Maggie's New Room and Upstairs Reveal

Well this has been a project two months in the making!  

Maggie used to sleep in the landing of the hallway upstairs, while the five boys shared the two upstairs bedrooms (the master bedroom is downstairs).  I've said it before that Maggie prayed for "walls" and a new bedroom for awhile and we finally saved up enough money to make the renovations a reality.

Here's her bedroomarea before:

Then we cleared it out and the kids went nuts.  Open spaces have that effect.

See that column they are all standing in front of?  That's an unused chimney that was walled up.  That railing to the right actually prevents kids from falling onto the stairs behind.

So we hired Maggie's friend's grandpa to do the work, and on the very first day, he had the drywall delivered.  He had done his measurements and figured out a way to get it all the way to the third floor of our house (our second floor is actually the house's third floor because there is an apartment on the first floor...got it?).  I was very impressed with the whole operation.  The truck delivered the drywall....

... I watched it get lifted up past our screened porch...

...and in through the bathroom window on the third floor.  Our hallways and stairways are too narrow to carry the drywall up through the house (our house is over 100 years old) so I thought this way was pretty ingenious.

And then the work began!

That white square on the floor was where the chimney used to be.  I think the hardest part was getting rid of that thing, brick by brick, and then carrying it down two flights of stairs.  Whew!

I wasn't able to take photos of every step along the way, but TADAAAA, the finished product!

^ Maggie is standing on her side of the room above, and below she is standing on the future baby's side of the room.  The paint is Benjamin Moore's Linen White, and my mom gave her that comforter from Pottery Barn Kids (but thrifted!).  We had to get her an armoire since we didn't build a closet, and a headboard with storage because she's a packrat :)

While we were creating her bedroom, we also decided to rip up the carpet and put in laminate hardwood floors throughout the second floor.  They came out so nice!

We painted the little boys' room too!  Before:

After:

Paint is Benjamin Moore's Colorado Gray and I love it so much!   Declan's crib is gone (moved to Maggie's room) and he's in a bed now.  I got them really soft comforters in a pretty shade of light blue to pull the room together. 

The big boy's room got a slight makeover too.   We sold that huge bunk bed because the only way it fit in the room was in front of the window and it just overpowered the room.  

Before:

We got a hand-me-down bunk bed set that ALSO didn't fit in the room (darn you slanted ceilings) so we just kept the beds separate.

After:

I found inexpensive bedside tables that are coming soon to help hide some of their junk.  Perhaps I am an enabler.  Pretty much all of the furniture and beds in the kids rooms are all hand-me-downs from generous family members and friends, so nothing really matches.  I like to think of it as vintage eclectic and pretend it's my style :)

Out in the hallway, across from Maggie's room, is a little library area we set up.

It's just two of these shelves side-by-side with a rocking chair in the corner, but the kids all love it.

And that's it!  Next up is the kitchen and master bedroom renovation.  There's nothing like adding a 9th person to the family to motivate us to finally get the work done we've been talking about for years!  

That's What He Said

Oh Alexander Blaise, you keep us entertained, that's for sure.

:)

Discussing school that day...

Sean always tricks me.

-How does he trick you?

With his MIND!

When I grow up, I'm going to marry you, Mom.

-You can't honey.

Oh yeah, Dad married you first.  Well then I'll marry Maggie.

-You can't marry your sister.

FINE! I'll just grow up and marry Gammy!

Quizzing Declan...

What does the cow say?

-Moooooo!

What does the angel say?

-Alleluia!

What does the banana say?

- (silence)

It says Whoops!

Thinking ahead...

On my birthday, when I turn from 4 to 5, can we go see Pat Patriot again?

-Maybe.

Well, it's just that he's my bestest friend.

Chicken Dance song playing...

I don't like this song.

-Why not?

I just don't like the way it tastes.

Saving My Sanity Right Now

Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy (a new to me blog found through Ellen) is hosting a link-up called The Things That Are Saving My Life Right Now.  So here's my list of sanity savers this winter...

1)

Future plans.

I always need to be planning ahead, especially when it comes to taking a little family vacation (an overnight to the Cape is a favorite) and making house renovating decisions.  It's just nice to have something to look forward to!

2)

Nice, soft sheets.

I ordered these sheets for Maggie's bed and then more for Alexander and Declan's beds (Declan is in a big boy bed and transitioned so easily!) and now I want some for my own bed, because they are so pretty and soft.  And a great price!

3)

Outside time.

Because the weather has been so wonderful this winter!  Not being stuck inside all the live long day does wonders for everybody's mental state...especially mine :)

4)

Gym membership.

After cancelling our gym membership last summer due to the poor state of the gym, we just joined a new one that's closer to work and owned by a friend!  Feb. 1 was my new new year, after being sick for all of January.  I've been walking hills on the treadmill and ellipticalling my large and in charge belly and feeling so good after.

5)

Vitamin D + Magnesium + Blood Builder.

This is my triple threat daily vitamin dose.  I also take Folic Acid and Biotin and Probiotics, but I swear those top three have helped my mood and energy levels like nothing else.

6)

Grapefruits and Oranges and Limes and Lemons.

Because I'm pregnant and it's winter and they're delicious right now.

7)

My Fitbit.

This is such a good motivator to move more.  Now I'll take the longer way on purpose, park further away than normal, take the stairs more often.  You know, all those things you know you should do, but this rewards you for it.  It's especially nice to compete with Phil every day although he kills me since I sit at a desk and he pace-teaches.

8)

Making my birthday list.

This year, I would like a Netflix subscription because Fuller House will be starting (Full House was my absolute favorite show!)  and a new travel mug that doesn't leak or look like it's been through a war.

9)

Coffee.

After ten weeks of going off coffee because just the thought of it would make me gag back vomit, I have started drinking the heavenly elixir again.  Trader Joe's is a favorite on our house, and we drive an hour away to pick some up.  Their Vanilla Joe Joe's go perfect with a steaming cup of creamy coffee too.

10)

Inspirational saints.

Reading about the letters written by St. Zelie Martin.  She was a working mom who seemed to get overwhelmed with all she had to do (like every mom ever) and yet still was a saint!  There's hope for me!

What's saving your life and sanity this winter??

Genetic Counseling is Not for Wimps

This morning I had my appointment for the NT Scan and Genetic Counseling and Cell-Free DNA blood test.  On paper (or by my LMC date) I am 11 weeks 4 days today.  Let me tell you how it all went down...

I get to the appointment a few minutes early, fill out paperwork, and wait for half an hour even though I am supposedly the first appointment of the day.  Many pregnant women file into the waiting room to sit with me, and all I can smell is stale cigarette smoke.  I know my pregnancy nose is sensitive, but um, eeew, and gross, and you're pregnant so maybe you shouldn't be smoking and/or around people who smoke so close to you that you smell like that.  Finally I get called in and the ultrasound tech squeezes a bunch of warm jelly on my belly (I love it when it's warm and not freezing and starts the scan.  I see my baby!  I see a fluttery heartbeat, and the baby is moving it's little legs and arms all around - so active already!  I may be seven babies in, but seeing a baby inside of you never ever loses it's wonder. 

"You're baby looks so teeny!" she says as she pushes and slides the wand all over my too-big-too-soon belly (gotta lay off the chips!).  

"So what does that mean?" I ask.

"Well, in order to perform the scan, your baby needs to be measuring 36 mm and right now, it's only measuring 34 mm.  These measurements are telling me that you are only 10 weeks, 2 days pregnant."

Me, internally, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Me, externally, "Oh ok, so I need to reschedule?"

Tech: "Yes, in about a week, we should be able to see better.  But you can still go talk to the Genetic Counselor today and she'll go over all your options with you."

After mopping up the (excessive!) amounts of goo from my belly, she walks me over to another waiting room until the GC comes to greet me.  

If you've never had Genetic Counseling, it's pretty sobering.  Although the woman was really nice, she was very straight-forward and stated all the facts in a scientific way, without feeling.  I realize she does this all the live long day, but it's hard to hear things like the following without getting emotional...

"Because you will be 37 at the time of delivery, your baby has a 1/165 chance of having Downs Syndrome and a 1/80 chance for Trisomy 18 (I believe, I can't quite remember the disorder associated with that statistic)."

She continued - "The cell free DNA test will give you (rattles off high percentages) accuracy of predicting your baby will have Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 21, or any abnormal sex chromosomes.  Do you understand this test and what the results will mean?"  

Mmm-hmmm, I nod my head.  She continues "If you get a positive result for any of these abnormalities, you will then have the option to get the amniocentesis to confirm the results. " 

Me: "I won't be getting an amnio."

GC: "Ok, that's fine, but if you want to STOP THE PREGNANCY, you will be required to get one, as this blood test is only a screening, and not an accurate diagnosis.  When this test first came out, many women were STOPPING THEIR PREGNANCIES because they thought the results were an actual diagnosis."

Me, fighting back tears, and trying to decide how to get her to stop referring to the killing of my baby as "stopping the pregnancy" but ultimately being too emotional to say much: "I will never decide to do that", I manage to squeak out.

She then went on to ask me questions about my ethnicity, Phil's ethnicity, any babies born in our families with disorders, and then asks me if I have any other children.

"Yes, this is my seventh" I reply as I rub my belly.  

"Really?  You don't look like you have that many children!  You look so calm!"

I guess I should try to look more frazzled, I think, but say "Well, they teach me patience!"

She draws a timeline with 6 lines pointing down, and says "So start with the oldest and tell me about them."

"Tell you what?  Their names?  Their ages?  Their birth dates?"

"No", she smiles, "tell me boy or girl."

Oh, well that was vague.  "Boy, Boy, Boy, Girl (she lets out a big sigh of relief on that one), Boy, and Boy."

That ended our conversation and she walked me out to the receptionist to reschedule the NT scan and blood test until I'm actually 11 weeks pregnant.  But, she reassured me, "You won't have to meet with me again, you'll just come in for the ultrasound and lab work."  Phew, I thought, my pregnancy hormones couldn't handle this appointment again.

But the upside to:

1) Hearing about those scary statistics.

2) Feeling as if a baby's life worth is determined by their physical abilities.

3)  Being told I have to redo weeks ten and eleven of this pregnancy.

Is that I got to see this wee babe:

A person's a person, no matter how small, and this baby human being (not human doing) will certainly be loved and cherished by us all.

7QT at the end of January

1)

I just filed our taxes this morning!  I love doing my taxes and I love getting my refund even more.  I miss working in a CPA firm sometimes, because doing taxes was weirdly fun for me (nerd alert) but the stress with the deadlines and super long hours made it pretty unbearable.  And then I didn't like auditing for the rest of the year, so I guess I made the right decision to get out of that career.  Phew, life crisis averted.

2)

Did you hear that Camp Patton is back?  Woohoo!  I'm a happy camper :)

3)

Guys, I am so largely with child at 11 weeks, it's blowing my mind.  And it's like I've got a baby bump in the front and in the back this time - bedonkadonk.  It *might* have something to do with the fact that I'm eating every 2 hours to not puke, and not exercising because I am nauseous and exhausted.  That combination can only lead to lady humps.  

4)

I won't talk about all things pregnant all the time, but let me just say this.  I am 36 years old, turning 37 in a month, and that's ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE.  So in baby-making terms, I'm ancient.  As soon as I found out I was preggers, I decided to switch from my amazing, lovely midwife who only allows natural births at a hospital 30 minutes away, to a doctor who can give me all the drugs I want at a hospital 5 minutes away.  Phil tells everyone that I want the option of an epidural, and I'm like ah, no, I want the epidural at 1 cm.  Even my doctor (so nice but so cute - I like my lady parts doctors ugly) was telling me that they just revamped the maternity ward and they have tubs now for use during labor, and I stopped him and said "I'm getting an epidural, so I don't need a tub".  Tubs were a lifesaver during my natural births, but the promise of an epidural will be my sanity saver this pregnancy.  Watch me go too fast to get one or something. {insert prayers here}

5)

I haven't even gotten to my point yet about being AMA under a doctor's care.  So because I'm high-risk (old) I have to have genetic counseling and an NT Scan.  That appointment is set for Monday morning.  I also am having a Cell-Free Fetal DNA test done, which is something I never had done before.  

The bad news is that all these tests make me a bit nervous because I like to think of pregnancy as a healthy, normal occurrence and these tests make you feel like there going to discover something wrong.  Even if my baby has any of the "problems" they are testing for, it's not like we won't lovingly accept him/her.  And I won't do an amniocentesis for further testing if we get any positive results.  I guess it will just help to prepare us mentally for what lays ahead.  

The good news is that we can find out the gender of this baby once we get the results of Monday's test!  Phil and I are definitely finding out, the kids are mixed on wanting to know, and we're not sure if we are going to tell anyone else.  We've kept it a secret before (Alexander) but I don't know if I can again.  Plus, if some of the kids want to know, then the world will know.  Telephone, telegram, tellakid.

6)

Phil and I joined a new gym!  But we haven't actually worked out yet.

I think Feb. 1 will be my new year for 2016.  January was a month I'd like to forget.  Who's with me?

7)

Next week is Catholic Schools Week!  The kids have lots of fun activities planned at their school, ending with a basketball game of students vs. faculty (and our pastor!).  My boys are really excited for that!!  This weekend, we are hopefully putting back together the second floor of our house.  The floors were installed this week, Maggie's room is coming together, and Phil's picking up some bunk beds this weekend for the big boys' room.  It's going to look like a whole new house up there!  I'll post photos next week, if you're into that sort of thing :)

Go visit Kelly for more QTakers and have a football-free, cookie-baking, room-organizing weekend everybody!

Conception Confessions

Our Diocese cancelled all trips to go to the March for Life due to the winter storm DC was getting.  Smart move, but sad for all the students here who wanted to go and march.  Sarah sent me this video on the day of the March, and I was a snotty mess after watching it.

I looked down at my (already!) growing belly and thought about how grateful I was to be on my personal march for life for 9 months.  Sad to report, I think it was the first time I was thankful for this pregnancy.  This one was our biggest surprise yet (not a mistake, but definitely a surprise).  We are truly stumped as to how it happened, as we use the Marquette Model of NFP and didn't take any chances at all during the month this bambino was conceived.  Phil jokes that he's not sure who the father is, because we seriously can't pinpoint how this pregnancy occurred.  (Maggie's pregnancy happened in a similar fashion, so maybe it's a girl thing?)

As Christmas was drawing near, and I started to wonder if I could possibly be pregnant, I would remind myself that there was no chance in hades.  But the days went on, and I kept thinking maybe I should take a test, but then I wouldn't want to "waste one" on what would obviously come up negative.  I finally told myself I would take a test on Christmas Eve, which was in a few days.  Then the next morning, while driving the kids to school, I saw the sign in front of our church which read:

 "Blessed is the fruit of your womb"

 I knew I was pregnant.  It was a sign, a literal sign!  The next morning, after tossing and turning all night, I took a test at 5 am and it was positive.  Still thinking there was no way that could be right, I took another test, and again, positive.  I blinked back tears and tried to think of how to tell Phil (he always gets super excited about the news, and I wanted to surprise him) as he walked into the bathroom, saw me shrug with teary eyes, and gave me the biggest hug and congratulations.  He's pretty fantastic like that.

I just couldn't wrap my head around this baby.  SEVEN kids, that's like practically unheard of around me (right, Michelle?).  My mind started running logistics.  Where would the baby sleep?  How would they all fit in my car?  How could we afford another three more years of daycare?  How would I physically handle this pregnancy at my "advanced maternal age" (36 going on 37)?  I cried a lot because I was scared and had stupidly settled on the thought that 6 kids was our family size.  I thought we were "done", even though I hate when people use that term.  I was open to life in theory, but using NFP to make sure I wouldn't ever have to carry a new life within me.  I was tired, I was selfish, I was scared.  Still am, actually.

Yet somehow, with time and prayer. we adjust and grow and the grace is there to get us through.  After praying for the people who marched for life, and unborn babies, and scared mothers and fathers, I realized how lucky I am.  My husband is a rock, my kids are all thrilled to be having another baby in the house, we have a house and jobs, this baby will share a room with Maggie and we just upgraded to a minivan that will seat me + 7 kids.  God has trusted me enough to allow me to mother another baby with a soul for all eternity.  It's pretty wild that I was chosen to do this, God certainly qualifies the called.  I am getting excited to meet this little babe, and am offering up my morning sickness and physical pains for the aching of so many hearts who would do anything to have a baby of their own.  Blessed is the fruit of my womb, indeed.