Carter's Birthday

Carter turned 10 this year, no longer in the single digits. He wanted dirt cake which we all liked since it was something other than "cake."

After he opened up all his presents, he walked Grandma Pingel out to her car and on the way back, Todd asked him if he was happy with all his presents and he said, "Yeah, but I would have liked a skateboard, too." When he walked in the door, this is what he saw....
One happy boy, about to pop out of his skin! Happy Birthday, Car! We love you!

Paige's Birthday

Paige turned 5 today! It was an eventful birthday, not ordinary by any means. She and I played a competitive game of Go Fish in the morning and she will tell you, she "smoked me, 6 to 2". I had a Dr. appointment in the afternoon and they kept me to get me started.

She loved the cake Todd got for her and for dinner, they carried on our October tradition of Square Pumpkins from Arctic Circle. Paige really wanted a Barbie scooter for her birthday. So Todd handed her this "Barbie scooter" and she said, "Dad, I didn't want a scooter for my Barbies, I wanted a Barbie scooter for me to ride." He told her to go outside and try it out and she thought he was crazy. He finally got her out there and this is what she found....

Then she came to the hospital to open the rest of her presents. I was glad to be a part of the festivities, even if it was just for a little bit.

Happy Birthday, Wiggles. We love you!

Hali's Birthday

Hali turned 8 today! She was surprised and happy with all her presents.
We sent her out of the room to get something and when she came back, she saw the bike and was so excited. As she took her test ride, she got to the end of the street and I could see her trying to stop using the pedals but they were just spinnig backwards. I thought she was going to crash, but she figured out the hand brakes in time. Phew!
Since I was on bed rest, Todd was kind enough to make her the cake she wanted, chocolate with blue frosting and math facts on top. She loved it! She picked to have nachos for dinner.

Happy Birthday, Hali Wali! We love you!

Milestones

I find it very interesting that every pregnancy can be so different. This one has definitely been a challenge and I am making some unique milestones this time. I went into the doctor's office on Sept. 20 due to a headache that kept me up the night before. My blood pressure had gone up considerably and they did an ultrasound and non-stress test to make sure the baby was ok , which he was. I was sent home with a prescription for blood pressure medication and told to "take it easy." I have been going in twice a week for check-ups (blood pressure, ultrasound, and non-stress test).
Well, I went in on Tuesday and was told I have toxemia and that my blood pressure was so high that I was at risk of having a seizure and could not go home. I was sent to the hospital for a 24-hour observation stay and was tested and monitored to see if there was anything else going on. They sent me home with more medication and put me officially on bed rest.
I went in again today and it was the same story, same tests. He has grown a little and weighs about 5 lbs. 5 oz. I left with an increased dosage of medication. The doctor is hoping I can make it through the weekend and by Sunday the baby will be 37 weeks and then I will probably be induced after that. Before 37 weeks, he would be premature. We'll see what news my Monday appt. brings!
My family has been awesome!!! The simple things they do make me smile. The kids have been out of school the past few days and have been great help. The girls take my breakfast order (which consists of cold cereal choices and milk choices) and get it ready for me. Carter makes peanut butter sandwiches for lunch (with jam dripping over the edges). They vacuum, do dishes, make each other's beds and keep things cleaned up. Then Todd comes home from work and is like "Super Husband" taking care of everything else. And at they end of the day, he gets to crawl into bed with me and listen to me snore (like a freight train, he says) all night and gets hardly any sleep. He has been so patient, kind and loving through it all. Our extended family has been great, too! Thanks for your love and concern.

1st Day of School

Carter and Hali had their first day of school today. It was rainy and a little chilly. I can't believe Carter is in 4th Grade and Hali in 2nd. When did they get so big? They were really excited to go to a brand new school this year. But the thing they were most excited for was taking their own lunch from home! They finally talked me into making them lunches and had their 1st meal all planned out for me. As we got closer to the school, Hali said she was starting to feel a little home sick. But she was still all smiles when I left her.
Paige had big plans for our day! She said, "I'll brush your teeth and you can brush mine. Then, I'll help you make your bed and you can help me make mine. Then we'll do pre-school!" We did it all. I decided I didn't like anyone else brushing my teeth and wondered if she feels the same when I brush her teeth. It's hard to hold everything in with someone else brushing! But I have to say, she was very gentle. After our fun-filled morning, we went and had lunch with Todd at his office.
The kids had a great day at school! They love their teachers, the playground (very important) and home lunch (I wonder how long their excitement for this will last). It was a successful 1st day and they are excited to go back tomorrow.

One Last Trip

We took a quick day trip to Lava Hot Springs today, before the kids go back to school. Todd took Carter and Hali to the big slides first thing. They both jumped in and had no idea what they were in for. I could hear Carter coming down, but Hali said she was going so fast that she couldn't scream. They were pretty scared by the time they got to the bottom. But they shook it off and kept going.
Hali and Carter had a race to see who made it to the end first. Carter won!


They liked the curly slides, too.
Paige and I hung out in the pool. We all had a fun day and will miss Carter and Hali when they go back to school.

A Sneaky Surprise

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you knew exactly what was going on, only to find out that you had absolutely no clue? That's me! Mom, Hali, Paige and I drove to Dave's house tonight for what I thought was a "Sanderson Family get-together". Blaine and his family are here from California, my mom came up from Utah, and I even had Kari try and talk Dad into coming up for it (thinking he would be the only family member not there). But as I started walking toward the backyard, I noticed a car that looked like my mother-in-law's and wondered why it was there. As I turned the corner, there sat Todd's mom and sister, my Aunts, Kari, Tatum and Aubrey, plus all the kids. I'm sure I was quite a sight because I was so confused as to why everyone was at this get-together until someone said it was a baby shower for me. Being our 4th child, I never even imagined having another baby shower. Everyone was very sneaky and quiet about the whole thing. So, it was a family get-together, just different than I though it would be. Thanks, Aubrey, Tatum and Kari for planning such a fun night!
All 4 of my Aunts (Barbara, Mary Louise, Rita and Kathy) and my mom, holding Macy.
Tatum, Jaci, Kreed, Allie, Aubrey and Myley
Hali, Paige and Kari
Julie and Louise
Hannah and Jaci