Things Learned During a Heat Wave

1. I will NEVER tire of complaining about how hot it is. Especially considering that I currently have a bun in the oven. This means my personal oven is always on, making it about 20 degrees hotter for me than usual.

2. I am grateful to have a window unit air conditioner. When we were moving, in the middle of a snowstorm in December, Ryan and I were debating whether to bring along our air conditioner or not. The weather up here is supposed to be temperate year round--and we didn't know I'd be 8 months pregnant in August. We actually brought it by default, because neither of us had time or desire to post it on Craigslist at that point. Boy, am I grateful we did! Temperatures 20-30 degrees above normal have necessitated that at least ONE room in the house be liveable.

3. There isn't much to do in the living room. This is where our A/C unit is--it's the only place in the house built to hold a window unit A/C. There is a couch, a piano, and 2 not-in-use kitchen chairs. The TV in the family room is visible, but not audible from the couch in the living room. I took my card making supplies down a few days ago, but that gets REALLY repetetive and boring after a while. I need to find a few good books and/or other living room compatible projects to get through this heat wave--but I'm still trying to think of a few.

4. Speaking of thinking, my brain doesn't work well when it's hot. It's like a computer whose fan doesn't work--I overheat and end up getting nothing done.

5. Heat really does rise. The downstairs is generally cool, thanks to the A/C and strategically placed fans. When you walk upstairs, past the ceiling line of the bottom floor, the humid heat hits you like a wall. Thus, we really don't come upstairs until bedtime, because that's when it's bearable again. Still warm, but bearable at that point.

6. My kids nap quite well on the family room floor. Their room is arguably the hottest room in the house--and I absolutely cannot have them sleep in there in the heat of the day. I hesistate to put them in there for bedtime. If it weren't for a fan in their window and smaller fans blowing straight on them, they'd be sleeping downstairs.

7. The heat brings out the grumpies--in everyone. My kids are grouchier, I'm grouchier. The only person who really isn't grouchier is Ryan. It's a good thing at least one of us isn't grumpy on a regular basis. He stabilizes the rest of us.

8. Two fans are enough while I'm sleeping. After a restless, sticky night, (inspite of the fan blowing cooler air in from the window), I was seriously considering sleeping downstairs. Ryan suggested that we add another fan blowing directly on me--and it worked. I finally slept well and mostly through the night. The funny part is the night I was really warm, I had a dream that I walked into the hospital and said, "Please, just give me my c-section right now. I'm done. It's too hot and I'm too uncomfortable." And you know what? They believed me and started getting things ready for the delivery. Man, sometimes I wish real life were more like our dreams. (And, mostly, I'm glad that it's not.)

9. There is NOWHERE to go for complete relief. Yesterday morning, I had an ultrasound appointment and was looking forward to getting out of the house and the heat for a while. When I arrived, it was apparent there was no power. I sat in the Dr's office for about 30 minutes, sweating and fanning with a magazine, and then they told me I should probably go home. (I still had to pay the $4 parking fee--nevermind that I didn't have my appointment AND that the power was out in the garage, too.)

Well, there's the list. As I type, I'm starting to sweat so much I feel like I've been running in 90 degree heat for an hour. It's time to take a cool shower and head downstairs for the day. At least the temps are supposed to break in about 5 or so days...I'm counting down.

Beer n' Pie Tins

I think that all of the regular readers of my blog know that Ryan and I don't drink. We have never consumed even one drop of any kind of liquor--and neither of us intend to start doing so any time soon. So, when I asked Ryan to pick up the cheapest beer at the grocery store on Saturday, you can imagine his reaction.

Let me give a little background: a few weeks ago, I noticed that something was chomping holes through the big, beautiful leaves in our garden. I don't have time for a 24-hour garden surveillance--and in the times I'd been out weeding or watching the kids, I hadn't seen anything that could make the culprit list. I did notice, however, that the leaves closer to the dirt were those with the most missing. It made sense that the attack was not aerial, but rather executed from the ground. The only thing that came to mind were slugs. Ooey, gooey, sticky, slimy little slugs. Gross.

At this point, I was determined to rid our garden of the gloppy little creatures. Not wanting to go immediately for a chemical pesticide, I thought about my options. My sister-in-law told me that her dad used to send the kids out with sticks after it rained. They were to spear as many slugs as possible. Well, my kids and sticks don't mix well right now. Plus, I don't know if I could convince them to spear a slug. Then, I remembered something I had been told when we first planted our garden: slugs love beer. Why not give it a try?

So, Ryan brought a six-pack of Coors Light out of the grocery store, (inspite of his youthful looks, he didn't get carded), as well as a six-pack of pot pie sized aluminum pie tins. When the girls saw the silver cans, they asked what kind of soda it was. Our response? It's not soda--it's pesticide. That's the only reason those cans were in our possession--so we felt that was an honest answer for our kids.

That night, after the girls were asleep, we snuck out to the garden to lay our traps. We dug small holes, put the pie tins in, and then filled our four traps with 2 cans of beer. (The other 4 cans now reside on the top shelf in the shed--right next to the Miracle-Gro.) Yesterday, Ryan came in from the backyard with a report of "mass carnage." Turns out slugs really do like beer. We caught 25-30 slugs in our intoxicating mini-pools. We decided to leave them for one more night just in case a few more slugs would like to take a sip. I haven't gone out to check them yet today--I hope they're full of slugs for Ryan to throw away after work!

In the end, I'd say our experiment was a success. And, hopefully, the little boogers don't come back.

Baby Update

I haven't mentioned anything about my health or the baby's health in a while, so I thought I'd do a quick post for inquiring minds. As far as cholestasis goes, I do not have it yet. At least that's the official stance right now. I'm puzzled about this, however, as I have had evenings where I'd like to cut my feet and lower legs off because they itch so bad. These evenings are coming more frequently--and I'm starting to get minor itching during the day sometimes. But, the blood work keeps coming back with insanely low numbers. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous that the symptoms and results aren't matching up. The good news is that my Dr. is still monitoring me very closely, with twice a week NST's and ultrasounds. This certainly helps alleviate some of my nervousness. And, I'm still delivering 4 weeks from tomorrow.

As far as the baby goes, he's looking perfectly healthy. In fact, he's so healthy that his estimated size (currently) is above the 97th percentile. Last week's ultrasound and this week's ultrasound both estimate that he will be about 8 lbs. (give or take 1/2 lb.) when he is born at 37 weeks. I have DEFINITELY felt that he is bigger than either of his sisters were by this point. I also got to see his sweet little (big?) face today--and the Dr. said he has a head full of hair! It's fun to have a peek inside during these last few weeks. But, I have to say, these peeks are making me a little more impatient! I can't wait to meet this little one and cuddle him in my arms! Not too much longer...

Giving it a Tri

This past weekend, Ryan and I took the girls out to Ocean Shores so Ryan and his brother could participate in a triathlon, (Olympic length). I love the excitement before a race. Neither Ryan nor I sleep very well the night before--because he has to get up early and I always feel like I should be the back up alarm should the battery powered one fail. But, he usually gets up right on time, (thanks to the batteries in the real alarm clock), and I stir enough to kiss him goodbye and tell him to have fun before he heads out the door. It all happened the same way this time--except a few minutes later, our girls woke up. So, the boys loaded the bikes into the car, instead of biking the short-ish distance to the starting line like they had planned, and I loaded the kids and we drove them to the park.

When the girls and I returned about 2 hours later, the boys had finished the swimming leg of the race and were over half way done with the biking leg. My inlaws came out for the day to watch Ryan and Heath--when they returned from the bike route turn around, they told me about the parts of the race I had missed out on. After the girls had played on the playground for a while, we took them to the sidelines--completely UNcrowded sidelines--and watched so we could cheer for the boys when they approached the bike/run transition area. I enjoyed being there to offer whatever support I could, even if it was just yelling, "YAY!!! Good job!!!"

The girls were actually glad when daddy and Uncle Heath were out of sight again because they got to get back to the business of playing on the playground. Whitney learned to scale the 6 foot high climbing wall by herself while they were gone. (I stood behind her, without touching, just in case. After a while, I gave up.) The boys made it back to the finish line with a time of 3:28--and crossed at basically the same time. What an accomplishment! I love being there when Ryan finishes a race. After so many races, I know the questions to ask, (Do you need ibuprofen? Do you need chocolate milk? etc.), and it makes me feel like I can somehow share in the post-race fun. When I asked Ryan his thoughts on a triathlon versus a marathon, he said it was a completely different beast. With a marathon, you just keep doing the same thing over and over and over. With a tri, you get to change up the muscles you're using, so it affects your stamina and body differently.

I have to say, this race was certainly the least crowded event I've ever been to. Usually, the sidelines are packed with observers--but since the race was so small, (less than 50 people), I guess there weren't as many adoring fans hanging out. It probably didn't help that the weather was cool and overcast that day, although that was a bonus for the race participants. Overall, Ryan had a good time and is even considering participating in a sprint-length tri in August.

Tradition, Tradition!

Sunday night, as Ryan and I climbed into bed at midnight--after traveling for several hours with 2 cranky kids--I asked Ryan the same thing that I ask every single night: "Will you tickle my back?" He expects me to ask this question every night and I expect I'll ask it every night. And, so far, without fail, he tickles my back every time I ask--even if it's just for 2 or 3 minutes before I feel the faint "That's it" pats he always gives when he's done. And, I LOVE those few minutes every night. They help me feel connected to my husband and help me relax and fall asleep. This tickle time has become a tradition in our marriage.

There seems to be a lot of focus on family traditions--but sometimes marital traditions are pushed aside or deemed less important in order to accomodate the family traditions. While family traditions are important, it's equally important to create marital traditions that connect you and your spouse. Let's be honest--when all is said and done, when the kids leave home it will just be you and your spouse. If you don't have your own basis of connecting and strengthening traditions, where will that leave you when the chicks have flown the nest?

Thinking about this last night got me thinking about the other traditions that Ryan and I have in our marriage--those we have created with purpose or those that have gradually evolved over the years. One of my favorite traditions is going to bed at the same time. I'm definitely NOT a night person. Ryan generally does well at night. But, we have reached a common bedtime that works for both of us. I enjoy chatting about our day as we get ready for bed together. I also love our tradition within a tradition of couple's prayer each night. Some nights, kneeling down beside our bed seems to be all it takes to get the conversation going and we end up talking until the wee hours of the morning--laughing, sharing concerns, sharing ideas, etc. This is one of my favorite times because it's just me and Ryan and no one else is around to burst in with their needs, ideas, or random thoughts.

When Ryan and I were in our student stake last year, one of the stake conference meetings for the men focused completely on strengthening your marriage. One of the speakers said that he and his wife wake up a few minutes early in the mornings to cuddle before getting out of bed. This simple act connects this couple and helps them face their day together as they go their separate ways. Ryan and I discussed this idea, but realized that this particular way wouldn't work for us. So, as part of our bedtime tradition, we cuddled together each night as we fell asleep. When I got pregnant, my nausea (and now decreased lung capacity and increased body heat) made this option less appealing. So for now, the back tickling has become our temporary tradition.

As this same conference, another speaker mentioned the 10-second kiss. He counseled the husbands that they should kiss their wife for at least 10 seconds every day. This is another tradition we have chosen to adopt in our marriage. When Ryan is rushing out the door in the morning, it always makes me feel like a high priority when he gives me 10 seconds of himself. The funny thing is that it's only 10 seconds! But, it makes a huge difference in our connection throughout the day.

Another tradition Ryan and I have chosen to bring into our marriage is that of regular temple attendance. We both feel that it is important for us to serve in this capacity and the fact that we have to plan together to make it each month brings us closer together. There are seasons of life when this doesn't quite happen as we'd like, (like in the nauseating first and early second trimesters of pregnancy), but we do our best to continue this tradition from month to month.

There are other traditions which we try to keep, but sometimes don't--or can't--put as much focus on. These include regular dates, (even if it's hanging out on the couch on a Friday evening after the kids are in bed), Ryan bringing home flowers, going for walks just the two of us, etc. They are all things that I feel bring us closer together and show that we truly enjoy being around one another.

At the end of this all, I know there are many other traditions that are cultivated in marriages. And, I'm curious. What are traditions that you and your spouse enjoy? What are those things, no matter how small, that help you connect with your spouse? Please leave me a comment and share your thoughts with me on this!

Livin' the Dream

Today, as I was out running errands with my kids, we were singing together in the car--and all of a sudden, it struck me how much I love my life. From the earliest that I can remember, I have wanted to be a mommy. Even in college, when I wasn't married, wasn't even really dating, I knew that I just wanted to be a mom. That has always been my focus. I didn't know that along the way, I'd be blessed with other opportunities or that I'd have to wait longer than I thought I should have to for motherhood to come my way. But, I wish during all those frustrating times when I wondered when or IF it would ever happen, I could have had glimpses at my life now. (Preferably of the times when my kids are getting along and happy--which is most of the time.) I know that all I experienced leading up to this point has made me a better mom and, really, a better person in general. Those seemingly long years of waiting and wanting were filled with enriching opportunities that offer me perspective and appreciation for what I now have. I am just happy with my life--and I couldn't imagine a better sequence of events to bring me to where I am now.

Along these same lines, I've had a couple of experiences lately when I was out and about that have made me smile. Yesterday, at Costco, I was in line behind a woman with 4 kids. A tall lady in line for the next register over struck up a conversation with 4-Kid-Mom. I overheard Tall Lady tell 4-Kid-Mom how once her kids were out of school, she couldn't wait until summer camp week arrived. And, I overheard 4-Kid-Mom explain how much she loves having her kids at home and looks forward to having them around all summer. This sentiment is not often expressed these days, so I was thrilled to hear this woman defend motherhood in such a way.

Then, today, when I was at Target, I was walking through the baby aisles when I met a couple with a brand new tiny baby. (20 days old!) They were trying on infant carriers and I offered my opinion, which I'm quite prone to doing. Come to find out during the course of our conversation, this couple recently adopted their newborn, but already have 2 kids, ages 19 and 23. They also told me that they're already talking about adopting another child. It struck me that these people must love being parents. There aren't many people who are willing to take on more kids once they're "done" with the child-raising part of parenting. What a tribute to parenthood!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

A couple of months ago, we planted our garden. I've been meaning to post pics for a while, but haven't gotten around to actually taking any. Fortunately for me, Kallie spent her birthday money on a kid's camera--and she LOVES taking pics. So, here are a few pics she took of our garden (without any prompting on my part):

Lettuce, onions, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and peas

Zucchini (Pay no attention to the weeds...)

Tomatoes and bell pepper (Kallie doesn't have the steadiest hand...)

So--there it is. We've eaten some of the lettuce, but nothing else so far. I'm afraid some of my peas are dying, which is sad, but oh well. And, we got our tomatoes and zucchini in a little late, so I'm hoping we'll actually have a harvest from them this year. Guess we'll see what this great experiment ends up yielding for us!

If we ever wondered...

If we were ever in doubt as to whether Whitney is 110% girl, her antics yesterday removed all doubt. As a little background, Sunday, we were assigned to bring brownies to our family gathering. I wanted to try a couple of things, so I made S'mores brownies and some brownie cups with Oreos on top. When the time came to pack up the brownies, I couldn't budge the brownie cups from the mini-muffin tin. After prying one out with a butter knife, I determined I had overcooked them and they were all good and stuck. (The S'mores brownies, however, turned out AMAZING. I'll make those again!)

Fast forward to Monday: I was finally getting around to the mini muffin tin, still laden with baked in brownies. I decided the best course of action was to spray them with water until they were soft enough to remove. After I got all 23 out of the pan, I tossed the soggy chocolate mess in the garbage can. (They were so overcooked that they were still holding their form when soaking wet!)

A while later, I asked Whitney to throw something away. She returned and with much concern said, "There's chocolate in the trash!" She was devestated and close to tears upon discovering what she thought was perfectly good chocolate in the garbage can. Once I assured her that the chocolate was yucky and supposed to be in the trash, she calmed down a little. But, seriously, leave it up to a true girl to get emotional about garbage-bound chocolate!

Lab Results

I went in for my first non-stress test (NST) today and they told me that my bile salts are at normal levels and haven't changed since my last blood test in January. YAY! This means that, as of right now, I don't have cholestasis yet. I have never made it this far into a pregnancy without getting it. I'm not sure if it's because this is a boy...or if it's because my body is in better condition this time around...or if it's because I'm taking an herbal liver function supplement...but regardless of the why, I'm just happy to have made it this far without being toxic to my baby.

As for the NST--for those who don't know what that is, I'm strapped to a baby heartrate monitor and a contraction monitor for at least 20 minutes. The goal is to see the baby's heartrate accelerate a certain number of times within that 20 minute time period. Every time this little boy's heartbeat would accelerate, he would start moving, kicking, and rolling. It was hilarious! But, as expected, everything looked great and he's very healthy. Great news all the way around.

Oh--and I'm sure someone will wonder about this--I asked my Dr. if we would still deliver at 37 weeks even if I am never diagnosed with cholestasis. He said we would. I presume this is because the chances of cholestasis increase the further along I am in pregnancy. I think he'd rather have it scheduled ahead of time, instead of having to make a swift change of plans later on. I'm incredibly grateful for this for 2 reasons: 1) I know he's the Dr. who will do my c-sec, and 2) I don't know if I could make it to 40 weeks after delivering at 37 with both of my girls. I know--selfish--but I'm OK with this!

Pregnancy Update

I had an eventful appointment last week and thought I would share a few details with everyone. A week and a half ago, I had my glucose test--while they were drawing blood for that, they also took a few extra vials to test my bile salts and liver function. For those who are not aware, with both of my past pregnancies, I have been diagnosed with cholestasis of pregnancy at around 28 weeks. Cholestasis of pregnancy happens because the high amounts of estrogen in my body cause my liver ducts to swell. Because of the swelling, normal bile secretion is not possible, and the bile backs up into my bloodstream, which causes severe itching. Cholestasis can cause the baby to be stillborn in the last month of pregnancy.

At my appointment last week, I was told that I had passed my glucose test, but the liver-related blood work results weren't in yet. However, my Dr. decided to go ahead and move forward cautiously--which I am very grateful for. For the next 2 weeks, I have non-stress tests once a week. After that, I will go in twice a week--once for a non-stress test, once for an ultrasound--until August 14, which is when my c-section is scheduled. I will also have weekly blood work to keep track of the bile salts in my blood stream.

The good news is that, while I have certainly been itchy over the last few weeks, it seems less intense and less frequent than in the past. I don't know if I'm used to it now or if my levels just aren't as high as the last couple of times, but only time will tell. I'm just really grateful for a Dr. who is keeping on top of this--being proactive about it all, instead of reactive.