Adjustments for the Middle Child.

Want to know what it's like to have a toddler in the house when you bring home a new baby? Here it is in photos.




Look Mama, the baby's hospital hat can fit me too! (notice the baby blankets piled at my feet on the floor. They are fun to play with)









How exactly does Mama use this to feed the baby? I love buckles and it has one, so let me try. (Mama did not capture the moment on film where I was using the pillow and nursing the stuffed lamb from my belly button)

Maybe I can use it for something else. A backrest while reading perhaps.

Some days I just want to hide. Or at least play hide and go seek.

It seems like just yesterday I was cuddled up in a baby seat. Just one more sit in the bouncer won't hurt, right? All covered up too, just like baby sister.

Let me get out all the doll paraphenalia. Clearly I don't fit IN the doll cradle, so I'll just lean against it and pile blankets all around.

Then again...maybe I'm too old for this baby stuff. I'll check out big sister's bike helmet. And Mama, I know you are busy with the new baby, but can you please dress me in pants that aren't highwaters? These are getting a bit small.

Even if I am adjusting, even if I am the middle child now...

I'm still the CUTEST thing ever!

(BTW...I apologize for the non-uniform spacing of the photos. I can never seem to get the photos to do what I want them to in Blogger...and that one photo just won't post the right way.)

The Color of My Children

Do your children have a signature color? Or maybe they did as babies. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has chosen a theme color for her babies. I'm not sure why I did this, it just kind of happened.

When I found out I was expecting my first girl, I was very against getting everything PINK. Not that I had anything against it, I just didn't want our house to look like gallons of peptobismol had spilled out. But so much that's made for baby girls is pink, so it is hard to get away from. Probably the next most popular color, at least in merchandising, is lavendar. I thought this was a great alternative---so a lot of our accent items and clothing for Miss Rose was lavendar.

Here was one of my favorite outfits for her as a baby.

And with her Barefoot Dreams blanket, which she still sleeps with often and wanted to bring for her sharing day in Pre-K (I convinced her a toy would be a better choice!).

However, if you ask Miss Rose today what her favorite color is...she'll say black. My silly anti-girl. She'll grow out of it eventually I'm sure.

When I was searching for a "coming home outfit" for Gracie in the event she was a girl...I found a sweet outfit with blue flowers...and that became here color. Blue happens to be my favorite color as well. Her crib bedding had blue tulips on it.

Here's the hospital outfit (someone actually gave it to me in a larger size as well, so she had the look for months!).

And her 1st Birthday Dress

When I began to think about clothes for baby #3, I thought it would be fun to find something red if it was a girl since baby would be arriving around Valentine's Day. Because of LC's early arrival, I hadn't yet found that perfect outfit. But one of my good friends knew about my red idea and brought a dress for LC to the hospital that she had purchased for one of her girls who was born near V-Day also, but never used.

She also found a Carter's outfit set in red which included this.

I've since bought this blanket and this sling. And if money were no object, I'd buy this diaper bag! The same friend made me an awesome red heart patterned blanket--I will share pic's of that soon.

I may go overboard on the red thing. But heck, LC is probably my last baby, so I want to live it up!!

So, what colors are your kids?

And speaking of color, do you agree with me that LC seems to be quite a mix of the other girls? I think her coloring will be more like Miss Rose, but I see some of Gracie in her too. The other day Bean said--do you think the baby is still jaundiced? She seems yellow. I said no--she's just Mexican! Gracie is so fair that we got used to seeing a very light skinned baby. But I think LC favors Daddy in skin tone.

It's so fun to see them grow and develop just how God created them.

Little Miss Piggy

That's Lily's new nickname! She had a weight check today to make sure she had regained her birthweight. Little Miss Piggy was 6lbs, 10oz --- a 10oz gain in one week! I think the typical weight gain for a newborn is about an ounce a day, so she definately caught up.

She was 6lbs 5oz at birth (well, 6.59 technically, but I guess they never round up) so she's up 4-5oz from her birth weight.

Lily is starting to be awake a little bit more. What's funny is she sounds like a little pig several times a day! She grunts and groans when she's dealing with gas or digestion. It's kind of cute. Except not in the middle of the night!

Baby certainly loves mama. Her favorite place to sleep at night is in the crook of my arm. She spends her days sleeping in the swing, and is resisting sleeping in the co-sleeper. I need to start putting her in the co-sleeper during the day so she gets used to it.

But really, I'm not complaining. She's probably my last baby, so I want to eat all of this up. All my babies have slept with me quite a bit during their first few months and I don't have much problem transitioning them out as they get older.

Little Miss Piggy is turning red in the face and grunting, so I must go rescue her from her gas or whatever issue is going on!

Finally, a down day

The last week has been a whirlwind! With the exception of Saturday, our first full day at home, I've had to leave the house each day. Lily had a bit of jaundice which required 2 dr. appointments and 2 blood tests at the hospital. I developed a major case of stiff neck--I think from stress and hunching over a lot helping the baby nurse and also favoring my incision. So it was off to the chiropractor for me on Wednesday. I am IN LOVE with my chiropractor. In a medical sense. I still have some soreness and when I wake up in the morning it's very stiff, but hopefully a few more days and I'll be back to normal.

Yesterday we spent 4 hours trading in our CRV for a used Odyssey. The auto loan had been in my name, so I needed to go and sign paperwork. We were very sad to bid farewell to the CRV. We have LOVED that car. It was my first brand new car and only had it for 2.5 years. But, the minivan is the way to go for the automatic doors and space for the kids. And the carseats will fit! I'm excited that I'll get to have Miss Rose harnessed until she's 6 now. We were blessed to have them pay off the loan for the CRV and get us the minivan for just slightly more than what we were paying for the CRV for the same terms we had left on the CRV. Miss Rose is thrilled because the Odyssey has a DVD player--although we're making it clear that it's for long trips, not daily driving.

Today is a down day. My goal is to stay in my jammies and spend as much time on the couch as possible. Poor Bean is still running around doing so many errands and "honey-do's" that I want to be a part of. But I know the more I rest now, the faster my recovery will be.

My pain really has been minimal. Not that I haven't used the Vicodin I was sent home with, but mostly I need it after I've moved around a lot. It's almost gone though, so I'm definately rationing it! I just get fatigued quickly. After the long day yesterday I went to bed at 8:30 even though I had to get up at 10pm to feed Lily. I needed it though!

Finally, here are some pictures!

Today...8 days old.

God is smart, and I am thankful

God is smart. I know that, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded.

Life has not calmed down. We have piles of laundry, piles of baby stuff, a half unpacked kitchen, an extra refridgerator in our kitchen...the list goes on and on.

To add to the long list of things to do, we started having some drain issues yesterday involving the kitchen sink and a shower. Probably very fixable--but just overwhelming when there is already so much going on.

Then this morning Lily went in for a jaundice check...and we were sent over to the hospital for a blood draw...and the possibility of having to check in if her levels were too high.

After we finally got home (Lily and I were pretty exhausted from the few hours it all took), Bean was getting me set up before he took the girls to a birthday party.

It struck me...God is smart that he gave us a third girl. He knew all that we would be experiencing. He also knew that we have lots of girl stuff and I had maybe 2 outfits for a boy and one set of blankets.

That can't be the only reason why God chose a third girl for our family. But the idea of trying to put together clothes, blankets, Boppy covers, bedding etc for a boy--in the midst of everything else--sounds impossible. I think I would have been even more of a wreck.

And for the record...this No Crying Mama...cried about five times yesterday. I like to blame the post-pregnancy hormones raging in my body. But sometimes (for me it's about twice a year) a girl just needs a good cry.

The good news is--although Lily's bilirubin levels came back as borderline, the doctor is willing to give her another day. I just need to keep nursing as often as I can and give her some sun therapy. Hopefully her level tomorrow will be the same or lower.

And....party of FIVE

Have you been wondering what happened to me???

This little one just doesn't keep to our family plans!

Baby's conception was a surprise!

At the first ultrasound we discovered the pregnancy was about 4 weeks further advanced than we had calculated.

C-section was scheduled 10 days before the due date.

But baby just couldn't wait!

Lily Cate arrived on January 28 at 3:15pm, born crying! She's healthy and perfect. 6lbs, 5oz and 19in long. My smallest baby by far!

Life has been quite a whirwind (especially for Bean) as SO much wasn't ready for this baby's arrival.

Lily and I arrived home tonight. Miss Rose and Gracie were really missing having Mommy at home, so I was thankful the doctor released me. Since it was my third c-section, I know the routine pretty well and can actually get more rest at home.

Sometime next week I will try to share the rest of the story. In the meantime I'll be resting and cuddling my baby girl and enjoying our family.

Never A Dull Moment Around Here

I've given up trying to plan and control life. At least for a few days! It kind of feels nice, especially since it means I am trusting in God more and my faith is increasing.

I woke up yesterday feeling pretty terrible and reminding myself--just two more weeks. I am a MUCH happier mom of a newborn than I am a 9-month pregnant lady. The sleep deprivation and craziness of three kids I can handle. My body not working, very difficult! Somehow I got us out of the house and got Miss Rose to school on time.

As the day wore on, I definately wasn't feeling better. By the time I was driving to get the kids I called Bean and said--I think it's time to go in and get checked. I'd started having more frequent and painful contractions. Better safe than sorry. Got my girls and took them to Grandma's house and Bean met me there.

When I got to the hospital I was having contractions 2-4min apart and at times lasting over a minute. I had dilated to a 2 (from 1 last week). The on-call doctor (who was consulting with the nurse over the phone) ended up having them give me 3 shots of terbutiline to relax my uterus and get the contractions to stop. Finally, it worked.

I'm not completely sure why the doctor was so determined to stop my labor as I am just a day away from 37 weeks. All I could really gather was that given my history, they felt better stopping my labor and having me figure out delivery with my own doctor.

So I'll be seeing my doctor as soon as they can get me in today. I am feeling like I am done with this pregnancy and my body is too--which it was trying to tell us last night! 37 weeks seems a bit late to be put on bedrest for just 10 days until my scheduled c-section. Plus my back gets SO painful after too much time in bed or even sitting that I would be absolutely miserable.

It may require testing the baby's lungs for maturity, but I'm hoping and praying that's what the doctor thinks is best. Or I just continue with life as usual and the next time the contractions start, it's an automatic c-section.

Tomorrow...I'll post a blog about Miss Gracie's birth...which will explain a lot of this!

More like home

It's hard to say why, but the transition to our new house has been very odd for Bean and I. I think it is a combination of many things. The fact that this is a "forever" home...or at least a "very long time" home. That's an odd idea, a bit of a foreign concept. This is our 5th home in 7 years of marriage, so we've been used to the constant change. It's hard to mentally grasp that we don't have to move again. That we own this home. That we can really make it our own even more over the course of time.

The other factor is the new baby coming...because we aren't settled yet, the idea of bringing a new baby home is weird. It's not quite home yet. And yet a new baby is coming. I'm starting to get to nest, but not too much yet. One of my goals this weekend was to unpack all the baby stuff so I knew where it was in order to prepare and wash it. Thankfully I found it all!! Probably over the weekend and next week I'll get it washed and ready.

Celebrating Miss Rose's 5th birthday last night helped make it feel more like home. That's what happens when you have 11 adults and 6 children in a 1100 square foot house!! It was wonderful to have family here. Yes there are stacks of boxes, lighting is inadequate, not all the curtains are up, but we had family in our home. That did a lot in making it feel more like home.

Tonight we're getting the kitchen started. Yay! Every day, a little more like home...

Grounded

I've been grounded. Perhaps the doctor I saw yesterday was a bit over-reactive, but you gotta listen to the doc, you know?

I'm 36 wks pregnant now and at my appointment yesterday I was 1cm dilated and beginning to efface. Which really isn't that out of the ordinary, especially for a third pregnancy. But for some reason the doctor (one I haven't seen before) was very concerned that I won't even make it to my c-section date, which is 10 days before my due date even. For reasons I do plan to share in a later blog, actually going into labor is not the best thing for me or the baby.

So I'm under orders to rest a lot, no heavy lifting, no exercise etc. Which is JUST lovely to hear the weekend we are moving. No packing the boxes I've been needing to pack. No cleaning. UGH.

I'm sure some think this is like a dream--being TOLD not to do anything. But I am one who likes to stay active, to participate, and lets just face it, to be in control. And I can't do any of that.

Right now I'm sitting on the couch, stewing. Chomping at the bit to get some stuff done. Bean is at the new house finishing stuff up so we can move tomorrow night. If he comes home and I've done any work, I'm in BIG trouble.

We have great family and friends who are helping and will do whatever necessary to get us moved and settled. It's not a matter of things not getting done, it's just that I want to be able to do stuff.

But I'd definately prefer this baby wait a week or more before it makes an appearance. I still have a little baby shopping to do. Miss Rose turns 5 on Monday and is having a small pottery painting party with friends next Saturday. I don't want to miss that stuff!

Baby will come when baby will come though. It's all in God's hands. If baby needs to come earlier because it's better for one of us--then so be it!

In the meantime....I'm grounded.

A name is a good thing

Every person is different, but for me, knowing my baby has a name is a good thing. I don't think I would ever engrave or embroider the name of my unborn child just in case we changed our minds. But with each of our children, we've had a pretty good idea what their name would be--and we were right.

I remember that after Miss Rose was born, Bean immediately began to refer to her by her name (even though he had preferred a different name for her). I was in a slightly drugged state of mind and thought--but we didn't talk about it to make sure that was her name. But there was no doubt, it was her name. We didn't even have a second girl's name when Gracie was born, so there was no question about her name.

As I've shared before, it's taken SO long to arrive at a name for this little bean sprout should it be a girl. Both our daughter's names end in the short "a" sound and I didn't want a third girl's name ending with the same sound. Silly I know, but it's just one of my oddities. But SO many names we like end in that letter or sound.

Finally though, we have a front runner for a girl name and I can even imagine calling a new baby girl by this name. And it fits, it works. It feels right. Just in case, we do have a runner up.

With moving this weekend, nothing is set up or ready for the baby, although after next week it will be. I've waited to make some last purchases. But if it's a girl, I think she has a name. And to this un-nested mama, that feels good!

I am SUPPOSED to get huge

People are delighting in telling me how big my belly is getting, how I've really popped or that I'm really looking like I'm going to have this baby soon.

These are people who see me on a regular basis.

Um, I'm about to be 36 weeks pregnant. I am SUPPOSED to look like I'm ready to have a baby, because I am. I'm not quite sure what they think I should look like or why they are acting so surprised. Haven't you seen a 9-month pregnant lady before?

I feel like I have this conversation about 10 times a week. Many are the same people who watched me go through my last pregnancy, so it's not like my pregnant bod is some surprise.

Honestly, I don't get it. Are they looking for something to conversate about? Am I like a train wreck that you just can't avoid staring at and commenting on?

I am not offended, truly I'm not. I realize my belly is pretty big. It means my baby is growing healthy and strong. I'm on the shorter side and I have good-sized babies, so my belly should be big. I don't mind people commenting on it. I simply don't quite get how they phrase their comments.

Yes people, I'm huge. It's okay. You can tell me that. Just quit acting like it's some shock or abnormality. I probably have a 7lb baby inside me right now, who will perhaps be close to 8lbs by the time he or she arrives.

I'm growing a baby, and I'm proud.

And the car laughed...

Have you ever heard a vehicle laugh? I swear mine just did.

With all of the expense (i.e. debt) associated with a new house and moving, we've decided to wait a bit on a larger vehicle. After we see what our tax return is and get used to mortgage payments and the bills at the new place, we'll see if it's in our budget.

Many figure out how to put three carseats across one bench seat, so certainly we can too. Easy, probably not. Possible, yes.

I decided to experiment a bit with our current seats. It became quickly clear that Miss Rose and Gracie's seats are not compatible next to each other. New baby needs to be on the outside for ease of buckling and also taking the infant seat out when desired. Miss Rose is the obvious choice for the middle as she is the most self-sufficient in her seat.

As I scooted Miss Rose's seat to the middle spot, the car began to titter. And then began to just laugh right out loud. I even tried unscrewing the armrest from one seat to see if it helped. The car just laughed even louder.

I may have lost the battle, but I'm still determined to win the war! I guess we'll start with a booster for Miss Rose. My hopes of 5-point harnessing her until age 6 probably need to end. She's the size of a 6 or 7 year old, so she should be safe. If a new booster doesn't fit next to Gracie's seat--she'll have to get a new one too.

Cheaper than a car payment we perhaps can't afford, right?

And hey, CRV of mine, SHUT UP! I can still hear you laughing out in the driveway. It was worth a try alright.

Cyber-nesting

Nesting is almost like a God-given right for expectant mothers! This phenomena peaks its head out every once in while through the entire pregnancy (and I'm sure in the waiting period for adoptive moms) but really rears its head towards the end.

Every fiber of my being wants to nest and prepare for this baby. Since its our third time around, I realize that what you actually do need for the first several weeks isn't as much as one might think. Baby doesn't need a complete nursery or even wardrobe. Baby needs a place to sleep (which can also be your bed!), some onsies to wear and blankets to keep warm. Of course things like swings and bouncers make life a bit easier.

Moving just weeks before birth doesn't really compliment this nesting instinct. Especially moving two weeks before the impending delivery! I can't nest in much of a physical sense. I've made a few purchases here and there, usually when I find a deal I can't pass up. (like a $20 My Breast Friend nursing pillow from the closing store at www.babycenter.com) But for the most part, I've had to wait and to resist. It's pointless to stock up on basics, even diapers, when they are just going to have to be moved.

Thing is, not only do I want to nest for the baby, but I want to nest for our entire new house. Since the girls will be sharing a room for the first time, and have "new" bunkbeds--I want new bedding for them. We may need to purchase another dresser. We may need more toy storage and organization. We may need some end tables for the living room since we've been using a coffee table in a corner as an end table and a kids table at another end to hold our lamps (which don't have functioning switches and require plugging/unplugging for the desired function).

Bean has been laughing at me because I spend time almost every evening "cyber nesting." I'm browsing Babies r Us and Target online for random baby stuff. I'm checking out clothing at Gap and Gymboree. I'm trying to find a steal on Pottery Barn quilts on ebay. (For the record though, he has spent his share of time researching some appliances we need).

Cyber-nesting isn't all that bad. In fact, I would guess that I'm spending LESS money than I would if we weren't moving. Partially because there are things I just haven't purchased yet, and also because I am haunting ebay and other sites for the best deals. I got a changing pad cover on ebay tonight for $7 (including shipping) that was probably $20 new. Somehow I also purchased a new pair of shoes for myself. Not sure how that benefits the baby, but it was a deal I couldn't pass up!!

It will be fun to go out and get the little things the week before the baby is born. I guess it gives me something to look forward to. And hopefully I'll find the perfect bedding for the girls' new room--I just can't decide! I keep saying in some ways, it's good I don't know the baby's gender because I would probably even want to do more in preparation for the baby.

I've yet to find the perfect "take home" outfits though. I like to buy a special outfit for both genders and then return whatever I don't need. For some reason the "take home" outfit has been really important to me for each child. I'm on the hunt.

Off for more cyber-nesting!

The Latest

Here's what's going on lately...

Miss Rose started school today! She did fabulous. She's in a 5-day program called Early Admit Kindergarten (EAK) that meets each morning from 8-11:20. Yesterday we went to an orientation where she played outside while the teacher met with the parents. It was a great introduction to the facility and children for her. I was a bit concerned because she recently bragged about crying for a year and a half each time I dropped her at daycare. But no tears this morning! And she was so excited when I picked her up. It's going to be wonderful for her.


On our back patio...

She specifically wanted to wear her "High School Musical" shirt. What's amusing is that she has seen the movie maybe one time and it only holds novelty because her cousin is super into the movie and talks about it all the time. This shirt was a hand me down from a friend, but Miss Rose got all excited about it.


Getting ready to go into class

Our move has been postponed by a week in order to be able to complete the wood floors. In the long run, it won't matter too much. But right now it just feels like we are living in limbo. Much of the house is packed and there are boxes everywhere. I'm not motivated to clean or organize anything because I know eventually it ALL will be moved.

Did I share that I found GREAT bunkbeds on craigslist? I cannot wait to see them set up in the girls' room.

I am just about 35 weeks pregnant and feeling it!! This baby is so out in front that many of my shirts are about to be too short...they aren't going to cover the bottom of my belly soon. I see my doctor tomorrow and maybe I'll get an official c-section date. We shall see! We've had our boy name picked out for a while now and I think we're pretty sure about a girl name. But...you'll have to wait to find out the names!! It feels good to have some solid options that I like though. It's taken so long the third time around.

Gracie seems to sense the impending change. She is quite attached to mama these days and just loves to climb all over me and be held. It's probably going to be a good thing that Miss Rose is in school in the mornings because while I'm on maternity leave because while the baby is sleeping, I'll be able to have some one on one time with Gracie.

So, that's the latest!!

Things I'm excited about....

The Charger win...and my cute little Charger Cheerleader in pigtails.



Gracie sleeping in a big girl bed! She's doing great...although she doesn't stay straight all night and we usually have to help her adjust, but she'll learn.



The girls' room in our new house!! I found fabulous bunkbeds on craigslist and I can't wait to see them set up.



And yes, if you're wondering, that is a pacifier next to Gracie and yes, I did intend to wean her from it in December. No, it didn't happen. I didn't even try. I'm sure it wouldn't have been that bad, but I just don't have the mental energy for it right now. All my mental energy is going towards just being a mom and a wife, my job, moving and cooking the bun in my oven. I think that's plenty! I figure it can't hurt to keep the binky in place through the move and new baby and by the time Gracie's 2nd birthday rolls around in April, we'll deal with the binky.

I'm looking forward to this week because life should get back to some semblance of normal--at least in work and life schedules. We'll still be moving, finishing up the house and getting ready for the baby. HA. Did I say normal??

The Last Baby?

This morning as we were walking at the lake (my back is not allowing me to run with the jogger any more) Miss Rose asked me if this was our last baby. Previously she has told me we should just keep having more and more babies.

I said yes, it probably is our last baby. But, I told her, that means when this baby is old enough--we can get a dog! She immediately got excited about that and it didn't bother her that this will be the last baby.

Speaking of last babies...I signed a consent form for a tubal ligation today. Since I require a c-section, it makes the most sense for me to have the procedure done at the same time instead of Bean going in for the snip-snip. There still is this part of me that is having issues with it though. I have NO idea why. I know plenty of people who've had the procedure with no problems.

My issue is not even related to not being able to have more children. I know this is a good size for our family and I trust that if God intends more children for us, he has another way it will come about. (or I'll be in that 1% that gets pregnant in spite of the tubal!)

I do need to work out my issues in the next 6 weeks.

I should just be comforted by the fact that we will get a dog one day, just like Miss Rose was!!

Fitness (Fri)Day and a few cute stories

As is par for the course, I'm posting my fitness stuff on a day other than Friday. Oh well! I'm definately slowing down a bit more and not trying to push myself as much. I did get in three days of exercise last week, which is my minimum goal. Slowly I think I will be transitioning to videos and walking and not so much running. But, when I can get out on my own, I know I will be running a bit!

My big issue as of late is a lack of veggies in my diet. I'm lucky if I get one serving of veggies per day. Which I know is bad for me and bad for the baby. I've realized one of the problems is that I have sensitive teeth, so I can't really eat any foods straight out of the fridge that require chewing. Yes, it sounds rather weak, but it's really a problem I have! I need to make a commitment and a plan to eat more veggies in a day...but so far I haven't found the motivation.

We are looking forward to time with family this week! My sisters are coming into town and we'll be gathering with both sides of the family. Of course all centered around good food! If there is one thing my family loves, it's good homecooked food. No frozen pies or canned yams for us. We want the real stuff!!

A cute story about Miss Rose this weekend... It's so funny to hear yourself echoed in your children. Miss Rose was in her room and spilled some crayons and craft supplies. She called out asking me to help clean it up. I told her no--they are her toys, it was her spill and she needed to clean it up. She began to rant and rave about how unfair it was and I was a parent and should help a child. She was attempting to bargain but of course I wasn't buying. The whole time Miss Rose was talking to me from her room while she cleaned up the mess. Her final words were "okay, I'll clean it up this time but next time you have to help." If only she had that kind of power!!

The girls had to accompany me to an OB appointment this morning. I didn't think it would make that much of an impact on Miss Rose, but she seemed really impressed by the heartbeat. She told everyone she spoke with or saw today about it. It was so sweet. She loves talking to my belly and will ask the baby if it had a good day at work with me or to have a good sleep at night.

On a final note...we had the home inspection done on the house we put an offer in on, and everything came up all clear. So, we are moving forward on the purchase. All of the sudden I feel so grown up. You'd think expecting a third child would do that....but this feels like the real deal!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Baby Photos

I got to see the baby again yesterday! A local pregnancy care center is training some of their nurses on ultrasounds so they were looking for "models"! Got some good pictures of the baby's big noggin! It's actually measuring right on, but my kids just have very round and prounounced heads in utero.

And to answer your burning question, no I didn't see any bits and pieces!! They spent most of the time on the head and heart, not in the nether regions. Technically they aren't supposed to look for and give gender results, so they were more than happy to comply with my wishes. There was a tiny bit of temptation, but I've waited so long--what's a few more weeks? I have about 11.5 weeks until this baby will be known. When people ask if I'm having a boy or a girl, my new line "it's one or the other!"

After yesterday, I have a new nickname for this little munchkin. "Frankie" (which could stand for Franklin or Francesca). Currently, this baby is a frank breech! Which means the head is at the top of my belly and the butt is resting in my pelvis--but the feet are by the head. Flexible thing!! My children do not like to cooperate when it comes to position. Miss Rose was breech and by the time we knew it, she was too big and wouldn't budge no matter how many baby turning tricks I tried. (We decided a medical version wasn't for us). Gracie was still in a breech position around this time as well and I knew enough to start the tricks and after a few weeks of spending time on all 4's, putting frozen peas on the top of my belly and other odd positions, she did turn to vertex.

Since a c-section is a must for me, I'm not too worried about position this time around. I just like to think that my babies love me so much already they want to be close to the sound of my voice and the beat of my heart. Or they are just stubborn like their mother and father and like to do things to the beat of their own drum.

Barely Breathing

I miss the olden days. Not that I lived in them, but there are things about them that I really would have liked. [Sidenote: It amuses me that Miss Rose has picked up this phrase and uses it to refer to things when she was 2 or 3.] For one, I think motor transportation is highly overrated. I'd be much happier plodding along with my horse, worrying only about the upkeep of my carriage and feeding the horses hay and water. There wouldn't be traffic to deal with or road rage. No car payments or outrageous gas bills (although I'm so thankful our gas bill has dropped almost 50% since this summer!)

What I really would like to take advantage of is the time of confinement a woman entered in her third trimester. It was somewhat of a social faux paux to be waddling around in the advanced stages of pregnancy, so women generally kept to their homes and even their beds. I realize this happened more in the upper eschalons, not on the farm. But while we are fantasizing, let's just go with it!

I'm sure you can guess where this is heading. I'm entering my third trimester this week and my life is anything but slowing down. In fact, it's gaining speed. I am a pretty hearty pregnant lady so I handle it all pretty well. But there are moments where it sure would be nice to sit on the couch, watch old movies and eat bon-bons while rubbing my ever-expanding belly.

Holiday seasons are always busy in church life. There will be a bit of downtime, but there is a lot of preparation that comes before it. Early deadlines, coordination of special services, making sure all the proper information is available, and the list goes on. So work is not slowing down!

And, it's looking like we are buying a house. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch and we still need to make sure the home passes inspection...but, we put in an offer and it was accepted. It's exciting and scary at the same time. The main motivator in all this is providing a place for my parents to live affordably and near-by family. My dad is disabled and they are on a very fixed income and although my dad has learned to be pretty self-sufficient, there is a great value to emotional support for them. Our families actually lived together for about three years until about a year ago. We will be pooling resources to buy this home and convert the garage and a family room into a complete granny flat for them.

By the end of the month we will have made our final decisions about the house--which I suspect will be favorable and it will be time to start packing. And once escrow closes at the end of December we will be on a fasttrack to get the house ready for us to move in ASAP so that we have at least a few weeks to settle in before the baby comes. It's going to be very hard for me to be limited in what I can do to fix up the house and paint. Poor Bean is probably going to have to hog-tie me in order to keep me from attempting to move things that I shouldn't. We are blessed to have great family and friends who are supportive and already offering their help.

In the midst of this, I still want it to be a special Christmas. Gracie may not remember this Christmas once it passes, but she's old enough now to be excited about the experiences. Of course Miss Rose can't wait for Christmas to come. And she turns 5 at the end of January, which I want to be special for her as well. I'm a bit nostalgic about this being our last Christmas as a family of 4. I can't wait for the new baby to join our family, but I really want to enjoy this time with the girls before the dynamic changes.

Oh, and I have about three weeks left of the two classes I've been taking.

As I run around like crazy this week, with a full to-do list at work, bringing paperwork to the mortgage broker, planning baby appointments, thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping...I feel like I'm barely breathing. I want to be confined!

But I am so grateful that everything going on is GOOD and of GOD! Good busy I can handle. Tragedy and difficulties would be much more challenging.

It's a special time in life for so many reasons and although there are days I feel like I'm barely breathing, there are days that I make breathing room for myself. And Bean is always so good about making sure I have that also. Time marches on. This baby will come. Life will be full. And I am loving and cherishing every minute of it.

Babywearing

I'm participating in Babywearing Week hosted by Adventures in Babywearing. And who knows, maybe I'll win a new way to wear baby #3 from Nonny and Boo.

It's so interesting how much the baby world changes from just one baby to the next. In just a few years, there are new products, new laws, different techniques, books etc.

When I had Miss Rose I was super excited to get a Baby Bjorn at my shower. I definately got use out of it, although perhaps not as much as I had expected. Although it was comfortable enough, my back still would get sore after wearing it for a while.

By the time I had Gracie just three years later, slings and babywearing were ALL the rage. I was pretty intrigued and wanted to try out this babywearing thing for myself. I found a New Native sling for about $15 at a baby resale. Not long after Gracie was born I made myself a Moby Wrap (only required cutting, no sewing!). I actually found the sling more comfortable for my back than the Bjorn was.

I got SO much use out of these items. Gracie loved being in the sling. She was a kind of fussy newborn, but plop her in the sling and she was a happy camper. It was her favorite place to nap. For 6 months I was able to have her at work with me and she'd nap and hang in the sling most of the day while I was in meetings and working at my desk.

When Gracie was 2 months old I went on a missions trip to Ireland and of course she came along. Again, she lived in the sling as we walked around neighborhoods flyering, doing ministry and of course sightseeing. Everyone was very facscinated by the sling and the moby wrap.

I'm looking foward to using a sling again with this baby. It will give me free hands to wrangle the two kids who will be running around! I sure hope this baby loves the sling as much as Gracie did.


In an old stone castle on the sea...


Flyering for Kids Week...

Yes, I realize I'm wearing the same clothes basically, on two different days. It was a missions trip so I didn't bring a lot, and I was still losing baby weight--so not much fit!!



Somewhere I have a picture of the Moby Wrap, but I can't seem to locate it

Found a few more pic's to share. Not the one I was looking for, but oh well.

Mother's Day 2007//Gracie 1 month old

July 07//Fair//3-4 months old

October 07//sightseeing in San Fran//6 months