Park Near New House!

We wanted to go see the house that our builder did for Parade of Homes. (BTW they won several awards, as in years past for the home!) There is a park right across the street from the addition where that house is (and fairly close to our new house) that is BIG and has play areas for several different age groups. There were also kids playing soccer and Joseph REALLY wants to play, so we are thinking next spring or fall we will let him do that since it will be close to the new house!

After we were done looking the kids went to play at the park!

Joseph playing on a whale (rocks back and forth). He loved this and went back several times!

Katherine had never done this type before (did not have the nerve to let her feet off the ground). She is growing up so much!

Joseph Climbing on Alligator.

Isabelle climbed up on the top level of this play set, and got to the slide area, but was too afraid to get back down. Daddy rescued her.

Joseph running to another thing to play on!

Katherine played on this several times so I got to get some more pictures!

Joseph says "Wow! That is tall!" But with a little encouragement he made it to the top.

Trip to the Zoo

We love going to the Oklahoma City Zoo!

And I LOVE taking pictures - so here are some that I took. :)


The Oklahoma City Zoo had a new baby elephant born earlier this year (Maylee) and more recently had baby tiger cubs born. Most pictures are of these things, but there are also a few others.

Baby Update

Well it is that time... Part of pregnancy I DREAD! Glucose Tolerance Early Screening... YUCK!!!

I made sure I drank a TON of water yesterday to try and help. Well it did not! Very high protein breakfast (eggs and sausage) with no carbs. The nurse tried drawing blood...

She then called the RN, who tried drawing blood, first in arm...

Then in hand...

Still NO LUCK. It just would start and then not flow.

They ended up having to use a syringe to draw it out of my hand. SO glad Robert was in the lobby (if he had been in the room he would have passed out), but had decided to take off to help me - knowing that I usually have some sort of issue with these tests. SO incredibly grateful for an incredible husband that has the forethought I often don't. I was just going to take the kids (littlest ones in the double stroller) and just do the best I could. After nearly throwing up and almost passing out I ask the nurse to take Katherine out to get Daddy! I was NOT in good shape at all. They laid me down with cold wet cloths all over me - not sure if I was more wet from cloths or from sweat. SO GLAD that is over! Robert drove us home and took rest of the day off. I was SO thankful I was not having to drive - arms and hand were so sore and I was still feeling nauseous. We got lunch on the way home and I fell asleep in the car. Once we got home I slept for another couple hours - apparently my thinking of I can handle this and three kids, no problems, was COMPLETELY over-rated. LOL

Robert does remember my previous labors well though... The nurse told him to tell her if "Something Changes" and he said "Nothing better change!" The nurse was kinda lost and I was laughing. Robert and out doula Chris KNOW that if I say "Somethings Changed..." the baby is coming, NOW! We usually have about 5 minutes and that is it. Last time Chris was repeatedly pushing the nurses call button and Robert was texting the doctor trying to get everyone there QUICK. Robert explained it to her and she laughed and said we are too early for that and Robert said "Exactly!" She rephrased and said if my color changes again quickly to come get her.

GOOD NEWS... I PASSED!!! No 3 hour test (at least this time)!!! :D

4 more weeks and we find out what we are having. 14 more weeks and I get to do this LOVELY (can you hear the sarcasm...) test again... SO HATE THIS TEST! It always makes for an eventful day...

BIG NEWS - On House

It is OFFICIAL! We have LAND! The builder official closed on our lot last week.

What an ordeal it was! We were still waiting on the appraisal to come back and were WELL past the contract deadline. We were down the the FINAL day and still no appraisal. The mortgage company decided to just go with the builder's bank's appraisal. Not much else we could do...

That appraisal came in at $339,600. This was great news as the agreed sales total was $339, 570.77. So it was just over that and we were great even with all the additions and upgrades we did! We upgraded the air conditioning units to most efficient, upgraded master tub, added a storm shelter, added a patio fireplace, upgraded windows to Low-Energy with ones at front of house changed to a Wineberry color, added a pot filler at stove and a custom back-splash around it, added a decking shield barrier to roofing, and added a garage entry keypad - so lots of upgrades!)

They closed on the lot and did paperwork for building permits! Those should be back shortly (hopefully within the next couple days) and then they will be staking the plot for our final approval on that - then we officially break ground! All this should happen within the next week!!! So excited to start seeing things done!

I got an email today. I need to pay the appraiser $350 - EVEN WITH HIM BEING VERY LATE!!! It took him 3 weeks to get the appraisal done... Not too thrilled with that, but got some good news on that... The mortgage company's appraisal came in at $342,000 with Cost Approach Comparison being $357,315!

Great news there and hopefully tomorrow and the rest of the week continue on this trend... Baby check-up tomorrow (with the yucky glucose tolerance early screening, since I had gestational diabetes with Joseph) and we should be doing plot stuff later this week! Robert is home this week, but has been sick and getting a lot of phone calls regarding work, so not as restful as I would like. He will be gone again next week. :( HOPEFULLY we can get the plot done this week as he is supposed to sign the plot layout as well BEFORE they actually start...

Very Busy But Nothing Major Happening

We are still trying to get all the paperwork for getting the house going. The appraisal for the Mortgage Company is taking OVER 2 weeks - extremely long. We are hoping they will accept the appraisal that the builder got so we can just get started! That appraisal came out $400 under what we were hoping, but since we have paid off all of our other debts this is not a big deal at all! We were actually thinking it would end up being that we would have to drop some of the options we wanted because the appraisal would come back much lower...

No baby news since ultrasound... I have another appointment next week and I will be doing the early gestational diabetes screening at that time since I had it with Joseph. We think it was more the celiac disease now because usually once you have it you do with all subsequent pregnancies as well, and I did NOT with Isabelle. Diet was the major thing I changed between the two - because we found out about the celiacs. Will post more on that next week.

We are closing down the Produce Buying Group. We lost a LOT of people when I announced that we would be stopping at the end of the year because we would be getting ready to move and getting ready for a new baby. Numbers have continued to decline since that point, to the point where splitting the food up is getting too difficult. If anyone local wants to get a CASE, or split a case with the SMALL group of us that are going to do it together (for splitting you need to be here to help so I can make sure to follow legal guidelines since I am no longer doing it as a business) please let me know as I can still go get it! This is how I plan on continue to help us save money on things we use a lot of - like APPLES! My kids can go through 40# of apples a month (EASILY!). Once we move the location is even closer. They do have pumpkins coming in and it is cheaper than the store prices. If you have never done your own Pie Pumpkins I can teach you how! (If not local send me a message - it is VERY easy, cheaper and better for you than canned stuff!)

We are trying out some new things with both school and general schedule, and with Robert traveling so much (he was in Las Vegas last week, and is Salt Lake City this week, and will be in Dallas week after next) it is not going as smooth as I would like...

I am working on trying to start getting things packed and organized for the new house. My non-maternity clothes are going to get packed away today, except a few nursing shirts. As it looks right now we are still looking at the baby coming as we are closing/moving in to new house. So we will need some help the end of March/early April... Robert will also be gone 1-2 weeks a month for the next couple years getting this project installed - including MARCH AND APRIL next year! NOT FUN... I will be trying to keep my stress level low and take it easy - but anyone who knows me, knows that doing so will be much easier SAID than actually DONE!

Off to run errands... May see about picking up a couple cases of tomatoes some time and making more homemade salsa and tomato and spaghetti sauces. Needing more quick/easy things and not wanting to keep buying jarred stuff now that my energy level is coming back! If anyone wants to join me and learn canning let me know. :) I would be glad to show you and I have all the canning equipment already.

Baby Update

After a VERY LONG night (kids kept waking all night long and I ended up for over 2 hours straight in the middle of the night), I had an ultrasound today and my mom came along to help with little ones. They did very well.

The first image we saw -

The baby says "Hi!"

It is truly amazing what you can see so early.  Each one of the children has developed their own distinct personality before they were born, and this one is no different. I cannot wait to learn more about this precious one! And yes those personality traits I saw, and felt, before they were born are still there today!

Katherine was the easiest so far and she was a fairly go with the flow baby. Joseph was active, and was almost always sucking his thumb. Isabelle was my most stubborn, and after a while we realized she was not sucking her thumb but her fingers. She would push her foot into an area that was uncomfortable for me so I would gently push it back. She would move it, for a second, and then push it back even more forcefully - she still does things like that now...

The baby's heart has been beating for weeks, and it is moving on its own already.

You can already start seeing facial features even though they will change before the baby is born. We have already seen the baby's heart beating several times now, but I still LOVE seeing that precious little one moving and that heart beating, especially after our previous loss. Being able to see the baby gives me such great comfort until the point that I can feel those tiny movements.

 Yes, the baby is facing a different direction. Last week the baby kept flipping back and forth. Sounds like I have another VERY active one!

The measurements are still right in line with the estimated due date.

On the way home Katherine asked what CRL on the ultrasound meant. So once I got to look at it when we were home I explained how they measure the baby. Then she got out a ruler and measured out the length they measured the baby (4.95 cm) and since she is not used to metric we looked at what that was in inches (about 2"). She mentioned how tiny that was. Later I realized that she really did not understand that the measurement did not include the baby's legs! I explained that to her and she felt better about it, and I understood by she was concerned. She did not think the baby was growing enough.


Katherine and Joseph are very excited about a new baby, but if it is a girl - don't talk to Joseph about it for a while when we find out! He says, "I will ONLY be happy if it is a BOY! I want a brother!" We will find out (hopefully, if baby cooperates) November 9th!

I "get" to do the yucky early gestational diabetes screening on October 12th. I had gestational diabetes with Joseph, but not with Isabelle. We are thinking that it had more to do with the celiac disease than anything and since I am following a strict GF diet I am not having the issues anymore - at least we are hoping!

We are hoping to have a good update on the house later this week or early next week! Hopefully we can get the house going soon or the baby will definitely be here before we move...

House and Family Updates

Okay I know it has been a while.... Life has been SO busy with getting ready to start building the new house, homeschooling, and working, ...

Last update we had just put a contract on land. That contract to get the land is contingent upon us continuing with the builder on the progress toward the house. We have officially signed the building contract with the builder and within 2 weeks we "should" have ALL the remaining paperwork completed and will hopefully be starting to build by the beginning of October! I will start posting pictures of that soon! :)

But we do have final plans, lot layout, and elevations done and ready to go! Everything has been priced out and we are also starting to fix-up the house we are currently in. LOTS going on...

I know these are not the easiest to see, but we do not have a scanner large enough for the plans to fit on so Robert took pictures with his phone of them.

 This is the house plans (that the builder modified a lot to make sure our needs were - and wants - were met).

This is the lot layout.

This is the elevation of the front of the house.

The other BIG thing going on, for those who did not see the announcement on Facebook, we are expecting another baby. Yes at the same time as all of this and no this was not planned by any means, but very much a blessing!

I am having a detailed ultrasound this week and will hopefully be able to post some of those pictures. I am now 11 weeks pregnant. At this point we are not sure if the baby or house will come first, but it looks like Robert's joke when we were first talking about it may be VERY likely - he keeps saying I am going to go into labor WHILE we are moving. I talked timeline with the builder last week and it is looking incredibly likely right now.