the sky is pink

Thank you for all of your kind comments. I have read and re-read each one over and over. I truly appreciate each and every one of them. I am going to print them and tuck them away in his memory box. My finished banner (bunting/flag) that we decided to hang in side of our house (thanks to all of your comments). Today's W orks i n P rogress are laundry, dishes, sponge bath for a little man, and helping Spenser understand that it is not okay to poke her baby brother's face, nose, head, eyes, ears, mouth, etc. Baby Sawyer is doing great! He is nursing well. And often. He is going back to the doctor's this afternoon for his jaundice, but his coloring looks good to me. His eyes don't seem as yellow as they were. And I feel great! With the exception of taking 4 motrin at the hospital for after-birth pains from nursing, I have been completely drug free! I have never felt better after giving birth. I think I finally got the hang of it . . . A little late in the game! It...

Sawyer Dawson was born on Monday, September 25, 2006, at 10:55 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs., 7 oz., and was 21" long. Joe wheeled me into the hospital at 10:25 a.m. While giving a urine sample, I had a contraction and my water broke conveniently while I was sitting on the toilet. Meconium was detected in the amniotic fluid. The in-house OB checked me and I was 8 cm dilated! Things went quickly from that point! I was given an IV and wheeled down the hall to my room. Sawyer was born within minutes. He may have been born sooner, but the in-house OB wasn't dressed in his paper gown and I had to wait! The on-call doctor from my OB's office made it in time to deliver the placenta and stitch me up. I had 1st degree tear, which is the least I've ever had. Because of the meconium, they didn't want Sawyer to cry at first, until they suctioned out his mouth and lungs. But, it was very scary because he wasn't breathing on his own. They were doing baby CPR on him for the first ...

Mason's reaction at breakfast that his baby brother is coming today... And Jack's reaction. He was very giggly.

Seriously. I'm not just saying that this time. I awoke this morning (shortly before 6:00 a.m.) to some very odd pains. They felt like sharp gas pains, but went from my head to my stomach, around to my back and up into my neck. It was happening every time my heart beat. Every time . It was pretty painful. At first I was thinking I was having a heart attack or stroke or aneurysm, but now I'm guessing the baby was just laying on some weirdo nerve. It totally freaked me out. I couldn't even move. I couldn't even wake Joe. It lasted a little more than a minute. I did not like it. After that, I was awake. I went into the bathroom and had started to bleed. At first, I became paranoid because of my history with this pregnancy , but I'm just hoping that it's just a sign early labor. And I've been having contractions ever since ... some strong, some not so strong. So ... I think TODAY is THE day!!! (See ... maybe he was just waiting for his onesies !) I'll be bac...

Two soccer games. Carter in the red. Taylor in the blue. Both teams lost. Carter's game was 9:00 a.m., so after the game I took him to 7/11 for some nachos with chili and cheese. Taylor's game was 1:00 p.m., so after his game, I took him to 7/11 for some nachos with cheese. He didn't want chili. Joe stayed home for both games with the kids. Mason and Spenser have been acting like they are sick again, so we didn't want them outside. It was very overcast and sprinkled a little. And it was very windy, but not cold. It was nice to have some "one-on-one" time with Carter in the morning and Taylor in the afternoon. That rarely happens and probably won't happen again for a long time. (I wasn't going to post, since there was no "exciting" news, but I started to get phone calls and emails, so I thought I'd update ya!)

This is Mason's art project from preschool yesterday. He told Joe that there are three dots for his nose. Two for his nose. The third for a boogie. Boys. (I swear I do not teach these boys these things! Boys will be boys. And Spenser and I are out-numbered! I'll have a lifetime of dirty bathrooms and boogie-art.) And here I am yesterday at my non-stress test. The baby is fine. And, of course I had no contractions during the hour-long test, so they sent me on my way. (I asked Joe yesterday if my face looked fat and he replied, "yes, but so is the rest of you!" He was joking (about the latter part), of course!!! But if I could have gotten up, I would have kicked him!) My WIP for today is to finally applique these onesies. I've gathered up all my blue "boy" fabric and cut out some paper templates. Now I have to finish them. Everyday I think I will get around to them. But I don't. Everyday I wind up cleaning some more. Maybe the baby is just wa...

Actually more corners outside my home. First up, "You know you're a redneck when you're growing pumpkins in your front yard." Last year we had tossed a rotten pumpkin (that was too soft to make it all the way to the outside trash bin) near our old giant tree , and this year we're growing pumpkins! The boys love watching them grow. Especially since our garden was never planted this year. We have been unsuccessful at growing pumpkins in our garden. And while Joe is on leave, he is painting the front of our house. When we originally bought the house (May 2000), it was covered in asbestos siding. It was removed from the front and one side and underneath was the original wooden, German siding. We painted it then and it looked great. Just a few short years later, the paint was peeling and looking yucky. He's been scraping and priming and painting for the last few days. (The light color is tinted primer, which is not as dark as the house color.) The color n...

We're still waiting for a baby. ( Today seems like a good day, though ...) Anyway, back to normal routines. Last night Joe took Taylor, Carter, and Jack to karate. It was their fist night back since the summer began. It was Jack's first time ever. He loved it. (But, of course, I forgot to send the camera!) Which worked out for me, because when I was giving Mason and Spenser their baths, Mason commented that Spenser's hair looked "like a weapon." And I had to grab the camera for that! I spent yesterday running more errands and vacuuming again . I went to Michaels armed with a 50% coupon and came out with Stitch 'N Bitch, The Knitter's Handbook . I am going to teach myself to knit. I don't know when I'll have time, but that's my plan! And I ran into a new dollar store looking for three specific things: night-light lightbulbs, a small crate/basket for Spenser's Little People collection, and a "lingerie bag" for tiny baby...

Not to have a baby! Taylor, Carter, and Jack just got on the bus. Mason is supposed to start preschool at 8:35 a.m., and it's 8:20 -- and it takes 20 minutes to get there! But I just had to share some lovely goodies I received in the mail yesterday. A bib and two burp cloths from Beki . They are made with barnyard animal flannel on the front, cotton terry on the back, and topstitched with a zig-zag. The bib has a red snap closure. So cute. And so soft. I can't wait to use them on my new babe. She is definitely an artsy-crafty-babe! (Did you see how cute she is? I didn't just sound gay, did I ?) Thank you, Beki!

So, I go into the OB's office today and, apparently, the doctor wasn't there because he was in the O.R.! Just like Friday's appointment . They had tried to call me at home before my appointment, but we live 20 minutes away, and had left about 30 minutes prior to my appointment. Luckily they expected him in about 45 minutes later, so we ran some quick errands and then returned. I hit " the magic number" today ... 160! You know that that means? Baby time! Of course, my cervix has not dilated past 1 cm. It's still thick and long, but is "softening." (He's happy that I'm contracting because it is softening the cervix, if nothing else.) My doctor said he has no reason to induce at this time because my body is not ready, the baby is not "mature " ( whatever!) , and it's better for the baby to be in me right now. I agree. Joe wants the baby out now because he started his official leave today (from the Army) and has to go ...

Taylor had a soccer game on Friday evening. It rained almost the entire time! It was miserable. Joe fashioned a slicker for Spenser out of a garbage bag he found in the car. She did not like it. Can you blame her? It's not exactly a fashion statement! (Joe just said that it's better than some of the stuff he's seen on Project Runway . Yes, I make him watch it with me ... when I remember to watch it. We usually watch the re-runs on Sunday afternoons.) And Jack and Mason under their "tent" to keep dry. Joe came home from work "early," so I took the 4 younger ones home and Joe and Taylor stayed. We were drenched. And Carter had a soccer game on Saturday morning. He was the goalie for the first quarter. He has only been goalie in practice before. I was so proud of him. He had 3-4 saves, but the other team did manage to score against him a few times. I cheer a lot from the sidelines for my children. But, on Saturday with the pulled muscle in my chest, my c...

No baby yet. But today would be a great day, huh? (I say that every day!)

Actually, there is no update. When I was on my way out of the door this morning for my 9:00 a.m. appointment, the doctor's office called to say the doctor was "detained at the hospital." There are four doctors in that practice, but I suppose the others were busy, too. So I've been rescheduled for Monday at 10:15 ... with my regular doctor (so I'm happy). Since I was heading out anyway, I did some marathon grocery shopping ... it is payday and I had plenty to stock up on before the baby comes.

Thank you for your well wishes. I'm feeling a little better, I think. It's hard to tell. My chest hurts worse than yesterday, but I'm starting to think I pulled a muscle in my chest from making 6 trips to the attic on Monday; carrying and moving things; and all the vigorous and "unusual" (a.k.a. nesting ritual) cleaning. It hurts to breathe (especially deep breaths), sneeze and cough. I'm really worried that, if this baby comes soon, it will be excruciating to take deep breaths to push. It won't hurt as bad as delivery, but it will not help the situation. Yesterday, while Spenser napped, Mason and I fell asleep on the couch. I never sleep during the day, so this was quite unusual for me, but I felt much better afterwards. And my WIP's: I'm not sure when I'll be getting around to this, but I've decided to make another bunting with the words "It's a boy!" for the front porch. I've already cut some yellow flannel (fr...

A true "corner." This is an alcove in our family room that is awaiting shelves and a cabinet door. For the past 5 years. It currently houses the "extra" diapers. The baby's crib is ready and waiting, as of yesterday. This little crib is the same crib that Joe's grandfather (the one with the middle name of Dawson) slept in when he was a baby. All of our children have slept in this crib next to my bed. I love it! The little bumper pad (which I really don't like) was cut down from a regular size bumper before Taylor was born. The door way to the right is my adjoining door to the nursery (a.k.a. Spenser's room). And a peek into the room from our connecting door. (And the clothes in the crib, these are the most recently washed clothes waiting to be put away.) And today. I feel miserable. I have a cold. My head hurts. My face hurts. My chest hurts. My throat is sore. And I can't stop sneezing or blowing my nose! I can't have a baby n...

Not too much sewing or crafting is going on these days. There's too much cleaning and nesting to do. Remember all those "important" things to clean? The kitchen cabinet doors. Baby laundry. Door frames. Fingerprinty walls. Baby laundry. Curtains to wash. Baseboards to scrub. Baby laundry. I mean, honestly, how much time is a newborn going to spend in the kitchen? Does it really matter if the cabinets have fingerprints on them? Well, if you are about to have a baby, the answer is wholeheartedly YES! In the scheme of things, the cleaning is not so important. I think it is a rite of passage that we earn, knowing and thinking that, with a newborn, the house will not be clean again for a long time. Our lives will be turned upside down temporarily. Small, ordinary tasks will seem impossible (packing school lunches; putting laundry away; etc.) on limited sleep. But it really doesn't last too long. Pretty soon, things pick back up and normal routines will ensue. So, now what?...

Well, apparently a lot ! Joe and I have been struggling for months to come up with a name for this baby. Not an easy task. It sounds easy, but once we "try them out," we realize there are too many (bad) possibilities for nicknames. Plus, we kind of have a pattern of names in our family. Our children tend to have "last" names as first names. It wasn't a conscious effort. We just picked names we were attracted to and, well, they've turned out to be last names. And we have usually used family names for the middle name. (And some people think we named for the first three boys after former U.S. presidents, but we really didn't.) For example: Taylor Wilson (Wilson after my grandfather. The last time I saw my grandfather alive was when I told him I was pregnant with Taylor.) Carter Hale (Hale is a surname in Joe's family. And a recent discovery of a Carter in my family history.) Jackson Reed (No family connection realized until this pregnancy and there...

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments from Saturday's post . I felt your support from all over. I truly appreciate your concerns. Thank you . So how did I spend my Saturday? Well, Joe had to work. This was his first working Saturday since he started his new position in July (the position that is going to end, but that's a story for a different day). Of course. The hardest day of my life and he has to work. I spent the morning at Carter's first soccer game of the season. My, has he (and his team) improved since last season! There was actual running on the field! There's my little man in the red ... running . And a trip to the Washington D.C. Temple. It is so quiet and peaceful and beautiful in the temple, there is no better place to be when everything else seems to be wrong. So today is back to normal. I was having some Braxton Hicks last night around 11 p.m. In all of my pregnancies, I have never had Braxton Hicks. The only contractions I have are ...

This is my sister, Kristen. Four years ago today (September 9, 2002) Krissy was killed in a car accident. She was the loving mother of two, Alana (5) and Timothy (2). She was one month shy of her 23rd birthday. This is Kristen with her children at our sister's wedding in November 2001. This is a "sisters picture." From left to right: Kate, Krissy, Emily, me, Lisa. This was Christmas at my aunt's in the late 90's (I'm assuming). Kristen and my father during her "daddy-daughter dance" at her wedding (February 1998). Another sisters picture. From left: Emily, Krissy, Lisa, Kate, me. (June 2001) Another sisters picture (one of the last ones taken), at Kate's wedding November 2001. Top from left: Emily, Brenda (my brother's wife), me. Bottom from left: Krissy, Kate, Lisa. And this picture of Krissy is from the last time I saw her. March 30, 2002. Krissy was living in New York, and I was living in Ohio. Our entire family was together...

Thank you notes from last week's baby shower . My goal is to have them mailed before the baby is born. (And because I'm kind of anal, I won't take anything out of the bags to be washed until I've written the thank-you notes because I want to make sure I am properly thanking someone for the correct gift!) At least I've started them ... The above picture is Spenser's room before we added the toddler bed to her room. Her room is all girly and feminine (which it should be for the only girl in the house ... well, besides me). Here is her room now: Same wall. Moved her old crib over for the new baby. (My adjoining bedroom door is to the right.) I finished the bunting to make it a little more masculine for the boy baby in this all-pink room. And, please ignore the baby laundry piled in the crib. It is another WIP for me today. This all has been washed (there's more to be done), it's just ready to be put into the dresser that Joe painted on Monda...

Remember this picture? And look at Spenser looking down the hole with her chocolatey cheeks! I guess my former corner photo prompted Joe to, once again, search ebay for some grates. We found a reasonably-priced round, cast-iron grate for the ceiling, looking up into Carter and Jack's bedroom. But I think we still need one to actually cover the opening. The grate has been painted shiny black, although it appears gray in the above picture. And Joe removed the green contact paper off my thrifted sewing table and cleaned up the top. He did a great job. (And he has painted the dresser a fresh coat of bright white, too!) Oh, and my "official" pregnancy update from yesterday's appointment : still 1 cm cervix is still long and thick baby is still head down I did not gain any weight. Well, technically I did, but they use a digital scale and they apparently do not round up. I think I gained 1/2 a pound. I'm still flying right below the radar of my max weight. ...

This is how I spent my weekend. Well, mainly the wee hours of Saturday and Monday mornings when my pregnancy insomnia kicked in. A covered night-light lampshade with Superman fabric for my very own Superman, Mason. (Okay, technically there was no sewing involved, just tracing, cutting, and adhering.) Skirt #1 sewn from last week's thrifted sheet, trimmed in light pink bias tape. Again, this was sewn from Simplicity 5505. (I sure hope I like the shape of these skirts after I have a normal body again. I think I've made 5 of 6 from this pattern so far.) This skirt was made slightly larger than most of them, with hopes I can wear them sooner after the baby is born. (I tried it on and it does fit me now, just a little snug in the stomach and rump.) This is a pillowcase skirt. While I toyed with the idea in my head of making a skirt out of a pillowcase, it was this post that convinced me I could do it and much easier than I was imagining it. It was super simple. And a pleated tote...