9 Months...

For 9 months, I felt her kick, hiccup, jolt, etc...the time was finally here :)



I was dialated to a 2 and my doctor scheduled my induction at St. Clair Hospital. I checked in at 7:00am on May 13. My nurse, Nicole was wonderful!! They started the drip and it wasn't very long before I started to feel the first few contractions. I held out as long as I thought I could and then asked for the epidural. They checked me and I was dialated to a 4. I think the epidural (though I have gotten them through the other 5 kids as well) was the most painful part of the birth. Do they have any idea how hard they press with their finger on your back looking for where to stick that needle?! The bruise that I still have almost 2 weeks later I do not believe came from the shot, but from his pressing finger! After the epidural kicked in (which took awhile) they brought in the doctor to see about breaking my water. Little did they know that my water had already broken and I shot to a 10. Her head was already showing!! The doctor said, "Do not laugh, cough or sneeze, she will fly right out of there!" I said, "Just tell me when to push" They pulled my legs up into the stirrups and told me to hold my knees. When I grabbed my knees, our fiesty little daughter pushed herself out. No pushing involved from me during this birth at all!! My nurse was supposed to clock out at 12:00pm, but would not leave until she saw this baby!



Matlyn Gianna King-8 lbs 6 oz, 20 inches long was born on May 13, 2010 at 1:04pm, one of the fastest deliveries I have ever had. Oh, if they had all been this way!

This hospital was unbelievable! I gave birth in the room which I would be staying in so I did not have to move (this is how it was at UHC when I had Cameron and Genin, but Washington hospital, I was in 3 seperate rooms for everything) The room was double the size of my room at Washington Hospital, plenty of room for my crew to come and visit their new baby sister :) There was an old skool radio in my room that Greg was constantly turning on..




and a pedal operated sink which my kids thought was amazing



They had a nice food center for the patients on our floor, in case we got hungry during the night. I can't forget to mention how wonderful the cafeteria is. It was like going to a gourmet restaurant, Greg loved it! My meals were delicious!

It was a very quiet stay, but Greg was with me the whole time :)

The nursery offered to take the baby quite a few times through the night so I could rest. I finally gave in the second night, but then asked for her back. I have had kids with me morning and night for the past 12 years...I didn't know what to do without one with me during that time. Couldn't sleep if I tried!

A wonderful pregnancy, labor and delivery of our beautiful little girl...I couldn't ask for anything more :)

Blogs...I am slightly behind

In the midst of the being super busy over the last few weeks, we added a new baby girl to our evergrowing brood. Here is a glance at the weeks of May 3-16:

My MOPS group had our annual Mother's Day Brunch. I took 2 of my good friends with me to enjoy the meeting. I am hoping they liked it enough to join with me next year. MOPS has been such a good group to me over the last 10 years that I have been involved. They are a great group of fellow mothers who are all going through the same ordeals that you are. I would love to introduce more mothers to MOPS. If anyone reading this is interested, I can fill you in, just ask!

Kaplyn lost another front tooth. She now has a nice double hole in her mouth. She thinks it is hilarious the way that she can stick a straw through the hole when she drinks :)

The Beth-Center Annual Make-a-Wish Fun Run was held again this year. I didn't walk like in the past (too close to due date) I did do the 2nd pick up the pop tabs in the school for the Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab program. Mrs. Hager's Kindergarten class did a wonderful job with a large weight of tabs. The Brownsville McDonalds will be providing our Happy Meal Party as they have in the past few years. Be sure to support the Brownsville McDonalds as they do us every year! Mrs. Mazzaferri's 2nd grade class came in at runner-up and will receive dessert.



Had my baby appointment on May 5 and was told that I still had to wait to be induced...oh I was so tired...certainly ready to greet our little girl.

My little sister Gina had her 2nd wedding for us to attend since we missed her Disney Wedding. She was just as beautiful at this one as I have seen in the pics of the first one. The new "Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer had their first cookout as a couple following the wedding. It was held at Nutter Fort Park and involved a roasted pig, pinata, tasty desserts and giveaways! It was sooo much fun :)


The kids missed their Saturday soccer games due to the wedding, but did make it to the U12 soccer game against Bentworth. Genin scored his first goal this year for U12. He was pretty stoked!!

Dislikes of the Week

The Fun Run Shirts...hello!! We look like glo-worms!!

Onto the next week....

May 12 came the baby appointment I had been waiting for! Dr. Lenart set up an induction for the next day, May 13. Our little Matlyn Gianna was born at 1:04pm. I will write a seperate blog for this exciting event!

Likes of the Week

Bang for the Buck TV Show-this show takes 3 seperate houses of rooms such as 3 different kitchens. The owners all used the same amount of money and you get to see who got the biggest bang for their buck. I watched this a few times during my stay at the hospital...loved it!

Field Trips!!

Genin had his field trip to Pittsburgh which I had to miss :( He had a great time visiting the Duquesne Incline, Just Ducky Tours and the History Museum. I loved this field trip when I went with Cameron, wish I could have attended this one with Genin...oh well, next year!

Life is Soccer..the rest is just details........

We had a weekend of soccer once again. Kaplyn had her U7 Tournament. They made it to 3rd place! Sadly, there is only a trophy or medal for 1st and 2nd...they are still #1to me!

Genin played at Bentworth against Bentworth. The team did great as always and Genin scored 2 goals :)

U12 game was at Monongahela. Cameron played like he never had before. I was so proud of the way he was running right around and through people, speeding up the sidelines, he even made a goal which is his first one for this year :) It is tougher at this level so as a mother, I am beaming with pride!

Will try to stay on top of my blogs the best I can until things get back to normal around here....until then!

I got to see my sister get married...finally!!

My sister Gina and new brother-in-law Martin had their 2nd wedding for the relatives who could not attend the Disney wedding. I am so glad she did this because I really felt left out missing the 1st one. I so badly wanted to see her in person in her wedding gown!! They were both gorgeous!




Afterward, they had their very first very first cookout as a married couple. Her father-in-law somehow managed to talk them into a pig roast and it was delicious!



There was so much good food! Martin has a huge family so there was quite a crowd at the park. Gina thought of everything too! She had 3 giveaways for all the mothers since it was Mother's Day weekend and even had a Mickey Mouse (still with her theme) pinata for the kids. All the kids had a ball grabbing candy...




..and when they weren't playing with each other in the park, they found other ways to amuse themselves...like playing with the ice in the beer cooler!



I am so happy to welcome Martin into our family...I couldn't have asked for a more awesome brother-in-law :) Congrats again Gina and Martin! I wish you a fairytale life together!

Week in Review-Strawberries, Consignment Shops & Pizza!

Time for the Week in Review-April 25-May 2.

This week in school news: Kaplyn finished up her Achievement tests this week. I'm sure she did just as great as she does on her regular school work. The kids had their last day of AR points for the school year. I am so proud of their AR progress this year. All of the kids made their goal for each month receiving their book-it for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut each month. They also got points towards AR prizes which they will receive in the next month. Good job kids! The school decided to do a different fundraiser this month, flower bulbs! I love this fundraiser! Who doesn't need or want flowers for the spring?! I am so excited to get what I ordered!

On the baby front!

I went to my OB appointment on Wednesday, everything is coming along. Baby is in position, we just hope to meet her really soon! I got out the basinette, tub, boppy pillows, etc...and got everything scrubbed down. We bought a "pink" infant car seat...yay pink! 0-3 and 3-6 month clothing have all been washed and put away...it is so good to see dresses and pastel colors in that size for a change, it has definitely been awhile! I am slowly, but surely packing my hospital bag. Still have to buy birth announcements. I went to the Dollar Tree yesterday and I personally thought they cost a fortune, pack of 4 for $1. I have always gotten 8 for $1...

In Sports!

Genin played California in Finleyville this past Saturday. The team did great! Genin scored 2 goals and had 1 assist!



Kaplyn is doing very well. Still stands off a little, but is learning to get out there more. She really enjoys soccer! The U12 game was cancelled on Sunday due to rain. Both Genin and Kaplyn will miss their games this Saturday. Their Aunt Gina will be having her 2nd wedding in Clarksburg for all those who couldn't attend the Disney Wedding...pregnant me...sigh...Cameron & Genin will play at home on Sunday. Our family enjoyed a soccer picnic at the coaches house on Friday. The parents socialized while the boys played football and capture the flag (still unsure what that game is about) The kielbasa was awesome and I was starved of course! My good friend Jill made the best potato salad I have ever eaten and I downed about 8 of my own deviled eggs. Cameron made my famous pepperoni cheese ball for the first time and was very proud of himself! I hope that we will do these get togethers more often ;)

Reiner's actual birthday was on April 28 so we had his birthday dinner with just us (he had his friend/extended party at the PA Trolley Museum last Sunday) He chose his own dinner-chicken nuggets, french fries and corn. How easy is he? I asked him what he wanted for dessert and he said, "I like strawberries and cake", well, strawberry cake it is then!



Lost and Found

Do we ever have a week without losing something?!

Lost: Old Navy Teal Shoe size 7 1/2, belonging to Dede, last seen with its mate by the front door.


What we love about this week!!!

Reiner has finally started enjoying baths. It was usually a fight to get him in and an even bigger fight to get him cleaned off. I am happy to announce that he is now getting in, washing himself (with a little help from me) and getting out without whining..yahoo!

Having yummy Pampered Chef food! I haven't been to one of these parties in a while. We had seasoned pork and an awesome salad that I plan on duplicating very soon!

Consignment Shops!! I went to 2 old favorites and found a new one this week. These always satisfy my cravings until yard sale season :)

More of the week:

I have been going back and forth between chores this week. I have been spring cleaning, cleaning out my 4 car garage and pricing yard sale stuff. I am a definite multi tasker. Greg hates that about me...to him it just looks like a mess, but to me it is very organized. I love how it feels when I get everything finished and all at one time because of the way I choose to do it.


Question of the week? Why do my kids towels smell like corn chips?!

When they come out of the wash they smell wonderful...must be the cabinet they are stored in. Reiner told me that he didn't want to use a towel because they smelled...he told me he would let the air dry his naked body.

Next weeks news!!

Hopefully we will hear of some inducing soon..hint, hint...until next week!

Reiner's 4th Birthday at the PA Trolley Museum

Reiner celebrated his 4th birthday at the PA Trolley Museum last Sunday and we had an awesome time! Greg thought that it would be easier for me to let them do it rather than myself since I am down to the final weeks of my pregnancy.

Within a week of the party, we got a postcard from "The Conductor" telling Reiner how excited he was to be meeting him in a few days. Reiner was so excited to get mail!

The day of the party, we added our own railroad decorations to the party room (if it wouldn't have been overcast, we would have had a choice to have it at the picnic area outside)

Reiner dressed in his engineer outfit:



I made cupcakes which I lined up so I was able to create a track with a train on top.










After all the guests arrived, we waited on the platform for Reiner's own personal birthday trolley:





Boy, was he excited when he saw his name across the top of the trolley and his age (4X) in the window:








Others were amazed as well!





We went for a ride and learned all about trollies and trains, then Mr. Conductor handed Reiner a package sent especially to him!











It did start to storm so we had to cut the trip short and went back for cake and presents:






We went back on the trolley after the lightning quit which was perfect for photos!












Reiner even got to steer the trolley!






We took a final pic back at the platform with all the kids:








Mr. Conductor presented me with Reiner's name banner from the trolley:





So much fun!! I have a feeling Reiner will always remember this party :) I would recommend this idea to any train fanatic!

10 Ways that My Kitchen Tells You I Have 5 Kids...

While spring cleaning the kitchen, I have come up with 10 ways that the kitchen tells me that I have 5 kids:

1. My dishwasher has to be wiped out every day from the food the kids failed to wash off the dishes when they put them in.

2. There is always a wet spot on the floor somewhere from kool-aid, milk or water.

3. Though I only have 5 kids, there is at least 10-12 plastic cups sitting around filled with liquid every day.

4. The water dispenser grate in the refrigerator is always full even though I have explained to them more than once that it isn't a drain!

5. There is no such thing as a clean throw rug in a kitchen.

6. You will find some sort of cereal piece stuck to a counter somewhere...

7. Having a child height cabinet with organized canned food is just worthless...

8. Amazing how many twist ties you find in the bread drawer that never actually end up on a loaf of bread.

9. No matter how many times you rant and rave about there being a garbage disposal only on the left side of the sink, the kids still throw their bowls of food into the right side for me to have to clean out...that is unless they put them in the dishwasher in which case I get to clean the food out of there!

10. Make sure you have cats if you have this many kids! Knock on wood...I have never had a mouse run across my kitchen floor though my kids drop a little of everything they eat all over the place!

Week in Review...Earth, French and Trolley Cars

Time for the week in review!

We started out the week with Cameron getting injured last week in a soccer game. He was kicked in the stomach and then kicked in the head directly after. The game didn't stop and he had to ask to sit down. Soon after, he vomited over the fence. We took him to MedExpress and they informed us that his head and chest appeared to be fine, but he had to be watched for the following 6 years hours for changes in behavior. He continued to get sick over the next few days, but never had a change in his behavior. I am starting to think that he coincidentally had gotten a virus at the same time and that must have caused his illness. Thank goodness it wasn't a physical injury...it is so scary to be a mom sometimes...

I cleaned out our Yukon XL and boy was that a chore! Between the tornado I call my 5 kids that hit the inside of my car and my huge belly, it took me 2 hours to get it all cleaned out..even had to break out the big guns with the shopvac instead of a regular vacuum! Happy to report it is all clean and ready to bring home our new baby in a few weeks :)

Speaking of which, my OB appointment went great! I met the last of the 6 doctors in the practice and this one is rated in my top 3 of fav doctors :)

I finished spring cleaning the kitchen (all except sweeping and mopping) Such a long process in the kitchen having to clean appliances and everything. Between regular spring cleaning and "nesting", it took me longer than usual. Ever gotten obsessed with an electrical can opener and a toothbrush?! That appliance will never in its lifetime be cleaner!

I have been snipping boxtops and campbell's labels all week in preparation to send in for our school. I always feel so proud when we receive those nice checks and points for all of our hard work. What a great school fundraiser!

The kids and I did our 2nd Annual Earth Day Walk this week. We walk along our road and pick up all litter along the edges of the road. We ended up with 2 garbage bags of litter and 1 bag of metal and aluminum :)

New Loves

Nutty Bars! I have been scarfing these down left and right! Good thing my pregnancy is almost over or I would have a rear end issue much bigger than I already have!

Pawn Stars on History Channel...I have been watching this here and there, but really got interested in it this week. Such an awesome show...if you haven't watched it yet, tune in. Not only do you see the most unique items come into the pawn shop, but you also get a history behind a lot of the items.

Continuing the week...

Who doesn't love a clogged toilet?! I have been trying for a week now to get one of our toilets unclogged. Not sure what is in there; wipes, roll of toilet paper, bath toy...we hope to get this cleared up soon...literally!

I tried 3 brand new recipes this week. They all turned out delicious! If you would like the recipe, be sure to check out my former blogs...

Lost and Found

Found: Set of Cubic Zirconia Stud Earrings belonging to Kaplyn. Found behind the sugar canister?!

Lost: 3 DS games that Genin told Kaplyn she was not allowed to use.

Found: 3 DS games belonging to Genin in Kaplyn's purse.

More week...

Kaplyn played on the cursed BC Field B this past Saturday. I call it cursed because I don't believe any of our kids have won a game on this field. When it rains, it becomes the most mudbogged field of all the fields. I honestly do not even want my kids going home with me after one of these games without them sporting my new fashion...the trash bag dress! Hey, we have cloth seats!!

Genin played at BC as well and tied! Genin scored 2 goals. Sadly, I missed both games. It was raining and cold, my 2 youngest were still sleeping and I didn't want to take them out in that. Roaring and ready for this weekends games!

Something Old and Something New!!!

I sold a purse on ebay this week and got to go back to my old school days of foreign language! 15 years later, it is all new to me again. A french man decided to ask me a question entirely in french to which I got to respond Who said I would never use a foreign language?!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Reiner had his 4th birthday trolley party this weekend...this will get it's own blog. What an exciting day!!

See you next week...and maybe a few blogs between :)