This morning at 6 am I had a contraction. I know because I looked at the clock to start timing them if I had more. Very grateful that I didn't. But it still scared me. Until I have the baby, my biggest fear will be, will I know if something that I'm feeling is minor, nothing to worry about or do I need to rush into the hospital because something is wrong. Right now my goal is to make it to 30 weeks. Then my goal will to make it to 34 weeks. Then if I'm really lucky 37 weeks. At 37 weeks they will take the baby because I can't go in to labor. The incision would come a part during true labor and I would bleed to death. Which is not part of the plan. So my prayer is that the spirit will guide me to know the difference. Because of the contraction, we ate breakfast and then I laid down until lunch time. Then I got up for lunch and then laid down for a little bit. Our friend Ali said he would help us setup the video we wanted to watch. But he had been asleep all day too. I later found out that he had not slept very well the night before. I was so glad to hear that he wasn't getting sick. He is the one that has been going from hospital to hospital for the last 8 years. He was waiting to get the okay to home this week. We ended up asking one of the managers of the family house to help us with the video. So we started watching Ephraim's Rescue. My mom had not seen it yet. While we were watching we found out that Justin's family would be leaving our house to stay in the family house closer to the hospital tomorrow. So my mom and I thought it would be nice to have a little "We will miss you" party for them. As I was telling Ali about it he said they received news this morning that a test result came back with questions so they want him to go to the hospital in Fresno for more tests to see if that test was correct. So he will be leaving tomorrow also. So we decided the party would be for both families. We started making the invitations and the treats. My mom made yummy chocolate chocolate cake. Everyone had a great time. It was hard because it was fun tonight but sad to know that they will be gone tomorrow. I was able to talk to Mark and my kids, and wish them a good night. And now we are off to bed.

Sunday "A Day Of Rest"

A day of rest is what it was. After lunch we were blessed to have Mark Schoeller and Craig Berry, members from the Sunset ward come again and administered the Sacrament to us. What special experience. Maybe it's because I don't have as many distractions around me as I normally do. (With my 5 kids trying to help them be ready for the sacrament, it is a bit different.) The spirit was so strong. I'm truly grateful to them for coming and helping us partake of the Atonement. With being on bed rest, it gives me a chance to see the Anoment in a different way. My sister sent me a talk to listen to and it goes along with what I was thinking. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-atonement-covers-all-pain?lang=eng#watch=video "Alma also prophesied that “he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and … he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people… “That his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” This tells that Christ knows how I feel right now. And is able to be my perfect teacher. Teaching me the things that I need to learn to be more like him. After the Brothers left we had movie time and watched "Little Women". One of my all time favorite movies. Then we were so woren out, we laid down for a nap. Dinner was leftover pizza. We ended the night playing cards with Justin, our 11yr old neighbor. (He is here with his cute as came be, sick little brother Marco and Mom.) And yes right now as I type I am the Champion of 5 crowns. Hopefull I can hold on to my title of a day or two more.

Rainy Day

It rained most of the morning. So my Mom did what every fun Mom does on days your stuck in house. She made us cookies. In the laundry room there are some shelves of food that people donated to the family house. In the treat department it was pretty much only cake mixes but no frosting. So my mom is a very creative and found on the side of one of the cake boxes there was a recipe for snickerdoodles. There was little to add to it to make them. So we were in good shape. They were well received! Everyone just loved them and thought she was amazing for making yummy cookies. By then the rain had let up. We headed on our first ever real field trip to the pharmacy and grocery store down the street a block. This gave us a great opportunity to see how well my mom knows how to drive a wheelchair. Gods tender mercy was that it was down hill on the way back. While we were out we pick up a yummy pizza. Boy I'm grateful tomorrow is a day of rest. So is my mother.;-)

Fun Full Day!

This morning started off with a text from my Bishop with pictures of my Temple crew! So fun to see them. I'm so grateful they still are going every Friday morning, bright and early! Love you guys!

 


After we ate lunch we went on a field trip downstairs to the garden. It was closed, so we went out front to the street and sat on a bench. It was a very lovely to be outside for the first time in a week. We even took a lemon to eat that my Uncles Dick gave to us from his lemon tree. It was also fun to look at the "Painted Ladies" (houses) across the street.

 





Then my new friend Heidi and her husband Jason came for a visit. Heidi will be having her fetal surgery next Tuesday. So we will be best buddies for the next couple weeks. Hanging out at The Family House together, once she leaves the hospital.

Mark send me pictures of our boys, well needed new hair cuts. The three youngest look great. But Miles doesn't look different so I think they are just teasing that he got one.

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(Gabe is sad because dropped his sucker right before the picture. )

And then naptime again. ;-)

Today I took it easy while my mom ran some errands to get me set up for the weekend. My medicine would have run out on Saturday. So we stocked up so we wouldn't run out. My aunt Sonja was so kind to run her around and pick up a couple things that we were in need of. One was lunch, a yummy Greek turkey sandwich hit the spot. Then we napped. You know me the party planner set up a game night for everyone on our floor. We all had a great time playing Monopoly and got to know each other even better. I'm surrounded by amazing people. Of course we ended our get together with ice cream. Then I was able to Facetime my kids and tuck them in bed, which was a very big thing to me. It's my favorite things to do when I'm at home. Today was a great day!

Finishing up our day of recovery

After school I was able to face time with my kids for the first time. Most of the time Taylor was just being silly but it was fun to see them for the first time in a week. We then had movie time. We watched "Princess Bride", what a classic. For dinner the young man and mother had extra Arabian style dinner and shared it with us, which was pretty good. Then I had a fun treat and was able to FaceTime the young women in my ward during their activity. It was great to see and talk to everyone. We wrapped up the night with a sweet treat and hot chocolate. Yummy!

A Day to Recover

We have dedicated today to recover from yesterday. It's amazing how just taking a shower and packing all my stuff, can wear you out. I was able to get a good night sleep with my 7 pillows and a little bit of extra pain meds. This morning we have just been taking it real easy. For lunch we had yummy chicken noodle soup and were able to meet some more people that are also staying in the "family house". The first family was a young man and his mother. The mother doesn't speak English but the boy, Allah does. He has been in and out of the hospital for 8 years. Having bone marrow transplant twice. The first one did not work and caused his organs to fail but it sounds like the second one is doing what it's supposed to. He was able to get his PICC line out yesterday and he said he was able to go outside without a mask for the first time in a long time. He says he hasn't been home in 8 years since he was 10 and found out he has a rare cancer disease. The other family that we ate with has a 2 year old with leukemia. The whole family is here, Mom, Dad, 5 year old sister and the little boy that's 2yrs old.The Mom said that he had been sick for about a month, at the time they didn't know what was wrong. Then on Mother's day they went to the emergency room, because he had been throwing up blood. And they were told that he had leukemia and left straight from emergency room to the airport. Where the flight for life flew them to UCSF hospital and have been here ever since. So needless to say for dessert we had some humble pie. Now it's nap time.