Just so mad that I'm trying not to cry

First, we finally have received mail. And, our trash and recycle has been picked up. But, the Christmas presents that I ordered online still have not arrived (except for those shipped through the post office). I am just so angry that the shipping carrier, Fedex, can so cavalierly tell me that they have no idea when the item that I paid two-day shipping for will arrive. NO IDEA!!!! Oh, and they get to keep my money which I wouldn't mind if they had made the slightest effort to deliver to me today.  Heck, they could have tried on Saturday when the roads were plowed.

Then, they give me another number to call but not tell me that the office at that number closed 2 hours ago. I just hate that "you don't matter" feeling of helplessness that I have right now. Nothing that I can do but call during their limited hours and hope that I can convince someone that this is wrong. And, I can't help thinking that their business customers took priority whether they paid for it or not.

Two packages from UPS are supposedly in transit, but I doubt we will see those either tonight. Brian is expecting some packages as well.

Yeah, I know. Hormones aren't helping either. I just wanted to yell on the phone and say nasty things, but I know that does not get anything done and the satisfaction is short lived.

I guess it just feels like those packages are never going to arrive, that they were lost somehow. After all, you don't know that they weren't lost until they show up, right?

Christmas cards

Yes, we're sending them out this year. At least, that's the plan. We picked up the photo cards from Costco on the 23rd and would have picked them up sooner if I could have driven to Costco. Now, I have them in the envelopes. I still need to address them. Not to mention finish the annual Christmas letter, print, copy, and stuff. Hopefully, they will be sent out by the end of the year. Won't it be fun to receive a late Christmas card? Hope you think so.

Snowboarding in Redmond

---This post started yesterday, but I had issues loading the vid. The snow has finally stopped.---

Amazingly it is still snowing. Some of yesterday's snow melted, but Mother Nature has decided that we need more. This morning a light slushy rain started, but now it's dumping again. I wonder when I will next receive a newspaper, mail, or Christmas packages. Sigh.

Below is the video that I took of Brian snowboarding down our street on Christmas day. Please excuse the shaky picture. It's not an earthquake just my own ineptitude.

A Merry White Christmas

It's even been in the national news. The Pacific Northwest has been hit with the biggest snowstorm in almost 20 years. For over a week, we have enjoyed and battled the snow. Yesterday, we awoke to fresh snow that continued to dump throughout the day. This morning we awoke to it snowing again, and we have now lost count of how much we have had in two days, definitely more than 18 inches. So much snow that Brian was snowboarding down our street.

Because of all of the snow, we haven't had any of our scheduled UPS or Fedex deliveries for over a week and no USPS (basic mail) deliveries since Saturday. We will be having another Christmas when the rest of our gifts arrive.

On Tuesday, we ventured out as a family to do some Christmas shopping and go to our latest pre-natal appointment. The doc loved meeting the kids and was happy about Finn's progress.He's an active boy. She also gave me the sugar drink to test for gestational diabetes. I'll do the actaul test on the 5th when we have our next perinatalogist appointment.

Shopping that day was hard.  This was Meg's first chance to do her Christmas shopping, and because of the appointment, we didn't have a lot of time. Our first stop was lunch, and we went to Ruby's Diner, one of Meg's favorite places. The wait was long but the food was good. After that, she really wanted to go to the T-Mobile store. Why? (This is the sweet part.) She wanted to use all of her savings to buy me the new G1 Android phone from Google. I did not know this, of course. We had to do some fancy footwork to convince her not to spend $180 on me although it warmed my heart that she really wanted to.

After the appointment, we drove out to Issaquah for Target and Costco since Meg was going to buy Sean's (her best friend) Christmas present and we had decided on an Xbox 360 for our family. After Target, we walked to Justice, a clothing store for girls, and that's when Meg lost it. We wouldn't buy her a Webkinz seahorse, and all that she saw was injustice. And, it didn't help that she had had little to no protein all day. It was a struggle to love her, stay strong, and fight for her instead of with her. She recovered by the next day but was disappointed that she never finished her shopping. Because of late deliveries and extended Christmas, she is ok with finishing it when we can leave the house again. During times like that, I wonder how we will deal with a new babe.

Speaking of how to deal with a new baby, one this has been apparent to me these last few weeks. God's timing in adding an addition to our family is perfect. Both kids are independent and much more confident. A year ago, Jake would have struggled more with Mommy being occupied with a little one, and Meg would have felt like she lost her status in the family. Now Jakey loves to explore on his own and play on the computer without help. Meg isn't intimidated by my attention being averted and is looking forward to helping out. See, perfect!

In case you were wondering, the kids loved Christmas morning. Jake was entranced by the keyboard that we bought for him. It plays 100 songs and the keys light up to teach you how to play them. Meg is playing Xbox Lego Indiana Jones with Brian and loved her assortment of toys and clothes. This year Brian and were able to shop for all of the kids' presents together which was really special.

The snow continues to fall, and I tear up thinking about the truth and sacrifice behind today. For us, God sent his son, not as a fully grown and mighty warrior, but as a helpless infant. Jesus experienced all that we have experienced for us, for our hearts. The God of the universe sacrificed so much because he loves us, not to prove his goodness or worth (they don't need to be proved), but to prove our worth. Not that we are good, but that we are loved. You are loved.

Enjoy your Christmas! Feel his love for you.

A Christmas devotion

Most of the time, it's hard to believe how much God truly loves us. His love and commitment to us seem only an example of His greatness instead of an example of His deep love for us. And, again, we miss what He has for us, for each of us.

John Eldredge says it best: A Christmas Devotion.

A real snow day

Yesterday schools were closed in anticipation of a big snow, and we did have a bit. By 9:30, the dusting that we had was completely gone. Today we woke up to schools closed and an inch of snow with more coming down. By 9:30, we were up to 2 inches and snow still coming down.

Ok, Western Washingtonians sound like wusses. We close school with just a few inches of snow. Out here in the Pacific Northwest, it's not the snow that slows us down but the steep hills covered in snow and ice. That and the limited number of plow trucks and sanders. Buses don't like our hills on sunny and dry days let alone icy and snowy days.

Jakey was very excited about the snow and insisted on getting dressed and going outside to play. Because of his idiosyncracies, he will not wear gloves or a hat so our time was short but fun.

It's almost 10 now, and the snow is slowing. All of the cedars are laced with snow. Peace and calm permeate the air.

Well, since it took a little while to load the images, conditions have changed once again. The snow is coming down harder and the local kids are using our steep street as a sledding hill. Meg will probably join them soon which means that I have to find her snow gear and be prepared to go outside myself.

First snow

This weekend we received our first snow of the year. Since we are only at 500 feet and not quite at the foothills, we received a bit less than an inch, enough to cover everything. Today was lovely, though, sunny and cold with a thin layer of snow.

And, it's very cold ... for the Northwest ... in the 20's. It may be this cold all week which "they" predict will break 20-year-old records. The roads are icy, and since the kids' schools are closer to the foothills, we have to stay posted to see if their will be a school delay or alternate meeting place. Usually the buses pick up the kidlings at our driveway, but the drivers hate going up or down our hill in good weather let alone icy weather. We'll know by tomorrow.

Some pics from vacation

Meg all glammed up.

The cousins gathered around Papa and the laptop.

Everyone, but Mama, on the Matterhorn: Meghan, Gima, Jakey, Papa, Grampa, Great Aunt Eileen, and Great Uncle Jerry.

Mama and Jakey, with Meghan and Papa in the background, on Jakey's favorite ride.

Papa and Meghan enjoying the Pooh ride as well.

Latest appointment ... finally

First, sorry for the font size inconsistency. Something is weird with blogger right now. It probably doesn't bother you, but it is driving me nuts.

Our last appointment with the perinatalogist was Monday, the 8th. I was pretty anxious for this appointment after our scare the previous Friday. We were hoping for a long cervix to show up in the ultrasound.

Because of unknown traffic and how slow the parking garage can be, Brian and I left the house 45 minutes early. Since we were early, we decided to have lunch at 3 Pigs BBQ, a restaurant across the street from the hospital and one we hadn't been to in a long time -- probably 10 years. Lunch was yummy.

After that, we decided to walk to the doctor's appointment and forgo the crowded garage. We arrived on time and only waited minutes until we were called into the scanning room. Phil, our favorite tech, performed the scan. Once again, Finn wasn't cooperative for a 4D image. The little guy is doing well. From the measurements, his current weight is 1 lb, 5 oz, on the big size for his "gestational" age. My cervix? closed and over 5 mm long which is very good.

On the negative side, my bp was high at 151/91. Ack! Doc increased my dosage in response and also mentioned that usually a pregnant woman's bp rises later in the pregnancy.

Another positive? We have graduated! Instead of in two weeks, we will wait four weeks to this doc again. Of course, unless something comes up, like my bp, which I take at home and record.

Ok, one more thing. Due to my hormone levels early on, the docs have said that our due date is anywhere from 4/9-4/12. We have always been pretty sure that our conception date is 7/4 which would place the due date at 3/23. Now we have two more markers (baby size and bp increase) that may agree with us. Hmmm.

Sleeping struggles

Since last spring, Jake has shared our bed with us (and yes, that is why we know when we conceived ... when we were out of town). Why? It's easier. He sleeps better and longer. And, we were lazy.

Our plan has been to move him back to his bed as soon as we returned from vacation. So, Sunday night, Brian carried him to his bed after he fell asleep in my arms. The little guy woke up, and I laid down with him. And, he protested a lot and often. Each night we have been doing this. When he awakes in the middle of the night and comes to our room, Brian has carried him back to his bed and laid down with him until he fell asleep.

Last night was a breakthrough. To walk to his room, he has to pass ours. Usually, he asks for "bwanket," meaning sleep with Mama and Papa, and tries to go into our room. On this night, he walked to his bed and climbed the step to get in. Once in bed he crawled to his pillow, a big one that used to be on our bed, and laid down. He even wanted his blanket on. And, I didn't have to climb into bed with him. I had my Kindle and laid on the bed perpendicular to his. Soon he was asleep with little protest.

When he awoke in the middle of the night, Brian and I were too tired to take him to his bed and let him climb in with us. Hopefully, it won't set us back too much, but that's ok if it does since we now know that we can get to this point again.

Now those who don't know Jake well may not understand what a vistory this is for our family. Jakey is not the typical little boy that's just spoiled. He truly does not understand a lot and has trouble communicating. In many ways, he is a big toddler. Before when he would sleep on his own, he would only get about 4-6 hours a night. In our bed, he averaged 8-10 and stopped falling asleep at school. This was a lot more than disobedience or spoiling.

If you gross out easily, stop reading

Jakey has had constipation issues since birth and is on OTC meds to help with the problem. Even with that, he gets backed up sometimes. For the last month, he has not had a real BM (bowel movement) except for small stuff.  Then, last night while Brian was at the movies with a friend (he says Quantum of Solace is really good), Meghan yelled out, "Jakey is poopy."

I go out to the garage where they are playing and there is my son, pants around his ankles, streaks of poop on his legs, and ... I won't mention the hands. But all of that is nothig campared to the world-record-setting BM on the floor: 3-inches in diameter, at least 6 inches long (and if anything, I am underestimating).

No cries, no screams, but poor little boy.

So clean up him with wipes, strip off his clothes, clean the area, and throw him into the tub. Ugh.

Dreams of the future

The other night I had another crazy, pregnant-woman's dream. In the midst of the dream, I had to use the bathroom. Jakey joined me in the bathroom, took down his pants (on his own), sat on the toilet, and urinated. Our little boy isn't potty-trained although it is our dream for him to be free of diapers/pull-ups. The best part was that he wasn't much older than he is now.

I've also dreamed of Finn. And, he is a cutey.

We're ba-a-a-a-ack

Warning! Long post ahead. So long that it's not edited at all.

Wow. It's been a long time since I wrote. I'll do my best to catch you all up on the Walker doings -- appointments, housecleaning, packing, and the trip.

November 17th
It's time for the big ultrasound appointment where the tech measures everything and checks out the baby. As always it's good to see Finn moving around in there. The tech estimates that he's about 10 oz and growing well, a little on the big size. (Hmmm, could this mean that our estimate for conception is correct?) My cervix is nice and long at 5+ mm, and we are given the thumbs up for our trip to California. Both the tech and the doc try to get us a clear 4D shot Finn's face, but the little guy won't cooperate. He hides his face in the placenta or behind his hands. He is also quite the contortionist with his foot on his head. There was something funny and something sweet that I was going to relay here, but I forget. If it comes to me later, I'll write about it. Pregnancy brain is bizarre. (Lovely verb tense changes, I know.)

Another Doc Appointment 

On Wednesday, we saw my Ob-Gyn for our monthly pre-natal appointment. Brian and I love this new doc (mine retired in August); she is awesome. Her advice for the long drive was to drink often, urinate often, keep moving out of the car. She even danced a little jig to show me how to shake things up. We laughed the entire way home at how our doctor gave me dancing lessons.

That Week
The whole week is spent cleaning, organizing, and packing. Meg and Brian do so much work. I am so proud of Meg. She worked really hard on her room (thank you, Lord) and helped with the bathroom and kitchen willingly. She also kept up on her homework and helped pack. The whole week is a blur. Brian and I are trying to finish our work so that we don't have to put in any hours while on the trip. That includes adding extra hours so that we can leave early on Friday; it's an early release day for the kids.

California Trip Highlights ... and a Few Lowlights

We started out later than we hoped and ended up slowly edging out of the Seattle area in bumper-to-bumper traffic. We made it to Salem (Oregon, that is) in time for a quick swim in the indoor pool (love Comfort Inns for their indoor pools and free breakfasts). The kids love this tradition, and after the stressful drive, Brian needed the hot tub. Back up in the room, I went to take a shower, and Brian was working on something else. Jakey was done with the day. He pulled off his swim suit and climbed into bed. What a good boy! Except he was still wearing a soaking wet swim diaper.

Saturday we really enjoyed seeing the magnificent Mount Shasta. I slept through most of Northern Cali, and we indulged in In-n-Out Burger (yum) just before we reached Mom and Dad's house in Waterford, California, just outside of Modesto.

Sunday Brian did something that he hasn't done in ages -- nothing. He sat on the couch with my dad and watched hours of football. If you know Brian at all, you know hard doing nothing is for him at home. He needed this break, this lack of activity, to truly rest. Amy (sis-in-law) brought our nephews to visit, and brother Tim came separately (my brother, that is). Tension was thick and unspoken words hard to take. Fortunately, Meg didn't notice (Jake was oblivious, of course) and loved the time with her beloved younger cousins. They look up to her so much and not just literally.

(Other stuff happened, I'm sure ... but pregnancy brain.)

Monday and Tuesday were highlights. Brian and I took off for Tahoe -- by ourselves -- for two whole days. Delightful! Our GPS took us through the windy backroads to avoid traffic, and we listened to John Eldredge talking about the masculine journey. We often paused the talk to discuss various points. Once in Tahoe (ah, the smell of pine) we checked into the Ridge Tahoe, where we have a timeshare (ugh, don't ask). Our room was lovely, and we quickly left to explore Tahoe together. We started at the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and enjoyed the music videos and memorabilia. Wandering through the casinos hand-in-hand and playing an occasional slot machine with the free $10 card we each received, we had a great time just being together. Eventually we made it to Bill's. Oh, so happily. It's the only non-smoking casino, and the bar has a great selection of microbrews and Monday night football. The place was dead except for two guys playing pool, the workers, and us. No octogenarians blindly pushing buttons with cigarettes drooping out of their mouths. The bartender kept the cranberry spritzers flowing for me, and the Saints played an awesome game. For a late dinner, we ate a delicious meal at 24 in Mont Bleu. Yummy. Then back to the Ridge. ;)

Tuesday we wandered around other parts of town before we attended a timeshare presentation for $75. We wanted to take the Heavenly Gondola, but it was closed. Darn it. The shops were fun though. Then the non-pressured presentation. Ugh. They need a dictionary. The points concept was interesting but pricey. They would not understand that once they told us the outrageous price that we could not afford it. So much for non-pressure.

On to lunch and a beautiful drive to Emerald Bay. Ah, Emerald Bay. Gorgeous. Restful. And back to the kids. They did well with Mom and Dad. Thankfully. Brian left Jakey set to enjoy himself.

Wednesday Brian and Dad took the car in for an oil change while Mom and I took the kids to lunch with Amy (sis-in-law) and our nephews. We met at the mall so that we could have pictures taken of all four kids together. Ha! Mom is ever the optimist, but I know Jakey. He is not ... um ... cooperative, let's say. Wednesday is no exception. It was almost comical. Not only was Jakey a handful, but he distracted the other boys as well, and Meg was trying so hard to keep her eyes open that she looked like a cutout. Very funny and no good pictures of the four cousins.

From there, we wandered the mall and came upon a 50% off sale at Libby Lu (a very girly store and salon). Even the salon services were 50% off. Mom treated Meg to a makeover which came with fun toys and a stuffed dog. She sat so nicely and her hair looked marvelous afterwards. So cute. I couldn't resist buying her the sparkly pink pleather jacket with lacing on the sleeves. Too bad we didn't see the sale before having the pictures taken although she looked lovely earlier as well.

Thanksgiving

The big holiday! One of Meggy's favorites. She loves every dish, except for the stuffing. My brother brought the boys. And, Amy and her dad came for dessert. Tension again. Major tension. I can't explain the situation here, but it's hard for all concerned. Shame and pain. Because of his past, Brian especially feels the pain; he's been there. It's taken me some time, but now I know that I need to be praying for my brother, not writing letters in my head to him.

Black Friday

Since we had such a hard night, we had a late start on the sales. The ads didn't have a lot that we were interested in. Fortunately, everything that we wanted was still available at 9 am which isn't too bad since some of the stores opened at 4. We were able to purchase many Christmas gifts especially for Meg (we bought Jake a keyboard at Costco before our trip). Oh, and the "we"? Mom, Brian, and me. Yes, my dear hubby went shopping with us and had a great time spoiling his family. For the longest time, I thought he would be angry at me just for spending money when I shopped. Lately, I've learned that he was upset because he didn't have the opportunity to share in the spoiling or treating. Now, he does not love shopping, but he does enjoy finding gifts that will delight the recipient. After that long day, he won't be ready to head out to the stores for a long time.

Saturday required recovery sleep for me and Christmas Day with Gima and Grandpa. As usual, Mom spoiled the kids. Meg struggled with over excitement but recovered enough to enjoy the day, play games with Gima, and bake cookies with me.

Sunday we did the long drive to SoCal and my aunt and uncle's house. On the way down, we stopped at Final Score in my hometown of Newhall. Best sub sandwiches EVER! Scrumptious open ham, many slices, sandwich topped with diced dill pickle and tomatoes and smothered in a special Italian dressing. Not a sandwich that you can just pick up with your hands and take a bite.

At aunt and uncle's house, we had dinner with my cousin Scott and cousin Brett and his family. My mom and aunt's good friend Linda joined us as well. Growing up, I thought Linda was my aunt and her daughters my cousins. My cousins were my friends. We shared every holiday and major vacation together. For Thanksgiving we would travel with Linda's family and my aunt and uncle's family to an A-frame cabin in Blue Jay. Good memories, some of my finest.

Disneyland!!!

Monday morning we drove through traffic to the Disneyland Resort where we checked into the Grand Californian. Ahhh. Then on to Disneyland and California Adventure for three days of fun. First thing that we did in the park was pick up a disabled pass for Jake so that he could go in the wheelchair entrances to the rides. Then, we met up with my parents and aunt and uncle for a day of fun. Meg loves thrill rides and sought out everyone that they have. Jakey joined Brian for these rides as well and had a great time. Jake's favorite rides were Pirates of the Caribbean and Winnie the Pooh. Needless to say, I avoided the rides that are unfit for expectant mothers. Fortunately, Disneyland has plenty for me to ride. And, I loved seeing my children having such a great time. The day was beautiful and sunny until evening when the fog rolled in. Fireworks don't work well in the fog. All you see is a strange glow in the sky. Pretty funny to see all of those people staring into the sky at an eerie glow. I forgot to mention that we chose the BEST time to go to the Merriest Place on Earth. The crowds were small until evening when all of the big parades, snow, and fireworks started. Our day in the park ended with a slow (think toe-to-toe traffic) walk out of the park to our hotel. We took the kids down to the pool and ended up in the hot tub. Of course, I sat on the side or first step to keep little Finn safe from the heat. Then we all collapsed in the super comfy beds to rest up for the next day.

A Word (or two) about Joy

Joy has been a serious pursuit in our family lately. We have been encouraging Meg to choose joy instead of the myriad of negative choices available every day. On Monday morning, our first day at Disneyland, we were determined to choose joy and abandon negative attitudes. We prayed and were resolute. Monday ended up being our best Monday EVER. Tuesday, we were complacent about joy and our relationship with God ... and things were tougher. Meg struggled with a good attitude. Brian and I were more likely to lose our temper. It was ugly until we recognized our complacency. Hmmm. We were once again determined to choose joy for the rest of the day and on Wednesday. Well, our enemy and God's did not like that as you will read below. So, the word or two about joy? Choose joy always and never forget to fight for it.

Back to Disneyland, Day Two

We started the morning with breakfast at the Storyteller's Cafe at the hotel. Their buffet was amazing. Meg was really struggling with her morning, and the Disney characters did not help. They terrify her still. From there, we used our passes for early entry into Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Brian and Meg used the opportunity to ride Space Mountain while Jake and I rode Buzz Lightyear and the Rockets. Let me tell you, going on the rockets with Jake was definitely a physical challenge for me. First, I had to put Jake in, and then climb in behind him. Remember, Jake is not great with instructions and moving my pregnant body with bad knees behind him was not easy. Then, after the ride, I had to get out of the ride with Jake still in the rocket. I'm sure that I was just grace itself. Since it was time for another potty stop, we headed over to Space Mountain, which has the closest restrooms. We met up with Brian and Meg after their second ride, and I walked with all of them to the ride so that all three of them could enjoy Space Mountain. It was hard not to join them. Jakey loved it.

From there we met up with Mom and Dad to enjoy the rest of the day. It was quite a blur, and by the afternoon, I was pooped. Brian and Jake escorted me to our room for a much-needed nap. We enjoyed the rest of the day, but I really don't remember much. We did start packing that night since we had only reserved the room for two nights. Saying good-bye to our comfortable and convenient room would not be easy.

Disneyland, Day Three

We woke up early to finish packing and found that our bill had been slid under the door. As a delightful surprise, the hotel offered us an additional night at a greatly reduced rate. We jumped at the chance to enjoy our day without rushing and the opportunity to enjoy our hotel and Downtown Disney the next day. (Remember, this is the day we were determined to choose joy again.) We rushed to the park, grabbing breakfast on the run, so that we could quickly get in line for the Finding Nemo submarine ride. It was so cool to enter Disneyland and stand in Main Street as they counted down the seconds before opening the park. After the ride, very cool ride, we joined up with Mom, my aunt (her younger sister by one year), and my uncle. Wednesday was Mom and aunt's birthday. Shortly after that, things went a bit crazy. Mom received a call that her brother--my uncle--was in a car accident in South Dakota. A deer attempted to cross the highway where he was driving 50/60 mph. He was ok, the deer ran off, but the car is in really bad shape, and he was shaken.

Then, Brian listened to a message from Jeff, his brother and our housesitter. A social worker had stopped by our house and left her name and number, nothing else. This freaked me out, especially when I could not reach the woman, and her supervisor would not look up the info and promised to call back in 30 minutes. I called both schools, and they had no knowledge of any reports to Child Services (this is really hard for me to expose to you all, by the way). 45 minutes after talking to the supervisor, I called back and was finally told that the report concerned Jake's cleanliness at school. What?!?!? No matter what I knew to be true, I could not fight off the attack that I was a terrible mom. Brian and I prayed ... and prayed. I talked to Jake's teacher again. She assured me that I am the best mom for Jake, and that any concerns that she has are about our family receiving any help that we need. Prayer and her assurances worked. No one loves or cares for Jake like we do, except for God.

And, another hit. Mom received a call that her dad's--my grandpa's--house was broken into, ransacked, and guns stolen. Fortunately, Grandpa lives with my aunt and was not there. Geez! (The next day, an ex-con was arrested for the crime. He still had items on him that were engraved with Grandpa's name.)

After all of that, the day ended well. Meggy had thoroughly our extraordinary trip. Watching Jake experience big rides with the eyes of a toddler was delightful. I wish you all could have seen him on California Soarin', a virtual reality glider ride through California. His legs were tensing with excitement. Watching Meg's eyes light up at riding another thrill ride. Meg misspelling Pooh as P-O-H-O so that Jake didn't get excited when we said Pooh and he couldn't ride the ride. Now our family refers to Winnie-the-Pooh as Wi-ninnie the Poho. And, just spending that much time together as a family, not surviving but living.

Thursday we took our time packing. Meg and Brian went swimming one last time. We explored the hotel together and enjoyed beignets (ben-yays) for breakfast. After the luggage was taken and we officially left the room, we shopped around Downtown Disney. After lunch, we took off for Modesto so that we could beat the rush hour traffic in Los Angeles.

Almost the End of the Trip ... Friday and Another Surprise

Friday morning I woke up at 4 am with some pretty strong contractions. By 4:30, I knew that I would have to wake up Brian and call my doctor. My doc told us to go to the nearest hospital and check it out mainly because of my history. She gave me her personal cell phone number to update her after the hospital trip. We woke Mom before we left and drove off to the biggest hospital, 30 minutes away. We arrived at the hospital by 5:30 am, and I was hooked up to a monitor. Finn's heartbeat was nice and strong, and they recorded one contraction and some uterine irritations. They tested me for a UTI -- negative. Cervix was examined -- closed.They sent us home at 9 am, and we called my doc. Conlusion? I had contractions probably because I was dehydrated. Brian and I couldn't remember how much water that I had the day before.

Another nap, lots of packing, and we headed home Saturday afternoon. I was so proud of Meghan. Good-bye's are so hard for her that she often cannot say good-bye, let alone hug or kiss good-bye. Usually she doesn't cry but becomes hard. This time, she expressed her emotions, hugged and kissed her Gima (my mom) good-bye. Said multiple times that she didn't want to leave. She's growing up.

So with a very FULL car we headed back north to our pets and house. Why house instead of home? On this trip, Meg asked where our home is (we knew that this was a bigger question than location since she knows the location), and we told her that home is wherever we are as a family.

Coming next: our latest Perinatalogist appointment