What a Day!

I am definitely recovering from yesterday this morning. What a day! We had planned to go to JC to get lumber for kitchen cabinets, get boxes from the house, have maternity pictures made, and worship with our Elizabethton family before coming home. In my mind, all of those activities went very smoothly and calmly with extra time for hanging out on the couch by the fire in the basement. In reality, YEAH RIGHT! I was afraid we were going to have to cancel the trip because the doctor I saw in Chattanooga on Monday put me on "modified bed rest"-meaning I can go to the bathroom or fix a small meal. BUT, I was afraid to postpone the picture session because I am thinking regular bed rest is in my near future! So, we decided that I would be SITTING in the car for 6 hours of the time and the only time I really had to be up was to take pictures. I messaged Rebecca and told her our session would have to be brief and kept knitting my scarf to wear for the session!
Here's what actually happened:

9am-the time we THOUGHT we were going to leave.....I was hanging out in the bonus room watching Maggie play in her "castle" while Wesley loaded logs to take to the lumber man in JC
10:45am-the time we actually left-and by this point I was already SUPER tired and wondering how I was going to make it all day!
1:45pm-arrived in JC, stopped at Hardee's to go to the bathroom and get food!
2:00pm-arrived at the lumber place to unload logs and get lumber for kitchen cabinets
2:36pm-Wesley gets in the truck to move it to load lumber and I say, "We REALLY have to leave by 3. I know how he likes to talk (the man is very friendly), but we have to leave by 3." Wesley-"No problem, this won't take long."
3:04pm-Wesley and Lumber Man are happily still loading lumber and talking. I text Rebecca and tell her we will be a few minutes late. We change the session from 4 to 4:15pm
3:3?pm (this means 3:30something)-Wesley gets in the truck and PROUDLY announces, "Look at that! Didn't you tell me we had to leave by 3:30?!" (with a HUGE smile on his face) Me-"3. I said we had to leave by 3." Wesley, "Oh......well, I promise to cooperate really well."
Me -(thinking in my head, we have to go to Target, Michaels, Ingles, go home and fix my hair and get Click Clack Moo (my favorite book ever!) for pictures, and be at the place in 45 minutes....do NOT cry.....)
So, between 3:30 and the time we arrived at the farm for pictures (10-15 minutes late, I am SO sorry again, Rebecca!):
*I ran into Target to get a shirt to WEAR for the session. Of course, there were no brown shirts to be found in Target so I bought a pink one and a navy blue one thinking I would just take the extra back later. I decided in the truck to go with navy (and I think I like it better than I would have brown!).
*ran into Michaels to look for 3 adorable little chalkboards to write the babies' names on........wouldn't you think Michaels has adorable little chalkboards? I would too, but they don't.
*skipped the whole going home to fix my hair and get my favorite book idea
*put my make-up on in the truck
*finally started crying because I couldn't help it anymore
*Wesley asked why I was crying. My response? "Because I'm pregnant and nothing is going right!" Then, he went on and on about how beautiful I was and how the pictures were going to be awesome and we would be there in NO time at all. What a good husband!
*reapplied my make-up because I started crying while putting it on
*ran into Ingles to get 4 pink balloons (because at this rate, at least one of them was going to accidentally fly away before we could use it) while Wesley changed clothes in the parking lot
*Wesley said, "I don't know what modified bed rest looks like, but I don't think this is it."

We finally arrived at the farm and as we were pulling in the driveway I thought, "Oh no! I forgot my camera." Yeah, I don't need MY camera for Rebecca to take pictures of us. What a day!

Thankfully, Rebecca Marr ROCKS. She totally made me relax and made Wesley feel comfortable enough that he only complained once (but still did what we asked!).
And.......I LOVE our pictures! She has already posted a sneak peek on Facebook.
Check it out HERE. (If that doesn't work search Rebecca Marr Photography on Facebook)
She's pretty amazing especially considering I asked her to do pictures during her off month just so we would have maternity pictures. :) She was kind enough to agree.

These are my three favorites. I am sure I will share more soon.
Thank you so much, Wesley-for LETTING us do pictures! and Rebecca-for taking them and being pretty amazing!
Oh! and both of you for dealing with an emotional pregnant woman!

Since I am knitting for the babies and knitting just to spend my time on modified bed rest, I definitely wanted a knitting picture! (And I knitted the scarf I am wearing just for this session!)

Thankfully, the balloons didn't fly away until we were ready and the extra was hanging out in the truck just in case!
A balloon for each girl :)

The only time Wesley complained was during this, but it is my FAVORITE!!

After our pictures, we went home and RESTED for an hour before going to Elizabethton for Bible study. We were glad to see all of our friends there too! We got home this morning at 1 am and I am STILL in bed! I was exhausted. Wesley brought me breakfast so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs and I see a nap in my future (although this sneak peek this morning has totally pumped me up!).

Doctors, Doctors....

The Wednesday before Christmas we went back for an appointment at Vanderbilt. We saw Dr. C again (who is the doctor we saw first). We also had another hour long ultrasound. I had felt the babies move a lot the Sunday before and then not so much Monday and Tuesday so I was paranoid. I love the ultrasound lady we see there-she is so sweet (and I feel horrible because I am not 100% sure of her name....I think it's Alicia....). I told her about the movement and she immediately ran the ultrasound "wand" or whatever it's called over my belly and said, "They're all still there," before she did anything else. :) We have seen Hannah Kate kicking poor Rachel and Leah on ultrasounds before, but she was really going to town this day. We even got a picture of it! Poor babies, they have nowhere to go and no way to defend themselves! The babies are still doing the same as they were before. The only big/different news this time is that I have to go back the Thursday after New Years to be checked again. There were some signs of possible preterm labor, so Dr. C wants to be sure and check everything out. I do not think that she is concerned/worried at this point-just being cautious. They will also either give me the steroid shot for the babies' lungs or plan it then as well. I will be 24 weeks at that point. She said she wanted to go ahead and give me the shots in case I have the babies in the next month. If I haven't, then I will get the shots again around 28 weeks (I think). Our next goal is to make it to February 1st (28 weeks), then March 1st (32 weeks). The house is nowhere near finished and these babies really need to stay put to be better off for Hannah Kate, so we are definitely holding out for March 1st or after!
We also toured the NICU at Vanderbilt and were very impressed! Each baby has his/her own room! I was pretty surprised by that. The nurses/parents decorate the windows/doors (it's all glass) with the babies' names......pretty cute! They also have sleeping rooms for families that is on the same floor as the NICU. It has a twin bed, small fridge, and bathroom with shower.

Here are pictures of Hannah Kate!

Moving Babies

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee"

Since Thanksgiving night, I have been feeling the babies move pretty consistently. I will be 22 weeks tomorrow and they have finally gotten to what I think is the normal baby movements/kicks (as far as how hard it is). Yesterday, they were wild! I could feel them as I was waking up-this happens almost every morning. I just lie there and enjoy feeling those incredible blessings inside of me. Every time I feel one of them move, I pray and I try to really take it in. Who knows if I will ever be able to be pregnant again (we have already decided not to do any fertility treatments again), so I want to enjoy every minute-even when someone's body part is mashing on my ribs....like right now, thank you, Hannah Kate! Yesterday, they were moving a ton at the beginning of worship service for about 15 minutes, then again after lunch, then again after supper-it was crazy! Last Thursday, I saw my belly move when they moved for the first time. I told Wesley about it and he said, "Yeah right." What a supportive husband, huh?! :) After it did it a second time, he finally sat down to watch and it happened two more times. His response, "That is so weird." It was pretty weird to see! The only thing about all this is that they aren't really consistent in moving a lot everyday (at least moving a lot where I can feel them).
It makes me nervous, and Wesley freaks out when I shake my belly or press on it to get them to move. I guess I will ask the doctor on Wednesday if or when I should feel them every single day so I will not be so paranoid!
To end on a funny note, Maggie (our niece) does not really like my belly. I guess seeing her Aunt Nise with a large belly is freaking her out. Yesterday, I asked if she wanted to tell Hannah Kate bye and she stared at my belly and said, "No," in a slow and odd voice. Then, she got in my lap to hug me and put her feet on my knees and her hands/arms around my neck and raised the rest of her body up while she hugged me so she wouldn't touch my belly. I laughed so hard-I wish we had a picture of that!
Jana (my sister-in-law, Maggie's mom) bought Hannah Kate a TON of clothes at the outlet in Pigeon Forge. She has plenty of newborn stuff and some preemie stuff too (since I was worried we wouldn't have enough preemie clothes)! Thanks, Jana! :) She got her this cute onesie below.

Holiday Wishes!

Holiday Wishes from the Skelton Family!
There was too much going on and I just didn't have it in me to go all out for this year's card. I told Wesley we didn't have to have a "card photo shoot" this year and I was going to get Shutterfly cards instead of the fancy ones I normally get. Little did I know, they would end up being almost as expensive as the nice, bigger ones we normally do. Oh well. Live and learn.
I really liked these designs because they said "faith hope love" and "joy & love."
We have much to be joyful and hopeful about, much to grow our faith and much to love in the upcoming year!

SNOW!

I have tried for four days to get this post on the blog....Blogger was not my friend and did not want me to upload pictures.....finally-here we go!
Last week it snowed and I was out of school. Monday morning when I woke up, I told Wesley, "I bet we could use one of those big boxes for packing clothes to sled down our yard." Wesley informed me that I am pregnant and am not allowed to sled, and besides...that sounded like a "redneck." I just wanted to sled once!
Monday afternoon, our friend Dakota called and invited us to go sledding/tubing on Tuesday. Suddenly, Wesley didn't seem to mind that I am pregnant and wanted to sled! So, Tuesday afternoon we made the trek out to wherever in the world the McCain's land is (an hour from our house) to lots of snow and fun!

This is Wesley's first run down the hill. The snow was very powdery at first until they got it packed down.

He was COLD!

Please note our KNITTED WITH LOVE hats! :) This is the first time Wesley wore the hat I made him last year (and he thinks I am going to knit him socks! Ha!).

Wesley and Brian

Thanks to Brian for taking this great picture of us!

Wesley with his KNITTED WITH LOVE BY HIS AWESOME WIFE hat. :) Can you tell that I am proud he was finally wearing it?!

Wesley and Brian (I think) gave Dakota a push down the hill.

Wesley sledding down the hill to help pull Dakota back up the hill.

Hannah Kate, Rachel, Leah, and Mommy in an inner tube!

Just before we went down the hill the first time.
Before everyone freaks out, I only went twice and Wesley was with me. He would not have let anything happen to the babies or me! Don't worry!
This was my first tubing experience and it was SO FUN!!!

Wesley and Brian decided it would be fun to hook Dakota up to the back of Wesley's car and just pull him to the top of the hill......this soon became more fun than sledding/tubing down the hill.
I did not participate in this! Well, I did ride IN the car, but I don't think that counts.

Wesley, Dakota, and Brian

Tammy and myself-I spent most of the time in the warm truck with Tammy and Austin!

We sure do love the McCains and the snow! We will miss all of them very much!

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed

iPhone picture

Sunday night our church family had a going away fellowship for us after services. A winter storm hit Sunday afternoon, so there were just about 100 people at services. Only a few people left after services to get home-most stayed for the fellowship. We missed our friends who were unable to get out of their driveways, but we were thankful and impressed with the turnout considering the weather. Our friend Charlie is an amazing cartoonist. He drew this cartoon of us as a going away gift! They also had a money tree for us to help with moving/baby expenses. We have been incredibly blessed to be a part of the church family at Elizabethton. It makes it SO difficult for us to move and leave them behind. I wish we could just pick them all up and move them with us!

Shower, Sugar, and Yarn

Shower, Sugar, and Yarn.....I couldn't think of an S word for Yarn....Maybe SOFT Yarn??.....

SHOWER
Yesterday was our first shower. It was a shower for myself and Buffy, one of our lovely teaching assistants (Buffy), at school. I was a little bit afraid people might forget because we were out for snow the two days before, but there was a great crowd. Fun times and many blessings.
We got some good stuff! Wesley carried everything in from the car-he saw the Boppy that Jennifer and Ashley got us and said, "Hey! Look! The Boppy!" So, thanks from Wesley to Jennifer and Ashley! :)

Kindergarten Friends
Lindsay, Vickie, myself (and Hannah Kate, Rachel and Leah!), Kathy, Rachel, and Rachel

The Preggo Ladies of Ridgeview!
Buffy-January, Jennifer-February, myself-April (but not really), and Krissi-May
We just needed Ashley who is due in June (I think) to be in this picture!
OH! And the pattern here is girl, boy, girls, boy! :) Nice....
Rachel and Vickie were great gift opening and documenting assistants! This sleeper is from Kathy (our Kindergarten Assistant)'s daughters-she had on the card "To Princess Hannah Kate, From Princess Holly, Princess Hannah, and Princess Hope." Too cute!

Not sure how this one got stuck at the end, but here are the shower honorees with the cake!

Why are they out of order? Ugh, my OCD-ness doesn't like this!

Hannah Kate's gift table.

A super cute and soft sleeper from the Higginbotham and some chips. I do love these chips!

I ate a teeny tiny piece of cake because I really wanted it, but I was afraid it would mess up my glucose test today!

The Royston Boys/Men are amazing! They carried all my stuff to the car! And I think they were super pumped to have their picture made too! Ha!

We packed up all of the stuff tonight and as I was writing "Hannah Kate's STUFF" on the box, Wesley said, "You're enjoying writing that on there, aren't you?" Yes! I am! :)

SUGAR
Today was my three hour glucose test since I failed the one hour on Tuesday. I wasn't too excited about the whole experience (no idea why?!)....I woke up this morning with a headache and a growling stomach. Then, I had a flat tire on the way to the lab. Wesley had to come get me and take me to the lab then go back to take care of the tire (we had to buy a new one). What a morning! I wasn't really apprehensive about drinking the drink because it wasn't that bad on Tuesday. Today, I had to drink one that had twice as much sugar (ugh) and they only had orange. It was gross.......but I did it. There was one other lady there for a three hour test, so we felt sick together! I kept thinking how mad I would be at myself if I got sick and had to do it all over again! The good news is, I felt so sick I wasn't hungry! I knitted the entire time. I started and finished this little project below for a Christmas gift, then worked on a little toddler hat for a friend's child.

The time finally came for my last check and my blood sugar was 47. The ladies couldn't believe how low it was-they gave me crackers and Sprite and called the doctor. Dr. H said I couldn't leave until it was over a certain amount when they checked it again. So, I got to do FIVE finger pricks instead of the usual four. I am so lucky! I had four Scooby Doo band-aids when I left (they did one finger twice). And now my fingers are bruised-who gets bruises from finger pricks?! I haven't heard the official word on if I passed or not. Wesley looked up the numbers that I had to be below on each check and I was below each time.....so surely I passed! I was not feeling so hot when we left, but after a couple of hours, I felt better.

(SOFT) YARN
After we got back and I rested for a few minutes, we went to Abingdon, VA, to eat and go to a yarn store. Jennifer has gone on and on about this awesome yarn store there and I had never been. Wesley was a very sweet husband to take care of my car issues all morning, then drive far away to eat lunch and hang out in the car while I looked at yarn! We ate lunch at a soda shop that is in what used to be an old pharmacy. It was really neat. They had old medicine bottles on the shelves, and Wesley saw one that said, "Mouth Wash and Deodorant." Interesting.
I spent awhile in the yarn store where the very nice owner helped me pick out just the right yarn to make Hannah Kate a blanket. I will also be able to make hats for Hannah Kate, Rachel, and Leah from some of the yarn I got. I wanted to get yarn to make them all matching blankets for the hospital, but fancy yarn is expensive. I am going to get some from somewhere else for matching blankets, I guess. I used some of the money from the shower yesterday to buy yarn today.
When I got in the car, Wesley said, "Did you use all of the money?!" Nope, only 1/3 of it! :)

Too Sweet

I had an appointment with my doctor here today. Before we went, we took some belly pictures!

Yep, it's big.
Here are the highlights from today's appointment:
*My belly measured 26 weeks (I am 20 weeks today, but remember, I am "advanced!")
*Heart rates were good.....babies were moving a lot!
*The ultrasound lady said she would be "shocked and amazed" if Hannah Kate turned into Daniel. :)
*I have been feeling Hannah Kate move a lot, but I didn't think I was really feeling Rachel and/or Leah move much. After seeing them all on the screen today, I think I am feeling them more than I thought. I was able to see them move and feel something at the same time. Their movements feel a lot lighter and are a totally different feeling. I guess it's because of where they are??
*I still love my doctor-she is the best!
*I had to take the one hour glucose test today (about 6 weeks early) because my glucose was high today. Annnnnddd......I failed the one hour test (it was 148 and should have been 140 or less). I go back Thursday with my knitting bag for the 3 hour glucose test. I REALLY do not want to have gestational diabetes, but I am afraid it is inevitable. Dr. H said the placenta has something to do with gestational diabetes and I have "more than your average placenta." Good to know.
On the way out, Wesley said, "How does it feel to fail? All you had to do to pass was be normal." My response, "You are laughing now. You'll be crying with me if I have gestational diabetes." He is so supportive!
*They also did blood work today to check my thyroid and see if the levels are better.

Here are pictures of sweet Hannah Kate!

She ALWAYS has her hands up at her face/in her mouth. I think she's going to be a thumb-sucker!

Her legs look so long in this picture!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Hannah Kate's stocking in the making.....iPhone picture style!

This was the original green I chose.......a total of three greens later, I found the one I stuck with!

Ta da!

Okay, it may not be beginning to look a LOT like Christmas-more like a LITTLE like Christmas, but there are stockings and a mini-tree!! :) I wanted a picture of our stockings hanging on our mantle here because 1) Who doesn't love KNITTED with LOVE stockings! 2) I love our mantle!

So, as soon as three people said two days in a row that Hannah Kate still looked like Hannah Kate and not Daniel, I got busy!

I am SOOOOOO excited about her stocking! I started it on Thanksgiving night and finished the following Monday night at 11pm. I stayed up way too late, but I was literally jumping up and down with excitement. Wesley just rolled his eyes at me. :)
Here's something funny/interesting:
I first felt Hannah Kate move for sure on Thanksgiving night....when I started her stocking. From then on, whenever I sat down to work on her stocking I would feel her move (I know it's her because she's on my left side). When I started getting close to being finished with it Monday night, she started moving like crazy! Wesley was even able to feel her (when he pushed really hard on my belly). She felt like Thumper from Bambi in my belly! I think she was excited about her stocking!
I felt bad that I didn't make stockings for Rachel and Leah, but I know I shouldn't. I would just knit them and then always leave them packed up. I am going to try to teach myself to crochet (with the help of Christy!) so that I can crochet them all blankets for the hospital. Crocheting is way faster than knitting, so I think blankets are an attainable goal! (My first knitted blanket I ever made took me 60+ hours!...granted, Wesley calls it a baby afghan because I knitted it too big, but still that's too long!)
Today, I am out of school for snow! Hooray! I am super pumped! This morning, I woke up at 5:15 to go to the bathroom, saw the text that we were out, and got back into bed. I laid my hand on my belly and felt a THUMP. It caught me off guard and then it happened about 5 more times. (This is the first time I have been able to feel movement with my hand.) Wesley was asleep, but I grabbed his hand and put it on my belly. I felt a thump again and he sleepily said, "Is she moving?!" I guess she was excited that we had a snow day! I am not 100% sure it was Hannah Kate because it was right in the middle of my belly, but I am thinking it was because that's where her feet normally are when we see them on the ultrasound. I think I have felt Rachel or Leah once or twice, but I do not feel them move nearly as much as Hannah Kate so far.

We have a doctor appointment here tomorrow, so I will update about it then!