Laughing Out Loud

My kids are so stinking hilarious!! I was sitting on the floor with Nathan and the other three come in with latex gloves on their feet chanting, "RIBBIT! RIBBIT!! Look Mommy, we're froggies!!" I laughed so hard. Crazy, adorable kids!!!

Merry Christmas!!

I can't believe it's Christmas time again! Wow, this year has flown by! It has been a busy, wonderful and exciting year in the Ramsey home.
Last year we said goodbye to business ownership. Mike is enjoying letting someone else be the boss. He is back in school now getting his teaching credentials and then hoping to complete his Master's in teaching. He is hoping to teach high school Physical Education. We are so excited and feel so good about this decision. Besides school and work he is still quite busy with Elder's Quorum at our Church. He enjoys the opportunities to serve.
Gavin (aka Mighty Mouse, Gavinovich, Gavaroni and Cheese) is enjoying first grade. He is doing very well and has started reading things well on his own. It's a joy to spend time with him. We never know what funny thing he will say. He enjoyed soccer in the fall and is looking forward to going back in the spring for his 4th season. He is also taking piano and doing very well!
Caeden (aka Bacon Bits, Bacon Egg and Cheese, Jedi Master Caeden) is really coming into his personality. He turned 5 in November and was devastated to learn that Kindergarten had to wait until September (he was thinking he got to start as soon as he turned 5). He is very artistic and loves to color, draw, paint, etc. He is not as electronically minded as his older brother but he did discover something he loves very much....the Playstation! He would play for hours if I let him. He also played soccer in the fall and did very well. He is thinking that drawing class might be more fun than soccer though (don't tell daddy).
Suzy (aka Suzy Lou Who, Suzy Poozy Puddin Pop, Suzy Snowflake) is the ultimate princess! She loves all things pink, sparkly and glamorous. I have to confess, it's so fun! She has discovered that she loves Barbie movies (why didn't they have these when I was little?) and we own about ten of them. The boys have had to sit through many a showing of "Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus", "Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper", "Barbie and the Diamond Castle", and the family favorite, "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" (a misnomer as there are actually 4 of them). Anyway, Suzy loves to sing and dance and is actually quite good at it! She loves to sing in the car (especially Taylor Swift). She is looking forward to being old enough to play soccer and take piano, like her brothers.
Nathan (aka Meatball, Ham Biscuit, Big Handsome, BooBoo...and I confess, I call him Edward a lot)is an absolute joy. He joined the family on July 15th (2 weeks early) and weighed in at a healthy 9lbs. 3oz. Now, at almost 5 months old he has doubled his birth weight. He is a very sweet and happy baby and loves to laugh. This Christmas is extra special for our family. We are so happy to have our sweet Nathan Edward here.
As for me, I stay quite busy just living life. I love my days with the kids and my husband. I am still in Young Women's at Church and I love that as well. The girls have such wonderful spirits. They both teach and humble me. Any free time I get is usually spent reading.
This year we have truly felt the love, peace and strength that comes from our Heavenly Father. I am thankful for the knowledge of His love. I love everything about Christmas. I love the lights, I love the music, I love the movies, I love the COOKIES, I love the gifts! But aside from all of those wonderful things I love to reflect on what it might have been like to be present for that first Christmas. What would it have been like to see the star and know that the Savior had come?
I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!!
Love,
Jenny and The Ramsey Clan

Please Send Prayers

It's a sad post today friends. I just found out that a good friend of mine from high school lost her husband in a tragic accident yesterday. Please keep Emily and her family in your prayers. You can also contribute to her and her children (13 month old daughter and baby due in June)through the Emily Jones Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank. You can also make a donation directly through this website:
http://www.johnjonesmemorial.com/forum/
We love you Emily! May you feel the infinite love of our Heavenly Father in this time.

http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/newsmakers/?id=11886

Making the Most of it

A few months back my friend introduced me to a program called "Fishful Thinking". I will get the link on here as soon as I figure out how but until then...use your imagination! :) Part of the mission behind "Fishful Thinking" is to approach motherhood with creativity and positivity. I am strong believer in the power of positive thinking, a trait that was demonstrated to me by the women in my family. My mother, grandmother and my aunt are all amazing examples to me of positive thinking, even in very difficult times. In the face of tragedy and struggle these women took their lives by the horns and refused to be brought down. They all are great examples of positive mothering!
For my first (hopefully of many) "Fishful Thinking" posts I wanted to do a "Making the Most of Motherhood" segment. As mothers we often find ourselves in a time crunch. With so much time dedicated to our children it can sometimes be easy to neglect ourselves. For this week's installment I wanted to focus on sleep deprivation (perhaps because it's forefront in my mind lately). We may not always get the sleep we need but I want to know how my friends make the MOST of their sleep! I know for me, it's all about the bedroom. One thing I do to make the MOST of my sleep time is to make my bedroom my safe haven! I try to make that the room that is off limits to toys so at the end of the day I make sure that my kids take any toys out and put them in their rooms. I also like my bed to be nice and ready for me so I take an extra minute (it seriously only takes about one) in the morning to make the bed when I get up. I make sure that I wash the sheets often and I like to spray some linen spray on my pillows before bedtime. When the room is clean and inviting and smelling nice, I find it so much easier to relax and get some much needed, all be it interrupted, rest!
So I want to know what my friends do to make the most of their sleep time! Leave a comment or write your own "Fishful Thinking" post.
For more information on "Fishful Thinking" check out my mama-pal Kelli's blog at www.writingthewavesmama.blogspot.com
Kelli I hope I did this right!!! :)

Ramseys v. Swine Flu

In an epic battle between good and evil, the Ramseys went up against arch nemesis,
H1N1, in the most heated play off of the season.
Team Ramsey made early attempts to thwart the advancement of Team Swine by isolating lead player, Gavin Ramsey. Resistance was futile, however, and Team Swine kept the virus in play, overcoming valiant team members, Caeden, Suzy and Nathan Ramsey.
Things looked rough at half time for the home team. Players were down and Team Swine appeared to have the upper-hand. Reinforcements were called in and the team was seen by their lead MD. Excellent efforts and vigilant care ensued on behalf of team Ramsey by their awesome Pediatrician and the efforts of head coaches, Mom and Dad.
Thanks to the help of home team supporters who cheered, chanted and brought in refreshments, the Ramseys began upping their game and by the fourth quarter, had regained strength.
Team Pig made a last attempt with an illegal underhanded attack at players Gavin, Nathan and Suzy, resulting in worsening coughs and, in the most shocking fowl play seen thus far, an episode of barfing. Thanks again to the efforts of their expert doctor, Gavin and Suzy were both able to turn it around and gain possession of the lead.
After this grueling show down the score landed at Team Ramsey 4, Team Swine 0. The head virus of H1N1 was overheard saying that there is no plan for a rematch.
Well done Team Ramsey!


On a more serious note, I realize that the decision to vaccinate is very personal and sometimes a difficult choice to make. I just want to encourage everyone to really do the research. The Swine Flu is no joke. We actually had a fairly mild to moderate case with only one child ending up on a nebulizer(and it isn't the one I would have expected), and one child ending up with a secondary infection. This strain of the flu is receiving a lot of hype. Some is unnecessary. Some, however, is well founded. A few facts to chew on:
* This strain of the flu is becoming very serious for young children and pregnant women.
* 1 in 4 of the children who have died from H1N1 were healthy prior to contracting the virus.
* The CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 2 people will contract H1N1.
* More people have died in October from H1N1 than typically die in an entire flu season.
I realize that vaccinating carries risks but when it comes down to it, the risk of complications from the vaccine are minuscule in comparison to the risks of contracting , and having complications from, the flu. I have attached two links with some information on the swine flu vaccine. I would encourage all of my friends and family to read it and become educated. This last week was intensely difficult and my children were lucky.

http://windsorpeak.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?flavor=archive;list=baby411;id=20090922153943

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

My Little Crocodile!

Well folks, it's official, my little boy is growing up!! On Tuesday Gavin lost his very first tooth! It's kind of a big deal....I'm pretty excited and so is Gavin!

Great Kid Quotes of the Week

Gavin (to a mannequin at Dick's Sporting Goods): "Next time I'm gonna come back and give you a kiss babe!"
Caeden (to me while waiting for Gavin to get off the bus, while watching the lawn guy cut and bag the grass..in a desperate attempt to rid our yard of the evil sticker weeds):
Caeden- "Why is that man here?"
Me- "He's cutting the grass."
Caeden- "Why?"
Me- "Well that's what he does. Like daddy cleans carpets for a job, Mr. Bruce cuts grass for a job."
Caeden- "Oh. Well, you should cut the grass mom."
Me- "Well I can't."
Caeden- "Why?"
Me- "Because I can't cut grass and hold baby Nathan at the same time."
Caeden- "Would baby Nathan get frustrated?"
Me- chuckle "Yes, he would."
Caeden- "Oh." pause "I love saying the word frustrated."
Suzy (to me with her stuffed pink kitty): "Mommy, do you want to pet my kitty? He's very nice. He don't bite. He tickles."
Nathan of course isn't saying much but he's smiling lots which is so fun! :)

Nathan's Big Adventure

Once upon a Saturday....
Baby Nathan woke up and was not acting his normal, cheery self. He had been battling a little head cold, along with the rest of the family, but he had seemed fine other than some stuffiness and a small cough. But on Saturday morning he woke up extremely fussy and very sleepy. I decided to take him to the pediatricians office. They only have walk-ins on Saturday so I got there right when they opened thinking I might beat the crowd....WRONG!! So my four kids and I sit in the waiting room, probably picking up three additional bugs for the one we came with, and patiently wait for our turn. We couldn't see our doctor so had to settle for a different one. She looked him over, checked ears and throat and such. She ruled it to be a simple cold and sent us on our merry way.
By early afternoon I knew that something wasn't right. He had been sleeping all day and wasn't eating. Then came the fever and the real beginning of our adventure. I took him over to KidMed. For those of you who live in Richmond, I highly recommend this place if your child ever needs urgent care. It is SO much better than the ER and has mostly the same capabilities (ie. a lab, x-ray, etc). There are three doctors, all of them are from St. Mary's ER staff and they are EXCELLENT. Anyway, we head over there. By this point his fever is higher. They examine him, run tests, take a urine sample (via catheter...it was awful), do an x-ray and attempt to administer an IV. Need less to say, mom is starting to fall apart. After the third attempt to put in the IV I was truly sobbing. My poor little man was losing his voice from crying so much and everything from his temperature to my blood pressure was continuing to rise. When they came in the fourth time to attempt the IV I informed them that if they came within two feet of my son with another needle I would politely rip their arms out of their sockets, retrieve the needle and they could have it back when they preyed it from my cold, lifeless fingers. They got the doctor. :) The doctor and I talked and agreed to hold off on the IV as long as he would eat. And he did. Blessing!
After examining the x-ray and the blood work they determined that he may have the early stages of bacterial pneumonia, along with the virus that caused it. The virus was NOT the flu or RSV. Blessing!
Because he is so tiny they decided he needed to go to St.Mary's for observation and possible treatment. So we were taken by emergency transport. It was awful watching my baby be strapped to a gurney and being loaded up. The staff was so kind. They even put on a movie for him. I was not allowed to ride in the back with him so they would call up to the front and let me know how he was doing. A word about riding in an emergency transport...it's terrible. It feels a bit like riding in a plane that's crashing.
We get to the hospital and get into our room. It was a very humbling experience walking down the halls of the pediatric unit. I don't think I'll ever let a day pass without praying for the children and parents who endure serious illness. It was an eye opening experience.
After a long night of observation things were looking much better. He was active and happy, no fever, his lungs sounded clear. Sunday afternoon we were able to come home with antibiotics.
This morning he had an appointment with his doctor. She checked his white count and it was normal! BLESSING!! The bacteria is clearing and his lungs sound good. It looks like we dodged a bullet this time. Pneumonia in a new baby is no joke.
We are so thankful that Nathan is doing well. I truly felt guided to know what things to do for him and I am so thankful for that. As always, I am amazed by the beauty of medical technology. We had wonderful doctors and nurses. I am so thankful for that.
We are glad to be home and happy. BLESSINGS!!!!

A Great Bargain

If you're a nursing mom or if you have a friend or relative needing a baby shower gift, check out www.uddercovers.com and use the promotional code "country". These nursing wraps are awesome and usually retail for $32.00 but with this code they are absolutely FREE! You pay the shipping ($8.95) so it's a great value!

Update

Well, there has been lots happening. We took a trip to MA, had family out for Nathan's blessing, Gavin started first grade. Need less to say, we've been running around, staying busy, having fun, trying to sleep....etc. I don't have time to write tons right now but I'll try to do a more detailed update soon. In the meantime, here are some pictures of our recent adventures!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

No News is Good News!

It's been a few weeks since I last posted...not because I am sleep deprived or overly busy...and I am a little bit of those things...but really it's because there hasn't been anything really entertaining to write about! It's been pretty much business as usual here in the Ramsey home. We are all re-adjusting to a new baby in the home but really I must say it's been a smooth transition. I guess I will answer the three questions I get asked the most: "Is he a good baby?", "How do the other kids like him?" and of course, "How does he sleep at night?" So here we go: Nathan is such a joy and the other kids have been SUPERBLY fantastic with him. Nathan does not sleep through the night, he wakes up several times a night to eat and have a diaper change but really, what else would we expect?
All in all things are going marvelously well. We are so thankful for our blessings and our family. As soon as I have some disasterous day I am sure I will blog about it. Those are always the most hilarious and entertaining ones after all. :)

Here We Are!

He's finally here!! I truly feel over-joyed. He is doing so well and fits so perfectly into our family. The delivery went very well. A brief synopsis for those who are curious...I got a call on Monday morning (the 13th) and they asked me if I could come in for an amnio to check for lung maturity because they wanted to induce me this week to avoid further strain on my pubic bone (at this point it was getting pretty hard just to walk). They examined me and found that my cervix had made no change and my uterus was measuring at 40 weeks even though I was only 38. Soooo, we had the amnio..which, by the way, was SO not as bad as I imagined it to be. I went to labor and delivery to monitor for a couple hours and make sure Nathan wasn't disturbed by the intrusion. He wasn't. So we went home and they called in a few hours to tell me that the lungs were mature and scheduled me to come in Tuesday afternoon to get things rolling. Tuesday night they began with cervadil (a drug that helps prepare the cervix and make it favorable for induction). At about 5am on Wednesday we got things rolling. Of course, I asked for my epidural before they began the pitocin (the induction medicine formed in the fiery pits of Hades)or broke my water. Then the medication began and about 5 and 1/2 hrs and 10 minutes of pushing later he was here!! All 9lbs. 3 oz. of him!
He was super healthy and has been a sweet and mellow baby so far. The kids love him and Mike and I are enamored of course. It's really been wonderful to have him here safe and sound.
I had a lot of time in the hospital to just be with Nathan and reflect on the journey that we've had over the last two years with the miscarriages and the pregnancy. I remember so well the pain and the sadness that we went through. I remember the many prayers that I offered up and the many tears shed. It was such a difficult time for me personally. But in my heart I always knew he was there and he would come. Now looking back I am just so thankful for the blessing of our children. I guess the lesson I have learned in this is that if you know where you're going and you hit a road block, that doesn't mean that you turn around and go home...it just means a new route. And once you get there...it's a little piece of Heaven right here on Earth!

He's Here!!!

Nathan Edward Ramsey was born on July 15th at 12 noon (on the dot). He weighed 9lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. We are home and recovering, everyone is doing well. More details and pictures will follow!! :)

Prediction Time!

Alright everyone, here we go, time to guess away!!

A few statistics to help:
Gavin- 3 days late, 26 hrs. of labor, 8lbs. 9oz, no hair
Caeden- 2 weeks early, 15 hrs. of labor, 6lbs. 15 oz, a little hair
Suzy- 10 days early, 6 hrs. of labor, 6lbs. 6oz, no hair

*all three babies required pitocin--the boys i was in labor and with suzy they started me from scratch

soooooo, Baby Nathan:
when will he be born? (remember my induction is on the 20th)
how much will he weigh? (you've all seen the belly pictures)
how long will I be in labor?
will he have any hair?

have fun, let's see who gets the closest!!!

The Nathan Update

Has it really been a week?? I guess so!! Well, here's the report. There has been absolutely NO change at all. I have not progressed at all so we are going ahead with the original plan to schedule an induction at 39 weeks (so around July 20th). We did get to peak at the little man today to check his position. He is head down (although he has still not dropped)and surrounded by plenty of fluid. He seems fat and happy so this is all good news. So now we just hang in there and let him bake for another two weeks. That's the scoop!!

The Nathan Update

I have to first say HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZY!! I hate to steal her blog day but I had my apt. so it's time for the Nathan update. We are now 36 weeks but measuring 37 weeks. We originaly had planned to schedule an induction for 39 weeks but my dr. wants to wait until next week and see where we are before setting anything as she thinks it may be sooner. I have started to dialate a LITTLE bit but he has not dropped or anything so it will still be a little while. We are thinking sometime in the next 2-3weeks, certainly within 3 weeks since that's the induction time. Heartbeat was good, blood pressure looks good. We are doing well and just gearing up for this baby!!!

Happy Birthday Suzy!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday Gavin!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Nathan Update

I am enormous and so is Nathan. The end.

Just kidding! But seriously, all seems well. I go every week now and so far everything looks just fine. Four weeks until induction time! Hurray!!

Summer Fun!

Grateful

"I know my prayers are heard,
Thou has answered every word.
And I rejoice now, to know that Thou,
Would not forsake me, it's enough
To make me grateful.
I am so grateful.
Grateful even in my darkest hour,
For I feel Your power, it brightens up my life,
And makes me grateful."
-From "Liken the Scriptures: Ester and the King"

Well, I guess it will get out sooner or later......

We put off telling anyone for a bit, mostly because we know what you are all thinking...and you're right.
Yes, we are poor as church mice right now.
Yes, we are about a month away from baby number 4.
Yes, we already have our hands full.
No, we don't need one more but....what can we say? This little one really needed a good home. He came from a rough situation and while we don't have much by way of monetary things to offer, we have all the love (and dare I say, attention) that he needs.
So it is my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Ramsey family.
Don't worry Twilight lovers, you won't be disappointed because joining our cat, Alice, in the Ramsey pet wagon is........JASPER!

Raised in a Barn?

Sure, it's a popular cliche, but if I'm being honest, the longer that I'm a mother, the more I see the truth behind it. Raising kids is a lot like running a barn. While I have ridden and worked with horses all my life, I had the opportunity at 18 to actually manage a barn for endurance race horses. Now I have the opportunity to manage a household and the parallels are numerous!
I have noticed that horses and children compare in three major ways:
#1- Feeding time. Every horse has a different purpose or job and each horse has different dietary needs. Ergo, mealtimes at the barn consist of first, preparing each horse their own specific meal. This is much like feeding time at the Ramsey's, no one EVER wants the same thing. There also must be an order to it, you can't just feed the first horse on the line first because then his neighbor might totally flip out. So, you have to feed the most anxious horses first and THEN the more relaxed ones. Much like I have to put Suzy's plate down first so she doesn't have a panic attack. And whatever you do, don't mix up some one's food....oh alert the authorities! Whether it's horses or kids, someone will be kicking, thrashing or getting sick.
#2- Traveling time. Whenever we load horses onto a trailer we have to be careful in what order we do this. You can't put two horses next to each other who fight, you have to pick two that get along. Also you can't put a horse who refuses to back out in the very back of the trailer because then they have no room to turn around. You can't load a very nervous horse in the very front because if they panic and start kicking around they could injure another horse. And thus it is with children. I can't put Suzy and Caeden next to each other because they will fight the whole time. But I also can't put Gavin next to Suzy because Caeden likes to have a buddy and because if there are two car seats in front then the child in the back can't see the DVD player. I can't put Suzy right behind me because then she messes with the buttons on said DVD player and because then I can't reach over the middle seat to button Caeden's belt, because I can't fit into the back and reach him with my huge belly.
#3- Play time. Just like you can't load certain horses together, you can't turn certain ones out at the same time either. Some horses fight so they have to be in different areas. But then some horses get nervous if you separate them so you can't do that. This gets VERY complicated if you have a threesome, like horse A and horse B hate each other but they both LOVE horse C. In cases where you can put three together one horse will always establish dominance. With children, it's much the same, one horse becomes the bully, one horse tries to fight back but ultimately fails and one just eats grass and ignores the others. So our paddock becomes the playroom and voila! It's my house at playtime!!
So I feel very grateful for my experiences in the stables because it helps me understand the frenzy that I am living as a mother. It's messy and wild and a little smelly sometimes but hey, what can I say, I just saddle up and enjoy the ride!

The Nathan Update

Well, 6 weeks to go!! We are kinda, almost, sorta getting closer to the homestretch. :) I had my appointment today. Things are going well. We are measuring right on target, heartbeat is good. We also got some VERY good and hoped for news. For those who didn't know, I have been having some issues with my pubic bone. Basically the ligaments that hold the pubic bone together have been strained/stretched and the two sections are separating. This happens to a degree with pretty much everyone during pregnancy but mine is one of those more extreme cases that is a bit more rare. The good news is that it is not a danger to the baby at all. We also learned today that it should not effect my delivery plans at all. Chances are, it won't be any different than other deliveries other than my recovery time might be a wee bit longer since my body has a little more correcting to do. :) I may also have to have several weeks of physical therapy prior to delivery but hey, who wouldn't want to go rehabilitate their pubic bone?!?
So all of this is wonderful news. We are happy to know that it's not a dangerous situation at all. Of course, the unpleasant part is that it is ridiculously painful. Very simple things can be excruciating. I feel really blessed to have a fantastic husband who helps me out so much.
So that is our update. We are doing well and getting so excited for this baby to come! I can't wait to meet him!!

Showered with Love!

Last night I had the priviledge of attending my baby shower for little Nathan. It was so wonderful. I maintain my previous claims that I truly have the most wonderful friends EVER. I am so incredibly blessed to have a great support group of women around me. The shower was beautiful and so fun (not the mention the yummy food). Thanks guys! You all are the best!!

Nathan Update

Not much to report this week. Everything at my apt. went great. Heart beat was strong, measuring right on track, weight gain was....well....anyway, we are both doing fine and about 7.5 weeks left before induction! yay!!!

Bringing Me Back

Yesterday I had a fun experience with the kids. It has been a long week, a little stressful, a little tiring. The kids had been quarelling all day long and I was just feeling a little bit "done". :) Well so I am sitting on the couch with Suzy and she keeps trying to pull my shirt up so she can look at my "beeeeg bewwy!" So then Caeden and Gavin come running over to stare at the humongous tummy and ask me questions...."Mommy, is baby Nathan getting even bigger?" "Is your tummy itchy?" "Is your belly button going to fall off?" So then Gavin asks the question, "Can I feel him? Is he kicking?" At the time he wasn't so I suggested that the boys bring me a little cup of lemonade and we would see if that would wake him up. So they ran and got me a cup and I drank it down and within a minute the baby was bouncing all over the place. The kids were extatic! They had so much fun just watching my tummy move around and feeling the kicks. For a few minutes no one was fighting, no one was crying, everyone was sitting there together and just happy and excited. It was just another one of those experiences that reminded me that no matter what stresses life might present, I am so blessed to be a mother and a wife. Love conquers all! :)

AHHHHHHHHHH

Have you ever been on the phone with someone and you just wanted to reach right through and grab them by the neck and shake them?
I called our mortgage company today to make a payment, okay, I am trying to give them MONEY! You would think that they would be more accommodating when someone is doing their best to pay them. But noooooooooo.
First of all they ask you if you want to use your loan number or social to verify the account. If you give them the loan number, they then ask for your social so tell me, why was there ever an option? Then I sit on hold for 10 minutes...no really, it was actually 10 minutes. The lady comes on the phone and the first thing she asks for is my loan number. Okay, what was the point of my entering it if she's just going to ask for it anyway?
Enough with that. So I tell her I need to make a payment from two different accounts using two different checks. Silence. Um, are you there?? I repeat myself. She totally doesn't understand what I am needing to do. So I explain it slowly. She then tells me that they don't do that. I inform her that they most certainly do, we have done it before. We just need to pay half from one checking account and half from another, not hard. Well then I ask what the total is because I don't have a statement in front of me. Well she can't tell me that because my name isn't on the loan. Because I am, of course, trying to commit fraud by paying money TO an account that I just happen to have the name, address, social security, loan number, etc. for. I guess the exact payment amount is classified.
Anyway, we go around and around and she is as helpful as a dog tick. Seriously, I finally got so upset that I started crying, said thank you and hung up on her.
I then went and ate two cookies to compensate for my emotional distress.....make that three.
Seriously, why is it so impossible to get people to help you and work with you sometimes? Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Update #2

No gestational diabetes! YAY!! I celebrated with Oreo Cakesters..yummm. I do, however, have low iron. The good news is that it explains some of the things I've been going through. Maybe the supplements will help!! :)

The Nathan Update

I had my check up today. Things are looking great. Nathan is now measuring at right around 3 & 1/2 lbs. He is also measuring about 1 week ahead of my due date (and also my uterus) so looks like he may be a little bigger than Caeden and Suzy were and closer to Gavin at delivery. We shall see! :)Size aside, he looks fabulous and happy. More good news, the dr. believes we are no longer needing to see the high-risk specialist every month so yay! We may end up seeing him one or two more times to check size and measurements but the pregnancy itself is no longer considered to be high risk.
We have just under 10 weeks until induction time so we are getting excited and starting to get a few things ready. The kids are getting PUMPED!
So that's the news on our little one. I had my glucose test today so I should find out the results of that sometime soon. You will know if you hear the desperate cries echoing through the land, that I failed. Keep your fingers crossed! :)

Should I Lie?

So this morning I am in the bathroom doing..well, bathroom things. :) And I hear a little voice....(not in my head, it was Suzy).
"Mommy?? Where aaaare youuuuuuuu?"
And I found myself at a crossroads. I know lately she has been getting a little nervous if she doesn't know where I am. So here are my options:
#1- I can call back to her, ease her fears and just let her come find me and oogle over whatever I have left in the toilet. Also should I choose this option I am sure she will ask me a thousand questions: "Mommy, what are you doing?" "Are you going pee pee?" "Are you going poo poo?" "Can I see?"
#2- I can just not say anything at all. I can let her run around and continue to call for me and then begin hysterics after about the fourth time of me not answering. Still not a peaceful potty-going experience but at least she's not in there with her big blue eyes staring at me.
#3- I could lie. I could tell her I'm upstairs and just prolong the panic. It will take her a minute to get upstairs and look around and figure out that I'm not really there. Of course, the downside (aside from the shame of openly deceiving a two year old) is that once she realizes I'm not where I said I was, the true cardiac arrest type panic will set in and it might take a good twenty minutes of cuddling to undo the damage.
So there I sat, at the crossroads of the lou. Sigh...."I'm in the bathroom Suzy."


*At least she's adorable! :)

TAH-DAH!!!

Well, it didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the one in the picture but it tasted pretty yummy. I ended up not doing the chocolate and for the sake of $ I used frozen raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (yeah, I kept the blueberries). The mandarin oranges were a last minute choice to give it more color, not sure it really did much for the over-all taste, might leave them off next time. I did a boston cream filling instead of custard, mostly because I'm pregnant and lazy. I also skipped the apricot glaze but think I might do that next time. It needed a little something more. I also think next time I will go for a shortbread cookie crust instead of traditional pie crust.

"I'm in the Moooooood....."

My next baking project....to master the fruit tart. This recipe looks divine, maybe some strawberries on there too and hex the blue berries? What do you think? I'm seeing maybe a thin layer of chocolate along the bottom of the crust, cover it a vanilla custard and then the fruit with a nice apricot glaze?

A Typical Conversation

Standing in line at Ben Franklin I had the following conversation with the lady behind me.
As she looks at my belly, "Are you about due?"
"Um, no, not really."
"Oh, you look like you are."
Sigh..."Yeah, I'm due the end of July."
Shocked look "Really?!?!"
No mam, I'm lying about my due date to make the pregnancy longer. "Yeah."
"Wow, is it...."
Just stop, I know what's coming. "It's just one baby."
"Must be a big baby!"
"I guess."

All in a 5 Minute Window

Ever watch the show 24? I hate it but my husband loves it. I usually watch 35 seconds and then go to bed so I am quite familiar with how the show starts. Keiffer Sutherland comes on in his oh-so-manly and mysterious voice and says: "the following takes place between 9am and 10am" (or whatever time it may be). So, imagine me speaking in Keiffer's voice...or maybe just imagine him speaking...you get the point. Ehem, here we go:
The following takes place between 1:40pm and 1:45pm.......
The location, the Ramsey kitchen (and also bathroom).
The kids have been fed lunch AND a snack.
"Caeden, Suzy are you hungry?"
"No!!"
"No!!"
Mom begins to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich.
Enter Caeden..."I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich, cut up like dinosaurs."
"Okay buddy."
Enter Suzy...."Mommy, I need to go potty!!!!"
Run to potty.
Caeden- "Mommy, I want some apple juice."
"Hang on, I'm helping Suzy, I'll be right there."
Suzy- "Mommy leave, close the door." okay.
Caeden- "Mommy.....I want some apple juuuuuuuice!!!!"
"Caeden, the apple juice isn't ready yet." Note frozen can of apple juice concentrate on counter.
Caeden- "But I'm thirstyyyyyyyyyyyy."
"Caeden, get some ice water and the apple juice will be ready soon."
Suzy- "Mommy, I'm done and I need a towel!"
Help Suzy get a towel and wipe the bottom...wash hands...back to Caeden.
Caeden- "But I can't get the ice!!!" Get Caeden's ice.
Caeden- "I want to get the water." Let Caeden get the water...the same way he COULD have gotten the ice.
Resume making sandwhiches.
"Suzy, do you want a sandwhich?"
Suzy- "No."
Finish sandwhiches.
Suzy- "Mommy, I want a sandwhich."
Start making Suzy a sandwhich.
Suzy- "My underwear are backwards!!!!" Turn Suzy's underwear right side out and give them back to her.
Resume making Suzy a sandwhich.
Caeden- "Mommy, I spilled my water!! My pants are cold!!!!" Help Caeden get his cold, wet pants off and pick up the ice.
"Suzy do you want your sandwhich cut in dinosaurs, like Caeden's?"
Suzy- "Yes."
Cut Suzy's sandwhich.
Suzy- "I don't want it cut up!!!!"
"EAT YOUR SANDWHICH!!!!"

Is it time for bed yet?? :)

A Few Spring Pictures

We have been so enjoying this nice warm weather! On Saturday Gavin had a soccer game. He is just doing so well with it and seems to enjoy it a lot. Here's a few pics of the big game!!

The Nathan Update

I had my 25 week apt. yesterday and everything looks great! We had another ultrasound with the high risk doctor and Nathan is measuring right on track. He is almost 2 lbs. and actually about two days ahead of my due date (hey, I'll take whatever I can get here). We are so thankful to see him doing so well and just looking so forward to meeting this little man. I am going to TRY to get some ultrasound pictures up here but the scanner and I have had only brief and dare I say, fruitless encounters. He looks great though! I go back in four weeks for another ultrasound and my glucose screening. After that I will go every two weeks. Thanks so much for all of the prayers and encouraging words. You have confirmed, yet again, that we truly have the greatest friends and family in the world!

Hair Emergency!

Alright buddies, I NEED your advice!! Amy is coming home in a couple weeks (I am so freaking excited). Not only am I beyond pumped to see her but I am also pretty excited to get a hair cut since it's been well over six months since my last...sigh.
So here is my question...I am really tempted to go short again but my best friend is getting married in July and I am a bridesmaid. I will be 8 months pregnant and I'm worried that having really short hair will make me look even more humongous, ya know, my head will look too small for my body or something?
I really LOVED it when she cut it like in the picture but I can't go blonde this time obviously so my question is, what do we think of the cut without the blonde flair? Should I go that short or keep it longer??

The Almost Bad Word

Today our family went to Walmart. In all honesty, if there is ANY place that could bring a swear word to my lips...it would probably be Walmart. But today, I was not the offender. Today, it was Gavin.
We were all together, Mom with a cart of Easter basket goodies (well, a few anyway, apparently the economy has hit the Easter Bunny too)and Dad was pushing the cart with three little blonde children.
As we are leaving the area with all the toys the boys had been asking (also begging, pleading and bartering their souls) for a spiderman video game that you plug into the television. We, of course, had to turn them down, much to their total despair. As we were walking away from the game out it came..."SUCK".
Mike froze, I froze, we all froze.
Mike was the first to respond.
"Gavin what did you say?"
"SUCK!Suck, Suck, Suck!!!"
"Gavin Michael Ramsey, you know that we do NOT say that word. It is not nice."
"What word?"
(Insert Mike's loud gulp) "Suck. It isn't a nice word and we don't say it."
"But daddy, I didn't say that!" At this point his little eyes are so wide and innocent. And we now remember that Gavin sometimes has difficult pronouncing certain sounds like "tr" and "ch" and "th".
"Okay Gavin, show me what you are talking about."
He gently leads us over to the toy isle pointing happily to a row of CHALK. :)
Whew!

My Funny Kids

I love my kids. They say and to the funniest things. My friend Karen has special quotes from her kids on her blog and so I am stealing that idea to tell a few funny things my kiddos have said lately.

Gavin....The funniest thing about him (well it isn't always funny) is that he never sleeps. Last night Suzy woke up about 1:30-2:00am and as I was getting her settled in bed I heard the TV on downstairs in the living room. Mike was slumbering in our bed heavily so I knew it wasn't him. Did I forget to turn it off? No, I was 99% sure that hadn't happened. So I sent Mike down to see what was going on. BOTH our boys were sitting on the couch watching Tom and Jerry and eating a bag of croutons. At this point we were not happy with them but seriously, it is pretty darn funny. For Gavin's funny quote, yesterday Mike took Caeden to the store (he tries to have some one on one time with each kid) and Caeden picked out a "treat", a bag of three rubber fish for the bathtub so that each child would have one. When he showed it to his brother, Gavin responded by saying, "oh, that is so sweet!"

Caeden....His newest thing is his temper. He has a very short one. It's actually quite funny, borderline hilarious. He is a big foot stomper and he loves to say "I am so mad at you!" His little eyes come together under his furrowed brow and that lower lip jets out about a good inch. He also reeeeeally likes for you to know he's mad. If he starts stomping and huffing and puffing and you ignore him he'll say something like, "guess who I'm mad at?" If you ask him to eat something on his plate at dinner he will say "(insert unwanted food item) makes me so angry!". It's just actually really entertaining.

Suzy....Oh the girl of a million quirks. She is super into her clothes right now. Sometimes she wants to wear them, sometimes she doesn't but she ALWAYS wants to buy some from the store. She is very set on what she will wear also. Yesterday it took me almost an hour to convince her to wear long pants instead of her new pink shorts to go out in the cold, rainy day. She also loves to have her hair done now. We have a whole routine...gathering enough hair to make two tiny pig tails, rubber band with hairspray, clip a bow on and then curl them...and then more hairspray. :) If I skip a step or try to do something even remotely different to her hair...oh boy, watch out. One of my favorite new Suzy quotes is when she sees something she wants, like the Lifesaver she wanted to eat this morning, she will say, "mommy, this is for my birthday."

Nathan...Can't leave him out! He is so funny. From dodging the doppler at every appointment to his notorious peace sign ultrasound picture, this kid has got Ramsey flare! He is a BIG sweet fan. Anytime I eat anything with sugar this baby is bouncing around like a ping pong ball. I love it! I have a feeling he is going to fit in well with this crazy clan of ours!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The good news....about 24 hours after starting the antibiotics I was a new woman. Of course you trade the symptoms of the illness for the side effects of the antibiotics but honestly, to be able to eat and speak (two of my favorite things) without pain, ahhhh, it's amazing!! :)
The bad news....I don't really have any. Honestly, "the good and the ugly" just didn't make a very interesting title.
The ugly...this I do have. I did get that bruise. She wasn't kidding. This is almost a week since having my blood taken. Seriously, this woman was so nice but she will never get near me with a needle again!

How Did I Manage That?

So, for the past five days or so I have had this nagging little sore throat. It wasn't a big deal and it wasn't really getting any worse so I just ignored it. After all, I had no other symptoms and no one else in the house was sick so it can't be too major right?
Then yesterday evening something happened. I am 99% sure that I didn't swallow a nail, mash my tonsil with a hammer or set said tonsil on fire. That having been said, those are the only reasonable explanations I could come up with. I went from no big deal to my tonsil may or may not fall off today in a matter of hours. By bedtime it was throbbing so hard my ear was hurting. Need less to say, it was a rough night. I have never been so desirous of a hospital strength Ibuprofen (which I have in my medicine cabinet for just such occasions), especially when my two little Tylenol (the only safe thing to take while pregnant) didn't make a hill of beans of difference.
So this morning I called Mike home and he sat with the kids while I went up to Patients First. Now, let me ask you math geniuses out there, explain this little word problem to me... I am the fourth person in the door and therefor the fourth on the list. There are three doctors there (at least) and let's be generous and say they spend 10 minutes with each patient (again, we are being generous). So why is it, with three doctors, three patients ahead of me and 10 minutes per patient, it takes me an hour and a half to get out of there? I know, it didn't add up to me either but then again, I can't play Yahtzee without a calculator so I am not really a reliable gauge.
In all fairness to them, they were very nice and thorough. After my negative strep test I thought I had to be experiencing one of two things, either I just had some gnarly virus and I'm a tremendous wuss or my tonsil really was going to fall off. They decided to draw some blood to check my white count. That was fun. The lady was nice as could be but she probably would have had trouble finding a good vein on Mr. Ed. After poking and digging around a few times she finally managed to get the blood and all she could say to me was, "You're going to have a pretty nice bruise." Thank you.
So it turns out I have a bacterial infection in my tonsils. How on Earth did I do that? I mean, don't most infections stem from an earlier illness? Anyway, I am now on antibiotics and I only had to consult with the Patients First dr, my obgyn and the pharmacist before I felt comfortable that they were safe to take during pregnancy. Hey, you never can be too careful right? :)

Yes Virginia, It did Snow!

As I sit here on my computer looking out the window I cannot believe my eyes. We have not seen this much snow since we moved here. In fact, my children have not seen this much snow in their lives! It's incredible! I know you westerners are laughing at me right now but seriously, we have REAL snow...inches and inches and INCHES!
A little glimpse into our snow day. Of COURSE, my children were up at the crack of dawn, or as my dear friend Amy would say, "the crack" as dawn is not yet in the picture. They had seen the snow falling last night and were so excited to get up and see if there was enough to play in this morning. Boy, were they excited! Gavin was up before 6am and we had to restrain him from running out in his pajamas.
After breakfast we started getting ready to go play in the snow. Here is the fun part, we live in a place where it barely ever snows and when it does, it's enough to make a footprint and then it melts. So we have no snow clothes. No snow suits, no boots, no real gloves (just some fleece mittens...not waterproof). We do have coats and hats but that's about it! So what do we do? Why, we do what any good rednecks in the situation would do, we wrap our kids in trash bags!
We put them in a light layer of clothes, then used trash bags to waterproof their feet and legs (we used one bag for each leg and tucked the excess into their underpants...in case you are trying to get the full picture) and then we put a warmer layer of clothes over top. We then put smaller pieces of trash bag over their hands underneath their mittens. There you go...who needs a snow suit?!?
We had a blast! We have no hill to speak of so Mike pulled us around on our coaster. We jumped on the trampoline and basically just rolled in the snow. Yes, mom and dad had trash bags too!!
Maybe this year I should take advantage of the sale Target has at the end of the winter and buy those $3 snow boots for the kids.

Little Stinker

I must first tell you that I have had MANY pre-natal appointments in my day and I have never, ever, ever, EVER had a baby where they could not find the heartbeat (in my healthy pregnancies of course) UNTIL this baby! Every single time it takes at least two nurses trying before someone finds it. They have had to bring the ultrasound in machine several times because they cannot find the heartbeat with the doppler. Yesterday was no exception. I went in to the dr. I didn't have my usual nurse. The new nurse was obviously not familiar with my situation. She kept trying to find it and was making jokes about the baby "hiding" and all this. Of course, how was she to know that I was ready to throw myself off the top of the building? FINALLY she calls my nurse who, rather than torture me right into cardiac arrest by using the doppler herself, promptly gets the ultrasound machine. There he was, kicking, squirming and probably laughing right at me. Little stinker.
Of course after the fact I thought it was funny. My only baby to hide from the doppler (and he does EVERY time) is the one following three miscarriages. Go figure!
I just have to say though how very thankful I am to be pregnant. I was in bed this mornign feeling him kicking around and it was so amazing. I just remember feeling like this time might never happen for me again. I can't begin to express how excited our family is to finally be here. I know I still have a long way to go. :)
Our kids are so excited. Gavin was talking to me this morning about how he can't wait for Nathan to get here because he wants to see his "teeny toes. Oh I just love teeny toes!" Caeden is very glad it's a boy and Suzy...well, I am not sure she is quite sure what to think but I think she's going to love the baby once he comes.
I am so thankful for my sweet children and a healthy pregnancy. Almost half way there! I could not possibly be happier!

one of THOSE days

Ever had one of those days where you think to yourself, and possibly out loud, at least once during the course of the day; "What on Earth am I doing? What is happening here?" Yesterday....ooooohhhhhhhh, yesterday! Yesterday was definitely one of THOSE days!
In the course of only an hour or so my daughter took off her diaper (for the 18th time) and pooped on the floor. In spite of being disgusting it was actually a little hilarious. My boys came running downstairs with terror in their little faces. "MOOOOOMMMMMYYYYYYYY SUZY POOPED ON OUR FLOOR!!!!" I wish I could properly emphasize the word "poop" to match the utter horror they were obviously feeling. Thankfully the poop was of the pick-upable variety. Sorry, that was a little gross.
Anyway, we take care of that situation but do you know what? I STILL have not found that diaper. I found Suzy, found the poop...but no diaper. It has vanished from this house. I am sure I will find it somewhere fitting....like the bag of sugar in the pantry or the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
So the next lovely thing to grace our afternoon was the bag of rice krispies...yes, that's right, RICE KRISPIES, that were spilled all over the carpet. Not the laminate floors, oh no, the carpet. Of course the vacuum was upstairs and it's too heavy for me to carry down in my state of preggo-ness so, being the evil mother that I am, I did exactly what my father would have done. "You pick up every one of those rice krispies right now!" Of course, we only picked up about 10 before I caved and just left it until Mike got home...sigh.
Now on to the Master Bedroom on our tour-de-destruction....not rice krispies this time. Now it's granola! I guess they snuck some upstairs and spilled it all over the bedroom carpet. At least it's not as bad as the lick-a-stick powder that was spilled on my comforter. Just TRY to sweep that stuff up...go ahead, try it.
Last but certainly not least is Gavin's bed. My boys decided pulling the mattress off of his bed would be great fun and then jumping on the FRAME of the bed would be even more delightful. Need less to say, we now have a broken plank on the bed frame.
By the time Mike got home I was beyond ready for my scheduled Target date with my friend, Mandy. I left the house before anything else could POSSIBLY go wrong.
Target was fun but I have to vent about just one more thing. Care Bear Underwear. Since my daughter refuses to wear a diaper for more than 18 seconds I figured maybe we ought to start thinking potty (although I am typically not in a rush to potty train....I see it as a form of capital punishment on parents). And if I know Suzy, the best way to entice her is to offer her some sort of pay-off, typically in the form of a care bear. Hence my quest for care bear underwear (say that ten times fast....you're trying it aren't you?). So I search the isles of Target. We have Dora, Tinkerbell, Ariel, Minnie Mouse, Belle, flowers, hearts, butterflies and polka dots....no care bears. In fact, you can't find care bear underwear anywhere except for ebay. Oh yes, I forgot, you CAN indeed find it at WalMart...it you are a teenage girl. That's right, they have care bear underwear for teens but NOT for toddlers. Next I suppose they will be selling 3T Budweiser boxers? And the underwear on ebay (aside from the fact that I would be buying underwear on ebay...they are in package but still) are like $8 after shipping for a package of 3. I think I'll just buy her some white panties and put care bear stickers on them.
On a VERY happy note, I did find my favorite raspberry flavored hershey kisses at Target. They are only out at Valentine's Day and I have only been able to find them at Target. They are beyond amazing and guess what? 75% off!! Of course at check out the lady informed me that today they go on sale for 90% off. Oh well.

We're having a BOY!!!

We had the ultrasound. Everything looks AMAZING!! Our little man looks just perfect and plump! He is a few days ahead of schedule so my due date is now July 27th. We are so excited to meet little Nathan Edward Ramsey!

A Little Nervous

I have been such an atrocious blogger...my apologies. I don't have much time. New Beginnings is tomorrow (our annual Young Women's gathering for Church). I have about 30 little boxes to label for the girls. Gavin has his 100th day of school tomorrow (minus the 5 HE missed last week due to the icky flu we have had weaving around the family) and so I have 100 M&M's to count out. So I am short on time but everyone is alive, everyone is well (mostly) and tomorrow I have an ultrasound. YIKES!! I am very nervous about it. I have been feeling tiny little nudges and things SEEM to be progressing normally but I am always anxious about the baby. I guess that is to be expected. We might be able to see a gender tomorrow if baby behaves. At this point our family is just praying for a healthy little one. Any prayers and/or guesses on gender are welcome!! :)

The Time Has Come.....

The Walrus said, to talk of other things......

SO LONG 2008!!! Wow, what a year. I could elaborate but in the interest of maintaining cheery New Year spirit, I will refrain aside from to say this....it has been a long year! There have been many challenges and some heart aches too. Of course, we have to endure the bad days so that we can be there to enjoy the good days and we have had plenty of good days.

I thought I'd give a quick little update on the family to round out this year.
Mike is doing well though the economy has been rough on the business. We are thankful for the blessing it has been to have this job and the stability that it has provided our family for the past five years. The adventure, however, is at an end. We are in the process of changing jobs and possibly locations, depending on where we find said job....stay tuned for more on this. Aside from work, Mike is enjoying his calling in the Elders Quorum Presidency. He is also still working at the gym and likes being involved with the fitness world.

Gavin has had a big year. He started Kindergarten this year which was far more traumatic on his mother than it was on him. He loves every second of it and is ever so anxious to get back after this long break. He is such a loving and helpful little boy. Aside from school he really enjoys playing the Nintendo and hanging out with his Daddy. He has been taking gymnastics and he loves it! No surprises here...he is a fantastic little tumbler! He also has no fear and will trot right across the high balance beams without thinking twice. Need less to say, he keeps the instructors on their toes!

Caeden turned four in November and celebrated with a crocodile birthday party (I dare you to try to find crocodile party supplies...anywhere). He is still our little animal man. I have a feeling that I have my work cut out for me in the future. I have visions of 15-year-old Caeden bringing home pythons and lizards and who knows what else. Of course, stake-wrangling is in his blood. My darling husband is notorious for catching wild animals....like the rattlesnake he caught in California and took home in a pillow case. Aside from the reptile obsessions, Caeden is also a very sweet and loving little boy. He loves to sing and playing with his older brother is his very favorite thing.

Suzy is two and a half now and somehow the "terrible twos" just doesn't quite cover it. I have never met a child who could be so loving and gentle one minute and such a shrieking banshee the next. Suzy is smart, funny and oh so cute. She is also the princess and she knows it. She likes things done a certain way or watch out! She is a very typical toddler girl in that she loves Care Bears, My Little Ponies, Princesses and Baby Dolls. She is NOT a typical toddler girl in that the only clothes she wants to wear are her brothers. Suzy loves her brothers and has actually taken up residence in their bedroom between their beds. She is a spit-fire but she sure is fun. We are excited to watch her grow up.

As for me, I am doing just fine. I am loving my calling in Young Women's. It is so wonderful and I love every second. Our lives at home have changed now with Gavin in school but I am finding that the time with Caeden and Suzy has been wonderful. Every season of life has its storms and its sunshine and we are trying to enjoy the sunshine. Many of you may have noticed I have not been a very good blogger here of late. This is mostly because I have been feeling rather ill. Yes, you guessed it, we are expecting.....again!! This year has been an emotional roller coaster for our little family with three miscarriages but you know what they say about falling off the horse. Things have been going well with this pregnancy so far. We had our first ultrasound about a month ago and yesterday we heard the heartbeat for the first time. It is a miraculous and beautiful thing. We are so thankful for this opportunity and the blessing it is to have our children.

Though this year has been challenging we have felt the love and sustaining hand of a merciful Father in Heaven. We have seen blessings in abundance and have received peace and comfort in His gospel. We pray that everyone will have a blessed new year!