40 weeks and 2 days.

Im officially overdue. I'm physically feeling pretty good, considering my size and constantly chasing around two very busy toddlers, but mentally, I'm spent. Dave had last week off and is back to work this week. Thats life, but I really miss his help around here during the day. Between child obligations, renovation meetings, and just being nice company, he makes life better. He has been a great support this last week, he is very understanding and doesn't even pout when I say this is the last one (he is still hoping we go for #4, maybe that will change when babe #3 is actually here ;)). Maggie has been a mega help over the last month or so, too. Sully and Anna are obsessed with each other, so many days he will hang with them while I bring Greta home for a nap, and sneak in a few zzzz's myself. It has been a much needed and appreciated break.

I saw my doc today and things are moving in the right direction. I am dilated 2cm and 70% effaced. I really wanted to go on my own this time and I think that is part of the emotional roller coaster. Dave is of the mentality that 40 weeks is plenty, especially given my advanced maternal age. I agree, the baby is checking off perfect at all of the appointments and I would hate to push it and have something go wrong at this stage in the game. So, we have an induction scheduled for Friday.

Im really excited for baby number 3. We are going to be so busy and I'll need some time to get into my new routine, but this babe is really the icing on the cake. I can't wait to introduce Sully and Greta to him/her and then to watch the baby become part of the party. When Dave and I eat dinner at the table we eagerly anticipate a future of a full table at meals with lots of noise, laughs, and definitely some chaos. We can't wait to meet you, #3, we already love you so much.

Halloween fun.

Warming up after tubbies. 

All dogs go to Heaven.

We said goodbye to Kenzie today, our 12 1/2 year old black Lab who has been around almost as long as Dave. I adopted her as a 7 year old around Christmas in 2009. She had always been a bit of an anxious pup, but also so full of love. She had adapted really well to the addition of the kids and had been so tolerant of them, even when they were nothing but a nuisance to her. I'd grown accustomed to her being at my bedside each night, waiting outside the shower door for me to finish a shower, and being my number one nap partner when I was able to sneak away. She was always so happy to welcome us home and join us for a walk. The house already feels so quiet with her gone.

She had been slowly declining over the last six months and then more rapidly over the last few weeks. It is really a sad realization when the end is near. Dave and I have spent most of the day in and out of tears, talking about all of our favorite memories with her.

We will miss her greatly and always think of her fondly.

Kenz with her cousins Rudy and Ozzie.  

Greta sharing her cozy and baby LouLou with Kenzie.

Keeping a watchful eye on her napping Sully.

One last family photo.
(As you can tell, we had a 'no dog on the bed' rule ;))

37 weeks with number 3.

I did it! I made it to 37 weeks and the end is finally near. The kids are gearing up for the baby, and its about time Dave and I follow suit. We did install the infant car seat in the car and are planning on the baby rooming in with us for the first few months as with construction, we really don't have anywhere else for it to go! Sully has been extra mama friendly, even letting me be the one to tuck him in at night rather than Dave. It feels good to be the one he wants because 90% of the time they both beg for daddy, but I'm tired, too.

I hosted a small gathering here last week for my neighborhood ladies group and it totally wore me out. A few days before the party we had a truck load of lumber dropped off in our living room, so I had to improvise and had the guys throw together our new den for the occasion. Although the walls were dry wall and the floor was plywood, it turned out pretty nice. We enjoyed having a couch to sit/play on for the first time in 4 months and were sad when they had to dismantle everything the following morning so they could get back to work . It did give us a taste of whats to come, and we can hardly wait. I napped for three days straight following the party and am finally feeling back to normal.

I saw my doctor today and everything is right on. Baby is measuring 36 weeks, heart rate was 150, 50% effaced and no sign of dilation although the baby is head down and beginning to engage. Doc says Im right on schedule for an end of the month delivery (although Im hoping for maybe a week or so earlier ;)).

Tacos in the park. 

Visiting daddy at work (very distracted by the tv behind me). 

Mismatched day at preschool. 

Pretty princess. 

Who needs water? 

The den, before the party. 

Looking back into the new kitchen. There will be an island where the ramp is. 

The new kitchen, almost complete. 

Story time with daddy. 

Back at work in the den, with Greta supervising

37 weeks today! 

Cheers to Grandpa Wally

My grandpa Wally passed away two weeks ago and we spent last weekend celebrating his life. He lived a long, productive life and was only one month shy of turing 100. I was selfishly hoping he would make this milestone as it is within days of our due date and I thought it would be the coolest thing if the birthdays coincided. It turns out, God had different plans, and it was his time. My mom was with him when he passed away. His health had been wavering since my grandmother's passing three years ago and ironically things had been status quo as of late. When my mom was there last Saturday, he simply laid down to go to bed and it was his time. What a peaceful way to leave this world.

He was an honorable man, both in business and in life. He valued The Golden Rule and did the right thing, because that just what you do. He instilled these values in my mom and she strives to pass them along to us. He was a strong influence in her life and in the lives of all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Maggie had started to compile memories from our extended Scott family about one week before his passing and intended to give them to him in a book for his birthday next month. She was able to use these memories and incorporate them into a memory board for his funeral. It was a really great tribute, and really nice to read each of the memories.

He was a great man and will be missed. He leaves behind a great legacy and a family who was honored to call him their own.

Sully starts preschool!

He did it! Off to school Sully went, and he was so brave. We celebrated with pre-preschool treat at DQ the evening before school started and really talked the morning up. He woke up excited and in a relatively good mood (he is not a morning boy :)), and really excited to show Miss Heather his robot backpack. He only started to get nervous when I parked the car and we started to walk in. As soon as we got through the doors and heard a couple of other kids whimpering, he tightened his grip. We made a swift drop off and he did great. Dave, Greta and I ran a few errands and couldn't believe how fast the 2.5 hours went. Greta really missed Sully, every 20 minutes we heard her sweet voice ask, 'where's Ayah?'. She was so happy to see him at pick up time. By his second day of school on Thursday, he gave me a kiss and ran over to the teacher's lap, just like and old pro.

He goes to school downtown at the Washington Pavilion, which is the old Washington High School, and his program is called The Graham Academy. We are really excited about the curriculum. The school incorporates the Kirby Science Center, the Visual Arts Center, and the Performance Series (when age appropriate productions come to town) into the daily routine as they are all in the same building. While all of these things are really neat, the coolest thing is that Dave went to Washington High School, so they get to share a common school. Lucky guys.

I also had an OB apt this week and was happy to get a good report. I am 33 1/2 weeks along and the baby's hear rate was 138, the baby measured 32-33 weeks. The baby is currently lying transverse, so that is a little bit of a bummer, but there is still time for it to move. I have an ultrasound on Wednesday to follow up with my low lying placenta, so Im optimistic for good news all around.

Sully's preschool orientation. 

Sully's classroom. 

DQ treat the evening before. 

Sully, beaming with pride. 

Greta getting in on the fun. 

Getting ready to walk in,
a slightly nervous smile from all of us, especially Greta  ;).

Finishing up summer.

We were all anticipating Sully's first day of preschool and for the first time, understood what it meant to wrap up summer. We did so with a weekend jam packed with chores, which included 96 hours straight of Heart Hospital call for Dave and emptying a storage garage that we filled back in February. Unfortunately, Dave was relatively busy for a call weekend, he got called in each day for at least a couple of hours. We had to work hard on the storage garage every chance we got, which was interesting with two busy toddlers. Sully also got the stomach flu and Greta had a trip to the ER amongst the business. Needless to say, we were so glad for Tuesday and routine.

While I wish the storage garage returning meant the end of our project, I am sad to say that it doesn't. We are feeling the pressure with the due date just around the corner to finish up some of the things we don't want to do when the baby is here. We basically emptied the garage into our storage space in the house, which will suffice for now, but we will be busy for months to come as we gradually unpack all of that stuff. Yikes.

'Cheese!' at The Falls after a Sioux Falls flood. 

Family photo op. 32 weeks pregnant. 

Shake your booty! 

Apple orchard with Anna. 

Baby prep, they all fit = no need for a new car...yay! 

Morning coffee with daddy
(notice the empty box...progress!).

ER visit for a dislocated elbow. 

Sully showing off his new favorite basketball shirt,
it was actually Dave's when he was a boy. 

The addition gets bricked! (I am standing where the old patio was.)

A weekend with the Gehlens.

We planned a weekend to Minneapolis to see my friend, Leanne, and her family many months ago. We had originally hoped to go boating with them, but as the weekend approached, I was placed on slight activity restrictions due to my placenta location, the Gehlen's boat suffered some damage, and the weather was cool and windy. Needless to say, our original plan completely fell through, but we went anyway.

We stayed at a hotel on Friday evening and made a quick (hectic) stop at Ikea before making our way to the Gehlen's on Saturday. We basically ate and played for 24 hours. It was really fun to get the kids together. I love quality time with my friends, I always feel so refreshed after our time together.  We look forward to hosting them sometime this winter.

Joey, Sully, Greta, Natalie

"Say ROAR!"

Lots of fun = 2 hours car nap, yay!