baby boy

As soon as we found out we were having a little boy I came straight home from the ultra sound and started digging through my stash for some little boy appropriate fabrics.  I had to sew this little guy some clothes!  I took these pictures over a month ago, but just have not found time to sit down at the computer and blog!

It's been 10 years since we had a baby boy in this house and it is an adjustment to not head straight for the girly stuff when we go in the store :)  We are all excited for the change though!

I am 27 weeks along and so far this has been my best/easiest pregnancy yet.  I think that the whole family would agree that my worst "symptom" this go around has been my irritability :)  As I head into the third trimester I find myself starting to slow down a bit as my belly swells and the mid-afternoon exhaustion is creeping back in.  I am so thankful to God that he has allowed this pregnancy to be a bit easier than past pregnancies, especially with all the craziness of the summer (kitchen remodel, Tallulah's Lyme, and more traveling than we are used to) and as we have transitioned into some new/harder schooling for some of the kids (Challenge A for Regan and Max's first year of Essentials).  Next week is the dreaded Glucose test... although I don't dread it quite as much as I used to (the key is to chug the  drink down as quickly as possible, and although I would never choose to drink fruit punch in real life, I have found it is easier to get down quickly than the orange flavor.)

I've got a few more posts in my head and on my camera, so hopefully I can squeeze in a bit more time on the computer in the next week (not an easy feet when I've got 4 kids needing the computer for various school assignments).

summer surprise - part 2

So, our first "surprise" of the summer came in late may in the form of two pink lines.  Actually, it wasn't really a surprise, I mean we do know how these things happen :)  Today marks 20 weeks and the much anticipated sonogram.  The hubby was not able to go with me today, so instead the kids and I decided to surprise him with a gender revealing cake...

Oh, the anticipation!

and the frosting is...

baby blue!

We're having a boy!

Due in February! 

emmaline grace

Emmaline Grace

July 31, 2012 - 4:30pm

7lbs 9oz, 20 3/4"

A perfect 10 :)

The baby and I are doing well.  Trying our best to get as much rest as possible before heading home tomorrow.  I've included lots of pictures.  Hopefully they will tide you over until I am back here again!

She was alert and looking around right away.

Getting her hearing test- this one is for you Barbara :)

snuggling with mommy...

my little birdy :)

Meeting all her brothers and sisters for the first time.

Regan didn't want to put her down...

actually, none of them did...

They kept saying they wanted to take her home today.

Even Addie seems happy to meet her baby sister, although she wasn't so sure about holding her.

packing my bags

Not surprisingly this baby is refusing to come out on her own accord (I have yet to go into labor on my own with any of my pregnancies) so I am packing my bags and preparing to head to the hospital bright and early tomorrow morning in order to be induced!  I am so ready to hold this little girl in my arms!  Hopefully I will be back here soon with pictures and details for you all!

the party continues...

One of Tallulah's birthday presents was a trip to the bounce house (I scored a great deal on Groupon last week, yay!) So yesterday we continued her birthday celebration with a morning at the bounce house.

While the kids jumped, I cut out flash cards and wrote a letter to Regan at camp.

I love watching how Micah looks out for his baby sister, playing with her in the toddler area and even taking her on some of the big bouncers.

She wasn't so sure of this slide :)

Micah was demonstrating his ability to use the force on these balls.

Somehow in all this I did not get any pictures of Max (well, except for his leg in the corner there)... I think he hides from the camera. 

I am headed back to the midwife today.  I get to have another ultrasound and hope she tells me that I've made some progress since my last appointment!

working my to do list

The 4 big kids have been attending VBS in the mornings this week and I have been crossing things off my to do list faster than I can write them!  Adelaide has been the perfect companion for all our morning activities:  baking, shopping for some new clothes for her dad, finally closing that bank account I have not used in years, a quick trip the grocery store, rearranging furniture etc.

We've also painted some furniture...

completed all but 2 sections of our yearly testing!

And I've even found a few spare moments to work on some sewing projects!  I cut out the exterior fabric for this diaper bag and am just waiting for my order from Fabric.com (lining fabric, interfacing, notions etc.) to come so that I can finish it up.  I've also sketched out most if my squares for the Happy Go Lucky embriodery sampler and have started stitching a few.  This is a project that will probably take some time for me to complete, but that is okay- I like to have projects like this to work on when I'm watching TV or on a long car ride etc.

In other news, I bought my first maternity top today.  I know, totally crazy to be buying maternity clothes when I have less then 5 weeks to go, but this seems to be the way I roll.  I wear my regular shirts until I really can't go out in public in them any more without my belly hanging peaking out the bottom.  With Adelaide I think I was 38+ weeks when I finally caved and got 1 shirt that fit me.  This time I will be living in luxury the next few weeks with not only 1 top that fits me, but two dresses too!

nesting?

I have a long list of things I need or want to get done in the next few days and weeks before the baby comes, but I seem to be pretty poor at prioritizing them.  I often find myself sitting at the craft table and working on a project instead of attending to the more urgent needs like making a grocery list for our shopping day tomorrow, washing and folding clothes, doing our end of year testing with the kids or making room for another crib and the pile of baby clothes I sorted and washed a few weeks ago (wow, that was a long sentence!).  I think this is what nesting with ADD looks like- I've got the list of things to do and the drive to get them done, I just go about it in a totally scatterer brained and unorganized way!

Anyway, here is one of my random projects I've been working on. 

They are number tags for the nursery at church.  The bracelet with a number on it goes with the parents and another matching number gets clipped onto the child's diaper bag.

Now I am off to make that grocery list, hopefully I can stay focused and get it done!  Wish me luck!

34 weeks

So, this is me at 34 weeks, 2 days.  Surprisingly I am feeling better now than I did 2 weeks ago!  Of course I have learned after 5 other pregnancies not to expect to be too comfortable or get too much sleep at this point.  It is actually pretty crazy to think that in just a few short weeks there will be a new little person in our home!  I can't wait to meet this little girl!

it's a...

GIRL!!!!

She's doing some pretty incredible acrobatics in there too :)  We couldn't be more thrilled to add another little girl to the mix!

i've been keeping something from you...

We found out just after Thanksgiving that I was expecting! I really wanted to be excited, but if I am completely honest I have to tell you that, after my miscarriage last spring, I was mostly worried.  I was happy to see the baby's little heart beating in a sono at about 6 weeks, and then again at 8.5 weeks.  I had made it past the point of my last miscarriage and finally started to allow myself to get excited.  We told the kids on Christmas but decided to wait to share the news with everyone one else until after my 12 week appointment.  

I had my appointment last week and not only got to see my little baby wiggling around but also got a sound recording of the heart beat!  (Now if I could only figure out how to get it out of my text messages and onto my computer!)  We are beyond excited around here :)

the unexpected

I wrote this (short) post yesterday but am just posting today...

I had hoped to be coming here today with pictures share... but instead I am here living the hard eucharisteo. I went in for my 10 week prenatal visit... but there was no heartbeat... I am still processing this all, wondering how I will tell my children tonight, that they will not get to meet their littlest brother or sister... I am finding my way between mourning and thanksgiving as I wait...

she's here!

Adelaide Elizabeth, born January 21, 2010 - 1:41pm

7lbs 13oz, 19.25"

We are home now and doing well- resting and adjusting to life with our newest family member- I'll probably be back here sometime next week but for now I am way too busy snuggling my baby girl... as well as the other 4 who missed me while I was gone :)

on my way....

to the hospital- my water just broke- first time that has ever happened on it's own! I will post pictures as soon as I can!

40 weeks

Here I am- 40 weeks today- I am hopeful that I will be holding this baby in my arms before the week is over- I see the midwife tomorrow but my mom and I are headed to the mall to walk today in hopes that maybe I can get something going- I'm not holding my breath though!
Hopefully next time I am back here it will be with pictures of my baby and not my latest craft project or my ever-growing belly :) Happy Monday to you all!

what we've been up to around here

Things have been pretty non-stop-baby-prep here since my mom arrived last week. There has been lots of shopping (for baby things), washing and folding (of baby things) rearranging, sewing and other stuff. In addition to both my mom and dad and Phil's dad and step mom being here for the weekend we also had a last minutes baby shower at the house when the power went out at church, where it was supposed to be held! Whew! No wonder I am tired!

Here are a few pictures of some of the things we have accomplished...

Rearranging the Master Bedroom to make room for the cradle.

My dad made this cradle for me when I was a baby and all of my babies have slept in it. (It is loaded up with my hospital bags right now, ready to go anytime :)

I still have not gotten the pictures up on the wall (except that one that Regan hung over my glider) but at least my baby will have a place to sleep when she comes home.

Today we finished up the curtains for the babies room- window...
and closet door.
I think I am ready to just veg on the couch for the next few days until the baby comes, we'll see how well I do at that :)

coming along

Here is a little peak at our progress on the babies room. The painting is done and we moved a bed in for my mom to sleep on while she is here (the baby will start in our bedroom). We still need to get the crib out of the attic- it will go where the swing is, and eventually Tallulah will move in here too and the bed will be hers- but that won't be for awhile.

I still need to make curtains for the window and closet- I am thinking white eyelet- hoping to hit the fabric store this weekend and get them done before the baby comes.That blanket draped over the changing table was Phil's when he was a baby- his mom just brought it down when she visited last week- so fun to have pieces from our childhood for our children- my parents are bringing the cradle that my dad made when I was a baby when they come later this week!

Only two weeks left to go, some days I feel like I am going to go into labor any minute now and others I feel like I'll still be pregnant next month! Last night I was laying in bed just waiting for the contractions to start any minute because the baby seems to have dropped so low, but I woke up this morning still pregnant! Past experience says I still be around for awhile before we see any baby though.

sunrise

This was the view out my window as I walked to the kitchen this morning- Amazing! It seems that the nesting faze has finally hit this pregnant mama and I have been busy cleaning, sorting, and gathering things for the baby. I still have quite a few things to get/do, but if she came today at least I have a car seat and our bags (mostly) packed for the hospital! I hope to be back here this week, but if I'm not you know it is because something needed to be scrubbed, laundered, bought or rearranged :)

thoughts on being a womb

As my own belly swells and my skin is stretched tight with new life growing, as the day comes closer and my body wearies from the carrying, Ann's words on being a womb for Christ resonate strongly in my heart. Lord, give me the strength to walk faithfully, even through the pain.

7 weeks left

After my post yesterday, in the chaos that is my home, just when I thought the kids might drive me crazy begging to decorate the tree I decided I needed a few minutes (or hours) of quiet to straighten up the house and just breathe. So I sent the kids to the play room with instruction to watch every Christmas movie we own and I grabbed my ipod and started cleaning. Turns out we need more Christmas movies, just kidding :)

Anyway- Jen asked for a belly picture update, so while I was cleaning I grabbed my camera and took a handful of shots, here are a few- 7 weeks to go!