I've Dyed!

I finally got around to cutting my hair, so I decided I might as well finish the job and dye it too. The last time I dyed it was also around July so I had at least 2 inches of grown out roots showing. The color I had before wasn't that different from my original hair color so it didn't look super bad, but you could definitely tell I needed to re-dye it.

I decided to go with a medium copper brown color. I love having my hair red, but I've had to stick with pretty simple colors while I was doing a show. I figure now is a good time to dye it a little different since I'm taking a break from shows right now. It's not too different and most people probably won't even be able to tell, but it's nice to have my hair color all match again.

We have a #2

I guess I should of waited to post my blog because about 30 minutes after I posted it, Ella woke up from her nap and went poo-poo in the potty. Today must just be my lucky day!

Three Cheers for Ella!

After a week of holding, holding, holding, Ella has finally gone in the potty! Hooray! The sad part was I wasn't even home to celebrate when it happened. I was getting a much needed haircut (I hadn't had one since July).

So Ben was watching the kids when Ella claimed she needed to go potty. As usual she raced to the potty sat down for 5 seconds and popped up again. Ben knew she had several things to drink today so he had her sit down again. A few seconds later she just exploded. Ben said she kind of had this unsure look on her face, like she wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do. Ben of course cheered like crazy and had Ella talk to me on the phone. Then she got a much deserved ice cream party.

The best part was about 10 minutes later she said she had to go again. Ben was a little skeptical, but after all she had drank a million gallons of liquid so he took her again. She sat down with a concentrated face and went right away. Ben was so excited he let her have ice cream again.

So, we are by no means finished with the whole potty training process (she still has to produce a #2), but it's definitely a drop in the bucket (or toilet I guess. )

I am Unique!

I found this on my friend Lynita's page and was curious. Apparently my first name isn't common after all. I was surprised that there were almost 3000 with my last name though.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

The Girl in a Whirl

I recieved this poem yesterday attached to our Relief Society email.

The Girl in a Whirl by 'Dr. Sue' (a.k. a. Vickie Gunther)
Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents! My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! never late!)
I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,
I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too.
It's easy to do all the things that I do!

I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each 'lost lamb' on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,

I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write 'thank you's' to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A's! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car's tires! I fix the sink's leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years' supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; 'tis good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It's easy!' she said and then she dropped dead.

I've felt just so over loaded lately trying to take it easy so that I don't go into labor again and still somehow raise a family. Hyrum has been extra difficult lately, and it's hard on him because I can't dedicate 100% of my time to him. I'm barely able to even give him 10%. I'm feeling like such a failure because it's now day 6 and Ella still has not gone in the potty. And my house is always a total mess because I'm either sitting in the bathroom with Ella or sitting on the couch with contractions. So, I definetely felt less than Super Mom this week. Reading through this poem, part of me laughed at all of those ridiculous things that don't really matter at all, but the other part of me read through it and wished I was able to do all of those things. It's just hard for a perfectionist like me to go every day and not get anything accomplished. I'm trying so hard to find that balance between the "girl in a whirl" and "girl who is a lump on the couch".

Potty Training Take 2

Several months ago we gave potty training a go with Ella. Although she was only 19 months old, she had all the signs of readiness. The only problem was she wouldn't go. She'd sit on the potty for ages, she understood the difference between wet and dry, she would follow all our instructions, but she just wouldn't actually go in the potty. She'd just wait hours and hours until eventually she would just explode. After 2 days of this I bagged the potty training and decided she just wasn't ready, despite what the books said.

Yesterday, Ella decided she really wanted to sit on the potty again. She refused to wear a diaper and went and got her big girl underwear and put them on. I had no idea what to do. I really don't feel up to potty training right now, but unless I want to take out a loan to pay for two kids in diapers, this really is the best time. I don't want to squash her willingness, but what do you do when your kid says they are ready, but you just hate the hastle?

All day she stayed dry and sat on the potty several times, but alas nothing in the potty. I knew she was going to burst any minute so I started taking her more frequently. Then about 15 minutes ago she exploded all over my cloth glider! She was just on the the potty like 2 minutes before that. I can not figure out what to do! She's doesn't act scared to go on the potty or anything, she actually seems excited to try, she just won't actually go. HELP! HELP! HELP!

I'm not crazy, just in labor!

Yesterday proved to be a very long and yucky day. It started out normal until around 11:00 during Hyrum's computer class and I started having major pains around my stomach. I just assumed it was an IBS attack so a friend helped me to her house until Ben could come home for lunch to help me.

The pains started moving down from my intestinal area to my uterus, so I got a little concerned, but figured I'd just take a hot bath and everything would be o.k. I always go into labor early with my kids, but not at 21 1/2 weeks along.

Finally, around 7:00 at night I just couldn't take the pain anymore. I felt like I was having full contractions and was timing them about 8 minutes apart. So we once again had to impose on our friends to watch our kids while Ben took me to the hospital.

As usual, the nurses and doctors gave me the "oh you're not in labor, you're just crazy look", but they admitted me anyways. My uterus is so small at this point that the detector was only catching a couple of the contractions, but the nurse could tell my stomach was definitely tightening. She figured they'd probably just send me home, but after talking to the doctor, they decided to check if I was dilated.

Low and behold, I was dilated to a 1 already. Being dilated at a 1 after you've have 2 kids could mean you just started out your pregnancy already at a 1, but it also could mean I'm actively dilating. After all, I was a 2 at only 28 weeks with Ella. Fortunately, I'm not fully effaced (I can't remember the percent she gave me).

So, I got the lovely tributaline shot to try and stop the contractions and a prescription for some oral doses to try and keep this under control. I don't have to go on bed rest just yet, but I do have to cut back on what I'm doing. (As if that was very much to begin with)

I was so relieved that even though "women don't normally have problems at 21 weeks" and I sounded totally nuts, the nurses and doctor were willing to at least check things out, instead of just sending me home.

I've had trouble with every pregnancy trying to convince doctors that I was in labor, because I'm not a textbook pregnancy. When I went in with Hyrum at 35 weeks, I had to beg them to check me. They agreed, but kept saying it was probably nothing. I'll never forget the look on the doctor's face when he checked me and had to tell me I was fully effaced and dilated to a 4.

Ella was the same problem, only even earlier. We finally had to switch doctors because he refused to check and see if anything was wrong. Our new doctor checked me at my first visit and I was already dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced. That landed me bed rest for 7 weeks and 1 week of hospital stay before she was born.

Now we are on our fourth doctor, mainly because we keep moving or switching jobs, and I think things are going to be o.k. I still had to explain to the doctor that I knew it was unusual to go into labor at 21 weeks, but not necessarily for me. After I filled him in on my previous pregnancy problems, I finally convinced him to listen to me. Hopefully, people will take me seriously now. On to the next problem; trying to keep this kid in for at least another 3 months. I'm praying to avoid a three month bed rest!

New Beds

Our expanding family has finally forced us to to move Hyrum out of his toddler bed. He's four and a half and was practically spilling out of the toddler bed, but we put it off for as long as possible. We spent most of Saturday looking for and constructing bunk beds for his room. It actually looks really cute and Hyrum loves sleeping on the top.

Ella then inherited Hyrum's old toddler bed. We figure she can sleep in it until the baby comes, and then depending on how and when the baby sleeps through the night, she can alternate between her toddler bed and the bottom bunk bed in Hyrum's room. Eventually Hyrum and Logan will share rooms, but that's a long ways away.

Ella did great sleeping the toddler bed. We figured she'd do alright, but we weren't sure. It's so funny because my kids will climb into the toddler bed, but don't realize they can get out by themselves. I heard Ella talking Sunday morning, but she just stayed in her bed until I came and "lifted" her out. It took Hyrum months before he figured it out, and he still didn't get up until around eight. I figure I might as well take advantage of it.

It's A Boy!

It's a pretty sure thing that we are having a boy! When we heard Ben gave a huge sigh of relief and was so jazzed that he didn't have to buy a whole new wardrobe. Hyrum's birthday and this baby's due date are just a week or two apart. The baby will probably come early, but the clothes will still be in the right season.

I was excited because for once we had a boy name ready. We only had a girl name with Hyrum and a boy name with Ella. This little one is going to be Logan Cyrus Rohrbach. I've always liked the name Logan and I had the funniest little boy named Logan in my class my first year teaching. The middle name, Cyrus, is a family name that is passed down in Ben's family. It's actually Ben's middle name, which is ironic because he is also the third child/second boy.

Yesterday, I decided to go through the huge tub of clothes we saved from Hyrum, and then it hit me, we are having a boy! Augh! All the memories of how hard Hyrum was as a baby came flooding back, and I called Ben in a total panic. Hyrum was such a difficult baby, and continues to be much more work than Ella. I love him to pieces, but he sometimes just leaves me exhausted. I wasn't so sure I could do a "Hyrum" all over again.

Sensible Ben tried to calm me down and did the best thing a husband can do for a frazzled wife; he took me to dinner and then the mall. He reminded me that just because it's a boy doesn't mean he will have Hyrum's colic, reflux, puking after every single feeding until he turned 18 months old, or personality. I realized that it's true that each kid comes programmed a little differently, so here's hoping to a nice "Ella" version of Logan.

Ultrasound!

I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine do my ultrasound today which meant tons of pictures for me! I picked out my favorite ones to post. I drank a ton of orange juice before I went so the baby was all over the place. It was such a relief to hear the baby was totally healthy and right on track. My placenta was a little low, but they aren't too worried yet.

A nice little profile. Ah, they look so innocent in the womb! This was before the baby decided to start doing somersaults.

This is one of the baby looking directly at you. Pretty creepy actually. It looks like something out of the crypt.

Here's a good look at the baby's spine. All bones accounted for.

Check out those biceps. At one point the baby gave us a thumbs up, it was so funny!

This is when the acrobatics started. The baby is stretching his/her legs out as far as possible. Then he/she decided to switch to the other side of my stomach.

Can you guess what we are having?