Happy Birthday, again!!

Today we again celebrate one of our kiddos.  This time it's our 6th daughter who's turning 4! 
This little girl has something about her that make people notice her, even when she's not seeking out attention.  She's sweet and funny and most days she says things that have us all laugh our heads off!  Kids that age are like that, but you never get too much of it, it just keeps being cute and funny!
She really, really knows what she wants, and she makes sure to get it, pretty much all of the time.  Her poor, somewhat older, sister has to give in a lot...  At the same time she is really caring about her little brother, so I guess it evens out.

One of her little "things" she does is to giggle at just about anything.  She can be sitting by herself, playing quietly, when a slow giggle starts to build up inside her, and before you know it, she's laughing out loud, by herself, at something funny she did or thought about!

My pregnancy with her was NOT enjoyable.  At all.  I had the most morning sickness (lasted for 16 weeks), then my veins on my legs started to bug me, as my belly started to grow really fast!  At 5 months along many people started to ask if I was due soon.  I felt like saying, "Yes, I'm really due - to pop your head off!!"  I had to have extra checkups and ultrasounds and labwork.  They thought I was having twins for a while!  Turns out I "just" had a lot of amniotic fluid, no explanation to why this happened.  (there are several theories to why this can take place, but they did not fit me)  So, during one of Windsor's hottest summers on record (you can look it up if you want), I was measuring as if I was pregnant with twins, but I wasn't...
 
I had a very active toddler to chase, and... yeah.  I got pretty swollen and very uncomfortable before I finally was able to have this little girl.  My Dr. saw an induction to be my safest choice, since things could turn pretty risky if the water broke at home.  So 8 days before due, I went to the hospital to welcome our 6th girl.  (we knew what we were having, I had so many ultrasounds with her so it would have been very hard not to find out!)
The Dr broke my water, and they had to use a hose in my bed to suck it up.  After they had got a lot of the fluid out, my belly had literally lost half its size!  My Dr. claimed that he'd never seen that much amniotic fluid from one lady in 23 years!!  I believed him...
Our little girl made a safe arrival, but had to stay in NICU for the 1st night for observation.  She was fine, and screamed the loudest by far among all the preemies... (she was 8 lbs, and some of her roommates were probably a 10th of that!!)
The next day when I got to have her with me, I was holding my newest miracle, and thought "They are such a joy!", and then I knew that Joy would be her middlename (we hadn't decided on one yet).
And a joy she has been! 

Happy Birthday to a special girl, who makes our lives even more worth living!

Congrats, you just won another 2 weeks of pregnancy!!

Hm.  I went for my 1st ultrasound yesterday.  Based on all the facts, I SHOULD be almost 12 weeks along now.  I have felt that this is the right number of weeks, and my body sure has felt and acted its part.  But what do I know, right??  According to my ultrasound, the nice technician informed me that "Hmmm, this baby is only measuring 9 weeks 5 days", so 2 weeks less than I had figured.

What???  I don't get it.  It does not make sense.  I'm not going to share any details, but the whole thing is rather strange and confusing.  I have had 7 kids, and many ultrasounds, and they have all been within 5 days of my estimated date...  Now this.
You might think, "Who cares? a few weeks more or less?"  Well, I DO care.  Now we are having an April baby instead of a March baby.  It makes it sound like a whole month later!!  (even if the date "just" moved from March 20th to April 4th.)  Now I have to do week 10 to 12 all over again!! 

My oldest daughter is not impressed either.  She has been over the moon about the fact that I'm expecting a baby within 2 days of her birthday, and now that will most likely not happen...  My dear hubby does turn the big 4-0 in April thou, so Happy B-Day Big Guy!  This one is for you :) 

Well.  There.  Now I got to gripe abou that a bit.  Now I'm hoping that the baby will surprise me and come "early", actually meaning, that my own duedate was the right one all along...

A new heartbeat

Today I had my 1st pregnancy check up.  At 11 weeks along me and the very friendly nurse, who spoke really good English btw, (yess!!) went over all the paper work, previous pregnancies, what labwork they need, when I will have my 1st ultrasound etc.
I stepped on the scale, and considering the size of the baby (few inches long), I have gained an unproportional amount of weight.  How can I be so hungry when I'm really not eating for 2 yet??  Ah well.

The nurse asked if I wanted to hear the baby's heartbeat, IF she could hear it!  At only 11 weeks it can be hard to find, but even if you don't find it, there's usually no reason to worry.  I wanted to try anyway.
I was delighted to hear a strong and loud heartbeat!  Our little one in there.  It suddenly made me so excited to have another person coming to share our lives!  I can't wait to meet you!

Announcing the latest family news!!

So folks, we have an announcement to make.  I had planned to wait maybe a few more weeks, but we told the kids yesterday (I haven't seen them that excited for a while!!), so we might as well make it public.
If all goes well we are looking forward to Welcome a new family member around March 20th!
Meaning I'm about 10 weeks pregnant.

This also means that Big Guy and I will be parents of 8 children!!  Wow.  I've gotten used to 7, but 8 sounds like a lot of kids!!  I guess 7 isn't far behind (duh!!), but when you hear the new number of kids, I guess you kind of realize that "Wow, we have a big gang going on here!"

The kids are so, so happy and excited.  Our two oldest have been literally nagging for another baby lately, and it's been hard to keep quiet...  I found out (the 7th test finally dclared it, blue line of white background, what I had suspected for a week or so back at the end of July)  the morning after moving in to our house.  Of course Hubby is over the moon, he gets all proud when I'm pregnant.  "I did it again!!"  I wasn't as excited to be honest...  This last year has been so busy, with so many changes, and after JUST moving in to our house, I really felt that some "down time" was a good idea.  But not.  I guess I'm tougher than I give myself credid for??
I am excited now thou, and despite being tired, I feel really good, gaining weight at a fast pace.  Yohoo!! 

I guess we are all crossing our fingers for a little brother for our only boy, but whoever is inside there will be very very welcome in to this big loud bunch!  A new connection to our new country.  I'm a bit nervous about upcoming check-ups etc, realizing that my Finn is still very limited in many situations...  I always had such great care back in Canada, and with our 3 youngest I had the privilage to have them at the brand new, beautiful maternity floor at the local hospital.  So far I've been happy with the health care here too, but I was a veteran in Canada, having 7 babies there, so well, I guess I'll just wait and see!!  Anyway... I guess this will give me new blog material this fall and winter!!  I'll keep you posted!

It's like being pregnant!!

Building a house that is.  I've been pregnant 7 times, and there are some parts of each pregnancy that seem to repeat itself each time.  At least for me.  Remember that I'm really patient... or maybe that was my sister??  Anyway.
When I 1st find out that I'm pregnant, I feel excited, a bit overwhelmed, and I ask myself if I have what it takes to deal with another pregnancy.... When we decided to start building our house here in Finland, we were still finishing up our house that we built in Canada!!, so I had to ask myself if I was ready to do this allover again! There were trim pieces missing and of course, when you own a house, there are things you want to change and improve along the way. 

When I'm pregnant I always try to think of new ways to make the pregnancy go faster, make it more fun, trying to look and feel my best...  And each time I like to follow the baby's growth inside me.  It's always fascinating!  It's a miracle actually.

With our house, I keep making lists, writing things down, I kept changing things on the plans till I couldn't change it anymore...  I talk to people about the progress, and then I get a bit stressed about feeling that people are on my back (even thou they are only curious)   House or Pregnancy = same thing. 
(when are you due?  when are you moving in?  Are you done yet? - Am I done yet???? Oh YES!!! I'm usually "done" waaaay before I'm supposed to be done... doesn't really matter what it is)
I guess one difference is that the baby I want OUT and with our house I want IN!!  he, he...

Well.  I have gone overdue 4 out of 7 times, and I can safely say that I feel "overdue" with our house!  I get to a point when I really start to think that "It will NEVER happen!!!" "This baby will neeever come out!" Then I have a reasonable Hubby at my side, that reminds me that "I never heard of a baby that didn't come out!"  And I sense that he really feels that "I never knew a family that moved over the ocean and built a house and never moved in to it!"  (although that is far more likely to occur than the baby not coming out...)

All in all, I'm excited, stresses, tired... ready!!!  I keep tossing and turning at night (as if I'm waiting for labour to start), and I feel like I can't settle down before we move!!  Nesting instinct alright!!  I'm so excited to start making our house our HOME! 
Our kitchen is ..... NICE!!!  Gotta get some pix and show it off. :)

well.... sooon I will announce "WE MOVED" and rest assured that there will be a happy dance following that announcement!