I realized today that it has been quite awhile since I blogged last. Things have been pretty crazy around here with the house on the market, the baby coming and life in general. Let me see if I can catch you up, with out writing a book.
Mom came out about a month or so ago and helped me get the house ready for sale. It has been a challenge to keep the house neat and tidy, ready to show in a moments notice. Basically I have stopped trying to "live in a museum" (as Bruce puts it). I do the mad stash when ever the Realtor calls. We haven't had an offer. It is hard to have an offer when you haven't had a showing in two weeks. We have not found "the house". We have 3 houses that we both really like, but none is so great that we have put an offer on it. Besides, why put in an offer, contingent on the sale of our house, and possibly have someone buy it out from under us. So here we sit and wait.
About baby and pregnancy...
Over the course of this pregnancy I have had many ultrasounds. My size makes it very difficult to hear the babies heart beat with the little thingy that the OB carries on him. So, I have had to have an ultrasound with most visits. This allows the tech to see the babies heart beat. COOL!!
With so many ultrasounds, I would think that we have had many opportunities to view babies gender. Well, that would be true if baby would cooperate. Many of my ultrasounds have been of baby balled up under my ribs.
The tech at my OB's office was having such problems getting babies measurements (to make sure all was growing properly) that I was sent to a specialist from Chicago University Hospital. It was so neat to see the baby. To match the movements I was feeling to the movements on the screen.
At one point the tech was trying to measure babies head, I got that feeling in my stomach (the one you get when riding a roller coaster, butterflies.) and the next thing you know the tech had a great shot of babies backside. HA! I thought it was funny. The tech didn't. She was frustrated because every time she was lined up to measure, baby would move. Oh the things to look forward to.
The best part about this visit was finding out babies gender. Most of the other ultrasounds had problems seeing . The baby was too little to tell for sure, the baby moved, the baby was balled up and wouldn't show. Well this time there was no question. Baby is a girl. She has 2 arms and 2 legs. She has all ten fingers (you could count them in the last ultrasound). She is the right length and weight for her gestational age. She measured to be a baby at 25 weeks gestation. Remarkably I was 25 weeks pregnant.
I can't remember if I mentioned before that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This came as no real surprise. I had it with Emma. I was given 2 weeks to get my blood sugar numbers under control by use of diet. Not a problem, right. I did it with Emma, I can do it this time. It didn't work. I have been on a 2000 calorie diet and insulin now for 2 1/2 weeks. I have to check my blood sugar 5 to 7 times a day by pricking my finger. I also have to give myself 4 injections of insulin a day. One before each meal and one before bed. I am still trying to get my numbers to regulate. The doctor says that the further along the pregnancy gets the harder it will be to keep my numbers regulated. So, we may be fighting a loosing battle.
According to the diabetes doctor, my blood sugar levels are normal for a person of my age and weight. His opinion is that once baby is born, I should go back to not needing insulin. But, because this is the second time I have had gestational diabetes there is an increased risk that I may retain the diabetes. It is a game of wait and see.
Now that we know baby is a girl, we have been looking at bumper sets and strollers. We went shopping on Sunday after church. It was fun and befuddling all at the same time. We found 2 bumper sets that we like. I am posting pictures of them here. Bruce likes one and I like the other. Tell us which set you like, Bright Hopes, Sweet Dreams or Lady Bugs
In other news...Ethan has 3 more days of school left. He will be finishing up first grade and moving on to second. This year he has learned a lot, made some friends, and lost 2 lower teeth.
On the Emma front...
Emma on 
Sunday Emma today
Saturday afternoon Emma decided that she wanted her hair cut. Our neighbor cuts the kids hair, so we called her. She wasn't cutting on Sat. Emma asked again on Sunday. I told her that Sunday is God's day and Karrie doesn't work on Sunday. Emma asked again on Monday. Karrie was working out in her yard so I told Emma to ask. She went out on the deck and yelled over the fence. Karrie told Emma that she wasn't cutting hair today, she was working in the yard. Emma asked on Monday. I called Karrie and found that she was on a field trip with her daughter to Six Flags Great America. Emma asked this morning. Before I could pick up the phone to call, Karrie called me and we made an appointment for this afternoon.
Every 5 minutes, for 2 1/2 hours, Emma asked if it was time to go to Karrie's. She really wanted to get her hair cut.
Since we have been home, every once in awhile she will pull the dinning room chair up to the mirror on t
he wall and admire herself. I think she is very pleased.
Well, so much for not writing a book. I had better go get dinner for the kids.
She has wanted pink hair for the longest time. We found some spray in, wash out hair dye. She loved it.
He is growing so fast. It is hard to believe that he is in second grade already.
What a great dad. He has really stepped up and helped out with the kids. As with any new baby, there have been many changes that we have had to make. Bruce has come through them like a trooper. 
