7 weeks and smiling & cooing

I just had to post a little video for friends and family who are far away. I couldn't get her to coo, but I did manage to capture her personality!

Happy 16 years!

As I sit here in the quiet of my home (surprising isn't it?), I am pondering the events of 16 years ago. Paul and I had been married for almost 15 months and we were anticipating the arrival of our baby in a month. I had quit working when I was six months along as I was having a lot of round ligament issues and pains due to running after 25 three year olds all day long. My sister had stayed overnight, on her way to Montana. Paul was scheduled for his last week of flying. He was a B-52 pilot then and loved his job. But B-52's were big and had LONG flights, so I was glad the Air Force put the men on ground stuff when their wives were due (try to keep them close to home if they can). I laid in bed feeling crampy and thinking, "I am pregnant, I'm not supposed to have cramps!" I got up to go to the bathroom and the next thing I knew, my water broke. I ran to the bathroom, still in shock. Paul jumped up to investigate, then called work to let them know he would be missing his flight that day. I just kept thinking, "it's too early! I had stuff to do today!" My next thought was, "we didn't finish our Bradley classes!" My last thought was to get to the hospital...Paul, of course, needed time to wake up. He took a shower, dressed and ate, while I, too nervous, paced around him and begged to leave. If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone back to bed! We headed to the hospital despite no contractions and of course, were admitted. We walked the halls, we called our family and Bradley teacher and hid in the postpartum room for hours. The doc had wanted to start the pit immediately, we wanted to wait...so we hid until they found us at lunchtime! We had two visitors at the hospital before Katherine was born...one the hostess of my planned baby shower for that evening (who'd come up to the hospital because we'd left a message on her answering machine to cancel the baby shower as we were in labor and she didn't believe it was REAL) and the second from my dear friend Susan who was rather annoyed with the fact that our canning day had been put off. You see, we'd picked 50 lbs of peaches the day before and I was supposed to arrive at her house bright and early in the morning with a huge supply of sugar. I was going to get a canning lesson and I was soooo excited and then disappointed to be missing this event! Susan was excited because she got to stay for our big event! Although she did briefly step out do to feeling faint, but determined not to miss it, she came back just in time!
I finally got to 10 cm and was instructed to push. I'd been given Nubaine and only felt drunk...still very much in pain with hellacious contractions, but unable to think clearly. This military hospital didn't do epidurals...which didn't bother me months before, but now wished that I would have requested an off base doc...or midwife for that matter! I remember Paul fighting with the doctor and threatening to pick me up and take me home. I remember my mother in law calling the labor room when I was in transition and me telling Paul I'd be a widow if he answered the phone. I remember the overwhelming sense of power I felt during pushing and the fear and awe that I felt when she was born. My first thoughts were, "she looks like a smurf..."(thanks to the pitocin) and I honestly was afraid to hold her. She was so tiny and "new." I had a lot of trouble nursing her, but thanks to my mom and husband, we eventually got it. Katherine never wanted to wait on anything, I guess that why she was born at 36 1/2 weeks, crawled at 5 months and walked at 10. She was also speaking very clearly and in sentences very early, but don't ask me when, I have seven children and I'm amazed sometimes at what I can remember about each one!
So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!! And as I said when you walked out the door this morning, "you'll always be MY baby!"

6 weeks and 40 years

Sorry it has been so long, but life has been swirling along and taking me with it! I turned 40 about a week ago and I still can't believe it. My mother says that why she hates mirrors because she doesn't FEEL her age, but everytime she passes a mirror it reminds her that she IS her age! I feel the same way...I don't even know who that person in the mirror is anymore!!! I thought I would be slender, healthy and young when I got this "old" and now, just 6 weeks after having my 7th baby and I don't feel any of those things! Working on it though!
Veronica is a "ninny" baby and prefers ninny and being held...asleep alone in her bassinet, she is guaranteed to sleep just 3 hours tops...next to me in bed is 4+ hours. She is starting to chunk out in her face and stomach...but arms and legs still skinny with small fat rolls. She looks like a potato with toothpicks stuck in them for arms and legs!This is her at a month. We also managed to get a family photo when mom was here...yes, one child is missing, but she was being a little snit at the time and so I removed her from the room...early adolescence is a royal pain in the a#@!Other big news is that Kat got her driver's permit, but she really doesn't want to drive! I can't believe it! I remember dragging my mom out in a blizzard just to get my permit! At least there was no wait for the first time ever at the DMV! She's been out on the road about four times and every time she comes in the house she looks like she's been the star in a horror movie...completely traumatized by the whole process! We may end up having to put her in driver's ed just to shake the fear factor!
House projects are also coming along. I finished our faux wood floor and stripping the popcorn ceiling in the kitchen; now to wipe down the walls and ceilings and we can start priming and painting.
Kat & Megan headed back to school on the 10th. Stephen & Becca don't start Veritas until Sept. 2, but we will most likely start some subjects next week. I am still waiting on some books to come in for Lauren so she is also on hold..that's how you know there are more homeschoolers...books now are backordered!!!!!!!!!!!
We're expecting cooler temps this weekend, so it will be nice to be able to get outside and weed the gardens...been too hot to do that lately! Well, gotta run, dentist appointments soon!

a bath, finally!

fresh and clean...look how great she can hold her head up! i finally got around to bathing this poor baby...gotta love that hair!

kids and baby

Here are some pics of the kids holding their new baby sister. She is starting to look normal now as the bruising is going away and her cute baby features are starting to finally show forth! These however were taken after she was born. I'll try to throw some new ones in later today after I download them.

BABY BLESSINGS!

Well, Veronica Marie Harper is finally among us! She was born July 2, 2009 at 3:20 in the morning, weighing in at 7lbs 5 oz (the scale kept swinging between 7.4-7.7, so if you've heard differing reports it was because I hadn't looked at the Birth Certificate yet to see what everyone agreed on....I was a little tired). Her face is bruised, and we don't know why, but today it seems to be much better.
I have to back up a bit and fill you in on some background. My first three babies had all been between 7-8 lbs and early. My last three had been 9+ lbs and late. My labors and recovery really wore at my body and I was feeling very old and well, gravity is strong, LOL! When we found out about Veronica, we were shocked as my body was showing signs of no more kids. We felt blessed and honored to have been given another child after loosing one a few years ago in a bad miscarriage that took weeks to recover from.
Due to size fears, I became ever mindful of how much sugar I was putting into my body. Not saying that I avoided it completely, but I definitely curtailed it. I craved carbs and fruit, so I was still getting glucose and that made me look further as to what I could do to avoid the "huge" gestational diabetic baby. I started with taking Chromium Picolinate with each meal (600 mcg total---never do more than 800mcg/day). A naturopathic friend of mine suggested the Chromium Niacinamate as it was more stable than the Picolinate. A few months back I switched to that. I also added Cinnamon early on, despite the precautions on cramping and miscarriage...I just lowered the dose I took at each meal...I spread out two 500 mg capsules through the day. I also continued going to the gym, although in my last trimester that would be reduced to just three days a week instead of almost daily like I was doing earlier.
My "official" due date was July 13, but when I visited my ob and had an ultrasound at 10 weeks, she changed the due date up a week and said she thinks I just ovulated earlier than what I thought....turned out she was right!
July 1 I'd decided that I was so uncomfortable that I had to be carrying another 9lber, so I decided to do a few things to see if I could get little one to come earlier rather than later. I went to my chiropractor that morning and came home. Ate lunch, then ate a bag of Reese's pb cups...gag! I then had 1 Tbs. castor oil in cranberry juice with one Mastergland, and waited....nothing. After weeks of being horribly constipated, I at least has some relief there, but no cramping or uncomfortable pains.
I went to my neighbor's house and hung out for a bit than came home for a quick nap, another Tbs. of castor oil and one Mastergland again. I took one capsule of Mastergland two hours later and then pretty much stopped...I'd had no contractions and figured I'd might as well just wait for her to come on her own. Normal resumed, I made dinner, ate and then went for a short walk with Lauren. By bed time I was having infrequent strong braxton hicks, but not "the real thing" and not anything different than when I'd been having for about a week.
11pm...woke up with strong contractions...three in five minutes....I panicked a little because my midwife was an hour away & Paul had just fallen asleep....he's so cranky if I wake him, lol! I popped onto facebook to ask friends to pray for me and had a lovely conversation with another Catholic homeschool large family mom.
I finally got ahold of the midwife an hour later and she was on her way. I woke up Paul when Lynda got here and contractions had settled into a regular 1 min. long every 3-4 minutes and I was ready for hydrotherapy! I was 4cm and uncomfortable. I told her I thought I was getting better at calling midwives on time...nothing like the 15 minutes I had with the first midwife I'd ever had 14 years ago before Megan was born.
I had to abandon the water when I found the tub was too uncomfortable. I seem to always labor in my hips and it just wasn't working for me. I ended up on the edge of the bed between the midwife's assistant and Paul until it came time to push and then I slid up on my side. Only pushed about two times...not nearly as traumatic as my last three that all somewhat got stuck and took some midwife manipulation to get them to come.
Katherine remained behind Paul the whole time, but Rebecca ducked out when it got to be too intense for her tender heart. Megan thought sleep was more important, but couldn't resist coming to see the baby once she cried. I can't decide who she looks like...other than Paul. I don't see a lot of resemblence to the other kids like I've done in the past. She has jet black hair and may end up with the darker skin tone like Megan and Lauren have. She has Paul's chin and my mom's long legs....other than that I guess we'll just have to wait to see. Right now she has long awake times and like's to nurse a lot...although we are working on the chewing!!! She practically screamed all night last night, but I think it was gas and hopefully will not repeat today.
Paul took all the kids swimming this evening at the Y and this morning we got the new carpets installed in the kid's bedroom...no I didn't lift any furniture, but I did have to run to the carpet store to pick up the pad...it wasn't very far and I feel fine. We'll probably miss the big OB celebration tomorrow, I'm just not in the mood to keep up with seven kids in 95+ degree heat!

Happy Birthday Megan!

Wow, I just glanced the date and realized it has been a long time since I've posted! Megan celebrated her 14th birthday at home with just her family since this is the "no birthday party year" for her (we let the kids have friend parties every OTHER year). Daddy, of course, wasn't able to celebrate with us, but that didn't stop the kids from eating cake and singing happy birthday with gusto!



Other than that we are just in the final countdown for Veronica's arrival. Gathering birth supplies and getting the house in order are the primary goals at this point. I will take more photos of the floor we are installing as soon as the new carpets get installed, hopefully sometime in the next two weeks! Picking carpet is so hard! We'll keep you posted on the blessed event!