Knock, Knock!

I'm too lazy to upload all the cute pictures of my sweet boys playing ball this weekend..and tball tonight.  I'm tired!

And I got a message while we were at the ball field...  Someone rang my neighbor's doorbell, and when he went to answer it (he was right by the door), they took off running, threw a beer bottle at the street light (missed!), and ran into the "woods" (vacant lots between us).  Then, when our neighbor attempted to follow them into the woods, they started throwing big rocks and branches out!  So..they called the police.

She wanted to make sure it wasn't one of our kids (ha!), before she called the police (well..I've called the police on her sister's car once..so now we call each other first! haha!).  When we got home, there were police cars here, and we all went out to "conference". ; )  The policemen went out into the woods with flashlights, but no sign of the guy(s).  At the bottom of the hill/woods, there is a drainage ditch (the reason no one has built on that lot!), so they probably made it to the ditch and took off out of the neighborhood.  Scary!  We used to have lots of break-ins, but it's been a while.  Now, we have our guard up again. (should I thank 15 to 22-year-old-scary-guy?)

And?  I went to the doctor today!  And...the heart is still beating! : )  Another week under my belt.  So thankful.  Super thankful for weekly ultrasounds and peace of mind.  Thankful for prayers for our tiny life growing.  Thankful for today, and the chance to do it "right" this time.  (I know, I know, but I have to think I have some control! ; )  If I wasn't so exhausted I'd show you an ultrasound picture of the tiny bean and its halo.  (it's really the yolk sack, but it looks like a big halo over the head. ; )  I promise I'll get it on..

Praying for you and your tiny lives too.  For another day of accomplishment. : )  We forget what a victory it is to make it through with our family for another day!  I am not taking it for granted. ; )  Hugs, ya'll!


ps- T minus 12 days till our Northwest Arkansas Arkansas Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes!  Not too late to join us or donate!  Here is our link!! : )

Bless You!

Thank you so much for your sweet words and prayers.  They lift me up.  I'm doing fine (yay!).  I am taking my progesterone, and still going.  I go back to the doctor on Monday, and I'll ask for lab work again to check on things.  : )

So..we've been busy (surprise!) (but yes, I'm trying to get naps)  I helped Mary Claire yesterday with her Book Rocket (I don't know how they come up with these things!).  It was for the school book fair in the library next week.

They are made of anything, but they should represent a book.  Mary Claire chose Finally (she calls it 12 Finally) by Wendy Mass.  There's also 11 Birthdays and the newest...13 Gifts!  She can't WaiT to get it at the book fair next week! : )  So she asked me to print a picture of the cover to glue onto the (toilet paper) rocket.  She'd bought a sheet of peace sign scrapbook paper last week for it (I know it doesn't match..she just likes peace signs!)

Here's our picture (but we cropped out the "Click to LOOK INSIDE!" part ; )  thanks, Amazon!

The birthday candle was totally her idea: makes the rocket go faster and goes along with the book ; )  and the ribbon?  We have to have ribbon on everything!  Isn't it funny how it looks like a blindfold?

And it needed some glitter. ; )  Glitter around the picture, and glitter on some peace signs.  Glitter always adds some fun!

And today?  I worked on stuff for PRE (Parish Religious Education=Sunday School)!  It starts on Sunday (I'm also teaching Children's Liturgy during Mass-but Ches says I have to quit!)  I made some cute little cards with ACTS:

Adoration (adoring God and praising Him for who He is!)

Confession (sins separate us from God's love, confess your sins)

Thanksgiving (give thanks for all in your life and your world)

Supplication (pray for others and yourself)

for the kids and on the back: symbolic pictures with the seven sacraments.  My friend Tiffany and I are teaching the First Communion class, so it'll be really fun, rewarding, and demanding all at the same time.  We are really excited! : )  I also got a bunch of stickers, and divided them into baggies for the students to decorate their nametags, folders, and notebooks.

We are planning to have them write their prayers in their notebooks as they come in to the room using the ACTS prayer card reminder before we get started.  We have to prepare them for their first reconciliation (confession) too!

Anyway, we are nearly ready.  I'm praying for their hearts to be prepared to receive Jesus, and for their protection.  We are also praying for our protection (along with our families), since we are targets right now, bringing kids closer to Jesus.   I know..a million and one reasons for me to PRAY!

My sweet boys both have two baseball games tomorrow!  (well, baseball and teeball)  They are nearly at the same time, and Ches is coaching Ethan's team, so he can't watch Clay's games-and they overlap.  I hope they both know how much we love them even if we are walking back and forth from game to game! : ) We are just really fortunate they are playing at the same ballpark. : )

Alright, I have to take some medicine and get to bed.  I'm full of thankfulness to each of your sweet hearts for your time, patience, and prayers!  Thank you for rejoicing with us.  We are blessed to have Today.  Just today is all that's promised, and I had another great day. : )


ps-JDRF Walk Shirt Design is due to us on September 14th! ..Excited!! : )

Your Own Best Advocate

We had the busiest day ever.  I don't care to recap it, except to tell you that I got my van back.  Kinda.  They did NOT replace the hood (like the insurance paid for) or even repaint it! (like the insurance paid for.  A full $4800+).  Cough, cough.  I complained, and they are going to repaint it one day next week.  I'd already turned in my rental car, and we had baseball and boy scouts to skidaddle to!

..and I saw my obgyn today, and I'm still pregnant (it's a tiny bean with a blip-blipping heart!). : ) We did see a heartbeat (yes, I'm thankful!), and it was about four days behind where it should be, so they moved my due date, and he said maybe I ovulated late.  (since I certainly wasn't watching!)

The other thing.  I asked him to check my progesterone again even though it was fine last time.  I do a lot (too much..) internet-intelligence-building (heehee), and I know that progesterone should increase slowly through your pregnancy, topping out at least at 40-180 (see here, here, and here).  My doctor reassured me that I was over 20, and not to worry.  I pressed.  He said if it'd make me feel better, he'd draw up the lab request..and I did insist.  I even wondered on the way to the lab (for a voluntary blood draw) if I was CrAzY.

Now, I know I'm totally sane.  My progesterone has dropped to 17.6.  They called this afternoon and put me on prometrium (synthetic progesterone).  I feel better, I just hope it's enough and soon enough.  I'm just thankful for my experience, and that I pushed as my own advocate.  I've slowly learned that no one can/will speak up for you like you can.  No one else has the investment, motivation, or possibility of loss.  (same goes for your child's best advocate: no one is as invested as you in them.)

And..he said he'd see me every week till I could feel the baby move. (Can you see me smiling?)  He'll do ultrasounds every week until we can get the heartbeat on Doppler, then keep it up till movement, and we'll do testing around 12 weeks to check on everything.  I am also requesting progesterone testing again next week (not surprised?) and hematocrit and hemoglobin too.  Can't be too careful.  And now?  I have to advocate for my child too.

Is there anything else to test?  I've already done anti-phospholipid syndrome and NK (natural killer) cell levels.  Hmm..more research is calling my name. ; )  What did we ever do before Google?  Encyclopedias were so out-of-date by the time they were printed.  (and remember those little CD's of Encyclopedia Britannica that came with your PC back in the 1990's?  haha!  that's even funny now.)

I'm off to medicate and gestate.  Thank you for your prayers...and I might need them a little bit longer. : )  Hugs!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Sweet, sweet day..a much better birthday than the past three. ; )

Let's see..last year Ches was sick, and I cleaned the garage on my birthday after just having had uterine surgery.  Two years ago, I had just miscarried, and it was awful.  Three years ago, my grandmother's funeral was planned for MY birthday.  It was a long, hard day.  It was about time I had a restful, calm day.

I woke up to three very happy children!  It is so sweet that they wanted to spoil me today.  They are precious.  Here was the table (our Birthday Central):

there was a small crowd of fluffy sweetness and they were holding up a sign.

It says, "Happy Birth Day!" (3 sections!)

and?  There was a "cake":

A triple-layer cake! ; ) (and yes! that IS a Brighton bag back there!) heehee

So, we sat in the floor, and opened presents, cards, and coupon books (for hugs and massages and help cleaning and even laundry!).  They went out with their daddy and bought some thoughtful things: a glass vase with an "H" etched in it, a rhinestoned stapler, tape holder, and pen cup, and some jewelry!  They were thinking of me. ; )  I'm buying a Silhouette SD machine online, but I'm having trouble deciding and committing.  I want the adhesive acrylic to go with it too-and I have to make a decision about colors and length of acrylic rolls...DeCiSiOnS!

Anyway, we had lunch and dinner out, enjoyed a fab-u-lous cake from Rick's Bakery!  (and my daughter somehow thought it needed embellishing?  She added an "M" and a heart.  In red.

We seriously didn't get a picture of it pre-M, or even out of the box.  But it was DELISH! : )

And in the afternoon, everyone settled in and we all did our own thing...and I made baby shower invitations. ; )  I know, but it was fun!

I started with blue baby footprint paper, added a cute poem about tiny baby feet, printed on vellum, then tied them with sheer baby blue ribbon:

Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, with love and grace the Sloat family grows..   God bless them!

And..I hesitate to tell you.  But I've known a couple weeks, and it's all that's on my mind right now.  I didn't make a birthday wish, and didn't blow out candles.  I got a happy wish-early.  We had totally stopped trying and thinking about it..but I'm pregnant.  My lab tests week before last were very good (772 and 1637, with progesterone at 21.7), and I have an ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday morning.

I'm totally fine, and now that I've passed my first hurdle (six weeks), my next one is twelve weeks.  Only God knows the plan He has for me, and He'll follow it through to completion, and I'm only here for the ride.  

I know how I feel when I tell no one and miscarry.  I know how I feel when too many people know, and I miscarry.  The fact is I have too much experience at this.  But, I'm willing to take my chances.  I just feel different.  And if it doesn't go well..Well, I may need to talk about it. : )

Thankful for a day of joy with my three sweet kids and my thoughtful husband-and ready for what God has planned for the next year of my life.  : )
Hope you had a great day too!