It's almost here!!!!

My appointment is at 2pm MST, so I will try very hard to update when I get back...however, sometimes the techs won't tell me a darn thing and I have to wait until either my dr appt or hope that she calls!! So, we'll see!~

Today I have been trying very hard to keep my self occupied, so I started my Fall cleaning a bit earlier than usual. Today I attacked the kitchen, pulled out the fridge and vacuumed and washed all behind there. Cleaned and scrubbed the inside of the fridge, then I washed down all the cupboards on the outside and I'll do the inside in a little bit. Next will be the appliances and then the floor, oh yeah, I also scrubbed the wood chairs and the table down as well!!LOL I think sometime in the next couple of days it will be the dining room/living room who'll get it next. I am hoping to rent a carpet cleaner and do the carpets and the couches, then all the curtains will come down and get tossed in the wash and while they're cleaning, I'll hopefully get the inside of the windows done!

tomorrow after my ultrasound it's off to the grocery store and while I'm there, I have to get the kid's school supplies...They're soooooo excited!! I have to admit, I'm pretty excited as well, am I a weirdo, or what?!?! Then next week, our curriculum will be arriving...I can't wait to see our reading lists and all the fun stuff we'll be doing this year!!!

Well, back to work!!LOL Have a blessed Thursday!!!

Is it Friday???

I mean honestly, how slow can this week go???LOL

I have to start off with saying that I have the sweetest hubby. He is sitting in line for me (for about another 40mins) to reserve my table for the Used Toy and Clothing Sale for me. This may not seem like much to others, but for him, this is a major thing!! Not only is he waiting, he is also sitting amongst mostly women and what does a large group of women do? They gab and gossip!!LOL!!

Friday can't come soon enough, I'm so excited to see my little man on the ultrasound!!! And of course to see if that silly placenta is up higher!!

Well, not much to write and I have two VERY whiney girls who are performing a duet while I type, so best be off!!

Have a blessed Evening!!

50 fun questions

Got this via email AND discovered it on my birthclub site as well.....so I'll post it here for ya'll to enjoy!!!

1. FIRST NAME? Penny

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? a little foster girl from Germany

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? a couple days ago??

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yup

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? chicken

6. KIDS? yup, almost six!!

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF? I like to think so!

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? yes

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? try not to

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? nope, gone when I was 4!!

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? probably not, I'm terrified of heights!!LOL

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Nut Cheerios

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? nope, unless they're my runners

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes, I think so

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?choco chip mint or vanilla

16. SHOE SIZE? 4 in girls and sometimes 5 in ladies

17. RED OR PINK? def PINK!!!

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? my need to have things perfect

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?my dad

20. ARE YOU HAVING FUN? most days!!

21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? my jammies, pink and green flannal striped

22. LAST THING YOU ATE? Breakfast to go

23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? my baby girls snoring in my bed

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? pink

25. FAVORITE SMELL? my babies, or vanilla and cinnamon

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?the lady from Freecycle

27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? their smile

28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? of course I do!!!

29. FAVORITE DRINK? french vanilla coffee

30. FAVORITE SPORT? hockey

32. EYE COLOR? blue

33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope

34. FAVORITE FOOD? chicken chow mein noodles

35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? def happy ending

36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Inside Man

37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? purple tank top

38. SUMMER OR WINTER? def winter

39. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

40. FAVORITE DESSERT? pumpkin pie and cool whip

41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? not sure

42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? not sure

43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Inside Man

46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? my kids laughing and playing with each other

47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? um.....STONES!!!!LOL

48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bandon Beach, Brandon OR

49. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? nothing special, I can flare my nostrils?!?!?!LOL

50. DO YOU SLEEP ON YOUR BACK, YOUR SIDE, OR YOUR STOMACH? tummy sleeper not pg, but def a side sleeper with a belly bean in there!!

Wasn't that fun?!?!?! If you want to do this, email me, and I'll send you a copy because you can't right click here!!! :o)
God bless,
Penny

Update

Had a very busy weekend, more so than usual!!LOL
FRIDAY:
Went to my drs appt and everything is good!! Although for some reason my duedate was marked down as Nov.11th, LOL!!!But anyways it looks like a possible induction somewhere near Nov.8th-10th so it doesn't really matter!! I was surprised at my weight, I thought for sure I had gained more, but I didn't, I weighed in at 126lbs (total gain so far of 26lbs) my BP was 100/70, measured at 29cm and urine was great!!
Baby Matthew was lying with his back to MY left and his head down, but not settled in the pelvis, which I know for a fact since he can still maneuver himself and lodge his head under my ribs!!!LOL His heartrate was 140...all is good!!

I then went for my gestational diabetes test that afternoon...BLECH!!! But, I survived and scored an hour and a bit all to myself!!HA!!

SATURDAY:we were supposed to go to a baby shower of the mom of the little girls I look after, however Kayla was still complaining of a sore right hip, so much so she would cry off and on in pain. I figured we should really get it checked out since it had been causing her discomfort since Friday. The weird thing was is that I knew she hadn't done anything so it had me baffled. The dr decides we had better do an xray since it caused her a great deal of pain when he moved her leg around and he was concerned about a possible dislocation (kind of what happens to newborn baby's) so I had to dig deep into my Mama gut (I really hate the kids to have pelvic/abdominal xrays) and decide if I felt this was serious enough to warrant an xray, my gut said yes.
Thank the Lord I listened because the xray revealed a perfect normal pelvic hip area, HOWEVER, it also revealed that my baby girls colon was nearly 10 times it's normal size due to a large accumulation of POOP!! It was so bad that it was putting pressure on her right hip!!! Oh my goodness, I felt terrible!!!! But I guess what was happening is that small amounts of POOP were bypassing the large CLOG and this is why I never thought anything (she was still 'going' everyday, which is why I never thought anything of it)So he prescribed a low dose stool softener and a high fiber diet for the next few days and praise the Lord it is working!!! She spent 1/2 an hour in the bathroom last night!!!LOL

Today, not much going on, just kicking back and relaxing. Got to pick up a huge box of cloth diapers I 'won' on Freecycle I needed to re-stock my collection, some I have been using since Alex!!!LOL

It's almost September!!!WHOOHOO!!! Here's some 'highlights' of the coming month:
1st: Ultrasound (let's see if the placenta has moved!!!, keep praying it has!!!)

9th:Used Toy and Clothing Sale (hoping and praying for lot's of good deals, Alyssa and Robbie need clothes as does Alex)

11th: a day of remembrance and our first official day of homeschool

12th: My birthday!!!the big 28!!!!(ROFL!!)

14th: My grandma's b-day!!! 85!!!

15th: Kayla's b-day, I honestly cannot believe she is going to be four!!and another drs appt.

19th: Auntie Cherie's b-day

28th: Nana's b-day

29th: another drs appt

WHEW!! and those are just the things I know of!!LOL Who knows what other things will pop up, I still have to fit groceries in there and setting up our curriculum and scheduling a meeting to go over the curriculum.....okay I need a nap just thinking of all this!!

Well, have a blessed Lord's day!!!

SOOOOOOOO excited!!!!!!

Why am I so excited??? well, I'll tell you!! I just found out that I am having a baby shower!!!!!WHOOHOO!!! I am so very excited!!! As it turned out my sister and my mom were planning on throwing me one as a surprise, but because the little girl I look after Mom is preggers too and she is planning a baby shower(the daughter and grandma) as well, Alyssa thought it would be a fun thing to to do!! So, I told Alyssa that she would need some adult help (the sweetie was going to do it on her own!!LOL) and she could call auntie and thus we found out that there was one in the works!!LOL I don't know when it is to keep with the surprise, BUT I really, really hope that everyone can make it. I don't get a chance to socialize that often and the thought of a ROOM FULL of friends and family is sooooooo exciting!!!!

I'm also in a happy mood because my most favorite months are coming up, I LOVE fall and winter!!! It is going to be busy, busy, but a lot of fun!!

Have a blessed Wednesday!!!

Question and Answer

I typically get emailed questions pretty frequently in which case, I try to email back ASAP an answer (if you're currently awaiting an email from me, I will!!! I promise!!!)honestly I LOVE answering questions....mostly because I am just as fascinated with large families as you are!!!LOL I read and ask questions about families that have 7, 8, 9, or even more kids!!! I LOVE IT!!!
So, having said that, here is a post from my comments section!!
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I only have two children but I have always been curious as to how much you cook for 5 children. How many of boxes of KD do you use or how many can's of soup? How long does a loaf of bread last? I admire you for taking such good care of your children and am in awe of how you do it. I have two and somedays I don't know where to turn for a break. Would love some of your tips or experiences to help me out.
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My kids are BIG eaters, as I am sure Kerri can attest to!!LOL The boys eat just as much and sometimes more as my husband and the girls aren't far behind!!LOL A simple breakfast of french toast/bacon/scrambled eggs/orange juice would be: 2 dozen eggs, 2 packages of bacon, 2 loaves of bread (thick Italian style bread) and 2 1.89L of Tropicana!!!

As for KD, it depends on what I am making. If I am making my Mac 'n' Cheeseburger dinner (KD mixed with cooked ground beef and peas) then I would use 2 boxes, sometimes 3 and there are no leftovers. (Actually, leftovers are a thing of the past around here!!!LOL)If we were just going to have KD for lunch, it would have to be AT LEAST 4 boxes, but most likely 5 boxes. Hence, the reason I don't usually make just KD!!!ROFL!!!

Cans of soup, usually four to five and then a loaf of bread to go with it (we'll either have just bread and butter or make sandwiches)I try to make most of my soup from scratch, it really saves $$$$ for us. As for bread, we go through a loaf a day, sometimes 2, depending on what meals are being served!! Milk, (it wasn't asked, but one of my curiosities!!LOL)we go through 8 litres every two days, so Bill stops to grab some every second day!!

Hmmmm, as for breaks, I dunno!!! I'm still learning!!! Basically, I believe it's all in your frame of mind (now trust me when I say, I DO NOT always follow this!!! I have meltdowns and lock myself in the bathroom once in awhile too!!!)I TRY to keep a clear mind and stay focused in telling myself that this is a season of life and it will pass...they DO grow up!!! I don't take a break that often, my most frequent one is grocery shopping and that's about it. Once in awhile I can sneak out with my dear friend for some girl time, which I thoroughly enjoy!!

For the most part, I try to keep my body healthy with lot's of water and my vitamins and I pray a lot. (dear Lord, please give me Strength to make it through the day!!!)When I'm not pregnant, my most favorite escape is the bathtub, some nice bubble bath and a good book and a mug/glass of my favorite drink (french vanilla coffee in the winter and Pepsi in the summer!!) When I am pregnant, I can't do the bath (I'm only 5 feet tall and soaking in there is not FUN....in other words...I get stuck!!!ROFLMBO!!!!Picture a turtle on it's back...)The neatest thing I have learned to do is to TUNE IT OUT!! This is an acquired skill and when I was the perfect mama with one child (HA!!!)I thought it was cruel....HOWEVER!!!

You have to train your mind to mentally block out the chaos, find your happy place and go there, you don't necessarily have to close your eyes, but shut out the noise. I can successfully do this for about 5min now and it helps. I don't personally recommend it to be done to frequently otherwise you run the risk of your kids standing in front of you going "MOMMY!!" a billion times!!!LOL We also take group time outs on particularly stressful days, everyone goes to their rooms and sits on their beds for 1/2 an hour. I'm not afraid to admit to the kids anymore that I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, they usually know that they need to simmer down (although my oldest sometimes takes this opportunity to make SURE he drives me over the edge!!!LOL)

Other than that, patience I guess, time will go by and there is always tomorrow to finish things up!!!

Don't be hard on yourself, being a Mama is the biggest, most important job you'll ever have. Sometimes when things are going so difficult, it's a time to sit down and take a breather and get back to enjoying being a Mama. Believe, I know it's easier said than done, but it's true!!!!

Have a blessed Sunday and thankyou for comments and emails!!!

Update....

Here's the link to read about the magazine
CNN:Where is it OK to Breastfeed?

I haven't seen this magazine before on stands here, is it available here? Mind you, I haven't been actively checking out the current mags, so what do I know?!?!?!LOL!!!

I am totally appalled that people find this offensive!! As if that is an offensive picture!!! It doesn't even come CLOSE to resembling a true, for real breast!!!!
PFFFFT!!!Gimme a break!!!

BAH!!

More rambling thoughts.....

Alright, so I will admit that I have not seen the front page of the Babytalk mag that has sparked some (LOL!!) controversary...HOWEVER...anyone who knows me whether it is in real life or just in cyber land KNOWS that I am VERY....VERY...PRO breastfeeding......AND....I also truly and immensly support Nursing In Public. I will feed my child ANYWHERE at ANYTIME and if you don't like it and find my breasts, that are NOURISHING my child offensive...then it is YOU who should be ashamed of themselves, NOT ME!!!!! It is sick that people out there find a woman FEEDING her child in public by using her breasts, repulsive and yet, we can be bombarded EVERYDAY with women half dressed in skimpy clothes with her breasts practically FALLING out of her shirt, appealing?!?!?!!?BLECH!!!!! It totally irks me to no end!!!

Anyways, I do have a point to all this slight ranting, I was over at WET FEET and in light of her AWESOME post, I decided to join in!!
So, here is my OWN pic of me feeding Kayla when she was only about 15min old. I couldn't find the pic of me feeding Mariah, so this will have to do!!



I will proudly nurse my baby WHEREVER and WHENEVER he needs to be feed, and if you don't like it....BITE ME!!!!!

New Pictures in the Flickr!!!

Nothing much going on the past couple of days. We had a mini b-day party for Robbie on Tuesday night, my mom and my sister came buy and brought us some dinner and a b-day present for Robbie. As you can tell by the pics, it was a lot of fun!!!
I also posted some pics of the kids from our trip to the lake/park on the weekend!!
Enjoy!!
Have a blessed Thursday!!

Thoughts and ramblings

Not too much to report on from the homefront. Things have been pretty 'sucky' around here and I am just trying to keep my spirits up.
In light of this, I went to Toys R Us with Kerri on Wednesday night and had a wonderful time with her. I actually registered there at babies R Us, that is soooo much fun!!! If you want to take a peek at what my heart is hankering for (LOL!!!) my registry Number is: # 352429394. I felt so cool walking around with the scanner thingy!! Not that I'm having a baby shower (I went for the free goodies and samples!!) I miss baby showers, I LOVE having a big group of women together laughing and chatting and eating and celebrating a new blessing, but I guess etiquette says that baby showers are only acceptable for first time mommy's and possibly, 'sometimes' second babies...so, no showering here!! Darn it all anyways, who doesn't love a good round of shower games?!?!?!No? Okay, so I guess I'm the only one!!

My little monkeyman can reach my ribs now and doesn't hesitate to remind me quite often!! I had an appointment on the 28th, all is well, scheduled my Ultrasound for the 1st of September, my weight was right on target (124lbs, gained 24lbs so far as of that date) BP was 105/65, baby's little heartbeat was 145. That's all!! I can't wait to see him again at the next ultrasound!!!

Um, took the kiddo's over to the park tonight and that's about it so far this weekend!! I did take some pics, so I will post them when I get around to uploading them...haha!! Well, tomorrow is a holiday day here, Civic Day, I think?!?!?! So, nothing special planned here!!LOL

Have a blessed rest of your weekend!!

Interesting

I discovered this today!!

Breastfed babies Handle Stress Better later on in life

Another reason to 'boobie feed'!!!

Have a blessed Friday!!

25 week belly pic!!!!!

And here for your viewing pleasure..LOL!!!
My 25wk belly pic!!!




And of course a front view!!!



Have a blessed week!!!