saying goodbye to belly

It's time to say goodbye to belly: I'll be induced on Tuesday morning, bright and early. Tomorow, the children will enjoy other's homes (and I will miss them terribly) and I'll have a quiet evening with Jacob as we prepare for Soeren's arrival. I would appreciate your prayers, that things will go smoothly and quickly and everyone will be healthy. See you soon with exciting news!

R&R before the hard work

Resting, watching movies in an air conditioned house not far from ours. The kids are cuddling with Summer, a golden retriever: the world's best dog (except for the trash digging. Ech!) House sitting and loving the pool!!! We've been to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemp Art (a teaparty with squirrels, chipmunks, and mice exhibit were the favorite for the kids), went to a kids showing of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, thanks to some tickets given to us. We're having quite literally a dream vacation in our own neck of the woods (or cacti) and loving it!
Good news: the baby turned around and no longer breach. So relieved!!!I'm dialated to 2 and 70% effaced. We're all just kicking back and waiting for the arrival of Soeren. Life is peaceful!

sitting on a nest

Don't worry, still here. Just doing a lot of resting, amazed by my husband who has helped out so much. I am larger than life but finding that watching soccer is the cure all for being so close to having a baby (except when contractions start because I'm so into the game. They stop though, and life keeps going) Just found out that little bean is in between breech and where he should be. (in my hip) Hoping he moves to the right place soon or no induction, just a lovely C-section. Never had one before, but thankful I have a husband at home who could help if need be.

I'll be 29 on Monday: which feels odd. When I was a kid 30 seemed so old, and now it's not that far off. 29 is the age you tell people for the rest of your life, so I'd better enjoy this year. Five babies... can't complain there! Married to a great husband for almost 8 years... no complaints there. I am thankful for all that the Lord has given me.

Meanwhile, the temp is in amazingly high numbers, we've fried an egg on the sidewalk, watching library movies and yes... I'm sitting on my nest and can't wait to meet this new one.

sleepy time cuteness

Trip to Sedona with friends

We had a wonderful time yesterday on a short trip to Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon with some friends. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a whole lot cooler than Phoenix. I felt so refreshed!

Columbine growing alongside the creek.

A cute one of Aiden

I loved this one of Abigail. So serene!

Abigail took this one herself. Very Ansel Adams if I do say so!

My blue eyed cutie pie

Eddrick loved all the dirt!

The gorgeous red rocks and trees.

Hiking buddies!

Eddrick loved this, I think it was a boyhood dream come true to find a path, a door and a cool cave inside!

We love Sedona!

Night at the Museum

Last night was our cities "first Friday" night were all the Museums are free. So we took the Light Rail and had a fun evening with the kids.




Peter, Lucy, Edmund and Susan were waiting for the train.

This was at the Children's Museum. They were making pizza's!!!

Pretending to do grocery shopping and measuring out the lentils.

I love this picture!!!

And this is me at 34 weeks. Everyone last night thought I was having twins. (and I feel like it!) Feeling like I'm ready to pop!

Memorial Day: happy Summer Days.

Memorial Day weekend was fabulous: lots of relaxing, swimming, playing lots of games... it was marvelous!
Checkers:

Dominoes:



Keeping cool:


Enjoying homemade popsicles: greek yogurt mixed with blended peaches and strawberries!

And enjoying a bit of relaxation mixed in here and there.

One of those scary moments...

As a mother, you get used to certain things (scraped knees, nightmares, lose teeth, normal fevers) And then there are the moments that scare you half to death and find you at 4am begging God to help. These last few days have been this way. Two Mondays ago Aiden had his two year old shots (6 of them to be exact) That night he had a raging fever, which I thought was due to the shots, but it was an awfully high fever. So that Wednesday I took him in and it turned out that he had a terrible ear infection. Antibiotics were given, etc. The doctor warned that the fever would return a week after shots and that that would be normal. So... on Monday when the fever arrived, I was ready for it. Well, I thought I would be ready for it. Pretty soon, I couldn't fight the fever with Tylenol and Motrin, he was throwing up the medicine and had no appetite. He started getting more and more lethargic and then the fever spiked at 104.5. I knew something wasn't right. Jacob and I and Aiden hadn't slept in a couple nights and it was getting worse, not better. So I took him back to the doctors. He was so lethargic he couldn't hold his head up and the fever was back to 103. It really alarmed the doctor and he said he was glad I gave him gatorade and it was the only thing keeping him from slipping into something worse. But that Aiden needed an antibiotic shot. A "grand slam" "shotgun effect" sort of shot that would destroy the infection. If it didn't work, we'd have to get another one the next day and if the fever still hadn't left by Friday, they'd have to get more serious. So a shot in the behind later, my Aiden this afternoon finally had the fever break and he slept much better than he had in a week. Major sigh of relief!


the very cool patch on his head I found at Walmart. They are cool gel packs you stick on their foreheads that stay there and keep the fever at bay (kind of like a washcloth, but doesn't fall off) Hooray for "cool" inventions!

The Art of Dressing Up

These are my children... and to say they are obsessed with dressing up, would be putting it lightly. It amazes me how they pretend. They can easily be two or three characters at the same time. Princess Butttercup quickly turns to Lucy Pevensy or Susan and her bow of arrows. Star Wars comes to life with the biggest fan of the movie I have ever met, and a small two year old (who has an ear infection) can put on a cape and find powers to fly around the room faster than he did before the cape appeared. (although I'm sure antibiotics are also helping). I'm not sure why, but they love to pretend that someone is very sick and they must nurse them back to life. One drop of Lucy's potion and they are cured back to full health and able once again to defeat the white witch. And there are the boys who adore "dying" by the sword. (or screwdriver made into a sword, or really whatever they can find that somehow resembles a sword, gun, or lightsaber). It's funny to watch a three year old little girl whom I can never get to clean anything, turn into Snow white who is merrily dusting the elves home and singing "I'm Wishing". These things are dear to a mother's heart and although I know this stage won't last forever, I really wouldn't mind if it still lasted a long time.

My superhero:


Star Wars in all it's glory! (and red galoshes!)


A peasant girl growing flowers, and meeting Prince Charming.


And this one: could she look more like Snow White?

Nesting

Being in between 31 and 32 weeks pregnant, it seems an eternity before this baby is born and yet I am ancy to meet Soeren and nesting impulses being what they are, nesting was done. Freshly washed stacks and baskets of little guy's clothes, cloth diapers, burp cloths and recieving blankets all ready to be used.

As summer looms round the bend (and it certainly is already here in Phoenix!) I thought a fun scene to greet people as they come through the front door would be nice. You see, I always put something seasonal in this place.(spring blossoms, fall leaves, Christmas lovelies) So (and maybe it is so far away that it sounds so nice) I put a beachy scene with sea shells. Just a little extra niceness to the home: the children are enchanted by it and that makes it all the better!