Club feet?? Not me!

We had a GREAT appointment at Shriner's today. First, a plug for Shriner's. They were remarkable. The friendliest staff, the most child oriented facility I have ever been, the most comprehensive health care team. It was incredible. If you need a charity to donate to, think of them.

But onto our boy. When the doc came in he said that his feet looked like clubbed feet. Once he started manipulating them though he said they felt nothing like clubbed feet. They have good range of motion, flexibility, a perfectly developed heel (we learned that clubbed feet often have an under developed heel bone) and moving them wasn't painful to Dane. He told us that the position was almost certainly positional from the way Dane was lying in utero. So, no casts! We had a consultation with a PT who spent a half an hour going over several different exercises we have to do for Dane. They help to relax his heel and Achilles tendon and gently encourage his feet to turn out. The exercises take about 20 minutes to do on both feet and we have to do them 3-5 times a day so it is time consuming, but obviously worth it. We go back in two weeks to have them reevaluated but the doc said it was as mild of a case as they come. They score club feet on a scale from 0-20, 20 being the worst. They gave Dane's feet a 2. We were so pleased, this should be a very painless, easy fix.

Thanks for all the prayers, they sure were answered!

Circumcision, Shmircumcision

I know, a new post without any pictures.  I promise to be a better mom on the next post.  For now though, I am here to discuss the fact that I am a lemming.  I joined the pack and dove off the cliff.  Why?  Because everyone else was doing it.

We circumcised Nathan and it was not a good experience.  They let me go back during the procedure which was a bad idea.  He screamed the entire time and I cried.  It's one thing to inflict pain on your kid, you know, so they don't die of some awful disease, but it's a whole other thing to do it because a lot of other people are doing it.  Unfortunately, Greg and I didn't feel like 2/3 of the men in the house should be circumcised so off I went again today, to inflict the same pointless procedure on Dane.  And he handled it about as well as Nathan did.  Which is to say that he screamed and screamed and screamed and has cried during all wakeful periods today.  If I had it to do all over again I wouldn't do it at all.  I mean, seriously, what is the point?  According to recent studies, only about 50%of boys are currently circumcised and that number is even smaller in western US.  So there goes the whole  "different in the locker room " theory.  And, no health benefits.  So, no perks and my sweet boy, crying and crying all day long...

  I think I'm done having kids, just so we don't run the risk of having another boy that we feel obligated to circumcise.  A lemming I tell you, a lemming.

Dane Warren Jones

As I never anticipated that it would take me almost a week to get this post up, most of this news will be old to my dear blog readers.  Nonetheless, it is still wonderful, blog worthy news.  Our baby boy, Dane Warren, was born on Monday, January 14, at 11:59 a.m.  He weighed in at 8 lbs. 8 oz. (NOT 9 lbs. 13 oz.) and was 20.5 inches long.  I had a very smooth delivery, really only being in active labor for a little over four hours.  I also had a delicious epidural this time around, something I didn't have with Nathan.  After my experience with Dane all I could think was, why on earth wouldn't I get another one of these???  My recovery has been a piece of cake.  I have felt great since the first hour after delivery and have been good since. 

We are also happy to say that Dane's feet are not nearly as bad as we were afraid they would be.  The feet themselves are perfectly formed, an excellent sign.  One is turned in more than the other but neither one is terrible.  They both have decent range of motion as well, another good sign.  We have a consultation at Shriners next Friday and that will determine our course of action.  We are confident that any corrections that need to be made are going to be minor and our little boy will be off and running in no time.  

We are all adjusting as well as can be expected.  Dane is such an adorable baby and has been breaking us in gently.  Thank God for all the sleep newborns require!  We can already tell that he has a gentle little spirit.  Aubrey has taken to being a big sister again without any hesitation.  She LOVES Dane, is a great helper, and doesn't seem to even notice the change in our lives.  Nathan on the other hand has had a rougher time.  It is a combination of a lot of change, a cold he is suffering through, and just being 19 months old.  He hasn't been aggressive or mean towards Dane, just VERY out of sorts.  Mommy guilt is hard on me, I just wish I could do everything for everyone.  Greg assures me that Nathan will come through this no worse for the wear but in the meantime I worry about being able to give anyone the attention they really deserve.  I know this feeling will ease as life gets into more of a pattern.  In the meantime we'll just do the best we can and take it one day at a time.  

We haven't entered real life yet because Greg is home this week and my mom is coming this week.  Speaking of Greg, he is a saint.  I don't know what I would have done without him this week.  Cleaning, kid care, meal prep, the night shift, he has done it all.  I am going to relish my help while I have it.  I think we are going to be fine though.  I have precious, good kids and am so thankful for another sweet, healthy, baby boy.  Welcome to the family Dane!

How to break a heart

Aubrey broke mine today.  At bedtime I was feeling sentimental (last night I'll put my kids to bed as a family of four) and was snuggling with my girl.  She very gently touched my face and said, "I will always be with you.  Will you always be with me?"  Yes, I really did cry.  She is so beautiful.

Earlier, she asked me if she could wear one of my earrings.  I explained that I had my ears pierced and that she didn't so they wouldn't work.  She then asked if she could have her ears pierced.  I told her that it was something for big girls and that besides, it hurt.  She told me she was going to ask her daddy.  She went downstairs and I heard her ask Greg if she could pierce her ears.  He thought I had put her up to it and he started to laugh and said, "Did Mommy tell you to ask me that?"  The look on her face was awful.  She thought he was laughing at her, she had been serious when she asked, and her whole face crumbled.  She started to cry, not obnoxious tantrum crying, but you-have-crushed-my-tender-spirit crying.  We both felt terrible.  We finally consoled her with the promise to look for some play clip-on earrings.  Good heavens.  Sometimes I think I love my kids too much.  It's like walking around with your heart on the soles of your feet.  

Then there was Greg.  He told me he'd make me whatever I wanted for dinner tonight.  That included my aunt's blueberry cream cheese french toast bake and "better than sex" cake (it really almost is).  Truly, a man among men.

And Nathan, my precious boy, was his usual sweet self.  Funny, wanting to "see" everything, and nuzzling my face.  Man, the hormones must be running high.  I'm one big drippy, weepy, sentimental mess today.

The next post should be of our new baby.  Keep us in your prayers!

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest..."

I have always liked that verse (Matthew 11:28-30 for those who are interested) but I think Jesus might have been speaking directly to largely pregnant women.  Weary?  Check.  Burdened? Check.  Good news though?  There is an end in sight!

I am due tomorrow and we had an ultrasound and appointment today.  The ultrasound was to make a guess at size and check amniotic fluid levels.  The appointment was to establish that I may never have this baby on my own.  While ultrasounds this late in a pregnancy can be off by a pound in either direction, the baby was estimated at weighing 9 lbs. 12 oz.  Seriously.  I also have a lot of fluid, all of which equals enormous Sara.  My doc told me flat out that he didn't want me to go another week.  That is at least another half a pound of weight the baby would put on and greatly increases my risk of c-section.  Enough said.  Sign me up for an induction!

If I don't go into labor onto my own, I will be induced Sunday night.  They will do a low dose of pitocin Sunday night with the hope that by Monday morning I will be dilated to 3 and he can break my water.  (I was dilated to 2 today.)  The hope is that will be enough to kick me into labor and I can progress on my own from there.  So, unless you hear other wise, think of me come Sunday.  Let's get ready to welcome baby Trey!

Who do I think I'm kidding?

I was all set to write a post reflecting on the end of the holiday season, the joy of a new year (okay, I actually hate the month of January) and the beauty of the winter season when I realized, who cares?!?!  I sure don't.  The only thing we need to talk about is that I'm still pregnant, looks as though I will still be come my due date, and am unendingly cranky.  My mom had mentioned when I was about 20 weeks along that I become rather testy at the end of my pregnancies and I replied, in all sincerity, "Really?  It doesn't seem like I'm that bad."  OH, I am a LIAR!  I am that bad, I am that crabby, and I am THAT READY TO NOT BE PREGNANT.

I have an appointment on Wednesday and due to my large measurements they are scheduling an ultrasound.  I'm sure the doc will force an induction date on me at that time as well and frankly, I'll take it.  I need a reminder that I am actually harboring a precious life inside of me, not just growing exponentially larger with every minute for the joy of not being able to bend over.

I will post some cute pictures tomorrow when I'm full of joy and self-reflection.  For now, you get a small taste of what my husband is living with.  CRANKY, CRANKY SARA.

Merry Christmas!

While our Christmas/New Year festivities are far from over (we are celebrating next Tuesday with Greg's whole family when his sister and her husband make it into town), we have had enough fun to warrant a blog.  We spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Greg's parents.  We enjoyed fondue on Christmas Eve and a traditional Christmas dinner at our house on Christmas Day.  Our kids will think we are Jewish because we have turned this holiday season into about 12 days of celebration.  They have opened presents seemingly everyday and will continue to do so through next week.  Santa came to our house and Aubrey was thrilled because not only did he get her exactly what she wanted but he also ate up the cookies we left and the reindeer gnawed away at the carrots.  Nathan was most impressed with the match box cars he got and we all had fun zooming them across the floor.  Christmas and kids is a magical combination.  

On their way back home from Montana, my whole family spent the night here last night.  More celebrating!  We each opened another gift, had another big meal, and stayed up too late talking.  I also decided that in the gift department I was deeply regretting the MagnaDoodle we got for Nathan.  You know, one of those screens you write on using a magnetic pen?  Who would have thought that both children would love it with an unending passion and that I would spend hours of every day mediating whose turn it was to use it, how much sharing should be required, and how on earth to hide the dang thing so I could get some peace .  I am seriously contemplating buying a second one, just to preserve my sanity.

On a side note, yep, still pregnant.  Measuring HUGE.  Big enough that the doc once again brought up another ultrasound and the possibility of induction.  I am NOT IN FAVOR of an induction but need to stop measuring so stinking enormous if I want to avoid that conversation.  I will be 39 weeks at my next appointment and I think more decisions will be made then.  In the meantime I am large, crabby, and done done done done done.  I have never measured this big with any of my pregnancies and we are all predicting a large baby.  Let's all say a little prayer for a 2007 baby!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and the time spent with family.  Happy New Years!

Some Winter photos

Next week will be busy (you know, Christmas!) so I thought I'd get a few recent pictures up to tide you over if I'm missing for a bit. Most don't need any explanation but Nathan sleeping with his ball...Let's just say that our boy is quite literally OBSESSED with balls and basketball and has taken to sleeping with a ball. Most kids want their blankie or stuffed animal. Not our son. We find him sleeping peacefully, curled around a ball. That Y chromosome sure is different than the XX combination I'm more familiar with.

Merry Christmas to all!

A very good day

Some days just go well.  That was yesterday.  After church Greg announced that he was feeling all warm and cozy and family oriented and that we needed to make an afternoon of it.  So, we headed to the mall for some holiday sight seeing.  The kids got to walk (a big deal for Nathan when he always has to be in a stroller with mommy) and we took in the sights. We looked at Santa, gave Frosty the snowman a high five, pointed at beautiful bells and sparkly lights, took a ride on an ice cream truck (you know, for 50 cents the truck barely moves back and forth), played in the kids play area, rode up and down the escalator, looked up up up at a very tall Christmas tree, and were asked if Santa would remember the sparkly pink rubber ducky that Aubrey so badly wants (he did).  

Next it was home for some family cooking.  We made up a batch of homemade chicken and dumpling soup.  Greg and I had made rice pudding earlier and let the kids dye one batch red and the other green.  We at warm soup and bread, ate our beautifully colored pudding, and then got ready for Christmas lights.  We bundled the kids up in their jammies and blankies, gave them a Christmas cookie, and set out around the neighborhood.  We drove around until all the fun got the better of the kids and they were zonked in the back seat.  The night ended with Greg and I packing sleeping kids into the house and putting them to bed, then curling up for some Travel Channel, followed by reading with hot chocolate, foot rubs, and snuggling off to sleep.  And I wonder why Mondays always feel so hard!

On a side note, things in the pregnancy department are progressing.  I'm almost 37 weeks and am dilated to 1 cm.  I'm still measuring big which allows me to whine and complain to my fullest capacity.  The baby looks good, I'm not putting on an obscene amount of weight over the holidays, and my doctor things I will safely make it through Christmas and New Years without giving birth.  My ultimate plan is to have the baby around January 3.  You know, after Christmas festivities but a week before my due date.  Now if only it were that simple...

Tag, I'm it

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B.  Each person answers the questions about themselves

C.  Tag five other people, as listed at the bottom of this message.  Send them a personal message to let them know they have been tagged.  (I winged this summary.)

5 things I was doing 10 years ago (in 1997)

1.  I was a senior in high school, deliberating over three different colleges.  I went to my last choice but met my husband so that's okay I think!

2.  Was preparing for my disastrous role in a one act play.  Humiliating!

3.  Working at an orthopedic clinic (Jen, were you there at the same time?)

4.  Still straightening my hair nearly every day.

5.  Thinking my AP Bio final was so hard.  Oh, if only I knew what organic chem had in store for me!

5 things on my to-do list today

1.  Get caught up on a mountain of laundry.

2.  Go to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)

3.  Get my Christmas packages shipped

4.  Try try try to remember to water the tree so that it doesn't self combust.

5.  I-chat with my parents so they can tell the kids good-night

5 snacks I enjoy

1.  I have really enjoyed Top Romen lately.

2.  Cold cereal before bedtime is awesome.  My favorite is Wheat Checks.

3.  Any Christmas goodie lying around my house.

4.  Popcorn (in an air popper like my mommy makes it)

5.  We have been eating Satsuma Mandarine Oranges by the pounds lately.

5 things I would do if I was a billionaire

1.  Let my parents and Greg's parents retire

2.  Let Greg retire!

3 . Buy a loaded Denali (I can't even spell it!) for my ever growing family.

4.  Buy our dream house: kitchen with two ovens and a massive island, at least 5 bedrooms, huge backyard that is self-mowing, great big play room, office, craft room....

5. Donate money to either St. Jude or Shriners.  Why not both?

3 of my bad habits

1.  An unwillingness to learn new things.  I want to be good at things NOW so if something doesn't come naturally to me (i.e. the guitar, golf,) than I just quit. My least favorite quality about myself for sure.

2.  Taking the best people in my life for granted. 

3.  Spending too much time focusing on what is coming rather than enjoying the moment.

5 places I have lived

1.  Dillon, MT

2. Great Falls, MT

3.  Lakeside, MT

4.  Yakima, WA

5.  Liberty Lake, WA

5 jobs I have had

1. Professional ice cream scooper at Baskin Robbins

2. Dining room server at Ponderosa Retirement Center

3.  Nurse tech at Holy Family Hospital on the peds floor

4.  Labor and delivery nurse

5.  School nurse

5 things people don't know about me

1.  Greg and I have a secret that no one else in the world knows.  It is our code if either one of us is ever kidnapped and we have to be sure that our spouse is alive.  :-)

2.  I think making true friends now that I'm out of school is hard.

3.  I hope to never go back to work as a nurse.  I'd way rather write or get paid to read good books.

4.  Greg started watching "Battlestar Gallactic" and I actually kind of like it.

5.  I kind of want to keep having babies until I get another girl, just so Aubrey can have a sister.  

I'm sorry, I have no one to tag.  All my blogging buddies have already participated in this!  Thanks though Brittany, it's always fun to talk about yourself!