Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

This past weekend we took a trip over to Seattle for my brother's wife's baby shower. We headed over the day before the shower so we could go to the Zoo. We debated between Woodland Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo. We ended up going to Point Defiance. The weather wasn't the greatest. Raining off and on all day, but the whole time we were there it didn't rain hard, just sprinkled. That worked well for us because there weren't very many other people at the zoo.

Mere cat (from Lion King)

Mere cat (from Lion King)

Owl of some kind

Poison Dart frogs

Reindeer

Polar Bear and Cooper

Polar Bear

Walrus

Yours truely

Penguins

Camel

Shiloh

Sumatran Tigers

Ape

Small Clawed Otter

Apes

Elephants

Sharks

Seahorse

Lionfish

Nemo

Dori

Random Happenings

I've been really bad about updating my blog. Sorry about that. Life just seems to be passing me by. I've been really busy with school and the kids, and the husband, and all the other stuff that seems to come up. Here are a few pictures from the last month or so.

  A few weeks ago I help a friend who was making a huge cookie monster cake make this huge cookie for the base. Yum Yum. I wanted to eat it all up it looked so good!

Shiloh loves loves loves to wear her big brothers' hats, and jackets, and socks, and underwear (on her arm), for that matter.

I caught Shiloh and Mason playing with large legos one day. I am impressed on a daily basis by how good Mason and Cooper are to Shiloh.

Cooper took this one of himself. He is one hansom little man, if I do say so myself.

Jeff left his laptop sitting on the couch one day, lid closed. Upon returning to the room a moment later, this is what he found.

Mason and Cooper love to wrestle! One day while their cousins were over, they all got in on the wrestling.

Baby check up

Stats from this visit were:

Baby's heartbeat: 148.

I've gained a total of 22 lbs.

Measuring 28cm.

30 weeks, 1 day pregnant.

I saw one of the ARNPs today. I think my Dr. was out of the office. I again am measuring smaller than I should. My Dr. put a note in my chart that if I was still measuring small, to schedule an ultrasound with my next appointment. I decided to voice my opinions about this with the ARNP. I explained that I didn't feel an ultrasound was necessary because this has happened with each of my three previous pregnancies and that when the ultrasound is done, everything with baby's size, fluid levels, etc end up fine. I also mentioned that I deliver healthy, normal weight, full term babies, so I really feel the smaller measurements are due to the baby's current position, and that once she turns head down, I'd begin to measure where I should. The ARNP checked baby's position and confirmed that indeed she is laying sideways with her butt on my left side and head on my right. The ARNP said she was fine with pushing the ultrasound out a bit and that my Dr would probably be fine with it too since my measurements are staying a consistent 2 cm smaller. I guess we'll see what he says in two weeks.

Baby check up(s)

I'm 99.99999999% sure no one cares about my check ups. I don't write about them for you. I do it because I am horrible about writing in my actual journal, so in a way this has become my journal. 

First, I forgot to post about my appointment a month ago. So here are the stats from my appointment on May 10th.

24 weeks, one day pregnant

Baby's heart beat 148

Measuring 24 cm

I've gained 13 lbs total.

 Now for the stats from my appointment this last Thursday, June 7th.

28 weeks, one day pregnant

Baby's heart beat 138

Measuring 26 cm

I've gained 19 lbs total.

I should be measuring 28 cm right now. If I am still measuring small at my next appointment in two weeks, my Dr. wants to do another ultrasound to make sure Kinley is growing like she should and that there is enough fluid, etc. We go though this with EVERY pregnancy. I measure small (due to the position baby is in). Dr. does an ultrasound. Everything ends up fine. Then baby turns and (more importantly) GETS OUT OF MY BACK around 36 weeks and I begin to measure right where I should.

Here's my dilemma. Although it would be nice to get another look at Kinley, I really don't want to pay for another ultrasound. Yes, we have insurance, but the coverage is not the greatest in the world. Nothing like the coverage those awesome people in Washington, or those who hold a State or local government jobs, who pay virtually nothing for their monthly premiums and have everything covered 100%, yet complain about their situation. Go figure. Jeff is in the medical field. Saving said various government job holding citizens lives on a daily basis, (as well as those able person's who could get a JOB but instead choose to sit on their rears and be on state aid who pay nothing for their coverage), and we are the ones with the crappy paying coverage and the sky high monthly premiums. 

Anyway..... Stepping off my soap box now.

Here's my question. Should I tell my Dr. I don't want another ultrasound? Or at least wait another visit or two to see if baby changes positions? What do you think? (Really. I'd LOVE to hear what you have to say about this one, so PLEASE give me your opinion.)

Preschool graduate

 On May 28th (Memorial Day) we had a bbq/preschool celebration for Cooper and Bryce at Bryce's house. We ate some yummy food and the kids played, and played, and played. 

 Cooper wanted a picture of his "angry face".

 Cooper, Bryce, and Shiloh. Shiloh was part of preschool don't ya' know?

 Bryce, the preschool graduate.

Cooper, the preschool graduate.

Shiloh's first haircut

On May 11th, Shiloh had her first "haircut". I don't know if you can technically call it a haircut when she just had the back evened up. Shiloh did great! No tears or whining were involved in the process.

Shiloh and Kinley's new room.

 For those of you who are friends with Jeff on Facebook, some of these pictures will be a repeat for you. 

We began framing in our loft back in January. Jeff and Bill, our brother in law, did most of the work on Saturdays. I am happy to say the project is FINALLY done and Shiloh has been sleeping in her and Kinley's new room for almost a week now. More importantly, there were no serious injuries during construction. Jeff only got shocked and had a small piece of drywall fall on his head. I think there may have been a few other minor injuries in there somewhere, but I can't remember. All I know is, Jeff had something happen to him every time they'd work on the room. It became quite the joke during construction time.

Framing:

 

Wiring:

 Drywall:

 

   

 Mad and tape:

  

Texture:

 

 

 Priming the walls:

 Painting the walls:

 

Closet rod and shelf:

Painting the inside of the room all girly:

The finished product:

 

 

 

We will be getting a bunk bed to go on this wall soon too.

Bath hair

I love her after bath hair. Don't you?

More of Mason's schol work

 Here are a few more pictures Mason has brought home lately.

 This one says: "Guess who I Am? I don't like school (not true). We are learning about plants. My favorite plants are onion plants. (Probably because we planted onions in our garden a few days before he wrote this.) We are also learning about storms. I have seen a rock slide. (When?)." On the back it says: "I am Mason".

I think this one was his life goals or something like that. It says: "Grown up Borders. #1 B.Y.U.-I. I go to learn break dancing. #2 Spokane. With 1 wife and 100 kids." (I sure am glad he specified the one wife thing, but I do hope his wife is super woman....or maybe they will adopt A LOT! "#3 Lego Star Wars maker." (He wants to develop Lego Star Wars video games.)

 

"The Night Sky by Mason. When I look up I see the giant Milky Way. I see stars that look like tiny drops of fire. I see our huge, bright moon. What do you see?"

"Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for coming to my conference. At school, I have learned Rocket Math and having all day is fun. (All day school that is). Now I want to learn more writing. I love (continued on back) you. (heart) Mason"