38 weeks, 14 days to go

another week gone by and another day closer to meeting my baby girl!

alomae came at 38+2 which is this Sunday...

I am not anticipating this baby coming so early given I am not suffering

from pre-eclampsia this time around!

I am healthy & know that having her stay in a little longer will do her some good!

I am still feeling good, still a little tender in the pelvis area but it's a good

pain because at least the discomfort is headed in the right direction...out!

her head is definitely engaged now and all that you can feel are her shoulders right above

my pelvic bone!

with this new engagement though, comes many trips to the bathroom- majority

being in the middle of the night! Oh how our bodies prepare us for middle of the

night nursing sessions!

I am simply trying to enjoy these last few days/weeks of being pregnant.

enjoying having her all to myself and enjoying my time with

alomae still being my #1 focus!

I will be documenting this birth with photos and video

(tastefully done of coarse!)

and hope to have a beautiful story to share with all as we

bring this new baby into the world!

soon soon soon!

18 weeks

28 weeks

38 weeks

so glad I don't have to be pregnant for another 10!

flawed?

last night I was sitting & praying... I eventually got to the point where I was asking for

covering over the birth coming up and thanking God for creating my body capable of

growing a child and bringing it into the world. I was saying "thank you for creating my

body to do this and allowing it the ability to know on it's own exactly what to do. That

I do not have to fear but that I can trust in the process you have made because I know it is not flawed."

Then it hit me! So many people DO believe this process is flawed... That without intervention our bodies would not be able to birth our babies. It simply is not true! He has created us to be knit together and grow and develop in our mothers womb. He also has created our bodies to open and for that baby to descend and be born in just as simple and natural of a way.

it's all so purposeful and so not flawed!

don't get me wrong, I do understand that ever so often a complication arrises that does require major medical attention! And I am so very thankful God had created intelligent Dr's and Midwives to facilitate when an issue arrises (though I do feel sometimes the issue is not truly there and is created in the minds of those who God has created to help)

That all said, I pray all my lady friends (especially you who are pregnant and growing a baby right now and will soon face the amazing moment of birthing your child) that you will trust and believe that your body too is far from being flawed! When God created YOU in YOUR mothers womb He designed your reproductive organs and hormones and everything else to endure and even flourish during the pregnancy and birthing process just like He is doing for our sweet babies as I type.

fearfully (beautifully) & wonderfully made...

love you all all lifting up your babies and future babes.

a belly draw

a little belly draw done at 37 weeks 5 days during my prenatal...

why the dark hair? believe it or not, Alomae came out with a full dark head of it

this is the position the baby is in

and roughly the size!

she is taking up a lot of room!

soon baby... soon!

16 days until I am "due"

you can see my belly draw from Alomae

here

Jesus Calling

Have you heard of this devotion?

I had not until this past Sunday when my wonderful friend

Melissa bought it for me for my birthday and a copy of "Jesus Calling for kids" for my baby shower!

It is written as if it is Jesus Himself is speaking the words to you (while being biblically sound)

really wonderfully done.

The Kids version is SO adorable and follows along with the adult but is written in a little

different language so they can better understand.

How wonderful is that? I can read mine, then read Alomae (and eventually new baby)

theirs and we can all hear the same word for our day!

I recommend it to all you and to get both for you moms (soon to be moms)

if you ever read this, thanks Melis :)

Here is Yesterdays:

September 27th

RELAX IN MY EVERLASTING ARMS. Your weakness is an opportunity to

grow strong in awareness of My almighty presence. When your energy fails

you, do not look inward and lament the lack you find there.

Look to Me and My sufficiency; rejoice in My radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you.

Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My presence.

Thank Me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us. If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that day of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times. Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands

of My intimate presence.

Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 27:13-14

checking things off

it's so nice while you are waiting for a baby to arrive to have

things on your calendar to check off and do (it makes you feel good that baby is still inside so you can get those things done!)

today I got my hair done which was a major need before baby comes...

Saturday we are going to the pumpkin patch & corn maze...

and then after that I really do not have anything planned!

I purposely did not schedule anything for October because I hate being

a flake and not seeing my plans through

(I know having a baby is so not flaking but still...)

So I guess after Saturday as far as my schedule goes she is free to come!

granted, Andy starts a new position at the church starting the 1st so maybe we'll allow

him a little time to settle in before he takes some time off... maybe...

here are some sweet memories from the corn maze last year...

alomae was so tiny and cute!

my many sisters

today is a rainy & chilly fall day, a day spent inside with my girl, a day to reflect..

Last night I met with the other wives of the pastors of our church (there are about 12 of us) like we do every month. Only last night I walked into a very pink room filled with love and gifts! It was a surprise baby shower (as well as celebrating my birthday 2 weeks ago)!

These women are the greatest. Not many people fully understand what it is like to be in full time ministry, but these women do. We are each others safety, and have created a place where we can each be vulnerable and transparent without judgement. Sometimes when you are married to a pastor people have this preconceived notion that you are sinless and perfect. Well, I know I fail to live up to this standard (and what a lofty thing to even try to live up to) and I know these other women do to, so it is so nice to be able to pour out our hearts to one another, be prayed for and to feel safe.

In life, our families do not always meet the needs we may have all the time. But when you belong to God's family, the church, the Kingdom... God fills the missing voids tenfold and somehow you always get just what you need!

I am constantly surrounded by the most amazing women who truly have become my sisters! God has given me a much bigger family then I could have ever dreamt for myself and I am so thankful for them each and every day!

18 days until this baby is due...

me & my girl

I so love any and all time with her!

she is such a joy and has the most amazing spirit...

I cannot wait to see how God uses her for His glory!

37 weeks- full term

in pregnancy terms,

I have made it into the "safe" zone!

some women feel once they hit the 37 week mark the baby should come out!

I had alomae at 38+2 and she was tiny!

I cannot imagine having this baby before then

(unless of coarse she is ready and comes on her own!)

Patience...

When you become pregnant you do not sign up for 40 weeks

(or 37 or 42)

you sign up for growing the life within you until he/she

is ready to be born!

Sometimes they come before we expect and sometimes much later :)

a EDD is an estimated due date not an evacuation date

if every person on earth is different, isn't every baby too?

we each take our own time and deserve the time to do so...

that all said,

I am 37 weeks and doing good.

She has definitely dropped into my pelvis which has caused some

achy-ness but I am coping! just moving real slow when I get up from

sitting or rolling over at night!

and I am ready for some consecutive cooler days!

I now have everything I need for my home birth

which brings me peace...

picked up the tub on wednesday and now just need to decide when to set it up!

(it will be set up in the girls room so I don't want it up too far in advance

because it will be an eye sore and takes up a lot of room!)

I think I will most likely set it up mid week as I near 38 weeks

just in case she does decide to show her face early like her sister!

so close to meeting our new baby girl!

it's crazy, really!

the last days

of being a family of three...

I will miss this, but am so excited to see what our family looks like this time next year!

pregnancy: things I will miss and things I won't!

some things I will miss

sweet baby kicks and punches and just feeling life inside

having a belly (even though right now it's too big- maybe like a 25 week belly!)

the sweet looks people give you (even though sometimes they look at me as if I am disabled!)

the anticipation and excitement of meeting this new person

watching my body morph and change as God created it to do

looking forward to labor (yes, I actually do!)

and

some things I will not!

doing dishes with a belly! it's seriously getting hard... at 5'2 my arms are just too short!

going through toilet paper so quickly when you pee 1000 times a day it goes fast

trying to reach my toe nails- painted them today, pretty sure I pulled a muscle or 10

aches and pains! oh my hips, my pelvis, my feet...

swollen feet at the end of the day

not being able to properly hug my husband...

sleeping on my side!!

Alomae and her Daddy

she sure does love him...

and nobody can make her giggle like he can!

9 months, 36 weeks, 252 days down 28 to go...

my view these days...

it's getting limited for sure!

Whew I am tired!

like hit by a truck tired...

there are some days simply walking up the stairs makes me in dyer need to crawl into

my bed for a few minutes...

thank goodness alomae is such a god sport and is willing to entertain herself these days.

she will let me lay down and will simply play and be creative and come in and check on me

from time to time...

her new favorite thing is this closet on the stairs...

and pulling out the little shampoo bottles and playing with them and her animals!

lined up perfectly!

and she is wearing her daddy's shirt :)

such an amazing little girl!

4 more weeks until I am due...

I am hoping for the week of the 3rd though :)

that sounds nice!

then we can make it to the pumpkin patch on the 1st

and both my midwives will be in town and at the birth!

(they are friends from the birth center I worked at so I would love for them to

both be there!)

have I mentioned I am a procrastinator and still have not gotten all my

homebirth supplies...

I have yet to pick up the tub (was too tired to carry it yesterday from my appt.)

or buy a new hose

or get a hose adaptor!

basically the important things for my waterbirth!

oh well,

if I have her today it will just have to be in my small bathtub

no big deal!

we are doing good though, hanging it there, contracting a lot (nothing painful)

and getting excited for the reality that we really are having another baby...

soon!

30 days

until I am due

one month from today!

my instincts tell me I will not be pregnant until then...

I would not mind a 40 week chunky baby! I can just tell, like last time

that my body may not make it that far!

but we shall see!

28

that is how old I am today...

unfortunately I am sick...

alomae brought home a bug from seattle and I caught it!

being sick while pregnant wrecks you so much more then

just being regular old sick.

I started feeling yucky on Sunday afternoon and spent all day yesterday

laying on the couch or in bed. I prayed I would wake up today refreshed and

feeling good, but nope!

thats okay though, sometimes it's nice to be forced to lay low...

even on your birthday :)

I did muster the energy to shower and get dressed this morning to go

to breakfast with andy and alomae before he headed to work for the day.

that energy lasted about 30 min and then I was on the couch watching movies with my sweet little girl.

alomae then blessed me with a three hour nap (she typically naps for 1-1.5)

which means this birthday mama got to sleep too!

for two hours!

Again, I was hoping I would wake up feeling better and refreshed!

nope!

Oh well! I will savor any and all time with alomae before her sister comes,

even if it means me needing to be sick to take the time to just be.

so in that, it will be a good day!

even while sick...

I am blessed!

alomae and her shoes

alomae's fall shoes are on their way!

she had the purple ones earlier in the year and the toes fell apart pretty quick.

I really think it was due to the material they were made of though.

so I am hoping these ones hold up better

(I think they will... if mine can hold up through haiti and well beyond- hers can too!)

by the way, if she had her way she would be wearing pink sparkly princess ballet flats all the time but sometimes a mama has to put her foot down! :)

Oh Alomae

you have been up to so much!

You are a walking disney musical I swear!

always a song in your head and dance in your step...

you walk around singing and twirling, and tap dancing with flowey arms

you are too much!

favorite songs these days are:

abc's

jesus loves me

the b-i-b-l-e

the friday song (again, thanks for that Shawn Kollie)

baby (justin beiber- don't know where she learned this one....shawn? :)

the lords army

our God is mighty to save (she always asks to sing "conquer the grave"!)

and

someday my prince will come from snow white

quite the variety!

You are getting very excited for your baby sister to arrive and also kind of sensitive.

I can tell you are realizing it's getting close. You are clinging to Mama a lot

and sometimes a tad bit whiney around me...

So I am trying to snuggle you lots and lay low with you at home

(partially because it's hard for mama to move around!)

some things you are saying that always get a laugh:

"I have a question" when we ask what your question is you always

reply "sweet salad, chicken, hamburger" oookkkaaay babe :)

when you take something we do not want you to you always put it down

where you want it and say "it's okay- it be safe!" thanks for the assurance!

and if you want to say something and you think we don't hear you, you repeat

until we acknowledge! most the time very loudly! if I sneeze and you say

"God bless you Mama" (which you always do sweet girl) and I do not say thank you,

you will say "God Bless you mama" over and over and louder and louder...

it's really quite cute!

You are a natural encourager

you are always saying things like...

"you are beautiful mama"

"you okay?"

"mama, you look like a princess"

"daddy- you have pretty hair"

"your ring is pretty!"

"oooh she has such beautiful nails!"

your mouth is full of sweet things that light up our day!

I pray you are always filled with positive talk and can find a good compliment

to give to those around you

it really can make someone's day...

love you sweet girl!

the afters

I am all done!

burp cloths

i followed this tutorial

faux Zinc letters

and yarn dandilions...

(now i just need to replace my succulent that died into the white pot!)

another successful day of crafting!