From Halloween to Christmas and a baby in between!

I know it's been forever since I updated. It took me a month to figure out how to sign in after an "e-blogger" page took over my regular sign in page. After many calls to the help line, I figured it out! So, to update you on the past couple months:

In September, we started trying for baby #4 and were blessed to get pregnant right away....which seems to have happened each time we try. That gives us a June due date which is perfect. The baby is supposed to arrive a week after Kiley gets out of school and I will have all summer to just hang out with my kids and not have any obligations or school functions. I am about 16 weeks now and starting to show. I am not sure why I am surprised to be showing..it's about that time and it's my 4th baby, but I am still a little disappointed. I am going to steal an idea from my friend, Mary, and post info on the baby after each check up. Check up at 15 weeks:

Weight: Up 5 lbs overall...
Blood Pressure:92/80 - a little close in range, but I am not sure what that means.
Baby size: 4 inches (a large apple)

The nurse did an ultrasound because I was measuring at 12 weeks, but everything looks good. I always measure a couple weeks behind. I will see a perinatologist this time around too, just because the last two pregnancies have had low amniotic fluid levels from about 20 weeks forward. The nurse tried to get a peak at the gender, but the little babe was curled up in a ball and refused to stretch out. That's okay though. We did the OTC Intelligender test at 10 weeks and it gave us unclear results, but I would put my money on girl if I had to. They say blue for boy, orange for girl, and it turned orangeish brown-so I'd say girl. I also have different cravings and am carrying different than I did with the boys. Who knows though. I always try to guess and have been wrong on all 3 babies. I think the names in the running for a girl are still Cheyenne Isabella and Karissa Kay. I have no good guesses on what names Chad will throw out, but I know he is really fighting for the name Champagne and is recruiting his friends to gang up on me in his quest. I have had to battle this with each pregnancy. He thinks the name Champagne Shaffer is a cool football name, but I have my doubts about any of my kids becoming professional football players. I like Carter Brooks for a boy, but it's already been shot down many times. None of us, including myself, will probably know the name until they are pushing us out the hospital doors like we did with Cort.

Halloween was fun. Kiley went around the neighborhood with a group of abut 15 friends and 5 supervising parents. They went to haunted houses (there are a couple in our neighborhood that go all out). Chad and I took the boys up and down the street and then came home to hand out candy. Kiley was a pink pirate. Cort was a green dinosaur, and Creighton...oh, Creighton-the stories this little boy gives me to tell :) He insisted on being Woody from Toy Story. I searched high and low and could only find an 18 month. Creighton was 30 months, but SQUEEZED himself into this outfit. It was short and tight, but he wore it. Pics will be in a post to come.

Thanksgiving was very low key. We weren't able to head back to Nebraska because Chad's work finally picked up and he had to work. He was off Wed-Sunday, but worked each day during his break. I can't complain though. We have been praying for it to get busy for the past year and a half and it looks like things may be on the right track again. We played outside most of the day, since nearly all winter it's been in the 50's and 60's. We ate a nice dinner with the traditional food (ham, sweet potato pie, candied yams, green bean casserole, corn, rolls, salad, etc) and then played games.

Christmas was celebrated here on the 18th. Creighton got a silver power wheels truck and loved it! Cort got an outdoor play set that is a rocket and slide. He is much too little to play on our outside equipment, so this will keep him busy for a year or two. Kiley got a lot of things and was very happy. She keeps asking me if Santa is real and, in an attempt to not disappoint, I keep saying yes. I did tell her of the real Santa Clause and then told her that Santa is a term we use to refer to anyone who is giving and I told her of some stories of money being given to the poor, etc. I am transitioning into this conversation. I don't want to ruin the magic of Christmas for her, but I also don't want her to be the only one in her class arguing with her classmates that Santa is real and to get made fun of. Maybe I can find a good book that will break it to her softly.

Well, until next year.......