36 Week Appointment

Well, not too much to report from my doctor's appointment today, except that my doctor was a little concerned that baby is on the small side, so I am going to have an ultrasound on Friday to check on him.  Ben has suggested pumping myself full of calories, however I am not sure that would turn out with exactly the results we would hope for.  Maybe I'll just enjoy getting to peek at him and see how he's doing!

Date Night

The best thing happened.  My mom called and asked if Ben and I wanted to go see Fireproof, a new movie.  First of all let me say that you MUST see this movie, it is the best ever, and I am so glad we were able to go and support this Christian film.  Then, we went and got some sushi at the aforementioned Seafresh, and it was totally awesome.  Don't worry, everything I got was cooked.  We shared a Seaweed Salad, a Spicy Shrimp roll, and one other that I can't remember.  So, so good.  We had the best night, and I am so thankful... It was so special, and the timing was perfect, since baby will be along soon enough.  Thank you God for an awesome night with an awesome hubby and an awesome mom willing to watch our awesome kids.  Oh yeah, and awesome food too. =)

Cravings...

Well, as far as my pregnancies have gone, I have NOT had (oops!, when it first posted it said I did!) huge cravings that were like, "I MUST HAVE....!"  But of course, we haven't ever really been a family that could indulge such cravings if I had them, since the budget is always pretty tight.  But, if I were going to sum up each pregnancy according to the most desired things to eat, I think it would go as follows:

Emma:  Well, it all started at Fresh Choice (salad!!)  There's where I told Ben the news that we were having our first baby.  After that, I pretty much couldn't eat anything that was super healthy.  I liked Nacho Cheese Doritos.  

Caleb:  The thing I wanted most often when I was pregnant with Caleb were those yummy little clementine tangerines.  They were awesome.

Noah:  Cocoa puffs.  I did also enjoy cucumbers in the Chinese Chicken Salad dressing from Trader Joe's...

Baby Knight:  Well, I didn't feel so hot in the beginning.  But as of late, the only things on my mind are 1) ICE and 2) Seafresh.  Seafresh is a restaurant here in Ojai that has some killer sushi rolls and a to-die for Seaweed Salad.  Yum. 

So, your turn?  What did you crave?

34 weeks

It occurred to me that I haven't done a whole lot of "baby" posting on the blog.  That is kind of sad, especially since we are towards the end here... but, I thought I would at least try!!  (Poor baby #4!)  Anyway, I debated not going to my 34 week appointment, and those of you who know me well are laughing, I am sure.  It's not that I don't like going, but once you get into going every two weeks, or one week, it is hard because life with the three other children must still go on!  And, between Noah's surgery (which was this week) and driving down to L.A. (gas is still expensive, even though it is under $4/gallon!), and homeschool, and laundry and dishes and groceries... sometimes it is hard to make the time to drive down to Ventura for the appointment.  But my DH (evidently in blogging world, this stands for Dear Husband, and I am now trying to be cool by using it) made a good point.  These appointments aren't just for me, but also for my doctor to get to know me and to be able to notice changes or things that might mean something more than I think.  So, I did go and I am glad that I did.  I got my grocery shopping done as well, so I actually accomplished quite a bit.  Anyway, no big news to report, except that Baby Knight is doing well, and his heartbeat is REALLY strong.  Two weeks ago, I was applauded for only gaining 1 pound in a month!!  (Ben attributed this to my bike riding) Well, here it is two weeks later, and let's just say that I made up for it by gaining about 5 pounds in two weeks.  Go figure.  =)  Anyway, I am supposed to pre-register at the hospital sometime soon, and then at my next appointment (36 weeks) she will start checking me to see where I am and to get a better idea of the baby's position.  I am excited to meet this sweet one, and yet this week brought the panic that I always feel at some point, "Am I ready?"  And of course, "I'm not sure I am doing a good job with the ones I have, should I really be allowed to have another one??"  And oh yes, "If I am already getting up five times in the night with the various other children, how in the world will I be able to take care of a newborn all night as well???"  God is gracious.  He calms me, and reminds me that He is in control, and Baby Knight is going to come at just the right time.  And when he does, His grace will be sufficient to meet the needs of these ones He has given us.  Until then, we wait.  Well, we wait and do laundry and dishes, and cook, and clean, and do schoolwork, and ride bikes.... =)

Update on Noah...

Well, Noah had his surgery today!  We were so fortunate to have a church full of people praying for him.  They called us yesterday to inform us that they moved his surgery time from 12:45pm to 10:45am, which meant that we had to drop off Emma and Caleb with my mom at 5:30am.  (She was a trooper too!!)  But, Noah didn't complain or fuss at all, even when we handed him over and the nurse took him in for the surgery.  The surgery went just as planned, although he was not quite so happy when we went in to be with him post-op.  He pulled out his own IV, and after some gatorade, threw up.  He threw up some more on the car ride home, probably due to the anesthesia.  But all in all, he was such a trooper and he is almost back to normal.  Thanks for your prayers and concern... and we appreciate your continued prayers for his recovery, he is still kind of "uncomfortable."  

Jalama...

Well, I'm eight months pregnant... seems like a great time for camping!!!  I sometimes get these ideas into my head, but this one actually turned out really well.  We decided to go ahead and take a family camping trip up to Jalama State Beach.  Interestingly enough, the last time we went camping I was pregnant!!  Anyway, Jalama is a first-come, first-serve camp ground.  When we got there, it was already pretty full.  What a testimony as to how our God knows and cares about every detail!!  It was as if He himself picked our camp spot.  It was right next to the restroom, right across from the playground and the beach, and very close to the general store/restaurant.  It was a great time, and after our wonderful night, we decided to leave on the upside so that we can come back again soon.  Ben got in some surfing time, the kids and I finished reading Pollyanna, and we all slept in the big 'ol tent.  Good times.  Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Helping Daddy set up camp.  

Beautiful beach day!

Everyone has to help!

Proof that I was actually there.

Proud of Emma...

So, we started our "new" school year today... we actually never really stopped school, because it gives us the freedom to take days off as needed, especially with the new baby coming.  Anyway, we started all our new stuff today, including continuing on with what we had been doing.  The kids did a great job, and I am very proud of both of them and their work.  But the thing we just had to blog about (per husband's instructions)???

The etch-a-sketch.  Oh yeah, she rocked it...

One reason why I love homeschooling...

Just one of the many reasons I love homeschooling...

P.E., Art Appreciation, History, Bible and a bunch of other stuff covered in one half hour bike ride:

Look at the beauty of what our God made...

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament show His handiwork."  Psalm 19:1

Enjoying God's handiwork...the whole gang!

Secretly in my heart, I foolishly and pridefully thought how wonderful it was that being so pregnant (just over 9 weeks to go!) I could still ride my bike.  Well, after a flat tire incident on Caleb's bike, Ben was going to pull the boys with my bike and let me ride his bike.  Needless to say, my pride was defeated as I realized that no...I cannot ride a regular bike, but my "special" bike that lets me sit up more, with a big, cushy seat, is what allows me to ride with the belly.  But I am very thankful for my new bike, since I didn't have one.  Our friends have been so kind as to let us borrow a bike trailer until we can get one.

And this is Ben's new mountain bike, which he has been hoping for for quite a while.  We finally found a deal that was just right (65% off!!) and so he is enjoying his new bike as well.  

Company Picnic

Ben's work had a company picnic at a park here in Ojai.  We had a great time as a family, just hanging out and meeting some of the other employees.  We played some games (Emma and I did the three-legged race), ate some good food, and then the kids got to bat at a pinata.  Good fun.

Well, we didn't win...but we didn't FALL!!!  Yeah!

My Brother's Wedding

Evidently I have a lot of catching up to do!!  Here are a few pictures from my brother's wedding in San Diego.  We had such a great time, and then got to spend the next day at Sea World with the happy couple! 

Happy Couple-Mark and Nancy,    Ben and the kids

 My three brothers!

Surgery...

Noah's pediatrician had informed us that he might possibly need surgery (not a major surgery, but a surgery none-the-less).  Anyway, I had taken Noah to a urologist in Santa Barbara, but I was by myself, and I left feeling a lack of peace, and wishing that Ben had been with me to ask some more questions.  My mom suggested getting a second opinion, which I considered brilliant and wondered why I hadn't thought of it!!  Anyway, after searching and searching (there is not a pediatric urologist within 60 miles of here!), I found my way to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where they have a Minimally Invasive Urology Institute.  Then I found my way to the Pediatric Director of that Institute, who was a provider on our insurance!!!  I felt so much peace and comfort; I knew that God was providing and directing.  We made an appointment and saw him yesterday...Ben and I were both able to be there.  So, the bummer is that Noah does in fact need surgery.  But God's grace has sufficiently provided the comfort and peace that Ben and I needed to proceed confidently with his surgery.  Yeah!!  And, it is actually the Pediatric Director of this Urology Institute that will be performing the surgery, not to mention that they have 10 pediatric anesthesiologists on staff since this is what they do!!  All praise be to God, who has most certainly gone before us and worked out all these things on our behalf.  And, if you think of it, we would appreciate your prayers on September 16th...that's when Noah is having his surgery!

"Karma" in the Hester house

Okay, this actually happened a few months back, but I was telling my mom about it and she said that I had better blog about it...So, here goes.

Caleb is truly obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which brings me back to the days of being a kid, when my brother shared the same obsession.  Caleb hasn't seen any of the newer stuff, like TMNT or anything, but we did find some of the old cartoons which has only added to the obsession.  Anyway, in one of the cartoons, "Master Splinter" mentioned something about karma.  The minute I heard it, my stomach felt yucky as I began thinking about how I was going to talk to and explain that to a 4 and 5 year old.  

A few days later, the kids were playing Ninja Turtles, and I overhear Emma and Caleb:

Emma:  Come on Caleb, let's play "Car-math"

Caleb:  No, I don't really want to.

Emma:  Well, what about "Truck-math"?

Caleb:  Mom!!  Emma wants me to play "Car-math" and she wants me to add up all the cars.

"Mom, Look What I Can Do!"

I am constantly amazed at how fast kids learn.  The rate at which they change, grow and learn new things seems exponentially greater than my own.  The kids JUST learned how to ride their bikes. We have been loving our bike rides, going almost everyday.  Emma has been showing off her new tricks, like riding up and down driveways, riding through the field or on dirt, and the big deal...standing up and pedaling at the same time.  Caleb loves to ride off of curbs and go up and down driveways.  I keep telling them that practicing tricks is really something they should do with Daddy (since I can't really bear to watch!)  For tonight's ride, Ben had Caleb wear his shin guards, his elbow pads, and knee pads.  I know, a picture would have been great.  Sorry.  But anyway, he was flying down our street (which is a good hill) towards our driveway, and looked like he was going to hit the trash can (which he avoided) and then maybe Ben's car (which he also managed to avoid!)  But as he flew up the driveway and onto the sidewalk, he finally lost control of the bike and fell onto the sidewalk.  All of his pads saved him some good scrapes...and he stood up and said, "Well, that's ONE way to get up here!"  He makes me laugh.

A Little Competition...

Since Emma has been delighting in riding her bike without training wheels, Caleb decided that he must be able to do it also!  And so he is...we had been wanting to get Caleb a bigger bike for some time.  We found a bike on Craigslist, and went to check it out, but it wasn't right for him.  So, we went down to the thrift stores in Ventura, and found him a bike for $7!!  Yeah!  So, he is enjoying his new "big bike" without training wheels, and although he acquired many scrapes and bruises, he made the 2 mile ride from our house to Grandma and Grandpa's.  

Massage...

We had quite a busy day!  Emma and I did a 3 mile bike ride (I pulled Noah in the trailer) this morning.  Then, I took Emma, Caleb, and their cousin Ethan to the park to play.  After "quiet rest" time this afternoon, the kids went swimming.  It was a full-of-activity day.  So, this evening, Noah was playing with two of his cars and decided to run them up and down my back.  He thought this was hilarious, but I thought to myself, "Hey, that doesn't feel half bad!"  So, Caleb went and got some cars too and the two of them had a grand time driving them all over my back.  So hey, it wasn't exactly a spa day or anything, but those monster trucks certainly weren't too bad.  =)  And people wonder if I am sad that we're having another boy!  Are you kidding?  I might need some more of these massages...they're the only ones I get!

Interesting Article

I think everyone has probably felt the increase in the cost of groceries and gas lately.  This was an interesting article on msn about a woman who fed her family of four on almost $100 for the week.  It is always a juggle, trying to balance out the cost of food, the nutritional value of what you buy, and the time it takes to prepare things.  I have found that I can save myself money, and then I usually have to make up for it in time.  But, fortunately, that is a trade off that we can and many times have to make.  Christine was so kind as to share some of her organic produce with me, which I immediately put to work on some yummy veggie kabobs.  This week I have also made whole-wheat banana carrot bread, bran muffins (with flax, crushed pineapple, and carrot), homemade granola, and hopefully some whole wheat bread.  Of course, I was so tired and overwhelmed by all my dishes that I did actually lay down on my daughter's bedroom floor this morning for 10 minutes.  But that's a whole different story.

Anyway, I have also found that I save my money by supplementing my regular grocery items (from Trader Joe's) with items from 99 cents only, Big Lots, or Target.  One week I actually got my grocery bill down to $115 (for five of us, and one is preggo, mind you!!), but I did fill in with some items from the other stores.  Often times, 99 cents only or Big Lots will have organic or all natural products.  Anyway, I am posting a link to this interesting article...but I thought all of us bloggers could share our own money saving, healthy eating tips.  So, how are you coping with the rising cost of groceries, and how do you save money?? 

P.S.  If you want any of the the aforementioned recipes, just let me know.

P.S.S. In the midst of typing this post, I can't find the article on msn that I was reading, so I can't post a link to it.  But, we could probably come up with better ideas anyway. =)

To the Crazy Pregnant Lady Running on the Bike Path in Pantyhose...

Oh wait, that was me.  Let me back track, and explain, and then I will get on to the star of my story.  So, about a month ago, we got up from watching a movie to put the kids to bed, and I couldn't walk or bear any weight on my left leg.  They ended up doing an ultrasound on my leg and found that I have a blood clot.  This is not DVT (or, a blood clot in a deep vein, which would probably mean hospitalization).  Luckily, it is a more superficial vein, so I just have to be careful not to stand too long, sit too long, and I have to wear compression pantyhose.  But, given the alternatives, I think I got it pretty good.

Anyway, so Emma has been practicing riding her bike without training wheels in our backyard.  There's not much room, so she rides one way, then has to stop, turn her bike around, and ride the other way.  She has been counting down the days until Daddy got off work so that we could do a real ride on the bike bath.  So, not knowing how it would go, Daddy and Emma went ahead, and Caleb was on his bike with his training wheels (he has been working on it too!), and I was with him pushing Noah in the jogger.  Well, Emma just took off.  She did a little over 2 miles, with Daddy RUNNING as fast as he could to keep up.  Caleb is already pretty fast, so I ran with him for, let's say 1/4 mile or so, before I had to stop and ask him to slow down.  I know that walking is really good for my leg, but with the running, I could feel all the pressure in my vein and I thought maybe slowing down would be a good idea.

Ben and I decided that we are going to have to invest or borrow a bike trailer because we are really past the point of trying to keep up with children on bikes!!

But the point is, Emma did her first bike path ride without training wheels.  And I know it is cliche and people tell you this all the time, but man...it sure is going way too fast.  

Fun in a Box...

Okay, now this box of fun did not contain a thing one or a thing two (Dr. Seuss, people!)...and it did cost a bit of money, but has already paid for itself in smiles, laughter, and all around fun.

We had this spot of gravel in the back yard, which I didn't like because 1) gravel ended up all over the concrete, and 2) it was wasted space in our yard.  So, we got one of those 12 ft. round pools and it covers the area perfectly.  Not only is the gravel contained, but the space is no longer wasted.  Now that's cool.

Been Busy...

I haven't had time to post!  It's crazy, I know, but it seems like time just flies by sometimes.  The only reason I am blogging now is because it's 12:30am and I can't sleep.  So real quick, here's some pictures of some really fun things we've been doing recently:

Beach Day with Cousins:

Surfer Girl:

We had a cowboy dinner at our church...and leave it to my kids to bring the guns.  But, we all had a really great time:

Caleb, asleep while eating dinner:

The Three Big Kids:

The Boys:

Busy, Busy...

So, we just got back from four nights in Las Vegas, which I hope to share more about, including pictures.  We have some friends who live out there, and their little girl turned five.  It was a great time, getting to visit them, and the kids got to play.  We stayed at Excalibur, the hotel which looks like a castle.  Needless to say, the kids were enamored and they loved it.  We took them to the "Tournament of the Kings" dinner show and we ended up in the front row!!  One of the horses even kicked up some dirt into my soda.   

Anyway, I do hope to share some more about that soon...but for now, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are having a baby boy.  Emma took the news a bit rough, but she seems to have gotten over it, and we have consoled her by saying that she can be very helpful with Auntie Kelly's baby (which is a girl!)  So there you have it...more to come soon.  Oh yes, and they were VERY sure it is a boy.  He wouldn't show much of his face, but he made it very clear that he is indeed male.