The Countdown is On

A week and a half until school starts, 3 weeks until the baby is delivered...yikes! Time is slipping by so fast.

Updates -

Kyle: He is still enjoying his science day camps. This morning he told me he does not like that summer and camp are only for another week. Go figure. He asks all the time if we are going on a vacation as we have gone to the Keys for a week the last couple of years. Unfortunately that is just not happening this year. I feel so bad that the boys have to miss out this year but there really is no other choice. Mom may take them for a weekend and Kevin has mentioned it as well. We really want to get them down there so they can go snorkeling and fishing again. Kyle is quite entertaining these days. He is having fewer temper tantrums (thank goodness) and cooperating more each day. He is still very bossy, wants everything to be his way and rarely listens BUT he is pretty consistent with everything else. I really hope he continues this trend and does not revert to old behavior. I think he is starting to show signs of being able to understand the concept of your actions = your consequences. Yea! Can hardly believe he is 4 weeks from turning 6. 6 just sounds so old.

Todd: Just as one boy starts behaving the other starts acting up. Todd has now decided that he is going to tell us what he will and will not be doing. Seriously. How did I get so lucky to have two of the most stubborn, bossiest boys. He really gives Kevin fits, me not so much. He is getting restless with being the younger sibling, being one myself I totally see it. He does not understand that at 4 he cannot do the same things as Kyle and that Kyle was not doing those things at 4 either. I am so proud with his seeming love affair with books. Both the boys really enjoy books and reading but Todd is something else. He wants you to read the book, then let him have it to look at and then sleep with the thing. He is the first one to want to go to the library with me, yea! Kyle has discovered video games, grrr....I try and keep a very tight reign on his play time but the kid just argues with me to no end.

Baby: Still doing very well considering. Extremely active, she moves all around her rapidly diminishing space. She is hiccuping a lot, which I understand from my OB is actually a good sign that all is well. She is also breathing in utero, has been for awhile now. Between the moving, hiccups and the breathing she is not making it easy for the lady doing the fetal echo to get all the info she needs. Gee, another stubborn, bossy child who wants things her way. Is there no end? At last measurement on 7/17 she was approx 18 inches and 5lbs, 4 ozs. So, I am thinking she will be around 7 1/2 lbs on delivery. Not too bad. Apparently she also has quite a head of hair on her. The exact words of the sonographer were..."there is enough thick (not fine wispy) hair to reflect the sound waves." At first I was thinking this was a good thing...at least she will not be bald, but now I am just hoping all the hair is just on her head! I had my last visit before delivery with the fetal cardiologist this past Mon, 7/27. All looks the same as before but he did see some back flow of blood from the pulmonary vein. I am hoping that it is just a very small thing (like a fluke this time) because if that flow is there at birth then we will have no choice but to do the first, shunt surgery. The back flow means the pulmonary vein is too narrow and there is not enough blood getting to the lungs. We did a tour of the hospital I will be in and also got our questions answered for delivery day. Also did a tour of the Ronald McDonald House. Now all we can do is wait and pray that I do not go into labor at home prior to Aug 19.

The boys are starting school the week of August 10. I think Todd is just so excited to be in "real" school. I have gotten must of the stuff they will be needing. Still a few things I need to finish but most is done. Backpacks. Lunchboxes. Rain jackets. School supplies. Uniforms. Tuition. Check, all done. Still need to get some cold weather stuff but that can wait. I am very glad I will be here to navigate the first week of school with them. I will be really upset if the baby does not stay put and I have to go to St. Pete earlier than planned. I really, really want to be with the boys when they start school.

Other than some last preparations I think we are physically ready for delivery. I would be lying if I said we were emotionally stable. Both Kevin and I are scared. There are still so many unanswered questions we get overwhelmed. On top of everything we have with the baby we also have to coordinate home stuff. Making sure the boys are taken care of and that all our normal day to day stuff is taken care of. We have gotten as far as planing the first week after delivery. Now on to the next 100 or so weeks.