His first bath 

Thomas and his bink 

Emma building 

Emma at school 

Update: Thomas and I came home from the hospital late Sunday night and all is well. We went back to the doctor on Monday morning just to make sure his numbers were still coming back down and indeed they are. Thank you all so much for your notes and e-mails of encouragement. This was a rough time for me, I guess hormones and all. But he is well, thank the Lord.

Other news: We continue to adjust to having five children. It really hasn't been too big of an adjustment. The kids are fantastic with Thomas..they really adore him. I was worried about how Sydney in particular would adjust but for the most part she just ignores him. She does tend to be a little rough when trying to love on him, but that's fairly typical 2 year old thing I think. I was also worried about getting everyone to school, getting ready in the AM, etc. But that has gone well as well. Thomas is such a good baby and so sweet. I can hardly believe it's been a wek already. I spend so much time just snuggling on him, I just can't help it! Emma started school last Thursday and with all the baby drama, I neglected to post pics of that awesome day. but blogger won't let me so next time!

And last but not least I am an aunt again. Landon Kenneth Kurtz was born today at 3:04 AM. So Thomas is exactly one week older than his cousin, pretty cool.

Just a quick post as we are out the door again...

Thomas was admitted to the hospital again on Saturday afternoon for jaundice. I was a wreck emotionally....they took my new baby and put him in this box and I couldn't touch him. They let me nurse him every three hours still but I also had to let them give him formula too. It was a rough time. We got home last night around 10 PM and he is doing fairly well. We have to go back to the doc this AM to have his levels tested again and make sure he is doing well. So please keep him in your prayers that he will continue to improve and that we will not have to go back into the hospital. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!!

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HE'S HERE!!!!!

Thomas Michael Kurtz
September 12, 2006 1:21 AM
8 pounds, 19 1/2 inches long
Lots of dark hair!!!

No, I have not had this baby yet. I think he's setting up an apartment in there and he'll come out around the age of 18 or so....

My husband however is getting lots of practice. Yesterday afternoon, he ran out to the car to grab a book for me. As he was out there, he heard a woman across the street yelling for help. He ran over and peered into her house and she was on her hands and knees. He asked if she was ok. She rolled over onto her back and asked Matt to get her shorts off. Matt was really confused at this point. It was then he saw a little baby head crowning. He kneeled down just in time to catch this little boy as he entered the world. Matt sent the onlooker man (not sure his relationship to the woman) to get a clean towel. He rubbed the baby so he was fussing, cleaned out his mouth and spoke to the 911 woman who was on the phone. He held the baby till the ambulance arrived and the paramedic took over. He came home, covered in blood and on a total adrenaline rush. I decided(after I got over being angry that he was out delivering stranger's babies and I couldn't even go into labor)that that is definitely a creative way to meet your neighbors. So here's to Dr. Matt....our local hero.

Yesterday, I saw the mailman coming. I raced (ok, well maybe not raced exactly..but waddled fastly) to meet him and gasped as I looked through the pile. There they were...oh how we had waited and waited. So last night, we tucked the children into bed and took our precious package to the DVD player. LOST season 2. We had avoided the TV every Wednesday last year so that we wouldn't get ANY hints as to what was happening. Matt had to go to bed early, but I stayed up till 11 watching, drinking it all in. WHO KNEW?!?!??! It's so good. I can't wait to watch the rest....

Life in general is still forging on...I get bigger by the second and have given up trying to sleep at all. I've tried every position, the couch, the recliner...you name it, I've tried it. I give Thomas pep talks every day encouraging him to come out, I've even bribed him with all sorts of things....alas, he remains in his warm bubble, away from the world. Now I've taken to begging the Lord to let me go into labor. I've even promised such crazy things as not using any drugs. Do you think he'll hold me to that?????

I must admit that it is nice having the children back in school. Molli and Jonah are settling into the routine nicely. It's awfully quiet around here, especially when Sydney goes down for her nap and it's just Emma and I. Emma starts school next week and then it'll really be quiet around here. Makes it nice for little cat naps though :)

I'll keep you all posted, as soon as anything changes...you'll be, well maybe not the first, but at least the third and fourth ones to know :)

Seems so weird that I have been talking about the kids going to school for months and then, all of a sudden, it was today! We did pretty good getting up and out of the door. Of course I had to hike all over the school to find out where they went as they rearranged everything! So after our third lap around the school, as I am breathing heavily and having contractions, we finally located the appropriate places for everyone and they were off on their school adventures. Today was only a half day so tomorrow will be a little more telling after a full day. And Emma doesn't start till the 21st. But here are some pics of the first day...


Tried 4 times to get them to take a serious one...ah well!


My big kindergarten girl


My goofy second grader!

My birthday was as success, I turned 27 without major fanfare and too much drama. It was a wonderful day actually....I was awoken by my husband and son who had awakened at 5:30 to drive the 25 miles to a Krispy Kreme store to fetch me fresh donuts for breakfast. That's the best way to wake up I am no convinced and have told Matt that this is now my birthday tradition!

So instead of whining about how miserably pregnant I am, I decided to make a list of all the "normal" things I miss about my life....

1. Bending over to put on shoes and socks without passing out
2. Having more than two things that fit
3. Real jeans
4. Being able to quick run upstairs and fetch something without dying
5. Doing laundry
6. Getting out of a chair without a crane
7. Knowing that everywhere I go, people aren't staring at my stomach going, "Holy cow, she must be having triplets!"
8. Picking up Sydney
9. Sex (Sorry, but you know...it's just one of those things)
10. Fitting behind the steering wheel
11. Chasing after my kids
12. Being able to hold my bladder until I want to get out of bed, as opposed to it making my uterus as hard as a rock
13. And the things I miss the most....just the feeling of being a normal human again....normal emotions and proportions!

There you have it...things I am looking forward to and here's a dew more things I am anxious for...

1. Meeting this little boy
2. Smelling that new baby smell that cannot be duplicated anywhere
3. Breastfeeding
4. Watching my children with their new brother
5. Seeing Matt discover how much he really loves being a dad all over again
6. Staying in the hospital and having visitors :)

I could go on and on...

Kittens, showers, and birthdays....whew!

First of all, we adopted yet another kitten into the Kurtz clan...meet Dory.


As we already had a Nemo, it seemed only fitting that Dory be her name.

Then this afternoon was my baby shower. Now I know most of you are scratching your heads going, "Um, this is her FIFTH baby...why in heaven's name is she having a baby shower?!?!" My thoughts exactly. But it's our first baby born to this congregation so they wanted to throw one. My girlfriend is due about a week and a half ahead of me so it was a "Two for One" baby shower. It was made even more fun due to the fact that I am having a boy and she is having a girl. So we had pink and blue teams....it was a hoot. My mom did such a great job on it! So here are some pics from that...



Yes, even Thomas had to wear a name tag!


Kimberly and I with the duel cake :)


Thomas and Gracie's first picture together

Very eventful. And tomorrow is my birthday so it doesn't slow down I guess....

Who knew you could be so tired from a day of doing nothing??

My day started out so typical, Sydney crying next to my bed at 6AM...the girls sleeping in my bed already. So i crawled out of bed to start the day. As I was on the phone with my girlfriend, I had to pee. (Now don't tell me that none of you have friends that you haven't used the bathroom while on the phone with them!) As I was finishing, I noticed some blood. I tried not to panic and checked again and there was more. I casually mention this to my friend who orders me to call the doctor. I hemmed and hawed and then agreed. So I call, and they order me to go to Labor and Delivery. Ugh. So I scramble around, organize my kids, try and call Matt, and drop kids off at the aforementioned girlfriend's house. (by the way Mindy, you are my hero!) I head into L&D. Then I sit there for the next 12 hours as they check and re-check me, tell me I am contracting regularly and I am dialated. Then nothing. I pulled up to the house at 8 PM, after leaving it at 9 AM this morning. What a day. And I can only imagine that Thomas is in there, chuckling to himself at getting his mother all riled up for nothing. Punk kid.

It's been a somewhat eventful week at the Kurtz home.

Wednesday was Matt and I's anniversary. I can hardly believe it's been 8 years....man, where does the time go? I had mentally prepared myself that it would just be a nothing day as we really didn't have any extra money for anything. However, Matt came home from work with flowers, a card, and orders for me to get ready. He readied our children and whisked them away to my girlfriend's house and we went out for a lovely dinner. Afterwards we walked through the mall, what a treat without children!! After an ice-cream cone on the way home, we settled in for the night. It was s wonderful surprise and a refreshing time for the two of us.

On Thursday, I had thawed out some chicken that really needed to be cooked. (Don't worry, this is not another maggot story!) So I decided to throw it on the grill for lunch. As I am out back grilling, I notice some smoke. I wasn't startled because our neighbor burns things all the time. However, I noticed that it was coming from our neighbors garage (not the neighbor that usually has fires) The smoke was getting thicker and blacker. I yelled for Jonah to get me the phone and I ran (well as best a eight 1/2 month pregnant woman can) to get our neighbor. She comes flying out her house and yells over her shoulder to me that there are two gas grills and cans of gasoline in the garage! We share a driveway and our houses and garages are extremely close together. So again I ran to the house, this time to gather my children and get out! I was babysitting my brother as well so I hauled him as fast as I could to his wheelchair, all the while yelling for my kids to get in our car as fast as they can. Now they can see the smoke and are panicking. I finally get everyone loaded and we head over to the church (which is behind our church). We watched as the fire trucks arrived and they drug out their hoses and gear. The kids thought this was all very fascinating except for Molli who was crying that our house was going to burn down. I must confess that I was praying that God would not allow that to happen myself! After a while, we were cleared to return home. Our neighbors garage is pretty totaled, but thank the Lord, our garage and home are safe! Very exciting!

Noah and Nemo 

Curious Nemo 

Emma and Nemo 

Thanks to all of you who listened to me whine...I'm over it now. It's a cool 71 right now and it feels like heaven. Even when we had a killer storm and lost power this morning, I was just so thankful that it wasn't hot! I finally gave up last night and had Matt take our unit up to the kid's bedroom so they could sleep upstairs. I guess I never really realized how much I treasure my alone time!

Well some of you didn't believe how big I would get...here's some proof and I still have 6 weeks to go!!





And here are some other random pics of our summer...


Sydney "snuggling" Nemo...


Blogger won't let me post anymore...have to do it later!

Oh what to write that doesn't sound like whining????

This heat, oh this heat. It severely alters me. I knew it was coming and I was prepared...until Matt broke our air conditioner. Then I just snapped....like I knew that I couldn't survive without it. The implications are far reaching. He ruined the one that was in the living room. Therefore, we either sacrifice our bedroom one (NOT) or we take the one from the kid's room. Doesn't sound like a hard decision. But that means that now the children must sleep in the living room, which would be ok if it weren't for Sydney. She will not fall asleep without a closed door. Therefore she ends up in our bed which means that the precious little sleep I do get is now gone. I have to sleep in the middle to keep her feet away from Matt so he can sleep. Yeah, ok there's a mental picture for you...an eight month pregnant woman squishing herself between her husband and her two year old. Ugh. Not to mention that I have to get up four times a night....if I thought that was hard to do from the side of the bed, it's now impossible from the middle of the bed. Add to all of this the mother of all tension headaches (apologies to those of you who suffer from migranes. I know I have no idea what you suffer regularly, but this destroys me) So I just don't know what to do. I know the heat will break, but will I still be living? Will my family?

How many of you will come to my funeral? Amy, will you sing? Mindy and Misty will you take pics?