No News...

Well, I don't have any baby news to share - had an ob appt. today where I learned that I have made basically no progress, but at least I'm not having contractions all the time! The dr. said that this baby will be born, one way or the other, by July 29th, so we have a date to count down to now, for sure. :) So, since I have nothing in the way of babies, I thought I'd tell some stories about what my older 2 have been up to. :)

Zachary came into the room with his tape measure draped around his neck, pretending it was a stethoscope. "Hi, I'm Dr. Seuss. Do you need anything, Mommy?" He proceeded to use the 'stethoscope' to check out baby brother. :)

As we were reading a book together, with Natalie sitting between Z & I, I had to ask Natalie not to pick her nose. The next time I looked over, the words out of my mouth were, "No! Don't pick your brother's nose!"

Zachary opened up his toy Barney laptop, saying, "I have to figure something out on the internet." Wonder where he gets that???

Zachary informed me that he was scared about a new staffer coming to watch him while I went to my doctor's appointment. "Oh, she's not scary. She's our friend", I told him. "Well," he replied, "she's a pretty scary friend." Lol. :) They ended up getting along fine. :)

Zachary and I were working on some notes to encourage our staff friends, when Daddy came home for a minute. Zachary grabbed a note, and brought it over to show him, exclaiming, "We're making these notes for our friends!" Natalie watched him, then grabbed a note, and ran over to Daddy, waving it at him and exclaiming in her baby voice, "Ohgobagabobovuapual!!!" or something along those lines. It was hilarious - she's such a little imitator. :)

Zachary prayed this morning, "Dear God, thank you for my tape measure and why does Natalie always say 'mine'? Amen." Oh, God must have loved that prayer. :)

Speaking of Natalie, yes, she is speaking! New words about every day now! Hubby took Zachary to Sam's Club one afternoon this week, and Natalie and I stayed home, napped, and played & read books together. She said, "Dachwy" for Zachary a couple of times and must have asked me where 'Bubba' was at least a hundred times! :) She very clearly said 'cookie' this weekend, and when Daddy came home today, she couldn't find him (he was coming up the stairs stealthily to surprise her) and she put her hands out & asked, "Where-ee-go?" :) She also babbles constantly which is so very adorable. :)

As I was sweeping the kitchen floor, Zachary came over and excitedly asked, "Wow, Mama, why are you sweeping? What friends are coming over today?" Maybe my housekeeping could use a little work... :)

When we walk to camp (we try to walk over and back once a day, which totals about 40 minutes of walking), I occasionally have Braxton-Hicks contractions & have to pause for a minute to breathe. Z always asks me what I'm doing. One day as we were playing at home, Zachary stopped, put his hand out towards me and said, "Stop. I have to breathe." and proceeded to take deep 'labor' breaths for a minute - it was so hilarious. :)

"Take your time, just take your time" has become one of Z's favorite phrases lately - he uses it when someone is lifting something heavy or doing something hard like when Natalie walks down the stairs holding my hand.

If you ask Zachary to do something & he doesn't want to right then, he might respond, "I don't have the right kind of energy for that right now."

So, just a smidgen of the hilarity that's been going on around here. :) We're looking forward to adding a third dose of laughter to our family - I don't foresee that happening until next week, but I would love to be pleasantly surprised!!! :)

Friends, Blessings, and Flying Rodents

God has blessed me in so many ways lately! I did not know how I would make it through this summer - it is such a busy time for our family - my husband's full-time ministry takes him to camp almost every minute that he's not sleeping in the summer and with our first two children being so young and so busy, and with me so largely expecting our third, I knew I would have to depend on God's strength, and not my own, but as usual, I am amazed at all the ways that God has provided for our family already!

First of all, I'd just like to say: ONE WEEK!!!! We are so close to our little guy making his appearance - finally!!! I really am not nearly as uncomfortable as I remember being at this stage with the other two- I am still sleeping in 2-hr stretches at night & I remember specifically that when I was in my last couple of weeks with Nat, I was up every hour and my hips were MUCH more sore with her pregnancy for sure. I think being late pregnant in the summer has helped, actually, because I am able to get out and walk every day, instead of being snowed in (my other 2 are December babies). And chasing 2 kids has helped me stay more active and flexible this pregnancy, too, I think. :) Although I would be happy to deliver tonight, believe me! :) I finally feel like all the 'essentials' that need to be done before he arrives are taken care of - hospital bag packed, car seat cleaned & ready to go in the car, adorable little clothes washed & folded, guest room & bathroom cleaned for our families when they come, etc. :)

Speaking of cleaning: God has provided such awesome friends to help me out with that during these last few weeks of pregnancy! Earlier this week, two friends from camp staff (Judy & Jen B.) came over to watch my kids while I went to my ob appointment (seriously, God has provided so amazingly, I have not had to take the kids to an ob appointment without help this entire pregnancy, it has been such a blessing - my ob's office is VERY busy & you often have to wait a very long time, you never know, so it's kind of a big deal to watch 2 kids while waiting an hour or two). Anyhow, while those friends were here, they lugged my vacuum down the stairs, vacuumed my downstairs rugs, and then swept & Swiffered my floors. I was toooootally nesting that night, and with that motivation, I was able to get the guest bedroom tidied up for when my parents come. Then, on Friday, another awesome friend of mine (Anna) drove an hour to come see me & hang out, and specifically, she came because wanted to help me clean my house. :) Her adorable son is 4 months old, so I had the added benefit of holding him quite a bit, and watching my kids interact with him - and it was SO fun, I can't wait to see them as big sister & big brother (again). Zachary was especially adorable with him. :)

Anna ended up cleaning two of my bathrooms, including scrubbing two showers & floors (which would be WAY too much for me at this stage), and also, she saved me from a bat. A real, live bat.

As I was showing her the baby's room, with its monkey stickers on the walls, I noticed a weird something on one of the monkeys. I went closer to look, saw that it was a little bat, and said something like, "Oh, Anna, nasty. Let's get out of here and shove something under the door so it can't get out." That was my entire plan for the bat situation. Close the door, shove something under it, and call husband. That is my Emergency Bat Plan, apparently. Anna, who is rather brave and once caught a mouse for me in my old house, had another plan. It involved a book, a bucket, a broom, an open window, and lots of whacking & screeching noises. As the door was closed, that's about all the details I know. But the bat is gone, and Anna learned firsthand that apparently bats hiss and scream - who knew? Now that is a pretty good friend who will catch a bat for you, I think. :)

Another thing that gets harder as you get closer to the end of pregnancy, in my opinion, is shopping. Since it's summer, I haven't had to do as much grocery shopping as usual (we just eat at camp most meals), but my friend Judy has been coming with me when I do have to go to town, and she is not only a big help with the kids but a huge blessing to me as well. This week, she stayed with the kids while my friend Sandy and I did some shopping in town. Sandy is an awesome blessing to me, too - not only helping me with my shopping, but also working to organize the kitchen staffers to help me with the kids when I need a break or help around the house, and just her constant attitude of thinking of everyone else instead of herself. She is an amazing woman, and I'm so thankful for her friendship and presence in my life!

Praise God for all of the people He's using to provide for our needs as we approach the end of this pregnancy and the beginning of a new stage for our family! :)

Family Update!

Natalie is really starting to be quite the social little bug - she remembers our staff friends from camp, and will go up to them and hold her arms up so they pick her up, and she's even getting much more comfortable going up to 'strangers' at camp, so that's fun for the campers. Her favorite word is still "mine!" but her newest words are "na-na" for bunny and "za-za" for pizza!!! :) I love the pizza one, I make her say it all the time and then she thinks she's going to get pizza....I'm such a mean mommy. :) She loves to 'neigh' for horses or cows & anytime we're driving down the road, she will yell out, "Neigh! Neigh!" if she sees any horse-ish kind of animal. :)

Zachary and Natalie moved into the same room this week, which has been...um...exhausting. The first few nights, they did NOT go down well at all & were in there talking until 10 pm. Natalie will sleep extra in the morning if she's tired, but Z was up at 6 & would NOT go back to sleep. So I had two tired & grouchy kids on my hands for the first few days. The last 2 nights have gone better, though, with Natalie going to sleep right away & then Zachary and I read a couple of books together and then he goes in & has been so tired that he hasn't even disobeyed - he's gone right to sleep, quietly. So I am very thankful for that. :)

Z was reluctant to go to story time at the library this morning -it's funny because he's very outgoing, with his peers, and with adults, even people who are strangers, at camp and church - but both of those places are pretty much an extension of home for us. At the library story hour, he sits on my lap, instead of on the floor with the kids - while Natalie goes right up to sit with the kids! :) On the way to the library today, Zachary declared that he did not want to go to story time, and he was NOT going to have any fun. I said, "Well, honey, that's a choice. You can choose to have fun or not." After we arrived home, I asked him if he had fun, and he laughed and said, "Yes! I did - I accidentally had fun!" :) He does really like to do the crafts they have, and then they bring out toy cars & trucks, and by then he usually joins the other kids to play. :)

16 days until Baby Boy is due! Nothing new on that front - still big & pregnant, no progress or dropping to show for being so close...but my dr. said she wouldn't let me go too far past my due date before she would induce me, so, though I'd like to go on my own this time, I'd be happy with that at this point (and for sure once I'm at my due date!) :) Of course my hips are sore, etc. but I really do feel like I'm doing well for being this far along, and I'm not having too many of the 'practice' contractions yet, so I'm VERY thankful for that fact. :) I got all of his darling little clothes washed and folded & put away in his room, and now I just have to get his crib in & get it ready & put his monkey stickers on his walls. :) Oh, and pick out a name - ha! That's kind of important, and nope, we haven't decided yet. :) I should probably pack a hospital bag at some point, too...honestly, it still seems so far away but it's really just a few DAYS! Crazy! :) I AM getting really excited, though- I can't wait to meet him and see what Zachary & Natalie think about him, too! :)

I'm so thankful for all three of my little sweethearts - they do bring so much joy to each day, and I can't wait until all three of them can play together & just multiply the joy even that much more. :)