Heading North...

First I have to say that Zach and Jamie are fine. She ended up evacuating with the kids to Florida while he had to stay at the shelter on base (something to do with his military job). He checked their house today, and its pretty much unharmed! Not even flooding. How great is that!!! There was virtually no news/pictures about their city even though its right next to Biloxi, so I felt that was a good sign that it faired well.

I have spent the last couple days watching/reading coverage on Katrina and I can say my heart has broken a hundred times. It seems the stories just get sadder. This morning I read about a mom who returned from her workplace where she rode the storm out, only to find her husband and two year old dead. After I read that all I could do was hold my two year old.

Meanwhile, I am packing for our trip to the U.P. We will be leaving tomorrow and returning next Tuesday. We haven't been up there in over a year so we are making the trip for my 10 year reunion.

Anyway, I will be back next week! Unless we can't afford to fill up the tank to get back home and get stranded up there!

Body Wave 

Body wave -back 

Bullets

• I don't think anybody captures kids on camera as well as Sandy. Here are some fabulous pics of our boys on her website.
• One of my favorite things about breastfeeding? Its something only I can do for my baby. One of the hardest things about breastfeeding? Its something only I can do for my baby.
• Keeping a close eye on Hurricane Katrina. We have family in Southern Mississippi.
  
• My hair crisis from April is officially over, I got a body wave which i'm very happy with.
• Yesterday, Sammy decided to use our apple slicer on a tomato. He was considerate enough to put the tomato in a plastic bowl first (many thanks for that).
  

Matching Boo Boos . Isaac fell off his bike, Sammy ran into something (not sure what). The funny thing is we ran into friends at the mall today and their son had a cut and a bump on his head in the same spot 

Bloggiversary

Today marks one year since I started blogging! I started contemplating a blog quite awhile before I actually started mine, Sandy starting her blog gave me that little extra push I needed. I have to say the best part is how many friends and family have started blogs this past year. Reading them makes me feel connected to loved ones that I would otherwise have a hard time staying connected with. So, if you are out there and haven't started a blog yet, now is the time! :D

:D 

More Pics

Baby Brains, Boys, Blessings

I discovered something cool about having a baby nearly two weeks late. Their brain is two weeks ahead in development! Now, I have not done research to see if its been scientifically proven but it seems that way to me. I am not one to exaggerate, so believe me when I say that Jonah is starting to smile already! I'm talking the wide awake, staring at my face smile. I kept dismissing it, saying "no..." but really its getting hard to deny. When I have a minute, I will try and find out what the "experts" say about this.

I have brought all four boys to the library twice now. I figured its the best place to go for practice before I really have to go somwhere with all of them. Its not a long distance from van to building, there is a huge children's section with nothing they can break, its free, and the librarian (who I know well) is more than happy to hold the baby.

I have to say we have been extremely blessed by our friends and family. We have had dinner provided for us for two weeks now. Wednesday was the one day this week that we didn't have somebody bringing us dinner and low and behold the door bell rings in the afternoon and there is another friend just dropping off a meal! Also, the gifts from family, and the gift cards from our church and Jeremiah's co-workers. Really, I never expected it for our fourth boy. I already need to buy more thank you cards as I ran out of them.

The boys have not done me in yet...

I'm still alive, still surviving as the lone female in a home with five -five- males. I'm sure I would be subjecting myself to lectures if I told you all I have done in the last week. I really like the sling I made this past winter, it comes in very handy. I have gotten many comments on it, apparently many people have never seen a baby in a sling.

Isaac and Elijah have both concluded in their own way there is not a baby in my belly anymore. Elijah offically declared my belly as "not big anymore". Isaac told me that when I had a baby in my belly I took breaks on the couch, but I don't take breaks on the couch anymore.

Some highlights of the past week:

• Catching Samuel just as he was about to share his popsicle with Jonah.
• Elijah breastfeeding a stuffed animal.
  
• Trying not to freak out after Isaac carried Jonah into the kitchen to me.
  
• Jonah's "bedhead" after he wakes up. I have never had a baby have enough hair to actually get messed up :D
  

The men of the house 

Check out the facial expression 

Life with Four Boys...

Jeremiah and I both agree that -so far- adding another baby has been a pretty smooth transition. We were already tending to wants and needs all day long so it just doesn't feel like that much more work. I am feeling really good. I keep thinking back to how I felt after my c-section with Sammy, how I dreaded coughing, sneezing, getting out of bed ect... and I am just so thankful to be feeling this good.

Jonah saw the pediatrication this morning. He was just there for a routine newborn check. Everything looks perfect. He is only down a few ounces from his birthweight.

Maybe our first thumb sucker? 

Jonah is starting to wake up more and check things out.

Birthstory for all you birthstory junkies.

More pics: http://www.geocities.com/amleko/Jonah.html

Minus the 45 minutes of pitocin induced labor that I had, it was my easiest and least complicated birth. I started having contractions on Thursday night, they were pretty strong and close enough to wake me up every 15 minutes but they just would not pick up a regular rythem. I went all day Friday and Friday night like this, strong contractions but not close enough to be "labor". We showed up at the hospital 8:00 a.m and it took about an hour to get things ready, including two failed iv attempts (ouch!) before they finally called iv therapy. My doctor came in and checked me and found that I was 3 cm, 80 percent effaced and the baby had moved down even further since my appointment. So we started the pitocin at around 9:07. Forty minutes later I was asking her to shut off the pitocin, it was so intense and the contractions seemed to last forever. 8 minutes later she did shut it off because Jonah was not handling them well judging by his heartbeat. Finally, I got my epidural and my doctor checked me again and found I was 8 cm already! So in 48 minutes I went from 3 to 8. With my epidural now, I was totally comfortable and just relaxed for the next couple hours while I finished dilating and "laboring down" (fully dilated, but not pushing to just allow the baby to move down). A little after noon I started to push and was quickly dismayed to find that he was not coming any easier than his brothers. After and hour plus of pushing they got out the forceps (which I didn't even know about at the time). However, my wonderful nurse saved the day. She put up a bar and wraped a sheet around it and had me pull on the sheet while I pushed. For some reason that did the trick and he really started moving and out he came soon after. I was surprised at how small he was, I really expecting much bigger. I was also surprised at all the dark hair he has! So anyways, just 4.5 hours start to finish!

Jonah 

Jonah and Mom 

Here I am! 

Announcing...Jonah benjamin 7 lbs 1 1ounces 20.5 inches 1:37p.m

Not Funny Anymore...

This is really starting to feel like a bad joke. I think I have been a good sport long enough, but now i'm just at the end of my rope. Now I'm just full of anxiety. I'm worried about the size of this baby and delivering him. I'm second guessing my self now, wondering if I should of just did another section. When we scheduled the induction on Tues, I though surely I wouldn't make it to Saturday! Now, its looking like I might.

Anyway, its kind of demoralizing to keep writing these "not yet" posts, so I guess the next post will either be a "in labor" post, or a birth announcement sometime Saturday/Sunday. I'm supposed to be at the hospital 8:00 a.m. on Sat, so if there is no post by than you will know where i'm at.

Appointment Update

At my appointment today we discovered that he did drop a little. I have an induction scheduled, but not till Saturday morning. If I am still pregnant on Saturday I will be running, not walking, to that pitocin.

I also had a NST (non stress test) which is something they routinely do when you are a week overdue. They strap you to a fetal heartbeat monitor and you push a button every time the baby moves. Than they compare the heartbeat to the movement. Everything looked fine.
So thats it! Thats the plan.

I blew out my candle! 

Please don't sing to me! (he had a rice krispie bar cake due to his allergies) 

Passing the Time

I'm starting to think my due date was wrong, at least thats what i'm telling myself to keep myself sane. Its August today, I never imagined I would not of had this baby in July. Tomorrow is Samuel's 2nd Birthday, we had his party over the weekend. After my appointment tomorrow (unless I go into labor today/tonight) there will be some kind of plan.

So anyways, to pass the time lets have some day/time/size guesses.

Yes, and name guesses too if you want!