Yard...

I am so excited that we got some work done on the yard this weekend.  Thanks to some awesome helpers, and a truck borrowed from our neighbors, we were able to get our top soil and sod put down.  Brodie was a fantastic help too!  So cute with his little wheelbarrow.

On Sunday we took a break to go on a mini road trip.   First to visit Grandma and Grandpa Allen, then to Morden to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa Neufeld.  Brodie declared it the best day ever.  The girls travelled very well.

Today I am going in to work for my last paid day.  After today I will officially be on maternity leave!  Wow, I still can't believe we're having a baby!!!

Weekend...

Yesterday I worked another shift, while Alex stayed home with the kids and got started on the yard.  Today he finished off the rock and shrubs on the one side of the house.  Next weekend we'll bring in the topsoil and sod (if the weather cooperates). 

The girls are doing great and Brodie is loving the summer.  I got a little shopping done the other week, and found Ashley a 'back to school' outfit!  So fun to buy her something more grown up.  You can see her looking all ready for school in the photo above. 

For those of you who have wondered, I will share my thoughts on school.  I am fully aware that Ashley will learn nothing at school and I don't have any expectations from the teachers.  Despite this, Ashley is very ready for school and I can't provide her with enough stimulation at home anymore.  She wants to be held constantly and is visibly interested when Brodie and his friends are running around making noise (she still doesn't 'see' them, but opens her eyes wider and you can see her eyes roving back and forth, all perked up and wondering about the activity).  At school she will hear the kids, and be included in carpet time, table time, music and gym because the EA will be able to move her to those different areas (hopefully holding her, so that she is sitting on the carpet with the other kids).  She will take the bus to and from school.  I'm not worried about how Ashley will handle the change, as she is hardly aware enough to notice.  I am hoping that the school staff will become comfortable with Ashley and her seizures quickly, because I am only available until the baby comes.  The due date is Sept. 17th, and I'm hoping that all the school stuff is figured out by then.  You should know that I am ALWAYS late with my babies, so I won't be surprised if this is an October baby.  Fun, fun, fun!

outside

Brodie and I ventured out with the girls on Monday, we brought Brodie's friend Reece along to play at the park.  We spent about 2.5 hours walking from park to park, and after that we were good and tired, but very happy.  It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and the girls were content for the whole ride.

Today Ashley had a practice run on the school bus, so that we would be ready for school.  We made sure we were able to strap down the wheelchair properly, and then we went for a ride around the block.  It sounds like she'll never be on the bus for more than 10 minutes.

Weekend Rain...

Well, our weekend of working on the yard was rained out.  So we had a nap!  And Alex played Fastball, we visited with Alex's sister Deanna, who was in town, and then went to the farm for the BBQ and Brodie got to play with all the cousins.  A good weekend despite the rain.  The girls did great with all the travelling, and Brodie loved all the fun.

Brodie had some fun playing cards with Grandma Lil in the evening.

Outing...

Alex had a day off on Monday, so we ventured out to Tinkertown.  Of course it happened to be the hottest, most humid day I could have picked for an outing.  We brought a spray bottle with water and kept spritzing ourselves and the girls.  It was a fun day and the girls did great.  They also slept really well that night!

Hope is completely better and back to her normal schedule.  Ashley is about the same. 

Better

Hope is doing much better today.  She's had a wet diaper, she's keeping meds and feedings down and she's making some cute noises.  This is a photo that I took last week, when I took the kids with me to my doctors appointment.  Brodie was excited to hear the babie's heartbeat.

Hope has stopped vomitting and has kept her meds down today. We've started dripping in some water slowly and she's kept that down too. Her breathing is a little labored and she has a fever on and off, so hopefully she starts coughing a little stronger to clear her lungs and prevent pneumonia. The only other thing to wait for is a wet diaper, she needs to start peeing again.

I'm always tentative at this point to say that she's getting better, but somehow she always does. By tommorrow we should have a better idea of where she's at.

Ashley is 'calling out' to be held, so I better scoot.

Sick again...

It's a hard morning to go to work. Hope started puking again yesterday. THis morning she is still puking up some dark brown, blood tinged vomitt. Her little body is jerking with the seizures and she looks awful. Unfortuntately, she does this so often that I need to carry on and go to work. Hopefully this 'spell' is over quickly.