Winding Down...

Well, things are winding down around these parts in preparation for baby...

BYE-BYE TEACHING!

Today was my last assist day at Camryn's preschool "FUMCN." Her preschool is a co-op where parents are required to assist the main teacher. I was seriously stressing out for next semester's assist days because I wasn't sure how it was all going to work out with nursing and babysitting. Anyway, I'm so grateful to the nice ladies at FUMCN that agreed to swap their assist days this semester with mine next semester. So basically I've been living at FUMCN lately to get all of my assist days next semester taken care of. I'm finally done and so I don't have assist ever again. Whew - what a relief!

BYE-BYE BRACES!

Yesterday was a day that I had been anticipating for the last 15 months. I GOT MY BRACES OFF! Wahoo! I've had this obsession since my early married years to have straight teeth. We could never afford it until now so I'm super grateful to finally get it taken care of. I'm very happy with the result and feel like it was worth the time and money. Granted, I still have 4 - 6 months of wearing a retainer 24/7, but I'll take it. Joel....we get to eat Indian food whenever we want now - no more stained rubberbands! I'll get the before and after shots soon. I'll definitely post those babies when I get them.

NOT SO SOON HEATHER!

I have an induction date of February 11th in the evening. I told Joel that I'm going to start running on the freak'n treadmill to force this little guy out! Whenever I get spastic like this, he always looks at me and shakes his head, "Quit trying to force it." or "I didn't know 38 weeks was the new 40," or the one I love the best, "You've spent the last 8 months worrying about having a short bus baby and now it doesn't seem to bother you." Wow Joel, you rock. He's actually been really good with this pregnancy, but I think the honeymoon is finally over. He's sick of the whining and emotions. Where's the freak'n sympathy?? My own husband doesn't even love me anymore! (That last sentence should force you to comment on my blog!)

REALITY CHECK

The truth is that I'm feeling pretty good considering everything. My back hurts with every step and my uterus feels like it's going to prolapse at any moment, BUT I'm still not ready for him to come out just yet. I'm very grateful that I've held onto him this long and that he's got all 10 fingers and toes. I got excited today picturing my new little boy. We seem to be ready now - except for a name. We like Spencer Aaron and Logan Davis. Hopefully, we'll be inspired when he is born! Good luck to us!

And the Word of the Day is...

For some reason "P" words have been on my mind lately - maybe because I have to all the time (ha ha). Wanna know what's been going on my pathetic brain, please read on. Yes, I really am a freak - I mean phreak.

~Photos & Publishing Blog Books~

I haven't written lately because I've been so busy putting my blog book together. I finally finished it and it came in the mail the other day. I'm soooo happy with the results! The whole reason I started blogging was to keep a family journal so that I could just print the baby off each year. I love that I don't have to scrapbook anymore! If you haven't done a book yet, I highly recommend it - come check mine out if you're around!

~Politics~

So how could I not comment on the whole political scene at least once this year?? I love being up on current events, but I feel completely overwhelmed with the whole political climate in our country right now. I watched the inauguration of our 44th president last week and it boy did it elicit some emotions for me.

First of all, I love my country and our rich heritage. I couldn't help but compare Obama's inauguration with that of John Adams. Talk about a serious juxtaposition of pomp and circumstance vs. humility. It all seemed a bit "paradish" - a new "P" word I just made up. I felt like I couldn't enjoy the historic nature of the event because it was being shoved down my throat by the media! I do think it's quite amazing that our first African American president will be living in a house that slaves were forced to help build. However, can we please move on to policy and stop the whole Obama worshiping? I mean our country is a mess and I'm hopeful that Obama can clean things up. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him these last few months - I mean he's only a man and people are certainly excited to put him up on a pedestal rather quickly. That's a lot to live up to. I didn't vote for him, but he's my president now and I'm actually really excited about moving forward. Hopefully the next few years will be better than the last.

~Piano~

So piano is included in my latest post because my wonderful son has decided that practicing the piano is the time to revert back to toddlerhood. Joel and I LOVE this time of day: the whining, crying, excuses, tantrums. Ahhh, now this is REAL music to our ears! What should take about 15-20 minutes, ends up taking up to 1 hour sometimes. When it does get to this point, half the time is taken on either Joel or me (usually me) trying to discuss the benefits of not giving up, the benefits of practicing, being well-rounded etc. I swear I love JD, but sometimes he kills me! He is so smart and wonderful I guess I just have so many expectations and hopes for him. I keep telling him that some day when he impresses a girl he likes with a lovely little tune, he'll think, "Man, my mom was right all along!" I warned him that when that beautiful day comes, he is to immediately hug me and say, "thanks mom!" That's what gets me through the 4:30-5:00 practice time.

~Pregnancy~

So I have about 3 weeks left before #4 comes. At my last appointment, I was informed that I was 2 cm and 70% effaced - pretty normal for me. What scared me was all of the cramping I experienced after my appointment. It dawned on me that I could go into labor at any moment now and I'm so not ready! Once I felt better, I got to work: organizing some clothes, buying diapers and nursing bras - all the necessities! Is this a sign? Is he coming soon? I hope not (I can't believe I just wrote that!)! I have so much stuff to do before that day comes. I have to finish Camryn and Christian's baby books, start a new one for baby #4, finish assisting at Camryn's preschool (so I don't have to next semester), get my braces off (wahoo!!!!) and get my hair done (since that won't be happening again for a very very long time!). This baby better behave himself!

~Paranoia, Pain & Perspective~

If you know me, you know I'm a paranoid basket case during pregnancy. I mean these babies are such miracles and to have so many of them turn out healthy is amazing. My personal paranoia seems to have tapered off a bit (it's true Joel - seriously!) now that his birth is imminent, there isn't much I can do. I better just enjoy this last experience. In terms of pain, I definitely have my share of that, but it's not as bad as it was with Christian. That perspective keeps me going. Perspective has also taught me that it is much easier to take care of these babies while they're still inside! Forget it, I'd rather have a newborn!

~Random "P" stuff~

Progressive Soup: I experienced a little miracle last week at Costco. JD actually tried a new food item. Upon tasting the flavorful elixir Progressive created in a can (chicken noodle), he exclaimed, "Mom, I just can't stop eating this (about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth)! It's so dang good!" Yes, I bought it. We've been eating it each night Joel is late at the hospital.

Parties - tea that is: Camryn's 2 favorite things in the world are playing with Kit (her American Girl Doll) and hosting tea parties - multiple times a day. She thoughtfully sets the table up with her "glass set" (a porcelain set she got for Christmas) and snacks (her favorite part). She has a special chair for Kit. She even gives her a plate full of treats (her way of getting 2 treats!). Christian adores being invited because he gets to pile in more food. Dad and Mom LOVE her tea parties because all we have to do is sit and she serves us food - a perfect arrangement.

Pigging out - Man, I wish my mouth were bigger! I'm totally out of control - it's my way of finding happiness right now! I don't cook anymore because my belly aches when it's pushed up to the countertop. So what do we eat (besides Progressive soup)? Ummm...yes please. I got Jimmy John a couple of days ago, Joel took us to Bob Evans (my kids' favorite) last night, and I had lunch with a friend at Olive Garden today! Man, what a porker!

Plastic and Paper Products - I worship them. I keep that a secret from my conservationist Ann Arbor friends. My kids won't know what to do with real silverware and dishes when we move!

Pokey Real Estate - We put an offer on a home a few days ago. We actually offered full price (from when we saw the house). They since raised the price (yes, raised - in this market no less!) The crazy people countered with a number even higher than their current price! What? We thought that it was quite phunny and phrustrating so we told them to phorget it!


OK OK, I'm done with the "P" thing. Now I've been sitting here writing this for awhile, so if you'll please excuse me, I must leave and go "word of the day!" Told you I was a phreak.

Nesting and New Year's Resolutions...

I can't believe it's a new year! I haven't been prompt on blogging lately because I've been making my family blog book. I'm so excited! This is totally the way to go: I get a scrapbook of pictures AND a family/personal journal out of it. I really don't like scrapbooking (the old fashioned way anyway) so this seems perfect. Hopefully the quality of the book is adequate. We'll see. On another unrelated note...

Hmmm...I'm not so sure about that...

So I have about 1 month left until this baby of mine is going to make his entrance. I've been expecting the whole nesting thing to begin. I can't recall when it kicked in with my previous babies, but it seems like it should've begun by now. It's hilarious because this jive town apartment has no hope for true cleanliness so I wonder if I'll even go through any nesting with baby #4?? I remember going through some serious nesting with JD and Camryn. With Camryn, we lived in Arizona during Med School and were residing in our first house. I recall washing all of the baseboards, walls and tile grout. I was literally on my hands and knees in my final weeks of pregnancy scrubbing the tile grout with an old toothbrush.

Hmmm, I'm not feeling the need for any of that with this baby! I mean seriously, if I start in this apartment, I'll never get done! Having done this 3 other times must play a role too. By this point I know that all the baby does is eat, poop and sleep. I have all the goods for that! We'll see, maybe the week before I'm due, I'll turn into a super freak and put a month's worth of nesting into a single week!

In terms of New Year's Resolutions, I have but a few:

• Survive another month of pregnancy without checking into the loony bin.

• Survive another year of breast feeding without checking into the loony bin.

• Survive months of looking at my post-pregnancy body without checking into the loony bin.

• Survive another cross-country move without checking into the loony bin.

So as far as I can see, as long as I don't check myself into a loony bin this year,
it'll be an outstanding 2009!

Farewell to 2008

Wow, I thought my New Year's Eve celebration last year was lame....this year takes the cake. I took the kids to their favorite restaurant: Bob Evans - gag! We watched a family movie together: Ice Age 2. I entertained myself during the cartoon by playing arcade games in the Webkinz world to earn money for Camryn and JD's Webkinz pets. I'm such a great mom. And here is the fun part...I got to put the kids to bed alone because Joel is on call tonight - yeah for me!

Just between you and me...this has been a perfectly fine New Year's Eve for me. Why? Because I'm ready to pop (being 35 weeks pregnant) and I just don't feel like doing much anyway. I'm so lame, I didn't even go to Joel's big anesthesia Christmas party this year. Oh well, there's always next...just kidding, we're outta here in 6 months!

So here I am reading my email and posting my last post for 2008. I think I might watch a movie or something.

I am kinda sad about one thing...

The whole reason I started a blog was to make a family blog/scrapbook out of it at the end of the year. I have the software on my computer from blurb, but I recently attempted to download my blog entries onto my blurb software and discovered they aren't pulling from blogspot right now. Argh, out of frustration, I emailed them and they said they are working on it. We'll see. Do any of you have any other companies that you've heard do blog to book printing?

I just got off the phone with Joel and I think it's official: This is the most pathetic New Year's Eve we've ever had. Ever. Hey, we can't complain I guess. We have 3 healthy kids, a job, a roof over our heads, great friends and family. Happy New Year to us! And you! Good luck in 2009.

Over and out.

Some people shouldn't have pets...

There is a dark cloud of pet carnage that hangs over my head. I don't know what it is, but I guess someone is telling me that I'm not fit to have pets - or maybe children for that matter hmmmmm.... Luckily, my stories of death only involve a few helpless hamsters and fish. The latest tragedy hit yesterday: Camryn's goldfish, Gabby Abby Ruby (yes that is her name) mysteriously passed on - no thanks to Mom.

So in the spirit of the holidays, I will memorialize my dearly departed (and I'll include one of Joel's pet carnage stories for interest) in a few quick memories... Warning to my sister Jenny and my friend Teresa: I know your fondness for pets so you may want to prepare yourselves...

~ My Latest Victim ~

Gabby Abby Ruby was a good little goldfish for Camryn - happily swimming around her little one gallon tank to please her owner. I thought I was doing a good thing by cleaning out her fish tank yesterday. I dumped out the water (like I was told to do at the pet store), added fresh water and put Gabby Abby Ruby back in. I forgot to condition the water (which I didn't think was that big of a deal with a goldfish) and within the hour, little Gabby Abby Ruby passed on. Poor Camryn cried and I felt like crap. I decided to be frank with her and let her know that fish die all the time and we could just flush it down the toilet and pick out a new one. She liked the idea of that. We picked out a purple beta today. She named her Gabby Abby Ruby Sehe.

~My First Hamster~

When I was a teacher, one of my student aides decided to give me her hamster along with all of its cool little mazes, food and green little running ball. I decided to keep it in my room for the enjoyment of my pre-teens (math can be so boring sometimes). We all loved little Einstein. Well, I brought him home over the Christmas holiday break and tragedy hit. We lived in this tiny one bedroom basement apartment. The owner (who lived above us) actually dug the basement out by hand. It was designed with short people in mind. Anyway, I let my little Einstein frolick about. I felt like a good adoptive mother. So one day I let him loose and he ran behind our refrigerator. When I coaxed him out, he literally had what seemed like a heart attack in front of my eyes. I completely freaked out and called my biology major, Joel (dutifully working at Checker Auto) to find out what to do. Joel had to take care of the hamster when he got home.

~ Hamsters 2 & 3 - did I even name them?? ~

To deal with the loss of little Einstein, I purchased two little mini-hamsters to take his place. After all, I had a bunch of food and fun mazes that I couldn't let go to waste. These 2 little guys liked to escape from their house while school was out. The school custodian didn't like me because he would find them running about occasionally. My little hamsters always returned somehow. One little guy didn't return one day and we all assumed the inevitable. He was found during a bookshelf cleaning that I made the students participate in. He had somehow burrowed himself between some old flashcard boxes and died. One of my students discovered him. The custodian had to discard him. We held a lovely funeral for him - eulogy and all.

Remember, there were two. The next hamster's demise was not so pretty. Somehow, #2 escaped again (I swear the custodian was letting them out on purpose!). When this little guy didn't show up for a few days, we assumed the inevitable again. I distinctly recall the moment he was discovered. Well, my 5th period algebra students came in after lunch and demanded to know what was stinking up my room. It didn't take us long to deduce it was most likely #2. My attention immediately turned to this big sectional sofa in my classroom. I had some brave volunteers lift up the couch for me so I could find the possible carcass. To my horror, it was there and covered with maggots! I'm not kidding. It was one of the most distgusting things (2nd only to finding a deer head in our garbage can covered in maggots - thanks Frank) I had ever seen! I freaked and so did the kids.

The custodian had to call in for support from our vice-principal to throw the couch in the dumpster. The poor custodian had to spray the whole carpet down with some kind of super cleaner spray. My principal came down and put a sign on my door that said, "Pet Cemetery." I knew at that point I should not be a pet owner any longer. I gave all of my hamster accessories away to an eager student (with permission from the parent of course).

~ Joel's Hamster Story ~

When Joel and I were in high school together, I'd hang out at his house every so often. His room always had this stench to it - I figured it was just "boy" smell. Well, I now know his little secret. He had a hamster too. It bothered him at night and so he put it in his closet and forgot about it. Yup, smells like that don't leave without a fight. Needless to say, Joel and I will have no problem denying our children any hamster for a pet. I'll just let them read these two stories.

~ My First Fishies ~

My sister Andrea gave me her old 10 gallon fish tank - equipped with everything I needed to begin a new chapter in my pet saga. I was nervous, but fish seemed so easy. They were. My fish did beautifully for a long time. I remember this really cool blowfish ate some rocks and died. It was about this time that Joel and I decided to start a family - something I was deathly afraid of (gee, I wonder why?). I told Joel that if I could keep Bill, my plecostomus alive, then we could have kids. He was doing so well, getting so big and fat. I must have felt pretty good about things because I did in fact get pregnant. Guess what happened shortly after? Yup, my good buddy Bill passed on. Ironic don't you think?

I'm telling you, I'm destined to be petless. My poor kids have to deal with their pathetic mother's curse. Pray for us because I really do want a little dog someday. If you hear me talking about buying a little pup, please remind me to read my post, "Some people shouldn't have pets."

That most definitely includes me.

Ummm, Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Letter 2008

Well, Christmas kind of crept up out of nowhere this year! I've completely run out of time to send our traditional Christmas card via "snail mail," so y'all have the privilege to read it on the blog instead. We have much to be thankful for this season. Here are a few of the reasons why our hearts are full of gratitude:

We're moving in 6 months and 14 days - yes we're counting!

We've looked at homes in Pokey, but things are getting interesting with financing. Who knows what will happen over the next few months. We're not stressed about the situation at all - we're confident the best situation will present itself soon enough.

Our family of 5 will soon swell to 6 by Valentine's Day!

Heather is counting the days down on this final pregnancy of the Gardner family - seriously! The thought of a newborn joining our family is starting to feel real to Heather - finally! JD, Camryn and Christian love to feel Mom's belly when baby is moving. They laugh hysterically when he kicks them - it's way cute. We haven't decided on a name for baby boy Gardner. If you have any suggestions, send 'em our way.

Our kids bring us great joy!

JD is in the middle of 2nd grade and having a great experience. He's a great little student and his progression is quite satisfying to watch. Soccer is his favorite sport and his little Viking's team is so fun to watch! He is actually singing in primary now! This is a huge thing for JD (and Heather)! I think it has something to do with the fact that his mom is the primary chorister. The highlight for the year was watching JD get baptized. It was a sweet memory for all of us.



Camryn just turned 5 and is loving her preschool experience. She is quite a social butterfly - always inviting friends over for playdates. She is Christian's 2nd mother and best friend. Her days are filled with imaginative play, singing and making lots of cards to share. Currently her favorite song goes something like this: "Joy to the world that Barney's dead. We barbequed his head. We flushed it down the toilet, we flushed it down the toilet...." Thanks JD. If Camryn had her way, she'd get to eat treats all day and have a birthday party every week. She has a zest for life and we're so glad she decided to join a family full of boys!


Christian kills me. He's got a great sense of humor - we love it. Something clicked in his brain a few months ago and he hasn't stopped talking since. Ever. He is a wonderful balance between JD and Camryn. His brother and sister adore him (most of the time) and love to wrestle and chase him around. He has no problem showing his "feminine" side: wearing dress-ups, playing with dolls, playing with all the neigborhood girls and enjoying the occasional (ok, everyday) Barbie or princess movie. He has just recently shown interest in legos - wahoo! We have no shortage of those around! Christian will be turning 3 in a couple of months and I know he'll love his first friend birthday party.

Joel and Heather are constantly dreaming of our not too distant future. We've been on this medical road for nearly eight years. Has it been worth it? I'll let you know in a few years! Actually, it's been a wonderful journey. I don't regret it at all. We've met wonderful friends along the way and have a gained a deeper appreciation for poverty, hard work, faith and family.

We love all of you and hope your year has been memorable. May the good Lord bless each of you and your loved ones this coming year. We leave you with a wonderful thought/scripture that has brought us great peace and comfort in this complex world:

Be still and know that I am God, Psalm 46:10.

We love you!

Joel, Heather, JD, Camryn, Christian and baby boy #3

Count my many blessings...

I know, I know, I totally suck. I haven't kept to my once-a-week entry! Oh well, my blog book (that I'm going to print off in January - has it nearly been a year???) won't mind much.

Joel and I were fortunate enough to take the kids (all 3 3/4 of them) back to Utah for a little R&R with our families. Actually, the REAL reason we spent 2 fun-filled weeks in Utah was so that Joel and I could take a trip up to Pokey and look at houses! That was our favorite part anyway (sorry family - I really love you, but if you only knew how much I want to move on with my life!). The hospital is taking such great care of us: our tickets, rental car, gas, related food etc were all paid for! We are soooo not used to this kind of treatment - I love it!

Now, how do we get them to pay for our house??? ha ha

Anyway, before I get ahead of myself, I need to post some memories and pictures about our adventures while in Utah. Get ready for a ton of pics. You'll just have to wait to hear about our house hunting trip next post. Some things might be in the works anyway......

OK, first thing first...

Joel and I are so thankful to have the incredible families that we have. We've grown quite fond of them since we've lived so far away (ha ha). We can hardly wait to move a short 2-3 hour drive from them. Both sets of parents are so supportive and helpful. We love to hang out with our brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. We're lucky.

So in the season of Thanksgiving, here are a few of my favorite people that I'm most thankful for:

My mom & dad: they've been married for like a hundred years.
My dad: he just finished his last round of chemo and is tired, but doing well!
My Grandma Zesta and her cute husband, Charles.
My hilarious brother Frankie & awesome wife Lisa
My sister Andrea and her fabulous new hubby, Mark
My Joellie - my best friend

JD, Camryn and some of their cousins

Christian and his chicka cousins.
Chistian is surrounded by girls at home and in both families. He's going to make a fantastic husband some day!
Lisa, he's still asking to play with Sophie!

My brother and nieces

4 generations: My mom, grandma and daughter.
This is my only living grandparent. I have so many fond memories of her. She is 95 and getting frail. I don't like the idea of losing her. I'm grateful we could be together for Thanksgiving. Camryn wispered in my ear before we took this picture that she loved her "old grandma!"

This one's for you Jenny...

Grandpa Bagley bought a gingerbread house kit for the kids to work on. I had to hurry and take a picture because I figured this masterpiece wouldn't last long.
I was right.

OK, enough of my family. On to Joel's fam. We come from 2 large families and so trying to squeeze everyone in is a bit of a challenge. Luckily, we were able to share a baby blessing, early Christmas celebration and of course, nachos and santa shakes (a Gardner tradition) with almost everyone (miss you uncle 'Thaniel :( ). Here are a few pics of the great time spent with my "other" family. Again, we are so lucky...

Our newest niece, Aliyah (did I spell that correctly Brit?) on her blessing day.

4 generations again! Joel is lucky enough to have all of his grandparents still going strong. Grandpa & Grandma Gardner have always been so gracious towards us.

Christmas in November - turning out to be a Gardner tradition. So fun!

"When are we going to start opening presents already??!!"
I swear, Camryn was so excited to get an early start on Christmas. She asked when it was going to be her turn at least a dozen times.
Like father, like daughter...

Camryn and her favorite "girl Gardner cousin," SarahJD and his favorite "guy Gardner cousin," Joseph
We are so lucky to have incredible aunts and uncles for my kids (on both sides).
This is Steve, our Chinaman uncle. He's been in China for 5 or so years (is that right Cristie?) and is so affectionate towards all of his nieces and nephews.

Josh (Joel's brother) and Melodie were "lucky" enough to have us give to them this year. When we were in Chicago, we stopped by the Hershey factory store and bought the "World's Largest Chocolate Bar!" 5 pounds of creamy bliss if you ask me.
Our goal is to fatten you up Melodie!

I'm sorry, but my Christian is so dang cute! He was elated to get a "hippity hop Mickey Mouse ball" from Gammy & Grandpa. Doesn't that make you feel good Cristie??

We ended our trip with a visit to see the lights on Temple Square with my brother Frank and his family. Our kids are the same age and love each other.
It was a nice way to end our trip.

So can you see now why Joel and I have so much to be thankful for? The only thing I regret about our trip is not being able to visit everyone we wanted to see. We really wanted to see your new gorgeous baby Randy & Caroline! Sorry! There just isn't enough time when we're Utah - it drives us crazy! Maybe next time.

Well, it's late and I'm tired so I'm going to hit the hay. Actually, I don't really sleep much anymore. I go through serious insomnia when I'm pregnant. The good thing is that I get to ponder a great many things. The bad thing is that I'm often tired and ornery during the day. I guess it's a good thing I don't sleep - I need all that time to repent....and count my many blessings!