No, the baby is not here yet

I am due on August 30th...that is this Saturday. I have elected to be induced but that did not work out today and has made me nervous about the convenience, organization and overall proceedure of labor and delivery at Winter Park Hopsital which has been inundated with active labor women all day and likely into the night. God wants me to wait. Sophia would like to chill out in my womb for like another 3 weeks maybe. Daniel would like to go all places all the time and I can't keep up with him. I'm impatient, I know, but there is no telling whether she'll come on her due date so it's not's as if three days will pass and boom! the waiting is over. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh!

SMILE!

This picture cracks me up. I have never gotten such a HUGE smile out of Daniel when taking a picture. The teeth, the hair....he's too much.

Waiting for baby

We have most everything ready for baby now, we just need the baby! We've been putting a diaper on this stuffed lion of Daniel's to show him about babies. He's not as gentle with the "baby" as I'd like, but I'm sure a live baby will be very different for him.

34+ weeks and 6 more to go. We'll keep you posted.

Daniel's Swimming Lessons

....more or less a drowning prevention course. We signed him up when he was 15 months old and he learned the techniques wonderfully. After the winter he forgot the method and lost confidence in the water. So after 3 weeks of refresher classes now 26 months old he is back in familiar territory. At the end of the course they test him in both summer and winter clothes...

Reasons for Unexcused baby weight

late night bowls of Apple Jacks! A lot of pregnant women revert to chewing ice late at night to curb the cravings....and I do this most nights, however sometimes I just can't resist a useless carb high of sugary Apple Jacks.

Entertaining a 2 year old

...the greatest challenge I've faced recently. It's not necessarily the lack of ideas it's just the lack of energy needed to sustain his ever attention desiring heart. Dad asks, "How's the little blonde tornado?" and it couldn't be a better metaphor. He's not so much into breaking things and but the speed and potential for disaster is easily present.

So splash parks, and really anything to do with water have been a great compromise...not any on his part. Plus with the hot hot sun pouring down on us now I couldn't feel better about him running around as long as he stays cool.

It's amazing the inescapable expense you could go to in order to entertain a child. It's ridiculous actually and so the 2nd level of challenge is to find things to do on a regular basis that don't burn a hole in our pockets. Hence the reason for this arrangement.....

....he won't know how lame it really was until he's like 4 or 5. For now my roasting pan makes for an excellent mini splash park, especially when I get the bubble machine rolling, haven't seen bubbles AND fountains anywhere...but I haven't been to Disney in a while either.

Life is good with a little bit of creativity and some odds and ends.

New Home, increased exhaustion

After a tiring week we finally transferred the last of all our belongings to the 3rd floor apartment. It's spacious and feels good, but I'm reluctant to get too cozy since we're planning to find a house by the new year.

Exhausted.....the best word to describe the way life feels right now. I think it must be the pregnancy, but parenting has proven to be one of the most excruciating challenges lately.

I've been worried that I must appear tired and un-enthused about baby #2. I don't know how I'm going to do it and I know I will not be alone but I fear my human limits of patience and flexibility. Of course God does not let it stand at that - human limits. I am limited but not without a great force of support and love on my side. I really must grow about 4 more spiritual limbs in order to take on two children and still maintain some independent identity. I will hold baby and ruthless toddler in my two arms and pray for strength constantly.