Merry Christmas 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  Having a sweet new pumpkin baby made it extra special!

Santa's elves made a lot of toys for the kids (and all at the last minute, too).

On the 24th, we all went to the children's service at a local Lutheran church with friends.  It's such a nice church and the pastor is wonderful.  The service lasted about 30 minutes. G and Annika are on the left.  (They decided to be sheep.)

At home that evening, I realized that I really don't have any cookies for Santa, so we just left him some goldfish crackers and milk.  Joseph put B*ennett to bed and went to read "The night before Christmas", and I went to an evening Christmas service and orchestra concert with a friend.  

That evening, Santa came and I even have a video of that! :)  I caught him in action!

The kids got way too many toys.  G really only wanted the XBox One, so he wasn't all that excited about the other gifts, though he did get excited when he got a Minecraft LEGO set.

PINK 3DS XL = HAPPY Girlie!






Wondering if Santa brought him the XBox or not...









PURE JOY getting an XBox One (the very last gift he opened).



Hanging out in his new hammock chair while the XBox is being set up









Around 2PM, we had friends over for Christmas lunch. We had salad, amazing honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes with dill, green bean casserole, and so much other food, including the most delicious Yule Log cake from Whole Foods.

We ate and ate and ate and then the kids decorated gingerbread (graham cracker) houses.

iPhone pics:


I got a Nespresso Pixie machine!



It's no secret that I LOVE GOOD cappuccinos, so I can now make my own PERFECT cappuccinos at home.



Annika wearing her Alexa Barbie dress (Magic! Magic!) , holding her Cabbage Patch doll from a friend.





MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Baby 1-2-3

Sweet Baby is 3 months old already!  Time is flying!

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
LITTLE ELF

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Braxton Hicks walks into a bar. Nothing happens.

I am now overdue and hating it!
Yesterday (40 weeks pregnant) was a long day.
I spent 5 hours at the hospital in labor and delivery, doing massive amounts of tests, NST and blood work to see if the baby and placenta are doing well.
They also did a million tests to see if all my vital organs are functioning properly and blah blah blah.  I was bored out of my mind!  They should have just induced me, but NOOOOOOO.....  It is apparently best for the baby to stay inside for now.
They also installed a port into my hand to draw blood and left it in there, in case they were going to admit me later, pending test results.  That hurt so much that I wanted an epidural for my hand.

I have no idea why the baby doesn't want to come out. Is it because he still has no name?  I am so frustrated!  I've tried all the natural ways to induce labor and nothing works!
So, next week is full of appointments: biophysical profile ultrasounds, more NST's, dr appointments.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I have an induction scheduled for Friday morning at 41w0d (September 26th).  So, if everything goes well, the baby should be here Friday evening at the latest.  I just cannot believe that I was expecting him to be born at the end of August, but he will be here at the end of September!
At my 40w appointment I was still only 3cm dilated and 70% effaced.  No progress, but enough progress to be induced only with pitocin (no Foley bulb catheter induction, which sounds awful to me).
Still hoping the baby will come before Friday.

Joseph took Annika to her 3rd violin lesson yesterday, since I was stuck at the hospital.
He then tried to explain to me what she did during her lesson and boy, violin is hard!   I am so lost!  I am not musically (or mathematically) inclined, so we are now considering moving her lessons to Saturdays, so that Joseph can go with her instead of me, because does this make any sense to you?

Me neither!  Joseph knows how to play instruments, so he can always help her.  Me?  Not so much!
She is learning to play "Twinkle, twinkle little star" right now.  It is precious!  She is so good at remembering everything the teacher tells her.  Her teacher is Cuban and he is very good with her.
She is having problems with the chinrest hurting her neck.  Her teacher says that if it hurts, then she is doing it right, but I hate to see her neck all red after practice.  We will try a chinrest cover next.  Hopefully, it will work.

G is still playing piano.  I also have a hard time helping him with his practice, because I literally have no idea how to read sheet music, but he is doing really well.
1st grade is going really well, too.  His teacher seems wonderful.  They all have their own iPads at school that are used for learning math.
G's reading and reading comprehension are above 1st grade level.  I still don't know what is going on with his speech therapy.  The 1st graders all had speech and English language evaluations last week, so we hope to hear from them soon.

iPhone Pictures from my twitter: https://twitter.com/kcenia

Pregnancy update.

37 week appointment - "3cm dilated" YAY!
38 week appointment - "You are still 3cm"  Um, really???
39 week appointment - "Still the same"  NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

The doctor said he will not let me go past 41 weeks.  The idea of being pregnant for 2 more weeks is upsetting.  My irritation level is at all time high.
My next appointment is Friday, September 19th and he will schedule an induction then.
But, I just don't want to go to my 40w appointment!!!  I want this baby out!
The doctor did a membrane sweep yesterday at 3pm and I hope it will work, but it's been 18 hours now and nothing.
From BabyCenter: "A membrane sweep increases the likelihood that labour will start within 48 hours."
Come on, baby!!!!

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe...

Canoeing is cheap, fun and relaxing for everyone (except maybe for Joseph, who is the one that is paddling the whole time).  Just bring sunglasses, sunscreen, water and your camera (and life jackets, if you prefer to wear your own).  Rent one canoe and paddles.  Go!

We went up and down the Assabet river this morning.  It was so peaceful!

>>  Great Blue Heron - цапля