only 9 days... seems like weeks....

It's only been 9 days since I said goodbye to Sean... I'd been able to talk to him each day until Monday night. Now I don't know if or when I'll be able to talk to him in the next 9 weeks! I knew this may be difficult but it's still harder than I thought It would be... with a new baby coming and two small children, my emotions are running high. I'm a little stressed out but maybe I just neeed to learn to relax.

Colton hasn't been taking many naps with all the commotion around, but after playing all day with his Uncles he goes down good at night and both are still sleeping well through the night. Something I am soooo grateful for, especially since I'll have a new born waking up to nurse very soon! I didn't bring a bed for Colton so I'm looking for a toddler bed for him, he's been sleeping with me but of course I can't have him rolling and kicking around when I'm trying to nurse Stetson. Carley is sleeping in the pack and play. I also have a co-sleeper with a nightlight on it that should work nice for Stetson but will soon be needing a bassinet, maybe I can use Katrices!?!?!?

Last night my sisters and I went to Grand Forks, ND to see a movie and do some shopping. I spent 100.00 at Target.......ughhh money doesn't last long when your buying diapers and other necessities. I did buy Carley a really cute pair of Mary Janes because we lost her other ones somewhere in California....but these ones are brown vs. the black that she had... so they'll go cute with anything. I also got myself a nursing tank... that is super comfortable that I am so excited about... wow the little things in life that excite a MOM! I figured it would be more comfortable than wearing a bra during the first week or two after Stetson comes. I remember with Colton having to change nursing pads every 30 minutes when my milk came in.... so... yeah, there will be no more bra-less nights for awhile! okay..maybe not every 30 minutes but I remember waking up wet with milk many times! Not so bad with Carley, maybe my body will adjust quickly to his needs and it wont be as bad.. but at least I'll be prepared and comfortable. hmm.. one probably wasn't enough! :p

I have an appointment tonight to see how the baby is doing... I don't feel much like it's going to come any minute. I'm starting to think it will be late just like my other two. My due date is only 9 days away.. so technically it could come at any time... but we'll see! I'll let you all know how the appt. goes tomorrow! My sister Katrice is 14 weeks pregnant and is having her first appointment tonight as well. My parents will have 5 grandchildren by end of February... how crazy :-)

Saying Goodbye

Here are just a few pictures of Sean and I the night we had to say goodbye! It's only been a few days and it feels like weeks. I've been able to talk to him a little every day, since he hasn't actually started boot camp. He is still really busy but the first day seemed like a week for him
because he had to stand around so much between getting x-rays and eye exams etc... he has 60 people in his group or platoon and there are several others.. so must be hundreds of solders there on that one base. They are confined to one area on the base until Tuesday when they will move to wherever the actual training starts. They have been in formation though everywhere they go and everytime someone messes up they ALL have to either do push ups or things like hold their stack of books out in front of them until their arms burn. Tonight he beat two guys arm wrestling and of course they were like "boy, you are stronger than you look"
Last night they were doing some sort of hand stand against the wall in their dorm and Sean fell on his knee...(on conrete) it's been hurting and swollen, so please pray that his knee heals quickly and he doesn't have to say anything about it, or that they don't notice it...

Colton and Carley don't seem to miss daddy yet... but they are so busy playing with my brothers and sisters. Every night when we go to bed Colton asks me questions and I explain best I can about how daddy is in the Army and we are staying on the ranch for awhile until we can go be with him. Colton tells me that when he gets bigger he want's to go in the Army too and learn how to fight like daddy :-) It's pretty cute!

So, no baby yet.. still lots of Braxton Hicks and back ache, hopefully it will be soon.. but I suppose little Stetson will come when he is ready. Off to bed.... more soon... keep posted!

On our new adventure....finding out sex of baby... saying goodbye to Sean and driving to MINNESOTA!

Here are a few pictures from right before Sean left for basic training.... I have more pictures coming of the last night I saw him in Sacramento. My mom and sisters (Jessica, Whitney and Kaylee) flew out here last Saturday morning, we dropped Sean off at Sgt. Catlet's office in Placerville on Sunday and then drove on to Modesto to stay the night with our friends, Les and Stephanie. We drove back on Monday night and had dinner with Sean at the Cheesecake Factory. He didn't actually fly out until Tuesday morning. While we were there waiting for our food we opened up the sealed envelope with our baby's ultra-sound picture and were pleasantly surprised to see that it is another boy! His name is Stetson Travis King! Actually, we both had a hunch it was a boy... we are just so excited and of course it really didn't matter to us .. we would have loved another girl as well. Since I'm not sure I'll be able to talk to Sean much at all during his BCT we thought it would be fun to find out together! I'm only 35 weeks in this picture... the last picture I posted was wrong.. my midwife saw me and confirmed that my ultra-sound due date is September 4th. So in the last picture I was probably two weeks earlier.

I'm really looking forward to having another newborn. But at the same time I'm not looking forward to having Stetson without Sean there. I'm sure it will go fine... I know I can do it... I'll just miss him a lot. Sean is such a hands-on Dad tending to me and the babies. But most of all I guess I'll just miss HIM!

Thank goodness I'll have my mom and sisters to help... it will be really fun. I finally got a new video camera, the new Sony Handy Cam 60 GB hard disc drive... I'll be able to post videos now of the kids and am looking forward to making a nice birth video since Sean is missing the birth. No worries, it wont be on YOUTUBE!

Well, the Lord has really blessed us... it seems with all the chaos the last couple of weeks with moving out of our house and selling everything... He worked it out perfectly. We had so many friends that helped with moving the house and doing all the dirty work of clean up , etc... we are so thankful. I have to say I think my husband has the best friends in the world!!! He stayed up several nights with NO sleep trying to get that house ready to move... and on top of that he had to be online finishing some courses so that he could join as an E2 instead of an E1... which he finished on Friday morning at 4:45 am......took the tests Friday morning at 9 am. Most of last week I didn't even see him. He passed all that and also passed his PT test. I just know he'll do awesome! For not having much time to run and work out.. he finished his run with two minutes to spare! So, back to what else the Lord has done.... he got my family out here safe! Our friends, John and Debbie took our last horse and John is going to finish breaking him so that he'll sell... John is also helping Sean pick up his last three cords of firewood to sell. We sold our Toyota Turcel to their son, Stephen. Our storage shed is packed FULL, and last but not least I finally got a new mini-van! We actually had room for Mom and I and all five kids plus all of my stuff! I can even see out my back window!

Last night we stayed in Spearfish, SD.. the kids got to go swimming and we ordered pizza to our room. I'm up now cause Carley woke up and I was too awake to sleep. We are packing up and getting back on the road within the next hour. Should be back home on the ranch tonight! Looking forward to seeing everyone! I'll be posting pictures from our trip soon! Little Stetson is ready to see his new world.... I am having a lot of strong braxton hicks... my feet are swelling a lot...for the first time... (the car ride I'm sure and salty snacky foods) but he is very low and causing a lot of discomfort! But still I have to say.. I love being pregnant and feeling a little life inside of me.. nothing short of a miracle!

Oh, one last thing.. Sean just found out that with so many dependants, we qualify for off-base housing with more bedrooms and a higher housing allowance! Praise the LORD again!

Until next time~Sheila