Friday, January 30, 2009

Pictures of the kids




The kids adore their new sister. Anytime she starts to cry Abby is right there to see what is wrong.

I am working slowly on her birth story, and will post it soon with more pictures. It is wonderful to have a little one in the family again.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It's a

Girl

Elisabeth Hope
was born Jan. 26th at 4:50pm.
She weighed 8lbs 10oz. and is 20 1/4 inches long.
Mother and baby are doing great!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Princess Abby

I bought a cheap tiara and earrings for Abby today while doing our weekly shopping. She is now walking around the house telling us how princesses do things. She keeps looking in the mirror and loves every moment of it. She told me princesses take a break and sit down after they are done dancing. Then she showed me, and she sat very ladylike and still. I will need to remember that when we are in church. I’m not sure I want to encourage the dancing, but to her dancing is spinning in a circle. Now she is giving me a list of what else a princess needs to have. Robert told her he liked her “hat” and that she looked beautiful. He wants to be a king. What did I start?!?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Family update

We have had some beautiful weather here lately. We have had cold weather mixed with snow and then mud for over a month. Now the kids are able to go out and play which is a wonderful break for me. I can do some chores and watch them in the back yard through the kitchen windows. I love to hear “Mom, I want to go outside and play.”

The weather has helped my attitude, too. I do not feel as frustrated about waiting for baby to come. We can get out now and go for a walk or go to the park for the kids to play. Another thing that has added to my frustration is having at least one child awake before 6:30am in the morning. I get up before 5 am. I pack a lunch for my husband and cook his breakfast. After he leaves at 5:30, I usually can get an hour or more of peace and quiet. I keep the lights off and stay out of the kids rooms to try to keep them asleep as long as possible. Normally they sleep until the sun starts to come up, but recently they have been getting up long before the sun comes up. Some times they are even awake before my husband leaves for work. Maybe they are checking to see if baby came yet. When they awake before I finished my Bible reading and prayer time it leaves me feeling frustrated most of the day. The last two days I decided to get up before 4:30am and try to do my Bible reading before I cooked my husband’s breakfast and pack his lunch. Now the kids are sleeping until 7am and I get lots of quiet time, but I go to bed shortly after the kids do in the evening : )

Today was another visit to the midwife. She thinks baby should come before my next appointment. I hope she is right. She also thinks baby will be big and healthy. I am only 12lbs less than what I weighed when the twins were born and they were 6 lbs 2oz each. I am nervous about having a big baby. My mother had all large babies – none of us were under 8 ½ lbs, and the largest was over 11 lbs. My midwife did assure me that this one would not be over 11 lbs.

Monday, January 12, 2009

"I forgot"

My husband leaves for work early every weekday. Usually the kids are all sleeping when he leaves. This morning after Abby woke up she asked "Where is Daddy?" I told her that he was at work, but I thought this was unusual for her to ask since she knows he goes to work everyday. Then she surprised me by saying, "I forgot. I wanted to go to work with him." I called my husband later and he got a good laugh from it.

Still no baby. I am trying to stay busy and not think too much about it. I am anxious to hold my baby in my arms. Abby and Robert are excited, too. Everyday they ask me when is baby coming, or want to pray that baby sister comes soon.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Our Holidays

We had a nice Christmas. There was snow on the ground part of the day, and we got more again the next day. We didn’t go all out on gifts, only a few items for each child – and nothing with many pieces. We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve after church, and then we went to be with my husband’s family on Christmas day. The kids enjoyed all that we gave them. Rueben’s mom bought him a digital camera so he recorded the kids opening their gifts. They love watching themselves! Grandma mostly got the kids clothing, but she did get Abby a bike. Uncle Mauno got Robert one this past summer from a yard sale on his bus route, and there has been arguing about who rides it. Abby rode her bike in circles around Grandma’s sofa, and later around our kitchen table. She now lets Robert ride it, since it is a few days old, and he is getting the hang of how to ride. Once our mud dries up, we will take the bikes out around the neighborhood. While Abby’s is still new and clean, I am allowing them to ride it around the house.

We spent our New Years day working around the house and going to a big family gathering on my husband’s side. He tried to tell me who people were and how they are related to us, but I doubt that I will remember.

The baby’s crib has been sanded and painted. Now we need to buy a mattress. I feel more ready now, and I am ready for this baby to be born. I’m having plenty of Braxton-hicks contractions, and some are quite uncomfortable. Josiah tries to climb on my lap, but there isn’t much room for him right now. Abby is excited that it is January and baby sister is coming. She keeps asking questions like, “When will baby sister be as big as me?”

Josiah’s vocabulary is improving and expanding almost daily. He is putting together two word sentences. He is on the road to becoming a talker like Abigail!! Abby bugs me any day I decide not to have school, so we have continued our “school” though the holidays. It gives me something to keep them occupied. Today we finished the first phonics book that I bought this past summer at an Amish book store. The kids were very excited about this accomplishment, and I was too. There is a book two in the set, but I think I’ll wait to start that one after the baby comes. We have plenty to keep us busy in the meantime.

With baby coming I will probably not post much this month. I will try to have pictures on as soon as possible after the birth.