Christmas at the Craigs

Well like everyone else, our Christmas was great. The kids all got what they asked Santa for
Abbey- a nintendo DSi
Hunter- a nintendo DS
Caroline- the Polly Pocket roller coaster and the Toy Story Mania game for the Wii.
Jackson- a high chair and mega saucer

Brent got some much needed dress shirts, ties, socks
also he got his annual Madden game and some cologne.

I got a griddle, the perfect brownie maker, a sewing machine, the office dvd game, and the Twilight movie dvd game.

All in all it was a great Christmas. I also got to print some pics that I took of the kids by the tree. We printed some for my mom, Pennie, Rosie and me. I love them!

Enjoy as much as we do

In the interest of Christmas Spirit

So in the interest of Christmas, and the 3 older kids say so, I must add my sugar cookie recipe to my blog for anyone at Christmas time.

This is all coming about because Santa decided to leave a note last year stating that while mom's chocolate chip cookies are good, her sugar cookies are Santa's favorite. Abbey being my social child, said that everyone should be able to leave Santa his favorite cookies, and I shouldn't keep the recipe a secret anymore.

So here you go Santa....Thanks a lot.

1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour

Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the soda to the sour cream (it is important you do this before adding to the creamed mixture. It makes the cookies stay soft). Add the sour cream to the mixture. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Mix together. Add 1 cup of flour at a time to the wet ingredients. Chill for 1 hour and roll onto a floured surface, and use cut out. Bake on Greased cookie sheet for 8-10 min on 350.

This is a family secret recipe and I will probably here about it. But I just couldn't argue with 3 very interested kids.

Enjoy!

Christmas Parties bring out the best in people

So let me start with saying that Jackson came with us to Brent's work party in Jacksonville. He usually loves to just cuddle and hang out with people. However, at the party he was a mommy's only little boy. He was not happy with anyone but me. Weird. Anyway back to the party

So we drive to Jacksonville in the rain. Lot of rain, lots of accidents. Not just fenderbenders, we are talking cars in the trees accidents. So we were a little late to the party but we were in one piece so I chalked that up to being okay.

There is this stereotype about bankers. They drink coffee in the morning and drink (and I mean drink) in the evening. Not the prime environment for us mormon goin' folk, needless to say. The party always does a white elephant exchange. You bring one nice gift of about $20 and one dirty gift. Can I just say that the majority of the "nice" gifts were wine. So we are always lucky to walk away with something somewhat not alchoholic.

So people are giving wine as gifts, and getting a pretty good buzz going and Brent and I just sit back and laugh at peoples conversations. So much so I just had to share this one.

Tanya is probably the best dressed banker I have ever seen. Now Heather is a business banking team lead for the Jacksonville area (i think...) anyway she works as a partner to Tanya
Conversation as follows:

Tanya: wow Heather you look great tonight!
Heather: Really that means a lot coming from you
Tanya: Why do you say that?
Heather: well my shoes are from Payless and I know you wouldn't be caught dead in there. My stockings are from Walgreens. My skirt I found in my mothers closet. My cardigan is from Steinmart. That is a kind of nice place I guess? But my gold watch is a real movolo. So I guess that counts right?
Tanya: wow you make me look like such a "devil wears prada" in front of my husband.
Me: laughing histerically "Wow Brent you can't say anything about what I wear now"
Tanya: Katie why are you laughing?
Me: this is so going on my blog.
Tanya: great now the whole world will know what a priss I am.


Just to say, Tanya is the sweetest person. She makes me laugh when I see her. This story just had to go up here though. So enjoy it however you wish but to me, it was hilarious.

The long wait is over

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Finally James Jackson Craig has joined the Craig Corporation. He weighed in at 8.5 and was 19.75 inches long. He was born on Nov. 7th. at 4:36 pm.

Labor stories are so much fun to tell aren't they? We all have them and so I feel like I should share mine as well


Friday I went to the doctor with a plan of attack. She was going to induce me no matter what this weekend. I had it all planned. Start with the friendly and if I had to I was going to pull Mrs. Katie Craig out of hiding (IT can be really bad). Any way, I got to my room, undressed and my hands got all sweaty. I heard the doctor outside my room and got real antsy. She came in and said my blood pressure and heart rate were up and my hands were sweaty, she wanted to know why. So I told her my sob story about Brents parents coming in town, and Brent having to go to Jacksonville if I didn't have the baby this weekend. I told her I was nervous because she hadn't let me go into labor this far what was going to make her now. She was so cool though! She scheduled me for Sat. at midnight to come in and induce labor. However, she stripped my membranes before I left the office and said that I would probably be in labor by that night.

Side note: getting your membranes stripped freaking HURTS! just in case you didn't know.

So Friday after my appt. Caroline got her tongue clipped. While at the doctors office, my contractions got really painful, not regular but incredibly painful. We came home got things organized (again) and had Sarah spend the night. At 2:30 that morning my contractions started coming at regular 5 min intervals. We left for the hospital at 7:45.

Hospital triage
Triage nurses have been horrible, however, these nurses were amazing! they checked me in within 30 min. Off to the L&D room.

My nurse in L&D was fabulous! after about 45 in L&D I was ready for my epidural. The anestesiologist was there super fast! they put in my epidural and watched me for a few min.They wanted me to be even with the numbness so they were moving my pillow from under my right hip to my left. after a few blood pressure checks I was good and they left. Good to go right? Wrong. My blood pressure started to fall, my breath was really labored, my heart was racing, and my vision started to be blurry. I got kinda scared. The nurse and anestesiologist were back just as fast as they left. checking blood pressure, gave me oxygen and checked the epidural. They moved the pillow from under my left hip and I instantly felt better. INSTANTLY. It was crazy. So they put it back under my right hip and I was good to go.
My nurse went to lunch since I was okay. Not even 5 min later, my pressure dropped again. This time the nurse was a lead for the maternity ward and she wasn't messing around. She hopped right in there and made my IV start dripping like a waterfall. (She was squeezing the bag) and this time I was better real quick.

So the time passes. We watched football, Notre Dame was losing really bad, started to come back and what do you know I was dialated to a 10. This is the good part.....

So I tell my nurse (Amy) that I am a great pusher. She made the cute "sure you are dear" face and asked me to give a 1/2 push to see if the baby would co-operate. ha ha ha lady I will show you.
So I 1/2 push and he starts to crown. HA how do you like that? She tells me to stop and she would get my doc on the phone to come in ASAP. They had the doc on call in the room with me waiting just in case a contraction started to push him out before I pushed. I have to admire the man he was watching the ND game with Brent at that point.

In walks Dr. Duke she scrubs up, gets the apron on, puts the gloves on, and says to push. So I did. 2 contraction and 4 pushes, James Jackson was here at last.

It took a while for my epidural to wear off this time but I didn't feel a thing and I was grateful for that. I loved my overall experience there. We did have a hiccup getting out on Monday but it wasn't horrible. It just took a while to get out of there. Oh and there was a hurricane turned tropical storm that came through too. So they were trying to get everyone that could go home to get there before the storm hit. That was fun driving let me tell ya. But overall I am so glad he is here and safe. The kids absolutely love him and Brent is amazing. He is loving to help me and I don't have to ask for a thing. He is on top of me taking my meds, and feeding schedules and the whole 9 yards. I appreciate him so much. He is the love of my life and we have a beautiful family together.

I am so done.

Have you ever seen the Christmas comercial from BK that sings the carol of the bells? They sing "ding fries are done" "ding fries are done" well that is exactly how I feel.

I have been given the okay to start walking, have lots of sex (brents fav), and my voodoo friend (not really, but thats what her kids call her) gave me some oil and told me pressure points to bring on the labor. So that being said, we had a crazy weekend with RS craft day, piano lessons, and primary practice, oh and a funeral (we didn't go but we set up for) you would think I would have gone into labor on Sat.

Well I told the primary pres. I wouldn't walk til after Sundays program. So we came home from church, we had lunch, walked, used the oil and still no baby. I feel like I am just so done already. I am only working 3 days a week from now on, which is great since there is so much going on. They did an ultrasound on Friday and determined that the baby weighs about 7.6 which is what Abbey weighed full term. Tip was 2 weeks early and weighed 7.12 and Caroline was born at 36 1/2 weeks at 6.8 so this baby is ready. The weather is rainy today which I have been told brings on contractions ( and it has, though not consistant), but I just feel ready.

I cleaned the house (No scoured is more like it) yesterday with the kids. We even did base boards. I even ironed Brent's shirts for work. ( I know I know, I don't iron). What makes me mad is that I know I am nesting and nothing happens from it. I feel like if I am exerting all this energy, that the baby should come. I like things on my time table not someone elses (suprise suprise right?) But I feel like we are prepared.

Brent has things all lined up at work. I have my work situation handled, the kids sitting is all arranged, what else is there to do? Oh and I finished the quilt for the baby. So if you look at the Craig situation, we are ready for the baby. Apparently the shot to stop labor lasts a while. Now what to do to get it going again. hmmmmm..

Emotionally and Physically drained..........

So where to begin with this one.

Thursday I was having contractions right on 5 min apart. They didn't really hurt. They just were uncomfortable. So I waited all day, called my doc. she said to come into triage since this was my 4th baby. I can understand that, she said that if my labor was going after 34 weeks, she wouldn't stop it. Well we go into triage (which I have never been in a triage in my life. This room sucks!!!) and we sit for an hour and no one comes in at all. (I can understand there was an emergency c-section they were doing) then they came in to check me. I am at a 2 cm and 50% effaced. Okay so they watch me for an hour come in and check again. No change in dilation, but my contractions are now coming every 2 min. So they watch me for another hour. (Did I mention this room has nothing to do in it. No tv, pictures to look at, magazine nothing!) After that hour, they check me, nothing so the doc on call comes in and says "we are going to give you a shot to stop your labor. WHAT? I thought you said I should come in and you weren't going to do that..... but it is better for the baby to stay in there longer, I get it and he isn't my doctor. So they give me a shot, it is supposed to slow the contractions and speed up my heart rate. Well after an hour the contractions are back to 5 min apart but thats it. So they give me another shot of this aweful shot. This dose in 20 min makes me feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. the baby hates it too. He is freaking out all over in my belly. So the nurse comes in after 20 min and takes off the monitors and sends me home. WHAT? My heart is killing me. And you are sending me home.... okay what ever 4 hours in this hateful room I want out. Did I mention we had the kids at Liz's house, and the Alvarez's lined up to watch them all weekend. It just sucked.

Friday.
I am still contracting,I call the doctors office, my doc is now out of town. GREAT. So I go in and talk with one of the partners. He is on the same page with me though I really felt like he was listening to me. He wanted to give me a pill to slow my labor (which is a smaller dose of the shot from the night before) then he gave me 2 options, 1 take the pill, he will admit me to the hospital and watch me overnight. He was the doc on call so I was okay with that. The other option, take the pill at home and come back in a few hours if the contractions are still going strong. We took option 2. Why be in a hospital bed if you might not have the baby anyway? So we came home went to get the pill and Walgreens is out of it! The pill to stop labor 'we will have it on Monday'. retards. So I decided to just come home and chill out the rest of the day and see what happens.

Saturday.
Stayed in bed all day contractions 10 min apart not really hurting, so just took it easy.

Sunday.
Brent took the kids to church, I stayed home and chilled, when all of a sudden the contractions start coming stronger and faster. I waited til 7 and after a contraction that I started crying after, (freaked Brent out) we lined up our sitters and headed back to the hospital. Apparently on the way there my contractions were fiction, since the nurses said to me 'Tell me when you think you are having a contraction' and sent me home after a half hour. I was pissed, hurting, and being called a liar. HMMMM. I was not happy at all. Now I look like the woman who cried labor. My contractions did slow down last night. That or I passed out. I took Tylenol PM and tried to sleep. That worked for about 3 hours so I endured all night.

Today.
Called my doctor. Talked to the nurse who talked to the doctor who talked to the other doctors. Whatever. The decision at this point. Take the pill from Friday and be on limited bedrest. or start nesting and walking and exerting energy to start the contractions to be stronger. So rest or nest? The doc said she won't stop me if I go into labor. She would like me to be 36 weeks if I can make it but she won't stop it if the contractions are really strong. She won't help it along either this week. But next week she said she would break my water if we come in. So we are opting for both right now. I have deep cleaned Abbey, Caroline, Hunter, toyroom. I mean meticullously cleaned their rooms. My contractions are stronger, I rest inbetween them, I now have some real pressure in my pelvis (Brent thinks I look funny) so we will see what happens in the next couple of days.

When it rains, it pours.

Not that I have a ton to post about, but this week is just starting off on the wrong foot for me.

Well most everyone knows that Brent has shingles. It sucks really bad. Not only have I had it myself, but Brent has to go to work in a shirt and tie everyday. The needle pain is ridiculous and I feel for him. He did have a blessing and the medicine is working, I see it everyday that he is feeling better.

Friday and Saturday I was riding in a huge truck. We went to dinner with some friends on Friday, and then I went with the same friend to the RS broadcast. I had to jump into her truck to get up into it. My back has been having some spasms since Friday. Not that I am sad that I went out both days, but it has taken its toll on my pregnancy muscles.
Also, I think my pelvis is broken. Not really, it just feels so painful everytime I move or roll over or sit or stand. It sucks.

Abbey wasn't feeling good on Sunday so we stayed home. Her tooth was hurting. I thought it was because she is teething the tooth that was absessed before so it was hurting her. Ya know when you have a baby and they teethe through the gums? Well I figured that Abbey was having that pain since her tooth was pulled so long ago that the gums had totally healed. Well I was half right. Her tooth is coming in, and the tooth behind it is swollen as well. So to be sure that the other tooth was alright I took her to the dentist today. (Side note: this dentist is the coolest person ever!) Sure enough the tooth is absessed as well. So now she is on amoxicillan to get the infection under control and she has to have the tooth pulled next Tues. At least she knows what she is in for, and she is okay with it. She just wants the pain to go away.

Caroline is finally seeing an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor next Tuesday as well. She has been in speech for the past 3 years, and her pediatrician finally sent the referral to the ENT for her tongue to be clipped. Maria (Brents sis-in-law/speech pathologist) says that this is the only way we can get her 'l' to come in correctly, plus it is safer for her to be able to put her tongue on the roof of her mouth if she needs to (to get bread of the roof of her mouth without choking).

Now that I have totally downed myself with self pity, I should talk about something on a high note I guess.

We are getting excited for this new addition to make his appearance soon. We are getting the crib ready, bottles ready to go, outfits lined up, bag packed to head to the hospital. I go to the doctor on Friday and this is my last 2 week appt. From hear on out, I will be going weekly. I know that I am not due until Nov. 15th, but I know this baby is coming sooner (call it mommy intuition) but he is measuring a little big, and Tip was 2 weeks early and Liney was 3 1/2 weeks early. So I could be having him at the end of Oct. Which is fine as long as it isn't on Halloween. I am crossing my legs that day. We are naming him James JACKSON for crying out loud I don't need a JACK-O-LANTERN child. So wish us luck on that.

Other than that, things are going really well. We got midterm reports back this past week and the kids all have A's and 1 B. I am so proud of them! They work really hard at school and I am glad that they love it!