Halloween Zebra

Some Halloween pics to enjoy!

We woke up from naps, got dressed, and headed to Calle Real Marketplace to meet the Wehunt-Holmes family for some trick or treating. Lot's of painful walking for the pregnant lady, but it was worth it to see the glee it produced in Caleb. He and his buddies Sasha and Stasi were pretty cute as Dog, Gorilla, and Zebra.

Who is that Masked Zebra?


Caleb John Schalesky!


Sasha, Stasi, and Caleb


Then, we headed home for a quick dinner and off to church it was for the annual Harvest Festival. Lot's of fun, lot's of friends!

Caleb and Cousin Lily


Mmm... Donuts!

40th Week

So I am in my 40th week of pregnancy. Actually feeling a lot better. My iron is good, energy is good, legs are a bit better since Monday. Apparently, baby dropped, or so lot's of people are telling me, and the new position seems to be easier on my veins. I am not swelling as much or in as much pain. My OB appt. is tomorrow. I am due on Tuesday.

I am feeling ready for baby to come and excited about baby's arrival. Having contractions, but nothing consistent. I will have a few and then nothing, and then have one an hour, and then nothing. Had that with Caleb too, and he was a week late... The best thing about the contractions is each one makes me more and more excited to meet this precious little baby. I am really looking forward to meeting baby. I keep thinking about the moment Caleb came out and I saw him for the first time. There are no words to describe what an amazing, miraculous moment that is and how much love I felt for him. I think about that, and I am so excited for this baby to join our family.

I was hoping for baby to come today. However, I prefer baby to not come tomorrow or Friday because of Halloween (yet I trust God's perfect timing). So now I am hoping for Saturday or soon after.

That is the update. :)

Grammy's Visit

Mom came to help out for 4 days and it was so great! She cooked, she did the dishes, she did the laundry, and most of all, she took GREAT care of Caleb, so I could get my iron up and rest. I have to say, I had an OB appt. the day she left and, after all that rest and red meat she cooked for us, my iron was up to a 14! Christian was so thankful for the break from dishes and folding, and got to work some extra hours since Mom was helping me.

Caleb and Grammy cooking Noodles and Meatballs (Caleb's Favorite Food)


Caleb and Grammy making Halloween Pancakes





Caleb ready to eat his Ghost



Hoping she is coming again after baby is born. We like having her here!

Pumpkin Patch!

We LOVE Lane Farms. Who would go anywhere else? They have hay rides, tons of animals, and great pumpkins that are affordable. They are so nice and Caleb just loves going there. We get our Christmas Tree there each year too.

Caleb and Daddy posing with the new baby Goat


Caleb and Mommy on the Hay Ride


Caleb's Friend the Scarecrow


Family Picture


Which Pumpkin?


This was a nice family outing on A Saturday afternoon/evening. Now we just need to carve them and roast the seeds. Maybe tonight?

In case I don't make it to Halloween...

Here is a preview of what is to come...

Trying on the Halloween Costume that didn't fit (Caleb REALLY wanted to be a Giraffe)


Trying on the Halloween Costume that does fit (Caleb is excited to be a Zebra)


He had fun crawling around like a Zebra. If I go into labor before Halloween, the plan is that our friends Jill and Andy and their boys Stasi and Sasha (all also animals) will take him out for some Halloween fun! Otherwise, we will go to our church Harvest Festival-Slime Time as usual. Pics to follow. :)

Family Day at the Pier

We have been trying to spend some good quality time together before new baby arrives (any day now we are hoping...) We were supposed to go out of town for a family vacation early October, but that did not work out. Instead, Christian took that Monday off work and we went to the Santa Barbara Pier and the Ty Warner Sea Center.

Caleb and Daddy at the Sea Center


Caleb with his new Nemo fish


Look Mom, a Pelican!


Me and Caleb (and obviously with baby on the way)


Caleb and Daddy checking out the Crabs a local fisherman caught (before they threw them back in the water)


It was a wonderful day to hang out as a family and we all had a good time. It was really good for Caleb to get some Mommy and Daddy time. It was a push for me to be on my feet that long, but it was well worth it for the time we got to spend together as a family.

Dr. Appt. Friday

I had my 37 week Dr. appt. yesterday and baby looks and sounds good. My iron is back up, so it must be the red meat! Or the gross, but really high iron tea my doula put me on... All to say, I am instructed to keep eating red meat and we don't forsee any more issues. My energy is up too, in fact I had an idea my iron was up again because I had some really good energy days last week. The only issue now is my veins and swelling from being on my feet too long. So we are just trying to get me to rest, even though I have energy-how hard is that!

I will be 38 weeks on Tuesday. Praying for cold weather so my legs and veins don't swell and hurt so much (which is a concern for when i go into labor). Thankful for everyone's help, and for my super cool doctor.

Please pray for:
Christian, as he is working really hard to get ahead at work, since he will take some time off when baby arrives, and he is doing a LOT more around home, since I need rest. Pray for energy for him, and for good health.

That I do not have to share a room in the hospital for the labor, delivery, or postpartum (yes, that happens there) and that I get nurses who support natural childbirth. Pray my OB, Dr. Ramos, will be able to be there for my labor and baby's birth, as she is supportive of our hopes for labor and delivery.

Wisdom for timing on when to go to the hospital. We want to go late in labor, but not too late.

That I have an uncomplicated labor and delivery, that baby is healthy, and that I recover well.

Caleb as he will be cared for by others during labor and while we are at the hospital. Pray for his transition to being big brother.

That I can leave the hospital as soon as possible and that we can have some wonderful time bonding as a family of four before Christian has to return to work.

That baby comes in God's perfect timing... and not 6 days late like Caleb was... :)

Thanks!

Family

We have had some visits from family lately. Caleb LOVES family. Somehow, even though he doesn't see them as much as his friends, he gets that they are FAMILY and just loves the time he spends with them all, and never wants it to end. We, who also love family and have hoped to instill strong family values in our children, are thankful for this and highly encourage family time. We try to go see family once a month. We haven't been up to see them (both my family and Christian's are just an hour from each other) since September, and are already missing our monthly visits! So we are super glad that some have come here to see us. And of course, we get the wonderful benefit of having Nathan, Melody, and Lily here in town which is super cool.

Grandma and Grandpa Schalesky


Pappa/Grampy/Scar


Uncle Nathan and Cousin Lily


Uncle Justin, Aunt Claudia, and Cousin John


Cousin John WALKING at 10 1/2 months!


This was the first time Caleb and John really started "playing" together now that John can walk. They played in Caleb's room and Caleb was very excited about John walking. He is looking forward to their next hangout! Cousin Isabella on my side of the family is just starting to walk too, at 10 months, so we cannot wait to see her (hoping they come down when baby is born). And, it is looking like Lily, who is 8 months, may be walking soon too. She already will stand on her own for a few seconds before falling and is getting really good at cruising. So much fun to have cousins all around Caleb's age (with more one the way!).

Caleb and Kate

Caleb and his friend Kate have been hanging out a lot more lately. They are 4 1/2months apart and are expecting new babies 8 weeks apart, and Kate (and her parents) joined our Community Group back in May (I think it was). Anyway, they play really well together and have fun being silly.

Dancing at the Zoo-B-Que


Art at Kate's House



Inside Our New Ottomans

My Boys

So the obvious upside of me not being to do as much with Caleb, is that Daddy has been doing a lot more with Caleb, and they are having a blast!

Sporting their (Christian's) favorite teams at a friends B-day party at Rocky Nook Park in September.




Cooking us breakfast (as Christian does most Saturday mornings). September

Caleb and Momma

So, this post will have pics! And the following ones too, as I have a lot to post.

I haven't posted as frequently as I have wanted. I was discouraged after my last entry because I went to the Dr. the following Friday and my iron was back down again. Not too low, 11.9 actually, but it had dropped in one week from 13.1, so I was fearing another big drop (I go back tomorrow; and I have to eat red meat every day again).

This bummed me out because I was considering trying again for a homebirth, but with the drop we decided it is too unpredicatable (my body just won't absorb it (iron) or something...) and we better stick with the OB and hospital birth. Which REALLY bums me out because, although I love my OB, I am not loving the hospital birth idea. And I REALLY REALLY want Caleb to be there immediately after baby is born. I do not want to leave him, and I do not want him to miss the initial family bonding. Some of you may be thinking it is not a big deal, maybe your only birthing experience is in the hospital and it is all very normal for you (in fact, I may seem a little crazy to you that I prefer a homebirth), but to me it is a HUGE deal. My only birthing experience is at home, and it was wonderful and intimate, and (of course not perfect) and precious. Christian caught Caleb and handed him to me, and declared, "We have a Caleb." Which was his way of telling me it was a boy, as we chose not to find out beforehand. No one took my baby away for any procedure. I did not have to worry about transferring to a different room, etc. Yes, Caleb did have some respiratory issues, but we got to be there while he was stabilized vs. him being whisked off to the NICU without us. Then, once he was stabilized (and I cleaned up a bit!) the three of us curled up in our bed together and rested. It was so wonderful.

I am not anticipating that sort of beauty in the hospital. I have been told of all kinds of procedures, time frames, transferring, interruptions, etc. -by the hospital itself- that I am not looking forward to dealing with, especially having the homebirth experience as my reference point. Maybe my iron will be way high again tomorrow and I will find a midwife good enough, and kind enough to take me under her care at 38 weeks pregnant... Crazier things have happened?

Anyway, all this leads up to how I am having a hard time with the Caleb separation thing. Due to the ups and downs of my health, I finally had to surrender, and admit that I needed help caring for him. So quite a few of my amazing friends have taken care of him for a few hours in the mornings the last two weeks, and plan to continue for the next two weeks (I told you they are amazing). My mom came for a few days too (cooked, folded, cleaned, cared for Caleb-she was awesome). And the same friends, and my Community Group have been bringing meals to help out too (the whole pain while standing thing hinders cooking ability a bit). All so I could rest and get my strength up to deliver this baby.

Yet, although I am so thankful, and learning a lot about how God cares for us by using people to care for us and learning other interesting things that have to do with surrending my control and my agenda (a big issue for me as many of you well know), I HATE not being the one parenting my child. And, not because of anything other than it is not me, I have noticed a change in my relationship with Caleb, a change I am not pleased about. He is having to adjust to a new baby coming, the changes in our home (as we get ready), my up and down health, and being cared for by someone different every day-as well as normal 2 year old stuff. And he has changed. We argue more, he is not as happy, he wakes at night to make sure who is here, he is napping less, more defiant, etc. Some of you are thinking, "Well that is all just normal for his age." But today, today I had a bit more energy, and I went with him for the playdate, and stayed. And you know what? He was better, I was better, and we have gotten along better today than we have in a long time.

So, I am very much looking forward to new baby, and already love new baby very much, but I am also very much looking forward to getting better and being able to stand without being in a ton of pain, and playing with, and parenting my son, my Caleb, because I HATE how this has affected our relationship.

Still, I am thankful because Caleb, although more challenging, has also magically known when to be sweet. He was doing this whole "not kiss me!" thing, and when I had to start letting others care for him, he stopped. He now always comes home wanting hugs and kisses and has been cuddling more too. I don't know what I would do without that. I love my little boy!

And with that, here are some pics from Septemeber, that I just love, because I am with my sweet little boy, who I love so much, and wish I could be the mommy I was to him before this difficult pregnancy.

Cuddling in his toddler bed just before bedtime (no the bed did not break under my weight). :)





Singing at Prayer and Praise at church (yes his hymn book is upside down-doesn't matter he knows most the words).

Feeling a Bit Better

My next post will have Caleb pictures! They are in the camera and I am too tired to go get it and download right now... maybe tomorrow.

Quick update. My Dr. appt. Friday showed my iron is 13.1! Something worked, not sure which of the 100 things I was doing to get better worked, but something did (my OB says it was the red meat). Anyway, I am feeling more energy on the cooler days, and overall much better. My legs still hurt if I stand too long (more than 10 minutes!), but it is improving a little. Maybe it is the accupuncture?

Anyway, I am very thankful to have an improvement in health, and to not be facing the pressure of induction. Everything else is looking good, so as long as it gets cold (today was 90 something) I actually can play a bit with Caleb. Praying for cold weather!!!! Sorry for all of you who are enjoying the heatwave.