Hopefully, some good news!

Last Saturday the neighbors returned with an exterminator! I am so happy that they are attacking this! But in talking with them they said they were really treating for a bad flea problem and hadn't seen any bedbugs in a few months. I am hoping they were being upfront with us, but I am not confident. Andy talked with one of the brothers that really owns the house, but doesn't live there and warned him how important it is to to stay on top of this if they did have bedbugs. I am hoping that he took the warning to heart.

The next day, Sunday, they were back at the house (they haven't been sleeping there as one of the kids had a bad reaction to either a bite or the pesticide being used). There was a ton of trash on the curb. I got worried again! But they said that the stuff was from the basement. There was also a hot water heater among the trash. They apparently had a broken hot water heater and it leaked and had to toss a lot of stuff from the basement. This sparked an idea in my head. Back in the beginning of October (I think) our basement flooded - big time! It hasn't done that since we had the outside pipe replaced in August of 2008. I was baffled as to where the water was coming from as it was coming in at a pretty rapid clip. The reason the basement flooded is that our sub-pump failed to click on. Once it click on it sucked up the water and for the next couple of weeks it continued to pump water out. Andy was in a quandary - where was it coming from? We were ready to call the water dept when all of a sudden it stopped and everything became dry. I am thinking the people next door had no idea their hot water heater broke and it literally poured water out for a couple of weeks before they discovered it. I do not want to see their water bill - we had a lot of water in our basement! I am hoping that was the issue and we can put our basement back together again. We'll give it another couple of rain storms before we do that!

Baby Schultz is doing well, but, unfortunately, my sugars are going up. It is likely I will be on insulin for the last 10 weeks of this pregnancy. I have been trying to watch what I have been eating, but I get so hungry at times! I am determined to try and limit this weight gain. I have gained 20 lbs. so far - far less than I did with the others - but I still have 10 weeks - that could literally be at least 10 more pounds! I am trying to exercise everyday and now really trying to watch what goes in my mouth - but it is all easier said than done. I will be losing this all as soon as he is born! I am anxious to start my Biggest Loser DVD's and especially Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. I also can't wait until we set our Wii up and I can start using the Wii Active. I am determined to lose the baby weight by my 41st birthday in May! And then continue on my weight loss journey throughout the summer. Hopefully, I'll have a very cooperative baby!

Thanks for all the prayers. I am still working on being able to download my photos. Andy got his new computer up and running - now I only have to find the time to sit down and put in all the software and download the photos. Maybe next week!

Worst fear confirmed

Today I discovered what I have been suspicious of for the past few days to be true. About two weeks ago our neighbors, the Hispanic family that lives on the left side of our house, had put a bunch of furniture and mattresses out for the trash. At that time I questioned Andy as to whether or not he thought they were dealing with bedbugs. He thought not because there were also toys and some other things mixed in. He felt they were just cleaning house - the mattresses were pretty old and worn looking. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that our neighbors would talk to us - as we had to them - about their problem and warn us. The past few days the neighbors house has been dark. I have heard no voices through the walls. I have heard no music or anyone banging on their door. Today another neighbor who is close to them was hanging out on her steps, so I asked the question that has been plaguing my mind - did the neighbors leave their house? She said yes, for the last two weeks. My next question - "Did they leave because they have bedbugs?" She looked at me sadly - as she has known of our situation and all we have gone through - and said "Yes." She was just as upset as I that they kept their situation a secret from us. She doesn't understand - nor do I - since we were so forthcoming with our situation and constantly trying to help them be aware - showing them what bedbugs look like, how to search for them, what things they can do to get rid of them, etc. I do not know how bad their infestation is. I am praying all we have done to our house will prevent them from returning. Just when we were starting to put things back together we get this news. I am unsure of what to do. We haven't seen any evidence that they have come back, but just knowing that they are a wall away is already starting to drive me crazy. I can't deal with them again. Not with expecting a newborn in just 12 weeks. I can't do things, as big as I am getting, like I did last year at this time. Please pray with me that all the time and effort Andy has put into this house will do the trick in protecting us from a new infestation. Please pray that something will be done to the house next door to rid it of its bedbugs. I do not believe the neighbors are going to do anything about the situation. I believe they are hoping that if they stay out of the house long enough, they will just die. I have told them before that is not the case - they can stay there for up to 18 months without a feeding or move onto the next house - which hopefully won't be ours. But the fact that the other neighbors are in jeopardy is frustrating. If we can't get rid of them on this block we will run the risk of them coming back sometime in the future. Please pray that the houses on our block will get rid of these pests so we can all have a peace of mind about our homes.

One year....

That's how long it has been since we discovered we were dealing with bedbugs. In so many ways this past year has seemed an eternity and yet it has gone by quite quickly. I was just reading some of the posts from last November and how I was dealing with things. I am so glad that time is over. It has been five months since we have seen any evidence of the nasty little creatures. But the experience has certainly changed us. We still look at every fuzzy or piece of lint on the floor as if it were a bedbug. We still check the kids beds and ours. We still haven't moved everything back into the house that was moved out. We are still praying everyday that the bedbugs are truly gone. I don't know if we will ever relax about them - maybe that is a good thing since they are on the rise and can infest anyone from anywhere.

We are still recovering both financially and house wise from the effects of these wicked little creatures. Andy has been working hard to get the house finished, but with working alone it is a slow and long process. He finished the hardwood floors this past week and they look gorgeous! I am finding however, that it makes the kids seem louder as things echo terribly. I am hoping an area rug and furniture placement will help soften the sound!

One year later things look a bit different - thank God! Our house is much emptier - for which I am very thankful. We are expecting another little miracle - another thing for which I am extremely thankful! I view this little person as a promise from God that we are truly done with the bedbugs as I specifically prayed for this little person before he was conceived and asked God NOT to give him to us until we were done with the bedbugs. I find it amazing that we got pregnant in May and haven't had any evidence of them since that month. Our God is a loving and caring God and answers prayers in a mighty way. So join with me today - even though it is not Thanksgiving Day yet - to give thanks to our great God for His mighty work in our lives. Strengthening us this past year, teaching us, blessing us, and carrying us throughout the toughest times. I am so thankful I serve such an amazing God.