today was a good day...

today was a good day... actually it was a great day!!! this morning we went to carter's school for a poetry show. his class teamed with another and put on a really cute show. the students recited lots of poems as groups and also in pairs. carter and his friend colin picked the poem "my little sister"... carter was so proud of picking a poem for hadley, and he recited it perfectly.

"My Little Sister" by William Wise
My little sister
Likes to eat
But when she does
She's not too neat.
The trouble is
She doesn't know
Exactly where
The food should go!






mason and craig were there too, but just not in any pictures. anyways, after the poetry show was over i headed up to the hospital for an u/s. yesterday i had my intake appointment, and decided i would feel so much better if i could get in for an u/s before we told my in-laws the news. yesterday they didn't have any room to fit me in, but today they got me an appointment. i was so nervous, and i don't really know why. well, i am happy to report i have the perfect little baby growing inside me. i was just so happy!!!! as soon as the wand went in (yes, it was that kind of u/s) i could see how much bigger the baby was than 2 weeks ago. and then i saw the flicker of the heart. the heartbeat was 182. i am so so happy!!! i called craig, who was with mason and hadley and he suggested we celebrate the good news with lunch at the cheesecake factory.

yes, today was a good day. i ordered a pizza for dinner (which i didn't eat b/c i was feeling sick), and then we got ice cream (which i did it, well b/c it's ice cream). this weekend the weather is supposed to be beautiful, and i am looking forward to it. what i am not looking forward to is telling my in-laws my news tomorrow.... who know what they will say!!! wish me luck!!!!

p.s. i also picked up my photos from our session last week.... here are the 3 i got of the kids. once i scan them, they will replace last years on right side of my blog. here is a sneak peak...

9 weeks

well, i am 9 week pregnant and feeling pretty good. as the day goes on i start to feel tired and sick... so by dinner time i usually have no desire to eat. i really wish i could nap everyday from 2-4, but with 3 kids to care for, that isn't going to happen. it would be nice to get to bed early, but that never happens either. then insomnia sets in. long story short... i'm tired!!!

i have finally shared my news with a couple of friends, and it feels more real now. i still have some more calls to make, but i think i'll just wait until i see them again. my in-laws still don't know, and craig wants to wait until november to tell them, but with my belly already starting to grow, that might be difficult.

speaking of my belly, it sure does know what to do... bloat is setting in, and my pants are getting tight! saturday when i came downstairs after getting dressed, craig made a comment that i looked pregnant. i then drove up to my parents house, and my mom said the same thing. so, really i'm not sure how much longer i can keep this a secret.

i hate feeling like i have to hide my news, as if it is something i am not happy about. i am so over the moon thrilled, and i wish i could shout it from the rooftops. but i now know that not only is a miscarriage difficult to deal with, but having to share the news of a miscarriage is really hard.

maybe next week i'll attempt to take a belly picture??? since this will be my last pregnancy, i would like to really remember it all. yes, i have decided that no matter what the outcome of this pregnancy, this is it. i can't imagine going through another ttc period, or another first trimester with all my fears. i hate the feeling of waiting for something bad to happen. i don't want to sound like debby downer, and i have a really good feeling that come november, i will be holding the newest little member of the jacobs family. i just need to be a realist, it helps me in the long run.

on thursday i have my first appointment with a nurse... nothing exciting, just medical history and blood work. i should be able to make my 12 week appointment, and schedule my n/t scan. oh, and they said i could go in at 10 weeks to listen to the heartbeat, and that's just next week :)

that's my update for now... oh, and off topic. i saw the new j. lo movie The Backup Plan, and it was really cute. if you're heading to the movies with your girlfriends or for a date night, i would suggest seeing it. it's not going to win any oscars, but it is funny, and the perfect "chick flick".

a little get away

this week has been april vacation week... we have done some really fun things with the kids, and the week has just flown by. i also have done lots of spring cleaning.

craig's aunt and uncle were going to be traveling to iran and syria for the month of april and they offered us their house to use if we wanted it. the boys love it there, and it is is right on the ocean. we thought it would be a fun way to break up the week, so we headed down last sunday after lacrosse.

i also realized that it doesn't matter if we are going away for 1 night or a week, i need to pack just about the same amount of stuff!!! i am not looking forward to packing for disney this summer!

here are some pictures... hopefully next time we go it will be warmer and the kids can use the pool.

random thoughts

* i am 8 weeks pregnant, and feeling good. i have my intake next week w/ a nurse and at that point i will set up my first ob appointment, as well as my n/t scan. i spoke with a nurse this week about being nervous about my past m/c and she said that i could go in at 10 weeks and they could use the doppler and check the heartbeat for me. i have shared my news with only a couple of people, but still not with my inlaws or most of my friends.

* today was my dad's last day of radiation and chemo. he has been so sick, and has not been able to work or do much of anything. his skin is severely burned where the radiation went in. he is so happy to have the chemo pump removed so he can sleep better and finally shower again. the doctor says it will take 10-12 days for him to start feeling better. he goes back on may 14th for another scan and to set a date for his surgery.

* today my sil and i attempted getting a photo of our kids to give mil for mother's day. seriously, it didn't go well at all... really, 5 kids under the age of 7 and we really thought we could get them to all look at the camera at the same time. note to self, i am never doing that again. individual pictures were not so bad, but getting one of the 3 of mine was impossible too. i really think they should've had another photographer to work with our group... the one women seemed overwhelmed.
here is the link if you want a good laugh... i am almost tempted to buy the 3rd one because it just makes me laugh.
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/ThumbPage.aspx?r=1&e=6561921
password is 2389

* i am surviving april vacation week... it has been fun! it has been really nice to sleep in everyday. hadley has been a sleeping like an angel, 13 hours at night, and 3 - 4 hour naps. and since i don't have to get carter off to school, there is no rush in the morning. i also don't have to be at the bus stop at 2:45, so i have really enjoyed hadley's naps.

here is a picture i took as we were heading upstairs to get ready for bed.... carter really thinks there is a pot of gold at the end.

play ball

baseball season is here!!! the 2010 season started with a big parade and the opening ceremony at the little league field. carter is on the Raptors, and craig is the assistant coach. this year he has moved on from t-ball, to baseball where the coaches pitch. it is more exciting than watching grass grow, which was how exciting t-ball was. the kids are trying to make plays this year, and can get out.

opening day:





can you believe that already in first grade the baseball draft was filled with drama? some coaches refused to take certain kids, and other coaches wanted to stack their team with all hockey players. really? it is only first grade and they don't even keep score...

we played the "hockey team" for our first game. a few of carter's friends from school are on that team, and leading up to the big game there was a lot of smack talking. they kept telling carter that they were hockey players so they were "so going to win." so carter believes them, and comes home all sad that they are going to lose. i kept telling him, just b/c they are hockey players, it doesn't mean they can play b-ball.

and the day after the no-score game, "they" were insistent that they won and our team lost. really? i just can't believe this is how 1st graders act. well, it is how their parents act, and the kids just mimic what they hear at home.

first game of the season:






i'm looking forward to a good season!!! and i can't wait for next year when mason can play too!!!! GO RAPTORS!!!

hadley's first haircut and some bling!

i was going to let hadley grow her hair out... for how long? well, i was not really sure. i guess until her bangs were long enough to pull back into her ponytail? i didn't know her hair would have a mind of its own. and you know what's really fun? while driving along, i look in the mirror and see hadley chewing on her hair elastic or sucking on her clip. i have pulled over more times in the last month to get hair accessories out of her mouth. you might think, just don't bother with cute hair styles... well, then her bangs cover her eyes and get in her boogies...

before picture:



so off we went to snip-its for her first haircut! i was kinda nervous, and didn't know what to expect and was afraid i was making a mistake. especially after mason's teachers gave me feedback of "bangs gone wrong".

i was so proud of hadley, she did so good!!!! and the hair dresser really listened to what i said and only took a little off her bangs so she can see. we are in good shape to try to grow them out again once the hair accessories eating phase is over. the back was a bit uneven and most days only 1/2 was curling. so she just trimmed it a bit, and all her curls came back. i was so happy with the results.






after:


i have been thinking of getting hadley's ears pierced lately. i was in no rush, but it was on my mind. saturday i took hadley up to visit my parents for the day. it was rainy and yucky out. so after lunch, my dad was tired and wanted to rest. my mom and i took a ride to the mall. while we were there we decided it was the day to get her ears done.

let me just say, hadley did so good!!! they did both ears at once, it was super fast, and was over before we knew it. hadley let out a big cry and then she stopped as soon as she saw the lollipop. and that was that.

my camera battery died, but i did take these pictures the next morning... not the best, but you get the idea. (and yes, she is wearing her winter pj's still)

here we go again...

march 23, 2010
the good news is i'm pregnant again... the bad news is i am a nervous wreck!!! i had my first blood test done today, so i am hoping it is a good number and it doubles nicely. ***fingers crossed***


march 24, 2010
my first beta came back low - only 29. when i talked to the nurse, she started asking me all sorts of questions about my cycle, and then said "well, your like only 2 minutes pregnant"... let's repeat them on friday. i didn't like her tone at all. it's not my fault that home pregnancy tests are so sensitive and can detect a pregnancy so early.

also, at the advice of some my friends, i asked them to also check my progesterone levels, since that can be the cause of a m/c, and they said that number looked good for where i was.

i have taken a total of 5 pregnancy tests this week... and each time the line is getting darker, which is a good thing. for some reason a calm has come over me today. this pregnancy will be what it will be... there is nothing i can do to change that. i am optimistic that come november, we will be adding the final addition to our family.

march 25, 2010
remember yesterday when i said i had a calm come over me??? well, i lied! i am nervous... tomorrow i am going to get my blood drawn again. let's see, if it was 29 on tuesday, then i am really hoping for at least 100. is that too much to ask for? when i looked online, the normal range for betas is so large that pretty much any number would fall in there. everything i read said it doesn't matter what the number is, just as long as it doubles every 48 hours.

last time the hardest thing i had to do was to tell my mother i was pregnant and i miscarried all in one sentence. i promised myself i would not do that again... well, that was before we knew my dad had cancer.

my dad has completed his first week of chemo and radiation. he is really tired, and sick. he tried so hard to keep working, but he couldn't do it. so for now he is just concentrating on getting through the rest of this 6 week phase.

i need to figure out when the perfect time to tell them would be. maybe once i have an u/s and things look good and on track??? well, i have plenty of time to figure it all out. for now, i am just hoping and praying the little life that is inside me will keep growing. i need it to keep growing.

march 26, 2010
yay! good numbers today.
beta is up to 131, and prog. is at 19

i am going to go back one more time next week to make sure the numbers are still rising appropriately. they also scheduled an u/s for april 12th, when i will be 7 weeks.

***doing a happy dance***

april 1, 2010
betas are up to 2500, and prog. is at 20. :)

we are going to my parents house on sat. to celebrate easter, and have decided to tell them the news. it will be uplifting for my dad, and if things go wrong again, i can't imagine going through it without my family. i am feeling really positive!!!!

april 3, 2010
today we went to my parents house to celebrate easter with them. we gave them an easter card from the kids, and i signed it
Love your 3 bunnies
Carter, Mason, and Hadley
(oh, and one little turkey due in nov.)

my parents were so excited, and had tears in their eyes. we kept it quiet because the kids were in the other room, and we haven't told them yet, and we won't until much later when we feel more secure in the pregnancy.

i am so happy we shared the news with them today. i am also so thrilled that they were so excited!!! after hadley was born, my mom was so excited that we had a girl, i think she thought why have any more... we had a perfect family. for us, it has never been about the gender, but about wanting a big family.

now, one more week to go until my u/s...

april 12, 2010
i had my u/s today!!! everything looked great!!! the u/s tech showed me the baby and the heart beat right away, so i wouldn't be nervous. the heart rate was 126. i go back on the 22nd for my next appointment which is just medical history stuff. i think i might call back and see if i can get another u/s just to make sure things are growing properly.


i haven't shared my news with anyone except my parents. i am not sure why, or what the hold up is, but for some reason it just hasn't felt right. i am actually very optimistic about this pregnancy, but for whatever reason i am feeling reserved. my pants are starting to get tight, and my bloat is out of control. i don't have the sweaters, layers, and vests to hide my belly like i did last time. i really need to make a couple calls, or hope they read my blog... lol!

ok... i am really going to hit "publish post" now.... i guess this is really real.

oh, the minivan...

i was one of those young moms who said i will never drive a minivan... nope, not me. i am too young and hip to drive the "loser cruiser".

as i got older i changed my tune a bit... i said i would only drive one if i was over the age of 30, and had more than 3 kids. but still i had no desire to get one. when our family needed a new car in january 2008, i was excited for a new set of wheels. after going to many car shows, and looking at all my options of the large suv's w/ 3rd row seating i settled on the toyota sequoia.

i love my car!!! it has plenty of room, nice to drive, and lots of options. i couldn't imagine wanting anything else.

oh, and then i saw a new commercial... it was for the 2011 toyota sienna. i thought it was cute, and catchy. then i noticed i really did love the commercial, and the minivan was actually nice. hmmm... what is going on?

today while on facebook i saw a fan page of the sienna and found myself actually looking at the pictures of them. they are nice!!! the cool moms call it their "swagger wagon"... i don't understand the word swagger, but i like it. lol!!!

so today i am still holding firm as a non-minivan driving mom, but boy am i scared that i could lose that title one day.

if you haven't seen the commercials yet, you can check them out here... http://www.youtube.com/sienna (thanks angela)

happy easter

we have had perfect weather all weekend!!! yesterday we celebrated easter with my parents and niece. it was so nice out, that we skipped the ham and had a bbq. it was a great day!!! the kids all got so many goodies from their yaya and papa, but i forgot my camera.

today we woke up and came downstairs to see what the easter bunny left. carter is so funny... he has a small phobia of magical things like santa and the easter bunny, so he is in no rush to come down, and makes sure he is the last one. i think he has a fear that the eater bunny will still be here. i guess i don't have to worry about him sneaking down to check out the loot. lol!!!

here are their baskets...





after we went through all the goodies in the baskets, we got ready for brunch. i love brunch!!! our friend the lappins were in town and met us there too. we had a great time. i tried to take some pictures before we left... i really wish we took some outside, but oh,well... maybe next year. then again, there could be snow on the ground next year.






after brunch we came back to our house for an egg hunt. my sil's family was suppose to join us, but they got stuck in traffic for a couple of hours. we saved some goodies for them, and let the kids have fun. mason asked if we could do another egg hunt tomorrow...




we had an amazing weekend, and i am looking forward to being outside more with the kids now that spring is in the air...

let's party!!!

we had a joint birthday party for the boys on friday. it worked out perfect... not only was it carter's actual birthday, but it was also good friday, so craig didn't have work, and the kids didn't have school.

we had their party at Pump It Up, which truth be told, is not my favorite place. but, the party wasn't for me. it was for a bunch of wild and crazy kids, who like to jump, bounce and play. they all had a great time, and it was fun to watch them having so much fun with their friends.