fun with [con]fractions!

 Thanks for the calls and emails of those who are checking in on us.  I haven't updated in a few days because (thankfully!) there isn't much news to report.  #4 is still cooking - and still nameless.  I'm 33 weeks now and had a negative fibronectin test Thursday, which means it's very likely I'll still be pregnant for at least the next 2 weeks.  Amazing to me, considering I was told at 30 weeks that I could deliver within 48 hours.  Thank God, and thank you all for the prayers. 

In the meantime, I keep having contractions, usually about every 10-15 minutes.  I think we're all sick of the word contraction around here.  We've even made up different words for them.  Kellen calls them "confractions" - a name he devised (not surprisingly) while we were doing math one day.  Elliott calls them "tractions," as in, when I can't do something she's asked me to do, "Mommy, you need to stop you tractions?"  "You tractions", not "your." And she asks in the sweetest little concerned voice.  Heartbreaking. 

So my tree isn't up like apparently everyone else's in the whole wide world, and we may put up only one this year instead of three like we usually do, but I'm still here and #4 is staying put.  We have even more to be thankful for this year than usual!

making the best of bedrest

We're almost 2 weeks into the bedrest sentence, and let's start with the good news:  I'm 32 weeks now.  Yay!  I suppose the idea of bedrest is appealing (lounging around, reading books, catching up on correspondence), but the reality is altogether different.  Still, we're making the best of it.  

My parents were here last week to help out, and, because we're not really sure what this holiday season will bring, Kellen wanted to get a jump on a favorite Christmas activity:  cookie making and decorating.  So on top of the laundry, cooking and cleaning that Grammy was doing, she made cookies with the boys.  Since the Christmas cookie-cutters are all in the attic (I hope - I actually have no idea where they are), they used our heart-shaped cutters to make all sorts of cute creations.

Recognize this blue one?  That was Kellen's Cookie Monster creation.  I *think* the red one was supposed to be Wyatt's attempt to make Elmo (can you tell their sister is into Sesame St?), but it turned out a little scary looking.

I'm also trying to use this time to get a jump on my Christmas shopping.  Online, of course.  If I don't make some headway, Sean has threatened to rent a wheelchair and wheel me around the mall and Toys R Us so he isn't stuck on Santa duty alone.  The kids made their annual Christmas wish lists - I love, love, love these.  Even Elliott made one this year.  Bet you can guess which one's hers.

And, since I have some time, I've been working on our Christmas stockings.  El hasn't had one which matches the rest of us since she came along two years ago, and with #4 on his merry way here, I figured it was time for a whole new set.  Six new stockings, coming right up!  They're in progress and pretty boring right now, but these things are gonna be A-DOR-ABLE.  Can't wait to post pics of the finished products. 

We've been doing our best to pass the time.  And I have to say how unbelievably grateful I am to all our family and friends for their help:  they've made meals, done my laundry, shuttled my kids around, and just kept me company on afternoons when I thought I might die of boredom.  We are so blessed by all your help, and are praying you get back (and then some!) all the kindness you've shown to us.

#4 update

 As many of you have heard by now, #4 hasn't been behaving too well lately.  Awe, that's not true.  He's being perfect, but his mommy is apparently trying to boot him out before he's ready.  Many of you have been praying for us, and many more of you are wondering just what in the heck is going on!  For those who care to know more, here's the nutshell.

Sean and I spent the night in St. Mary's Wednesday-Thursday where I had consistent contractions every 2-3 minutes all night long, even after multiple doses of Brethine.  Finally, a 4th injection got them to slow down to every 15 minutes or so, and we got to go home. 

But not for long.  A few hours after we got home, the frequency had ramped back up to every 5 minutes, and I was sent to UT hospital, the only one in our area capable of caring for a baby born at 30 weeks.  It was that reality (hearing my midwife say, "I'm sending you to the one place that can handle a 30-week preemie") that officially freaked us out.  While we were there, I once again had every 2-4-minute contractions.  The bad news is, they couldn't do anything to stop them.  The good news is, all the other indicators of preterm delivery are negative at this point.  

So here's where we are now:  we're home (thank God!) and I'm on bedrest.  I'm still having contractions, but they're only about every 10 minutes now (only - ha!).  And while I'm considered to be in "preterm labor," fortunately "preterm delivery" is not considered imminent.  And I'm no longer freaked out.  I feel all the prayers and support of friends and family, and really am trying to be good and sit still.  The boys are doing everything they can to help - they've been tidying the house this morning and Wyatt figured out how to use my Tassimo and made me a cup of decaf cappuccino.  Even Elliott is trying:  she's using a stool to get herself on and off the potty.  ;-)  And (hooray!!) mom and dad are coming to the rescue, and will be here this weekend.

In short, we're doing well, and are gonna try really hard to keep this little guy put for a few more weeks.  Just do me a favor, and no one do the math to figure out how many contractions I'd have if I have one every 10 minutes from now til January 15th.  I wouldn't want to freak out all over again.

 

fall festival, field trip, football, fairy tales and facebook - a SUPER-post!

We have had a busy couple of days.  In truth, that's a ridiculous understatement.  I'm not sure how we could've done more in the last 4-5 days than we did.  Here's what we've been up to!

We started Wednesday night with the Fall Festival at our church.  Sean was at Wyatt's football game and Kellen was working the event (eek - is he that old?), so Elliott and I were on our own for a lot of the evening.  And this is the one picture I took of her:

Doesn't it look like she's having a BLAST?  Actually, she woke up, Kellen finished his shift, Sean and Wyatt came after the game, and we had a great time with our friends. 

Friday, GCDS took a field trip to Big South Fork.  We took the BSF Scenic Railway in Stearns to the old Blue Heron mining town, where we got to listen and learn about what life was like there 75-100 years ago.

At the General Store before we boarded the train.

At the Blue Heron mine, below the tipple.

Hike up to the tipple.

 The coal processing/railroad loading facility.

 On top of the tipple (why is everything always a race?)

Entrance to the mine.

Inside the mine.

On the train on the way back (doesn't Kellen look thrilled?  We had an unwanted "friend" that kept trying to get in our pictures - another kid on the trip.  Kellen wasn't all that amused.)

Part of the Barthell mining town, which you can see along the train ride.

The train passing through the tunnel - woah.

After our train got back, we also took a short hike out to the Natural Arch.

The arch is gorgeous, and there's no good way to capture how huge a structure it is.  

Here's a pic from the backside of the arch (where it's possible to back up a bit to take a pic without falling off a cliff).  Gives you a better idea of how enormous it is.

Speaking of cliffs, is it possible for a boy to pass one without jumping off it?

 

 Elliott, of course, was not going to be outdone by her brothers.

On Saturday, we had another Fall party - this one at Sean's mom and dad's house.  We had hayrides (not-so-scary to the pumpkin patch, where the kids each got another pumpkin, and a haunted hayride for the older guests), a bonfire, and a really good time with lots and lots of friends and family.

Sunday, Wyatt had his last regular season football game, where he played like the champ he is, scoring one TD and putting up some impressive rushing numbers (he primarily plays running back).  We're excited about the playoffs, which start tomorrow.

Elliott and I spent Sunday afternoon with our favorite friends Emma, Ava and Adrienne  at the "Princess Wishes" Disney on Ice show (to which we scored FREE tickets - yay!)  The girls LOVED it - well, except for the part with the pyrotechnics at the end.  I'll be glad when Elliott outgrows her fear of fireworks.

The Princess and I.

The girls were mesmorized.  They looked like this pretty much the whole show.

All the princesses together for the finale - with Mickey and Minnie, of course.

We finished off the weekend with what has now become a tradition - our 4th year of trick-or-treat in Forest Brook with some great friends. 

The whole crew in front of the Schwalb's home.


The little giffords - Officer Wyatt, the World's Girliest Pirate, and Facebook.

A few action shots:

It was a great weekend, but I can honestly say that I'm THRILLED that it's Monday...  Whew.