As of yesterday, we officially have internet at home! and not dial up, either, but DSL! Hopefully that means no more neglecting of my blog, and regular blog posts.
Except I'm not having much to post about.
I am feeling Baby Girl moving a lot more. I was worried about that for awhile, because it just seems like I felt the others moving a lot earlier than I felt her. I blame it on the extra padding - all that extra weight I hadn't lost after the others. I hadn't felt any movement until the night before our 20 week ultrasound. I was actually 19 weeks and 5 days, but close enough. She was very active during the sonogram, and her heartbeat has been consistently in the 160's, so I don't know why I've been so worried.
I've been filling my mind with all the cute little girly things there are out there to buy. Big bows for her hair (hoping she has some!) and baby hairbands with big bows and flowers on them, dresses, and I found the cutest chocolate and pink butterfly stuff at Walmart.com.
The kids are so excited to be getting a baby sister. They prayed for one every night before our sonogram, and now they give prayers of thanks every night. And our youngest son, who will be 3 on July 21, put his hand on my stomach today and said, "Mommy, I'm petting the baby in your belly!"
It was just too cute!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
And it's a......
GIRL!!!!!!
So we had the official ultrasound yesterday, and it has been confirmed that we are having another GIRL!! Our first was a girl, followed by 4 boys, so after 4 boys in a row, we were very surprised to be told we're getting a girl this time!
Surprised but pleased!
And the kids were ecstatic! Can't say I blame them!
Now if September would just hurry up and get here already!
I'll leave you with a few pics of our new baby girl!
The important parts!! LOL
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Trying to Remember...
WHY did I want to farm again???
I don't dare tell my husband, but I so wish we lived in town, closer to jobs, stores, hospitals, doctors, other people!
I really have nothing to complain about, though. I am just tired of the whole animal stuff I think. Or just tired. But, there's no mortgage, no land payment, no car payment - no real debts. Just monthly utitlities and property taxes.
So why am I not content with what we have?
I'm tired of mucking out nasty chicken coops, tired of chasing the kids pony when it gets loose, tired of begging lazy hens to just give me ONE egg...
It was supposed to be better once we had the water hooked up. Life was supposed to get easier once we no longer had to haul water. We haven't had to haul water since November, but that doesn't mean the farming got easier.
I feel "tied down". And I don't mean because I'm married. Funny, my husband and kids don't make me feel tied down - I enjoy THEM and the work that comes with having my family, but the feeling tied to the homestead and the animals is very nearly driving me insane.
In a few weeks, when my chicks are hatching and I'm selling eggs or when we get the garden planted and then are harvesting - I'll remember why. I'll remember how nice it is to do all this for ourself, to not have to spend out extra money to have the luxuries of "homegrown". I'll remember joy in what we're doing, the joy in not having that mortgage or car payment...the joy of just being able to sit in the backyard and whatching the chickens pecking at bugs and seeds - and yes, probably even find some joy in the gander biting my knee - and I know I'll kick this what ever it is once warm weather is here, school is out, and we can be outside DOING instead of cooped up in the house.
I'd kill for a nice big ice cream right now. On a hot summer day. Or even a Caramel Frappe - which is as close to a Caramel Macchiato that I can get with the closests Starbucks being a near hour away!
I feel so cooped up right now. I wonder if this is how the hen's feel when I keep them penned in all winter.
I don't dare tell my husband, but I so wish we lived in town, closer to jobs, stores, hospitals, doctors, other people!
I really have nothing to complain about, though. I am just tired of the whole animal stuff I think. Or just tired. But, there's no mortgage, no land payment, no car payment - no real debts. Just monthly utitlities and property taxes.
So why am I not content with what we have?
I'm tired of mucking out nasty chicken coops, tired of chasing the kids pony when it gets loose, tired of begging lazy hens to just give me ONE egg...
It was supposed to be better once we had the water hooked up. Life was supposed to get easier once we no longer had to haul water. We haven't had to haul water since November, but that doesn't mean the farming got easier.
I feel "tied down". And I don't mean because I'm married. Funny, my husband and kids don't make me feel tied down - I enjoy THEM and the work that comes with having my family, but the feeling tied to the homestead and the animals is very nearly driving me insane.
In a few weeks, when my chicks are hatching and I'm selling eggs or when we get the garden planted and then are harvesting - I'll remember why. I'll remember how nice it is to do all this for ourself, to not have to spend out extra money to have the luxuries of "homegrown". I'll remember joy in what we're doing, the joy in not having that mortgage or car payment...the joy of just being able to sit in the backyard and whatching the chickens pecking at bugs and seeds - and yes, probably even find some joy in the gander biting my knee - and I know I'll kick this what ever it is once warm weather is here, school is out, and we can be outside DOING instead of cooped up in the house.
I'd kill for a nice big ice cream right now. On a hot summer day. Or even a Caramel Frappe - which is as close to a Caramel Macchiato that I can get with the closests Starbucks being a near hour away!
I feel so cooped up right now. I wonder if this is how the hen's feel when I keep them penned in all winter.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
First Doc's Appointment
Went to the Doc's yesterday. It was all right - you know, if you can ever say that those exams are "all right".
I lost 3 pounds in two weeks. I was dancing a gig, doc cautioned me against dieting - to which I replied, "Dieting? I'm not dieting! I've increased my veggies!" she laughed and said that was good.
She talked to us honestly about how we felt about this pregnancy - and we answered her honestly. We told her that we went through a tumult of emotions: shocked, upset, thought of adoption for a minute, shocked, disbelief, tremendous amount of tears after the first test, shock after the second test, and fear to tell anyone. Did I mention shocked?
She said everything we'd been feeling was perfectly normal, and since we also explained the stress we had been under in the weeks prior to discovering our pregnancy, and how often things just do NOT happen (TMI?), she replied, "Well, this baby was meant to be."
I do not get to VBAC. Insurance and hospital policy doesn't allow it. The plan right now is to take the baby on the Monday closest to my due date (which is September 12, 2011) but because I had placenta previa with my last baby, she said I'm high risk to have it again this pregnancy, so they will be monitoring me closely for that she said - and if it happens this pregnany, they will take baby at 37 weeks - which is August 30.
She said she will pray with us again this time, like she did last time with baby boy, before we go to the ER and I am welcome to have our Pastor come in to pray, too.
The entire staff was very supportive, and not a bit judgemental when we honest told them that at first we didn't want this baby.
Don't freak out on us! We want her NOW! We just had to get used to the idea...
We got to hear the heartbeat - it was in the 160's! Doc had a hard time at first, because she found baby, and then baby wiggled away, so she had to move around the doppler thingy to find baby again - and that took half of forever! But baby finally cooperated and we got to hear her (or his, but I'm stubbornly saying her for now until told different!) heartbeat.
Even that didn't make me feel pregnant. I mean, I know I'm pregnant, and I've had morning sickness, nausea, dizzy spells, etc., but I still don't feel pregnant.
And, most of my clothes (except button jeans) still fit.
They did move my due date up one day - September 16 - so I'm officially 13 weeks tomorrow, and into my second trimester.
Should have my gender telling ultrasound Mid - End of April. Praying selfishly for a girl, but will be happy with a healthy baby no matter gender!
I lost 3 pounds in two weeks. I was dancing a gig, doc cautioned me against dieting - to which I replied, "Dieting? I'm not dieting! I've increased my veggies!" she laughed and said that was good.
She talked to us honestly about how we felt about this pregnancy - and we answered her honestly. We told her that we went through a tumult of emotions: shocked, upset, thought of adoption for a minute, shocked, disbelief, tremendous amount of tears after the first test, shock after the second test, and fear to tell anyone. Did I mention shocked?
She said everything we'd been feeling was perfectly normal, and since we also explained the stress we had been under in the weeks prior to discovering our pregnancy, and how often things just do NOT happen (TMI?), she replied, "Well, this baby was meant to be."
I do not get to VBAC. Insurance and hospital policy doesn't allow it. The plan right now is to take the baby on the Monday closest to my due date (which is September 12, 2011) but because I had placenta previa with my last baby, she said I'm high risk to have it again this pregnancy, so they will be monitoring me closely for that she said - and if it happens this pregnany, they will take baby at 37 weeks - which is August 30.
She said she will pray with us again this time, like she did last time with baby boy, before we go to the ER and I am welcome to have our Pastor come in to pray, too.
The entire staff was very supportive, and not a bit judgemental when we honest told them that at first we didn't want this baby.
Don't freak out on us! We want her NOW! We just had to get used to the idea...
We got to hear the heartbeat - it was in the 160's! Doc had a hard time at first, because she found baby, and then baby wiggled away, so she had to move around the doppler thingy to find baby again - and that took half of forever! But baby finally cooperated and we got to hear her (or his, but I'm stubbornly saying her for now until told different!) heartbeat.
Even that didn't make me feel pregnant. I mean, I know I'm pregnant, and I've had morning sickness, nausea, dizzy spells, etc., but I still don't feel pregnant.
And, most of my clothes (except button jeans) still fit.
They did move my due date up one day - September 16 - so I'm officially 13 weeks tomorrow, and into my second trimester.
Should have my gender telling ultrasound Mid - End of April. Praying selfishly for a girl, but will be happy with a healthy baby no matter gender!
Monday, February 14, 2011
It's been awhile....
Since not having internet at home anymore, I've managed to really neglect my blog!
Lots of things have changed since my last posting here. We moved into a new house (same property, just new abode), we had our well put in, a root cellar dug, and we downsized some animals and added others (a Halflinger and the kids got a pony for Christmas!)
Our biggest news of 2011 - We're Expecting! It completely caught us by surprise. We were not trying to have another baby, and it was really the furthest thing from our minds. We had a rough start to the year, and January was a very stressful month. A friend of mine had said when bad things happen, God sends us a blessing. God's idea of a blessing this time is a baby!
The kids are all hoping for a baby sister. I think the boys just don't want to share their room with another brother, and our daughter is tired of being the only girl. :)
We're not due until September, and we don't see the doctor for the first time for three more weeks. Hoping it goes fast!
I wanted to be surprised this time around, but Ernie thinks we should find out. We've never been surprised, so I was hoping to be this time. I doubt that I'll win on not finding out!
Lots of things have changed since my last posting here. We moved into a new house (same property, just new abode), we had our well put in, a root cellar dug, and we downsized some animals and added others (a Halflinger and the kids got a pony for Christmas!)
Our biggest news of 2011 - We're Expecting! It completely caught us by surprise. We were not trying to have another baby, and it was really the furthest thing from our minds. We had a rough start to the year, and January was a very stressful month. A friend of mine had said when bad things happen, God sends us a blessing. God's idea of a blessing this time is a baby!
The kids are all hoping for a baby sister. I think the boys just don't want to share their room with another brother, and our daughter is tired of being the only girl. :)
We're not due until September, and we don't see the doctor for the first time for three more weeks. Hoping it goes fast!
I wanted to be surprised this time around, but Ernie thinks we should find out. We've never been surprised, so I was hoping to be this time. I doubt that I'll win on not finding out!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Surprise Duckling...what happens when you don't mark eggs...
One of the smallest ducklings I've had the pleasure to own are mallard ducklings. The mallards themselves as adults are smaller than rouens, muscovies (by a bunch!), blue swedish, and my Welsh Harlequins.
Now my mandarins were even smaller than my mallards, but since they never hatched any babies for me, i've no clue how small their babies would be at hatching.
Now the smallest ducks I own are my call ducks - they are about 1/2 the size of my mallards, or almost 1/2 their size. They have small round heads and cutie patootie little bills. For little ducks, the calls lay generous sized eggs.
I had set several (or so I thought) mallard duck eggs in my incubator. They started hatching day before yesterday. One of them hatched out waaaaaaaaaay smaller than the other, and I was trying to figure out "why is this mallard only 1/2 the size of the other, with only a 12 hour difference in age?"
Then it dawned on me.
I had not marked my eggs, thinking they were all mallard eggs. I managed to confuse 2 call duck eggs with some of my mallard eggs!
So, yesterday, I had a blue fawn pied call duck hatch! I'm so excited!
I started looking at the eggs left in the incubator, and comparing sizes, and while the call ducks do lay a nice sized egg, they are definitely still smaller than the mallard eggs, but not by much.
I have two more mallard eggs due to hatch anytime (they are pipping as I type) and one more call duck egg - which I'm hoping might be a pastel...but who knows???
Since my blue fawn pieds look nearly identical to mallards, save for their white markings, the only reason I know for sure it's a call is by it's size. Tiny bill, tiny feet, tiny round head!
So, here's the pics I took for comparing...mallard duckling on the left, blue fawn pied call duckling on the right:
Front view, and you can look and see the definite size difference in bills and their heads in this shot...again, mallard on left, blue fawn pied on right.
I think it would be quite interesting if I had a newly hatched Rouen to add to the photo - as Rouen ducklings look identical to mallards at hatch, but are nearly twice the size of a mallard newly hatched.
regardless, aren't they both just oh so cute?!
Now my mandarins were even smaller than my mallards, but since they never hatched any babies for me, i've no clue how small their babies would be at hatching.
Now the smallest ducks I own are my call ducks - they are about 1/2 the size of my mallards, or almost 1/2 their size. They have small round heads and cutie patootie little bills. For little ducks, the calls lay generous sized eggs.
I had set several (or so I thought) mallard duck eggs in my incubator. They started hatching day before yesterday. One of them hatched out waaaaaaaaaay smaller than the other, and I was trying to figure out "why is this mallard only 1/2 the size of the other, with only a 12 hour difference in age?"
Then it dawned on me.
I had not marked my eggs, thinking they were all mallard eggs. I managed to confuse 2 call duck eggs with some of my mallard eggs!
So, yesterday, I had a blue fawn pied call duck hatch! I'm so excited!
I started looking at the eggs left in the incubator, and comparing sizes, and while the call ducks do lay a nice sized egg, they are definitely still smaller than the mallard eggs, but not by much.
I have two more mallard eggs due to hatch anytime (they are pipping as I type) and one more call duck egg - which I'm hoping might be a pastel...but who knows???
Since my blue fawn pieds look nearly identical to mallards, save for their white markings, the only reason I know for sure it's a call is by it's size. Tiny bill, tiny feet, tiny round head!
So, here's the pics I took for comparing...mallard duckling on the left, blue fawn pied call duckling on the right:
Front view, and you can look and see the definite size difference in bills and their heads in this shot...again, mallard on left, blue fawn pied on right.
I think it would be quite interesting if I had a newly hatched Rouen to add to the photo - as Rouen ducklings look identical to mallards at hatch, but are nearly twice the size of a mallard newly hatched.
regardless, aren't they both just oh so cute?!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy week!
Whew it's been a doozy of a week so far!
Last week a local man in the small village up the road asked us to take in all of his poultry, due to his having to move. He said we could take it all FREE.
Well, you know me, can't pass up freebies.
Most of those chickens had never seen daylight. And since we're NPIP, I was strict about where they could go. Took most of them to the auction this past Monday, and on Wednesday got a decent check!
The remaining 17 birds that are still here are silkies. Nine of those are Roosters. Seven of those roosters are going to this next Monday's auction.
Today we spent a bit of time fixing up a Silkie Pen. We moved the Silkies from their quarantine quarters and put them in their own pen - it's the first time in their little lives they've ever been on grass!
Yesterday our DD had a birthday. She didn't have a party yesterday, because we've planned it for tomorrow. She just doesn't know that! We've been very secretive about the party plans. Nothing big, just a few close friends, the grandparents, and the pastor of our church coming. I ordered a small batch of helium balloons for her table centerpiece. The big balloon has butterflies all over it. DD loves butterflies.
Her first love, though, is horses. So, we ordered a 1/2 sheet cake with plastic horses on the top. She's going to flip!!
So of course we couldn't let yesterday pass and allow her to think we forgot her special day! So we took her shopping for new socks (not a great b-day gift, but she's getting Littlest Pet Shops tomorrow - she just doesn't know it yet!) and we took the kiddos to Subway for lunch and said to DD, "This is for your special B-Day lunch." She was so excited! We topped lunch off with chocolate chip cookies and a trip to the local dairy bar for chocolate milk shakes. She was thrilled and thought it was a great birthday!
Tomorrow's menu is finger sandwiches with deviled eggs and chips. And of course, birthday cake!
Last week a local man in the small village up the road asked us to take in all of his poultry, due to his having to move. He said we could take it all FREE.
Well, you know me, can't pass up freebies.
Most of those chickens had never seen daylight. And since we're NPIP, I was strict about where they could go. Took most of them to the auction this past Monday, and on Wednesday got a decent check!
The remaining 17 birds that are still here are silkies. Nine of those are Roosters. Seven of those roosters are going to this next Monday's auction.
Today we spent a bit of time fixing up a Silkie Pen. We moved the Silkies from their quarantine quarters and put them in their own pen - it's the first time in their little lives they've ever been on grass!
Yesterday our DD had a birthday. She didn't have a party yesterday, because we've planned it for tomorrow. She just doesn't know that! We've been very secretive about the party plans. Nothing big, just a few close friends, the grandparents, and the pastor of our church coming. I ordered a small batch of helium balloons for her table centerpiece. The big balloon has butterflies all over it. DD loves butterflies.
Her first love, though, is horses. So, we ordered a 1/2 sheet cake with plastic horses on the top. She's going to flip!!
So of course we couldn't let yesterday pass and allow her to think we forgot her special day! So we took her shopping for new socks (not a great b-day gift, but she's getting Littlest Pet Shops tomorrow - she just doesn't know it yet!) and we took the kiddos to Subway for lunch and said to DD, "This is for your special B-Day lunch." She was so excited! We topped lunch off with chocolate chip cookies and a trip to the local dairy bar for chocolate milk shakes. She was thrilled and thought it was a great birthday!
Tomorrow's menu is finger sandwiches with deviled eggs and chips. And of course, birthday cake!
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