Babysitting

So, way back in May a woman in our branch asked Garrett and I if we would be willing and able to watch their four kiddos the first week of September while they went on a trip to Bali. Garrett and I immediately said yes, sure! I informed her right away that I'd be 8 months pregnant and asked if it would be possible to bring Koji along because we would have just gotten back from leaving him for a month. She said that would be fine, and that the kids would love to have him around. Fast forward to about the second week of August. We found out that Garrett would be leaving near the end of August for a month in the Philippines. Okay, no big deal. The kids are ages 12, 11, 8, and 6. All going to school and able to do their own chores and whatnot. However I became a little apprehensive about watching four kids on my own. Sure, I have watched 5 or 6 kids over night in the past, but I had grown up babysitting them regularly. These kids were relative strangers to me. I had no idea how they behaved or how things would go. I set up back up help with my friend Britta for the evenings after she got off work if I needed her. The first Sunday of September rolls around and I pack up Koji's kennel, food, and my bag and head over after church. I needn't have been worried in the least. The kids didn't know that I was bringing a dog, because she had forgot to tell them. They immediately began petting him, calling him all over, and brushing him constantly!

Monday was a holiday so we headed over to the theater to watch Despicable Me 2. I must say that although I didn't think the first one was particularly amazing, I did enjoy the second one. To me, it was definitely better. That night we walked to a nearby park and enjoyed playing soccer in the rain. I haven't kicked a soccer ball around since last year when we were on the 18 CES team for intermurals. Let me just say, it had been far too long. I loved kicking the ball around with the boys. The two oldest were boys, and they were so great at doing the chores that needed done and helping me as I needed it. Every day I came home from work just a little after they got home from school and they had already walked Koji. Let me tell you, that was nice! I could definitely get used to it. I love walking Koji, and it's kept me more active during pregnancy than I would be otherwise. But having to walk him EVERY time while Garrett's been gone has been rough. That's pretty much 4 times a day because the silly dog won't go to the bathroom when I put him on the chain out back. In fact, most of the time unless Koji was being particularly deaf to listening, I just went along for the fresh air with the kids. They loved holding him and running with him. Early in the week we made a trip back to my house to pick up some board games, because they aren't allowed XBox time on school days and only had Clue at their house. When I told them I had all sorts of games, they were hooked. The boys instantly grabbed Star Wars Risk and Monoply as well as Uno for the younger girls to join in on. We spent most nights playing Uno or Monopoly, which was lots of fun. 

The first time we played Monopoly I skunked the boys because they didn't fully understand the concept of collecting as much property as you could and were only buying a certain color if they landed on it. But after learning the strategy they became worthy competitors. One day they pulled out Risk, but I declined playing with them. That is Garrett's area, not mine. They weren't sure exactly how to play, even with reading the rules and I was sorry to tell them that I would be of no use. We'll have to have them over or vice versa when Garrett gets home to play with them. Garrett will appreciate having someone play Risk with him, since I won't. 

Every day after school they'd all get home, eat a snack, clean up a few things for chores, and then play until it was time for dinner. They played outside with the kids around a little bit, but most of the time they told the kids asking to play that they couldn't or didn't want to and we all just hung out and played games inside. I barely even got asked if they could play outside because they didn't want to. Which made me feel good, I must say. After dinner they all had specific chores of cleaning up dinner and the kitchen, cleaning the living room, bathroom, and their bedrooms. Sometime in the week I was asked to change the top bunk because one of the girls had had an accident in the night. The bunk beds are not the easiest things to change in the first place, but I had to get up there and change it at 32 weeks pregnant. That was a little challenging. But I made it happen! I must say, I'm a little proud of myself for that. Then I had to do it a second time later that week as well. That time it had just gotten old. 

Tuesday or Wednesday night one of the boys had asked if we could go to the library because he'd been reading a book at school and wanted to see if the library had it so he could check it out and read it. They'd seen me reading The Power of Six which is the second book to I am Number Four. On the drive to the library they started asking me what my book was about so I told them the plot from the first one and so on. All four kids got hooked into it and I told them that we would look for the movie so that they could see it because it did a pretty decent job depicting the book. We got the book for the two older boys to read, and then the movie so that the girls could be included since the book is ahead of their reading level still. The weekend came and Friday night we popped the movie in and watched it while we all slept in the living room because the oldest girl had been begging to sleep with Koji all week, but I knew he wouldn't want to sleep in her room away from me. I said we'd sleep in the living room together because Koji would be content still being near me. 

So she spread out her blankets, called Koji over, and he immediately took over and even tried to steal her pillow, just as is his way. I think he slept the whole night on her little pallet. 

The parents were supposed to get home Sunday evening, but Voxed me about an hour before their expected arrival to tell me that they had had a flight delay and missed their connecting flight in Shanghai and the next flight wasn't until the following day. So they would be home Monday evening instead. No big deal, but the kids were pretty bummed. They had been excited to have their parents home, and I was looking forward to going home and being by myself for a while. 

The week was great, the kids were fantastic, and it wasn't really too difficult, but going from being 32 weeks pregnant with no one to care for but my dog to having four kids to take care of was a little rough. 

I'm growing bigger! The following week I had a doctor's appointment. They told me that my tests from the previous appointment all came back great. I'm not anemic or anything. They said that my belly measured just a little bit small for how far along I am, 32 when I should be at 33, but it was nothing to worry about. I made my two following appointments that very well could be my last pre-delivery appointments seeing as they are Oct. 7 and Oct. 28! I've signed up for a few classes, that hopefully will happen so that I can have a better idea of what to expect from delivery. I'm generally feeling good about childbirth, knowing that I was made for this, but the fears are starting to creep in. 

We have the necessities for our sweet baby boy, Garrett just has to put the crib and stroller together when he gets home. My 'brother' Daniel bought us a recliner for the baby's room, which is amazing! He has definitely spoiled me. It's got built in vibrating massager in the seat and lower back, as well as can be heated. Not that I'll need the heated seat while we're here in Okinawa, but maybe at the next base! I've already spent a few evenings sitting in the chair, feet up, heating pad on my back, with the massager on. It's very nice!