Aches, bedrooms, and updates

I have always been labeled accident prone, but goodness!  At 10 or so I walked through our hallway on my way to bed and bumped a floor length mirror that was leaning against the wall... requiring about 10 stitches.

At 12 I stepped on a pinecone at church camp and ended up in a cast and on crutches for 6 or so weeks.  At 13 I was sitting on the bench in a basketball game and the play landed on ME.  I bruised the bone in my shin and was on crutches for a few more weeks.  At 14?15? I stepped in a 'drain grate' in the high school parking lot during flag corps practice (walking backward, and it was a 6" drop off) and once again was in a cast for several weeks and on crutches for a few of those.  I think there was another instance with flag corps that I was in a cast but... I don't remember the details off hand.

But this last 2 months... yikes!  I 'sprained' (I think) the top of my right foot doing... nothing.  But it still is achy about 6 or so weeks later.  Then a week or two ago I broke my baby toe on a door frame.  It swelled, turned pretty colors, and is just now about back to looking normalish though when I got in the pool to swim the other day I realized it's definitely still sore.

Add on to that the lovely part of pregnancy that some get to bypass but lucky me got it all a bit 'early' this time instead.  Basically (sorry if it's TMI, you've been forewarned), my hips/pelvis hurt whenever I sit or lay with uneven pressure on them for even a few minutes.  Which means I wake up in some excruciating pain several times each night and end up on my back and then I don't sleep well anyway.   What a pain in the... well, it HURTS.

And yesterday, while making baked potatoes for 20... I burnt 2 of my fingers.  Like, 450 degrees between my pointer and middle finger on my right hand.  Blisters.  Pain.

Do you know how much you use those two fingers?  Showering? Changing diapers?  Dressing yourself or kids?  Eating? Brushing your teeth?  Picking up kids?  TYPING?

Ok, I'm done complaining... for now :) (and yes, my toe and other foot are mostly ok now I just notice them every once in a while).

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This week I've been working on moving some things around for the kids' rooms.  My parents are working on a bed for Emma and when it's ready, I wanted to have a place to actually PUT it.  Unfortunately, the bed we have for Brianna is 'oversized' because it is a sleigh style and it doesn't fit well except for ONE place in the room... which means it won't work with the bunk bed (Emma's bed) as well.

Through lots of drawings, measuring each of the 3 bedrooms and all the furniture in the house it seems, and trying to also figure in that baby girl will eventually need some space too, we came up with something that will work WELL for our family right now.  YAY!

Kristopher sleeps on the top bunk in his room and the bottom is empty.  Micah has been in a crib in there.  Now Brianna's moving in to the bottom bunk!  That takes care of her bed (it's leaving via garage sale probably or to a friend).  Micah and Emma will share a room.  The bunk bed and 2 cribs will fit fine in the room that was the girls' room.  I'll leave E's crib up even after her bed is ready and it will be for the baby. 

I also am moving all the dressers and clothes for the 4 kids into Kristopher and Brianna's room!  I'm adding a rail (or... Mike is...) to the closet and the 4 kids' clothes will all be in there.  The baby's dresser will be in the closet in the 'crib' room along with the 3 beds.  I think this will make laundry a lot easier too with the 4 older kids' clothes all in one room!

So far Brianna has napped once and slept 2 nights in the bunk bed.  Micah slept one night and one nap in the room with Emma.  And... when Micah gets up at 6am... EMMA SLEPT THROUGH IT! :) :)

Lastly, while I'm on the topic, I'm mixing the kids' rooms together a bit more with coloring... The room that was the boys' is beige on 2 walls, light blue on the other two.  The girls' room is lavender on 2 and beige on 2.  I'm not repainting!! :) I'm making some bedding for baby girl that is lavender and brown and making both rooms brown, lavender, and blue all together.  Basically just some new sheets and pillows... But it will be nice to have a 'theme' through those rooms since the princesses will be coming down-- or moved to be just at the girls' beds anyway! :)

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Updates... Micah is doing better eating after a week of being home.  I think he's showing his stubborn streak big time!  But this morning I watched him dancing and clapping to a song and I saw this toddler there... not the baby he has been.  His walking has really helped him with other developmental milestones as well!

Brianna isn't attached to my leg anymore and is back to her sweet self for the most part.  She's been a little better about eating too but it's always a struggle with her!  She understands SO much though and is doing great.

Kristopher is figuring out that his behavior has to get back on track and is doing a little better making better choices.  He spent quite a bit of time with me this last week which was good for us both.  He even went to see what Emma does in therapy and cheered her on down the hallway.  I hope we continue to see improvements there and I'm encouraged!

Emma has stopped the scratching and chewing again.  She was just all out of sorts while I was gone (based on the way her legs looked!) and for about 2-3 days after I got home still but she's 'regulating' again and doing well.  She had an awesome day at therapy on Monday and walked with a Kaye walker (with a lot of assistance) all the way down a hall and back.  This is HUGE for her because she's never 'accepted' any walking devices to get her moving.  She usually just shoves them away.  Every baby step keeps me thinking... maybe one day...

Mike had a nice Father's day.  We went to church in the morning and all the kids went to their new classes- promotion weekend was last weekend and there was an issue, but it was resolved.  Emma is going in her wheelchair to Brianna's class (3-4 yr olds) and the other kids are all in their age-appropriate rooms.  After church we had lunch and Mike mowed while I napped right along with the kids :)  Then we all got in the pool and even ate fruit pops in the pool.  We stayed out quite a while until dinner time.  I made potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a separate dinner for the kids while Mike grilled steak.  I made brownies on Sat for dessert.  It was a nice relaxing day.  His birthday is tomorrow so we'll have our parents for cake and then Friday night I get to take him out- just the two of us :)

 

Ok... enough rambling... for now.  Maybe more 'catch-up' updates later!