It's a Start!!!

Well, I told you that cousin George finally came by to put the culvert in the ditch, and fill in our backyard.

Remember what it looked like before:

Now here we are a week or so after the culvert (again):

Kevin has been busy setting the retaining wall, bringing in LOADS, and LOADS of dirt and rock, and finally getting things started. It's nice to actually have a place to begin now! In no time at all our back yard should begin to resemble the vision we've imagined! Not much yet...but it's a start!

Here are some pictures of the process for those of you who are interested...I know...It's not as exciting for you guys, but for me...I'm ecstatic!

Now onto the next step...concrete and more fill dirt!

It's a Dream All Right!!!

Last night my good friends Brandy and Ellie threw me a baby shower that was wonderful in so many ways. It wasn't your traditional baby shower, but instead a dinner and diapers shower. Dinner and Diapers you say? Yup...we went to a place called Dream Dinners, where they have all the food and ingredients you need...all chopped and ready for you to assemble. You simply read the recipe card, assemble accordingly, and take them home to your freezer to pull out at a later date and time. Genius I tell you.

My friends and family came to the shower bearing diapers of various sizes (you can never have to many right), and helped make several meals that Kevin and I put in the freezer to have in the weeks after our new little one arrives. It was great to see everyone, and such a wonderful gift to come home with. We still have clothes, blankets, bibs, etc, galore, but I think that Pasta Roni (Kevin's specialty) would get old after the first couple of nights...so actual meals he only has to "throw" together are perfect.

It was so much fun, that a group of us are planning a "date" night with our husbands where we all get together and prepare meals for our own families...should be a blast!

Thanks Brandy & Ellie for such a great shower...and thanks to all of you who blessed me with the diapers, and your excellent meal preparations!!!

Summer "time" or lack there of!!!

I've decided that trying to keep up this blog along with the many other things going on this summer, is going to be rather hard. I'm constantly on the go, running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and although I want to keep you all updated on my day to day ramblings...the time just slips away. I hope you all understand!!!

This blog is as much for me as it is for those of you who read it, so I'm definitely trying to find the time...I need the escape!

That all being said...here's the past week in a nutshell

* Got a bunch of plants from my aunts nursery and planted them in the front yard. Finally the front is looking like we've purposely tried to do something with the space!
* Kallen and the little neighbor girl Ellie (7 months his senior) have become quite close buds...always wanting to play together in the dirt and rocks between our houses. We keep joking that we'll have to watch those two in the upcoming years!!!
* We've had several days of contractions, but nothin' happening beyond that. At our doctors appointment on Tuesday, she said things are progressing great, and everything looks good! She also thinks the baby is about the size Kallen was at this point, so that's good...not too big we hope (especially with the VBAC and all!)
* I had our second to last quilting class before the "mystery" will be solved. By the way...I'm having so much fun with this that I think I'll have to do another!
* and, Just this morning Kevin's cousin came by to finally get the new culvert in the backyard...Yes...backfill again!!! (I'll show pictures of the work in progress later)

I guess that's all the major stuff aside from all the miscellaneous running of errands and cleaning the house. We should have a nesting instinct that kicks in at least once a year...not just when we're pregnant. This deep cleaning business is great!!!

I'm Blessed with the Best!!!

Being that it's Father's Day and all...I wanted to take a minute to give Kevin some much due praise, and thank him for everything he does for our family!

I am so blessed to have him in my life, and couldn't ask for a better man to be the father of my children! He doesn't get to see Kallen as much as he would like due to providing for our family with work and all...but the time they do spend together is extremely precious!

He is a compassionate, loving, caring, and fun man of God, and these days especially, filled with life. By the end of the day, I'm pretty worn out, and not a whole lot of "fun" for Kallen...Then daddy gets home and livens up the party! Kallen and him run around, play hide and seek, wrestle, and just plain be boys! Kallen runs to his arms the minute he hears the front door open, and bombards him with hugs and kisses galore! It is such a special relationship to see, and it brings me so much joy each and every day!

I can't wait to see Kevin with our new son or daughter, and see how that relationship differs in it's own special way from that with Kallen!

Thank you Kevin for being the man you are, for running our house the way you do, and for instilling such Godly values in our children! My hope is that they too grow up to be men and possibly women of God, and follow in your loving footsteps!

Happy Father's Day to all you daddy's out there!!!

Walk With Me, Daddy

Walk alongside me daddy

and hold my little hand.

I have so many things to learn

that I don't understand.

Teach me things to keep me safe

from dangers every day.

Show me how to do my best

at home, at school, at play.

Every child needs a gentle hand

to guide them as they grow.

So walk alongside me, daddy~

I have a long way to go.

Vivid Imaginations will have to do...for now at least!

Imagine nice green grass, clumps of birch trees scattered here and there, bright vibrant flowers, plants and bushes all around, a seasonal dry creek bed running along the beautiful new fence, etc., etc.,

Can't you see it!!! This is what our backyard actually looks like right now!












When we moved into our beautiful new house last September, our yard left much to be desired. The landscaping was not part of the purchase, leaving us to deal with the dusty, muddy "moat" that surrounded our humble abode! We at least wanted to get grass in the front yard before the winter came, and that we did! The front is getting there...not there yet, but we're getting there, and at least it looks decent to passers by!

The back yard on the other hand, looks straight out of a jungle. We have a seasonal creek that runs through the back yard, and before the rains came this year, we traded some work with Kevin's cousin who placed a culvert in the ditch, and covered it with fill dirt in order to give us the greatest square footage of grass. Yeah...It was beautiful.

Well, we miss judged the amount of water that flows through our little "seasonal" creek, and now we're back to square one. Kevin's cousin still owes us some time, but he's a very busy man...so now we're waiting. Once he can come place another culvert, and make an overflow creek bed, we can start doing things ourself. We need to drill some holes for the fence, move dirt around, build some retaining walls, bring in some gravel, set some concrete, prepare the ground, and get our yard going! Ahhh...we can't do anything until the ditch gets filled in, and we can't do that until the rain stops and it dries out.
So for now, we're waiting, and I get to look at our beautiful backyard each and every day...I imagine it of course!

False Alarm!!!

Sunday evening, we went over to some friends house, to help them install their new hot tub! I wasn't feeling the greatest...fatigued, sore, just kind of "blah". I told Kevin he was on "Kallen duty", because I didn't feel like I could chase him around their house all evening, and I was just going to sit in a chair in the corner and keep to myself! So I took it easy while we were there, and upon arriving home later that evening, I started having more regular contractions.

As I've mentioned before...I've been having miscellaneous contractions off and on for the past month or so. These were different. They were more consistent, and definitely more than just a tightening of the uterus like Braxton Hicks are. I went to bed, not thinking much of it, and woke up at 2:00 am with even stronger contractions that were 6 minutes apart, and lasting any where from 30-50 seconds each. Huh...I still have 4 1/2 weeks to go, and I was feeling a bit nervous that this baby was too early!

I called the "on-call" doctor who said to try and get some more rest, and to not be anxious about the timing. She said babies born at 36 weeks, and even before generally do "just fine", and not to worry! If I went to the hospital at that point, they wouldn't try to stop the labor, and I'd just be hanging out well before I needed to be there! Okay...I'll just try to get some sleep.

Yeah right! All that kept running through my mind was the fact that I was totally "not ready" for this little one to arrive, and I better get up and get some things done! We had just ran the dishwasher, so I needed to unload the dishes, my hospital bag wasn't exactly packed, and neither was Kallen's bag...oh Kallen...where's he going to go?, The birds cage and surrounding area need cleaned, the furniture should probably be moved so we can vacuum under it, etc., etc. Who wants to come home from the hospital with a brand new baby, and cheerios under the couch!!! Okay, so maybe I wasn't exactly thinking rationally. Kevin told me to calm down and just relax. Fine...a couple hours later, after counting contractions like a little kid counts sheep, I fell asleep!

I woke up yesterday morning, and like a mad woman started preparing for the possibility of our newest arrival! The contractions started to slow down a little, but they still weren't gone. I knew these weren't the kind of contractions to "write home about", but with the VBAC and possible complications, Kevin wanted to go see the doctor.
So we did. Everything looked great, the baby is doing great, and I'm 2 cm and 50% effaced. Well, as most of you know...women can be dialated 2 cm and more for several weeks before labor actually begins, so no big surprise. They sent us home and said I was in "false labor"! If I had wanted to go ahead with a repeat C-section, they would have admitted me then, and gone ahead and taken the baby...hmmmm tempting, but since I want to try and have a VBAC...no go!

Well...you all might be surprised, but in a way I'm relieved. I'm not fully ready for this little one, and to give up my one on one time with Kallen yet. Besides...each and every day that our little "bun" can cook, is better for them! Now don't get me wrong...I'm definitely uncomfortable and ready for this baby to "get out", but I want what's best for our little man or lady, and know it's all worth the wait in the end!

So here we are waiting for the "real alarm", and just riding through the false ones!!!

Just call me "Bird Lady"

So a couple of weeks ago Kevin called me and said there was a customer at the shop who was selling birds, and he wanted to know if he could bring some home. Ummmm...NO! I'm not a "bird" person, and never have been. Maybe a cool Parrott that talks or something, but these were little baby finches.

Okay, I thought it was settled...No birds. Well, I went into the shop later that week, and heard some chirping coming out of the bathroom. The secretary told me to go see YOUR little guys. MY little guys...What...I said NO! So there they were chirping away in their nice little cage...our birds. Kevin got them anyways because he thought Kallen would love them. Um, somebody tell me what my 18 month old son is going to do with two little birds that are smaller than his hand.

All I kept picturing was the part in "Dumb and Dumber" when the little blind boy is stroking a dead parakeet saying "pretty bird, pretty bird." I could see Kallen reaching his hand in the cage, grabbing one of the little guys and squeezing it. Kevin was mad because he said I get to buy Kallen things all the time, and now it was his turn. Yes Kevin, perfect gift for our son. The live little birds are totally the same thing as a little toy truck!

Well, whether I wanted them or not...we've got them. Two little finches. They are awfully cute, but all they do is chirp, chirp, chirp day in and day out. Kallen has been pretty good with them, but has figured out how to open the hatch, and wants them to come out and play! I better watch him a little closer these days!

Here are our little guys. Boss and Rosco (yes...as in the Dukes of Hazard) The Dukes is Kevin's favorite show, and one of the birds is short and stalky (Boss), and the other is the skinny sidekick (Rosco), who follows his buddies every move!

Huh...Who knew I'd ever have birds!

OUR plan...what's Gods'?

Kevin and I just got home from our 35 week Dr. Appointment, and thought we'd fill you all in on "the plan".

As of right now, the baby is definitely head down, and wedged in there pretty good! We still however have 5 weeks until the due date, meaning he or she could flip around at any time. If all goes well, our precious little babe will stay head down, and I'll be able to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). The doctors feel that we have a good chance for this because we only had the c-section due to Kallen being breech! They only allow VBAC's for patients that are "good candidates", and I guess I fall into that category! There are some risks with the VBAC, so we're trusting God that this baby will come into the world HIS way, and not ours. I really would like to try and have this baby without a C-Section, but if the Lord has other plans...then that's what will go with!!! If I don't go into labor on my own, they will not induce due to the risks, which means an automatic Cesarean on July 20th.

I've been having contractions throughout the day for the past few weeks, so the doctors are telling me to slow up a little and watch my activity level. They definitely want me to make it one more week, but obviously the longer this kiddo holds out, the better! I'm guessing these contractions are just a tease, and since the doctors are prepping us to go early...we'll pass up the due date for sure. Doesn't it always work that way!

Mommy Talk Monday

Birth Story:

I've been meaning to share this with all of you since we only have 5 1/2 weeks until our new little one arrives...so here it goes:

This is a copy of the letter that we sent with Kallen's birth announcement...It's a little long, but I hope you enjoy!

Hello everyone,

My name is Kallen, and I was born on November 8th at 4:55pm. I was born by Cesarean Section 2 weeks before my due date and weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces ans was 20 inches long. Here is my story.

Mom and Dad found out they were expecting me on St. Patrick's Day, the same day they brought home our new boat! Dad had a list of things he wanted before they started having kids, and the day he brought home the last thing on their list, I made my presence known!!! Pretty fitting I thought! The months that followed were full of joy and anticipation for everyone in the family. Mom and dad didn't want to know if I was a little boy or a little girl, so I always kept them guessing! It was really fun to be a surprise!

I didn't bother mom too much during her pregnancy, and in fact I just kind of hung out. It wasn't until I got stuck in the breech position that I gave her any troubles at all. I just couldn't get my head down into the position it needed to be fore mom to have a regular delivery. On November 7th the doctors tried to turn me around by pushing on my mommy's tummy, but I didn't like that very much, and just stayed put. It was obvious to me that I was causing her some discomfort, and I was tired of having my head jammed into her ribs, so that night the contractions started. Since the doctors didn't have any luck turning me, mom and dad planned to have me by C-Section on November 18th, but God and I had different plans. On Tuesday morning the 8th, my mom called the doctor who suggested we come in to get checked out. At 2:30 pm, the doctor told them to head to the hospital and get admitted because I was ready to come out! At 4:00 pm they wheeled us into the surgery room and pulled me out at 4:55 pm. I was so excited to hear my daddy yell "it's a boy" and couldn't wait to be in their arms!

After the doctors started to examine me, they noticed that I was a little "sluggish" and having a hard time breathing. I only got to see my mom for a split second before they ran me off to do a bunch of tests; at least dad was there to hold my hand through it all. I thought I would get to see my mom in her recovery room, but I was still not breathing well enough. As they wheeled her into the post-partum room, my nurse snuck me into the hall so mom could see me for another split second. Not near long enough if you ask me. After several tests and x-rays the doctors determined that I had more fluid in my lungs than normal and were worried about infection. They put an oxygen tent on me to try and give me more air, but that didn't seem to work. They they put a CPAP mask on as a last effort to try and get me breathing better before sending me to a better equipt NICU like Salem or Eugene. I still hadn't seen mom for more than a second, and was worried that they would send me away without being with her. At 9:45 pm, mom's angel labor and delivery nurse went to her room with a "hunch" that she needed to see me, and my grandpa sent out a special prayer request to the church. They wheeled her down to the nursery where she was able to touch me and talk with me, and that, along with the many prayers, was all I needed to pull out of my hard time! I still wasn't in the clear, but I was able to have the CPAP removed so I could try to breathe on my own. It wasn't until 3:30 in the morning that mom actually got to hold me. We waited almost 12 hours for that special time together and it was very emotional for all of us. The doctors and nurses continued to monitor my breathing and oxygen levels, while administering an IV, and I had to stay in the NICU for while longer until the pediatrician felt that I was okay to be in my mommy's room.

It was a scary couple of days for all of us, and definitely not what mommy and daddy were anticipating my birth to be like. With a lot of prayer and support from family and friends we made it through and are now happily adjusting to being a family. I can't wait to meet you all!

All my love (and my parent's too)

Kallen