bubbles with daddy a couple of weeks ago. They just love chasing the bubbles to pop them after daddy uses the big bubble wand.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend and try to take some time off to spend with the family!!!!