Joining the ranks.

Since we found out that we will be here in Cleveland for 3 more years we decided it was time to join the ranks and become a homeowner. I think it is time as we have been married for 8 years now. I feel like such a grown-up now. It took a little convincing for Colin but I managed to convince him that it would be a good idea. We began looking earlier in the month and looked at about 10 houses. The market is so much in our favor but some homes we looked at needed so much updating and attention that I just think we would be biting off much more than we could chew. I think that being tired and so pregnant actually helped me be more realistic. Out of the homes we looked at we found one we liked with an updated/ newer kitchen, carpet (oh, how we have missed carpet), a media room wired for surround sound and a flat panel (we can dream right), and part of the basement is finished for a playroom. The walls are all dark, real wood paneling so we will be painting. We will be downsizing a few hundred square feet but we have a lot of unused space currently. We will certainly miss having a master bath! The kitchen needs a new color of paint to keep me happy, as well as the dining room and the celings. I have ideas to paint the kids' rooms. We will want to update the bathroom in a year or two and we really want to fence the yard next spring/summer. Colin took some pictures with his phone and even though they are a bit fuzzy you get the idea.

Front Yard/ view from street
Back Yard/ view from side road

Kitchen, it is very terra cotta in color. I really

have the pregnancy glow in this picuture

don't I?

Living Room

Dining room/ view from living room

the yellow room in the back is the media room

This will be Cole's room

Jack and Mia's room

Full bathroom upstairs. Needs a make-over

but that little boy is sure perfect!

Our room which is painted a green color that I

really like

Ah, the playroom with some fantasic wood paneling

just dying to be painted! We get to keep the

couch. Nice eh?

Today we went and picked out a range and fridge which was quite fun. Colin found a steal on a lawn mower and a trimmer/edger. We close next week and are looking forward to family coming to town to help us out with our move. Thank you Matt, Crystal, and Valerie. If you are free Saturday the 2nd we would love to see anyone else here too. Let's pray the baby doesn't come too early. I need to get unpacked before he gets here but man, I am getting so tired of being pregnant!!

Baby Update

Well I wish I had some exciting baby news to blog about but my appointment only proved that the baby is head down which I already knew. My doctor said he would be around 7 pounds. I will be surprised if he is much more than that. Thankfully I just have small babies! Over the next few weeks I hope I dilate then he will enduce me about August 14th. He will check me again in 2 weeks but I will see him weekly. I am certainly hoping that in two weeks I am at least a 3 and somewhat effaced like I was with Jack. Time will tell.

Update - Sharing a room

The first week went really well! Jack and Mia were fine every night pretty much. If Jack gets a nap though he's out of bed constantly. This picture is from one of those nights. He would NOT stay in bed and was bothersome to Mia. Colin let Mia go to our bed, she was VERY tired. Well when Jack knew she was in there he wanted to go too. So here you have it. At least they both went to sleep and I just had to move them to their beds. Last night however wasn't so pleasant. Jack woke up at about 10pm and again wouldn't stay in his bed. I don't remember what time it was but he was upside down trying to sleep on my legs when I finally moved him back to his bed. Mia was in our room twice. At 4am I went and laid by her. We woke up at 8am. I am beginning to rethink Cole and Mia sharing a room and putting Jack back in the crib. He was telling me last night that it is baby Cole's crib so I don't think that is a very good idea.

I had another doctor appointment today and my blood pressure was normal again and I had only trace protein in my urine. The swelling has gone down a bit. I have my next appointment in 2 weeks. I will be asking how he feels about inducing if I have progressed at all. With Jack I was dilated to 3cm and 70% effaced two weeks before he was due so I was induced a week early. Colin needs to let work know when he needs time off. I told him his guess was as good as mine. I would really like the baby to come about the 13th. We shall see. Since I have been induced with both kids I am nervous about going into labor on my own. I prefer a more controlled approach.

Colin had the day off of work and it was a great day to take the kids to the pool. Mia has really taken off and pretty much taught herself to swim.
Jackson thinks he was born to be a fish and scares the lifeguards to death with his version of how to swim. I have learned that as long as he can touch he is okay. It took some time for me to get used to it and I have to really watch him.
They both do a great version of a belly flop but we couldn't get Jack to do it.

Sweet Dreams Mia and Jack

Well we did it! Before July 1st we managed to put Mia and Jack in the same room to begin the adjustment. Mia was not very happy about loosing her room to the baby. I am going to try and do something for each side the the room to make it more their own. It will just take some time. I was thinking some decals and paint, something easy but not ghetto. They both slept through the night and Jack was proud of himself that he stayed in his "toddle bed." He started sleeping in it about a week ago and is doing very well! He was a bit upset to see "his" crib in Mia's old room and proceeded to tell me that it was his bed and he wanted to get in it. I did convince him that he was a big boy now, something he is in to the past month, and that a crib was for a baby. He agreed I guess and is okay with it. Amanda, thank you so very much for keeping my kids for so long. It was so nice not to have them as a distraction!!

On another note, I went to the doctor yesterday and my blood pressure was a bit elevated and there was 1+ protein in my urine. I have had a bit of swelling in my hands and feet the past week. My doctor did an internal exam and he said everything was as it should be. He is going out of town in two weeks so he wanted me to come back again in just a week. I am not that worried about it at this point. We will see how next week goes. It seems a little strange to be getting this with my 3rd baby never having it with either of the first two. All things aside, maybe Cole will come a few weeks early, maybe just one.

And the name is...

Cole Wright Croshaw. I really made up my mind when Becky left her comment about using my maiden name and how she wanted to use Croshaw as a middle name for her next boy. I wasn't sure how I would really like but after seeing it typed I really like the way it looks and sounds. My brother's wives are both expecting boys this year also as well as Colin's brother's wife. That sentence sounds strange but it is almost 11pm.

Oh I can't wait to have this little guy!! I really am so tired most of the time and I can't hardly bear to pick up the clutter because that involves bending so the playroom is a bit deep right now. I am nesting a bit but I really want to paint some furniture first and then get things moved around before I wash baby things. I feel like time might be getting away though. Colin has Monday off so I am hoping to get him to work on it with me. I suppose if he would just watch the kids it could be a few hours of alone time for me if the weather is nice enough.

I swell a bit at the end of pregnancy anyway but with the heat it is worse. I haven't worn my wedding ring in weeks and feel naked without it. My feet arethe most uncomfortable and I really have to watch my salt intake. By the end of the day they feel 900 degrees and are fat. I know, elevate, elevate, elevate. My joints are getting stiff in my hands and hips. Cole is head down, I think, and loves to kick my ribs. It is just a great feeling to feel his little life inside me. I asked Colin if he ever wanted to be the one with the baby in his belly and he said I wouldn't love him as much but I am pretty dang sure I would. If only he could do it for the last 2 months.

Well now the rambling is beginning to get crazy!

Answered Prayers

We are so thankful that an answer to all our prayers has come!! Colin was offered an ER residency at the hospital he currently works at. A year ago I had the impression that an opportunity would be presented to us. Over the past few weeks I have been reminded of that and have thought that this would be a good time for it to be revealed. Always, when you least expect it the Lord gives you your opportunity and now we have ours. Of course there were times when we thought it might not happen and wondered what we would do. We are just so grateful!!

What? They didn't want us!

I am sorry to say that the Michigan program did not offer us the radiology spot we so desperatly wanted! AAHHhhhhhh, what does the Lord want us to be doing? The age old question. He must have something sneaky in store for us, I just have to keep telling myself that. Thank you all for your prayers and support and please, keep them coming. Colin is looking into a few programs here but not in radiology. We just want to go and do what is right for our family. I can now stop wondering if I should get packing or not.

I only talked to Colin for a moment about it on the phone after he found out so I am sure he is not feeling well mentally about it. I am not sure how I am either but we prayed and prayed that we would be able to accept the will of the Lord now we will be put to the test. I still know that I have so much to be thankful for and He will make it work. Allright, enough said.

Father's Day Weekend

A bit of the activities we did over the weekend with and without Daddy. I guess I am really the lucky one who gets to participate in all the events while Colin has to work or while the kids are at the babysitters. I do feel very blessed to be a wife and mom of such a great man and such wonderful kids.

Fun in the hot summer sun!

We have really been enjoying the hot weather lately. We went to the pool today for a few hours. I was exhausted and I think the kids are too. One day I was particularly tired and while the kids watched a movie I went upstairs to take a short nap. Mia wakes me when it's over and I only do it if I am desperatly tired. I seem to be tired more so as of late. I slept just about 45 minutes when Colin called and I headed down stairs and this is what I saw. Mia said that Jack kept falling asleep and she kept trying to keep him awake, I can see that now. At some point he fell over and landed in her lap. It was very sweet!