The Pruett Place: Last Week before Claire/First week of Pre- School

We have had a big week this past week! Pre-School started, Gymnastics started, and this was our last week as a family of four. Due to my condition of cholestasis my doctor thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and induce me this Monday, Sept. 10. I will be considered 38 weeks pregnant and Claire seems to be healthy, so we all feel it will be for the best. I have had weekly stress tests and also blood work drawn frequently to test my bile salts and liver. My bile salts have come back normal which is a great thing! However, that does not mean that I do not have cholestasis. Due to my symptoms and the fact that my blood work did show I had it with Kate, my doctor is confident that I have it again. There is no other explanation for my intense itching every single night keeping me awake for hours on end. I was induced at about 40 weeks with both Kate and Carly, so I am fine with being induced tomorrow. It is a crazy thing having a date on the calendar. One blessing for being induced is having family here and getting things ready for a baby to come home. However, at the same time it can make me kind of crazy just knowing if we have things ready enough. Have I done enough fun things with the girls this week? Have I prepared them enough? Have I washed and cleaned enough? Have I forgotten anything?

I have realized that I have done enough and everything else will work itself out. I have come to peace with that. At the same time, I have a wide variety of emotions. I am ready to not be itching anymore and to know that Claire and me are safe and healthy. Goodness, here I am at 3:00 am, the night before I am being induced awake in bed and unable to sleep due to the intense itching! I am ready to see Claire's face and to hold her and watch the girls with her. At the same time, I am sad to know that I will not ever experience this again. We have not done anything permanent yet, but we do not have plans to have any more children. I also will never again experience being pregnant with Kamara. It brings me great joy to see how God has worked in our lives and where we have come from a year ago. Aunt Sandra died a year ago today(Sept. 9) and this also started the very difficult time of year for the Cox family. Ryleigh was hospitalized for the first time last year the week of Aunt Sandra's funeral. Then, in October 2011 Kamara and Rod found out that Marabeth would most likely not survive her whole pregnancy. It was a whirlwind of a Fall in 2011. And yet, I always knew that God would bless us again with healthy babies and being pregnant together. God has shown me once again how much he loves me and how much he has blessed our family. Here we are pregnant together and 3 months apart in our due dates. This journey has been so amazing that I feel a sense of joy and sadness that the pregnancy journey together will end tomorrow. I know it is time though, so I am ready and thankful. I really wanted this past week to be a special, fun week for me and the girls. We had a great time as a family of four and I now look forward to our family of five!

The girls playing together and being sweet sisters!

Kate going to meet her Pre-K teachers: Ms. Dina and Ms. Robyn, who are also dear friends to me.

We went to the Frisco Commons on Labor Day with Kamara, Ryleigh and Aubrey. It was hot, but a lot of fun!

They loved playing on the playground and then going to the Splash Park.

I love this picture of Ryleigh and Carly, so sweet!

Another sweet one! When we left Frisco Commons that day Carly said " I miss Ryleigh."

We also decided to take this opportunity to let the girls get ice cream from the ice cream truck for the very first time! I loved watching their excitement as they got to choose whatever ice cream they wanted.

Eating their ice cream on their towels. They also loved sharing with each other. It was perfect because they could wash off their sticky ice cream bodies in the water from the Splash Park when they were finished.

Kate's first day of Pre-K. She was so excited! The teachers asked the students to bring in a stuffed animal for the Safari Hunt that they were going to go on on at school.

Carly wanted to be in some pictures, too. Even though Carly is not starting school yet, she still wanted to be part of this exciting day. I kept telling her "You get to be with Mommy all day!" It was weird to also think about how the next time we went to Preschool would be with Claire. So, I really wanted to enjoy my time with just Carly since I knew I wouldn't ever have that again.

She is ready to go into school!

She found her spot and is ready to start her day.

Having some fun outside together.

On Wednesday, I took the girls to Safari Park in Plano. We had been once before so they were really excited! It was also nice because there was hardly anybody there and they were able to do whatever they wanted.

The train

Carly breaking the rules and standing.

When Carly went up to this she said "It is eating my head!" She cracks us up!

Kate riding the robotic Zebra. Carly was sitting on the bench ready to have her turn next, and then abruptly changed her mind when she heard these animals making noises. She jumped off the bench and ran over to me crying. No animals for Carly, but she still had fun watching.

Wednesday night Kate had her first Gymnastics class ever! She was talking about it all day long!

The four girls playing in our backyard and eating ice cream. Life does not get any better!

Love this picture!

I went to Chili's with just Carly and ate with Ryleigh, Aubrey and Kamara on Thursday. Our girls love chips, queso and ranch and so does their Mamas!

Kamara and Ryleigh

Carly and Aubrey were being so silly and having so much fun!

I painted the girl's nails on Friday. They each got to choose which color they wanted. They both love having their nails painted!

My sisters and Mom had a special night planned for me to celebrate Claire coming on Friday night. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory at the Frisco mall and then went to see the movie Hope Springs. It is so rare that we get to spend time together just girls without the rest of our family. It was such a special treat. I loved just being able to laugh and talk with my sisters and Mom. They gave me some beautiful presents and we ate delicious food! You cannot go wrong at the Cheesecake Factory. Here is my Mom, Lori and Kamara.

Me, Keari and Sheri

We of course had to end our meal with cheesecake. We got three different slices and shared all of them.

Me and Keari

All of us together

I loved seeing Claire's name on all the precious gifts!

Yesterday, we went to the park in our neighborhood.

Carly just recently started going up this curvy ladder. She was so proud of herself.

Our good friends, the Hughes, came over to see us for a little bit, too. Harper and Carly playing together.

Kate and Harper tickling and laughing together in the grass.

Then, Saturday night we went to Babes in Carrollton to celebrate my Mom's birthday on Sept. 8.

My Mom was a great sport and did the chicken dance for being the birthday girl.

Carly came up with a creative idea for how to eat her biscuit.

Some of the cousins together: Kate, Cale, Ian and Ellee

All the grandkids together with the birthday girl.

My wonderful parents

To top off the week, my nephew Jaydan wanted to get baptized today. He wanted my Dad and his Dad to baptize him together in Lake Grapevine. I am so proud of him! What a wonderful memory.