Updates

First the not so happy updates since I would rather leave my blog on a positive note.

Verizon officially denied my maternity leave - stating the obvious "Yeah but you don't work for us anymore".  So while I was reassured that I would have that extra six weeks, I am not going to.  Today marks the first time in last 13 years that my calendar reminder popped up $$$Pay Day$$$ without me actually getting a paycheck.  It has been more difficult than I would have thought it would be, perhaps it is the lack of maternity leave that makes me sad or the lack of sleep or the addition of the extra hormones.  What ever the reason is, Joe is *slowly* learning to quit asking questions when I just stare at him blankly - since the next obvious thing that happens is that I start to cry.  I remind myself that I have spent a total of 31 days not working since I was 14 so I have no option not to just find another job but while I sit here thinking about it I bet conservatively I have applied for 100-200 jobs, 3 interviews and no offers.  This is kind of the way that technology jobs work - after all I would be responsible for one of the most important parts of their business - I have a much better chance of being hired on at a company because of a referral than just applying online like I have been.

The poor kids ALL four of them are sick right now.  Yeppers poor little 2 week old Hunter has her first cold thanks to the older plague carrying siblings.  She had a baby well check this morning to which my pediatrician said even while sick if she could come back as anything in the next life it would be one of my children.  How sweet was that?!?!? Although she's lucky that it didn't make me cry since everything else is.  Even while sick she is doing fantastic - weighing it at a whopping 7.4LBS (you know the size of a very small puppy - I swear she seems so breakable, perhaps because Action Jackson is always trying to "pet" her).

In fact this is Goose who came into my office feeling pretty puny and laid down on the chair and fell asleep.  Poor thing.

It has been nice here and there with some sprinkled in snow so we take advantage of the outdoors whenever we can.  Here are the kiddos (except for Hunter who is sleeping away peacefully in my sling carrier in this photo) searching for the salamander.

Sure enough that death wish creature came back this year, I am reminding the girls to keep her in the pond and just "observe" her...you know with your eyes not hands. ;-)

Hunter's cold also brought on a diaper rash so she had her first bath (outside of the hospital) - look at that fluffy hair?!?!?

Oh my word.  Aunt Carri brought up a poke cake the other day - apparently Jackson believes this to be the BEST cake he has ever experienced.  He danced after every bite.

Picture Drop

Again I come here to drop off pictures from the birth just so I don't lose them.  In no particular order.

The girls helping out with laundry while I was in the hospital.

 My Mom was able to be in the room for this birth since Marmee was at home with the other kiddos.  She was in the room for Austin too so I asked her if it was easier to watch for the fourth kid vs the first...to which she held back tears and said they were both hard to watch me be in so much pain and know there is nothing that she can do to fix it.

 Biggest Sister Austin takes her job very seriously and constantly loves on and takes care of her younger siblings.

 This was literally a minute after I had her and the smile was utter relief that both doctors had finally taken their hands outta me.  Holy smokes was that some pain!  But just like my amazing body continues to impress me, the surge of endorphins directly afterwards makes all the pain vanish.

 When Hunter was born they put her on my chest and then left her there for nearly four hours.  In fact it was so long that I woke a sleeping Joe up on the couch and sent him home at 3AM so he would be there for the other kiddos if they needed anything.  Which means that Joe didn't get to hold her until the next morning when they all came back to meet her.

 Look at how fantastic that welcome wagon is.  And true to form Hunter was welcomed to the world on a perfect Colorado day just as all of her siblings have been.

 Marmee was amazing (at everything) but in this picture at having the big girls help with dinner.  They loved being so involved and working for the family.

 Uncle Tadd and Summer - Jackson thinks she's pretty awesome and will play with Tadd all day if you let him.

 Marmee took the big girls to the movies to watch Zootopia.

 Jackson LOVES to cook, so anytime you are doing anything near the stove he wants up so he can see what's going on.

 Aunt Carri and Uncle Tadd came over and made pizzas for us on Sunday.

 After her first bath...look at all that hair!

 She is the smiliest little baby right now (which probably just means that she has a lot of gas but I'll take it).

12 days and counting...

Whelp guess who has two thumbs...cleaned the garage...cleared the flower beds...pressure washed the driveway and walkways...AND still has a dang baby on the inside?!?!?!

Someone (that doesn't know me) suggested that maybe I should take "a walk" to help induce labor...to which I literally snorted at.  I promise you that just because I have this giant belly I haven't taken a day off from anything - short of beer - insert tear here - in many months.

Although maybe this little girl will decide to fall out here tonight before my appointment in the morning.  Carole just got in and I am so relived to have someone around for the other kiddos, while we have quite the call tree set up it would take everyone some pretty serious travel time and arranging to get here in the middle of the night.  Which has made me Google things like "what to do if you deliver your baby at home".  You know just in case.

We even took Joe's truck (AKA the log wagon because it bounces so hard) to Denver on Saturday for a fancy lunch at Pappadeux's - our all time favorite sea food place.

Look at that little face at lunch - he clearly loved everything presented to him.

These two are always taking pictures together...probably because Jackson is always looking for his lap to sit in or crawl over.  

Whew...

Whew...just about had an induction today.  In fact I am pretty sure if the midwife who saw me (my doctor was out) today didn't take pity on me I would be in the hospital right now.  Hunter still didn't move a ton - though slightly better today than Wednesday and my water levels were half what they were earlier in the week so the ultrasound lady just looked bleakly at me and said that I should prepare myself to head to the hospital.  When I got to talking to the midwife and she checked me out - still no dilation what so ever - she just shook her head and said that while she would like to induce me she knows that she would be setting me up for a very long very painful process.  So instead she let me go with a warning, drink plenty of water and if I start having headaches or anything out of the normal just head into the hospital.  My sister in law just endured a 32 hour induction and while thankfully she did it with an epidural she said it was still miserable.  I am definitely trying to avoid that type of scenario.  We'll see what the weekend brings...perhaps natural labor?