Home Again

Introducing...

Lucan Thaniel
Lucan: Irish--"Light"
Thaniel: Hebrew (short for Nathaniel)--"Gift from God"
Born March 27, 2009, 4:26 a.m.
7 pounds, 13 ounces, 19 3/4 inches long

This L&D was by far my most difficult...pshaw to those who say it gets easier, ha! The fact that he was "sunny side up" (O.P.) made things a LOT harder, and for now I will just say, thank the good Lord for drugs!! Full story to come when I can sit for longer periods of time, LOL. We thank the Lord for a healthy baby boy.

Kenna's Tricks

Lately Kenna's favorite two activities are changing her clothes and washing her hands. She has a creative sense of fashion, and we're still working on putting clean clothes BACK into her drawers. I'm tempted to lock all her drawers, but it does keep her occupied. As for washing her hands, I find her hanging over the edge of the sink several times a day with the water running over her hands...at least she's concerned about good hygiene, LOL!

But the best trick happened Monday afternoon. I was sitting with my swollen feet and legs propped up on the couch, enjoying a good read. Kenna had been watching her Elmo potty DVD, but apparently she got bored during part of it and wandered off. She had an idea firmly fixed in her head--she had seen the phone that I brought with me to the couch in case anyone called and was a bit disgruntled that I wouldn't let her "talk." Well. She took matters into her own hands, apparently. A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was Ted. "I think Kenna just called me from your cell phone," he said. I looked into the kitchen, and sure enough, she had climbed up to get my cell phone from the counter and somehow managed to find the button to dial Ted's cell number! He said his phone rang, and when he answered it, he heard a little voice say, "Hi!" But that's all...he talked to her, but she didn't say anything else.

The kids and I sure giggled about that story for quite awhile!

Happy Birthday, Ted!

Yesterday Ted turned 33! We hadn't been too sure whether we should really plan anything for his actual birthday or not, given the troubles Baby J has caused lately. In fact, I was up again for nearly 2 hours Saturday night with more painful contractions than I've had to date...seems like each false labor session gets more and more intense before things subside. Though the contractions were coming 5-6 minutes apart and lasting at least a minute each time, I was so reluctant to make another trip to the hospital...so I took a couple of Tylenol PMs and decided if I couldn't get back to sleep I would wake Ted up. I did go back to sleep and woke 3 hours later, and the contractions were back to "normal," meaning a few more or less painless ones each hour.

So, it was Ted's birthday, and we were determined to celebrate after all! We usually try to go out and enjoy an unusual experience, but again, this baby has made planning difficult, so any outing will have to wait until later. However, we did make plans for the T family to come over for dinner and games and fellowship. Ted's not a big party person, so I wasn't too surprised when he answered my "What do you want to do for your birthday" question with a fairly normal activity! Thankfully the T family was available (we didn't give them much notice!), and as it turned out, I was grateful for more than one reason that they could share our evening with us.

During Charis's and my shopping spree on Saturday, I found a foosball table at the homeschool garage sale. Those who know Ted know he LOVES foosball, so of course I asked how much the table was. Walt told me $50 and then quickly changed that, saying, "Actually, if you can haul it away, you can have it for 20 bucks." SOLD!! WE GOT A FOOSBALL TABLE FOR $20!! There weren't any balls with it, so Charis and I traveled to 3 different stores before we found any. I called the Ts to ask if they would be able to pick up the table with their truck and bring it over on Sunday afternoon, and Adam was happy to help. Charis and I were hard-pressed to keep our surprise a secret, but we managed. :-)

As soon as the T family arrived, we decided to have Ted open his presents. First he opened the Spiderman 3 DVD I had found before I realized I'd be buying a foosball table, LOL. Then he opened a package of table soccer balls, and it dawned on him why he wasn't supposed to go outside to see Adam's truck!! We traipsed outside, and Ted and Adam hauled the table in and put it in our school room, which was conveniently cleared of the school table since we had loaned all my tables to EAGLES for the garage sale. That is really the only place we have to put it anyway, so I'm assuming it will stay there until we move! Now I'll just need to figure out what to do when my stamp club meets, ha!

So, now we have a new diversion in the house, and it has already caused much trauma, but I suspect it will be useful for teaching good skills like self-control and sportsmanship, LOL! The boys had a great time playing last night while the girls played in Charis's room and the grown-ups played Phase 10 and Bananagrams. We ordered pizza and had carrot cake and ice cream for dessert, and all in all, it was a fun way to spend the afternoon and evening. We're thankful for such good friends, not only the ones who were with us yesterday, but all those who called and/or sent Facebook wishes for a happy birthday for Ted! He had a great day, and so did the rest of the family! Oh yes, and he finally did get to play on his foosball table, as you can see by the intense competition shown here between him and Adam!!

Kenna's 2-Year Portraits

A couple of weeks ago I took Kenna to Sears to get some updated pictures. I had a coupon for a $9.99 package and fully intended to JUST get the package, but of course they took so many darn CUTE pictures that I ended up adding to and enhancing the package. We still got the basic package using the pose shown here, but I paid a little extra for the nice enhancements around the edge. Then I added a portrait collage just for us--it's 5 of the cutest poses all together on an 8x10. I paid as much for that one print as for the rest of the order, but oh, well!!


Kenna was a great subject! I was a bit worried that she'd want to be crawling all over the studio, but it seems she's a natural ham. (No surprises there, eh?!) She did exactly what the photographer asked her to do and amazingly held all the poses until the pictures were snapped! I was impressed with the photographer, though a bit alarmed at how LOUD she was!! Good thing Kenna isn't shy or else that approach would have completely backfired. To see all of her adorable poses, go to this link here and click on the part where it says "Already a member." Then you'll enter my email address and the password "family" and be able to view all the poses. I think they'll be available to view for a couple of months or so.

Stuff

There really isn't much to announce for a baby update, but Megan told me people were "stalking" me, so I figured I'd share the latest. ;-) I saw the OB yesterday afternoon, and absolutely nothing had changed since Monday night--still 2 cm, only partially effaced, baby's head at -2. She did "stir things up" a little, and I had a few crampy contractions off and on the rest of the afternoon and evening, but I was able to sleep fairly well and haven't really had anything other than the usual tight contractions here and there today. So, looks like he still needs to "cook at little," as Ted would say!

Speaking of Ted, tomorrow is his birthday!! I did a little bday shopping for him after my appointment yesterday, and Charis and I found a great deal on another birthday item when we were out this morning. I wasn't really intending on having a day "out," but our homeschool group's garage sale was today, plus I needed to mail a package (Megan--your box should arrive next week!!), so out we went. It turned out to be a really fun girls' day!! At the garage sale, Charis was delighted to find a little indoor "tent" and spent a grand total of $2 for that and a little miniature doll house. She kept exclaiming over and over how she couldn't believe what a good deal she got!! I found a little "tutu" for Kenna to play dress-up with, and she looks darling in it. Plus I got her 2 pairs of sandals which fit great and will be wonderful for summer. Also got a few books for the boys plus a Spiderman mask with attached cape, which they will have to share, but for 25 cents I couldn't leave it!

After the garage sale, we headed to Walmart to look for some new shoes for Charis. I ended up splurging a little and got 3 pairs for her and 2 pairs for me for a grand total of $35, which I thought was pretty good! Charis really didn't have any comfortable spring/summer shoes, so we got her some casual flip-flops for everyday use, some nicer, dressy, pink flip-flops, plus some casual slip-ons. I haven't bought any shoes for myself in a really long time, and after wearing my Old Navy flip-flops for what seems like an eternity, I think I'll enjoy wearing something different when my feet aren't so puffy anymore!

Then it was off to Home Depot to get a new doorknob for the pantry, since a plastic part inside had broken, rendering it nearly impossible to open the door (which wasn't necessarily a BAD thing...). By the time we were finished there, it was just past noon, so I decided to treat us to lunch out. Charis chose Red Robin, which was just fine with me, so we enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading home. We were impressed by the service (we usually are there)--Charis had ordered mac and cheese but didn't really care for it; the cheese was gloppy and overall was just pretty creamy and fatty tasting. Well, she had gone to use the restroom when a manager stopped by to "remind" us that there was unlimited refills on the mac and cheese. I confessed that Charis probably wouldn't want any more, as she wasn't too keen on what she was eating to begin with! The manager offered to trade for something else, so I got a cheeseburger for her since Charis had been saying she wished she had ordered that instead. When she returned to her seat, Charis was delighted to find that she could indeed have her cheeseburger! Plus, on our ticket, they only charged us for the cheeseburger meal instead of the mac and cheese, which was a little more expensive. I took the time to fill out a POSITIVE comment card and left a nice tip. :-)

So, that's been most of our Saturday! I took a nap after getting home, and I should get started on Ted's birthday cake. We haven't planned much for his birthday, not knowing whether or not we'd be at the hospital, LOL, but we decided to invite the T family over for games tomorrow afternoon/evening. Later on, after Baby has arrived and we're in a good schedule, we plan to take in a good show since we'll be leaving LV this summer. Possibly Terry Fator, but not sure yet.

Guess that's all to report for now!

Back to "Normal"

Yesterday we had a fairly "normal" day--Ted went back to work (not without a few sighs, however!), since there was no reason to keep him home...I hadn't had any painful contractions since our drive home from the hospital Monday night. I still am having contractions at the rate of a few per hour, but they are just the annoying, tightening ones that I've had for literally months, so nothing seems to be happening. Weird how my body seemed to gear up completely for labor and then stopped.

Anyway, we did some math and language arts in the morning, and then I packed a picnic lunch and took the kids to the park for over 2 hours. It was gorgeous outside, and I was hoping to ensure Kenna would take a good nap, but alas, she never did sleep yesterday afternoon. We did, however, spend a good hour on the couch (we as in the older 3 and I) doing our Sonlight reading, and then I got a pseudo-nap while listening for Kenna. We went to church last night and were home in time to watch American Idol (go Danny, Adam, and Megan!), then crashed.

This morning dawned bright and beautiful again. I am loving this weather! The older kids had PE, so I dropped them off and then grabbed a few groceries with Kenna before coming home to prep for my Stampin' Up! workshop tonight. I got everything packed and ready to go, and then Debi came over to have me help her sign up as a demonstrator online!! I'm so excited that she is finally joining my group of demonstrators--I know she will do fabulous with her outgoing personality, sales background, and of course passion for stamping and scrapbooking!

The kids just finished lunch, and Kenna is down for what will hopefully be a loooong nap to make up for yesterday's lack. (She was up early this morning, too!) I'm heading downstairs to finish our Sonlight reading for the week--we have stamp club here at the house tomorrow, so no afternoon school for us. Then, Lord willing, if Kenna is asleep, the other kids will get a movie while I get a nap!! If I'm going to have energy for tonight's stamping party, I need some zzz's!

Restless

It's still 2 more weeks until the "official" due date, so you'd think I'd be able to just put everything behind me and go back to my resolution from after our first trip to the hospital--just pretend the baby isn't coming until April and move on with our regular plans! Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. After yesterday's exhausting routine, I'm as listless and restless as ever. Ted took today off as well, since we kind of figured something would be happening. I had some bloody show this morning with what looked to be the mucous plug (which I thought I had already lost?! But this looked much more mucous-y and plug-gy!!), but aside from that and a few random contractions, there has been absolutely no sign of activity.

I went for a walk early this morning, about 1 1/2 miles, and later in the morning I walked to a nearby park that Ted had driven the kids to, so I have walked over 2 1/2 miles today, not that it did anything! It was good to get out of the house on such a beautiful day, and the kids enjoyed running around.

After we got home, around 11:30ish, I lay down in bed and napped off and on for nearly 2 hours. I was surprised by how tired I felt, when I had had such a great night of sleep last night. Guess I'm catching up.

The rest of the afternoon has been spent in my office, prepping projects for my stamp club, which is supposed to meet Friday, and wandering aimlessly around the house! I sent Ted to bed for a nap...who knows, but it would be just our luck for me to go into hard labor in the middle of the night! He was so tired when we were at the hospital last night that I was telling myself, "He's not going to be any help at all!" and I was rather relieved when we realized that we were headed home for some rest. I need an alert labor coach!!

Now the older kids are playing at the neighbors' house, so it's pretty quiet around here. I think I'll go drink some more water and read with Kenna a bit. I'm planning to attend my ladies' Bible study tonight so I can get out of the house and focus on something different. Our Bible study evenings always lift my spirits, and I'm in need of that for sure!!

Still Waiting...

Contractions continued late yesterday afternoon and into the evening, every 5-7 minutes, and they certainly felt like "real" contractions. Laura came over prepared to spend the night, and after I called L&D (and spoke to the same gal who helped us last week--she had been wondering if I had already delivered), we headed to Nellis around 7:30ish.

After being hooked up to the monitors to verify that Baby's heartbeat was strong and I was indeed having contractions, the nurse came to check me. I didn't figure it was a good sign when she couldn't even LOCATE my cervix, saying it was "way back there!" A second try with me propped up on a bedpan (oh, the dignity one loses in the hospital) was successful but revealed only that I was still at 2 cm, 75% effaced, but at least the contractions were pushing Baby's head down. Great.

They kept me on the monitors for a few more contractions so the doctor could see the pattern, but the verdict was I was probably close, so I could either try walking around the hospital or else get some meds and go home and try to rest. Since Ted kept falling asleep in the chair beside me, and I was also exhausted from a VERY long day, we opted to skip the walk (after all, I had already walked probably 2 1/2 miles or more during the day!) and go home. So they gave me some Tylenol 3 and Ambien, saying that they wouldn't stop anything if I were in labor but would help me sleep in the meantime.

Boy, did they ever!! By the time we got home I was so ready for bed, and though I felt the contractions coming all during our drive home, by the time my head hit the pillow around 10 p.m. I was OUT. I woke once to use the bathroom and went right back to sleep. If I had any contractions, they certainly didn't phase me!!

So, the good thing is that I finally got a GREAT night of sleep! As Ted said last night, it never seems to be wake up and announce, "Whoa, I feel refreshed! Hey, I think it's time to go to the hospital!" No, instead it always seems to come when we're already exhausted!!

I've been up for about 15 minutes now and haven't noticed any contractions. It just boggles my mind how I could "labor" for hours, experience such extreme discomfort (not to mention anticipation), only to have everything shut down. Physically I feel rested, but mentally I am really worn down, frustrated, disappointed, etc. I have no idea what to do today--plan for my workshops scheduled for Thursday and Friday?! Go jump on the trampoline with the kids?! Heh!

I'm thankful for all our friends and family who have been praying for us. I certainly never expected all this ambiguity with a fifth baby. Everyone has assumed or predicted things would happen quickly, but this all makes me think of a first labor experience! At least when I had Charis I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was in labor, and though it took awhile, the end result was a sweet baby...NOT being sent home TWICE from the hospital!!

Lord, please help me to wait on YOU...

Today

3:33 a.m.
Woke with the first of many crampy contractions. After a couple, I came out to the computer to start timing them through this online site. For about an hour and a half they were coming pretty consistently 6 minutes apart, and I was constantly feeling a dull, crampy ache in my lower back.

5:00 a.m.
Took a shower after telling Ted it might be a good idea for him to stay home from work!

6:30 a.m.
Finished up my quiet morning time--Bible reading, prayer, journaling, breakfast and the newspaper. Contractions were still coming every 5-7 minutes.

6:35 a.m.
Puttered around the kitchen making a spaghetti pie to have ready for dinner...ZERO contractions during this time!!

7:30 a.m.
Still no contractions. I told Ted I didn't know what to have him do, and he responded that he felt better staying home rather than going to work (an hour away) when things were so ambiguous. If he needed to take a personal day of leave, so be it!

8:00 a.m.
Still no contractions. The kids were all awake by this time, so I left them in Ted's capable hands to do math and language arts while I lay back down for awhile.

8:08 - 9:00 a.m.
Contractions every 10-12 minutes, much more intense than the ones that had awakened me. Hope arises!!

9:05 a.m.
Drank some raspberry tea, then ate a piece of toast and an apple and prepared to go for a walk--maybe that would get things moving!

9:30ish
With Charis on her scooter and Kenna in the stroller, we walked to Walmart to buy bananas and some postage stamps, then continue walking around the neighborhood until about 10:30. A few contractions came and went, but nothing that was really earth-shaking--I was able to continue walking and talking, no problem.

11:30 - 1 p.m.
Tried resting off and on, reading a book or just trying to sleep. Of course, while I tried sleeping, the contractions intensified again--but they were still about 12 minutes apart, just long enough to let me doze off before being jolted awake again.

1:00
Gave up on napping and fixed myself a grilled cheese sandwich and some grapes. Puttered some more. Prepped some thank you cards for customers and hostesses and new downline members for mailing.

2:00ish
Went for another walk, this time with all 3 big kids. We walked to the mailbox at the corner so I could mail all my cards, then continued around the block, about 1 1/2 miles total. A few more contractions, but as during the first walk, they weren't very intense.

3:00ish
Had some ice cream at home with the kids. Played some games with Arden.

3:30
Read some comments on Facebook that perhaps baby isn't in quite the right position...pelvic movement was suggested. Hmmm. Kenna was napping, the kids were watching a movie...Ted was home from work...

4:00
Mission accomplished--rocked the pelvis, without a hula hoop, ha! Lay down again.

4:12 - 5:00ish
More contractions, more intense and closer together...perhaps we got things moving?!

So. I'm guessing SOMETHING will happen sooner or later...I don't think I can take much more of this not knowing!! Thankfully the pains have been bearable; if I were truly "laboring" for this long, I would be worried that we haven't gotten anywhere. But with the real pains coming and going so sporadically, it's hard to say for sure that labor has indeed started, though I'm nearly certain that something will come of all this!!

You Know You're "Over" Being Pregnant When...

1. Your ankles are as big as your knees.

2. The only shoes you ever wear are flip-flops, no matter what the temperature.

3. You've outgrown some of your maternity clothes.

4. After struggling to take your ring off to apply lotion, you start to think it wouldn't really be THAT bad if people mistake you for an unwed mother.

5. Between having contractions, leg cramps, and a nearly continually full bladder, you actually believe you'll get MORE sleep AFTER the baby arrives.

6. Your Bible study takes on a whole new perspective: "Deliver me, O Lord..."

7. Your toddler closes the dishwasher by standing up and using her leg to kick the door upwards...because that's the only way she remembers seeing YOU close it.

8. You seriously consider sleeping outside under the full moon to see if there's any truth to the idea of going into labor during that phase.

9. Your idea of sweeping the floor is to kick the Cheerios underneath the cabinets where they can't be immediately seen.

10. You silently dare anyone to ask you "How much longer?!"

Quick Baby Update

I saw the OB yesterday and am still only dilated 2 cm and still pretty "thick," so I'm guessing we have a bit of time before Baby J really decides to come. I'm hoping I can get through the remaining 3 Stampin' Up! events I have scheduled this month--one this afternoon, one Thursday evening, and one Friday afternoon at our house. Then I go back to the OB late Friday afternoon!

The GREAT news is that after the last ultrasound, they are no longer concerned about the kidney issue--everything is measuring just fine. So, praise the Lord for that! One less thing to wonder about!

Celebrating Purim

The ladies' Bible study group I'm in has been going through Beth Moore's new study Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman. Awhile back when I was looking through my planner I noticed that Purim was March 10, and since our group meets on Tuesdays, I thought that was a fun coincidence. Linda took it a step further--her husband is the pastor of a church body that meets in the building belonging to a Messianic Jewish congregation. She checked into what they would be doing, knowing that they had a special service the evening of Purim, and said that we could go and visit!

We met at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner beforehand, where the ladies surprised me with a ginormous baby gift: a new swing for Baby J! Our original one made it through 4 kids and just had to go when we last moved. I also got a gorgeous hand-stamped baby card that is definitely a keeper!!

We arrived just in time for the service to begin, and I loved every moment of it. I love Jewish culture, and being with Jews who believe Jesus (Yeshua) is Messiah and also continue to celebrate their heritage is something that just gives me goosebumps! Having done studies recently involving the Patriarchs, the Tabernacle, and the Psalms of Ascent, it was awesome to be in their place of worship and see the Hebrew banners celebrating both Old and New Testament concepts. I also loved hearing the Shma in Hebrew--our kids memorized Deut. 6:4-9 recently, and that passage is especially meaningful to me as a mom.

From what I understand, it's traditional for kids to act out the story of Esther. This year the young people in the church put on a puppet show, complete with stage and paper-sack puppets that looked like the Fandango characters! It was darling! We all had noise-makers that we were to shake at the names Esther (or Hadassah) and Mordecai while cheering and also at hearing the name of Haman, but he got booed, of course! The kids did a great job, and I loved the humor they incorporated into the storyline.

Example: During the first banquet with Esther (YAY!), Xerxes, and Haman (BOOO!), the latter comments, "This is great! What is that ball floating in the soup?!" LOL!

Later on, the hangman hums a little tune while he's working: "This is the way we build the gallows, build the gallows, build the gallows, this is the way we build the gallows so late in the evening!"

Haman's (BOOOO!) suggestion for the man the king wishes to honor: "Let a man go before him shouting, 'The king thinks this man is tight! He ROCKS!'"

During the scene changes and general backstage shuffling, we were treated to lively and beautiful Jewish music by a very talented man playing what looked like an electric violin (is there such a thing?!). There's really no other way to describe it--this was a FUN performance!!

After the service some women ran a bake sale for a fundraiser, at which they were selling "Haman's Ears," a pastry that is traditional at Purim. The recipe for these is in our Bible study book, so we were familiar with them. I bought a dozen to bring home to share with the family--but of course Ted and I sampled one before bed. :-) They are good--not too sweet, but a nice compliment to coffee...too bad we don't ever make coffee, ha!

I am SO thankful that I was not in labor or in the hospital!! I would have really hated to have missed that experience. I will remember that for a long time, and I think it would be a great addition to our annual family traditions. I can just see my kids putting on a puppet show of their own...

Last Night's Adventure

So I started having noticeable, frequent contractions yesterday afternoon. After doing some household activities and making a trip to Sam's Club as a family, we came home and I started timing them using a great site, contractionmaster.com. While they weren't all THAT painful, more an uncomfortable, annoying feeling than anything else, they were getting quite regular, anywhere from 3-8 minutes apart and lasting anywhere from 35 seconds to over a minute.

I had some dialogue with friends on Facebook, and the general consensus seemed to be that it would be better to go to the hospital too early rather than too late--my friend Claire said her contractions never got that painful, either, nor did they last very long, but she didn't realize she needed to leave for the hospital until she was in transition!! That was with her #7, which she had quite recently. I kept thinking--could I really be that lucky?! I was expecting the contractions to get more painful, but they remained about the same level but continued coming consistently, so after the kids were in bed I called L&D to see what they wanted me to do. Since this IS #5, and since we live half an hour away from the base, the nurse told me she would feel better if I came in and at least got checked.

So our friend Laura came over, prepared to spend the night, and I finished packing my stuff, feeling somewhat foolish for even going. Still, that's what the nurse had said to do, so we headed to base.

Needless to say, I have not yet had the baby! I was only dilated 2 cm, with little to no effacing, and the baby's head was still pretty high. The good news, though, is that the anaesthesiologist whom I had an appointment with for 8:10 on Wednesday morning was there, so we were able to do the necessary paperwork last night instead of me having to haul all our kids to base early in the morning in the middle of the week. (It's a required meeting, regardless of whether you plan to use pain intervention or not, because of the possibility of an emergency--signatures are needed ahead of time, not in the middle of a crisis!) So I was very happy to get that done with, at least.

We were even happier to go home and be able to go to sleep! We were both exhausted after waking at 4:30 and 5 a.m., having gone to bed early Friday night. I slept very well until 4:30, then off and on until I got up at 6 this morning. I was still having contractions during that time as well as during my quiet time right after waking, but I haven't really noticed any since I got up to shower and get ready for church.

So! That's the story. I wish my body would make up its mind!!! Just do it, or else just be still, ha! We're proceeding with our normal Sunday morning plans, but I will throw the hospital bag back in the car just in case. :-)

Baby Update

My most recent ultrasound was yesterday--I was 36 weeks, one day. While the tech wasn't able to discuss the kidney issue (I have to wait to talk to the doctor about that), she did confirm that Baby's head is down (way down!) and that his overall size looks to be right on target. She commented that he has chubby cheeks, with pouty lips that protrude because his cheeks are so big! I can't wait to meet him and hold him and see him for myself!

Last night I was awakened at 2:30 a.m. with a contraction, followed by a few more, so I got up and drank a couple of glasses of water and some hot tea. I reviewed the L&D pages in our What to Expect When You're Expecting book...I know, you'd think I'd know all this by now, but I always read through it again for a refresher as the time gets closer! I confess I haven't yet packed the hospital bag, and I like the suggested checklist in the book as a good reference. The contractions continued about 5-8 minutes apart, but they were very mild...noticeable enough that I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep, but not much more than that. I ended up taking my shower right after Ted finished his, had my quiet time with another cup of tea, and went back to bed at 6 a.m. only to be awakened by Kenna at 7 a.m.

Thus began a new day! I took the kids to PE in the morning and then picked up my friend Laura, whom I had promised a Starbucks get-together for her birthday in December. We hadn't been able to go out before, so I called her last-minute this morning and found out she was free. So Kenna and Laura and I enjoyed some visiting at Starbucks, then went to Walmart to shop a bit for the baby. I "needed" a few things to "feel" ready for our new arrival, so I got a pack of newborn diapers, some new pacifiers, a pack of boy newborn onesies, and Laura bought 2 cute outfits, one of which will surely be the going-home outfit for our little one! I also picked up a couple of cute spring outfits for Charis, who was delighted. :-)

So, I can't really think of anything else we "need" to welcome a newborn home! I still haven't packed my hospital bag, but I've at least thought about it, heh! I've had contractions throughout the day, but mostly painless ones. I did have a few that took my breath away right after I lay down for the night, which is why I'm up again. It's been about 15 minutes since the last one (I'm now sipping on water), so I will probably try to lie down again. I'm hopeful that the time is nearer than we may think!

Definitely a Sonlight Moment!

I just posted the following letter in the Sonlight forums and wanted to share with our loved ones. I LOVE homeschooling, and I LOVE schooling with Sonlight materials!!!

*******************
Dear Sonlight,

I have to tell you about a precious conversation with my 8-year-old daughter, Charis, yesterday. We've been reading the biography of George Muller, which my kids are LOVING. Yesterday we read the chapter that described the confrontation that happened between George and his father, who was not at all thrilled with George's decision to become a missionary. We talked about how sad it was that his daddy didn't think being a missionary was as worthy as being a well-paid pastor.

Somehow our discussion progressed...I think I was telling the kids that Mommy and Daddy pray for them every day, and that we want them to do whatever God calls them to do and to use their gifts and talents however He leads them. At this point, Charis announced something: "Mommy, I know that God wants me to be a missionary to India."

Now, my daughter has always had a tender heart towards people who don't know the Lord, but I hadn't heard this before! I asked her when she felt God laying this on her heart, and she said she didn't know, but it was sometime this year. (As a side note, during this past year, we have said goodbye to friends who are now missionaries in India; we have participated in the Rice Bag Project; and we have read tons of great stories about missionaries, many of whom served in India, through our Sonlight reading.) Charis then went over to our markable map and pointed straight at the southern tip of India. "This is where God wants me," she said. I encouraged her and responded that Mommy and Daddy would be so happy if she followed God's call to India, if that indeed is where He will lead her, and then we got to talk about learning a new language and culture, etc.

Not to be outdone, my oldest son then said that he wants to be a preacher in Brazil. ;-)

I believe God is using all of our readings, prayer times, and discussions even now, at their tender ages, to plant seeds in the hearts of my children! I am SO GRATEFUL for these times with my children!!!

THANK YOU, SONLIGHT!!

I Am WAY Too Pregnant for This

Today's Kenna stunt--unlike Friday's act, which was mildly amusing (she grabbed the bottle of vanilla while we were making her birthday brownie pie and started chugging it), today's adventure involved feces.

Sigh.

Will someone please tell me how I'm supposed to homeschool when there's a toddler on the loose who has no aversion to smearing poop on her carpet, laundry hamper, or walls??