Visit with Grandmom

Ice cream!

You get too close to my ice cream, and you might lose your hand!

Joyce came to visit this weekend, and we had a lovely time. The boys enjoyed having her here, and they got to read books with her, play Legos, play on the back deck, and read the Sunday comics together. They also had a very special trip to the ice cream store last night after dinner. I stayed home with Peter, so David, Joyce, Jack, and Thomas piled into the car and headed off to Cold Stone for dessert. The boys were in heaven! Jack got blue ice cream (aka cotton candy) with sprinkles, and Thomas got pink (aka strawberry) with sprinkles. What a treat! And I had about half an hour of complete quiet at home, probably for the first time in a long time. Peter was asleep, so it was very peaceful :). And they brought me back some coffee ice cream with brownies and chocolate fudge sauce (the best!!!), so we had a good night. Peter did show Joyce just how fussy he gets in the evenings, so we all took a turn rocking and walking him until he finally passed out around 11:30PM. Fortunately, he slept until about 5:45PM, which was nice, but those 3 hours of fussing last night were a little tough. I even tried a pacifier, but Peter really didn't want anything to do with it. Joyce offered to buy a baby swing for Peter, so we might just do that -- he seems to really like the back and forth motion of walking, so maybe that will help.

Anyway, we had a great visit and David and I are enjoying the rest of our Sunday before we head into another week (I don't know if I'm ready for another Manic Monday, but fortunately we get to see Kim tomorrow for lunch which will surely be the highlight of our day).

Sunday Best

I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the boys all dressed in striped polo shirts for Mass. (By the way, we did pretty well at our second Mass as a family of 5. Peter slept the whole Mass, Jack was quiet and well-behaved, and Thomas was a loud little monkey, but there's nothing new about that!).

And the answers are...

1 - Peter, aka Peelo (that's how Thomas says it!)
2 - Jack
3 - Thomas


Good guessing!!


Well, we survived the week -- I'm very glad that David is home today and Sunday. Peter has been really persnickety in the evenings lately and wants to be rocked/walked/bounced constantly, so it's very nice to be able to play Pass the Fussy Baby with David so at least one of us gets a little break. I'm tempted to try a pacifier to see if it will comfort Peter, but I'm not sure I want to go down the road of trying to break him of the habit when he gets older. Jack loved his pacifier and then it got lost when he was around 2 - 2 1/2 years old, and I didn't replace it. And it was a bit of a tough adjustment -- it might have been a coincidence, but that's about when Jack stopped taking such reliable naps. We'll see. A few more of these super fussy nights and I might try a pacifier to see if it helps, and if it really does, I'll probably be willing to deal with whatever consequences come later. It's funny, though, because even when I'm exhausted and Peter is fussing and I just want to crawl into bed for a solid 8 hours of sleep, I find myself very grateful to have a new baby again. I think of people who can't have kids, or who have been pregnant but have miscarried, and I'm grateful even for all the "inconveniences" that kids and babies come with. I also find myself thinking that I would be sad if Peter were our last child. This may end up being God's will for our family, and if that's the case I would do my best to accept it gracefully, but I really do hope we're blessed with more children. I look at pictures of Jack and Thomas when they were newborns, and it makes me excited to go through all of the firsts with Peter -- cooing, crawling, talking, walking, etc. And I hope we have more firsts to come after that, God willing.


Thankfully, I didn't have to go out anywhere this week. David did our grocery shopping after work one night, which was great. He insisted, and argued that he would be saving us gas also, and I can't disagree with that. So, for the time being that's one less weekly outing I'll have to worry about. It was weird spending the week at home -- I had been having a lot of dr's appointments and outings in the weeks leading up to Peter's birth, so it felt funny not going anywhere. We kept busy enough, though, with household chores, playing in the pool, watering the garden, and working on a fence around my garden to keep the bunnies and squirrels out. I think we did well this week. Jack was a bit difficult, but yesterday and today he had much, much better days.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to having my normal body back! It's comforting that my tummy is getting smaller rather than larger now, but it's hard because I can't quite fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but there's no way I want to wear maternity clothes (and most of them are way too big or stretched out anyway). So this stage is like the opposite of early to mid-pregnancy when I felt "thick around the middle" but I didn't look pregnant at all yet. Ugh! I know it takes time for the pregnancy weight to melt away, so I'm trying to be patient, but I'm definitely looking forward to wearing my regular size again. And I know trying to cut back on calories now is a bad idea since it can affect my milk supply, which obviously would not be good for Peter. Plus, I would be miserable if I even tried since I have a pretty hearty appetite these days.

Which newborn is which? :)

They do look a bit similar, don't they? :)

1

2

3

David's Aunt Charlotte and Aunt Madeliene...

made each of our boys quilts when they were born. The quilts for Peter both arrived yesterday (even though Charlotte and Madeliene live on opposite sides of the country!), and they're gorgeous. I wanted to take pictures of Peter with his quilts, and I thought it would be a good idea to get some photos of Jack and Thomas on their quilts also.

Aunt Madeliene's quilt -- the top right corner is folded back so you can see the back (which David immediately noticed "It's Dodger blue!!").

Aunt Charlotte's quilt

Jack and the quilts -- the top is actually Thomas's (from Aunt Charlotte) and the bottom is Jack's, from Aunt Madeliene (I mixed up the quilts while setting up the picture, and these photos turned out so nicely that I didn't get a chance to re-do them!)

Thomas and the quilts -- the top is actually Jack's quilt (from Aunt Charlotte), and the bottom is Thomas's (from Aunt Madeliene). I'll get some more photos of the kids with their own quilts soon!

All the boys and their quilts!

Let's see ... Manic Monday yesterday was a little crazy, but we made it. Thomas's eyes have been red and irritated since last week (you can tell in his picture above), so I got him an appointment to see the dr yesterday morning to make sure he didn't have pink eye. I'm so grateful for Kim, who offered to help wrangle the boys while I took Thomas to the dr -- she met us at the dr's office and kept the boys entertained while I tried to nurse a mad Peter, and then she sat in the waiting room with Jack while I took Thomas and Peter in to the exam room. And then she sat with all three boys in the car while I zipped into Target and got Thomas some eye drops. She was such a huge help! Fortunately, the dr said Thomas's eyes are most likely irritated by allergies, chemical (like sunscreen, which is a distinct possibility), or the sun. They should get better in a few days and some saline drops will help soothe them. I'm grateful it wasn't a bacterial infection which would mean washing his hands every time he touched his eyes, washing his pillow and bedding every day, etc. -- more work than I'd like to take on at this point!

Other than that, the boys had a pretty good day. They played in their wading pool and watched movies while I folded clothes. Today, so far, is also going pretty well. I did some chores in the front yard while the boys rode bikes in the garage, carport, and driveway, and then they played in their wading pool in the carport. I find that if I sit still for too long I get sleepy and start to nod off :), but if I keep moving then I can keep myself awake. Thankfully, I really don't feel as overwhelmed or as stressed as I thought I would at this point, and I'm grateful for an extra helping of patience that God is most certainly sending my way. Tomorrow, if I'm feeling brave enough, I may actually venture out to the grocery store for a couple of things. David has offered to do whatever shopping I need him to do, but I figure ... what's the worst that can happen if I try it on my own? (Tune in tomorrow and you'll find out!)

We survived, but barely

I suppose you could say that attempting to take a 4 year old, 2 year old, and newborn to 5PM mass (when dinner is normally at 6PM) followed by dinner at 7PM (when bedtime is normally at 7PM) was The Perfect Storm of events to create total chaos. So, I can't really blame the kids for their insanity (and I don't), but let me tell you -- it was a long evening!

Mass started out OK ... meaning we actually got all 5 of us dressed, fed snacks, and loaded into the car early (!) so we could get a good seat at mass. (This was a farewell mass for our pastor, so it was packed!). So we had that going for us. It was record heat here yesterday, and our church's air conditioning was working overtime, but it was still pretty hot inside. Everything started out well enough, but by about halfway through, the boys had had enough. They were wiggly and Thomas forgot everything we ever taught him about whispering. And he kept asking "All done?" loudly :). Peter was fast asleep in his car seat, which is what I expected since I had just fed him before we left -- I was hoping for a 2-3 hour nap, but that was not to be.

Just as Thomas's loudness was ramping up enough that David decided to take him out, Peter woke up and started fussing. Jack was still with me in the pew, and I was worried that if Peter started really fussing, I'd have to take him and Jack out and then we'd lose our seat (the mass was standing-room only and I didn't have a way to save our seats). I took Peter out of his seat to try and calm him down, only to discover that his diaper had lost containment and there was a poopy mess on his legs, outfit, and carseat! Thankfully, David and Thomas came back in after the homily (David actually had to give Thomas a time-out in the narthex!) and I was able to take Peter and out and change him. Once I changed him, Peter decided that he was hungry again, so I looked for a place to nurse him. Normally I would head to the mother's room where it's a little more quiet and I could nurse more comfortably, but it was closed due to the farewell dinner after mass. And the daily mass chapel (used for overflow seating) was totally packed. So, I headed back to the pew and nursed Peter there. Aside from Thomas asking "Where Peelo go?" loudly several times because I was nursing him under a blanket, that went pretty well .... until Peter spat up all over once I put him back inside his car seat. :).

After mass, everyone headed to the church parking lot where they had set up tables and chairs for the big farewell dinner for Fr. Pat. We got a good table with a nice family from church, and the mom of the family held Peter while David and I ate our food and tried to keep the boys in line. Jack and Thomas ate a good dinner and sat nicely for quite a while, but eventually they got antsy and proceeded to run laps (literally) around our table. Every so often Thomas would just take off running and David would have to herd him back. David and I were taking it all in stride, though, and we had a good sense of humor about it. Plus, our expectations for the evening werem set pretty low -- we just wanted to survive it -- and that we did. We stayed as long as we could, but we realized that it was going to be a very long evening because after dessert they started in on the farewell tribute speeches, and I think they had 4 or 5 speakers lined up, so we headed out. By the time we got the boys in bed it was 9:15PM, and Peter was wiiide awake and fussing. Eventually he conked out, too, and slept about 7 hours straight, which was awesome.

Today actually went better than we expected, considering how tired the boys were. They had a good Feast Day -- doughnuts for breakfast (they got to apply the sprinkles!), watching a movie, watering the plants, playing in the pool on the deck, helping David BBQ hamburgers, and having a chocolate chip cookie and milk for dessert. This week will be rough, I'm sure, but we'll take it one day at a time. Once again, I'm grateful to be feeling great, so I think I'll be able to handle whatever the boys can dish out.

A few pictures

Jack and Thomas (so far) adore Peter ... but I can tell Peter is going to have to grow up tough in order to survive this brotherly love. Sometimes overeager big brothers think squeezing harder = "I love you more" :).

Peter's freshly combed mane of hair.

We had a good outing at the park this morning. It was our second outing with all 5 of us -- the first being a checkup at the doctor for Peter last week. Jack and Thomas played very nicely at the park and got to burn off some of their energy before it got too hot (it's supposed to be 104 here today!). Peter slept through the whole outing, which was nice.

Tonight we go to mass for the first time together as a family. I'm on Peter duty, obviously, and David will take on Jack and Thomas. Wish us luck! Hopefully Peter will sleep through mass, but we'll see. Directly after mass is a farewell dinner for our pastor, who is transfering to another parish in about a week. I'm looking forward to the dinner, but I'm a little nervous about how all of our boys will hold up. David and I might take separate cars in case the boys get crazy and I have to bail out early.

Tomorrow, June 22nd, is Jack and Thomas's feast day! Since we're going to mass tonight we won't be going tomorrow morning, so I think I'll use the extra time to make a nice breakfast. Maybe doughnuts? I actually have some doughnut dough in the freezer -- I can't think of a better occasion for doughnuts than the boys' feast day and the last day before David returns to work. Peter's feast day will be June 29th, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, until Fulton Sheen is canonized -- and then we'll go with whatever date is chosen as Fulton Sheen's feast day.

Finally, wish us luck in selling my little white car! We finally got it all cleaned up and ready to go, and we placed our ad today. It will be great to get it sold and to use the money to hopefully refinance our house before it loses too much more of its value.

1 Week Old

It's hard to believe that just a week ago Peter was born. It already feels like he's been a part of our family for a lot longer than that. Of course, he has --since we've all been anticipating his birth, but it's as if his looks and personality fit right in to a Peter-sized place that has always been waiting for him in our family.

We're all doing well this first week. My mom has been such an amazing help this week -- from being here the day before I went into labor and keeping up with the boys and the house while we were at the hospital -- to taking care of laundry, cooking, shopping, cleaning, fixing couches, etc. etc. all the while. She left this afternoon, and I have to admit that my first taste of "this is how it's going to be" was a little jarring. Jack and Thomas were actually very calm and easygoing for most of today, and we had fun reading books and coloring and playing cars. But trying to get dinner cooked as quickly as possible while Peter fussed was tough (David of course was here to soothe him, but after a certain point there's only so much he can do!). And then Peter nursed while I tried to eat dinner without spilling it all over him (spaghetti was probably not the wisest dinner choice!), and then he fussed some more while I tried to race through the dishes after the boys went to bed. I'm sure there are going to be lots of days ahead of me where I'm lucky to get myself and the boys dressed and fed, throw in a load or ten of laundry, and get something cooked for dinner. Those alone will be an accomplishment! It's going to be an adjustment for me to give a little more of myself than I'm used to, at least until Peter is a bit older. I had a pretty good routine going before he was born, and even on the toughest days I could always count on Jack and Thomas being asleep by 8PM, which left me with 2-3 hours of free time to relax, spend time with David, and regroup before the next day began. Now we're throwing a newborn into the mix, and my "me" time depends on his schedule, which of course is fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. And honestly I should be going to bed early instead of staying up and watching movies or reading, since I've been walking around in a sleepy haze since last week. But hopefully it won't take too long for me to adjust , and for all of us to figure out how we can pitch in and help things go more smoothly around here.

So far, I am enjoying Peter's newness more than I did with Jack and Thomas, I think, because I'm not as worried about all the little details since I've done this before, but more importantly, because I know how quickly it passes. I don't find myself thinking "I can't wait until he sleeps through the night" or "I can't wait until he doesn't need to eat every couple of hours" -- I'm just enjoying the whole package, sleepiness and night feedings included, as much as I can. Newborns are especially sweet, and I find myself so very grateful for Peter's health and just his being here. It's a funny feeling to not be eagerly anticipating his arrival anymore. It seems like those last few weeks of pregnancy were so full of suspense and waiting and watching for any possible sign of labor, and now suddenly it's all done! I was in that anticipating mode for so long, and now we've been dropped into a weird kind of calm, and a small part of me misses being pregnant :). I know, you're probably thinking "A week ago you couldn't wait to NOT be pregnant!", and that is definitely true, but there is something amazing and thrilling about being pregnant, and that's the part I miss a little bit.

It is awesome, though, because I get to experience a bit of that same thrill as we await baby Michael's birth!!! Kim is just under 3 weeks away from her due date, and I'm so excited for her and Michael as they prepare to welcome him into their arms.

Welcome Home, Peter!

This is just after Peter is born, so Peter still looks a little smooshed and his eyes have that antibiotic ointment in them (David says he looks like a little alien baby!).

Jack and Thomas's first introduction to Peter. They were SO excited to finally meet him! Here's what Peter looks like about 22 hours out of every day at this point ... fast asleep :)
So, Peter and I finally arrived home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Hooray! It feels like I've been away from home for weeks rather than just days. My mom is staying with us for most of this week to help take care of the boys and the house and everything while I catch up on rest and we all adjust to having a newborn in the house. David also has the week off, which is great. I feel very good, just tired mostly. This was by far the easiest birth I've had, and I hope any more kids we have come as easily as Peter did!

Just a few highlights -- soon after I posted about my water breaking, David arrived home and we drove off to the hospital. Thomas, especially, really didn't want to say goodbye, but my mom said he calmed down and did OK after we left. The drive to the hospital went smoothly and my contractions were about 7-8 minutes apart. By the time we got settled into the labor room, my contractions were coming faster, about 5-6 minutes apart, and they continued to get closer and closer. We had arrived at the hospital at about 7PM, and by about 8PM the contractions were about 2 minutes apart and it hurt!!! I was having a hard time recovering between contractions, and I knew I had a long way to go, so I got an epidural and it was a great decision. I was able to relax, and my contractions continued to pick up without me being uncomfortable. David and Kim were visiting with me and we were just hanging out and talking. It was awesome! By about 2AM, I had dilated to 10cm and they said I could start pushing! About half and hour of pushing later, and Peter was born. I even got to have a regular birth, not a c-section!!!

Recovery went very well and we planned to come home on Friday, but early Friday morning Peter's respiration rate was too high and they were concerned because this can be an early sign of infection in newborns (even though he didn't have a fever). So they took him to the special care nursery to be put on antibiotics and monitored for 2 days. He did just fine over in the special care nursery, but I admit it was hard for me because he wasn't in my room anymore and he was hooked up to lots of wires and monitors so it was hard to hold him when I did visit him. But, he was perfectly healthy and he was discharged on Sunday morning and we got to go home!!

So, thank you for your thoughts and prayers -- everything went so well and, most importantly, Peter and I are both as healthy as can be.

Heading off to the Hospital!!!!

My water just broke and David is on his way home to whisk me off to the hospital!!!! I'm so excited!! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe and healthy delivery and I'll update once we're home again!

40+4 Update

It appears Peter is still on the slow cook plan over here. Once again, I'm thankful to be feeling as good as I do. We went to Mass this morning and we got lots and lots of "You're still here?!?" reactions. A handful of people asked when I'm due, and when I told them 4 days ago, their eyes got real wide and they looked a little startled, like if they stood too close to me the baby might come rocketing out into their arms or something! Funny! A few veteran moms said "You poor thing" and one said "Watch out, you'll end up with a 10-pounder!". Doh! It's definitely amusing to be this pregnant -- I feel like a ticking bomb that everyone is keeping an eye on. :).

I'm doing very well on walking a lot lately, but it hasn't really done anything to bring on contractions. My hips and pelvis just end up feeling tired and loosy goosy like a cooked chicken carcass :). But my dr said walking should help encourage Peter toward the exit sign, so I'll happily walk each and every day if there's a chance it can help things along. Today we stopped by the fair at our church after Mass, and the boys shared a funnel cake (a big hit, of course!) and then they jumped in a bounce house for a few minutes. Thomas was very eager to try it out, and Jack was eager until it came time to take off his shoes and actually step in. I think he was tired from a busy weekend, so he wasn't in the most flexible or cooperative mood, so David basically tossed him in there. And of course after about 30 seconds Jack realized how awesome bounce houses are and he and Thomas were jumping around like crazy. It was so fun to watch them! If I could have fit into the bounce house (alas, the tiny entrance was no match for my largesse), I would have been bouncing too :).

Tonight David cooked us up some tasty hamburgers on the BBQ and we tried grilled potatoes also, which were good but would have been better if they had crisped up a little. It was so nice to have everything cooked outside so we didn't heat up the house with the oven. I'm going to take another look at my June menu plan and see if we can work in more BBQ meals on weekends. And, being Sunday, I decided it would be a special treat if I made some chocolate shakes to go with the burgers, so we all enjoyed those.

On tap this week is a non-stress test on Tuesday morning, and another one on Friday morning followed by my next prenatal appointment. Tomorrow, being Manic Monday once again, is chore day, and the rest of the week we'll play by ear. Hopefully a few trips to the park and lots of walks. Mom and Dad plan to come down this week, which is awesome! It will be great to spend time with them and it would be great if Peter comes while they're here -- that would be very convenient :). I can't believe next Sunday is Father's Day! I asked David if there was anything special he wanted to do, and his answer was "Not be in the hospital" :), so ideally I will have had Peter and be home by then, or else maybe Peter will hold out until after Father's Day. We'll see! Although if I go to Mass next Sunday STILL pregnant, it's going to be crazy to hear people's reactions then!!

Oh, I've got some more recipes posted over on my Campbell Kitchen blog -- including a good marinade for chicken that we had this weekend.

Non-Stress Test

I had my first non-stress test today to monitor baby Peter, and everything went well. I got to relax in a recliner for about 25 minutes while belts around my stomach measured Peter's heartrate and any contractions I was having. They're looking for a good, strong heartbeat and also that it speeds up and slows down at various points during the test. For example, the baby's heartrate should increase slightly right after moving around a lot. Peter passed the test with flying colors, and my blood pressure and his amniotic fluid level (which they measure by ultrasound) were great. I go back next Tuesday and Friday for the same thing -- honestly, it's the least invasive and most relaxing test I've had during this pregnancy!



After the non-stress test, David, Kim, the boys, and I headed over to the Zoo. We had a good day! We got to see lots of beautiful birds, gorillas, hippos, orangutans, a polar bear, a panda bear, and other stuff. Jack decided he did NOT want to ride the Skyride (the easiest way up to the Polar Bear exhibit), so we didn't force the issue and we ended up walking our way up there. It was a long walk with a fair number of hills, but we made it (and Jack walked the entire way, minus the 30 seconds he was on David's shoulder before he decided that he was up too high!). It wasn't too bad, and I know walking is a good way to encourage Peter to come out, but we were all pretty worn out as we headed back to the car.



At lunch time, Jack saw a snack cart with a display of cotton candy, and Jack asked David what it was. David told him "Oh, it's just something you can stuff a pillow with" (like that polyester filling). Jack seemed satisfied, and dropped the subject, and we ate our lunch. Then all of a sudden, Jack piped up with "I need one of those pink things for MY pillow!" -- which I thought was a pretty clever way of trying to take one home. Something that pink and fluffy must be wonderful, whatever it's purpose was :).



I did take a couple of pictures today, but not as many as I had planned to. The Zoo was pretty crowded with school field trips and stuff, and it was a decent amount of work to keep Jack and Thomas from wandering off into the weeds, so to speak. But, it was a good outing -- the boys were worn out (although no extra bonus nap time, unfortunately) and once again, it might be our final outing before Peter arrives. Then again, maybe not! Thank God (and everyone who has been praying for us!) for my good health, Peter's good health, and my good mental and physical state as we continue The Wait.

40wks+1 day update

I had a good dr's appointment today. Peter is doing well and is definitely head down (my dr did a quick ultrasound just to be sure). However, I'm not dilated or effaced at all and Peter is still way up high, so nothing much in the way of progress yet. My dr thinks Peter is probably in the high 7lb or low 8lb range right now, which doesn't sound too bad to me (and at this point, my dr isn't worried about his size either). Inducing isn't really an option at this point since my body is nowhere near ready to go into labor on its own -- plus inducing (unless there's a very good reason) isn't as safe since I've had c-section and the harder contractions can place stress on the scar. So, I have an appointment next Friday, the 13th, to see what's happening at that point, and depending on how much progress I've made by then, we might make plans to induce within a few days after that. I'm comfortable with that time frame. I'm happy to wait it out a bit longer and give Peter a chance to come on his own, hopefully. But I definitely don't want to go over 42 weeks since the placenta starts to age, and there's a risk of meconium in the amniotic fluid and bad stuff like that! I'm actually feeling pretty calm and easygoing about it, which is a blessing! Anyway, keep us in your prayers as we enter the home stretch of this journey!

Tomorrow we head to the Zoo after my non-stress test in the morning, and Kim is planning to come with us! It should be a blast!

Fun Times

Nothing much to report here, although I feel like Peter might be dropping lower and I'm pretty achy and sore (not contractiony, but still -- discomfort might = progress?). I don't know! It is comforting (and exciting!) to know that one way or another, Peter will be here within about 2 weeks.

Here are a handful of photos that I thought were amusing, so enjoy!

Any guesses as to who snapped this photo?

Jack loves flying Superman-style on the swings

Didn't you know that Carrot Earrings are all the rage? (yes, he somehow managed to get carrot on his earlobe, although I have no idea how. Jack thought it was hilarious!)

Jack wasn't about to let his ear go unadorned. Nevermind that his carrot is IN his ear. And now I'm kicking myself because they think that putting things in your ear is fun. Ack!

Just another Manic Monday

A few weeks ago, I was *sure* that Peter would have arrived by now (don't ask me why, but I was just convinced that he was going to come early!). But I find myself at another Monday doing all the chores that I thought for sure I was doing "for the last time until Peter comes" last week. Oh well! I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping the house decently clean -- it's just the weekly repeat chores like laundry, ironing, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. that I have to do. Monday ends up being a good day to blast through a bunch of chores since Mondays are always manic, like the song puts it so well. The boys are always a little crankier, it seems, since the weekend fun is over and David is back at work, so I figure I might as well get the chores over and done with on an already crazy day so I can free up the rest of the week for more fun projects.

I am definitely feeling "due" now, but nothing to suggest that labor is on its way. I'm just feeling largy, achy, and my hands and feet are retaining water. Apparently my face is, too --- a lady at church told me the other day that I look like I'm ready to have Peter any time now because my face is starting to "fill out". Doh! Not exactly what this large pregnant lady wanted to hear, but that's OK :). Mentally, I'm doing pretty well and am letting these kinds of comments and the "Didn't you have that baby YET?" type of comments roll right off. I'm enjoying the Baby Time Bomb feeling, as much as it can be enjoyed, I suppose.

Let me just end this post with some of the comments that we have gotten over the past several months when we tell people that we're having our 3rd boy:

1. Are you going to keep trying for that girl?
2. Wow -- you're going to be really busy!
3. You're braver than I am.
4. That's why I stopped at 2 boys -- I was afraid if I had any more kids, it would be more boys.
5. Raising 3 boys is a one-way ticket to heaven!
6. You're very blessed.
7. They're going to keep you young!
8. Just wait until they're teenagers and you have to feed them all!

It's funny! I always make sure to let people know that we're very excited to be having another boy. I love raising boys, and I consider it a privilege and honor that God has entrusted David and I with them to raise as Catholic men. I'm looking forward to meeting Peter, and also for the gift of brotherhood that Jack and Thomas will have with him. I think it was Pope John Paul II that said that one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is a sibling, and from what I have seen in our family, that is definitely true.

Anyway, I'm off to do some more Manic Monday chores, but I will keep you posted as Baby Watch 2008 continues!