I have a new hobby!

Okay, so I was getting pretty bored with the same ol same ol in this good ol hospital room. So, I thought, what better way to kill time, than by doing something productive. So I have been reading lots of tutorials online on how to make digital scrap booking kits! I just completed my first kit today. If you would like to check it out, you can go to My Digital Scrapbooking blog. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, considering it was my first go at it. Please let me know what you think!

Made it through February!

Well, we officially made it through February, and there is still a baby in my tummy. This is good news! The goal right now is to try and keep her in there growing, at least until March 15th. So 15 days... at that point, if she tries to get out, they wont stop her. Last night was a good one on the monitors, no spikes in her heart rate. I don't have a lot to add. Not much has changed.

If you guys could really pray for Chris, he is getting frustrated that he can't be here with me, not even for a visit, because it is a long drive and the money for gas and tolls adds up so fast. And there is also the part where if he does not keep working, we loose the house and all. We don't want that. My phone call with him last night was rough. He just wishes that we were not so far apart. He seems to be doing pretty well with the girls, considering this is all knew to him. Thank you to everyone who has been helping out with the girls, I really appreciate you!

Here's what's knew...

I should really try and keep my blog up to date better. I know there are still a hand full of you that don't have facebook, so this update is for you. Those of you on facebook are going to get some repeat information in this update, as my blog posts are auto added to facebook.

Baby Nicola is doing pretty good. Still inside Mum. Her heart has been acting wacky in the mornings, but seems to calm down in the afternoon. Yesterday evening, she had a couple spots on the monitor where her heart jumped from 120's to 190's. I am not really sure how often the spikes are happening, because I am only on the monitors for 15 minutes after each meal. This morning, there was only one spike in the 15 minutes, so that is good. Yesterday mornings spikes caused us to have another ultrasound. My doctor caught the spikes on ultrasound as well, so I am not crazy, this really is happening!

At this point, I am still not sure how long they will keep me here at the IWK. The pediatric cardiologist said it could be 2 weeks, it could be 6... It all depends on what happens with her heart. The one thing that frustrates me every time I talk to him is that he calls her a fetus! I am sorry, but she is a BABY! A HUMAN! Off my soap box... Ceri has been treating me so well. She has visited me a lot, and I have only been here since Wednesday. She brought me movies, magazines, clothes (considering I only brought 2 day's worth), toiletries, snacks... She is spoiling me!

I miss the girls a lot. You'd think I would enjoy the break from them, but they are my life. I spend every day, almost every minute with them. So it is very hard to be so far away. It is also hard to be away from Chris. And I know it is not easy on him either. He has never had to care for them alone. He does have help, and for that I am so grateful, I just wish he was more open to accept the help that people are trying to offer. He is a very prideful man, and I am sure many of you can understand that. I am very proud of him, as he has been caring for the girls in the evening, and even using and washing cloth diapers (something he said he would never do!)

Well, I guess that is my update in a minute. I hope all is well with you and yours!

Something I found out yesterday

here's your hint:


Keep your comments on the net.... not out loud ;)

At the IWK

Well, here I am, at the IWK. I am hooked up to the monitors, and now baby is nice and calm. Doctor did a quick ultrasound and she said things seem to be looking okay. I am currently trying to choose what I want for super... I get to choose! As of now though, things look okay. I am in a private room, due to medical reasons. So it is nice and quiet!

I got the steroid shot in my hip, to help mature the baby's lungs, just in case an early delivery is necessary. I have to get a second one tomorrow... I guess it takes two.

I will update as I know more.

Making a buck!

So Chris and I had to head to the BELL store today, in search of a new remote for our Satellite box. Gabriella decided that it looked pretty good in her glass of milk, and now, it no longer works. When we asked the lady at the BELL store how much we were looking at to replace it, she told us it is $50! That is a lot of money for a remote! So then Chris asked her if it was the only remote that would work. She says, "Yes, there is no other remote that will work for Bell receivers." Just for the heck of it, we went down to Zellers (it's in the same mall) to have a look at the universal remotes. Well, all of the ones they sell at Zellers say that they will work with the Bell receiver! We bought the Sony remote that they sell there, for $14.99. And guess what, IT WORKS!!!!! And we like it a lot better than the one from BELL! So, if your child ever chooses to drop the Satellite remote in his/her milk, don't waste your money on the $50 remote!

What's going on?

Well. For starters, I would like to congratulate yet another bbc couple (and friends) for bringing a baby into the world on Gabby's birthday! That's right, this is the second time (that I know of) that friends from BBC decided to have their baby on my Gabby's birthday. Gabby and I are good at sharing, so we wont get upset, or try to take it away from you! Congrats to Jess & Justin, I can't wait to see pictures of baby Avi!

On another note, Gabriella's birthday was pretty good. We did not do a party, because we have all been sick around here; but we did go to my parents place for cake (it was yummy) and Gabby got her present from Gigi & Tad-cu. The day was a bit rush-rush overall, but that is what works best for Gabby anyway. We went to play group in the AM (she loves playgroup); then lunch with daddy, they a new hair cut for Gabby, she looks sooooooooo cute! I think we did pretty well for her on gifts this year too. We got her the Fisher Price Kid Tough portable DVD player. Since I take trips to Halifax, this will give her something to do on the drive besides saying "hey mommy, what are you doing" for 3.5 hours. She wanted to watch movies on it last night. Alina got her a Disney Princess directors chair. And, Alina loves it so much that she faught Gabby to sit in it..... Good thing I found it at liquidation world, I will have to get another the next time I am in Amherst (only a month away)!



Chris had his doctors appointment yesterday. Our family doctor told him that they are so many gall stones in his gallbladder, that he is likely to have another attack any day now. So, she has sent a referral to one of the surgeons, and he will have an appointment with him soon. The gallbladder has to come out, no question. The last time he was in the hospital with an attack, it was infected, which means that the next attack, it will most likely be infected again. If/when that happens, they will take it out right then. Recovery is longer and the scare is bigger if he has it out while it is infected, so I just hope they get it out before he has another attack. And lets just hope that his surgery and this baby's arrival are spaced out enough so that Chris and I can be somewhat helpful to each other. Timing can be so crazy, and we will be at 2 different hospitals.

"I'm being a sister!"

So, the other day the girls were playing in the living room while I was cooking dinner. As usual, I hear Alina start to fuss, and go to check out the situation. Alina is on the other side of the room from Gabby, looking at her as if she had taken her favorite toy away. I asked Gabby, "are you being a mean big sister?" Gabby replies, "no mommy". So I ask, "well, are you being a nice big sister?" And her response was priceless, "No mommy, I'm being a sister!"

A tribute to my hubby

For our 5th Valentine's Day together.

Home from Halifax

Well, the girls and I made it home safely. I ended up taking them both to the after hours clinic tonight. They both have a double ear infection and a chest infection! Oh boy, no wonder they have been so crabby! So they are both on meds for that.

My appointments at the IWK went pretty well. Still not convinced 100% either way on the gender, although the one tech is leaning more towards a girl. So, baby remains simi-nameless! Chris and I have agreed on a name for each gender; so we are prepared... although we may change our minds when we see him or her.

As for baby's heart. There has been little to no change, which is GREAT news! The pediatric cardiologist said that as long as I am in Halifax by the time I am 36 weeks, he will be happy. I don't have to live at the hospital like we were originally told. I will be crashing at Ceri's place, as will my girls. He also said that we may be able to put off the surgery on baby's heart until he or she is a little older and stronger, rather than doing it at a week old.

I will have to finish this update later. Alina just woke up and is crying, A LOT! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for this little booger! We appreciate it very much!

Where is daddy's hair?

So we were sitting in the living room, Chris, Gabby and myself, and Gabby says "daddy, look at my pretty hair!" Chris responds: "Yes Gabby, it is very pretty!" Gabby comes back with "Daddy, where did your hair go? Mommy, where is daddy's hair?"

Hehe! I love having a bald hubby!

Blog Facelift!

I got tired of the baby blocks.... yes I still have babies.... but I wanted a sharp looking blog, so here it is everyone! Now, to remember to blog....

I have 3 appointments this week. Today I have a Dietitian appointment; Wednesday I have an appointment with my Island OB; and Friday I have another ultrasound in Halifax. I am really hoping to confirm the gender of this little booger. 2/3 ultrasound techs said boy, the other said "I don't see any boy parts." Sooooooo... Cross your fingers and your toes, I want to know for sure!

We are still waiting to hear results of Chris' ultrasound. If it is his gallbladder, hopefully they can schedule his surgery to not be the same time I am in the hospital!

What is wrong with Gabby!

Okay, so as some of you know, I have been dealing with a lot of problems from Gabby. Gabby will be 3 next month, and the older she gets, the worse it gets. I had the first of many consults with her doctor yesterday. While ha and I talked, he observed her every action and word. It kind of stinks, because he did not see the "evil" side of her that we see daily. She was actually pretty good. But she did do some of the things that have concerned me. After about an hour and a half of sitting in the room and talking, he told me that he had a lot of information from me and her and that from what he could see right now, he considers it ODD (Oppositional defiant disorder). This scares me, a lot! I am not one to medicate my kids, I try to avoid any and all meds, but untreated, I am understanding, this can be bad. He said right no she is to young for meds for this, the best we can do is change the way we discipline... Rather than telling her "no" he said to redirect her attention. Avoid negative words as much as we can. Today while my mom was watching her, she was very naughty. My mom told her "Gabby you are beeing naughty." Gabby replied "No, I'm not naughty, I'm a BRAT!" Okay, I admit it, that s my fault, I call her a brat all the time... but I am trying to stop that!

Chris told me today that he can't handle the two girls on his own. He had them for two hours tonight while I was at a Mary Kay party. He had a hard time just in those 2 hours. So, I really don't know what I will do with them while I am in the hospital for 2 months....... ugh!

If you would like to read more about ODD I googled it and there are lots of things that pop up... Here is the link to the wikipidia results
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppositional_defiant_disorder

Less than 100 days!

Well, I missed posting this on the day it hit, but better late than never. I have less than 100 days until my due date. Am I excited.... well yes and no. I know that this will be my last pregnancy, which is very hard on me, because I actually love being pregnant (most of the time). I love the feelings inside when the baby has hiccups and when the baby kicks... I don't love the heartburn, or the frequent trips to the potty.... but with 2 toddlers, I am doing frequent potty trips anyway! SO, in a way, I am excited because I can't wait to meet this baby, but then there are also the problems that we are facing once he is born. Maybe I can convince the doctors that I can have more.... haha just kidding. We have to stop. Pay checks only stretch so far.

And the winner is, GABBY!

So, my child that is always the last to awake every morning, Gabby, was the first up this morning. Her way of getting us up was to start unwrapping presents! And not just hers, but EVERYONES! When Christian found her, she had opened 5 of his, 4 of Alina's, and 5 of her own! Oh the joys of an almost 3 year old!

Our Christmas was truly amazing! The kids were spoiled, and I had nothing to do with it! But don't tell them that, haha!

I am humbled!

Well, as those of you who read this on a somewhat regular basis know, Chris and I got some pretty hard news to take about the baby that is currently growing inside of me. We go back again in January for more testing (ie: another fetal echo, and maybe an amnio). The past few days have been truly amazing to me. When the people at the store Chris works at heard about the problems with the baby, they jumped in right away, and got going on getting some help for us. Christmas for our kids has been cover 100%, Christmas dinner was given to us, we have received an abundance of gift cards to use for meals on our numerous trips to and from Halifax, and they say they are not done. We have also been given a computer for Christian! It is not knew, but is a very nice refurbished computer (that a lady I talked to while in the hospital with my kidney infection set up for us). I was also very blessed to talk to Dena in a conversation that I expected to only cover a confirmation of our plans for Christmas dinner. In that phone call, Dena asked me if I would mind if she worked on getting people to help out with the girls during the day and meals for the family while I am a resident of the IWK. While Chris is not so good at accepting help, I know that he is in for a lot more than he can handle when I am away. I have actually been looking into asking someone to take the girls in day and night while I am gone, because he really does work a lot. It is a big task to take on, as I will be gone at least a month, maybe two, maybe even longer. It all depends on how the baby takes to the surgery, and if more surgery is needed. So again, I am humbled by the generosity of both friends and strangers alike. I can't begin to thank people enough for all that they have done for us in this holiday season. My kids are getting an amazing Christmas, one that Chris and I could not have given them this year! Merry Christmas everyone, may your hearts be filled with Joy in this time of celebrating our Saviors birth!

So this is Christmas

Well, Christmas is almost here, and I was talking to Gabby about Christmas. I asked her why we Celebrate Christmas, and her response was "Jesus needs birthday cake too!"

Just thought I would share!

My baby's heart...

Okay, so I have been a little secretive about this information since the first discovery of the problem. Mainly, I kept is quiet because I did not know enough about it to continually answer questions with "I don't know." My ultrasound, and appointments yesterday really helped Chris and I to understand a little better about what we are in for. Our baby has been diagnosed with SVAS which stands for "Supra Valvar Aortic Stenosis." Basically, where the Aorta meets the left ventricle there is a narrowing of the aorta. Above the narrowing, there is a balloon affect. What is the problem? Well, the blood can not flow properly with this narrowing. Think of it at a water hose. If you pinch a water hose while the water is on, it stops the flow and then when you let it go, the water bursts out really fast. That is what is happening in baby's Aorta. So, what's next? Well, the pediatric cardiologist told us that the chances of it fixing itself are 0%, but it could stay the way it is, or get worse. We are hoping for tit to stay the way it is. If it stays the way it is, we are looking at one surgery where they will put a patch into the narrowing that will force it to push out to the normal shape. If it gets worse, it could put pressure on the baby's brain, causing developmental problems, and learning disabilities; and more surgeries. It's a lot to take in, and I don't know that I was ready to hear it all, but I did. So, I go back to Halifax in 6 weeks for another ultrasound and review from the 12 million doctors we have met with. At that time, they will be able to tell us if it is getting worse, or if it is staying the same. So, pray that it does not get any worse! Also, I will be delivering in Halifax... this means that I have to move into the hospital when I am 36 weeks along. At this point, they do not want to schedule a C-section or induction, they want us to let things happen naturally. Depending on the outcome of the next ultrasound, that may change. This is really hard on Chris, because I will be in Halifax, sitting in a hospital, twiddling my thumbs; while he is back on PEI working, taking care of the kids, cooking, keeping the house clean, the laundry done, etc..... and he might not make it there for the birth. It is about 3 hours from our house to the IWK, with tolls totaling $51 per trip! So each time we wants to come visit, we are looking at the $51 in tolls, the $50 in gas, plus the millage on the car or van..... I am sure everything will be okay... and we continue to pray that it will be. If you could all team up with us in prayer, I would really appreciate it. As soon as we have chosen a name, we will let you all know!

Tomorrow might be the day....

That we find out the gender! Chris and I decided that we should find out this time. Since there are possible complications, we chose to find out the gender so that we could name the baby. I (along with many others) find prayer more powerful with a name. So, hopefully my next update to you will be a name (and gender) for baby #4! Chris and I will be going to Halifax either tonight or tomorrow morning. My first appointment of the day is at 1:20pm (Atlantic time). I hope to have more info for you soon!

It's that time again!

Okay people, it's time once again to guess my baby's gender. We have not had any luck in previous ultrasounds, so we are kind of hoping for some cooperation from baby at the next one. It will either be this coming Wednesday or on Christmas eve. If the doctor can do it this coming Wednesday it would be much better, as we have to travel to Halifax for it. But we will do what we have to do. There is only one baby. Is it a boy, or another girl? Please use the Poll to the right to give your answer. Also, feel free to comment to this message as well.

*For those viewing this on Facebook, you can comment to the message or visit my blog to use the poll!*