Tuesday, April 24, 2012

updates..

We've known for a week now that Abby is sick, heartworms and lyme disease and that treatment is risky and we could lose her either way..

But it didnt make it any easier on Monday morning driving to the vet to drop her off, explaining to Austin that they will try to make her better, and when she comes home tonight she will need to stay in her cage for a long time..

She did great all day, and was very drowsey when she got home, she slept and has had a little bit of a hard time in her cage today.. poor thing doesnt understand.

Yesterday was also my weekly testing, which thank the Lord went smoothly, baby is great, fluid is stable, Baby weighs 7 pounds 6 oz, and this momma is gaining weight pretty rapidly ( in her opinion), averaging about 3.5 pounds a week.
My belly is meausering that of a women who is 3 weeks overdue, and let me tell you, it gets harder to breathe by the day..BUT..  there are only 16 more days to go!!

WE CAN DO IT!


On Sunday we took Austin to the river, he caught 10 fish ALL.BY.HIMSELF.  There was no fear, just joy.

And the look on his face was so amazing when he caught his first one. oh and the look on Daddys face was just as special..

parenting is so much fun!!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

3 more weeks..

36 weeks


Meeting my daughter becomes more tangible with each passing day, with each hefty shove she gives me, almost as a reminder that momma, pretty soon I can be in your arms..

And yesterday afternoon, while I was sitting at the window with my firstborn awaiting the arrival of a very special package for baby sister, the fed ex guy showed up in his  "BIG white truck" to deliver..


showing the man what door to enter

And now, the stress of wondering if we'll be ready for an early or unexpected arrival of our daughter, is no longer a stressor. We are ready baby! We are ready with baby sister's outfit, and bow, and all her homeade babys blankets from the many women whom she will grow up knowing love her very much.

We are ready in the phyiscal sence with a tangible car seat for her maiden voage home, with her bassinet where she will sleep next to her momma the night and many after she is greeted at her new home.

We are ready, I mean I AM ready in the metaphysical sense, not really minding this huge ball that sits in front of me, actaully quite loving it, I have gotten use to having her so close and so near to me, but the idea that my daughter is inches away in the flesh waiting to meet her mommy is so real now, now that we only have three weeks until we plan to meet her.

The idea that I will be her life source for weeks and weeks, that when we look each other in the eyes we will form a lifelong bond, with a love so strong, you really only understand it if you have felt the kicks, and put in the long nine months until finally.. meeting your child. Loving them so fiercely, and strangely it grows every day, the love I mean..

discovering ants.. boys! :)
I love this boy more each day. He teaches me more than I could ever teach him, and he doesnt even know it.

Last night he sat snug between his mommy and daddy, with his sick dog at his feet, and read book after book.. When one was done he would exclaim he was getting another one, and instruct both of us not to move.. and we didnt, we waited, and we read. and we loved it.
When Austin would run off, I would just sit and be so thankful. we are all together. we are so lucky. we are so loved.
I looked at Keith, this could be one of the last nights for Austin as an only child
and Keith would say something like, I know, or he's gonna be such a great big brother.. or do you wanna watch survivor now? okay, Im joking about the last one..


Austins first day of fishing this year..

It's true, and it becomes more clear as I grow, that we will never stop learning or growing, in our parenting, in our marriages, in our friendships, we learn to listen more, to give more, to sacrifice more, to be more patient and kind. a little less selfish, a little more tender and understanding..

a boy and his daddy - one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen
We learn from each other, we grow together, we mature and heal and together.


And with the good comes the bad, one of the hard truths of the universe and life we cant shield from our children forever. That bad things happen to good people, and sometimes it's not fair.. But we learn and grow, and get stronger from it.

There is no rhyme or reason to luck or fortune, it comes randomly and without notice, much like Abby's recent diagnosis of lyme disease and advanced heartworms. She started showing signs of something serious, we were sure of that, but not sure what it was.

After three long days, we found her diagnosis, talked treatment that may or may not heal or kill her, and also the possibility that her body may be sicker than we first had thought, and after Friday, and more blood work we will find if she is in any condition for the risky heart treatment plan she is scheduled for next week.

I mean, this is hard, dogs and pets become a major part of familes, seeing them sick, hurts our hearts like seeing a human member of our family sick. Thinking about losing them, which on normal days, you dont think about, you just live life and be happy, is so painful that you could cry for hours. Seeing them in pain is no better..

Austin is only three and a half, so his capabilities of fully understanding the situation are very limited and very hard to explain. To see his eyes when she is sick, sickens me. It hurts. and we only hope for the best for Abby - we love her, and cannot imagine life without the tennis balls, and doggie biscuits..

only time will tell.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Soaking it in..

These past few days are the final chapter in our pregnacy, for nine long months baby Addison has been growing from a tiny cell into a beautiful baby girl. I have felt her kicks and movements, listened to her heartbeat, dreamed and imagined how amazing it will be to be a mommy to a boy AND a girl, how amazing our childrens friendship and sibling bond will be, and what she will look like..

In three weeks, three weeks BABY, we will meet out daughter. It will be amazing, I am so joyful and so excited to see her, to feel my heart and soul double in size in a single moment in time, and to introduce our first born to our baby.


Of course, all the excitement and dreamy dreams I have about meeting my daughter, have me sentimental about the little boy who made me a momma, who over the past three years has taught me so much about myself, and what being a mother is all about.

Everyday I feel my heart expanding for the little boy who is ours. He has such a gentle spirit, and friendly personality, he is an animal lover, and looks up to and loves his daddy with such strong fierceness.

He is artistic, shy, and smart.

But most importantly, until meeting him, I never knew what love was. How amazing a mothers love is - how loving someone so much, fearing loss, or hurt for them, is so strong. How strong a mother and child bond really is.

So these last few weeks until our family grows, I spend all the time I can sharing it with my little boy. Who will be an only child for only a few more days.

I watch him sleep, and whisper how lucky I am to have him in his ears, I smell his hair, and memorize his face.

During the day, we do things he loves, like painting, or having water fights, playing in the sand, or visiting Papa and Grammie.

Austin has come to most of my appointments, and helped mommy set up sisters room, and folded clothes, and even bought her her first doll ( he named the doll angel, and frog, but I call her angel)



reading "High Five"

playdough-making


playing in the sand

digging for teasure

a daddy and son

playing at meme's house on Sunday

Playing ball

GORGEOUS SUNDAY SKY

" CHEEEEESE"

hunting for chipmunks

eating popsycles..

I had my weekly tests, and fluid is stable, baby is great, and mommy although getting larger by the day is feeling very good.. Mostly because Daddy lets her take naps and reminds when she is doing too much..

May 10 is only but three weeks away, a big day in the Mosher house!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Easter and Korkypines

Our Easter was so much fun!

 Maybe it was my growing belly, and my growing need for sleep, but we ended up waiting until Saturday night to color eggs, it was a lot of fun!



such a magnetic force - a father-son bond!!

he is very carful and specifica bout his egg-coloring


He loved the process, and just like a kid on Christmas eve found it very difficult to go to sleep and STAY asleep the night before, and all in anticipation in finding those silly eggs..


isnt he just the cutest?

Before we left for Memes house, we got a little surprise..

boy oh boy was he excited!!





Mosher Easter 2012

That little pink bunny is one that Addison got for her baby shower, but Austin has adopted it to "keep it safe" until baby sister returns, lets just hope he remembers..


It was also the first time in months ( and months) that we had all five grandkids together. Austin loves playing with his cousins.


eating lunch with Cole and Joaquin

My favorite part of the day was when Austin held Kiera. Austin is such a soft and gentle little boy, and watching him with his cousin, made this mommy SOO EXCITED to meet her daughter and have her children form a lifelong bond. I cannot even explain how excited I am about it.. jeez.. ( ONLY FOUR MORE WEEKS)


Austin holding 5 month old Kiera

Cole, Kiera, Austin, and Joaquin
We had a really great weekend, and am really looking forward to meeting our little girl.



Monday afternoon Abby got "shot by a korkypine" It took Keith a total of 5 hours to remove all of the quills, but she is doing much better today.

Lets hope a lesson was learned today..




Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Addison updates

Monday afternoon the docs called and informed me that I would be making weekly visits to the hospital for a fluid measurment ultrasound, and then to the birthplace right after for a NST ( recording contractions) and then an appointment at the office right after that* ..

* one cool thing is, these visits are scheduled right up until May 7th, the week of Addys birth ( unless she comes sooner, which like Austin, she very may)

I of course, am no stranger to a million visits, with Austin my pregnancy was much more high risk and high matience with toxemia, and blood pressure problems. So I am thankful that the docotrs are watching me like hawks, taking extra precautions to keep me and Addy safe.
But all these visits really wear me out, I am so tired by the time I get home, I sleep for hours and hours..

Yesterday, I had to drive to Portland for my last ultrasound there, I wasnt sure it was going to be worth it, or to be honest, I had no desire to go by myself during the day, driving that whole way.. anyway.. I did go, just to be safe, and luckily my fluid levels are still stable.

AND..

I got to see Addison in 3D, and it made it so worth going.. My bad mood went right out the window, when on the screen I saw my daughters face, IN COLOR.. it's all I talked about for the rest of the day.



Addison in 3D, see her hand?

This is Austin in one of his 3D ultrasounds
They look so much alike..

I cannot wait to meet her.. well actaully I have to wait a little longer, we're not quite ready yet.. :)

only 5 more weeks!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Pretty in Pink

This weekend we celebrated Addison!



This cake is so wondeful! I am in love with it!!

It was a wonderful time with women who care about me and my family, and a day that reminded me of my many blessings.






This of course, is not all the women who care about me, but it is the only photo I got!






Big mama cutting the cake! :)


Before our party started Daddy  took some pictures, and these pictures are my absolute favorite!!!


mommy and her two peanuts!

Baby A

33.5 weeks!
I am so excited to meet our daughter, whom I've been getting to know since last summer, I cannot wait to see her face, and look into her eyes, and add so much joy and love to our family!

Just over a month to go people, and once I get her birth date, I WILL be counting down the days..