bye bye EDD

So yesterday was my EDD, course that doesn't actually mean anything, but it does feel rather surreal to actually be past it for the first time ever. I think I'm the same size now as I was when Gabrielle was born so obviously this babe just needs to cook longer. I'm fine with how ever long that takes, it would be nice if it was sooner rather then later but since I have no control over that, I'll just continue to wait. My weight gain is officially 42 lbs as of this morning. Baby has been quite low for a while now and the pressure is driving me nuts. The others weren't quite as bad but this time it feels like either baby or some other organ is going to fall out out at any second. That is one feeling I won't miss! 

canceled!

And it feels so good. I'm referring to the 3 week therapy trip in Denver I had booked for June. Everything has fallen into place for services here so I have no need to travel right now. The private language therapist agreed today to take Madeline as a client. This woman is amazing, we are incredibly fortunate that she took an interest in Madeline and decided she wanted to work with her. We are starting in May 4-5 days a week, she has several trips planned this summer so our entire summer won't revolve around it, but enough. She also is insisting that she is coming to our house to do the therapy, she lives 40 minutes away one way, she kept telling me that I'm the one that will have the new baby, she can do the driving. Did I mention how wonderful she is yet?!

Her goal for Madeline this summer is to have her be able to print her name, and recognize most of the alphabet before she starts first grade. After careful consideration, we've decided to stop working with Madeline on printing, other then her name, the therapist will only teach her cursive right now instead. Madeline has fine motor issues, she can not hold a pencil correctly (this is something she will also address), printing with it's fine lines is painful for Madeline. Cursive with it's loopy form is something that she should be able to do easier, and printing can be taught later. We are hoping that this type of therapy program will improve her speech, eliminating the need for speech therapy. We can't say for sure that it will, she has had success with students similar to Madeline. They spend a decent amount of time of the mouth portion of language and that can help improve some speech issues. We are willing to give it some time and see what happens. Worst possible case, we end up doing speech therapy.

I did mention first grade, Madeline got accepted today at our second choice school! I've spoken with the private dyslexia school just the other day, it will likely be an option for 2nd grade. They would prefer that she have one year of school somewhere else before coming to them, this other school is all that I could of hoped for without specializing in dyslexia. Our private therapist will go there for 60 minutes a day to work with Madeline. The school is not to do any instruction in reading/writing with her and they are fine doing that. As soon as baby is born, the teacher is going to work with us getting Madeline comfortable in the classroom this year. We'll start by bringing her in after school, and working up to brining her in during recess. We can spend a decent amount of time with her there during school hours. Parents are encouraged to come for lunch, they have a weekly afternoon "wilderness day" which is hiking, snowshoeing, etc... which they love parents to attend, in addition to field trips, etc...

Madeline doesn't know she is for sure attending school next year. It has been mentioned to her and she has responded with nothing less then sheer terror. It is not going to be easy,  but I have no other choices. I wish more then anything that things were different that I could keep her home with me which is where she desperately wants to be, but her special needs are too great. I know this is what we have to do but it doesn't stop me from feeling like my heart is being ripped out she is crying over anyone mentioning the very idea of school to her. 

39 weeks and counting

I've never been pregnant this long. On one hand, it's good because I have a hubby that is knocked out of pain meds still and not able to help that much, but on the other, I'm getting to the point where I'm done. 

our easter

Easter as a holiday always throws me. I'm never quite sure what to do for it since we are not religious in any sense and I don't do things like Santa, Easter Bunny, etc...  I think I'm finally ok with not trying to do much more then egg hunts, egg dying and candy, which is what we did this year! 

We also ended up making a trip to the ER for Ryan. He had sudden onset of severe foot pain with no injury, when it started radiating up his leg and the swelling was increasing, I forced him to go in. It was bad enough that the man who never ever takes a day off of work for illness/injury was given IV narcotics for the pain.  He was diagnosed with gout which actually surprised me for a minute because I never thought of it because of his age. His blood pressure was quite high as well so I'll be having to force him to do follow up care for that.  Of course he isn't doing anything that he is supposed to, taking meds, resting, changing diet, drinking water, sigh. For a minute I thought he might take his health seriously, but that might be too much to ask. 

not a baby post

Someone is still happily inside. I would be happier if it decided to emerge but since it isn't up to me, I wait. I am trying not think about the fact that Madeline was already born by this point in my pregnancy with her...

 Anyway, the point of this post was about other news. For 4 years now I've been getting credit for being a LLL leader, my end goal was to combine those hours, my RN, and sit for the IBCLC exam. I discovered today that the pathways for the exam have been changed, and I have twice the hours already to sit! The exam is only offered once a year in July, but with all my contact hours out of the way now, I can focus on the last things I need to do to qualify for the 2010 exam. Which involves more school, blech. Not really what I want to do with a newborn, and everything else we have going on but I can take the classes online and it shouldn't be *that* difficult. 

I'm not going to use the IBCLC for a while, it's more about having options. Having been out of the work force for over 6 years already, I know employers frown on hiring a "rusty" RN, but if  I am an LC and have been doing volunteer work for the last x amount of years, then it could play out differently. I'm one of those that always like having something to fall back on. I don't want to pursue employment for years, but it's always nice knowing that if need be, that I could still get a decent job. 

38 weeks

Ok baby, don't you want to keep up with your big sisters and come out when they did? That would be this week, so get working on that!

random pics

I'm awful about taking and actually posting pics so here are a few recent ones. 

Madeline loves the diving board at the swimming pool. Too bad Ryan has yet to figure out the focus feature on the camera, next time I'm going to be in charge of taking the pics there. 

Someone decided that Mimi needed to go potty.

I liked Cinnamon and Dobbie in the background of this pic.