Baby Waiting

I'm 38 weeks today--and feeling it.  Lots of nice Braxton-Hicks contractions letting me know that my body is gearing up; lots of elbows and shoulders and knees and toes letting me know that the baby is gearing up too!

Bilbo just told me: "I wish there was such a thing as a $30 bill.  Because there's so many things that are $30."  It's 7:15 am.  He's thinking too big of thoughts for me as I'm only half way through my first cup of coffee!

My nesting has gone from methodical to random and rather frantic.  I told you I'd made it through the kids bedrooms and upstairs in general.  Yesterday I made my husband move the baby crib into our room (he thinks this is unnecessary because we co-sleep, but it is NOT unnecessary, I assure you.  I will put the baby down in the crib as I dress and shower, and if he'll sleep there, and it will be far safer for him than being on my bed where any wild child or toddler might decide to leap on any given morning--it happens!)  Then I made Aragorn push in an extra dresser (because we upsized the boys' dresser with a super awesome one from Ikea) because I really don't have a "baby dresser".  Then I pulled in the changing table with baskets, that is what I use as the baby dresser, except now I have one, so it will be more of just a changing table.  Anyway, then I put the baby's clothes from the laundry basket where they were washed, folded, and waiting to the dresser.

Is this a fun post for anyone besides me?

Wait: it gets better!

Because then I decided to detail my linen closet!  Woohoo!  Wait! Where are you going? Hey! Come back!  You don't want to hear about it? Not even the fact that I practiced great detachment in parting with a large bag full of extra sheeting that I had acquired over the years?  And then I had the ingenious idea to pack away the flannel sheets in a bin rather than to fold them into the closet?

Ok.  I'll stop.

And I don't even have any photos to make this blog more fun to read!

I could re-post something from the archives...nah.

Just quit if you've heard enough out of me.  I'll wrap this up by saying that I failed to make dinner and my family headed off to the baseball games for the evening without dinner.  My husband said it was too hot to eat and the kids had just had popsicles.  I somewhat lamely wished Gimli and Hubby a good game from the couch (of course this is where the above day landed me!)

Then I boiled some noodles, threw on some sauce and tried to feed some "middles" and "littles" who ate with varying interest.  Then I loaded them up (the kids Galadriel and down--so, five of them) and drove to Aragorn's game to cheer him on in his first chance to pitch in this new league.

After settling down on a blanket and encouraging Aragorn on through his pitching, a time or two at bat, and an inning on first, I succumbed to the pressure of Galadriel who desperately wanted to see Gimli's game.  We loaded up the van and drove down the road to the other game, where Gimli was having a ridiculously easy time in his league.  He should really play up with Aragorn like he did last year, but I'm not sure if the league would let him.

Anywhoo...my awesome Mom was there with my nieces, and at this point the heat and humidity gave way to a cool breeze.  We chatted and it was amazing.

Home, baths, beds.  And that's your super awesome update.  I know you can't wait for another post!

(I promise I won't do this to you again--at least not without pictures!)

37 Weeks and Counting

My computer has been down for a while, so, sorry for the blog silence.  I have so many fun pictures to share, but with my main computer compromised, you'll just have to make due with the ones I happened to have ready.  Working on this...

I've been so busy since Arwen's return from Europe that all of my long posts that I planned on writing about her amazing experience have just...not happened.

We finished school right before Memorial Day.  We have been doing math every day, though.  Arwen really needed to complete her year's work, but the other kids need to keep up their skills, even if they did finish for the year.  I'm guessing we'll keep this up right until the baby sabotages all of our structures of order and progress in the home. ;) 

Summer, the week we've had of it, has been amazing.  The kids have been outside for many hours each day, Bilbo and Rosie are king and queen of the frog pond, and they bring home a new friend just about every day.  I've got a plastic tupperware bin in our garage that acts as "home away from home" for the frogs until I make them take them back.  

This was "Hopper", the first frog friend to grace our home  garage 

I have been too busy indoors to worry too much about what's going on outside...unless of course I'm directing the mulching effort in our yard!  I'm going to have to post about that in another post--our backyard basically lost all grass whatsoever over the past few years, and now we're attempting to fix that!  The mulch portion is complete, now my husband has to haul dirt and seed.

This is Pip, the rascal rabbit who runs away at every chance, but he's "trapped" while on a table top.   These bunnies put up with all kinds of "love"!

Indoors I've been a one-woman to-do list!  I cleaned the boys' and girls' rooms, including their closets.  Then I finally (finally!!) got to my room, which is officially ready for a crib!  Eowyn has been in her toddler bed in the girls' room for about two weeks now, so it's official: the crib gets passed down!

 After I dumped Arwen's suitcase Arwen cleaned out her suitcase post-trip, I snagged it and officially put together a bag for the hospital.  The baby will officially have something to come home in, and I will too!  My labors go fast--there is no time for packing once the contractions hit!

 Unless of course we're talking about the month of contractions I always have!  We had a severe thunderstorm pass through tonight and I truly thought it might just throw me into labor!  I am SO sensitive to weather at the end of my pregnancies--my last three babies were born in rainstorms.  Things are getting exciting.

In the meantime, Saturday was all day at the ballpark with "opening day" for Aragorn, Gimli, and Galadriel.

Phew!  Count yourself updated!:)

In Europe

Who is this world traveler, and where is my daughter?!

The Cathedral
(my husband was worried about sunburn.  my brother found not only sunscreen, but a hat!)

en route to Warsaw

 In Warsaw--if you can't guess who that Saint is, I'm not telling you!  (hint: he's a "Great", if unofficially still).

 Shrine of Divine Mercy

After lunch on a Riverside terrace.  You can see how beautiful the weather was for them!

 Auchwitz.  Sadly, not all good experiences are "fun".

WWII museum (yes, my boys were jealous)

There are so so many photos for me to post.  There were music concerts, ethnic restaurants, and of course, the ordination!

I hope to share more.  I really need to get back to cleaning: I want a nice homecoming for this little girl of mine!  

Awaiting Reunion

You saw when the Mama Robin made her nest, and you saw the first chick hatch.  I told you they were about to fly.  And then I might have cried, because my baby was flying to Europe with my parents for the ordination of her uncle.  The longest she had ever been away was about 5 days at a camp that was 40 minutes away (and she was with her cousin).

feathered and ready to fledge

This morning Bilbo came running into my room as I got ready for the day: "Mom! Aragorn's bird flew!"  My boys each picked a bird to name.  Aragorn's was "Gerald", Gimli's was "Buckey", and Bilbo's was "Francie".  I know.  We're nuts.

Today Gerald flew for the first time.  And it was the sweetest thing to watch the Mama Robin greet her chick on the green grass.

I couldn't help but be a little jealous: her chick was safe and sound; on the ground!

Mine is en route!  (prayers again please!)

{This Moment}

Fledging

The robins are getting so big in their nest.  I know that soon the young chicks will take off.  They will fly.

Fly!

My heart is so full.  I shouldn't try to blog about this.  I just sent my oldest to the other side of this planet.

I know.  People travel.  Travel is a glorious opportunity and not always possible, so it is a gift.

It was a gift I chose to give to my daughter after much prayer and consideration with my husband.

A gift.  Something good.

But not easy.

Not easy to say goodbye.

 To entrust her care to others (even if it is my own Mom and Dad, and her Uncle!)

Even if she's so lucky to go.  And I'm proud of her for having the courage to go.  And I'm so excited to let her have this chance of a lifetime.

We miss her!  (prayers welcome) :)

{This Moment} All Out!

These guys actually hatched a few days ago...it's just hard to get a picture of them all looking cute with their heads up and beaks open, mostly because I don't spend that much time hanging out of my boys' bedroom window.  Anyway, here they all are--three of them--fuzzy and tired out.  (Arwen gets the photo cred).