A Story For Hope

Tiny Bear's Search

Tiny Bear woke up all alone in the bed he shared with Hope.

He sat up and looked around.

Tiny Bear was very thirsty, so he went to the kitchen for a drink of water.

He was wondering where Hope could be. Tiny Bear saw
some apple peel on the table and thought, "Has Hope
been here?"

Tiny Bear washed his face and hands before going outside
to look for Hope.

The bicycle basket was a good vantage point,
but Tiny Bear still could not find Hope.

He went out into the flower garden, but Hope was not there.

Growing tired of searching, Tiny Bear sat down in Hope's
car seat to rest. Then he had an idea...

He climbed up into the front seat of the van.

And there she was!

Tiny Bear climbed up and gave Hope a big hug.

39 Weeks

Here in our house, the topic most discussed right now is "How are you feeling?" On Monday of last week, I thought I might be in labor so we called our friends who would watch our girls, and packed a bag, and were ready to go to the hospital when things had moved along to that point. They never moved along to that point. I took a nap when the girls did and all contraction activity ceased. DISAPPOINTING!

39 week belly shot

So, the next night Robbie prepared a meal that has been known to induce labor for many women. It is a recipe from a restaurant in Atlanta, Scalini's, Eggplant Parmesiana. He made a big pan of it. We ate it for dinner last Tuesday night, then I ate some more for breakfast the next morning, and then lunch that afternoon. On Friday night, we ate it for dinner again. The rumor is that this recipe kicks women into labor within 48 hours of eating it, but this was not the case for me... DISAPPOINTING!!!

Eggplant Parmesiana (recipe courtesy of Scalini's restaurant)

I've also been trying to walk 30 minutes every evening after the girls are in bed. Trying to get little boy to move on down. I can't always walk the entire 30 minutes but walking does feel like it is helping some. We were hoping maybe the full moon would help things move right along, but it hasn't. Disappointing!

Today, Robbie went and bought three pineapples and a bottle of evening primrose oil. Both are known to help. So, I've taken one dose of EPO and I ate an entire pineapple (minus about four bites) for lunch. My mouth is feeling the burn, and so is my stomach, but who knows if this will help?

That's a whole pineapple on my plate.

Baby boy's due date is October 4, and the doctor thinks that because I delivered both girls at right around 40 weeks, that he won't show up until that time as well. Really, he could come anytime and we'd be ready. Well, as ready as we'll ever be!

Ephram's "bedroom"

Silliness and Haiku

Silly, googly eyes

My husband sits on the couch

Did this make you laugh?

Girls in a basket

What are they doing in there?

Outdoor playtime fun!

28 Weeks

Size of Baby: Chinese cabbage (about 2 1/4 lbs., almost 15 inches head to heel).

Cravings: Nothing new in this department...

What is different this time around: I believe that my weight gain has been significantly less so far this time around, which is great. With both Hope and Haven I gained 40 lbs. So far I've gained about 19 lbs. this time. We'll see how this third trimester weighs in :) Also, recently I've been really bugged by how sensitive my stomach is to touch. Both girls have no idea how bothersome it is to elbowed and kneed in the stomach right now. Add to that the constant kicking and pushing from inside and it is almost unbearable!

Symptoms: Heartburn (occasionally) and other unpleasant symptoms. Let's just say that prunes, applesauce and dragonfruit are my friends... and lots and lots of water.

Appointments: Just had our 28 week appointment yesterday. Fundal height is 27 centimeters, so I'm measuring a week behind, which is fine. Everything looked good. Baby heartbeat is strong, in the 130-140 range. Next appointment is August 2, the day after Haven's 2nd birthday. After that, we'll be seeing the doc every two weeks until D-Day. It's always amazing to me how quickly the time flies right on by...

Letting Self Die

I am reading a book. A real, paper paged book. I've read this one before, but it's one that is definitely worth more than one read-through. It's worth digging into and really absorbing. It's called A Life to Die For. I'm almost halfway through, but I feel like I already need to start over again and reread and let it sink in still deeper.

I long to have the abundant life. I desire to have Christ so fill my heart and my life that He is all that others can see when they look at me. I want my daughters to see only Jesus' heart when they see me. All that is impossible while my self is alive. I need to admit that my self needs to die in order for Christ to fill me and live in me. This is the only way to have that abundant life.

Jesus, I choose to trust you when you say, "whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

24 Weeks

Size of Baby: Ear of corn (10.5 inches, 12.7 oz.)

Cravings: Still not having many. Sometimes I really want a Subway sandwich but I haven't given in to that in a while.

What Is Different This Time Around: I think I am gaining less weight this time than I did with both girls, but we'll see how that goes when Third Trimester arrives and baby starts really starts filling out. I can't believe only two more weeks until the end of the second trimester! It seems so soon...

Symptoms: Lots of kicking around, seeing baby move on the outside, heartburn (sometimes), some edema in my legs. My nausea has really pretty much disappeared, thankfully. Also, I have had much more energy.

Appointments: Our next appointment is scheduled for July 12 (easy to remember since it is my sister's birthday). Nothing special at that appointment. Our last one was just a few days ago, and baby is doing well, heartbeat sounds good, and I don't have anything unusual going on. It was a very standard, uneventful visit. Our next one should be the same.