Not quite time!

There have been many interesting things that have gone along with this pregnancy that I have not at all had with my others. I'm not here to complain about it... I'm just stating fact, and writing it down so I remember. (Possibly to help me remember why I never want to be pregnant again! lol!!) 

This pregnancy started out very rocky, and we worried that it would end in miscarriage again. Some people may not know that my body doesn't like to stay pregnant, so I have to be on medication for the first trimester just to keep the baby. There were 3 different times within the first 10 weeks that we feared this pregnancy would not last.  Once we had seen the heartbeat a few times and had multiple ultrasounds and felt comfortable finally telling people we were pregnant again was kind of bitter sweet. We were excited to finally tell, yet nervous that telling would only jinx us. But after several prayers and Preisthood blessings from my sweet husband, we made it through the nail biting first trimester, second trimester, and now almost through the third. However, like I said, there have been many things different this time around. There have been threats of bed rest due to high blood pressure, more aches and pains, contractions starting much sooner then I remembered with my other pregnancies, and many more sicknesses!!

So I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised when yesterday I went into preterm labor!!

I woke up at 2:30 am with bad cramps and soon after, the contractions started. I have contractions all the time, and they usually will only last for like and hour, be very irregular, then go away. So I just assumed that is what would happen this time to. But by 6 am, and several failed attempts to relax and make them stop, I decided it was time to wake up Patrick and have him call the Dr. So he did, and the Dr. told him to get me to the hospital RIGHT NOW! I think this sort of panicked poor Patrick a little. I think we were both just thinking that the Dr would give us some advice on what to do, or warning signs to watch for, or maybe even go into his office in a few hours when it opened, but that was not at all the case. So Patrick hurried and woke the boys and had them get dressed while we hurried and got dressed. Patrick called a friend and asked if we could drop the boys off and if she would take Brayden to school. (her son is in Brayden's class too) She said to bring them over, so we dropped them off there on our way to the hospital. 

As we drove down the freeway, I was really worried that Patrick would get pulled over! Those of you who live in Vegas know that the 215, especially around Aliante, has been swarming with speed traps over the past few weeks, and Patrick has already gotten a ticket from it, and I really didn't want him getting another one. I told him to slow down around this area, and he said if he got pulled over, he would just ask for a police escort to the hospital! Thank goodness it was still too early in the morning for any of the speed traps to be out. We get to the hospital and they hook me up to the monitors and just monitor me and the baby for several hours. At first the baby's heart rate was really fast, and we wondered if that was a bad thing or not. But they didn't seem super worried about it, so we weren't going to stress about it till they told us to! After several tests, checks, and phone calls to my Dr. they decided to give me a shot to stop the contractions. It worked almost immediately! So they just monitored me for a while longer, because the meds they had just given me make your heart RACE and it made me feel very jittery and strange. They also informed me that I had a UTI, and that was most likely what had sent me into preterm labor. That was news to me!! I had no idea a UTI could send you into labor, but more importantly, I had NO IDEA I had one. Go figure!! Here I was just thinking I was having to go to the bathroom all the time cause of a 5 lbs baby dancing around on my bladder all day. So not long after lunchtime, we were sent home with antibiotics and instructions to rest and take it easy... and hopefully not come back for at least 3 more weeks. 

I must say, it's a little depressing and annoying being in beginning stages of labor, spending so much time in the hospital, and not get a baby out of it in the end! Hopefully next time I have to go to the hospital in labor, I can actually come home with a baby! I'm grateful for such a caring husband who took such good care of me and was so worried about me and the baby, and for great friends who I can call at 6:30 am and are willing to take my kids for the day, and others who are willing to help with even little things like driving Brayden to and from school!

Thanks everyone!!! 

The Big Day...

Brayden is OFFICIALLY a first grader!!

Brayden was so SUPER excited about going to 1st grade!! He was excited about everything about it... the new school clothes, his new backpack, and his very first lunchbox that he so carefully helped me pack his lunch in. He could hardly wait to get to school. 

Conner of course can't be left out of anything... he thinks he needs to be in first grade too. He's having kinda a hard time with the reality that he doesn't get to do EVERYTHING that his big brother gets to do, so we tried to ease the blow of this a little by letting him wear his new school clothes and I even ended up packing Conner the exact same lunch that Brayden took with him to school. It was so cute! He felt so important... just like his big brother!

Every morning and after recess, Brayden will line up on his classroom dot (his classroom number) with his teacher and then she takes all the kids into the classroom. It's a pretty good way of doing things since there were like a million kids everywhere. He felt all important that he was the very first one in line and got to help lead his class inside.

Brayden had a great first day! I asked him all about it and what his favorite thing was, and of course he said his favorite part of the day was getting to go to recess! He has been very excited to be able to eat lunch in the cafeteria like all the other big kids, so he said that was pretty cool too. I was worried that he wouldn't eat at all because he was so excited, and would rather play then waste time on boring things like eating lunch, but he did an ok job... especially for his first day. He only ate about half of his lunch, but that was still better then what I thought he would do. I think as he gets used to it all, he'll do better and better, and realize that there really is enough time for BOTH eating and playing. I think he is gonna do great this year and really learn a lot. 

I think it will take Conner some time to get used to his brother being gone all day. He did great until about 12:30 and then he went and got his shoes on and told me he was ready to go get Brayden from school. I told him we still had 2 hours until we were going to leave to pick him up, and he kept his shoes and hat on that whole time waiting to leave. It was cute, and kinda sad at the same time. I think it will be better when he gets to start preschool in a few weeks, then it will give him more to do then just hang out with boring old mom! I also may have to step it up with the play dates for him. Especially since I don't do much these days!  :)

But here is my sweet little Conner enjoying his lunch from his lunchbox. He was so content to have a lunch just like Brayden... and yes... we once again today had to pack Conner a lunch... just like his brother!

Brayden's Kindergarten Graduation

YAY for Brayden!!!

Today was his Kindergarten Graduation. 

They started out by singing a very cute song about moving on up to 1st grade. 

(It's to the tune "New York, New York")

They have been practicing it for quite a few days. Brayden would sing me bits and pieces of it as they were learning it. It was so cute, so I'm glad I got it on video. However, I totally realize it is the kinda thing that only the parents and/or grandparents will truly love... so the video is for the grandparents to see. Not that anyone else can't see it, I just get that whole watching other people's home movies thing is kinda dull sometimes. :)

(just FYI Brayden is the cute little guy just to the right of the mike stand in the back row)

So first, this is Brayden getting an award for reading. He was one of only a handful of kids in his class to receive this award. In order to get it, he had to read a certain amount of books and take and pass a comprehension test on them. 

Here he is getting his awards and shaking the hands of the Principal and Vice Principal.

 

Our Graduate!!  LOL!!

This was his teacher, Ms. Curth. Brayden really loved her for a teacher. She was so great with the kids, and Brayden defiantly learned a lot from her.  He is already saying that he will miss being in her class, but I assured him he'll still get to see her around school. 

Brayden is really looking forward to 1st grade and getting to be one of the "big" kids but most of all, he is excited to be able to eat lunch with his friends in the cafeteria. He's so funny, that is seriously what he talks about most about moving up a grade. I love how simple it is to please kids sometimes!

After the graduation, we headed back to his classroom for some refreshments. Conner was more then excited that he got to sit with his big brother and eat some cookies and cupcakes too. That sweet little boy doesn't want to be left out of anything his big brother gets to do.

At the end of the little graduation/award ceremony the principal introduced them as the class of 2021!! YIKES!!!! (yes that made me cry a little, I'm not gonna lie, but I will blame it on being 32 weeks pregnant!) Let's not jump too far ahead people!! I can't handle thinking of my sweet little baby boy graduating High School yet!!! I already know that it will come faster then I want it to. 

Great Job Brayden!!

We are so proud of how well you did in your first year of school!!!!

Such a great reminder....

I loved this!! 

The Big 4

I finally got around to taking Conner in to get his 4 year old pictures taken. I'm kinda obsessive about getting a picture of my kids every year on their birthday. When they are babies, I get it done every few months. It is just a thing that I'm really particular about. I love them!! Some I frame, some I put in their scrapbooks, and on occasion, I'm nice enough to send some to the grandparents. 

So here are some of the SUPER cute pics that we got of Conner last week. He was very excited to be able to get his picture taken. He looks so grown up!! He is very proud of being 4 years old now. He tells me all the time he can do it (whatever "it" may be) because he is 4 now!  LOL!!!

I just love this kid!!!

I'm just sayin is all...

Notice on my baby counter, I am now under 60 days?!?! Notice also that it is now August??? 

That means that now when people ask when I'm due... I can say "NEXT MONTH!" That at least sounds closer then saying 8 weeks.  It's the little things like that that will help me survive the last few months!  lol!!

(just FYI, I don't skip anywhere I go... it's more of a humorous waddle-walk thing that I have going on!)