Friday, July 15, 2016

7QT on the Ides of July

TGIFing the heck out of today and linking up with Kelly as one does on a Friday.

1)

Baby Boy Martin is finally cooperating!!  I feel like every test, every ultrasound, every appointment I just get bad news (not life threatening news, just never what I'm expecting) but finally yesterday, the little stinker stopped being a stinker and started towing the line.  

That's his profile (white nose) with a hand up to his forehead.  It's like he was saying "I just can't even."

He's no longer breech!  He's head down and weighs about 5 lbs. 11 oz. (70% on growth chart) and is measuring 10 days ahead based on the size of his belly.  Less than six weeks to go!  But hopefully more like 4?!?!?!

2)

JP came with me to the ultrasound yesterday, and was so intrigued.  It must be weird to be 13, understand where babies come from, and then have a pregnant mom.  But he takes it all in stride and is excited to meet his littlest brother.  He does keep reminding me that he'll be going to college when this little one is going to Kindergarten, to which I tell him to stop talking.  Mama can't take that kind of reality check.  When the ultrasound tech paused over the male baby bits and confirmed he is still indeed a boy, JP blushed.  So sweet.

3) 

Speaking of boy parts...if sex organs no longer determine if humans are a male or female, and instead people can decide for themselves what gender they want to be, isn't it "wrong" or "judgemental" for medical staff to tell parents what gender a baby is?  Shouldn't we let the baby decide when he/she is born?  Wouldn't it be rude to proclaim at the moment of birth that the baby is a boy if he identifies as a girl?  How are we going to handle this one, liberal America??

4)

Phil is finishing his first week of summer camp, and the kids are having a blast.  Our friend, Liz, is assisting him this year, and she's a 5th grade teacher with tons of great ideas.  Phil says he couldn't do it without her.  Some people are born with that creative, arts and craft gene and some of us are not.  Thank God for all types.  Anyway, yesterday they had superhero day:





They've also had a puppet show come in to teach the kids about how to treat people with handicaps (they are handicapable! we are all human!  treat everyone normally!  right Kelly?)  Last year it was about wheelchairs and this year it was about blind people.  The kids got to learn a little braille, and were so impressed by anyone that can read it - that is very tricky!  They play water games, go to daily Mass, play sports and at the park, dance, sing, have time to complete their summer work for school, and generally just have fun and busy days.  I'm so proud of Phil for putting so much time and energy into making this camp happen.  He makes it look easy!

5)


Did you know McDonald's has a large selection of flavored iced coffees that are unsweetened?  I'm drinking my Blueberry coffee with cream as I type.  Take that gestational diabetes!  Mmmmmmm, summah time!

6)


Twice a week, Maggie and Xander go to swimming lessons at the outdoor pool at the YMCA near us.  After their lesson is finished, there's open swim time and I jump in (well, slowly descend in) to the pool and float around for half an hour.  It's the perfect way to end a summer day, and I am thinking about extending their lessons just so I can keep swimming until the baby is born.  

7)

So I'm not officially nesting yet...there's no bassinet or baby clothes in sight at Casa Martin, but I am trying to check things off my to do list.  Baby's due date is also the kid's first day of school, so I am buying and organizing school supplies, shipping a damaged backpack back to LLBean (love their lifetime guarantee), ordering uniforms, and bought everybody a pair of sneakers and school shoes.  Ever want to feel broke?  Go buy all that stuff for six kids.  Geesh!  I actually got really great prices on the footwear at shoebuy.com and Old Navy sells uniform pants for only $12 right now and my boy's favorite underwear is on sale there too.  Bargain hunting is my Confirmation name, so it's actually fun for me.  It'd be funner if someone else was footing the bill, but hey, we made all these kids :)

Have a wonderful relaxing, staying cool, swimming, kind of weekend everybody!  See ya on the flip side (with a winner to my giveaway!)

21 comments:

  1. Regarding point #3: sociologists differentiate between sex and gender. Sex is what you're born with: male or female sex organs. Gender is how you present yourself socially. So yes, you can decide gender for yourself. For most people these two correspond, for some others they don't.

    Since you have views much more conservative than my own, you are welcome to keep this comment from your blog. I felt it was important to point out, however.

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    1. Interesting point, but I think sex and gender go hand-in-hand. And you're right my views are conservative but you can certainly share your opinion here, thanks!

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  2. AnonymousJuly 15, 2016

    Hi, I just found your blog through Instagram. Reading this reminds me so much about my life this time last year. We were expecting our 5th child, due on the first day of school. Although he came a couple days before, I was so glad. Our oldest will also be starting college when out little one starts kindergarten. What a bummer. Lol Love your story, I hope all goes well with you delivery.

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    1. Thank you! Any tricks for getting him out a few days early?

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    2. AnonymousJuly 15, 2016

      It's funny, I have read so many stories about moms who get on their hands and knees cleaning the floors, go into labor just hours later. Well I spent all day Sunday cleaning my entire house. Literally on the floor scrubbing every square inch. Sure enough I started having signs of early labor around 2am the next morning. Maybe it took that extra physical activity to get things going.

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    3. Awesome! And then you have a clean house to come home to!

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  3. Does your school have a uniform closet? Where gently used uniforms are stored for families to come an take what they need? That is my salvation . I'm down to only 5 kids in the Catholic school, but I haven't bought any uniform stuff in years. So many families, where their kids outgrow stuff or finish school, bring their stuff in. I even spent the week after school ended organizing it - I got first dibs on anything I needed.

    Glad to hear that your little guy is cooperating and going head down. I can't believe they let your son come to your ultrasound - my office has a strict patient and partner only policy. NO kids ever.
    Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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    1. We do have a uniform closet, and get most of my daughter's jumpers from there - but boys clothes are either scarce or very worn out by the time they reach the closet! I know I couldn't pass on my boys pants to anyone! That's so strange about the no kid policy - my kids have always been welcomed and I've used quite a few different offices and doctors/midwives.

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  4. So happy baby boy decided to get with the program!!! That must be a huge relief for you!

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. One less thing to worry about! Thanks Beth!

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  5. Colleen, I'm fairly certain Maggie's uniform is the same one my girls used to wear. Which are now in a tub in storage. If you are interested...I'd be happy to gift them to you and anyone else who could use them. : ) Just let me know!

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  6. Yay Baby Boy Martin!! Good work buddy. Phil's camp sounds awesome! #3 RIGHT?! Like what the heck does that even mean if it's all a choice?

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    1. I know! Is it fair to the baby to say he's a boy before he has the chance to choose??? Ugh!

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  7. I am so glad baby boy is head down now. Way to go with the shopping, you are going to be glad you did all of that in advance.

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    1. That's what I keep telling my husband when he sees how much I'm spending :)

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  8. As to #3, I'm not a huge Matt Walsh fan, but he makes fun of this very idea in a satirical post this week - http://themattwalshblog.com/2016/07/14/5089/.

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    1. That was awesome, thank you for sharing!

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  9. Yay for baby getting in the right position! Prayers for you!

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  10. good one on all points! so glad that little guy is cooperating and maybe he won't towards the end which means you'll get to be induced early ;). love camp, your coffee, and can't believe you've already started school stuff. way to go momma!!!

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  11. This might be a little late to be helpful, but the Children's Place also has uniforms on sale and I think they were under $10... I've had better luck with their quality than ON personally.
    Yay for baby boy being head down!!

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