Happy 5th!

I suppose more people enjoy the festivities of the 4th, but I'm really enjoying the sleepy Sunday that is the 5th of July. Today marks 33 weeks of pregnancy, and despite what my ticker says, I do not have cankles. Pregnancy brings with it all sorts of stereotypical ailments... morning sickness, swelling, sore back, waddling, gaining the weight of a 3, 4, or 5 year old.... I am very grateful that I am not one of them, I tend to get the more unusual pubic symphisis pain or tingly toes. My midwife appointment this past week was very reassuring. My month of uber-weight gain magically reversed itself. Instead of the two-pound a week pace I had gained or the one pound a week gain expected, I came in at 1/2 pound a week. Can't say that I did that much different, the body just decided to slow down its pound-packing pace. Thank goodness.

Found another great car seat sale and purchased Autumn her new car seat just like Abigail's RadianXT. Two super sleek car seats and room for the infant seat. Woo Hoo! Three car seats can safely be installed in our VUE. What a relief. It's nice to have that weight off my shoulders. I'm not big on 'gut feelings', but for some reason I feel like this baby isn't go to allow me to enjoy the extra time of being post-due like my others did. Just getting me through the program without too much stress has been more than I can ask for, so my hoping she will hold out until September just makes me feel like I'm pressing my luck. I figured Brian's job loss was a big enough Whammy for one pregnancy, but I am prepping myself for one more.

4th of July was fun and relaxing. A morning at the pool, a little work on a group project during the girls' naps, then off to a BBQ with some friends. All 8 kids played awesome together. No fighting or tears, just hours of fun. We were hoping to make it to the city fireworks, but after a 15 minutes of driveway fireworks, it was clear the little ladies were bonking fast. Poor Abigail was so tired at 9:15 that she cried most of the way home. And, let the record reflect, the girls did NOT sleep in this morning. Instead, they're just cranky because they didn't get enough sleep. It was worth for the special occasion, but I don't know how parents keep their kids up regularly and not go clinically insane.

I will try to post pictures later in the month. Our digital camera is a real thorn in my already lazy picture documentation of my kids' lives. It's slow to snap a shot and the batter loses it's charge lickety-split. Plus, this next week I plan on completing my last 60 clinical hours, plus 6 hours of class and homework. Any spare time I have will be with the girls or Brian. The internet fans will have to wait.

Hope everyone out there is shiny and happy.